Believe it: $70 at Target takes home a new Philips (eh hem, Funai) BDP5010 Blu-ray player that once sold for as much as $250. Hell, it's listed for $139.99 right now on Target's online storefront. If you do manage to track one down in a real life Target store then you'll be getting DivX support, a SDHC card reader, BD Live, and HDMI CEC convenience. While a quick search returns a bevy of mixed reviews (image quality is only so-so), really, for $69.98 you really can't complain if you're looking to finally make the jump to 1080p physical media.

[Thanks, Keith B.]

Philips BDP5010 Blu-ray / Divx player drops below $70 at Target originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's been an under the radar race to 500, but that's how many Blu-ray discs Imagion AG has put together using its dynamicHD BD-Live platform. Many of those are international releases, although their work on CSI and Star Trek:TOS hits closer to home, and now the company is partnering with Giant Interactive to work on more BD-Live discs in the U.S under the BD-Connect name. We're still holding out hope BD-Live lives up to its promise and brings many worthwhile new experiences to Blu-ray discs, are we the only ones? Hello? Anyone?

Imagion AG hits 500 BD-Live movies authored, plans more U.S. Blu-ray releases originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest round of LG, Panasonic and Samsung Blu-ray players begin retail invasion originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in case 3D readiness wasn't enough to get your preorders in for the BDP-S470 and family, Sony Canada has created these videos. embedded after the break, pitting the BDP-S570 against a PS3 Slim in a battle of load times and another showing off the iPhone remote control app. The new standalone player comes out ahead in the battle of speed -- or example of the long and tedious Blu-ray movie loading sequences, depending on your POV -- we'll see if it edges out the game console the next time we find out which one is your favorite player.

Continue reading Sony Canada shows off BDP-S570 Blu-ray load times compared to a PS3

Sony Canada shows off BDP-S570 Blu-ray load times compared to a PS3 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After wisely avoiding being drowned out by the din of CES product launches Oppo has made official its new BDP-80 Blu-ray player. A lower priced version of the existing BDP-83 hardware (a comparison that should be familiar to owners of the company's DV-980H/DV-983H DVD players,) it still features BD-Live compatibility, DVD-Audio and SACD playback but drops the ABT2010 video processor, aluminum faceplate and some of the audio capabilities of its big brother. Other items sliced to get the price down to $289 from $499 are IR in/out, RS-232 control interfaces, and a backlit remote. Assuming one doesn't want to wait for the rebadged $2,500 Lexicon edition, it should be on sale "soon." Universal player fans looking to save a couple of bucks or bring their own video processor to the party can check Oppo's comparison page or the press release after the break.

Continue reading Oppo adds a second, cheaper, Blu-ray player option with the $289 BDP-80

Oppo adds a second, cheaper, Blu-ray player option with the $289 BDP-80 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unfortunately, the most telling element of this Blu-ray news is that it didn't merit a mention during Sony's CES keynote, but a new BD-Live feature will be included on This is It. movieIQ Sync updates the original by allowing users to pull up additional movie info on a PC or iPhone synchronized with the movie -- we're guessing the recently released FBI files won't be included -- without it popping up on the television. The other new feature is the ability to create & share customized playlists of the songs featured in the flick. We've been waiting for an event that would change both the reality and perception of internet connected features on Blu-ray -- and there's still some hope -- but this probably isn't it.

This is It Blu-ray release debuts movieIQ Sync, brings more Michael Jackson info to your iPhone or PC originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamer has finally found a partner in its Blu-ray powered IPTV fantasy now that Blu-TV has debuted on the OPPO BDP-83. As the company envisions it, once loaded, it turns your BD-Live capable Blu-ray player into a video and interactive content gateway anyone can develop apps for once the SDK is released. Already powering an IPTV service in Korea, we got a quick demo of the software running on a PS3 in Dreamer's CES booth and flipped through a quick selection of online marketplaces, simple games and video services. We're not sure how many manufacturers will warm to the idea of opening up players currently limited to their choice of streaming services, but if the apps start to flow, having this as an embedded option could be a differentiating feature as player prices dive.

Continue reading Blu-TV brings interactive IPTV to disc players, starting with the BDP-83

Blu-TV brings interactive IPTV to disc players, starting with the BDP-83 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're not sure why you'd want to spend $1,799 on a 5.1-channel receiver with an integrated Blu-ray deck when you can mix-and-match plenty of terrific 7.1 receivers and BD players separately for far less, but hey -- it's CES and Denon's introducing the S-5BD in case you do. Sure, it'll do BD-Live and do two-source, two-zone audio distribution with 3 HDMI inputs and an optional iPod control dock, but you know you're doing something wrong when you have to buy a separate amp to use the 7.1-channel analog outputs. Denon, you have made us shake our heads in confusion. Congratulations. In return we offer you this gift of PR after the break.

Continue reading Denon S-5BD combines a receiver with a Blu-ray deck, costs too much

Denon S-5BD combines a receiver with a Blu-ray deck, costs too much originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Sharp's BD-HP70U Blu-ray player adds a little red with Netflix support

Sharp's BD-HP70U Blu-ray player adds a little red with Netflix support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like the LG BD390, the new LG Blu-ray player has WiFi, BD Live, VUDU and DLNA, what's new is the 250GB hard drive. Now the first thing we thought of when we heard LG was including a hard drive was Managed Copy, but there's no mention of it in the press release. What is in there though is the ability to download VUDU movies, pictures, music and more to it. This is especially useful if your Blu-ray player isn't well connected since it allows you to sneaker net your content or to copy it over and play it back later. There's no mention of price or availability, but this guy does have two little brothers, the BD550 and BD570, that feature many of the same internet features, but don't have a hard drive.

Continue reading New LG BD590 Blu-ray player sports a 250GB hard drive

New LG BD590 Blu-ray player sports a 250GB hard drive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in case you weren't sure what's inside, these boxes for the upcoming Jason Bourne Blu-ray releases -- due on Universal's new flipper DVD combo discs -- are very clear about what to expect. While they may be slightly better than our Photoshopped imagining, we suspect even more than a blazing BOTH VERSIONS ON ONE DISC header, it will be the (still unrevealed) pricetag that either pull customers in or pushes them away January 19.

Bourne DVD / Blu-ray combo boxes are incredibly descriptive originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the main problems with initial Blu-ray director's chat sessions was a lack of feeling any life or interactivity, but Warner gave it another shot this weekend by offering audio over BD-Live as a moderator bounced audience provided questions off of director McG while watching Terminator: Salvation. Despite a less than stellar reputation, BD-Live has continued to slowly creep along, adding features and enhancements, so we wanted to if this event bodes well for the future of internet enabled discs. Check after the break for our impressions, plus a few clips of the director talking about what he did and didn't like about the finished product, director's cuts in general, and the possibility of doing another Terminator movie.

Continue reading Terminator: Salvation BD-Live director commentary impressions

Terminator: Salvation BD-Live director commentary impressions originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Once upon a time Universal was the hybrid disc king, with plans to release up to 90% of its 2007 HD DVD titles on the dual sided discs, but we know how that ended. Now the company is back to its old tricks, ready to ship the first BD-59 discs with a 50GB Blu-ray / 9GB DVD configuration promising movie and all available special features in whichever format is desired. The expensive answer to a question no one was asking or the perfect way to add future proofing and extended compatibility to new movie purchases? We'll know more once a price is announced for the Jason Bourne trilogy of movies -- seeing their first individual Blu-ray releases -- due on January 19.

Universal's BD-59 Blu-ray / DVD flip discs to debut on Bourne trilogy releases originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It didn't crack the podium on our most anticipated Blu-ray poll behind current number one selling Star Trek, but Terminator: Salvation's feature-laden release December 1 has already made the review circuit and come away with some widely varying opinions. The good news is the picture doesn't disappoint, with a clear transfer and elaborate special effects, although BigPictureBigSound's reviewer found a few issues with a bluish matte line appearing at times, plus a few notes about compression and noise in clouds of dust and smoke also noted in other reviews. On the audio front, the DTS-HD MA soundtrack by all accounts is an impressive treatment, with the only "problem" that viewers might want to dial back slightly on the bass to avoid waking the neighbors. Of the extras included in the U.S. release of the film, the only real issue seems to be a lack of seamless branching, requiring viewers to forego the Director's Cut and its extra few minutes of Moon Bloodgood in order to walk through the flick in Maximum Movie mode with director McG and others showing how they pulled off many of the shots. The European edition released by Sony does feature seamless branching, although CNET UK and DVD Times both complained of slow loads and glitches on their players as a result, with the latter also finding some possible compression issues from being squeezed on one disc. Whatever your choice, check the reviews and make it soon as Warner is planning a one time only BD-Live community screening with the director answering questions via audio December 5.

Terminator: Salvation Blu-ray review roundup originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players

Man, poor Toshiba. The company's already sucked up its pride and started putting Blu-ray drives in its laptops, but here's its first stab at a proper standalone player, the BDX2000, on Best Buy shelves a bit early for $199 -- or $50 less than its announced price. Sure, that makes sense given the falling prices of Blu-ray decks as the holidays approach, but even at that price it's not super competitive with the slew of other decks out there that can do Netflix streaming. We'll see if Tosh's next efforts are a little more interesting than this, or if this is just more heartbreak than its worth.

[Thanks, Alex]

Continue reading Toshiba's BDX2000 Blu-ray deck hits Best Buy for $199, sour grapes also on sale

Toshiba's BDX2000 Blu-ray deck hits Best Buy for $199, sour grapes also on sale originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Polls, Blu-ray

With Christmas right around the corner and the CEA predicting that consumers will spend more on electronics this year then last, we have to wonder what our dear readers think is the best Blu-ray player. Of course the PS3 is the most obvious answer since it pulls double duty as a gaming device, but movie lovers might prefer a standalone with other streaming features like VUDU or Netflix. At the same time, home automation nuts might prefer a player with discrete IR codes or maybe an RS-232 port. So keeping everything include the price in mind, which is the best Blu-ray player?

Poll: What is the best Blu-ray player? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others, Internet

Though they've been floating around retail channels for a few weeks, Best Buy and Netflix have finally made official a partnership bringing streaming to the latest Insignia Blu-ray players. The NS-BRDVD3 runs $179, while the NS-WBRDVD edition tosses in WiFi for $20 more, while they won't stream out of the box, a firmware update just made available should add all that Watch Instantly goodness. These two keep the (we'll be nice and call it plain) styling of earlier models, and likely live up to the family reputation of "basic Blu-ray playback at a bargain" reported on the second generation of players. Of course, the BD-P1600 offers more features and a nicer reputation at about the same price, but Reward Zone members may want to think twice, with AVS Forum posters mentioning the NS-BRDVD3 can be had for just $99.99 through the 24th. Decisions, decisions.

Read - Best Buy and Netflix Announce Partnership to Instantly Stream Movies Over the Internet Via Latest Models of Insignia Blu-ray Disc Players
Read - Save $50 On Select INSIGNIA(R) Connected Blu-ray Disc[TM] Players with Netflix [Via AVS Forum]

Netflix, Best Buy deal brings Watch Instantly streaming to even cheaper Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

The unglamorous but so-necessary job of making sure all those Blu-ray discs and players work nicely together has long been the aim of BluFocus, which has most recently become the first and only BDA approved site in the U.S. for Movie Player Verification. While certification and compatibility testing is usually the kind of thing we only consider when something doesn't work, it's always good to know this on someone's mind. Any recent Blu-ray compatibility complaints? Let the folks at BluFocus know on their website.

BluFocus gets BDA official stamp as the first U.S. movie player testing center originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, LG, Internet

We jumped the gun a little a few weeks ago when we told you that the LG BD390 firmware update that would enable access to VUDU was live, so we wanted to let you know it was finally available -- for real this time. So next time you have a chance, turn on your player while it is connected to the internet and you should be prompted to install the update. After that is just a matter of activating it on VUDU's website, so yeah, pretty painless. If you're still unsure, you should check out our full review, but we think you'll find it as useful as we did.

Continue reading VUDU goes live on the LG BD390

VUDU goes live on the LG BD390 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Media streamers, Internet

We have to admit that we've been intrigued by VUDU since its very beginning and although it is far from perfect, is is the closest thing we've seen to our dream of being able to watch whatever we want, whenever we want, and at a quality level that is acceptable -- and our definition of acceptable is much, much higher than most's. So of course we were excited to learn that LG was adding VUDU to the BD390 Blu-ray player. The big news here is that this adds yet another great HD source to an already full featured Blu-ray player. Now from our geeky perspective -- it also added a perfect way for us to compare multiple HD sources; including Blu-ray, Netflix Watch Now and VUDU HDX on the same box. But of course you'll have to click through after the break to find out why these three HD sources don't really compare.

