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Looking for stories that used to be listed above? Use the button bar or these links to access the following sections: Reviews (DVD, laserdisc and hardware reviews), FAQ & Archives (old feature stories and interviews, and Jim Taylor's Official DVD FAQ) and Upcoming DVD Art (at look at upcoming cover artwork). Finally, My Two Cents - Archives contains all past daily editorial posts dating back to 12/97. |
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| GIVEAWAYS |
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| DVD & HD FORMAT STATS |
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 TOTAL U.S. DVD PLAYER SALES (last data reported 8/24/07 - CEA): 133,443,356 |
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| Editor's Note: The Consumer Electronics Association has discontinued its reporting of DVD player sales data, and they have not begun reporting on Blu-ray player sales. However, our original CEA DVD Player Sales chart will remain available here for future reference. | |||||||
| TOTAL DVD TITLES (1/28/10 - DVD Release Report): 109,865* |
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| *Net total of R1 DVD-Video discs released/announced. Discontinued & adult not included. |
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| TOP 10 SELLING DISCS (1/24/10 - Nielsen/VideoScan): |
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| TOP 10 RENTAL DISCS (1/24/10 - Home Media Research): |
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| TOTAL BLU-RAY DISC TITLES (1/29/10 - DVD Release Report): 2,180/125* |
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| *Net total of Region A discs released/announced. Discontinued & adult not included. |
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| TOTAL HD-DVD TITLES (FINAL FORMAT TALLY as of 7/4/08 - DVD Release Report): 429/0* |
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| *Net total of R1 discs released/announced. Discontinued & adult not included. |
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| SOFTWARE MARKET SHARE - BD VS DVD (YTD through 1/24/10 - Nielsen/VideoScan): |
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| NUMBER OF AFI TOP 100 FILMS ON DVD - 2007 LIST (1/11/10): 99/1 (1) |
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| Released/Announced or In Development - ( ) Not yet available on DVD. |
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MY TWO CENTS - 2/9/10 - by Digital Bits editor Bill Hunt |
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Okay... back early this morning with another Battlestar Galactica: Complete Series re-issue update...
First of all, (as we noted late yesterday afternoon) we've confirmed directly with the studio that the packaging exchange program is, in fact, the real deal. Once again, e-mail USHE.ConsumerRelations@bydeluxe.com and they'll send you the instructions for obtaining the new packaging. Second, we've confirmed with the studio that the discs will be EXACTLY THE SAME as those in the previous DVD and Blu-ray box sets. The only difference is that The Plan will be included this time. What's more, The Plan is the exact same version that's already been released on DVD and Blu-ray - there's no new or extended edition. So all the disc-based content is the same. There's just new packaging, no Cylon figure and lower SRPs. Here's an important piece of information, however: There will be NO new booklet in the new packaging to identify the episodes and special features by disc. No booklet. This comes right from the studio. As such, Bits reader Mark Schaffner has taken those disc labels that I made for the Blu-ray set a few months back and converted them into a PDF file such that you can print them and bind them to make your own booklet. (They could easily be edited for DVD.) He's even included instructions on how to put it all together. (Thanks, Mark!) You can find that here. One other thing: As these are the same discs as before, the Face of the Enemy webisodes will once again NOT be included. I'm still a bit puzzled by this. I can understand that there may not have been room on the original Complete Series DVD and BD discs, but why not include them on The Plan as a bonus feature? The decision just seems too deliberate, and the studio doesn't seem eager to say what their reasoning is. The more I think about it, however, the more I wonder if the reason for the omission isn't a contractual issue with the actors. There are at least two actors in the webisodes with small speaking parts (as Raptor pilots) that to my knowledge don't appear in ANY episode of the regular series. So I'm wondering if their contracts simply didn't address home video release, or are different in some way from the regular cast members' contracts. If the webisodes were released on DVD or Blu-ray, the studio would have to pay them residuals... and it COULD be that the studio doesn't want to do so. Just a thought. In any case, don't go looking for the Face of the Enemy webisodes on the discs, because they aren't on there. You can, however, still view them here on the SyFy website. One other bit of release news from Universal this morning: The upcoming Blu-ray release of David Lynch's Dune (due 4/27) will include the theatrical cut only, not the 177-minute "Alan Smithee" television version. So if you want to keep the longer version, whatever you do, don't sell your current DVD. Just FYI. Also this morning, our own Russell Hammond has once again updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest DVD and Blu-ray cover and Amazon.com pre-order links. As always, a small portion of anything you order from Amazon after clicking to them through our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it! Back with more later. Stay tuned... (LATE UPDATE - 2/8/10 - 2:30 PM PST) Here's some cool late-breaking news for you guys. You may recall last year that we reported on the discovery of "lost" footage from Fritz Lang's 1927 classic, Metropolis, in a film archive in Buenos Ares. That footage has now been fully restored, and thanks to Roger Ebert, we've learned that the newly reconstructed and restored version of Metropolis (incorporating this lost footage) will finally be unveiled in German this Friday (click here for more on that). We've contacted Kino for additional details about their promised DVD and Blu-ray re-issue of the film with the new footage. Our latest information (from Barrie's recent Classic Coming Attractions column) was that the title was still slated for release later this year. Well, you'll be pleased to see that there's now a date listed on Kino's official website for the film: April 2010! That's when (we're told by Kino) the restored film will premiere theatrically here in the States (in NYC). We've also confirmed that the DVD/Blu-ray re-issue IS tentatively planned for sometime likely in late 2010 (an official street date is still TBD). We'll post additional details here as we get them from Kino. We expect more information following this Friday's unveiling. VERY exciting indeed! 
