Universal Pictures' Blu-ray Strategy

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A Look At Universal Pictures’ Blu-ray Strategy

Whilst Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in Australia still have not issued details on the first local Blu-ray titles, the U.S. branch can’t keep quiet about their new found love affair with Blu-ray. Last week, they released the full specifications for their maiden two titles; The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Prior to this, Universal Pictures were a staunch advocate of the HD-DVD format with studio heads declaring it as an imminent ‘failure’, and publicly decrying the format.

Of course, now the tables are turned and I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Universal came slinking to the Blu-ray Disc Association, which seemed to have occurred slightly before Toshiba ceded. I should note as well, that Universals VP of strategic marketing Ken Graffeo was also the co-president of the HD-DVD consortium, which disbanded in March. This coincided with the departure of Graffeo from his post, in the same month.

But I digress; let’s take a look at the confirmed specs for both titles. Step-up features from the original HD-DVD release are in bold.

The Mummy

Minted from remastered HD video

Video Codec: Unconfirmed

Audio Codec: DTS HD Master Audio (Previously lossy Dolby Digital)

Three Audio Commentaries,

U-Control Picture in Picture Video,

Picture in Picture ‘Making of’,

Visual and Special Effects Formation featurette,

An Army to Rule the World featurette,

Building a Better Mummy featurette,

"Unraveling the Legacy of the Mummy featurette,

Deleted scenes,

Storyboard comparison,

Mummy 3 sneak peek

The Mummy Returns

Minted from remastered HD video

Video Codec: Unconfirmed

Audio Codec: DTS HD Master Audio (Previously lossy Dolby Digital)

Audio commentary,

U-Control Picture in Picture Video,

Picture in Picture ‘Making of’,

Visual and Special Effects Formation featurette,

An Army to Rule the World Part 2 featurette,

Spotlight and On Location of the Mummy featurette,

Unraveling the Legacy of the Mummy featurette,

Deleted scenes,

Interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson,

Mummy 3 sneak peek

So from this, what can we learn about the strategy that Universal intend to take?