While you will soon be able to view movies in high definition on DVD right in your living room, there is a fight shaping up between two competitive formats -- HD DVD and Blu-ray. This article discusses which manufacturers and movie studios are backing which format and the effect this war will have on you, the consumer
The Battle for high definition DVDs -- HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Hanna]Douglas Hanna
While you will soon be able to view movies in high definition on DVD right in your living room, there is a fight shaping up between two competitive formats -- HD DVD and Blu-ray.
Toshiba leads the group committed to HD DVDs, which also includes consumer electronics manufacturers Sanyo and NEC. HBO, New Line Cinema, Paramount Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video are also in the HD DVD camp as are Intel and Microsoft, which recently announced that it has voted in favor of the HD DVD format.
Why is Microsoft supporting HD DVD?
Microsoft said it felt the 50GB version of Blu-ray was “nowhere in sight,” giving the 30GB HD DVD the capacity advantage for the time being. Microsoft also said HD DVD guarantees a feature they want called “manage copy,” which lets a computer user copy a high def movie to a computer hard drive to it can be beamed around the house.
Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Pioneer and LG Electronics support Blu-ray. So do PC makers Dell, HP and Apple Computer; video game maker Electronics Arts; and entertainment companies Twentieth Century Fox, Vivendi Universal and Walt Disney.
These Blu-ray supporters say in response that 50GB disks will arrive in the spring, that HD DVD has no advantage in the manage copy area and it has a hybrid disk technology as well.
Who's winning this war?
At this point, neither HD DVD nor Blu-ray is winning the war. You, as a consumer, will have to gamble your investment in disk players and video collections on which format will prevail. Studios and video rental stores that will have to maintain duplicate high definition movies in the two formats worry that one format might have all the content consumers want. And electronics retailers will have to carry and explain the different formats.
It's sort of like Beta vs. VHS except, in this case, there may not be a clear winner for years.
You should also know about HD Radio. This amazing, new, digital technology makes AM sound as good as FM and FM sound almost like you were listening to a CD ... and its free! To learn more about this amazing new technology, just go my Web site, [http://www.hd-radio-home.com]http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz. Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of numerous articles on HD radio and family finances.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Hanna http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Battle-for-high-definition-DVDs----HD-DVD-vs.-Blu-Ray&id=96130
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
10 Best Movies of the 70's Now Available on Blu-ray
Looking to purchase movies on Blu-ray? Not sure what movies are available? Here is a list of the 10 best movies currently available on Blu-ray from the 1970's. Older movies that you may have seen before, but now you get the chance to view them in High Definition for the first time.
10 Best Movies of the 70's Now Available on Blu-ray
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Curtis_Hoskins]Curtis Hoskins
Many people have called the 1970's the second Golden Age of Cinema, on par with movies produced during the late 1920s up to the late 1950s. With new directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese coming onto the scene, it's very hard to argue this fact. The 70's were without a doubt a time of great storytelling, producing high quality movies driven by characters more so than by plot. Great movies that still hold up today.
Below are some of these 70's movies now available on Blu-ray. Each one is a great achievement in cinema and would be essential to anyone's movie collection. One of the greatest advantages of owning a Blu-ray DVD Player is the fact that you get to relive watching all these wonderful movies you enjoyed in the past, as if you were watching them for the very first time. Check out these top movies of the 70's and enjoy them once again.
M*A*S*H (Director: Robert Altman, 1970)
While being one of the most acclaimed comedies ever made, M*A*S*H is also one of the most iconic antiwar movies ever produced. Directed by Robert Altman, it is based on the novel "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors" by Richard Hooker. Adapted for the screen by Ring Larder Jr., it tells the story of a group of medical doctors and nurses stationed in Korea during the Korean War. With no real plot, the film is about the arrival of two surgeons, Captains "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Duke" Forrest and their interaction with the surgical staff. They use a series of humorous hi-jinks to keep their sanity during all the horror that war brings.
Video Quality: M*A*S*H was never a film that looked crisp and sharp; or particularly bright. This was the intentional purpose of the original cinematographers. They used filters and brownish tones to give the film its unique look. While this look is preserved in its 1080p with AVC-encoded transfer, it still gives us the best image quality the film has ever had.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2:35.1
Original aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Quality: The film has been given a newly lossless sound in the form of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 soundtrack.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono
Special Features:
- "The Complete Interactive Guide to M*A*S*H"
- "AMC Backstory: M*A*S*H"
- "Enlisted: The Story of M*A*S*H"
- "M*A*S*H: History Through the Lens"
- "Remembering M*A*S*H: 30th Annual Cast & Crew Reunion"
- Two trailers
- Stills gallery
A Clockwork Orange (Director: Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
A controversial film even to this day. Its depiction of sex and violence is some of the most graphic ever put on screen. But simply stated, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is a cinematic masterpiece. Adapted from the Anthony Burgress novel of the same name, the film is about a man, Alex DeLarge, who is a psychopathic delinquent. Among his many delights is Beethoven, rape, and ultra-violence. He is the leader of a group of young criminals who spend their nights stealing cars, breaking into peoples homes and vicious attacks on their follow human beings. Alex is taken by the government and is used as a test subject in an experiment to force criminals to become well behaving citizen. With this film, Kubrick asked us to consider the greater evil. The monstrous acts committed by Alex throughout the film or our willingness to destroy a person's own moral choices to maintain social order.
