The All Things Blu-Ray Thread (News, Sales, Info, etc)

[Cth]

PM me with any deals/promos/sales/news/etc you want added to the first post.

Current Promotions
( last update: 8/19/08 )


Disney - $10 Rebate on Blu-Ray Discs



$10 Rebate on Select Disney Blu-ray Discs

If you've been considering upgrading your standard-def DVD editions of select Disney titles to Blu-ray, here's a deal to be on the look out for.

Here's how it works: included in some Blu-ray editions of several titles (including most recently, 'The Rock,' 'Crimson Tide' and 'Con Air') is an insert offering a $10 rebate for consumers who've purchased both the standard-def DVD edition *and* the Blu-ray edition of the same title.

In order to receive the rebate, you'll be required to send in the original proof-of-purchase tabs or UPC symbols from both versions of the same title, as well as a cash register receipt from the Blu-ray edition, imprinted with store name and dated between 1/8/08 and 12/31/08 with purchase price circled.

We should stress that an original version of the insert is required in order to qualify for the rebate (not a photocopy), and not all Blu-ray editions of a given title include the insert. (The best way to assure that the version you're purchasing includes the insert is to look for a sticker on the packaging indicating the rebate.)

The insert states that consumers should expect to receive the rebate in six to eight weeks.

When asked about rebate program and whether the studio had any plans to expand it, a Disney rep told us that the studio does not comment on sales initiatives or strategies.



Upcoming Releases
( last update: 8/19/08 )


August 26, 2008
Action Starter Pack (Universal)
Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner)
Afro Samurai: Season One (FUNimation)
Blue Man Group: How to Be a Megastar Live! (Rhino)
Dude, Where's My Car? (MGM)
End of Days (Universal)
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)
How the West Was Won (Warner)
Made of Honor (Sony)
Miami Vice (Universal)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney)
Pale Rider (Warner)
Postal (UMVD)
Redbelt (Sony)
U-571 (Universal)
What Happens in Vegas (Fox)

September 2, 2008
Black Mask (Lionsgate)
Cirque du Soleil: Corteo (Sony)
Eraser (Warner)
Every Which Way But Loose (Warner)
Gauntlet (Warner)
The Invincible Iron Man (Lionsgate)
Marine Aquarium (BCI)
Married Life (Sony)
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate)
Nightmare on Elm Street (Warner)
Outbreak (Warner)
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (FUNimation)
Transformers (Paramount)
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (Warner)

September 9, 2008
Baby Mama (Universal)
Cool Hand Luke (Warner)
Day Watch (Fox)
The Fall (Sony)
The Forbidden Kingdom (Lionsgate)
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season—Expanded (Disney)
How the West Was Won (Warner)
Jerry Maguire (Sony)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Disney)
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Disney)
Mongol (Universal)
Night Watch (Fox)
The Omen (1976) (Fox)
The Omen: The Collection (Fox)
Rudy (Sony)
Smallville: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner)
Then She Found Me (Image)
The Ultimate Matrix Collection (Warner)

September 16, 2008
88 Minutes (Sony)
1408 (Weinstein)
AC/DC - No Bull (Sony)
Another Cinderella Story (Warner)
Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might/Lord of Slug (FUNimation)
Hulk (Universal)
Leatherheads (Universal)
The Love Guru (Paramount)
Madagascar (Paramount)
Made of Honor (Sony)
The Mist (Weinstein)
Pirates of the Caribbean: 3-Movie Collection (Disney)
Pushing Daisies: Season One (Warner)
Risky Business (Warner)
Roy Orbison: A Black & White Night (Image)
Shrek the Third (Paramount)
Speed and Angels (Vivendi Visual)
Speed Racer (Warner)
Torchwood: The Complete First Season (BBC)

September 23, 2008
Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom (Porchlight)
Blow (New Line)
Deception (Fox)
The Godfather Collection (Paramount)
Halford: Live Insurrection - Remastered (Metal God)
L.A. Confidential (Warner)
Re-Cycle (Image)
Run, Fatboy, Run (Universal)
Sex and the City (New Line)
Within Temptation: Black Symphony (TBA)

September 30, 2008
Angel in the Family (Echo Bridge)
Can't Hardly Wait: 10th Anniversary Edition (Sony)
A Christmas Visitor (Echo Bridge)
Daredevil: Director's Cut (Fox)
Dawn of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut (Universal)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Universal)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal)
Iron Man (Universal)
Judd Apatow 3-Pack (Universal)
Knocked Up (Universal)
Land of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut (Universal)
Maid in Manhattan (Sony)
The Man Who Saved Christmas (Echo Bridge)
Mona Lisa Smile (Sony)
My Best Friend's Wedding (Sony)
Salem Witch Trials (Echo Bridge)
The Sixth Sense (Disney)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973) (Dark Sky Films)
The Thing (Universal)
When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (Image)

October 7, 2008
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Sony)
The Amittyville Horror (1979) (MGM)
Beetlejuice (Warner)
Body Heat (Warner)
Carrie (1973) (MGM)
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (Sony)
Faces of Death (Gorgon)
The Happening (Fox)
It Came from Beneath the Sea (Sony)
Korn: Live on the Other Side (Image)
Otis: Uncut (Warner)
The Police: Certifiable - Live in Buenos Aires (Sony) [Best Buy Exclusive]
The Ray Harryhausen Collection [20 Million Miles to Earth, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, It Came from Beneath the Sea] (Sony)
Otis: Uncut (Warner)
Rest Stop (Warner)
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (Warner)
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)
Stuck (Image)
The Visitor (Starz)
White Noise/Whit Noise 2 (Disney)
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony)
Young Frankenstein (Fox)

October 14, 2008
American Gangster (Universal)
Casino (Universal)
The Code (First Look)
Constantine (Warner)
Eastern Promises (Universal)
IMAX: Cosmic Voyage/Destiny in Space (Warner)
IMAX: Dolphins (Image)
IMAX: The Living Sea (Image)
IMAX: Space Station/Mission to Mir (Warner)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount)
Jewel of the Nile (Fox)
Poltergeist (Warner)
Romancing the Stone (Fox)
Soundstage: Jewel - The Essential Live Songbook (Koch Releasing)
Standard Operating Procedure (Sony)
Warren Miller: Playground (?)
War, Inc (First Look)

October 21, 2008
The Breed (First Look)
Casino Royale: Collector's Edition (Sony)
Diary of the Dead (Weinstein)
Die Another Day (MGM)
Dr. No (MGM)
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Vivendi Visual)
For Your Eyes Only (MGM)
From Dusk 'Til Dawn (Disney)
From Russia with Love (MGM)
Ghostbusters (Sony)
Ghostbusters II (Sony)
Halloween (2007) (Weinstein)
James Bond Collection 3-Pack Volume 1 [Die Another Day, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball] (Sony)
James Bond Collection 3-Pack Volume 2 [Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Live and Let Die]
Live and Let Die (MGM)
National Geographic: Atmospheres - Earth, Air & Water (National Geographic)
The Strangers (Universal)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Dreamworks)
Thunderball (MGM)
The Woods Have Eyes (Echo Bridge)

October 28, 2008
Baraka (MPI)
The Bird People in China (Arts Magic)
The Contract [2006] (First Look)
Cruel World (Echo Bridge)
Dead Space: Downfall (Anchor Bay)
Elf (New Line)
The Final Countdown (Blue Underground)
The Final Patient (Echo Bridge)
Hell Ride (Weinstein)
Malice@Doll (Arts Magic)
Mysterious Island (Echo Bridge)
Polar Express: Presented in 3-D (Warner)
The Prince & Me 2: Royal Wedding (First Look)
The Prince & Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon (First Look)
Tinkerbell (Disney)
Zombie Strippers (Sony)

November 4, 2008
Caligula (Image)
A Christmas Story - Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner)
Futurama: Bender's Game (Fox)
IMAX: Extreme (National Geographic)
Monster's Ball (Lionsgate)
Planet of the Apes: 40-Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection (Fox)
The Shawshank Redemption (Warner)
Transsiberian (First Look)
Universal Soldier (Lionsgate)

November 11, 2008
Band of Brothers (Warner)
Black Christmas [1974] (Koch Distributing)
Chuck: The Complete First Season (Warner)
Firefly: The Complete Series (Fox)
Freedom: Vol. 1-7 [Box Set] (Bandai)
Harry Potter Years 1-5 [Gift Set] (Warner)
JFK (Warner)
The Story of 'O' (Koch Distributing)
Sukyaki Western Django (First Look)
Supernatural: Season Three (Warner)

November 18, 2008
Awake (Weinstein)
Encounters at the End of the World (Image)
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself (Image)
Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity (Image)
Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special (Image)
Lucky # Slevin (Weinstein)
Mad Money (Anchor Bay)
Paris Je T'aime (First Look)
Priceless (First Look)
The Stendhal Syndrome (Blue Underground)
UFC: Ultimate Comebacks (First Look)
The Universe: Season One (A&E)
Wall•E (Disney)
The Who: Killburn 1977 (Image)

November 25, 2008
Becket (MPI)
Fred Claus (Warner)
George Carlin: It's Bad For Ya (MPI)
The Incredible Hulk (Universal)
Superman: Doomsday (Warner)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Weinstein)

December 2, 2008
Austin Powers Collection: Shagadelic Edition, Loaded with Extra Mojo (New Line)
Casablanca [Ultimate Collector's Edition] (Warner)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [Disneyfile Edition] (Disney)
Day of the Dead (First Look)
Hancock (Sony)
Wanted (Universal)

December 9, 2008
American Hustle (Universal)
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (Fox)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Sony)
Katt Williams: Pimp Chronicles 1 (Universal)
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney)
MirrorMask (Sony)

February 3, 2009
Taxi Driver (Sony)

July 28, 2009
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music (Warner)


HD-DVD to Blu-Ray Exchange Program


http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/22/hdscape-offers-up-hd-dvd-to-blu-ray-exchange-program

While early adopters won't see a single red cent from Toshiba now that HD DVD has bit the proverbial dust, HDScape movie owners looking to make the transition to Blu-ray may be happy to hear of its latest program. In a move that we can only hope other studios mimic, the firm is enabling customers that previously purchased flicks on HD DVD to exchange the paper casewraps they came in for an $11.95 BD version. Yep, this means you can keep your HD DVD case and disc, but you won't be able to use one casewrap to receive a discount on a different title. For step-by-step instructions on how to take HDScape up on its offer, head on down to the read link -- and for folks scouting stellar deals on the now-defunct red format, you can snag quite a few of its HD DVDs for just $6.95.

http://www.hdscape.com/cat_upgrade.cfm

[costello]

I'll edit this out if you don't find this a suitable question Cth, but are the blu-ray conversions of older films necessarily any better than what we're getting on DVD? I rented Bram Stoker's Dracula and honestly thought I was watching a DVD.

Of the films I've rented, I've thought the following:
The Fly (1980s) looked good, but as good as a DVD could get. There were a few extras that were interesting but with this all I care about is the film.

Cars looked great.

The Fountain looked great.

Edward Scissorhands looked the same as it does on DVD

The Shining looked like DVD quality but there were some extras I'm not sure are on the DVD, so I'm definitely going to buy this.

So visualization wise I don't think the remastering of older films is necessarily going to change the quality (but please stop me as I'm wrong). Sound wise, I don't know, because we watch our movies in a small room with a bose 321 system, so all the speakers are in the front of the room.

[Cth]

Nah, it's a decent question.

It depends on how it was originally filmed, and how well they preserved that film.

I haven't kept up on the Blu-Ray side of things, but I'm sure there's a list out there of what reviewers feel is the best transfers. If someone gets me it, I'll add it to the first post.

That having been said, I think the PS3 will upconvert regular DVDs, which isn't much help , but some say it seems better.

Generally, extras aren't high def, but the features are better on some releases.

[Cth]

Cartoons and special effects films are the ones that usually look better, in so far as older films go, as I understand it.

The average movie, not so much unless you're talking of a big name director who's meticulous about these things (Lucas, Spielberg, etc)

[Foolish Mortal]

And that's all she wrote for HD-DVD. The biggest retailer in the country goes all Blu-Ray.

[costello]

And that's all she wrote for HD-DVD. The biggest retailer in the country goes all Blu-Ray.

I'm going to dig for some facts though. I find it hard to believe that Wal-Mart sells a lot of HD-DVDs or Blu-Rays. The last time I walked into a Wal-Mart, which was about a month ago, there was an extremely limited selection of either type of film, but damn did it have a large selection of dvds with 2-to-3 films on each in multiple genres and at decent prices. Even walking in to buy a Blu-Ray I was ready to put it down for 6 dvd quality films for the same price.

I may be prejudiced, but I don't see Wal-Mart being a big contender in the hi-def department. Especially with the pseudo hi-def televisions they sell (Target too).

Also, Wal-Mart has said that it's obvious that people want Blu-Rays, but how do they know this? Wouldn't numbers be skewed with events like that secret sale--buy a 40GB PS3 and get 10 free BD movies in the store? I'm just trying to make sense of this... with hopes that I'm not derailing the thread already.

[BronxRonin]

Fuck Blu-ray and most of all fuck Wal-mart!
I don't intend to ever invest in a blu-ray player. I'll stick to regular dvd s. It's funny so many people seem to think it's good for blu-ray to "WIN" ,but with both formats there is a competition and price are keep to a decent range. With no competition prices might become too expensive.

[costello]

Fuck Blu-ray and most of all fuck Wal-mart!
I don't intend to ever invest in a blu-ray player. I'll stick to regular dvd s. It's funny so many people seem to think it's good for blu-ray to "WIN" ,but with both formats there is a competition and price are keep to a decent range. With no competition prices might become to expensive.

But there's no competition when I'm only allowed Transformers and Knocked Up on HD-DVD and Superbad on BD. I'll get the BD discs because I have a PS3 and the others on DVD because I don't want to spend the $$$ to get another player. It's either that or not buy any films at all.

[BronxRonin]

But there's no competition when I'm only allowed Transformers and Knocked Up on HD-DVD and Superbad on BD. I'll get the BD discs because I have a PS3 and the others on DVD because I don't want to spend the $$$ to get another player. It's either that or not buy any films at all.

that's not what i meant but whatever.:)

[BronxRonin]

But there's no competition when I'm only allowed Transformers and Knocked Up on HD-DVD and Superbad on BD. I'll get the BD discs because I have a PS3 and the others on DVD because I don't want to spend the $$$ to get another player. It's either that or not buy any films at all.

Regular DvD not an option? All of them are available on regular Disc too.:)

[Foolish Mortal]

Fuck Blu-ray and most of all fuck Wal-mart!
I don't intend to ever invest in a blu-ray player. I'll stick to regular dvd s. It's funny so many people seem to think it's good for blu-ray to "WIN" ,but with both formats there is a competition and price are keep to a decent range. With no competition prices might become to expensive.
I don't remember all the doom and gloom talk when VHS won. VHS got cheaper and cheaper and more and more widespread.

[BronxRonin]

I don't remember all the doom and gloom talk when VHS won. VHS got cheaper and cheaper and more and more widespread.

Um...ok.:Oops:

[eroz]

Here you go. These are overall grades.......I'll try to get the video grades.

HDDVD (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/reviews_overall.html)
5 STARS
Blade Runner (Complete Collector's Ed.)
Blade Runner (Ultimate Collector's Ed.)
Hot Fuzz

4.5 STARS
2001: A Space Odyssey
300
Casablanca
Children of Men
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
The Bourne Ultimatum
Digital Video Essentials
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Mission: Impossible III
Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time
Pan's Labyrinth
Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid
Ray
Transformers
World Trade Center
Zodiac: Director's Cut

4 STARS
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Alexander Revisited
Batman Begins
Black Snake Moan
Breach
The Bourne Identity
The Aviator
Blood Diamond
Brokeback Mountain
Carlito's Way
Casino
Clerks II
Constantine
Corpse Bride
Dog Day Afternoon
Dreamgirls
Enter the Dragon
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Flags of Our Fathers
Forbidden Planet
Grand Prix
The Frighteners
Happy Feet (Combo Edition)
Happy Feet (Re-Issue)
Harry Potter Years 1-5 Giftset
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (UK Import)
Heroes: Season One
The Departed (Re-Issue)
The Complete Matrix Trilogy
Forbidden Planet: Ultimate Collector's Set
The Departed (Combo Edition)
Face/Off
The Host
The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
GoodFellas
Hulk
IMAX: Blue Planet
Inside Man
Letters from Iwo Jima (Combo Edition)
The Kingdom (2007)
Letters from Iwo Jima (Re-Issue)
Mission: Impossible - Ultimate Missions Collection
The Mummy Returns
Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Poseidon
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
The Mummy
Red Dragon
Seabiscuit
Shaun of the Dead
Shrek the Third
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season
Smokin' Aces
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One
Superman Returns (Combo Edition)
Superman Returns (Re-Issue)
Superman: The Movie
The Searchers
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
The Last Samurai
The Thing (1982)
The Ultimate Matrix Collection
Troy: Director's Cut
V for Vendetta
The World's Fastest Indian
Viva Las Vegas
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

3.5 STARS
Accepted
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
The Ant Bully (Re-Issue)
Battlestar Galactica: Season One
The Ant Bully (Combo Edition)
Apollo 13
Being John Malkovich
Black Rain
Blades of Glory
The Big Lebowski
Born on the Fourth of July
Bullitt
A Clockwork Orange
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cream: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Deliverance
The Bourne Supremacy
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed
District B13
The Chronicles of Riddick
Cinderella Man
Disturbia
Dune (1984)
Eastern Promises
Elephants Dream (German Import)
Elizabeth
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
The Deer Hunter
End of Days
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Erin Brockovich
Evan Almighty
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Feast
For Love of the Game
Four Brothers
Freedom Writers
The Fountain (Re-Issue)
The Fountain (Combo Edition)
Freedom: 1
Freedom: 2
Freedom: 3
Friday Night Lights
The Getaway (1972)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Hollywoodland
House of Wax (2005)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Combo Edition)
The Italian Job (2003)
Jet Li's Fearless
The Heartbreak Kid
King Kong (2005)
The Hitcher (2007)
Jarhead
The Hurricane (2000)
The Break-Up
The Dirty Dozen
Hustle & Flow
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Re-Issue)
Knocked Up
Land of the Dead (Combo Edition)
Lucky Number Slevin
M:I-2
Mallrats
March of the Penguins
The Matador
Meet Joe Black
Meet the Parents
Million Dollar Baby
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
National Geographic: Relentless Enemies
National Lampoon's Animal House
Nip/Tuck: The Complete Fourth Season
Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps
Ocean's Eleven, Twelve & Thirteen Giftset
One Six Right: The Romance of Flying
Out of Sight
Pitch Black
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
The Polar Express
Reds
The Perfect Storm
The Pianist (UK Import)
Resident Evil (German Import)
A Scanner Darkly
Rio Bravo
The Rundown
Sahara
The Road Warrior
Scooby-Doo (2002)
The Manchurian Candidate
The Scorpion King
The Pianist
Seed of Chucky
Serenity
Slither
The Sopranos: Season Six, Part Two
Space Cowboys
Spy Game
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
The Sting
The Shining (1980)
Smallville: The Complete Sixth Season
Syriana
TMNT
The Skeleton Key
The Sopranos: Season Six, Part One
Tremors
The Wild Bunch
Traffic
Training Day
Troy
U-571
Unforgiven
The Warriors: Ultimate Director's Cut
We Were Soldiers
Wolf Creek
You, Me and Dupree

3 STARS
12 Monkeys
2 Fast 2 Furious
ATL
Aeon Flux
Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005
Alpha Dog
American Gangster
An American Werewolf in London
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Babel
Backdraft
Balls of Fury
Battle of the Bulge
Beerfest
Blazing Saddles
Brotherhood of the Wolf (UK Import)
A Christmas Story
Cat People (1982)
Chronos
The Cowboys
Dante's Peak
Darkman
Dead Silence
Derailed
Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed
Discovery Atlas: Italy Revealed
Doom
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Dragonheart
Failure to Launch
The Eagles: Farewell Tour 1 - Live in Melbourne
The Dukes of Hazzard
Eyes Wide Shut
Field of Dreams
Firewall
Full Metal Jacket: Deluxe Edition
The Fugitive
The Brothers Grimm (Japanese Import)
Galapagos
Good Night, and Good Luck (Combo Edition)
Good Night, and Good Luck (Re-Issue)
Happy Gilmore
The Good Shepherd
Heart: Alive in Seattle
Hot Rod
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
In Good Company
The Interpreter
The Invasion
The Elephant Man (French Import)
Gothika
Jailhouse Rock
The Brave One
James Taylor: A MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute
King of California
Lady in the Water (Combo Edition)
Lady in the Water (Re-Issue)
Lethal Weapon
Liar Liar
Living Landscapes: The World's Most Beautiful Places
The Lost City
Lost in Translation
Meet the Fockers
Mercury Rising
Miami Vice (2006)
Mission: Impossible
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
Music and Lyrics
Mystery Men
Nacho Libre
New Orleans Concert: The Music of America's Soul
Notting Hill
Ocean's Thirteen
Old School
Patch Adams
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (German Import)
Planet Earth (US Version)
Pulse
Purple Rain
Renaissance (2006) (German Import)
Resident Evil: Apocalypse - Extended Version (German Import)
Return to House on Haunted Hill
Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise
Running Scared (2006) (German Import)
The Prestige (UK Import)
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux 2004
Scary Movie 4
Scent of a Woman
School for Scoundrels
Shooter
Sleepy Hollow
Sneakers
Stardust
Swordfish
That’s Entertainment: Complete Collection
The War
Trading Places
The Untouchables
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Unleashed (Combo Edition)
Van Helsing
We Are Marshall
What Dreams May Come
The Wicker Man (2006)
White Noise 2
Wyatt Earp

2.5 STARS
The Amateurs
American Me
Arctic Tale
The Breakfast Club
The Architect
Billy Madison
Bruce Almighty
Bubble
Caddyshack
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power
Coming to America
The Contract
Daylight
Dazed and Confused (Combo Edition)
Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006
Discovery Atlas: China Revealed
Dragon's Lair
Gods and Generals
The Game
The Fog (1980) (French Import)
The Graduate (French Import)
The Bone Collector
Half Baked
Harsh Times
The Lake House (Re-Issue)
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Leaving Las Vegas (French Import)
The Last Starfighter
Lethal Weapon 2
License to Wed
Manilow Live!
Method Man: Live from the Sunset Strip
Midnight Run
A Mighty Heart
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Next
Norbit
Oliver Twist (2005) (Japanese Import)
The Omega Man
The Reaping
The River
Rumor Has It... (Combo Edition)
Rumor Has It... (Re-Issue)
Smokey and the Bandit
Streets of Fire
Talk to Me
The Nutty Professor (1996)
The Lake House (Combo Edition)
Timecop
Top Gun
Total Recall (French Import)
U2: Rattle and Hum
Under Siege
Unleashed (Re-issue)
Waist Deep
Waterworld
White Noise

2 STARS
16 Blocks
Army of Darkness (Combo Edition)
Army of Darkness (Re-issue)
Black Christmas (2006)
Bulletproof
Evening
Full Metal Jacket
The Getaway (1994)
King Kong (1976) (French Import)
Mobsters
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Sea of Love
Spartacus
The Jerk
The Watcher
The Wedding Date
A View from Space with Heavenly Music
Yes: Live at Montreux

1.5 STARS
Excalibur
Out for Justice
Ultimate Force

[BronxRonin]

Here you go.

