Gizmo

I'll stick with my HD DVD briefcase set. This was a pretty good looking disc back when it was released and I doubt Warner went back and did anything else to it. The extras...meh.

Drop

I have the DVD briefcase version and have indefinitely borrowed the 5-disc blu-ray version from my bro, but I may get this new set just so I don't have to keep borrowing my bro's set. If there's anything new, that's a bonus.

Ranger

Seems like a cool new set. Interesting if the ultra violet thing will become a more popular format.

I have the 4-disc dvd set and am happy with it. Got it for $12 last year.

TomOpus

I have the Blu-ray set so I'm good.

Ringmaster

I have the DVD briefcase and the Blu Ray set, so I guess nothing to see here for me.

adrenaline78

I have the DVD briefcase as well. I don't feel the need to spend more $ on something I already own.

georgec

Same here. But I might snag the new set when it goes on sale some time after its release.

EdTheRipper

Looks like you were wrong yet again.

Matthew Chmiel

I'd like to point out the Blu-ray five-disc set uses three single-layer BD discs.

They could encode all of the bonus material in HD and use the same encodes as before and fit everything comfortably onto those three discs.

zyzzle

That's just it, in the material was originally encoded at a marginal bitrate (< 20 Mbits/sec). It looked great in 2006-07 but today it rates only average at best.

Warner, give us a new encode at 35+ Mbits/sec using a 2012-technology AVC encoder, and make the most of the Blu-Ray format!

Then, the fans will see that this is worthy of a double-dip, and will purchase it in droves. As it is, the proposed 30th Anniv. release is a cash-grab repackaging of previously-released material.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

Seriously, this is just awesome.

vdc530, maybe it'd be better if you told us what not to buy. Maybe you'd have better luck picking things that are worth something that way

Artman

Curious what kind of packaging the new release will have. I have the original fat 5-disc case, which is ok, but I wouldn't mind something more compact. Of course, if and when the sequel comes out (at least two yrs away) we'll get another release.

ScissorPuppy

I have the HD-DVD briefcase set, so I'll be rebuying this new set without a doubt. Looking forward to seeing if the extras are in HD this time (Although with the disc count it doesn't look like it). Stuffing that 4 hour doc on one dvd was pretty silly.

Gizmo

The extras are in HD this time around?

ScissorPuppy

Hopefully, I am looking forward to seeing "if" they are in HD. Seems pointless to do all the work in HD and then cram all 4hrs on one dvd.
(Although I remember being surprised that it didn't look like a pixalated mess when watching). I guess it's wishful thinking. Even a 720p version would be fine and would fit on a single Blu disc no problem.

The Valeyard

Supermallet

IIRC, the existing Blu-ray was encoded with VC-1, which is capable of producing excellent image quality at relatively low bitrates. I'm guessing we will not see a new transfer on this set.

Matthew Chmiel

Warner, Universal and others still continue to use the VC-1 codec depending on the release in question. It's not as bad of a codec most make it out to be. On the contrary, it's extremely useful when squeezing a lot of content on a single disc... like a television series.

Even if Warner uses an AVC encode on this release, it's not going to visually improve upon the prior release significantly unless they utilize the entire BD-50 for the films themselves and drop all of the bonus material. Warner pushes lower bitrates with most of their AVC encoded titles despite the fact they continuously use BD-50s. To throw more fuel into the fire, when Warner puts out releases that contain multiple cuts, they're usually separate encodes on the same disc. They don't use seamless branching like on the Blade Runner release, they just slap two 20GB encodes of the film on the disc and call it a day.

Doctorossi

It doesn't need a new transfer, but a new encode/compression would be nice.

zyzzle

Exactly right! That's what I was trying to point out above. Not asking for a brand new transfer, the 2006 HD transfer is very good.

It can't cost Warner *that* much more in time, expense, or effort to give each version of BLADE RUNNER a full-capacity BD-50 and higher bitrate and better codec. Then call it a day, and we'll have maximized the picture quality of that 2006 HD transfer!

JoeyOhhhh

I guess the thread title needs an update

Mr. Salty

No it doesn't, because the five-disc set is out of print. The new release is four discs.

The Valeyard

No way it stays at $100 tho.

Gizmo

....and many other titles are out of print to be released by either superior versions or 'compressed' ones. If everything from the 5 disc set makes it onto the 4 disc- plus more extras - why would anyone want the 5 disc?

yoshimi

I am in for this new set. I was robbed awhile back and the briefcase was one of the things they took. Still my favorite film of all time.