Continue reading VUDU on the LG BD390 review

VUDU on the LG BD390 review originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Press shots are great and all, but you really can't appreciate a great piece of hardware from the likes of Yamaha until you see it in person. Of course the two new players were just announced so unless you went to CEDIA -- not trying to rub it in or anything -- you'll have to live vicariously through us and enjoy our pictures. Contrary to what we originally reported, both BD-S1900 and BD-S1065 feature a detachable power cord, and in addition, the 1900 also offers a direct mode that will help the obsessive compulsive type rest easy knowing their Blu-ray player is just passing on the original bits from the disc untouched.

A up-close look at Yamaha's two new Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

No such thing as enough Blu-ray players in the world right? Seems just like yesterday we were searching show floors for prototypes and now we live in a time when you can rest assure that your favorite brand has more than one Blu-ray player to choose from. Now if you love Yamaha but couldn't stomach the price of the BD-S2900, then you'll be happy to hear about its new little brothers, the BD-S1900 (pictured) and BD-S1065 which are $699 and $599. Both have just about every Blu-ray related feature a HD videophile is looking for, like BD Live and full audio codec support. The main difference you get to enjoy for the additional benjamin is RS-232 control, detachable power cord, aluminum front panel and gold plated output terminals. We assume that most will pass on these, but can't ever hate on a company for offering more options and at least some will pay a premium for those premium integrator type features.

Read BD-S1900
Read BD-S1065

Yamaha adds two new models to its Blu-ray lineup originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Media streamers, LG

As far as picture and audio quality, it is impossible to beat Vudu in HD streaming business. And for that reason we're happy to see some of our favorite products like the LG BD390 working with Vudu. We had a chance to catch up with Vudu at the LG's CEDIA booth and ask them a few questions. Apparently there were a few changes to the encoding techniques necessary to transition from a disk based device to all streaming, including more profiles to adapt to different broadband connections. We have ot say that our overall initial impression was that the changes went off without a hitch. One question we didn't get answered though was whether or not the Dolby Digital Plus used in downloaded stream could be bitstreamed to an AVR via HDMI -- the original Vudu hardware could only output vanilla Dolby Digital -- but we were promised an answer. In other words you'll know as soon as we do, so in the meantime click through and enjoy the short demo.

Continue reading Video: Vudu on the LG BD390 Blu-ray player

Video: Vudu on the LG BD390 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Sharp

Sharp has waited for CEDIA to refresh its top of the line Blu-ray player and for good reason. You see although the older BD-UP50U was only Profile 1.1, and lacked most of the features we expect today, it was the only affordable BD player that featured RS-232 for home automation control. The good news is that control freaks won't have to make that much of a compromise anymore because the new BD-UP52U still has the aforementioned control interface, but also has has all the great Blu-ray features you're looking for -- you know like BD Live, a network adapter (apparently no WiFi) and the latest audio codecs. No fancy streaming services like Netflix or Vudu yet though, but the price and availability is all right at $379.99 this October. And the rep promised we'd see Netflix very very soon.

Sharp refreshes its top of the line Blu-ray player with the BD-UP52U originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

It sounds like Sherwood took critical reviews of its BDP-5003 Blu-ray player to heart when it worked up the plans for the successor. The BDP-5004 is taking a bow at CEDIA in advance of its October release, and the wrongs have been righted -- it's a Profile 2.0 player with onboard decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, it has 5.1-channel analog outputs around back so you can get some more miles out of your old receiver, and it's targeted for just a nickel under $200. If that's still not enough for you, how does DiVX support through a front-panel USB port sound? If you can't bring yourself to consider a deck that doesn't do the online streaming thing, though, keep looking.

Sherwood BDP-5004 Blu-ray player moves up to Profile 2.0, down to $200 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Toshiba

If you thought Toshiba's IFA Blu-ray showing was weak, consider its CEDIA display: simply a BDX2000 player connected to nothing at all. We understand, the format war was long and bitter, but c'mon Tosh, you could at least act excited about offering customers 1080p disc players again.

Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player seen slumming it at CEDIA originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Sony

What you're looking at here is the latest addition to the Sony Blu-ray family. The BDP-N460 seemingly fits right in between the BDP-S360 and the BDP-S560 with an MSRP of $249. What sets it apart from its little brother is the fact that it can use its included network jack for more than just BD-Live and it features a USB port on the front, in addition to the one on the back for optional BD-Live storage. There's no built in WiFi or MKV support like other brands though, but it is shipping with access to YouTube and to Bravia Internet Video, and in addition Sony promises Netflix Watch Instantly later this fall. No word on whether this means the end for the BDP-S360, but considering the price and improved features of the 460, that's where we'd put our money.

Continue reading Sony's new BDP-N460 Blu-ray player adds access to internet content

Sony's new BDP-N460 Blu-ray player adds access to internet content originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Media streamers, Players, LG

LG's WiFi-enabled, DivX-friendly BD390 Blu-ray player has been shipping here in the States since May, but not until now have you really had a reason to pick one up. Here at CEDIA, VUDU is taking one step further away from its standalone movie set-top-box by announcing that the aforementioned deck will become the first of its kind to tap into VUDU's growing library of on-demand film rentals. Of course, adding VUDU to this player was a natural move given the built-in Ethernet port, though users will have to wait until the end of this month to suck down the free update. In case you're wondering, the VUDU interface on LG's player will be the same as the one found on the company's own hardware (not to mention a few LG HDTVs), and the $399 price point will remain the same even after the new functionality is added.

Continue reading VUDU equips LG's BD390 Blu-ray player with movie streaming abilities

VUDU equips LG's BD390 Blu-ray player with movie streaming abilities originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Internet

We'll say it right up front -- BD-Live hasn't impressed early, but we're not going to give up on it altogether. For the most part, it has underwhelmed because of uninspired implementation, not the technology itself. While we skip right by most BD-Live features, however, consumers are connecting their decks to the cloud some 4-million times each month to grab up freebies, according to Deluxe Digital Studios. What's the most popular kind of feature that users are getting their hands on? Trailers, of course -- reinforcing our "uninspired" comment. The linked post at Video Business hints at exciting new BD-Live developments like social networking and hooking into mobile devices, and we'd like to see some of these ideas get traction. But our advice is that if Hollywood doesn't "... want people to feel like they are being marketed to," then just don't market to them. Crazy talk, we know, but share your crazy ideas below.

BD-Live scores 4-million monthly connections, and that's a lot of trailers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Toshiba

Aside from the new JournE touch, the other main thrust at IFA's booth is Blu-ray -- at least, one would think. In reality, when we finally found the lone BDX2000, the LCD it was plugged into was off, while numerous DVD players and upscaling tech demos littered the surrounding booth area. Once we got a rep to turn it on for us, the Blu-ray player seemed to work just fine, as should be expected. The new Blu-ray equipped P500, however, wasn't so successful: our colleagues at Engadget Spanish watched an attempted Blu-ray showing on the laptop go awry, and by the time we'd dropped by the booth, any Blu-ray models of the P500 had been pulled from the show floor due to crashiness. In talking with a Toshiba rep, it's clear that the company hasn't abandoned its ideas of internet distribution and other alternatives to the once rival format of Blu-ray. The company is looking into a solution that uses a Blu-ray disc and BD Live to stream internet media to the player, and has packed in decent codec support for playing back media off of the BDX2000's SD card reader. We're sure Toshiba will figure out its P500 woes before the laptop ships to consumers, but there's no lack of interestingness in these first displays of Toshiba's "commitment" to the Blu-ray format.

Toshiba makes timid Blu-ray showing at IFA, still believes in other forms of HD distribution originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Philips

Philips has definitely shifted most of its consumer electronics efforts into continents not named North America, but given that IFA's taking place in Berlin, it makes sense to see so much new kit flowing from the company. The latest wares to make their debut on the show floor is the BDP9500 and BDP7500 Blu-ray players, both of which handle 7.1 audio with poise and offer up 1080p video playback for those with BD libraries. The flagship 9500 also includes a Qdeo video processor and a sleek aluminum shell, not to mention Burr-Brown analog-to-digital converters and DVD upscaling for those other movies. There's no mention of pricing and availability just yet, but with the holiday shopping season just around the bend, we'd guess the folks at Philips are working hard to get these out on the double [Warning: PDF read link]

Philips gets stylish with BDP9500 and BDP7500 Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Samsung

Samsung hasn't been shy about sliding streaming video into its Blu-ray players with Netflix and Blockbuster OnDemand already making an appearance, and it announced at IFA that YouTube will be joining them in Q4. Whether watching grainy webcam footage (or even possibly renting movies) is your thing, we're a bit more surprised but no less pleased to hear MKV container support is also making its way into new hardware, while owners of existing players (no word which ones) can add the functionality via upgrade.

Samsung Blu-ray players adding YouTube, MKV support originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Toshiba

And so it is. Toshiba, the one-time cheerleader for HD-DVD, has now officially gone to the azure side with the BDX2000 Blu-ray player. It supports BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC), outputs 1080p at 24 frames per second, and does Dolby True HD / DTS-HD Master Audio... but really, all that needs to be said here is that it's a Toshiba Blu-ray player. Look for this one-time paradox this November for a penny under $250. As for yesteryear, we think this line from the press release says it best: "This product does not play HD DVD discs." It's at once both sad and poetic that this very well may be the last official line ever uttered in the once-promising format's story.

Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player coming November for $250, gives HD-DVD the final cold shoulder originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Sony

You know, we never thought that it was that big of a deal to change CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs by hand. Seriously, if you're too lazy to walk two feet to your entertainment center you probably didn't want to see Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch that badly in the first place. On the other hand, we are gadget fiends and part of us can see the logic in something like Sony's 400-disc Mega Charger. Hell, if a Blu-ray player is good, one that holds 400 discs must be 400 times as good, right? Well, maybe. As far as players go, this guy does pretty well, according to the reviewer at Electronic House. In fact, video quality was deemed "excellent" and on-screen navigation was a snap. And you can't find fault with any player that supports Gracenote (especially if you're going to store hundreds of discs in the thing). On the other hand, the lack of Netflix and DLNA integration, WiFi, or even memory for BD-Live functionality (you'll have to supply your own USB thumb drive, it seems) just might cramp your style. So what do you think? Do you have 400 Blu-ray discs? Think you ever will have 400 Blu-ray discs? Then hit the read link and check out the sordid tale for yourself.

Sony's 400-disc Blu-ray Mega Changer reviewed, huge originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, DVRs

Now that Toshiba's getting in on the Blu-ray train, Sony needs to up its game. Enter a quintet of new players, each packing TV recording tech, overlapping feature sets, and seemingly nonsensical names. Starting at the low end is the BDZ-RS10, which sports a measly single digital tuner and 320GB worth of storage. Next up is the BDZ-EX30, adding a second digital tuner and a Blu-ray recorder into the action. Then the BDZ-EX50 moves up to 500GB of storage and adds PSP support, the BDZ-RX100 goes up to a full 1TB, and the BDZ-EX200 2TB. All but the lowest two support DLNA and can spin an hours worth of video to a PSP or X-1000 in under two minutes, meaning you could sync the entire Battlestar Galactica series in just over two hours and get your Cylon fix wherever you like.

Sony introduces five new feature-packed, confusingly-named Blu-ray DVRs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other hardware, Players, Toshiba

We'd already heard that Toshiba -- the outfit best known for solidly backing HD DVD during the two-year format war of the early 21st century -- was preparing to swallow its pride and kick out a Blu-ray player by the year's end, but now it's official. The outfit just announced moments ago that it has "applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and plans to introduce products that support the Blu-ray format." Sadly, Tosh doesn't bother to mention exactly what kinds of BD-capable wares it hopes to produce, nor is it ready to disclose product launch time frames. We'd tell you exactly how it wants us to just be patient and all, but you're probably better off hearing it directly from the horse's trap:

"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."

Toshiba applies for BDA admission, Blu-ray players and laptops coming soon originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

We'd heard VIZIO's VBR100 BD-Live ready (& timed Wal-mart exclusive) Blu-ray player would be making an appearance this month, and our friends over at FormatWarCentral have not only spotted the rare bird in the wild, but brought one home and performed a video unboxing for all to experience. Be prepared for bad news like a lack of high definition cables included in the $178 package, though coax and optical audio outputs plus the too often-forgotten rear mounted USB port are welcome bonuses. Still avoiding the potential trampling issue at Wal-mart? Other stores should have a similar VBR110 model soon, check the video beyond the link or embedded after the break and imagine the packaging splayed about your own living room.

Continue reading VIZIO VBR100 Blu-ray player freed from superstore confines, unboxed on video

VIZIO VBR100 Blu-ray player freed from superstore confines, unboxed on video originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

We finally got a peek at the new BD-Live capable Blu-ray player from Marantz a couple of weeks ago, but you should be able to take a peek at the UD9004 yourself, as it began shipping today. For a cool six grand, give or take, the all in one CD, SACD, DVD Audi and Blu-ray playing beast can be yours, complete with internal HD audio decoding, Silicon Optix Realta chipset, 7.1 analog outputs and more. Check out all the specs and details in the press release after the break, though we suspect many of you are wondering just how many Oppo BDP-83 players that $5,999 MSRP could buy.

Continue reading Marantz $6K UD9004 Blu-ray player now shipping

Marantz $6K UD9004 Blu-ray player now shipping originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Looks like Sony isn't the only one ready to take a crack at improving BD-Live, Fox has revealed its "Live Lookup" feature, that will pull info from IMDB.com related to the movie being watched, slated to appear first on the Wolverine Blu-ray. Besides an internet hookup, Wolverine will bring a 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack, a digital copy and several Blu-ray exclusive featurettes when it is released September 15. Ready to find out if the performance of Fox's Java applet navigated via remote can beat having a laptop sitting open next to you?

Read - Fox Shares X-Men Origins: Wolverine Blu-ray Details and Cover Art
Read - Fox launches BD Live feature with Wolverine

Wolverine Blu-ray disc includes BD-Live access to IMDB originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo has introduced two new 7.1-channel home theater systems that it claims deliver leading edge AV processing and surround sound reproduction for HDTV and Blu-ray.
The HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 each feature powerful AV receivers with 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs, 130 watt-per-channel amplification, processing for every major audio format on the market.

Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sony

While nothing here solves Blu-ray's number one problem, price, there's no denying Sony's got some fun tech on display in its new 400 disc Blu-ray MegaChanger and the new BDP-S1000ES single disc Blu-ray player with WiFi. The MegaChanger presents a lovable XMB-style, Gracenote-powered onscreen menu for sorting through all the media stashed in your MegaChanger, and the S1000ES packs in 802.11n for BD-Live, along with premium analog outs and some dashing good looks for the well-heeled enthusiasts. $1,900 and $700 of respective awesomeness? Well, that's up to you decide.

Sony's new MegaChanger and ES Blu-ray players in the flesh originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Lexicon owners who have been holding out for a brand-matched Blu-ray deck will want to turn an eye towards CEDIA, where the company will debut its BD-30 player. Hopefully by then, the Profile 2.0 player will also be wearing a THX-approved badge on the fact-tag that includes universal disc support, fast loading, Anchor Bay VRS video processing, and -- wait for it -- RS-232 control. The tin-foil hat crowd will find something to like in the PR that touts the decoding and mixing of lossless codecs in the player for LPCM streaming to downstream Lexicon gear, and makes no mention of bitstreaming. You know this isn't going to be priced for mere mortals when it releases in September, and Lexicon doesn't disappoint -- $3,499 should fit in with cross-shopping against Denon and Marantz.

Lexicon prepping BD-30 Blu-ray deck for CEDIA originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Sony

When we first got our hands-on the 400 disc MegaChanger pictured above we'd hoped it would be out a little earlier; but never the less the wait is almost over as Sony officially announced plans to release the BDP-CX7000ES in August, for the hard to swallow price of $1,900 -- about $400 less than rumored. The good news is that it does just about everything we can think of, like handle any Blu-ray Disc, DVD or CD with ease, and of course works with the latest codecs delivered via bitstream or LPCM. Now if you just have to have a Blu-ray changer, but wish it was half the price, you can wait a few more months for the BDP-CX960 for $800. You will however have to be willing to forgo things like RS-232 and IR-in, as well as the ES badge. Also shipping in August with the ES MegaChanger is the BDP-S1000ES. This standalone Blu-ray player is at the top of line and for $700 you get just about every feature and spec Blu-ray has to offer, as well as built-in WiFi and a DLNA client. The full details of all three are in the release after the jump.

Continue reading Sony's Blu-ray MegaChanger hits the streets next month with new ES standalone

Sony's Blu-ray MegaChanger hits the streets next month with new ES standalone originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other formats, Sony

If you have the dominant high-def optical storage format -- which can serve both movies and games with equal aplomb -- built right into your consoles, shouldn't you be leveraging that synergy? Sony certainly thinks so, and it seems Warner Bros agrees. The two heavyweight sluggers have today announced the very first "hybrid" Blu-ray retail package: the Director's Cut of Watchmen is being sold together with the PS3 version of Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 for $49.99. Though this collectible package comes on two discs, the ultimate idea is to have both the game and film on the same disc. At present, you're not saving anything by going this route, but should somebody at Sony HQ wake up and offer a financial incentive to buy them, these hybrid discs could gain traction pretty rapidly -- heck, we might even see worthwhile titles make an appearance on 'em.

PlayStation 3 gets game-plus-film 'hybrid' discs, first one comes on two discs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More flesh has been added to Toshiba's plans to bring out a Blu-ray player - it is likely to be called the BD-18 and could be available as soon as the year end.
The company, which backed the HD DVD high-definition format that eventually lost to Sony's prevailing Blu-ray, had stubbornly maintained it would not bring out a Blu-ray player and instead focused on its XDE DVD-upscaling technology.

Filed under: Blu-ray, HD DVD, Players, Toshiba

Need a little something to get you over the Saturday lull? Gnaw on this. Japan's own Yomiuri is reporting today that Toshiba is expected to finally admit defeat and enter the dark, devious world of Blu-ray later this year. For those keeping tabs, we've heard both confirmations and denials about the outfit finally caving and supporting the format it once battled so valiantly, but this seems to solidify it. If machine translation is to be believed, the company's first DVD / Blu-ray deck will boast a BD 18 label, and it's slated for release somewhere in the world by the year's end. The article also mentions that Tosh is strongly considering a Blu-ray recorder for the Japanese market, though no further details on that are available. C'mon Toshiba -- get this bad boy to the States before Christmas. We're anxious for a BD price war.

[Thanks, Rata]

Toshiba launching BD 18 Blu-ray player by year's end originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Features, Reviews, Blu-ray, Samsung

Continue reading Samsung BD-P4600 review

Samsung BD-P4600 review originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Pioneer

Already on shelves in their U.S. forms, Pioneer's BDP-LX52 and BDP-320 Blu-ray players are just now going on sale in the UK but Electricpig has already gotten some time with them. It seems they found their audio technology including the jitter-eliminating Precision Quartz Lock System rather impressive, though whether that audio setup is enough to convince buyers to separate themselves from £550 or £400 (respectively) for one of these remains to be seen. Anyway, there's plenty of in the wild pics, we know how much you like gazing at knobs and "BD-ROM BDMV" blinking displays, so we'll just leave you to it.

Pioneer BDP-LX52 & BDP-320 blu-ray players get the hands on treatment originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other formats, Players, Others

It's been a long (long!) time coming, but we're thrilled to finally be able to say that OPPO's multifaceted BDP-83 is shipping en masse to those willing to part with five bills. During our time with the player, we were duly impressed with most every aspect, and if you're still on the hunt for a Blu-ray player that can spin DVD-Audio and SACD on the side, you'll be hard pressed to find a better option than this. So, who's taking the plunge?

[Via High-Def Digest]

OPPO's long-awaited BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player now shipping originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Panasonic

Apparently blissfully unaware of how much the Engadget staff has paid for the events of the last CES to be forgotten, Panasonic is promoting the UK launch of its FreeSat+ compatible series of Blu-ray recorders (£999 for the 500GB DMR-BS850) by promising to archive ones most valuable memories. Is that enough for you to navigate the various copy protection flags towards Blu-ray disc archival, or will you risk the family Christmas video (worth £542) on something less than a 50GB Blu-ray disc?

Panasonic justifies Blu-ray recorder cost by asking "How much are memories worth to you?" originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Weren't on the invited pre-order list for the Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player? Our tipster Mike gave us the heads up that those not on the initial list can now go ahead and lay down $499 to pre-order one of the universal players, expected to ship sometime between July 1 - 3. All you have to do is check out our hands on or the comments from some previous owners to see why this fast loading, SACD & DVD-Audio playing box is so highly regarded already.

[Thanks, Mike]

Oppo BDP-83 pre-orders now open for all (in North America) originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Beyond its Facebook ties, the Watchmen Blu-ray set will include the opportunity to participate in a BD-Live session with the director while he's live at Comic-Con four days after its release on July 25. Hopefully able to do a better job of creating a live experience for home viewers than our experience with Hellboy II: The Golden Army or The Dark Knight, Video Business reports event attendees can watch the movie and observer director Zack Snyder's responses. Other details revealed during a media presentation yesterday included the Blu-ray cut's Maximum Movie Mode, a session that takes the run time up to three hours so Snyder can step in and explain various behind the scenes details of the movie -- only hardcore fans need apply.

Watchmen BD-Live director's chat set for Comic-Con originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Philips

Leave it to Philips to make these kinds of claims now that its hardware isn't coming over to the U.S., but apparently its still yet-to-launch BDP7300 Blu-ray player is the fastest loading one yet. No word on exactly how fast that is, but several UK sites are reporting the claim for this hardware, scheduled to hit shelves sometime later this month. What we do know is included is all the usual features like BD-Live, Dolby TrueHD and DTS MA, DivX and AVC HD playback, but until someone lays down £249 and grabs a stopwatch, just how fast it is will be a matter of contention.

Philips "fastest" BDP7300 Blu-ray player launches this month in the UK originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Are you one of the more than 4,000 people (86%) that answered our poll saying you thought BD-Live was a waste of time, or didn't see any reason to give it a shot? We talked to Sony Pictures recently and were promised that more useful reasons for hooking the internet to Blu-ray discs & players were on the way, and today at a press event it showed why it thinks that will come true. Check out the the gallery for a few pics of its new MovieIQ app, quickly described as a "wiki for movies" that can tie into your discs and provide information from Gracenote on demand on nearly anything in the movie or even specific scene being watched, from actors & directors to background music. The first BD-Live discs with it should be available in September, we'll be back with more details shortly, for now just let the images do the talking.

Sony Pictures to smarten up Blu-ray with MovieIQ, the "killer app for BD-Live" originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sharp

The UK is getting its own taste of Sharp provided BD-Live Blu-ray playing tech with the BD-HP22H, complete with DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD and 1080p24 support. Still, to get buyers to come up with the £199.99 pricetag, its touting a 0.7W/standby 20W/playing energy rating. Buyers should be able to decide if that's worth a few quid later on this month.

Sharp BD-HP22H takes a green approach to Blu-ray in the U.K. originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players

Finally, here's a peek at the Marantz UD9004 Blu-ray / SACD player announced a couple of months ago. Besides posing for the cameras, it has a release date and price now available, due in Japan next month at a cool 577,500 yen ($5,894 U.S.) As mentioned, all that doesn't buy DVD-Audio support, but 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta chipset, BD-Live, and RS-232 are present and accounted for those with the requisite taste and pocketbooks.

Marantz UD9004 SACD / Blu-ray player combo priced & dated originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

So many months later, new downloadable content is arriving for those Transformers Blu-ray discs, with Paramount planning to unleash a ton of promotional content for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen on June 16. Owners of the DVD version can use their access key to log on to a special website, while BD-Live connected Blu-ray owners can view the 25~ minutes of special features directly through their players. Video Business wonders if Blu-ray owners without BD-Live will be able to log in to the website but hasn't heard back yet, we'd ask there will be any treats for HD DVD but Michael Bay probably put the kibosh on that.

