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While Blu-ray sales got off to a rocky start this year, Futuresource Consulting is projecting that consumers in the U.S. will buy more than 45 million Blu-ray discs in 2008. Futuresource also projects that Blu-ray will account for 40-50% of video disc sales by 2012 and will outsell DVD in the U.S. market.
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Following HD DVD's defeat, Toshiba announced that it was working on new upconverting technology that could deliver picture quality near that of Blu-ray. The company has finally unveiled its XDE, or "eXtended Detail Enhancement," technology. Available in Toshiba's new XD-E500 DVD player, XDE provides upconversion from 480i/p up to 1080p and offers user selectable picture enhancement modes that bring standard DVD quality closer to the HD experience.

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Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. ("Toshiba") today announces its new video enhancement technology for DVD with the introduction of the XD-E500. XDE, or "eXtended Detail Enhancement," is more than just DVD upconversion. XDE takes DVD picture quality to a whole new level. In addition to providing upconversion from 480i/p up to 1080p, XDE offers user selectable picture enhancement modes that allow for greater detail, more vivid colors and stronger contrast that bring standard DVD quality closer to the HD experience. XDE technology lets consumers enjoy their existing DVD libraries in a whole new way. Add a comment

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While the popularity of Blu-ray is on the rise, many consumers are still satisfied with the quality of standard DVDs. As a result, studios are having to come up with new ways to get them to go Blu-ray. According to Home Media Magazine, Paramount has launched a new promotion that will give a $10 rebate to those that upgrade select titles from DVD to Blu-ray Disc.
Paramount Home Entertainment is set to offer DVD collectors a $10 rebate when they upgrade select Paramount and DreamWorks titles to Blu-ray Disc.

Mail-in certificates will be available in the packages for Blu-ray copies of Transformers, The Godfather, Old School, Stardust, Sweeney Todd and Zodiac. To receive the $10 savings, consumers must fill out the certificate and include the proof-of-purchase tabs from both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the title, along with the receipt for the Blu-ray version. The purchase must be made by Dec. 31, 2009, and rebate requests must be postmarked by Jan. 31, 2010.
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Iomega recently announced a new device called the ScreenPlay TV Link. While lacking an internal hard drive, this ultra-portable device is based on the same technology as Iomega's ScreenPlay HD Multimedia drive. The lets you plug in your own USB drive and play back your photos, music and video on an attached TV.
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Iomega, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC) and a global leader in data protection and security, today announced the new Iomega® ScreenPlay™ TV Link, making it convenient and affordable to access multimedia content on any high-definition television or home theater system. Complete with full-function remote control, the new ScreenPlay TV Link features an easy-to-use USB port for attaching compatible storage devices and enjoying high quality movies, music and photos from the best seat in the house.

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NEC Electronics announced today that it has developed the world's first single-chip LSI for Blu-ray Disc players. Combining the frontend functions of the SCOMBO/UM2P with the backend functions of the EMMA3P, the EMMA3PF has an analog circuit to process signals from the optical pickup, a decoding circuit for encoded video and audio and an HDMI to output video and audio. On top of that, the chip supports BD-ROM Profile 2.0, the latest Blu-ray Disc specification.

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A new survey conducted by ABI Research has found that consumers are delaying their Blu-ray player purchases. Of the 1000 people surveyed, more than half responded that they have no plans to purchase one. ABI Research also found that 23% were likely to buy a player, but not until sometime in 2009.

Blu-ray players are not flying off retailers’ shelves, at least not in the numbers the industry might hope for. A new consumer survey from ABI Research has revealed a widespread reluctance to commit to a Blu-ray player in the near future: over half of the 1000 respondents, citing “other priorities,” say they have no plans to purchase one; a further 23% are likely to buy, but not until sometime in 2009.

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LG Electronics has announced a new Blu-ray Disc player with Netflix streaming capability. The LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player will give Netflix subscribers the ability to instantly stream movies and television shows to their TV for no additional charge. The BD300 also plays BD-Live enabled Blu-ray titles, upconverts standard DVDs to 1080p and offers support for LG's SimpLink technology.

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Building on a groundbreaking technology partnership announced earlier this year, LG Electronics and Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) today announced plans for the first Blu-ray disc player that will have the added benefit of being able to instantly stream a growing library of movies and TV episodes from Netflix directly to the TV.

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With the threat of cheap, Chinese manufactured Blu-ray players looming on the horizon, companies like Sony, Samsung and LG have begun to reduce the price of their entry-level Blu-ray Disc players. According to DigiTimes, retail prices in the US have by dropped by an average of 25%, bringing the price of BD players below $300. Add a comment

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Samsung announced this week that it is adding a new, more affordable model to its line of Blu-ray equipped "home theater in a box" (HTiB) systems. According to Twice, the $799 HT-BD2E features an integrated BD 1.0 Blu-ray player as well as five small satellite speakers, a passive subwoofer and 800 watts of RMS power. Add a comment

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Blu-ray Disc is quickly gaining popularity in Japan. According to PC World, shipments of Blu-ray players and recorders hit a record 122,000 units in June. The demand is expected to be even higher for the month of July due to the mid-year bonus that Japanese workers receive as well as the Olympic games in August. Add a comment
  1. Blu-ray Sales Up 300% Over 2007
  2. Amazon Launches Video On Demand Service
  3. Sony Ships BDP-S350 BD-Live Ready Blu-ray Player
  4. Sony Announces PlayStation Movie And TV Show Download Service
  5. NEC Aims To Double Blu-ray Sales In Two Years

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