Underworld Evolution Set for Day and Date Release With DVD
- Variety of Content Will Be Available to Support
Initial BD Products at Retail -
CULVER CITY, Calif., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment (SPHE) is targeting May 23 to deliver the first wave of Blu-ray
Disc (BD) titles at retail, it was announced today. Delivery will coincide
with the launch that day of the first commercially available BD player from
Samsung Electronics, which will be followed shortly by BD players from Pioneer
and Sony along with a BD compatible VAIO PC from Sony.
SPHE and MGM Home Entertainment will first release eight BD titles, with
another eight following shortly June 13. Benjamin S. Feingold, president,
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, made the announcement.
The first Blu-ray Disc titles from SPHE and MGM Home Entertainment will
include: 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A
Knight's Tale, The Last Waltz (MGM), Resident Evil Apocalypse and XXX.
BD titles streeting June 13 include: Kung Fu Hustle, Legends of the Fall,
Robocop (MGM), Stealth, Species (MGM), SWAT and Terminator (MGM). Underworld
Evolution will debut in early Summer day and date with the DVD.
"We are primed to ensure that a variety of Blu-ray Disc content is
available at retail to support the introduction of the first BD players from
Samsung Electronics and Pioneer, as well as the first BD player and compatible
VAIO computer from Sony," said Mr. Feingold. "Sony Pictures further intends
to provide additional titles to coincide with the launch of BD products from
other manufacturers. We're thrilled that the Blu-ray Disc era is about to
begin."
Outstanding CE products:
"As a charter member of the Blu-Ray Disc Association (BDA), Samsung
Electronics is proud to introduce the first commercially available Blu-ray
Disc player, BD-P1000, to Best Buy, Circuit City and electronic specialty
store consumers on May 23," said Jim Sanduski, senior vice president of
marketing for Samsung Electronics America. "We're extremely pleased to join
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in providing an outstanding high definition
experience that features the next generation optical disc format."
"Pioneer is thrilled to offer the BDP-HD1, our first Blu-ray Disc player,
which will allow consumers to purchase high definition content to watch in the
comfort of their own homes," said Sam Ohdate, president of home entertainment
for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "With exciting new titles like these being
released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and other studios, we're
confident Blu-ray disc will become the next generation in home entertainment."
"Our BD enabled VAIO PCs incorporate the very best and latest technology
to help consumers unleash their creativity and experience entertainment in
new, exciting ways," said Mike Abary, vice president of VAIO product marketing
in the U.S. "We're eagerly looking forward to having engaging Blu-ray content
available that really takes advantage of the performance these PCs can
achieve."
"The first Blu-ray Disc titles from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment mark
a significant milestone in the BD revolution of home entertainment" said
Philip Abram, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics' Home Products
Division. "We are excited about the upcoming launch of the BDP-S1 Blu-ray Disc
player and with engaging content from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,
consumers are in for a spectacular high-definition experience."
About Blu-ray Disc:
The Blu-ray Disc format provides nearly five times more data storage than
DVD, with an unprecedented 25 GB (single-layer) and 50 GB (dual-layer) of
capacity. Blu-ray Disc players are backward compatible with other disc
formats and deliver the highest quality high-definition (HD) entertainment,
while providing a secure playback environment through the use of the most
advanced copy protection available.
Blu-ray Disc was created to support the accelerating convergence between
consumer electronics and information technology. The platform can also
support numerous film, music, computer and game applications. Sony Computer
Entertainment recently announced plans to utilize BD-ROM technology in their
next-generation PlayStation 3 system.
Blu-ray is supported by more than 170 leading hardware and software
manufacturers, including the leading innovators in the CE and IT industries.
About Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a division of Sony Corporation of
America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. Sony Pictures
Entertainment's global operations encompass motion picture production and
distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation
and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment
acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of
new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of
filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Information on Sony Pictures
Entertainment and Blu-ray can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.sonypictures.com/bluray.
SOURCE Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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Related links:
http://www.sonypictures.com/bluray
CONTACT:
Claire McKittrick of Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment, +1-310-244-4722, claire_mckittrick@spe.sony.com;
or Dave Migdal, +1-201-930-7394, david.migdal@am.sony.com, or Jon
Piazza, +1-858-942-3825, Jon.piazza@am.sony.com, both of Sony
Electronics; or Jose A. Cardona of Samsung Electronics North
American HQ, +1-201-229-4118, J.Cardona@Samsung.com; or Christina
Ramirez of Pioneer Electronics, USA, +1-310-952-2388,
christina.ramirez@pioneer-usa.com
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