When studios began releasing movies on DVD 12 years ago, almost every American home had a videotape player. Within a few years, DVD largely replaced VHS, setting a new technical standard and giving consumers a reason to invest in their own home theater systems.
Almost three years ago, Blu-ray discs introduced a new standard in high-definition home video. Although they are the same size and shape as standard DVDs, they pack a lot more information in that package. Where standard DVDs offer 480 lines of resolution at their best, the full capacity of the old television sets, Blu-ray offers 1080 lines of resolution.
You need to upgrade to a Blu-ray player to watch them -- DVD players will not run a Blu-ray disc, but Blu-ray machines do play standard DVDs and sometimes make them look better thanks to upconverting technology. And for gaming households, PlayStation 3 consoles also play Blu-ray discs at full resolution.
It won't make your pre-HD television look any better, but on a state-of-the-art high-definition widescreen plasma and LCD TVs and 1080p monitors, the difference is startling. It offers the highest-quality picture possible, greater than even HDTV signals, with incomparable sharpness and clarity, and exacting sound to match. As high-definition TV sets replace the old standard and prices on bigger screens continue to drop, the benefits of Blu-ray become more desirable.
The evidence is in the format's remarkable growth. After beating a competing format -- the now-defunct HD DVD -- in early 2008, Blu-ray sales tripled from the previous year, thanks in part to such titles as "The Dark Knight" and "Iron Man." And that was in a Christmas season that was otherwise down across the board.
And while Blu-ray sales still are a fraction of those for standard DVDs, they're growing even faster than DVD did in its early years. On Amazon.com, top Blu-ray discs routinely land in the top 10 home video sales charts. You can rent them at local video stores, and Netflix advertises more than 1,300 titles (but charges a $1 premium a month for the upgrade).
Meanwhile, prices continue to drop on both entry-level machines (some are below $200) and Blu-ray titles. The Blu-ray Disc Association estimates there were 10.7 million Blu-ray-capable players in United States at the end of 2008, and by my count there are more than 1,200 titles available, with more arriving weekly. Major studios routinely release DVD and Blu-ray editions of their biggest titles simultaneously, especially for films that revel in action and spectacle. And while the selection of classics and foreign films still is small, that market is expanding.
Just as important, the new HDTV standard and the Blu-ray capacity has spurred studios to return to the source and remaster their libraries. Not all Blu-ray discs are equal (there are a few duds in the mix), but most are clearly superior to their DVD counterparts. Home theater has never been so glorious.
STATE OF THE ART
WALL-E (Disney): Pixar's robot love story is a joyous and gorgeous work of animation, and it practically leaps off the screen on Blu-ray. The picture is crisp and rich, the color iridescent and the sound mix a marvel of subtlety and aural depth. Beyond the movie, the supplements are magnificent, and the Blu-ray exclusive picture-in-picture video commentary is the best use of that technology I've seen yet.
THE DARK KNIGHT (Warner) / IRON MAN (Paramount): The second film in Christopher Nolan's reboot of the "Batman" franchise made use of Imax cameras, the high-definition peak for film, for select scenes -- the first studio feature to do so. Blu-ray is the closest you'll get to that Imax experience on home video. "Iron Man" has no Imax scenes but, like "The Dark Knight," features impeccably mastered image and sound.
ZODIAC: DIRECTOR'S CUT (Paramount): David Fincher shot this 2007 feature on state-of-the-art digital video. On Blu-ray, the stellar grain-free image is so sharp and pristine, it's unreal.
DEFINITIVE EDITIONS
THE GODFATHER COLLECTION: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION (Paramount): Francis Ford Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis spent 18 months restoring and digitally remastering the three "Godfather" films from scratch for this ultimate presentation. It's a lesson on how to honor a classic: They embrace the distinctive film grain and purposeful "imperfections" of Willis' cinematography, which evokes both an era and the story's shadowy morality.
BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT (Warner): 25 years after the first, compromised release of the visionary sci-fi classic, Ridley Scott delivered what he promised is his final take. Editorial tweaking and reshoots correct frustrating flaws, digital enhancements refine the clarity of the pre-digital effects while preserving the hazy atmosphere (you can almost feel the haze), and remixed sound adds a new dimension to the experience. And the supplements are obsessively glorious.
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Warner): A respected film critic (I can't recall which one) once wrote that the standard for quality 70mm film projection was the ability to read the instructions for the zero-gravity toilet in "2001." Well, this disc is not quite that clear, but it's easily better than any screening I've experienced since a 70mm revival at the Cinerama many years ago.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY ULTIMATE EDITION (Sony): Apart from being a stunning presentation, the Blu-ray disc allows an interactive exploration of the differences between the three cuts of the film. Something only a film geek would love? Possibly, but that kind of thoroughness is a testament to the disc's exacting standards.
CLASSICS
THE THIRD MAN (Criterion): Criterion, the gold standard in mastering DVDs, sets the bar for Blu-ray with this stunning classic. The film grain may momentarily distract viewers used to the smooth sheen of modern movies, but it's part of the texture of the film, and this disc preserves it in all its alchemic beauty. And, yes, black-and-white cinema looks stupendous in Blu-ray.
CASABLANCA: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Warner): The high-def revolution -- not just Blu-ray but HDTV, as well -- has prompted studios to go back to their libraries and put serious effort into creating definitive digital masterpieces. You can see the results in this breathtaking version of the beloved film.
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (Warner): The rich pastel hues of old Hollywood Technicolor are something close to cinema magic, and the Technicolor of the 1938 "Robin Hood" is uniquely beautiful. Seeing it on Blu-ray is like seeing a Renaissance painting come to life in the frame.
TELEVISION SHOWS
HEROES (Universal) / LOST (Disney): These two dynamic and visually dense TV shows were shot for high-definition broadcast and look exceptional on Blu-ray. (The shows themselves are a matter of taste.) The first two seasons of "Heroes" and seasons three and four of "Lost" are now available on Blu-ray.
PLANET EARTH: THE COMPLETE SERIES (BBC): The most expensive documentary series in BBC history was shot with state-of-the-art high-def cameras. Blu-ray gives you more detail than you've ever had the opportunity to appreciate in a natural history program.
CULTY AND COOL
JAMES BOND BLU-RAY COLLECTION (Warner): Neither shaken nor stirred and still superb. Seven official 007 outings are now on Blu-ray, with four more due out in March.
THE ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION (Warner): What better way to experience the cyber-revolution?
HOW THE WEST WAS WON (Warner): This unwieldy super-production is dramatically lackluster but an amazing restoration of a Cinerama spectacle. The disc not only seamlessly blends the three individual panels of the Cinerama process but re-creates the unique curve of the Cinerama screen in one viewing option, too.
WANT MORE?
I couldn't fit in every standout release in the list above, so here are another dozen: "Band of Brothers" (HBO), "Batman Begins" (Warner), "The Bourne Trilogy" (Universal), "Dark City: Director's Cut" (New Line), "The Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition" (Warner) "The Last Emperor" (Criterion), "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (Disney), "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax), "Planet of the Apes: 40th Anniversary Collection" (Fox) "Sleeping Beauty" (Disney), "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount), "Transformers" (Paramount).
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Posted by: Felicia Sams | January 15, 2010 at 10:19 PM