Blu-ray News and Updates

Dracula (1958) 4K Blu-ray

Posted September 2, 2026 09:18 PM by Webmaster

Warner Archive, in association with Hammer Films, is preparing 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases of Terence Fisher's Dracula (1958), starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, and Carol Marsh. The releases are scheduled to arrive on the market on October 27.

One Night Only Collector's Edition 4K Blu-ray

Posted September 1, 2026 10:18 PM by Webmaster

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced that it will release on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Will Gluck's romantic dramedy One Night Only (2026), starring Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Bobby Cannavale, Molly Ringwald, and LeVar Burton. The two releases are scheduled to arrive on the market on October 20.

Gwendoline Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray

Posted August 31, 2026 09:16 PM by Webmaster

Severin Films has dated and detailed its upcoming Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray release of Just Jaeckin's Gwendoline (1984), starring Tawny Kitaen, Brent Huff, Zabou Breitman, Bernadette Lafont, and Jean Rougerie. The release is scheduled to arrive on the market on November 24.

This Week on Blu-ray: August 31-September 6

Posted August 31, 2026 08:24 AM by Sean Greenwood

For the week of August 31st, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release 28 Days Later on 4K UHD. New releases include the anime series Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc (2025) from Crunchyroll and Dry Leaf from Cinema Guild. Catalog titles on Blu-ray include Ten Women in Black and The Magnificent Cuckold from Radiance Films, while catalog titles on 4K UHD include The Hot Spot from Radiance and Tekkonkinkreet from Shout Factory and GKIDS.

Scream Factory and Shout Factory Announce November Releases

Posted August 31, 2026 06:08 AM by Webmaster

Scream Factory and Shout Factory have announced their November batch of releases. They are: The Chow Yun-Fat Collection Volume One, The Family Man (2000), Women in Prison Collection (1971-1985), and The Transformers: The Movie (1986).

Starz/Anchor Bay Firm Up First Releases

Posted July 5, 2007 10:40 PM by Josh Dreuth

Starz Home Entertainment (formally known as Anchor Bay) have issued more details on their first Blu-ray release 'Masters of Horror' as well as named some releases coming this fall. 'Masters of Horror' will come on four BD-50s with PCM audio and all the extras from the DVD (where possible). More exciting, is the list of releases due this October, including 'Halloween', the 'Evil Dead' Series, and the 'Dawn of the Dead' Series.

Dave Matthews Blu-ray Announced

Posted July 5, 2007 10:29 PM by Josh Dreuth

Sony BMG has announced that they will be releasing the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds concert 'Live at Radio City' for Blu-ray on August 28th, two weeks after the CD releases. Video will be presented in 1080p with an accompanying PCM soundtrack. Also included will be a 46-minute documentary about how the show came into being.

Samsung BD-UP5000 Due This Fall

Posted July 5, 2007 09:50 AM by Josh Dreuth

Samsung has announced that their dual format player, the BD-UP5000, is now set to be released in October or November for the European Market. The player will come with an Ethernet connection, and play both BD-J and HDi interactive content. It will also output 1080p at either 60fps or 24fps. No price has been set, but Samsung said it will cost approximately 400 euros (~$540) more than a standard Blu-ray player.

The Replacement Killers Announced

Posted July 3, 2007 11:25 AM by Josh Dreuth

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring the unrated version of The Replacement Killers to Blu-ray on September 11th. This version will feature 11 minutes of film unseen in the original cut. Video will be presented in 1080p and accompanied by a 5.1 PCM soundtrack. No special features have been announced at this time.

Samsung to Show BD-P1400 at IFA

Posted July 3, 2007 08:32 AM by Josh Dreuth

Samsung has announced that they will be displaying their 3rd generation player at IFA on August 31st. The player, which is planned to be released this fall, will feature HDMI v1.3 and support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD audio formats. It will also have a built in Ethernet port in order to download firmware directly to the machine. No addition specs have been released at this time, but expect more details as we approach IFA.

Panasonic Develops 4x Burner and Discs

Posted July 3, 2007 08:26 AM by Josh Dreuth

Panasonic has announced they have developed a drive capable of writing to BD-R media at 4x speed, and will release 4x BD-R discs in both single (later this month) and dual (later this year) layer formats. This advancement in write speed is possible through use of real-time laser light adjustment technology, which automatically adjusts the laser characteristics to give optimum performance.

EU Probes Competing HD Formats

Posted July 3, 2007 07:54 AM by Josh Dreuth

The European Union (EU) is stepping up its probe into the competing high definition formats, focusing more on Blu-ray due to its success and exclusive studio support. They will be looking at any evidence of improper tactics to suppress competition, including exclusivity agreements. A decision against Blu-ray would likely affect all studios (including Universal), forcing them to support both formats in Europe.

