An American Haunting on HD DVD... (Updated Jun 18)

Maleficio (An American Haunting) will make its debut on HD DVD in Spain on July 11 instead of March 14 or Feb 21. (This title is distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment in North America.)

The main feature will be presented in 1080p High Definition 16x9 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 (English, Catalan) and DTS-HD 5.1 (Spanish) audio options. Only Spanish subtitles are provided.

Furthermore, what caught my attention was the bonus materials listing. Among them, the video commentary of the director was mentioned. Could it possibly be a Picture-in-Picture director's commentary that uses HDi or the same one ported over from the DVD release? If this title indeed contains the Picture-in-Picture director's commentary, it could possibly be the first HD DVD title released exclusively to markets outside US (although it is possible to get it as the region codes have yet to kick in) to include advanced HDi features. I've been told that this video commentary should be similar to the one found on the DVD release, but can anyone confirm this?

Other bonus materials include interviews with cast, trailers, production featurettes and 3 alternative endings.

Cover Artwork...

Eternal Sunshine & Nutty Professor on HD DVD...

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has indicated that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Nutty Professor will arrive on HD DVD format this April 24. Both are priced at $29.98 SRP each.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (HD DVD)

• 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1
• Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (English & French)
• English [SDH] & French Subtitles
• Bonus materials:
  - Feature Commentary with Director Michel Gondry and Writer Charlie Kaufman
  - A Look Inside Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  - A Conversation with Jim Carrey and Director Michel Gondry
  - A Conversation with Kate Winslet and Director Michel Gondry
  - Deleted Scenes
  - Polyphonic Spree "Light & Day" Music Video
  - Lacuana Commercial
  - Inside the mind of Director Michel Gondry
  - Anatomy of a Scene: Saratoga Avenue
  - Deleted / Exteneded Scenes

The Nutty Professor (HD DVD)

• 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1
• Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 (English & French)
• English [SDH] & French Subtitles
• Bonus Materials:
  - Theatrical trailer

Windows Vista...

During the 5 years of Windows XP rein, 2 major service packs were released to address various issues with particular attention being paid to security of the Windows platform. Now, the official worldwide launch of Microsoft's Windows Vista is less than 12 hours away. I've never tried the Beta release... but is considering whether its worth the time and money to upgrade on existing machines, especially since it can be expected that the first service pack will be released within 2 years after its official launch. Anyway, if I do get it, you could read all about the O.S. and the stuff/experience I had to go through with the upgrade on this blog.

An Update...

Its been days since my last post. Hence, I've aggregated all the stuff and post them here... all in one shot. The past week has ended on a rather positive note.

On the hardware front:

• Firmware Update Version 1.2 is currently available for download via the HD DVD player's ethernet port or via an update disc that Toshiba will mail to you (if you request for it). The update is meant for Toshiba's HD-A2, HD-A2W, and HD-D2 HD DVD players.
• This update addresses some problems Toshiba has identified with HDMI/DVI connectivity and disc playback. Please first refer to the webpage Firmware Update Information for Owners of Toshiba HD DVD Players: Models HD-A2, HD-A2W, and HD-D2 for full details and upgrading instructions direct from Toshiba (America) before attempting to upgrade the firmware.
• It seems that such a firmware update was also made available to European owners of the Toshiba HD-E1 a few days/weeks ago.
• I've yet to receive any official word with regards to an update being made available for the HD-XF2 (Japan). But I guess it won't take long before they release an update.

On the software front:

• Guess the news have reached almost every single owner of a HD DVD player... Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that it has plans to add another 100 titles to the existing selection of HD DVD titles over the course of 2007. 90% of which will be released as HD DVD/DVD Combos. The titles mentioned in the press release have been updated in our Coming Soon list.
• Nature's Colors With the World's Greatest Music will be released on HD DVD/DVD Combo disc this February 27. The main feature will be presented in 1080i High Definition with Dolby Digital-Plus & Dolby TrueHD audio tracks. Nature's Colors would include those from Bora Bora to Africa, from the Midwest to the Pacific Coast, from Costa Rica to Bali, from Hawaii to Arizona, from the Rocky Mountains to the Redwood Forest while World's Greatest Music will feature classical tracks from from Bach to Beethoven to Ravel to Debussy.

