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Porn Industry May Not Decide Format War

nixkuroi writes "MSNBC Reports that the porn industry may be overstating their numbers and, as a result, may not be the decider of the next winning movie format. Even more interesting: Vivid Entertainment says that despite Sony's refusal to license Blu-ray to the adult industry, they've found a way to replicate the technology and will release Debbie Does Dallas on both formats. Film writer Jimmy Digiorgio states, in an email with MSNBC: 'In the past, porn embraced new technologies that were just gaining a foothold. DVDs are not new, and I don't think consumers perceive Blu-Ray and HD-DVD as new technologies. Instead, they see them as an evolution of an existing technology.... With Blu-ray [versus] HD-DVD, porn will go where the masses go.'"

40 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. ugh by Em+Emalb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    no way do I want to see any of these "actors" in HD, either format.

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    Sent from your iPad.
    1. Re:ugh by baldass_newbie · · Score: 5, Funny

      Em, they have "actresses", too.
      You would like them.
      I swear.

      --
      The opposite of progress is congress
    2. Re:ugh by smooth+wombat · · Score: 3, Interesting
      You're not the only one who has issues with HD format and adult movies. The folks who star in these movies are nervous about all the imperfections that are showing up now that resolution is so high.


      I have a story from the NY Times (reg now required) in my journal which talks about this very issue. One of the solutions? Use software packages to 'soften' the images. In other words, film the movie in HD format then turn down the resolution so it is similar to that of what is on video tape or film.

      --
      We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
    3. Re:ugh by CastrTroy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Most female actresses have gotten over the whole male/female gender thing and just started to call themselves actors. They are just as equal as the men, if not more important, so they don't feel the need to differentiate themselves.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    4. Re:ugh by Splab · · Score: 3, Funny

      Most porn would lose a lot of their audience without women in the movies - so yeah, they are more important :D

    5. Re:ugh by vertinox · · Score: 2, Insightful

      no way do I want to see any of these "actors" in HD, either format.

      I take it you've never had sex with a real woman with the lights on... Or maybe a woman at all.

      If it bothers you that much why don't you watch Hentai or Real Doll films.

      Seriously if imperfections gross out most of the fellows on Slashdot, I don't think any of you people really go on dates that much or maybe that most of you only have sex when completely drunk. God forbid you ever look at a real women. Much less one that isn't on a fuzzy VHS video.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    6. Re:ugh by Bootvis · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Trust me, I speak from first hand experience."

      Urgh! ... Must ... Not ... Make ... Joke

      --
      Read, refresh, repeat.
    7. Re:ugh by mgiuca · · Score: 2, Funny

      I have a story from the NY Times (reg now required) in my journal which talks about this very issue. One of the solutions? Use software packages to 'soften' the images. In other words, film the movie in HD format then turn down the resolution so it is similar to that of what is on video tape or film.
      They're way ahead of you... just plug in any non HDCP/HDMI-compatible monitor into your HD video player, and the software inside will automatically "soften" the image for your viewing pleasure.
    8. Re:ugh by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2, Informative

      Should the current Monarch of England be called King Elizabeth II?


      I might point out that while Elizabeth is the Queen and and not the King, she *is* the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke of Normandy (and not the Duchess) and the Lord of Mann (and not the Lady).

      Chris Mattern
    9. Re:ugh by gstoddart · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Seriously if imperfections gross out most of the fellows on Slashdot, I don't think any of you people really go on dates that much or maybe that most of you only have sex when completely drunk.

      Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Many of us, I'm sure, have been gotten laid more than a few times, and not only while drunk.

      It's not so much that the slightest imperfection on a woman is a disgusting thing. That's absurd. But, when you're watching porn on a large display (eg, my 43" TV), when they zoom in on parts, and they end up being rendered at 2 feet or so high, you're seeing it *way* bigger than you would in real life.

      The only way to get the analogue to a 2 foot high vagina is to basically take a very large magnifying glass and closely inspect the parts in question. And, truthfully, under that level of magnification, nobody is going to come out favourably.