Read - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Sneak Peek via Blu-ray and DVD
Read - Paramount loads Transformers with sequel specials

Transformers Blu-ray owners get an early peek at the sequel via BD-Live originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

See that player right there? It looks really familiar, doesn't it? Aside from a power adapter that's suited for use in the United States of America, it's essentially the BDP 10 sans a zero. Shortly after announcing its first Blu-ray deck overseas, Harman Kardon has seen fit to offer up a model here in the States, with BD-Live functionality, a USB socket, HDMI 1.3a, Ethernet, IR-remote in / out jacks, optical / coaxial digital audio outputs and support for all the major audio formats. The pain? $499, and it should start filtering into retailers as early as this month.

Harman Kardon brings Blu-ray to America with BDP 1 deck originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Pioneer

Well, that didn't take long, now did it? Right on the heels of the UK announcement, Pioneer's trifecta of Profile 2.0 Blu-ray decks -- the BDP-120, BDP-320 and pictured BDP-23FD (known as the BDP-LX52 in European trim) -- got their official US intro to the tune of $299, $399 and $599, respectively. The specs from the January peek at these models remain intact, but covering three price brackets requires some points of differentiation; in this case provided by various video processing magic, onboard persistent storage for the BDP-320 and BDP-23FD, and missing 7.1-channel analog outs on the BDP-120. Oh yeah, and you just know that the BDP-23FD gets that swank Elite badging.

Pioneer's Blu-ray player trio gets official in the US originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Pioneer

Pioneer has introduced a familiar trio of Blu-ray players to the British market -- entry-level, midrange and a high-end LX model. The company is going to kick things off in the middle in June when the BDP-320 (pictured) shows up on shelves wearing a £400 MSRP, followed in July by the appearance of the £550 BDP-LX52 and £270 BDP-120 for those who need more luxury or cash, respectively. All models are Profile 2.0 and lossless codec support, but it doesn't look like the UK-spec models of the BDP-120 and 320 don't seem to carry the 7.1-channel analog output thats the US models do, so it's either pony up for the LX52 or go the Bitstream route, friends. Persistent storage is handled by an 2GB USB flash drive for BDP-120 buyers, the other two models have onboard storage.

Pioneer brings more affordable Blu-ray options to UK originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Pioneer

Filling your need for 1080p sources in digital signage, museums, video walls, houses of worship, public displays, nightclubs, opium dens and broadcast, Pioneer has taken the wraps off of the BDP-V6000 professional Blu-ray disc player, complete with RS-232C support, "enhanced search" through a disc's menus and time code, Pro GUI, BD-Live and rack mount kit. No price, though interested buyers should expect a September launch, though you can get an in-person demo at Infocomm later this month. If you prefer your high res video from SD/SDHC cards, Pioneer's also announced the HD-V9000, ready for stand alone operation or control via RS-232C or over a network for high end applications, no price tag or final specs on that one, though it is due in early 2010.

Pioneer BDP-V6000 is a Blu-ray player for the pros originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, LG, Internet

So, why can't Yanks get ahold of these Blu-ray recorders again? All pent-up rage aside, what we're looking at above is LG's yet-to-be-formally-announced HR400, a Blu-ray recorder that will evidently be aimed initially at the European market. Packing BD-Live (Profile 2.0) support, a built-in DVB-T TV tuner and YouTube compatibility, this deck also arrives with 160GB of internal hard drive space for holding OTA recordings. Heck, this thing can even play back DivX HD files, stream media clips from other places on your network and upscale DVDs to 1080p. Is all that worth €599 ($852)? We're saying no, but you and your wallet can make your own darn decisions.

LG's HR400 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray recorder gets outed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Warner Home Video has finally officially slated the Fringe: Season One Blu-ray set for September 8, and included a few details about what to expect on the 5 disc set. The audio tops out with a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack, but there will be a special Fringe Pattern Analysis extra bringing in "experts" to dissect 6 select scenes with notes photos and diagrams aimed to fill the hearts of those dedicated enough to spot The Watcher in each episode and decode the symbols that flashed before each one. Also included to go above and beyond the DVD experience are BD-Live powered treats with Media Center, My Commentary and a somewhat vague note about exclusive commentary on the season finale with creator JJ Abrams. Feel excited enough to drop the $79.98 MSRP ($55.99 on Amazon)? Check after the break for an animated .gif of the lenticular packaging if you need just a little (really little) more incentive.

Continue reading Fringe: Season One has some Blu-ray exclusives in store September 8

Fringe: Season One has some Blu-ray exclusives in store September 8 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 29 May 2009 22:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Set-top boxes, Others, Internet

So far, BD-Live seems like an answer to a question no one particularly cares about, but we're still holding out hope that the technology will be put to good use by someone. The devil's in the details (read - please make it pleasant to use), but putting Profile 2.0 into service as a streaming service like Videocity is promising sounds like a step in the right direction. Lest we forget Dreamer's efforts along the same lines, the company is showing off its Java-based BIDDLE API to developers in hopes of gaining some traction for "BluTube" type of applications. Yeah, we need another way of accessing YouTube about as much as we need more dust bunnies behind the TV, but we see way more potential on this front than, say, Yakuza Fighter redux. With wireless networking, more codecs and increased persistent storage showing up in Blu-ray decks, APIs like BIDDLE just might make the line between STBs and Blu-ray players really blurry -- and if it means we can eBay away some of those STBs, we're all for it.

Dreamer trying to draw Java developers to its BIDDLE API originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 21 May 2009 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sony

There's no doubt that Sony has a 400-disc Blu-ray Mega Changer on the cooker -- heck, we saw the thing last year at CEDIA -- but up until now, there's been no indication of its nearness to market. According to a vague Swiss product page and a report from Sony Insider, however, the launch date is indeed drawing near. If hunches prove legitimate, the BDP-CX7000ES will allow 400 of your favorite BD flicks to sit within a single console, and we've every reason to believe that this one will support BD-Live and actually load films with some amount of haste. You know, very much unlike the 200-disc HES-V1000 that's already out there. As of now, it's looking like the unit will run right around $2,300, placing it squarely in rarefied air and ostensibly out of reach for the vast majority of home theater junkies.

[Via Sony Insider]

Sony's 400-disc BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Mega Changer reportedly coming soon originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 21 May 2009 04:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Features, Reviews, Blu-ray, Samsung

Samsung's sixth generation player is close to what some would call a complete player. It features support for all the audio codecs Blu-ray supports as well as internet streaming services such as Netflix and Pandora. The really interesting new feature is the fact that it supports a Wifi dongle, which to most means they can actually take advantage of the included internet features as well as BD Live -- this is because most don't have wired internet connections behind their TV. Of course the main point of the device is to play Blu-ray discs and we're happy to say that despite all the new features, the player doesn't lose focus on its core functionality.

Continue reading Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray player review

Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray player review originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 20 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

On the list for the Oppo BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player? With responses from the second round of beta testers showing over 90% approving of release to the general public, our tipster reports those invited to pre-order should already have their emails giving an opportunity to complete their $499 purchase and get one shipped home later this month. While we double check our spam filters just in case, you can check Oppo's site or the accompanying AVS Forum thread for more details on exactly what people love, really love, or are still experiencing glitches with this BD / DVD / SACD and DVD-Audio playing powerhouse.

Oppo BDP-83 completes second round of testing, pre-order invites going out originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 14 May 2009 09:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

In July, BD-Live is going beyond the players when Warner Bros. includes a Facebook tie-in on the Watchmen: Director's Cut Blu-ray release. Probably not enough to turn around BD-Live's rep with this crowd, but others may be surprised to find community screening invites wedged between their Mafia Wars invites and status updates. Also exclusive to the Blu-ray is "Maximum Movie Mode" for a split screen view of the action and video commentary from director Zach Miller, plus Watchmen: Focus Points, Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes and Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World extras. Due either July 21, The Hollywood Reporter says we can expect the theatrical version on VOD, Xbox and PlayStation movie stores, while iTunes and Amazon will deliver the Director's Cut without the disc.

Read - Watchmen Gets Heroic on DVD and Blu-ray on July 21st
Read - Warners teams with Facebook for 'Watchmen'

Warner uses Facebook to sync up Watchmen BD-Live viewing sessions originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 12 May 2009 23:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Features, Blu-ray

Last week's poll results and comments came through loud and clear, with an overwhelming majority of responses to the question "Have you seen anything impressive from BD-Live yet?" leaning towards the negative. That many people showing a beef against a key feature of the current dominant HD delivery format? We couldn't let that go and followed up with Rich Marty, VP of Marketing for Blu-ray at Sony Pictures to let them know what you said, and what they're doing about it.

Continue reading Sony Pictures responds to your poll results, discusses the future of BD-Live

Sony Pictures responds to your poll results, discusses the future of BD-Live originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 11 May 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Others

Harman Kardon intros its first Blu-ray player, the BDP 10 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 08 May 2009 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sony

One of our tipsters spotted Sony's latest Blu-ray player on a local Best Buy shelf sporting a $299 price tag. The BDP-S360 adds the DTS-HD MA decoding you were missing from the previous model, plus improved DVD scaling and out of the box BD-Live support. Of course one has to ask themselves if, in 2009, a player lacking the Netflix streaming or Amazon VOD features of competing hardware, or the DLNA streaming and integrated WiFi of the upcoming BDP-S560 is really worth braving these H1N1-infested streets, but we'll leave that choice up to you.

[Thanks, RyanD]

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray player casually arrives at Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 08 May 2009 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Features, Blu-ray, Samsung

We never get tired of playing with new Blu-ray players -- even though they are all very similar these days -- but when something totally different comes around we have to admit it is more interesting. There is no doubt the new Samsung BD-P4600 fits in that category. For one it is one of the only Blu-ray players with a slot loaded drive, but on top of that it is wall mountable and is one of the first Blu-ray players to have an optional WiFi USB dongle -- see it attached to the top left of the player? Of course while these things make it unique they don't necessarily make it a good Blu-ray player, that will take a little more time to figure out.

Hands-on with the Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 07 May 2009 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The drop in the average price of Blu-Ray players is, not surprisingly, fuelling sales of the high-def disks. But figures out from NPD show that the effect of cheaper players could finally be giving the format mass market appeal.
High hardware prices has long been given as a barrier to Blu-Ray technology becoming widely accepted.

Filed under: Blu-ray

Congratulations Blu-ray, you might be ready to step into the zone of mass market acceptance, as NPD's retail tracking service found Q1 sales of standalone players up 72 percent over last year, moving over 400,000 units with a 14% increase in dollar sales. Last year sure the format survived mad fights but high prices were a setback; fast forward to March when an online survey of 6,994 people found awareness has reached 90 percent in the last six months, with customers fascinated by its updates. Although BD-Live is looking more and more like an unneeded gimmick, the real facts are people care about cost and average player prices dropped from $393 last year to $261 in 2009. The "Blu-ray report" suggests the magic number is $214 for folks like Shawn Marion, so more room might be needed to breeze, and could come as soon as this fall around the time Vizio's player finally appears. It might be tragic for Vudu, CBHD and others trying to get a foothold, but Blu-ray's magic wand is word of mouth - so while much talked about, but much lower selling tech like Kindle is happy as hell to get a record deal, right now Blu-ray's unique skills can't be compared.

Blu-ray making greenbacks, sales up 72% to start '09 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 06 May 2009 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Samsung

Samsung's slim BD-P4600 Blu-ray player gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 05 May 2009 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Ruh roh -- bad news for those holding tight for Vizio's entrance into the Blu-ray world. After April came and went with nary a hint of the firm's VBR100 Blu-ray player shipping, we decided to inquire about its status. The outfit's primary press contact informed us that it now "looks more like August at this point" in terms of a ship date, and we're still waiting to hear back on the whos, whats, wheres and whys. We're crossing our fingers that late summer will bring more features and a lower price point in exchange for our patience, but we aren't getting our hopes up too high just yet.

Update: According to Vizio, there won't be any changes made in the unit while we wait. Bollocks.

Vizio's VBR100 Blu-ray player delayed until August originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 03 May 2009 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

It's been a little over a year since we got our first look at BD-Live in the home, so ow do things look now? That first experience was certainly quite disappointing, but in the intervening year there's been at least a few small steps forward, along with some notable failures. With all the director's chats, promotional networks and the like behind us, and the possibility of video on-demand and live video updates from Star Trek conferences in our present and future, have you seen anything impressive yet, or anything that bodes well for the future of BD-Live?

View Poll

Poll: Have you been impressed by BD-Live? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 02 May 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Implementations of dynamicHD on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs so far have been some of the best examples of the potential BD-Live holds that we keep hearing about, but rarely see. For those Star Trek fans that picked up TOS box set this week, it not only ties them into the www.cbs-bdlive.com website, but also brings home interviews, behind the scenes looks and other highlights from FEDCON in Europe that is going on from today until May 3. Next up to tie Internet downloads into the disc based experience? CSI: Crime Scene Investigation The First Season hitting May 12. You can check out the website to see who is watching right now and where, set up watching parties and share quizzes. Imagion AG demoed a lot of these features for us on HD DVD during CES '08, and some got a peek at them on Terminator 2: Ultimate HD Edition, check out the official press release after the break and let us know if this is enough to change your opinion on BD-Live.

Continue reading Star Trek, CSI Blu-ray boxed sets doing BD-Live right with dynamicHD

Star Trek, CSI Blu-ray boxed sets doing BD-Live right with dynamicHD originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 01 May 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Media streamers, Internet

German production house Enteractive is readying its Blu-ray Java disc powered service Videociety that turns any BD-Live enabled Blu-ray player into an Internet delivered VOD box. Still unknown is what resolution movies will be offered in and which ones, although h.264 compression (with Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 soundtracks) is confirmed, and the company has access to 400 films from sister companies Splendid Film, Polyband and WVG Media and negotiations with other major and independent studios are ongoing. Just like Netflix's Watch Instantly, movies are queued from a PC or iPhone, then streamed to the Blu-ray player once the disc is inserted. Anyone else hoping that if this works well it gets picked up outside of Germany after the official launch at IFA in September?

[Via Blu-ray.com]

Videociety VOD service uses Blu-ray player with BD-Live originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 01 May 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Haven't nabbed one of OPPO's well put together BDP-83 Blu-ray players yet? Those who signed up early and got on the invitation list should be getting their hands on one very soon for $499 with an expected ship date of May 4. Everyone else? Read through our first impressions again (high build quality, fast loads, great audio decoding and easy to use menus) and wait for a wider release.

[Thanks, Dhomas]

OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray players shipping to invited customers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Still believe in the potential of BD-Live? Sony does, exec David Bishop called this the "Pong" stage of development in the technology during an industry demo yesterday on its lot. Apparently wanting to get some fresh eyes on BD-Live after some glitchy releases and underwhelming features, Sony, Disney and others are still trying to find different ways to work BD-Live into their discs, and new wireless capable players like Samsung's 2009 models mighty see more people going online. We've seen live directors chats, games, story databases and other twists, but at the moment we're not as optimistic about where BD-Live is headed in 2009 and beyond.

Sony still pushing the potential of BD-Live, but is anyone listening? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony has unveiled its latest Blu-ray player - the BDP-S360 - which comes with full 7.1 surround sound via a compatible AV receiver.
This is achieved thanks to newly incorporated DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD decoding capabilities - the first time these have been made available on an entry level Blu-ray player from Sony.

Filed under: Blu-ray, Players

Looking for region-free Blu-ray and DVD support? The Momitsu BDP-899 fits the bill, including BD-Live and Dolby TrueHD output. It's not clear whether multi region support is included by default or only due to retailer mods, but the BDP-899 can be manually changed between DVD & Blu-ray regions when there isn't a disc in the tray via a code input by the remote. We found a few reviews indicating its region switching and PAL/NTSC conversion works as advertised, though checking out every possible combination could stress anyone's disc library. At $349, it's the cheapest BD-Live compatible region free player we've seen, although questions about how fast Momitsu will be in providing firmware updates in case of problems might have the region switching consumer eyeing more expensive modded players from other manufacturers instead.

[Via CD Freaks, thanks Richard!]

Read - Quick review of Momitsu BDP-899 BluRay player
Read - BDP-899 (modified) Region FREE Blu-ray player review

Momitsu BDP-899 promises out of the box region free Blu-ray for cheap originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other formats

As depressing as it is to see an American icon come this close to collapse, is it really any surprise? While the world kept turning, Netflix kept reinventing itself and movies found their way onto the internets (legally), Blockbuster sat still... and that's putting things nicely. Sure, it tried the whole movie set-top-box thing, but no on will argue that it went about things the wrong way. In a recent SEC filing, the company made perfectly clear that there was serious risk that it wouldn't be able to refinance its crushing debt load in order to stay afloat for a wee bit longer; in fact, it noted that said quandary raised "substantial doubt" about its "ability to continue." 'Course, hampering its Total Access rental plan and promising less stock in-store doesn't exactly sound like a brilliant plan to be successful, but maybe yesterday would be the best time to completely revolutionize its business and go online only. Just an idea, is all.

Blockbuster voices "substantial doubt" about ability to survive originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Panasonic

Just because it's dead and buried doesn't mean the DMP-BD35 isn't lingering in the minds of Panasonic engineers. Don't believe us? Have a look at the latest firmware update to emerge from its labs, dated 3/31/09 and meant for the aforementioned BD35/BD35PC. Of course, the 28MB download doesn't do an awful lot -- it just improves stability for decoding HD audio and all around playback -- but it's definitely not bad for the grand total of $0.00. If you're ready to stop being mad and start updating, give the read link a look.

[Thanks, John]

Panasonic updates firmware for discontinued DMP-BD35 BD player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The price for Netflix's Blu-ray subscribers is going up again on April 27th.
The increase translates into an extra USD $4 a month for BD users opting for standard three-at-a-time plans.
While Netflix is arguably justified in charging more to finance its rapidly expanded - and more costly to buy - Blu-ray stock of over 1,300 titles, it doesn't help the high-def format's image.

Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

Ruh roh. In a move that will undoubtedly cause an incredibly raucous stir, only to fade away as movie renters realize that Netflix is still the best deal going, America's most adored by-mail rental service is hiking the price of Blu-ray rentals once again. If you'll recall, Netflix already implemented a $1 per month fee for Blu-ray customers back in October, and now it's looking to push that premium higher by around 20 percent across its pricing tiers. The company asserts that the increase (slated to hit April 27th and only applicable to BD customers) is due to it buying more titles on BD to "accommodate the increasing number of Netflix members who prefer renting movies on Blu-ray." In fact, nearly 10 percent of all Netflix customers are choosing BD now, and obviously these platters cost quite a bit more for anyone (even Netflix) to procure. Head past the break to see how big of a hardship this will be on you.

Continue reading Netflix raising rates for Blu-ray subscribers by around 20 percent

Netflix raising rates for Blu-ray subscribers by around 20 percent originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

Most of Samsung's 2009 Blu-ray player lineup has already shown up at retailers across the country, and now they're available to homebodies via BestBuy.com, but more notably the "world's slimmest" BD-P4600 is showing up with an April 19 expected availability date. Whether you're snapping up a Netflix-streaming deck, waiting for wall mounting or just refreshing the page waiting for a price drop, everyone has a part to play.

Samsung Blu-ray players pop up online, BD-P4600 due 4/19 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Polls, Blu-ray

Poll: Have you talked anyone into going Blu? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players

Oh sure, we've already seen this thing spotted at Best Buy, but there's just something especially titillating about photos with clarity. CNET's UK branch managed to get their camera all up in the BD-P3600's area, and they definitely enjoyed what they saw. For starters, the 7.1-channel analog outs are a real boon to those still using that circa-1999 AV receiver, and the bundled WiFi dongle means BD-Live is now entirely more accessible. Granted, we aren't similarly impressed by the 40 second BD load time, but maybe we're just spoiled by the hasty OPPO BDP-83. Head on down for a few more looks.

Samsung's sleek BD-P3600 Blu-ray player gets hands-on love originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

Oh it seems just like yesterday that we were reviewing the very first Blu-ray player, which happened to also be a Samsung, and now here we are just a few years later with a sixth generation Blu-ray player from Samsung, the BD-P1600. At first glance you have to wonder what's new and is it worth the upgrade from the 1500? So far unless you're crazy about Netflix and Pandora support we'd say no, but we'll reserve the final judgment until after we've had enough time with it to do a proper review.

Samsung BD-P1600 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray

Until now, Digital Video Essentials was pretty much the only legitimate option when it came to calibrating via Blu-ray player. At long last, a little competition has stepped into the field. Stacey Spears and Don Munsil -- creators of the DVD Player Benchmark and Progressive Scan Shootout at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity -- has just released the Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark: Blu-ray Edition. The disc is chock full of test material and calibration patterns to help HD junkies adjust their home theater systems for optimal playback, and according to co-creator Stacey Spears, all of the material was created from scratch. Coincidentally enough, this very disc was bundled with our OPPO BDP-83 test deck, but given that it's on sale now at Amazon and direct from OPPO, we suppose that's not too terribly shocking. MSRP is pegged at $24.99, and you'll find lots more details waiting in the read link.

Spears & Munsil ships Blu-ray High Definition Benchmark calibration disc originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Blu-ray, Players, Others

We were fortunate enough to get one of OPPO's new universal Blu-ray players (the BDP-83) in for the weekend, and while we were cordially asked to withhold a "full review" due to the beta firmware loaded on, we were allowed to pass along less formal informational pieces. Right from the start, we adored the solid build quality and the simplistic styling. After firing it up and going through the basic setup process (which was very well laid out, might we add), we were presented with an OPPO Blu-ray screen that was just begging for us to insert a movie. And so we did. Follow us past the break for a rundown of our initial impressions.

Continue reading OPPO BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player first impressions

OPPO BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player first impressions originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Polls, Blu-ray, Other formats

This week's poll question is pretty simple, really. Even if you've taken the Blu-ray dive, are you still spending your hard-earned cash on DVDs? Are you still forking out for DVDs instead of making the switch to Blu-ray? Discuss the pros and cons below if you'd like, and remember, upscaling really is all that's needed for some people. Okay, videophiles?

Poll: Are you still buying DVDs? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

We can definitely see where this is headed. Hot on the heels of Denon's DVD-A1UD and OPPO's BDP-83 comes yet another Blu-ray player that does just a pinch more than handle audio CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. Unveiled as a prototype over in Munich, the Marantz UD9004 is just one format shy (it's lacking DVD-Audio support) of being a complete "universal" Blu-ray player. Said device, which is slated to get official sometime in 2009, is built upon the $6,500 SA-7S1 SACD player (pictured) and features a 10-bit Silicon Optix chipset, 14-bit video DAC, an SD card reader, RS-232 control interface, support for BD-Live and an Ethernet port. Outside of that, details are nonexistent, but we'll definitely be keeping an ear to the ground for more.

[Via Slashgear]

Marantz unveils high-end UD9004 Blu-ray / SACD player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Here she is -- the world's very first universal Blu-ray player. Oh sure, we may have heard of Denon's absurdly expensive DVD-A1UD first, but that bad boy just got delayed for a second time over in Japan. OPPO, on the other hand, has managed to push out a few hundred of these BDP-83 decks to brave beta testers across America, and we were fortunate enough to score one. The player came boxed in what was far and away the most elaborate packaging we'd seen for a BD player -- particularly one that's priced at just $499 for the beta users (an MSRP for production units has yet to be finalized).

All the goods you want are here, including Blu-ray Profile 2.0 support, internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats, SACD playback and the promise of DVD-Audio compatibility in the future. Upon unboxing the unit, we were pleased with the rigid chassis and felt the design was simple yet classy. The remote seemed accommodating enough, and the port selection 'round back was admirable. We're planning to fire it up this weekend to see just how far along this beta firmware is, but 'til then, hit the gallery below to have a look at what's sure to become a favorite amongst well informed home theater aficionados.

OPPO BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player hands-on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Hope you weren't planning on scoring one of Denon's mighty pricey DVD-A1UD universal BD players anytime soon, 'cause it just got delayed. Again. After surfacing to much fanfare late last year, the all-in-one player has since been tangled in setbacks. The latest excuse has something to do with "taking time to optimize the playback," but we're not exactly sure why that testing will take until October to complete. Believe it or not, it will have been 10 full months from announcement to ship date if the new launch window stays put -- meanwhile, OPPO's taking full advantage of the situation here in America with its BDP-83.

Denon Japan delays DVD-A1UD universal BD player till October originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other formats

Remember that funky DRA audio format we mentioned way back in July of last year? Yeah, somehow that just got approved by the BDA. While we're sure the likes of DTS and Dolby won't be up all night fearing for tomorrow, there actually is another audio format in the Blu-ray town. Over in Beijing, the Blu-ray Disc Association, China Hualu Group and Digital Rise Technology have gathered together to announce that the DRA digital audio coding technology has been approved for inclusion in the BD-ROM 2.3 specification as an "optional audio codec." The folks involved seem pretty stoked, but seriously, what are the chances any mainstream Blu-ray Disc ships this year (or ever, really) with a DRA soundtrack? Anyone placing bets?