AACS Licensing Administrator Responded to Claims of AACS being Compromised

January 24, 2007

AACS LA has confirmed that AACS Title Keys have appeared on public web sites without authorization. Such unauthorized disclosures indicate an attack on one or more players sold by AACS licensees. This development is limited to the compromise of specific implementations, and does not represent an attack on the AACS system itself, nor is it exclusive to any particular format. Instead it illustrates the need for all AACS licensees to follow the Compliance and Robustness Rules set forth in the AACS license agreements to help ensure that product implementations are not compromised. AACS LA employs both technical and legal measures to deal with attacks such as this one, and AACS LA is using all appropriate remedies at its disposal to address the attack.

AACS LA founders include IBM Corp, Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp, Panasonic, Sony Corp, Toshiba Corp, the Walt Disney Co and Warner Bros Studios, a unit of Time Warner Inc.

Reuters also has a report on this issue.

Universal Studios Unveils its Next Wave of HD DVD titles

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has indicated that its next wave of HD DVD titles is due at retail on April 17. They are The Game and The Jerk. Both will be priced at $29.98 SRP each.

The Game (HD DVD)

• 1080p High Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)
• Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 (English & French) / English [SDH] & Spanish subtitles
• Theatrical trailer

The Jerk (HD DVD)

• 1080p High Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)
• Dolby Digital-Plus (5.1 English & 2.0 French) / English [SDH] & French subtitles
• Bonus Materials:
  - Learn How to Play "Tonight You Belong to Me"
  - The Lost Filmstrips of Father Carlos Las Vegas de Cordova
  - Theatrical Trailer
  - Production Notes

These details may still be considered preliminary. Should there be any changes/updates to the release details, you'd see them posted on this blog.

Toshiba (America) Releases Version 1.2 Firmware Update for HD-A2, HD-A2W, and HD-D2

Toshiba America has released the first firmware update for HD-A2, HD-A2W, and HD-D2 HD DVD players sold in U.S., to version 1.2.

This update addresses some problems Toshiba has identified with HDMI/DVI connectivity and disc playback.

If you have broadband internet service you may obtain the firmware update over the internet using the Ethernet port on the back of your HD DVD Player. There are instructions for configuring the Ethernet port on pages 44-47 of the owner's manual. Page 58 of the owner's manual describes how to download the firmware update.

If you do not have an Ethernet-based broadband connection for your player or prefer not to use one, you may contact Toshiba Customer Solutions at (800) 319-6684 and request that a firmware update disc be sent by mail.

Please first refer to the webpage Firmware Update Information for Owners of Toshiba HD DVD Players: Models HD-A2, HD-A2W, and HD-D2 for full details and upgrading instructions direct from Toshiba (America) before attempting to upgrade the firmware.

Updates on Upcoming HD DVD titles...

• BBC's Planet Earth: The Complete Series and National Geographic's Relentless Enemies are both expected on HD DVD, April 24 and March 27 respectively. Both titles are distributed by Warner Home Video.
• We've been told that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is expected soon (quite soon, probably Universal Studios' next wave of HD DVD releases, I hope)... on HD DVD. However, it still remains to be seen if this is true.
• Happy Feet is confirmed to arrive at retail on the HD DVD/DVD Combo disc, March 27. Among all the video formats this title is being released on, only the HD DVD will contain a lossless audio track - Dolby TrueHD 5.1.
• Decided to create a coming soon list... It is based on inputs from various sources (past & present) and has been filtered, to make it more credible and less messy. Even so, the list may still be far from being a concrete one.

Relive Mumble's Jumpin n' Movin Adventures on HD DVD

Happy Feet will be released on the HD DVD/DVD (HD-30/DVD-9) Combo disc, this March 27. It will be priced at $39.99 SRP. The main feature will be presented in 1080p High Definition 16x9 2.40:1 with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English) and Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 EX audio tracks (English, French & Spanish)... English, French & Spanish subtitles are included.