      And, really, seeing someone's bung-hole magnified many times is scary enough. Do it in exceedingly high resolution, and there is a certain "ick-factor" to high definition and large displays. Because you're seeing detail on a level your own eye wouldn't be able to discern.

      I'm all in favour of porn, I just thing seeing it in HD is going to be a little jarring in places. Unfortunately, at those resolutions and scales, any imprefection is going to be many dozens of times bigger and more noticeable than it would be in real life. And way more scary.

      Cheers
      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    10. Re:ugh by Grashnak · · Score: 3, Funny

      I've said it before - the only thing uglier than Ron Jeremy's balls, is Ron Jeremy's balls in HD. *brrrrrrr*

      --
      Life needs more saving throws.
    11. Re:ugh by ATMD · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Duke of Normandy? How can any member of the British nobility hold that title when Normandy is owned by the French?

      --
      Nobody else has this sig.
  2. Too Much Control by MrSteveSD · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Porn or not, I find it quite worrying that Sony is able to dictate who is allowed to print films onto Blu-ray. If indeed that is the situation.

    1. Re:Too Much Control by montyzooooma · · Score: 2, Informative

      Last time this was raised I think it was agreed that Sony had said they would produce BR porn discs but that there was nothing stopping other production facilities with the appropriate equipment from producing them. The implication in the synopsis that porn companies are reverse-engineering BR is cute but inaccurate. Sony will let you make BR porn just not at their facilities.

    2. Re:Too Much Control by badasscat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Porn or not, I find it quite worrying that Sony is able to dictate who is allowed to print films onto Blu-ray. If indeed that is the situation.

      It's not. Sony has unequivocally denied a prohibition of porn, yet it still gets parroted as fact all over the place (including on slashdot). Here: http://gear.ign.com/articles/756/756148p1.html

      Be sure you read the update near the bottom for the quote from Sony.

      AVN didn't find a "workaround" for Blu-Ray - that's just spin, as is pretty much everything else the porn industry says. Why would we not believe their sales numbers but we do believe they've somehow "reverse-engineered" Blu-Ray?

    3. Re:Too Much Control by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Informative
      Read the language of the article and the denial carefully. The claim was that "Sony has pressured [emphasis mine] Blu-ray disc manufacturers not to produce any media for pornography, threatening revocation of licenses for failure to comply." So, Sony is perfectly correct in stating that they don't outright prohibit porn on Blu-ray. However, they do seem to be pressuring the manufacturing facilities not to press them, and refusing to license their own manufacturing facilities for porn (and, possibly, even threatening to revoke the licenses of manufacturers). While that's not an outright prohibition, it's a pretty clear message to the porn industry.

      -Eric

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    4. Re:Too Much Control by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2, Informative

      I really don't think Sony has that much control over Blu-Ray. It seems to be a very popular misconception, but it's not Sony's to control. Blu-Ray was formed by an alliance of all the Japanese electronics makers except for NEC/Toshiba.

    5. Re:Too Much Control by Mongoose · · Score: 4, Informative

      Are you serious? They already have blu-ray AV in Japan. Japan and US are in the same blu-ray region. Therefore the US already has blu-ray porn. Do you feel confused now? The same company does HDDVD and UMD movies too. I'm sure you really hate Sony, but your theories are very wrong. Sony is only one member of the Blu-Ray group, and unlike HDDVD one company can't go out and bully others off the format by decree.

      Here is the place you can buy Blu-Ray porn, since you don't believe anything you read:
      http://www.glayz.co.jp/glayz.html

      I thought this was settled last time slashdot posted this bullshit story to begin with. AV is about profit, and people will persue profit. Just wait until more Blu-Ray presses are made and you'll be swimming in AV. Right now studios get brushed off for higher profit pressings like geek favorite movies ( early adopters ).

      Get a tin foil hat if you really believe what you're saying. The porn industry in the US wants discs stamped for the same price so they make a big scandal. We got into this a while back and even found some US AV studios getting ready to press Blu-Ray content very soon. I hope you don't also think you work for the CIA and are a gameshow host.

  3. axis of pron by tomblag · · Score: 3, Funny

    took over years ago

  4. Lockout chip business model by tepples · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Porn or not, I find it quite worrying that Sony is able to dictate who is allowed to print films onto Blu-ray. If indeed that is the situation.

