Consider the big picture laid out in the WSJ piece: Blu-ray, as a format, despite costing more per individual movie, only pulls around 14 percent of the revenue that DVD does. If you compare the formats at the same year in their life cycle, Blu-ray, in its fourth year, only has revenues that are about a quarter of what DVD made in its fourth year. Hrm, I guess those Flipper discs make a lot more sense now. [WSJ]

The first movies that'll be Flippers will be new releases of the Bourne trilogy next month. Truthfully, this idea isn't quite as ridiculous as I want to say it is—like the wet dream of an Akihabara store video clerk—as long as the discs don't cost any more than standard Blu-ray discs. I wouldn't exactly call it "future-proofing" your video collection, as Universal does.

This is kind of like the real HD DVD, huh?

Universal Studios Home Entertainment GIVES CONSUMERS ULTIMATE CONTROL AND FLEXIBILITY WITH Revolutionary New Blu-ray™ hi-def and DVD "Flipper" Discs BEGINNING With the ReleaseS OF

The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum

Industry-Changing Dual-Format Technology Features Both 
Blu-ray™ and DVD Versions on One Disc

Universal City, California, December 1, 2009 – In a move that is poised to elevate the Blu-ray™ Hi-Def format and provide consumers with the ultimate in convenience and viewing flexibility, Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE) announced the introduction of groundbreaking dual-format discs containing both Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD versions of some of Hollywood's most iconic films. An industry first, the new "flipper" discs will launch on January 19, 2010 with the blockbuster superspy thrillers The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon, premiering as individually packaged Blu-ray™ discs.

For the first time ever, consumers will have the ability to choose between Blu-ray™ and DVD formats, simply by flipping a single disc. With complete utility in one convenient package, the revolutionary medium can be used on any DVD or Blu-ray™ compatible player, game platform or computer, making it ideal for anyone planning to upgrade to Blu-ray™ at a future date as well as current owners of both Blu-ray™ and DVD systems. Each side of Universal's flipper discs includes the entire movie as well as all available bonus features, with the Blu-ray™ side featuring exciting BD exclusives such as U-Control and BD-Live™.

"Universal's flipper discs are the perfect way for consumers to future-proof their collections while still enjoying their favorite movies on all their existing DVD players," said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. "The flipper disc offers an easy way for viewers to convert to Blu-ray now or at any time in the future, confident in the fact they will be able to experience their home entertainment purchases in the highest quality picture and sound when they do."

The release will mark the first time the Bourne trilogy, one of the highest grossing action movie franchises in history, is available individually in Blu-ray's™ renowned perfect picture and purest digital sound. Each film is accompanied by an array of exciting bonus features that plunge viewers deeper in to the shadowy world of international espionage, including top-secret files, challenging strategy games, fascinating filmmakers and actor profiles, commentary, deleted scenes and Universal's renowned BD-Live™ functionality.

Riddled with deception, intrigue and high-octane thrills, each chapter of the globe-hopping search for Jason Bourne's true identity raises the stakes another lethal notch as the undercover killer settles old scores and uncovers new secrets. A commanding roster of acclaimed actors accompanies Damon on his quest, including Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Franka Potente, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Albert Finney.

CONTENT OVERVIEW & SYNOPSES:

THE BOURNE IDENTITY

FILM SYNOPSIS:
After being pulled from the sea with two bullets in his back, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) awakens on a fishing boat with no memory of his involvement in a top-secret, black ops arm of the CIA called Treadstone. The only clue to his identity is the number of a Swiss bank account in which he discovers an array of passports and weapons, as well as a fortune in cash. As he struggles to regain his memory, his former employers dub him a rogue agent and target him for termination. When an equally deadly assassin codenamed "Professor" (Clive Owen) is sent to dispose of him, Bourne rediscovers his extraordinary survival skills, including hand-to-hand combat, martial arts and multiple languages and begins to understand who he really is. As he struggles to unlock the secret of his own identity, Bourne has to deal with his past in order to ensure his own future.

BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
Exclusive U-Control: Universal's exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie. While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3-D animations.
Picture in Picture
Bourne Orientation
Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game
Treadstone Files: Includes interactive Character Dossiers, Agent Status info and GPS features.
BD-Live™: Blu-ray™ and Playstation3 players with an Internet connection can access exclusive interactive applications that allow viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film:
My Scenes Sharing: Share your favorite clips with friends through BD-Live™ Internet discussions.
Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game.
Additional extras:
My Scenes
The Ludlum Identity: An extraordinary portrait of the best-selling author through archival interviews with friends, colleagues, family members and Ludlum himself.
The Ludlum Supremacy: Who is Jason Bourne? A revealing look at how Bourne was born.
The Ludlum Ultimatum: A fascinating examination of the Bourne character and his enduring audience appeal.
The Birth of the Bourne Identity
Deleted and Extended Scenes (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Alternate Opening and Ending: With an introduction by producer Frank Marshall, screenwriter Tony Gilroy and actor Brian Cox. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum: A fascinating new look at the late Robert Ludlum, the bestselling novelist who created the "Bourne" trilogy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Access Granted: An exclusive interview with screenwriter Tony Gilroy on the challenges of adapting Ludlum's 500-page book for the screen. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
From Identity to Supremacy – Jason & Marie: This feature includes exclusive interviews with Matt Damon and Franka Potente which explore the making of The Bourne Identity - and build a bridge to the spectacular sequel, The Bourne Supremacy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
The Bourne Diagnosis: Insights into the causes and effects of Jason Bourne's struggle with amnesia from a UCLA psychologist. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Cloak and Dagger: In this feature, CIA liaison officer Chase Brandon delivers a detailed, real-world analysis of the making of a super-spy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Inside a Fight Sequence: Join Matt Damon on the set as he and the film's Stunt Choreographer map out the explosive action-packed U.S. Embassy fight sequence. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Moby "Extreme Ways" Music Video (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Feature Commentary with Director Doug Liman (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY

FILM SYNOPSIS:
When his lover is murdered and he is framed for the assassination of a fellow agent, Jason Bourne finds himself on the run again. But as he closes in on his girlfriend's killers, he realizes his former handlers are back on his trail. After his fingerprints are found at the scene of a murder in Berlin, an ambitious CIA operative (Joan Allen) becomes determined to stop him once and for all. Haunted by debilitating fragmented memories as he navigates the labyrinth of international espionage, Bourne (Matt Damon) must outwit, outmaneuver and outmuscle some of the most powerful forces in the world just to survive.

BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
Exclusive U-Control: Universal's exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie. While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3-D animations.
Picture in Picture
Bourne Orientation
Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game
Bourne Dossier
BD-Live™: Blu-ray™ and Playstation3 players with an Internet connection can access exclusive interactive applications that allow viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film:
My Scenes Sharing: Share your favorite clips with friends through BD-Live™ Internet discussions.
Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game.
Additional extras:
My Scenes
Scoring with John Powell: A special look at creating the pulse-pounding score for the movie. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum: A fascinating new look at the late Robert Ludlum, the bestselling novelist who created the "Bourne" trilogy.
The Bourne Diagnosis Part Two: Insights into the causes and effects of Jason Bourne's struggle with amnesia from a UCLA psychologist.
Feature Commentary with Paul Greengrass (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Explosive Deleted Scenes (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Matching Identities: Casting – See what it took to land a key role in this major action hit. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Keeping It Real – A look at the edgy and kinetic visual style the filmmakers brought to Supremacy. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Blowing Things Up – Virtual isn't always better. See how some of the film's most awesome pyrotechnical sequences were created-without digital effects. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
On the Move with Jason Bourne – Travel the globe to visit the film's exotic locations from India to Berlin to Moscow. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Bourne to Be Wild: Fight Training – Matt Damon didn't become a lethal weapon overnight. Witness the action as the star and the movie's fight trainer perfect the film's thrilling hand-to-hand combat scenes! (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Crash Cam: Racing Through the Streets of Moscow – Experience how stunt coordinators meticulously planned and executed the movie's stunning, high-speed chase sequence. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
The Go-Mobile Revs Up the Action – Feel the rush of being in the driver's seat with this revolutionary new vehicle used to capture Matt Damon's high-speed exploits in the film's jaw-dropping car chase sequences! (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Anatomy of a Scene: The Explosive Bridge Chase Scene – Step onto the set and experience the tension and intense preparation as the filmmaking team plans and shoots one of the movie's most demanding, dangerous and thrilling action scenes. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

