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National Geographic to Go 'Extreme' on Blu-ray
Thu Aug 14, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, National Geographic, IMAX, Warner (all tags)
National Geographic has announced an early-November Blu-ray debut for the IMAX feature 'Extreme.'
Captured entirely in the IMAX large-screen format, 'IMAX: Extreme' displays some of the most incredible feats of extreme sporting ever seen on film, including astonishing displays of snowboarding, windsurfing, and rock climbing.
Distributed via Warner Home Video, 'Extreme' will debut on Blu-ray November , day-and-date with the standard DVD.
Tech details for the high-def version include a BD-25 single-layer presentation, with 1080p/VC-1 video and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio and subtitles (in English, French and Spanish).
There are currently no announced supplements, but we'll keep you posted as we receive future spec updates.
Suggested retail for the Blu-ray has been set at $28.95.
You'll find complete specs for 'IMAX: Extreme' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 4.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- IMAX: Extreme (Blu-ray)
Trio of IMAX Titles Bound for Blu-ray
Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX, Image Entertainment (all tags)
Image Entertainment has announced that a trio of new titles, including 'Dolphins,' , Coral Reef Adventure,' and 'The Living Sea' will anchor its rescheduled October wave of Blu-ray IMAX releases.
Originally schedule for late 2007, Image bumped 'Dolphins' and 'The Living Sea' from its schedule. Both titles have now received a new date of November 11, where they will be joined by another IMAX favorite making it's next-gen debut, 'Coral Reef Adventure.'
Tech specs include 1080p video (recomposed at 1.78:1) and English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround.
At press time, there were no announced extras. We'll let you know of any spec changes as they come to us.
Suggested retail price for each title has been set $24.95.
You'll find the latest specs for 'Dolphins,' 'Coral Reef Adventure' and 'The Living Sea'' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under November 11.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- IMAX: Dolphins (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: The Living Sea (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: Coral Reef Adventure (Blu-ray)
Warner Bringing Two IMAX Double Features to Blu this October
Fri Jun 27, 2008 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX, Warner (all tags)
Bringing four IMAX classics to Blu-ray as a pair of double-feature discs, Warner has announced an October arrival for 'Cosmic Voyage/Destiny in Space' and 'Space Station/Mission to Mir.'
Hitting high-def as two separate, stand-alone releases, 'Cosmic Voyage/Destiny in Space' and 'Space Station/Mission to Mir' each feature two full-length IMAX features, and will hit Blu-ray concurrently on October 14.
Each release will include their respective films spread across a single BD-25 single-layer disc, with tech specs boasting 1080p/VC-1 video (framed at 1.66:1) and standard Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio.
There are no announced supplemental features for either release.
Suggested retail price has been set at $28.99 apiece.
You'll find the latest specs for 'Cosmic Voyage/Destiny in Space' and 'Space Station/Mission to Mir' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 14.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- IMAX: Cosmic Voyage/Destiny In Space (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: Space Station/Mission to Mir (Blu-ray)
More IMAX Titles Bound for HD DVD, Blu-ray
Wed Nov 07, 2007 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX, Image (all tags)
Image Entertainment has announced that two dual-format releases -- 'Dolphins' and 'The Living Sea' -- will anchor its newly reconfigured April wave of next-gen IMAX titles.
According to the indie distributor, the two IMAX favorites will street April 8th on both Blu-ray and HD DVD.
'Dolphins' and 'The Living Sea' will be joined by four previously-announced HD DVD-only IMAX titles -- 'The Alps,' 'Coral Reef Adventure,' 'Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag' and 'Mystery of the Nile' -- which have all now been shifted from their original release date of January 8 to street on the same day as the two dual-format titles. (Note that at press time, Image had yet to announce any of the four earlier HD DVD titles for Blu-ray release.)
Tech specs are still preliminary, but early details indicate 1080p transfers in a recomposed 1.78:1 aspect ratio (versus IMAX's roughly 1.44:1 theatrical exhibition), plus Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio ('Fighter Pilot' also gets a bonus Dolby TrueHD upgrade). Supplemental details are still forthcoming, but we'll keep you posted.
Suggested retail for all titles, regardless of format, will be $24.98 a pop.