The DVD side of the disc contains all the bonus materials announced for the single-disc widescreen DVD release. They are

• 2 New Fully Animated Additional Sequences “Mumble meets a Blue Whale” and “A Happy Feet Moment”
• Dance like a Penguin: Stomp to the Beat featurette – Take a private dance lesson with Savion Glover
• Gia’s Hit Me Up Music Video
• Prince’s The Song of the Heart Music Video
• Classic Cartoon I Love to Singa

Please note that the above details can still be considered preliminary and subject to changes. Details of extras on the HD DVD side is TBC...

I'm definitely getting this one... Dolby TrueHD audio here just makes the purchase sweeter...

No announcement expected from Universal Studios during CES'07 but...

the sky is not falling yet. HighDefDigest.com has reported and I quote the sentence here "they (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) confirmed they will not be unveiling any new street dates or detailed title info at all for the duration of the show."

Although I would like to hear their brief plans for 2007, after covering HD DVD releases for more than a year, I've come to realise the following...

Remember at last year's CES, Universal Studios Home Entertainment announced the first 10 titles that can be expected in 2006 and all except The 40 Year Old Virgin is currently available on HD DVD. Who'd have expected King Kong, The Mummy, Seabiscuit and many others that were not earlier announced at the CES but mentioned and/or speculated, to join many other HD DVD releases in 2006. In addition, I didn't encounter any press release for titles released after the HD DVD format's launch in April 2006. Information was taken from the studio, the distributors, retailers and other sources.

After a year of posting release dates and details of upcoming HD DVD titles, I'm pretty confident and looking forward to another year of interesting and exciting HD DVD releases from all supporting studios.

And yes, as and when we receive substantial information on upcoming releases, you'll see them here, just like when we first reported King Kong (2005) coming to HD DVD...

Anyway, HighDefDigest.com is reporting that a promotional flyer has listed The 40 Year-Old Virgin, American Pie, Bruce Almighty, the 2003 remake of Dawn of the Dead, Pride & Prejudice, the original The Bourne Identity and Inside Man are titles from Universal Studios coming soon to HD DVD.

Furthermore, Universal Studios Home Entertainment seems to be trying out the networking features of the HD DVD format enabled by HDi. Demos of HD DVD networking features by InterVideo (now part of Corel) has the participation of Universal Studios. A possibility of including networking features on future HD DVD titles may have contributed to the lack of title announcements now, to re-decide the titles that would take advantage of this functionality.

Warner Home Video Announces Creation of Total Hi Def Disc

Warner Bros. announced that discs in Total Hi Def (HD DVD and Blu-ray hybrid disc) will be available in the second half of 2007, and titles will be announced in a time frame consistent with the company's standard trade announcements for home entertainment titles.

The physical structure of the disc is 1.2 mm the same as DVDs, HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. The Total Hi Def disc has the ability to contain both single layer and dual layers for both formats enabling either 15 GB or 30 GB on the HD DVD side and 25 GB or 50 GB on the Blu-ray side.

Official Update to News of the 51GB HD DVD disc...

From this... (May 2005)

To this... (Jan 2007)

An official statement by Toshiba Corp. on the newly developed triple-layer 51GB HD DVD disc:

Toshiba Corporation today underlined the versatility and high capacity of the HD DVD format with the announcement that the company has developed a triple-layer HD DVD-ROM (read only) disc with a capacity of 51 gigabytes. The new disc can store up to 7 hours (Recording capacity at a sampling rate of 17 mbps) of high-definition video and adds an extended capacity, high-end option to the already extensive line-up of HD DVD-ROM discs. Toshiba aims to secure approval of the new disc by the DVD Forum within this year.

The new ROM disc has a three-layer structure, with each layer storing 17GB of data. The advances capacity over current ROM discs, which hold 15GB of data in each layer of a single-sided disc. Continued improvement in disc mastering technology has achieved further minimization in the recording pit, supporting a further boost in capacity to 17GB in single layer and a full 51GB on a single-sided triple-layer disc. Toshiba has confirmed the disc structure and its successful operation.

The new disc shares the same disc structure as standard DVD and previously announced HD DVD formats: two 0.6-mm thick discs bonded back-to-back. This time-tested physical structure offers proven volume manufacturing at little cost increment.

