Topic: Blu-ray News

[pchin]

Its still a good three months off paul, more time to decide while you sit on the other fence.

Oh by the way, Ive just read an article in highdefdigest, the third generation of Tosh HD DVD players are arriving, even appeared in Amazon as pre-orders, but were pulled out.  These are the ToShiba A3, A30 and A35.  Rumored to be even cheaper than the previous models...

Yep, Marvin. In fact I'm already considering those new BD models to be released in Oct for BJ compliance. I will opt for a standalone player as I'm not a gamer. My taerget is by Dec (fingers crossed)

Yes, I saw the new HD players in Amazon earlier...any news or article about their sudden "pull-out"? Hmm...I wonder if the "cheaper" price is a factor in this mystery...

[NeilNo]

Time to save again!! 

[Mouldingo]

Spider-man 3 Specs



Scott Hettrick (HiHD) has revealed the specs for the upcoming two-disc Blu-ray release of 'Spider-man 3', as well as some additional info about the upcoming 'Spider-man High Definition Trilogy'. 'Spider-man 3' will feature all the extras from the 2-disc DVD release, and both 'Spider-man' and 'Spider-man 2' will be single disc releases, with the SM2 featuring both versions of the film via seamless branching. Both the 'Spider-man 3' and the Spider-man box set will be available October 30th.

Spider-Man™ 3 Two-Disc Special Edition DVD, Two-Disc Blu-ray™ High-Def

Disc One Special Features:
• Digitally Mastered Audio and Video
• Audio: English Dolby True HD 5.1, English PCM 5.1 (Uncompressed), French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai 5.1 (Dolby Digital)
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Thai, Chinese Mandarin, Chinese Cantonese
• Bloopers
• Photo Galleries
• Snow Patrol Music Video
• Audio Commentary with Director Sam Raimi and Cast Members Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, and Bryce Dallas Howard
• Audio Commentary with Producers Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad and Grant Curtis, Editor Bob Murawski and Special Effects Supervisor Scott Stokdyk
• Closed Captioned
• Bonus Previews

Disc Two Special Features:

• Digitally Mastered Audio and Video
• Audio: English, Spanish 5.1 (Dolby Digital). English, Spanish (Dolby Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Featurette: Grains of Sand - Building Sandman
• Featurette: Re-Imagining the Goblin
• Featurette: Covered in Black – Creating Venom
• Featurette: Hanging On…Gwen Stacy and the Collapsing Floor
• Featurette: Fighting, Flying & Driving – The Stunts
• Featurette: Tangled Web: The Love Triangles of Spider-Man 3
• Featurette: Wall Of Water
• Featurette: On Location Cleveland – The Chase on Euclid Avenue
• Featurette: On Location New York –From Rooftops to Backstreets
• Featurette: The Science of Sound
• Featurette: Inside The Editing Room
• Theatrical TV Spots From Around the World
• Closed Captioned

Spider-Man™ 3 Blu-ray™ High-Def 2-DiscBD Catalog # 15932
UPC Code: 0-43396-15932-7
Order Date: 9/27/07
SLP: $49.95

Spider-Man™ Blu-ray™ High-Def 3-Pack
BD Catalog # 22633
UPC Code: 0-43396-22633-3
Order Date: 9/27/07
SLP: $98.95

Source

[Mouldingo]

Dragon Ball Z Interview



Our good friends over at Anime on Blu-ray have an interview with FUNimation regarding their upcoming release of Dragon Ball Z: 'Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan' and 'Broly: Second Coming'. Some specs were revealed, including that the video will be encoded at 1080p using AVC, and that audio will be some form of DTS, with the original Japanese track also available.

Interview

[RadicalDude]

Time to save again!! 

It's what I've been waiting for. Time to buy PS3!!!

