Posted Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 08:54 AM PST by
The Blu-ray Disc Association has brought its marketing campaign to television, with what we believe is the first TV commercial specifically for the high-def disc format.
While Blu-ray has been included in spots for individual movie releases (and in spots for the PS3 and stand-alone players), this is the first time we've seen a TV commercial for the format itself.
The spot began airing in late November on a suite of HD cable channels (Discovery HD, INHD, HDNet and HDNet Movies) and will look familiar for those who've seen the print and online incarnations of the BDA's "Beyond High Definition" campaign.
Bathed in blue (of course), the commercial trumpets the format's high-def picture and superior sound, closing with mention of its support by "over 170 trusted brands" -- a subtle shot at rival next-gen format HD DVD, which has thus far seen less industry support.
You can watch the ad for yourself by clicking "play" on the video player below:
Perhaps most compelling (but not easily visable in this version of the spot, which has been highly compressed for online viewing) is the collection of short film clips included as part of the commercial.
Some of the films included in the montage (such as the prominent image from 'Superman Returns') are already out on Blu-ray, but others have yet to be released -- or even announced. Included in that category are clips from the highly anticipated titles 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.' Of course, we've seen these titles included in promotional materials before (months ago), so while we're not holding our breath for an imminent release, we will take this as yet another promise of some big Blu-ray releases to come in 2007.
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