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Sales of high definition Blu-ray DVD recorders are zooming up in Japan as consumers take to the new generation of home movie entertainment after the end of a bitter format war.Blu-ray sales are expected to rise even further as manufacturers cut prices in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment
Last month the more expensive Blu-ray recorders topped the old generation recorders in the value of sales for the first time, with around a third of machines sold now carrying the new format, research firm BCN Ltd said in a statement.
"Full high-definition picture quality has become a main stream for big-screen TVs, and camcorders with higher picture quality are getting popular, too," said BCN chief analyst Shigehiro Tanaka.
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No word yet on pricing or availability. If you'd like to read more, Sony's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
A perfect complement to your BRAVIA LCD television or any HD Ready TV, the DVP-NS708H upscales Standard Definition DVDs to 1080p for sublime, detail-packed pictures. The highest resolution format your HD TV can display, 1080p presents 1920x1080 Full HD images with progressive scanning. This guarantees a richer, more cinematic viewing experience, especially at larger TV screen sizes.
It's also a great way to get even more enjoyment from your precious digital photo collection. JPEG images burned onto CD or DVD from your Cyber-shot or α digital SLR camera can be enjoyed on a connected BRAVIA television with breathtaking HD quality. If your BRAVIA TV supports PhotoTV HD, still images are optimised further for the ultimate photo viewing experience.
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If you'd like to read more, Panasonic's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, has developed the world's first Blu-ray Disc (BD) player-specific single-chip signal processing LSI (product number: MN2WS006), in response to the latest BD standards. This LSI combines a front end to read the signal from the BD, and a back end to convert this into AV data. Samples of this LSI will begin shipping in June 2008.
By using this product, Panasonic will be able to realize smaller sizes and lower power consumption in BD players compatible with the latest BD standards.
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If you'd like to read more, Traxdata's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
With a huge 500GB storage capacity, users can create their own media library using Traxdata's MultiMediaDrive to watch movies, view holiday snaps, and play their favourite songs on their television instead of on a computer. Since the drive is equipped with a multitude of audio and video connections it is compatible with most TV sets.
The MultiMediaDrive is easy to use and works by transferring files stored on a computer to the drive, through the USB 2.0. It can then be plugged into any audio and video interface, including high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), allowing users to make full use of their HDTV (up to 1080i) without losing image and sound quality. To further enhance user experience Traxdata has included a remote control with the drive, allowing customers to control their entertainment from the comfort of their armchair.
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While many people expected sales of Blu-ray disc players to spike when Toshiba decided to drop out of the high-definition HD DVD market in February 2008, according to a new Harris Poll, it seems that the recently resolved high definition format war is not motivating consumers to purchase the advanced DVD players any time soon. The Harris Poll of 2,529 U.S. adults surveyed online between April 7 and 15, 2008 by Harris Interactive found that:While research groups can forecast all they want, surveys like this show that its going to be some time before Blu-ray replaces the DVD. If you'd like to read more, Harris Interactive entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
- Ownership of standard DVD players is practically ubiquitous (87%);
- Few report owning Blu-ray disc players (4%), Sony PlayStation 3 (5%), HD DVD players (6%) and the HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 (1% have external drive while 9% have an Xbox 360);
- Only nine percent of non-Blu-ray player owners report being likely to purchase a Blu-ray disc player within the next year, even when made fully aware that Blu-ray is considered to be the definitive technology for high definition DVD players going forward;
- Two-thirds of consumers are familiar with the recently resolved high-definition format war (67%) and seven in ten of them have heard that Blu-ray is the unofficial winner (69%);
- Nearly a quarter (23%) of those aware of the format war report that they had been waiting for the rivalry to play itself out before purchasing a high definition player, but by April they had yet to do so;
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Dreamer's BIDDLE technology is a software platform that makes itpossible for content creators and distributors to deliver customized,interactive programming and services directly to consumers' living roomTVs, via a networked Blu-ray Disc player (BD Live) or a PlayStation(R) 3gaming console.if you'd like to read more, Dreamer's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
With BIDDLE technology, the possibilities for interactive content andservices are virtually endless, including video/audio on demand (VOD),product catalogs, e-commerce, casual gaming, social networking,advertising, web portals and much more. All of these can be personalized bygeographic region or even by specific players.
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NetBlender and BluFocus have formed a partnership for the development, implementation, and certification of BD Touch technology for the Blu-ray industry. BD Touch is a new Blu-ray technology, developed by NetBlender, which allows iPhones and iPod Touch devices to interact with content on a Blu-ray disc.If you'd like to read more, NetBlender's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
Under the new relationship, BluFocus will serve as the exclusive provider of BD Touch Software Development Kits (SDKs) to movie studios, authoring facilities and tools providers who wish to produce BD Touch applications with NetBlender's Blend/In SDK. BluFocus will also provide testing and certification services for BD Touch-enabled discs prior to replication.
"We are excited to be working with NetBlender and BD Touch because we feel that the BD Touch technology offers the first Blu-ray interactive experience that is designed to benefit the consumer and truly differentiate what Blu-ray has to offer from that of standard DVD," said Paulette E. Pantoja, founder and CEO of BluFocus. "This two screen environment unlocks endless creative possibilities for a dynamic and engaging user experience with a Blu-ray disc."
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The DMP-BD50 will be available this spring for a suggested retail price of $699.95. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
Corporation of North America, the principal U.S. subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC), announces the introduction of the anticipated DMP-BD50, Panasonic's third generation Blu-ray disc player -- the ultimate playback source for high definition 1080p content. Blu-ray media offers a wide range of functions that foster the transition to HD -- including 1080p image quality, lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and versatile Picture-in-Picture applications. The BD50 adds the new BD-Live function, which uses the internet to further enhance the consumer's entertainment experience and employs VIERA Link, a technology that allows the consumer to operate VIERA Link equipped home theater components with a single remote. The DMP-BD50 will be available this spring and will have an SRP of $699.95.
BD-Live opens up a myriad of interactive possibilities for the consumer. In the future, BD-Live will allow users to connect the DMP-BD50 to the Internet to download such data as images and subtitles, and to join in multi-player interactive games that are linked to bonus movie content contained on Blu-ray discs.
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Pegatron Technology, an OEM subsidiary of Asustek Computer, has secured orders from Microsoft to assemble Xbox 360 consoles equipped with a Blu-ray Disc (BD)-ROM drive, with shipments to begin in the third quarter of 2008, according to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) newspaper.I'll be very surprised if we see an Xbox 360 with a built in Blu-ray drive. Most of the previous rumors have indicated that the console would be getting support for the format via an addon, similar to its HD DVD player. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
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Apple today announced that new movie releases from major film studios and premier independent studios are available for purchase on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) on the same day as their DVD release. New releases and catalog titles will be available from 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate, Image Entertainment and First Look Studios. Movies purchased from iTunes can be viewed on an iPod with video, iPhone, Mac or PC or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV, with new releases priced at $14.99 and most catalog titles at $9.99.It will be interesting to see how many people are willing to spend $15 for an electronic copy of a movie. Personally, I'd rather spend a few bucks more and get it on DVD. If you'd like to read more, Apple's entire announcement can be found here. Add a comment