[john5479]

Toshiba to Announce 3rd Gen Players: 24fps, CE-Link, more

Toshiba's third generation family starts with the entry level HD-A3
player featuring 1080i output capability. The other two new models,
Toshiba's HD-A30 and HD-A35, will output 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080p),
the highest HD signal currently available. Both models are capable of
outputing signals at 1080p/24 frames per second so consumers can enjoy
movies in their native frame rate. The HD-A30 and HD-A35 models also
feature "CE-Link" (HDMI-CEC), allowing two- way control between the HD DVD
player and a TV through an HDMI connection.
The top-of-the-line HD-A35 also adds support for Deep Color via HDMI
allowing compatible display devices to deliver outstanding video quality -
displaying millions of possible colors to billions of possible colors.
Additionally, the HD-A35 offers 5.1 channel analog output and High Bit
Rate Audio (up to 7.1 channel) via HDMI. With content encoded in 7.1ch,
this advanced surround sound is achieved through the HDMI connection
bypassing the player's internal audio processor and sending the signal to a
7.1 capable A/V receiver. High Bit Rate Audio will allow the consumer to
integrate the HD-A35 with the latest multi-channel A/V receivers and enjoy
a whole new dimension of high definition home entertainment. 

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/s...04639654&EDATE=

[Mouldingo]

'300' Breaks Blu-ray, HD DVD Sales Records

[Mouldingo]

Kunting tiis na lang and the war will soon be over...

Universal Wants Format War to Continue


Speaking exclusively with HiHD's Scott Hettrick, Universal president Craig Kornblau admitted that his studio is in favor of the format war continuing, despite the negative effects it has on consumer adoption. While its hard to argue that this war has driven down hardware prices and increased quality of releases much faster than if there was only a single format, consumers have mostly stayed away from buying either until a victor can be decided.

Kornblau now believes that HD DVD's existence is so fragile, that if Universal were to decide to go neutral and start releasing on Blu-ray, HD DVD would cease to exist. In fact, they are so dedicated to HD DVD, that Universal has walked away from additional financial incentives to release Blu-ray content, besides the additional revenue they would make by releasing on the more consumer adopted format.

There is hope, however, that this war could soon be over. Kornblau admits that once players reach $200, consumers will begin making their decisions about which format to adopt, and that is when Universal will decide who to support. As we march towards the forth quarter, it is very realistic that Toshiba will slash the price of their players for a third time this year (in yet another act of desperation), paving way for a $200 player. If that happens, there is no reason Universal couldn't monitor the holiday sales and announce Blu-ray releases at CES 2008.

SOURCE

[Mouldingo]

300 Sells 163K on Blu-ray



Earlier this week, Warner Home Video announced that their high definition releases of '300' sold a combined total of 250,000 units during its first week of sale. At that time, it was not revealed how many of those were Blu-ray and how many were HD DVD. Today, a blog post by USA Today writer Mike Snider indicates that the sales ratio was 65-to-35 in favor of Blu-ray, indicating around 163,000 copies of '300' on Blu-ray were sold.

This mirrors the over all 2-to-1 sales ratio advantage Blu-ray has maintained since the beginning of the year. While the HD DVD version of the film boasted extras not available on the Blu-ray, consumers overwhelming chose the Blu-ray version with its PCM audio track and scratch-resistant coating. While the percentages only represents initial estimates, it is a good indication as to the success of the Blu-ray format.

SOURCE

[ThePatriot]

'Blade Runner' - 5 Disc Collector's Edition on Blu-ray, Dec. 18

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray:



September 25th

[dts-HD 3D]

Also available on HD DVD

 

September 25th / Dec. 18th

[NeilNo]

Disney Serves Up 'Ratatouille' on Blu-ray this November
 
Hide the cheese! Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced that the rats of 'Ratatouille' will make their Blu-ray debut this November.

Due in stores November 6, day-and-date with the standard-def DVD version, the Blu-ray edition of 'Ratatouille' will boast a 1080p transfer in the film's original 2.40:1 aspect ratio and uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio (at 48kHz/24-bit).

Among the bonus features will be a new documentary on the making of the film, deleted scenes and the short film "Your Friend the Rat." Extra exclusive to the Blu-ray include "Gusteau's Gourmet Game" and a "Cine-Explore" mode, which Disney is dubbing the "ultimate behind-the-scenes innovative experience." (We hope to get further information soon on just what exactly this feature entails -- stay tuned!)

Disney has set a $34.95 list price for the Blu-ray version of 'Ratatouille.'

November 6 is turning out to be a quite a day for Pixar releases on Blu-ray, with Disney also set to debut both 'Cars' and 'The Pixar Short Film Collection.'