FILM SYNOPSIS:
All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne (Damon) is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was. Now, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to uncover the truth behind his mysterious past-all the while trying to outwit a new generation of highly-trained assassins as well as the relentless CIA operatives who will stop at nothing to prevent him from learning his true identity.

BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
Exclusive U-Control: Universal's exclusive signature feature U-Control allows viewers to delve into the making of the film with the click of the remote without ever leaving the movie. While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3-D animations.
Picture in Picture
Bourne Orientation
Be Bourne Spy Training – Viewers test their skills to see if they've got what it takes to be a covert operative.
Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game
Blackbriar Files: While you watch the movie, immerse yourself in the character dossiers and location analyses, and explore the technology behind the spy gadgets through visuals and 3D animations.
BD-Live™: Blu-ray™ and Playstation3 players with an Internet connection can access exclusive interactive applications that allow viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film:
My Scenes Sharing: Share your favorite clips with friends through BD-Live™ Internet discussions.
Bourne Card Battle Strategy Game.
Additional extras:
My Scenes
Man on the Move: Jason Bourne – From Berlin to Tangier, see how the film's exotic locations influenced the filmmaking process. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Rooftop Pursuit – Discover how state-of-the-art technology was used to film the incredible Tangier rooftop chase scene! (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Planning the Punches – Matt Damon reveals his complex and rigorous fight training. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Driving School – Join Matt Damon behind the wheel as he trains for the New York car chase scene. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
New York Chase – An insider's view on how the film's heart-stopping chase sequences were filmed. (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Feature Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)
Deleted Scenes (Available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD)

They are two new Kesington Universal Notebook Docking Stations, both powered by the DisplayLink DL-195USB graphics processor. That means that your notebook graphic card would not be used. The DL-195USB will process all the graphics and send it to your monitor, so your build-in fancy GPU will sit idling and whistling.

The $149.99 K33926US can connect to DVI or VGA monitors at that resolution, providing with Ethernet connectivity at the same time. The $129.99 K33930US will do the same, sans the Ethernet. [Kensington ]

Fast and the Furious on July 28 will be the first Blu-ray movie to go all iPhoney, where you'll be able to use it to spin cars around in a virtual garage with an app you grab in the App Store. Yes, this is their brilliant plan for engrossing you even more deeply in the movie. Movies coming out later this year will let you download actual stuff onto your iPhone—because you've always wanted a portable version of the making of The Mummy—and tell all your friends you're watching Mallrats on Facebook and Twitter.

You'll need a BD-Live player to get in on all this awesome internet shit, since it works over the internet because it harnesses the power of the WEB, oh yeah. [Home Media Magazine via AppleInsider]

Vivendi CEO said this, about the old model of giving away music videos to MTV and YouTube just as promotional material. "We used to do lots of great artistic videos that we gave away to MTV and other people for free. We didn't get paid. Now it's becoming a profit center."

By this they mean that they're going to split advertising revenue between YouTube and Universal, and not that they're going to charge you 5 cents per video.

Our question is though, when YouTube already has the same videos, why would you ever move over to Vevo? What's the benefit? YouTube just got to the point where you can fetch just about any video whenever you want, but copyright claims like this one seem to have forced people to go elsewhere. I guess that's the point? Kill off YouTube as a music video destination so that music video producers, the studios, can get a cut? [Bloomberg]

Listening Test: It's music tech week at Gizmodo.

That's right. They won't let you choose which stuff you can upgrade. This has been reported already, at least by this guy—and I suppose it's not new news given the fact that they've done upgrades since EMI went DRM-free a while back—but the scope is much greater now that all the labels are on board. After returning from a week of Macworld and CES to the comforts of home, the impact of this has hit me, like the baseball bat I took on the cheekbone back in 1993.

You're snickering. Not about the baseball bat (I hope), but about the whole spending-money-on-iTunes thing. Yep, I am a recovered iTunes DRM-music-buying addict. I still pay for music, but now Amazon is the legitimate source of all my thankfully DRM-free impulse buys.

Last Tuesday's announcement that iTunes would go DRM-free was good news in several ways: Not only might iTunes win me back as a customer, but I also would be able to upgrade the best stuff I bought over the years, so I could have it in high quality, playable not just on my Apple (TM) products, but also on Sonos or BlackBerry or any other fun music-savvy device that comes in and out of my house.

So I clicked "Upgrade To iTunes Plus" and I got a gun to my face saying "$250 or else."

Seriously, they want $250—actually, they want $250.06 but what's a few pennies between lifelong friends?—to upgrade the 1,000+ songs I've bought over the years. That would mean that all those albums I paid $9.99 for would actually cost me $13 in the end. That's the same amount the damn CD would have cost me in the first place, if I still bought those museum pieces. And the CD would have given me the option to rip at higher quality than 256Kbps, and would come with liner notes telling me who played that sick drum solo on Track 12, to boot.

The clincher was this: When I went to click on just the albums I really wanted to update, the "upgrade" price was... full price. WHA?? I clicked on the FAQ, and this is what I saw:

I remembered a similar bulk upgrade offer before, when it was just EMI's content, but as you can imagine, the price they wanted for that was less scary. I must've paid it (probably under the influence of alcohol). I haven't caved this time—not yet at least. I'd be faced with having to explain a $250 iTunes charge to the wife without getting any new music, movies or music videos to show for it. She's a cool person and all, but I wouldn't escape that conversation without some kind of half-accusatory, half-pitying "Oh babe."

Do you see what you're doing to me and to my family, iTunes? I guess you do: You are only the monster the music industry has made you for screwing with their decades-long con. Amazon definitely got the better deal, most likely for appearing harmless—no doubt their inevitable contract renegotiation will be a bitch and a half.

And to those of you out there who steal music instead of buying it, well, frankly, I can totally see why. [iTunes What's New]

AppleInsider cites a Dec. 3 story from the French publication Electron Libre that says iTunes will remove DRM from Sony BMG, Universal and Warner tracks on December 9th, like it already does with EMI and indie content. The story doesn't say what percentage of tracks from the major labels, or what the cost bump for the new tracks might be, if any, though it seems to say the thing might cover every single album and track on iTunes. In fact, check out this rather ungraceful machine translation of the French story for yourself:

...The signals are clear today. iTunes should offer catalogs of three majors Universal Music, SonyBMG Music and Waner [sic] rid of technological protection measures next Tuesday, Dec. 9. The transition to DRM Free should be at a global level...

With that opener, it almost reads like a fortune. I for one hope this fortune comes true. [Electron Libre via AppleInsider]

The problem with this set of advantages, though, is that they're shared with virtually every other physical format. You know, the ones that that have been careening towards extinction since high-capacity MP3 players made it big? That said, if it comes down to buying an album on a CD or a reusable SD card, the choice is clear. In either case the music is likely to be copied to a computer or iPod rather than lugged around on its own individual piece of plastic, but why not get a perfectly usable 1GB SD card out of it? If you're keeping your Discman spinning on account of scary sync software and the high price of overladen MP3 players, maybe SanDisk's minimalist $20 unit is right for you. Check below for the (respectable) artist release list. [SanDisk]

