HumanMedia Posted May 8, 2008 Posted May 8, 2008 Dear Criterion Collection Newsletter subscriber, We’ve got some exciting news for this fall, and we wanted you to hear it first. Our first Blu-ray discs are coming! We’ve picked a little over a dozen titles from the collection for Blu-ray treatment, and we’ll begin rolling them out in October. These new editions will feature glorious high-definition picture and sound, all the supplemental content of the DVD releases, and they will be priced to match our standard-def editions. Here’s what’s in the pipeline: The Third Man Bottle Rocket Chungking Express The Man Who Fell to Earth The Last Emperor El Norte The 400 Blows Gimme Shelter The Complete Monterey Pop Contempt Walkabout For All Mankind The Wages of Fear Alongside our DVD and Blu-ray box sets of The Last Emperor, we’ll also be putting out the theatrical version as a stand-alone release in both formats, priced at $39.95. Our Blu-ray release of Walkabout will be an all-new edition, featuring new supplements as well as a new transfer; we will also release an updated anamorphic DVD of Nicolas Roeg’s outback masterpiece at the same time.
HumanMedia Posted May 8, 2008 Author Posted May 8, 2008 This is bigger news to me than Paramount and Universal releasing on Blu-ray. Bring it on!
the_wonderchild Posted May 8, 2008 Posted May 8, 2008 Our first Blu-ray discs are coming! We’ve picked a little over a dozen titles from the collection for Blu-ray treatment, and we’ll begin rolling them out in October. These new editions will feature glorious high-definition picture and sound, all the supplemental content of the DVD releases, and they will be priced to match our standard-def editions. Assuming the SD editions are somewhat cheap, did i read that correctly?
iainl Posted May 8, 2008 Posted May 8, 2008 Assuming the SD editions are somewhat cheap, did i read that correctly? You read that correctly, but you made a faulty assumption. Criterion titles are around $40 even in standard-definition.
Guest TheBlackFlash Posted May 8, 2008 Posted May 8, 2008 I wonder if Criterion will region code these releases.
the_wonderchild Posted May 9, 2008 Posted May 9, 2008 You read that correctly, but you made a faulty assumption. Criterion titles are around $40 even in standard-definition. cheers, i knew it was too good to be true.
Guest TheBlackFlash Posted May 9, 2008 Posted May 9, 2008 (edited) Some yes, some no Cheers. So it will be pot luck then, from the consumers' point of view Iainl is right, Criterion releases are expensive. It will be interesting to see how they price their blu releases. But if you buy directly from them, they offer a better deal...something around 8 dollars less on each title....usually. Edited May 9, 2008 by TheBlackFlash
iainl Posted May 12, 2008 Posted May 12, 2008 Criterion have always been "some yes, some no" even with DVD region coding. I've got a bunch of their discs (yes, they're expensive, but worth every penny given that nobody else would be treating these titles to the expensive restoration they deserve) and it depends on the original rights holder they are licensing from. They've always been region-free when they're allowed to be. In any case, the $40 for the disc of For All Mankind is less than the price of the US PS3 I'll be getting to play it on. I love that film.
ausnew Posted August 23, 2008 Posted August 23, 2008 More information from Criterion. Especially interesting is the part about pricing Dear Criterion viewers, It's been a week since we officially announced our first Blu-ray releases, and people have been writing in with a lot of questions. As we inaugurate a new Blu-ray section of our FAQ, we thought we'd share with you the five most common questions about our Blu-ray launch. On another front, there are only three days remaining in our current special promotion. Any film in the Criterion Collection that has a spine number ending in 8 will be discounted an additional 10 percent off the regular Criterion store price. (This doesn't apply to out-of- print titles or those that can only be purchased in box sets without spines that end in 8.) Click here for a list of titles. Sale ends at midnight on Sunday, August 24. Happy viewing! Are Criterion's Blu-ray discs region-encoded? Yes. Criterion is licensed to sell most of its editions only in North America. Why should I buy regular DVDs when I don't know if Criterion will release a Blu-ray version six months from now? If you love these films, keep buying DVDs. It is going to be quite a while before the Blu-ray marketplace can support many of the titles Criterion releases on DVD. For new releases, if we think a title has a shot of succeeding on Blu-ray, we aim to put out both editions at the same time, so you can make an informed choice. Where classics from our catalog are concerned, to give you a little extra comfort we'll be offering a $20 Blu-ray upgrade program for customers who have already bought the equivalent edition on DVD. You send us the movie disc from your DVD edition, and for $20 (plus tax and shipping) we'll exchange it for the Blu-ray version, simple as that. For more on how this works, click here.* What is the packaging going to look like? Our Blu-ray packaging will be similar to our DVD packaging, only in the smaller Blu-ray size. As with DVDs, we'll use a range of paper and plastic packaging, and we'll bring the same care and attention to the design. Where we're upgrading an existing release, the design will match right down to the disc labels, so if you want to take advantage of the $20 Blu-ray upgrade program, your replacement disc will fit right into the design of your existing Criterion DVD edition. In the store, if you want to be sure you're buying the Blu- ray edition and not the standard-def DVD version, you'll know it by the smaller size and the blue Blu-ray sticker on the front. Will there be spine numbers? Spine numbers on our Blu-ray discs will match the existing DVD editions. Our Blu-ray releases represent a significant upgrade when it comes to audiovisual quality, and many of our customers will want to take advantage of that, but we're not starting over at number 1, and we're not expecting our longstanding DVD collectors to do so either. Where content is concerned, we aren't planning on publishing anything on our Blu-ray editions that won't also be available on DVD. Whether you collect only DVDs or only Blu-ray discs or a mix, it's all part of your Criterion collection—and they'll all line up in spine-number order. What will Criterion Blu-ray discs cost? Criterion's Blu-ray editions will generally be priced to match our DVDs. It makes sense to us: High-definition mastering and restoration has been a part of our DVD production standard for years. And for our customers who might be on the fence about whether to buy DVD or Blu-ray, we thought the best thing we could do was take price out of the equation.
the_wonderchild Posted August 23, 2008 Posted August 23, 2008 Interesting to hear all the news from the company, in what is a reasonably forthcoming FAQ for the fans. I'd imagine those overseas would be happy with the upgrade program? Region encoding as expected i suppose.
bugsy_pal1503561260 Posted August 23, 2008 Posted August 23, 2008 I too received the email update from Criterion, and am devastated that their Blu-Rays will be region coded. I was close to lashing out on a Panasonic model - probably the all-in-one recorder with 500Gb storage - but I will have to reassess. If it can't play Criterion discs, I don't know what to do... it's a major bummer.
ausnew Posted August 23, 2008 Posted August 23, 2008 I too received the email update from Criterion, and am devastated that their Blu-Rays will be region coded. I was close to lashing out on a Panasonic model - probably the all-in-one recorder with 500Gb storage - but I will have to reassess. If it can't play Criterion discs, I don't know what to do... it's a major bummer. LG BH200 - I personally think it's great - Watched War on it tonight
momaw Posted August 23, 2008 Posted August 23, 2008 I too received the email update from Criterion, and am devastated that their Blu-Rays will be region coded. I was close to lashing out on a Panasonic model - probably the all-in-one recorder with 500Gb storage - but I will have to reassess. If it can't play Criterion discs, I don't know what to do... it's a major bummer. Just ask Highjinx why this is good for you
momaw Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 If anyone is thinking of ordering any of the Criterion Blu-rays, now might be a good time to pre-order through Amazon. As stated Criterion are to price these Blu-ray titles in line with the DVD versions however Amazon is selling them much cheaper than the DVD versions. Chungking Express DVD $35.95 Chungking Express Blu-ray $27.95 Bottle Rocket DVD $35.95 Bottle Rocket Blu-ray $27.95 The Last Emperor DVD $39.95 The Last Emperor Blu-ray $27.95 The Third Man DVD $18.99 The Third Man Blu-ray $35.99 The Man Who Fell to Earth DVD $28.99 The Man Who Fell to Earth Blu-ray $27.99 So with one exception all Titles are cheaper on Blu-ray than DVD Only The Third Man is more expensive and it's blu-ray price is more in line with usual Criterion pricing on Amazon. I've pre-ordered the two I wanted to ensure that if the price goes up I am covered by the "pre-order price guarantee". Happy shopping.
Guest BlackFlash Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 (edited) I was just wondering when they were going to start releasing them. I will definitely buy The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Third Man. I'm not so sure about The Last Emperor. I'd really like to know if they'll release The Ice Storm and if so, when. I wonder why the Blu-ray of The Third Man is so much more expensive than the DVD. Must be a black market release, lol. Thanks! Edited September 5, 2008 by BlackFlash
momaw Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 I was just wondering when they were going to start releasing them. I will definitely buy The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Third Man. I'm not so sure about The Last Emperor. I'd really like to know if they'll release The Ice Storm and if so, when. I wonder why the Blu-ray of The Third Man is so much more expensive than the DVD. Must be a black market release, lol.Thanks! Yeah I'm not sure why on the third man either. It's really heavily discounted on DVD (over 52%). May just be a special.
Guest BlackFlash Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 I've caved in and ordered The Last Emperor too.
momaw Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 I've caved in and ordered The Last Emperor too. I order Last Emperor and Chungking Express. A little annoyed as I have the Criterion Last Emperor on DVD still sealed. If I had of known they were going to release it on Blu-ray I would have waited.
Guest BlackFlash Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 Ooops, but I imagine a sealed copy of the DVD would fetch a good price if you put it up for sale or there is the trading option.
the_wonderchild Posted September 6, 2008 Posted September 6, 2008 I'd like to get The Last Emperor, although might have to hold out a little bit unfortunately. So these have spine numbers too by the way. Nice.
the_wonderchild Posted September 6, 2008 Posted September 6, 2008 criterion? ?? Someone will no doubt pick me up on this (because its an off the top of my head type of comment and i'm uncertain), but Criterion films are distributed by Magna Pacific here locally (there might be others too). Surely you have heard of a couple of the titles?
momaw Posted September 6, 2008 Posted September 6, 2008 ??Someone will no doubt pick me up on this (because its an off the top of my head type of comment and i'm uncertain), but Criterion films are distributed by Magna Pacific here locally (there might be others too). Surely you have heard of a couple of the titles? Criterion is an independent distributor in the US only. You cannot get Criterion releases outside the US (obviously you can import but no local distribution). Some of it's titles are distributed by Madman locally, but they are not the same prints or masters. Criterion is known for it's restoration of old and important films from all around the world. That said, a couple of local versions of some of the films they have the rights to in the US are superior, but that is because they are more recent masters compared to years old criterion versions or versions Criterion couldn't get (ie Criterion release of Kwaidon is the edited version, Aud version is the full uncut version, but the UK Masters of Cinema is the version of choice due to being uncut and looking considerably better). If you are into classic world cinema, Criterion Editions are some of the best in the world. Also, the UK Master's Of Cinema series are hot on their heels with some wonderful transfers. Locally, the Madman Director's suite boosts some good transfers also. Criterion Collection Masters Of Cinema Series Madman Directors Suite DVDbeaver has comparison between some of the titles to help people choose the best version. For example a comparison of Seven Samurai and Sansho the Bailiff and Kwaiden.
HumanMedia Posted September 6, 2008 Author Posted September 6, 2008 I order Last Emperor and Chungking Express. A little annoyed as I have the Criterion Last Emperor on DVD still sealed. If I had of known they were going to release it on Blu-ray I would have waited. Ya know, since the Blu-ray doesnt come with the extended version (theatrical only) I would try and go for the 'upgrade' offer direct with criterion. You need to send just the theatrical disc in to get the blu-ray, so you keep the extended DVD version.
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