Toshiba will feature the new disc at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 8 to 11, at the Toshiba booth.

Bandai Visual Confirms 4 HD DVD titles in 2007...

Bandai Visual Co., Ltd., Memory-Tech Corporation and Microsoft Co., Ltd. have agreed to release the following 4 HD DVD titles during 2007: Freedom, a brand new digital OVA series, and feature-length anime movies Royal Space Force-The Wings of Honneamise, Patlabor The Movie, and Patlabor 2 The Movie.

All four should include features that takes greater advantage of HDi technology in HD DVD authoring, network functions, AACS Managed Copy and also other functions that combine of packaged media with networks.

Full Details of March 27 HD DVDs

Happy Feet (HD DVD/DVD Combo)
Release Date: 27 March 2007
Disc Type: HD DVD / DVD Combo Format (Single-Disc, Dual-Sided)

Side A - HD DVD: Feature Film Presentation Specs

• 1080p High Definition 16x9 2.40:1
• Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 (English, French & Spanish) & Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English)
• English [SDH], French & Spanish subtitles

Side A - HD DVD Supplemental Materials

Presented in either 1080p HD or 480i/p SD with Stereo/Mono sound.
No subtitles.

• 2 New Fully Animated Additional Sequences Mumble Meets a Blue Whale and A Happy Feet Moment
• Take a Private Dance Lesson with Savion Glover Where You’ll Dance like a Penguin: Stomp to the Beat featurette
• Gia’s Hit Me Up Music Video
• Prince’s The Song of the Heart Music Video
• Classic Cartoon I Love to Singa

Side B - DVD: Feature Film Presentation Specs

• 480p Standard Definition 16x9 2.4:1
• Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (English, French & Spanish)
• English [SDH], French and Spanish subtitles

Side B - DVD Supplemental Materials

• 2 New Fully Animated Additional Sequences Mumble Meets a Blue Whale and A Happy Feet Moment
• Take a Private Dance Lesson with Savion Glover Where You’ll Dance like a Penguin: Stomp to the Beat featurette
• Gia’s Hit Me Up Music Video
• Prince’s The Song of the Heart Music Video
• Classic Cartoon I Love to Singa

Our Coverage on HD DVD at CES 2007 ...

We've posted the following on the blog...

• HD DVD Format... in 2006 and 2007 - Basically a summary of all the main highlights...
• New HD DVD Developments Unveiled at the HD DVD Promotional Group's CES Press Event - News and details of HD DVD networking features and the 51GB HD DVD-ROM disc.
• HD DVD Hardware (Set-top Players)... Toshiba's HD-A20 & LG's Super Multi Blue Player
• Warner Home Video 2007 High Definition Slate - Just as we've mentioned earlier, Happy Feet, The Departed, Bullitt, ... are all coming to the HD DVD Format this year.

As and when more announcements are made with regards to HD DVD titles, it should be up on this blog soon...

HD DVD Format... in 2006 and 2007

Some highlights... from the latest press release issued by North American HD DVD Promotional Group Inc.

• More than 300 additional movie titles that will be available this year, for an expected total of more than 600 titles worldwide.
• As of January 5th, there are estimated to be more than 175,000 HD DVD players sold in North America, with new models in high demand. This estimated figure is also contributed by brisk sales of second-generation Toshiba HD DVD players, the HD DVD drive for Xbox 360, and HD DVD-enabled Intel Core 2 Duo laptops and desktop PCs from companies like Acer, HP, Niveus and Toshiba.
• Using Nielsen data and retailer reports for title sales to date, the HD DVD studios projected an annualized attach rate of 28 movies per player.
• Attendees of the press event saw a live demo of HD DVD's new advanced interactive features, working on both multiple PC platforms and consumer electronics based players -- effectively showing the wide breadth of support for these features. HD DVD titles with advanced interactivity will take advantage of HD DVD's mandatory specifications for network connectivity, secondary video decoders and persistent storage. Titles using player memory as well as the secondary video encoder for picture-in-picture were shipping throughout 2006, and titles using network connectivity are expected to be available in 2007. Using Microsoft's HDi interactive technology, the live demo showed how to save and share favorite scenes from a movie with other HD DVD owners, and how to download HD trailers and other content from the Internet. To date, HD DVD is the only format delivering titles using true picture-in-picture.
• Several of the more innovative of the Asian manufacturers such as Alco, Jiangkui/ED Digital, Lite-On, and Shinco will add competitively priced HD DVD products to the market, and well-known brands such as Meridian and Onkyo will create HD DVD players as well.
• Of the more than 41 studios and distributors supporting HD DVD worldwide, Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, HBO Home Video, New Line Home Entertainment, Genius Product, Inc., The Weinstein Company, Studio Canal, and Bandai Visual, one of the largest animation companies in the world, collectively announced more than 300 additional HD DVD titles will be released this year. The list included acclaimed hits such as: The Departed, The Good Shepherd, Flags of Our Fathers, Babel, the entire Harry Potter series, The Matrix trilogy and Blade Runner. Hit TV series will also appear on HD DVD, including Battlestar Gallactica, The Sopranos, and the original episodes of Star Trek, which have been digitally remastered.

