Lord of the Rings Limited Edition Blu-ray available for Pre-order on Amazon (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

I held out and did not purchase the theatrical releases on BD, as I prefer the extended editions of these films.. This is great news and a definite purchase for me!

 

[PaulDA]

Apart from one extra documentary (that holds little interest for me), the extras are the same as the DVD EEs (most of which I've yet to watch--the extras, I mean--years after getting the EE DVDs) AND they are on SD DVD? If true, then I will simply await the EE film only release that will come along later. It's not like my EE DVDs are unwatchable as it is.

 

[Dan Keliikoa]

Whoohoo!! Preorder is in! What Scott said a couple of posts ago is the same for me; I held out for the EE's on blu and passed on the theatricals.

 

[joshEH]

I could do without the Ent-poetry from The Two Towers, but otherwise I much prefer the extended cuts. Glad they're finally making their way to BD. Still can't believe they cut Saruman's death from Return of the King.


Such a great scene, a hugely-important one -- the death of a major villain -- and you could have cut a few minutes of Hobbit-hugging from the theatrical version, and still made room for it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I so much prefer the extended editions, but oh man, there

is a sequence either in the second or third film involving the

King that goes crazy that goes on and on and on forever. It

brings the entire film down to a crawl.

 

[PattyFraser]

A very definite day one purchase for me. I am not pre-ordering because I don't want to pay the price for day -of -release delivery--I'll hit the local Walmart. I hope I don't get burned and have to pay a higher price there, but I've waited so long for this release that at that point it won't kill me. I'm a happy camper--or camperess.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I'll be waiting for the inevitable price drop on this one. While the longer cuts are interesting, I have yet to rewatch the DVDs due to not having the time to sit through them.

 

[Jeff F.]

Coincidentally, I just finished watching the first two EEs last week and am planning to watch the third this week. The upconverted picture quality on the DVDs is pretty darn good, so in order for me to upgrade to BD and spend that kind of cash, these new transfers need to look nothing short of amazing.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Originally Posted by AaronMK

Considering that the last two films are all but monochromatic for much of their running time, I think 26 mbps is probably more than enough to handle the information in the films. Add to that the black bars from the letterboxing, and I don’t see this being an issue.


As for the complaints by others about the documentaries being in standard def on a DVD, all the behind the scenes footage on these films were shot on standard def video. Putting them on a blu-ray would be superfluous.


Doug

 

[Carlo_M]

Those bit rates don't seem too bad for a film that is 2.35:1 aspect ratio, since quite a bit of the screen is black bars which don't take up much bit space...


Am a little bummed if they're simply including the DVD extras discs (not quibbling with the extras, but with including the actual DVD extras discs from the EE DVD sets) since I already have those. Would have been nice to at minimum port them to BD so to save space--if they didn't present them in HD they all probably could have fit on one or two Blu-Ray discs. Of course the ideal would be to present them in HD, but apparently that isn't in the cards.


Still, the film is of paramount importance to me, and the cost isn't prohibitive, so if the A/V quality if great then I'm in. Now I'm trying to figure out if I ever watched the theatrical blu rays I bought...

 

[Ruz-El]

It sounds like the appendixes are the same DVDs we already own (well, many of us anyways). It's a shame there's not an option to just get the upgraded films so we can stick them in our existing sets. Not enough of a shame to be a deal breaker for me, but still a little bit of a shame.


This is one of the most well regarded film series to come out since Star Wars. Regardless of bitrate speculation, I doubt these will be a sub par transfers.

 

[Douglas Monce]

I wouldn't count on them looking all that different from the theatrical releases.


Doug

 

[Khai L]

Originally Posted by Carlo Medina

Now I'm trying to figure out if I ever watched the theatrical blu rays I bought...

Dont you just hate it when you buy them and dont end up watching them I made that mistake with DVDs. Lucky there are still people willing to buy 2nd hand DVDs, which helps pay for my new blurays. Trying not to make the same mistake with blurays this time.

 

[Radioman970]

Limited. Limited...? What's limited about this?

*begins to whine as has never whined before*

 

[joshEH]

Two words:


"Ultimate Edition" (down the road, after both Hobbits have been completed). Deleted scenes, the works. They're not putting ANYTHING on these releases that hasn't already been put out previously, though what's there is pretty damned substantial in its own right.


This is still a total Day One purchase for me.

 

[Vincent_P]

In terms of image quality sure, but a single BD-25 could contain the extras from both supplemental DVDs for each film, AND the documentaries from the later "Limited Editions". So you'd have a "cleaner" set, so to speak- each movie on a BD-50, along with a single BD-25 extras disc for each film.


EDIT: I see Stephen Brooks made the same point in post #25.


Vincent

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce



As for the complaints by others about the documentaries being in standard def on a DVD, all the behind the scenes footage on these films were shot on standard def video. Putting them on a blu-ray would be superfluous.


Doug

 

[Ron Reda]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

I wouldn't count on them looking all that different from the theatrical releases.


Doug

This is what I'm most concerned with.

 

[RickER]

Hey, i have no problem if they feel the need to stick in a few DVDs, that most of us already own, on this Blu-ray set.


I just have a problem paying for them again.


Even on sale, this will cost more than the Alien boxset. So, i would say we are paying a premium for those DVDs...and what the hell, why not throw a few Blu-rays in this set too.

 

[Mark_TB]

While I would prefer to have the supplements on a BD, I'm just happy to have them included at all. That way I can sell off the old DVD sets as complete.


Also, does anyone know if the documentaries that are going to be included on the BDs with the main features were shot in HD or SD? I know they were shot on video, so if they were SD, they won't end up taking up as much space.


- Mark

 

[Cees Alons]

Originally Posted by Russell G

WHOOP WHOOP OF JOY!


I skipped the theatrical blurays since I never plan on watching the theatrical versions again so my old DVDs are just fine for those. That they are carrying over all the features and adding those extra documentaries makes this the perfect set for me! I shall pre-order it toot sweet!


(Which means in about a month when it shows up on amazon.ca...)

So did I. No need for the Theatrical version on BD. But this ... preciouss... new massterss... they want me to have it.



Cees