LOTR on Blue Ray - finally!!

Post by **Alatar** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:24 am

Simply put, HD is about 4 times the resolution of SD, therefore it requires 4 times the storage, more or less. A dual layer DVD can hold about 9GB of data. A Bluray can hold about 25GB. So if the two parts of, say, Fellowship, took up only 10GB of data between them, they would need to be split over 2 DVDs, but at 40GB wouldn't fit on a single Bluray. Of course, its not quite that simple, as compression comes into play also, but roughly speaking, thats the reason. If they put the movies in standard definition, they could probably squeeze all three (minus any extras) onto one Bluray Disc. But nobody would be very happy!

Post by **yovargas** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:48 am

Alatar wrote: If they put the movies in standard definition, they could probably squeeze all three (minus any extras) onto one Bluray Disc.

Single movie cut!!!!!11

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:31 pm

You're hardcore, yov!

Alatar, do you know whether they do layers on Blu-Rays as well? I remember that the moments when the DVDs switched layers sometimes felt like a little hiccup in the flow of the film.

Post by **Alatar** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:10 am

Looks like it. Can't say I was ever aware of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc

Blu-ray Disc (official abbreviation BD) is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The standard physical medium is a 12 cm plastic optical disc, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs (50 GB) the norm for feature-length video discs and additional layers possible in the future.

Post by **Alatar** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:37 am

Well, my Bluray copy arrived! Have to say, its very nice, but not as nice as the DVD SE packaging. However, I'm very pleased to see that the Blue "Bluray" banner on the top of the box is only part of the slipcover.

The only problem is I'm running out of space between my Argonath!

And yes, the observant among you will have noticed that I haven't yet picked up the Theatrical Cuts on Bluray.

Post by **Elentári** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:02 pm

Nice!

I take it those are the complete soundtrack recordings next to the single-cd versions? I haven't added them to my collection yet! What are the DVDs between those and the Gollum box?

I've kept my EE DVDs in the original boxes as they look so pretty! And I put my single-cd soundtracks in each box along with the DVDs, so they don't show much in my photo:

I also have the audio cassette version of the BBC Radio adaptation in the black and gold box...haven't had the urge to upgrade it to CD yet!

Post by **Alatar** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 1:21 pm

The three DVD's you're asking about are imports from the US. Those are the Platinum Series Extended Editions, which contain both the Theatrical And Extended Cuts of the movies in a Seamless Branching format, with the Costa Botes Documentaries as an extra disk.

http://www.amazon.com/Rings-Trilogy-The ... B000GTLR2A

The CD Package of BBC LotR that I have is a lovely material bound hardback book style.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... /ref=nosim

Post by **SirDennis** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:23 pm

Pretty nice collection Al (love the statue). There's room there for the TRs on VHS (in full screen) yet!

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:39 am

It's too bad it came out too late for a Betamax version to be available.

Post by **Alatar** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:53 pm

Well, the kids and I watched the first disk last night. That's up to the forming of the fellowship, and oh my, does it look good! Also, I'm glad to say that aside from the HD transfer it more than holds up after 10 years.

Interesting review that said more or less the same here:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118039387

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:10 pm

That is interesting, especially the idea that techniques PJ used that might have seemed jarring ten years ago are now so commonplace that they're lost in the story on re-viewing.

I haven't watched them yet (can't spare the hours at this point), but I look forward to it.

Post by **vison** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:24 pm

Oh, my goodness.

More than ten years?

Is that right?

Holy cats. How could 10 years pass so quickly? I don't get it.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:09 pm

Me neither.

Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:18 pm

It hasn't quite been 10 years yet, even since FOTR came out. And only about seven since ROTK EE came out.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:39 pm

Yes, December will be 10 years for FotR. But certainly at this point 10 years ago there were some intense conversations going on about the films, and some of the people here were involved. (I was reading them at the time, but I didn't register and unlurk until the following year.)

Post by **Elentári** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:33 pm

I've managed to watch the first Costa Botes documentary so far and enjoyed it very much - though I still can't watch the clip where Sean Astin cuts his foot open without putting my hands over my eyes - yuk!

Am looking forward till I get all my boys home for the summer holidays (and I don't have to work!) and we will watch the films together...

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:25 am

A quick note as I'm finally watching Fellowship on Blu-Ray today.

The new color grading they did for FotR is hugely better. I really like it. Rivendell isn't all orange light, the Shire colors are richer yet more natural, and both Moria and Lórien, though still bluish, are not relentlessly so. I like it a lot; it was something that always bothered me about all the films, but especially FotR.

I haven't heard that TTT colors have been changed, but maybe more detail and a sharper transfer will make the battle at Helm's Deep less monotone all on its own.

I'm really drawn in to the film as I haven't been for a long time. More detail, and better color, lets me see it with fresh eyes.

I am also noticing a lot of places where 3D would enhance what's on the screen in a quite natural way, giving depth and distance to the wide spaces of Middle-Earth. I'm perfectly happy that these aren't in 3D, but it gives me hope that The Hobbit will use it wisely.

ETA: Finished FotR. "Be at peace, son of Gondor" brought me to tears. Again. There are just some things about these films that are wonderful, and for me, the flaws (which I don't deny, most of them) aren't enough to change that.

If I had to choose between book and films, book wins in every way. But the films, for me, are a welcome sidelight to the books, and I am very happy that I can have both.

<resists temptation to add "So there. Pbbttthhhhh.">

Post by **Hachimitsu** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:11 am

Thanks for your review. I am thinking of getting the blu ray EE sometime next year.