Las Vegas — Members of the Blu-ray Disc Association celebrated the pending launch of their high-definition optical disc format with more than 20 companies announcing plans for BD products, including players, high-definition computer drives, recordable media and PC applications at CES.
Meanwhile, representatives of six studios that have announced plans to support the launch with software said over 100 movie and music titles would be available during the year.
Consumer electronics manufacturers who have announced plans to sell Blu-ray Disc players in the coming year include: LG Electronics, Panasonic, Pioneer, Royal Philips Electronics, Sony Electronics and Samsung.
Those announcing plans to launch BD PC drives include Panasonic, Pioneer, Royal Philips Electronics and Sony Electronics.
Those planning releases of BD media include: Sony DADC, TDK and Verbatim/MKM.
Those planning BD-oriented PC applications include: interVideo, Nero, New Tech Infosystems and Sonic.
Studios who plan movie releases include the following:
Buena Vista Home Entertainment: “Kill Bill: Vol. 1,” “Hero,” “Dark Water,” “Ladder 49,” “The Brothers Grimm,” “The Great Raid,” “Armageddon,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Dinosaur” and “Everest”;
Lionsgate Home Entertainment: “Lord of War,” “The Punisher,” “Devil’s Rejects,” “Saw,” “T2: Judgment Day,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Total Recall,” “Dune,” “Rambo: First Blood” and “See No Evil”;
Paramount Home Entertainment: “Four Brothers,” “Sahara,” “Aeon Flux,” “Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow,” “The Italian Job,” “Tomb Raider,” “U2: Rattle and Hum,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “We Were Soldiers,” “Manchurian Candidate,” “Mission Impossible,” “Mission Impossible 2,” “Mission Impossible 3”;
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and MGM: “The Fifth Element,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Desperado,” “For a Few Dollars More,” “The Guns of Navarone,” “Hitch,” “House of Flying Daggers,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “Kung Fu Hustle,” “The Last Waltz,” “Legends of the Fall,” “Resident Evil Apocalypse,” “Robocop,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Stealth,” “Species,” “SWAT,” “XXX,” “Black Hawk Down” and “The Bridge on the River Kwai”;
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment: 20 Titles, including: “Fantastic Four,” “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” “Behind Enemy Lines,” “Kiss of the Dragon” and “Ice Age”;
Warner Bros. “Batman Begins,” “Charlie & The Chocolate Factory,” “Constantine,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The Last Samurai,” “Lethal Weapon,” “The Matrix,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Oceans 12,” “Swordfish,” “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” “Training Day,” “Troy,” “Twister,” and “Unforgiven”;
Eagle Rock Entertainment: 20 music titles from artists including George Benson, Usher, the Black Crowes, Miles Davis and the Pixies.
Andy Parsons, a spokesman for the Blu-ray Disc Association, led off a launch party Thursday night by announcing “the Blu-ray Disc specifications have now been completed.”
“Due to the unparalleled support of Blu-ray Disc, we will be able to offer movies, music and games as well as an unmatched array of product that will provide consumers with a dramatic new home entertainment experience,” said Victor Matsuda, global chairman, Blu-ray Disc Association promotions committee. “With Blu-ray Disc, the bar has now been raised for the home viewing experience.”
Kaz Harai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said that because the forthcoming PlayStation 3 gaming system will support Blu-ray Disc software “right out of the box,” it will help drive the format to success, just as PlayStation 2 contributed to the success of the DVD market.
“We proved that PlayStation 2 products not only can drive the hardware market but the software market within the gaming space and beyond. We plan to do the same with our next-generation platform — PlayStation 3,” he said.
Michael Dell, Dell chairman, said Blu-ray Disc drives will bring a new world of capability to desktop and laptop PCs, adding that many flat-screen PC monitors have been capable of high-definition video playback for some time.
“Customers tell us that they want an optical standard that will last for at least a decade like DVD has,” said Dell. “So we joined the Blu-ray group to be the voice of the customer. Customers want to store and manage for data and they want to enjoy their content at home and on the go.”
