Topic: Blu-ray News

[pchin]

Hybrid Player Price War Brewing? LG Lowers Price of 'Super Blu' HD DVD/Blu-ray Player

With the arrival of Samsung's $1,049 dual-format player on the horizon for this fall, LG has lowered the price of its existing BH100 HD DVD/Blu-ray player by $200.

The first dual-format player to hit stores shelves, LG's BH100 has remained at its original retail price of $1,199 since its introduction earlier this year.

Full article

[kings5504]

HOLY FRAK!  I am so all over that BSG Season 1 set!!!

[pchin]

For those HD DVD fans that love FF, you may have to import these movies.



Source FF

Source FF2

It's a German site

[Mouldingo]

Blu-ray outpaces HD-DVD in U.S.: Home Media Research



LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Blu-ray high-definition movie discs outsold films on the rival HD-DVD format by 2-to-1 in the United States in the first half of 2007, Home Media Research said on Tuesday.

The division of Home Media Magazine said total sales of Blu-ray discs, using a Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research)-backed technology, totaled 1.6 million units from January 1 through July 1, compared with 795,000 HD-DVD discs sold in that period.

HD-DVD was developed by Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and film studios such as Warner Bros.

 Both formats were launched in spring of 2006. An estimated 3.7 million high-definition discs have been sold, including 2.2 million in Blu-ray and 1.5 million in HD-DVD through the end of July, according to Home Media.

A Home Media spokeswoman said Blu-ray got a further boost in August from strong sales of the "300" title. Stephen Nickerson, senior vice president, market management at Warner Home Video (TWX.N: Quote, Profile, Research), reported sales of about 190,000 Blu-ray units of the film, versus 97,000 in HD-DVD since July 31.

The industry-wide standards war is reminiscent of the VHS and Betamax battle.

Blockbuster Inc (BBI.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the largest U.S. provider of home movie entertainment, in June set out plans to line its shelves with Blu-ray DVDs, saying Blu-ray rentals were "significantly outpacing" HD-DVD rentals.


 Reuters

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray:



Available on October 2nd

[pchin]

Warner Goes Non-Combo with Wave of HD DVD Re-Issues

Becoming the second studio to "demote" several of its previously-released HD DVD/DVD combo releases, Warner Home Video has announced plans to re-issue a wave of eleven titles in stand-alone HD DVD editions this fall.

On October 2, Warner will discontinue the previous combo versions of the following titles and re-issue them in HD DVD-only versions, at two different price tiers:

Reduced from $39.98 to $34.95 will be the recent theatrical releases 'The Ant Bully,' 'The Fountain,' 'Happy Feet,' 'Lady in the Water,' 'The Lake House,' 'Letters from Iwo Jima,' 'Rumor Has It...,' plus Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning 'The Departed,' and one of 2006's top-selling high-def titles, 'Superman Returns.'

Slashed to an even cheaper $28.99 are the catalog titles 'Good Night, and Good Luck' and 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.'

Source

[pchin]

New Edition of 'Digital Video Essentials' Bound for Blu-ray, HD DVD

HD guru Joe Kane is readying the successor to his popular 'Digital Video Essentials' calibration tool with the release of 'DVE: HD Basics' on Blu-ray and HD DVD this fall.

'HD Basics' follows 'Digital Video Essentials,' which after a lengthy series of street date delays finally hit HD DVD this past April to much acclaim. 'HD Basics' will not only mark the first calibration disc from Kane tailored specifically for the high-def market, but also his first to be released on Blu-ray.

Source

[Mouldingo]

Polar Express Announced for Blu-ray

Warner Home Video has announced that the CGI animated film 'The Polar Express' will be released for Blu-ray on October 30th. The film will come on a BD-25 with 2.40:1 1080p VC-1 video and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. This film was previously released on HD DVD, and is one of the "make-up" titles which Warner promised to release before the end of the year.

source

[Mouldingo]

Face/Off and Jack Ryan Collection Delayed

Paramount Home Entertainment has updated their release schedule, and two upcoming titles have been delayed into October. The John Woo action film 'Face/Off' has been delayed from September 11th to October 30th. Also, an interesting note, the "2-disc" verbiage has been removed from the cover, though no specs have changed. The upcoming 'Jack Ryan Collection' has also been delayed, from September 25th to October 23rd. No specs have been changed.

source

[pchin]

Face/Off and Jack Ryan Collection Delayed

Oh many fans will be disappointed of the delay....

