First Blu-ray Disc Titles Announced
Movie enthusiasts who can't wait for the first high definition films will have upwards of 60 titles to choose from later this year, as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Fox, Lionsgate and Paramount are preparing to introduce their first ever Blu-ray Disc titles. More within...
The first titles for Sony's Blu-ray Disc high definition format, which will be the format employed by the PlayStation 3, have been revealed, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) president, Benjamin S. Feingold, announced today. The initial slate of 20 titles will be released by SPHE and MGM Home Entertainment this spring in conjunction with the launch of hardware manufacturers' first Blu-ray Disc products at retail.
High-def movies this spring
"Beginning this Spring, SPHE will support the rollout of BD-compatible players, PCs and drives from a variety of consumer electronics and computer companies by offering a wide-breadth of high-definition movies and other promotional materials," said Feingold.
Some of the films set for BD include The Fifth Element, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Desperado, For a Few Dollars More, The Guns of Navarone, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, Kung Fu Hustle, The Last Waltz, Legends of the Fall, Resident Evil Apocalypse, Robocop, Sense and Sensibility, Stealth, Species, SWAT and XXX. Most of the movies will be pressed on the 25 GB (single-layer) discs, while Black Hawk Down and The Bridge on the River Kwai will be available on 50 GB, dual-layer Blu-ray Discs this summer.
[ "Our strategy is to release new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD to drive consumer awareness, excitement and sales of high-definition movies," Benjamin S. Feingold, SPHE president ]
"With the announcement of these first 20 titles, I am delighted to say that the age of Blu-ray has truly arrived," Feingold continued. "BD delivers the most advanced high-definition experience available to entertainment enthusiasts today, while offering filmmakers a limitless canvas to express their artistic vision."
In addition to SPHE's titles, Fox will introduce its own lineup of about 20 titles (including movies such as Fantastic Four, Ice Age and Behind Enemy Lines), while independent distributor Lionsgate announced its own support for the Blu-ray format with ten titles to start hitting shelves this spring such as Lord of War, The Punisher, Devil's Rejects, Saw, T2: Judgment Day, Reservoir Dogs, Total Recall, Dune, Rambo: First Blood, and See No Evil. Lastly, Paramount (which is backing both Blu-ray and rival HD DVD) is offering a lineup of ten titles, including Aeon Flux, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Four Brothers, The Italian Job, The Manchurian Candidate and We Were Soldiers.
BD titles will offer consumers 1920x1080p HD resolution, as well as "enhanced menu navigation, increased added-value and new interactive capabilities."
Spreading awareness
Although standard DVD will be hard to replace for the average consumer, SPHE has plans to help spread adoption of the new format. Starting Summer 2006, the company will begin adding bonus BD Java games and other features to new titles including the upcoming Underworld Evolution that will release street day-and-date with DVD. Currently, SPHE intends to ship four catalog titles per month beginning this Summer, and that will then ramp up to 10 titles per month by the fourth quarter of 2006. There are also plans to bring popular TV series like Stargate Atlantis to BD.
"Our strategy is to release new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD to drive consumer awareness, excitement and sales of high-definition movies. We will also release a continuous slate of catalog titles that film enthusiasts love to own, to further maximize consumer interest," explained Feingold.
Of course, the launch of the PS3 itself should be a huge boon to spreading BD awareness, just as the PS2 aided in the adoption of DVD. For many, the PS3 will be their first high-def movie players?something that Sony and many movie studios are counting on.
Pricing for the first BD titles has not been announced yet.
http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=11477&rp=5519
slashdot.org
Movie enthusiasts who can't wait for the first high definition films will have upwards of 60 titles to choose from later this year, as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Fox, Lionsgate and Paramount are preparing to introduce their first ever Blu-ray Disc titles. More within...
The first titles for Sony's Blu-ray Disc high definition format, which will be the format employed by the PlayStation 3, have been revealed, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) president, Benjamin S. Feingold, announced today. The initial slate of 20 titles will be released by SPHE and MGM Home Entertainment this spring in conjunction with the launch of hardware manufacturers' first Blu-ray Disc products at retail.
High-def movies this spring
"Beginning this Spring, SPHE will support the rollout of BD-compatible players, PCs and drives from a variety of consumer electronics and computer companies by offering a wide-breadth of high-definition movies and other promotional materials," said Feingold.
Some of the films set for BD include The Fifth Element, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Desperado, For a Few Dollars More, The Guns of Navarone, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, Kung Fu Hustle, The Last Waltz, Legends of the Fall, Resident Evil Apocalypse, Robocop, Sense and Sensibility, Stealth, Species, SWAT and XXX. Most of the movies will be pressed on the 25 GB (single-layer) discs, while Black Hawk Down and The Bridge on the River Kwai will be available on 50 GB, dual-layer Blu-ray Discs this summer.
[ "Our strategy is to release new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD to drive consumer awareness, excitement and sales of high-definition movies," Benjamin S. Feingold, SPHE president ]
"With the announcement of these first 20 titles, I am delighted to say that the age of Blu-ray has truly arrived," Feingold continued. "BD delivers the most advanced high-definition experience available to entertainment enthusiasts today, while offering filmmakers a limitless canvas to express their artistic vision."
In addition to SPHE's titles, Fox will introduce its own lineup of about 20 titles (including movies such as Fantastic Four, Ice Age and Behind Enemy Lines), while independent distributor Lionsgate announced its own support for the Blu-ray format with ten titles to start hitting shelves this spring such as Lord of War, The Punisher, Devil's Rejects, Saw, T2: Judgment Day, Reservoir Dogs, Total Recall, Dune, Rambo: First Blood, and See No Evil. Lastly, Paramount (which is backing both Blu-ray and rival HD DVD) is offering a lineup of ten titles, including Aeon Flux, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Four Brothers, The Italian Job, The Manchurian Candidate and We Were Soldiers.
BD titles will offer consumers 1920x1080p HD resolution, as well as "enhanced menu navigation, increased added-value and new interactive capabilities."
Spreading awareness
Although standard DVD will be hard to replace for the average consumer, SPHE has plans to help spread adoption of the new format. Starting Summer 2006, the company will begin adding bonus BD Java games and other features to new titles including the upcoming Underworld Evolution that will release street day-and-date with DVD. Currently, SPHE intends to ship four catalog titles per month beginning this Summer, and that will then ramp up to 10 titles per month by the fourth quarter of 2006. There are also plans to bring popular TV series like Stargate Atlantis to BD.
"Our strategy is to release new feature films on Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD to drive consumer awareness, excitement and sales of high-definition movies. We will also release a continuous slate of catalog titles that film enthusiasts love to own, to further maximize consumer interest," explained Feingold.
Of course, the launch of the PS3 itself should be a huge boon to spreading BD awareness, just as the PS2 aided in the adoption of DVD. For many, the PS3 will be their first high-def movie players?something that Sony and many movie studios are counting on.
Pricing for the first BD titles has not been announced yet.
http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=11477&rp=5519
slashdot.org
Facebook
Twitter