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Dolby Announces 96k Upsampling for Better Blu-ray Audio[teaser]Dolby says their upsampling and filter process will also clean up artifacts like preringing. [/teaser] You may have guessed, but here on High-Def Digest, we like our Blu-rays. All that video and audio quality packed onto a tiny disc is a pretty sweet setup, and it's about to get sweeter, thanks to the folks over at Dolby. The company has created a new upsampling technique that allows for even better sound from your Blu-ray discs. Dolby accomplishes this by taking the upsampling that's often done by ultra-high end products and instead baking that into the disc from the beginning. By improving the audio before encoding, Dolby says that it's passing on the best possible sound on to users and minimizing the effect of artifacts along the way. If you have a Blu-ray player or Receiver that's compatible with Dolby TrueHD, you won't have to do a thing to enjoy the new tech – no new hardware or software is required. Dolby says that several authoring houses and other facilities are already on board including Deluxe Digital Studios and Technicolor. Source: Dolby (PDF)Posted Fri May 18, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Blu-ray Gets 'Lonesome' in August[teaser]Paul Fejos 1928 classic is getting the Criterion high-definition treatment in August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion has revealed that 'Lonesome' is arriving on Blu-ray on August 28. The early Hollywood gem Lonesome is the creation of a little-known but audacious and one-of-a-kind auteur, Paul Fejos (a filmmaker/explorer/anthropologist/doctor!), who bridged the gap between the silent and sound eras. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a uncompressed mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary featuring film historian Richard Koszarski; The Last Performance, director Paul Fejos's 1929 silent starring Conrad Veidt, with a new score by Donald Sosin; Reconstructed sound version of Broadway, Fejos's 1929 musical; Fejos Memorial, a 1963 visual essay produced by Paul Falkenberg in collaboration with Fejos's wife, Lita Binns Fejos, featuring Paul Fejos narrating the story of his life and career; Audio excerpts about Broadway from an interview with cinematographer Hal Mohr; and a booklet featuring essays by critic Phillip Lopate and film historian Graham Petrie and an excerpt about Lonesome from Fejos's autobiography. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Lonesome' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 28.Posted Fri May 18, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Royal Tenenbaums' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]Wes Anderson's acclaimed 2001 film arrives on Criterion Blu-ray this summer. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection has slated 'The Royal Tenenbaums' for Blu-ray on August 14. Wes Anderson’s hilarious, touching, and brilliantly stylized study of melancholy and redemption centers around a dysfunctional family of geniuses. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary by Anderson; With the Filmmaker: Portraits by Albert Maysles, featuring Anderson; Interviews with and behind-the-scenes footage of actors Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, and Danny Glover; Outtakes; The Peter Bradley Show, featuring interviews with additional cast members; Scrapbook featuring young Richie's murals and paintings, still photographs by set photographer James Hamilton, book and magazine covers, and storyboards; Studio 360 radio segment on painter Miguel Calderón, along with examples of his work; Trailers; Insert with Eric Anderson's drawings of the Tenenbaum house; and an essay by film critic Kent Jones. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'The Royal Tenenbaums' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 14.Posted Thu May 17, 2012 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
'The Three Stooges' Blu-ray Pre-order Live[teaser]The Farrelly Brothers' comedy is now up for pre-order on Blu-ray at Amazon. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox has revealed 'The Three Stooges' will likely be available on Blu-ray this summer. In the film, the wacky trio of Larry (Sean Hayes), Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), and Curly (Will Sasso) try to save their childhood orphanage and are taken on a wild adventure. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Three Stooges' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING.Posted Thu May 17, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Margaret' Amazon Exclusive Blu-ray Announced[teaser]Kenneth Lonergan’s coming-of-age story will hit Blu-ray in July as an Amazon exclusive. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox has slated 'Margaret' for Blu-ray on July 10 only at Amazon. Hailed as “one of the decade's cinematic wonders” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker) and named “one of the best films of the year” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times), 'Margaret' is “ambitious, affecting, unwieldy and haunting” (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) and features complex performances from a powerhouse cast including Anna Paquin, as the film’s eponymous heroine (TV’s “True Blood”), Mark Ruffalo ('The Kids are Alright'), Matt Damon ('We Bought a Zoo,' 'Invictus'), and Matthew Broderick ('Wonderful World'). The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and the only supplement seems to be a bonus DVD containing a never-before-seen extended cut of the film. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Margaret' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 10.Posted Thu May 17, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'Clue' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Prepare for murder, madness, mystery, and mayhem as the killer 1985 comedy arrives on Blu-ray this August. [/teaser] In an announcement to retailers, Paramount says 'Clue' will have a Blu-ray release on August 7. Based on the world-famous Parker Brothers board game, CLUE® boasts an all-star cast including Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Michael McKean and Lesley Ann Warren. When six guests arrive at a strange house they soon discover that they have more in common than they suspected, including the fact that they are all being blackmailed by the mysterious Mr. Boddy. But when their host turns up dead and the accusations fly, it’s anyone’s guess who done it. With seven suspects, six weapons, five bodies and three endings, CLUE® is an uproarious mystery that will keep you guessing—and laughing—until the very end. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono soundtrack, and supplements will include three alternate endings (that can be played altogether or at random) and a theatrical trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $22.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Clue' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 7.Posted Thu May 17, 2012 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Denon Announces a Trio of IN-Command Receivers[teaser]The three receivers, which offer 4K upscaling and a variety of streaming options, will be available in June. [/teaser] Denon's new receivers offer up quite a bit for those looking to enjoy networked sound, whether that means pulling music from your computer, streaming from online sources or playing music in a second zone within your house. Every receiver in the line gives you AirPlay compatibility, as well as the option to use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch as a controller. They all boast Audyssey features as well, including Dynamic Volume, Dynamic EQ and MultEQ XT. You'll also find 3D pass-through and 4K upscaling, so you're ready for future displays. Denon AVR-2113CI - $649 Denon AVR-2313CI - $899 Denon AVR-3313CI - $1,199Posted Thu May 17, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Blue Like Jazz' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]The drama based on the New York Times bestseller is in the works for Blu-ray in August. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate says 'Blue Like Jazz' for Blu-ray on August 7. Based on The New York Times best-selling novel that swept the nation, 'Blue Like Jazz' brings Donald Miller's semi-autobiographical stories and reflections to life, following his path to self-discovery and progressive views on faith. Directed and co-written by GRAMMY Award nominee Steve Taylor (The Second Chance), 'Blue Like Jazz' is also co-written by Miller and Ben Pearson (The Second Chance). Known for his Christian singing/songwriting and record producing, Taylor eloquently delves into the intricacies of friendships, faith and finding one's self to reveal that everybody belongs somewhere. This film was also made possible by a dedicated fan base that refused to let this project fall through the cracks. In starting the "Save Blue Like Jazz" Kickstarter grassroots campaign, fans not only raised $350,000 in one month to bring this project into theaters, but in doing so congregated a passionate, built in fan base committed to spreading the word about the film's release. The Kickstarter donors hosted pre-screenings, enlisted street teams to sell out screens in advance and were actively engaged in social media reaching out to their peers and communities. The campaign was successful in attracting the largest audience by utilizing people who believe in the story as ambassadors of the film. Marshall Allman (HBO's "True Blood") gives a solid performance as Don, a pious nineteen-year-old, who uproots himself from his Southern Baptist upbringing and ventures to Portland where one new experience after another teaches him the true meaning of life. (The New York Times) hailed the film as "sincere and literary," while (Paste Magazine) deemed it "witty, provocative and life-affirming." 'Blue Like Jazz' also stars Claire Holt (TV's "The Vampire Diaries"), Tania Raymonde (TV's "Lost"), Justin Welborn (TV's "Body of Proof") with Eric Lange (TV's "Victorious"), Jason Marsden ('Transformers: Rescue Bots'), Will McKinney ('Super Zeroes') and Jenny Littleton ('Deadline'). Praised by Christian audiences everywhere, (Beliefnet) stated, "The vocabulary of faith should not be the exclusive property of one small subset of believers, it is heartening to watch a movie that makes that point with such grace." The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Commentary with author/co-writer Donald Miller, cinematographer Ben Pearson, and co-writer/director Steve Taylor; 7 behind-the-scenes featurettes; deleted scenes; photo gallery; and theatrical trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Blue Like Jazz' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 7.Posted Thu May 17, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Amazon Sale Features Blu-rays for Up to 65 Percent Off[teaser]No word on how long this sale will last, but Amazon is currently selling an assortment of Blu-ray titles for up to 65 percent off![/teaser] You can find the complete assortment of sale-priced Blu-ray titles right here Titles that are jumping out at us include: Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season for 45 percent off. The Town: Ultimate Collector's Edition for 26 percent off. Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season for 45 percent off. The Pacific for 43 percent off. Demolition Man for 30 percent off. And of course the Every Which Way But Loose/Any Which Way You Can two pack for 27 percent off. There are literally hundreds more titles listed! Don't miss out! Which of these titles are you picking up?Posted Wed May 16, 2012 at 01:27 PM PDT by: -
'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1956 classic will invade Blu-ray in July. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Olive Films has revealed 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' will be available on Blu-ray on July 17. One of the greatest and most influential Sci-Fi films of all time stars Kevin McCarthy as a doctor in a small California town whose patients are becoming hysterical and accuse their loved ones as emotionless imposters. Plant-like extra-terrestrials have invaded Earth, replicating the villagers in giant seed "pods" and taking position of their souls while they sleep. Realizing that the epidemic is out of control, in a terrifying race for his life, he escapes to warn the world of the deadly invasion of the pod people! Directed by the great Don Siegel ('Dirty Harry') and co-starring Dana Wynter, Carolyn Jones, Larry Gates and King Donovan. Remade in 1978, 1997 and 2007. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray will be $29.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 17.Posted Wed May 16, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by:
