MGM and Fox Home Entertainment are releasing six classic James Bond films in high definition on Blu-ray on October 20th, a launch that is tied to the November theatrical release of the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace.  The new Bond Blu-ray set will include Dr. No, Die Another Day, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, From Russia With Love and Thunderball.  The re-release of classic material on Blu-ray in conjunction with the theatrical debut of a related film is becoming a staple of modern movie marketing, and is viewed as a “win-win” proposition by the studios.

Each of the classic Bond films has been restored and re-mastered for the highest picture quality via the state-of-the-art Lowry process of digital frame-by-frame restoration.  The high capacity 25-gigabyte Blu-ray discs will also include tons of extra features.

The most recent Bond film, Casino Royale, which like Quantum of Solace stars Daniel Craig, is also the only Bond movie to be released on Blu-ray so far—and it ranks as one of the bestselling Blu-ray discs released so far.  With the huge expansion in the number of high definition TVs and the recent introduction of sub $300 Blu-ray players at Wal-Mart, it appears that the high def DVD medium will experience a growth spurt during the coming holiday season—and having desirable software such as the Classic Bond Blu-ray discs available is an important part of the equation.