MGM and Fox Home Entertainment today released the official announcement for the Fans’ Choice release, which includes extended versions of the first (two-part) episode and the last episode of the series, “Rising” and “Enemy At the Gate.” But they also had this to say:
“Stargate Atlantis Fans’ Choice Blu-ray disc is the only high definition release planned for the Stargate Atlantis series.”
When the studio first announced the Blu-ray release, we speculated that it may be a way to “test the waters” of the new format, to determine if it would sell well enough to release full seasons of the Stargate series in high-def (particularly when much of the show’s core audience already own the episodes on standard DVD). If MGM and Fox have already decided not to do full-season releases, that seems not to be the case.
The reasoning behind this decision is not known. While remastering older material can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor (such as with Paramount’s high-def releases of the 1960s Star Trek series), Atlantis was filmed using high-definition digital cameras from the first episode.
One factor may be the DVD market itself, where sales have has dwindled following the big “TV on DVD” boom of several years ago, as well as the faltering economy. The relative weakness of the current DVD market has been cited as a chief reason why MGM has not yet put the next SG-1 and Atlantis movies into active production, despite the strong sales of The Ark of Truth and Continuum in 2008.
Blu-ray players are in an estimated 10.5 million U.S. homes as of February 2009, according to Home Media Magazine. Industry analysts say Blu-ray’s market share will reach 60 percent (versus DVD) by 2014, and nearly 74 percent by 2017 (story).
Blu-ray titles made up 12 percent of sales in June (88 percent for DVD), according to Blu-rayStats.com.
The year 2017, of course, gives the studio a lot of time to change its mind, depending on the overall success of TV on Blu-ray.
In the meantime, don’t miss the August 4 release of Stargate Atlantis: Fans’ Choice! The episodes and cover art were voted on by fans, and the cover designed by a fan (and GateWorld Forum member!), as well. The disc will sell for a suggested price of $29.99 U.S. ($32.99 Canada). No bonus features are listed. Pre-order it now at Amazon.com and support GateWorld.
NEXT: The full press release
Page: 1 2
Five Stargate ship models are available now, with the next three announced and more to…
BlueBrixx's new LEGO-compatible Stargate construction sets are here. So how are they?
"T.J." actress Alaina Huffman reveals the other role she auditioned for, and why she fought…
Actor David Nykl looks back on Stargate Atlantis, being part of the fan community, and…
EXCLUSIVE: A classic Atlantis ship is now in the works from Master Replicas – one…
Fans in and around Vancouver, B.C. can attend a live recording of YVR Screen Scene…
View Comments
Well if this is a test its a bad one. I would by seasons but I wont buy a best of and/or volume. If I can't have it all I don't want it. I would rather have SG-1 on blu-ray. I wanna watch the entire show again but I'm afraid as soon as I dust off my DVDs they will release a blu-ray.
Ditto. Holding out for the entire SG-1 series on blu-ray.
Hey, I ended up with 3 copies of BSG: Razor. Bought one from America (didn't work), bought one in Australia (worked) then they released it in the Season 4 again. If I had the chance, yeah, I'd buy the blu-ray series of SGA if released later.
oh darn...
Does this mean they are only producing this one disc, with 2 episodes? or will they continue and put all the Fan's Choice episodes on discs as part of the collection? I'm confused...
It's a bad decision I think. I think all seasons are available from not so legal sources on the internet. Why drive people from paying for your product into finding the only alternative? I'm think they are just saying this so people buy the bluray disc. If they tell people now that boxsets are coming, no one will buy the bluray disc thats coming out in a few weeks. Kind of like how game console companies deny price cuts until they say they make them. I've never bought atlantis because I knew it was all filmed in HD, whats the point of buying the dvd? I'll gladly pay for bluray, but I'm not going to pay for dvd. I don't like double dipping, and eventually they'll have to put it on blu.
They need to put a bunch of extra stuff on the discs and series sets. I would love to have all the screensavers from the show like the apollo and daedalus screensaver on each ship. and maps and etc of them and atlantis. And extended versions. and be able to copy the plans and screensavers onto personal computers to use it all on there. I don't care how much it would cost, if it had all of that,...IT WOULD BE MINE lol It's not just the episodes etc that we the fans buy stuff for,...it's all the extras that us true diehard fans want!! Thats what makes a set and individual discs so popular and powerful selling items!!
even if lets say,... i was able to, and got them off the net, well, even if i did have lets say the whole season 5 that way, Now, when the season set comes out, i'm still gonna buy it. I collect all the stargate stuff that i can but, all the extras that you get on the sets is half the reason to buy a season set. Even if when it comes out i can't afford it, It would be mine by my next paycheck etc lol.
Would buy it if they released it on HD-DVD. But never blu-ray, the format is just garbage!
I think you may be reading too much into this. While it's disappointing that they aren't coming soon, it's not like they've said they'll never release it; just that it's not something they're already planning and scheduling.