    Is it significantly more worrying than that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are able to dictate who is allowed to print games designed to be played on a television onto discs?

  5. Darn it by MyNameIsEarl · · Score: 2, Funny

    And here I was waiting for the first shot to be fired across someone's bow.

  6. Huh? by Hao+Wu · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What is the point of putting something that looks like 8mm film on HD, BluRay, or DVD for that matter?

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    1. Re:Huh? by organgtool · · Score: 2, Funny

      Because it's in HIGH DEFINITION! You're probably the kind of guy who buys stereo amps with volumes knobs that stop at 10.

  7. Raise Your Hand if... by ironring2006 · · Score: 5, Funny
    FTFA...Now you've got Google and you type in 'amputee sex' or whatever you want.

    Let's get a show of hands to see how many people googled that. No? Legs? Anyone?

  8. Refusal? by dysfunct · · Score: 4, Informative
    Didn't Sony already claim that this is not true? As far as I understand it they have no intentions and/or means to prohibit the licensing or sub-licensing of pornography even though they themselves won't press or publish it. Details see here.

    I also believe Vivid's claims that the revenue of the porn industry is grossly overestimated. Yet having worked at an adult media shop and reseller I know that even though there might not be that much profit to be made there's a still a damn high volume of discs sold. And this is the important factor in this whole discussion: there might be less market share in terms of profit but higher market share in terms of media sold.

    --
    :/- spoon(_).
    1. Re:Refusal? by Slashcrap · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Didn't Sony already claim that this is not true?

      If they did, then I believe them.

      How cynical would I be if I didn't?

  9. Well... by NXprime · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The 'masses' are going on the internet and ditching newspapers, magazines, music cd's, dvd's, boxed games and applications. To me it seems silly to even bother buying porn on DVD. Porn is what is expanding the popularity of the internet and so must be considered the logical choice as the next major format.

  10. Sorry, but the adult corps haven't a clue by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm a very sex positive guy and have a total of 4 porno DVDs. These sit happily out in plain view within my collection of over 300 DVDs.
    Being that I am an above average DVD consumer, I really don't see where the Adult Entertainment Industry thinks they have any real clout in the DVD market.
    In fact, the only real use of a HD-DVD or BluRay disc I see that makes good sense for the adult sector is bundling movies in Standard Definition together on one disc to try to bolster disc sales I would imagine would be waning due to broadband video download becoming more obiquitous.

    The very notion of the adult sector claiming that they are somehow driving global DVD sales... that's a laughable notion at best.
    It really makes me wonder just how much drugs those guys shove up their nose in a day.

    1. Re:Sorry, but the adult corps haven't a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I really don't see where the Adult Entertainment Industry thinks they have any real clout in the DVD market.

      Well, they like people to think they do, that's for sure. And it's an urban legend that just can't die. If you think of it in the sort of memetic sense, the whole "porn determines the course of technology" idea is perfectly adapted for survival in America. Too many people want to believe that it's true for the absurdity of the notion to stop them from doing so.

      So yeah, the interesting issue isn't why pornmongers pretend to be bigshots; that's obviously in their best interest. The interesting issue is why so many people believe it, despite the fact that almost nobody you talk to even knows anyone who owns more porn DVDs than non-porn DVDs.

    2. Re:Sorry, but the adult corps haven't a clue by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Being that I am an above average DVD consumer, I really don't see where the Adult Entertainment Industry thinks they have any real clout in the DVD market.

      I think you misunderstand. I don't think it's the adult industry claiming they have an exceedingly large amount of clout.

      It's everyone pointing out that, historically, porn was a factor in deciding new media decisions and adoption. Initially, Sony wouldn't allow adult titles on Beta, and it's popularity in VHS contributed to the success of that format.

      This isn't the adult industry going around saying "all your base are belong to us", it's analysts and pundits saying that, in the past, they have played a large part. This whole thread is the someone from the adult industry saying "umm, it will be the consumers who decide this, not us".