HDDVD
5 STARS
Blade Runner (Complete Collector's Ed.)
Blade Runner (Ultimate Collector's Ed.)
Hot Fuzz

4.5 STARS
2001: A Space Odyssey
300
Casablanca
Children of Men
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
The Bourne Ultimatum
Digital Video Essentials
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Mission: Impossible III
Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time
Pan's Labyrinth
Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid
Ray
Transformers
World Trade Center
Zodiac: Director's Cut

4 STARS
The 40 Year Old Virgin

Alexander Revisited

Batman Begins
Black Snake Moan
Breach
The Bourne Identity
The Aviator
Blood Diamond
Brokeback Mountain
Carlito's Way
Casino
Clerks II
Constantine
Corpse Bride
Dog Day Afternoon
Dreamgirls
Enter the Dragon
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Flags of Our Fathers
Forbidden Planet
Grand Prix
The Frighteners
Happy Feet (Combo Edition)
Happy Feet (Re-Issue)
Harry Potter Years 1-5 Giftset
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (UK Import)
Heroes: Season One
The Departed (Re-Issue)
The Complete Matrix Trilogy
Forbidden Planet: Ultimate Collector's Set
The Departed (Combo Edition)
Face/Off
The Host
The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
GoodFellas
Hulk
IMAX: Blue Planet
Inside Man
Letters from Iwo Jima (Combo Edition)
The Kingdom (2007)
Letters from Iwo Jima (Re-Issue)
Mission: Impossible - Ultimate Missions Collection
The Mummy Returns
Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Poseidon
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
The Mummy
Red Dragon
Seabiscuit
Shaun of the Dead
Shrek the Third
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season
Smokin' Aces
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One
Superman Returns (Combo Edition)
Superman Returns (Re-Issue)
Superman: The Movie
The Searchers
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
The Last Samurai
The Thing (1982)
The Ultimate Matrix Collection
Troy: Director's Cut
V for Vendetta
The World's Fastest Indian
Viva Las Vegas
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

3.5 STARS
Accepted
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
The Ant Bully (Re-Issue)
Battlestar Galactica: Season One
The Ant Bully (Combo Edition)
Apollo 13
Being John Malkovich
Black Rain
Blades of Glory
The Big Lebowski
Born on the Fourth of July
Bullitt
A Clockwork Orange
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cream: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Deliverance
The Bourne Supremacy
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed
District B13
The Chronicles of Riddick
Cinderella Man
Disturbia
Dune (1984)
Eastern Promises
Elephants Dream (German Import)
Elizabeth
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
The Deer Hunter
End of Days
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Erin Brockovich
Evan Almighty
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Feast
For Love of the Game
Four Brothers
Freedom Writers
The Fountain (Re-Issue)
The Fountain (Combo Edition)
Freedom: 1
Freedom: 2
Freedom: 3
Friday Night Lights
The Getaway (1972)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Hollywoodland
House of Wax (2005)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Combo Edition)
The Italian Job (2003)
Jet Li's Fearless
The Heartbreak Kid
King Kong (2005)
The Hitcher (2007)
Jarhead
The Hurricane (2000)
The Break-Up
The Dirty Dozen
Hustle & Flow
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Re-Issue)
Knocked Up
Land of the Dead (Combo Edition)
Lucky Number Slevin
M:I-2
Mallrats
March of the Penguins
The Matador
Meet Joe Black
Meet the Parents
Million Dollar Baby
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
National Geographic: Relentless Enemies
National Lampoon's Animal House
Nip/Tuck: The Complete Fourth Season
Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps
Ocean's Eleven, Twelve & Thirteen Giftset
One Six Right: The Romance of Flying
Out of Sight
Pitch Black
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
The Polar Express
Reds
The Perfect Storm
The Pianist (UK Import)
Resident Evil (German Import)
A Scanner Darkly
Rio Bravo
The Rundown
Sahara
The Road Warrior
Scooby-Doo (2002)
The Manchurian Candidate
The Scorpion King
The Pianist
Seed of Chucky
Serenity
Slither
The Sopranos: Season Six, Part Two
Space Cowboys
Spy Game
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
The Sting
The Shining (1980)
Smallville: The Complete Sixth Season
Syriana
TMNT
The Skeleton Key
The Sopranos: Season Six, Part One
Tremors
The Wild Bunch
Traffic
Training Day
Troy
U-571
Unforgiven
The Warriors: Ultimate Director's Cut
We Were Soldiers
Wolf Creek
You, Me and Dupree

3 STARS
12 Monkeys
2 Fast 2 Furious
ATL
Aeon Flux
Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005
Alpha Dog
American Gangster
An American Werewolf in London
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Babel
Backdraft
Balls of Fury
Battle of the Bulge
Beerfest
Blazing Saddles
Brotherhood of the Wolf (UK Import)
A Christmas Story
Cat People (1982)
Chronos
The Cowboys
Dante's Peak
Darkman
Dead Silence
Derailed
Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed
Discovery Atlas: Italy Revealed
Doom
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Dragonheart
Failure to Launch
The Eagles: Farewell Tour 1 - Live in Melbourne
The Dukes of Hazzard
Eyes Wide Shut
Field of Dreams
Firewall
Full Metal Jacket: Deluxe Edition
The Fugitive
The Brothers Grimm (Japanese Import)
Galapagos
Good Night, and Good Luck (Combo Edition)
Good Night, and Good Luck (Re-Issue)
Happy Gilmore
The Good Shepherd
Heart: Alive in Seattle
Hot Rod
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
In Good Company
The Interpreter
The Invasion
The Elephant Man (French Import)
Gothika
Jailhouse Rock
The Brave One
James Taylor: A MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute
King of California
Lady in the Water (Combo Edition)
Lady in the Water (Re-Issue)
Lethal Weapon
Liar Liar
Living Landscapes: The World's Most Beautiful Places
The Lost City
Lost in Translation
Meet the Fockers
Mercury Rising
Miami Vice (2006)
Mission: Impossible
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
Music and Lyrics
Mystery Men
Nacho Libre
New Orleans Concert: The Music of America's Soul
Notting Hill
Ocean's Thirteen
Old School
Patch Adams
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (German Import)
Planet Earth (US Version)
Pulse
Purple Rain
Renaissance (2006) (German Import)
Resident Evil: Apocalypse - Extended Version (German Import)
Return to House on Haunted Hill
Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise
Running Scared (2006) (German Import)
The Prestige (UK Import)
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux 2004
Scary Movie 4
Scent of a Woman
School for Scoundrels
Shooter
Sleepy Hollow
Sneakers
Stardust
Swordfish
That’s Entertainment: Complete Collection
The War
Trading Places
The Untouchables
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Unleashed (Combo Edition)
Van Helsing
We Are Marshall
What Dreams May Come
The Wicker Man (2006)
White Noise 2
Wyatt Earp

2.5 STARS
The Amateurs
American Me
Arctic Tale
The Breakfast Club
The Architect
Billy Madison
Bruce Almighty
Bubble
Caddyshack
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power
Coming to America
The Contract
Daylight
Dazed and Confused (Combo Edition)
Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006
Discovery Atlas: China Revealed
Dragon's Lair
Gods and Generals
The Game
The Fog (1980) (French Import)
The Graduate (French Import)
The Bone Collector
Half Baked
Harsh Times
The Lake House (Re-Issue)
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Leaving Las Vegas (French Import)
The Last Starfighter
Lethal Weapon 2
License to Wed
Manilow Live!
Method Man: Live from the Sunset Strip
Midnight Run
A Mighty Heart
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Next
Norbit
Oliver Twist (2005) (Japanese Import)
The Omega Man
The Reaping
The River
Rumor Has It... (Combo Edition)
Rumor Has It... (Re-Issue)
Smokey and the Bandit
Streets of Fire
Talk to Me
The Nutty Professor (1996)
The Lake House (Combo Edition)
Timecop
Top Gun
Total Recall (French Import)
U2: Rattle and Hum
Under Siege
Unleashed (Re-issue)
Waist Deep
Waterworld
White Noise

2 STARS
16 Blocks
Army of Darkness (Combo Edition)
Army of Darkness (Re-issue)
Black Christmas (2006)
Bulletproof
Evening
Full Metal Jacket
The Getaway (1994)
King Kong (1976) (French Import)
Mobsters
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Sea of Love
Spartacus
The Jerk
The Watcher
The Wedding Date
A View from Space with Heavenly Music
Yes: Live at Montreux

1.5 STARS
Excalibur
Out for Justice
Ultimate Force

Were these exclusive? To?

[eroz]

Blu-Ray Video Grade (http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/reviews_video.html)
5 STARS
2001: A Space Odyssey
Alexander Revisited
Black Book
Black Snake Moan
Blade Runner (Complete Collector's Ed.)
Blade Runner (Ultimate Collector's Ed.)
Cars
Cast Away
Celine Dion: A New Day... Live in Las Vegas
The Covenant
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City
Discovery Atlas: Brazil Revealed
Discovery Atlas: Italy Revealed
Dreamgirls
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Flags of Our Fathers
Happy Feet
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Hollow Man (Director's Cut)
Letters from Iwo Jima
Lost: The Complete Third Season
Mission: Impossible III
Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You in Time
Open Season
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
Remember the Titans
A Scanner Darkly
Rush Hour 3
Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour
The Simpsons Movie
The Prestige
Ratatouille


If anyone wants to do the rest follow the link.....I'm on my way home now.

[Cth]

Fuck Blu-ray and most of all fuck Wal-mart!
I don't intend to ever invest in a blu-ray player. I'll stick to regular dvd s. It's funny so many people seem to think it's good for blu-ray to "WIN" ,but with both formats there is a competition and price are keep to a decent range. With no competition prices might become to expensive.

I agree, competition would have been a good thing to keep going. For better or worse, money talks.

[Frozen Sooner]

hidefdigest.com does really good reviews of both HD DVD and BD releases.

avsforum has some nice PQ tier threads.

For the most part, newer movies will look better if only because the source print is newer. However, that's not always the case. I've seen plenty of newer movies that looked horrible on their HD transfer and plenty of older movies that looked stunning. Part of the problem is that people tend to confuse stylistic choices with mastering problems. Just because a transfer is grainy it doesn't mean the transfer is bad if the original film had grain in it.

Off-hand, here's some older titles that I personally think look great on HDM:

2001: A Space Oddesy
Blade Runner
The Searchers
Star Trek: TOS Season One
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

[BronxRonin]

hidefdigest.com does really good reviews of both HD DVD and BD releases.

avsforum has some nice PQ tier threads.

For the most part, newer movies will look better if only because the source print is newer. However, that's not always the case. I've seen plenty of newer movies that looked horrible on their HD transfer and plenty of older movies that looked stunning. Part of the problem is that people tend to confuse stylistic choices with mastering problems. Just because a transfer is grainy it doesn't mean the transfer is bad if the original film had grain in it.

Off-hand, here's some older titles that I personally think look great on HDM:

2001: A Space Oddesy
Blade Runner
The Searchers
Star Trek: TOS Season One
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

:) i have the first two and agree they look awesome!

[Blandy vs Terrorism]

I don't remember all the doom and gloom talk when VHS won. VHS got cheaper and cheaper and more and more widespread.

Also, DVDs didn't have any competition when they came out, and gradually got cheaper.

(I remember them starting out around 30 bucks new)

[Foolish Mortal]

Also, DVDs didn't have any competition when they came out, and gradually got cheaper.

(I remember them starting out around 30 bucks new)
And it helps that Sony didn't try to hog the proprietary rights to the format like they did with BetaMax.

By licensing it out that will encourage the different manufacturers to come out with players with the most bang for the buck than their competitors.

[Humphrey_Lee]

Fuck Blu-ray and most of all fuck Wal-mart!
I don't intend to ever invest in a blu-ray player. I'll stick to regular dvd s. It's funny so many people seem to think it's good for blu-ray to "WIN" ,but with both formats there is a competition and price are keep to a decent range. With no competition prices might become to expensive.

Uhmmm... that's not how business works. You see, when more people buy one quantity of a product, the only way it gets MORE expensive is if quantities of that product become too low where demand can't be met. That typically just happens in cases of more perishable items, or resources such as gasoline. But, if more people are buying that product, that means more of that product is being made (as long as it's not one based on natural resources) which means the overall production cost goes down because that's how Bulk Production works, which means, Surprise surprise, the retail cost goes down too. 10 Million people owning BD players is much better than 6mil owning BD while 4 own HD. Sure, there won't be much more of these BOGO deals to get people to throw support in one camp like we've been seeing, but once BD is fully installed as "the winner" the price of discs and players should start to see a decent more towards the price of a normal DVD.

I'd be willing to say by the end of the summer a BD disc will typically price out at around $25 MRSP with them being $20 first week sale items instead of the $35 and $30 ranges they do right now.

[Frozen Sooner]

Never mind. :D

[BronxRonin]

Never mind. :D

I like the way you explained it better... Thanks !:cool:

[BronxRonin]

Uhmmm... that's not how business works. You see, when more people buy one quantity of a product, the only way it gets MORE expensive is if quantities of that product become too low where demand can't be met. That typically just happens in cases of more perishable items, or resources such as gasoline. But, if more people are buying that product, that means more of that product is being made (as long as it's not one based on natural resources) which means the overall production cost goes down because that's how Bulk Production works, which means, Surprise surprise, the retail cost goes down too. 10 Million people owning BD players is much better than 6mil owning BD while 4 own HD. Sure, there won't be much more of these BOGO deals to get people to throw support in one camp like we've been seeing, but once BD is fully installed as "the winner" the price of discs and players should start to see a decent more towards the price of a normal DVD.

I'd be willing to say by the end of the summer a BD disc will typically price out at around $25 MRSP with them being $20 first week sale items instead of the $35 and $30 ranges they do right now.

you lost me at Uhmmm...:no:

[Frozen Sooner]

I like the way you explained it better... Thanks !:cool:

Heh. I reread what I wrote and I was like "Wow, how unnecessarily pedantic!"

Anyhow, Humphrey's got the gist of it. Since BD production has significant barriers to entry and economies of scale, for the nonce production costs should fall pretty rapidly as they can ramp up production.

[BronxRonin]

Heh. I reread what I wrote and I was like "Wow, how unnecessarily pedantic!"

Anyhow, Humphrey's got the gist of it. Since BD production has significant barriers to entry and economies of scale, for the nonce production costs should fall pretty rapidly as they can ramp up production.

Gotcha... but i don't appreciate when some tries to prove a point to me by starting out with a uhhmm ... hate that shit.:roll:

[Frozen Sooner]

Hey, I'm just happy I got to use "nonce" in a sentence. You don't get that kind of love every day!

[BronxRonin]

Hey, I'm just happy I got to use "nonce" in a sentence. You don't get that kind of love every day!

LoL

[Akira]

great thread idea Cth :)

BTW, for those interested, the link in the first post is actually buy 2 get 1 free.

[costello]

Regular DvD not an option? All of them are available on regular Disc too.:)

You're talking hi def !) If Iwant a movie on dvd I'll wait 4 months and buy it for $7.50.

[LowKey]

Looks like I'll be using my HD-DVD add on mainly for standard def DVD's.

Man...I really hate watching movies on my PS3 (too noisy).

[Patton]

So is $400 the cheapest you can get a Blu-Ray player?

[Akira]

So is $400 the cheapest you can get a Blu-Ray player?

unless gamestop or eb has a used ps3.

[BronxRonin]

You're talking hi def !) If Iwant a movie on dvd I'll wait 4 months and buy it for $7.50.

Ok.:cool:

[costello]

Looks like I'll be using my HD-DVD add on mainly for standard def DVD's.

Man...I really hate watching movies on my PS3 (too noisy).

Really? I don't hear a thing from mine.

[costello]

Goodfellas Blu-Ray at Best Buy for $15.

[LowKey]

Really? I don't hear a thing from mine.

I'm not ruling out the fact that it might be a quirk of my particular console, since no one else here seems to have any difficulties. After about 15-20 minutes of use, the PS3's fan kicks into 'blender mode', and stays that way. It's pretty distracting...particularly during the quiet bits of movies.

BTW: It's a launch console (60 gig model), in a well ventilated area.

[Garth]

I'm not ruling out the fact that it might be a quirk of my particular console, since no one else here seems to have any difficulties. After about 15-20 minutes of use, the PS3's fan kicks into 'blender mode', and stays that way. It's pretty distracting...particularly during the quiet bits of movies.

BTW: It's a launch console (60 gig model), in a well ventilated area.

I definitely wouldn't call mine "blender" mode. But there are times when it gets louder then other, but certainly not after 15-20 min. Although mine is the 60 gig console as well.

[bartleby]

Looks like Toshiba is stopping production immediately on HD-DVD players and phase out sales by the end of March. It's all seems to be happening much quicker than I expected.

[Adam Geen]

Yep and as a retailer, I'm glad it's finally over.

[Talannon]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/20/iplayer_isps_broke/

This is one of the reason why blu-ray win still matter. I have seen a lot of people says that it didn't matter because it would be all about digital download. But you already see that it's becoming a problem with something as small as the BBC iPlayer.

[Cth]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/20/iplayer_isps_broke/

This is one of the reason why blu-ray win still matter. I have seen a lot of people says that it didn't matter because it would be all about digital download. But you already see that it's becoming a problem with something as small as the BBC iPlayer.

Nothing new there really.

And it presumes ISPs and the like will do nothing to offset costs.

By the time Blu Ray gets DVD acceptance, I still think it'll have to face some competition. There's entirely too many companies getting into it. Big names, not fly by night companies with a vested interest in not failing.

Until HDTVs become widespread, Blu Ray's expansion will be limited.

[Cth]

Worth reprinting:

HD-DVD to Blu-Ray Exchange Program


http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/22/hdscape-offers-up-hd-dvd-to-blu-ray-exchange-program

While early adopters won't see a single red cent from Toshiba now that HD DVD has bit the proverbial dust, HDScape movie owners looking to make the transition to Blu-ray may be happy to hear of its latest program. In a move that we can only hope other studios mimic, the firm is enabling customers that previously purchased flicks on HD DVD to exchange the paper casewraps they came in for an $11.95 BD version. Yep, this means you can keep your HD DVD case and disc, but you won't be able to use one casewrap to receive a discount on a different title. For step-by-step instructions on how to take HDScape up on its offer, head on down to the read link -- and for folks scouting stellar deals on the now-defunct red format, you can snag quite a few of its HD DVDs for just $6.95.

http://www.hdscape.com/cat_upgrade.cfm

[Jason California]

http://gizmodo.com/361809/stop-why-it-still-isnt-safe-to-buy-blu+ray

[Cth]

Netflix Beefs Up Blu-ray Offerings

In a statement given by the online movie rental company increasing projected subscribers, Netflix mentioned that they will increase their Blu-ray catalog by as many as 1,500 titles. Currently, Netflix maintains about 400 Blu-ray titles in their rental database. The plus-up in available titles is due to increased demand for high definition movies and the culmination of the format war.

There also continues to be discussion about possibly raising their fees due to the excess cost of the media. When asked if Netflix would raise their fees for Blu-ray customers, CFO for Netflix Barry McCarthy commented, "It seems apparent that content will cost us more. Whether we raise prices will be entirely a function of churn, subscriber acquisition costs and gross margins."

[Cth]

Heads up to anyone looking to buy the Cloverfield disc. Sounds like they're going to double dip.

http://dvd.ign.com/articles/856/856123p1.html



A lot of people worked hard for over a month creating some amazing extra features for the HD release of "Cloverfield." At first it looked like not many consumers would see these features, as the release was planned for HD-DVD like Paramount's other recent titles. But now that Toshiba's HD-DVD format is dead, Paramount is scrambling to release "Cloverfield" on Blu-ray - on the original HD-DVD street date. As a result, the current belief is that there's not enough time to program all the extra features (including lots of new story stuff, along the lines of the viral campaign's backstory) in time for the Blu-ray release, and all this great work will be scrapped."

[Petey Parker]

Netflix Beefs Up Blu-ray Offerings

In a statement given by the online movie rental company increasing projected subscribers, Netflix mentioned that they will increase their Blu-ray catalog by as many as 1,500 titles. Currently, Netflix maintains about 400 Blu-ray titles in their rental database. The plus-up in available titles is due to increased demand for high definition movies and the culmination of the format war.

There also continues to be discussion about possibly raising their fees due to the excess cost of the media. When asked if Netflix would raise their fees for Blu-ray customers, CFO for Netflix Barry McCarthy commented, "It seems apparent that content will cost us more. Whether we raise prices will be entirely a function of churn, subscriber acquisition costs and gross margins."

They must be getting more copies too. I was surprised that I got 30 Days Of Night on Blu Ray the same week it was released. It wasn't even on the day of release either. It came on Friday. That never happens with an HD release on Netflix.

[Akira]

Heads up to anyone looking to buy the Cloverfield disc. Sounds like they're going to double dip.

http://dvd.ign.com/articles/856/856123p1.html

that makes no sense to me. HD media is HD media, no? wouldn't it just be a matter of burning it to a BD vs an HD-DVD? it's not like they're programing for a specific archetecture ala a video game port is it?

[Petey Parker]

that makes no sense to me. HD media is HD media, no? wouldn't it just be a matter of burning it to a BD vs an HD-DVD? it's not like they're programing for a specific archetecture ala a video game port is it?

Perhaps some of them are features that wouldn't work on some Blu Ray players in their current form. Can't exactly put it on there with a message "May Not Work On Your Player"

[Akira]

Perhaps some of them are features that wouldn't work on some Blu Ray players in their current form. Can't exactly put it on there with a message "May Not Work On Your Player"

true. but in my mind there's a simple switch that one can flick for converting from HD-DVD to Blu-ray :)

[Petey Parker]

true. but in my mind there's a simple switch that one can flick for converting from HD-DVD to Blu-ray :)

That would be nice :)

[BGPu]

that makes no sense to me. HD media is HD media, no? wouldn't it just be a matter of burning it to a BD vs an HD-DVD? it's not like they're programing for a specific archetecture ala a video game port is it?

HD-DVD's iHD is totally different from Blu-Ray's Java platform, so not really. The film encodes may be the same but the disc architecture would be different.

And now that HD-DVD is dead, many people are hoping that the previously HD-DVD exclusive titles coming to BluRay will get new encodes to take advantage of BD's greater disk space rather than just be ported.

[Cth]

that makes no sense to me. HD media is HD media, no? wouldn't it just be a matter of burning it to a BD vs an HD-DVD? it's not like they're programing for a specific archetecture ala a video game port is it?

The whole Profile 2.0 thing.

Again, Transformers did some stuff along these lines.

I'd imagine the Cloverfield disc would update online with the Myspace sites, tracking the monster, articles, etc.

More than likely they'd have included the ARG game stuff to give a background on the creature or link to the manga that's still being created online.

Either way, they could probably do it, but it'd require trashing all that work, and starting over resulting in a possibly delay. So, more than likely they'll crank out a barebones and depending on how sales are, double dip with an extended release.

[Cth]

And now that HD-DVD is dead, many people are hoping that the previously HD-DVD exclusive titles coming to BluRay will get new encodes to take advantage of BD's greater disk space rather than just be ported.

Yup, exactly.

Transformers is the disc to watch for. Even thought not many people have the higher end music systems, some people really want that stuff.

I just hope they manage to keep all the fun extras that made the disc worth it to begin with.

[Akira]

Yup, exactly.

Transformers is the disc to watch for. Even thought not many people have the higher end music systems, some people really want that stuff.

I just hope they manage to keep all the fun extras that made the disc worth it to begin with.

Everytime I look at your Sig image I'm glad this whole format war is over. Not owning Iron Man on blu-ray would've bruised my soul.

