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The Lord Of The Rings trilogy on Blu Ray


Jay

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I hoped that a proper BD release would involved presenting both cuts in one set with seamless branching and isolated scores for everything (which were apparently only cut from the DVDs due to space issues).

But making two entirely different sets - it's got to be about the $$.

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The problem is that Peter Jackson had control over the DVD releases, and made sure they all had unique and new content, etc.

This time around, WB/New Line Home Video is planning all these new releases without his input, so its all just the old special features with new HD masters of the movies, nothing more. Eventually we'll get Jackson-approved sets with new special features (DELETED SCENES!), but who knows when

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It's pretty obvious, I'd even say inevitable, that once both Hobbit films have been released theatrically and on blu-ray we'll get a massive boxset including both versions of all films (yeah, I'm pretty sure The Hobbit films will get the theatrical and extended treatment just like LOTR) and a shed load of extras including all the existing plus new ones. Deleted scenes, bloopers, isolated scores, PiP tracks and retrospective documentaries.

'The Middle Earth Collection' anyone? :P

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Great, the extended LotR trilogy boxset will be released on June 27th (by Amazon.co.uk). Can't wait! :joy:

Based on the length of each extended edition feature film and in order to present each film in the highest possible picture quality, each film is presented on two Blu-ray discs.

It says in the product description that the box will include 15 discs, so that means 6 discs for the three films and 9 discs for the extras, or what?! :blink:

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It's a preposterous number of discs. Especially for what I assume is not the definitive, collector's, final, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink version.

Oh come on, screw 'em, I ain't buying this three times or waiting three more years for them to finally release the right thing! :angry:

Anyway, here's the complete description:

One of the most magical, intensely spectacular epic adventures in film history comes alive with these extended editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray boasting unsurpassed high definition picture and sound. Sound + Vision magazine ranked the 2010 release in their top five Blu-rays of the Year noting that it was one of only two releases to earn five stars for sound and calling it “breathtaking.” Now see and hear the extended trilogy at home the way it was meant to be seen, on Blu-ray Hi-Def.

Based on the length of each extended edition feature film and in order to present each film in the highest possible picture quality, each film is presented on two Blu-ray discs.

Special Features:

The set boasts more than 26 hours of additional content, highlighted by the rare behind-the-scenes documentaries created by Costa Botes, the filmmaker given unprecedented access to the set of each production by Peter Jackson. Costa Botes was able to capture raw and riveting behind-the-scenes film footage. His unique approach to storytelling--allowing the footage to speak for itself--results in an intimate and candid backstage pass to the challenges, preparations and camaraderie that went into shooting the timeless trilogy.

The feature-length documentaries, with more than four and a half hours of footage, focus on a number of complexities and circumstances that tested the filmmakers, cast and crew during the shoot, as well as a look at some of the comical antics and personal moments on the set. The Costa Botes documentaries accompany acclaimed special features by Michael Pellerin from the original extended cut releases to make this the most comprehensive The Lord of the Rings compilation ever.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - The Extended Edition includes a new transfer of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which was remastered from the original 2k digital files, and it all comes in multi-disc elite packaging inside a premium rigid slipcase.

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Oh no, I have to get off my ass to change discs? Why can't they just spend more money on authoring standard-def material onto a blu-ray for my own convenience (without jacking up the price, as less than £20 a film is a rip-off as it is)? Those Hollywood assholes are always trying to screw us.

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I don't have a problem changing discs during the movie, but there is absolutely no reason to have DVDs in this set. I wonder how big this box is going to be.

If the material is SD, what's the point of spending extra money (that would drive the price of the set up) on authoring BD discs other than space issues?

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Space issues (more specifically, making an attractive package) is enough of a reason

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I don't have a problem changing discs during the movie, but there is absolutely no reason to have DVDs in this set. I wonder how big this box is going to be.

From the description in the press release, it looks like each film is going to be packaged in the same type of blu ray case as the Blade Runner 5 disc set - basically only slightly thicker than a normal blu ray case. I actually like this approach as it means unlike the theatrical versions and other recent box sets, each of the films will actually have sturdy packaging.

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I wouldn't mind the size of this box set if it actually had nice packaging. I'd rather see it in packaging similar to the original 4 disc EE's, so that it looks like a book. Those had a real classy look. In fact I think I may just put the BR's in those boxes, put the old DVD's in the bluray box, then just put it in a storage box or something.

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I don't have a problem changing discs during the movie, but there is absolutely no reason to have DVDs in this set. I wonder how big this box is going to be.

Lots of reasons. I don't want to know how much more this set would cost or how much longer the release would take if they had to redo all the extra discs and menus completely.

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  • 2 months later...

Just a minor point but I've just realised that with the release of the Extended Editions on blu ray this month, we're finally going to have things like the theatrical version of "The Shire" and the NZO alternate of "The Breaking of the Fellowship" in 24bit uncompressed sound quality :)

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The EEs have always had a disc change. it makes a nice intermissions.

Well, at least it does in FOTR. They could have picked a better spot to do so in TTT and ROTK than they did

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I've never minded the disc changes. What I've always done is treated each disc as a separate film. So if I watch one of them it's a 2 night affair, the first disc and then the second disc the next day. Keeps them from getting dull, keeps me from getting tired of watching a movie.

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The reviews coming out suggest that they've given each half of the films the full 50GB worth of space on each blu ray disc. Video and sound quality is said to be stunning as a result as they have the breathing room needed. Everything down to fine grain is pin sharp.

Yes, the fan credits are apparently included according to thedigitalbits.com review.

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I'll buy them when they release them properly.

