'Order of the Phoenix' 2-Disc HD DVD Released...

This blog entry has been updated to reflect information provided by a number of readers.

The European and Japanese HD DVD release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are by far the most feature-packed (2 HD DVD discs). The 2-disc HD DVD set is now on sale in Japan for 4,980 Yen (RRP) and in Germany, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom too.

1. The main feature on the 1st disc will also be presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English) and accompanied by the HD DVD-exclusive In-Movie Experience! and web-enabled features. And the In-Movie Experience! (IME) on HD DVD isn't just a different way of presenting the 28 Focus Points featurettes on screen, it is certainly more than just Focus Points featurettes...
   
   With the IME track turned on, you can watch in-depth interviews and commentaries using Picture-In-Picture (PIP) technology as the movie plays, including “Focus Point” featurettes, “pop-up” Fun Facts, and memorable moments and personal perspectives shared directly with you. It’s like hanging out and seeing the movie with Dumbledore’s Army!
   
   Another new HD DVD-exclusive feature on Disc One will be Live Community Screening... where you can gather your own army of fellow wizards for a live community screening party. Invite other owners of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix HD DVD to simultaneously watch from their own internet-accessed players and text with your remote, PC or cell phone. When you host an invitation-only viewing, you control the film by pausing and playing the feature on everyone’s machine. You can chat live with your friends as you watch.
   
   
2. The 2nd HD DVD disc will contain all the special features from the DVD release and also includes the focus points featurettes - all of which are presented in high-definition.
   
   >> 28 Focus Points Featurettes - Enjoy these fun and fascinating "making of" featurettes to discover just what is involved to create those amazing scenes and characters.
   
   >> 17 minutes of Additional Scenes
   
   >> Trailing Tonks - Spend a day with Actress Nat Tena and receive a very personal and often wacky tour of the Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix stages.
   
   >> Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing - Director David Yates and Editor Mark Day show what a difference a good edit makes to allow the viewers to edit a scene.
   
   >> A&E documentary: The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter - Viewers take a thrilling look back at the past Harry Potter films in search of clues to the mysteries of the upcoming Harry Potter saga. (Not found on the North American HD DVD release)

For international readers who are interested in this 2-disc HD DVD set but do not reside in Japan or in Europe, you may want to consider online retailers like Amazon Japan (Amazon.co.jp) or Amazon U.K. (Amazon.co.uk) to purchase the 2-disc HD DVD set.

If you prefer the menu screens in English, you may want to order the U.K. HD DVD release. Subtitles for the U.K. HD DVD release are as follows:

• Main feature - English, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, Dutch, Korean & Spanish subtitle options


• Selected supplemental materials on Disc 2 - English, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, German, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian, Korean, Latin Spanish, Norwegian, Spanish & Swedish subtitle options

Do note that the HD DVD release of Harry Potter 1 - 4 for all countries will be the same (with the exception of subtitle options and audio tracks.) That is, the single-disc HD DVD with the same content.

For information of the Harry Potter HD DVDs released in other countries, you may want to refer to this blog entry.