(LATE UPDATE - 11/19/08 - 7 PM PST)

Hey guys... we'll be back tomorrow with more, but I wanted to jump in here quickly this evening with confirmation of a MAJOR catalog Blu-ray Disc release. This has been reported elsewhere online over the last day or two, but we wanted to wait until we had confirmed specs and artwork to post the news, as it's a title a LOT of people have been waiting for on Blu-ray.

Universal has officially set The Bourne Collection, including The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, for Blu-ray Disc release on 1/27/09 (SRP $119.98). Video will be 1080p with audio in DTS-HD MA 5.1, and each disc will be a BD-50. Here's the film by film features breakdown:

The Bourne Identity will include feature commentary with director Doug Liman, deleted and extended scenes, an alternate opening and ending, 10 featurettes (The Ludlum Identity, The Ludlum Supremacy, The Ludlum Ultimatum, The Birth of the Bourne Identity, The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum, Access Granted, From Identity to Supremacy - Jason & Marie, The Bourne Diagnosis, Cloak and Dagger and Inside a Fight Sequence), as well as Moby's Extreme Ways music video. New for the Blu-ray version will be U-Control Picture-in-Picture, Bourne Reminders, a Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game and the Treadstone Files (ported from HD-DVD), as well as BD-Live My Scenes Sharing.

The Bourne Supremacy will include feature commentary with director Paul Greengrass, deleted scenes and 11 featurettes (Matching Identities: Casting, Keeping It Real, Blowing Things Up, On the Move with Jason Bourne, Bourne to Be Wild: Fight Training, Crash Cam: Racing Through the Streets of Moscow, The Go-Mobile Revs Up the Action, Anatomy of a Scene: The Explosive Bridge Chase Scene, Scoring with John Powell, The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum and The Bourne Diagnosis, Part Two). New for the Blu-ray version will be U-Control Picture-in-Picture, Bourne Reminders, a Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game and the Supremacy Dossier (ported from HD-DVD), as well as BD-Live My Scenes Sharing.

Finally, The Bourne Ultimatum will include feature commentary with director Paul Greengrass, deleted scenes, the Be Bourne Spy Training interactive option and 5 featurettes (Man on the Move: Jason Bourne, Rooftop Pursuit, Planning the Punches, Driving School and New York Chase). New for the Blu-ray version will be U-Control Picture-in-Picture, Bourne Reminders, a Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game and the Blackbriar Files (ported from HD-DVD), as well as BD-Live My Scenes Sharing.

In short, it looks like everything from the previous DVD releases (or nearly so) will be included in the Blu-ray set. Here's a look at the artwork for the box...



As you can see, we've also included art for MGM's Ronin (TBA February or March '09) and Fox's Office Space (due 2/3/09) on Blu-ray as well.

Stay tuned!

(EARLY UPDATE - 11/19/08 - 11 AM PST)

Hey folks... okay, we're going to get some reviews done today come hell or high water.

But first, the DEG has issued an official list of Blu-ray Disc players that will be priced from around $300 to under $200 for the holiday shopping season at various retailers. I should note that the list did NOT include Best Buy's custom Insignia brand, so I've added it below. The specific models to look for are as follows:

Magnavox: NB500MG9 (1.1)

Panasonic: DMP-BD30 (1.1) and DMP-BD35 (2.0)

Philips: BDP7200 (1.1)

Samsung: BD-P1000 (1.0), BD-P1200 (1.1) and BD-P1500 (1.1, updatable to 2.0)

Sharp: BDHP2OU (1.0) and BDHP21U (1.1)

Sony: BDP-S300 (1.0), BDP-S301 (1.0), BDP-BX1 (1.1, updatable to 2.0) and BDP-S350 (2.0)

Sylvania: NB500SL9 (1.1) and NB501SL9 (1.1)

Insignia (Best Buy only): NS-BRDVD (1.1) and NS-2BRDVD (2.0)

You'll note that after the model number of each player, I've specified whether the unit is profile 1.0 (basic interactive features), 1.1 (BonusView, for PiP video and advanced interactive features) or 2.0 (BD Live, for online features), as many readers have been asking for this information when we've posted news of sale prices. In general, we'd recommend that you get at LEAST a profile 1.1 player. If you can find a great deal on a profile 2.0 unit, that's ideal. (They'll generally be priced in the $200 to $300 range for now, while the 1.0 and 1.1 units will be anywhere from $200 to as low as $128.) It's not that we've really seen profile 2.0/BD-Live extras that really blow us away yet, but having the ability to connect to the Internet makes firmware updates MUCH easier. And sooner or later, someone really will push BD-Live in a direction that'll be worth checking out.

Be sure to watch your local retailers' websites and ad circulars for the latest sales, PARTICULARLY as pertains to Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). As you know, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year here in the States, so sales and discounts are plentiful. Retailers are expected to be especially aggressive with sales this year, given the slowing economy. So keep your eyes peeled for those bargains! And if you learn of additional BD players that should be included above, e-mail me and I'll add them to the list above.

By the way, several of you have asked which brands we recommend here at The Bits. Personally, I swear by Panasonic. They're very reliable, when there's a (rare) problem the firmware updates are quick, and the company has been closely involved with the technical development of the Blu-ray format, from perfecting the video quality to the development of new BonusView and BD-Live features, so you can count on them to be on top of all the latest developments. That's not to say other brands aren't great too - just that my personal experiences with Panasonic have been excellent.

Also this morning, a quick update to our news (from yesterday's post) of the DVD and Blu-ray release of Warner's animated Wonder Woman - the street date has just officially been revised to 3/3/09. Adjust your plans accordingly.

Stay tuned...

(LATE UPDATE - 11/18/08 - 5:45 PM PST)

We've got one last batch of Blu-ray announcements for you today... Buena Vista has set Pretty Woman for release on the format on 2/10/09, along with Spike Lee's The Miracle at St. Anna's (also on DVD). Also coming on 2/10, though on DVD only, is Fernando Meirelles' Blindness.

Meanwhile, Genius Products has set Superhero Movie: Extended Edition for release on DVD and Blu-ray on 1/13.

An indie called Peace Arch Entertainment has set The Deal, staring William H. Macy an Meg Ryan, for DVD and Blu-ray release on 1/20.

Finally, Warner Home Video has announced the DVD and Blu-ray release of the direct-to-video animated Wonder Woman on 2/24. Look for the DVD to be available in single-disc and two-disc special edition SKUs. Extras will include the A Subversive Dream and The Daughters of Myth documentaries, a Digital Copy version, "100 minutes of extra content" and cover art done by legendary animation artist Adam Hughes.

Stay tuned...

Bill Hunt, Editor
The Digital Bits
billhunt@thedigitalbits.com