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'The Ten Commandments' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser] Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 epic will part the high-definition seas this March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount Home Entertainment says 'The Ten Commandments' is in the works for Blu-ray on March 29. Starring Charlton Heston, the classic film was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture -- winning Best Special Effects. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille's Epic, The Ten Commandments; Newsreel: The Ten Commandments - Premiere in New York (in HD); and Theatrical Trailers (in HD). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Ten Commandments' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 29.Posted Tue Jan 11, 2011 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
'Morning Glory' Announced and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser] The shrewdly funny comedy will debut on Blu-ray this March! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount Home Entertainment says 'Morning Glory' is headed for Blu-ray on March 8. A sensational cast, including Rachel McAdams ('The Notebook'), Harrison Ford ('Indiana Jones' franchise) and Diane Keaton ('Something’s Gotta Give'), lights up the screen in the “tart, terrific comedy” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) filled with “charm and a light-footed smartness” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include a deleted scene and an audio commentary by director Roger Michell and writer Aline Brosh McKenna. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Morning Glory' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 8.Posted Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 03:00 PM PST by: -
'Due Date' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The hit film from the director of 'The Hangover' is coming to high-definition this February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers has revealed 'Due Date' will hit Blu-ray on February 22. This comedy directed by Todd Phillips raked in nearly $100 million at the box office and and stars Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The release will be a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack with 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and the only supplement shared with the standard-definition release will be a gag reel. Exclusive to the Blu-ray will be: Complete Two and a Half Men scene featuring Ethan Tremblay, additional scenes, Due Date Action Mash-up: compilation of the physical comedy from the film, and Due Date Too Many Questions Mash-up: What makes Ethan the most annoying guy with whom you could ever be stuck in a car? Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Due Date' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 22.Posted Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 02:00 PM PST by: -
Save $5 on 'Dances with Wolves' Blu-ray[teaser]Save a few bucks on the Kevin Costner film coming to Blu-ray this week! [/teaser] Coupons.com is running a coupon offer to save $5 on 'Dances with Wolves: 20th Anniversary Edition' available in stores on Tuesday. Click this link to access to the page where you can print out your coupon (it's located under "entertainment") valid at participating retail stores. Note that this coupon discount requires the installation of special coupon printing software.Posted Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
'Lemmy: 49 Percent Motherf**ker, 51 Percent Son Of A Bitch' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser] Yep, that's the actual title of the acclaimed documentary on the life and career of Motörhead singer and bassist Lemmy Kilmister coming to Blu-ray this February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Red General Catalog will be releasing 'Lemmy: 49 Percent Motherf**ker, 51Percent Son Of A Bitch' on Blu-ray on February 15. Directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski, the film reveals Lemmy as never before and has already taken critics by storm, premiering to raves earlier this year at SXSW and screening at film festivals worldwide. Boasting a star-studded lineup including Metallica, Dave Grohl, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Jarvis Cocker, Joan Jett, Billy Bob Thornton, Slash, pro wrestler Triple H, and members of The Clash, Guns N Roses, Jane's Addiction, and more, the film offers a rare and revealing look at Lemmy's life with candid at-home interviews, studio sessions, and priceless live concert footage. 'Lemmy rocks,' raves Variety, while Mojo calls the film 'an unflinching and deeply humanizing portrait of one of modern music s truly iconic figures.' Specs have yet to be revealed, but the release will have over 4 hours of supplements including outtakes from everyone from Dave Grohl and Metallica to Alice Cooper and Slash (as well as all the other famous musicians featured in the film. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Lemmy: 49Percent Motherf**ker, 51Percent Son Of A Bitch' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 15.Posted Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Blood' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The erotic Japanese vampire flick will seduce Blu-ray this March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Well Go USA says they're working on 'Blood' for a Blu-ray release on March 15. 'BLOOD' is a great addition to our growing DVD and Blu-ray library and an important release for us in early 2011,” said Tony Vandeveerdonk, Executive Vice President for Well Go USA. “Ten Shimoyama’s directing expertise including his unique vision is what makes 'BLOOD' such a compelling film. We have a strong catalog of Japanese horror titles and 'BLOOD' fits nicely into the mix.” Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Blood' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 15.Posted Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
