Universal go Blu-Ray!

SeedyR · 19-02-2008, 5:26 PM

Hardly surprising but still nice to have confirmation:

"While Universal values the close partnership we have shared with Toshiba, it is time to turn our focus to releasing new and catalog titles on Blu-ray," said Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Source: Home Media Magazine

I expect Paramount to follow suit and announce Blu-Rays again by the end of the week.

Crabman32 · 19-02-2008, 5:51 PM

About bloomin' time! Now, can I have Jaws on Blu-ray please.

KeanosMagicHat · 19-02-2008, 5:51 PM

High-Def Digest are also posting the same quote so whilst not an official press release as such it's looking like Universal will make a fairly swift move to Blu-Ray.

Off the top of my head. I'm looking forward to seeing the following Universal movies on Blu-Ray;

American Gangster
Bourne Collection
Carlito's Way
Charlie Wilson's War
Eastern Promises
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Scarface

amongst many others.

Rasczak · 19-02-2008, 5:55 PM

Good news- hopefully we'll see no delay between HD DVD stopping and Blu-ray releases starting. I am hoping they won't waste time re-issuing titles released on HD DVD onto Blu-ray - better IMHO that they crack on with new titles and new catalogue titles.

Let's hope Paramount and Dreamworks are able to follow.

SeedyR · 19-02-2008, 6:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasczak

Good news- hopefully we'll see no delay between HD DVD stopping and Blu-ray releases starting. I am hoping they won't waste time re-issuing titles released on HD DVD onto Blu-ray - better IMHO that they crack on with new titles and new catalogue titles.

Let's hope Paramount and Dreamworks are able to follow.

I think they will reissue a lot of the big titles already out on HD DVD in the first few months, such as King Kong and Serenity.

Rasczak · 19-02-2008, 6:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeedyR

I think they will reissue a lot of the big titles already out on HD DVD in the first few months, such as King Kong and Serenity.

Alas so do I - it's the easy thing to do for them as the encodes are ready to go - but I hope they don't.

SeedyR · 19-02-2008, 6:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasczak

Alas so do I - it's the easy thing to do for them as the encodes are ready to go - but I hope they don't.

Yup, it will be the easiest way for them to announce they are now Blu-Ray and will give them time to prep new titles.

Actually thinking about it I can't see them not reissuing most of their HD DVD releases first. These film studios sure know how to milk a cow. I'm still waiting for Fox to start reissuing all their Blu-Rays again as special editions.

Rasczak · 19-02-2008, 6:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeedyR

I'm still waiting for Fox to start reissuing all their Blu-Rays again as special editions.

I would be happy if they issued their titles in the first instance - Master & Commander springs to mind!

stu D · 19-02-2008, 6:25 PM

I'll be pleased to see Transformers appear on blu ray if Paramount decide to (re)release its recent titles.

I wonder how this will effect the £150m deal (pay-off?) Paramount received to go HD exclusive for 18 months. Will they have to ride it out, or pay some of it back!!?? Probably a clause in the contract in the event that the format 'failed'?

Be interesting to hear.

av addict · 19-02-2008, 6:32 PM

hopefully now the studios will release the big hitter titles like

jurassic park
star wars
aliens 1+2
indiana jones
the goonies

shawshank

I WANT THEM ALL NOW

Rasczak · 19-02-2008, 6:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stu D

I wonder how this will effect the £150m deal (pay-off?) Paramount received to go HD exclusive for 18 months. Will they have to ride it out, or pay some of it back!!?? Probably a clause in the contract in the event that the format 'failed'?

This is the last facet of the 'format war' that we are waiting to hear from now. With a little luck they will start almost immediate Blu-ray releases - it'll be rubbish if they cancel HD DVD releases yet are forced to hold out until 2009 before they release on BD solely due to a redundant contract

Adam_uk · 19-02-2008, 6:35 PM

Really really good news

Well done Universal- lets hope we can get some titles on track soon!

Knocked Up
King Kong

top of the list never bought on HD DVD

stu D · 19-02-2008, 6:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasczak

This is the last facet of the 'format war' that we are waiting to hear from now. With a little luck they will start almost immediate Blu-ray releases - it'll be rubbish if they cancel HD DVD releases yet are forced to hold out until 2009 before they release on BD solely due to a redundant contract

Fingers crossed

av addict · 19-02-2008, 6:39 PM

oh ye forgot Jaws 1

me-uk · 19-02-2008, 7:26 PM

Awesome!!