* ABBA
* Chris Brown
* Coldplay
* Connie Talbot
* Daughtry
* Don’t Quit Fitness Bundle
* Elvis Presley
* Five Finger Death Punch
* Jimi Hendrix
* Jimmy Buffet
* Katy Perry
* Keane
* Kelly Clarkson
* Kiss
* Leona Lewis
* Lynyrd Skynyrd
* Metro Station
* MIA
* Nelly
* New Kids On the Block
* Ne-Yo
* Nickelback
* Pussycat Dolls
* Rihanna
* Rise Against
* Robin Thicke
* Saving Abel
* Shwayze
* Solange
* Sugarland
* Tim McGraw
* Toby Keith
* Usher
* Weezer
* Young Jeezy

Although the intentions aren't yet explicit, most of the coalition members have openly opposed net neutrality legislation and are in favor of allowing ISPs to have the "freedom" to monitor their customers. But Microsoft is a little bit more squirmy on the subject. Thomas C. Rubin, Microsoft’s chief counsel for intellectual property strategy, told Hansell:

We think that this is an opportunity to work with leaders across industries to put our heads together to discuss the opportunities that exist to facilitate the promotion of the availability of legitimate content on the Internet. We are not in favor of filtering at the network level.

Hopefully that is enough of a bulwark against rampant abuse of power. As the forces align, it's important for pirates and non-pirates alike to keep watch. Meantime, check out the full article. [NYT]

It's impossible to say how these'll work in the market where instant and convenient downloads are a click away, since you'll have to either buy one in a physical store, or purchase them online and wait for them to come in the mail.

But you can guess that downloading market is why the music biz is trying to grab back control of at least some of their music sales. There's no official data on pricing, but word is it'll compare to existing CD albums, and a list of titles will hit in time for the holiday season. [SlotMusic]

It was the thorn in Blu-ray's side. Transformers, otherwise known as the '80s cartoon manifestation of geekdom, was HD DVD only. Well luckily for Blu-ray owners, HD DVD died a violent death and they got their Megatron fix after all. While this two-disc set won't offer anything extra over what was released last year on HD DVD, all of the special features have been ported to the new format along with the same, pristinely encoded video.

Here are the rest of this week's Blu-ray releases, including this week's runner up, Every Which Way But Loose:

•Black Mask (Lionsgate)
•Cirque du Soleil: Corteo (Sony)
•Eraser (Warner)
•Every Which Way But Loose (Warner)
•The Gauntlet (Warner)
•The Invincible Iron Man (Lionsgate)
•Marine Aquarium (BCI)
•Married Life (Sony)
•Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Lionsgate)
•Outbreak (Warner)
•Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (FUNimation)
•Transformers (2007) (Paramount)
•Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (Warner)

Yeah, I just may have to be a stereotype of my demographic and pick Transformers up. [hidefdigest]

Where the hell is the Blu-ray edition? How can you ask us to buy it a fifth time—after VHS, two earlier DVDs and the beautiful-looking HD DVD—without a version on Blu-ray? Do we really have to hang onto our Xbox HD DVD module just so we can enjoy the Coen Brothers' masterpiece, with classic sequences like The Dude's post-roofie hallucination, dripping with oddball 70s sleaze, in high-def? Who are you, George Lucas? This will not stand. [Amazon via CrunchGear]

NEWS RELEASE

UNIVERSAL UNVEILS INAUGURAL SLATE OF

FILM AND TV OFFERINGS COMING TO

BLU-RAY™ DISC DAY AND DATE WITH DVD

"Heroes: Season Two" Will Mark the Studio's First Global Event Release

Lineup to Include Summer 2008's Most Anticipated Films From Universal Pictures:

THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army,

Mamma Mia! and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,

As Well as Some of the Studio's Other Biggest Titles

Universal City, California, April 17, 2008—Universal Studios Home Entertainment revealed its initial lineup of film and television properties arriving later this year on Blu-ray™ Disc, day and date with DVD, it was announced today by Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms. Marking the rollout of the studio's first global release on Blu-ray™ will be the "Heroes: Season Two," which will debut beginning August 26, 2008.