Video Quality: The film is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p with VC-1 encoding and a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Its many brilliant and crude colors are given a tremendous upgrade.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Audio Quality: The audio for the movie has been remixed into a PCM 5.1 uncompressed track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. You can now enjoy synthesized Beethoven symphonies in all their glory.
English: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Special Features:
- Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Film Historian Nick Redman
- "Still Tickin': The Return of A Clockwork Orange"
- Great Bolshy Yarblockos: The Making of A Clockwork Orange"
- "O Lucky Malcolm"
- Theatrical Trailer
The Godfather I and II (Director: Francis Ford Coppola, 1972/1974)
Generally considered two of the best American Movies ever made and landmarks in world cinema. Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Godfather II is a multi-generational crime family saga. Staring Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as his son Michael; the story takes place in New York in the late 1940's. The Corlones are a Mafia family, and Vito is the Godfather or Don. Michael is initially an outsider in the family. Making the decision to stay out of the family business. Through a series of unfortunate events, Michael is soon drawn into a life of crime and eventually rises to the position of ultimate power. Through both films we are shown every aspect of their lives; from births, marriages, dealings with friends and allies, to deaths. What we are left with, in essence, is a great family drama.
Video Quality: Noticeable better than their DVD counterparts, The Godfather Films on blu-ray are delivered in 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. It offers great fullness and sharp images.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Presented in Dolby TruHD 5.1 Surround for all films, it offers great clarity and the best sound ever for The Godfather films.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Young Frankenstein (Director: Mel Brooks, 1974)
They don't come any funnier than Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein. A spoof of the classic horror movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Using the same sets as the original, the story centers around Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his on going effects to re-animate the dead. With the help of a bumbling assistant Igor (Marty Feldman), and the beautiful Inga (Teri Garr) he is able to create life, The Monster (Peter Boyle). With scene after scene of comedy highlights, Mel Brooks brings out the very best in his cast which includes: Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo. Unlike many comedy films, this one does not age and its jokes are still as funny as they were 30 years ago.
Video Quality: It gets the absolute most out of its 1080p with AVC-encoding. The remastering of the black and white imagery looks fantastic.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The film has a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 sound track and a remix of the film's original mono.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Mono
French: Mono
Spanish: Mono
Special Features:
- Inside the Lab: Secret Formulas in the Making of 'Young Frankenstein'
- Alive! Creating a Monster Classic
- Making FrankenSense of Young Frankenstein
- Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris
- The Franken~Track: A Monstrous Conglomeration of Trivia
- Mexican Interviews
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Director: Milos Forman, 1975)
Milso Forman directed this 1975 film depicting the lives of patients in a mental institution. This film is regarded as one of the greatest films in American Cinema. The main character in the story is Randle Patrick McMurphy, played to perfection by Jack Nicholson. Who is sentenced to 18 months in prison for statuary rape, but he soon convinces the prison guards he is crazy and in need of psychiatric care. His rebel nature soon attracts a following with the other patients. He soon gathers them up to take on Nurse Ratched, who runs the institution more like a dictator that a dedicated health care giver. The resulting conflicts and battles will give viewers some of the most powerful emotions ever experienced while watching a film. A solid masterpiece of cinema, well worth experiencing once again on Blu-ray.
Video Quality: This film comes to Blu-ray in a 1080p with VC-1 encode. Certainly the best remastered version produced. With it high quality 1080p images, the resolution is a giant lead forward over any other version released previously.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The sound resolution is in Dolby Digital 5.1.
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono
Italian: Dolby Digital Mono
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary
- The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
- Collectible Booklet
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director: Steven Spielberg , 1977)
This, Steven Spielberg 1977 film, has become one of the most revered Science Fiction movies of all time. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, and Teri Garr. It is the story of an electrical lineman whose life takes an unexpected turn one evening when he encounters some unidentified flying lights in the sky. He soon becomes obsessive and can not help himself from being drawn to a rural site in Wyoming. Government agents are also at this site keeping away the general public. More of a character driven movie, this science fiction tale is no less riveting and visually spectacular.
Video Quality: This is a visual stunning film transferred to 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. The film remains to keep its grainy tone but you will never see this film look as vibrant as it does on Blu-ray.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audio Quality: You get two audio options, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Both giving you high resolution sound making the soundtrack absolutely brilliant as well.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters
- Storyboard to Screen Comparisons
- Photo Gallery
- Making of Documentary
- "Watch the Skies"
- Deleted Scenes
- A View From Above
Saturday Night Fever (Director: John Badham, 1977)
Most movies come and go without much notice or impact on our daily lives. While others, all be it rare, can come along and in an instance have an impact and even change our culture. Saturday Night Fever is one of those movies. After its 1977 release, disco rules the music airwaves and the dance floors. It tells the story of a 19 year old Italian American living in Brooklyn by the name of Tony Manero (John Travolta). He works at the local paint shop and still lives with his family. At night he frequents a nightclub and becomes a disco dance god. Director John Badham does a great job showing the spiritual connection between music and dance, and how Tony sees this as a means of escaping his limited life to something bigger.
