Universal Brings 'Atonement' to HD DVD

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 as recently as last Friday that the fate of their entire upcoming HD DVD slate was in flux.

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)