Blu-Ray/HD News
| Wednesday, March 10, 2010
|  | 3D Blu-ray Players and TVs Are Go for Launch (Blu-ray.com)
The major consumer electronic manufacturers are unleashing 3D hardware upon the populace as we speak. Panasonic (in an exclusive alliance with Best Buy) and Samsung are first out of the gate, with displays and Blu-ray players available now. LG is launching in May, Sony in June (in Japan and then the US) and Vizio in August. DisplaySearch expects 9 million 3D TVs to be sold globally in 2012, a drop in the bucket of TV sales, of about 200 million sets worldwide.
Panasonic: Panasonic and Best Buy today continued their commitment to bringing 3D technology into American homes with the world's first consumer purchase and retail availability of Panasonic's Full HD 3D home entertainment system certified under the new BDA 3D standard, sold exclusively at select Best Buy stores via Magnolia Home Theater...
Samsung: Samsung unveiled a promotional program where everyone who purchases a 2010 Samsung 3D TV and 3D Blu-ray Player or Home Theater System will receive a 3D starter kit that includes two pairs of Samsung 3D active glasses and a first time, feature-length 3D Blu-ray version of DreamWorks Animation's 2009 release, Monsters vs. Aliens (exclusive to Samsung products). Additionally, during the second half of 2010, the most successful animated film franchise of all time — DreamWorks Animation's Shrek film series — will be available in 3D Blu-ray for Samsung home solutions...
Sony :
Sony 3D TVs to be launched in Japan in June and in the US at a later date. A 46-inch 3D screen will cost around 350,000 yen ($3,900), about 50% more than a regular Sony Bravia. Two pairs of active-shutter 3D glasses will be bundled, along with a camera sensor capable of adjusting the picture according to seating position. Additional glasses will cost 12,000 yen a pair... [more...] |
| Tuesday, March 09, 2010
| | Sony, Samsung detail 3D TV plans (Reuters)
Sony and Samsung announced plans to introduce 3D televisions in coming months, betting they will become the next hot products in an increasingly crowded electronics industry. Sony Corp (6758.T) hopes 3D models will make up 10 percent of more than 25 million LCD TVs it aims to sell in the next fiscal year. The maker of the PlayStation 3 game console also plans to release 3D game software in time for its 3D TV launch in June. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), the industry leader for flat-screen TVs, will begin U.S. sales of 46- and 55-inch 3D TVs this month, with other models coming over the next several months."It will likely be ardent game players who will first buy 3D TVs as an early adopter," said analyst Alex Oh of Hanwha Securities in Seoul. "In that sense, Sony, which is envisioning a comprehensive entertainment company, will take advantage of its game business, contents and movies, compared with Samsung and LG, which remain focused on hardware." [more...] |
| Monday, March 01, 2010
| | Pioneer unveils new 5.1 AV Receivers with HDMI 1.4 (Blu-ray 3D), Bluetooth Audio Streaming & iPhone capabilities (High Def Disc News)
Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveils a new line of 5.1 channel A/V receivers that deliver a dynamic music experience to the living room. For the first time, the Pioneer VSX-520-K and VSX-820-K feature wireless Bluetooth® transfer of audio content allowing users to enjoy their music directly from their Bluetooth®-enabled device to their home theater system and are 3D Ready with the latest HDMI, version 1.4, providing more high definition connectivity options for the Blu-ray 3D specification. The VSX-820-K also features “Works with iPhone” certification, providing a seamless user experience for iPhone owners. Pre-orders of the VSX-520-K and the VSX-820-K are currently available at Amazon.com. “Pioneer continues to innovate the A/V receiver category with expanded compatibility for iPhone users. The addition of Bluetooth audio streaming allows consumers to keep their phones close to them to answer calls or select their next song without limitations of a wired connection to the receiver,” said David Bales, marketing manager of audio products for the home entertainment division of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Additionally, by equipping all models with HDMI 1.4, consumers can be assured that their Pioneer receiver is ready for future 3D home theater experiences.” [more...] |
| Monday, February 22, 2010
| | Walmart Announces Acquisition of Digital Entertainment Provider, VUDU (PR Newswire)
Walmart announced today a definitive agreement to acquire VUDU, Inc., a leading provider of digital technologies and services that enable the delivery of entertainment content directly to broadband high-definition TVs and Blu-ray players. The deal is expected to close within the next few weeks.
VUDU is a revolutionary service, built into a growing number of broadband-ready TVs and Blu-ray players, that delivers instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows directly through the television. Customers with broadband Internet access and an Internet-ready TV or Blu-ray player can rent or purchase movies, typically in high-definition, without needing a connected computer or cable/satellite service. New movies and features will be added continually, enabling customers to enjoy a product that continues to become more robust long after they have left the store.
