Guess what Universal Studios did—we’ll give you a hint: Universal is finally fulfilling its long-time promise to manufacture the ultimate convenience for movie lovers onto one singular, shiny disc. That’s right, Universal’s “flipper discs” have finally arrived. Universal announced today that it will be manufacturing flipper discs—hybrid Hi-Def discs consisting of a 50GB Blu-ray format on one side and a 9GB DVD configuration on the other—providing consumers with a dual-viewing option. Universal says it is bringing the best of both HD worlds into living rooms across America. The company says it is launching its dual-format discs on January 19, 2010 starting with the Jason Bourne trilogy: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum.
“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.”
Apparently Universal is all ready to ship its new flipper discs, but as for right now, we have no predictions yet of consumer reaction/our reaction because we’re still uncertain of the pricing—and if there is anything we’ve learned from 2009, it’s that pricing is key.