Tartan to Launch US Blu-ray Support with 'Oldboy'

Indie distributor Tartan Video has announced it will exclusively support Blu-ray in the US, starting with its release of the Korean cult hit 'Oldboy' this October.

The company had already announced plans to support Blu-ray in the European market, where it will release three titles this fall. Now comes word that the controversial Korean cult hit 'Oldboy' will mark Tartan's entry into the domestic Blu-ray market when it hits stores on October 23.

"To go with Blu-ray was a no-brainer for Tartan," said founder Hamish McAlpine of his company's choice to eschew HD DVD. "Not only is the format superior [to HD DVD], but also the fact that seven out of eight studios have chosen to release their films on Blu-ray means that this so-called 'format war' is over before it has really begun."

Tartan's initial specs for 'Oldboy' include 1080p video utilizing AVC MPEG-4 compression, as well as DTS HD Lossless Master Audio and standard Dolby Digital audio.

The company has not yet revealed supplemental details nor pricing for 'Oldboy,' but we'll keep you posted.

We've added a new listing for 'Oldboy' to our Blu-ray Release Schedule, under October 23. Watch this space for final specs to be confirmed in the coming days.