Smallville Season 6 Announced

Posted July 2, 2007 03:28 PM by Josh Dreuth

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment has announced that they will be bringing Smallville Season 6 to Blu-ray on September 18th. Oddly enough, it appears Warner may be doing a separate Blu-ray encode for this release as it is 4-discs rather than the 5 required for the HD DVD release. Video will be presented in VC-1 1080p with a Dolby Digital surround sound track.

Audio Watermarking Ready for AACS (Update)

Posted July 2, 2007 11:55 AM by Josh Dreuth

Audio watermarking is now available, via Verance Corp., for licensing by Blu-ray and HD DVD studios to protect discs from being copied illegally. The technology works by embedding an inaudible audio stream within a film's soundtrack, which will then be checked by the player to see if the stream being played is legal. If that stream is present, indicating the file is being illegally used, the file will not be played.

A Room With a View Revealed for Blu-ray

Posted July 2, 2007 07:59 AM by Josh Dreuth

BBC (through Warner Brothers Home Entertainment) has revealed that they will be releasing the Oscar-winning film 'A Room With a View' for Blu-ray on October 2nd. The film will be presented with a VC-1 encode and accompanying Dolby Digital surround sound track. No extras have been announced at this time, but being that this is a "Special Edition", expect those similar to the DVD.

Galapagos Announced for Blu-ray

Posted June 29, 2007 03:43 PM by Josh Dreuth

BBC Video has announced that they will be releasing the nature documentary 'Galapagos' for Blu-ray on October 2. Riding the coat tails of the very successful 'Planet Earth' release, 'Galapagos' documents a group of island in which creation and extinction define their very existence. No specs have been announced, but being that this release is via Warner, expect a VC-1 encode and Dolby Digital surround.

Denon Blu-ray Player on the Way?

Posted June 29, 2007 08:38 AM by Josh Dreuth

In a recent interview with ListenUp.com, Jeff Talmadge from Denon stated that they would announce plans for a high definition player as early as July, but no format was given. When you couple this information with the fact that Funai (who recently announced a Blu-ray player for this fall) makes DVD players for Denon, and that D&M Holdings, the parent company of Denon, is now an adopter of BD+, it appears that the Denon player will most certainly be Blu-ray.

New Blu-ray Promo Video

Posted June 29, 2007 08:05 AM by Josh Dreuth

Sony has released a new promotional video to stir up interest in Blu-ray. The video, which features what Sony is calling a traveling army battle, was filmed with no ambient light. The entire sequence is bathed in blue lasers, giving the sequence very distinct imagery. The video is meant to showcase the new level of viewing experience that Blu-ray has to offer.

Jungle Book and Lost on Blu-ray?

Posted June 28, 2007 07:38 PM by Josh Dreuth

In an article discussing how grocery stores are driving down profits for DVD sales, Philippe Roucoule from Buena Vista Home Entertainment mentioned part of their release slate for the rest of the year. These titles include a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Box Set, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End', 'Jungle Book' (1967), 'Santa Claus 3', 'Lost', 'Desperate Housewives', and 'High School Musical'.

Fox Embraces BD+

Posted June 28, 2007 07:08 PM by Josh Dreuth

BD+ Technologies, LLC has officially announced today that they have completed their licensing program for the Blu-ray copy protection layer known as BD+. A quick visit to the BD+ website reveals that Fox has already signed on as a content provider, hopefully signaling that new content from the studio is on its way.

DVD Association Recognizes Excellence in Blu-ray

Posted June 28, 2007 07:53 AM by Josh Dreuth

DVD Association (DVDA) has announced their winners for the DVDA Excellence Awards, including for the first time, awards for Blu-ray movies. Included in the winners are 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' (Fox), 'Open Season' (Sony), and 'Chicken Little' (Disney). More specifically, Chicken Little received an award for the 2007 Trailblazing Blu-ray Disc for its use of BD-J.

Warner Delays Total HD Until 2008

Posted June 28, 2007 07:42 AM by Josh Dreuth

Warner Brothers has announced that they are delaying the first releases utilizing their Total HD (THD) discs until next year. The discs, developed by Warner, place Blu-ray data on one side and HD DVD data on the other, allowing stores to stock a single package for both high definition formats. As of the last update, the system was only capable of utilizing a BD-25 on the Blu-ray side.

Five Free Blu-ray Movies with Purchase of Player

Posted June 26, 2007 08:17 PM by Josh Dreuth

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has revealed an exciting offer for those of you who are still looking to pick up a Blu-ray player. If you purchase a Blu-ray player (including the PS3) between July 1st and September 30th, you will automatically qualify to receive 5 Blu-ray movies absolutely free. Combine this with existing offers (like the 5 free Blu-ray movies with purchase of a Panasonic DMP-BD10A), and you could receive up to 10 free Blu-ray movies with the purchase of a player.