For more information and a complete listing of HD DVD launch titles, visit http://www.TheLookAndSoundOfPerfect.com.

New HD DVD Developments Unveiled at the HD DVD Promotional Group's CES Press Event

HD DVD networking features made possible by the collaboration of Intel(R), Microsoft Corp., Deluxe Digital Studios, Universal(R) and Corel's subsidiary, InterVideo(R), has been demonstrated at CES.

The new HD DVD technologies will deliver networking capabilities that are not available today on existing HD DVD discs. They will provide a special "download center" on the screen that will enable content owners, such as film studios and other entertainment providers to communicate directly with viewers via a networking protocol. This will enable users to download and unlock new content from an online server. It will also allow viewers to share collections of clips called "my scenes" with other viewers who own the same movie. Content owners will benefit from being able to quickly and seamlessly upsell additional timely content and other accessories to consumers.

The demonstration of new HD DVD features was done on an Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo based PC with content authored by Deluxe and provided by Universal. This specially authored title includes additional information on navigation and the location of the Deluxe server with the bonus content. Corel's subsidiary, InterVideo, provided an enhanced version of WinDVD(R) - the world's first PC HD DVD software - with support for the new networking capabilities and interactive menu system.

Does this mean we'll be seeing more titles with networking features soon? It will be interesting to see what gets introduced...

*****

Previously in 2005, the HD DVD Promotion Group has announced that a triple-layer HD DVD-ROM disc of 45GB has been developed. Now it seems that capacity has been increased to 51GB, with each layer now capable of storing 17GB of 0s and 1s. Will there be playback issues with existing players? - will be the first question that comes to early adopters' minds.

Pesonally, as much as this increase in capacity is welcomed (assuming that incompatibilities is a non-issue and the new disc gets approved for inclusion into the HD DVD spec), it is not always a necessity to truly experience a movie in full high definition.

HD DVD Hardware (Set-top Players)... Toshiba's HD-A20 & LG's Super Multi Blue Player

Toshiba is introducing the new HD-A20, which is expected to retail at $599.99 (Spring 2007). With the 1080p capabilities of the HD-A20, Toshiba has taken high definition to the next level at an attractive price point. The HD-A20 joins the existing Toshiba HD DVD line-up which includes the entry level HD-A2 and the top of the line model, HD-XA2. Images of this player via this website.

To match the resolution of your display, Toshiba's HD DVD players output HD DVD content through the HDMI interface in 720p or 1080i for the HD-A2, and 720p, 1080i or 1080p for the HD-A20 and the HD-XA2. Through the HDMI interface, standard definition DVDs can also be upconverted to match the resolution of HD displays.

The HD-A2, HD-A20, and HD-XA2 are all backward compatible, so users can continue to enjoy their libraries of current DVD and CD software.

Both the HD-A20 and the high end HD-XA2 HD DVD player are designed to output 1920 x 1080p, the highest HD signal currently available, via HDMI.

All of Toshiba's HD DVD players support a variety of HD audio options to complement its HD video offerings. This includes both lossy and lossless formats from Dolby Labs and DTS® including the Dolby® Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD. For more information, visit www.toshibahddvd.com or http://tacp.toshiba.com.

