First look & initial thoughts on “The Ultimate Matrix Collection” Blu-ray Disc by Justin Sluss
October 6, 2008 – 11:42 AM - Posted by: Justin SlussTags: Bonus View, Carrie-Anne Moss, Digital Copy, In-Movie-Experience, Joe Pantoliano, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, The Wachowski Brothers, Warner
We just received our screener copy of “The Ultimate Matrix Collection” on Blu-ray Disc from Warner and I have some initial thoughts I’d like to share with you as well as images of the actual contents. First off the images of the contents.
click on the thumbnails above for larger views
Now my early thoughts on this release. Both the video and audio quality are just as good as they were on the previously (exclusive) HD-DVD release. Now the bonus materials are where things really start to get impressive. You first have a Digital Copy for “The Matrix” which IS iTunes & Windows Media Player compatible.
There’s “The Animatrix” in full 1080p High Definition (for the first time) on it’s very own Blu-ray Disc with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio treatment. UPDATE: Speaking of “The Animatrix“, I just posted my own stand-alone review for it upon request from one of users. This is the only MAJOR new addition to this version over the previously released HD-DVD and it’s totally impressive! This alone was well worth the wait to finally see in Hi-Def on Blu-ray. The “In-Movie-Experience” (Picture-in-Picture) feature is on every film which I’m pretty sure is taking advantage of “Bonus View” — that requires a “Profile 1.1” capable Blu-ray Disc Player. There is also a 2-Disc DVD set included of “The Matrix Experience“. All together the bonus here contains a whopping total of around 35 HOURS material. You can’t go wrong here if you’re a fan of the films.
EDITORIAL UPDATE: After something embarrassing that happened shortly after this post yesterday I have had to do some major updating on the review that one of my co-writers published and honestly flat out wrote entirely without my permission. I had to go through and correct all of his mistakes as best I could in that review but please keep in mind I’m a very busy guy working on various other things at the moment. So I won’t be totally updating his review (and/or writing a new one entirely) until later this week. Until then here are my ratings overall for this release as you would find at the top of one of our (regularly scheduled and agreed upon) reviews.
1080p in VC-1 on FOUR 50gb discs
Dolby TrueHD 5.1
include Digital Copy, “Animatrix” in HD & 35hrs content & “IME“
12 Responses to “First look & initial thoughts on “The Ultimate Matrix Collection” Blu-ray Disc by Justin Sluss”
Hi, can you confirm is the set have spanish subtitles? (films and extras?)
very thanks,
Juan
By juanma10 on Oct 6, 2008
Espanol subtitles are included as well as Portuguese, Nederlands, Italian and French. Audio tracks in Dolby Digital are included in those languages as well I believe on all three films (not sure about “Animatrix”)
By Justin Sluss on Oct 6, 2008
Thanks! Also de Extras subtitles?
By juanma10 on Oct 6, 2008
I haven’t had a chance to pop those extras discs in but once so far to see the menus. I’m currently watching the first film so I can’t pop it in without making a BOOKMARK and ejecting, resetting, yada yada yada. But yes BOOKMARKS are included. One of my favorite features OUT THERE. I’d say chances are they include Espanol subtitles
By Justin Sluss on Oct 6, 2008
Thanks Justin! im seeing the back cover of the animatrix and it seems that it has spanish sub in the extras! can you post the back covers of the entire set??
What a wonderful site is this!
By juanma10 on Oct 6, 2008
“(with extreme updates by Justin Sluss)” best part of the review. Comments for that are closed so I posted it here.
I held off on getting the HD-DVD ultimate edition of the set because of the Animatrix. I got the 3 for cheap. So glad I waited on buying the big set. I love these.
Wicked cool that Warner provided lossless audio for the Animatrix, those have great sound effects and music just like the 3 movies.
Will you guys be doing a separate review of the Animatrix(even though it’s not sold separately) with all the different animation styles? Because they very pretty wildly.
Why couldn’t Warner make green cases for these? It would have been so cool.
By charle on Oct 7, 2008
I would totally agree about the green cases!!! OMG! The fact that they chose to put the 4 Blu-rays in Blue cases and the “Matrix Experience” DVD’s in a Black case is sort of tacky to a degree. 5 cases in green inside the (AWESOME DESIGNED) case itself would have looked BADASS!
By Justin Sluss on Oct 7, 2008
Here’s a side by side comparison of “The Complete Matrix Collection” on HD-DVD and “The Ultimate Matrix Collection” on Blu-ray Disc. And yes, I know that Ultimate came out on HD-DVD as well, I had to buy that HD-DVD version out of my own pocket — as I didn’t have PR with Warner back then.
By Justin Sluss on Oct 7, 2008
“Ultimate” on the HD-DVD version was kind of a misnomer any way.
If only there was a way they could have put the content from the 2 dvds on a single disc. Maybe some one will one day create a disc big enough? Come on Warner, we could have at least had 5 matching cases.
Justin those don’t look like standard cases. Are they as ultra thin as they look? And do the feel cheap at all?
By charle on Oct 7, 2008
charle: yes they are thin cases and nope, they’re not cheap. they’re actually “Elite” cases just like what the normal sized Blu-ray’s and even old HD-DVD’s. Same brand
By Justin Sluss on Oct 7, 2008
Very nice the thin blu cases! Please Justin! can you take a picture at least of the main case?
thanks!
By juanma10 on Oct 8, 2008
Um there’s like 2 or 3 up there of the main case itself… scroll up ^
LOL
By Justin Sluss on Oct 9, 2008