Posted Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 06:30 AM PDT by
After an absence of nearly a year, indie distributor Image Entertainment is returning to the high-def release schedule with a new wave of five Blu-ray titles.
Long one of the biggest indie distributors on standard DVD, Image has only released a handful of titles on high-def so far, including three concert discs on HD DVD in late 2006, and last January's dual-format release of the 'Discovery Atlas' series (which the company released in partnership with The Discovery Channel.)
Now it seems the company is planning its first real deep dive into its catalog of more than 1,600 indie titles, with the Blu-ray release of four special interest titles in early December, and its first feature film release in mid-January.
Currently planned for Blu-ray release on December 4 are the special interest programs 'The Amazing World of National Geographic,' '50 Paintings from The Museum of Modern Art,' 'Art Wolfe: Vanishing Act,' and '1,000 Places to See Before You Die: 50 Favorite Destinations.'
Just over a month later on January 15, Image will release its first feature film on a next-gen format, with the Blu-ray release of Australian war flick 'Breaker Morant.' Starring Edward Woodward, this under-the-radar cult favorite was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe upon its original release in 1980.
Specs for all five releases are sketchy at this point, with preliminary specs indicating 1.78:1 widescreen video and uncompressed PCM audio for each of the special interest titles.
List prices will range from $24.99 to $29.99 per title.
Note that although each of these upcoming Image releases have only been announced for Blu-ray, insiders say the company remains format-agnostic, and has several HD DVD titles in the hopper. Stay tuned for more details as they're revealed.
In the meantime, you'll find all info for all five Image titles in linked from our comprehensive Blu-ray Release Schedule under their respective dates.
(Thanks to Jared for the tip!)
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