Buy LOTR Trilogy or Wait For The Hobbit

BluWarfareHD09

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You'll be waiting forever if you wait for "The Hobbit". Remember it's two movies. So at the end of 2013 you'll get the first Blu-ray (probably a fairly barebones release) to help promote the second movie. Then at the end of 2014 you'll get the second movie on Blu and then no doubt in 2015 a "double pack" of both films with additional features.

As for "Lord of the Rings" it's hard to say. Most folk seem to prefer the extended editions, even though director Peter Jackson has insisted that the theatrical versions are the Director's Edition and the extended versions were only put out for fans (and were meant to be a "one time only" release until Warner Brothers got greedy).

Personally I'd veer towards the extended edition just because the encode on the theatrical version of "Fellowship of the Ring" is a DNR mess. They improved things because of all the negative reviews for the extended editions.
 
Get both - the Extended LotR BDs are pretty much a must-have if you're a fan of film, I think. The purists will always argue (with Tolkien books in hand!) about the stuff he added or didn't add and so on but as standalone films, they're excellent - you'd have to be really against the genre (fantasy/sci-fi?) to not enjoy them. Tesco were recently doing the boxset for £30 and I'm sure that it'll drop back again during the "January sales".

On a related note, there's quite a few deals kicking about recently for the non-extended editions both BD and DVD so there is a choice there if cost is a factor.
 
Extendeds all the way! As Irascian said, you get a decent transfer of Fellowship, all the extras you can possibly want, and most importantly of all, a nifty cardboard box with a map on it. Mind you, if you're a casual fan of the films, then the additional footage - and runtimes - might not do it for you.

With the Hobbit, if they follow the same schedule as LOTR (and I can't see why they wouldn't), you're going to get:

- Dec 2012 Film in cinemas.
- Summer 2013 Two disc BD and DVD set.
- Nov/Dec 2013 Four disc BD and DVD set.

So Dec 2014 for both films with all the goodies.
 
So, they haven't gone the same route as Lucas and given different extras on the Blu-ray set, then? Are these the same extras as those already released on the DVD versions?

As I have never made time to watch any of those extras, this wouldn't be a deal-breaker. I know I'll be getting the Blu-rays of the extended films at some point.
 
I don't believe there is anything new as each film includes 3 DVD's (2 are from the DVD EE and the other is the Costa Botes documentary)

No one has mentioned it yet but the extended editions are spread over 2 BDs, not an issue for me but might be for you.
 
So, they haven't gone the same route as Lucas and given different extras on the Blu-ray set, then? Are these the same extras as those already released on the DVD versions?

As I have never made time to watch any of those extras, this wouldn't be a deal-breaker. I know I'll be getting the Blu-rays of the extended films at some point.

The extras on the extended Blu-rays are actually DVDs (!), and they're the same DVDs you got with the DVD extended sets, plus those from the "Special Editions" they released separately.

So you get the films on BDs (each one split over 2 discs) and a whole bunch of DVDs. The extras are pretty good, though, they're not boring if you have any interest in the films at all.
 
Can't really afford to buy both edition's, just wanted to get them as I havn't watch them since I saw them in the cinema and please don't take my math as being solid but I believe I was back then when the last one was released 12 or 13, were as now I'm almost 21 and can appreciate them more. What is ment by the DNR are a mess with the fellowship.
 
They used too much DNR and scrubbed away a lot of detail, the other 2 fair better but FotR got bad reviews so for the EE they struck a new print and it is far superior.
 
Can't really afford to buy both edition's, just wanted to get them as I havn't watch them since I saw them in the cinema and please don't take my math as being solid but I believe I was back then when the last one was released 12 or 13, were as now I'm almost 21 and can appreciate them more. What is ment by the DNR are a mess with the fellowship.

If you're a fan and you need to choose, pay the £20 or so more and get the extendeds. The Theatrical version of FOTR is watchable but has been "DNR scrubbed" to remove grain but at the expense of fine detail like hairs, pores and so on. So if you look at Gandalf's beard, you see a mess of pixels rather than strands of hair.

Get the extended FOTR instead and the picture is vastly improved. Some people complained of a green/blue push but this may be subjective.
 
They are definetly worth the money, the extended come in a nice collectors box thats not to shabby and should last along time. It depends on how much you want to see the extended versions,
 
Extended is the only ones to get.
I didn't get the theatrical versions as there was no point after seeing the extended on DVD.

If your not that big a fan then its maybe a different story.
 
Extendeds all the way.

I still haven't bitten yet due to my disappointment over the DVD extras, but I will be getting them as soon as the price is low enough to offset that.

I woundn't ever want to see the theatrical versions again.

Its already been down to £30. What price are you biting at?
Doesn't look like its going to go sub that for some time yet.
 
There is no way I am paying money for DVD's already I own. EIV like to do same patterns with Blu Ray as they did with DVD, so hopefully they will do a set with just the EE films and no DVD extras. I can wait, I am not even sure I can be bothered to watch them again.
 
There is no way I am paying money for DVD's already I own. EIV like to do same patterns with Blu Ray as they did with DVD, so hopefully they will do a set with just the EE films and no DVD extras. I can wait, I am not even sure I can be bothered to watch them again.

Yep. I'm sure they will come out.
 
Which alien set you mean
 
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I considered this for quite some time, there are negative views of the theatrical fellowship of the ring but also of the remastered extended version. For the extremely cheap price of the standard version, its a bargain and the one i opted for, i have no interest in the packaging or the extras and i really dont like the films being split over two discs in the extended version. I`m very happy with the discs i have, the quality of fellowship is fine( for me ) on a 106" screen, no need to get up and change the discs and the price-very good.
 
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Here we go again................... god forbid having to actually get up and change a disc. Must be lucky never having to take a toilet break in 4 hours ;-)

Jokingly :)
 
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featherhall said:
Here we go again................... god forbid having to actually get up and change a disc. Must be lucky never having to take a toilet break in 4 hours ;-)

I agree, and personally don't mind watching a film across 2 discs. but i think for many people it was the principle, rather than the practicality, of changing discs. blu ray is supposed to be an order of magnitude more capacious than dvd- yet there's no room for a 4 hour movie? it would matter less if the transfers were reference quality, which i hear they aren't. sacrifice instead one or two of the superfluous commentaries for heavens sake.

combine that with extras stuck on yesterdays format, and it's little wonder some people are reticent to get the EE set on offer. I'll be getting it at some point as its the best way to watch the films that currently exists. but i still feel its a disappointing product and a missed opportunity.
 
I agree, and personally don't mind watching a film across 2 discs. but i think for many people it was the principle, rather than the practicality, of changing discs. blu ray is supposed to be an order of magnitude more capacious than dvd- yet there's no room for a 4 hour movie? it would matter less if the transfers were reference quality, which i hear they aren't. sacrifice instead one or two of the superfluous commentaries for heavens sake.

combine that with extras stuck on yesterdays format, and it's little wonder some people are reticent to get the EE set on offer. I'll be getting it at some point as its the best way to watch the films that currently exists. but i still feel its a disappointing product and a missed opportunity.

I didnt get it for xmas after so im waiting for the price to drop further. Shouldnt take too long now I reckon!
 
No need to get up here.

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Job done :)
 

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