Source:
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disney/Pixar/Disc_Announcements/Disney_Serves_Up_Ratatouille_on_Blu-ray_this_November/852

[Moks007]

Also available on HD DVD

 

September 25th / Dec. 18th

ya definitely will get these. I love these movies..

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray:






All available on October 2nd

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray:

[pchin]

Mama mia...so many nice titles on the way....

Moks007, prepare for heavy damages & for all Neutrals....

[john5479]

yeah tell me about it hehehe will definitely get the jack ryan collection

[Moks007]

Mama mia...so many nice titles on the way....

Moks007, prepare for heavy damages & for all Neutrals....

Ya Paul, a lot of nice titles on the way, indeed will be damaging. Im already starting to sell some of my stuff (Playstation 2 and double dip dvds that will come out in hidef ) so I can have some  cash for these titles hehe..Yesterday sold my Playstation 2 for 4 thou to my wifes sister in-law's brother hehe..Im consolidating na the dvds that im gonna sell hehe..

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray (available on Nov 6th):

[RadicalDude]

wishing they would release all pixar movies soon...

[Mouldingo]

Blu-ray Players Outpassing Rival HD DVD


Retailers are reporting that, despite HD DVD's price advantage, Blu-ray stand alone players are selling better than HD DVD stand alone players, and could be selling much more if supply could keep up with demand. Abt Electronics and Ultimate Electronics have reported that sales of Blu-ray players have increased dramatically since the introduction of low cost 2nd-generation players, and that current supplies are very tight.

John Abt, VP of Abt Electronics commented, "With all of the introductions of Blu-ray product, we have seen more sales in BD than in HD DVD, because there are so many options now out for consumers."

“We were seeing a 50/50 split in unit sales,” Bjorn Dybdahl, president of Bjorn's said. “That was primarily all three Toshiba players versus Sony's $499 players. If the Blu-ray group wants to put a death knell on HD DVD, then they need to get it everywhere very quickly.”

Source

Add'l Link

[pchin]

kawawa si HD DVD  :'(

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray:

[dts-HD 3D]

Blu-ray Players Outpassing Rival HD DVD


Retailers are reporting that, despite HD DVD's price advantage, Blu-ray stand alone players are selling better than HD DVD stand alone players, and could be selling much more if supply could keep up with demand. Abt Electronics and Ultimate Electronics have reported that sales of Blu-ray players have increased dramatically since the introduction of low cost 2nd-generation players, and that current supplies are very tight.

John Abt, VP of Abt Electronics commented, "With all of the introductions of Blu-ray product, we have seen more sales in BD than in HD DVD, because there are so many options now out for consumers."

“We were seeing a 50/50 split in unit sales,” Bjorn Dybdahl, president of Bjorn's said. “That was primarily all three Toshiba players versus Sony's $499 players. If the Blu-ray group wants to put a death knell on HD DVD, then they need to get it everywhere very quickly.”

Source

Add'l Link

  . . . another Sony press prank vs. the upcoming 3rd gen. Toshiba players? Latest NPD report is 61/36% market share in favor of HD DVD players. Hmm, I think that's not hard to beat esp. when BD titles start flooding on the last quarter & PS3 goes down to . . . $199 i wish

[pchin]

Universal Brings 'Evan Almighty' to HD DVD this October

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced it will bring the box office underachiever 'Evan Almighty' to HD DVD this October.

A sequel to the 2002 Jim Carrey blockbuster 'Bruce Almighty' (which hit HD DVD earlier this year), 'Evan Almighty' was seen as something of a disappointment at the box office this past summer despite the presence of red-hot Steve Carell. Though it cracked the $100 million mark in domestic receipts, with a reported gargantuan production budget north of $180 million, the film had little hope of turning a profit.

Regardless, Universal will give 'Evan Almighty' the full special edition treatment on video when it releases day-and-date HD DVD and DVD versions on October 9.

Tech specs include 1080p/VC-1 video and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track, plus Dolby Digital-Plus options in English, French and Spanish.

