Poll: What's the biggest Blu-ray disc still due to arrive in 2009?
By Richard Lawler 
posted Nov 1st 2009 3:30PM
posted Nov 1st 2009 3:30PM
posted Nov 1st 2009 3:30PM
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Well, I have two to choose:
Buster Keaton in "The General" from Kino International and Steven Soderberg's "Che" from the Criterion Collection.
Exactly - where did I go wrong in assuming an expensive format upgrade w/ the main benefit being a slightly more faithful reproduction of a film screening would attract cinephiles sooner than it would anyone who'd want to own one of the above?
Blu Ray isn't an expensive format upgrade. Players cost $150 upwards (soon $100 up) and your DVD collection still plays. If you don't want to buy a movie in HD, just buy it in SD, or rent it.
The image reproduction isn't "slightly" better either. 1080p offers over 6 times the resolution of SD 4:3 (which is used for anamorphic 16:9 too), the AVC & VC-1 codecs are more efficient at the same bitrate leading to less artifacts, the sound is better (often lossless), and movies may even benefit from remastering or restoration. Blu ray releases are also very diverse with everything from opera, black and white silent movies, obscure foreign films, horror, chick flicks, TV shows, classics, kids and of course blockbusters all being released on the format.
Don't like The General? Go watch GI Joe then. Or Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure. Or Top Gun. Or Dirty Dancing. Or Bolt. Or Andrea Bocelli in concert. Or David Attenborough. Or Gone With The Wind. Or any one of the thousands of mainstream and niche titles that are available.
Your schtick doesn't even make sense. If you haven't noticed, this blog is called EngadgetHD. If you are not interested in the benefits of HD, why are you here?
bunch of nerds looking forward to Star Trek. Who didn't see that coming? Srsly though, need to buy
I thought they were all about the same size.
Geez, I might be interested in seeing some of these movies (and have seen some), but none are really ones I want to run out and buy.
I didn't see a "give them all to me" option, so I went with Star Trek. I think as far as reference disk goes that's what i'm most interested it.
Wow, mostly a nice selection. Anyone who buys G.I.Joe doesn't deserve a blu-ray player, same for Terminator: Salvation. Forrest Gump and Monsters Inc. will be nice catalog titles. I saw District 9 in 4K and it was AMAZING probably a lot due to it being shot on the RED ONE, and Up also looked stellar in the same 4K theater. Both will be excellent BR transfers I'm sure. Star Trek got my vote just because I think it will have the best chance to take the cake, but I know a lot of people who also liked Up, so maybe it can be a surprise sleeper. Harry Potter's for kids and Watchmen is already out on BR so anyone who only so-so liked it already has the BRD and won't buy again.
-Brian
I don't deserve a Blu-ray player? o.O I know that G.I. Joe wasn't high cinema. But it was two fun hours of shit blowing up, and I'll proudly slot it on my shelves alongside District 9, Up, and Star Trek XI.
This is the best time of year since I barely go to the movies anymore. My home theater is ready :)
The "Up" & "Monsters, Inc." combo pack is only $39 at Amazon.com.
The Up & Monsters Inc Combo is $14 after I rent both from zip.ca and put them on my hard drive (I'm basing the cost on 22 Blu-ray iso fitting on a 1TB hard drive that cost $100).
I don't think we'll see any blu-ray releases top Regenge of the Fallen's first-week sales.
I'd say Star Trek and Up have to be the most anticipated releases. One is a successful "franchise reboot" (has this been overused or what?), and the other is a Pixar film, which requires no further explanation. Zachary Quinto's dead-on look and mannerism of a young Spock is worth the price of admission alone.
I wouldn't count out Gump or District 9 either; their visuals and sweeping storylines demand high definition viewing.
Watchmen is out already isnt it?
I believe two version are out but, not the ultimate edition which includes The Black Freighter comic parts.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3075
Um .. Fight Club !
Harry Potter and Star Trek are the real big movies coming. However, Transformers made more than both of them combined theatrically. I liked it in the theater (with negative-infinity expectations being surpassed!), second watching is... disturbing. But the *quality* of the Blu-ray is incredible. Audio and video are absolutely top notch! Movie... back not negative infinity.
Harry Potter is Harry Potter, huge fanbase and all that. But the younger *overall* audience costs Blu-ray sales (I'd say same with Up, but moreso).
Star Trek, however, had the mix of Lost audience and Star Trek fans. So I see it doing well on these merits.
Again, I doubt either will beat Transformers, but as long as they do well... and hopefully holiday Blu-ray player sales will also add a boost... that's great for the format.
-Pie
I'm hoping Amazon has some good Black Friday Blu-ray sales since the format is a lot more established now than it was a year ago. I remember getting Transformers 1 for $12.99 + shipping last year.
Three words: Saving. Private. Ryan.
hell yes. and yes to fight club. also, enemy at the gates.
The Hangover
Star Trek.
Not even close.
district 9 with god of war demo on the disc.i already watching star trek bluray rip ,and it looks good.UP is also great quality.
no offense, well yes i am offending, I hate people like you who rip movies, brag about it, screwing people who work hard on movies and not getting the movie they deserve.
There's a really simple solution that can satisfy ALL parties involved: charge a reasonable price! For Blu-ray that would be $8-$10. If I could walk into any store and know that every Blu-ray movie on the shelf is going to be $8-$10, I would never rent/rip/return another Blu-ray - I'd just buy every Blu-ray that I want.
Simple reasoning. It costs me $7 to rent/rip/return every Blu-ray as it is. So sell Blu-rays at retail for $8-$10 and you've taken away all financial incentive for me to rip to iso.
Your "reasonable solution" has one failing. It's not FREE. That's one the biggest reasons for piracy, and no matter how much (how little) you charge for BDs, piracy's still going to occur. Also, the Star Trek rip beating the Blu-ray release out the gate by quite a large margin helps the piracy too.
-Pie
Downloading a bittorrent isn't free either. You're still paying for your internet access and you're paying for storage and you're paying in terms of the time it takes to download the file.
Studios have to charge something. Movies aren't made for free. It doesn't make any sense to expect them to be given away. I don't endorse bittorrent sharing in any way. The people who make the movies ought to be paid for their work.
But the retail prices are ridiculous and the executives and stars are way over-paid. That, in itself, isn't so bad. It's the way they flaunt it and rub it in everyone's faces. Get the salaries under control. Get the budgets under control. Charge a reasonable $8-$10 price and that DOES remove a lot of the incentive to steal movies. DVDs should be $3.99 and Blu-rays should be $7.99.
"Up"
Pixar hasn't let me down and I'm pretty sure it's going to be reference quality.
yikes dude.
And am I going insane or didn't Watchmen already come out? Unless I bought it 6 weeks before it's release but I find that unlikely so this must be different somehow.
My vote is Up.
I would vote for a movie that comes out next week that I love... HEAT. The bank robbery scene in Blu-ray should be insane.
Just got Braveheart and am also awaiting my pre-ordered Heat.
The one I'd really like is a quality transfer of Gladiator, something that was to the standard of the (2005 transfer) extended scenes all the way through.
Sadly the bulk of the current release is composed of the dire (2000 transfer) theatrical release & it's just not good enough.
Sh!t transfers are a real PITA with Blu-ray (and they were too with some HD DVDs too before anyone starts moaning).
I have become very picky about what I will buy because of them.
The Gladiator transfer is a a disgrace. It's edge enhanced to death and the transfer quality isn't great. It is watchable but it is nowhere near what it could have been and there is no excuse for the way it is given the film isn't that old. Some lazy producers obviously decided that they could just slap some crappy old HD transfer that was primarily for DVD production onto Blu Ray and no one would notice. It is a shame really.
I voted D9 simply because I think it's the best flick [from that list] I saw this past summer, and it would apparently contain a demo of GOW3, so that's another plus. But of course I haven't seen Up, which I'm looking forward to seeing next week.
Although i know im in the minority on this one id just like a movie i was promised this September, Pulp Fiction. Saving Private Ryan would also be a must buy but Pulp Fiction got a release date and just never came out. As for the poll i voted for Star Trek. I have never been a Star Trek fan but the movie was just sick and I agree with the comments saying that it should make for some nice reference material.
North By Northwest, Heat, Fight Club. All this in November and more, craziest month ever for BR releases!
けいおん! 5 and 6
Inglorious Basterds...
LOTR: Extended.... and ditto on Saving Private Ryan.
The Hangover! C'mon, what kind of biased poll is this? :-)
WHEN "WILL AND GRACE" WILL BE ON BLU RAY ?
Well I already have Star Trek as it was released ere in oz last week. But The Hangover is there for sure. and prob District 9.
I'll take Terminator Salvation please.
The Hangover!!
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas
Tell ya what i would love to see on blu-ray ...TRON remastered ...i got a feeling that they will be releasing a remastered edition to coincide with the release of the sequel later next year...one can only hope
I looking forward to Terminator (always been a fan), district 9, inglourious basterds, and the LOTR box set, I am awaiting the new Star Trek the most, it blew me away. I am a trek fan and could not wait for a new movie but I was not anticipating the new movie. I remember my heart pounding and my mouth wide open in awe at the opening scene and the epic title opening, I said to myself "holy fuck, this movie is going to be incredible." It looked incredible in the movie theaters and we all know that if you have a nice 50-70 inch plasma this blu-ray movie is going to looking way better than theater. So HANDS DOWN I have to go with the Trek, it was epic in every way.
I'm an old dude of 64, but I keep up on the new ones.
Just say Ridley Scott and I'm there. I made sure I
saw the new Star Trek in a theater, but now I want to watch it at
home in my little Blu Ray theater, so I can actually see it.
My most wanted title for 2009, Gone With the Wind. It will look
better than it ever has. My most wished-for titles yet to go Blu:
The Thin Red Line, Walkabout, and Help!
Too bad Ben Hur isn't ready yet. Was supposed to be out in December.
How old is 64? I saw Ben Hur twice, brand new first-run, as a teenager.
Now I count the hours till Cameron's 3D Avatar