"The real winner here is the customer," said Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman for Walmart. "Combining VUDU's unique digital technology and service with Walmart's retail expertise and scale will provide customers with unprecedented access to home entertainment options as they migrate to a digital environment." [more...] |
| Wednesday, February 17, 2010
| | Coinstar CEO: Blu-ray Rentals Likely by Mid-Year, at Higher Price (Home Media Magazine)
On the heels of a distribution deal with former litigant Warner Home Video, Coinstar CEO Paul Davis Feb. 16 said its Redbox subsidiary would likely begin offering Blu-ray Disc rentals by the middle of the year. Redbox has been testing Blu-ray rentals among its select 22,200 kiosks nationwide. Speaking in a conference call with analysts, Davis said the Warner Blu-ray titles, in addition to superior copy depth on all new releases, would offer consumers a superior rental choice. "[Blu-ray] strengthens our position to meet consumer demand,” he said. The CEO said a price point for Blu-ray had not been determined, although he believed it would “for sure be higher than our standard DVDs.” [more...] |
| Wednesday, February 10, 2010
| | Blu-ray disc sales increase by 167% (Press Association UK)
Blu-ray disc unit sales rocketed 167% last year, helping to steady the falling DVD market in Europe, home entertainment industry organisation the Digital Entertainment Group Europe (DEGE) has said. Worth nearly £400 million in 2009, sales for the new high-definition Blu-ray format partially offset last year's nine per cent decline in DVD sales (two per cent by volume). Overall, the home entertainment market across the continent was worth £5.5 billion in the last 12 months. However, this represented a seven per cent reduction on the 2008 figure. DEGE chairman Yves Caillaud, speaking at the annual general meeting in London, said: "Blu-ray is gaining further momentum in Europe thanks to a concerted cross-industry promotional effort, near universal penetration of high-definition TVs, increased consumer awareness and greater player affordability." [more...] | | Sony announces their first series of stand-alone Blu-ray 3D Players available later this month for $200 and $250 (High Def Disc News)
Sony has just announced plans in a PRESS RELEASE to bring two Blu-ray Disc Players that are Blu-ray 3D capable (or ready, meaning they will be firmware upgradeable to 3D later this Summer). The prices of the the two models range from $200 – $250. Starting at $200 you have the BDP-S470 and at $250 you have the BDP-S570. Those are the two stand-alone players the company has planned with Blu-ray 3D support but they also have plans for two home theater (Home Theater In A Box) style Blu-ray 3D players. First of those you have for $550 BDV-E570 Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System and then for $650 you have the BDV-E770W Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System. [more...] |
| Tuesday, February 09, 2010
| | DVD Stages Comeback as Disney Studio Posts Q1 Income Surge (Home Media Magazine)
Oft-maligned packaged media marked a reversal of fortune at The Walt Disney Co. The company’s studio segment Feb. 9 reported first-quarter (ended Jan. 2) operating income of $243 million, up 30% from operating income of $187 million during the previous year’s same period. Disney’s studio results include Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. The studio cited strong DVD/Blu-ray Disc sales of Disney/Pixar’s animated hit Up and romantic comedy The Proposal, starring Oscar-nominated Sandra Bullock, for keeping revenue relatively unchanged at $1.9 billion. In addition, Disney said home entertainment results were driven by lower distribution costs and marketing expenses, spurred by cost reduction initiatives, and lower production cost amortization and participation expense. Spearheading some of those changes was Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, who last November was promoted to president of overall distribution, including digital, for Walt Disney Studios. In a call with investors, CEO Bob Iger said he preferred not to compare quarterly results for DVD sales due to the varying nature of the release slate. He said ongoing recession concerns, increased competition from alternative entertainment sources and the actual time spent on entertainment continued to challenge home entertainment. Iger said he was pleased by the “decent” premium pricing afforded by Blu-ray Disc releases, in addition to the new three-disc combos featuring Blu-ray, standard DVD and digital copy. [more...] | | Rumor: Remastered Gladiator Blu-ray Coming Up (Blu-ray.com / The Digital Bits)
The Digital Bits, quoting industry sources, is reporting that Paramount Home Entertainment, in cooperation with Universal Studios Home Entertainmment, will re-issue Gladiator on Blu-ray later this year, using a brand-new 1080p transfer that was just completed "a couple of months ago." Bill Hunt says this was done "after Paramount and Universal realized how bad the first one was, naturally." Again according to the Bits' sources, the studio plans to schedule this Blu-ray rerelease for late summer or fall, to coincide with either the theatrical or (more probably) the home video release of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, and possibly labeled as a 10th Anniversary Edition. [more...] | | Panasonic to release four 3D Blu-ray recorders and players in Japan (Crunch Gear)
The VIERA 3D full HD plasma TVs weren’t the only 3D products Panasonic priced and dated for the Japanese market today. The company also announced a total of three new Blu-ray 3D recorders and one player. Here are the details:
• Panasonic says its Blu-ray 3D player, the DMP-BDT900, is the world’s first of its kind.
• Panasonic also announced three Blu-ray 3D DIGA recorders today, all of which are equipped with hard discs:- DMR-BWT3000 (2TB HDD);
- DMR-BWT2000 (1TB);
- DMR-BWT1000 (750GB).
[more...] | | S1Digital's mega Blu-ray jukebox keeps discs flowing (cnet)
Wouldn't it be nice if you could browse and play back your entire Blu-ray movie collection with the click of a button? For $1,499, the S1Digital 100-disc Blu-ray changer delivers this level of convenience and the flexibility to download metadata and cover art automatically over the Web. All you need is to hook up the jukebox to a Windows Media Center-compatible PC and install its bundled My Movies software to access up to 1,000 Blu-ray, DVD, and CD titles through the intuitive WMC graphics user interface. By connecting this S1Digital box to a Windows Home server, users can also archive their media (without copy protection) onto a hard drive to free up disc slots with all the value-added features mentioned above. The S1Digital 100-disc Blu-ray changer can be purchased directly from the company's Web store. [more...] |
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