HD-DVD Hits Stores Today!

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 18, 2006

Here is something cool that movie buffs and audiophiles have been waiting for: the beginning of the next great format war! Yay!

First contestant into the ring is the HD-DVD format, who officially launch titles to go along with the Toshiba HD-A1 player that has been in most stores for almost a week now. And while most production companies have been split on whether they will endorse HD-DVD or Sony’s Blu-Ray technology (set to release later in the year,) Universal has committed fully to a slue of releases on the HD-DVD format. This from their press release:

Futuristic action-adventure Serenity is the first in the progressive rollout of flagship titles available in the new format. Doom and Apollo 13 are slated to follow on April 25, 2006, with Cinderella Man, Jarhead and Assault on Precinct 13 hitting shelves on May 9, 2006. A fourth wave of releases on May 23, 2006 includes The Chronicles of Riddick, Van Helsing, U-571 and The Bourne Supremacy. Each of the ten releases is priced at $34.98 SRP. Looking ahead, Universal will continue its rolling introduction of HD DVD titles on a monthly basis.

For those of you who are like me, this is an exciting time in the realm of home entertainment. It is also a very frightening time for the world of Cineplexes. With the release of High Definition movies we are now able to construct theaters within our homes that would rival any AMC around the corner. So what is stopping us from ditching the popcorn toting theaters altogether? At least for now it is the fact that “good” movies do not go straight to DVD, but that is not to say that things won’t change. But while I am very excited about the continually improving technology behind making our home experience just as good if not better than our theatrical experience, there is nothing like going to the theater to see a film.

But enough talk about the death of the theater, that will be an argument for a later date. Back to the fantastic possibilities of HD-DVD; one feature that sticks out in particular for me is the fact that the discs can hold a ton more information than a standard DVD disc. This allows for more of what true movie fans desire: special features. A great example is what Universal is touting for the upcoming HD-DVD release of The Bourne Supremacy:

Capitalizing on HD DVD’s robust technology, The Bourne Supremacy DVD will be the first title from Universal to introduce an all-new interactive feature called “Bourne Instant Access,” a feature-length picture-in-picture presentation that simultaneously transports viewers behind-the-scenes with the cast and filmmakers, all without leaving the movie experience.

Interesting, to say the least. So for now there is much deserved attention being paid to this great new format, and with such amazing potential, who wouldn’t be excited about HD-DVD?

Stop back here at Film School Rejects for more information about HD-DVD in the coming weeks, as we plan to break down the difference between the two formats, bring you updates on new titles, and give you all the information you need to make your home movie experience the best it can be!

Technorati Tags: HD-DVD, Bluray, Universal, Entertainment, Movies, Film, DVD, Cinema

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