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Fox Ups Extras, BD-Java Support with 'Day After Tomorrow,' 'Fly' Blu-ray Releases
Tue Sep 11, 2007 at 10:55 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, BD-Java, Fox (all tags)
Specs are in for Fox Home Entertainment's 'Day After Tomorrow' and 'The Fly,' and both titles seem sure to please fans with the studio's most extensive array of bonus features BD-Java-enhanced extras yet.
Although the studio has taken some heat from high-def early adopters in the past for releasing largely feature-starved discs, they appear to be reversing that trend with a vengeance on both 'Tomorrow' and 'The Fly.'
Among the innovations are two BD-Java enhancements not-yet-seen on Fox high-def title: a Search function, indexing all of each disc's contents, as well as the Personal Scene Selections bookmark feature. In addition, each title will feature a BD-J interactive game ("Fly Zapper" on 'The Fly,' "Global Warming Interactive" on 'Tomorrow'), while 'The Fly' will also boast a pop-up trivia track.
The standard-def bonus features are copious as well, with 'The Day After Tomorrow' including two audio commentaries, ten deleted scenes and the film's original theatrical trailer.
'The Fly' is even more extensive, sporting by far the most supplements ever seen on a Fox Blu-ray disc. The virtual encyclopedia of material includes an audio commentary with Cronenberg, the four-part "Fear of the Flesh" documentary, twenty additional making-of vignettes, deleted and extended scenes, eight still galleries, a complete Trailer and TV spot gallery, plus a text-based archive containing reviews, essays, storyboards and the film's complete original screenplay.
Given the wealth of content included, it should come as no surprise that both releases are set to hit Blu-ray on BD-50 dual-layer discs. Other tech specs for both titles include 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video and DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks.
'Day After Tomorrow' streets on October 2, while 'The Fly' is due a week later on October 9. Both are set to retail at a $39.98 MSRP.
You'll find complete disc details for 'The Day After Tomorrow' and 'The Fly' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, indexed under October 2 and October 9, respectively.
We've also set up dedicated threads for Fox's latest in our Forums area -- click the following links to discuss 'The Day After Tomorrow' Blu-ray release and 'The Fly (1986)' Blu-ray release.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- The Day After Tomorrow (Blu-ray)
- The Fly (1986) (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Fox/MGM: 'Silver Surfer,' 'Live Free Die Hard,' Extensive Catalog Coming to Blu-ray (Aug 20, 2007)
Disney: 'Narnia,' 'Nemo' and 'Sleeping Beauty' Coming to Blu-ray in 2008
Fri Aug 17, 2007 at 02:09 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, BD-Java, Disney (all tags)
The sort of announcement you'd expect to be made at CES (and not in the dead of August), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has issued a press release previewing four of its top Blu-ray titles for 2008.
Referenced in the release for the first time publicly are upcoming Blu-ray releases for 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Finding Nemo,' 'National Treasure,' and 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.'
Though exact street dates have not yet been announced, the studio has provided seasonal guidance for all four titles, and promises each will push the boundaries of what has been seen so far on the Blu-ray format.
First up in the Spring of 2008 will be the recent family hit 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,' which is slated to among the first Disney titles to include Picture-in-Picture bonus content.
Next, in the Summer of '08, the studio plans to debut its first BD-Live Blu-ray Disc title, the action-adventure blockbuster 'National Treasure.'
The Fall will see the release of two highly anticipated animated titles -- Pixar's 'Finding Nemo,' and -- in what promises to be a milestone release -- 'Sleeping Beauty,' which will be the first Blu-ray title to bear the studio's "Platinum Series" banner.
"The Platinum titles are the crown jewels of the Disney Studios and we do not take releasing them lightly on any format," said Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. "The proven Blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience."
The 'Sleeping Beauty' Blu-ray is slated to include a "Virtual Castle" and multi-player activities -- both utilizing BD-Live technology.
Further details are available via the press release, which can be read in full here.