[Cth]

http://www.digitalbits.com/#mytwocents

In other news today, you Blu-ray fans should be happy with this: 20th Century Fox has just lowered the SRP of many of its older catalog Blu-ray Disc releases by $10, cutting them from $39.99 to $29.99. These include titles like Chain Reaction, Speed, Fantastic Four, The Omen etc. A select few additional titles have been price reduced by about $5 each from $39.99 to $34.99 (Kingdom of Heaven, etc). New and more recent titles remain priced at $39.99. Amazon has already started reducing their prices accordingly.

[Akira]

http://www.digitalbits.com/#mytwocents

In other news today, you Blu-ray fans should be happy with this: 20th Century Fox has just lowered the SRP of many of its older catalog Blu-ray Disc releases by $10, cutting them from $39.99 to $29.99. These include titles like Chain Reaction, Speed, Fantastic Four, The Omen etc. A select few additional titles have been price reduced by about $5 each from $39.99 to $34.99 (Kingdom of Heaven, etc). New and more recent titles remain priced at $39.99. Amazon has already started reducing their prices accordingly.

Sweet! FF and KoH double dips here I come :)

[Cth]

http://gizmodo.com/364186/sony-talks-200-blu+ray-players-ps3-and-apple-tv

Sony CEO Talks $200 Blu-ray Players, PS3 and Apple TV

Everybody clamoring for a cheap Blu-ray player now that the format war is over might wanna bide their time with a sweet DVD upconverter—the $200-player Blu-ray cavalry is at least a year away, according to Sony Electronics CEO Stan Glasgow, who we talked to today in New York. "I don't think $200 is going to happen this year. Next year $200 could happen. We'll be at a $300 rate this year. $299 will happen this year."

No cheap Chinese-made players will be flooding the market to push it down either, not until the BDA decides to license the tech to them, and Glasgow implied it's gonna be a while before that happens. Anyone else wants a license? Sure. But not them, in part it was indicated, because of piracy concerns. Not that the price matters too much right now, since Sony is "struggling to keep up with the demand."

The mighty morphin' PS3 SKU—from 60GB to 40GB, backward-compatible or not—isn't going to stop shape-shifting. When asked "Will there also be another PlayStation with Blu-ray built-in? Glasgow answered that "there's going to be continual evolvement in the PlayStation line" before talking about feature upgrades with software.

Other points that came up at the roundtable:

• Sony dropped Memory Stick slots from its TVs, even ones that do photos and music playback. Not sure what that means for the underdog format.

• When people are asked what brand they think of when it comes to HD, Sony "is far and away the leader"—close to 36 percent, compared with 10 percent for the runner up.

• Around 50 percent of their LCD HDTVs sold last year were 1080p—the shift to 1080p is happening now and Blu-ray will help that.

• Sony is not sweating the recession.

• The company is "working very hard" on an answer to Apple TV, though it all seems to center around a Blu-ray player one way or another, and doesn't necessarily rely on the ill-fated Bravia Internet Video Link. Sony is "working on many other avenues to deliver downloaded content," like the PlayStation Network which will be "spread that over the next year or so to many other products of Sony."

[Cth]

http://www.dvdtown.com/news/hd-dvds-demise-push-blu-ray-prices-up-new-data-shows/5310

HD DVDs demise seem to push Blu-ray prices up
March 5, 2008

New data shows that the price of Blu-ray players has a upward trend after HD DVDs demise.

The data comes from pricegrabber.com that can show the average price of a given player on a given time.

TG Daily collected the data which shows a upward trend for Blu-ray players.

On January 1st 2008 (Before Warner chose Blu-ray) the average price of a Panasonice DMP-BD30K player was $401. On March 2nd it was up at $495. The Sony BDP-S300 shows a similar trend with a January price of $307 and a March price of $386. Many of the players were also sold with free Blu-ray movies in January but these offers has ended as well.

The only Blu-ray players that seems to have fallen in price in the period are DUO (Plays HD DVD and Blu-ray discs) players from Samsung and LG.

[Cth]

http://gizmodo.com/364342/here-comes-the-reaming-blu+ray-movie-rereleases-coming-with-bd+live

Here Comes the Reaming: Blu-ray Movie Rereleases Coming with BD-Live
March 6, 2008

We warned you that one reason to hold off on boarding the Blu train is that movies released in the past year without sweet BD-Live interactive features might be re-released. A lot of them. Today, we got first confirmation of this from Fox, which told us it'll be re-releasing Alien Vs. Predator later this year with a suite of new interactive features. And that's just the beginning.

Sony Pictures is also reaching in with both hands, though they're "not 100 percent sure [they're] going back on every disc" and will be looking at "different ways [they] can allow people to connect to a BD-Live site" for stuff that's already come out sans the BD Launcher. But they haven't figured that second part out yet.

To be fair, of all the Blu-ray studios, Fox is currently the most pumped about the interactive aspect—a big reason they helped build Blu along with Sony and friends. What Fox is adding doesn't make this a crap double dip, either: It's a multiplayer game woven into the film that you play as it progresses, attacking and killing other players in hopefully the most genuine film interaction to date. Not only do you upload your own avatar, it'll stay in memory and reappear when you buy future AVP titles. Sven Davison, Fox's VP of Worldwide Product Development and Production, said nothing he's seen on HD DVD has come close to this.

Davison also said Fox was looking at three other major franchises for a heavy interactive component. But other studios probably aren't going to be as scrupulous, because they primarily see interactivity as "icing on the cake" rather than potatoes to the 1080p-and-uncompressed-audio meat.

This of course opens the door for nearly everything already on BD to be double-dipped in the coming year—especially in cases like Warner's, since that studio has already launched more interactive versions of movies on HD DVD while simultaneously putting out lower-featured editions on BD. Would this have happened if the 2.0 spec had been mandatory from the start?

[chess]

A couple things....

I saw Samsung Blue Ray players at tigerdirect.com for $249.

I also see HD-DVD players for $80. QUESTION: At this price, is is worth it to upgrade to an HD-DVD player for upconversion of regular DVDs?

[Garth]

A couple things....

I saw Samsung Blue Ray players at tigerdirect.com for $249.

I also see HD-DVD players for $80. QUESTION: At this price, is is worth it to upgrade to an HD-DVD player for upconversion of regular DVDs?

I don't see why not, if that is all that you are looking for. You can probably score some pretty cheap HD DVD titles while you are at it.
I bought my folks Sony dvd upconverter for x-mas. It was about 70 bucks, so that definitely seems reasonable.

[BGPu]

A couple things....

I saw Samsung Blue Ray players at tigerdirect.com for $249.

I also see HD-DVD players for $80. QUESTION: At this price, is is worth it to upgrade to an HD-DVD player for upconversion of regular DVDs?

I wouldn't be against picking up a HD-DVD player for cheap as a backup for the 360 Add-On I'm using now

[Frozen Sooner]

A couple things....

I saw Samsung Blue Ray players at tigerdirect.com for $249.

I also see HD-DVD players for $80. QUESTION: At this price, is is worth it to upgrade to an HD-DVD player for upconversion of regular DVDs?

An XA2 or HD-A35, possibly. They both use VERY high-end processors for upconversion. Otherwise....no. The player load times are going to drive you nuts for something that's just going to give you good upconversion.

[Fygar]

http://i30.tinypic.com/19t6jl.png

http://i32.tinypic.com/wt86tf.png

[Akira]

http://i30.tinypic.com/19t6jl.png

http://i32.tinypic.com/wt86tf.png

where did those originally appear? cause i'm all over no country, but the fine print is faded, so I don't know if they'd take it.

[Fygar]

They are from the DVD editions of No Country and Dan in Real Life. Someone got them early, and scanned the coupon for Blu Ray owners. Apparently this has happened with previous releases, and people have had good luck getting employees to scan a print out without even really looking at it. All that matters to them is that the bar code works.

[Fygar]

An update about the No Country coupon. I used it at FYE the other day, and it worked just fine. Others have used it with a bit of a hassle from managers, but got them to give it to them. If you're the type not to argue, just go to another store, you'll find someone to accept it eventually.

Oh and the No Country Blu Ray has a pretty spectacular transfer. It looked so much better than in the theater, and I saw it in digital.

[costello]

The double dipping thing sucks, but it's become the norm way before blu ray.

We have what, 3 versions LotR, King Kong, Star Wars...

[Fygar]

BOGO at Target this week

Buy 1 Blu-Ray Title From This Section, Get 1 Blu-Ray Title Free:

All Blu-Ray Titles Here Are $29.99 Each:

Casino Royale
Spider-man 3
Live Free Of Die Hard
Ocean’s Thirteen
300
SAW IV
3:10 To Yuma
Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End
The Simpson’s Movie
The Game Plan
Ratatouille

I don't have a Target near me, which actually makes me glad. Because I have no money but would probably splurge on Spidey, Live Free or Die Hard, Simpsons and PotC 3.

[Akira]

BOGO at Target this week

Buy 1 Blu-Ray Title From This Section, Get 1 Blu-Ray Title Free:

All Blu-Ray Titles Here Are $29.99 Each:

Casino Royale
Spider-man 3
Live Free Of Die Hard
Ocean’s Thirteen
300
SAW IV
3:10 To Yuma
Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End
The Simpson’s Movie
The Game Plan
Ratatouille

I don't have a Target near me, which actually makes me glad. Because I have no money but would probably splurge on Spidey, Live Free or Die Hard, Simpsons and PotC 3.

Does that start Tues or did it start already? cause if it did, I will have to stop after work and pick up 3:10 to Yuma and something else

[Fygar]

Does that start Tues or did it start already? cause if it did, I will have to stop after work and pick up 3:10 to Yuma and something else

It started yesterday...shit! I somehow didn't even see 3:10 to Yuma on that list...damn I may have to go to Target.

[Run-BMC]

I've watched 5 blu-ray discs, and although the picture detail kicks ass compared to DVD, there's a slight grainy feel to everything in certain scenes depending on the lighting. Is this normal, or is it something I need to fix?

[Akira]

It started yesterday...shit! I somehow didn't even see 3:10 to Yuma on that list...damn I may have to go to Target.

Awesome! thanks :)

[Fygar]

I've watched 5 blu-ray discs, and although the picture detail kicks ass compared to DVD, there's a slight grainy feel to everything in certain scenes depending on the lighting. Is this normal, or is it something I need to fix?

Out of curiosity what movies did you watch? If it was The Lookout or 300 then you have nothing to worry about, it was a design decision from the filmmakers. If it was Planet Earth, Ratatouille, or No Country for Old Men then I'd definitely say there is a problem, because those look more clear to me than looking out my window.

[Run-BMC]

Out of curiosity what movies did you watch? If it was The Lookout or 300 then you have nothing to worry about, it was a design decision from the filmmakers. If it was Planet Earth, Ratatouille, or No Country for Old Men then I'd definitely say there is a problem, because those look more clear to me than looking out my window.

No Country was one of them... shoot if only I could get a screen cap or something.

[Fygar]

No Country was one of them... shoot if only I could get a screen cap or something.

That's weird man, because I just watched No Country the other night and it was gorgeous. I wish I could help, but I only know the basics about this stuff. Maybe someone here knows what's up, if not I'd definitely ask someone over at DVDtalk or the home theater forums.

[Akira]

I've watched 5 blu-ray discs, and although the picture detail kicks ass compared to DVD, there's a slight grainy feel to everything in certain scenes depending on the lighting. Is this normal, or is it something I need to fix?

What resolution are you watching at? 720p? 1080i? 1080p?

[Akira]

I ended up getting 3:10 to Yuma and Spider-Man 3 since they were out of Rattatoie, and most of the others that I'd want I already have in BR (Die Hard, 300, Pirates 3)

[Akira]

In "the next few days" the new PS3 firmware is coming with BD-Live (Profile 2.0) support

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/03/20/firmware-v220-bringing-bd-live-to-ps3/

[Cth]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/20/ps3-firmware-2-20-bringing-bd-live-interactive-blu-ray-this-mont/

PS3 firmware 2.20 bringing BD-Live interactive Blu-ray this month

The Blu-ray 2.0 spec (or BD-Live) is just days from launch. Sony just announced that the next PlayStation3 firmware updated -- v2.20 -- will add the new interactive features to your PS3. As such, PS3 owners should expect downloadable video content, ringtones, interactive movie-based games, and the always intriguing "more" when the software is released in "late March." In other words, in the next 11 days. The update will also allow you to copy photos and music playlists over USB from your PS3 to your PSP. The rest of the new features after the break.

-- "Resume play" will enable PS3 system to start playing a Blu-ray disc
and DVD at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been
removed.(*1)
-- "Audio Output Device" will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP
to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3.
-- PS3 system's Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly
linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser's
view speed will be improved.
-- DivX and WMV format videos that are larger than 2GB will be playable.
-- "Mosquito Noise Reduction" will be added as an AV setting in the
control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback.(*2)

*1 BD-J format disc is not supported.
*2 BD discs recorded with BDMV format are not supported.

[Garth]

Nice, I am especially interested in the Resume Play feature, that seems like something that should have been added long ago. I think I will finally be happy once they add in a "sleep mode" for DVD viewing. It makes no sense to fall asleep to movies and be forced to leave your system on ALL night.

[Akira]

Nice, I am especially interested in the Resume Play feature, that seems like something that should have been added long ago. I think I will finally be happy once they add in a "sleep mode" for DVD viewing. It makes no sense to fall asleep to movies and be forced to leave your system on ALL night.

I was just thinking "man, a sleep mode would be awesome" yesterday

[Cth]

http://www.jr.com/JRSectionView.process?Section_Path=/Promos/Movie06/&JRSource=chemail.weekendSale.032108

Select Blu-Ray titles $7.99-$13.99

Weeds Season 1 $10.99
Weeds Season 2 $13.99

Punisher 2004
Stargate
Saw I & II
Stir of Echoes
Reservior Dogs
American Psycho
Dr. Strange
3:10 to Yuma
etc, etc.

[Petey Parker]

Nice, I am especially interested in the Resume Play feature, that seems like something that should have been added long ago. I think I will finally be happy once they add in a "sleep mode" for DVD viewing. It makes no sense to fall asleep to movies and be forced to leave your system on ALL night.

That was my least favorite thing about both Blu Ray and HD DVD. Not being able to return to the scene you left at if you stop it was just plain ridiculous.

[Akira]

PS3 Firmware 2.20 is now live. Download it now to unlock Blu-Ray Profile 2.0 functionality on your system. There won't be many "BD-Live" discs hitting the market for a little while, but rest assured with this update you'll get the most out of them.

[Cth]

Pre-Order (hopefully Amazon keeps this price)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00147F8ZA/ref=nosim/panandscathed-20

AVP - Alien vs. Predator / Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem (Unrated Two-Pack) [Blu-ray]
List Price: $69.98
Price: $27.95
You Save: $42.03 (60%)

[Petey Parker]

Pre-Order (hopefully Amazon keeps this price)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00147F8ZA/ref=nosim/panandscathed-20

AVP - Alien vs. Predator / Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem (Unrated Two-Pack) [Blu-ray]
List Price: $69.98
Price: $27.95
You Save: $42.03 (60%)

Nice. Its $51 on Deep Discount.

$27.95 is the same price they are charging for AVP Requiem alone.

[Cth]

CONSTANTINE and V FOR VENDETTA - May 20th

Warner Announces V for Vendetta for Blu-ray

Warner Home Video has announced that they will release the highly anticipated Sci-Fi thriller 'V for Vendetta' for Blu-ray on May 20th. Video will be presented as 2.40:1 1080p VC-1 with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track (no TrueHD track has been announced at this time, but is expected). While no extras have been announced at this time, you can expect that all the extras from the previous HD DVD release will fit easily on the BD-50.

This film was originally released on HD DVD, but was held back from Blu-ray release due to the lack of picture-in-picture support. Once support for PIP (BonusView) content was made mandatory, fans have been waiting eagerly for Warner to release those titles they initially held back. With this release of 'V for Vendetta', Warner is making good on their promise to bring all of their HD DVD exclusive titles to the Blu-ray format.

Extras on the HD DVD include the In Movie Experience (IME) PIP commentary, four featurettes ("Designing the Near Future", "Remember, Remember: The Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot", "England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave of Comics", and "Freedom! Forever!: Making of V for Vendetta"), the Saturday Night Live digital short, Cat Power montage, and theatrical trailers.

[Akira]

CONSTANTINE and V FOR VENDETTA - May 20th

Warner Announces V for Vendetta for Blu-ray

Warner Home Video has announced that they will release the highly anticipated Sci-Fi thriller 'V for Vendetta' for Blu-ray on May 20th. Video will be presented as 2.40:1 1080p VC-1 with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track (no TrueHD track has been announced at this time, but is expected). While no extras have been announced at this time, you can expect that all the extras from the previous HD DVD release will fit easily on the BD-50.

This film was originally released on HD DVD, but was held back from Blu-ray release due to the lack of picture-in-picture support. Once support for PIP (BonusView) content was made mandatory, fans have been waiting eagerly for Warner to release those titles they initially held back. With this release of 'V for Vendetta', Warner is making good on their promise to bring all of their HD DVD exclusive titles to the Blu-ray format.

Extras on the HD DVD include the In Movie Experience (IME) PIP commentary, four featurettes ("Designing the Near Future", "Remember, Remember: The Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot", "England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave of Comics", and "Freedom! Forever!: Making of V for Vendetta"), the Saturday Night Live digital short, Cat Power montage, and theatrical trailers.

w00t!
I've been dying to see Constantine in HD.

[Petey Parker]

Amazon noticed the price mistake on AVP twopack and its gone up to $48. Glad I got in while it was still $27.95 cause I certainly wouldn't spend $48 for them :)

[Frozen Sooner]

C'mon Sony. DTS-HD MA internal decoding on the PS3!

[Cth]

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/36740/113/

Blu-ray prices continue to climb
April 2, 2008

Pricewatch - Sony, Sharp and Panasonic Blu-ray players continue to climb an upward price slope as demand has increased and competition decreased in the high definition video market, TG Daily found. Samsung's BD-P1400 and LG's combo player, however, have settled down and are moving back into more favorable price territory.

For the majority of players, though, prices are higher than they have been all year and it seems as though there is really no way to stop the prices from spiraling out of control. How far will they continue to rise and set themselves out of the mainstream target market?

http://www.tgdaily.com/images/stories/article_images/pricewatch/bd-apr-2008-table.jpg

Sony's BDP-S300, Shar's BD-HP20U and Panasonic's DMP-BD30K are all at or around new price highs for 2008. This chart shows the priceline of all major Blu-ray players from the beginning of the year to now, based on average e-tailer data from Pricegrabber.com.

http://www.tgdaily.com/images/stories/article_images/pricewatch/bd-apr-2008-chart.jpg

For the most part, prices were the lowest on these products at the beginning of January, when the battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray was still raging on. Shortly thereafter, however, the cards began to fall and HD DVD was resoundingly defeated.

By the end of February, prices began to climb. This is just around the time that Toshiba announced it would stop producing HD DVD players and format pioneer Universal decided to jump ship to Blu-ray. It is a very interesting trend and a lesson in price competition. To this date, it remains solid that those who bought Blu-ray players in the heat of battle between the two formats made the best deal.

In an interesting twist, LG's combo Blu-ray/HD DVD player has continued to go against the trend of other Blu-ray players and actually come down in price. At $585 it is now nearly the same price as Panasonic's Blu-ray-specific player.

http://www.tgdaily.com/images/stories/article_images/pricewatch/hddvd-apr-2008.jpg

Prices of HD DVD players, meanwhile, seem to have hit a plateau, with the 1080i HD-A3 model hovering at around $100 and the 1080p HD-A30 unit at around $130. These prices continue to be comparable to upconvert DVD players, and it will be interesting to see if they manage some kind of second life for that use only. Obviously, though, there is no chance of any sort of HD DVD comeback.

Later this month, Blu-ray movies will carry a new slate of advanced features, most notable being the ability to connect to the Internet. However, the only Blu-ray player that will be able to access these features is the Playstation 3. This means that not only will they be unable to access Web-enabled features in the future but they also cannot receive firmware upgrades.

Again, although Blu-ray has been declared the winner, it is right now about the worst time to invest in a standalone Blu-ray player. If prices do not come down quickly, these Blu-ray manufacturers may end up with a tough situation when the current models are shoved out of the way for new devices capable of playing back newer enhanced BD movies.

[noble]

Woo-hoo!

Fox Plotting 'Firefly' for Blu-ray
Tue Apr 08, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET


Attention, browncoats: there's no date yet, but Fox says it's planning an extensive Blu-ray release for the TV cult phenomenon 'Firefly.'

That's according to TV Shows on DVD, which recently posted an update reporting that they've received confirmation from the studio that it's currently in the early stages of preparing a major Blu-ray box set release of the short-lived but much-beloved Joss Whedon series.


The online rumor mill first started buzzing a couple of weeks ago, after 'Firefly' cast member Jewel Staite revealed to an Australian convention crowd that she'd recently been contacted by Fox in regards to contributing to a new box set release of the complete 'Firefly' series, though no format was specified.

When TV Shows on DVD approached the studio for comment on the rumors, they were reportedly told by a Fox rep that "news travels fast." The rep went on to confirm that a 'Firefly' Blu-ray release is currently in the early development stages, though supplement details and a street date window were a long way off.

Running for only one season to generally low ratings, 'Firefly' nevertheless has gone on to gain one of the most devoted cult followings in the history of network television. When and if the show does arrive on Blu-ray, however, it won't be the first next-gen appearance for the property. Universal previously release the big-screen 'Firefly' spin-off 'Serenity' on HD DVD back in early 2006 (though at press time the studio has not yet announced plans for a Blu-ray version).

[Cth]

HDD.com has a thing on PS3 updates.

Here's some highlights:

* Apparently movie studios are satisfied with BD-Live functions in PS3. Its processing speed / graphics rendering is much faster than dedicated players and the performance gap won't get narrower soon. Even among current BD-Java titles, some are doing performance profiling in a loading screen and show richer effects on PS3. Such differentiation by player performance may happen for BD-Live too. It is not something special only for PS3, it's in the spec of the BD format.

* 2.20 has neither Managed Copy (w/ transcoding) nor Portable Copy (w/o transcoding, demoed at CES) implemented.

* In-game XMB is one of the features discussed at SCE, but they can't comment on the date and so on yet. Though some of the XMB functions are already available in-game by an update, not many games support them yet.

* To licensee developers, it was announced that 2.20 could reduce system memory resource usage a lot.

* The web browser runs faster and has better streaming support than before. Though they can't comment on which particular service they'll support at this point, it will be improved further.

* Though it's technically possible that PS3 charges fees for certain updates, they continue free updates as the basic concept of PS3 is a hardware that evolves with updates.

* Optical discs and media files (including DLNA) are played back through 2 different paths in PS3. Functions such as noise reduction are first implemented in the optical disc player, then some of them are applied to the media player. While an optical disc player only requires an implementation in the range of an official spec, a media player needs a different know-how or sometimes a new algorithm to support files authored by general users with varied encoding settings. The playback quality of AVCHD is currently higher when you open it from a disc or a memory stick than from a file in a folder.

* The main target of mosquito noise reduction is recordings from digital TV. It assumes a use case where a user plays a long MPEG-4 AVC file recorded on a BD. The upconversion in 1.80 was useless for a noisy movie, so noise reduction (not only the specific function of mosquito noise reduction, but also other filters) has been improved in 2.20.

* Though mosquito noise reduction is high on the processing load, the total load is lower than that of the first version of the PS3 BD player or 1.80. In 1.80, it was almost full load when upconverting a DVD, but not now due to optimization. Currently it doesn't reach full load unless it plays back 2 AVC streams in Picture-in-Picture while running high-load BD-Java.

* As for 1080 deinterlacing and DTS-HD MA, "please look forward to them."