'The Incredibles' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The Pixar smash hit is in the works for a Blu-ray release in April! [/teaser] Disney/Buena Vista is working on the animated superhero blockbuster 'The Incredibles' starring the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson for a Blu-ray release on April 12. The film about a family of undercover superheroes trying to live the quiet suburban life and are forced into action to save the world. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but the release will be 4-disc set consisting of two Blu-rays, a DVD, and a digital copy. A trailer for the Blu-ray has also been posted online and it can be viewed below: Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $45.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Incredibles' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 12.Posted Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: 'The Last of the Mohicans' Blu-ray $14.99 at Amazon[teaser]The Blu-ray deal of the week offers Michael Mann's epic film for over fifty percent off at Amazon. [/teaser] The online retailer is now selling 'The Last of the Mohicans' starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe for $14.99 (57% off suggested list price). Click here to own this high-definition adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's novel! The deal will run from now through January 15.Posted Sun Jan 9, 2011 at 03:00 PM PST by: -
HD Advisor 88 MPH and 1.21 GigawattsEditor's Note: Each Friday, High-Def Digest's own HD Advisor will answer a new round of questions from our readers. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to [email protected]. If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient as we work our way through them. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page. Answers by Joshua Zyber Pillarboxing Standard-Def Video Q: I now have two Sony Blu-ray players: a BDP-S360 and a BDP-S370. Both are hooked up to Sony LCD screens via HDMI. Both TVs are within 3 years old. On both, whenever I play a DVD disc that is 4:3 fullscreen, the TV wants to stretch the picture to fill the screen instead of pillarboxing the image. Looking at both the TV and Blu-ray player options, I don't see anything to fix this issue. It's fine if the video is 16:9, but 4:3 doesn't play properly. This is usually an issue with using HDMI, as using RCA connections the picture is fine. What am I missing here? A: I'm guessing that your Blu-ray players are upconverting the standard DVDs to high-def resolutions. Unfortunately, many HDTVs assume that all HD input signals must be 16:9 in aspect ratio. While some allow aspect ratio control even for HD content, others automatically lock into 16:9 stretch mode. The reason that your analog RCA connections don't have this problem is that they're transmitting standard-def signals, and the TV continues to allow aspect ratio control with SD content. Some Blu-ray players offer an option to pillarbox 4:3 DVD content. Check the Blu-ray player's setup menu under the "Video" section. What happens here is that, when upconverting the video, the player scales it to retain proper geometry and add black bars to the sides. This will be the Blu-ray player doing this, not the TV. All the TV ever sees is a 16:9 HD signal. Unfortunately, while I haven't used your particular Blu-ray player models, in my experience, earlier Sony BD models did not have this feature. Another possible option is to set the Blu-ray player to a "Native" or "Raw" output resolution mode. This would have the player output video content on whatever disc you play in its original format without upconversion. Blu-ray HD video would be output as 1080p, while DVD standard-def video would be output as 480i (or sometimes deinterlaced to 480p, depending on how the specific player handles it). When your TV receives the DVD signal in standard-def format, it should re-enable aspect ratio control. Again, not all Blu-ray players offer this feature. I don't recall offhand whether the Sony players I previously used had it, but it's certainly worth checking in yours. In a worst case scenario, your Blu-ray players may offer neither pillarboxing nor "Native" output resolution. If that's the case, you may be out of luck unless you buy a new Blu-ray player with one or both of these functions. Cable TV Audio Hook-Up Q: I had a question about the best way to hook up my A/V receiver in order to get the best sound quality out of everyday TV. I currently have my cable hooked up directly to my receiver through HDMI. I then run another HDMI from the receiver to my TV. Would there be any difference in sound quality if I were to change this and have the cable box hooked up to the TV using HDMI, and then run another HDMI to the receiver? The problem is that my cable box only has 1 HDMI, and my theory has been to run the cable directly through the receiver and then to the TV. Will there be any difference in sound quality if change this setup? A: I'm pretty sure that the way you currently have things set up – with your cable box connected to your A/V receiver by HDMI, and then the receiver connected to the TV (also by HDMI) – is the way that most people with surround sound do it. Assuming that the