      But, it is an inescapable fact that an incredible amount of porn is sold on DVDs each year, and, it rivals the Hollywood system in terms of volume and moneys involved. And, it's probably big enough to influence the number and type of players being sold.

      Cheers
      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  11. ya'll are missing the point by dgr73 · · Score: 5, Funny

    HD porn may actually finally be the porn that's good for relationships. Once you see the "actors" in glorious HD, your girlfriend/wife suddenly starts to look a whole lot more appealing.

  12. Of Course! by pdaoust007 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Porn is only but one factor in who will win the format war. In the early 80's porn really made a difference in the Beta vs. VHS war because there was such a large demand for people to be able to enjoy porn in the comfort of their own homes. That was a huge driver and made a difference in VHS toppling Beta.

    Fast-forward to today, does anybody think that the driver for HD Porn is as strong as being able to watch porn in your own house back then? It's not... So even though porn may be a factor in the blu-ray vs. HD-DVD war, it certainly won't play as big as a role as it did back int he 80's when it was Beta vs. VHS.

    All these porn studios won't be able to ignore the millions of PS3's out there for long if there is in deed a market for this kind of stuff so in the end, like Vivid, they will find a way to bring porn to Blu-Ray if they have a chance of making a profit that way.

  13. Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful


    With Blu-ray [versus] HD-DVD, porn will go where the masses go.'"


    Basically he's saying that they see no real need to choose/anoint a particular format now anyway, as they, just like everyone else, acknowledges that the DVD->HD jump is nothing compared to the VHS->DVD jump. So when, and if, a format takes hold and gains momentum, they'll just ride the wave. They have little to nothing to gain by selecting a camp now.

  14. Close but no cigar.. by The+Creator · · Score: 3, Funny

    And here I was waiting for the first shot to be fired across someone's brow.

    --

    FRA: STFU GTFO
  15. Oh no! We've been found out! by Henry+V+.009 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Women are unequal and always will be. We men, so much better than women in every way, will always tack the "ress" onto "act" to symbolize this, damaging fragile girl's self-esteem and causing them to fail calculus in high school and earn less then men for equivalent work. Also, I personally have meaningless sex with brainless bimbos that I never plan to marry.

  16. Honestly now... by bealzabobs_youruncle · · Score: 2, Interesting

    who pays for porn these days?

  17. A new crop of directors by alexhmit01 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And eventually, a new crop of porn directors will come up, who have learned their craft on HD Video (I can't believe I'm carrying on this conversation). The extreme close-ups make sense in a VHS 480i world, but not in an HD world.

    It's no different then the rest of television adapting. Most shows are show on film, and I the last time I read about the "technology of porn" was 5 years ago discussing HD adaption, and at the time, Vivid and Wicked were shooting their "movies" on film like a normal movie (multiple angles, stationary cameras, etc.), and everyone else was doing video (amateur style zoom-ins, etc., single camera, limited audio editing).

    Today, a pro Audio/Video editing rig is pretty powerful and straight forward, HD Video cameras cheap and powerful, so unless you have a preference for film (I personally do for movies, and I'll take a film transfer, grains and all, over an HD Video shot any day, but for porn, I have no idea, ask porn aficionados). I mean, watch an HD Net football or hockey game some time, since they are only shooting for HD, they pull the camera back, letting you see more action. Then watch an NFL HD broadcast, the camera is set for SD, so despite the greater resolution, most of the sides of the screen is wasted (you NEVER need the edge of the shot to go more than 2 yards beyond the deepest back, but if you have centered for SD, you just have grass behind them), etc.

    Some directors, rather than whining about Pan-and-Scan videos, shoot their movies with a cinematic 2.15:1 box and a television 4:3 box on the camera. When they set their shots up, they set them up for the movie experience and the television experience they want. In that case, you aren't "loosing image to go pan-and-scan" or even worse, shooting 4:3 and zooming in for the theatrical release, you have setup the movie to be shown in two ways, two experiences.

    No reason that HD porn isn't shot on video, multiple cameras, multiple mics (actual set mics, not the built in on the camera one), like a real movie, not heavily zoomed in, and editing for a 16x9 field. There is no need in HD land to do major close-ups, and you can watch the people engaged in the behavior, not just the genitalia. You might have to cut back on looping and reusing footage, but so what.

