About time someone finally started releasing anime in HD-formats. Bandai is set to release some of it’s greatest hits in the newly-remastered Blu-Ray and HD-DVD format. Akira, Steam Boy, Jin-Roh, and even Avalon are all getting the HD treatment. The one coming out the soonest looks to be Akira, zooming into stores (in japan that is) on July 27. Everyone get your import companies and Deputies ready, and save your pennies, because these bad boys are coming in at around $87 for each remastered DVD. Ouch!

[Bandai.com]

It was bound to happen, it was only a question of who and what format. Well its going to be Air TV and the poison of choice is Blu-Ray. Air TV will make its way into a Blu-ray box set that will cost you just 29,800 Yen, thats only $254 dollars. It might seem like much for such a short series but remember whoever gets this already sold her soul for a Blu-ray player. So its really quite cheap.

[The Otaku]

Sony has released the very fist Blu-ray movies so that you can put your fingers on them 4 days before the launch of the Samsung BD-P1000. Thats right, its all about bragging rights isn’t it? Well some of the titles available so far are Resident Evil Apocalypse, House of Flying Daggers, and The Terminator. Amazon has this titles for about $20 which is not bad for such a new technology. Apparently the strategy is to start hitting the market with cult classics before trying to go for the latest blockbuster.

Behold, the new war of the formats is upon us like never before! Will this be Betamax all over again?

[Personal Tech Pipeline / Via Engadget]