How long have The Simpsons been around on TV? Well before DVD came about, and way before high-definition and Blu-ray hit our flat panels.

But the long-running animated hit did make the switch to high-definition during last season, its 20th, and we’re now reaping the rewards thanks to the easy transition to Blu-ray disc as The Simpsons Complete 20th Season arrives this week (and you can grab it on Amazon for only $36.99).

The specs on Blu-ray.com list the aspect ratio as the traditional boxy 1.33:1 of standard-def TV, but we’re guessing that is only meant for the contents of Disc 1, as the episodes beginning on Disc 2 of the set seem to coincide with when the show moved to 16:9 widescreen HDTV format. The audio features DTS-HD Master Audio lossless resolution that we’ve come to enjoy as one of the two main Blu-ray formats (along with Dolby TrueHD).

For action fans, you can catch The Governator on Blu-ray this week in Last Action Hero, get Sly by viewing Cliffhanger, or grab a re-release of The Matrix. Those mountain shots in Cliffhanger are sure to look extra crisp and cold in high-def.

If it’s more of the classics you’re looking for, the Criterion Collection is at it again with what should be another stunning Blu-ray release, this time in gorgeous black and white as Federico Fellini’s masterpiece 8 1/2 comes to Blu-ray.

Here are all of this week’s Blu-ray releases, courtesy of Blu-ray.com:
2 Dudes and a Dream
8 1/2
The Brothers Bloom
The Burning Plain
Cliffhanger
La Cucina
Fame
Halloween II (2009 version)
The Hurt Locker
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
In the Loop
Last Action Hero
The Matrix
Moon
Post Grad
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
Sentenciados
The Simpsons: Complete 20th Season
Volcanoes of the Deep Sea

Arlen Schweiger - Editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen writes about home technology installations and product news and reviews for electronichouse.com and Electronic House magazine.