1000 Corpses and The Condemned on Blu-ray

Posted June 26, 2007 02:25 PM by Josh Dreuth

Lionsgate Films has announced that they will be bringing the Rob Zombie horror film 'House of 1000 Corpses' and the Steve Austin action movie 'The Condemned' to Blu-ray on September 18th. Both will feature a 1080p AVC video encode with 7.1 PCM audio and carry over most, if not all of the extras from their DVD releases.

The Lives of Others to Blu-ray

Posted June 25, 2007 08:17 AM by Josh Dreuth

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that they are bringing the Academy Award-winning film 'The Lives of Others' to Blu-ray on August 21st. No specs have been announced for the film, which has won numerous awards since being released in 2006, but expect the typical Sony 1080p transfer with a lossless audio track.

Low Cost Funai Blu-ray Player This Fall

Posted June 22, 2007 11:22 AM by Josh Dreuth

The first low cost Blu-ray player will hit US shelves this fall from Funai, according to reports from Japan. As we reported earlier, Funai makes low costs electronics which are then sold under brand names such as Sylvania, Emerson, and Magnavox. While no pricing or specs have yet been released, expect pricing to be lower than players from top manufacturers, which are expected to drop to around $400 for the holiday season.

Badder Santa Back on Schedule

Posted June 22, 2007 08:45 AM by Josh Dreuth

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has announced that 'Badder Santa' is officially back on schedule for release on November 20th for Blu-ray. You may recall that this title was initially announced at the end of May, but days later denied. Well, it turns out the initial announcement was correct. The title will be encoded with AVC and accompanied by a PCM track. Extras are to be the same as the DVD.

One Year Anniversary Day 5: Biggest Accomplishment/Disappointment

Posted June 22, 2007 08:13 AM by Josh Dreuth

As we wrap up our week long celebration for the one year anniversary of Blu-ray, we are going to take a look at what forum users and our staff felt was the biggest accomplishment during the first year, and what was the biggest disappointment. While we recognize that some exciting things happened over the past year, we also recognize that some things could have gone better.

Fox Announces 22 Titles for France

Posted June 21, 2007 11:14 AM by Josh Dreuth

These days, any Blu-ray news from Fox is good news, but when you start seeing release dates for some of the titles Fox delayed many months ago, you're heart starts to beat just a little bit faster. New releases for September 26th: 'Day After Tomorrow', 'Independence Day', and 'Platoon'. New releases for October 24th: 'Predator', 'Commando', 'Robocop', 'Arthur and the Invisibles', 'The Hills Have Eyes', 'Ice Age', and 'Tristan & Isolde'.

One Year Anniversary Day 4: Best Player

Posted June 21, 2007 08:11 AM by Josh Dreuth

PlayStation 3

Return to the House on Haunted Hill in October

Posted June 20, 2007 03:58 PM by Josh Dreuth

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment has revealed that they will be releasing the upcoming straight to video sequel of the horror film 'House on Haunted Hill' on Blu-ray. 'Return to the House on Haunted Hill' is set to be released in October, and there are currently no specs or price for the release.

Exclusive News: Immortal Beloved Special Features

Posted June 20, 2007 08:10 AM by Josh Dreuth

As promised, we have some exclusive news on the upcoming Blu-ray title 'Immortal Beloved' in celebration of the one year anniversary of Blu-ray. The title, due to be released August 21st, will make use of Blu-ray's storage capability and feature all three language tracks (English, French, and German) in lossless TrueHD. For those of you who have 2.35 screen capability, there will be a special feature that allows you to adjust the position of the English subs into the frame.

Sleeping Beauty for 2008

Posted June 20, 2007 07:33 AM by Josh Dreuth

Disney has revealed that they are planning to re-release 'Sleeping Beauty' on DVD, and will also be putting the animated classic on Blu-ray at the same time. Its way too early to be thinking about specs, but it is nice to see Disney willing to bring their classics to Blu-ray. Hopefully, we will get some additional Disney classics between now and then.

BD+ Goes Live

Posted June 19, 2007 08:13 PM by Josh Dreuth

The BD+ Technologies, LLC is now issuing specifications for use by movie studios to begin using the BD Plus (BD+) content protection system. Essentially, BD+ is now ready for studio use on new releases. BD+ is a very fluid content protection system which allows many levels of protection from piracy, ensuring that studio content isn't copied for financial gain.

Exoptron Limited Announces Blu-ray Exclusivity

Posted June 19, 2007 08:00 PM by Josh Dreuth

Exoptron Limited has announced that they will begin releasing titles exclusively for Blu-ray. The company has available three HD Documentary titles ready to be released during the last quarter of 2007. The titles are 'The Valley of Roses', 'Bacchanals in Modern Times' and 'Spirulina the Astronauts Nutrition'. An Additional title - 'Olive Oil & Med Diet' a 3 hour HD documentary will be released by the end of February 2008.