Video Quality: Great quality with the Blu-ray format in a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. This version of Saturday Night Fever is the best the movie has ever looked including theatrical revivals.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Remixed in Dolby TrueHA 5.1 Surround, the sound track is very impressive. You be able to enjoy all those classic songs like never before.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Special Features:
- Commentary by Director John Badham
- Pop-up trivia
- Documentary: Catching the Fever
- Back to Bay Ridge (9 minutes) hosted by Joe Cali
- Dance like Travolta and John Cassese (9 minutes)
- Fever challenge - Interactive feature
- Deleted scenes
Midnight Express (Director: Alan Parker, 1978)
Midnight Express is about Billy Hayes and what happens to him when he is caught trying to smuggle out two kilograms of hashish from Istanbul, Turkey. Sentence to 4 years in prison, the sentence was soon extended, with Mr. Hayes experiencing terrifying and unbearable acts of physical and mental torture. While being committed to the prison's insane asylum where he manages to escape in 1975. Told with fine skill and detail, director Alan Parker and Screenwriter Oliver Stone, have created a powerful film.
Video Quality: This films is delivered on Blu-ray with a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 .The image quality is good and faithful to its source.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Audio is also, faithful to the original source. Remixed into Dolby TrueHD 5.1 you get very good results.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- The Producers
- The Production
- The Finished Film
- The Making of 'Midnight Express'
Being There (Director: Hal Ashby, 1979)
Peter Sellers gives an award winning performance as Chance the Gardener (Chauncey Gardiner) in the truly classic comedy film. He plays a simple man who has been isolated his entire life in a townhouse in Washington, DC. And the only things he knows anything about is what he has seen and heard on TV. Once he is thrown out into the world, he comes across an array of characters from the inner circles of political power makers and the resulting fall-out makes this one of the best comedies of the 70's.
Video Quality: Remastered with a 1080p with VC-1 transfer the image is the best this movie has ever been.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 or lossless Dolby True 2.0 mono.
English: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English: Dolby Digital 1.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 1.0
French: Dolby Digital 1.0
Special Features:
- Memories from Being There
- Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- Gag Reel
- Theatrical Trailer
Enjoy Once Again!
...
For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide: [http://www.bluray-dvd-players.com]bluray dvd players Or try subscribing to our YouTube channel which will give you a list of trailers/movies being released on Blu-ray each week: [http://www.youtube.com/user/BlurayDVDplayers] BlurayDVDplayers's YouTube Channel Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Curtis_Hoskins http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Best-Movies-of-the-70s-Now-Available-on-Blu-ray&id=3200482
10 Best Movies of the 70's Now Available on Blu-ray
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Curtis_Hoskins]Curtis Hoskins
Many people have called the 1970's the second Golden Age of Cinema, on par with movies produced during the late 1920s up to the late 1950s. With new directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese coming onto the scene, it's very hard to argue this fact. The 70's were without a doubt a time of great storytelling, producing high quality movies driven by characters more so than by plot. Great movies that still hold up today.
Below are some of these 70's movies now available on Blu-ray. Each one is a great achievement in cinema and would be essential to anyone's movie collection. One of the greatest advantages of owning a Blu-ray DVD Player is the fact that you get to relive watching all these wonderful movies you enjoyed in the past, as if you were watching them for the very first time. Check out these top movies of the 70's and enjoy them once again.
M*A*S*H (Director: Robert Altman, 1970)
While being one of the most acclaimed comedies ever made, M*A*S*H is also one of the most iconic antiwar movies ever produced. Directed by Robert Altman, it is based on the novel "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors" by Richard Hooker. Adapted for the screen by Ring Larder Jr., it tells the story of a group of medical doctors and nurses stationed in Korea during the Korean War. With no real plot, the film is about the arrival of two surgeons, Captains "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Duke" Forrest and their interaction with the surgical staff. They use a series of humorous hi-jinks to keep their sanity during all the horror that war brings.
