Avatar 3D now available on Blu-ray - with select Panasonic products

[Carborundum]

This is kinda old news, but I hadn't noticed it until just now and I don't think it's been posted here before.

There's been a lot of news lately about the upcoming Special Edition of Avatar, but it has been strangely quiet about the 3D edition. Apparently, that's because Fox has signed an exclusive agreement with Panasonic, saying that Avatar 3D will only be sold bundled with certain Panasonic TVs and Blu-ray players. [source]

This doesn't really affect me personally, since I neither own 3D capable equipment, nor am I planning to buy any anytime soon. It's still a douchy move by Fox though, since some might have acquired 3D equipment in anticipation of Avatar 3D before becoming aware of this.

['Evan]

I'm sure they'll be available on ebay before long, although definately annoying.

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

Stuff like that will ensure that home 3D joins the ranks of such technologies as quadraphonic sound, Betamax, Elcasets, CED laserdiscs, AM stereo and other spectacular technology failures.

[Hikyuuri]

This is bull.  I already have a 3DTV from Samsung.  I don't want to go buy a new one just to get my copy of Avatar in 3D.

Doesn't Fox realize how much money they are going to lose due to this?  Not only are people going to be paying an arm and leg on e-bay for the 3D edition, which Fox will get no money from, but there is going to be a lot of pirating going on too.

Fox, you messed up.

EDIT:  I just e-bayed it, there are copies of it available ... for about $400.

[Ftiafpi]

Oh, wow, that pisses me off. I'm planning on buying a new computer with 3D capabilities in February which will primarily be used to play 3D games but was also really looking forward to watching Avatar in 3D again. I noticed in your sourced article that it mentions that the 3D version will likely be released to general retailers many months later but, still, that would suck.

I agree that Fox is going to lose money on this which makes me skeptical that they would do this. I imagine that they're going to do this bundle deal as kind of a "get it a month earlier" sorta thing, and then release it to the public normally. That would make a lot more sense (but still be a douchey thing to do).

Ugh, this just sucks. I loved Avatar in 3D and it and a few other really good 3D movies have really made me love seeing it. However, you get all these crappy 3D things (none of which I've had the (dis)honor of seeing personally) like Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender that are ruining it and making people hate the format. I was so glad when I heard that the new Harry Potter movie was not going to be released in 3D because the director didn't like how it turned out. I wish these movie companies would realize that they need to stop trying to squeeze every penny out of 3D and understand that they have to work to expanding and make people believe that it's a viable format.

[Night Raider]

Oh, wow, that pisses me off. I'm planning on buying a new computer with 3D capabilities in February which will primarily be used to play 3D games but was also really looking forward to watching Avatar in 3D again. I noticed in your sourced article that it mentions that the 3D version will likely be released to general retailers many months later but, still, that would suck.

I agree that Fox is going to lose money on this which makes me skeptical that they would do this. I imagine that they're going to do this bundle deal as kind of a "get it a month earlier" sorta thing, and then release it to the public normally. That would make a lot more sense (but still be a douchey thing to do).

Ugh, this just sucks. I loved Avatar in 3D and it and a few other really good 3D movies have really made me love seeing it. However, you get all these crappy 3D things (none of which I've had the (dis)honor of seeing personally) like Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender that are ruining it and making people hate the format. I was so glad when I heard that the new Harry Potter movie was not going to be released in 3D because the director didn't like how it turned out. I wish these movie companies would realize that they need to stop trying to squeeze every penny out of 3D and understand that they have to work to expanding and make people believe that it's a viable format.

This is so true... As for me, I have a projector and was waiting to get a copy of Avatar in 3D. With this Panasonic bs, however, I guess I will not be able to get it for a while - $400 for a copy from eBay is ridiculous.

[DJ Makto]

This is poor taste on the part of Fox. But honestly I am not surprised as Fox has a long history of making poor decisions in running and marketing their most promising franchises, especially Avatar..

[Txantslusam Skxawng]

I saw and advert today ( for an Dutch store ) a Panasonice 3D TV with Blu-ray player + Avatar for €1299,-  ( No 3D-glasses included )

[Ftiafpi]

I saw and advert today ( for an Dutch store ) a Panasonice 3D TV with Blu-ray player + Avatar for €1299,-  ( No 3D-glasses included )

This is very sad only.

[Eyawng te Klltepayu]

I'm sure the 3D blu-ray will leak...but nobody here better download it! KEHE PIRACY!

Edited by Ftiafpi, please don't discuss piracy on the LearnNavi forums.

[Kerame Pxel Nume]

I'm sure the 3D blu-ray will leak...but nobody here better download it! KEHE PIRACY!

