Disney Blu-Ray titles!

[yoda_four]

BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES LINE-UP OF BLU-RAY DISC TITLES

First titles to include Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Dinosaur, Hero and others

Burbank, CA, 1/4/2006 – Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) president Bob Chapek today announced that BVHE will begin releasing titles beginning summer of 2006 on the Blu-ray Disc format in conjunction with the hardware manufacturer's release of Blu-ray Disc products. Titles will include Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1; award-winning Hero; Dark Water starring Jennifer Connelly; Ladder 49 starring John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix; The Brothers Grimm starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger; The Great Raid starring Benjamin Bratt; Armageddon directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer; Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back; Walt Disney Pictures' Dinosaur; and the documentary Everest narrated by Liam Neeson. These ten titles mark the first wave of an ongoing release strategy from BVHE which will support the Blu-ray format.

Commenting on the announcement, Chapek stated, "The Blu-ray Disc represents a major technological advance in our industry, and just as DVD revolutionized home entertainment, the Blu-ray Disc promises to be the next step in our ability to satiate the consumer's appetite for entertainment by providing the ultimate user experience. The possibilities are endless and we've just begun to bridge the future of digital entertainment."

Blu-ray Disc is the next generation home entertainment medium featuring storage capacity 5 times greater than current DVDs, a picture compressed and authored in full high-definition 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080) and lossless audio (bit-for-bit directly from the sound stage) allowing for the first time a pristine digital audio and video home entertainment experience equal or superior to theatrical feature presentations. In addition to film, the Blu-ray Disc will also support music, gaming and other digital entertainment.

At launch, BVHE's Blu-ray titles will feature seamless, high resolution overlay pop-up menus which will allow for a first-time-ever continuous movie play experience; dynamic and unparalleled, high-definition picture; up to 7.1 channels of surround sound; new layering coating technology which provides a scratch resistance surface; and new sleek packaging. Other Disney Blu-ray feature technologies being developed include unparalleled interactive features; simultaneous on-screen chapter selection; and compelling online content, including web connectivity, which will allow users to connect to live events hosted by the studio and more.

Chapek added, "We are in an era where the consumer has growing control over the delivery of their entertainment choices. Blu-ray Disc represents a significant change in the digital landscape and how the consumer not only views but interacts with their choices."

Does Luke have a copy of the press release?

[MadonnasManOne]

When all studios decide on one format, or one format is the decided winner, only then will I consider upgrading.

[Isidour]

I second that!

or at least when a multi-format DVD player is released and I buy a HD screen

[Disney Lover]

I double what Isidour said! Especially if the multi format player plays regular dvds as well! And I can afford both a player and an HD TV.


Tabbi <3

[MickeyMousePal]

Like I said before I'm happy with my DVD's I don't want to do any upgrading at this time.
Once I hear HD-Blu-Ray DVD then I might go for it.

[Loomis]

When all studios decide on one format, or one format is the decided winner, only then will I consider upgrading.

All but one studio, Universal, is essentially in the Blu-Ray camp. Some of the other studios that are doing HD-DVD have a foot in each camp, but I think it is safe to say Blu-Ray will win out at this point.

I second the sentiment, though. It is going to take a lot more than catalogue titles to convince me that I need to upgrade to a new format. Especially given that I will probably need a new TV as well.

[xpern]

I'm sure I will buy a Blueray machine when there is a title I wan't badly enough in Hi-Res. I remember back in 1999 when over 50% of the people who bought a DVDplayer in Sweden also bought the Matrix DVD.

(Nationwide statistic, not only my friends..)

[Anders M Olsson]

Ho hum... Nothing too exciting in that lineup...

[Jake Lipson]

Smart choice to go with Hero as one of the first titles; it is one of the most visiually startiling movies I have ever seen and should look jaw-dropping on Blu-ray.

Kill Bill makes sense as well, but why release only Volume 1? Wouldn't it make more sense to release them both?

Everest was astonishing on IMAX and the regular DVD is good, too, but even with Blu-ray I'm not sure they'll ever be able to recapture the IMAX dynamic.

Most of the others seem to be recent theatrical releases from 2005, which makes enough sense.

Although I don't understand how, of all the Disney films they could have used first, they choose DINOSAUR? It was visually amazing, yes, and it will make good demo material, but I was never under the impression that it was all that popular. $137m domestic gross isn't too shabby, but isn't great either; as I recall, it did solid business on standard DVD, but I still wouldn't launch with it because I'm sure something else would've been able to make a bigger impact. Say -- The Incredibles or another Pixar title, for example?

[MadonnasManOne]

.

Although I don't understand how, of all the Disney films they could have used first, they choose DINOSAUR? It was visually amazing, yes, and it will make good demo material, but I was never under the impression that it was all that popular. $137m domestic gross isn't too shabby, but isn't great either; as I recall, it did solid business on standard DVD, but I still wouldn't launch with it because I'm sure something else would've been able to make a bigger impact. Say -- The Incredibles or another Pixar title, for example?

I agree, the Incredibles would have been an awesome choice to launch with. However, I believe it comes down to two things. Taking an older title, which is visually intriguing to use as an example, and earning more of a return on a film that hasn't necessarily been as profitable. It's actually very smart. Disney is hoping to breathe new life into the film, by introducing it to audiences through the next generation of media.

[BATBfan1]

I put so much hard earned money into my DVDs, I really don't feel like upgrading again!