The consolation is there's really no rush in view there are still many other available tittles for purchase & it's pretty heavy na for the wallet. It's good to have some time to recuperate....

[Mouldingo]

Disney: 'Narnia,' 'Nemo' and 'Sleeping Beauty' Coming to Blu-ray in 2008





The sort of announcement you'd expect to be made at CES (and not in the dead of August), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has issued a press release previewing four of its top Blu-ray titles for 2008.

Referenced in the release for the first time publicly are upcoming Blu-ray releases for 'Sleeping Beauty' (Disney's first classic animated title to hit next-gen disc), 'Finding Nemo,' 'National Treasure,' and 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.'

Though exact street dates have not yet been announced, the studio has provided seasonal guidance for all four titles, and promises each will push the boundaries of what has been seen so far on the Blu-ray format.

First up in the Spring of 2008 will be the recent family hit 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,' which is slated to among the first Disney titles to include Picture-in-Picture bonus content.

Next, in the Summer of '08, the studio plans to debut its first BD-Live Blu-ray Disc title, the action-adventure blockbuster 'National Treasure.'

The Fall will see the release of two highly anticipated animated titles -- Pixar's 'Finding Nemo,' and -- in what promises to be a milestone release -- 'Sleeping Beauty,' which will be the first Blu-ray title to bear the studio's "Platinum Series" banner.

"The Platinum titles are the crown jewels of the Disney Studios and we do not take releasing them lightly on any format," said Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. "The proven Blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience."

The 'Sleeping Beauty' Blu-ray is slated to include a "Virtual Castle" and multi-player activities -- both utilizing BD-Live technology.

source

[Moks007]

Warner Goes Non-Combo with Wave of HD DVD Re-Issues

Becoming the second studio to "demote" several of its previously-released HD DVD/DVD combo releases, Warner Home Video has announced plans to re-issue a wave of eleven titles in stand-alone HD DVD editions this fall.

On October 2, Warner will discontinue the previous combo versions of the following titles and re-issue them in HD DVD-only versions, at two different price tiers:

Reduced from $39.98 to $34.95 will be the recent theatrical releases 'The Ant Bully,' 'The Fountain,' 'Happy Feet,' 'Lady in the Water,' 'The Lake House,' 'Letters from Iwo Jima,' 'Rumor Has It...,' plus Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning 'The Departed,' and one of 2006's top-selling high-def titles, 'Superman Returns.'

Slashed to an even cheaper $28.99 are the catalog titles 'Good Night, and Good Luck' and 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.'

Source

hay naku finally. one of the best decisions ever by warner, my dream list include letters of iwo, departed and superman returns, maybe kiss kiss bang bang

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray:



Available on September 25th.

[dts-HD 3D]

Warner Goes Non-Combo with Wave of HD DVD Re-Issues

Becoming the second studio to "demote" several of its previously-released HD DVD/DVD combo releases, Warner Home Video has announced plans to re-issue a wave of eleven titles in stand-alone HD DVD editions this fall.

On October 2, Warner will discontinue the previous combo versions of the following titles and re-issue them in HD DVD-only versions, at two different price tiers:

Reduced from $39.98 to $34.95 will be the recent theatrical releases 'The Ant Bully,' 'The Fountain,' 'Happy Feet,' 'Lady in the Water,' 'The Lake House,' 'Letters from Iwo Jima,' 'Rumor Has It...,' plus Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning 'The Departed,' and one of 2006's top-selling high-def titles, 'Superman Returns.'

Slashed to an even cheaper $28.99 are the catalog titles 'Good Night, and Good Luck' and 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.'

Source

uy good news! less $5 din e2 i hope Universal will follow soon.

[krazy]

Disney announces BD-Live and PIP-enabled titles for 2008

PRESS RELEASE     

For Immediate Announce

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES
THE DISNEY BLU-RAY TITLE WAVE COMING 2008

Burbank, CA, August 17, 2007 -- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announced today more innovations in the Blu-ray format with the Studio's first ever Platinum Blu-ray release, the Studio's first BD-Live title, and full motion picture-in-picture Blu-ray bonus features.

