I've tried doing a search, but unless you search for something very specific like the phrase "the 2-disc version of 'Ray' is very rare", you get a bazillion hits, most of which aren't even related to what you're looking for. That being the case, please excuse this new thread.

I just picked up a used copy of the movie "Ray" on DVD today. I haven't had a lot of time to check out the discs, but Disc 1 is definitely scratched all to hell. I got it because I seem to remember reading in this forum that the 2-disc version was out of print. The shop I bought it from had a Widescreen version and a Full Screen version, both of which were in 2-disc Amaray cases. I also saw a fullscreen version in the "recent arrivals" bin, and it only had a single-disc Amaray case (all cases are empty, by the way), leading me to believe that the studio dropped the second disc along the way.

From a search on Amazon, it looks like there was a Limited Edition 2-disc set, and perhaps that is what's out of print. Of course I don't want to take it back if all the new copies out there only have one disc, so even if this isn't the full-blown "Limited Edition" set, at least it has two discs.

Any advice as to how readily available this is (and the history of "Ray" on DVD, including how many different releases there were and how easy it might be to get each version) would be greatly appreciated.

Here's the deal: Ray was released in two versions. A regular version and the limited edition, however there were several varieties of the regular version.

1 Disc, Double Sided WS
1 Disc, Double Sided FS
2 Disc, Single Sided WS
2 Disc, Single Sided FS

The limited edition, I believe was the double sided wide screen and another disc with completely different stuff, basically a three disc set but the first was 2 sided. I personally have the double sided regular release and it is excellent. Not sure how great the limited is, but the regular editions have all the same features. I have seen that they changed the cover a bit for this at Wal-Mart, leading to me to believe that MAYBE they took the two disc REGULAR version and dropped the one disc. FYI, the one I have is blue and Ray at the piano and an identical slipcover.

the limited edition is being re-released on 2/01/07, as well as other oop titles from universal (theres a thread about it somewhere lying around). a few online sellers even have it listed already. go nuts

For what it's worth, the HD DVD edition contains almost all of the supplements from the Limited Edition DVD.

I bought RAY when it originally was released. I think i got it from circuit city for $14.99.
I got the standard cheaper edition and not the "limited edition". However it was a 2-disk set with the extras on disk 2 instead of being on the opposite side of the disk...Don't know why they released the diff. version like this.

Thanks guys, that helps a lot. Looks like I might wanna hang on to the 2-disc version until the LE is re-released, since I'm not crazy about double-sided discs, especially when they're DVD-18s from Universal.

I ordered the Ray Limited Edition 2 disc set from ddd just the other day.
I know they rereleased this, and DDD has it in stock now.

The awards edition cover at WM says it's single disc,single sided, and appears to have left off some of the extras(ext. edition). Does anyone know if this is correct?