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High-Def Digest's 'Star Wars' Blu-ray Giveaway: And the winner is...The biggest Blu-ray release of the year, if not the biggest release in the history of the format, has finally arrived: 'Star Wars: The Complete Saga' was released on September 16th! As usual, George Lucas tinkered with the series a bit, and set off some controversy, but we'll be honest, we were still really excited for this release. [teaser]To celebrate the Blu-ray debut of one of the most successful film series of all time, we ran a contest last week. The Prize: A free copy of 'The Complete Saga' for one lucky High-Def Digest reader. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner![/teaser] Entry was pretty simple. Visit the High-Def Digest Forums and answer one question: "When did you first see any of the 'Star Wars' movies? Tell us the story and what made that initial visit to the 'Star Wars' universe so memorable for you!" We wanted to know how the movie made readers feel the very first time they sat down and watched Luke, Han, Obi-Wan and the rest of the gang take on Darth Vader and the Emperor. We wanted to know who they saw it with. If they slept on the sidewalk to get tickets on opening day. Maybe let us know if that was them in that matted old Chewbacca costume. We got tons and tons of fantastic responses. After combing the posts for eligible participants, and randomly selecting an entry, we have a winner! Congratulations to forum member kamikaze! Your copy of 'The Complete Saga' is on the way! Thanks to everyone for sharing all of the great stories. We'll be running another contest in the very near future. Be sure to check out The Bonus View, the HDD Facebook page, the forums, and High-Def Digest, you never know where the next contest announcement will appear!Posted Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 03:05 PM PDT by: -
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The final chapter of the Harry Potter saga is coming to Blu-ray in November! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers has announced 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2' for Blu-ray on November 11. 'Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection' will also be available on the same date. To celebrate these releases, Warner Brothers will host a 3-day event with cast and crew members at Universal Studios Orlando Theme Park's Wizarding World of Harry Potter on November 11-13, 2011. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and the only supplement shared with standard-definition releases will be additional scenes. Blu-ray exclusives include: Maximum Movie Mode hosted by Matthew Long (Includes 9 Featurettes); A Conversation with J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe; The Goblins of Gringotts; The Women of Harry Potter; Warner Bros. Studio Tour London; and Pottermore Preview. PS3 owners will also get to demo LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99 while the 8-film set is $139.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2' and 'Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 11.Posted Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 10:10 AM PDT by: -
'Gettysburg: Director's Cut' & 'Gods and Generals: Extended Director's Cut' Getting Non-Digibook Releases[teaser]Ronald F. Maxwell's Civil War epics are getting a standard Blu-ray release this November. [/teaser] Warner brothers has previously released 'Gettysburg: Director's Cut' and it's prequel, 'Gods and Generals: Extended Director's Cut' on Blu-ray on May 24 with digibook packaging. 'Gettysburg' - Summer 1863. The Confederacy pushes north into Pennsylvania. Union divisions converge to face them. Two great armies will clash at Gettysburg, site of a theology school. For three days, through such legendary actions as Little Round Top and Pickett's Charge, the fate of "one nation, indivisible" hangs in the balance. Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Richard Jordan and more play key roles in this magnificent epic based on Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Killer Angels, filmed at actual battle locations and rigorously authenticated down to the boots. 'Gods and Generals' - A sweeping epic charting the early years of the Civil War and how campaigns unfolded from Manassas to the Battle of Fredericksburg, this prequel to the film Gettysburg explores the motivations of the combatants and examines the lives of those who waited at home. 'Gettysburg' will include: Commentary with Ronald Maxwell; Map Gallery; "The Battle of Gettysburg - 1955 Doc";"The Making of Gettysburg"; Interview Gallery; "On Location"; and "Behind the Scenes of Nuremberg - The Story." 'Gods and Generals: Extended Director's Cut' will include: New Commentary; New Intro by Ted Turner and Ronald Maxwell; Music Video; Journey to the Past The Authenticities of the Film; The Life of Thomas" Stonewall" Jackson; and Visit Virginia. Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for the non-digibook versions of 'Gettysburg: Director's Cut' and 'Gods and Generals: Extended Director's Cut' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under November 15.Posted Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