The highly anticipated premier of the sophomore season of NBC's "Heroes" will be buoyed by the simultaneous debut of "Heroes Season One" on Blu-ray™ . Later in the year and in time for the holidays, five of the year's most promising feature films will arrive in high definition: THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the action-packed new chapter of one of the most popular Super Hero sagas of all time that stars Edward Norton, William Hurt and Liv Tyler; Wanted, the action-thriller from stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov that stars Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie; Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the epic vision of imagination from acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro; Mamma Mia!, the musical romantic comedy in which Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the adaptation of the beloved musical; and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the next installment in The Mummy franchise in which Jet Li, Maria Bello, Michelle Yeoh and newcomer Luke Ford join the returning Brendan Fraser and John Hannah for a supernatural adventure that shifts the series to the Far East.

"We're thrilled that our preliminary slate of Blu-ray™ offerings comprises such a brilliant collection of high-def centric fare," said Mr. Kornblau. "As awareness for Blu-ray™ continues to grow, consumers will learn to rely on the superior quality picture, sound, interactivity and connectivity that only high-definition home entertainment delivers."

The first wave of Universal Blu-ray™ releases, which hits U.S. stores July 22nd, gives fans of The Mummy franchise a chance to relive the iconic blockbuster films' thrilling beginnings in crystal-clear high-definition. The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, starring Brendan Fraser, and the hugely successful action-packed spin-off The Scorpion King, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, all will be released on Blu-ray™ for the first time that day.

The first of Universal's new theatrical Blu-ray™ releases hitting store shelves this summer day and date with its DVD counterpart is the apocalyptic thrill-ride DOOMSDAY, starring Rhona Mitra, Malcolm McDowell and Bob Hoskins. Other titles on deck for 2008 include American Gangster, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Miami Vice, End of Days, U-571 and Land of the Dead, among others.

Furthering Universal's aggressive rollout of Blu-ray™ product globally, Universal Pictures International Entertainment, the company's international home entertainment arm, is concurrently announcing its initial slate of Blu-ray™ releases for the international marketplace today.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.

Unlike old school devices that use a clunky great machine, the Universal ECG can save electrocardiogram data directly to the physician's computer for analysis and sharing, which should save cash on printing out millions of the readouts each day. Though the device probably won't be as accurate as said clunky machine, its portability will surely make it a must for all those hypercondriacs among us. Feeling a little coronary ischemia coming on? (House rules.) [Medgadget]

The labels, particularly Universal, are known to be hot on a subscription deal, since it'd provide more reliable revenue from iPods—BW notes the average iPod owner buyers "fewer than 30 than songs" and rips or steals the rest. Apple, on the other hand, is already balling with iTunes just the way it is—now the no. 2 music retailer in the country—and it's really just money icing on the wildly profitable hardware cake. And if it's not busted, why tinker with it?

Since the labels really want a subscription model, it makes sense that label sources would play it up to the press, giving them more leverage at the negotiating table by showing the heavy buzz/demand the rumor is generating. Apple-side sources would spin the opposite way, since—if they really were considering a subscription model—it would give them weight to push down the price, both what they'd give labels and what they'd charge us. And as both the FT and NYT have noted, price is likely to be the major sticking point.

Conclusion? Be hopeful, not wistful. [Businewss]

Universal's the biggest proponent of selling subs, so they'll probably be there. Reportedly Apple wants to throw the labels $20 a device, which is only a little more than what the labels make off an iPod now in music sales, so they've got some gaping chasms to negotiate across. [Bits]

We have Atonement available on HD DVD March 18th—we have not announced anything additional.

Have a good weekend.