back to article Panasonic bags Avatar 3D BD exclusive

Want to see Avatar in its full three-dimensional glory on that 3D TV you're planning to buy yourself for Christmas? Better make sure it's a Panasonic set, then - and that you're going to purchase a Panasonic 3D BD player. The consumer electronics giant has the exclusive on the 3D BD version of the hit movie of the year until …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Jonathan White
    Thumb Down

    Avatar

    It's really, really not a good enough film to justify all this tomfoolery.

  2. Filippo Silver badge

    panasonic, panasonic and panasonic?

    So, let me get this straight. The Avatar blue ray disk is incompatible with all players and TVs except for Panasonic? Are they insane or what?

    1. Tony Smith, Editor, Reg Hardware (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: panasonic, panasonic and panasonic?

      No. The Avatar disc isn't. But if you want the 3D version, the only way to get it legally in the UK is to buy some expensive Panasonic kit too, or buy the disc on import.

      1. Tom_

        Really?

        How about buying it from someone else who got it via buying the Panasonic kit? Maybe you could be given it by someone who got it that way.

      2. Adam T
        Pint

        Re: panasonic, panasonic and panasonic?

        "buy some expensive Panasonic kit too, or buy the disc on import."

        Or check all the BD players in Currys.

  3. Code Monkey

    Paul Carrack?

    What's a Paul Carrack?

    Actually don't bother yourselves. I'm a telly hating not-the-target-demographic anyway.

  4. g e
    FAIL

    So 3D is failing already then

    Proprietary, fragmented standards... ?

    Fail

    1. Shaun 1

      No

      There's no fragmented standards, it's just not available to buy, the only way you can get the film is to buy the panasonic kit, but it will work on other players

  5. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    They're going to do what with the what now?

    OK, is this because of technical limitations or because the BluRay format makes this kind of fuckwittedry possible?

  6. Livlondon
    Happy

    you lucky, lucky people.

    Is that a 'Tires' from 'Spaced' quote?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Panasonic Kit

    Used to exclusively buy their kit, not any more!

    I don't like products that have adverts in the UI and EPG, so I avoid Panasonic like the plague.

    Until they publicly announce they'll stop this shady practice, I won't be considering Panasonic at any time in the future.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    Paul who?

    yeah, I could look it up, but if he was that good I wouldn't have to...

  9. Chris Hunt

    Question

    Why's the Avatar guy riding a giant duck? I don't remember that in the film (but I may have dozed off)

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Also available to existing panasonic 3d tv owners

    As part of the Viera loyalty program, those who bought a 3d tv early can request a free copy of Avatar in 3d from december 1st on the panasonic website.

  11. Mike Brown

    there gonna kill the format before it even begins

    what a stupid and short sighted move. I already have a 3d tv, and by christ im not buying another just for avater. id would love to have avater however, and im sure most of the 3d telly owners would too. gah!

  12. Tim Jenkins

    Wecome to the 19th century

    "The discs don't come in the box - you have to fill in a form, send it off and they'll be posted back to you"

    Nice to see the movie and electronics industries are right at the cutting edge of mid-Victorian content delivery mechanisms...

    Can I have mine delivered by a UPS stagecoach, complete with a guard riding shotgun, please?

  13. Alex Walsh

    It was exciting

    I was one of a bunch of bloggers invited to Panasonics Pinewood offices yesterday (Monday 1st) for the launch of this bundle & to see their new 3D HD TV's. Considering all their plasma 3D TV's have built in freeview HD and freesat HD, and come with a couple of pairs of active shutter specs, they're pretty reasonably priced (Amazon has the 42 incher for £1,109) and more importantly completely standards compliant. They'd have to be, at this moment in time, Panasonic are handling all the mastering of 3D blu rays since nobody else has the capability yet.

    Particularly impressed with the fact they do the glasses in 3 different sizes. At the end of the day if you already have the kit, waiting til Feb for Avatar isn't going to kill you is it?

    Did a write up here: http://bit.ly/bDj2Hj if you're interested & no I didn't walk away with tons of free stuff to buy my opinion ;)

    1. Trevor Marron
      FAIL

      Sycophantic praise

      Does not count.....

  14. Jesthar
    Alien

    Exclusive rights "until 31 January 2011"

    Well, now, that's only three months away. Plus maybe a little longer for alternatives to hit the shops. But it still means that the only thing required is a modicum of patience, and then you'll get to see Pandora in all it's 3D glory on whatever brand of system you choose... ;)

    Plus you should also be able to get the kit for a little bit less then, too, taking three months market maturity plus the January Sales into account.

    Alien for obvious reasons - besides, even they wouldn't be tempted by such an obvious sucker play ;)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Jan sales...

      but increased VAT!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Become a contractor...

        if you're not already.....buy TV as a MONITOR....claim back VAT on the Legitimate Business Expense.

        Its shiny...

  15. binner
    Paris Hilton

    no target audience

    i didn't see what the big fuss was about, it's pocha hontas in space FFS !

    Paris cos I'm not her target audience either

    1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: no target audience

      There are no original stories any more, really - that doesn't mean it's all shit from hereon in.

      Dude only invented an entirely new type of camera to film this thing. It's nothing to get excited about.

      Pft. Honestly.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Bit like the baker in Pudding Lane then....

        His cakes might have been DELICIOUS, but the cost to every one else was PRETTY DAMN HIGH.

        Think I'm wrong? Four Words.....Clash of the Titans.

        and while Im on 3d - Tron:Legacy. Disney - Do NOT fuck this up...

      2. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

        "An entirely new type of camera"?

        What's "entirely new" about it? Light goes in, gets recorded. Pretty much like all cameras since the invention of film photography, then. An innovation? Sure. An incremental improvement? Perhaps - though I fail to see how it actually makes movies any better; they already had more than enough spectacle. But by no means "entirely new".

        As I understand it, the camera used for Avatar was just an update of Cameron's own Fusion tech, which he created for Ghosts of the Abyss. And that was just two cameras slapped together; he's hardly the first person to think of that. The Avatar update lets the camera know how it's positioned relative to the motion-capture stage, so it can show an integrated view to the director. That's swell, but hardly life-changing.

        And in any event, a new technology for producing art says nothing about the quality of art produced with it. The first cans of spraypaint didn't usher in a glorious age of magnificent graffiti.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Want to see Avatar in its full three-dimensional glory...."

    Nope.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    3D Blu-Ray hacking?

    Anyone know the state of play on 3D Blu-Ray and any additional 'user attacking limitations' they might have tried to build in? If there's not anything too serious, it sounds like your best route to Avatar in 3D is likely to be a pirated version that ties in with something like the Nvidia 3D solution.

    It will be funny if any the brand name shenanigans the big boys are playing to attempt to force you to buy their new TVs all backfire and make pirated as THE delivery mechanism for 3D to your existing equipment.

  18. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

    It's for the investors, really

    If this works, Panasonic will be able to say to investors, "See, we have a significant customer base of idiots with plenty of disposable income and nothing better to spend it on than incremental improvements to their sit-and-drool systems, and not enough patience to wait a couple of months". That's gold, that is.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like