Original Beatles digitally remastered

LONDON (Reuters) - The original Beatles catalogue has been digitally remastered for the first time and will go on sale in CD format on September 9, the band's record label and company announced Tuesday.

The release will coincide with the launch of "The Beatles: Rock Band" video game, the British quartet's first major leap into the world of digital music.

The catalogue will not be available online for the foreseeable future, although the digital remastering is widely seen as bringing that process one step closer.

"Discussions regarding the digital distribution of the catalogue will continue," a statement issued on behalf of record label EMI and Beatles company Apple Corps said.

"There is no further information available at this time."

Fans of arguably the world's most successful pop band, with album sales of more than 600 million worldwide, are eager for the Beatles to release the catalogue online.

The group is one of the few big acts left whose music is not available on Apple's iTunes, but the settlement of a trademark dispute between Apple and Apple Corps in 2007 was seen as finally clearing the way.

The new collection comprises 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in Britain, and "Magical Mystery Tour," which became part of the Beatles' core catalogue when the CDs were released in 1987.

In addition the collections "Past Masters Vol. I and II" are combined as one title, making up 14 titles overall.