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Home Entertainment

28 March 2007

Microsoft has officially announced the availability of the Xbox 360 Elite. While still lacking an internal HD DVD drive, this pimped out version of the Xbox 360 features a 120GB hard drive, HDMI port and a black finish for the console, controller and headset.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of Xbox 360 Elite, a new model of the video game and entertainment system that will include a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience. Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery, will be available separately.

The Xbox 360 Elite will hit store shelves on April 29th for a suggested retail price of $479.99. If you already own an Xbox 360, the 120GB hard drive can also be purchased separatedly for $179.99. More information can be found on Microsoft's website. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

26 March 2007

With the price of Blu-ray players dropping, it may be tempting to go and pick one up. You may want to hold off though as the Blu-ray Disc Association has mandated that all players released after October 31st must be able to play back picture-in-picture video and hold 256MB of memory to help power this feature. Players with an internet connection must also have 1GB of memory to hold downloadable content.

The Blu-ray Disc Assn. has mandated that all hardware streeting after that date must be able to play back picture-in-picture video, as driven by BD Java interactive technology. Many players on shelves now can handle BD Java, but to varying degrees. Few Blu-ray players include picture-in-picture capability, for instance, not even the PlayStation 3.

Sony's current and summer 2007 stand-alone models and available Pioneer and Philips units are among those lacking the picture-in-picture feature.

With two different pools of players at retail in the near future, studios will have to navigate how to best create titles that play universally. A title with a highly touted picture-in-picture feature, for example, might not play properly on all players.

Unfortunately, those that shelled out a small fortune for first gen Blu-ray Disc players probably won't be able to take advantage of features like picture-in-picture, even with a firmware update. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

27 March 2007

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that the Blu-ray version of Casino Royale is the first high-def title to ship 100,000 units. Casino Royale also holds the record for the greatest number of high-def copies sold in one day and is the first high-def film to debut on Amazon's top 10 sellers list.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE)'s blockbuster Bond title, Casino Royale, released March 13 on Blu-ray Disc, has hit the 100,000 units shipped mark and is setting records at retail for greatest number of high-definition copies sold in one day, it was announced today by SPHE Worldwide President, David Bishop. The title debuted in the top 10 on Amazon's DVD top-sellers list - a first for any film in high definition. The film's director, Martin Campbell, extolled the disc quality and commented, "It's just unbelievable. Clearly, it's fantastic. The comparison between standard def DVD and Blu-ray is quite stunning and quite transparent to the master. It's precisely what would make me want to buy a copy."

Since the November launch of Playstation 3, sales of Blu-ray titles have risen exponentially - a more than 700 percent increase. "As a point of comparison, the first DVD title to ship 100,000 units took approximately 11 months (Air Force One, in February 1998)," said Mr. Bishop. "Casino Royale on Blu-ray has done it in far less time and is clearly demonstrating the format's robust growth in the marketplace." Sony DADC has replicated more than two million Blu-ray Discs for Sony Pictures since the launch of the format.

SPHE plans to offer more titles on 50GB discs, including new releases like Rocky Balboa and The Pursuit of Happyness. More information, including a list of upcoming releases, can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

23 March 2007

Home Media Magazine has released the latest Nielsen VideoScan sales data. As of March 18th, Blu-ray had now sold 100 units to every 84.07 units of HD DVD. Comparing these numbers to last week's results (100:89.25), you can see that HD DVD has slipped another 5% in overall sales.


Things definitely aren't looking good for HD DVD. However, with price drops and the release of the Ultimate Matrix Collection on the way, HD DVD could make a comeback. Feel free to leave your comments in our forum. Add a comment