Hi Def DVD by 2005?
not likely.

however if MGM were wise ( not a given) the discs due in 2005 would be downconversions from newly minted HD masters which can then be used a few years later for the HD DVDs.

right now, apart from the Brosnan ones ( which i could care less about) most of the discs are NOT up to the current standards of this format.
some, like LTK, are absolutely bottom of the barrel as far as anamorphic transfers go.

and if you look at Goldfinger- the clip used in one of the docs looks absolutely pristine, while the same scene in the actual film has so much grain it looks like a 3rd generation dupe.

glad to hear they will see another, hopefully improved, dvd release.
they are probably going to start to restore/transfer these soon.
2 years seems like a long time, but it really isn't considering the work some of these will need in preperation for (i hope) hd masters

Not this again!

A theatrical DTS track is not the same thing as a home video DTS track. This has been explained to you before, ctyankee. Please stop making this argument.

Criterion released the first three Bond films on laserdisc with commentary tracks. One of the franchise producers objected to something that was said (or perhaps just the general tone), and Criterion was forced to reissue the discs without the commentaries. However, a good number of the original copies made it to market. Those commentaries will never make it to DVD.

Later on, MGM re-released several of the Bond films themselves on laserdisc. Goldfinger and Thunderball had new commentary tracks prepared. These are the same ones that made it to the DVD releases for those films. All of the other commentaries are new and exclusive to DVD.

As far as what was so objectionable about the Criterion commentaries, there has been much speculation but no one is entirely sure. A few un-PC things were said about the Jamaican people and a couple of the Bond Girl actresses, Peter Hunt makes an insulting comment about Harry Salzman, and Sean Connery is made to sound like a womanizing cad. However, most of these things were said in a joking manner and there is really nothing too scandalous in there.

The most convincing argument that I've heard is that the EON people disliked the way that all of the commentators continually refer to Connery as "the best Bond", when they were at the time trying to promote Timothy Dalton in the role and felt that these commentaries might negatively affect the new franchise movies.

They'll be reissued in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011.......

I thought they fixed the dialogue on OHMSS. Am I wrong?

Did Pierce Bronsan say anything interesting on the Die Another Day commentary?

I haven't listened to all of it, but what I heard was hilarious! He's like, "hello, this is Pierce Brosnan. Should I give away all the secrets already? ok. this shot? NOT Taiwan. Hawaii. That's me on the surfboard there"

And he was really laughing when they showed the bad guy going crazy on the punching bag that apparently had a real person inside it.

Bingo! That's exactly what the people at MGM have said that they are doing. I think the news got misconstrued as it's been passed from person to person.

Plus, it's been leaked that MGM is doing 5.1 re-mixes for all Bond flicks not currently in 5.1 and they are doing a digital clean-up, much like what Paramount just did for SUNSET BLVD. and ROMAN HOLIDAY.

I don't understand what the point of rereleasing the bonds with new transfers would be (besides the obvious double dipping). The existing transfers look great. Adding 5.1 sound off a mono soundtrack is a lousy idea 'cause they seldom sound good and besides, just like OAR, I prefer the original soundtrack to begin with. I'm quite happy with the existing 20 DVDs sitting on my shelf. :)

What color of Laser
 

Will the 2005 restoration be red or blue violet laser?

Bronsan does have a funny comment on the audio commentary.

When Bond gets his watch, Q says something like: I think that's your 20th. Bond makes some quip back.

Bronsan says: That's the first time i got that joke. 20th watch. 20th Bond film. yes, I did read the script.

Funny that he missed the joke.