Video Quality: M*A*S*H was never a film that looked crisp and sharp; or particularly bright. This was the intentional purpose of the original cinematographers. They used filters and brownish tones to give the film its unique look. While this look is preserved in its 1080p with AVC-encoded transfer, it still gives us the best image quality the film has ever had.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2:35.1
Original aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Quality: The film has been given a newly lossless sound in the form of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 soundtrack.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono
Special Features:
- "The Complete Interactive Guide to M*A*S*H"
- "AMC Backstory: M*A*S*H"
- "Enlisted: The Story of M*A*S*H"
- "M*A*S*H: History Through the Lens"
- "Remembering M*A*S*H: 30th Annual Cast & Crew Reunion"
- Two trailers
- Stills gallery
A Clockwork Orange (Director: Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
A controversial film even to this day. Its depiction of sex and violence is some of the most graphic ever put on screen. But simply stated, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is a cinematic masterpiece. Adapted from the Anthony Burgress novel of the same name, the film is about a man, Alex DeLarge, who is a psychopathic delinquent. Among his many delights is Beethoven, rape, and ultra-violence. He is the leader of a group of young criminals who spend their nights stealing cars, breaking into peoples homes and vicious attacks on their follow human beings. Alex is taken by the government and is used as a test subject in an experiment to force criminals to become well behaving citizen. With this film, Kubrick asked us to consider the greater evil. The monstrous acts committed by Alex throughout the film or our willingness to destroy a person's own moral choices to maintain social order.
Video Quality: The film is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p with VC-1 encoding and a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Its many brilliant and crude colors are given a tremendous upgrade.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Audio Quality: The audio for the movie has been remixed into a PCM 5.1 uncompressed track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. You can now enjoy synthesized Beethoven symphonies in all their glory.
English: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Special Features:
- Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Film Historian Nick Redman
- "Still Tickin': The Return of A Clockwork Orange"
- Great Bolshy Yarblockos: The Making of A Clockwork Orange"
- "O Lucky Malcolm"
- Theatrical Trailer
The Godfather I and II (Director: Francis Ford Coppola, 1972/1974)
Generally considered two of the best American Movies ever made and landmarks in world cinema. Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Godfather II is a multi-generational crime family saga. Staring Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as his son Michael; the story takes place in New York in the late 1940's. The Corlones are a Mafia family, and Vito is the Godfather or Don. Michael is initially an outsider in the family. Making the decision to stay out of the family business. Through a series of unfortunate events, Michael is soon drawn into a life of crime and eventually rises to the position of ultimate power. Through both films we are shown every aspect of their lives; from births, marriages, dealings with friends and allies, to deaths. What we are left with, in essence, is a great family drama.
Video Quality: Noticeable better than their DVD counterparts, The Godfather Films on blu-ray are delivered in 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. It offers great fullness and sharp images.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Presented in Dolby TruHD 5.1 Surround for all films, it offers great clarity and the best sound ever for The Godfather films.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Young Frankenstein (Director: Mel Brooks, 1974)
They don't come any funnier than Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein. A spoof of the classic horror movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Using the same sets as the original, the story centers around Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his on going effects to re-animate the dead. With the help of a bumbling assistant Igor (Marty Feldman), and the beautiful Inga (Teri Garr) he is able to create life, The Monster (Peter Boyle). With scene after scene of comedy highlights, Mel Brooks brings out the very best in his cast which includes: Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo. Unlike many comedy films, this one does not age and its jokes are still as funny as they were 30 years ago.
Video Quality: It gets the absolute most out of its 1080p with AVC-encoding. The remastering of the black and white imagery looks fantastic.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The film has a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 sound track and a remix of the film's original mono.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Mono
French: Mono
Spanish: Mono
Special Features:
- Inside the Lab: Secret Formulas in the Making of 'Young Frankenstein'
- Alive! Creating a Monster Classic
- Making FrankenSense of Young Frankenstein
- Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris
- The Franken~Track: A Monstrous Conglomeration of Trivia
- Mexican Interviews
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Director: Milos Forman, 1975)
Milso Forman directed this 1975 film depicting the lives of patients in a mental institution. This film is regarded as one of the greatest films in American Cinema. The main character in the story is Randle Patrick McMurphy, played to perfection by Jack Nicholson. Who is sentenced to 18 months in prison for statuary rape, but he soon convinces the prison guards he is crazy and in need of psychiatric care. His rebel nature soon attracts a following with the other patients. He soon gathers them up to take on Nurse Ratched, who runs the institution more like a dictator that a dedicated health care giver. The resulting conflicts and battles will give viewers some of the most powerful emotions ever experienced while watching a film. A solid masterpiece of cinema, well worth experiencing once again on Blu-ray.
Video Quality: This film comes to Blu-ray in a 1080p with VC-1 encode. Certainly the best remastered version produced. With it high quality 1080p images, the resolution is a giant lead forward over any other version released previously.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The sound resolution is in Dolby Digital 5.1.
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono
Italian: Dolby Digital Mono
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary
- The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
- Collectible Booklet
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director: Steven Spielberg , 1977)
This, Steven Spielberg 1977 film, has become one of the most revered Science Fiction movies of all time. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, and Teri Garr. It is the story of an electrical lineman whose life takes an unexpected turn one evening when he encounters some unidentified flying lights in the sky. He soon becomes obsessive and can not help himself from being drawn to a rural site in Wyoming. Government agents are also at this site keeping away the general public. More of a character driven movie, this science fiction tale is no less riveting and visually spectacular.
