“The technically sophisticated Blu-ray Disc, of which I’ve been a supporter since its inception, is the closest we’ve come to replicating the best theatrical viewing experience I’ve ever seen. It allows us to present in a person’s living room films in their original form with proper colours, aspect ratio, sound quality, and, perhaps most importantly, startling clarity.”

He also spoke out against the idea that the physical format is on the way out:

“…it has never made sense to me that those preoccupied with how movies are delivered have for years written off “physical media” (i.e., movies on discs) as “dead” even though the evidence shows it isn’t happening and won’t for years to come…. Granted, the older DVD technology is phasing out. But it is yielding to the Blu-ray just as videocassettes once gave way to the technically superior DVD.”

So what does Ridley envisage for the future?

“Pundits aside, Blu-ray for the foreseeable future remains the finest technology to preserve the impact and enjoyment of watching movies at home.”

There you have it! You know you’re on the right track when the man who brought you Gladiator and Black Hawk Down is singing your praises.

Following the success of the Milan event, the Blu-ray Disc Association arrived in Prague on the 14th October for the next BD film festival.

Designed to increase awareness of the BD format in the Czech Republic, the festival was hosted by Pavel Borowiec, Chairman of the Czech BD forum and Niels Leibbrandt, Chairman of the EU BDA Promotions Committee. On the first day, press interviews were followed by an exclusive pre-release screening of Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (the first Disney BD to be released in the region).

The following day, over 120 attendees made up of studio representatives, retailers and the press listened to presentations on Blu-ray Disc’s current market position, Czech distribution strategy and BD-Live. BD titles including Terminator Salvation, Mission Impossible 3, X-Men, Gladiator and Angels & Demons were also used to demonstrate Dolby TrueHD, BD-Live and the benefits of HD projection. You can view the festival’s programme here.

Idnes.cz, one of the most popular Czech online publications, attended the festival and wrote up a comprehensive interview with Niels on all aspects of Blu-ray Disc. Further coverage of the festival is expected in other print media before the end of the year.

Director Ridley Scott tells the story of Maximus Decimus (played by Russell Crowe) a Roman general who is betrayed by the corrupt prince Commodus.  Captured and enslaved along the outer fringes of the Roman Empire, Maximus rises through the ranks of the gladatorial arena to avenge the murders of his family and his emperor.

The multiple Academy Award winner will be presented on two BD 50 Dual- layer discs and include a staggering 11 hours of extra content. The first disc includes both the theatrical and extended version of the film, audio commentary, deleted scenes and the Vision of Elysium: Topic Portal, a BD-exclusive U-Control feature that will allow viewers to tag moments of interest throughout the film and create a list of topics to learn about in the supplements on the second disc, including Strength and Honour: Creating the World of Gladiator, the definitive documentary on the origin, product and impact of the film.