DRA audio coding technology gains BDA approval originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, LG

Not that we haven't seen plenty of LG's BD370 Network Blu-ray Disc player ourselves, but if you've been toying with the idea of claiming one as your own, you owe it to yourself to pick up the phone and dial up your local Best Buy. First the Samsung BD-P3600, next the striking B7100, and now this -- what's next, Best Buy? Panny's 0.33-inch NeoPDP?

[Thanks, Philip]

LG's BD370 Network Blu-ray Disc player in the wild, on sale originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other hardware, Players, Speakers, Panasonic

We were able to spot a few of Panasonic's latest innovations in the home theater space back at CES 2009, but we got a much more intimate look at things during a recent New York showcase. The new Blu-ray decks look nice, if not a touch plain. Not that everyone wants an Alienware-esque BD deck or anything, but we digress. The Blu-ray HTIB systems were particularly of interest, as these things are perfect for sneaking BD into homes that are currently DVD-only, and while we longed for more information on the portable DMP-B15, the on-hand reps didn't seem too anxious to gush over technical specifications with us. Their loss, totally.

Panasonic CES 2009 Blu-ray / HTIB lineup eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

After the BD-P1600 broke cover, it was just a matter of time until we got an in the wild look at Samsung's BD-3600 Blu-ray player, seen here hanging out at a Best Buy as some commenters had indicated. That $399 price is enough to pick up the BD-Live storage, 7.1 analog outs and 802.11b/g/n WiFi dongle missing from the BD-P1600, while super slim wall mounting bliss remains the exclusive domain of the BD-P4600. Deciding between this and the DMP-BD80 without some real hands on time may be tough, but at least until Amazon has some HD on top of their VOD, Netflix streaming is probably enough to sway our decision.

[Thanks, Eric]

Continue reading Samsung BD-P3600 spied at retail

Samsung BD-P3600 spied at retail originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

With sequel Angels & Demons ready to hit theaters in May, Sony Pictures is throwing in nearly a half hour of exclusive extra footage on The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut coming to shelves April 28. Codebreakers can look forward to in movie BD-Live chat, a $10 coupon off tickets to the sequel, new director's commentary and a picture-in-picture mode allowing for eight different ways to watch the movie at once, we think fans (and with $700 million+ grossed worldwide there's more than a few of those) will find this hard to pass up.

Sony embeds Blu-ray exclusives on The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

After the BD-P1600 broke cover, it was just a matter of time until we got an in the wild look at Samsung's BD-3600 Blu-ray player, seen here hanging out at a Best Buy as some commenters had indicated. That $399 price is enough to pick up the BD-Live storage, 7.1 analog outs and 802.11b/g/n WiFi dongle missing from the BD-P1600, while super slim wall mounting bliss remains the exclusive domain of the BD-P4600. Deciding between this and the DMP-BD80 without some real hands on time may be tough, but at least until Amazon has some HD on top of their VOD, Netflix streaming is probably enough to sway our decision.

[Thanks, Eric]

Continue reading Samsung BD-P3600 spied at retail

Samsung BD-P3600 spied at retail originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Announcements, Blu-ray, Other formats

We've been anticipating South Park's Blu-ray debut for months, and now that the moment has finally arrived, we're delighted to be able to give away a couple of those very sets that have pranced around in your mind all winter. We've got two Complete Twelfth Season Blu-ray sets as well as two DVD sets (with Digital Copy), and the editions will be given away at random (though feel free to shout out your format of preference when commenting). Be sure and look past the break for the full release copy, complete with details on bonus features and the like. Oh, and be certain to tune into Comedy Central HD on March 11th to catch the premier of Season 13 in glorious high-definition. All's that required to enter this here contest is a comment below, but be sure to read very, very carefully the fine print below before you do so. Cool? Cool.

Special thanks to Comedy Central Home Entertainment for the discs!

The rules:

• Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, though we'd prefer to hear who you think killed Kenny.
  
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 48 continental US States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  
• Winner will be chosen randomly. Four (4) winners will receive one (1) South Park: The Complete Twelfth Season in either Blu-ray or DVD form (selection is at random). Approximate MSRP value is $49.99 (DVD) / $69.99 (Blu-ray).
  
• Entries can be submitted until Thursday, March 12th, 11:59AM ET. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here.

Continue reading Engadget HD Giveaway: South Park Season 12 Blu-ray / DVD packs!

Engadget HD Giveaway: South Park Season 12 Blu-ray / DVD packs! originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, LG

LG BD370 Blu-ray player hands-on at CeBIT originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other hardware, Players, Speakers, Sony

Hope you didn't just pull the trigger on a BDP-S350, 'cause we get the feeling Sony's two newest standalone BD decks are going to make you yearn for the next best thing. Here in Las Vegas, the company has just come clean with the Profile 2.0 BDP-S360 and BDP-S560, the latter of which includes integrated WiFi for tapping into BD-Live content and downloading future firmware updates sans an Ethernet cable. Also, the unit is fully DLNA-ready, handles DVD upscaling, bit-streams audio via HDMI, decodes Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio and plays nice with external media loaded up on a USB drive. As predicted, the lower-end BDP-S360 is essentially the same player sans WiFi.

Moving on, we've got a new pair of 5.1-channel Blu-ray HTIB systems: the BDV-E300 and BDV-E500W. Both bundles include a BD-Live-capable (Profile 2.0) Blu-ray player, while the BDV-E500W sports integrated S-AIR wireless audio capabilities. In other words, your rear speakers will get their signal sans cabling, and those who opt for the BDV-E300 are getting a kit that's S-AIR-ready, meaning that you can add modules in the future to get the same wireless support. Both sets also include Sony's Digital Media Port for controlling peripherals like Apple's iPod and Sony's own Walkman line, and the BRAVIA Sync technology ensures that HDMI-CEC lovers are taken care of. The models also bring along the firm's Xross Media Bar (XMB) interface, a USB port for loading up media and an easy-to-follow setup DVD. As for pricing and availability, we've broken all that down below.

• BDP-S360 Blu-ray player: shipping this summer for around $300
• BDP-S560 Blu-ray player: shipping this summer for around $350
• HT-SS360 component home theater system : shipping in May for around $350
• BDV-E300 Blu-ray HTIB: shipping in June for around $600
• BDV-E500W Blu-ray HTIB: shipping in June for around $800
  

Catch the release in full just after the break.

Continue reading Sony outs BDP-S360 and BDP-S560 Blu-ray players, new BD HTIBs

Sony outs BDP-S360 and BDP-S560 Blu-ray players, new BD HTIBs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

Samsung's new value priced Blu-ray player managed to fly under our radar at CES in favor of its better equipped brethren but that hasn't stopped Dave Zatz and others from stumbling into them at retail lately, like this one sitting on a Best Buy shelf. By making BD-Live required 1GB storage and WiFi dongle aftermarket accessories, you can grab a slim, Netflix streaming, fast Blu-ray loading box for $299. Right now we'll probably wait until the whole product line appears and prices slide down a bit more before considering picking one up, but depending on your needs this could be a good option, more pics of this bird in its unnatural habitat beyond the read link.

Samsung BD-P1600 Netflix streaming Blu-ray player pops up at retail originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Misc, Blu-ray

You think it's tough pulling the trigger on a few new Blu-ray Discs each Tuesday on a "middle-class" budget? Try being a millionaire. In a recent interview with The National Post, when asked about transitioning his massive DVD collection to Blu-ray, the recently traded Shawn Marion of the NBA had this to say: "Hell, no! Blu-ray [Discs] cost too much. They cost like 35, 40 bucks apiece. I'm going to stick with the $19.99s. $14.99, $19.99, widescreen, I'm good." He then followed that up with a quip that "high-definition" was "all that he needed," further suggesting that an HD DVR and an upscaling DVD player was good enough for even the most wealthy among us. We know this guy isn't representative of the masses, but seriously, you studios should take a listen.

[Image courtesy of NikeBasketball]

Even the NBA's Shawn Marion thinks Blu-ray Discs are too expensive originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Recorders, Panasonic

While the results in our most recent poll were decidedly mixed, those over in Britain will soon have the option of procuring their own Blu-ray recorder thanks to Panasonic. The DMR-BS850, which was recently showcased across the pond, will sport a dual FreeSat tuner and will rival the heralded Humax FOXSAT-HDR. Details beyond that are few and far between, but we should hear more during the run-up to its late 2008 release. Check the read link for a few more looks.

Panasonic showcases UK-bound DMR-BS850 Blu-ray recorder originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Look, we don't really "get" people who aren't willing to buy the latest and greatest thing regardless of the price and / or current economic state, but evidently there's a rather large sector still clinging to their antiquated DVD format. Blu-ray proponents Panasonic, Philips, and Sony are looking to change all that by knocking down the tab a few notches. The trio has revealed plans to form a single licensing firm for Blu-ray, which they anticipate will lower the cost of the license -- and therefore the retail price -- by "at least" 40 percent. They expect it'll amount to $9.50 for read-only BD player, $14 for a burner, 11 cents for read-only discs, 12 cents for BD-Rs, and 15 cents for BD-RE rewritable discs. In its current form, hopeful BD makers have to seek out each company individually. The group also hopes a single licensing entity will help them spot unauthorized BD devices, so watch out, suspicious mom and pop Blu-ray stores.

Cheaper Blu-ray? Sony, Panasonic, and Philips say it's coming, honestly originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Seriously, why aren't more companies like this? In a somewhat unprecedented move, OPPO Digital has decided to let the people choose how it will proceed with the production of its highly anticipated universal Blu-ray player. Its Early Adoption Program will allow 50 randomly selected customers to purchase the BDP-83 for $499 before the official release; after those 50 have tested things out for a week or so, they'll be required to vote on whether the program should be extended or suspended. If 70 percent or more votes to expand, OPPO will select another 100 individuals to join the original 50 in testing. We're told that the deck will be shipped with a pre-production firmware version that will be updated "from time to time." Also of note, OPPO has confirmed Profile 2.0 support, internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats and that DVD-Audio playback is still in the works. Needless to say, we'll be doing our best to become one of those lucky 50. OPPO's full email on the matter is after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading OPPO to start BDP-83 Early Adoption Program

OPPO to start BDP-83 Early Adoption Program originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Media streamers, Players, LG

After popping up across the Pacific, our European brothers have gotten a peek at LG's next generation Netcast-enabled Blu-ray player, the BD370. Confirmed for April, they got a look at the YouTube frontend, but we're still waiting for more eyes-on time Stateside to check out the Netflix and CinemaNow capabilities for this followup to the well-received BD300. Additional pics are after the read link.

LG BD370 network Blu-ray player hands on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Futuresource Consulting has produced some rather controversial predictions before, so it's not at all surprising to find that it was this firm that forecast a whopping 100 million Blu-ray Disc would be sold in 2009. As we wait for BD sales to exceed DVDs in 2012, we're told that consumers are on pace to purchase in excess of 100 million Blu-ray Discs across the US, Western Europe and Japan this year. Mai Hoang, Senior Market Analyst, even concluded that in America, BD has moved from "early adopter phase through to early majority," noting that in the US last year, BD video retail sales increased some 320 percent to 24 million units. Couple that with rampant growth in the UK, and that 100m figure seems just a wee bit more believable. Of course, it's not like these guys really have any accountability in any of this, but at least these conjectures will lead to some pretty fiery discussions, right? [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via Joystiq]

Futuresource predicts 100 million Blu-ray Discs sales in 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Displays, Players, Set-top boxes, Internet

If you thought Chumby would stop at digital photo frames, you were wrong. Dead wrong. Today, the widget-loving company has announced a tie-up with Broadcom that will integrate its rich media internet platform onto system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions that will eventually find their way into HDTVs, set-top-boxes and Blu-ray players. Essentially, Chumby is making sure it doesn't miss out on the quickly filling insert-your-connected-device-here bandwagon, and quite frankly, we'll be shocked if any of those other guys can rival what Chumby's bringing. After all, widgets are this company's forte, and we're downright giddy at the thought of having over 1,000 internet-connected snippets of information at our fingertips while intently watching future episodes of Lie To Me. Hey, TV / STB makers -- jump on this. Now. Video demonstration is after the break.