The Studio announced the first animated Platinum coming to Blu-ray will be the timeless treasure Sleeping Beauty. Releasing Sleeping Beauty on Blu-ray marks a milestone for the format as these titles are not released until a format has been proven both technologically and in terms of consumer acceptance -- and Disney's animated releases in the past have been a major catalysis for any format's growth. Pinocchio's release on VHS and Snow White's release on DVD marked major growth milestones for both of those formats. The Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc release will also include a virtual castle and multi-player activities -- both utilizing the BD-Live technology.

"The Platinum titles are the crown jewels of the Disney Studios and we do not take releasing them lightly on any format. The proven Blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience," commented Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

In addition, WDSHE announced the special edition release of the action-adventure blockbuster National Treasure, which will become the Studio's first BD-Live Blu-ray Disc title. In addition, the Studio will bring two of its treasured family classics to Blu-ray Disc, Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, both of which will feature full motion picture-in-picture bonus features,

"The strides that we've made with this format are just the tip of the iceberg and we are confident that consumers will be astounded by the level of entertainment that can only be achieved by using the maximum capacity of the Blu-ray Disc format. All of these wonderful titles will appeal to the ever growing Blu-ray market and we are extremely proud to offer these in the most pristine and robust presentations ever for Disney fans around the globe," continued Chapek.

This exciting slate of Blu-ray Disc releases will begin with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in spring 2008, followed by National Treasure in summer of 2008 and culminating with Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo and Sleeping Beauty in fall 2008.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/pressrelease_disney2008bluray.html

[ThePatriot]

from blur-ray:

Oldboy Delayed to November; Specs Announced
Posted August 20, 2007 by Josh

Tartan Video has revealed that their first US Blu-ray release, 'Oldboy', has been delayed from its original October 23rd release date until November 6th. The movie will come in an unrated form on a BD-50 (some extras on the packed-in DVD). Video will be encoded using AVC and feature a Korean DTS-HD audio track. Extras include numerous commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, a documentary, and trailers.

After a drunken night on the town, a family man with a wife and daughter comes to in an apartment he doesn't recognize. He's held captive there by an unknown enemy. His only company is a television. A news broadcast informs him that his wife has been murdered, and he has been implicated as the killer. Fifteen years later, he's finally set free from his surreal prison. He has five days to find out who captured him, and why.

[ThePatriot]

from blu-ray:

Ocean's Box Set Coming Soon to Blu-ray
Posted August 17, 2007 by Josh

Warner Home Video has revealed that they will release the three "Ocean's" movies - 'Ocean's 11', 'Ocean's 12', and 'Ocean's 13' - on Blu-ray this fall as a high definition box set. The releases will feature exclusive bonus content only available on the high definition releases, including deleted scenes and never before seen footage. No specs have been announced at this time.

[Mouldingo]

Listed below are the upcoming Blu-ray Disc releases from Fox and MGM excluding new theatrical day & date BD/DVD releases. EXACT TITLE CONFIGURATIONS TO FOLLOW IN THE COMING WEEKS.

TITLE....................................N.A. RELEASE ..................INTERNATIONAL RELEASE
MASTER & COMMANDER ...........OCT. 2............................ OCT.
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW ....OCT. 2 ............................NOV.
FROM HELL ............................OCT. 9 ............................OCT.
THE FLY (1986) ......................OCT. 9 .............................Q1 08
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS `.......OCT. 9 .............................NOV.
28 DAYS LATER ......................OCT. 9............................... North America Only
ROBOCOP (MGM) .....................OCT. 9 ..............................DEC.
AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) (MGM) OCT. 9 ..........................North America Only
BATTLE OF BRITAIN (MGM) .............NOV. 6......................... Q1 08
A BRIDGE TOO FAR (MGM) ..............NOV. 6 .........................Q1 08
I, ROBOT ......................................NOV. 13....................... Q1 08
DIE HARD...................................... NOV ............................NOV.
DIE HARD 2 DIE HARDER................. NOV............................. NOV.
DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE..........NOV ..........................NOV.
RED DAWN (MGM) ...........................NOV ..........................Q1 08
MR. AND MRS. SMITH .......................DEC. 4 .......................DEC.
INDEPENDENCE DAY........................ DEC. 4 .......................DEC.
CAST AWAY.................................... DEC. 4 .......................North America Only
RONIN (MGM).................................. DEC. 4 .......................DEC

[Munskie]

Listed below are the upcoming Blu-ray Disc releases from Fox and MGM excluding new theatrical day & date BD/DVD releases. EXACT TITLE CONFIGURATIONS TO FOLLOW IN THE COMING WEEKS.