* The LTH support took time since they had to test it with a LTH disc recorded with a Sony BD recorder.

* The update schedule is not different from before, basically a large update is once in a quarter. However the next update may be soon because of the PS Store.

* It's recommended to update a PS3 since BD titles with new encryption keys start to appear. Though 1.80 already has the latest key, image quality in the latest firmware is a lot better. An updater for PS3 is also contained in some movie titles. The Blu-ray version of Resident Evil 3 has a 2.10 updater.

[Cth]

Blu-ray Players Connect to iPhone with BD Touch

NetBlender has announced that they have developed software that connects BD-Live Blu-ray players (such as the Sony PlayStation 3) to Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. The software, which has been named "BD Touch", makes use of the network connections of both devices, and allows them to share data.

Examples of how this technology could possible be implemented are:

* Pushing digital copies of movies to an iPhone from the Blu-ray disc menu.
* Automatically cataloguing a viewer's Blu-ray disc collection and providing movie suggestions
* Displaying trivia and extra information about a movie in sync with the movie's playback
* Turning existing Blu-ray discs into games that use the iPhone as the game controller

John Harrington, NetBlender CEO commented, "Having spent the past decade building interactive video products we are thrilled to bring together two of the most interactive consumer products ever created with BD Touch. We began R&D on integrating the two devices right after I experienced the iPhone Multi-Touch interface for the first time."

NetBlender has released a SDK for BD Touch, which includes the complete specification for sending and receiving data between a BD Touch compatible Blu-Ray disc and an iPhone or iPod Touch. This was done to hope spur creativity among developers, and encourage use of the connection software.

[Talannon]

C'mon Sony. DTS-HD MA internal decoding on the PS3!

Your wish as come true. It's coming next week (well it should) with firmware 2.3!


I have more good news to report today – the system software update will also add DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos, which means the high-definition visuals of Blu-ray will now be matched with the highest quality audio for the ultimate movie-watching experience on PS3.
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/04/10/firmware-v230-details-and-store-walkthrough/

The PS3 just got even better now

[Cth]

Woo hoo, getting a PS3 just in time for this :)

Heroes: Seasons One and Two Soaring to Blu-ray

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced they will release 'Heroes: Season One' and 'Heroes: Season Two' for Blu-ray on August 26th. The first season was released on DVD and HD DVD last August, and the second season will be released on Blu-ray day-and-date with the DVD release. No specs or extras have been announced at this time.

The 'Heroes: Season Two' release will be the first global release on Blu-ray for Universal, indicating that it will be available in all territories on August 26th. This also places the previous seasons in the hands of fans a few days before the proposed start of the third season of the popular television series.

No word on whether 'Heroes: Season One' will be a port of the previous HD DVD release, or if it will be optimized for Blu-ray. We'll post more details on all the upcoming Universal titles when they come available.

[Akira]

hmm, i'm wondering if I should pick this up. I never watched the show, but i heard all sorts of varied reviews of it. Though the GF may force me to get these anyway, so my thoughts may not really matter.

[Petey Parker]

Got my AvP boxset today. The first AvP is just as shitty as the PG13 version. It only looks like they added fake blood. Haven't watched the whole thing yet so maybe there are new scenes later.

[Frozen Sooner]

Your wish as come true. It's coming next week (well it should) with firmware 2.3!


http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/04/10/firmware-v230-details-and-store-walkthrough/

The PS3 just got even better now


Yup! Got it a couple of nights ago, spent yesterday pissing off the neighbors!

[Adam Geen]

Here's the rest of the Universal BluRay press release:


Universal Unveils Inaugural Slate of Film and TV Offerings Coming to Blu-ray(TM) Disc Day and Date With DVD

Heroes: Season Two Will Mark the Studio's First Global Event Release

Lineup to Include Summer 2008's Most Anticipated Films From Universal Pictures: THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mamma Mia! and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, As Well as Some of the Studio's Other Biggest Titles

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Studios Home Entertainment revealed its initial lineup of film and television properties arriving later this year on Blu-ray(TM) Disc, day and date with DVD, it was announced today by Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms. Marking the rollout of the studio's first global release on Blu-ray(TM) will be the "Heroes: Season Two," which will debut beginning August 26, 2008.

The highly anticipated premier of the sophomore season of NBC's "Heroes" will be buoyed by the simultaneous debut of "Heroes Season One" on Blu-ray(TM). Later in the year and in time for the holidays, five of the year's most promising feature films will arrive in high definition: THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the action-packed new chapter of one of the most popular Super Hero sagas of all time that stars Edward Norton, William Hurt and Liv Tyler; Wanted, the action-thriller from stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov that stars Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie; Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the epic vision of imagination from acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro; Mamma Mia!, the musical romantic comedy in which Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the adaptation of the beloved musical; and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the next installment in The Mummy franchise in which Jet Li, Maria Bello, Michelle Yeoh and newcomer Luke Ford join the returning Brendan Fraser and John Hannah for a supernatural adventure that shifts the series to the Far East.

"We are thrilled that our preliminary slate of Blu-ray(TM) offerings comprises such a brilliant collection of high-def centric fare," said Mr. Kornblau. "As awareness for Blu-ray(TM) continues to grow, consumers will learn to rely on the superior quality picture, sound, interactivity and connectivity that only high-definition home entertainment delivers."

The first wave of Universal Blu-ray(TM) releases, which hits U.S. stores July 22nd, gives fans of The Mummy franchise a chance to relive the iconic blockbuster films' thrilling beginnings in crystal-clear high-definition. The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, starring Brendan Fraser, and the hugely successful action-packed spin-off The Scorpion King, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, all will be released on Blu-ray(TM) for the first time that day.

The first of Universal's new theatrical Blu-ray(TM) releases hitting store shelves this summer day and date with its DVD counterpart is the apocalyptic thrill-ride DOOMSDAY, starring Rhona Mitra, Malcolm McDowell and Bob Hoskins. Other titles on deck for 2008 include American Gangster, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Miami Vice, End of Days, U-571 and Land of the Dead, among others.

Furthering Universal's aggressive rollout of Blu-ray(TM) product globally, Universal Pictures International Entertainment, the company's international home entertainment arm, is concurrently announcing its initial slate of Blu-ray(TM) releases for the international marketplace today.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.


About bloody time. Them and Paramount have really been missing out on some sales lately.

[Akira]

Has there been any word about a possible Godfather collection on Blu-Ray yet? I've managed to live to be almost 30 and never watch any of the flicks, so I was thinking about picking them up. But if they're coming on Blu-Ray, I'll just wait for them.

[Cth]

Not from what I've seen.

I'm in the same boat. I'm sure they're coming, but they'll want to build the Blu Ray base up some more I think.

[Simps]

40% off up to 3 movies today and tomorrow at Borders (http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/coupondvd0421.htm). 1 or 2-disc sets only. Good time to grab any Blu-Rays you've been eyeing.

[Blastbeat Science]

has anyone else had the problem where you have the video from your ps3 hooked up by hdmi and the picture is fine but when you hook the audio up by an optical cable going straight to a receiver there's no sound? i've messed with the settings and can't get it to work

[Petey Parker]

has anyone else had the problem where you have the video from your ps3 hooked up by hdmi and the picture is fine but when you hook the audio up by an optical cable going straight to a receiver there's no sound? i've messed with the settings and can't get it to work

I've had it happen a few times. It doesn't stay off for very long though.

[Cth]

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html#042208

...at a recent charity screening of Back to the Future..., writer and co-producer Bob Gale told fans that Universal has begun planning and preparing a Blu-ray Disc edition of the trilogy (likely for release in 2009) and that the new, remastered digital prints would be used for the discs.

[Cth]

Netflix to Raise Prices for Blu-ray Subscribers

Citing higher retail and wholesale prices, Netflix plans to implement a "modest monthly premium" for access to Blu-ray titles some time this year.

As confirmed through transcripts of Netflix's first quarter earnings call, President and CEO Reed Hastings made the announcement during the conference call yesterday.

"Purchasing Blu-Ray DVDs costs more both at retail and wholesale than standard definition DVDs, and consumers are used to paying more for high-definition content in every other channel, including video rental stores, video-on-demand, and cable channels," Reed stated. "Because of the higher cost of Blu-Ray and the consumer expectations around high-def content, we are planning on implementing a modest monthly premium for access to Blu-Ray some time this year."

No information was provided regarding a timeline for the price increase or the amount that might be charged. We'll be sure to keep you posted as we learn more regarding the company's plans for next generation subscribers.

-------

Anyone wanna bet Blockbuster does the same?

[Cth]

This stinks :D

Warner to Release Be Kind Rewind Blu-ray a Week Before DVD

Warner Home Video has revealed that they will bring the Jack Black and Mos Def comedy 'Be Kind Rewind' to Blu-ray on June 10th, a full week before the DVD release. This will be the first time any major studio makes the Blu-ray release available prior to the DVD release, providing an interesting experiment to see how consumers react to only seeing the Blu-ray version on store shelves.

The DVD release was initially scheduled for June 10th, but updated information from the studio now indicates an availability date of June 17th. No word if this was done intentionally, or if production problems caused the delay.

Video will be presented in 2.35:1 1080p VC-1 on a BD-25. No audio specs have been announced at this time. Extras, while not currently announced, will most likely mirror the DVD release.

[Gavin]

Has there been any word about a possible Godfather collection on Blu-Ray yet? I've managed to live to be almost 30 and never watch any of the flicks, so I was thinking about picking them up. But if they're coming on Blu-Ray, I'll just wait for them.

You only need to see the first two.

[Akira]

This stinks :D

Warner to Release Be Kind Rewind Blu-ray a Week Before DVD

Warner Home Video has revealed that they will bring the Jack Black and Mos Def comedy 'Be Kind Rewind' to Blu-ray on June 10th, a full week before the DVD release. This will be the first time any major studio makes the Blu-ray release available prior to the DVD release, providing an interesting experiment to see how consumers react to only seeing the Blu-ray version on store shelves.

The DVD release was initially scheduled for June 10th, but updated information from the studio now indicates an availability date of June 17th. No word if this was done intentionally, or if production problems caused the delay.

Video will be presented in 2.35:1 1080p VC-1 on a BD-25. No audio specs have been announced at this time. Extras, while not currently announced, will most likely mirror the DVD release.

As interesting an experiment as that is, I'd be more interested in seeing that done with a blockbuster movie and not a borderline art film. Like if Iron Man is a massive hit this summer, how would people react to only seeing the Blu Ray of that on the shelves?

[Cth]

Yeah, I can see why they're testing the water with a smaller release.

Of course, I missed it in theaters, so there's that.

And my wife really wants to see it, so it's likely going to be the first Blu Ray purchase, despite my intent on only getting the CGI-fests/Box sets in hi-def. ;D

Interesting that Warner is the first to do this.

[Petey Parker]

Netflix to Raise Prices for Blu-ray Subscribers

Citing higher retail and wholesale prices, Netflix plans to implement a "modest monthly premium" for access to Blu-ray titles some time this year.

As confirmed through transcripts of Netflix's first quarter earnings call, President and CEO Reed Hastings made the announcement during the conference call yesterday.

"Purchasing Blu-Ray DVDs costs more both at retail and wholesale than standard definition DVDs, and consumers are used to paying more for high-definition content in every other channel, including video rental stores, video-on-demand, and cable channels," Reed stated. "Because of the higher cost of Blu-Ray and the consumer expectations around high-def content, we are planning on implementing a modest monthly premium for access to Blu-Ray some time this year."

No information was provided regarding a timeline for the price increase or the amount that might be charged. We'll be sure to keep you posted as we learn more regarding the company's plans for next generation subscribers.

-------

Anyone wanna bet Blockbuster does the same?

Looks like I'll just be getting the DVD versions from Netflix then when that happens.

[Cth]

This stinks :D

Warner to Release Be Kind Rewind Blu-ray a Week Before DVD

Warner Home Video has revealed that they will bring the Jack Black and Mos Def comedy 'Be Kind Rewind' to Blu-ray on June 10th, a full week before the DVD release. This will be the first time any major studio makes the Blu-ray release available prior to the DVD release, providing an interesting experiment to see how consumers react to only seeing the Blu-ray version on store shelves.

The DVD release was initially scheduled for June 10th, but updated information from the studio now indicates an availability date of June 17th. No word if this was done intentionally, or if production problems caused the delay.

Video will be presented in 2.35:1 1080p VC-1 on a BD-25. No audio specs have been announced at this time. Extras, while not currently announced, will most likely mirror the DVD release.

Apparently, the DVD is being released on the 10th as well now.

Not sure if it was a reaction to this news making the rounds or if it was just a slip up that the press ran with.

[Cth]

Upcoming Releases
( last update: 4/29/08 )


May 6, 2008
The Air I Breathe (Image)
The Devil's Own (Sony)
First Sunday (Sony)
Helvetica (Plexifilm)
Helvetica (Limited Edition) (Plexifilm)
Ozzfest: 10th Anniversary (Warner Music Group)
P.S. I Love You (Warner)
Saawariya (Sony)
Shall We Dance? (Disney)
Twister (Warner)

May 13, 2008
Blue Man Group: How to Be a Megastar Live! (Rhino)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Fox)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe
Dragonball Z: Dead Zone/World's Strongest (Double Feature) (FUNimation)
Epic Conditions (Madacy Entertainment)
Master & Commander (Fox)
Mrs. Doubtfire (Fox)
One Missed Call (Warner)
Shinobi (FUNimation)
Sublime (Unrated) (Warner)
Untraceable (Sony)
Youth Without Youth (Sony)

May 20, 2008
Anger Management (Sony)
Bee Movie (Dreamworks)
The Company (Image)
Face/Off (Paramount)
National Treasure (Disney)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Disney)
National Treasure/ National Treasure: Book of Secrets -- Two Pack (Disney)
Nature: Desert Lions (Questar)
Nature: In the Valley of the Wolves (Questar)
Nature: Shark Mountain (Questar)
Nature: Under Antarctic ice (Questar)
Next (Paramount)
Oceans 11 (Warner)
Oceans 12 (Warner)
Short Circuit (Image)
V For Vendetta (Warner)
WWE: Wrestlemania XXIV (WWE)

May 27, 2008
Dragon Tiger Gate (Tai Seng)
I'm a Cyborg (Tartan)
Lady Vengeance (Tartan)
Rambo (Boxset) (Lionsgate)
Rambo (Lionsgate)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (Lionsgate)
Rambo III (Lionsgate)
Stauss: Die Fledermaus (Opus Arte)
Twister (Warner)

June 3, 2008
Battle of Britain (Fox)
A Bridge Too Far (Fox)
Cloverfield (Paramount)
Dirty Harry (Warner)
Dirty Harry: Ultimate Collection (Warner)
The Eye (Lionsgate)
Fearless Planet (Image)
The Longest Day (Fox)
Meet the Spartans (Fox)
Patton (Fox)
The Recruit (Disney)
The Sand Pebbles (Fox)
Semi-Pro (New Line)
Signs (Disney)
There Will Be Blood (Paramount)
Weeds: Season 3 (Lionsgate)

June 10, 2008
Be Kind Rewind (New Line)
Broken Trail (Sony)
The Bucket List (Warner)
Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek Theatre (Image)
Heart: Alive in Seattle (Image)
Jumper (Fox)
The Missing (Sony)
Natural Born Killers (Warner)
The Other Boleyn Girl (Sony)
Otis: Uncut (Warner)
The Professionals (Sony)
Sea Monsters (National Geographic)
The Signal (Magnolia)
Witless Protection (Lionsgate)

June 17, 2008
Fool's Gold (Warner)
Men In Black (Sony)
So I Married an Axe Murderer (Sony)

June 24, 2008
10,000 BC (Warner)
Freedom: Vol. 6 (Bandai Visual)
House of Fury (Tai Seng)
The Proposition (Tartan)
Sky Blue (Tartan)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount)
Step Into Liquid (Lionsgate)
ZZ Top: Live in Texas (Eagle Rock)

July 1, 2008
Batman: The Movie (Fox)
Batman: The Movie (Limited Edition) (Fox)
Ganges (BBC)
Gangs of New York (Disney)
Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control (Warner)
In the Line of Fire (Sony)
John Mayer: Where the Light Is (Sony)
Korn: Live at Montreux (Eagle Rock)
Mad Men: Season One (Lionsgate)
Meet the Browns (Lionsgate)
Point Break (Fox)
War, Inc. (First Look)
Wild China (BBC)

July 8, 2008
Batman Begins (Warner)
Batman Begins (Limited Edition Gift Set) (Warner)
Batman: Gotham Knight (Warner)
The Moody Blues: Lovely to See You - Live at the Greek (Image)
Roy Orbison: A Black & White Night (Image)
Sleepwalking ()

July 15, 2008
The Bank Job (Lionsgate)

July 22, 2008
Daft Punk's Electroma (Vice Records)
Earth: The Biography (BBC)
The Mummy (Universal)
The Mummy Returns (Universal)
The Perfect Storm (Warner)
The Scorpion King (Universal)

July 29, 2008
Dark City: Director's Cut (New Line)
Human Body: Pushing the Limits (Image)
Robin Hood: Season One (BBC)
Stargate: Continuum (MGM)
Starship Troopers (Sony)
Starship Troopers: Marauder (Sony)

August 12, 2008
The Secret (Image)

August 19, 2008
Camp Rock (Disney)
Hannah Montana And Miley Cyrus: Best Of Both Worlds Concert Tour (Disney)
The Proposition (First Look)

August 26, 2008
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)
How the West Was Won (Warner)

September 2, 2008
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (FUNimation)

[September 9, 2008
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season—Expanded (Disney)

September 23, 2008
Halford: Live Insurrection - Remastered (Metal God)

October 7, 2008
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)

October 28, 2008
Tinkerbell (Disney)

November 4, 2008
The Shawshank Redemption (Warner)

December 9, 2008
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney

Paramount unveils initial Blu-ray slate
'Bee Movie,' 'Face/Off' among titles

By Thomas K. Arnold

April 29, 2008, 07:57 PM
Paramount Home Entertainment is getting ready to re-enter the Blu-ray Disc business it abandoned last year just before "Transformers," with an initial slate of catalog titles it will begin rolling out May 20.

Arriving in stores that day are Blu-ray Disc versions of "Face/Off," "Next" and "Bee Movie," a DreamWorks Animation title that was initially supposed to be released in March on HD DVD, the same day as the standard DVD. But when Toshiba threw in the towel on HD DVD in February, those plans were scrapped and "Bee Movie" came out only on DVD.

Two more recent theatrical hits will be released on Blu-ray Disc on June 3, "Cloverfield" and "There Will Be Blood."

Then, on June 24, Paramount will issue its first day-and-date Blu-ray Disc release, "The Spiderwick Chronicles." The film, which grossed $70.6 million in U.S. theaters, will be rolled out on Blu-ray Disc in key international markets, as well, beginning in July.

Also slated for international-market release are "Cloverfield" and "No Country for Old Men," beginning in August.

More titles will follow as the year progresses, said Paramount Pictures worldwide home entertainment president Kelley Avery.

"We will have a strong slate of titles for Blu-ray release throughout the year, worldwide, and are enthusiastic about expanding the format's offerings for a broad consumer audience while delivering an experience that goes beyond what viewers love about DVD," she said.

Paramount initially was one of two studios, along with Warner Home Video, supportive of both next-generation, high-definition optical disc formats. But in August, Paramount became HD DVD-exclusive, reportedly after a $50 million payment from the HD DVD camp.

[Akira]

I will buy:
V For Vendetta (Warner)
Batman Begins (Warner)
Dark City: Director's Cut (New Line):rock: OH HELL FUCKING YEAH!!!!!
Starship Troopers (Sony)
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (FUNimation)
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)

[Cth]

What I'm getting:


May 20, 2008
V For Vendetta (Warner)

May 27, 2008
Lady Vengeance (Tartan)

June 3, 2008
Cloverfield (Paramount)


July 1, 2008
Batman: The Movie (Limited Edition) (Fox)

July 8, 2008
Batman Begins (Warner)
Batman: Gotham Knight (Warner)

July 29, 2008
Dark City: Director's Cut (New Line)

August 26, 2008
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)

October 7, 2008
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)

December 9, 2008
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney

[Cth]

Paramount Adds Exclusives to 'Cloverfield' Blu-ray

Paramount has unleashed specs and box art for 'Cloverfield,' which will hit Blu-ray this June with an exclusive picture-in-graphics track.

As we reported earlier, Paramount marked their return to Blu-ray with a spate of titles that included a June 3 arrival for the horror hit 'Cloverfield,' but the studio stopped short of issuing any specs. (Paramount released the standard DVD version last month)

Now full details are in, with the Blu-ray set to include all of the extras found on the DVD. Among the bonus features is an audio commentary with director Matt Reeves, four featurettes ( "Document 01.18.08: The Making of Cloverfield," "Cloverfield Visual Effects," "I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge!", "Clover Fun"), four additional scenes, two alternate endings, and no less than fourteen hidden easter eggs.

Exclusive to the Blu-ray release will be the Cloverfield Special Investigation Mode" picture-in-graphics track.

Tech specs include 1080p video, and audio options in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.

Finally, Paramount has provided an early look at the Blu-ray's box art:

http://www.highdefdigest.com/images/post/5/5765/original.jpeg

[bartleby]

Criterion announces Blu-Ray releases for October



Dear Criterion Collection Newsletter subscriber,

We’ve got some exciting news for this fall, and we wanted you to hear it first.

Our first Blu-ray discs are coming! We’ve picked a little over a dozen titles from the collection for Blu-ray treatment, and we’ll begin rolling them out in October. These new editions will feature glorious high-definition picture and sound, all the supplemental content of the DVD releases, and they will be priced to match our standard-def editions.

Here’s what’s in the pipeline:

The Third Man
Bottle Rocket
Chungking Express
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Last Emperor
El Norte
The 400 Blows
Gimme Shelter
The Complete Monterey Pop
Contempt
Walkabout
For All Mankind
The Wages of Fear

Alongside our DVD and Blu-ray box sets of The Last Emperor, we’ll also be putting out the theatrical version as a stand-alone release in both formats, priced at $39.95. Our Blu-ray release of Walkabout will be an all-new edition, featuring new supplements as well as a new transfer; we will also release an updated anamorphic DVD of Nicolas Roeg’s outback masterpiece at the same time.

[Akira]

Damn, should've actually read the post above mine, huh? Either way, awesome news!

[Cth]

Sony Planning 'Persepolis' Blu-ray for June

Making an early announcement to retailers, Sony has set a late-June bow for the critically-acclaimed animated film 'Persepolis.'

Nominated for the 2007 Best Animated Film Oscar, the wildly-imaginative French import 'Persepolis' became an instant cult classic upon its release last year, and scored almost unanimously positive reviews from the nation's critics. Sony will release the film on June 24, day-and-date with the standard DVD.

Due to the early nature of the announcement, there are no tech specs or supplement details as of yet.

Sony has set a suggested retail price of $38.96 for the Blu-ray.

[Binx]

Damn, should've actually read the post above mine, huh? Either way, awesome news!

I'm giddy. Bottle Rocket will be mine!

[Akira]

2 for $30 sale at Best Buy (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp;jsessionid=Z40M2AUQEDVE5KC4D3DVAGI?typ e=category&id=pcmcat151000050004)

[Cth]

Disney Pushes the Envelop With Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray

When Disney releases 'Sleeping Beauty' this fall on Blu-ray, the studio is pulling out every trick in the book to ensure it lives up to its Platinum Series designation. To commemorate the release of the first animated classic in high definition, Disney will utilize both BD-Java and BD-Live functionality to provide the ultimate Blu-ray experience.

