Juan Calonge
Universal's latest Blu-ray-related initiative, called the "flipper disc" (the Blu-ray version of the controversial HD DVD combo discs, with hidef on one side of the platter and DVD on the other) was met wit skepticism by the enthusiast community. Upon receiving the first flipper BDs, Blu-ray.com reviewer Kenneth Brown tested them thoroughly and came back with the reassurance that the discs are well manufactured and work smoothly in a variety of players. Single-discs with artwork may be preferred for aesthetic reasons, but that is a relatively minor concern.
See below Ken's impressions of the first flipper discs, along with some background and the rationale behind such a product:
The announcement of Universal's latest Blu-ray advancement, the somewhat awkwardly named "flipper disc," has been met with a fair amount of skepticism. At least by those who remember the divisive days of the Great Format War. Many a Universal HD DVD release arrived on a very similar disc – one side offering high definition content, the other playable in standard DVD drives – and garnered a poor reputation for a number of reasons. The HD DVD "Combo Discs" came with a higher price tag, suffered from inconsistent manufacturing quality, were hobbled by reports of player incompatibility, and didn't feature any disc artwork (surprisingly the trait that drew the most ire). Still, it was never clear how widespread the problems and complaints actually were. In this wild frontier of message boards and spittle-flinging blogs, it's difficult to tell if the disgruntled mob was small and loud or large and rowdy.
Universal recently sent us two of their first "flipper disc" releases to review: 'The Bourne Identity' and 'The Bourne Supremacy'. While the concept of these dual-sided discs has been receiving as much, if not more, criticism than their HD DVD counterparts, I'm happy to report there doesn't appear to be any cause for alarm. The discs themselves are sturdy, well-manufactured, and offer all of the benefits of a 2-disc BD/DVD combo in a single disc. They also have a very clear label circling their inner rings that make it easy to properly insert a disc into an appropriate player. As for play tests, I popped each disc into four different Blu-ray players (a PS3, a Sony BDP-S360, Panasonic DMP-BD80, and a Samsung BD-P4600) and any DVD player I could scrounge up in my house. I didn't encounter a single load error, playback problem, or hiccup along the way.
While purists have made it clear that they don't need or want a DVD copy of the film, it's important to understand how much market research goes into this sort of decision. Suffice to say, it's a lot. The money Universal saves on manufacturing costs will be minimal at best. The real reason "flipper discs" are being pursued is that consumers are expressing their desire for versatility and simplicity. You and I might have Blu-ray players in every room of the house, but Joe Walmart may not. The ability to use the same disc everywhere, be it a home theater, a kid's playroom, or a laptop DVD drive, is something many people find value in. On the other hand, a significant number of consumers are making it known that they don't want BD, DVD and Digital Copy discs in a cumbersome 3-disc release.
Personally? I dig discs with artwork. Moreover, I always feel like I have to handle a two-sided disc with extra TLC to avoid scratches and smudges. In a perfect world, Universal would release single-disc Flipper Editions and standard Blu-ray editions. But it all comes down to relatively minor aesthetic nitpicks that would never affect whether or not I purchased a disc, particularly one that doesn't appear to have any problems. Time will tell how functional, reliable, and popular the discs are, but I wouldn't avoid buying a release simply because its disc has two surfaces instead of one.
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