Paramount Home Entertainment has announced the Blu-ray release of the war movie Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, on May 4, just four days before V-E Day. This title will be part of Paramount's Sapphire Series; audio/video specifications and special features have not been officially listed yet.
Sprays of dirt, scratched-up metal, coarse-woven clothing and close-ups of people's faces. If the transfer is good, this will be like a walking ad for Blu-ray.
KaiGusto : yeah Forrest Gump was part of the Sapphire Series but was region free because Paramount owned the rights worldwide for this movie.
It will be the same for Saving Private Ryan
Maybe we'll get 7.1, but don't most Paramount titles give us 5.1 DTS-HD MA Audio? Maybe they'll start a New trend with this great movie in 7.1, hopefully...
First Sapphire Series title NOT to win Best Picture... but that only means "coulda, woulda, shoulda" counts at Paramount, since only the Weinsteins' overhyping of Shakespeare In Love kept it from winning. (And, of course, Spielberg won Best Director for it too.)
EDIT: The cover LOOKS a lot like a Sapphire Series cover, BUT it actually says "2-Disc Special Edition". Did you misread the cover, or did Paramount say it's Sapphire in the press release?
This is going to be glorious! Thank goodness for 2010 rolling out more Spielberg titles early and often! And Sapphire Series -- the first such title released under the banner without being a Best Picture winner (though it clearly deserved to win it over the middling Shakespeare in Love).
Sapphire Series... Paramount really has a great line there. If this release is as pristine as: [ Forrest Gump, Braveheart, The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II ] Paramount will have the highest quality two-discs sets. I'm still hoping that maybe we will get to see a low-profile rerelease of Gladiator in a few months. A lot like what Disney did to its Gangs of New York title. They need to keep releasing titles from the Paramount library in the Sapphire Series edition's. I'm really excited to see this release, Saving Private Ryan has been from the beginning one of my most wanted movie since I started buying Blu-ray.
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been waiting for this announcement for so long. day one purchase isn't even enough for this. I will be pre-ordering it, something i never do. Just to make sure i get a copy on day one.
One of those (few) films that I'll put on to just check out a little bit of the first part and before I know it I've watched the whole thing again. Day 1 for me.
Exciting. Guaranteed a first day buy for most of us - I remember seeing it in the 7th grade. Oddly enough, they let me buy tickets for it, and it was rated R. ::
i hate that fucking sapphire series blue dash thing it ruins the cover. why the hell does it have to say "sapphire" series, cant it be niormal like the other paramount titles?????
Thank you very much, Paramount!! Looking forward to the high-def extras on the Sapphire Series Blu-ray! Time to start selling my 2 DVD versions of the movie!
Hell to the yes..Day One buy! Let's hope for a transfer that's as good or better than Braveheart. A transfer as good as Man on Fire would kick butt. If the Transfer is like Gladiator than this will be a huge let down.
Oh my god i thought when i saw this up for pre order.. Been waiting ages for this blu-ray release and my dreams have come true for this blu... Bring it on.................
ive already warned the neighbours please all go somewhere for the day as this ones gonna be cranked right up... All we need now is jaws on blu and il be a very happy man indeed
Oh this is perfect... I hope that Steven has paid a little visit to Paramount to make sure that this masterpiece goes out on blu-ray perfect in every way... FIRST DAY PURCHASE Paramount! IJ TRILOGY UP NEXT I HOPE
I have only seen this movie once in the theater, and didn't think much of it, but maybe it's time so revisit it again.
I am really happy for you guys though!
Congratulations! 2010 is going to be awesome for BD
Reading all these comments made my day as well!
I remember watching this in the movie theater and thinking "wow this is going to sound good on DVD". Now I am sitting here thinking "this will sound amazing on Blu".
Most popular average war film with fantastic effects and great story. It's quite OK; but related production, Thin Red Line works better. Have you seen Paths of Glory?
I have faith that this will be demo material. There's no way that they are going to pull a Gladiator on this one. I am excited to say the least. I don't think they'll remaster this in 7.1 because I don't think it was mastered in 7.1 originally.
First day purchase for me. Awesome movie and I'm pleasantly surprised it's coming as early as it is. I was thinking I would have to wait another 3 years until Blu-ray had a bigger market.
OMG i tell people weekly that my bluray collection will not be complete until my favorite movie of all time and when i say my favorite movie i'm not joking, i watched this movie in high school almost nightly for 2 years, no joke, its just so damn amazing. this will be a day 1 buy, and if i can find it on ebay or somewhere earlier, i will be it then lol my god man i can't believe this is finally coming out!!!
One of my favorite Spielberg movies ever!! can't wait for an italian announcement or for a foreign edition with also italian dubbing!! Great! Great! GREAT!!! What a year for Spielberg on blu!
ClaytonMG is exactly right about the 5.1 channel original mix. DTS-ES has never (to my knowledge) been a theatrical format. And Dolby Digital EX did not debut until "The Phantom Menace" in late May 1999. "Saving Private Ryan" was released 10 months prior to that in late July 1998.
Unnecessary remixes are just that -- unnecessary. Instead, some rules of thumb for proper BD transfers should be to include the original sound mix, present the intended aspect ratio, use little (if any) DNR, etc.
(Sometimes, I wonder if those urging for 7.1 channel remixes are the same people clamoring for all films to be shot 1.78/1.85.)
I'm going to wait for a blu-ray.com review of the disc before picking it up. Gladiator showed, even with some fancy moniker like "Sapphire Series", the studios can still screw up a blu-ray release with a lousy transfer and leave the consumer frustrated. It should be okay considering it's a Spielberg film, but I'm not taking any chances.
ClaytonMG, you are correct, Dolby Digital EX is not a 6.1 discrete format. Rather, it matrixes the CS channel -- in phase, 3 dB attenuated -- into both LS & RS channels. (Back in 1999, I was involved in some of the online/print technical analysis of the THX Surround EX & Dolby Digital EX system.) Since Dolby Digital EX retains the cardinal 5.1 discrete channel structure, theatrical Dolby Digital EX & DTS tracks, respectively, can both carry the very same mix.
However, I stand by my assertion that I do not believe that DTS-ES has ever been officially marketed as a theatrical format. Both Dolby & THX have manufactured theatrical EX decoders. I am not certain that DTS ever has. Now, that is not particularly damning, as DTS tracks are played through Dolby cinema processors thousands of times every day, yet those are still fundamentally DTS presentations. So, the ultimate litmus test is marketing. And I cannot ever recall DTS-ES collateral attached to a theatrical release. If my memory fails me or I am in error, though, I will stand corrected.
ok now this is the movie for 7.1 surround this is what blu was made for it would be paramounts first 7.1 feature but i think mr. speilberg could pull some strings
x 1,000,000. 
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