Thursday 20 January 2011

BLU-RAY 3D

So I ordered a copy of 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' on Blu-Ray in 3D from HMV. A touch expensive but to have the option of watching the movie in 3D didn't cause a problem.
Well, that was until we all sat down to watch the movie.
The 3D option wasn't available - and the reason why is because I do not have a 3D TV and a 3D Blu-Ray disc player.

There was no prior warning for this. The front celophane wrapper said the 3D glasses were required but not included. That wasn't a problem we had plenty of them from various other movies.
There was a slip of paper buried amongst the junk inside the disc case that did explain about the need for the 3D stuff - should have been on the front with the bit about the glasses.
So I telephoned HMV and Steve explained that it was not their policy to explain that extra equipment was needed. In fact HMV, or so Steve said, assumed that the consumer had the equipment. Never mind the Sale Of Goods Act 1979 which, obviously, does not apply to HMV.
Televisions and DVD players with 3D are expensive and, from what I can see, are just not selling. All this is a ploy to make the consumer pay out for something that they don't need to watch a 3D movie. The movies that have gone before like 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth' and 'The Final Destination' have played well enough. So why change something that doesn't need changing.
Mind you the 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' disc comes from Sony - don't they make 3D TVs and DVD players?

The moral of the story is don't buy 3D Blu-Ray movies without finding out whether or not they will play on your existing equipment. I should have done that but it doesn't excuse those who should have pointed it out in the first place.

7 comments:

Jo Walpole said...

I think you had a lucky escape - the film's rubbish (compared to its predecessors). :-)

Oscar Case said...

It sounds a little bit deceptive to me, selling something you can't watch without telling you about it up front.

Ray said...

Oscar - I feel the same way. Anyway trading standards are getting in touch with HMV. The law, at least, are on my side.

Joanne - Seen the film and enjoyed it up to the useless ending with a cut scene in the middle of the credits that suggests that the best is yet to come. It finished with the promise of a number 5 but I reckon that this is either a 2-parter or another trilogy (there is a 6 movie contract). I guess when you have the first three dvds then you need the 4th to make up the numbers.

Jo Walpole said...

Yes, it just seemed to finish. That's what I didn't like. It struck me that they'd jumped on the bandwagon to get another one out there.

Anonymous said...

Odd. I have that movie in blu-ray 3d as well, and mine has a sticker right on the front that warns you need a 3d TV, 3d player and 3d glasses to make full use of it. However, my copy also came with a 2d version of the movie, which of course could have been purchased for considerably less than its 3d counterpart.

Ray said...

Anonymous - I still have the sticker that tells me that I only need the 3D glasses. And true - instore - the discs are now showing that the 3D tv and dvd player are required.
BUT - you can't see the sticker online. HMV.com gave no warning that additional equipment would be needed.

Ray said...

Anonymous - I still have the sticker that tells me that I only need the 3D glasses. And true - instore - the discs are now showing that the 3D tv and dvd player are required.
BUT - you can't see the sticker online. HMV.com gave no warning that additional equipment would be needed.