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Watchmen BD-Live director's chat set for Comic-Con

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 10:58AM

Beyond its Facebook ties, the Watchmen Blu-ray set will include the opportunity to participate in a BD-Live session with the director while he's live at Comic-Con four days after its release on July 25. Hopefully able to do a better job of creating a live experience for home viewers than our experience with Hellboy II: The Golden Army or The Dark Knight, Video Business reports event attendees can watch the movie and observer director Zack Snyder's responses. Other details revealed during a media presentation yesterday included the Blu-ray cut's Maximum Movie Mode, a session that takes the run time up to three hours so Snyder can step in and explain various behind the scenes details of the movie -- only hardcore fans need apply.

Comcast extending VOD window to two days on Warner, Lionsgate & Disney flicks

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 2nd 2009 at 4:34PM

Looks like the studios are finally beginning to loosen their digital distribution grip, now that Warner Bros. and Lionsgate are allowing Comcast to offer extended two day viewing windows this month, with Disney and Summit productions following next month. That coincides with a slew od day and date with the DVD HD VOD postings including He's Just Not That Into You, Gran Torino, Friday the 13th and more. Check the PR for the full list, any ideas how long it is before we see 48 hour replay windows on other cable providers and movie delivery services?

Fringe: Season One has some Blu-ray exclusives in store September 8

by Richard Lawler, posted May 29th 2009 at 10:31PM

Warner Home Video has finally officially slated the Fringe: Season One Blu-ray set for September 8, and included a few details about what to expect on the 5 disc set. The audio tops out with a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack, but there will be a special Fringe Pattern Analysis extra bringing in "experts" to dissect 6 select scenes with notes photos and diagrams aimed to fill the hearts of those dedicated enough to spot The Watcher Observer in each episode and decode the symbols that flashed before each one. Also included to go above and beyond the DVD experience are BD-Live powered treats with Media Center, My Commentary and a somewhat vague note about exclusive commentary on the season finale with creator JJ Abrams. Feel excited enough to drop the $79.98 MSRP ($55.99 on Amazon)? Check after the break for an animated .gif of the lenticular packaging if you need just a little (really little) more incentive.

Continue reading Fringe: Season One has some Blu-ray exclusives in store September 8

300: The Complete Experience double dips on Blu-ray July 21

by Richard Lawler, posted May 14th 2009 at 11:41PM


It appears Warner has finally gotten around to this double dip, with the (re)release of 300: The Complete Experience. For fans (who will probably be in stores at launch July 21 picking up Zack Snyder's Watchmen: Director's Cut) there should be plenty to make up for the extras left out last time around. Besides the formerly HD DVD-only blue screen picture-in-picture video track, there's three new Blu-ray exclusive PiP features: Creating a Legend, Bringing the legend to Life and The History Behind the Myth. No word on price, but the three disc set will include a digital copy DVD, BD-Live My Community Screening and My WB Commentary support, all the old extras included with previous releases, a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack and 50 page collectible booklet. That enough to get you to buy again?

Gallery: 300: The Complete Experience

Warner uses Facebook to sync up Watchmen BD-Live viewing sessions

by Richard Lawler, posted May 12th 2009 at 11:44PM

In July, BD-Live is going beyond the players when Warner Bros. includes a Facebook tie-in on the Watchmen: Director's Cut Blu-ray release. Probably not enough to turn around BD-Live's rep with this crowd, but others may be surprised to find community screening invites wedged between their Mafia Wars invites and status updates. Also exclusive to the Blu-ray is "Maximum Movie Mode" for a split screen view of the action and video commentary from director Zach Snyder, plus Watchmen: Focus Points, Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes and Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World extras. Due either July 21, The Hollywood Reporter says we can expect the theatrical version on VOD, Xbox and PlayStation movie stores, while iTunes and Amazon will deliver the Director's Cut without the disc.

Read - Watchmen Gets Heroic on DVD and Blu-ray on July 21st
Read - Warners teams with Facebook for 'Watchmen'

Warner reintegrates HD DVD faithful with Red2Blu trade-in program

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 22nd 2009 at 10:28AM


U.S. HD DVD fans that passed up Best Buy's offer of $3 per disc, or just those who stocked up on cheap movies after the format gave up the fight have another option coming from Warner Bros. Send in the cover art sleeve (keep the disc) including UPC from your HD DVD case (plus $4.95 per movie and $6.95 / $8.95 per order S&H) and it will send you back a brand new Blu-ray copy. There's a few other restrictions, like 1 copy per movie and 25 different movies per household, but the biggest decision is likely to be whether giving up your precious I Am Legend sleeve is worth the trade, hit up Red2Blu.com for all the details and necessary forms. It seems to us like a decent offer to make HD DVD owners whole, we'd be surprised if Paramount and Universal came through with similar plans.

[Via DVDTown]

Lord of the Rings trilogy Blu-ray set shows up on Amazon, but where's the extras?

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 17th 2009 at 7:14PM

Can you believe it? We're still waiting for the Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray, but news that the set has shown up for pre-order on Amazon.com. The only hook, as noted by TheHDRoom, is that the $99.98 MSRP / $69.99 priced package is listed as the theatrical editions, leaving room for the idea Warner plans to double dip with the extended versions later. Still, with on official announcement, no one knows quite what the deal is, so just peep the box art and hope for the best.

