Universal going Blu

From Home Media Magazine...

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2&newsid=12534

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[Post edited by luckygeo on Apr 17, 2008]

About time!!!!

Come on Paramount, what gives?

This is good news for anyone who is in the home media market. With Universal releasing new movies, especially in the summer, I was wondering if they were going to be release on a HD format. Also they'll be releasing knocked up, 40 year old virgin, american gangster, etc soon which is good too. I guess they are moving with the times like the rest of us who supported HD DVD. It's just sad that toshiba pulled out of the format war so soon. July 22, we'll see what Universal has up their sleeves. Now it's a matter of time with Paramount.

About time, now all we have to wait for is for Paramount...and the prices to go down...

Since The Bourne Trilogy was a hot seller for HDDVD, I hope to see that comes to Blu-ray before the end of the year.

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[Post edited by tony1569 on Apr 17, 2008]

If you don't already own the Bourne Trilogy then I'd say buy it on Blu when comes out. I would only buy the new movies from Universal, unless their movies that they released on HD DVD gets a big upgrade on transfer and extras. As of right now the movies they are planning to release might be just ports of their HD DVD counterparts. SO I'll just get the ones that I missed on HD DVD and buy Universals new movies.

The link doesn't work.

And the "Bourne Identity" HD DVD just arrived today from my Netflix Queue!

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[Post edited by JPSofCA on Apr 17, 2008]

FYI...

> LINK to report mentioned in above post #1

Let's hope that the future Universal BDs don't have some of the previous authoring errors experienced on a few HD-DVDs, where the Dolby TrueHD track would not output properly (as reported on End of Days, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).



-JIMI LOVE (the Voodoo Child)

Don't worry, as soon as Paramount catches wind that I'm getting HDTV (and soon after, Brooo-ray) they'll give in like a crying bitch!

FYI...

> Official Universal Press Release (the actual release and contact info for further inquiries)

-JIMI LOVE (the Voodoo Child)

I am glad to see Universal finally coming out with a release schedule...but do we really need Knocked up and the 40 Year Old Virgin on Blu-ray...especially considering how many HD DVD copies remain unsold in the discount racks at our local stores...

Don't get me wrong...they were both fun little flicks to watch and I may even watch them again someday, when I am tied up in a straight jacket and they come on the communal TV at the psyc ward

Take the hint Universal...release the good stuff this time...Indiana Jones comes to mind...Gladiator comes to mind...bring us your "A" movies this time...not the "B+" or "B" titles...

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[Post edited by r-u-serious on Apr 18, 2008]

Yes, release the good stuff Universal!

Just for clarification....

Indiana Jones films = PARAMOUNT
Gladiator = DREAMWORKS (thru Paramount)

Universal should get the BOURNE Trilogy ready, and perhaps others, such as the JURASSIC PARK series, BLUES BROTHERS series, JAWS series (well, OK just the first one!), CONAN THE BARBARIAN, THE SHADOW, CASPER, THE DAY OF THE JACKAL... and how about some of the great classic titles from years past (the original DRACULA with Bela Legosi, etc).

-JIMI LOVE (the Voodoo Child)

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[Post edited by Love Hendrix! on Apr 18, 2008]

Love,

Funny you should mention "The Shadow," with Alec Baldwin, because it's one of those fairly recent movies (1994) that a studio not only didn't release in anamorphic widescreen but didn't even release in widescreen! On DVD it's only been available as a full-screen presentation. So, yeah, let's get a Blu-ray version of it as soon as possible. At least then it will be in widescreen. Fingers crossed.

John

Hey LH, you can already get The Jackal (Der Schackal) as a German Blu-ray import for less than $30. I've heard that it looks and sound excellent.

And yes, Universal needs to release some big hits on Blu-ray, such as:

Bourne Trilogy
Jaws
Jurassic Park
King Kong
The Hulk
Back to the Future trilogy

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[Post edited by gvortex7 on Apr 18, 2008]

Quote:
Hey LH, you can already get The Jackal (Der Schackal) as a German Blu-ray import for less than $30. I've heard that it looks and sound excellent.

gvortex7...I got mine on HD DVD from amazon.de, along with 3 Days of the Condor...just finished watching the Jackal...amazing pic and the DTS-HD soundtrack didn't hurt either )

hendirx...yes, you are correct...I have been spending way too much time on European boards and sites looking for HD DVD bargains that all the studios are starting to look like a blur...

Hey gvortex... yeah I already knew about the 'other' JACKAL (Bruce Willis/Richard Gere remake) being on Blu-ray for awhile, but I'm talking about the great original version... THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, which to date as only been released on SD-DVD - widescreen (but NOT anamorphic!). The oiginal is one of my fav thrillers, and I have the remake already on SpEd SD-DVD anamorphic, and DTS Widescreen LaserDisc, but have never own a LD or DVD of the original (just rented each a few times).