Viewers will be able to chat with friends, over Disney's protected network, using their laptop or PDA while watching the film. They'll be able to insert customized video messages into the film, and then send those messages to friends via a "Movie Mail" feature. Additionally, viewers can get a group of friends together and play an online trivia game while watching the film, no matter where they are located.

Once they are done playing with all the interactive features, viewers can check out new trailers or download free ringtones and wallpaper using the "reward points" they earned for checking out the above mentioned features.

Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment commented, "[Sleeping Beauty] will revolutionize the way people will interact with and view movies in the home. We pulled out all the stops in launching this technology."

[Cth]

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/1410/terminatortc2.jpg

[Akira]

Disney Pushes the Envelop With Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray

When Disney releases 'Sleeping Beauty' this fall on Blu-ray, the studio is pulling out every trick in the book to ensure it lives up to its Platinum Series designation. To commemorate the release of the first animated classic in high definition, Disney will utilize both BD-Java and BD-Live functionality to provide the ultimate Blu-ray experience.

Viewers will be able to chat with friends, over Disney's protected network, using their laptop or PDA while watching the film. They'll be able to insert customized video messages into the film, and then send those messages to friends via a "Movie Mail" feature. Additionally, viewers can get a group of friends together and play an online trivia game while watching the film, no matter where they are located.

Once they are done playing with all the interactive features, viewers can check out new trailers or download free ringtones and wallpaper using the "reward points" they earned for checking out the above mentioned features.

Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment commented, "[Sleeping Beauty] will revolutionize the way people will interact with and view movies in the home. We pulled out all the stops in launching this technology."


http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/1410/terminatortc2.jpg


*double splooge*

[Petey Parker]

If you're looking for something to qualify for free shipping on Amazon, you might want to go with Shinobi (http://www.amazon.com/Shinobi-Heart-Under-Special-Blu-ray/dp/B0014567U2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1210779181&sr=1-1[/url)

Its only $10.95 for some reason. Its a decent enough movie. Think Romeo and Juliet with ninjas.

[Petey Parker]

Short Circuit (http://www.amazon.com/Short-Circuit-Blu-ray-Ally-Sheedy/dp/B0014YVC6W/ref=pd_sim_d_title_5) is also only $10.95

[Cth]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/images/post/5/5900/original.jpeg

New Line has unleashed final specs and box art for the next-gen release of 'Dark City,' which comes to Blu-ray this July with hours of all-new bonus material.

As originally reported last month, the eagerly-awaited Blu-ray release of Alex Proyas' cult classic will debut on July 29, day-and-date with a new standard DVD re-issue.

Featuring both the original theatrical version and a never-before-seen Director's Cut (via seamless branching), the BD-50 dual-layer presentation will feature 1080p/VC-1 video and an English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround soundtrack, plus English and Spanish subtitles.

The extensive extras boast an introduction by Proyas, multiple audio commentary tracks (featuring Proyas, writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, director of photography Dariusz Wolski, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos and film critic Roger Ebert), a pair of documentaries ( "Memories of Shell Beach," "Architecture of Dreams"), a production gallery, text essays and reviews, the original theatrical trailer, and on the Director's Cut only, a subtitle fact track.

Finally, New LIne has issued the final Blu-ray box art for 'Dark City,' which offers a tantalizing spin on the film's previous iconography:

[Akira]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/images/post/5/5900/original.jpeg

New Line has unleashed final specs and box art for the next-gen release of 'Dark City,' which comes to Blu-ray this July with hours of all-new bonus material.

As originally reported last month, the eagerly-awaited Blu-ray release of Alex Proyas' cult classic will debut on July 29, day-and-date with a new standard DVD re-issue.

Featuring both the original theatrical version and a never-before-seen Director's Cut (via seamless branching), the BD-50 dual-layer presentation will feature 1080p/VC-1 video and an English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround soundtrack, plus English and Spanish subtitles.

The extensive extras boast an introduction by Proyas, multiple audio commentary tracks (featuring Proyas, writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, director of photography Dariusz Wolski, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos and film critic Roger Ebert), a pair of documentaries ( "Memories of Shell Beach," "Architecture of Dreams"), a production gallery, text essays and reviews, the original theatrical trailer, and on the Director's Cut only, a subtitle fact track.

Finally, New LIne has issued the final Blu-ray box art for 'Dark City,' which offers a tantalizing spin on the film's previous iconography:
:drool:
Christ I can't wait for this. If I only buy one Blu-ray rerelease this yeat, it will be this.

[Cth]

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Man-Special-Collectors-Blu-ray/dp/B00168ML1G/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1211350316&sr=1-14&tag=blurayforum-20

Iron Man (Special Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray] ( 2008 )

List Price: $39.99
Price: $27.95 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $12.04 (30%)

[Cth]

Lionsgate Opening 'The Doors' on Blu-ray this August

Lionsgate plans to expand the consciousness of Blu-ray fans this August, with the next-gen bow of Oliver Stone's 'The Doors.'

The studio has alerted retailers to an August 12 Blu-ray street date for the Oliver Stone biopic, which stars Val Kilmer in the chronicle of the short, fast life of The Doors' Jim Morrison. Though not a huge box office hit, the film has since gone on to attain cult status and remains one of Lionsgate's top DVD catalog sellers.

There are no supplemental details as of yet, but early retail listings indicate 1080p video and a DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround track. We'll keep you posted as further details are confirmed.

Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $29.98.

[Jim.]

At one of my local Wal Marts(we have 3) they have been remodeling the Electronics Dept and yesterday I noticed that they are going to have an entire aisle dedicated to Blu-Ray, with new releases, players, accessories, and a section that educates the consumer on Blu-Ray. It's pretty cool.

[Garth]

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Man-Special-Collectors-Blu-ray/dp/B00168ML1G/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1211350316&sr=1-14&tag=blurayforum-20

Iron Man (Special Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray] ( 2008 )

List Price: $39.99
Price: $27.95 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $12.04 (30%)

PRE-ORDERED! Is it just me or does this seem really early to be offering pre-orders? Hell the movie just came out three weeks ago, right? Also, wonder what is included in the "Special Collector's Edition"? Or is that just a fancy title?

[Skatonic10]

PRE-ORDERED! Is it just me or does this seem really early to be offering pre-orders? Hell the movie just came out three weeks ago, right? Also, wonder what is included in the "Special Collector's Edition"? Or is that just a fancy title?

If you knew what the release date is, its not too early for a pre-order.

[Cth]

PRE-ORDERED! Is it just me or does this seem really early to be offering pre-orders? Hell the movie just came out three weeks ago, right? Also, wonder what is included in the "Special Collector's Edition"? Or is that just a fancy title?

Nah, not really.

Transformers had a 3 month window. No one believed it at the time, but those of us who pre-ordered were happy :D

Summer blockbusters tend to have quick turn around time to maximize profit.

I can't wait to see Iron Man, Hulk, TDK, etc in 1080p, I bought another HDTV last night and it looks even better :D

[bartleby]

Transformers had a 3 month window. No one believed it at the time, but those of us who pre-ordered were happy :D

Summer blockbusters tend to have quick turn around time to maximize profit

The theatre-to-video with summer blockbusters has more to do with the holiday shopping season than probably anything else. A tentpole picture that opens in May will probably hit video in late October. One that opens in July or August will probably hit video in November. Distributors want those movies on shelves in time for Christmas.

[Cth]

And again, last year, Transformers was released on July 4th weekend and hit dvd on Oct. 16.

And yes, they want them on shelves before Christmas, but the point is, more often lately, they've been reduced to 3 months or so.

Harry Potter - 4 month (July to November)
Spidey 3 - 4 month (May to September)
Transformers - 3 month (July to October)
Ratatouille - 4 month (June 30 to November)
Simpsons - 4 month (July 27 to December)
300 - 4 month (March to July)

Either way, the point remains, that it seems on average there's a 3-4 month window that's pretty consistent. So, no, it's not too early for pre-orders.

[Garth]

Mind you all...I am not complaining! I am happy to pre-order it! And I did! Just find it interesting that pre-orders are already up. But this thing has made so much insane money, that I guess I am not surprised.

[Cth]

Transformers 2-Disc 9/2

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital, 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus, 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, 5.1 PCM (Uncompressed)

US Rating: PG-13 - For intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language.

Blu-ray Features:
• Commentary: Commentary by Director Michael Bay
• Featurette: OUR WORLD:
• Featurette: The Story Sparks HD
• Featurette: Human Allies HD
• Featurette: I Fight Giant Robots HD
• Featurette: Battleground HD
• Featurette: THEIR WAR:
• Featurette: Rise of the Robots HD
• Featurette: Autobots Roll Out HD
• Featurette: Decepticons Strike HD
• Featurette: Inside the AllSpark HD
• Featurette: Transformers Tech Inspector (TBD) HD
• Trailers: TRAILERS (will play after the feature via a menu):
• Trailers: Iron Man Trailer HD
• Featurette: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE:
• Trailers: Transformers Teaser Trailer HD
• Trailers: Rise of the Autobots HD
• Other: Transformers H.U.D. (Heads Up Display)
• Other: BD-Live Features
• Featurette: From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack HD
• Featurette: Concepts HD
• Trailers: Trailers HD:
• Trailers: Teaser Trailer 1 HD
• Trailers: Theatrical Trailer 2 HD
• Trailers: Theatrical Trailer 4 HD
• Easter Eggs: EASTER EGGS:
• Easter Eggs: Michael Bay Cameo HD
• Easter Eggs: Girl in Dress HD
• Easter Eggs: Bay Bot HD
• Easter Eggs: Casting Mojo HD

SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2008

[Cth]

Bah, bought another 2 Blu Rays during lunch. :D

- Lost Season 3
- Ratatouille

I found a frequent buyers card that gave me Ratatouille for free. I didn't wanna push my luck to see if it'd qualify for the "Buy 3, Get One Free" sale they had.

Which brings the library so far to:

- Planet Earth
- V For Vendetta
- Ratatouille
- LOST Season 3

As an aside, has anyone seen this Blu Ray sampler disc at Walmart? It had one of those fireplace/aquarium/etc deals.. for $10 it was tempting, but I have Planet Earth already for showcasing the system :D

[Skatonic10]

Nah, not really.

Transformers had a 3 month window. No one believed it at the time, but those of us who pre-ordered were happy :D

Summer blockbusters tend to have quick turn around time to maximize profit.

I can't wait to see Iron Man, Hulk, TDK, etc in 1080p, I bought another HDTV last night and it looks even better :D

I heard from a little birdie that a 3 month window is very accurate for Iron Man.

[Cth]

What I'm getting:

May 20, 2008
V For Vendetta (Warner)

May 27, 2008
Lady Vengeance (Tartan)

June 3, 2008
Cloverfield (Paramount)


July 1, 2008
Batman: The Movie (Limited Edition) (Fox)

July 8, 2008
Batman Begins (Warner)
Batman: Gotham Knight (Warner)

July 29, 2008
Dark City: Director's Cut (New Line)

August 26, 2008
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)

October 7, 2008
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)

December 9, 2008
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney

Picked up V last week, going to pick up Cloverfield today.

Doesn't look like Constantine or Lady Vengeance made it to Blu, yet which stinks.

Oh, and I picked up Pixar's Shorts the other day as well. I guess I should be happy those two aren't on Blu Ray yet.

[Rod Nunley]

Just got There Will Be Blood today. It looks amazing in high definition.

[The Afroman]

I need to get a blu player asap man..

Grr..

[Glixy]

Just got There Will Be Blood today. It looks amazing in high definition.

I eat your HDTV!

[Cth]

Passed on Cloverfield.. Target had it on sale on their website for $20 (same with Amazon) but stores had it for $35.

BB had THE HOST on sale for $14 though which I picked up :D

Also, tentatively, here's some rumored release dates:
- INCREDIBLE HULK (Oct. 7)
- IRON MAN (Nov. 4) -- [ Yeah, doesn't make sense to me, either.. ]
- THE DARK KNIGHT (Dec. 2/9)

[eroz]

Amazon has the Jack Ryan films in BD up for pre-order. Not sure if any extras are on the discs. And I'm not able to find any info elsewhere.

[Petey Parker]

Amazon has the Jack Ryan films in BD up for pre-order. Not sure if any extras are on the discs. And I'm not able to find any info elsewhere.

From what I remember the last time it was actually supposed to come out, there were in fact no extras (despite the packaging saying there was) which is why they pulled the release. Some people on one of the hi def forums I go to managed to find a few copies though cause it got pulled at the last second. I doubt Paramount has actually gone back and added the extras and has more likely taken the lazy way out and simply changed the packaging.

[Skatonic10]

Also, tentatively, here's some rumored release dates:
- INCREDIBLE HULK (Oct. 7)
- IRON MAN (Nov. 4) -- [ Yeah, doesn't make sense to me, either.. ]
- THE DARK KNIGHT (Dec. 2/9)

Unless the pushed Iron Man back after seeing the Box Office, that's wrong.

I'm surprised they wouldn't want TDK out for Black Friday.

[Cth]

Unless the pushed Iron Man back after seeing the Box Office, that's wrong.

I'm surprised they wouldn't want TDK out for Black Friday.

I know, hence the "disclaimer"..

I had IM out sometime late Aug/early Sept.

I'm still trying to figure out where that guy got that date from..

He also had DK listed as Dec. 2nd, but 9th is what I've seen everywhere else.

[Cth]

Lionsgate Announces More Animated Superheroes Coming to Blu

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has announced that they are bringing two animated superhero film to Blu-ray. Both 'The Invincible Iron Man' and 'Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow' will hit store shelves on September 2nd. No technical specs have been announced for either release, but plan on seeing 1080p video and a PCM soundtrack similar to their previous animated releases.

Extra for 'The Invincible Iron Man' include:

* Alternate Opening Sequence
* Origin Featurette
* Conceptual Art
* Gallery of Iron Man armor
* First looks at the upcoming Marvel Animated Features, Hulk Vs. Wolverine and Hulk Vs. Thor


For 'Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow', extras will include:

* Legacy: The Making of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow Featurette
* Kid Power: Next Gen Marvel Featurette
* First looks at the upcoming Marvel Animated Features, Hulk Vs. Wolverine and Hulk Vs. Thor

[Fygar]

Tower.com has some really great deals. I can't afford more movies right now, but even I was suckered into 3:10 to Yuma and Blade Runner (with a copy of the Jaguar Love EP to net free shipping)

Courtesy of Cheapass gamer

Blade Runner - $11.99
Cloverfield - $16.99
Disturbia - $18.99
3:10 to Yuma - $11.99
300 - $11.99
Flags of Our Fathers - $13.99
Short Circuit - $11.86
Michael Clayton - $18.95
Identity - $14.99
Deja Vu - $18.99
Halloween - $14.99

[Akira]

Flags of Our Fathers - $13.99


Dammit! Why is this movie always about $10 more than Letters from Iwo Jima? I wanna get them both and watch them back to back, but it seems like Flags is always on sale and Iwo Jima never is :(

[Cth]

June 24, 2008
10,000 BC (Warner)
House of Fury (Tai Seng)
The Proposition (Tartan)
Sky Blue (Tartan)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount)
Persepolis (Sony)
Step Into Liquid (Lionsgate)
ZZ Top: Live in Texas (Eagle Rock)

July 1, 2008
Batman: The Movie (Fox)
Batman: The Movie (Limited Edition) (Fox)
Drillbit Taylor (Paramount)
Ganges (BBC)
Gangs of New York (Disney)
Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control (Warner)
In the Line of Fire (Sony)
John Mayer: Where the Light Is (Sony)
Korn: Live at Montreux (Eagle Rock)
Mad Men: Season One (Lionsgate)
Meet the Browns (Lionsgate)
Point Break (Fox)
Sex and Death 101 (Starz)
Vantage Point (Sony)
War, Inc. (First Look)

July 8, 2008
Batman Begins (Warner)
Batman Begins (Limited Edition Gift Set) (Warner)
Batman: Gotham Knight (Warner)
The Moody Blues: Lovely to See You - Live at the Greek (Image)
Roy Orbison: A Black & White Night (Image)
The Ruins (Paramount)
Sleepwalking ()

July 15, 2008
The Bank Job (Lionsgate)
College Road Trip (Disney)
Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks/Bardock: Father of Goku (FUNimation)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Warner)
Shutter (Fox)
Step Up 2 the Streets (Disney)

July 22, 2008
21 (Sony)
The BBC High-Definition Natural History Collection (BBC)
Daft Punk's Electroma (Vice Records)
Earth: The Biography (BBC)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Sony)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sony)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (Sony)
The Mummy (Universal)
The Mummy Returns (Universal)
The Perfect Storm (Warner)
The Scorpion King (Universal)
Urban Legend (Sony)

July 29, 2008
The Band's Visit (Sony)
Beowulf: Director's Cut (Paramount)
The Big White (Echo Bridge)
Clear and Present Danger (Paramount)
Dark City (New Line)
Doomsday (Universal)
Drillbit Taylor (Paramount)
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (New Line)
Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle (New Line)
Human Body: Pushing the Limits (Image)
The Hunt for Red October (Paramount)
The Lost Boys (Warner)
The Lost Boys: The Tribe (Warner)
Mortuary (Echo Bridge)
Never Back Down (Summit)
Patriot Games (Paramount)
Perhaps Love (Tai Seng)
Robin Hood: Season One (BBC)
Salvage (Echo Bridge)
Shine A Light (Paramount)
Stargate: Continuum (MGM)
The Sum of All Fears (Paramount)
The Tiger Blade (BCI)
Top Gun (Paramount)
Vengeance (2006) (BCI)

August 5, 2008
The Counterfeiters (Sony)
Epic Conditions (Madacy)
Korn: Live at Montreux (Eagle Rock)
Nim's Island (Fox)
Starship Troopers (Sony)
Starship Troopers Trilogy (Sony)
Starship Troopers: Marauder (Sony)
Wild China (BBC)

August 12, 2008
7 Seconds (Sony)
Beat the Devil (Blu-ray Only)
Belly (Lionsgate)
CJ7 (Sony)
The Doors (Lionsgate)
Half Past Dead (Sony)
Last Time I Saw Paris (Blu-ray Only)
Maximum Risk (Sony)
The Secret (2008) (Image)
Smart People (Disney)
xXx: State of the Uniion (Sony)

August 19, 2008
Camp Rock (Disney)
Hannah Montana And Miley Cyrus: Best Of Both Worlds Concert Tour (Disney)
Justice League: Season 1 (Warner)
The Leatherheads (Universal)
The Life Before Her Eyes (Magnolia)
Lonesome Dove (Genius)
Nixon: Director's Cut (Walt Disney)
Prom Night (Sony)
The Proposition (First Look)
The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (Universal)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season (Warner)

August 26, 2008
Afro Samurai: Season One (FUNimation)
Blue Man Group: How to Be a Megastar Live! (Rhino)
End of Days (Universal)
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)
How the West Was Won (Warner)
Made of Honor (Sony)
Miami Vice (Universal)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney)
Pale Rider (Warner)
Postal (UMVD)
Prison Break - Season 3 (Fox)
U-571 (Universal)

September 2, 2008
Black Mask (Lionsgate)
The Invincible Iron Man (Lionsgate)
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate)
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (FUNimation)
Transformers (Paramount)

September 9, 2008
Cool Hand Luke (Warner)
Day Watch (Fox)
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season—Expanded (Disney)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Disney)
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Disney)
Night Watch (Fox)
The Omen (1976) (Fox)
The Omen: The Collection (Fox)
Smallville: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner)
Then She Found Me (Image)

September 16, 2008
Another Cinderella Story (Warner)
Beatlejuice (Warner)
Madagascar (Paramount)
Pushing Daisies: Season One (Warner)
Risky Business (Warner)
Shrek the Third (Paramount)
Torchwood: The Complete First Season (BBC)

September 23, 2008
Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom (Porchlight)
Halford: Live Insurrection - Remastered (Metal God)
L.A. Confidential (Warner)
Re-Cycle (Image)

September 30, 2008
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973) (Dark Sky Films)
Why We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (Image)

October 7, 2008
Otis: Uncut (Warner)
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)

October 14, 2008
The Code (First Look)
The Universe: Season One (A&E)

October 28, 2008
Tinkerbell (Disney)

November 4, 2008
The Shawshank Redemption (Warner)

December 9, 2008
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney)

What I'm getting:

July 8, 2008
Batman: Gotham Knight (Warner)

July 22, 2008
The BBC High-Definition Natural History Collection (BBC)
Earth: The Biography (BBC)

July 29, 2008
Dark City (New Line)

August 12, 2008
The Doors (Lionsgate)

August 19, 2008
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season (Warner)

August 26, 2008
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)

September 2, 2008
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate)
Transformers (Paramount)

September 9, 2008
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Disney)
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Disney)

October 7, 2008
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)

October 14, 2008
The Universe: Season One (A&E)

October 28, 2008
Tinkerbell (Disney)

December 9, 2008
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney)

[Cth]

Whole bunch of updates/announcements:

300
300: Limited Collector's Edition box set will be available this fall on DVD only, as a special box set including all the previous DVD extras along with two new documentaries (Recreating the Spartan Era and 300: Legend Filtered Through History, Graphic Novel and Film), as well as other exclusive memorabilia (a lenticular hologram, artwork cards and more). The reason it's DVD only? The studio tells us that a much more elaborate Blu-ray Disc version is coming in 2009, complete with new BD-Live and Bonus View content.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/300lceboxopen.jpg

----------------------------------

JFK
On the live action front, just in time for the Presidential election, Warner will deliver a 3-disc JFK: Ultimate Collector's Edition on DVD, including special packaging, 3 hours of bonus content and collectible memorabilia, as well as an all new documentary, The Kennedy's: America's Emerald Kings. This title will also be available on Blu-ray Disc format in Digibook packaging.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/jfkuceopen.jpg

----------------------------------

I Am Legend
As for more recent live action fare, an I Am Legend: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set will be available on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc, and will include an alternate version of the film with the "controversial ending," all-new special features such as a new filmmaker commentary, deleted scenes, "iconic" premium collectible items and more.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/iamlegenduceopen.jpg

----------------------------------

Casablanca
A Casablanca: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set is also coming to both DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Both will include 40 minutes of special features, 2 feature-length commentaries, branded travel-related premiums, a photo book, and much more.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/casablancauceopen.jpg

----------------------------------

Band of Brothers

Also coming in time for the holidays from HBO, just as we anticipated, is the Band of Brothers mini-series on Blu-ray Disc. All of the previous DVD extras will be included, along with new bonus content exclusive to high-def. The new extras will include In the Words of Easy Company, a dynamic, optional picture-in-picture commentary by the surviving Easy Company veterans, and In the Field with the Men of Easy Company, an interactive field guide charting a path from the storming of the beaches on D-Day to the assault on Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.

----------------------------------

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/achristmasstoryuceboxopen.jpg

----------------------------------

Warner Readying 'Goonies' for Blu-ray?

An overseas website is reporting that Warner has announced a French Blu-ray of 'The Goonies' for this October, fueling speculation that a domestic next-gen release is soon to follow.

According to a report from PlanetaHD, Warner has issued an October 15 Blu-ray release date for the Richard Donner cult classic, even going so far as to release an advert with box art to the overseas trades.

Reported specs for the release include 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio. Supplements will mirror the previous standard DVD, with a video commentary with Donner and the film's young cast, a featurette, deleted scenes and a Cyndi Lauper music video.

At press time, Warner has neither confirmed nor denied plans for a 'Goonies' debut on Blu-ray, but with the overseas release looming, indications certainly look good that the studio will soon be announcing a companion domestic release. As always, we'll keep you updated as any official news comes in.

----------------------------------

"The Sixth Sense" - Sept. 30

----------------------------------

Jerry Maguire will hit the shelves on Sep. 09, 2008. List price $28.99.

----------------------------------

Universal Studios Home Video have announced the US Blu-ray Disc release of Heroes Season 1 and Heroes Season 2 on 26th August 2008 priced at $99.98 SRP and $69.98 SRP respectively. The first two seasons of the hit new show debut on Blu-ray Disc alongside the DVD release of Season 2. Features are detailed below…

Heroes Season 1 - The first season is spread across five dual-layer discs with the following features:

* 1080P Widescreen
* English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
* English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles
* Artwork Presentation and Hero Connections (Discs 1-2)
* Artwork Presentation, Hero Connections and PIP Cast Video Commentaries (Discs 3-5)
* Deleted Scenes (Discs 1-5)
* 73-Minute Premiere Episode with Audio Commentary by Show Creator Tim Kring
* BD-Live Enabled
* Making Of
* Special Effects
* The Stunts
* Profile of Artist Tim Sale
* The Score


Heroes Season 2 - The writers-strike shortened 11 episode season is spread across four-discs (2xBD50, 2xBD25) with episodes presented in 1080P Widescreen with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras include:


U-Control: Picture in Picture Cast & Crew Commentaries:
-- Four Months Later with Creator/Executive Producer Tim Kring, Co-Executive Producer Jeph Loeb and Series Star Jack Coleman.
-- Lizards with Executive Producer Allan Arkush, Series Star Greg Grunberg and Co-Executive Producer Michael Green.
-- Kindred with Episode Director Paul Edwards, Co-Executive Producer JJ Philbin and Series Star Zachary Quinto.
-- The Kindness of Strangers with Creator/Executive Producer Tim Kring and Series Stars Dana Davis & Adrian Pasdar.
-- Fight or Flight with Series Star Greg Grunberg and Executive Producer Greg Beeman.
-- The Line with Co-Executive Producers Adam Armus & Kay Foster and Series Star Jack Coleman.
-- Out of Time with Episode Director Daniel Attias and Series Star Masi Oka
-- Four Months Ago… with Series Star Milo Ventimielia and Executive Producer Greg Beeman.
-- Cautionary Tales with Episode Director Greg Yaitanes and Series Stars Kristen Bell & Ashley Crow.
-- Truth & Consequences with Episode Director Adam Kane and Series Star Stephen Tobolowsky.
-- Powerless with Executive Producer Allan Arkush and Composers Lisa Coleman & Wendy Melvoin.

Hero Connections – Bios and Network

Heroes Season 2 "A New Beginning" - Tim Kring introduces us to the theme of “extraordinary people trying to live normal lives.” We go behind the scenes with the cast and crew to see what it’s like coming back to a hit show and we also meet new Heroes as they share anecdotes about filming the second season.

Deleted Scenes

Generations Alternate Ending

Inside The Alternate Ending of Generations

Untold Stories – stories that never aired

Takezo Kensei: Sword Saint

The Drucker Files

Genetics of a Scene
-- Maya and Alejandro run from the police - With an interview with executive producer/director Greg Beeman
-- The anatomy of the cherry blossom/swordfight scenes - With an interview with Executive Producer/Director Allan Arkush.
-- Exploding Man - With an interview with Executive Producer/Director Greg Beeman.
-- The Loft - With an interview with Executive Producer/Director Allan Arkush.

NBC.com Featurettes
-- Hotel Corinthian Explosion
-- Maya Y Alejandro Viral Video
-- Nathan and Peter Brooklyn Cam

Tim Sale Gallery of Screen Art

----------------------------------

RUMOR: Not only is the Incredible Hulk's Blu-ray release supposedly already set for November 25th but Iron Man's Blu-ray release is supposedly now said to be September 30th.

----------------------------------

RUMOR: Warner Bros. has set an October 14th release date for Constantine.

[Akira]

Whole bunch of updates/announcements:

300
The reason it's DVD only? The studio tells us that a much more elaborate Blu-ray Disc version is coming in 2009, complete with new BD-Live and Bonus View content.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/300lceboxopen.jpg

-
Casablanca
A Casablanca: Ultimate Collector's Edition box set is also coming to both DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Both will include 40 minutes of special features, 2 feature-length commentaries, branded travel-related premiums, a photo book, and much more.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/casablancauceopen.jpg

Universal Studios Home Video have announced the US Blu-ray Disc release of Heroes Season 1 and Heroes Season 2 on 26th August 2008 priced at $99.98 SRP and $69.98 SRP respectively. The first two seasons of the hit new show debut on Blu-ray Disc alongside the DVD release of Season 2. Features are detailed below…

Heroes Season 1 - The first season is spread across five dual-layer discs with the following features:

* 1080P Widescreen
* English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
* English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles
* Artwork Presentation and Hero Connections (Discs 1-2)
* Artwork Presentation, Hero Connections and PIP Cast Video Commentaries (Discs 3-5)
* Deleted Scenes (Discs 1-5)
* 73-Minute Premiere Episode with Audio Commentary by Show Creator Tim Kring
* BD-Live Enabled
* Making Of
* Special Effects
* The Stunts
* Profile of Artist Tim Sale
* The Score


Heroes Season 2 - The writers-strike shortened 11 episode season is spread across four-discs (2xBD50, 2xBD25) with episodes presented in 1080P Widescreen with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras include:


U-Control: Picture in Picture Cast & Crew Commentaries:
-- Four Months Later with Creator/Executive Producer Tim Kring, Co-Executive Producer Jeph Loeb and Series Star Jack Coleman.
-- Lizards with Executive Producer Allan Arkush, Series Star Greg Grunberg and Co-Executive Producer Michael Green.
-- Kindred with Episode Director Paul Edwards, Co-Executive Producer JJ Philbin and Series Star Zachary Quinto.
-- The Kindness of Strangers with Creator/Executive Producer Tim Kring and Series Stars Dana Davis & Adrian Pasdar.
-- Fight or Flight with Series Star Greg Grunberg and Executive Producer Greg Beeman.
-- The Line with Co-Executive Producers Adam Armus & Kay Foster and Series Star Jack Coleman.
-- Out of Time with Episode Director Daniel Attias and Series Star Masi Oka
-- Four Months Ago… with Series Star Milo Ventimielia and Executive Producer Greg Beeman.
-- Cautionary Tales with Episode Director Greg Yaitanes and Series Stars Kristen Bell & Ashley Crow.
-- Truth & Consequences with Episode Director Adam Kane and Series Star Stephen Tobolowsky.
-- Powerless with Executive Producer Allan Arkush and Composers Lisa Coleman & Wendy Melvoin.

Hero Connections – Bios and Network

Heroes Season 2 "A New Beginning" - Tim Kring introduces us to the theme of “extraordinary people trying to live normal lives.” We go behind the scenes with the cast and crew to see what it’s like coming back to a hit show and we also meet new Heroes as they share anecdotes about filming the second season.

Deleted Scenes

Generations Alternate Ending

Inside The Alternate Ending of Generations

Untold Stories – stories that never aired

Takezo Kensei: Sword Saint

The Drucker Files

Genetics of a Scene
-- Maya and Alejandro run from the police - With an interview with executive producer/director Greg Beeman
-- The anatomy of the cherry blossom/swordfight scenes - With an interview with Executive Producer/Director Allan Arkush.
-- Exploding Man - With an interview with Executive Producer/Director Greg Beeman.
-- The Loft - With an interview with Executive Producer/Director Allan Arkush.

NBC.com Featurettes
-- Hotel Corinthian Explosion
-- Maya Y Alejandro Viral Video
-- Nathan and Peter Brooklyn Cam

Tim Sale Gallery of Screen Art

----------------------------------

RUMOR: Not only is the Incredible Hulk's Blu-ray release supposedly already set for November 25th but Iron Man's Blu-ray release is supposedly now said to be September 30th.

----------------------------------

RUMOR: Warner Bros. has set an October 14th release date for Constantine.


YAY!!!!!!! :boogie:

[Akira]

Best Buy is having another special on Blu-ray films: 2 for $30 this time. Need movie recommendations? Enjoy one of the movies on the list but not sure what else to get? Do you just like being told what to do? Here is a humble classification of the movies on sale:

Must-haves:

* The Usual Suspects
* Blade Runner
* Pan's Labyrinth
* Terminator 2: Judgment Day

More after the jump.

Must-haves if you enjoy the genre:

* 28 Days Later
* The Rock
* Black Hawk Down
* GoodFellas
* Con Air
* 300
* Gattaca
* A Few Good Men
* The Departed
* Total Recall

Middle-of-the-road:

* Behind Enemy Lines
* Stargate
* Hostel
* Happy Feet
* Bram Stroker's Dracula
* Hellboy
* The Punisher
* Remember the Titans
* The Patroit
* 50 First Dates
* Resident Evil

You-might-want-your-money-back:

* Tears of the Sun
* Memoirs of a Geisha
* Resident Evil: Apocalypse
* The Transporter
* A Knight's Tale
* Troy
* The Legend of Zorro (we are well aware Catherine Zeta-Jones is in this)
* Scary Movie

Avoid-like-the-plague:

* Fantastic Four (you can find Jessica Alba pictures online, okay?)
* Hitch

We haven't seen these, so make your own judgments:

* The Rookie
* Donnie Brasco
* Rent
* Crimson Tide
* Appleseed Ex Machina


More than a few worth checking out for $15 a pop.

[eroz]

Can't wait for Band of Brothers.....I have the crappy VCD version I picked up in thailand.

[Cth]

The Godfather Trilogy Coming to Blu-ray

Paramount Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring a newly restored and remastered versions of the Francis Ford Coppola's classic 'The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray Collection' to Blu-ray on September 23rd, day-and-date with the DVD re-release. The first two Godfather films received frame-by-frame restoration by Blu-ray.com friend Rober A. Harris under direction of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis, and new special features were developed by another Blu-ray.com friend, Kim Aubry.

The films will be available individually, or as a the four disc Blu-ray set. Video will be presented in 1080p and accompanied by English Dolby TrueHD soundtracks. The disc-by-disc breakdown is as follows:

* Disc 1 The Godfather feature film
* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 2
* The Godfather, Part II feature film
* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 3:
* The Godfather, Part III feature film
* Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 4:
* Godfather World (HD)
* The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (HD)
* ... when the shooting stopped (HD)
* Emulsional Rescue-Revealing The Godfather (HD)
* The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)
* Four Short Films on The Godfather
o The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD)
o Cannoli (HD)
o Riffing on the Riffing (HD)
o Clemenza (HD)
* The Family Tree
* Crime Organization Chart
* Connie and Carlo's Wedding Album
* Behind the Scenes
o The Godfather Family: A Look Inside
o On Location
o Francis Coppola's Notebook
o The Music of the Godfather
o Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
o Gordon Willis on Cinematography
o Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II
o Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III
o The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971
* The Filmmakers
o Francis Ford Coppola
o Mario Puzo
o Gordon Willis
o Dean Tavoularis
o Nino Rota
o Carmine Coppola
* Additional Scenes
* Acclaim & Response
* Trailers (HD)
* Photo Gallery
* Rogues' Gallery

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Paramount/Disc_Announcements/Godfather_Coming_to_Blu-ray_/1870
Suggested price: $119
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NTPDSW/?tag=aapop-20
$86.95 shipped

[JamesV]

Sold!

[eroz]

Yes.......I kinda wish they would have that TV version where the triology is told in order...but either way I'm getting this.

[JamesV]

I don't think they will ever release that damn thing. :(

[Cth]

The Love Guru (DVD & Blu-ray) - 9/16
Iron Man (DVD & Blu-ray) - 9/30
Indiana Jones IV (DVD for sure, Blu-ray undecided, Oct 28 rumored) - October
Kung Fu Panda (DVD & Blu-ray) - 11/18
Tropic Thunder (DVD & Blu-ray) - December

Anchorman: Legend of Ron Burgundy - 9/23
Old School - 9/23
Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd - 10/21
Stardust - December
Into the Wild - December

By year's end:
Daredevil: Director's Cut (Sept. 30th)
Firefly: The Complete Series
The X-Men Trilogy
The Planet of the Apes Collection
The Deception (Sept. 23)
Jewel of the Nile: Special Edition (Oct. 14)
Dude, Where's My Car?
What Happens in Vegas

Nov. 4
A Christmas Story

[Akira]

Iron Man (DVD & Blu-ray) - 9/30
Kung Fu Panda (DVD & Blu-ray) - 11/18
Stardust - December
Daredevil: Director's Cut (Sept. 30th)
Firefly: The Complete Series
:rock:

[Evan Wiener]

If you were to get your first blu ray movie (just got a PS3), what would you recommend from what's on the shelf now. Any specific movie that really benefits from the HD format?

[Akira]

If you were to get your first blu ray movie (just got a PS3), what would you recommend from what's on the shelf now. Any specific movie that really benefits from the HD format?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pDB7wM0XL._SS500_.jpg

[Skatonic10]

If you were to get your first blu ray movie (just got a PS3), what would you recommend from what's on the shelf now. Any specific movie that really benefits from the HD format?

Check out some stuff that was shot specifically in HD - TV shows like Lost and The Tudors look amazing in HD.

If you like Anime (I don't, but I like the Appleseed series) Appleseed: Ex Machina looked great.

Ratatouille and Cars book look great. For some reason animated movies look MUCH MUCH better in HD.

I just watched Gattaca on Blu Ray. Good movie, really good upgrade to HD.

[Fygar]

If you were to get your first blu ray movie (just got a PS3), what would you recommend from what's on the shelf now. Any specific movie that really benefits from the HD format?

Some of my favorites:

Tekkonkinkreet
Bonnie and Clyde
No Country For Old Men
Ratatouille

I've heard nothing but amazing things about the Pirates movies, and Spidey 2 and 3 supposedly look phenomenal as well.

[Modok Gas]

I was close to ordering the Batman Begins Limited Edition... but I'm not a fan of cards and booklets. The 128MB flash drive would have done it for me, but it's only available in the DVD version and not the Blu-Ray version.

Here's a photo of the standard DVD version:

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r101/negativezone/batmanbeginslepromo.jpg

[Petey Parker]

I was close to ordering the Batman Begins Limited Edition... but I'm not a fan of cards and booklets. The 128MB flash drive would have done it for me, but it's only available in the DVD version and not the Blu-Ray version.


I ordered the limited edition and Gotham Knight with free shipping on Amazon and they both shipped today. I have the original special Edition for Batman Begins on DVD but never got around to opening it. I figure I'll just watch this one and keep that sealed.

[Cth]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pDB7wM0XL._SS500_.jpg

Seconded.

I picked up Planet Earth and LOST Season 4, both of which showcase it well.

Ratatouille was the next purchase, and it got me to pick up the other Pixar discs as well.

[Evan Wiener]

Seconded.

I picked up Planet Earth and LOST Season 4, both of which showcase it well.

Ratatouille was the next purchase, and it got me to pick up the other Pixar discs as well.

What other Pixar movies are on Blu Ray besides Ratatouille? I think all I've seen was a disc of Pixar shorts.

[Cth]

What other Pixar movies are on Blu Ray besides Ratatouille? I think all I've seen was a disc of Pixar shorts.

Cars
Ratatouille
Pixar Shorts

[Cth]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CC7PKS?tag=thedigitalbit-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B001CC7PKS&creative=373489&camp=211189

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512SpNMlFFL._SS500_.jpg

[Cth]

Universal Announces Horror Trio for September

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring 'Dawn of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut' (2004), 'Land of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut', and 'The Thing' to Blu-ray on September 30th. Available separtately, or part of a 'Halloween Starter Pack' box set, the titles will each come on a BD-25 with 1080p widescreen video and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks.

Extras for 'Dawn of the Dead' include:

* Feature Commentary with Director Zack Snyder and Producer Eric Newman
* U-Control Picture-in-Picture
* U-Control Tutorial


For 'Land of the Dead', extras include:

* Feature Commentary with Director George Romero, Producer Peter Grunwald and Editor Michael Doherty
* The Remaining Bits
* When Shaun Met George
* Scenes of Carnage
* Zombie Effects: From Green Screen To Finished Scene
* Bringing The Storyboards to Life
* Scream Tests: Zombie Casting Call
* U Control Picture in Picture
* U Control Tutorial


Extras for 'The Thing' include:

* Feature Commentary with Kurt Russell and Director John Carpenter
* U Control Picture in Picture
* U Control Tutorial
* BD-Live Enabled

About time! :D

[Petey Parker]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CC7PKS?tag=thedigitalbit-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B001CC7PKS&creative=373489&camp=211189

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512SpNMlFFL._SS500_.jpg

I bet Affleck loves that cover

[Fygar]

I watched Persepolis on Blu Ray last night. Good God almighty is that a gorgeous movie in high def. It's a feast for the eyes, and an excellent movie as well.

[Akira]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CC7PKS?tag=thedigitalbit-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B001CC7PKS&creative=373489&camp=211189

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512SpNMlFFL._SS500_.jpg




Universal Announces Horror Trio for September

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring 'Dawn of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut' (2004), 'Land of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut', and 'The Thing' to Blu-ray on September 30th. Available separtately, or part of a 'Halloween Starter Pack' box set, the titles will each come on a BD-25 with 1080p widescreen video and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks.

Extras for 'Dawn of the Dead' include:

* Feature Commentary with Director Zack Snyder and Producer Eric Newman
* U-Control Picture-in-Picture
* U-Control Tutorial


For 'Land of the Dead', extras include:

* Feature Commentary with Director George Romero, Producer Peter Grunwald and Editor Michael Doherty
* The Remaining Bits
* When Shaun Met George
* Scenes of Carnage
* Zombie Effects: From Green Screen To Finished Scene
* Bringing The Storyboards to Life
* Scream Tests: Zombie Casting Call
* U Control Picture in Picture
* U Control Tutorial


Extras for 'The Thing' include:

* Feature Commentary with Kurt Russell and Director John Carpenter
* U Control Picture in Picture
* U Control Tutorial
* BD-Live Enabled

About time! :D

God dammit Cth! I'm sending you my bill when I buy these, cause it's your fault.

[Garth]

I like how the cover blatantly bills Favreau's appearance as the "Director of Iron Man"

[Foolish Mortal]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CC7PKS?tag=thedigitalbit-20&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B001CC7PKS&creative=373489&camp=211189

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512SpNMlFFL._SS500_.jpg
"Featuring Jon Favreau! Someone you really liked in another superhero movie! You have to buy it now!!!"

[Taxman]

Just got a PS3 hooked up yesterday. Put a bunch of stuff in the Blockbuster queue the other day. Any recommendations for big omissions?


Black Snake Moan [Blu-Ray]
Twilight Zone: The Movie [Blu-Ray]
The Omega Man [Blu-ray]
Patton [Blu-ray]
Oldboy [Blu-ray]
21 [Blu-ray]
30 Days of Night [Blu-ray]
3:10 to Yuma [Blu-ray]
Across the Universe [Blu-ray]
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [Blu-ray]
The Aviator [Blu-ray]
Batman: Gotham Knight [Blu-ray]
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Blu-ray]
Big Fish [Blu-Ray]
The Brave One [Blu-ray]
Bulletproof Monk [Blu-Ray]
Coming to America [Blu-Ray]
The Devil Wears Prada [Blu-Ray]
Edward Scissorhands [Blu-Ray]
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (Kiss Your Nerves Goodbye) - [Blu-Ray]
Four Brothers [Blu-Ray]
The Fugitive [Blu-Ray]
Gone Baby Gone [Blu-ray]
Hairspray [Blu-ray]
Hitch [Blu-Ray]
The Holiday [Blu-Ray]
Mr. and Mrs. Smith [Blu-Ray]
Independence Day [Blu-Ray]
Rent [Blu-ray]
Pan's Labyrinth [Blu-ray]
Spider-Man [Blu-Ray]
The Sentinel [Blu-Ray]
Spider-Man 2 [Blu-Ray]
Stargate [Blu-Ray]
Sunshine [Blu-ray]
Superbad [Blu-ray]
The Terminator [Blu-Ray]
Terminator 2: Judgment Day [Blu-Ray]
Ultimate Avengers Collection [Blu-Ray]
Untraceable [Blu-ray]
Starship Troopers [Blu-ray]

[Garth]

300*, Batman Begins*, Casino Royale*, A Clockwork Orange, Deliverance, The Departed, The Descent*, The Fountain*, Goodfellas, Halloween, The Prestige*, Reservoir Dogs, The Shining, V for Vendetta*.

Ok...and the ones with a * look exceptionally good on Blu-Ray, imo.

(and yes they ARE alphabetized, cause I am anal)

[Cth]

Iron Man confirmed for Sept. 30 release.

[Cth]

http://www.comingsoon.net/gallery/47090/hr_Comic-Con_2008_25.jpg

[Cth]

Japanese Matrix Blu-ray Boxset Revealed

Warner Home Video Japan has revealed the details for the upcoming Blu-ray box set release of 'The Ultimate Matrix Collection'. The set, at least in Japan, will feature a total of seven discs: four Blu-rays and three DVDs. Each of the three Matrix films will come on its own Blu-ray, with the forth Blu-ray disc containing all nine of the Animatrix episodes in high definition.

The first of the DVDs will hold the "The Roots of The Matrix" and "The Burly Man Chronicles" features, while the second DVD will hold "The Zion Archive". The third DVD will feature a digital copy of the 'The Matrix', though it is unclear if it will contain digital copies of all three films, or just the first one.

Details regarding the "Revisited" featurettes are still unclear, but it appears they will be included with the film on each of the Blu-ray discs.

And finally, the Japanese box will receive a scale model of the Nebuchadnezzar which can be seen below:

http://www.blu-ray.com/images/news/0722.jpg

[Akira]

Japanese Matrix Blu-ray Boxset Revealed

Warner Home Video Japan has revealed the details for the upcoming Blu-ray box set release of 'The Ultimate Matrix Collection'. The set, at least in Japan, will feature a total of seven discs: four Blu-rays and three DVDs. Each of the three Matrix films will come on its own Blu-ray, with the forth Blu-ray disc containing all nine of the Animatrix episodes in high definition.

The first of the DVDs will hold the "The Roots of The Matrix" and "The Burly Man Chronicles" features, while the second DVD will hold "The Zion Archive". The third DVD will feature a digital copy of the 'The Matrix', though it is unclear if it will contain digital copies of all three films, or just the first one.

Details regarding the "Revisited" featurettes are still unclear, but it appears they will be included with the film on each of the Blu-ray discs.

And finally, the Japanese box will receive a scale model of the Nebuchadnezzar which can be seen below:

http://www.blu-ray.com/images/news/0722.jpg
So...Blu-Rays and the exact same special features from the Ultimate DVD collection (plus a digital copy)? Hmmm, If they releace it on just 4 blu-rays I'd rather pick that up and not buy the special features on DVD over again.

[Cth]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/images/post/5/5900/original.jpeg


Anyone pick this up today?

Best Buy's website has it on sale for $18.99, but none of the stores show it as being in stock.

Not sure if that means their inventory hasn't updated or if the release date was pushed back.

[Akira]

Anyone pick this up today?

Best Buy's website has it on sale for $18.99, but none of the stores show it as being in stock.

Not sure if that means their inventory hasn't updated or if the release date was pushed back.

Amazon's showing it in stock. Maybe they underestimated demand?

[Cth]

Amazon's showing it in stock. Maybe they underestimated demand?

Possible as the site is showing backordered, but nothing at 20 stores in the area? :D

[Akira]

Possible as the site is showing backordered, but nothing at 20 stores in the area? :D

If 100 people in the area wanted it and each store only ordered 5 copies each (not unbelievable for a cult rereleace with little to no mainstream appeal and/or advertising), I could see them being sold out.