BIGRED · 19-02-2008, 7:45 PM

I wonder were they will stand with region coding ? hopefully they will continue to be region free

richard plumb · 19-02-2008, 7:46 PM

actually I'd expect them to use up their capacity with whatever Day&date releases they might have previously planned for HDDVD, as they'll get the most exposure due to DVD marketing etc - I think its been proven that day & date new releases do better than catalogue so far.

Then when they have any spare capacity, they'll backfill with their current HDDVD slate where possible.

Personally I'd prefer them to release their HDDVD stuff on bluray, but can understand it probably makes more business sense not too.

I can also understand why purple folks on this forum would prefer them not to re-release - you already have the titles at home

Fen Star · 19-02-2008, 9:48 PM

Serenity and King Kong would be a nice start....

jamiey · 19-02-2008, 10:13 PM

Bourne Trilogy BD box set please!

Though I do have them on HD-DVD....

jamiey · 19-02-2008, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGRED

I wonder were they will stand with region coding ? hopefully they will continue to be region free

Second That, as I'm hoping for Ridley Scott's Legend at some stage with the US and European cuts.

Which due to weird licensing issues is unlikely to come out in europe.

Ger · 19-02-2008, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiey

Bourne Trilogy BD box set please!

Though I do have them on HD-DVD....

+1 (with PCM sound and region free!)

BenchyUK · 19-02-2008, 11:12 PM

There are a few Universal releases i'd like

Heroes Season 1 ( I miss not having it since ditching HD-DVD)
King Kong
Bourne Trilogy
American Gangster ( With a proper HD soundtract like TrueHD)

Of course there's all the classics like Jaws and Jurassic Park butthey were never announced for HD-DVD anyway

SeedyR · 20-02-2008, 1:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasczak

This is the last facet of the 'format war' that we are waiting to hear from now. With a little luck they will start almost immediate Blu-ray releases - it'll be rubbish if they cancel HD DVD releases yet are forced to hold out until 2009 before they release on BD solely due to a redundant contract

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that as soon as Toshiba withdrew from HD DVD then Universal and Paramount are free to make Blu-Rays immediately. With some stores in America already apparently having some Paramount Blu-Ray titles appear in their inventory like transformers then I don't think it will be long until they are official announced.

It will be interesting to see what Warner do now. Do they still release their HD DVD titles until the end of May like they said they would?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGRED

I wonder were they will stand with region coding ? hopefully they will continue to be region free

Warner have said they are still not going to region code their Blu-Rays. Paramount never use to either so lets hope it stays that way. Fox seem to be the only ones that always region encode their films. I'm hoping Universal adopt Warner's region coding policy.

lgans316 · 20-02-2008, 4:26 AM

Bad news especially to people who hate REGION CODING. Expect Universal to Region lock their titles.

av addict · 20-02-2008, 5:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeedyR

It will be interesting to see what Warner do now. Do they still release their HD DVD titles until the end of May like they said they would?.

read somewhere can't remember where but Warner will still be releasing
thier Hd Dvd 's up untill may 31st

Ger · 20-02-2008, 8:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeedyR

Fox seem to be the only ones that always region encode their films. I'm hoping Universal adopt Warner's region coding policy.

According to http://bluray.liesinc.net/ Die Hard Region B BD's are actually region free. Which is surprising.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lgans316

Bad news especially to people who hate REGION CODING. Expect Universal to Region lock their titles.

We'll have to wait and see. Hopefully they will stay region free and Paramount were region free before,so we could be "safe" (touch wood)!!

lgans316 · 20-02-2008, 9:14 AM

+1 but if we want region free titles Studios should delay the street dates until the movie completes it's theatrical runs worldwide. For ex, Prestige was Region Locked by BVHE as it wasn't released in other countries.

Pecker · 20-02-2008, 9:25 AM

Vertigo please.

Steve W

AgentCool · 20-02-2008, 9:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pecker

Vertigo please.

Steve W

That's one of Universal's back-catalogue I'm hoping to see as well, especially now that Warner have confirmed 'North by Northwest' is coming to Blu-ray albeit in 2009.

7hil · 20-02-2008, 9:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lgans316

Bad news especially to people who hate REGION CODING. Expect Universal to Region lock their titles.

Universal are one of the most anti-region coding studios. They stuck with HD-DVD for a start. Secondly, their UK DVD titles are actually region coded for about 3-4 different regions. If I recall correctly the labelling on the back usually says regions 2, 4, and 5 I think.

So there's not a fat lot of evidence at the moment that Universal titles will be region locked.