Just saw this listed on Blu-ray.com. No details yet but This has to be good.
I've been waiting for a better release for years.

Great news if it gets a new, properly-framed transfer.

What's wrong with the Excalibur dvd's framing ? I've never noticed anything.

Excalibur has been misframed forever. Every OAR widescreen edition that has been released so far has been misframed. I expect this to be no different.

My favorite film. But, yeah, it gets shafted on its presentations. It'd also be nice to get a new commentary, because Boorman's first one was pretty weak.

How was it misframed ?

I'm not sure. I think the proper ratio is 1.66:1, and the DVD chops off the top and bottom to make it 1.78:1. Then again, some people have claimed the DVD is a cropped pan and scan version, and I remember some people claiming it's supposed to be 2.35:1.

But just watch them put the HD DVD transfer on a BD.

The DVD release shifts the matte down a bit, removing space at the top of the frame, but revealing more at the bottom. The old laserdisc release did the opposite (you could see more at the top, but less at the bottom).

Truthfully, I've watched the film over 100 times and I've never been bothered by the framing. I think it's one of those things that if you're looking for something to worry about, you can find it.

Just saw the blu-ray cover on the Warner site... yuck... it is just a variation on the AWFUL dvd cover art. The original Bob Peake poster art is sorely missed. What a beautiful poster.

Well this is on my radar. I actually remember this when it came out. Nothing quite like it ever before. I had to do some digging to get more deatils thanks to this site which actually has review of the BD.

http://www.dvdtown.com/review/excalibur/blu-ray/8854

Transfer is DL BD50, using MPEG-4 AVC trasfer.
Aspect Ratio 1.85:1.
The audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

I just read the review and I'm kind of depressed now. It sounds like they've completely ruined the transfer just like how they destroyed Predator. Count me out.

Never really liked DVDTown's reviews. It's $13.99 on Amazon right now and since this is a movie I've always liked, I'm getting it. Still, I'm hoping the actual picute is a bit more natural looking than what the review describes.

The DVDTown review says the disc "eliminates much of the grain," whereas HTF's review says "grain in fairly heavy throughout most of the film."

These wide discrepancies are what bother me about reviews. I don't want Excalibur turned into a DNR-fest, of course, but has it been?

I'm not getting much help here, and this is a disc I want, of a movie I enjoy.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/review...ews022111.html

Some people have bones to pick with The Bits (which I know nothing about, really), but for what it's worth, they say there's grain, and that any softness comes from the film stock.

I actually like the dvd art. It was one of the first dvds that I ever got and it's one of my favourite movies. I would prefer the awesome movie poster for the cover. In my opinion, it's one of the coolest movies posters of the 80s. But the dvd art is alright. I don't like the blu-ray art, though.

I did have suspicions that this would be a tricky disc to review, since this has always been a soft-looking movie.

The bothersome thing about the DVDTown review is that the reviewer claims to have compared the HD DVD and BD back to back and that the BD looks less natural.

I'll still be getting the disc. Looks like this is one of those titles where I'll just have to judge for myself.

It's not like Warners to remaster or re-encode a movie they're porting from HD DVD to Blu-ray. Warner is a penny-pinching studio and prefers to reuse available encodes whenever possible. If this had been changed at all (for better or worse), the studio would adverstise it as being a new remaster.

I would take that review with a grain of salt. The differences the reviewer claims to see are very possibly equipment-related. Perhaps someone who has followed him can comment on how reliable he usually is?

The new DTS-HD audio track means a buy for me.

Yes, seems like it will be an upgrade just for that. But I hope the video quality is a big improvement also. Anyhow, I'll be getting it on tuesday no matter what.

One of my all-time favorite movies. Will be getting this and The Walking Dead on monday hopefully. Amazon's been shipping things early to me. Bring it on...

dvdbeaver review - "This visually consistent Blu-ray is the best I have seen the film look - and probably will remain the definitive digital home theater presentation we are likely to ever get."

I'm stoked!

I pre-ordered it from amazon on 12/17/10 for $10.99. I'm glad that I did.

TLK

I shall build... a ROUND TABLE... where this fellowship will meet, and watch this "Blu-Ray" film.

I've always loved this film grainy and dark. It's like it's supposed to be that way. Kind of makes the movie more fun to watch.