About two months after a Lionsgate executive spoke out about the phenomenon of day-and-date DVD / VOD releases, and merely days after we heard that digital distribution wasn't expected to overtake packaged media in the near term comes this. Universal, Fox and Summit have all pledged to close or eliminate entirely the gap between when a title is shipped on DVD and when it's available in on-demand form via iTunes or programming providers. At least with some titles, that is. The move is supposedly being made in order to take advantage of the growing thirst for instant gratification when it comes to films, and rather than getting left behind, these three are choosing to adapt to changing customer desires. Not surprisingly, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is still sticking to a 30 day (or so) delay before it releases a title to VOD, but considering its Q4 figures, it might want to consider hopping on the bandwagon.

Missed your opportunity to score a low-cost Blu-ray player on Black Friday? Worried senseless about how you're ever going to get a BD deck for that special someone at a price you can stomach? Chill, please -- you're making us all anxious around here. As you can see above, Target is planning to slash the price on the Olevia BD-100 starting Sunday to a totally delicious $149.99. Granted, the cut is slated to be for "a limited time" only, but that's all the time you need to get in, right?

Not like we haven't heard about these much anticipated features already, but it's always refreshing to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Or Warner Home Video's mouth, in this case. The Dark Knight marks the studio's very first foray into the controversial world of BD-Live, and what's apt to be the best selling BD of the year will pack quite the interactive punch. Owners with Profile 2.0 players will be able to "host their own Live Community Screenings with friends, record and post user-generated commentaries over the film using My WB Commentary, access more The Dark Knight content exclusive to Warner Bros. BD-Live, get sneak peeks and trailers of upcoming Warner Bros. films, create an online library of Blu-ray movies, manage a wish list for upcoming releases and connect to the WB store." As we've already seen in a number of instances, there's also a hint of a BD-Live-assisted interview with director Christopher Nolan "during a special Live Community Screening." For the full spill, give that read link a gentle tap.

To (mis)quote the infamous Dennis Green: "It was what we thought it'd be." In other words, Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight truly is as mesmerizing and awesome on Blu-ray as it was in theaters. Some very early (and very thorough) reviews have already hit the 'net days before the film's sure-to-be-monumental release, and we've found nothing but praise across the board. Sure, varying critics had varying levels of appreciation for the plot, but when it comes to visual and auditory quality, the Blu-ray transfer delivers. Utterances of "wow," "stunning," and "spectacle" were peppered throughout each and every review, dashing any fears one may have had that the BD would fall short of the hype. For those who really want to dig deep, we've linked thousands of words below. But truthfully, they all come to the same conclusion: The Dark Knight is a must-own Blu-ray Disc.

Read - Big Picture Big Sound
Read - The HD Room
Read - Rope Of Silicon
Read - Home Cinema Choice
Read - HighDefDigest

Well over two years ago, Universal hit a home run with its decision to release Serenity on HD DVD. Now, the studio is finally giving Blu-ray aficionados the privilege of buying the film, and it's even tossing in a few nice upgrades to boot. Given that this title would likely sell on Blu even without any extras, we appreciate the touchups. Those who take the plunge will be treated to a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, a 2.35:1 1080p video transfer, BD-Live support and a whole slew of bonus features that can't all be listed in this space. Make sure you don't spend all of that holiday cash before December 25th, as you'll need $29.98 (MSRP) in order to snatch this one up on December 30th.

It was bound to happen, and while wildly speculating was fun, we can now finally mark our calendars. The appropriately christened "sleeper hit of 2004" is all lined up for a Blu-ray release, and it'll arrive not a moment too soon. The film will be presented in 1080p / AVC MPEG-4 with a lossless 5.1-channel DTS-HD Master Audio track (not to mention French / Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks on the side). There's no date set in stone just yet, but "February" at $34.95 (MSRP) is close enough... gosh!

We already saw that Sound & Vision felt that Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ should be loosed on Blu-ray, and lo and behold, here we have confirmation that it will indeed be going Blu. On February 17th of next year, the film will be released in a "Definitive Edition" that offers up a 2.4:1 1080p video presentation and a 5.1-channel DTS-HD Master Audio track. As predicted, the audio will be in Aramaic for both the theatrical cut and the uncut version. This edition will also include "several new extras not found on the previous DVD edition including a pair of featurettes and four audio commentaries," and the exhaustive list is hosted up in the read link below. Per usual, the MSRP on this one sits at $34.99.

Ultimate Fighting Championship has been dishing out big tickets in HD for some time now, so it follow logic that the company would make its first foray into the Blu-ray realm soon. Thankfully for fans, soon is today. First Look Studios and UFC are jointly announcing the very first UFC film to be released on the lone high-def physical format (that anyone respects, anyway): ULTIMATE COMEBACKS. The film will contain over two hours of footage, with feature bouts including Pete Sell vs. Scott Smith, Alessio Sakara vs. Drew McFedries, Martin Kampmann vs. Drew McFedries and Renato Sobral vs. Jason Lambert (just to name a few). Heck, you'll even find 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound bundled in as well. Look for this one to hit the streets on November 18th for $24.98 (MSRP), while UFC's THE BEST OF 2008 is on track for a March 2009 release.