Video Quality: This is a visual stunning film transferred to 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. The film remains to keep its grainy tone but you will never see this film look as vibrant as it does on Blu-ray.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audio Quality: You get two audio options, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Both giving you high resolution sound making the soundtrack absolutely brilliant as well.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters
- Storyboard to Screen Comparisons
- Photo Gallery
- Making of Documentary
- "Watch the Skies"
- Deleted Scenes
- A View From Above
Saturday Night Fever (Director: John Badham, 1977)
Most movies come and go without much notice or impact on our daily lives. While others, all be it rare, can come along and in an instance have an impact and even change our culture. Saturday Night Fever is one of those movies. After its 1977 release, disco rules the music airwaves and the dance floors. It tells the story of a 19 year old Italian American living in Brooklyn by the name of Tony Manero (John Travolta). He works at the local paint shop and still lives with his family. At night he frequents a nightclub and becomes a disco dance god. Director John Badham does a great job showing the spiritual connection between music and dance, and how Tony sees this as a means of escaping his limited life to something bigger.
Video Quality: Great quality with the Blu-ray format in a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. This version of Saturday Night Fever is the best the movie has ever looked including theatrical revivals.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Remixed in Dolby TrueHA 5.1 Surround, the sound track is very impressive. You be able to enjoy all those classic songs like never before.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Special Features:
- Commentary by Director John Badham
- Pop-up trivia
- Documentary: Catching the Fever
- Back to Bay Ridge (9 minutes) hosted by Joe Cali
- Dance like Travolta and John Cassese (9 minutes)
- Fever challenge - Interactive feature
- Deleted scenes
Midnight Express (Director: Alan Parker, 1978)
Midnight Express is about Billy Hayes and what happens to him when he is caught trying to smuggle out two kilograms of hashish from Istanbul, Turkey. Sentence to 4 years in prison, the sentence was soon extended, with Mr. Hayes experiencing terrifying and unbearable acts of physical and mental torture. While being committed to the prison's insane asylum where he manages to escape in 1975. Told with fine skill and detail, director Alan Parker and Screenwriter Oliver Stone, have created a powerful film.
Video Quality: This films is delivered on Blu-ray with a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 .The image quality is good and faithful to its source.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Audio is also, faithful to the original source. Remixed into Dolby TrueHD 5.1 you get very good results.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- The Producers
- The Production
- The Finished Film
- The Making of 'Midnight Express'
Being There (Director: Hal Ashby, 1979)
Peter Sellers gives an award winning performance as Chance the Gardener (Chauncey Gardiner) in the truly classic comedy film. He plays a simple man who has been isolated his entire life in a townhouse in Washington, DC. And the only things he knows anything about is what he has seen and heard on TV. Once he is thrown out into the world, he comes across an array of characters from the inner circles of political power makers and the resulting fall-out makes this one of the best comedies of the 70's.
Video Quality: Remastered with a 1080p with VC-1 transfer the image is the best this movie has ever been.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 or lossless Dolby True 2.0 mono.
English: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English: Dolby Digital 1.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 1.0
French: Dolby Digital 1.0
Special Features:
- Memories from Being There
- Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- Gag Reel
- Theatrical Trailer
Enjoy Once Again!
...
For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide: [http://www.bluray-dvd-players.com]bluray dvd players Or try subscribing to our YouTube channel which will give you a list of trailers/movies being released on Blu-ray each week: [http://www.youtube.com/user/BlurayDVDplayers] BlurayDVDplayers's YouTube Channel Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Curtis_Hoskins http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Best-Movies-of-the-70s-Now-Available-on-Blu-ray&id=3200482
Blu Ray Players - 4 Questions You May Be Asking
Ready to buy a blu ray player for your home theater room? Then you might be wondering about these questions.
Blu Ray Players - 4 Questions You May Be Asking
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=F_Cheshire]F Cheshire
These common Blu Ray questions pop up every day. Are you ready to see if you know the answers?
1-Explain high definition blu ray players
What is / are blu ray DVD players? Good question. Blu ray technology according to Wikipedia , is the name given to the Blu-ray Disc because of the blue laser used to read and write on these types of discs. Since the wavelength of the blurays light beam is much 's shorter , a lot more data can be installed on a Blu-ray Disc compared to a typical DVD disc which is burned using a red beam light. How much more info can a Blu-ray Disc store? Believe it or not, it can store approximately six times the amount of a two-layer DVD, and even as much as ten and a half times that of a standard DVD. Now you can see why they can put all of the information needed to give you a better , clearer picture on a single disc.
A blu ray player then is simply the piece of equipment that plays blu-ray discs just like a dvd player plays dvd's.
2- Can you play blu ray disks on regular dvd players
So do blu ray dvds work on regular players? Perhaps you have been wondering about that. Unfortunately the Blu-Ray Discs will not play in your run of the mill DVD player. Why is that? Well remeber what we learned in question number 1? The bluray disc uses a Blue/violet beam of light to read the data that a DVD players red laser will not be a able to read.
So it looks like you will have to upgrade your DVD player to a blu ray if you plan on buying and watching your 1080P high def movies the way they were meant to be seen.
And by the way, that goes for HD-DVD technology as well. HD-DVD players use another kind of blue laser that can not read Blu-Ray Discs, just as Blu-Ray players can not read HD-DVD's
3- Can you play regular DVD's in a Blu-ray player?