[Garth]

LG Unveils Blu-ray Player with Netflix Streaming

"LG Electronics has announced that they will release their next Blu-ray player this fall with the ability to stream Netflix movies over a network connection. The player - LG BD300 - will be a BD-Live (Profile v2.0) player, allowing owners to not only watch BonusView material, but also, with an Internet connection, download extra content for Blu-ray titles.

Back in January, Netflix and LG initially announced that they had partnered together in order to build a Blu-ray player that could also be used to watch streaming Netflix films. These films, which are presented in standard definition, can be paused, forwarded, and rewound just like a normal DVD.

Once the Instant Watch film is added to a users que, it will become available on the BD300 for viewing. When selected, the film will start in as little as 30 seconds. Best of all, this service is free with any Netflix "unlimited" service (which start at $8.99/mo).

No other details have been announced, but the player will be unveiled tonight at LG's 2008 Summer Line Show tonight. When the player is released, it is expected to retail for under $500."

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1597

[Akira]

LG Unveils Blu-ray Player with Netflix Streaming

"LG Electronics has announced that they will release their next Blu-ray player this fall with the ability to stream Netflix movies over a network connection. The player - LG BD300 - will be a BD-Live (Profile v2.0) player, allowing owners to not only watch BonusView material, but also, with an Internet connection, download extra content for Blu-ray titles.

Back in January, Netflix and LG initially announced that they had partnered together in order to build a Blu-ray player that could also be used to watch streaming Netflix films. These films, which are presented in standard definition, can be paused, forwarded, and rewound just like a normal DVD.

Once the Instant Watch film is added to a users que, it will become available on the BD300 for viewing. When selected, the film will start in as little as 30 seconds. Best of all, this service is free with any Netflix "unlimited" service (which start at $8.99/mo).

No other details have been announced, but the player will be unveiled tonight at LG's 2008 Summer Line Show tonight. When the player is released, it is expected to retail for under $500."

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1597

Wow. Did that just unseat the PS3 as the best Blu-Ray player?

[Garth]

Wow. Did that just unseat the PS3 as the best Blu-Ray player?

I am wondering that myself. Any possibility of this happening on the PS3 also? Just make it not part of the PSN and I think it would be fine.

[Akira]

I am wondering that myself. Any possibility of this happening on the PS3 also? Just make it not part of the PSN and I think it would be fine.

Yeah, I think it could. But MS may throw a fit if they had console exclusivity for streaming netflix (though if sony gets off their asses and gives us more cache and a better flash player in the internet browser that could all be null and void anyway)

[Talannon]

Wow. Did that just unseat the PS3 as the best Blu-Ray player?

Possible. Depending on the sound decoder in the player...

But in a way they just have different features. PS3 browse the internet, play games and have access to a video service. While the LG have access to the streaming movies of Netflix... Still not sure which one I would recommend... But the LG really need wifi. If they don't have it, the ps3 could probably be the only option for a lot of people.

[Garth]

Still not sure which one I would recommend... But the LG really need wifi. If they don't have it, the ps3 could probably be the only option for a lot of people.

I read this as "Wii Fit". And for a sec, I was like, "Yeah! a Blu-Ray Player with Wii Fit would be AWESOME!!!!!"

[Akira]

I read this as "Wii Fit". And for a sec, I was like, "Yeah! a Blu-Ray Player with Wii Fit would be AWESOME!!!!!"

Yeah. everything's cooler with wii fit :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v31qxrXsxv0

[Cth]

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/harry-potter-years-1-5-giftset.html

Title: Harry Potter Years 1-5 Giftset
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe
Released: 11th November 2008
SRP: $129.95

Further Details:
Warner has provided us with artwork for a Blu-ray release of the Harry Potter Years 1-5 Giftset which includes all 5 Harry Potter films. The 5-disc package will be available to own from the 11th November, and should retail at around $129.95. We have no further details, but we've attached the artwork below:

[Garth]

Yeah. everything's cooler with wii fit :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v31qxrXsxv0

I would have agreed with you...but then I saw this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AryF2uvO86Y&feature=related

and this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEw6f2wtwc&feature=related

[Akira]

I was gonna get this already, but now that I've seen the BD Live features, I'm definatly gonna grab this:



http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zjnTKLh6L._SS500_.jpg
The new Blu-ray edition will be released on August 5th. It will carry over special features from previous releases and add a few new ones. The new ones, exclusive to the Blu-ray release:

-- "FedNet Mode," described as "bonus view picture-in-picture with enhanced graphics," includes pop-up video, text and graphics that go into more detail about the movie, characters and story
-- BD-Live feature "Put Yourself in the Film: Join the Fight!," which allows you to insert yourself, or rather your uploaded image (internet connection to your player required), into some scenes from the movie
-- "Recruitment Test" trivia challenge
-- Blu Wizard, which allows easy, customizable access to features

The features carried over from older releases:

-- audio commentary by director Paul Verhoeven and screenwriter Ed Neumeier
-- audio commentary by Verhoeven and stars Dina Meyer, Casper Van Dien and Neil Patrick Harris
-- "Death from Above" documentary about the movie and its production, including interviews about what the filmmakers intended and how it was received (30 minutes)
-- "The Making of Starship Troopers" (7 minutes)
-- "The Spaceships from Starship Troopers" (4 minutes)
-- Special Effects Comparisons: 8 sequences showing the raw footage with the final version superimposed in picture-in-picture format
-- Storyboard Comparisons: 3 sequences showing original storyboards with the final movie versions superimposed picture-in-picture
-- Bug test film ("Don't Look Now"), with introduction by Verhoeven
-- "Know Your Foe," a five-part text and video clip featurette on each of the major types of bugs (Warrior, Tanker, Hopper, Plasma and Brain)
-- Scene Deconstructions: 2 scenes with commentary by Verhoeven
-- behind-the-scenes footage
-- 5 deleted scenes
-- screen tests

[Cth]

Like the film or not, it's one of the better films to showcase hi-def.

Hulk Coming to Blu-ray

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring Ang Lee's 'Hulk' to Blu-ray on September 16th. The film, which made its high definition debut on the now defunct HD DVD format, will come on a BD-25 utilizing 1080p video and a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.

Extras will mirror that of the previous HD DVD release, and appear below:

* Feature Commentary with Director Ang Lee
* Deleted Scenes
* Evolution of the Hulk
* The Incredible Ang Lee
* The Dog Fight Scene
* The Making of Hulk
* The Unique Style of Editing Hulk
* U-Control Tutorial Static Images; Picture in Picture
* U-Control - My Scenes

[costello]

Yeah. everything's cooler with wii fit :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v31qxrXsxv0

Cool. They have Rock Band.

[costello]

Just got a PS3 hooked up yesterday. Put a bunch of stuff in the Blockbuster queue the other day. Any recommendations for big omissions?





Across the Universe? Really? A college kid gets a grant, Paul McCartney needs money, and together they shit out a movie. Who cares if the shit looks extra glossy in 1080p?

[Petey Parker]

BJs had Dark City yesterday for $18.99. Haven't seen it anywhere else yet.

[Akira]

BJs had Dark City yesterday for $18.99. Haven't seen it anywhere else yet.

I got mine via Amazon.

[Cth]

New Details and Date for Beetlejuice Blu-ray

Warner Home Video has announced new details and a new date for the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'Beetlejuice: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition', now due to hit store shelves on October 7th. The release, which will come out three weeks after the DVD, will come on a BD-25 featuring 1080p VC-1 video and a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack (including a Dolby Digital isolated score track).

Extras for this release include:

* Beetlejuice Cartoon Episodes
o A-Ha (RT: 11:08)
o Skeletons In The Closet (RT: 10:37)
o Spooky Boo-tique (RT: 11:08)
* Theatrical Trailer for Beetlejuice (RT 2:30 est)

Exclusive to the Blu-ray release will be a collectible booklet "The Beginner's Guide to Seeing Ghosts" and a six-track CD soundtrack sampler. The track listing for the CD can be seen below:

1. Main Titles (Elfman Geffen)
2. The Family”/Sand Worm Planet (Elfman Geffen)
3. The Aftermath (Elfman Geffen)
4. Showtime! (Elfman Geffen)
5. The Banana Boat Song (Belafonte Sony BMG)
6. End Credits (Elfman Geffen)

[CougarTrace]

When is the Matrix Trilogy with Animatrix coming out for Blu-Ray?

[Jason California]

Rumor: The Dark Knight Could Coax Warner into BD-Live Release (http://gizmodo.com/5034258/rumor-the-dark-knight-could-coax-warner-into-bd+live-release)

http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/08/the-dark-knight-characters_472x312.jpgWarner Bros (http://gizmodo.com/tag/warner-bros/), along with plenty others, have been skeptical about BD-Live (http://gizmodo.com/tag/bd-live/). WTF is BD-Live, you ask? It's that feature in the Blu-ray spec allowing people seated on couches across the US to watch movies simultaneously and chat about them. Now rumor has it that the company is considering The Dark Knight (http://gizmodo.com/tag/the-dark-knight/) as their first BD-Live disc release for the coming holiday season. We can't wait for two and a half straight hours of:
Jason Chen: I'm Batman!
Mark Wilson: I'm Batman!
Jesus Diaz: I'm Batman!
Matt Buchanan: I'm Batman!
John Mahoney: I'm not that guy from Frasier! [DVDTown (http://www.dvdtown.com/news/the-dark-knight-on-blu-ray-with-bd-live-features/5786) Thanks Eric!]

[Taxman]

When is the Matrix Trilogy with Animatrix coming out for Blu-Ray?October 14

[CougarTrace]

thanks! Can't wait to see The Matrix in that format.

[Cth]

The Dark Knight Blu-ray expected December 9th
http://www.thehdroom.com/news/The_Dark_Knight_on_Blu-ray_December_9/3277



The Godfather Trilogy Remixed for Perfection

The upcoming Blu-ray release of 'The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration' will feature not only a restored and remastered video presentation, but also a new 5.1 soundtrack mix thanks to the folks at POP Sound. Paramount tasked the company to remix the legendary films in order to bring the sound quality up to today's standards.

Moksha Le Blanc, POP Sound Executive Producer for Home Theater, commented, "There was a lot of clean up to get it to sound fluid in transitions-the original mono tracks were rough, with rough transitions. There was a lot of de-humming and de-clicking, as well as time alignment issues to deal with." He continued, "Essentially Paramount wanted it to sound like it had been released yesterday and we came close to achieving that."

The project, which ended up taking eight months to complete, used the original mono track as well as the original multi-track music scores to recreate the mix from the bottom up. Additionally, areas where the original soundtrack was lacking were approved upon. One scene is particular was originally ADR'ed (automated dialogue replacement) due to a noisy dolly during filming. The results were less than satisfactory, so the the team adjusted it to be less obvious.

'The Godfather Collection' is set to be released on September 23rd, day-and-date with the DVD re-release.


RUMORMILL

Sin City Oct. 21
White Noise 1&2 Bundled Oct. 7
From Dusk Till Dawn Oct. 21

And a few more interesting tidbits form Digital Bits...

By the way, DreamWorks' Transformers: Two-Disc Special Edition just arrived on Blu-ray (watch for our review tomorrow), and some of you will be pleased to learn that the release includes a paper insert promoting the "coming soon" release of Old School: Unrated, Stardust and the Zodiac: 2-Disc Director's Cut on Blu-ray. We expect all three to be available by the end of the year.

We've got a quick Indiana Jones update for you: Lucasfilm and Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is also being released on single-disc DVD on 10/14, in addition to the 2-disc DVD Special Edition and 2-disc Blu-ray Special Edition. The single-disc DVD will sell for SRP $34.99. The DVD art we posted yesterday was for the single-disc, so here's all three covers - as you can see, the 2-disc DVD matches the 2-disc Blu-ray (both of which carry an SRP of $39.99)...

[Cth]

http://www.superherohype.com/news/hulknews.php?id=7587

http://superherohype.com/nextraimages/hulkdvdartwork.jpg

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/the-incredible-hulk10.html

DVD Active has posted the following cover art for the upcoming The Incredible Hulk DVD. No release date or specifications have been announced yet (aside from the "3-Disc Special Edition" noted on the artwork), so stay tuned for those.

[CougarTrace]

I'll be preordering these now:

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/jonests/bob-1.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k193/jonests/matrix.jpg

[Rod Nunley]

Band of Brothers on Blu ray? Oh man I am all over that. Very exciting. :)

[Cth]

Random bits:



WALL-E Gets Blu-ray Date

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring the Pixar animated film 'WALL-E' to Blu-ray on November 18th, day-and-date with the DVD release. Little is know about this release except that it will be a two-disc set with BD-Live interactivity and a digital copy of the film via, what Disney is calling, "Disney File".

No word on what Pixar catalog title might accompany 'WALL-E' on release day. Originally, 'Finding Nemo' was to be released, but has since been delayed until 2009.




SIN CITY -> Oct. 21?

While we're on the subject of Buena Vista, there have been a lot of reports around the Net that the studio is planning to release Sin City on Blu-ray Disc on 10/21. That's a big negatory, folks. We've checked with the studio and have officially learned that the title has been pushed back into 2009, along with Finding Nemo. Just so you know... you know?




Release Dates & Specs for First Wave of Criterion Blu-ray Discs

The Criterion Collection has posted details for their first five Blu-ray Disc titles. 'The Third Man' and 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' are set for release on November 18th, while three more titles - 'Bottle Rocket,' 'Chungking Express,' and the critically acclaimed 'The Last Emperor' - arrive one week later on the 25th. The films will be presented in their original (or director approved) aspect ratios in new high definition digital transfers, featuring lossless and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mixes. Each title will also contain a wealth of extra features.

'The Third Man' (1949) will featured a restored high definition transfer in 1.37:1, and an uncompressed mono soundtrack. Extra features include:

# Video introduction by writer-director Peter Bogdanovich
# Two audio commentaries: one by filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy, and one by by film scholar Dana Polan
# Shadowing "The Third Man" (2005), a ninety-minute feature documentary on the making of the film
# Abridged recording of Graham Greene's treatment, read by actor Richard Clarke
# "Graham Greene: The Hunted Man," an hour-long, 1968 episode of the BBC's Omnibus series, featuring a rare interview with the novelist
# "Who Was the Third Man? (2000)," a thirty-minute Austrian documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew
# The Third Man on the radio: the 1951 "A Ticket to Tangiers" episode of The Lives of Harry Lime series, written and performed by Orson Welles, and the 1951 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of The Third Man
# Illustrated production history with rare behind-the-scenes photos, original UK press book, and U.S. trailer
# Actor Joseph Cotten's alternate opening voice-over narration for the U.S. version
# Archival footage of postwar Vienna
# A look at the untranslated foreign dialogue in the film
# A booklet featuring an essay by Luc Sante


'The Man Who Fell to Earth' (1976) will feature a high definition digital transfer approved by director Nicolas Roeg, and an uncompressed stereo soundtrack. Extra features include:

# Audio commentary by Roeg and actors David Bowie and Buck Henry
# New video interview with screenwriter Paul Mayersberg Performance, video interviews with actors Candy Clark and Rip Torn
# Audio interviews with costume designer May Routh and production designer Brian Eatwell
# Audio interview from 1984 with author Walter Tevis, conducted by Don Swaim
# Multiple stills galleries, including Routh's costume sketches; behind-the-scenes photos; and production and publicity stills, introduced by set photographer David James
# Gallery of posters from Roeg's films
# Trailers
# Booklet featuring an essay by critic Graham Fuller


'The Last Emperor' (1987) features a high definition digital transfer approved by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, and a stereo track in DTS-HD Master Audio. Extras include:

# Audio commentary by director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto
# The Italian Traveler: Bernardo Bertolucci, a 53-minute film by Fernand Mozskowicz, tracing the director's geographic influences, from Parma to China
# Video images taken by Bertolucci in China
# The Chinese Adventure of Bernardo Bertolucci, a 52-minute documentary that revisits the film's creation
# A 47-minute documentary featuring Storaro, editor Gabriella Cristiana, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestri
# A 66-minute documentary exploring Bertolucci's creative process and the making of The Last Emperor
# A 30-minute interview with Bertolucci from 1989
# A new interview with composer David Byrne
# A new interview with Ian Buruma examining the historical period of the film
# Theatrical trailer
# Booklet featuring an essay by critic David Thomson


'Chungking Express' (1994) features a restored high-definition digital transfer, as well as a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack supervised by director Wong Kar-wai. Extras include:

# Audio commentary by noted Asian cinema critic Tony Rayns
# U.S. theatrical trailer
# New and improved English subtitle translation
# Booklet featuring a new essay by critic Amy Taubin and excerpts from a 1996 Sight and Sound interview with Wong by Rayns


'Bottle Rocket' (1996) features a new, restored transfer supervised by direct Wes Anderson and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include:

# Commentary by director/co-writer Anderson and co-writer/actor Owen Wilson
# The Making of "Bottle Rocket": an original documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman featuring Anderson, James L. Brooks, James Caan, Temple Nash Jr., Kumar Pallana, Polly Platt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Musgrave, Richard Sakai, David and Sandy Wasco, Andrew and Luke and Owen Wilson, and Robert Yeoman
# The original thirteen-minute black-and-white Bottle Rocket short film from 1992
# Eleven deleted scenes
# Anamorphic screen test, storyboards, location photos, and behind-the-scenes photographs by Laura Wilson
# Murita Cycles, a 1978 short film by Braverman
# The Shafrazi Lectures, no. 1: Bottle Rocket
# Booklet featuring an essay by executive producer James L. Brooks, an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, and original artwork by Ian Dingman




TF:

http://images.dvdempire.com/gen/movies/1409331bh.jpg




http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41aLncJsKAL._SS500_.jpg

[George]

I've been waiting for the Criterion release of Bottle Rocket and now that it'll be on blu-ray is even better.

and I love the gas can / matchbook packaging that's used for Dogs

[Cth]

Updated Release List:




August 26, 2008
Action Starter Pack (Universal)
Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner)
Afro Samurai: Season One (FUNimation)
Blue Man Group: How to Be a Megastar Live! (Rhino)
Dude, Where's My Car? (MGM)
End of Days (Universal)
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)
How the West Was Won (Warner)
Made of Honor (Sony)
Miami Vice (Universal)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney)
Pale Rider (Warner)
Postal (UMVD)
Redbelt (Sony)
U-571 (Universal)
What Happens in Vegas (Fox)

September 2, 2008
Black Mask (Lionsgate)
Cirque du Soleil: Corteo (Sony)
Eraser (Warner)
Every Which Way But Loose (Warner)
Gauntlet (Warner)
The Invincible Iron Man (Lionsgate)
Marine Aquarium (BCI)
Married Life (Sony)
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate)
Nightmare on Elm Street (Warner)
Outbreak (Warner)
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (FUNimation)
Transformers (Paramount)
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (Warner)

September 9, 2008
Baby Mama (Universal)
Cool Hand Luke (Warner)
Day Watch (Fox)
The Fall (Sony)
The Forbidden Kingdom (Lionsgate)
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season—Expanded (Disney)
How the West Was Won (Warner)
Jerry Maguire (Sony)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Disney)
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Disney)
Mongol (Universal)
Night Watch (Fox)
The Omen (1976) (Fox)
The Omen: The Collection (Fox)
Rudy (Sony)
Smallville: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner)
Then She Found Me (Image)
The Ultimate Matrix Collection (Warner)

September 16, 2008
88 Minutes (Sony)
1408 (Weinstein)
AC/DC - No Bull (Sony)
Another Cinderella Story (Warner)
Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might/Lord of Slug (FUNimation)
Hulk (Universal)
Leatherheads (Universal)
The Love Guru (Paramount)
Madagascar (Paramount)
Made of Honor (Sony)
The Mist (Weinstein)
Pirates of the Caribbean: 3-Movie Collection (Disney)
Pushing Daisies: Season One (Warner)
Risky Business (Warner)
Roy Orbison: A Black & White Night (Image)
Shrek the Third (Paramount)
Speed and Angels (Vivendi Visual)
Speed Racer (Warner)
Torchwood: The Complete First Season (BBC)

September 23, 2008
Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom (Porchlight)
Blow (New Line)
Deception (Fox)
The Godfather Collection (Paramount)
Halford: Live Insurrection - Remastered (Metal God)
L.A. Confidential (Warner)
Re-Cycle (Image)
Run, Fatboy, Run (Universal)
Sex and the City (New Line)
Within Temptation: Black Symphony (TBA)

September 30, 2008
Angel in the Family (Echo Bridge)
Can't Hardly Wait: 10th Anniversary Edition (Sony)
A Christmas Visitor (Echo Bridge)
Daredevil: Director's Cut (Fox)
Dawn of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut (Universal)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Universal)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal)
Iron Man (Universal)
Judd Apatow 3-Pack (Universal)
Knocked Up (Universal)
Land of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut (Universal)
Maid in Manhattan (Sony)
The Man Who Saved Christmas (Echo Bridge)
Mona Lisa Smile (Sony)
My Best Friend's Wedding (Sony)
Salem Witch Trials (Echo Bridge)
The Sixth Sense (Disney)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973) (Dark Sky Films)
The Thing (Universal)
When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (Image)

October 7, 2008
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Sony)
The Amittyville Horror (1979) (MGM)
Beetlejuice (Warner)
Body Heat (Warner)
Carrie (1973) (MGM)
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (Sony)
Faces of Death (Gorgon)
The Happening (Fox)
It Came from Beneath the Sea (Sony)
Korn: Live on the Other Side (Image)
Otis: Uncut (Warner)
The Police: Certifiable - Live in Buenos Aires (Sony) [Best Buy Exclusive]
The Ray Harryhausen Collection [20 Million Miles to Earth, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, It Came from Beneath the Sea] (Sony)
Otis: Uncut (Warner)
Rest Stop (Warner)
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (Warner)
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)
Stuck (Image)
The Visitor (Starz)
White Noise/Whit Noise 2 (Disney)
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony)
Young Frankenstein (Fox)

October 14, 2008
American Gangster (Universal)
Casino (Universal)
The Code (First Look)
Constantine (Warner)
Eastern Promises (Universal)
IMAX: Cosmic Voyage/Destiny in Space (Warner)
IMAX: Dolphins (Image)
IMAX: The Living Sea (Image)
IMAX: Space Station/Mission to Mir (Warner)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount)
Jewel of the Nile (Fox)
Poltergeist (Warner)
Romancing the Stone (Fox)
Soundstage: Jewel - The Essential Live Songbook (Koch Releasing)
Standard Operating Procedure (Sony)
Warren Miller: Playground (?)
War, Inc (First Look)

October 21, 2008
The Breed (First Look)
Casino Royale: Collector's Edition (Sony)
Diary of the Dead (Weinstein)
Die Another Day (MGM)
Dr. No (MGM)
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Vivendi Visual)
For Your Eyes Only (MGM)
From Dusk 'Til Dawn (Disney)
From Russia with Love (MGM)
Ghostbusters (Sony)
Ghostbusters II (Sony)
Halloween (2007) (Weinstein)
James Bond Collection 3-Pack Volume 1 [Die Another Day, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball] (Sony)
James Bond Collection 3-Pack Volume 2 [Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Live and Let Die]
Live and Let Die (MGM)
National Geographic: Atmospheres - Earth, Air & Water (National Geographic)
The Strangers (Universal)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Dreamworks)
Thunderball (MGM)
The Woods Have Eyes (Echo Bridge)

October 28, 2008
Baraka (MPI)
The Bird People in China (Arts Magic)
The Contract [2006] (First Look)
Cruel World (Echo Bridge)
Dead Space: Downfall (Anchor Bay)
Elf (New Line)
The Final Countdown (Blue Underground)
The Final Patient (Echo Bridge)
Hell Ride (Weinstein)
Malice@Doll (Arts Magic)
Mysterious Island (Echo Bridge)
Polar Express: Presented in 3-D (Warner)
The Prince & Me 2: Royal Wedding (First Look)
The Prince & Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon (First Look)
Tinkerbell (Disney)
Zombie Strippers (Sony)

November 4, 2008
Caligula (Image)
A Christmas Story - Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner)
Futurama: Bender's Game (Fox)
IMAX: Extreme (National Geographic)
Monster's Ball (Lionsgate)
Planet of the Apes: 40-Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection (Fox)
The Shawshank Redemption (Warner)
Transsiberian (First Look)
Universal Soldier (Lionsgate)

November 11, 2008
Band of Brothers (Warner)
Black Christmas [1974] (Koch Distributing)
Chuck: The Complete First Season (Warner)
Firefly: The Complete Series (Fox)
Freedom: Vol. 1-7 [Box Set] (Bandai)
Harry Potter Years 1-5 [Gift Set] (Warner)
JFK (Warner)
The Story of 'O' (Koch Distributing)
Sukyaki Western Django (First Look)
Supernatural: Season Three (Warner)

November 18, 2008
Awake (Weinstein)
Encounters at the End of the World (Image)
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself (Image)
Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity (Image)
Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special (Image)
Lucky # Slevin (Weinstein)
Mad Money (Anchor Bay)
Paris Je T'aime (First Look)
Priceless (First Look)
The Stendhal Syndrome (Blue Underground)
UFC: Ultimate Comebacks (First Look)
The Universe: Season One (A&E)
Wall•E (Disney)
The Who: Killburn 1977 (Image)

November 25, 2008
Becket (MPI)
Fred Claus (Warner)
George Carlin: It's Bad For Ya (MPI)
The Incredible Hulk (Universal)
Superman: Doomsday (Warner)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Weinstein)

December 2, 2008
Austin Powers Collection: Shagadelic Edition, Loaded with Extra Mojo (New Line)
Casablanca [Ultimate Collector's Edition] (Warner)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [Disneyfile Edition] (Disney)
Day of the Dead (First Look)
Hancock (Sony)
Wanted (Universal)

December 9, 2008
American Hustle (Universal)
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (Fox)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Sony)
Katt Williams: Pimp Chronicles 1 (Universal)
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney)
MirrorMask (Sony)

February 3, 2009
Taxi Driver (Sony)

July 28, 2009
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music (Warner)


What I'm getting:
8-26
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)

9-2
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate)
Transformers (Paramount)

9-9
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Disney)
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Disney)

9-16
Hulk (Universal)
Speed Racer (Warner)

9-30
Daredevil: Director's Cut (Fox)
Iron Man (Universal)
The Thing (Universal)

10-7
Beetlejuice (Warner)
Sleeping Beauty (Disney)

10-14
Constantine (Warner)

10-21
Ghostbusters (Sony)
Ghostbusters II (Sony)

11-4
A Christmas Story - Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner)

11-18
Wall•E (Disney)

11-25
The Incredible Hulk (Universal)

12-2
Wanted (Universal)

12-9
Lost: The Complete Fourth Season—The Expanded Experience (Disney)
MirrorMask (Sony)

[Mylazycat]

Quick question as I get close to buying a HDTV: is the PS3 still the best Blu-Ray player?