[Thanks, Vipul]

Warner Bros. plans to support CBHD, the format war is back on -- at least in China

by Richard Lawler, posted Mar 2nd 2009 at 11:31PM


It seems appropriate that after striking the fatal blow in the war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, Warner is the first to break rank and ally itself with the China Blue HD team. Ready to enter the ordinary Chinese consumer's family, according to Managing Director Tony Vaughan, the Harry Potter series, Speed Racer and others will launch for 50-70 yuan ($7.30 - $10.22) per disc. Excuse us while we pick our jaws up from the floor, but with at least one Hollywood studio in pocket and 1999 yuan ($292) players on the way the son of HD DVD looks remarkably closer to a real Blu-ray competitor (and less like the destined for the scrap heap reject we predicted) than ever. With DVD sales shrinking and Blu-ray not quite ready to pick up the slack, how long until another studio decides the Chinese market has enough potential to publish movies on CBHD? [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Via Format War Central]

Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic Blu-ray disc includes early movie teaser

by Richard Lawler, posted Jan 24th 2009 at 8:28AM

Can't wait to see Watchmen when it comes out March 6? Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic is set to hit shelves on DVD and Blu-ray three days earlier and will include a sneak peek of the "Prison Break" scene from the motion picture. C'mon, after obsessively reading and re-reading the graphic novel and watching and re-watching every trailer you're going to let a mere $34.99 MSRP keep you from a high quality early preview of the movie? That the Motion Comic is included on the disc is probably just an added bonus to some.

Warner and Paramount sign up for movies on SD cards

by Steven Kim, posted Jan 10th 2009 at 3:49PM

SD card Warner and MOD
If you've ever wished out loud for movie distribution on solid state memory, a glimmer of a speck of hope has just popped on to the radar thanks to a partnership between digital media delivery system company MOD Systems and movie studios. Anchor Bay, First Look, Image Entertainment, and -- wait for it -- Warner and Paramount are among the studios signed up to set 4,000 titles loose at a kiosk near you. The bad news is that only standard definition titles are going to be set loose to devices or SD cards. That standard def limitation is a whine, we know -- we like where this is headed.

The Dark Knight Blu-ray sells 1.7 million in a week, shows Iron Man a magic trick

by Richard Lawler, posted Dec 17th 2008 at 6:46AM Breaking News


Just like it did to the one day Blu-ray sales record, The Dark Knight Blu-ray disc jumped even Warner's projections for its first week, selling 1.7 million copies worldwide, topping Iron Man's 500,000. Apparently undeterred by any claims of issues fans jumped on the release, with DVDs added it moved a total of 13.5 million on both formats. No word yet whether there's still space to chat with director Chris Nolan on the 18th, but Warner's also claiming 300,000 digital copies activated, and the number on spot on iTunes. Not enough celebratory back slapping for you? Check the press release after the break while we try to figure out what movie has a chance of breaking the #1 sales figure next.

Continue reading The Dark Knight Blu-ray sells 1.7 million in a week, shows Iron Man a magic trick

Studios begin to settle on wholesale Blu-ray Disc prices

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 10th 2008 at 2:44AM

While we're still not clear on when Blu-ray Disc prices will fall more in line with newly lowered hardware prices, it seems that movie studios are at least beginning to standardize wholesale stickers. Reportedly, Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have all priced their BDs for distributors and direct retail accounts between $24 and $26. As expected, none of the studios would comment on the reports, and certain distributors and retailers contacted by Video Business still felt that they were "experimenting with Blu-ray prices and features." Unfortunately, we're still waiting for that one big studio to take a risk and undercut the others, but if Q4 sales don't exceed expectations, we'd expect some drastic measures to be taken early next year.

Warner gets official with The Dark Knight BD-Live extras

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 4:11PM Breaking News


Not like we haven't heard about these much anticipated features already, but it's always refreshing to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Or Warner Home Video's mouth, in this case. The Dark Knight marks the studio's very first foray into the controversial world of BD-Live, and what's apt to be the best selling BD of the year will pack quite the interactive punch. Owners with Profile 2.0 players will be able to "host their own Live Community Screenings with friends, record and post user-generated commentaries over the film using My WB Commentary, access more The Dark Knight content exclusive to Warner Bros. BD-Live, get sneak peeks and trailers of upcoming Warner Bros. films, create an online library of Blu-ray movies, manage a wish list for upcoming releases and connect to the WB store." As we've already seen in a number of instances, there's also a hint of a BD-Live-assisted interview with director Christopher Nolan "during a special Live Community Screening." For the full spill, give that read link a gentle tap.

The Dark Knight features BD-Live chat with Chris Nolan for first 100,000 -- Bat Growl not included

by Richard Lawler, posted Nov 17th 2008 at 11:31PM

Clearly unwilling to be seen as anything other than the premiere Blu-ray release of the year, The Dark Knight will follow Hellboy II in featuring a BD-Live chat session with director Chris Nolan -- but apparently only for the first 100,000 registered purchasers (regular or Bat-Pod edition). As TheHDRoom points out, with over one million copies headed to shelves for the launch, you may want to grab yours early. Also coming to the Bat-Channel is video commentary sharing, while details like how to submit questions and exactly when the viewing party will take place are still unclear, fans have plenty to look forward to December 9th.

Warner Bros. ends home video / DVD business in South Korea, piracy to blame

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 15th 2008 at 10:47PM

Those guys look pretty passionate, wouldn't you say? It's folks like that (we presume) that have forced Warner Brothers' hand, and now the studio will end its home video and DVD business in the nation of South Korea. According to an unnamed official at Warner Brothers Home Video Korea, "one of the reasons for the pullout is a slump in the video and DVD market, resulting from online piracy and illegal downloading," and amazingly enough, Warner Bros. is actually the last remaining Hollywood company to pull out of the region. Instead, the firm will focus on "digital distribution," and given that just about everyone and their grandmother has access to the internetz in South Korea, we'd say that's probably an intelligent move.




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