Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

[SLAYER]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Disney 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Booty to Include Two Discs, BD-Java Features

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disney/Exclusive_HD_Content/BD-50/Disc_Announcements/Disney_Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_Booty_to_Include_Two_Discs,_BD-Java_Features/481

In a pair of Blu-ray firsts for Disney, the studio will unleash their premiere two-disc and BD-Java-enhanced titles when it brings the blockbuster 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films to the format this spring.

As first announced late last month, the studio is set to debut 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' on Blu-ray on May 22, just in time for the theatrical premiere of the third film in the trilogy, 'At World's End.'

With expectations high for both releases to be a "trojan horse" for Blu-ray -- meaning the kind of huge A-list titles that will entice new consumers to finally dive into the format -- Disney appears to be pulling out all the stops to ensure fans are not disappointed.

Each title will be a "75GB" release, aka a BD-50 dual-layer disc for the movie, and an extra BD-25 single-layer disc with additional extras.

Tech specs include the usual 1080p video transfers and uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround tracks. Extras will replicate the existing, feature-packed standard-def DVD versions.

And exclusive to the Blu-ray releases will be two BD-Java bonuses. 'The Curse of the Black Pearl' will include "Scoundrels of the Sea," an interactive in-movie feature that presents facts on-screen about the legends and lore of pirates. 'Dead Man's Chest' will include an "exciting" new Java feature called "Liar's Dice," a single-player game shot in live-action HD video.

Disney has set a $34.95 suggested list price for each of the 'Pirates' flicks.

[RockyTop1]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Disney 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Booty to Include Two Discs, BD-Java Features

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disney/Exclusive_HD_Content/BD-50/Disc_Announcements/Disney_Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_Booty_to_Include_Two_Discs,_BD-Java_Features/481

In a pair of Blu-ray firsts for Disney, the studio will unleash their premiere two-disc and BD-Java-enhanced titles when it brings the blockbuster 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films to the format this spring.

As first announced late last month, the studio is set to debut 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' on Blu-ray on May 22, just in time for the theatrical premiere of the third film in the trilogy, 'At World's End.'

With expectations high for both releases to be a "trojan horse" for Blu-ray -- meaning the kind of huge A-list titles that will entice new consumers to finally dive into the format -- Disney appears to be pulling out all the stops to ensure fans are not disappointed.

Each title will be a "75GB" release, aka a BD-50 dual-layer disc for the movie, and an extra BD-25 single-layer disc with additional extras.

Tech specs include the usual 1080p video transfers and uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround tracks. Extras will replicate the existing, feature-packed standard-def DVD versions.

And exclusive to the Blu-ray releases will be two BD-Java bonuses. 'The Curse of the Black Pearl' will include "Scoundrels of the Sea," an interactive in-movie feature that presents facts on-screen about the legends and lore of pirates. 'Dead Man's Chest' will include an "exciting" new Java feature called "Liar's Dice," a single-player game shot in live-action HD video.

Disney has set a $34.95 suggested list price for each of the 'Pirates' flicks.

Sweet, sounds good. Finally starting to see some BD releases that are not void of extra features.

[The Chef]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Nice to see them using the BD-50 disc's, wasnt sure when this was going to finally happen. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come as it pertains to extras being included.

[SLAYER]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Nice to see them using the BD-50 disc's, wasnt sure when this was going to finally happen. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come as it pertains to extras being included.

Extras have been included in some blu-ray movies for months, and the first BD-50 disc was released in early October (Click, 10/10/06).

The news with Pirates is that they're using dual-layer 50GB discs, and the first BD-Java equipped features. BD-Java is blu-ray's answer to HD-DVD's IME (In Movie Experience).

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Extras have been included in some blu-ray movies for months, and the first BD-50 disc was released in early October (Click, 10/10/06).

The news with Pirates is that they're using dual-layer 50GB discs, and the first BD-Java equipped features. BD-Java is blu-ray's answer to HD-DVD's IME (In Movie Experience).

I can't wait for Pirates on BD.

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

I can't wait for Pirates on BD.

'Pirates' and the upcoming Pixar Blu-ray discs ('Finding Nemo' is slated to be the first) are what finally made me choose a side. I just hope the rumored super 30th Anniversary 'Star Wars' collection is available on Blu-ray as well. I've loved watching them in HD recently on HBO.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

'Pirates' and the upcoming Pixar Blu-ray discs ('Finding Nemo' is slated to be the first) are what finally made me choose a side. I just hope the rumored super 30th Anniversary 'Star Wars' collection is available on Blu-ray as well. I've loved watching them in HD recently on HBO.

