Spielberg makes HD debut with Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Blu-ray
One of Steven Spielberg's classic films will finally make its HD debut, on Blu-ray, not HD DVD, when Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition is released simultaneously with the DVD November 13th. Sony Pictures announced this release puts the original 1977 theatrical version, re-edited 1980 special edition, and a special 1998 Director's Cut on one 50GB Blu-ray disc, using "seamless branching" technology and the power of BD-J -- using "the robust processing power available on second generation players" (it's been done on DVD before) -- to identify different versions of the film and select scenes accordingly. The 2-disc (special features on the second disc) Blu-ray release will get a couple of exclusive special features, including Storyboard-to-Scene Comparisons", the original 1977 featurette and theatrical preview. All that special carries an MSRP of $49.95 and should leave Blu-ray fans salivating, with HD DVD owners wondering when Universal will provide their HDTVs with E.T., Jaws and Jurassic Park.
Filed under: Blu-ray
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Liqwid @ Jul 27th 2007 10:01AM
It's because Close Encounters is owned by Sony, this is Spielburg's only Sony movie, I believe.
Universal will release movies when they need to be released. Optimum care is a must!
chadow @ Jul 27th 2007 11:12AM
It is a little funny how they made this article sound as if Spielberg chose Blu-Ray to release this, as opposed to the fact that it was a Sony movie and Sony is releasing it.
I could care less about this news, as I doubt I will ever bother replacing my DVD copy with either HD format. By the time I ever think of watching this movie again, I'm quite sure BD and HD-DVD will be long gone. Same goes for ET, Jaws, and Jurassic Park, none of which I own or care to.
Eric @ Jul 27th 2007 11:00AM
Engadget, please stop with the Blu-ray fanboy posts. We get it. You like Blu-Ray. You don't like HD-DVD.
Paul Fernandez @ Jul 27th 2007 12:51PM
Oh GOD, here comes the Blu-ray flood! Where's Master Chief when you need him?
I'm sure the Internet's abuzz with more predictions of HD DVD's demise, especially since Spielberg's Universal classics have yet to be announced in this format. Will it sound like sour grapes if I echo chadow's sentiment and say I wasn't a huge fan of this particular film and won't cry because it's not on HD DVD?
I'll say it again: everyone should save their speculation until the final numbers of "300" and "Heroes" on HD DVD are tallied, as these are the two most high-profile releases of the summer. If the numbers are out of the park and the industry either ignores or downplays them, then this race was fixed from the start. Kind of like that NBA ref who was busted recently.
@ Eric
I only hope you're right.
Paul Fernandez @ Jul 27th 2007 12:58PM
Oops! That last line was directed at Liqwid, not Eric. All the better if Spielberg's films are released "when their done" by Universal and not just for the sake of having them on HD DVD.
Paul Fernandez @ Jul 27th 2007 1:01PM
I meant "when THEY"RE done." Typing too fast today!
JohnDoe303 @ Jul 28th 2007 1:47AM
This is nice to see, both Spielberg and Lucas said they'd wait to release on either format until there is a winner.. Clearly Spielberg is letting his actions speaks for him here. We all knew HD-DUD was going to lose, I just don't think anyone thought everyone was going to jump ship so quickly. Now Universal needs to take notice and put the final nail in the coffin. I give HD-DUD until Q2 2008.
Jason Anderson @ Jul 30th 2007 3:56PM
Forget E.T. and Jurassic Park. I want the Back to the Future trilogy. I can finally delete them from my TiVo Series 3 and MacBook's HD. Those suckers are taking up 25GB of valuable space!
Eric @ Aug 31st 2007 11:36AM
Spielberg is da man. HD-DVD fanboys are apoplectic. They despise any metion of Blu-ray as an incantation that threatens their imagined hegemony of HD-DVD and proves anyone who even DAREs to mention Blu-ray is a hopeless hack in Sony's back pocket.
The truth is out there...
...they're more insecure than we thought! :-D