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.