Head on over to The Digital Bits where they have a long, deep review of this new set worth reading. Remember, the new 4K looks stunning but requires a new 4K disc player + 4K TV. Can an equivalent set be assembled piece by piece? Let’s shop: split between two discs apiece. An even more lavish trilogy collection -- with the possibility of brand-new extras -- is planned for release Designing and Building Middle-earth” offers “Designing Middle-earth” (41 min.) gives props to the creative team behind the look of the film, while “Weta Workshop” (43 min.) gives the make-up and effects guys their due, and “Costume Design” (12 min.) highlights the self-evident. There are also two still galleries for design, broken into numerous subsections covering the people and the realms, with some of the stills coming with commentary.

The Maps in LOTR of Middle Earth never looked so sharp, and neither have the shots of the ‘One Ring’ with carved inscriptions that are incredibly detailed, beautifully luminous, and perfectly legible (if you could read Elvish tengwar – if not, Galadriel provides the translation).The upgraded audio isn’t as much of a jump as it is in video, as previous Blu-ray editions already featured incredible DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 surround sound. But the Dolby Atmos capabilities expand the potential to distribute sound overhead and behind (with the right speaker system) and add other audio channel to the surround sound format. There are three "easter eggs" on the Blu-ray discs, with each being found on the disc one of each film, in the supplements tab, where an entire tab is a ring. They're not exactly hidden all that well, to be frank, so putting them here is a bit of a stretch, but ah well! However, if you do not own the DVD versions, then this is a must buy as this includes almost everything that you can think of (HD movies, extra features, behind the scenes, plus digital copies). Another audio moment is when the Fellowship attempts to take the Pass of Caradhras over the Misty Mountains but are ambushed by Saruman. The sounds of lightning, winds, and snow avalanches provide a good Atmos experience, especially in the subwoofer range. Academy Awards® (2002): Best Sound Editing and Visual Effects In the middle chapter of this historic movie trilogy, the Fellowship is broken, but its quest to destroy the One Ring™ continues.

Here, the filmmakers discuss how they reworked the book into filming shape, and what didn't make the cut (even after filming stopped) especially a cut scene featuring Aragorn fighting Sauron — which was thought needed to give the final struggle to destroy the ring more drama, though proved unnecessary — and the absence of the long missed "Scowering of the Shire" sequence. There's also a frank discussion of the film's multiple endings. In this section one can also see the early animatics for the Sauron-Aragorn fight (5 min.). Gandalf’s Fall Into Darkness. The color range improvement is clearly evident when Gandalf battles the Balrog and the two fall into darkness. Not only is the imagery deep with color, it’s also sharp, making almost every frame a work of art. The visual effects of Balrog hold up wonderfully even after 20 years.The tremendous design work that went into the costumes, weapons and set dressing finally gets a proper showcase for the home audience; the detail and definition on these discs is superb. As with the extended DVD editions, the films have been split over two discs, so no information has been lost in compression. The result is a colorful, sublime presentation not seen since these films were in theaters, maybe not even then.

The bottom line is, if you're a fan of Lord of the Rings – or cinema in general – and care at all about video and audio quality, this is a must-own collection. It's that essential.Extended Blu ray: Do you need if you already own extended DVD editions? Review for both beginners and Die Hard LOTR fans