As always, you'll find updated disc details for all of Image's upcoming IMAX titles linked from both our Blu-ray Release Schedule and our HD DVD Release Schedule, where they're indexed under April 8, 2008.
We've also set up dedicated threads for Image's IMAX tidal wave in our Forums area -- click the following links to discuss the two Blu-ray releases or the six HD DVD releases.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- IMAX: Dolphins (Blu-ray)
- Beowulf: The Director's Cut (2007) (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: The Living Sea (Blu-ray)
- Torchwood: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)
- Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (Blu-ray)
- Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (Blu-ray)
- Starship Troopers Trilogy (Blu-ray)
- Transformers (2007) (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- New Batch of IMAX Classics Bound For HD DVD (Oct 02, 2007)
New Batch of IMAX Classics Bound For HD DVD
Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX, Image Entertainment (all tags)
Traveling through land, sea and air, Image Entertainment will bring a quartet of nature-themed IMAX films to HD DVD early next year.
The latest in a series of recent announcements from the indie distributor, debuting on January 8 will be the IMAX classics 'The Alps,' 'Coral Reef Adventure,' 'Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag' and 'Mystery of the Nile.'
Although Image is a dual-fomat supporting distributor, as of yet, these four titles have been announced for HD DVD only. This continues the company's recent pattern of issuing entirely different slates for each of the two next-gen formats.
Each title will receive remastered 1080p transfers (codec TBA) in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio recomposed for HDTV-friendly dimensions. Audio options include Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround tracks on each title, with 'Fighter Pilot' also enjoying a full-blown Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround mix. At press time, no supplements were planned for any of the titles.
Image has set a suggested retail price of $24.95 apiece.
You'll find final disc details and box art for all four of the titles linked from our HD DVD Release Schedule, where they are indexed under January 8.
We've also set up a dedicated thread for discussion of these latest IMAX releases in our Forums area -- click the following link to discuss the 'Alps'/'Coral Reef Adventure'/'Fighter Pilot'/'Mystery of the Nile' HD DVD releases.
(Thanks to Diabolo for the tip!)
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (Blu-ray)
- Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (Blu-ray)
- Starship Troopers Trilogy (Blu-ray)
- Transformers (2007) (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Image Entertainment Reveals New Mini-Wave of HD DVD Concert Discs (Sep 21, 2007)
- Image Entertainment Plans Wave of Special Interest Titles For Blu-ray (Sep 20, 2007)
Razor Digital Announces Blu-ray Support with Quartet of IMAX Classics
Tue Jul 24, 2007 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX (all tags)
Indie distributor Razor Digital has announced it will throw its hat into the high-def ring this fall, exclusively supporting Blu-ray with an initial launch slate of four IMAX classics.
Arriving in stores November 13 will be a quartet of IMAX favorites: 'Africa: The Serengeti,' 'Alaska: Spirit of the Wild,' 'Australia: Land Beyond Time' and 'Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature.'
Citing Blu-ray's larger installed hardware base for its exclusive support of the format, Razor Digital said they have no current plans to release on titles on HD DVD, although they didn't rule out the possibility.
"You have to respond to the marketplace," Mitch Perliss, Razor Digital EVP told Home Media Magazine. "We wanted to go worldwide (with the product), and we couldn't afford to do both (Blu-ray and HD DVD)."
Razor Digital has not yet released tech specs or supplemental details for its four IMAX launch titles, but we'll keep you posted.
Retail price will be a suggested $19.95 each.
In anticipation of full specs to come, we've added all four of Razor Digital's IMAX titles to our Blu-ray Release Schedule under November 13. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Razor Digital Goes High-Def [Home Media Magazine]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- IMAX: Africa the Serengeti (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: Alaska Spirit of the Wild (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: Australia Land Beyond Time (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: Antarctica -- An Adventure of a Different Nature (Blu-ray)
IMAX Classic 'Blue Planet' to Launch on HD DVD, Blu-ray
Thu May 03, 2007 at 02:57 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX, Warner (all tags)
Bringing another IMAX classic to Blu-ray and HD DVD, Warner Home Entertainment has announced a July 10 next-gen release for 'Blue Planet.'