As always, we'll keep you posted as more details about these hotly-anticipated titles are officially confirmed. In the meantime, we've added all four titles "Release Dates Pending" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule. Watch this space!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Disney Announces Blu-ray TItle Wave Coming 2008 [Press Release]
Disney Sneak Peeks 'Pirates of the Caribbean'; Announces 'Chronicles of Narnia' for Blu-ray
Tue May 15, 2007 at 12:08 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, BD-Java, Disney (all tags)
Disney Home Entertainment threw a lavish bash in Los Angeles Monday night to preview next week's Blu-ray debut of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, as well as announce a next-gen release of 'Chronicles of Narnia.'
Held at the Highlands nightclub in Hollywood, California, Disney hosted the studio's first-ever Blu-ray premiere event to celebrate the 'Pirates' duo and preview some of its next-gen-exclusive bonus features.
Along with the expected pirate-themed decor and costumed Jack Sparrow look-a-likes, the studio showed off the "Scoundrels at Sea" interactive video commentary on 'Curse of the Black Pearl,' as well as the BD-Java-based 'Liar's Dice' game exclusive to 'Dead Man's Chest.' (UPDATE: One of our readers, Scott, wrote in to point out that Disney has also posted a video of the game to their Blu-ray promo site). Despite recent rumors to the contrary, both 'Pirates' titles are due for release (as originally announced) on May 22.
The studio also took the occasion to further outline its upcoming Blu-ray strategy, revealing the following tidbits:
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- Disney's next major catalog release on Blu-ray will be the blockbuster 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.' No street date has yet been set, but a late summer/early fall release is being targeted.
- Due to an extensive level of involvement by Pixar, the originally announced June 5 release of 'Cars' has been pushed back (as first reported earlier this month); current plans are a hoped-for arrival date of September 2007.
- Citing a need for greater mainstream hardware penetration, Disney will not be dipping into its vault of classic animated titles on Blu-ray in 2007. However, news is "forthcoming" on the studio's long-range animation on Blu-ray plans.
- The studio renewed its support for the Blu-ray format's BD-Java and BD-Live capabilities, as soon as technology matures. The as-yet-unnamed titles are set to be announced in the future on an ongoing basis.
We'll certainly keep you posted on all future Disney announcements and Blu-ray developments. So watch this space!
In light of Disney's public announcements, we've added 'The Chronicles of Narnia' to the "Release Dates Pending" section of our Blu-ray Release Schedule.
We've also set up a dedicated thread in our forums area for discussion of the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'Chronicles of Narnia.'
And look for our full reviews of both 'Curse of the Black Pearl' and 'Dead Man's Chest' later this week. Stay tuned!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- "Liar's Dice" Video [Official Disney DVD Website]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Blu-ray)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Booty to Include Two Discs, BD-Java Features (Feb 20, 2007)
- Disney June Blu-ray Slate in Flux; 'Cars,' Other Hits Likely to See New Street Dates (May 07, 2007)
Blu-ray Association Sets Fall Deadline For BD-Java Hardware Support
Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 06:08 PM ETTags: BD-Java, Hardware, Industry Forecasts (all tags)
In an attempt to standardize BD-Java playback on Blu-ray hardware, the Blu-ray Disc Association has announced a deadline of October 31, 2007 for mandatory BD-J audio/video support in all new players released after that date.
The Blu-ray Disc Association has specified that all hardware sporting the official Blu-ray logo that hits the market after the Halloween holiday must be able to play back picture-in-picture video via BD-Java. The mandate also decrees that all Blu-ray players must hold a minimum 256MB of persistent memory storage, which will help power the picture-in-picture feature. Finally, any Blu-ray player that features an Internet connection is required to have 1GB of such memory, in order to hold whatever content users decide to download from the Web.
Currently, most Blu-ray players on the market can handle some form of BD-J interactivity on software titles, but not true video picture-in-picture playback. Sony's complete Blu-ray player line (including the PlayStation 3), plus decks from Philips, Pioneer and LG Electronics, have so far been unable to support the PIP function.