TITLE....................................N.A. RELEASE ..................INTERNATIONAL RELEASE
MASTER & COMMANDER ...........OCT. 2............................ OCT.
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW ....OCT. 2 ............................NOV.
FROM HELL ............................OCT. 9 ............................OCT.
THE FLY (1986) ......................OCT. 9 .............................Q1 08
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS `.......OCT. 9 .............................NOV.
28 DAYS LATER ......................OCT. 9............................... North America Only
ROBOCOP (MGM) .....................OCT. 9 ..............................DEC.
AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) (MGM) OCT. 9 ..........................North America Only
BATTLE OF BRITAIN (MGM) .............NOV. 6......................... Q1 08
A BRIDGE TOO FAR (MGM) ..............NOV. 6 .........................Q1 08
I, ROBOT ......................................NOV. 13....................... Q1 08
DIE HARD...................................... NOV ............................NOV.
DIE HARD 2 DIE HARDER................. NOV............................. NOV.
DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE..........NOV ..........................NOV.
RED DAWN (MGM) ...........................NOV ..........................Q1 08
MR. AND MRS. SMITH .......................DEC. 4 .......................DEC.
INDEPENDENCE DAY........................ DEC. 4 .......................DEC.
CAST AWAY.................................... DEC. 4 .......................North America Only
RONIN (MGM).................................. DEC. 4 .......................DEC

great news!! 

[NeilNo]

Dec. 4 will be an expensive day!

Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 on HD DVD

For Blu-ray;
20 Million Miles to Earth (Sony)
Cast Away (Fox)
Independence Day (Fox)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Fox)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Buena Vista)
Ronin (MGM)

    

[pchin]

Wow..dami great movies...I'm drooling...

[ThePatriot]

Listed below are the upcoming Blu-ray Disc releases from Fox and MGM excluding new theatrical day & date BD/DVD releases. EXACT TITLE CONFIGURATIONS TO FOLLOW IN THE COMING WEEKS.

TITLE....................................N.A. RELEASE ..................INTERNATIONAL RELEASE
MASTER & COMMANDER ...........OCT. 2............................ OCT.
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW ....OCT. 2 ............................NOV.
FROM HELL ............................OCT. 9 ............................OCT.
THE FLY (1986) ......................OCT. 9 .............................Q1 08
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS `.......OCT. 9 .............................NOV.
28 DAYS LATER ......................OCT. 9............................... North America Only
ROBOCOP (MGM) .....................OCT. 9 ..............................DEC.
AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) (MGM) OCT. 9 ..........................North America Only
BATTLE OF BRITAIN (MGM) .............NOV. 6......................... Q1 08
A BRIDGE TOO FAR (MGM) ..............NOV. 6 .........................Q1 08
I, ROBOT ......................................NOV. 13....................... Q1 08
DIE HARD...................................... NOV ............................NOV.
DIE HARD 2 DIE HARDER................. NOV............................. NOV.
DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE..........NOV ..........................NOV.
RED DAWN (MGM) ...........................NOV ..........................Q1 08
MR. AND MRS. SMITH .......................DEC. 4 .......................DEC.
INDEPENDENCE DAY........................ DEC. 4 .......................DEC.
CAST AWAY.................................... DEC. 4 .......................North America Only
RONIN (MGM).................................. DEC. 4 .......................DEC

from blu-ray:

[NeilNo]

'Transformers' on HD DVD in October?
August 23, 2007
 
 Transformers fan website TFW2005.com is reporting they've received word from multiple sources indicating October 16 is the day Michael Bay's 'Transformers' will be released simultaneously on DVD and HD DVD.