Now this is some good news if you are outfitting a new home theater room. No you do not have to buy a DVD player as well. Yes, Blu-Ray players can play standard DVDs. And don't worry...they don't change the DVD formatting or alter the disk in any way. In fact they will look even better then they do when played on your old DVD player. Now don't get me wrong, a standard DVD played in a blu-ray player will not have the high definition of a Blu-Ray disc, but they certainly be upconverted to a better quality than they used to.
Here is a nice surprise they might even play your CD's as well! That means you won't need to invest in a CD player either.
4-What are multi region blu ray players?
Were you wondering about what multiregions blu ray players are? Multi-region players play all 3 regions of bluray discs that are available through out the world.
Region 1 is made up of North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
Region 2 is made up of Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Region 3 is made up of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mainland China, Pakistan, Russia, Central, and South Asia.
What this means is that if you have a Region "1" bluray player, you will not be able to play a region "2" or a region "3" disc and so on.
A multi-region player will be able to play discs from all 3 regions. Here is the thing though, don't expect to pay $199 for one of these. Prices range from$700- $1,700 bucks for each one.
Learn more about [http://myatlantahometheater.com/blu-ray-players-4-questions-people-ask/]blu ray technology
at our [http://myatlantahometheater.com]atlanta home theater blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=F_Cheshire http://EzineArticles.com/?Blu-Ray-Players---4-Questions-You-May-Be-Asking&id=1777316
Blu Ray Players - 4 Questions You May Be Asking
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=F_Cheshire]F Cheshire
These common Blu Ray questions pop up every day. Are you ready to see if you know the answers?
1-Explain high definition blu ray players
What is / are blu ray DVD players? Good question. Blu ray technology according to Wikipedia , is the name given to the Blu-ray Disc because of the blue laser used to read and write on these types of discs. Since the wavelength of the blurays light beam is much 's shorter , a lot more data can be installed on a Blu-ray Disc compared to a typical DVD disc which is burned using a red beam light. How much more info can a Blu-ray Disc store? Believe it or not, it can store approximately six times the amount of a two-layer DVD, and even as much as ten and a half times that of a standard DVD. Now you can see why they can put all of the information needed to give you a better , clearer picture on a single disc.
A blu ray player then is simply the piece of equipment that plays blu-ray discs just like a dvd player plays dvd's.
2- Can you play blu ray disks on regular dvd players
So do blu ray dvds work on regular players? Perhaps you have been wondering about that. Unfortunately the Blu-Ray Discs will not play in your run of the mill DVD player. Why is that? Well remeber what we learned in question number 1? The bluray disc uses a Blue/violet beam of light to read the data that a DVD players red laser will not be a able to read.
So it looks like you will have to upgrade your DVD player to a blu ray if you plan on buying and watching your 1080P high def movies the way they were meant to be seen.
And by the way, that goes for HD-DVD technology as well. HD-DVD players use another kind of blue laser that can not read Blu-Ray Discs, just as Blu-Ray players can not read HD-DVD's
3- Can you play regular DVD's in a Blu-ray player?
Now this is some good news if you are outfitting a new home theater room. No you do not have to buy a DVD player as well. Yes, Blu-Ray players can play standard DVDs. And don't worry...they don't change the DVD formatting or alter the disk in any way. In fact they will look even better then they do when played on your old DVD player. Now don't get me wrong, a standard DVD played in a blu-ray player will not have the high definition of a Blu-Ray disc, but they certainly be upconverted to a better quality than they used to.
Here is a nice surprise they might even play your CD's as well! That means you won't need to invest in a CD player either.
4-What are multi region blu ray players?
Were you wondering about what multiregions blu ray players are? Multi-region players play all 3 regions of bluray discs that are available through out the world.
Region 1 is made up of North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
Region 2 is made up of Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Region 3 is made up of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mainland China, Pakistan, Russia, Central, and South Asia.
What this means is that if you have a Region "1" bluray player, you will not be able to play a region "2" or a region "3" disc and so on.
A multi-region player will be able to play discs from all 3 regions. Here is the thing though, don't expect to pay $199 for one of these. Prices range from$700- $1,700 bucks for each one.
Learn more about [http://myatlantahometheater.com/blu-ray-players-4-questions-people-ask/]blu ray technology
at our [http://myatlantahometheater.com]atlanta home theater blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=F_Cheshire http://EzineArticles.com/?Blu-Ray-Players---4-Questions-You-May-Be-Asking&id=1777316
Friday, November 27, 2009
How to Choose the Best Blu-Ray Player
Looking for a cool blu-ray player? Don't want to spend your money on a mediocre gadget? Read on to find out how.
How to Choose the Best Blu-Ray Player
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Panah_C_Rad]Panah C Rad
The battle of HD media is finally over. Blu-Ray got a few breaks here or there, but at the end of the day it was able to defeat HD-DVD for the high definition market dominance. If you have never owned a blu-ray disc, you don't know what you are missing. The quality is much higher that most people expect before trying their first blu-disk. And if you have a decent HDTV, you are going to find it difficult going back to standard-definition media after trying bluray movies.