*****

LG’s Super Multi Blue Player (BH100) - plays HD DVD discs - is available to U.S. consumers during the first quarter of 2007, is expected to sell for about U.S. $1,199. Images of the player available via this website.

The unit supports various A/V formats, including MPEG-2, VC-1, H.264 video, MPEG1/2 audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, DTS and DTS-HD audio, and includes multiple inputs/outputs such as HDMI out, component/composite video outputs, and optical/coaxial/discrete 5.1 channel audio outputs, among others. For more information, visit www.LGusa.com.

Warner Home Video 2007 High Definition Slate - Best Films of 2006 and 2007 and Classic Favorites on HD DVD

Warner Home Video (WHV) has announced briefly its HD DVD release plans for 2007. Since the inception of the format in April 2006, WHV has released 53 titles on the HD DVD format and has six of the top 10 selling HD DVDs for 2006 including the #1 selling title, Superman Returns.

January 30

• The Wicker Man (Unrated)
• Beerfest (Unrated)

Both are priced at $28.99 SRP. All bonus materials on the standard DVD version will be included on the high definition versions.

February 13

• The Departed (HD DVD/DVD Combo / $39.99 SRP)

Some of the new titles coming soon to HD DVD... Dates and specifics for these titles will be announced soon.

• Blood Diamond
• Happy Feet
• We Are Marshall

Some of the catalog/classic titles coming soon to HD DVD... Dates and specifics for these titles will be announced soon.

• The Matrix franchise
• Harry Potter series
• Oceans 11 and Oceans 12
• Bullitt
• The Getaway (1972)
• Alexander Revisited: The Unrated Final Cut

Release dates & full details of these HD DVD titles will be posted here when we get them...

Blog's First Anniversary celebrated with a surprise...

Yep, my first post happened on Jan 6, 2006...

CES 2006, HD-XA1, HD-A1, Firmware v1.4, HD DVD Recorder RD-A1, Batman Begins HD DVD, King Kong HD DVD, IFA 2006, The Mummy HD DVD, Mission: Impossible HD DVD boxset, Xbox 360 HD DVD Add-on, CEATAC 2006 etc...

We've brought you news, information about HD DVD and covered every event that features HD DVD Format over the past year... some of these would not have been possible without the readers who sent in stuffs about HD DVD format from all over the world.

Looking back, its been a great year and blogging experience. The future of the blog is still very much undecided but we'll try continuing our coverage on HD DVD for at least the next few months or the rest of the year.

I personally enjoyed every movie that I've bought on HD DVD and I do hope that 2007 will herald another year of exciting releases. Here are 4 titles that are currently ranked high on our (mine and my c0-blogger's) wishlist:

1. Harry Potter series (with In-Movie Experience)
2. The Matrix Trilogy
3. Extra-Terrestrial (1982 Theatrical Cut)
4. Back to the Future Trilogy

Next, the surprise...

I don't know if this small preview of what to expect during CES 2007 announcement is considered a surprise... anyway here it is (based on several sources):

• Paramount, Warner, Universal Studios, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment will continue releasing content on HD DVD (This is obvious but restating this would mean that none of the studios are switching over to a competing format exclusively).
• New titles such as Happy Feet and The Departed, along with catalog titles such as Dog Day Afternoon and Bullitt can also be expected from Warner Home Video on HD DVD in 2007. There should be an increase in the number of HD DVD titles with In-Movie Experience.
• Universal Studios is expected to announce HD DVD titles during the event but unfortunately I'm unable to provide any early details on them...

5 New HD DVD Titles from Pathé (France) on March 7...

The HD DVD titles to be released by Pathé (France) on March 7 are as follows:

• Alexander (Theatrical Cut)
• Deux Frères (2 Brothers)
• Les Choristes
• Les Chevaliers Du Ciel
• Stalingrad (Enemy at the Gates)

The main feature on all titles will be presented in original theatrical aspect ratio (16x9) at 1080p resolution with DTS-HD Master Audio. Some, if not all, the supplemental materials found on each title's DVD release will be ported over to their current HD DVD release. The French subtitles are available only on Alexander, Deux Frères (2 Brothers) and Stalingrad (Enemy at the Gates) and none of 5 titles will have English subtitles

Alexander and Stalingrad (Enemy at the Gates) HD DVDs will also contain English DTS-HD Master Audio tracks while the rest features only French audio tracks.