Well, it already did.

Question remains though how are one is going to play it. What's leaked is only the MPEG-TS, not the full BluRay image. And I know of no widely available BluRay authoring tool to write that thing on a recordable medium a BluRay player could digest.

In the same way I know of no player software that can decode the MVC part of MPEG-4 AVC, but this will change eventually. On the Collectors Edition there's a 3D easter egg (the theatrical trailer), and so far I had no luck decoding it for my DIY stereoscopic projection system (which is incompatible with what 3D-BluRay players mandate). Also because there's no wide support for MVC yet, the pirated versions is not re-encoded and thus too big for most people to download, and even if they download they're stuck with ~40GB of video and can't compress is due to lack of apropriate encoders.

Just selling the 3D-BluRay would have been the smarter move in the long term (also for Panasonic), because now people have the impression that their 3D-BluRays are tied to TVs of a certain vendor and may refrain from buying other 3D-BluRays  fearing incompatibilities. Well done, really well done Fox and Panasonic  

[Eyawng te Klltepayu]

I'm sure the 3D blu-ray will leak...but nobody here better download it! KEHE PIRACY!

Well, it already did.

Question remains though how are one is going to play it. What's leaked is only the MPEG-TS, not the full BluRay image. And I know of no widely available BluRay authoring tool to write that thing on a recordable medium a BluRay player could digest.

Why would there need to be a recordable medium?

Of course I would not pirate Avatar! I want my nice box set with BD-live access same as everyone else. Come on Monday morning post...

[Kerame Pxel Nume]

Why would there need to be a recordable medium?

Say you would pirate Avatar 3D you'd still had to put it to your 3D capable output device somehow. Using a computer this doesn't work yet, except using BluRay player software, which however will only play it in 3D if it comes from an actually mastered BluRay for some reason (at least PowerDVD). Then there are no graphic cards/drivers yet which submit stereoscopic content in HDMI-1.4 frame stacking mode, so you can't connect it to your newly bought 3D TV and use it right now (new drivers hopefully will change it).

So the only working option to play MVC encoded content is by a standalone 3D capable BluRay player – for which you need a fully mastered 3D-BluRay. That's why.

A few weeks I finished work on a 3D animation movie and people asked me if I could make a 3D-BluRay version. I wish I could, but until x264 and OSS decoders support MVC I simply can't because of lack of tools (well, and the general lack of OSS BluRay authoring altogether).

[Ftiafpi]

Of course I would not pirate Avatar! I want my nice box set with BD-live access same as everyone else. Come on Monday morning post...

Oh, I know you wouldn't but we always have to put the hammer down hard anytime piracy of Avatar is brought up in-case Fox (in their infinite wisdom) decided that they wanted a reason to shut us down.

[Eyawng te Klltepayu]

http://www.conceivablytech.com/4326/products/avatar-3d-blu-ray-discs-hitting-400/   

[Ftiafpi]

http://www.conceivablytech.com/4326/products/avatar-3d-blu-ray-discs-hitting-400/   

Wonderful, another way to make 3D die a horrible death, lets make it so nobody could ever afford it, ever.

[Seze]

http://www.conceivablytech.com/4326/products/avatar-3d-blu-ray-discs-hitting-400/   

Wonderful, another way to make 3D die a horrible death, lets make it so nobody could ever afford it, ever.

Bluray was the same when it first came out.  The prices will drop at some point...

[Ftiafpi]

http://www.conceivablytech.com/4326/products/avatar-3d-blu-ray-discs-hitting-400/   

Wonderful, another way to make 3D die a horrible death, lets make it so nobody could ever afford it, ever.

Bluray was the same when it first came out.  The prices will drop at some point...

I suppose but Bluray wasn't nearly as expensive as 3D and people are already not too happy with the lack of "good" 3D (Avatar and a few others being the exception). I'm just really scared that they're going to really hurt 3D becoming a mainstream consumer item. Plus, I really want to watch this in 3D when I get my 3D computer setup early next year.

[Kerame Pxel Nume]

Those 400 bucks are the price for which the 3D-BluRay goes on eBay. Those are the 3D-BluRays you can get if you bought a Panasonic 3D capable Plasma TV. Sometime next year they will be sold regularily. And they be damned if they make it cost more than a regular BluRay. I know of my own experience that mastering a publication is the very same amount of work like it is for the 2D version. It's the production where it's more complicated.

[Eyawng te Klltepayu]

I hear that this Panasonic 3D blu ray is the theatrical bare-bones edition and that it's stored on a regular 50GB disc. I'm going to wait for the release of the collector's edition in 3D on 100GB discs.