Choosing a blu-player is not as easy as it used to be a few months ago. There are too many options to choose from, and since we are talking about devices that are very similar in picture quality, you should do your due diligence to find the player that is right for you.
If you are looking for a good blu-ray player, you should take the following factors into account:
Resolution: most of these players have a resolution of 1080p. Don't settle for anything less.
Bonus View: also called a form of PIP and is a must have if you want get the whole high-def experience on your TV.
Network: being able to connect to the Internet and get content from YouTube and Netflix is a big plus.
BD Live support: BD Live brings interactivity to the content you buy. Make sure your system supports it.
Internal storage: if you are getting an Internet ready device, make sure you have a place to store the content.
Some folks prefer their device to support multiple disks and read HD-DVDs as well. There are many fancy models on the market, but as long as you can afford expensive models, the sky's the limit on the features you can get with these gadgets. One things is for certain though. Once you go blu, you are never going to want to go back again.
We have gathered and ranked best blu-ray players on BluCrunch.com. Whether you are looking for a YouTube blu-player or just want to check the latest blu-ray player ratings, you can get it all on Blu Crunch
For more information on blu-ray players(of all type), log on to http://www.blucrunch.com/ratings/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Panah_C_Rad http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Choose-the-Best-Blu-Ray-Player&id=2642270
How to Choose the Best Blu-Ray Player
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Panah_C_Rad]Panah C Rad
The battle of HD media is finally over. Blu-Ray got a few breaks here or there, but at the end of the day it was able to defeat HD-DVD for the high definition market dominance. If you have never owned a blu-ray disc, you don't know what you are missing. The quality is much higher that most people expect before trying their first blu-disk. And if you have a decent HDTV, you are going to find it difficult going back to standard-definition media after trying bluray movies.
Choosing a blu-player is not as easy as it used to be a few months ago. There are too many options to choose from, and since we are talking about devices that are very similar in picture quality, you should do your due diligence to find the player that is right for you.
If you are looking for a good blu-ray player, you should take the following factors into account:
Resolution: most of these players have a resolution of 1080p. Don't settle for anything less.
Bonus View: also called a form of PIP and is a must have if you want get the whole high-def experience on your TV.
Network: being able to connect to the Internet and get content from YouTube and Netflix is a big plus.
BD Live support: BD Live brings interactivity to the content you buy. Make sure your system supports it.
Internal storage: if you are getting an Internet ready device, make sure you have a place to store the content.
Some folks prefer their device to support multiple disks and read HD-DVDs as well. There are many fancy models on the market, but as long as you can afford expensive models, the sky's the limit on the features you can get with these gadgets. One things is for certain though. Once you go blu, you are never going to want to go back again.
We have gathered and ranked best blu-ray players on BluCrunch.com. Whether you are looking for a YouTube blu-player or just want to check the latest blu-ray player ratings, you can get it all on Blu Crunch
For more information on blu-ray players(of all type), log on to http://www.blucrunch.com/ratings/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Panah_C_Rad http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Choose-the-Best-Blu-Ray-Player&id=2642270
Blu-ray Disk Format is More Efficient Than Traditional DVD Technology
The blue laser enables the media disk to compact more amounts of information onto the same physical space. The dual layer Verbatim Blu-ray disk has the capacity to record 50GB data at speed of 2xs.
Blu-ray Disk Format is More Efficient Than Traditional DVD Technology
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jassica_McIntosh]Jassica McIntosh
DVD disk format is mostly used as a video recording medium. But as the time progressed, the need arose for a new high definition video. The high definition televisions gained more popularity because of its superior quality and resolutions. Therefore the time had come to introduce a new media disk format to accommodate increasing demands of the consumers. The DVD disk format did not have the capability to accommodate and support the massive data amounts of HD video and audio.
Therefore 2 new disk formats were introduced to replace the DVD disk technology. These two disc formats were Blu-ray disk and the high definition DVD technology. This gave rise to a format war just like that of CD vs laser disc or VHS vs Betamax. This format war hindered the adaptation of any one of these disk formats for some time. But at the end, the winner was the Bluray disk format. Therefore, most of the companies went for the Bluray media technology. The other leading media manufacturing companies adopted the Bluray disk technology because of its increasing popularity, massive capacity and reliability. Bluray Disk technology by all means has is the winner of the format war and now it has established new standards for HD audio and video.
Red laser was used in both of the prior disk technologies (DVD and CD) for reading the lands & pits. Bluray as its name suggests uses the blue laser for this purpose. That is how it got its name. Blue lazer features a shorter wave-length that contributes to the increased precision and recording capability. The blue lazer enables the media disk to compact more amounts of information onto the same physical space. Therefore the physical size of the Blu-ray disc remains the same as the DVD discs, but the Bluray disk's recording capacity is much more than DVDs. High storage capacity is exactly what is required by the HD audio and video, and Bluray disk technology is efficiently meeting this requirement. Bluray disk's massive recording capability has made it more attractive and ideal disk format for gaming technology and data storage. Prices of the highly efficient Bluray disk players have dramatically dropped over the years thus making it the highly preferred choice of the consumers. The Bluray players also feature the capability to play the DVD and CD disks.