It is worth noting that although this is the first time Alexander is released on HD DVD, the main feature on this HD DVD will be theatrical version (not the extended cut) and it features only some of the extras from the DVD. Just last month, Warner Home Video has announced plans to revisit Alexander will an extended cut to be released on DVD and HD DVD later this year.

Dual Format Discs, ...and Players

Warner Bros, which holds various patents on the DVD Format, is set to debut another disc format at the CES 2007, the Total HD disc - which will be playable on both HD DVD and Blu-ray players.

Currently, there seems to be no official source that mentions how it can be implemented and introduced. I have my reservations with respect to this Total HD disc because it may add to some consumer confusion - imagine the number of labels and specifications charts you'll need to add for the audio and video, and consider the possible disparities between special features on HD DVD and Blu-ray releases from studios supporting both formats (such as the video commentary on M:I 3 HD DVD while an audio commentary on Blu-ray release). I believe such a dual-format disc may be more useful/marketable for movie-only releases...

*****

LG Electronics, after months of rumors, speculations and PR statements made regarding dual-format players, has finally and officially announced (Press release in English here) that it is premiering its first high-definition player that will playback both HD DVD and Blu-ray at 1080p resolution, at the CES 2007 next week. More details about its retail debut and pricing should be made available at the event.

Personally, given a choice between dual-format disc and dual-format players, I would prefer the latter. Of course, ultimately, I would prefer that there be more vendors introducing HD DVD-only players at competitive pricing.

Full Details of Feb 13 HD DVDs

The Departed (HD DVD/DVD Combo)
Release Date: 13 February 2007
Disc Type: HD DVD / DVD Combo Format (Single-Disc, Dual-Sided)

Side A - HD DVD: Feature Film Presentation Specs

• 1080p High Definition 16x9 2.40:1
• Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 (English, French & Spanish) & Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English)
• English [SDH], French & Spanish subtitles

Side A - HD DVD Supplemental Materials

Presented in 480i/p Standard Definition with Stereo sound.
No HD DVD exclusive extras.
No subtitles.

• 9 Additional Scenes with Introductions by Director Martin Scorsese
• The Story of the Boston Mob Featurette: The Real-Life Gangster Behind Jack Nicholson's Character
• Crossing Criminal Cultures: How Little Italy's Crime and Violence Influence Scorsese's Work
• Theatrical Trailer

Side B - DVD: Feature Film Presentation Specs

• 480p Standard Definition 16x9 2.4:1
• Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French & Spanish)
• English [SDH], French and Spanish subtitles

Side B - DVD Supplemental Materials

• Theatrical Trailer

'The Wicker Man' Unrated HD DVD Cover Artwork...

'Beerfest' Unrated HD DVD Cover Artwork...

Details of Upcoming HD DVD Releases from Studio Canal

Upcoming Studios Canal HD DVDs (Available May 21, 2007 in France)

• Arizona Dream (Extended Edition) [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution (4.0 French & 2.0 German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Voyage Au Bout De L'enfer [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1/2.0 (French)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• La Grande Vadrouille [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (French)
  - No subtitles
• L'Armee Des Ombres [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 (French) & DTS-HD High Resolution 2.o Mono (French)
  - Danish, French, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Le Laureat (The Graduate) [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 2.0 (French & German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Le Pacte De Loups [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (French)
  - English & French [SDH] subtitles
• Les Trois Jours du Condor (Three days of the Condor) [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 2.0 Mono (French & German)
  - French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Leaving Las Vegas [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0/2.0 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 4.0/2.0 (French)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish & Dutch subtitles
• Million Dollar Baby [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/2.0 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1/2.0 (French)
  - French subtitles
• Mulholland Drive [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French)
  - French subtitles
• Nous étions soldats (We Were Soldiers) [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 6.1/5.1 (French)
  - French subtitles
• Ran [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Japanese) & DTS-HD High Resolution (5.1 French & 2.0 German)
  - French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Serpico [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 1.0 (French)
  - French & German subtitles
• Terminator II [2 Discs HD DVD set]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) /VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French)
  - French, German & Dutch subtitles
• Traffic [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.77:1 (16x9) /VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French)
  - French [SDH] subtitles