Source

[pchin]

Amazon Bundles Xbox 360 Elite with HD DVD add-on and Seven Discs for $599

Sweetening the pot for Xbox fans who may be considering stepping up to HD DVD, Amazon has begun offering a new bundle with sales of the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite.

Priced at $599, included in the bundle is the game console itself, the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on player, and copies of both '300' and 'King Kong' on HD DVD. Add to that the HD DVD camp's ongoing "Five Discs Free" promo, and the deal represents an effective savings of more than $240.

Source

[pchin]

Battle of HD DVD, Blu-ray formats leaves movie viewers frustrated

People who own an HD DVD player can forget about watching Spider-Man 3 in high definition when it goes on sale during the holiday season. The movie from Sony Pictures will be available only in the Blu-ray DVD format.

Likewise, people with Blu-ray players won't be able to enjoy the action-thriller The Bourne Ultimatum, which Universal Pictures will release only in HD DVD.

****
Chinese-made HD DVD players selling for $199 are expected to hit store shelves by December, while Sony is widely expected to cut the cost of its Blu-ray machine to as low as $299 by year's end.

"When that occurs, the studios and Sony are going to pull out the big guns," said Phillip Swann, president of the technology-oriented Web site TVpredictions.com. "They are going to release more titles, big titles, and really go for the kill this holiday season."

Full Article

[ThePatriot]

revised artwork from blu-ray:



Available on Dec 4th

[NeilNo]

'Battlestar Galactica' Blasts Off on HD DVD
 
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced it will bring the original Sci-Fi Channel mini-series and complete first season of 'Battlestar Galactica' to HD DVD in one elaborate box set this holiday season.

The acclaimed cult TV series (now in its fourth and final season on the Sci-Fi Channel) will make its highly-anticipated next-gen bow on December 4.

Featuring the original 2003 mini-series, the full pilot episode and the complete first season of the show, Universal will roll out the high-def red carpet for 'Battlestar,' in a six-disc set brimming with supplements.

In addition to audio commentary with creator Ronald D. Moore (and guests) on the complete mini-series, pilot and nine additional episodes, extras include more than a half-dozen featurettes, multiple deleted scenes, a still gallery and the "Encyclopedia Galactica," an interactive guide including ships, characters, colonies and flight training manual.

Also exclusive to the HD DVD release will be a picture-in-picture video commentary on the entire mini-series, featuring Moore, cast and crew and additional making-of footage.

Tech specs include 1080p/VC-1 transfers of the mini-series and each episode in 1.78:1 widescreen, plus Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround and Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround audio options.

Universal has set a suggested $99.98 for the set.


There will be no shortage of supplemental materials spread across all the discs, although the only new material appears to be picture-in-picture commentaries on a couple select episodes. Below is a disc-by-disc breakdown of what you can expect.

Disc One
Encyclopedia Galactica - An interactive guide including ships, characters, colonies and flight training manual
Picture in Picture - Behind the Scenes of the Mini Series
Deleted Scenes - Mini Series
Sketches and Art
From Miniseries to Series
Change Is Good, Now They're Babes
The Cylon Centurion
Future/Past Technology
The Doctor Is Out (Of His Mind)
Production
Visual Effects
Epilogue
Feature Commentary with Director Michael Rymer and Executive Producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore

Disc Two
Encyclopedia Galactica - An interactive guide including ships, characters, colonies and flight training manual
Picture in Picture - Behind the Scenes of the Mini Series
Deleted Scenes
Fearture Commentary with Director Michael Rymer and Executive Producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore
Pilot Commentary with Director Michael Rymer and Executive Producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore

Disc Three
Deleted Scenes
Episode 103 "Bastille Day" Commentary with Ronald D. Moore and David Eick
Episode 104 "Act of Contrition" Commentary with Ronald D. Moore and David Eick

Disc Four
Deleted Scenes
Episode 105 "You Can't Go Home Again" Commentary with Ronald D. Moore and David Eick


Disc Five
Deleted Scenes
Episode 109 "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore
Episode 110 "The Hand of God" Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore

Disc Six
Deleted Scenes
Episode 111 "Colonial Day" Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore
Episode 112 "Kobol's Last Gleaming" Pt 1 Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore
Episode 113 "Kobol's Last Gleaming" Pt. 2 Commentary with Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore