Super 8 Steelbook Details and Pictures

Super 8 was one of the very best blockbusters of 2011, and the Blu-ray release is a must-buy for fans of the movie.  HMV has continued its run of excellent exclusive steelbooks with a special Super 8 edition, released just before Christmas, and we've got all the details and some pictures.

It's an odd release, as the cover isn't especially descriptive, featuring a silhouette of the film's characters looking at a water tower, plus an outline of a super 8 camera below the title.  The tagline "It Arrives" is hidden away in the top right of the cover, while the production company logos - Bad Robot, Amblin and Paramount - take almost centre stage.

What could have been an attractive, subtle steelbook cover, is ruined by a massive barcode in the bottom right though.  HMV had the foresight to add a removeable sticker with the BBFC certification logos on it, but not for the ugly barcde?  What a shame.

The set is a Triple Play edition with the DVD, Blu-ray and a digital copy, and the disc contains the following extras:

• Commentary track with J.J Abrams and others.
• 14 deleted scenes in HD.
• A total of 8 featurettes in HD.
• Deconstructing the Train Crash.

The disc is presented in 2.40:1 widescreen with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio track, and the opening train crash is a spectacular demonstration of lossless audio performance.

HMV's Super 8 steelbook is still available on the website, and is currently priced at £19.99.

 

Hammer Horror Titles to get Blu-ray Treatment

Some good news for fans of Hammer Studios horror movies has emerged this week, as at least 30 titles will be coming to Blu-ray over the coming year.  Studio Canal is spearheading the releases, which will all receive extensive restoration and remastering, along with help from Warner Bros., Cineimage, Pinewood Studios and Anolis Entertainment.

There's not long to go until the first wave of releases hit the shelves either, as UK Blu-ray buyers will be able to grab Dracula: Prince of Darkness, The Reptile and The Plague of the Zombies on the 5th March.  A complete list of films set to appear hasn't been released, however six more titles have been confirmed as headed our way: The Mummy, The Mummy's Shroud, Rasputin the Mad Monk, Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein and The Devil Rides Out.

As far as extras go, all discs will have newly-filmed documentaries and interviews, and Studio Canal has been collaborating with the author of the Hammer Vault to ensure they're of the highest quality.

According to the blog Hammer has set up to chart the restoration projects, Dracula: Prince of Darkness has been scanned at 4K and restored in 2K, and it'll be presented in its original 2.25:1 aspect ratio with UK title cards.

It should be assumed for the moment that the Hammer discs will be Region B, however this could change closer to the time of release.  Also, with the involvement of other studios, there's no reason not to expect a Region A release in the future.

CES 2012 Blu-ray Announcement News Round-up

This week sees CES 2012 in full swing, and as always there has been an abundance of new Blu-ray players announced, along with some cool new products related to our favourite disc-based media.  Here's a rundown of the top announcements.

Panasonic.

Panasonic has announced four new 3D Blu-ray players, the DMP-BDT500, BDT320, BDT220 and BBT01, plus two 2D players, the DMP-BD77 and BD87.  They all use an updated UniPhier chip and offer VIERA Connect and support for 3D up-conversion.  The BBT01 and BDT320 both use an unusual slot-drive, while the BBT01 can be mounted either vertically or horizontally.

All the new players offer DLNA support and all but the BD77 have Wi-Fi built-in, plus they all support NTFS-based hard disc drives.

Vizio.

In addition to a standard 3D Blu-ray player, the VBR370, Vizio has introduced the VBR430, a media streaming box complete with a built-in Blu-ray player.  The box streams content from Hulu and Netflix, plus it offers Google TV functionality and integrates with social networking sites.  Once again, like a couple of Panasonic players, the Vizio VBR430 looks to use a slot-loading drive.  Price and availability have yet to be confirmed.

Sony.

Sony has given us three new Blu-ray players this CES, with one of particular interest.  The BDP-S590 is a stock 3D player with Wi-Fi and access to various third-party streaming services along with Sony's own network, while the BDP-SX910 is a portable Blu-ray player with a 9" screen and four hours of battery life.

The BDP-S790 comes with the interesting feature of being able to convert standard HD content into 4K HD content.  Wi-Fi and 3D are also featured, but it's that upscaling-gone-mad spec that makes this one standout.  Now you just need a screen capable of showing 4K resolution material.

Samsung.

Here's a neat little device from Samsung.  The BD-ES6000 is a box just about the same size as a Blu-ray disc, yet it incorporates a 3D player, Wi-Fi, DLNA support and access to plenty of streaming online content and Samsung's app store.  Plus, it can be controlled using an iOS or Android app, or even a wireless keyboard and mouse.  The tiny device happily decodes HD audio too, and won't take up much space alongside your TV.  Pricing and availability has yet to be announced.

Toshiba.

Toshiba brings four new Blu-ray players to CES.  The BDX3300 and BDX5300 both feature Wi-Fi, but only the BDX5300 has 3D support, while the BDX2300 and BDX4300 both need a wireless dongle attached to use a Wi-Fi network.  The BDX4300 does have 3D disc support though.  All players will be released during April and May and feature the usual online streaming abilities, apps and DLNA support.

Captain America Blu-ray Steelbook and Pictures

Captain America has been released as an HMV exclusive Blu-ray steelbook in the UK. Available online and in-store, it's another in a line of high-quality limited editions from the retailer, and their second to feature a Marvel character in just a few months.

Featuring a distressed-style front cover image of the iconic sheild, and a rear picture of Chris Evans as the titular character, it's easily on a par with HMV's superb Thor Steelbook. The 'Captain America, The First Avenger' lettering is slightly embossed, and although it came with a dual UK/Ireland certification stamp, it was a removeable sticker.

Inside sees another image of Captain America, along with one featuring the Red Skull behind the discs. In fact, it's only the discs that let this package down, as they have no artwork at all.

This is a Triple Play set, with the Blu-ray, DVD and a downloadable digital copy.  The special features look like this:

• Audio commentary with Joe Johnston, Shelly Johnson and Jeffrey Ford.
• Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer HD.
• The Assembly Begins HD.
• Six HD Featurettes: Outfitting a Hero, Howling Commandos, Heightened Technology, The Transformation, Behind the Skull, Captain America's Origin.
• Deleted Scenes in HD.
• Trailers for the Sega game and the animated Avengers film.

The Steelbook is still available through HMV, priced at £19.99.

 

Tiny Pioneer Blu-ray Burner Set for CES Launch

Pioneer Japan has announced a new Blu-ray burner, named the BDR-XD04J, which will be coming to the US early next year, following a CES launch.  Pioneer calls the burner the 'world's smallest', and at 133mm square and with a depth of just 14.8mm, it's hard to argue with them!  But it's not just the size and 240 gram weight that makes the XD04J standout, it's the comprehensive spec sheet.

All the usual Blu-ray, CD and DVD discs can be burned, with a max-speed of 6x for Blu-ray and up to 8x for DVD but more exciting is the support for recordable BDXL discs of both 100GB and 128GB.  Sadly though, Pioneer hasn't seen fit to use a USB 3.0 connection, sticking to the tried-and-tested USB 2.0, but has given the player 4MB of buffer memory to help avoid errors.

The BDR-XD04J will set Japanese buyers back around 18,000 Yen, or approximately $230.  The burner is expected to make its international debut at CES in January, when we'll get details of the release date and the final retail price.

 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Steelbook Pictures and Details

UK online retailer Play.com has released an exclusive Steelbook edition of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, out this week on Blu-ray.  One of the most critically acclaimed blockbusters of the year, Rise re-imagines the story behind Planet of the Apes, the 1968 original starring Charlton Heston.

Featuring James Franco, Freida Pinto, Brian Cox and the amazing motion-capture work of Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes sees an experimental treatment produce increased intelligence in apes, particularly one named Caesar.  As he continues to evolve and rally other apes around him, the battle for dominance on the planet begins.

The movie is a Triple Play edition with the Blu-ray, DVD and a digital copy inside, plus the following special features:

• Audio commentary.
• A New Generation of Apes.
• Deleted Scenes.
• Mythology of the Apes.
• The Genius of Andy Serkis.
• Breaking Motion-Capture Boundaries.
• Scene Breakdown.
• The great Apes.
• Character Concept Art Gallery.
• Composing the Score.

The Steelbook has only slightly different artwork to the standard release, but still manages to look special and is another excellent release from Play.  That subtle, atmospheric front cover is unfortunately blighted by permanent BBFC certification logos, and there isn't a design inside the casing either.  Around the back are two images from the film along with all the usual information and promotional blurb.  It's also marked as a Region A, B and C disc.

It's still available from Play for £17.99, but as with all their exclusive Steelbooks, it could go out of stock without warning.

 

New BeoVision 7-40 Adds 3D Blu-ray to Gorgeous Package

Bang & Olufsen has added a revised BeoVision television to their range, as the updated BeoVision 7-40 now comes complete with a 3D Blu-ray player inside.  Fans of the super-stylish Danish brand will recall that the 7-40 was updated back in May this year, swapping out the DVD player for a Blu-ray.  As technology has now moved on to include 3D, the company has done the same again this month.

As you would expect now there is a 3D Blu-ray player built-in, the screen itself has become a 3D panel, plus you'll get a pair of active-shutter glasses in the package too.  The 40" screen will likely be the best seller, however a 50" version has also gone on sale at the same time.  B&O has given the specs a slight overhaul, with the screen now boasting a 100hz refresh rate, 3000:1 contrast ratio and a 6ms response time.

Otherwise the spec has remained the same with Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio support from the standard decoder plus an optional built-in DVB-HD decoder, motorised stand and the BeoLab speaker system.

You're going to have to take a deep breath when it comes to handing over the cash though, as the new BeoVision 7-40 is priced at £7,600!

Yamaha Launches First All-In-One Blu-ray, the BDX-610

A latecomer to the All-In-One Blu-ray system party, Yamaha's first attempt has just gone on sale in the USA and the UK.  The BDX-610 was seen during the IFA show back in September and the promised November release date has now been met.

The BDX-610's main unit houses the Blu-ray player along with a 5.1 audio receiver, boasting a total output of 500 watts.  This is transfered to a collection of five speakers and a subwoofer, ready to deliver 80 watts each and 100 watts respectively.  The design used for the speaker boxes is very traditional, with oblong black enclosures for the individual channels and a big black cube for the subwoofer, however the glossy black finish is sure to look good.

The player/receiver is certainly more compact than a separates system would be, plus it benefits from a very simple rear panel layout.  A peak reveals a single HDMI port, a coax or optical audio connection, an Ethernet port and a series of less-than-ideal spring connectors for the speakers.  Even those with limited experience in setting up home cinema systems should find it a breeze.

On to the specs.  The Blu-ray player supports 3D playback, the receiver happily decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio, it's DLNA certified and there's a USB port on the front panel too.

That's about what you'd expect from a mid-range Blu-ray player these days, so when you add in the surround sound audio and speaker system, provided the price is right the BDX-610 looks tempting.  Happily, the price is a good one at around £450 in the UK and $699 in the USA.  Interestingly, Yamaha will also sell the Blu-ray/receiver box separately in the near future, so you'll be able to make use of that speaker set you've got hanging around.  The UK price for this has yet to be revealed, but The Verge say it'll cost $549 on its own in the USA.

Jaws Blu-ray Out Summer 2012, and E.T. to Follow for Christmas?

It was back in June when we last heard anything about Jaws and E.T. being released on Blu-ray, when Steven Spielberg spoke to AICN saying both movies were being prepared for their HD debut, and that neither would be subject to any digital tinkering.

Since then it has been quiet until a tiny snippet of news appeared over at The Digital Bits.  The statement is another tease with no firm information; but it's still exciting - "Our industry sources are now telling us that Universal will release Steven Spielberg's Jaws on Blu-ray in time for Summer 2012, probably around May or June. Also, E.T. is likely to be a Fall 2012 title, released in time for Christmas".

With the end of 2011 just a couple of months away, an official announcement for Jaws - if it is coming May or June - could come in January or February.  A similar timeframe was used for Spielberg's recently released Jurassic Park trilogy Blu-ray set, with the official announcement at the tail-end of June and the release a couple of weeks ago at the end of October.

There's also a chance the Blu-ray release date could coincide with the original theatrical date back in 1975 which according to IMDb, was the 20th June.

Jaws is one of the few remaining 'big' catalogue titles still unreleased on Blu-ray, and is often cited as a reason not to adopt the format, so here's looking forward to a spectacular release!

Tax Loop Hole to be Closed, Cheap Online UK Blu-ray Buys Could End

Anyone who regularly purchases Blu-ray or DVD films will undoubtedly use sites based in the Channel Islands such as Play.com and Amazon, mainly thanks to their low prices.  The reason they're invariably cheaper than high street retailers is a tax loophole that allows them to avoid paying VAT on products costing less than £15, which covers the vast majority of DVD and Blu-rays.

In turn, the tax concession encouraged companies to move all their mailorder operations to the Channel Islands in order to use a system called 'circular shipping' to further cut costs.

These glory days could be coming to an end next year though, as the UK Treasury has said they'll be closing the loophole entirely from the 1st April 2012. 

The Government's reasoning is that it'll allow small and medium sized businesses who can't afford to set up an offshore mailorder company to better compete with those who can.  So, great for businesses, but potentially not so good for customers.  Don't forget, it's good news for the Treasury's coffers too.

There appear to be two courses of action for Channel Island retailers, either move outside the EU where the tax law still stands, or increase prices to compensate.  It's not hard to guess which one they'll be forced to adopt, now is it.