Studio Canal HD DVDs Available Now

• Basic Instinct [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) /VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French & German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Elephant Man [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution (1.0 French & 2.0 German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• The Fog [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French & German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• King Kong (1976) [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution (5.1 French & 1.0 German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• La Haine [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Le Pianiste [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French)
  - French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish & Finnish subtitles
• Rambo [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French & German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Rambo II : La Mission [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French & German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Rambo III [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 2.35:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (French & German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitles
• Total Recall [HD-30]
  - 1080p / 1.85:1 (16x9) / VC-1
  - DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English) & DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 (4.0 French & 5.1 German)
  - English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German & Dutch subtitle

All updated disc specs sourced from Studio Canal

Warner's last batch of HD DVDs for January '07

Warner Home Video has earlier this week announced Beefest and The Wicker Man (Unrated) on HD DVD, January 30. The former will be released on a HD-30 disc while the latter will be on a HD-15 disc.

And only The Wicker Man (Unrated) HD DVD will feature Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio on top of the usual Dolby Digital-Plus fare. Both are priced at $28.99 each.

Full Details of Feb 6 HD DVDs

Hollywoodland (HD DVD/DVD Combo)
Release Date: 6 February 2007
Disc Type: HD DVD/DVD Combo Format (Single-Disc, Dual-Sided)

Side A - HD DVD: Feature Film Presentation Specs

• 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1
• Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 (English & French)
• English [SDH] & French subtitles

Side A - HD DVD Supplemental Materials

• Full list TBC.

Side B - DVD: Feature Film Presentation Specs

• Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
• Dolby Digital 5.1 (English & French)
• English [SDH] & French subtitles

Side B - DVD Supplemental Materials

• Re-Creating Old Hollywood
• Behind the Headlines
• Hollywood Then & Now
• Feature Commentary with Director Allen Coulter
• Deleted Scenes

Happy New Year!

Best wishes to all readers in the new year... 2007, I believe (and hope), will be another exciting (but costly?) year of high definition movies (especially HD DVD titles) for all.

This blog will be celebrating its first birthday on January 6.

This blog was created when I found that it seems to be more difficult to find information and details of HD DVD Format during the period from late 2005 to early 2006, as most websites were covering Blu-ray format and propagating the Blu-ray PR statements and advertising slogans "incessantly", even before both formats found their way to retail. When I managed to find the information and details on HD DVD that I require, I thought then it would be even better if I shared those on a blog, not a personal blog but a news blog. So I roped in another guy I found on some forum discussing high definition discs to co-run this blog and viola, this blog is up and running. Now, there are many websites covering ample and good information on HD DVD titles, so me and my pal are considering about the future of this blog (Should we continue and possibly post the same stuff as every related website does or stop the blog altogether? Or have some other alternative arrangement/focus?)

To date we have around 62,000 page views and 50,000 unique visits (I don't really know how unique those visits are since some ISPs issue dynamic IPs to its Internet users.)

The past year has been really fun, some of the high profiled titles like King Kong (2006), Superman Returns, The Mummy, Batman Begins, etc. were released in the first year of the new format's debut.

We've seen how the firmware updating component of HD DVD players work via the Internet (Ethernet port), and have seen a major upgrade in audio capabilities without additional cost - the firmware upgrade to Dolby TrueHD 5.1-channel output via 5.1 analog and HDMI.

We've also seen a few HD DVD slogans, A Defining Moment (Toshiba America's HD DVD player launch), from The Best in Picture, Sound & Interactivity to The Look & Sound of Perfect(Universal Studios) and The Ultimate In High Definition (Weinstein).

Once again, a big thank you to all readers who continue using this blog as their source of information on HD DVD for the past year.

Wild Bear & J.Z.