Since this is shapping up to be a huge title, here is the first review:

Blu-Ray Edition from Home Theater Spot

Video: 5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 4.5/5

http://www.hometheaterspot.com/htsth...?sequence=1617

That sounded very positive. I loved the third film. Thought it was a big leap over part 2. Too bad folks chose to skip it because of Mr. Cruise's off-screen stuff.

I'll still choose the HD DVD version because of the IME feature, but I will check out the BD edition just to see if there's any differences. I'll actually watch the features since most are in HD.

When Paramount actually puts effort into it, they can deliver some pretty damn good quality on DVD or "video disc". I just wish they did it a little more often.

Bill Hunt from the Bits actually has a nice write up about his visit to Paramount. He said both formats have successfully gotten seamless branching to work, which is nice.

"Meanwhile, while visiting Paramount's DVD production facilities yesterday to preview Monday's HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of M:i:III (watch for reviews Monday), I was able to confirm that Oliver Stone's World Trade Center will be released day-and-date on both high-def formats (on 12/12, according to their press site). The Blu-ray Disc will be a 50GB release. The studio is also planning to release most new films day-and-date on both high-def formats going forward, and is working to develop plans for their large slate of catalog titles for 2007.

I also learned that the reason the HD-DVD version of M:i:III includes the enhanced commentary, but the Blu-ray Disc version doesn't, is that when production started on the title, the Blu-ray Disc/BD-Java authoring toolset wasn't quite ready to do it. That's about to change, however, so expect future releases to include similar such features on both formats. With regard to the lack of more advanced audio options (beyond standard Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus) on Paramount releases, the studio wants to be able to hear and test these audio formats on actual consumer hardware before including it on their releases. They do, however, expect to add such audio options eventually.

One other interesting note - I was told that both HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc are now capable of seamless branching, though no title has yet taken advantage of it. Basically, all of the same basic functionality that the existing DVD format is capable of is now ready to go on the high-def formats. What's left to be worked out in authoring software and hardware testing are the more advanced interactive features that are new to HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc. You'll start to see a lot more of that on titles from the various studios early next year."

It appears they will be more aggressive next year. But hey, at least they were brave enough to release product this year, unlike a certain studio (NEW LINE).

Can't wait to get my 3-disc set.

I'm slightly skeptical of branching working with the bandwidth limitations of HD DVD, but I guess we'll see soon enough. The MS crew over at AVS are very positive about it, but what haven't they been positive about?

I'm sure branching will work fine. HD DVD isn't anywhere near as limited as Blu-ray supporters try to spin. This is clearly a case where the HD DVD version will be "the" version to get due to the IME. I'm not a big Cruise fan and unfortunately I have too many better films to be bought ahead of this, but I will pick up the HD DVD down the road.

Home Theater Spot (Blu-ray)

I'd be curious to re-see this in HiDef considering the DLP presentation I saw I thought the fleshtones tended to look too yellowish.

Sounds awesome! Really looking forward to this. I just wish they had sold the movies seperately so I could get MI:1, but there's no way in hell I'm paying for the crap that was the second one.

Now that 50gb discs are real, I wonder if sometime next year, Paramount will quietly send out 50gig versions of MI: 3 for BD to replace the 2-disc set...

Yeah, not a huge fan of part 2, but I ordered the HD DVD set from Amazon.

FYI, Target has MI3 in its system for $24.99 for HD DVD. I thiiiiink the same price is for BD. I had typed in several of their DCPI #'s in their scanner, and I got MI3 to show up. $25 might be the lowest in store price since this one is priced retail at $39.99

Well, if Target has it for $25 I'm in.

Anyone use www.bestprices.com? They have the MI set for $56.99 and I think they are also part of the google checkout $10 off deal. I may have to cancel my amazon order.

Our copies for both formats just came in. I won't be receiving them until the end of the week.

We haven't gotten the Impossible Missions box set so far.

To bad they didn't include a DTS option just like the other HD-DVDs from Paramount.

I can't remember where I read it, but I think they are dropping the DTS option on all of their future releases. I don't see a reason why it would be included anyways. If you use a digital connection, then DD+ is converted to full DTS, so there's nothing to gain by choosing the DTS track, right?

Yup. Ordered a few BDs from them a few weeks ago, and they came as fast as anyone else ships.

I guess i'll pick it up from Target (for HD DVD of course), i want 2 also but really don't want to buy the boxset since the 1st one would be doing nothing more than wasting space on my shelf. Hopefully Paramount will do the sensible thing and release the others individually at some point.

Did Paramount ever say whether MI 1 and MI 2 in the boxed sets were also Hi-Def? I'd hate to think they'd release standard versions in the HD DVD and Blu-ray sets, but I've never seen any specs for the boxed set.

BTW, with the exception of a few Bond movies, MI3 might have the most intense pre-credits sequence ever. JJ did a great job helming this film...gives me hope for the next Star Trek movie!

you know, this never crossed my mind until you brought it up. I will be a bit upset if I just spent $50.00+ for only MI:3 in HD especially since I already own the first 2 in SD.

Sweet! I really enjoyed the movie, just got an hd tv, and think i convinced myself to pick up the hd dvd addon for the 360...this might be my 1st title!

According to Highdefdigest, it sounds like the MI3 discs are pretty equal and the HD-DVD only passes it via the IME features.

http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/missi...ssibleiii.html 4.5 stars total
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/miss...ssibleiii.html 4 stars total

The HD DVD version is also handicapped, apparently, due to BD.

In fairness, though, there really aren't enough opinions to be able to say there's a general consensus about M:I:III yet. I don't doubt that the two are for all intents and purposes indistinguishable from one another, but with just a couple of reviews comparing the two and none of us with a copy in our hands, it's too early to draw any definitive conclusions.

I don't get from that comment dfnyc quoted that Blu-ray is being blamed for the lack of a TrueHD track. Still seems kinda strange -- even if there are compatibility issues, TrueHD is optional. It'd only be potentially incompatible to people who hop through the menus and manually select it, right?