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A World of Home Theater
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As people continue to shift towards the new Blu-ray viewing era, there have been a couple of players released in the market to widen your Blu-ray player purchasing needs. And LG Electronics has been known to come up with their own and one happens to be the LG BD270 Blu-ray Disc Player
Price: $199.95
(Source) Amazon
Panasonic has enhanced its portable 1Seg TV sets a bit by adding a built-in Blu-Ray disc player. This becomes a big improvement from the line of portable 1Seg TV devices that they had released some months back but the problem is that it will be only available in Japan. No word on pricing and when it will be actually available yet. Additionally, no mention of this new Panasonic portable device coming to the U.S. just yet.
(Source) Ubergizmo
Two months ago, the Marvell 88DE2710 video processor was a highlighted feature on the previous Sony Blu-ray disc player, the Sony Blu-ray S5000ES. Now that same technology seems lives on with the new Sony offering, the Sony’s BDP-CX7000ES 400-disc Blu-ray Disc MegaChanger. Carrying virtually the same expectations and specs, the Sony’s BDP-CX7000ES 400-disc Blu-ray Disc MegaChanger promises to deliver the same home theater quality enjoyment by delivering sharper and vibrant images that most home theater geeks put emphasis on.
(Source) Press
For the people who want to try other lesser known brands, the Viore LC26VF59 26-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
It comes with an integrated ATSC TV tuner for HDTV broadcast reception paired with a reasonable contrast ration of 1000:1. Dual HDMI inputs are provided so that the digital signals for both video and audio will be transferred without any degradation from Blu-ray Disc Player, DVD Player, Game Player, or Cable/Satellite Box.
Price: $310.97
(Source) Amazon
Sony unveils a 5.1 home theater system carrying a slim design receiver to complement its blu-ray disc players. A highlight is the ability of the Sony HT-SF360 home theater system to deliver 1000W of total power that is sure to provide high quality surround sound.
For its components, it comes with 4 tallboy speakers and a S-AIR ready option for a wireless home theater system solution. It will retail for 99,800 YEN.
(Source) Sony Style Japan
Now here’s an amazing piece of news, folks–Paramount is changing its priority scale. Instead of releasing the DVD versions first, they’re going to start releasing their Blu-Ray versions for sale as far as EIGHT WEEKS AHEAD.
This won’t affect rental versions, from what the news says–rather, this is meant to change the way people buy DVDs at home. It’s intended to help give somewhat flagging Blu-Ray sales a leg up in the marketplace.
Of course, this is actually a fair representation as most people own regular DVD players rather than Blu-Ray equipment. It only makes sense to say that more people will buy DVDs. And putting a two month speed bump in home releasing might just drive more people who were on the fence to buying Blu-Ray players.
But in the midst of a really nasty recession, maybe this isn’t the right time to try and get people interested in buying new home theatre equipment. Only time will tell how the maneuver turns out–hopefully it won’t turn out too badly for Paramount.
Aleratec has done it again as it comes out with a Blu-ray disc duplicator in the Copy Cruiser BLU HLX Disc Duplicator. The device can simultaneously duplicate 3 copies of a single Blu-ray disc while connected to a PC via an external eSATA connection. Each drive has an 8 MB internal memory which acts as the buffer write data during the duplication process.
Features:
The Aleratec Copy Cruiser BLU HLX Disc Duplicator retails for $1,575 and is available at all Aleratec distribution partners.
(Source) Press
After the death of HD DVD, Toshiba pretty much remained in limbo, focusing their efforts on upconverting DVD players rather than making the Blu-ray jump. They even recently announced their intentions to debut their BD-18 Blu-ray player early next year.
Well today we have word that Toshiba has officially joined the Blu-ray Disc Association which means we should see a plethora of Blu-ray touting hardware from them in the future.
Below is a statement from Toshiba themselves discussing their Blu-ray affiliaton:
“In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA. Toshiba aims to introduce digital products that support the Blu-ray format, including BD players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives, in the course of this year. Details of the products, including the timing of regional launches, are now under consideration. We will make announcements in due course.”
Read (Toshiba)
If you are looking for a good Blu-ray disc player, go with the brand that is familiar to us most. Sony offers the Sony BDP-S560 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
It delivers full HD 1080p output from Blu-ray discs and upconversion of standard DVDs to 1080p. The 24p True Cinema allows you to enjoy films at their intended 24ps and complements the usual Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD.
Outputs include 1 HDMI, 1 component, 1 S-Video, 1 composite, 1 analog audio (2-channel), 1 digital optical audio, 1 digital coaxial audio, 1 Ethernet. When purchased, you also get a remote control and a composite AV cable that measures 16.9 x 8.1 x 2.8 inches.
Price: $290.33
(Source) Amazon
Get out those old home movies and VHS tapes and be ready to transfer them to DVDs. Apparently that job has become limited to people who have the right equipment but now, Sony may erase all that and provide one device to carry out those needs.
