Aliens Anthology brings Mu-th-ur mode to Blu-ray
The collection makes use of the high capacity of Blu-ray discs and has come up with some novel ways to access all its bonus content.
Alien fans putting the remastered Alien Anthology Blu-ray set on their Christmas wish list will get a couple of new features that make diving into all the extras to be found in this collection much easier.
Something 20th Century Fox is calling Mu-Th-Ur Mode, is actually a way to access the index of custom viewing options and extensive content in the collection, which includes both the original release and special editions of all four films, plus 60 extra hours of special features and 12,000 still images.
Named for the Nostromo's shipboard master computer in Alien, Mu-Th-Ur Mode will help guide you through the anthology, interacting with all six discs. Once activated, you can select alternative audio and visual options for the particular scene. You can also bookmark videos and images using data tags to organise your preferred scenes and special features. Items you've tagged, regardless of what disc you were watching when you tagged them, are available to review and revise in a playlist on disc 5 or 6.
The set also has an Unbound mode that "bridges your viewing between discs". Essentially, you can swap discs in the set and bypass the standard logos and disclaimers and jump right into the content. It does so by storing the collections's meta data on your player's hard drive to avoid long loading times. It is designed to work across all brands of Blu-ray players, including the PS3. If you want to return to the player's menu, you only need to press stop on the remote or shut down your player.
The six-disc set of Alien Anthology is available in a Facehugger case for AU$99 or with The Guardian, an illuminated Egg statue for AU$199.