Also, one last note: We've now gotten confirmation that Universal's Battlestar packaging exchange program IS the real deal. But again, rather than posting the details, what you need to do is still e-mail USHE.ConsumerRelations@bydeluxe.com yourself, and they'll send you the proper instructions to follow within 24 hours. E-mailing them IS important, because they request that a copy of the correspondence be included with your proof-of-purchase. Stay tuned! (LATE UPDATE - 2/8/10 - NOON PST) Okay, we've got a couple more things for you this afternoon... First of all, as many of you know, Disney has released a new Blu-ray edition of Gangs of New York with Miramax Award-Winning Collection labeling on the front. And as we've mentioned previously (in this linked post from January), this new BD has an updated 1080p transfer that's far superior to the previous BD release. I've compared both first-hand and while the old one is a digitally-filtered mess, the new one is gorgeous. One looks like someone got carried away with Photoshop filters while the other one looks like film. All the other content on the disc is identical. So get the new one if you can. No, Disney doesn't have an exchange program that we know of. (If we learn of one, we'll let you know.) Along these same lines, consider this Rumor Mill-worthy, but our industry sources are telling is that Paramount will be re-issuing their Gladiator Blu-ray later this Summer or Fall, complete with a brand-new 1080p transfer that was just completed a couple of months ago. (It was done after Paramount and Universal realized how bad the first one was, naturally.) Paramount is re-issuing a number of their BDs this month in new Academy Award-themed packaging. The Gladiator DVD is included in this, but not the Blu-ray, and sources tell us this is because they studio will re-issue the Blu-ray timed to the theatrical or home video release of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood later this year. It MAY also be re-branded as a new 10th Anniversary Edition. We'll post official details as they become available. (And no, we don't know if there will be an exchange program there either.) Speaking of Paramount (and DreamWorks), the studio has just set Escape from L.A. and K-19: The Widowmaker for release on Blu-ray Disc on 5/4, along with... wait for it... the Saving Private Ryan: Sapphire Series Blu-ray we've mentioned previously (see here and here)! Escape from L.A. and K-19 will have the same extras as the previous DVD releases. We're waiting for additional Saving Private Ryan details, but expect new extras in addition to what's previously been included on DVD. Also today, Severin Films will release Patrice Leconte's visual documentary on Cambodia, Dogora, on DVD and Blu-ray on 4/27. Think Koyaaniquatsi and Baraka and you're on the right track. Lionsgate has announced that their fourth After Dark Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For box set will arrive in stores on 3/23 (SRP $159.98), and will include the films Lake Mungo, The Graves, Dread, Zombies of Mass Destruction, Hidden, The Final, Kill Theory and The Reeds. Each will also be available individually for just $19.98. And Sony has set Did You Hear About the Morgans? for DVD and Blu-ray release on 3/16, followed by An Education on both formats on 3/30. Finally this morning, there have been a number of posts around the Net regarding a possible packaging-exchange program with Universal for their previous Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series box set on DVD and Blu-ray. The gist is that if you have the old set, you may be able to have Universal send you the new DVD or Blu-ray packaging via mail. This would consist of traditional plastic Thinpaks with an outer cardboard slipcase. (Pictures are as yet unavailable, but we'll post them when they are.) Several sites have already posted the instructions on how to do this, which includes cutting the top and front flaps off the Season One box in your current Complete Series set, and sending them as proof of purchase to a specific address, upon which (some 4 to 6 weeks later) you'll get the new Complete Series packaging in the mail. The problem is, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM with the studio that this is valid! (They're looking into it, but haven't gotten back to me on it yet.) So rather than posting the instructions, what I'm going to do instead is direct you all to Universal's Customer Service people (USHE.ConsumerRelations@bydeluxe.com), who would run the program itself. E-mail them at that address and ask about the packaging exchange program for "Battlestar Galactica (2004): The Complete Series". With any luck, they'll e-mail you back promptly with confirmation of all the details. (I'm waiting for a response from them too.) It may very well be that the posted instructions are exactly correct, but it may also be that you have to register with Universal via BD-Live first. The absolute LAST thing I want is for you guys to start cutting up your existing packaging and send it in as proof of purchase, only to be denied later. If and when we CAN confirm the details of this program, we'll let you know. In the meantime, far better safe than sorry, right? Stay tuned... (EARLY UPDATE - 2/8/10 - 12:01 AM PST) Morning, everybody! Hope you had a great weekend. And congrats to all you Saints fans, who are probably not at the office to read this today for celebrating last night. Some of you might still be out there on Bourbon street. Hats off, Who Dats! This morning we have a new review for you and a little bit of news as well... The review is from our very own Dr. Adam Jahnke, who has taken a good look at Magnolia's Bronson on Blu-ray for you all today. Sounds like a pretty interesting little film, so do check it out this morning. As for that news... Universal has officially set The Barbara Stanwyck Collection: Universal Backlot Series for release on DVD on 4/27 (SRP $49.98). It will include a number of classic titles, including All I Desire, The Bride Wore Boots, The Great Man's Lady, Internes Can't Take Money, The Lady Gambles and There's Always Tomorrow. And don't forget to check out the kickoff (from Friday afternoon) of our effort to review The Films of Akira Kurosawa on DVD and Blu-ray. The first four reviews are up now, and we're going to keep reviewing discs over the next few weeks until all 30 of his films are covered. We hope you enjoy it! Back later with any breaking news. Stay tuned... Bill Hunt, Editor The Digital Bits billhunt@thedigitalbits.com |
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