[Akira]

Quick question as I get close to buying a HDTV: is the PS3 still the best Blu-Ray player?

Yep. Criterion also agreed recently.

August 26, 2008
Heroes: Season One (Universal)
Heroes: Season Two (Universal)

September 2, 2008
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate)

September 9, 2008
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Disney)
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (Disney)
The Omen (1976) (Fox)
The Ultimate Matrix Collection (Warner)

September 16, 2008
Hulk (Universal)

September 23, 2008
The Godfather Collection (Paramount)

September 30, 2008
Daredevil: Director's Cut (Fox)
Dawn of the Dead: Unrated Director's Cut (Universal)
Iron Man (Universal)
Judd Apatow 3-Pack (Universal)
The Thing (Universal)

October 7, 2008
The Police: Certifiable - Live in Buenos Aires (Sony) [Best Buy Exclusive]
Sleepy Beauty (Disney)

October 14, 2008
Constantine (Warner)
Eastern Promises (Universal)

October 21, 2008
Casino Royale: Collector's Edition (Sony) (only if it comes with a ticket to Quantum of Solace)

James Bond Collection 3-Pack Volume 1 [Die Another Day, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball] (Sony)
James Bond Collection 3-Pack Volume 2 [Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Live and Let Die]

November 11, 2008
Firefly: The Complete Series (Fox)

November 25, 2008
The Incredible Hulk (Universal)

December 2, 2008
Casablanca [Ultimate Collector's Edition] (Warner) (MAYBE)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [Disneyfile Edition] (Disney)
Wanted (Universal)

December 9, 2008
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Sony)
MirrorMask (Sony)

All double dips subject to sanity kicking in.

Oh, and Kill Bill 1 & 2 on blu ray and STILL NO FUCKING WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR?!?!?!? :frustrat::angry:

[Cth]

Quick question as I get close to buying a HDTV: is the PS3 still the best Blu-Ray player?

For the price, yes.

I'm sure someone can find a better one, but in terms of upgradability and price, you can't beat it, IMO.

[Mylazycat]

Thanks, guys.

[Cth]

Blu-ray Release for Kung Fu Panda Revealed

DreamWorks has revealed that they will bring their CGI animated film 'Kung Fu Panda' starring Jack Black, to Blu-ray on November 11, day-and-date with the DVD release. Technical specs have yet to be announced at this time, but a top-quality video and audio presentation is pretty much expected

Distributed by Paramount, the Blu-ray Disc carries a MSRP of $39.99.


-----


Halloween Remake Gets Blu-ray Details

The Weinstein Company has announced the special features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of the 2007 remake of 'Halloween', due to hit store shelves on October 21st. The disc will feature the director's cut of the film which extends the run time by 11 minutes. As previously reported, the disc will also feature a new 4.5 hour documentary on the film.

A full list of extras can be found below:

* New 4.5 hour documentary
* Audio commentary by writer/director Zombie
* 17 deleted scenes with optional director's commentary
* Alternate ending with optional commentary
* Bloopers
* Casting sessions
* The Many Masks of Michael Myers featurette
* Re-Imagining HALLOWEEN featurette
* Meet the Cast featurette
* Scout Taylor-Compton screen test

[Wubbs]

Hot damn! :rock:


Warner Home Video has announced Casablanca Ultimate Collector’s Edition for release on the 2nd December. The premium giftset is elegantly boxed in an intricate laser-cut Moroccan design and will include collectibles such as reproductions of executive memos and props**, a branded passport holder, luggage tag, photo book and mail-in offer for a movie poster. Retail will be $59.98. A Blu-ray release will also be available for $64.99. We don't have artwork for this one yet, but we've attached full details below:

Disc 1

• Behind the Story
- Introduction by Lauren Bacall
- Commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
- Commentary by film historian/author Rudy Behlmer
- 1988 TCM special: Bacall on Bogart
- You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca [Bacall hosts this spellbinding backstage tour]
- As Time Goes By: The Children Remember
- Production history gallery
• Additional Footage
- Deleted scenes
- Outtakes
- Who Holds Tomorrow? Premiere episode from the 1955 Warner Bros. Presents series
- 1995 WB Cartoon: Carrotblanca

• Audio
- Scoring Stage Sessions
- Knock on Wood Alternate Version, Wilson with Piano
- As Time Goes By Part One Alternate Take, Wilson with Piano
- As Time Goes By Part One Film Version, Wilson with Piano
- Rick Sees Ilsa Instrumental Medley
- As Time Goes By Part Two Alternate Take, Wilson with Piano
- As Time Goes By Part Two Film Version, Wilson with Piano
- At La Belle Aurore Instrumental Medley
- Dat’s What Noah Done Outtake, Wilson with Piano
- April 26,1943 Screen Guild Players Radio Broadcast
• Trailers
- Theatrical trailer
- 1992 re-release trailer

Disc 2

• 1993 documentary: Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v122/Wubbs/746_front.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v122/Wubbs/746_back.jpg

[Gavin]

Just watched Casablanca for the first time in 15 years. Loved it. May have to spring for this. Although, frankly I'd just prefer to have the movie with new features with all the extra crap crammed into the oversized box.

[Jason California]

Pioneer Sneaks Out $2200 Elite BDP-09FD; First Blu-ray Player That Crushes the PS3 (http://gizmodo.com/5040707/pioneer-sneaks-out-2200-elite-bdp+09fd-first-blu+ray-player-that-crushes-the-ps3)

http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/08/Pioneer_BDP-09FD_ANGLE_600.jpgLast May Pioneer told us that autumn would bring a "super duper" Blu-ray player (http://gizmodo.com/387893/pioneer-confirms-bdp+51fd-and-elite-bdp+05fd-profile-11-blu+ray-players-super+duper-bd+live-player-coming-this-fall)--the most powerful Blu-ray player ever built. It makes up for the current crop, which are lower in price but are missing key features like BD-Live for internet-based content. Well, not a leaf has fallen off a tree, yet here it is already, the $2,200 Elite BDP-09FD. Feature-wise, the best Blu-ray player on the market has been the PS3--turns out, an extra $1,700 will buy you something that kills Sony's game console as far as Blu-ray and other media are concerned.
http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/08/Pioneer_BDP-09FD_REAR-600.jpgAs you probably guessed, Pioneer finally accepts the need for 2.0. This will come with Ethernet and be fully capable of BD-Live playback, no firmware updates needed at the get-go. Unlike other BD-Live players, which require SD cards, this one comes with 4GB of internal memory for downloads.
The thing is a Mack truck, 45 or 50 lbs. of steel and aluminum with everything mounted carefully to eliminate vibration. The bottom layer of the aluminum-housed chassis is a quarter-inch plate of solid steel, and it's even got feet from a Japanese company called TAOC, supposedly the most vibration-free platform you can get. There are no wires inside either; all connections are physically mounted from the circuit board to the walls to reduce noise.
Pioneer says all of the engineering is so that this can be a single box that replaces some home theater snob's high-end CD player, DVD player and previous-gen Blu-ray player, blowing each in turn out of the water.
In the audio department, Pioneer recommends using this for decoding all music and movie soundtrack, and going analog out with those gold-plated 7.1 RCA jacks. It's decodes all known codecs from DTS and Dolby using a separate digital-to-analog converter for each channel. This is a little like having a separate motor for each wheel of your car. Combining this with some crazy audio engineering, they created a way for "completely perfect noise-free signal" to come through RCA jacks instead of the costlier old-school XLR jacks. "It's far better than what you find in most receivers," says Pioneer's Chris Walker. In fact, everything, including speaker preferences and other receiver-like tweaks, are adjustable from inside the player.
It's also got that crazy CD-playback technique first seen on Pioneer's summer models (http://gizmodo.com/387893/pioneer-confirms-bdp+51fd-and-elite-bdp+05fd-profile-11-blu+ray-players-super+duper-bd+live-player-coming-this-fall): When used with certain Pioneer receivers, it produces jitter-free disc playback.
In terms of video, it has 1080p/24 for Blu-ray and DVD content too, as you might expect, with a best-on-the-market image processor also found in Meridian's crazy 10-megapixel projector (http://gizmodo.com/5030792/meridian-10mp-projector-displays-on-25+foot-screen-with-no-pixelation).
The 09's next-level achievement is that it upconverts color information to 16 bits, previously unheard of because nobody had a system that could handle 16-bit color data. (Pioneer had to build their own for this mission.) That means that each picture can have up to "2,800 trillion" (um, 2.8 quadrillion??) colors, which the processor interpolates by looking at each frame of the Blu-ray's 8-bit color movie. Though most TVs only process 10-bit, Walker says that it's better to send over a richer signal that the TV has to tone down, than letting the TV upgrade the Blu-ray data itself. When TVs hit 16-bit, this sucka will be ready.
Cooler to me are the two HDMI jacks on the back. It's a first for a Blu-ray player (or PS3), and it means you can hook up the same player to both your projector and your flat-panel display without a splitter or some on-the-fly rewiring. You can even split it up so that HDMI 1 only does audio, while HDMI 2 does video, freeing up more video bandwidth, especially in those pesky longer cables that might get a bit choked. The HDMI can detect the source, and automatically determine what audio and video to send over.
Obviously, some people are going to be content with their PS3s for the time being (after all, they are only $500, a small price by comparison). And Walker acknowledges that speed is always going to be the saving grace of the game console. ("If we were to build a Blu-ray player around an Intel or Cell processor, we'd have those kinds of speeds too.") But as far as picture and audio output, nothing quite resembles this "super duper" machine. And on top of all that, we can stop bitching about Pioneer ignoring BD-Live, and getting on with the future. Now, seriously, why would ANYONE buy Pioneer's last batch (http://gizmodo.com/387893/pioneer-confirms-bdp+51fd-and-elite-bdp+05fd-profile-11-blu+ray-players-super+duper-bd+live-player-coming-this-fall)? Save your money, home-theater snobs. This badass will be out soon. [Pioneer (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/)]

[CougarTrace]

wonder when the LOTR movies will be put on Blu Ray.

[Cth]

Paramount representatives have now announced that their previously announced upgrade rebate will also include applicable HD DVD titles.

To quote our original article on the rebate:



Paramount Home Entertainment has announced that it will offer a rebate to consumers to replace some of their DVD titles with Blu-ray versions of the same movie. The rebate value is $10, and will be offered for select Paramount and DreamWorks titles. Certificates will be placed in the packaging of the Blu-ray products, which must be filled out and mailed in along with the proof-of-purchase tabs from both the DVD and Blu-ray versions. The receipt for the new Blu-ray title is also required.

The rebate applies to purchases of the chosen titles before December 31st, 2009, and all rebate claims must be postmarked by Jan. 31st, 2010. The rebate will be offered first for Transformers, due out on September 2nd, followed by The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration on September 23rd, and then Sweeny Todd on October 26th. Other titles already announced are Stardust, Old School and Zodiac, which are not yet dated.

Owners of Blu-ray equipment are arguably more likely to buy new Blu-ray releases and than old catalog titles they already own on DVD. The Paramount rebate offer might provide enough incentive for viewers to upgrade their favorite DVDs to HD on Blu-ray. More offers such as this should, and most likely will be made by other studios over the next few years to push out more Blu-ray titles.

Same goes for HD DVD.

[Petey Parker]

Woo hoo. Oasis - Lord Don't Slow Me Down is coming to Blu-Ray. I already have the DVD version but I'm definitely picking that up again. I have no interest in any of the other ones mentioned but maybe some of you guys do

From The Digital Bits (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#stingbd)



We've been a little busy tracking down more release information this afternoon, so we'll post more of those Blu-ray reviews tomorrow. But since we've been tracking down release info, we thought you might like to hear about a little bit more of it...

Specifically, for you music fans, we've just learned that Universal Music Enterprises will be releasing four new Blu-ray Disc titles on 10/21, including ABBA: The Movie, B.B. King: Live, Oasis: Lord Don't Slow Me Down and Michael Apted's Sting: Bring on the Night. Also coming that day are two more music titles on standard DVD, including The Four Tops: Reach Out and Johnny Cash: Cash for Kenya - Live in Johnstown.

[Darthdaw37]

I wish they would go down in price

[Cth]

http://www.techspot.com/news/31502-samsung-predicts-bluray-to-dry-up-in-five-years.html

Samsung predicts Blu-ray to dry up in five years

Even the largest supporter of Blu-ray, Sony, has admitted that it is
the end of the road for optical technology. At the same time they
also claimed it would be around for years to come, providing plenty
of capacity and versatility for quite a while. Given how long CDs and
DVDs are lasting, you might assume that to be 10 or even 15 years.

Maybe even more.

Not Samsung, they have a much gloomier picture of Blu-ray. They are
also members of the Blu-ray disc association along with Sony, and
concur that it's the last optical technology around. Where they
differ from Sony is in how long Blu-ray will last. They claim it may
have as little as five years. Even if it does manage to survive five
years, Samsung thinks that it definitely doesn't have 10 left in it.
Some of the cited reasons include increased distribution of high-def
content over the Internet, hardware pricing and more. It's
interesting when even two big supporters of Blu-ray predict its
downfall in the near future.

[Skatonic10]

http://www.techspot.com/news/31502-samsung-predicts-bluray-to-dry-up-in-five-years.html

Samsung predicts Blu-ray to dry up in five years

Even the largest supporter of Blu-ray, Sony, has admitted that it is
the end of the road for optical technology. At the same time they
also claimed it would be around for years to come, providing plenty
of capacity and versatility for quite a while. Given how long CDs and
DVDs are lasting, you might assume that to be 10 or even 15 years.

Maybe even more.

Not Samsung, they have a much gloomier picture of Blu-ray. They are
also members of the Blu-ray disc association along with Sony, and
concur that it's the last optical technology around. Where they
differ from Sony is in how long Blu-ray will last. They claim it may
have as little as five years. Even if it does manage to survive five
years, Samsung thinks that it definitely doesn't have 10 left in it.
Some of the cited reasons include increased distribution of high-def
content over the Internet, hardware pricing and more. It's
interesting when even two big supporters of Blu-ray predict its
downfall in the near future.

I totally agree that digital is going to come on strong, but I think a lot of people just like the fact that they have something physical in their hand. Or, an insanely secure way to store and backup all of the media they purchase. I think that is going to be the key for digital distribution.

[Akira]

I totally agree that digital is going to come on strong, but I think a lot of people just like the fact that they have something physical in their hand. Or, an insanely secure way to store and backup all of the media they purchase. I think that is going to be the key for digital distribution.

And with ISPs capping broadband access, digital distribution of HD movies is gonna take a while to get to the mainstream.

[Gavin]

Is the average consumer making the switch from DVD to Blu-ray?

[Skatonic10]

Is the average consumer making the switch from DVD to Blu-ray?

Veeeery sloooowly. And if stories like this keep coming out, they're not going to speed it up at all.

[chad2271]

anybody get the nightmare before christmas blu ray?

they were sold out at target. how does it look?

the extras were sweet and hefty. i may order off amazon.

[Akira]

I just moved and don't have internet at tthe new place yet. Does anyone know if the Universal BD Live stuff is active yet?

[Mylazycat]

Is there a select few best Blu-Ray discs out there? In other words, are there a couple Blu-Rays that look just amazing and are a must have as one's first Blu-Ray disc purchase to truly get the Blu-Ray experience?

I remember wanting my first DVD to be one with great cinematography so I got The talented Mr Ripley, which looked great.

[Cth]

Is there a select few best Blu-Ray discs out there? In other words, are there a couple Blu-Rays that look just amazing and are a must have as one's first Blu-Ray disc purchase to truly get the Blu-Ray experience?

I remember wanting my first DVD to be one with great cinematography so I got The talented Mr Ripley, which looked great.

Transformers
Hulk (2003)
Planet Earth
LOST Season 3
Heroes Season 1 & 2
Pixar films (Cars, Ratatouille, Shorts)

[Cth]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Sony/Street_Date_Changes/No_Ghostbusters_on_Blu_in_2008/2067

No 'Ghostbusters' on Blu in 2008

Who you gonna call on Blu-ray? Not 'Ghostbusters,' with Sony apparently sacking the planned Fall debut of the comedy classics.

As reported this past July, during this year's Comic-Con in San Diego the studio hosted a Blu-ray booth on the show floor that touted an October next-gen debut for both 'Ghostbusters' and 'Ghostbusters 2,' complete with a large overhead banner advertisement (featuring the tagline "Get Slimed in High-Def!")

Though Sony offered no further specs or official details on the Blu-ray releases, retailers had begun to report a planned October 21 street date, designed to tie in with a new Ghostbusters video game from game maker Activision.

But now it looks as if fans will have to wait a lot longer for the Bill Murray-Dan Aykroyd faves in high-def. Despite mounting anticipation, Sony never officially announced either 'Ghostbusters' film for Blu-ray, and now we've received word that despite the promotional push at Comic-Con, the titles remain TBA on the studio's next-gen slate.

At presstime there is no word when 'Ghostbusters' may finally appear on high-def, though as Activision also recently pushed back the street date for their Ghostbusters video game to next year, it's likely the Blu-rays have also been held back to coincide with the release.

[Akira]

Amazon has an exclusive bundle of 6 Bond movies on blu-ray (Dr. No / Die Another Day / Live and Let Die / For Your Eyes Only / From Russia with Love / Thunderball).
Current pre-order price is $111.95. That breaks down to about $18.66 each. Hell of a deal.
http://www.amazon.com/Collection-Six-Pack-Thunderball-Amazon-com-Exclusive/dp/B001DVVYEQ/ref=reg_hu-wl_item-added

[Cth]

http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/22/bad-signs-blu-ray-free-discs-cheap-players-and-declining-market-share

In this month's issue of Wired magazine, Sony and Microsoft splurged on a full-page insert that includes a Blu-ray DVD. The disc is the "director's cut" of Coma, a seven-part noir-esque crime thriller. On the back of the insert, there's a plug for Vista and the Sony Vaio. I don't know how much this is costing Sony and its partners, but it can't be cheap -- Wired's paid circulation is 706,494, and this press release indicates that other magazines may be involved.

Have Sony and its Blu-ray backers come to this -- using a marketing tactic reminiscent of 90s-style software and music giveaways in an attempt to boost Blu-ray? Remember, this was a technology that people were supposed to rush out and buy after Blu-ray won the HD format battle with HD-DVD. Sony president Ryoji Chubachi even expressed a goal back in April that Blu-ray would grow to a global market share of 50% in 2008. There's already strong evidence that Blu-ray's market share is declining, at least in the U.S., according to recent data from Nielsen VideoScan published on EngadgetHD.

In The Industry Standard's prediction market, there's a prediction that Blu-ray's market share will not break 50% by the end of this year. That's a no-brainer. Our readers are largely behind this prediction, with community consensus currently standing at 82%. Another prediction that Blu-ray player prices would drop below $250 by Thanksgiving was judged three months early after one model hit $249.47 (with a rebate). How low can prices go for the players? This morning, another reader pointed us to news that models by Sony and Samsung are selling for less than $200, including shipping. The Engadget author calls the Sony BDP-S300 deal "unquestionably delectable." Sony better hope that mainstream consumers feel the same way, or the company risks another weak Christmas for Blu-ray this year -- and losing out in an even bigger way when consumers begin to turn to the Internet for their HD content.

[costello]

Amazon.com has a blu-ray special going on right now. 95 discs are 55% off original price. Some really nice titles are only $13.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&docId=1000275911&plpage=1

[CougarTrace]

Amazon.com has a blu-ray special going on right now. 95 discs are 55% off original price. Some really nice titles are only $13.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&docId=1000275911&plpage=1

thanks I bought Gangs of New York!!

[J Money]

Amazon.com has a blu-ray special going on right now. 95 discs are 55% off original price. Some really nice titles are only $13.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&docId=1000275911&plpage=1

Ill have to pick up Nightmare Before Christmas tonight. And find something for $2 to get the free shipping.

[Cth]

The Shining is on sale at Best Buy for $15.

[Akira]

I just picked up The Mist last night. I didn't know that even was availible on Blu.

[Garth]

I just picked up The Mist last night. I didn't know that even was availible on Blu.

Yeah, it slid through 2 weeks ago. I love that flick, and double dipped.

[Akira]

Yeah, it slid through 2 weeks ago. I love that flick, and double dipped.

I was gonna buy the DVD anyway cause I wanted to see the B&W version, but this was worth an upgrade.