Sony has also introduced the Blu-ray disk technology in its PlayStation 3. Therefore it is one of the first devices based on Bluray technology that has reached the mainstream. This was a great attraction for the gamers and hence boosted the sales of Play station 3 game systems because it offered the highly reliable Bluray technology. On needs a High definition television to take full advantage of the high definition experience provided by the Blu-ray disk technology.
Verbatim also manufacture the Blu-ray media disks. The dual layer Verbatim Blu-ray disk has the capacity to record 50GB data at speed of 2x. This will be equivalent to HD video of about 4 hours. Therefore, the highly durable Bluray disk technology offers more luxury as the consumer do not have to change or flip the Bluray disc for recording such high voluminous information. [http://www.tape4backup.com/blu-ray-dvd.php]Blu-ray DVD disk is also known as BD. Blu-ray disk format was developed in order to enable rewriting, recording, and playback of high-definition video HDV. [http://www.tape4backup.com/blu-ray-dvd.php]Blu-ray recordable DVD disc can hold large amounts of data.
Jassica McIntosh (Marketing Manager)
34972 Newark Blvd, # 501, Newark CA 94560
Tel: 888-491-4949
Fax: 888-449-5050
Email: [mailto:jessica@tape4backup.com]jessica@tape4backup.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jassica_McIntosh http://EzineArticles.com/?Blu-ray-Disk-Format-is-More-Efficient-Than-Traditional-DVD-Technology&id=3218762
Blu-ray Disk Format is More Efficient Than Traditional DVD Technology
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jassica_McIntosh]Jassica McIntosh
DVD disk format is mostly used as a video recording medium. But as the time progressed, the need arose for a new high definition video. The high definition televisions gained more popularity because of its superior quality and resolutions. Therefore the time had come to introduce a new media disk format to accommodate increasing demands of the consumers. The DVD disk format did not have the capability to accommodate and support the massive data amounts of HD video and audio.
Therefore 2 new disk formats were introduced to replace the DVD disk technology. These two disc formats were Blu-ray disk and the high definition DVD technology. This gave rise to a format war just like that of CD vs laser disc or VHS vs Betamax. This format war hindered the adaptation of any one of these disk formats for some time. But at the end, the winner was the Bluray disk format. Therefore, most of the companies went for the Bluray media technology. The other leading media manufacturing companies adopted the Bluray disk technology because of its increasing popularity, massive capacity and reliability. Bluray Disk technology by all means has is the winner of the format war and now it has established new standards for HD audio and video.
Red laser was used in both of the prior disk technologies (DVD and CD) for reading the lands & pits. Bluray as its name suggests uses the blue laser for this purpose. That is how it got its name. Blue lazer features a shorter wave-length that contributes to the increased precision and recording capability. The blue lazer enables the media disk to compact more amounts of information onto the same physical space. Therefore the physical size of the Blu-ray disc remains the same as the DVD discs, but the Bluray disk's recording capacity is much more than DVDs. High storage capacity is exactly what is required by the HD audio and video, and Bluray disk technology is efficiently meeting this requirement. Bluray disk's massive recording capability has made it more attractive and ideal disk format for gaming technology and data storage. Prices of the highly efficient Bluray disk players have dramatically dropped over the years thus making it the highly preferred choice of the consumers. The Bluray players also feature the capability to play the DVD and CD disks.
Sony has also introduced the Blu-ray disk technology in its PlayStation 3. Therefore it is one of the first devices based on Bluray technology that has reached the mainstream. This was a great attraction for the gamers and hence boosted the sales of Play station 3 game systems because it offered the highly reliable Bluray technology. On needs a High definition television to take full advantage of the high definition experience provided by the Blu-ray disk technology.
Verbatim also manufacture the Blu-ray media disks. The dual layer Verbatim Blu-ray disk has the capacity to record 50GB data at speed of 2x. This will be equivalent to HD video of about 4 hours. Therefore, the highly durable Bluray disk technology offers more luxury as the consumer do not have to change or flip the Bluray disc for recording such high voluminous information. [http://www.tape4backup.com/blu-ray-dvd.php]Blu-ray DVD disk is also known as BD. Blu-ray disk format was developed in order to enable rewriting, recording, and playback of high-definition video HDV. [http://www.tape4backup.com/blu-ray-dvd.php]Blu-ray recordable DVD disc can hold large amounts of data.
Jassica McIntosh (Marketing Manager)
34972 Newark Blvd, # 501, Newark CA 94560
Tel: 888-491-4949
Fax: 888-449-5050
Email: [mailto:jessica@tape4backup.com]jessica@tape4backup.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jassica_McIntosh http://EzineArticles.com/?Blu-ray-Disk-Format-is-More-Efficient-Than-Traditional-DVD-Technology&id=3218762
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