Different releases of The Abyss
 

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between this 2 disc version of The Abyss:

Black Cover

and the one that I see in the stores now that looks like this:

white cover

Is it just different cover art, or is there something else?

Same discs just different cover art.

Still waiting for a new anamorphic transfer but at least this is one of the best non-anamorphic discs out there.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the re-release of the two-disc set in the white case accidentally omitted the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack because it has a French language track. This was done when the disc was released in the single-disc version, then somehow the mistake was carried over to the two-disc re-release in the white cover. The back of the DVD says there is a DD 5.1 track, but it is not a menu option.

Actually the pic the seller is using in that first link looks like it is taken from a VHS tape not the DVD. None the less the actual artwork is the same for both the VHS and DVD anyway so it doesn't really matter, the size just looks wrong. To answer your question mxv, the two DVD releases you are referring to are the same. Fox originally released the 2-Disc Abyss set in a silver Alpha double case using the "black" artwork featured in that first link. Then they followed with the bare-bones single-disc release. After that they pulled the 2-Disc set out of print before finally re-issuing it again in a cardboard digipak case using the "white" artwork. Both 2-Disc sets are identical, the only difference is the packaging (double keepcase vs. cardboard digipak). Fox should have taken advantage of the re-release to finally remaster the film in anamorphic. Oh well, I guess a 4th release will have to happen now...

This DVD title has been one of the most confusing and questionable releases ever.

The Abyss is one of the modern day classics. The first to really use modern CGI, and we have yet to get a good anamorphic transfer with 5.1 sound. "Whas up wit dat?"

Why hasn't FOX taken the time to do this title right? This would have been a good year to do a 15th Anniversary release.

That only happened to the Canadian release. All of the US releases have DD 5.1.

Are you sure about that? The discs are supposed to have English DD 5.1, but a lot of people in the U.S. have reported that that is not the case.

People at DVD Talk and HTF reported the lack of an English DD 5.1 track after Fox dropped the original two-disc release. Somehow the Canadian disc is what got used in this country for the single disc and subsequent two-disc re-releases, omitting the English 5.1 track in favor of French.

So again, while the packaging claims an English 5.1 track, it is not actually on the disc. Do a quick scan of customer comments at Amazon.com and you will find many complaints that the English 5.1 track is no longer on the disc, despite what the packaging says.

Fox has never publically commented on this error, and I don't know if they ever corrected it.

I agree completely. I think this DVD is the #1 most needed anamorphic remaster on the market. It's an awesome film and a killer DVD otherwise. If they just gave it an anmorphic upgrade, fixed the DD 5.1 glitch (if in fact it exists), and maybe added a DTS track, it would be perfect. It is inexplicable that with all these releases Fox couldn't get it right.