Continue reading Chumby widgets coming to connected HDTVs, Blu-ray players and STBs

Chumby widgets coming to connected HDTVs, Blu-ray players and STBs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Philips

Given that Philips handed off its North American Blu-ray and DVD operations to Funai here in North America, you can bet its latest trio of BD decks won't be hitting US soil anytime soon... at least not branded like this. At any rate, those across the pond can look forward to three more BD-Live-capable players in the near future, all of which support 1080p24 and upscale DVDs to 1080i. As of now, details are pretty scant about the low(er)-end BDP3000 and the mid-range BD5000; all we're told is that they'll be DivX Certified, and the latter of the two will boast a USB 2.0 port for multimedia viewing. The top-end BDP7300 will include integrated 7.1 audio decoding along with 1GB of storage, but prices for the three are still undisclosed. Though, we shouldn't be waiting long, as the 7300 should land in March with the other two following shortly after.

[Via TechRadar]

Philips unveils BDP3000, BDP5000 and BDP7300 Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever heard that phrase "you get what you pay for?" Yeah, it applies here. Insignia's low-cost NS-2BRDVD has been effectively panned by reviewers over at CNET, with the only bright spots coming in the form of a relatively low price, a USB port for accessing digital media and "solid Blu-ray image quality with most movies." The bad? That Profile 2.0 compatibility we reckoned it had actually isn't there (currently, at least), and it lacks full onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. In truth, that's not totally awful, but what affluent individual with a decoding AV receiver (psst... those aren't cheap) would go out and grab this? At any rate, the deck is also slow to load some flicks, and it doesn't support firmware updates via Ethernet or USB. If you really needed a bottom line, here goes: "The NS-2BRDVD is an under-featured and slow-loading Blu-ray player, but it provides basic BD playback at a bargain."

Insignia's NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray player gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Polls, Blu-ray

While Blu-ray recorders have been available in Japan for years, here in the US it's Blu-ray's third year and there's no sight of one. The reasons are obviously not technological and instead limited by DRM and other factors, but we think one of those is that the market might be too small. So we're asking you since we know you're the early adopter type; Would you buy a Blu-ray recorder if you could?

Poll: Would you buy a Blu-ray recorder if you could? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

It will take time to find out if 2009 is the year BD-Live takes off, but at least studios are trying a few new things. Sony's latest experiment centers around a Q&A session with the director and one actor from Kramer vs. Kramer, which will be posted for download by owners of that movie and other Sony Blu-ray releases. Throwing in downloads for a 1979 flick is an interesting strategy, and posting content that crosses discs could help raise awareness of the feature among customers but honestly we could just go to the website and read a Q&A without owning the disc too. Good try Sony, but it looks like our wait for more innovative uses of Blu-ray's Internet connectivity continues.

Sony using BD-Live to promote new content across different titles originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players

Cut rate Blu-ray players seem to be popping up every week in the U.S. while a demand for more features has kept prices higher in Japan, but Bluedot is turning around that trend with the ¥35,000 ($378) BBDP-10 Blu-ray player. Launching this month, buyers can find Dolby TrueHD, 1080p24, Profile 1.1 and 7.1 audio out in a 5cm high package. It's really too bad that this passes for "value priced" in Japan, but honestly, if we had the option to buy 1TB DVRs with Blu-ray playing / backup capabilities built in, we might not be rushing to the low end of the lineup either.

[Via Akihabara News]

Bluedot rolls out cheaper but still not cheap BBDP-10 Blu-ray player in Japan originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

We already saw these delightful pieces of Blu-ray magic unveiled in Norway, but TheDigitalBits has confirmed that Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One, Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection and Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy will all ship here in America, with the former shipping on April 28th and the latter two on May 12th. The details about each collection are far too lengthy to cover in this space, but you can head down to the read link if you're even remotely interested in dropping $118, $104.99 or $29.99 (in order of mention).

[Via The Blu-ray Blog]

Star Trek: TOS and Trilogy gets US box art, release date originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other hardware, Mitsubishi

Difficult though it may be to believe, Panasonic showcased a conceptual in-dash BD deck of its own back in October of 2007. Obviously, nothing has really come of that, so Mitsubishi's stepping in with a prototype of its own. It's stated that the player has only a third of the volume compared to a traditional "home Blu-ray player," with it somehow being able to slip into a standard single-DIN opening. Better still, we're told that the final unit -- which is slated to hit production during fiscal year 2009 -- could also boast a mobile TV tuner in select markets, giving us even more reason to not pay attention to pedestrians, road signs and stop lights while taking that Sunday cruise.

Mitsubishi unveils prototype in-dash Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Media PCs, Other formats, Other hardware

While the future seems bright for DisplayPort, it's still tough to find a GPU out there with a DisplayPort socket -- and the search becomes increasingly difficult when hunting one down that's affordable. Enter S3, who is expanding its Chrome 500 series with the Chrome 540 GTX. Hailed as the "world's most connected high-def card," this PCI Express card boasts 256MB of GDDR3 memory, compatibility with DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.0, support for Blu-ray playback and a trifecta of interfaces: DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. The best part? It comes bundled with WinDVD 8 for BD playback and can be procured today for the low, low price of $69.95.

S3 crams DisplayPort, HDMI and DVI onto $70 Chrome 540 GTX originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Polls, Blu-ray

Even with some Blu-ray players checking in below $200, we'd still argue that those jumping ship to BD are early adopters. Or, at least some of the earliest. All things considered, are you happy with your decision to step up and support Blu? Do you now think upscaled DVD would've been enough? Do you wish you had jumped earlier? We reckon future success has a lot to do with how jovial existing supporters are, so we'll be interested to hear your opinions. Fire away!

Poll: Are you happy being a Blu-ray early adopter? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, LG

LG just gifted its multifaceted BD300 with HD Netflix support in December, and today it's blessing owners with one more goodie: YouTube access. The latest update brings the deck to version BD.8.16.537, and as mentioned, the most notable inclusion is YouTube streaming. Sure, it may not change your life, but it just might make your day. Give it a go and let us know how things look.

[Thanks, Kurt]

LG's BD300 gets new firmware update, YouTube access included originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Panasonic

Not that the act of discontinuing Blu-ray players rather early on in their life is unheard of, but Panasonic's DMP-BD35 still had a few months left in it by our estimations. Shortly after Panny unveiled a new trio of BD decks at CES, the company has reportedly killed production of its BD35, and we're left to assume the BD55 ain't far behind. Of course, this means that those on the prowl for a Panasonic Blu-ray player will either have to wait until April (for the DMP-BD60) or try and procure one of the remaining BD35 / BD55 models from a local retailer. If you've waited this long, however, we'd suggest holding off -- the connected nature (YouTube, Amazon Video on Demand) of the forthcoming models makes 'em way more attractive. Just sayin'.

Panasonic drops the axe on DMP-BD35 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Media streamers, Others

It was May of last year when LaCie last updated its external d2 Blu-ray burner, so it's about time we saw that 4x burn rate double to an entirely more palatable 8x. Available now for consumers in the US, the latest d2 Blu-ray Drive ($449.99) can toast both single- and dual-layer BD-Rs at 8x, and it can connect to one's machine via FireWire or USB 2.0. In related news, the outfit has also introduced a LaCinema Black MAX over in Europe, which acts to serve up all sorts of digital media (photos, video clips, music, etc.) on one's HDTV. You can order it with 500GB / 1TB of inbuilt storage, and the integrated Ethernet jack / WiFi module enables it to pull media (up to 1080p) from other locations on your network. We've nary a clue on pricing / availability for this one, but we'll leave it to those in Europe to hunt it down and brag to us Yanks.

Read - 8x d2 Blu-ray Drive
Read - LaCinema Black MAX [PDF; thanks Predator]

LaCie intros 8x d2 Blu-ray burner, LaCinema Black MAX media streamer originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Media streamers, Players, LG

LG Japan will deliver the just-announced BD370 network Blu-ray player later this month in Japan, naturally sans-Netflix and CinemaNow support. The Ethernet port still finds meaning in life through BD-Live and YouTube videos, but don't look for any acTVila support here. Found are DivX, AVCHD, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA support plus a ring that lights up blue for HD discs, and red for all others, and for an expected ¥34,800 ($416) this can be all yours, unless you're here in the U.S. where our wait for a Q2 release date and price continues.

LG BD370 network Blu-ray player hitting Japan later this month originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

We predicted drastic measures in Blu-ray pricing, but Disney might be going the wrong way. CEO Robert Iger indicated on a conference call with analysts today that since the company's Blu-ray releases are packing all sorts of extra features like Digital Copy and BD-Live, it might be able to raise prices following a Q1 profit drop of 64%. The scariest part is that Disney's economic shortfalls were consistent with the overall home entertainment downturn, so it might not be the only studio with this reaction to shrinking profits, looking to squeeze an extra few bucks out of the customers willing to spend the most.

Disney considering raising Blu-ray prices? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Lionsgate was early on the BD-Live train with War and Saw IV, and now its latest Blu-ray development Lionsgate Live will debut on The Spirit. Hitting the streets April 14,a flick that underwhelmed at the box office is lavished with a 7.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack, and Lionsgate Live features that notify users of new features across all Lionsgate BD-Live movies. Viewers can also create a "Molog" and insert text, shapes and audio into the movie then share their customizations and commentaries with others on the network. The second coming of BD-Live, or just another useless bullet point like Yakuza Fighter?

Lionsgate Live features debut on The Spirit Blu-ray originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Another day, another Blu-ray player and of all the players we've tested this is our favorite one so far. It's taken over two years and we've finally came to a point where a standalone player easily out classes the PS3 as a Blu-ray player. Sure the BD300 from LG still isn't perfect, but what is? Either way, read on for the good and the bad of LG's latest BD Live Blu-ray player.

Continue reading LG BD300 Blu-ray player review

LG BD300 Blu-ray player review originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

Whoa, vaquero -- calm your jets. This is just a projection, which may or may not prove to be indicative of reality. That said, there's still quite a lot here to discuss, particularly since we've been hearing so much hubbub over the supposed explosion of digital distribution. Media Control GfK International has forecast that sales of Blu-ray Discs will increase some 150 percent to $2.9 billion, up from $1.1 billion in 2008. For those keeping count, digital distribution only generated $1.5 billion last year, and that's including every penny made from VOD and broadband services. In-Stat analyst Michael Paxton was quoted as saying that the "bandwidth required to stream any type of HD video is way beyond what most households have," and he continued by noting that the "convenience factor is still not there for streaming media." You owe it to yourself to hit up the read link for the full report before blasting your opinion in comments below, but we suppose we can't stop you either way.

Digital distribution not expected to rule packaged media anytime soon originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sony

Sony already gifted its BDP-S350 Blu-ray player with BD-Live functionality last September, but apparently that firmware just isn't good enough any longer. The outfit has just released a newer version that elevates the machine from 010 to 015, and with the update comes "improved BD-Java compatibility to enhance interactivity with some BD-ROMs and improved BD-Live performance." The file weighs in at a rather hefty 49.42MB, so hit up the read link if you're interested in getting it started.

[Thanks, Brendan]

Sony issues revised firmware for BDP-S350 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

We were told at CES that Americans would have to wait another quarter or so to take possession of Marantz's pristine-but-pricey BD8002, but Britons can grab one and simultaneously stick their tongues out in this direction right now. A number of UK-based retailers are now stocking the Profile 1.1 player, but given the current economic situation, we have to wonder who all is willing to hand over £1,799 or so for this thing. Then again, a $131,000 cellphone sold out in just three days late last year, so we suppose anything's possible.

Marantz's pricey BD8002 Blu-ray player on sale in UK originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Blu-ray, Players, Sony

Sony's BDV-IS1000 has two big things going for it. For starters, it comes with a Blu-ray player. Secondly, it's drop-dead gorgeous. Critics over at DigitalTrends were able to secure one of the 5.1-channel HTIBs for review, and while they were big, big fans of the compact design, powerful subwoofer and inclusion of Profile 2.0 on the BD deck, they simply couldn't recommend it as it stood. Why? The wireless rear speakers didn't work on either of its test units. Instead, they were troubled with dropouts and interference from other radio emitting devices. It seems that critics went out of their way to ensure this wasn't just some setup issue, and they even caution to prospective buyers that they too are apt to encounter the problem. 'Tis a shame -- these looked so promising.