    In the age of amateur/quasi-amatuer Internet porn, where anyone can take nude pictures, put them online, or get them discretely printed at CVS, and home camcorders are small and $300-$500, I would think that the professional adult industry would WANT to move up market. They need to compete with the amateur offerings, and real production values could no doubt help.

    Compare HD Net's HD Video productions to the Network's film conversions. The film vs. video choice is a personal choice, there is no wrong choice. However, HD Net is SHOT for HD, it is shot assuming that you have a large, detailed screen. The Network are shot for 20" SD televisions. HD Net's production shows you the set and what's going on, the networks zoom in to a lot of head shots, ask yourself which looks better on an HD setup. The same rules apply for porn.

    On the plus side, one of the complains from the adult veterans was that all the imperfections show... they don't mean pimples and normal skin imperfections, EVERY actor and actress is complaining about that, mainstream or porn, and until they stop zooming in for the HD shots, it will remain a complaint. They mean all the plastic surgery scars, weird stretch marks from enhancement, etc. If HD shows all of that, while it may not eliminate plastic surgery in the adult space, it will force people to focus on quality (a well done augmentation), not just get the biggest your body can support... and that's not a bad thing.

    1. Re:A new crop of directors by alexhmit01 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Right, or in other words: learn to use the f'ing equipment... The "art" or "craft" of movie making or other cultural creations is working with the appropriate technology and limitations to tell your story. If you are writing music for a traveling bard, a small group of musicians to tour, a studio setting for vinyl, or a studio setting for digital audio in 5.1, you have different limitations.

      You don't see bardic tunes being popular as modern music, because the technology and economics changed. Similarly, when music was cut to vinyl, you have to master it differently than CDs, because you had physical grooves in vinyl describing the music, there are physical limitations, if you go to extreme in any direction of the music, then vinyl can't handle it because the needly would pop everywhere. With CD, it's binary, digital, and no similar issues exist. That means that you adapt to the new technology. Similarly, if you are cutting music to SA-CD in 5.1 24-bit, 96 khz, you have much more range in both volume and the ability to capture rapid shifts with higher sampling rates. You want to record and master it differently.

      Remember, porn was once "cut" to be seen on those little pop a quarter, learn in and watch the video booths, or small screens, etc. Home porn, born with the VHS, was cut for the small bedroom television, not the family room "big screen" (then the difference between 13" and 20", now 27" and 40+"). The fact is, HD is different. Extreme zooms don't make sense. If you are moving to video, well, you need to light differently than film. You are also moving to 60 fps (1080p60, even if displayed at 720p60 or 1080i60), from film's 24, that requires differences in the rate at which you can move the camera, etc.

      New technology means new techniques. You used to need to zoom in to the body part to "show" it, that isn't necessary in HD. When I watched MNF last year (ABC's 720p60 broadcast was amazing), I saw bladed of grass in detail. In SD, if they wanted to show you the quality of the field, they had to zoom in. Likewise, in HD, the artificial turn looks AWEFUL. In SD, it looks a bit strange but you don't notice it, in HD it looks like they are playing in the gym. As HD becomes the norm (when every game is broadcast in HD, and most or at learn a good portion of viewers enjoy it), expect all the domes and artificial fields looking into turf that looks less silly in HD.

      Same thing for porn. It'll happen, if you'd been watching normal HDTV for the past few years, the video productions have ALL been getting better as people are learning to work with the new medium, it just takes time. The first CDs were straight transfers from vinyl masters, now we do all digital masters and convert to the output format needed. Look at the latest DVDs, even if the production quality is now "crap" they are MUCH better than the good stuff in the early days. Give it time, the tools will get better, and the craftsmen will learn the tools. The first cars looked like the old buggies, but modern cars don't.

  18. Are we still talking about pr0n? by Homr+Zodyssey · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What about when its two women and a horse?

    1. Re:Are we still talking about pr0n? by AdamWeeden · · Score: 2, Informative

      I believe in Mexico they call that "50 pesos."

      --
      I was quoted out of context in my autobiography...