For a few years there was a battle between HD DVD and the blu ray disc to see who which format would win and become the optical disc used to show films in high definition, and in 2008 Blu Ray was finally victorious. Many companies had waited to see the result before releasing their back catalogue, but now more and more blu ray movies are being released daily. It may be time to get a blu ray player if you don't already have one, and have been considering the option.
You will also of course need a good television with HD capabilities to watch these movies at their best quality. But if you own a blu ray player or a Playstation 3, which has a built in player that can read the discs, and an HD TV, you are going to experience home entertainment like you could never imagine.
At the moment every new movie, and television shows and concerts for that matter, are coming out on blu rays, but many films should be on the top of your list if you are thinking about having a home collection. Or if you are just looking for titles to rent, these are certainly ones to consider.
Its hard to imagine recommending movies that are over seventy years, but the first 3 movies that you should think about are just that, and are movies that belong in any collection no matter the format. The blu rays offer you the opportunity to see them like you never have before, and are by far the highest quality versions ever seen before. The first is Casablanca, and its ultimate collector's edition should be in everyone's collection. It might not stand up technically to movies made today, but if you have seen it before you will be gobsmacked by just how much better this copy is than anything seen before.
The same can be said for the Seventieth anniversary edition of Gone With The Wind. Warner fully remastered the original print of the movie for this edition, and it is truly a spectacular jump in quality from the DVD version released a few years ago.
The Wizard is the third film that is 70 years old and should be part of any collection. They have spent ages remastering every aspect of it, and the picture and sound are amazing. It can almost stand up quality-wise to almost anything made today.
But is releases like The Lord of The Rings trilogy that blu ray was designed to showcase. A spectacular film in whatever format you watch it in, this fully remastered high definition collection is the best way to see this classic trilogy directed by Peter Jackson again.
James Cameron's Avatar is another incredible feast of visual effects, and in full HD it is simply amazing. If ever there was a movie to show off just how good blu rays look, this is the one, and it is one title that may make you think about buying a player just for it.
There are many other great movies you really must see this way. Those with incredible special effects and visuals shine the most, like the comic book adapted films like Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Iron Man. All of these titles come jam-packed with special features too. If you are a fan of the great animation done by Pixar, then you will want to get those too. The high definition really comes alive with movies like Wall-e, The Toy Story trilogy and the excellent Up. If you are buying these titles, look out for the combination packs that include an extra DVD version of the movie.
