The High Definition format war is upon us, and Toshiba has landed the first blow. By now, anyone with a keen interest in home theater should be well aware of the rivalry between the HD-DVD format fronted by Toshiba and the Blu-Ray format fronted by Sony and its partners. Although both companies had showings at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Toshiba has ramped up their promotional efforts with a nationwide HD-DVD Product Tour with stops in 40 cities to demonstrate their new disc players to the public. After months of hype, outrageous claims, vicious attacks, and deliberate misinformation spread by both camps, these in-store appearances finally provide a real opportunity for interested consumers to take a look at some of the merchandise in action. DVD Talk writer Joshua Zyber attended a stop on the HD-DVD product tour and files a complete report including his take on the HD-DVD format. Want to share your thoughts on HD-DVD? Be sure to drop in the HD Talk forum area and join the discussion.

With new releases of silent films in short supply, this week Silent DVD cheats a bit and looks at a pair of Buster Keaton sets that feature the silent comedian's talking films. The Buster Keaton Collection has all ten of the shorts that Keaton made for Columbia between 1939-1941. Unfortunately these are some of Keaton's weakest films and only completists will want to find a copy. A much better collection is the Laughsmith Entertainment/Makinac Media release of The Industrial Strength Keaton. This set has some very rare, and funny, Keaton films including performances on live TV, industrial films, promotional reels and TV commercials. Well worth searching out. Be sure to check out our early columns that featured reviews of the TCM Keaton Collection and our look at both volumes of the Keaton Arbuckle Collection.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Edvard Munch - Peter Watkins' stunning bio of the Norwegian painter uses a style as original as Munch's own; Young Mr. Lincoln - John Ford's classic look at the early career of the 'jackleg lawyer'; Desert of the Tartars - A regiment spends decades watching an uncontested frontier, waiting for an attack that never comes; Great Day in Harlem - Producer Jan Bach creates a terrific memory documentary by letting jazz greats peruse a famous photo from 1958, that collected 57 notable musicians on a Harlem doorstep; The Good Earth - The peak of Hollywood prestige pictures, with Pearl S. Buck's novel adapted well to the screen; Daddy Long Legs - Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron are delightful in this late-career musical, but they don't make a satisfactory couple; Dog Eat Dog - Dark Sky dredges up a completely off-the-wall European crime and murder tale, dripping with awful dialogue and overstated performances; La ronde - Roger Vadim's remake of the Ophuls classic omits most of the grace notes of the Schindler story to billboard a roster of glamorous movie stars, including his soon-to-be wife, Jane Fonda. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

More anime series continue to be released in economical and space saving thinpak season sets and Anime Talk has reviews of the latest. Originally released on 2 episode DVDs, Gantz is an ultraviolent fan favorite which is much more enjoyable to watch as a season set. On the other end of the spectrum, Wedding Peach is a fun Sailor Moon type show that is sure to please the young and young at heart. We also have reviews of Outlanders, a classic show that doesn't quite stand the test of time, and Samurai 7 which continues to be an excellent series. There's also an early peek at UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie, Holly's anime bargains, and our table of upcoming releases. All in this week's Anime Talk.

A ton of exceptional notable DVDs this week including: Dog Day Afternoon: 2 Disc SE [Review]- Sidney Lumet's masterpiece features the best performance of Al Pacino's career in a film that is simply phenomenal; Walk the Line [Review] - an inspired view of the early years of fame, and Phoenix and Witherspoon bring their Cash and Carter to passionate life; Ice Harvest [Review] - Harold Ramis' tragically overlooked thriller is strange, funny and truly fantastic; Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp: Platinum Edition[Review] - a true Disney classic on a DVD with a technical presentation is truly second-to-none; Pride and Prejudice [Review] - a lovely, romantic film that is beautiful in both appearance and spirit. Other notable DVDs out this week include: The Drew Carey Show [Review], Ellen: S3 , Network, Three... Extremes, The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till and Where the Truth Lies [Review] Read our List of Top Upcoming DVDs for more great DVDs out this week, visit our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week we have a very special giveaway from Shout! Factory for The Dick Cavett Show - Comic Legends DVD. This 4 Disc set features 12 complete episodes from the legendary late-night talk show, featuring candid interviews and ranre bonus footage from the Dick Cavett Morning show with Groucho Marx, Bob Hope and Woody Allen. The Dick Cavett Show - Comic Legends DVD also features a number of great bonus features including: "Cavett Remembers" - The Comic Legends Emmy Award-winning director Bob Weide (Curb Your Enthusiasm) talks to Dick Cavett about the legendary comedians who appeared on The Dick Cavett Show and "Cavett Backstage" - Dick Cavett takes a behind-the-scenes look at The Dick Cavett Show and his early days as a writer and comedian with veteran comedy writer Tom Whedon and Bob Weide. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 copies of The Dick Cavett Show - Comic Legends we're giving away this week.

Now with over 14,900 DVD reviews in the DVD Talk Review Database, it's easy to overlook some of the great reviews. Recent DVD Reviews include: Where the Truth Lies - Unrated Edition - a stylish and exceptionally well-made noir picture with rich characters and great cinematography; Newsradio: Season 3 - more laughs and more bizarre behavior from one of the best ensemble sitcom casts in the past 10 years; Free Enterprise: Five Year Mission Extended Edition - an enjoyable film gets improved technical aspects and a few welcomed new extras so if you're think about upgrading, you should do so; Julia - The film overflows with the kinds of things that have become extremely rare in Hollywood movies today from an underrated talent long overdue for a major retrospective; Duelist Limited Edition (Region 3) - a completely gorgeous film that benefits from a solid storyline and some amazing visuals and art direction; Ultimate Avengers: The Movie - the feel of a monthly comic isn't easy to bring to the screen, as this film illustrates; First Descent - a good-looking and fairly sincere piece of sports doco; The Take - a fascinating tale of workers without options struggling to re-start their factories themselves and get their jobs back. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

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