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11 March 2008

Lionsgate announced this week that it is working with Apple to provide Digital Copy for iTunes. Beginning Rambo and The Eye, Lionsgate will include an additional digital copy on select DVD and Blu-ray releases that can be transferred to iTunes and then played back on a computer, iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

LIONSGATE (NYSE: LGF), the leading independentfilmed entertainment studio, announced today that it is working with Appleto provide Digital Copy for iTunes, affording customers who purchase selectDVDs with an additional iTunes Digital Copy of the movie. Just like moviespurchased from the iTunes Store, an iTunes Digital Copy can effortlessly betransferred to iTunes and then viewed on a PC or Mac, iPod with video,iPhone or on widescreen television with Apple TV.

The first Lionsgate DVDs to debut with iTunes Digital Copy will be thespecial edition DVD and Blu-ray releases of "Rambo," the latest installmentin the popular action franchise starring Sylvester Stallone and "The Eye,"the supernatural thriller starring Jessica Alba. "Rambo" will be availableat retail May 27th and "The Eye" will be released on DVD this summer.Lionsgate and Apple will deliver numerous additional Lionsgate films on DVDwith iTunes Digital Copy later this year.

If you'd like to read more, Lionsgate's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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06 March 2008

Circuit City has launched a new program, allowing those that purchased an HD DVD player within the last 90 days to trade it in toward a Blu-ray player. According to Gizmodo, the company is not promoting this trade in program and that consumers will need to specifically ask for it.

According to a Circuit City employee in Chicago, the consumer electronics chain is trading in HD DVD players bought into their stores "within 3 months of the announcement," as opposed to their 30-day return policy. According to the internal memo announcing the demise of the format, they will either give customers a Blu-ray player—paying the price difference, if any—or a gift card. The trade-in, however, will not be widely promoted and it will be only made available if the customer asks for it.

In order to qualify for the trade in program, you will need your receipt, the original box the player came in and all of the accessories. Hopefully, this means that we'll see similar trade in programs from other retailers, like Best Buy, in the near future. Feel free to share your thoughts in the forum. Add a comment

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07 March 2008

Over the last few weeks, there have been rumors indicating that Microsoft was working on a Blu-ray addon for the Xbox 360. The Financial Times is now reporting that Sony is in talks with Microsoft about adopting Blu-ray. According to the article, Microsoft could incorporate a Blu-ray drive into the Xbox 360 or offer support via an addon, similar to their HD DVD player.

But after Sony’s victory last month in the high-definition DVD format war, Stan Glasgow, Sony Electronics US president, said the two sides were now talking about Microsoft adopting Blu-ray.

A Blu-ray drive in a 360 would make Microsoft more competitive with the PS3, but it would also mean extra revenues for Sony’s electronics division. It would also add further cost to the 360, meaning a premium edition of the console could be necessary.

A Blu-ray drive could be incorporated in its top-of-the-range Elite Xbox, or Microsoft could again offer a drive as a plug-in peripheral.

While I don't see Microsoft incorporting a Blu-ray drive into the Xbox 360, an addon drive is a probably a given at this point. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here. Add a comment

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06 March 2008

Samsung has reportedly cancelled their second gen Duo HD player, the BD-UP5500. In a statement issued to PC World, the company announced that, following Toshiba's decision to drop HD DVD, the window of opportunity for a dual format player is smaller than before and that consumers should move forward with Blu-ray.

The company's statement today notes that "now that Blu-ray has been chosen as the next-generation format, the consumer can move forward with confidence and enjoy the incredible experience that Blu-ray offers. Samsung believes that a multi-format player like the current BD-UP5000 Duo HD Player (Duo) offers the best and only solution for consumers that want access to all available High-Definition (HD) titles in the short term. It remains a practical solution, but the window of opportunity is smaller than it was before. In light of recent announcements, Samsung will not introduce the BD-UP5500 Duo HD Player."

If you'd like to read more, the entire blog post can be found here. Add a comment