Skid_MacMarx Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I remember some forum contributors asking about the fate of superbit titles.... I never purchased any.. was there a mark improvement over the standard DVD? Sony has dumped its high-bitrate Superbit line of premium DVD releases. The Studio says it now wants to concentrate on Blu-ray high definition products. The decision to limit the life of the brand was apparently made back in 2001: “With regular Blu-ray releases there is no room in the market for a standard definition higher-quality format,” said a spokesman, “It was always an interim bridge.” The Superbit line comprises just 57 titles, and was never a commercial success. http://avzombie.com/blog/2007/01/23/sony-d...erbit-dvd-line/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dork(original) Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Skid, i have vertical limit on superbit and it blows my friends away when i put it on.If you come across some they are worth buying if you aint got hddvd/bluray.Dork Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 thats a shame, but hardly suprising. ive got Closer, Fast and Furious and Das Boot on Superbit. not sure about the other two, but i have compared F&F and the superbit version is much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djOS Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I remember some forum contributors asking about the fate of superbit titles....I never purchased any.. was there a mark improvement over the standard DVD? [/b] http://avzombie.com/blog/2007/01/23/sony-d...erbit-dvd-line/ There was a significant improvement in PQ for front Projection owners but on a 42" plasma you had only marginal gains imo. Im not surprised they have dropped SB titles tho, BD & HD DVD have made them redundant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Dr J Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I've got a few Superbit titles, mostly from the states. On a decent quality screen the improvement in image quality over a SD DVD was quite marked, not to mention the easily audible improvment in sound quality (the R4 Desperado and The Fast & The Furious are prime examples!). I haven't bitten the bullet with HD DVD or Blu ray, like I did with DVD back in 1997, and Superbit is a good stop-gap measure in the meantime! However, if the HD DVD formats get up speed soon, I won't miss them that much. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c912039 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Ive got the original release and superbit versions of The 5th Element - the difference is night and day - especially on the opening scenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydrology Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Ive got the original release and superbit versions of The 5th Element - the difference is night and day - especially on the opening scenes. Ironically, I got to see some of the 5th Element on BR recently, jeez the SuperBit version is noticeably cleaner thah the HD version. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Dr J Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Ironically, I got to see some of the 5th Element on BR recently, jeez the SuperBit version is noticeably cleaner thah the HD version. Go figure. I'm actually still waiting for my copy of the Superbit Fifth Element to arrive from the states... I hope it makes it! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid_MacMarx Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 Im not surprised they have dropped SB titles tho, BD & HD DVD have made them redundant. Similar scenario to HDCD I suppose .. where DVD-A & SA-CD making that format redundant the only Super bit title I saw on the rack of the local DVD store was Hollow Man I saw that at the flicks... one viewing was enough ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 hmm perhaps thats sonys signal that the end for dvd for them is near ! superbit now dvd next ! all they'll need to do next is replace superbit with dvd for the next press release... Sony has dumped its DVD releases. The Studio says it now wants to concentrate on Blu-ray high definition products. The decision to limit the life of the brand was apparently made back in 200X: “With regular Blu-ray releases there is no room in the market for a standard definition format,” said a spokesman, “It was always an interim bridge.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momaw Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 First they drop superbit (which have been pumped out in great numbers recently, just not obviously superbit), then they will drop dual disc extra's and finally if you want Sony pics you will need blu-ray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid_MacMarx Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 while DVDs outsell Blu-ray HD movies; I can not see that happening : : :like Sony Music only making hybrids Although it will be interesting when HD movies become mainstream... and the contributor who predicts the correct timeframe.. on a side note all the super bit DVDs at EzyDVD are no longer available,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Kitten Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Ive got the original release and superbit versions of The 5th Element - the difference is night and day - especially on the opening scenes. If it's the original R4 of the movie that you're using as a comparison, the comparison is completely invalid. The originally released R4 version of this film used a sub-standard European transfer of the film done for the French market. The Superbit (and later regular R4 versions, I'm told) used the transfer done by the Sony Pictures HD Center in the US, the same one used on the original single-layer R1 release. The two transfers are chalk and cheese, and cannot be used for a comparison in any way. hmm perhaps thats sonys signal that the end for dvd for them is near ! superbit now dvd next ! Not at all. Superbit was a very, very stupid and misguided marketing concept that lost a lot of money. That's why it's being killed. (Note that it's the marketing concept that I feel was stupid, not the technical ethos behind the titles). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momaw Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 while DVDs outsell Blu-ray HD movies; I can not see that happening : : :like Sony Music only making hybrids Although it will be interesting when HD movies become mainstream... and the contributor who predicts the correct timeframe.. on a side note all the super bit DVDs at EzyDVD are no longer available,,, Actually the current version of the Fifth Element is a superbit version. They are now less obvious without the "Superbit" logo and advertising plastered all over them. Read the fine print and you will find it though. This version is the Australian "port" of the US superbit version. This is the version I have. They took the 1 disc superbit, reused the transfer, updated the menu and added a second disc of extras. My favourite superbit is Leon: The Professional Deluxe Edition. Not at all. Superbit was a very, very stupid and misguided marketing concept that lost a lot of money. That's why it's being killed.(Note that it's the marketing concept that I feel was stupid, not the technical ethos behind the titles). True and not so true. The initial Superbit release was flawed and failed. True. The format survived though this (see my examples above) and became very popular. It became the template for High Quality transfers on one disc and extras on another. We just didn't see it as much here as it was driven in the States with the Australian releases not even being recognised as supebit anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 ~My favourite superbit is Leon: The Professional Deluxe Edition. True and not so true. The initial Superbit release was flawed and failed. True. The format survived though this (see my examples above) and became very popular. It became the template for High Quality transfers on one disc and extras on another. We just didn't see it as much here as it was driven in the States with the Australian releases not even being recognised as supebit anymore. absolutely leon the professional my fav as well as is das boot and lawrence of arabia. some abslute pearlers on superbit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djOS Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Actually the current version of the Fifth Element is a superbit version. They are now less obvious without the "Superbit" logo and advertising plastered all over them. Read the fine print and you will find it though.This version is the Australian "port" of the US superbit version. This is the version I have. They took the 1 disc superbit, reused the transfer, updated the menu and added a second disc of extras. My favourite superbit is Leon: The Professional Deluxe Edition. Yep, I too have the latest Aussie release of the 5th Element and it is i million times better than the original (which I gave to a mate with a 68cm TV), I also have Leon the Professional SuperBit edition and it is a superb transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydrology Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 If it's the original R4 of the movie that you're using as a comparison, the comparison is completely invalid. I dont buy R4 releases. I used my orignal R1 and the following R1 SuperBit as comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Dr J Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I've got an old R4 DVD of The Fifth Element, it's a crap transfer complete with French titles! Got the R1 Leon and yes, it's awesome. Though I haven't seen the equivalent R4 disc... if there is one? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamma Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 i just got superbit version of charlies angels and it **** hot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50mxe20 Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I like the super bit dvds. Das Boot, Lawrence and a few others. SQ is always awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearmint Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I’ve got a couple of Superbit titles, although I never bothered chasing any of them. I have to admit Sony comes up with some good ideas, but for some reason or another, the market place doesn’t accept them as much as other formats and they fall by the wayside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Kitten Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I dont buy R4 releases. I used my orignal R1 and the following R1 SuperBit as comparison. Ah, well that makes more sense then. It's the same transfer, but the original R1 has the distinct disadvantage of being a single-layer disc holding a lengthy movie. Still, how damn good the original single-layer R1 looks - it was a quality benchmark in its time - speaks volumes for the sheer quality of Sony's MPEG encoding, even at very low bitrates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momaw Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I've got an old R4 DVD of The Fifth Element, it's a crap transfer complete with French titles! Got the R1 Leon and yes, it's awesome. Though I haven't seen the equivalent R4 disc... if there is one? Cheers! nup, another great movie we never got. Yet another reason why region free is essential on any format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thornton Melon Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Actually the current version of the Fifth Element is a superbit version. They are now less obvious without the "Superbit" logo and advertising plastered all over them. Read the fine print and you will find it though.This version is the Australian "port" of the US superbit version. This is the version I have. They took the 1 disc superbit, reused the transfer, updated the menu and added a second disc of extras. My favourite superbit is Leon: The Professional Deluxe Edition. True and not so true. The initial Superbit release was flawed and failed. True. The format survived though this (see my examples above) and became very popular. It became the template for High Quality transfers on one disc and extras on another. We just didn't see it as much here as it was driven in the States with the Australian releases not even being recognised as supebit anymore. We must all like the same movies,I have "The Fifth Element, Collectors Edition (Superbit Cut)" and "Leon uncut international version",my two favourite movies. I bought them mainly for the DTS soundtracks, but great movies overall. I had Desperado Superbit, but it was stolen. most Superbit titles are available through Amazon.uk. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djOS Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 We must all like the same movies,I have "The Fifth Element, Collectors Edition (Superbit Cut)" and "Leon uncut international version",my two favourite movies. I bought them mainly for the DTS soundtracks, but great movies overall. I had Desperado Superbit, but it was stolen. most Superbit titles are available through Amazon.uk.Cheers LOL, It just goes to prove that we all have great taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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