Keyword Archive:
High Definition DVD

The Dude Abides in Blu-ray!

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

Yep, Universal Pictures has announced that the Coen brothersslacker classic
will debut on the high-def format as of August 16 of this year.

April Fools! (Toshiba to Sue Everyone Who Didn’t Buy HD DVD)

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

Toshiba, the chief backer of HD DVD, the loser in the high-def disc format wars, has announced what it calls a “reverse class-action” suit against every household that failed purchase an HD DVD player since the format launched in 2006. The lawsuit charges that, by failing to support HD DVD, their non-customers “handed the format war to Blu-ray on a silver platter and deprived future customer of their right to make a choice.” (more…)

Feelin’ Blu: A Postwar Guide to Blu-ray

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

blu-ray-logo.gifThe victory of Blu-ray over HD DVD means that it is now safe (well, safer) to whip out the credit card and plunk it down on a player. However, is it a good time to buy or are you better off waiting? The answer to this question is, as usual, “it depends.”

In this case, the factors are how much you’re willing to spend, your current home theater setup, and what you demand from your movie viewing experience.

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R.I.P. HD DVD (2002-2008)

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

It’s over.

The white flag has flown. The tattered remnants of the Red army have laid down their arms. The bitter conflict that has divided the land is now decided. It is time for the period of reconciliation to begin.

Today, February 19, 2008, the final nails were driven into the coffin of HD DVD. Toshiba, the driving force behind the format, announced that they were ceasing development of new players and technology. Universal Studios, the most stalwart of the format’s supporters, announced that it would start releasing movies on Blu-ray. The dominos that started to fall on January 4th, when Warner Brothers announced their plans to go Blu-ray exclusive, are all now down.

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While You’re Waiting For the Next Review…

Sunday, November 4th, 2007

…head on over to Polls Boutique to check out our latest poll:

What is your High Definition format of choice?

Close Encounters of the Third Kind – DVD News

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

On the heels of the Blade Runner announcement this week, Sony is scheduled to announce a new DVD edition of Steven Spielberg‘s 1977 classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, set to be released on November 13. What makes this edition worth buying is the inclusion of all three versions of the film, including the first video release of the 1977 theatrical cut since a very rare Critereon Collection laserdisc back in the nineties. It will also include the 1980 Special Edition and the 1998 DVD cut (which is just the Special Edition minus the useless final scene inside the alien mothership, plus a couple shots restored from the theatrical cut).

This collection will also be released on Blu-Ray disc, making it the first high-definition release of any Steven Spielberg movie. I guess that means if you’re a Spielberg fan and on the fence in the high-def format war, it’s time to swallow the “Blu” pill.

Blade Runner Final Cut Officially Announced

Thursday, July 26th, 2007

The long-awaited “Final Cut” of Ridley Scott‘s landmark science-fiction cult classic Blade Runner has been officially annouced. It will have a brief theatrical run in New York and Los Angeles beginning on October 5, 2007. The DVD will be released in two, four and five-disc sets on December 18th.

The four-disc set will include all four officially released cuts of the film, including the 1982 U.S. theatrical version, the original international version and the 1992 “Director’s Cut.” The five-disc box set will come in a briefcase like the one carried by Harrison Ford in the movie and a model “spinner” (the flying cars seen in the film). The fifth disc will contain a rare “workprint” cut of Blade Runner. For this privilege, you will have to shell out about $80.

I will make every effort to attend one of the theatrical showings of the Final Cut and have a review for you. If you want to read more, you can read the official announcment on The Digital Bits.

An HD DVD tidbit you might find interesting…

Wednesday, May 10th, 2006

As many of you might know, HD DVD is Toshiba’s candidate for a high definition replacement for good old DVD (which is less than ten years old and probably doesn’t need replacing in a lot of people’s eyes, but that’s a story of another day).

Lorin Thwaits didn’t even bother to hook his new Toshiba HD DVD player to his big screen TV. Instead, he took it apart to see what makes it tick (do not try this at home, folks!). (more…)

Getting High Def with a Little Help from your Friends

Wednesday, January 11th, 2006

Gentle readers,

2006 promises to be a significant year for those of us who love to watch movies in the comfort of our own home theater. This year the home entertainment industry will launch not one, but two different high-definition formats that they hope will some day replace DVD. We’ll see about that.

The fact that there are two formats that pretty much do the same thing proves that the consumer electronics industry hasn’t learned shit since the VHS/Betamax war a quarter-century ago. Have two competing formats means that they will carving up what is already a relatively small portion of the overall television market. This is on top of the general confusion it will inevitably cause among consumers. I’d like to do what little I can to clear up some of this confusion by laying out some of the differences between the two contenders.

HD-DVD is being championed by Toshiba while Blu-ray is being pushed primarily by Sony. Both formats have other companies behind them but these two are the primary movers.

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