"There was a grace period between the launch of the first generation Blu-ray launch and October," Andy Parsons, senior VP of advanced product development at Pioneer Electronics, told Video Business. "After October, [manufacturers] must conform to the full range of specifications."
For format-war watchers, it's a move that has come none too soon. Unlike rival HD DVD's interactive development platform, Blu-ray did not mandate BD-Java support from day one, leaving Blu-ray titles to lag considerably behind HD DVD in terms of cutting-edge features.
So far, no studio has released a true picture-in-picture Blu-ray title. Lionsgate offered a creative solution to the problem for both 'The Descent' and 'Crank,' by placing two versions of the film on a 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray disc to replicate the appearance of picture-in-picture technology.
Many studios have also held back on Blu-ray versions of popular HD DVD titles that use picture-in-picture, such as Warner's 'Batman Begins,' ':Poseidon' and the two upcoming 'Matrix' box set collections. All are currently HD DVD exclusives, with Blu-ray street dates still undetermined in light of BD-J development issues.
But now, with the Blu-ray Disc Association's mandate, the road seems finally clear for full BD-Java-enhanced Blu-ray titles to hit the market. Combined with Digital Leisure's announcement earlier today of the first true BD-J picture-in-picture release, the arcade sensation 'Dragon's Lair,' to hit stores on April 9, we're certainly optimistic that there will be no more hiccups or delays in making full BD-Java support a reality.
Stay tuned for more on this story as it develops...
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Next Blu-ray Players Promise More Options [Video Business]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Digital Leisure Adds BD-Java Interactivity to 'Dragon's Lair,' Sets April Release Date (Mar 26, 2007)
- Warner Unveils 'Matrix' HD DVD Specs (Mar 23, 2007)
Digital Leisure Adds BD-Java Interactivity to 'Dragon's Lair,' Sets April Release Date
Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 03:58 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, High-Def Gaming, BD-Java, Digital Leisure (all tags)
Indie distributor Digital Leisure has announced an April 9 street date for the arcade classic 'Dragon's Lair' on Blu-ray, marking the format's first title to be authored with BD-Java picture-in-picture interactivity.
As first reported last week, Digital Leisure announced plans to bring the popular '80s arcade classic to Blu-ray. Combining hand-drawn 2-D animation from the Don Bluth Studios with laserdisc-based technology, 'Dragon's Lair' allowed gamers to pilot the heroic Dirk the Daring on a series of adventures using simple joystick commands.
Now, they have revealed full details for the release, which will include a fully remastered, frame-by-frame restoration in 1080p video done by Digital Leisure and authoring studio Infinite HD. The disc will also include a restored Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track taken from the game's original elements.
Supplements exclusive to the new Blu-ray include are brand-new interviews with game creators Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Rick Dyer, and a full-length visual commentary of the game, all in full 1080p video.
But the most exciting news for Blu-ray is that 'Dragon's Lair' will make full use of the format's BD-Java authoring environment for video picture-in-picture enhancement. Since the launch of the Blu-ray format, titles containing interactivity comparable to that of current HD DVD releases, which routinely offer extras like "In-Movie Experience" picture-in-picture video commentaries, have been promised. Such plans, however, have continued held up due to production snafus with BD-Java authoring tools.
Should 'Dragon's Lair' arrive as scheduled on April 9, it will make history as the first BD-J title to hit the market. Among the enhancements planned for the release include increased functionality with the PlayStation 3, and fully interactive extras, including a visual commentary with the gamemakers. It may also prove to be the milestone that ushers in a new era of widespread studio support for full-capability BD-J-enhanced Blu-ray titles.
Digital Leisure has also announced an HD DVD version of 'Dragon's Lair,' but has so far not scheduled a street date for the release. Stay tuned.
Full specs for 'Dragon's Lair' have now been added to our Blu-ray Release Schedule, under April 9.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Digital Leisure to Bring 'Dragon's Lair' to Blu-ray (Mar 20, 2007)
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