receiver has multiple HDMI inputs, this will allow you to connect and easily switch between multiple video sources (cable TV, Blu-ray player, game console, etc.) all feeding into the same single HDMI input on the TV. This is generally the most convenient connection option. A good receiver should not cause any sort of degradation of the video signal when you do this. Unfortunately, some do. If you notice that your picture quality looks worse than when you connect the sources directly to the TV, try turning off any video processing features in the receiver. Some receivers will upconvert standard-def video to HD for you. Disable that and set the receiver for pure "passthrough" of all video. In answer to your question, connecting your sources the opposite way (everything into the TV first, and then audio out from the TV to the receiver) should not (in theory) degrade your sound quality either. You'll need to make sure that your TV actually offers this feature, though. (Not all do.) You'll also need to set the TV to turn off its own internal speakers if you're going to use the surround sound system for audio instead. I can't think of too many scenarios where it would be preferable to route to the TV first, unless the receiver is harming your video quality. If your concern here is that you don't always want to use surround sound for non-critical TV viewing (the evening news, reality shows, and so forth), you'll very likely have to go into the TV's setup menus to turn its built-in speakers back on every time you want to bypass the receiver. That can be a pain. If the issue is that a spouse or other household member doesn't want to deal with the hassle of turning on the whole surround sound package just to watch TV, I recommend buying a Harmony remote and programming it to control all of your devices. The Harmony line will organize all of your components into easy-to-use "Activity" commands such as "Watch TV" or "Watch Blu-ray" that will turn on and control the appropriate devices with a single button-press. Broadcast Audio Format Q: I was curious about the typical decoding that is used when simply watching movies on TV. Are most movies are DTS or Dolby Digital, and how good is the quality? A: I'm going to assume that you're specifically concerned about HD movies airing on digital broadcast, cable, and satellite TV. Those services transmit audio in standard (lossy) Dolby Digital format. Some will use 5.1 surround, while others simply 2.0 stereo (or mono), depending on the network and the content. Most broadcast DD 5.1 is set at a bit rate of 384 kb/s, which is below the typical DVD standard. A few networks may use a DVD-quality 448 kb/s bit rate, but that's still rare. DTS is not used for television broadcast. In France, the TNT HD platform broadcasts in Dolby Digital Plus format, which is still lossy but has better transparency than normal Dolby Digital. Unfortunately, DD+ hasn't made any inroads into American broadcasting yet. Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor The HD Advisor knows many things, but he doesn't know everything. Some questions are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too! Panasonic Plasma Grayscale Issue Q: I have a Panasonic TC-P50V10 and my parents have a Panasonic TH-42PX600U plasma TV. Both TVs have issues with steps appearing in the reverse gray ramp test on the 'Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics' Blu-ray disc test pattern for contrast. Also, color differences in the fleck field are noticeable, altering the gray scale in those areas. 'DVE' talks about this issue having to do with not having enough digital resolution in the video processing or display itself, citing that 8-bit resolution is ideal. This becomes problematic for enjoying Blu-rays when there are tungsten lights on the screen flashing out from the black background, like in the "Off to War" chapter of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (the light above the boat's gun and light above the door the boat captain comes out shortly thereafter). The effect is that there appears to be banding around the light source (a greenish like haze). Are these issues with Panasonic plasmas or plasmas in general? Can a professional calibrator fix this and/or a separate video processor, or is it a deficiency of the TV? Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming. Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.Posted Fri Jan 7, 2011 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
'Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]Celebrate the hit musical in high-def style this February! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal Studios has just revealed 'Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert' for a home video release on February 22. Experience the event of a lifetime with this spectacular 25th anniversary celebration of one of the most popular musicals ever written, Les Misérables. Honoring 25 years of this incredible show, this momentous film captures the excitement of two magnificent sold-out performances that were watched live around the world. With a phenomenal all-star cast, including pop star Nick Jonas (Jonas Brothers), Tony® Award winner Lea Salonga (the voice of Disney’s Mulan and Princess Jasmine), and over 500 additional artists and musicians, revel in the songs of the unforgettable characters as they struggle for redemption and revolution. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and no supplements have been revealed so far. Suggested list price is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under February 22.Posted Fri Jan 7, 2011 at 10:30 AM PST by:
