Superman Returns to DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Nov. 28th

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 21st 2006 at 6:38PM

Summer blockbuster Superman Returns has a date from Warner Home Video, and VideoBusiness says you'll be able to see it no matter what side of the format war you're on. While The Lake House will still be the first triple-release later this month, you can pick up Superman Returns on DVD, HD DVD & Blu-ray November 28th. The standard DVD will be available either as a single disc (MSRP $28.98), 2-disc special edition (MSRP $34.99), HD DVD Combo disc (MSRP $39.99), or Blu-ray (MSRP $34.99). The special edition DVD will come with several hours worth of extras, but no word on the high definition IME extras we've already heard so much about. Still, considering such a high profile release and that they've already got HD extras ready, it seems likely that Superman follows Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift in being a 30GB/9GB combo disc. We're still not sure how many people are willing to pay a few extra bucks for a combo disc, but Warner is putting a lot of weight behind them. Information on whether or not the disc would allow buyers to fly merely by putting on a cape and yelling "I'm Superman" is also unavailable at this time.

Tags: blu-ray, combo, dvd, hd dvd, HdDvd, hdi, hdtv, high definition, HighDefinition, ihd, ime, november, superman, superman returns, SupermanReturns, warner, whv

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

TJ @ Sep 21st 2006 11:05PM

I wonder which will look better: The combo HD DVD disc or the Blu-ray Disc version.

Neutral

Clinton @ Sep 21st 2006 10:07PM

Are MSRP's for DVD's always that high? Does Wal-Mart just mark my $30 DVD down to $15? I would never pay $30 for a single disc.

Thanks.

Neutral

TJ @ Sep 21st 2006 11:00PM

Yep, the MSRPs really are that high. Between Best Buy and Amazon, I don't think I've ever paid the suggested retail price.

Also, Highdefdigest just confirmed that the BD version will be dual-layered. Assuming both use VC-1, the Blu-ray version should look better than the HD DVD version. 35gb extra should make a big difference.

Neutral

JimJimBinks @ Sep 22nd 2006 1:58AM

I'll be getting my XBOX 360 HD-DVD addon for this release. Along with Superman, and Superman 2 on HD-DVD coming out the same day.

Neutral

Overseer @ Sep 22nd 2006 8:00AM

"Assuming both use VC-1, the Blu-ray version should look better than the HD DVD version. 35gb extra should make a big difference."

Hmmm.... 50GB minus 30GB does not equal 35GB.

If they both use VC-1 then I seriously doubt that Warner will do a different encode at a different bitrate for each format. Plus no word here of Warner even using 50GB Blu-Ray.

"We're still not sure how many people are willing to pay a few extra bucks for a combo disc, but Warner is putting a lot of weight behind them."

Since I want this in a high-def format, I have no choice but to pay extra for the Combo format.

Neutral

Steve J @ Sep 22nd 2006 6:17AM

TJ,

Surely it wont necessarily look better on BD... afterall, it depends on whether they both encoding it any differently right?

Who knows.... I hope that if they are going to actually bother putting it on a 50Gb disk that they actually intend on using most of that space.

Neutral

GhostDoggy @ Sep 22nd 2006 8:04AM

I've seen HD DVD and BD shelf pricing within $5 of regular DVD prices at several retailers. Its kind of insulting for the low-definition consumers.

Neutral

Overseer @ Sep 22nd 2006 8:30AM

"I've seen HD DVD and BD shelf pricing within $5 of regular DVD prices at several retailers. Its kind of insulting for the low-definition consumers."

I fail to see why consumers of DVDs should be insulted by the pricing of HD DVDs or BLU-RAY discs. DVDs are still, by and large, cheaper than high definition discs.

I'm insulted that I have to pay an inflated price for a combo disc so that I can have a so-called luxury of a DVD side. All I want is high-def, I shouldn't have to pay more to keep DVDs in existence.

Neutral

Overseer @ Sep 22nd 2006 8:42AM

Just got done reading 'The Digital Bits' and according to Bill Hunt the Blu-Ray edition will be BD-50.

Here's what Bill had to say on the combo format as well:

"[Editor's Note: I have to say, I think Warner making this a combo title is REALLY a bad move. As someone interested in high-def, I'd rather they dropped the standard definition movie portion, and used a different disc configuration to include the documentary and other extras in actual high-def instead - I've confirmed that most of the bonus footage was shot high-def originally - as well as adding Dolby TrueHD audio and the IME commentary that director Bryan Singer has ALREADY mentioned in press interviews that he's helped create. These HD-DVD/Combo releases are a nice idea on paper, but in the real world the standard-definition content is just wasted space, it seems to me. It's not like there isn't a DVD version available separately, and this is a BIG high-def release. My opinion: The combo decision was a bad call.]"

Gotta agree with Bill Hunt on this one. Dump the combo format on this one and lower the price down.

Neutral

Eva @ Sep 22nd 2006 10:45AM

And when it will be accessible " I'm Superman "?

Neutral

JimJimBinks @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:33PM

@9 While I see Bill Hunts point, I actually like the idea of the combo disc, because that means I can watch the disc in HD-DVD at home on my HD-DVD Player, but when I'm in the car, or at work with my portable DVD Player I can pop in the same movie and watch it in standard def without paying extra.
Of course, for me this point is moot 'cause I'm most likely going to end up buying the HD-DVD versions of this, Superman: The Movie, and Superman 2, along with the 14 disc boxed set that was just announced so I'll have standard def versions of everything. Why am I doing that? Because there's no option to get that boxed set in HD.

Neutral

Aaron @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:40PM

HDbeat gets swallowed by Engadget?

Neutral

Paul Miller @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:45PM

Congrats, welcome to the fam Engadget HD!

Neutral

Emmanuel @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:05PM

I hope the complete box set gets a high def release as well.

Neutral

Jon @ Sep 22nd 2006 10:49PM

I like the Idea of Combo disc. It's nice to know that I could let friends and family borrow my disc or that I can play the movie on my laptop.

I just don't want to pay allot more for it. $5 more is pushing it.

This seems to be a major positive over Blu-Ray don't you think? I think it would give comfort to most consumers that their movies will play in both formats if they chose to take the plunge.

Neutral

AJB @ Sep 23rd 2006 2:13PM

woohoo!

Neutral

Cody Krieger @ Sep 23rd 2006 3:17PM

I CAN'T WAIT!!

Superman is awesome. :P

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