Those of you that thought 2011 was one of the best years for the Blu-Ray format might want to reconsider, because 2012 was yet another rock-solid year for the high-def format. In 2012 we saw an increase in catalog titles finally making their way to the format (in most cases with brand-new transfers), plus we saw the 3D trend takeover, with lots of titles coming in 3D Blu-Ray combo packs.
The thing I liked most about 2012 was the attention to detail that most studios used to skimp out on. For the most part almost every new big release title either had a really strong picture transfer or a well-rounded audio mix. Some lower budget comedies might have appeared too soft or quiet, but almost every action film received proper attention when ported over and I can only see that trend continuing into 2013. The studios have finally realized that we’re willing to pay top dollar for proper releases, which means remasters, new audio mixes, more special features and even fancy packaging. We’re not going to dip into something like The Lord of the Rings when we know you’ll be releasing the Extended Editions less than a year later.
My breakdown below is simply me trying my best picking what stood out above everything else. As I said before, 2012 was a fantastic year for Blu-Ray and I could probably go on for days listing good titles, so cut me some slack if your favorite title isn’t on here. There were a lot of perfect reference-level discs that dropped in 2012, so at some point personal preference will have to be factored in very heavily. Also keep in mind that just because something was noted as best audio or video does not mean that I thought the particular film itself was of high quality, just those specific regions of the disc.
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