The Unofficial High-Def Movie Thread

[SteelSD]

Figured I'd revive this one because there are a number of Blu-Ray deals right now. As I noted in the Video Game thread, the local Sam's Club had Blu-Ray + regular DVD combo packs at $20.88 for the following films:

The Eye
The Bank Job
Rambo (new)
The Forbidden Kingdom

The Bank Job is a really good film and the picture quality (PQ) is excellent throughout. The Forbidden Kingdom is great popcorn fun and another film that rates at least a 4.5 on a 5 star scale for PQ. The Eye is a an ok flick, but never really gets scary and if you're paying attention you can see all but one or two plot twists coming. Very good PQ (4.0). I haven't seen the new Rambo, so I can't really comment. None are major price-point deals, but are still good values if you want to grab the BD film for yourself and give the SD DVD version away as a gift. It's like an X-Mas present for 2.

All three local Wal Mart stores have a "Hancock" Blu-Ray remote (official Sony) combo pack at $29.98.

Best Buy is currently running a 50% off sale for ALL HBO DVD/Blu-Ray sets. I picked up the Band of Brothers mini-series on Blu-Ray for $37.99 and it's been worth every penny from what I've watched so far. It's basically the same price at amazon.com, but I'll pay tax to have a pristine copy in-hand today. The first couple of episodes do suffer from heavy grain, especially during dark scenes, but the third episode is immaculate. This appears to follow the reviews I've seen for the HD DVD import sets. The interviews with the Easy Company vets at the beginning of each episode boast simply perfect PQ. The audio is robust, discrete when appropriate, and entirely ballsy during the battle scenes. I wish I could properly describe the effect its had on one of our cats, but you'd have to see it to believe it.

Now that we've looked at the good stuff, let's talk about the better stuff...

The interactive field guide application is a HUGE bonus to those who already own the SD DVD version of the set, but who watch this series over and over again (like me). The interactive field guide time line allows one-click access to background information about the members of Easy Company, offers info about military lingo, policy, and strategy, and allows picture-in-picture video from the era that correlates with the video being shown. Oh, maps too. All of it is optional info as you have to click when the time line marker reaches an icon (all on the bottom of the screen). There's also optional PIP commentary from the actual Vets from Easy Company. Simply fantastic and the high-def presentation has me finding new things even though I've seen the series about 6 times by now. Simon Pegg is in the first two episodes. How did I only notice that tonight??

For anyone with even a passing interest in Band of Brothers, I'd suggest that this Blu-Ray set is a "must buy" at that price point.

Best Buy's sale also means that The Soprano's Season 6, Parts 1 and 2 on Blu-Ray are also on sale for only $34.99 each. That's a much better price point than I've seen at any other retailer and, honestly, probably the first fair price point I've ever seen for those units at a brick-and-mortar establishment.

There are a lot of good deals out there right now and it appears that studios are starting to fight for portions of the Blu-Ray market. Me likey.

[WMR]

I wish they'd go ahead and release the entire Sopranos series on blu-ray.

[Jpup]

I wish they'd go ahead and release the entire Sopranos series on blu-ray.

It would probably cost 300 dollars. I would love to buy the series, but I have always refused to pay the price for it. It's silly that it's so expensive after all these years.

[WMR]

It would probably cost 300 dollars. I would love to buy the series, but I have always refused to pay the price for it. It's silly that it's so expensive after all these years.

I have the entire series on DVD (along with the last season on HD-DVD).

I'm so much of a Sopranos junkie that I'd willingly--gladly?--pay that for the entire series on blu-ray.

[SteelSD]

It would probably cost 300 dollars. I would love to buy the series, but I have always refused to pay the price for it. It's silly that it's so expensive after all these years.

Heck, the MSRP for the entire series on standard def DVD is over $300 even now, although Best Buy is having a sale at "only" $174.99. I have a feeling that the MSRP on the entire BD collection would be $450 to $500 at minimum.

HBO has been pushing long for quite a while with their MSRPs.