After years of waiting the Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray Disc has finally hit the shelves. Peter Jackson’s masterpiece of movie making based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s even more masterful portrayal of a fictional middle earth comes as a box set of nine discs consisting of 3 Blu-rays and 6 DVDs. Unfortunately, these are the theatrical versions of the films, but you may find some consolation in the fact that the set also comes with 3 digital copies for your PC, iPod, phone, or other mobile device. The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy is formatted in 1080p VC-1 at 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.
The hi-def disc transfer is nothing to get overly excited about but on the positive side “It’s finally out.” LOTR has been broadcast in HD on television so we’ve already got a glimpse of what the films look like in hi-def video, but the detail 1080p adds gives viewers (although inconsistent) a completely fresh presentation of the films. For die-hard LOTR fans the question remains how long will it take Jackson to release the extended versions? Rumors are it may take years so for now the theatrical versions will have to do.
Amazon currently has The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy
Disc 1 The Fellowship of the Ring Feature
Trailers: “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer, “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy Supertrailer
Disc 2 Welcome to Middle-Earth: Houghton Mifflin In-Store Special
Quest for the Ring: FOX TV Special
A Passage to Middle-Earth: SCI-FI Channel Special
Finding Hobbiton
Hobbiton Comes Alive
Believing the World of Bree
Ringwraiths: The Fallen Kings
Rivendell: The Elven Refuge
Languages of Middle-Earth
Two Wizards
Music of Middle-Earth
Enya “May it Be” Music Video
Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
Behind the Scenes Preview of “The Two Towers”
Disc 3 The Two Towers Feature
Trailers; “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer, “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy Supertrailer
Disc 4 On the Set “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” – Starz Encore Special
Return to Middle-Earth: WB Special
“The Long and Short of It” A Short Film Directed by Sean Astin
The Making of “The Long and Short of It”
Forces of Darkness
Designing the Sounds of Middle-Earth
Edoras: The Rohan Capital
Creatures of Middle-Earth
Gandalf the White
Arms and Armor
The Battle of Helm’s Deep
Emiliana Torrini “Gollum’s Song” Music Video
Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
Behind the Scenes Preview of “The Return of the King”
Disc 5 The Return of the King Feature
Trailers: “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy Supertrailer, “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer
Disc 6 The Quest Fulfilled: A Director’s Vision
A Filmaker’s journey: Making “The Return of the King”
National Geographic Special – “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
Aragorn’s Destiny, Minas Tirith: Captial of Gondor
The Battle of Pelennor Fields, Samwise the Brave
Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan, Digital Horse Doubles
Heart/Frodo, Every Path, Test, Aragorn, Time, Every Step, Sword, Decided
Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
Discs 7-9: Digital Copies of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King