DPI's New Projector Avoids the Whole Picture Stretching Issue for 2.35:1 Content[teaser]Instead of using special lenses to get the picture to the width it needs to be, DPI just made a projector that can handle 2.35:1 right out of the gate. [/teaser] The upcoming dVision Scope projector from DPI does things a little differently than you might expect when it comes to 2.35:1 content. It doesn't need a lens or any sort of special attachment to get you there - it's capable of this widescreen format right out of the box. When 1080p content is show on the dVision Scope, the extra pixels go unused and you'll be able to experience your show or movie in proper resolution. When you pop in a 2.35:1 flick, the projector gives you the full 2,560 by 1,600. You can switch between 1080 and 2.35:1 with a constant height, and the projector isn't limited to those two. Any resolution size above 16:9 can be adjusted to. Source: TWICEPosted Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Attack the Block' Blu-ray Fully Detailed[teaser]The British sci-fi/comedy from Joe Cornish invading Blu-ray in October has now been fully detailed. [/teaser] As previously reported, Sony has slated 'Attack the Block' for Blu-ray on October 25. The film about an alien invasion and a street gang of Londonites who band together to save their apartment complex stars John Boyega and Nick Frost ('Shaun of the Dead'). The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: "Junior" commentary with writer/director Joe Cornish and actors John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Simon Howard, and Leeon Jones; "Senior" commentary with Cornish and actors Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, and Nick Frost; "Executive Producer" commentary with Cornish and executive producer Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz); Behind the Block; Creature Feature; Meet the Gang; Unfilmed Action; and That's a Rap (an actual featurette, not me just ending the sentence). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Attack the Block' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 25.Posted Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Pulp Fiction' & 'Jackie Brown' Blu-ray Trailers[teaser]We've now got the official Blu-ray trailers for the two Tarantino films bound for Blu-ray this October! [/teaser] As previously reported, Lionsgate is readying 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Jackie Brown' for Blu-ray on October 4. Both films are receiving brand new digital remasterings supervised by Quentin Tarantino, and the Blu-rays will feature 1080p video, lossless soundtracks, and supplements for 'Pulp Fiction' include: Pulp Fiction: The Facts; Deleted Scenes; Behind the Scenes Montages; Production Design; Siskel and Ebert "At the Movies" – The Tarantino Generation; Independent Spirit Awards; Cannes Film Festival – Palm d'Or Acceptance Speech; Charlie Rose Show – Interview with Quentin Tarantino; Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots; and Stills Gallery. New items include Retrospective Cast Interviews and Critics Corner: Then and Now. 'Pulp Fiction' is currently ranked #5 on IMDb.com's Top 250 and was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Actor (John Travolta), Best Supporting Actor (Samuel L. Jackson), Best Supporting Actress (Uma Thurman), Best Film Editing, Best Director, Best Picture, and won for Best Writing/Screenplay. Tarantino's 1997 follow-up 'Jackie Brown' telling the tale of a stewardess caught between the police and an arms dealer also landed a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for Robert Forster. 'Jackie Brown' includes: Jackie Brown: How It Went Down featurette; "A Look Back at Jackie Brown" – Interview with Quentin Tarantino; Chicks With Guns Video; Siskel & Ebert "At the Movies"- Jackie Brown review; Jackie Brown on MTV; Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots; Stills Gallery; and also the new featurette Critic's Corner: Then and Now. Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Pulp Fiction' & 'Jackie Brown' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 4.Posted Tue Sep 20, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Netflix CEO Apologizes for Changes, Then Makes Renting More Complicated[teaser]In order to make up for all the confusing changes to Netflix, there are some new, even more confusing changes to Netflix. [/teaser] If you're a Netflix subscriber you probably saw the long rambling "apology" sent out by Netflix CEO in your inbox this morning. Hastings admits that he goofed with some of the new changes and he promises to make it right by - well, making some more changes that don't actually address any of the actual issues. First up, Netflix is being split. DVD and Blu-ray customers will now be using Qwickster instead. It's the same service, but on a different site, on a different bill, and with a different name. It's the same price too, and you'll still be paying extra for Blu-rays. On the plus side, they're adding videogames into the mix - with a price increase for those too, of course. The next change is - well actually that's pretty much it. Customers that get both discs and streaming content will be pretty heavily inconvenienced, customers that just get DVDs and Blu-rays will slightly inconvenienced, and streaming only people won't notice a difference. Source: Netflix BlogPosted Mon Sep 19, 2011 at 01:45 PM PDT by: -
'The Howling: Reborn' Blu-ray Trailer Now Available[teaser]Check out the trailer for the horror flick coming to Blu-ray this October. [/teaser] As previously reported, Starz/Anchor Bay is working on 'The Howling: Reborn' for Blu-ray on October 18. 'The Howling Reborn' brings an all-new, original chapter directed by Joe Nimziki and starring Lindsey Shaw (“Pretty Little Liars,” “10 Things I Hate About You”), Landon Liboiron (Fox’s upcoming series “Terra Nova,” “Degrassi: The Next Generation”) and Ivana Milicevic ('Casino Royale,' 'Vanilla Sky'). On the eve of his high school graduation, Will Kidman (Liboiron) finally looks up from his books to catch the eye of the girl he’s longed for the last four years –the mysterious Eliana Wynter (Shaw). He’s always been the shy kid, flying under the radar, but when he discovers a dark secret from his past— that he is heir to a powerful line of werewolves -- he finds he has a choice to make between succumbing to his primal nature, or turning against his own, and maintaining his humanity. In order to fight the destiny of his legacy, and save Eliana – as well as himself – he must battle not only his growing blood lust but an army of fearsome beasts bent on killing him, Eliana...and then, us all. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include a filmmaker commentary and behind-the-scenes featurette. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.97. You can find the latest specs for 'The Howling: Reborn' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 18.Posted Mon Sep 19, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Bang & Olufsen to Launch New Brand for Less Expensive Products[teaser]Of course, less expensive than a normal B&O product doesn't mean a whole lot.[/teaser] The folks at Bang & Olufsen aren't known for high-end products - they're known for luxury TVs. They're the kind of sets that you only shell out for if you have a ridiculous amount of expendable income and a desire for a TV that could be confused with modern art. Obviously, there's a pretty limited market for this kind of gear and B&O knows this. That's why they're launching a sub-brand aimed at those with a high income, but not a crazy high income. We'll see the new brand pop up in November with a new product launch every two months. You won't be seeing TVs right away, but the sub-brand will be launching wireless speakers, headphones, iPod speaker systems and products along that line. Home integration won't be a feature, but B&O says you'll still get a great look and build quality. Source: TWICEPosted Mon Sep 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Save $5 on 'Spooky Buddies' on Blu-ray[teaser]Save $5 on Disney's doggone treat for the entire family available on Blu-ray this week! [/teaser] Disney has released another coupon offer this time to save $5 on 'Spooky Buddies' Blu-ray available on September 20! In 'Spooky Buddies,' the lovable "Buddies"-- talking pups B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha, Mudbud, and Rosebud--embark on a spine-tingling journey across town to a shadowy mansion shrouded in legendary secrets. In a race against the mysterious Howlloween Hound, the Buddies and some new friends--Pip, Zelda, Rodney and Skip--must stop Warwick the Warlock to save the world from his dastardly deeds. Their brave exploits in this trick-or-treat adventure highlight the importance of friendship, courage and teamwork. Simply visit this page to print out your coupon from the Disney Movie Rewards website. This coupon is valid in the United States and Canada only and the offer expires September 25.Posted Mon Sep 19, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by:
