Paramount Pictures will set a milestone on October 30, simultaneously releasing Mission: Impossible III on HD DVD, Blu-ray and DVD. The HD DVD and Blu-ray versions will be in 1080p resolution with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. Analysts are saying we should expect to see the other studios following suit, launching new titles in every imaginable format. Of course, Universal will be missing out on all the fun, at least for now, since it's the only studio that's not shipping Blu-ray titles.
The big news will be when one disc player will be able to play all three releases, or when there is a DVD-compliant copy of the movie on one side of a disc, and an HD DVD or Blu-ray version on the other side. Meanwhile, the release of Blu-ray and HD DVD players and content figuratively mosey out onto the world stage to the sound of one hand clapping.