Sony today unveiled the DVDirect DVD recorder which can transfer HD and standard definition home videos and digital photos to DVD discs without PC intervention. The new VRD-MC6 model has a 2.7-inch color LCD screen for previewing video or up to six digital photos at a time, and its overall size is almost 60 percent smaller than its predecessor.
The VRD-MC6 can transfer AVCHD quality videos to DVD discs in their native 1080i HD resolution when connected directly to a Sony hard drive or Memory Stick media-based Handycam camcorder. AVCHD quality DVDs can be played back on compatible Blu-ray Disc devices, including players and computer drives, as well as PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment systems.
The DVDirect VRD-MC6 will retail for around $229 at Sony Style stores and other major retailers around the country and will be available by September.
(Source) Press
Pioneer continues its tradition in delivering quality A/V equipment with the unveiling of four new Elite A/V receivers designed to bring enhanced clarity, detail and dynamic “quick response” from uncompressed Dolby True-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks used in Blu-ray Disc entertainment.
The four new receivers are:
“Our new Elite models deliver remarkable sound quality directly resulting from our collaboration with AIR Studios, which has allowed us to better understand the artistic vision of the studio professional and deliver the emotional impact they imagined for cinema and home audiences alike,” said David Bales, manager of audio marketing and product planning for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
Features:
The Pioneer Elite VSX-21TXH and VSX-23TXH will begin shipping in July 2009 for the suggested retail prices of $700 and $900, respectively. Pioneer’s Elite SC-25TXH and SC-27 are shipping in August 2009 with the suggested retail prices of $1700 and $2000, respectively.
(Source) Press
We are all aware that family memories are priceless but when it comes to an actual figure, everyone is totally clueless. That was until today before UK scientists were able to come up with a formula to figure out just how important and how much memories stored on a blu-ray disc would cost. This coincides with the actual launch of the Panasonic Blu-Ray player in the UK, a prime device that stores those precious memories.
The formula mentioned can be viewed here.
Using variables of vividness, importance and uniqueness, Dr Lewis devised a weighted ‘best-fit’ mathematical model based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults.
The results put an average family Christmas at £542, a wedding at £3 million (that value decreases for second or third weddings!) and a cherished first kiss at just under £23,000. Twenty-one per cent said they would sell any memory for under £10,000 - 1 in 16 said they would be happy with £100 or less.
(Source) Press
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has launched movieIQ, a new Blu-ray Disc feature powered by Gracenote that offers viewers access to a real-time movie database. With the use of a movieIQ-enabled Blu-ray Disc and an internet-connected Blu-ray player, movie buffs can access continuously-updated information on the cast and explore related trivia such music and soundtrack information and production facts concerning the movie.
SPHE will feature movieIQ on Blu-ray Disc titles starting in September and will offer it on all new releases and major catalog titles. movieIQ also utilizes Gracenote’s Video Explore solution, which brings search and navigation capacities to connected consumer electronic devices. Video Explore allows users to search the online Gracenote video database, linking related movies, cast, crew, TV episodes, seasons, DVDs, and Blu-rays.
Back in may, Sony mentioned the Sony BDP-S5000ES Blu-ray Disc Player which was said to be capable of delivering sharper and vibrant images. Today, Sony has once again put the same Blu-ray player in the spotlight, highlighting the Marvell 88DE2710 video processor to produce a more consistent high quality image rendering 1080p image and one of a kind home theater experience.
“We’re delighted to be selected by Sony to provide the video processing solution for their latest Blu-ray player,” said Gaurav Shah, Director of Marketing for the Digital Entertainment Business Unit, Communications and Consumer Business Group at Marvell Semiconductor. “Marvell’s 88DE2710 video format converter gives consumers an immersive, home theater viewing experience for their Blu-ray and DVD content.”
This can only mean that the Sony Blu-ray S5000ES is ready for the various video formats and also the interactive content it can be used to play back. The integration of this Marvell video converter all the more makes it a quality product to have for home theater entertainment addicts from a leading icon brand in the industry.
(Source) Press
Panasonic is the next company to follow the lead of most companies like Pioneer in unveiling new HD recorders in light of the growing trend of full HD in TV broadcasting. For their part, Panasonic unveils three new recorders:
The added feature that these new recorders bring is the Freesat compatibility which allows users to record high quality digital satellite broadcasts as they deem necessary. In terms of audio, the new DMR-BS850 and BS750 support the superior surround sound of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio Essential on Blu-ray DiscTM media.
The new recorders also support Panasonic’s VIERA CAST Internet function, so users can easily access Internet content such as YouTube and Picasa Web Albums and view it on a large-screen TV. With these three new recorders, people can worry less about recording their favorite programs, particularly the ones who don’t want to sacrifice playback quality.
(Source) Press
Pioneer continues its drive in delivering the latest in video entertainment with the unraveling of three new Blu-ray disc players which are now available at retail stores. The three new disc player are:
Pioneer completes the Blu-ray Disc home theater experience by incorporating expandable and built-in memory options in the new player line allowing owners to immediately enjoy supplemental BD-Live entertainment from a Blu-ray Disc.
“This new line of Blu-ray Disc players represents a core Pioneer philosophy to introduce robust home theater products and show our unwillingness to deliver anything less than the best in audio and video performances for consumers,” said Chris Walker, senior manger of Blu-ray Disc marketing and product planning for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
(Source) Press
Pioneer unveils two new professional 1080p HD video devices which will be first showcased at the InfoComm 2009 Expo at Orlando, Florida. The two new devices are the BPD-V6000 Professional Blu-Ray Disc Player and HD V9000 Professional HD Video System aimed at serving the growing demand for high end performance, particularly in the area of advertising and digital signage solutions.
“Pioneer is bringing our long experience with high performance, high reliability industrial video players into this emerging space. It’s what we’re known for, and we’re excited to continue this trend with our new professional products. Through our customer research we identified a strong and growing need for HD playback devices with greater control capabilities that would fulfill the evolution of HD within the industrial A/V realm,” said Sandra Benedetto, director of professional video sales and product planning for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
BPD-V6000 Professional Blu-Ray Disc Player features:
HD V9000 Professional HD Video System features:
The Pioneer BDP-V6000 Professional Blu-ray Disc player will begin shipping by September 2009 while the Pioneer HD-V9000 HD Professional HD Video player is expected to be available by the 1st quarter of 2010. No details on pricing have been revealed as of to date.
(Source) Press
Olympic Broadcasting Services will rely heavily on Panasonic’s P2 HD series with solid-state memory cards for video recording equipment to support the broadcast of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. As in the Beijing Games, Panasonic’s “DVCPRO HD” will be used as the recording format.
All international video delivered from the International Broadcast Center (IBC) — which will reside within the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Center in February 2010 — to the rights-holding broadcasters around the world, will be produced and distributed in 1080i High-Definition (HD) format. Following the HD standard of excellence set by Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 will be the first Winter Olympic Games captured with HD (1080i) equipment.
Panasonic’s digital technologies, which have been used as the official recording format in nine Olympiads, starting with the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, will capture High-Definition video with superb sound quality for distribution by broadcasters to TV viewers worldwide during the Vancouver Winter Games as well.
Panasonic’s advanced HD imaging technologies will make it possible for TV broadcast viewers around the world to share the excitement of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games through the company’s latest flat panel VIERA HDTVs and Home Theater Systems. HD video can also be recorded with Panasonic’s DIGA Blu-ray Disc recorder (where available) so that the excitement of the events can be reproduced any time.
(Source) Press
Thanks to the possible invasion of the Chinese manufacturers, we may soon see the entry of affordable and cheap blu-ray players.
According to a Blu-ray.com report, Chinese manufacturers are preparing to enter the market for the high-definition video players, and this development could mean very aggressive prices for low-end Blu-ray hardware. The Blu-ray Disc Association recently began licensing Blu-ray technology in China, a move that has led Samsung marketing director Mark Leathan to speculate that $99 players aren’t far off, the report states.
Does this mean we’ll see a wide selection of sub-$100 Blu-ray players this holiday shopping season? That sounded a big optimistic, so we sought the advice of NPD Group industry analyst Stephen Baker, who’s also skeptical at this point.
“Black Friday, maybe. It’s entirely possible you could see a few players down at that price level,” says Baker, who adds that it’s a little early to speculate about holiday prices. The industry will have a better idea of holiday pricing by mid-summer.
It’s unlikely that established players such as Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony will sell sub-$100 Blu-ray players, but rather they’ll leave the low end to the Chinese upstarts and other value-sector brands like Magnavox and Sylvania, the Blu-ray.com report says.
(Source) PC World
Sunland International (SLI) has introduced a comprehensive new Blu-ray Disc media creation workflow which can run on Macintosh and Windows platforms. This workflow covers authoring with Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium software, and burning and archiving with a Digistor Self-Powered Blu-ray Writer, which is constructed around Blu-ray technology from Panasonic. “Whether importing from Panasonic P2 HD professional cameras or AVCHD consumer camcorders, the speed and ease of tapeless workflows provide a great boost to productivity,” said Robin Sweeten, strategic marketing manager for Panasonic Industrial Company. “The Digistor Blu-ray Writer enables video professionals to easily add Blu-ray Disc authoring and HD video archiving to their existing workstations and laptops, enabling the ultimate creation of stunning HD content on Panasonic Blu-ray Disc media.”
With a thin, slot-loading, compact and portable external drive, the Digistor Blu-Ray Writer is powered by a single USB 2.0 port, which needs no external A/C power, and profits from efficient power regulation by SLI’s proprietary Intelligent Power Manager. Now through April 30, 2009, a special bundle offer is available to support end-to-end Blu-ray Disc media creation workflow. The bundle includes the Digistor Self-Powered Blu-ray Writer and Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium software for $1,899, a savings of $399 over individual purchase. The Digistor Blu-ray Writer can also be purchased on its own for $599. Both the bundle and the Digistor Blu-Ray Writer are available at: www.slidirect.com/NAB.