[Thanks, Anthony]

We're still a little perplexed about this, but The HD Room has it on authority that the Blu-ray rendition of Mamma Mia! will boast a Blu-ray first: shareable video commentary. Trust us, we had the same reaction that you just did. According to the specs, the "My Mamma Mia! Commentary" will allow users to "record their own video commentary while watching the movie and share it with friends," though we suspect you'll have to own a BD-Live-enabled player in order to do so. Additionally, the film will be presented in 1080p widescreen with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, and it'll offer up on-screen lyrics for 22 songs, the Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! music video and a number of less enthralling extras. Expect the BD to ship day-and-date with the DVD on December 16th for $39.98 (MSRP).

We already knew that at least one film was getting a 6K makeover before hitting a Blu-ray Disc, but before A Star is Born can even leave the studio, it's being trumped by Baraka. Hailed as a "transcendent global tour that explores the sights and sounds of the human condition like nothing you've ever seen or felt before," the film was shot in 70mm in 24 countries on six continents in order to provide breathtaking views of "wonders of a world without words, viewed through man and nature's own prisms of symmetry, savagery, harmony and chaos." All marketing hoopla aside, even Roger Ebert has exclaimed that this is in and of itself a "sufficient reason to acquire a Blu-ray player." In a separate review, the critics were flatly amazed by the visuals and the audio alike, and they blurted out the obvious by suggesting this as your de facto reference / wow-onlookers disc. Expect it to ship on October 28th for $34.98 (MSRP).

Read - Ship date
Read - Review

Just making The Mummy Returns its very first Blu-ray release wasn't good enough for Universal -- oh no, it's releasing the entire triology on BD this winter. For those that held off on picking up the aforesaid title, you can opt for the 4-disc box set that will package all three Mummy films on BD and be released on the same day as The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (in solo form). Each film will be presented in widescreen 1080p with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track; currently, the MSRP for the collection is set at $94.98, though it'll be offered for much less on the streets come December 16th.

We know you've got 14 alarms set to remind you, but The Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-ray will be all over store shelves tomorrow. If you're still unsure if the massive 10-disc set is worth the investment (or re-investment), a few long-winded reviews have already hit the 'net to help you decide. Put simply, the collection was deemed "a visual and aural extravaganza," and according to one reviewer, Blu-ray fanatics shouldn't hesitate to "consider the upgrade to this best-yet high-def edition." Of course, critics at IGN seemed less enthusiastic about just how worthwhile the upgrade was, noting that it's probably not worth it (from SD) unless you just cannot live without the superior audio and video transfers. We'll leave the final decision up to you, but one thing's for sure -- if you've got the cash to spare, you won't be disappointed.

Read - DVD Talk review
Read - Big Picture Big Sound review
Read - IGN review

Sir Bond's Blu-ray classics aren't slated to ship until October 21st, but apparently, the box sets have found their way into at least one particular store. It seems as if the six films are split between two box sets (though we imagine you'll also be able to purchase them individually), and one lucky poster over at AVS Forum finally decided on Volume Two. Packed within was For Your Eyes Only, From Russia With Love and Thunderball. Lookin' good, James, and that pair of e-Movie Cash Certificates for Quantum of Solace is much appreciated as well.

[Via CommanderBond]

The mere mention of Spinal Tap gets our gears turning, and saying that phrase in the same sentence as "Blu-ray" pretty much stops us in our tracks. The cult classic will be making its long-awaited high-def debut on January 20th, 2009, and MGM has just revealed a few new details to keep the buzz, um, buzzing. The flick will boast a 1080p / AVC MPEG-4 transfer on a BD-50 disc, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround track, three audio commentaries (with Rob Reiner, stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer, and other filmmakers), a host of deleted scenes, five music videos, trailers and TV spots. Of note, the BD will feature an exclusive "Create You Own Band" BD-Java game, though we can see the novelty there wearing off pretty quick. MSRP is set at $34.99, though it'll probably be available for a few bucks over eleven on launch week. Sorry, couldn't resist.

You've already seen how Sound & Vision graded the biggest Blu-ray studios, but now we're interested in getting your take. Now that you've had a number of months to check out each studio on a level playing field (read: everyone on team Blu), which studio(s) have impressed you the most? Feel free to include pros / cons from image quality, soundtrack fidelity, extras, BonusView / BD-Live support, etc. Let us know which of the Blu-ray studios has made you smile the most in 2008, and make sure you voice your opinion on which one(s) could stand to improve.