Cars is the first, comes out June 5th. No word on Nemo yet.

[Skerik]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

I love Amazon. Preordered the Prestige and Babel and they both arrived last night with 10% off and free two-day shipping.

I have yet to watch either, but I'll definitely watch at least the Prestige this weekend.

[Sully]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

I have The Prestige on its way from NetFlix.

[JohnnytheSkin]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Cars is the first, comes out June 5th. No word on Nemo yet.

Even better! 'Cars' is my son's favorite movie!

The reason I said Nemo is that on the Pirates 2 disc they have a Blu-ray preview and the only one I saw listed was Nemo.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

I love Amazon. Preordered the Prestige and Babel and they both arrived last night with 10% off and free two-day shipping.

I have yet to watch either, but I'll definitely watch at least the Prestige this weekend.

I was reading that Babel is part of a trilogy, what are the first 2 movies in the series?

[Skerik]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

I was reading that Babel is part of a trilogy, what are the first 2 movies in the series?

Amores Perros and 21 Grams. Though the term "trilogy" isn't really used like it's supposed to be used. The films aren't related and you don't need to see any of them to see any of the others. They just all have similar plot lines.

I can't speak for Amores Perros, but 21 Grams was very good. It's told in a very fragmented and jumpy narrative style, so it's a little hard to follow the first time through, but it's very good. Naomi Watts is amazing in the movie.

[Skerik]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

VideoScan: Overall Blu-ray Disc Sales Now Surpass HD DVD

Preliminary disc sales data from Nielsen VideoScan for the week ending Feb 18 shows Blu-ray in the lead for disc sales since inception -- the first time Blu-ray has surpassed HD DVD in this category.

The numbers, as first reported by Home Media Magazine, show Blu-ray as having now sold 100 units to every 98.71 units of HD DVD since the inception of both formats.

Crippled by a dearth of new releases and what some attribute to the "PS3 Effect," HD DVD has seen its healthy early lead in the high-def format dwindle over the first six weeks of 2007. In fact, as we've previously reported, since VideoScan numbers became publicly available in early January, Blu-ray has led in weekly sales data by a factor of at least 2:1.

Studio comments on both sides of the format war were nothing if not predictable regarding the milestone.

On the Blu-ray side, David Bishop of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has this to say to Home Media Magazine: "Seeing HD DVD in our rear-view mirror is no surprise to us. Blu-ray’s success is something that we have predicted since we first started promoting the new format. It has always been Sony’s position that there would be an inevitable migration from HD DVD to Blu-ray because of several factors, including the technical superiority of Blu-ray, the successful launch of PlayStation 3, the growing availability of BD playback machines and BD-enabled computers from the best consumer electronic brands in the world, as well as the growing number of hit titles being made available on the BD format."

Steven Feldstein at Fox (which also backs Blu-ray) added: "As we noted at CES, the format war is in its final phase. It’s never been a question of if Blu-ray will pass HD DVD, but a matter of when."

Meanwhile, Ken Graffeo from HD DVD backing Universal Studios Home Entertainment attributed Blu-ray's win to the larger number of new Blu-ray titles that hit the market in the first six weeks of the year, and pointed to HD DVD's superior attach rate, which he said remains five times greater than Blu-ray's, saying: "Given that the life-to-date title sales ratios are close to 1:1, and given that Blu-ray has a 5:1 ratio right now on the hardware side due to the PS3, why aren’t Blu-ray software sales outpacing HD DVD by a similar ratio?"

Finally, as you might expect, dual-format supporting studio Warner (developer of the upcoming "Total Hi Def" hybrid disc) struck a more conciliatory tone: "We’re not in this for winning or losing,” said Warner SVP Steve Nickerson. "Both formats are selling well on software."

Unfortunately, without hard sales numbers from VideoScan (only per-format sales ratios), exactly how well the software is selling remains a mystery. Stay tuned...

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Industry_Trends/Disc_Sales/VideoScan:_Overall_Blu-ray_Disc_Sales_Now_Surpass_HD_DVD/489

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Terminator 2., Brotherhood of the Wolf, Serpico & Mulholland Drive HD DVD all up for pre-order @ http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/index.php

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Terminator 2., Brotherhood of the Wolf, Serpico & Mulholland Drive HD DVD all up for pre-order @ http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/index.php

Their not US, but French.