Change disc mid-way through? No sale.

Perhaps they'll do over-compressed single disc releases just for you.

:sleepy:

The reviews coming out suggest that they've given each half of the films the full 50GB worth of space on each blu ray disc. Video and sound quality is said to be stunning as a result as they have the breathing room needed. Everything down to fine grain is pin sharp.

if this is true and the benefit of splitting the feature into two is gloriously plain to see, then I take it all back. Colour me unconvinced, but willing to be proven wrong. I'LL LAP THAT SHIT UP.

Marion, I'm a fan of LotR. That doesn't make me a mug as well.

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I'll buy them when they release them properly.

Change disc mid-way through? No sale.

Perhaps they'll do over-compressed single disc releases just for you.

:sleepy:

The reviews coming out suggest that they've given each half of the films the full 50GB worth of space on each blu ray disc. Video and sound quality is said to be stunning as a result as they have the breathing room needed. Everything down to fine grain is pin sharp.

if this is true and the benefit of splitting the feature into two is gloriously plain to see, then I take it all back. Colour me unconvinced, but willing to be proven wrong. I'LL LAP THAT SHIT UP.

Marion, I'm a fan of LotR. That doesn't make me a mug as well.

Here's a couple of examples:

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58250

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/58228

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That's actually quite a nice difference.

At this stage I just want to get the highest quality possible rip of all 3 fan credits.

I'll buy a blu-ray set that features both cuts of each film with seamless branching, with isolated scores for everything.

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The EEs have always had a disc change. it makes a nice intermissions.

Well, at least it does in FOTR. They could have picked a better spot to do so in TTT and ROTK than they did

The RotK changeover is awful. I still don't understand why the echoing "Grond" that opens disc 2 wasn't simply played over a few seconds of black screen at the end of disc 1. Ugh. Same for TTT, but the abrupt ending in RotK is really nasty.

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I'll never understand why they didn't take the opportunity to do smooth transitions for the changeovers, and perhaps even a bit of intermission score like in the Golden Age. Still, if there's the tiniest doubt that one disc would hold enough data for optimal quality, I'll gladly take two discs. And with 1080p and films this long, 50GB doesn't sound like all that much.

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Well, if it was indeed just a "tiny" amount of difference - making the extra clarity completely negligible; then I'd rather they just put it on one disc.

I'm all for high quality image and audio; but there's a point where such details are pointless to anyone other than the most anal of viewers.

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There's a Century theater in Sandy, Utah that they'll be showing the Extended Editions for the LOTR films. If I had the extra money for them I'd go but alas I don't.

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I like all of the changeovers I know most people are going to say: ":blink:" but I have no problem with them being split whatsoever

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The Rivendell pic is the one out of all that is the most improved from TE to EE!

I do believe the EEs were completely recolored from the TEs, though. It's most noticable in the FOTR prologue

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For me it's most noticeable in people's faces. I like the Rivendell image and the Prologue image...but the faces...completely stripped of color. This is what Digital Bits raved about? Granted the image IS much clearer, the quality is beautiful. But the colors...that's almost as bad as the ESB DVD!

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For me it's most noticeable in people's faces. I like the Rivendell image and the Prologue image...but the faces...completely stripped of color. This is what Digital Bits raved about? Granted the image IS much clearer, the quality is beautiful. But the colors...that's almost as bad as the ESB DVD!

The change in colour is down in part to Fellowship being a complete re-master from the original 2K digital files. Peter Jackson and Andrew Lesnie (DP) apparently have also dictated a colour re-grade. SO what we're seeing is actually what Jackson has approved.

I like the more subdued grading this time actually. Rivendell looks less like someone just poured orange paint over the image. The different colours and shades seem more refined and detailed on the new blurays.

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I've never been a fan of the telly tubby colour scheme of the originals anyway. I prefer the subdued tone and in fact I'd go even further than they have done.

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I've never been a fan of the telly tubby colour scheme of the originals anyway. I prefer the subdued tone and in fact I'd go even further than they have done.

I would agree to some degree, but they definitely went quite a bit over the top with their light green. The skies and snow look way beyond natural. You should check out the screen comparisons for the scene when Boromir picks up the ring on the mountain top. It's entirely sickly green. That's really not the same as a "cool" color scheme. However, the increase in detail is fantastic. I remember that many reviewers originally said that the softness of the TC is due to the source and cannot be fixed. Boy, where they wrong. And boy, did New Line originally use sharpening tools and DNR; the comparisons show that sooooo clearly... what a shame.

There are a video and more still comparisons if you follow the highlighted links here:

http://www.herr-der-ringe-film.de/v3/de/news/tolkienfilme/news_70016.php

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This is fake, its not nearly as dark in the real EE Blue ray. Someone on the net posted a comparison pick between the snow screenshot from this link and the real EE Blue Ray.

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This is fake, its not nearly as dark in the real EE Blue ray. Someone on the net posted a comparison pick between the snow screenshot from this link and the real EE Blue Ray.

That would be great... do you have a link?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I got the Blu ray EE set today.

Only watched Fellowship so far but it looks STUNNING. the detail is astonishing and the colours are rich and deep. This is actually the most natural and film-like Fellowship has looked to me. For all the fuss being made about the green tint, it actually looks far less colour graded than it ever has before.

The sound is simply perfect too.

Oh, and yes the fan club credits are there so we now have the complete theatrical version of 'The Shire' and the alternative 'Breaking of the Fellowship' in 24bit sound :)

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The theatrical version of The Shire is NOT complete in the Fan Club EE end credits. Shore removed the same repetitive bars that he also removed from the OST and Complete Recordings versions.

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