Somehow I missed it being up on places like Amazon with a June 28, 2011 release date.

LOTR Extended Edition on Blu-Ray

I love how they retained the disc switching feature and kept the bonus discs as normal DVDs.

Yeah. Those "extras" discs could have all fit on to a few Blu-Rays, even if they were still the same old extras, at least it would be fewer discs.

Yawn. LOTR Blu-ray was one of the most disappointing transfers I have watched. If you have the DVD's, it is NOT worth it.

very glad to know that, thanks. :-)

Yes, the "regular" LOTR on Blu-Ray was disappointing for more than 1 reason. The transfer wasn't great, and they weren't the extended editions that everyone wanted.

This is supposed to FINALLY be the good transfer that everyone (who didn't already pull the trigger on the regular versions) has been waiting for AND they are extended editions.

So, this should be, finally, THE one to rule them all.

You should read the “Deals” thread more often:

http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthre...true#Post341105

Where can I find info on the improvements they are making to this transfer over the theatrical release on Blu-ray?

Most people had the big issue with quality over the first film in the set, and this go around it was re-transferred right from the 2k originals as posted here:
Details

Here is a posting like hundreds you can find elsewhere showing that people really only had an issue with Fellowship of the Rings transfer.

Non-Extended Blu Ray issues - FOTR

So again, this will be THE set to get.

thanks

No problem... I was skeptical too.

Hmmmm....this could be a sign that I need to get these. They come out on June 28th, my birthday!

I've been waiting for this one. I recall an interview with Peter Jackson regarding the BR version. He wasn't too happy with the transfer, and was going to oversee the extended version transfer much closer - or something to that effect.

This just might make me buy them after all

Sounds like the LOTRO folks are following the Lucas "Art" of making mo money.

It is after all a Fine Art isn't it

Ya, no kiddin... I see the first of what I'm sure will be several versions of the Star Wars BR is now available for pre order. We should start a pool to see how many versions they will release on BR.

Every version but the one fans want.

yet despite that belief, watch them make the most money on any blu-ray ever sold in a set in history for now and years to come.

the "fans" or rather the purist will speak differently once they are relased; i bet many of them will have a copy too, such as it is.

i'll be more than happy with what they are going to be selling and yep, i'm only speaking for me. but they are gonna make so much money and set so many records and make history it's gonna make us all sick!

Digitalbits has some good info as well.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa191.html#032211

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa191.html#032111

Did the Star Wars DVDs make more money than any other box set when they were released? I'm just not sure it has quite THAT much pull anymore. Maybe I'm mistaken. I'm sure I'll end up with the big box set of all six movies, despite my issues with George Lucas's brain. Will I get it on release day? Probably not. But the simple fact that I will be buying it doesn't mean I'm giving it the double thumbs-up. I can still hate it and hate myself for buying it. This is what George Lucas has reduced Star Wars fans to. Ha ha.

i pity you, truly...


;-)

I read some reviews of the original BR version and although I own them, I have not yet watched them. In fact, I recently re-watched Fellowship with some relatives who had never seen it and the picture quality was so good on the upscaled DVD version which I absentmindedly plugged in, that I didn't even realize that I did not use my new BR version until I pulled it from the tray when we were done. The funniest part was when my Uncle said "Wow, I guess we DO need to get a BluRay player." during the early scenes of the Gandalf's arrival in the the forest around the Shire.

I never told them the difference, just so he could keep the excuse with his wife to buy some new electronics.
Bro Code # n, "Never shoot down a Bro's reasons to buy new toys in front of his wife or girlfriend."

My question is (and Yes, I will have to try it for myself,) I have read some of the complaints about the theatrical BR version but one thing is not clear to me.

Are the complaints about details 'relative' to the expected BR quality but still superior to the DVD version or is the consensus that the BR version is so bad that the DVD is actually preferable? This will influence my decision as to weather or not I really need to invest money for just a few extra minutes of films I already own in two formats.

Murph, don't know the direct answer to your question about if the theatrical version on blu-ray is better or worse than the DVD or if it just wasn't up to Blu-Ray expectations, but the Extended editions will not only be longer (like you mentioned) but also resolve the issue of quality for Fellowship meaning that it will be the best version out there, regardless if it is extended or not.

Maybe just rebuy Fellowship in extended or something so that you don't have to fully reinvest.

I rented the Blu-ray version of FOTR and A/B compared it with my DVD version in my Oppo 981 with the BD in my Oppo BDP-83.

All I really noticed was an improvement in some detail. Though there were better black levels and colour pallet in the BD version I attribute that to the player which exhibit’s the same improved performance when comparing identical standard DVDs. Note I was watching on a 134” diagonal so the improved detail may not be noticeable as the screen size gets smaller.

The difference in audio was a mixed bag. Overall I think it was better, however I had grown so accustomed to hearing certain things (I use FOTR as a calibration check, and demo) the differences threw me off a big. Mostly changes in the LFE making them seem less pronounced in the BD version though the overall presentation seemed to have more clarity. Note that I could make all the comparisons I wanted because I always use the extended version not the theatrical so some of my demo scenes weren’t there.

Good answers. Thanks guys.

Less LFE is probably a good thing. I notice in some movies that too much is thrown in and it sounds a little too fake for my taste.

LOTR are probably the only movies, at least to me, where the extended versions are actually extended versions. By that I mean that most extended versions of other movies usually only drop 10/15 min extra (at best) and most of the time they are scenes that either don't bring nothing to the movie and don't belong (Daredevil scenes with the drug junkie (Coolio) comes to my mind) or are a lot of scenes that are extended by a few seconds so it's pretty hard to notice everything that had been added (Troy is a good example, a lot of the extras are extended battles scenes that are hard to differentiate from the Theatrical release).
The LOTR brings at least 30 min on each movie and adds full new scenes that actually bring something to the story. I own the extended versions on DVD and will buy the extended versions on BD.

The worst extended version I bought and was the least impressed with, I think is "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". There were about 3 places where they added an extra 5 or 10 seconds of missing content.

You bought a movie about a giant feline? I'm shocked. I thought you hated...............Oh wait.

I agree with Bruno. The extended editions of the LOTR trilogy really add a lot. One example is just how much more Gollum gets tortured and abused after swimming in the "pool" and catching fish. He is happy-go-lucky (albeit split personality still) and seems to like Frodo. Then in the regular edition, you just assume that because Frodo was there when he (Gollum) was captured that now Gollum's more evil personality comes back and he is pissed off.

In the extended edition, you see why.

No Thomasina, No! He didn't really think that.