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Universal Brings 'Atonement' to HD DVD

Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 04:30 PM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, Universal (all tags)

Underlining the continued confusion surrounding Universal's transition to Blu-ray support, the studio today confirmed a March HD DVD arrival for the Oscar-nominated epic, 'Atonement.'

Though Universal announced early last week that it would switch alliances from HD DVD to Blu-ray, the studio has yet to put a timetable on the transition, telling us as recently as last Friday that the fate of their entire upcoming HD DVD slate was in flux.

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Adding to the confusion, today Universal confirmed earlier retail reports that it is planning an HD DVD/DVD Combo debut of the Keira Knightley-James McAvoy epic romance 'Atonement' for March 18 (day-and-date with the standard DVD release).

Although the HD DVD version lacks any U-Control features or other exclusives, the healthy supplement package includes audio commentary with director Joe Wright, deleted scenes with optional commentary, and two making-of featurettes ("The Making of Atonement," "From Novel to Screen").

Tech specs for the HD DVD feature 1080p/VC-1 video and English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 Surround and subtitle options (no high-res audio has been announced for the release).

Rounding out Universal's announcement, they've supplied a high-res look at the HD DVD's cover art:


Suggested list price for the HD DVD/DVD Combo is $39.98.

You'll find complete specs for 'Atonement' linked from our HD DVD Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 18.

We've also set up a dedicated thread for Universal's latest in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Atonement' HD DVD release.

Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Atonement (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Universal: HD DVD Plans in Flux (Feb 22, 2008)
Universal Goes Blu (Feb 19, 2008)


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