The IMAX favorite was one of the earliest successes for the large-format attraction back in 1990. Warner will give 'Blue Planet' a new 1080p remastered transfer, and high-resolution audio. The HD DVD version will include a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, while the Blu-ray will enjoy an uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround mix (both at 48kHz/16-bit).
Extras include a bonus IMAX feature, "The Dream is Alive!", which has also been remastered in 1080p.
'Blue Planet' is the latest in what seems to be a growing push by the studios to bring an increasing number of large-format IMAX and documentary titles to high-def. 'Blue Planet' follows Disney's announcement last week of another IMAX space-themed title, 'Roving Mars.'
Warner is also bringing 'Blue Planet' to high-def following its hits 'March of the Penguins' and the BBC's 'Planet Earth: The Complete Collection,' which became quite a sales surprise earlier this month when it quickly became one of the biggest-selling HD DVD and Blu-ray titles in the history of either format.
We've added full specs and box art for 'Blue Planet' to our Blu-ray Release Schedule and HD DVD Release Schedule, under July 10.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- IMAX: Blue Planet (Blu-ray)
- IMAX: Blue Planet (HD DVD)
- IMAX: Roving Mars (Blu-ray)
- Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (Blu-ray)
- Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (HD DVD)
- March of the Penguins (Blu-ray)
- March of the Penguins (HD DVD)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Disney Launches IMAX Hit 'Roving Mars' on Blu-ray (Apr 30, 2007)
Disney Launches IMAX Hit 'Roving Mars' on Blu-ray
Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 02:51 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX, Disney (all tags)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment will bring last year's IMAX hit 'Roving Mars' to Blu-ray this summer, the studio has announced today.
The $40 million-grossing large-format smash, which features narration by Paul Newman, will debut on Blu-ray on July 31 in a special edition complete with bonus features.
Among the extras is the complete 1957 Disney film 'Mars and Beyond,' plus the "Mars: Past, Present and Future" making-of featurette.
Full tech specs are not yet announced, but Buena Vista will offer 'Roving Mars' in its original 1.33:1 IMAX aspect ratio, plus a 1.78:1 version recomposed for HDTV home theater screens.
Buena Vista has set a $34.95 list price for the title.
'Roving Mars' follows such notable recent next-gen documentary releases including Warner's 'March of the Penguins' and the BBC's 'Planet Earth: The Complete Collection,' which became quite a sales surprise earlier this month when it quickly became one of the biggest-selling HD DVD and Blu-ray titles in the history of either format.
We've added a new listing for 'Roving Mars' to Blu-ray Release Schedule, under July 31. Watch this space for final specs in the days ahead.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- IMAX: Roving Mars (Blu-ray)
- Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (Blu-ray)
- Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (HD DVD)
- March of the Penguins (Blu-ray)
- March of the Penguins (HD DVD)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Disc Sales: 'Planet Earth' Breaks New Amazon Record; HD DVD Staging a Comeback? (Apr 17, 2007)
Koch Readies 'Chronos' for Blu-ray
Thu Feb 01, 2007 at 03:11 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, IMAX, Koch (all tags)
The award-winning IMAX documentary 'Chronos' is at last ready to make its Blu-ray debut in late February, two months following the HD DVD release, indie distributor Koch has announced .
The acclaimed film, which became the first IMAX documentary to hit high-def when it premiered December 5 on HD DVD, is finally set for a February 13 release on Blu-ray. And in a rarity for a title to hit both next-gen formats, Koch will be upping the specs for new version, improving both video and audio quality.
The Blu-ray version will sport a new 1.78:1 widescreen 1080p video transfer (version 1080i on the HD DVD), plus a DTS HD Master Lossless Audio surround track at a full 48kHz/24-bit encode, also an improvement over its rival. Supplemental features are expected to be identical on both releases.
Koch has set a $24.95 list price for the Blu-ray.
The latest specs for 'Chronos' have been added to our Blu-ray Release Schedule. You can also read our in-depth review of the HD DVD version of 'Chronos.'
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- 'Chronos' HD DVD Gets New Distributor; Blu-ray Version on the Way (Dec 05, 2006)
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