Petition for TITANIC Special Edition DVD

Dear Paramount,

We are signing this petition to mark the importance that the film "TITANIC" makes it to DVD in the best possible way in a new refined Special Edition. We want you to make this release the finest DVD any studio has ever produced, - and given the film's extraordinary box office success, we are confident that a DVD of such quality will also succeed.

Following are some of our wishes of what this release should include:

- 16x9 enhanced 2.35:1 transfer without edge enhancement
The existing DVD uses no edge enhancement - a very wise choice indeed since it looks better on large-screen displays than most other titles. However it needs to be mastered in anamorphic fashion to use the full potential of DVD.

- 754 or 1508 kbps DTS 5.1 or DTS-ES sound track
Paramount, it is time for you to start using DTS! The existing DVD is using low bit-rate Dolby Digital sound, and while the mix is good, it's nowhere near what it could be using DTS compression. DTS would consume more disc space (in particular using full bit-rate) but splitting the movie in two parts (just like the Laserdisc and VHS releases) solves the problem. Most studios use half-bitrate DTS instead of the real 1.5 MBps bitrate. There is no need to be like that, instead make use of it to its full potential! Also, as EX/ES compatible systems are more and more common, such a mix would be future-proof and satisfy everybody.

- 448 kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Digital EX sound track
This has to be included as well to match the DVD spec. Also not all DVD consumers have DTS-compatible systems. This time, use the higher bitrate for the mix, and why not provide EX coding for those who can take advantage of it?

- Split the movie in two parts and use two discs to store it on. This is necessary considering the length of the film. Using only one disc, video and audio quality would need to be severely reduced. The potential of doing this was recently displayed with Buena Vista's release of "Pearl Harbor". While a lot of people opened their mouths when they found out the movie was split up, those same mouths closed when they saw the quality of the release. The intermission could be in the same place as seen on the Titanic Laserdisc/VHS. Also make sure to use all the space like Columbia/Tristar recently showcased with their "Superbit" DVDs.

Extra features including - but not limited to:

- Feature length commentary(ies) by James Cameron & Russel Carpenter, Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio, and perhaps others involved such as composer James Horner and advisors Ken Marshcall, Don Lynch, and Bob Ballard
- Deleted scenes, with commentary
- Historical footage that was left out of the film - We know there are a lot of this since some of it was on the James Cameron's Titanic Explorer CD-ROM set.
- Fox's "Titanic: Breaking New Ground" special
- Behind the scenes/making of documentaries
- Documentary on the Music of Titanic and/or an additional commentary track by James Horner
- Theatrical trailer(s) with 5.1 surround sound
- Celine Dion music video

Extra feature content could easily fill two DVDs alone, probably even more. We are sure there are loads of footage shot that did not even get mentioned above. We want these extra features. New Line will be putting out a 4-disc release of "Lord of the Rings" this fall, Buena Vista are releasing the 4-disc set of "Pearl Harbor: Directors Cut" very soon. There is no need for you to do any worse, instead - do better! TITANIC is a bigger phenomenon than both those movies. There is no such thing as too much extra features, as long as it is quality features. Now, it might be true that not everybody care as much for extra content as the die-hard fans, so financially it would be a good idea to also release a movie-only edition aside from the more expensive disc set. This is being done with "Lord of The Rings" and has successfully been done with "Pearl Harbor".

Paramount, this is your chance to show who from now on are making the best DVD's out there - by releasing the most successful movie ever made in the finest DVD Special Edition ever produced. Please don't let us down.