-JIMI LOVE (the Voodoo Child)

Quote:
And yes, Universal needs to release some big hits on Blu-ray, such as:

Doomsday

Hey John... actually I -do-in fact have THE SHADOW (from Universal) in 1.85:1 widescreen (but non-anamorphic) with the incredible DTS LaserDisc version! It features one of the best DTS soundtracks I've ever heard, among a few other Universal DTS Widescreen LDs, such as CASPER and THE RIVER WILD (why didn't this one get released on HD-DVD too?), the JURASSIC PARK movies and many others (in my collection of DTS LDs).








-JIMI LOVE (the Voodoo Child)

My son likes BABE and BABE: Pig in the City. Actually so do I. That'll Do Pig...That'll Do.

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[Post edited by tony1569 on Apr 18, 2008]

Hey guys remember the days when Dolby ProLogic was the it to have in a receiver and when you walked into CC they had Jurasic Park playing on a HiFi VHS on a 300lbs rear projection TV? You were like man I have to get a HiFi VHS, Prologic receiver, and Jurasic Park.

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[Post edited by tony1569 on Apr 18, 2008]

HAHA Tony that's funny! I remember when I got a bookshelf Aiwa system that had Dolby Pro Logic and I was the happiest guy in the world. It was the top-of-the-line bookshelf available as it cost me $1,000 at the time and it actually had GREAT sound. I didn't find out til a couple of years later that the back speakers were mono in Pro Logic.

I remember setting it up in my house listening for sound out of those back speakers :p

Man Dolby Digital and DTS are so much better.

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[Post edited by Falcon01 on Apr 18, 2008]

Quote:
Hey guys remember the days when Dolby ProLogic was the it to have in a receiver and when you walked into CC they had Jurasic Park playing on a HiFi VHS on a 300lbs rear projection TV? You were like man I have to get a HiFi VHS, Prologic receiver, and Jurasic Park.

lol...a friend of mine ran a stereo shop back in the mid 80's...we set up the first Yamaha DSP1 with a bank of Bryston 4B amps, as many Paradigm 11Se speakers we could fit on the show room floor, a 36" brick of a rear projection TV and of course, the state of the moment Sony Beta HiFi and a copy of Top Gun...I still can remember the sh!t eating grin on my face when the jets took off in that first scene

If memory serves me correctly, we actually sold 2 of these do-it-yourself surround sound systems that week to the tune of 6or7 thousand each.

My favorite part to listen to on Jurasic Park was when they shot the shotgun shell into the ground and when the dust settled the sound effect came out of the rear surrounds.

Quote:
gvortex7...I got mine on HD DVD from amazon.de, along with 3 Days of the Condor...just finished watching the Jackal...amazing pic and the DTS-HD soundtrack didn't hurt either

I'm glad it was a good quality for both audio and video. I hope you enjoyed it. I wonder if the German HD DVD and Blu-ray versions have the same identical master or not. Either way, I'm thinking of importing it. Unfortunately, it's easier to get a good deal from Amazon's UK site then its German site. Oh well, I may bite.

Quote:
I'm glad it was a good quality for both audio and video. I hope you enjoyed it. I wonder if the German HD DVD and Blu-ray versions have the same identical master or not. Either way, I'm thinking of importing it. Unfortunately, it's easier to get a good deal from Amazon's UK site then its German site. Oh well, I may bite.

The Jackal is on Concorde/Universal...1080p video...DTS-HD Master German...DTS-HD English.
3 Days is on Studio Canal...1080p video...DTS 2.0 German & French...DTS-HD Master English.

The Jackal transfer is crisp with full surround.
3 Days is a little soft, but considering the film stock is 33 years old, it looks pretty darned good.

I bit the bullet and bought from Amazon.de...yes, a little pricy but it worked out a little cheaper than xploitedcinema.com

And like you, I am waiting for Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.fr to all lower their prices...but dvd.co.uk seems to be clearing out an amazing number of titles two for twelve pounds...plus one pound each for shipping, works out cheaper than Amazon.co.uk.

Quote:
And like you, I am waiting for Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.fr to all lower their prices...but dvd.co.uk seems to be clearing out an amazing number of titles two for twelve pounds...plus one pound each for shipping, works out cheaper than Amazon.co.uk.

My biggest problem with some of the UK Blu-ray releases is that they're region locked. Movies like Eastern Promises and Death Sentence for example I'd get in a heartbeat, especially since they're priced well on Amazon UK, but they're both region locked. At least there is a German version of Death Sentence released by Concorde as well, but it's a lot more money.

FYI... New Cover Art









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-JIMI McLovin (the Voodoo Child)

Nice "The Premiere of Hi Def Movie Experience"

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[Post edited by r-u-serious on May 29, 2008]