The first sign pegging this date comes in the form of a CVS Pharmacy planogram. These marketing sheets are used to aid stores in setting their shelves for new product, and apparently someone has laid eyes on one including 'Transformers' and the date.

The second sign comes in the form of an October 16 dated pre-order link at HDAddicts.com (see pre-order here). It's important to note that none of the larger online retailers have begun taking pre-orders, so HDAddicts could very well be speculating the date.

As with any pre-announcement release date information, please take it with a grain of salt until Paramount Home Video officially reveals their plans.

source: http://dvd.themanroom.com/dvd-newsview.php?id=684

Wow! That soon? Paramount didn't waste their time!

[NeilNo]

Full Specs in for 'Spider-Man: High-Def Trilogy' Blu-ray
 


Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has revealed full specs for its highly-anticipated 'Spider-Man: The High-Def Trilogy,' but they may be something of a letdown for fans of the first two films in the franchise.

As announced earlier this month, Sony plans to issue all three Spider-Man movies in a special Blu-ray box set on October 30.
 
But while the box set will roll out the red carpet for 'Spider-Man 3,' featuring identical specs to the concurrently-released stand-alone Blu-ray edition of the movie (which includes a bonus disc filled with extras, plus PCM 5.1 surround and Dolby TrueHD audio tracks), the first two Spider-Man flicks will come significantly less feature-packed.

Neither 'Spider-Man' nor 'Spider-Man 2' will include any of the bonus features from their original DVD releases, and -- in a first for Sony -- neither will include support for PCM audio. Instead, both 'Spider-Man' and 'Spider-Man 2' will contain Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround tracks only.

For high-def fans of 'Spider-Man 2,' however, all is not lost. The 'High-Def Trilogy' will contain both the theatrical version of the sequel and 'Spider-Man 2.1,' an extended version of the film that was subsequently released on video. Viewers will be able to choose each seamlessly via the Blu-ray format's branching technology for uninterrupted playback.

Sony has set a $99.98 list price for the box set.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Sony/Disc_Announcements/Full_Specs_in_for_Spider-Man:_High-Def_Trilogy_Blu-ray/887

[pchin]

'Transformers' on HD DVD in October?

Wow! That soon? Paramount didn't waste their time!

Hooyah...amen! Once I got this babe, will have to watch it again & again!

[dts-HD 3D]

Uy thats fast ha, even earlier than Spid3rman.

I hope they jampack the Transformers w/ special features just like what warner did on 300 hd dvd webisodes, blue/greenscreen PiP, web-enabled, etc.

[Mouldingo]

Do we need to read between the lines here??

Nickerson will exit Warner high-def post

Steve Nickerson, Warner Home Video's ubiquitous next-generation disc guru, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities that will be announced shortly.

Nickerson came to Warner in 2000 after 17 years in the consumer-electronics sector. Most recently, he worked with Toshiba, helping oversee the launch of DVD as senior vp sales and marketing.

At Warner, Nickerson was hired as vp DVD marketing and then became senior vp sales for the U.S., a position he held until 2002. After three years as GM of Australia, he returned to the U.S. in 2005 as senior vp market management.

A year later, with the launch of Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, he became Warner's point man for the new formats as senior vp high-definition media. He was a regular speaker at industry trade shows and conferences and talked up the studio's dual-format approach as giving the consumer the ultimate choice and the studio a chance to maximize high-def disc revenue.

"While it's hard to leave a company like Warner Bros., I have appreciated the opportunities that I have been given here and, especially, the chance to work with so many great people," Nickerson said.

HollywoodReporter

[Mouldingo]

From a beatboy 77 wannabe...

Stephen Nickerson came to Warner from a position at Toshiba. Warner is likely to announce killing of the Total HD initiative after the recent Combo disc issues and may be going Blu-ray exclusive.

Apparently Warner has been cancelling some orders for HD DVD orders this past week and pre-orders for some HD DVD titles are now unavailable or listed as delivery "unknown".

We should know by Monday.

http://digg.com/tech_news/Rumor_Warner_Brothers_Steve_Nickerson_Steps_Down

[Mouldingo]

Prepare for another wild week

[john5479]

Lets wait and see