Sony's BDV-IS1000 Blu-ray HTIB reviewed: probably a skip originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Let's not sugarcoat things -- BD-Live hasn't exactly been a runaway success. Sure, you could blame some of that on the fact that Profile 2.0 players are just now becoming a) affordable and b) plentiful, but really, it's the uninteresting content that's truly holding it down. According to a report over at VideoBusiness, that's set to change in 2009. Lionsgate is planning to open a dedicated BD-Live portal (christened Lionsgate Live) which will provide even casual fans with easy access to games, ringtones and filmmaker chats. Other studios are shifting focus to ensure that interactivity is seamlessly integrated and simple to navigate, not to mention getting BD-Live material onto more Blu-ray Discs. In our eyes, '09 is a make or break year for BD-Live; if consumers still aren't digging it by CES 2010, there's a good chance the investments in the technology will taper off. 'Course, those widgets sure seem to be catching eyes over on the connected HDTV side, so maybe there's hope here after all.

Will BD-Live finally shine in 2009? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Pioneer

When Pioneer introduced its BDP-120, BDP-320 and Elite BDP-23FD Blu-ray players at CES, we had a vague idea of how much they'd cost. Now, we're being clued in on actual MSRPs. Potentially most impressive is the BDP-120, which will offer up BD-Live functionality and a Pioneer logo for just $249. The mid-range unit includes 1GB of inbuilt memory and will cost $399, while the top-end player will demand $599. Kudos on keeping these priced below the stratosphere, Pioneer.

Pioneer prices latest trio of Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others, Pioneer, Sony

Ah, the sweet smell of progress. Just months after Blu-ray Mods hosted up a wave of BD-Live decks with multi-region support, the site is now offering up the next gaggle of units in the same fashion. For those scouting a high-end player with an ICOS HD mod baked right in, you can order up a number of Pioneer players (the BDP-LX91 and BDP-09 Elite included), Denon's DVD-1800BD / DVD-3800BD and Sony's BDP-5000ES. We won't even scare you with the prices here, but you can venture to the read link if you're suddenly curious.

Multi-region capabilities come to third-generation Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

This here survey may have been conducted by GfK across the pond, but we'd be willing to wager the results are actually indicative of most major developed markets. Baseless assumptions aside, the facts are that a subset of surveyed individuals has led the research firm to conclude that at the tail end of 2008, DVD-RW drives still held a 92 percent share in the optical disc drive sector. Needless to say, sales of standalone BD optical drives were much, much lower, holding just a 4 percent volume share in November 2008. Moreover, some 81 percent of "mobile computers" and 86 percent of desktops came loaded with a DVD-RW drive last October, and just 1 percent (yes, one) of desktops came with a high-definition drive of any kind pre-installed. It's not shocking to see that the PC market is adopting BD slower than the standalone home entertainment segment, but what this could also signal is the declining interest in cutting-edge HTPCs altogether. What say you, oh knowledgeable ones?

Blu-ray optical drives still a rare find in British PCs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other formats

Hold on to your caps, folks -- you're about to hear some positive economic news. Baffling, we know. According to Media Control GfK International, worldwide packaged media sales managed to creep up six percent in 2008. Interestingly, it seems that video games were doing the bulk of the driving, as for the first time in recorded history, sales of games exceeded sales of DVD and Blu-ray Discs. Back in 2007, games accounted for 47 percent of the equation, while it scooted up to 53 percent in 2008; analysts are expecting that figure to rise further and hit 57 percent in 2009, though much of this shift has to do with the digital distribution of content and not the disinterest in movies overall. Remember, we're talking about packaged media here. Per usual, loads more numbers await you in the read link if you're the ones and zeros type.

[Via CDFreaks, image courtesy of OrlandoSentinel]

Video game sales surpass DVD / Blu-ray for the first time originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Although Blu-ray has been out for a few years, it is still pretty new and thus the studios are still testing the waters to see what works. The latest test by Disney is one that Blu-ray fans have been recommending for some time; release new titles on Blu-ray before DVD -- but we suspect that many had more than a two day lead time in mind. Although this will be interesting, we still think Disney's previous test of including a DVD with the Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc was more interesting. Also, like the more recent titles from Disney Bolt will feature some BD Live content as well as a digital copy.

Disney to release Bolt on Blu-ray two days before DVD originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Panasonic

We've got to say -- we agree with the "retailers" here. According to a new report on VideoBusiness, the Blu-ray players unveiled at CES 2009 are being smiled upon by those that'll have to move 'em. Panasonic's Profile 2.0 DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player was seen as one of the more attractive units, with airport-based InMotion Entertainment deciding that it would carry this very unit as its first BD deck in order to appeal to travelers. As expected, reactions were somewhat mixed on Panny's DMP-BD70V VHS / Blu-ray player, though it is anticipated that a small niche of consumers will eat it up. All in all, the entire '09 lineup was seen as a nice step forward from decks we've seen in the past -- our only question is do you agree? Which BD unit from the show had you most interested?

Retailers give thumbs-up to newest line of Blu-ray decks originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Sony

We heard recently that Sony was looking to ship real live Blu-ray Discs to China despite rampant reports of piracy, and now that very company is partially responsible for a newly activated BD production facility. This week, a plant in Shanghai began producing official Blu-ray Discs, and it's all thanks to Shanghai Epic Music, a joint venture of the SMG-controlled Shanghai Synergy Culture and Entertainment Group, the Shanghai Jingwen Investment Company and Sony. The facility's monthly production capacity is half a million discs, and not surprisingly, it'll produce wares for both domestic and overseas markets. Alright guys, now let's keep this place legitimate -- we don't need any KIRFs pumped out during the night shift.

Blu-ray Disc production begins in Shanghai originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

Samsung's BD-P2500 has been on store shelves for a bit now, but given that we just got one in for our HD Netflix roundup, we figured we'd unbox it all proper like and give you a look. The gallery's just below for your perusal.

Samsung BD-P2500 unboxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Check it, deal seekers -- yet another milestone has been reached, though we get the idea the deal won't be around for long. The patently obscure Nebraska Furniture Mart (we know, right?) has just dropped the price on an unnamed Memorex Blu-ray player (we're betting it's the MVBD-2510) to below $100. Even for those that aren't within driving distance of an actual B&M location, you can pony up $10 or so on top of the $99.99 price tag in order to have it shipped your way. Just think, in six months we'll have a half dozen BD decks to choose from for under a Benjamin. Or so we very much hope.

[Via SlickDeals, thanks Shaun]

Memorex MVBD-2510 Blu-ray player sinks below $100 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, DVRs, Set-top boxes, Internet

This is it, folks -- the shootout you've been waiting for. We've worked with our brethren over at Engadget Classic to assemble an end-all HD Netflix roundup, which pits the BD-P2500, BD300, TiVo HD, Xbox 360 and Roku Netflix Player against one another. We know you're salivating at the thought of it, so rather than just telling you who emerges victorious, we'll point you over and let you dig in yourself.

Netflix HD streaming shootout goes down at Engadget Classic originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Moviemakers ready to jump to BD-Live production can add NetBlender's offering to their list of options, now that NetBlender Live has launched. Much like Ascent Media's group, NetBlender can handle the hosting and backend so interested producers can add content as necessary and extend the life of discs. All this means is we should expect even more Internet-enable movies, we'll have to see what they do with it to know if the effort has been worthwhile.

NetBlender Live BD-Live platform launched originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

It's nice to see that with all the new stuff flying around during CES that some manufactures continue to update the existing models. We're sure owners of both the BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 will be happy to know that all those discrete analog outputs on the back just got a whole lot more useful. Thanks to the latest version of the firmware (2.4), in addition to being able to decode Dolby TrueHD, those holding on to an older A/V receiver will also be able to enjoy both versions of DTS-HD.

Samsung updates the BD-P2500/2550 with DTS-HD HRA/MA originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US consumer spending on packaged home entertainment - rental and sales of DVD and high-def disc formats - fell by 5.5 per cent in 2008, to USD $22.4 billion, according to the Digital Entertainment Group.
Spending on DVD purchases fell more dramatically than the total, declining by 9 per cent, to about USD $14.5 billion, and the shipment of DVD units was down almost 15 per cent in 2008 to 1.4 Billion

Panasonic has unveiled the first portable Blu-ray player at CES in Las Vegas.
The DMP-B15 features an 8.9-inch WSVGA display and along with the ability to play Blu-ray discs it also has access (via
Ethernet connection to the Internet) to VIERA CAST. Fully Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) compliant it also features an SD card.

Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Panasonic

Hard to say just how well this thing will or won't sell, but honestly, we see the value here being the portability and not necessarily the inbuilt display. The DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player is fully Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) compliant and features an 8.9-inch WSVGA screen, VIERA Cast support, an HDMI output and an SD card. It'll ship this May for an undisclosed price -- so, do you (or your child) plan on picking one up?

Panasonic makes it official: Profile 2.0 DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

What a difference a few months makes -- just about $69 -- back in September, Memorex rolled out its MVBD-2510 (pictured) at $269, but the follow-up MVBD-2520 will show up this summer at $200. The inclusion of Profile 2.0 on this unit is good to see, but holding back the Dolby TrueHD and DST-HD MA to bitstream output spoils some of the fun, especially compared to what we're seeing at the same price point from VIZIO. That $200 figure is MSRP, so expect street prices to duck lower still. Based on what we're seeing, Blu-ray player prices won't be a valid excuse for failure in the marketplace come this time next year.

Memorex ups to Blu-ray Profile 2.0 with its MVBD-2520 player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Panasonic

Remember those three Blu-ray players we saw briefly during Panasonic's keynote today? Now that's totally official, with the DMP-BD60, DMP-BD80 and DMP-BD70V arriving with VIERA Cast support that provides access to Amazon Video on Demand. Quite honestly, the trio is pretty average at first glance, but we can't help but dish out a round of golf claps for the BD70V, which is the planet's first (and last, probably) VHS / Blu-ray combo player. Talk about going from one extreme to the other.

Panasonic gets official with DMP-BD60, DMP-BD80 and DMP-BD70V Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Misc, Blu-ray, Media streamers, Others

Imagine this -- utilizing your Blu-ray player for playing back BDs, DVDs and practically anything else available via the internet. A marvelous idea, right? Dreamer has every intention of making that web-to-TV STB you've got totally obsolete with its BIDDLE thin-client, which will theoretically enable any internet-connected Profile 2.0 BD deck to tap into the limitless world of online content. Here at CES, the outfit has announced a partnership with Technicolor that sadly doesn't pinpoint any specific players, though the concept is more than intriguing. Essentially, it would add a whole new world of functionality to BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray players, which is just about exactly what the doctor ordered for the flagging format. Only time will tell if this stuff has a shot at catching on, but we certainly dig the sound of it. [Warning: PDF read link]

Dreamer's BIDDLE could actually make BD-Live useful originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Pioneer

Pioneer has put a few new BD-related products of late in other regions of the world, but America has been longing for a fresh line of Blu-ray decks from the outfit for months. At long last, we're being treated to a shiny new Profile 2.0 trio: the BDP-120, BDP-320 and the RS-232C-packin' Elite BDP-23FD (pictured above). From the top, the 120 features HDMI 1.3a, Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD bitstreaming, 1080p24 output, BD-Live with no internal memory (1GB flash drive is included), TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and an Ethernet jack. The 320 steps it up with 48-bit Deep Color support, three noise reduction circuits, KURO Link, 7.1-channel analog audio outs, 1GB of internal memory and a "jitter free audio transmission for CD playback." The Elite deck adds an aluminum front panel, RS-232C control port and little else. The trifecta is expected to hit in April for undetermined prices, though you can find the ultraslim DV-420 upscaling DVD player in June for just $90. The finer details are just past the break.

Update: We're hearing "around $300" for the low-ender and "sub-$400" for the step-up model. Final prices should be out soon.

Continue reading Pioneer intros BDP-120 / BDP-320 / Elite BDP-23FD Blu-ray players

Pioneer intros BDP-120 / BDP-320 / Elite BDP-23FD Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Samsung

We're not quite sold on its world's slimmest Blu-ray player claim, but this Samsung BD-P4600 is certainly one of the sleekest, especially with its Touch of Color aesthetic. Also like its ToC muse, it seems to have a knack for catching and showing off dust particles. We didn't see the touch controls on top of the unit, and we weren't allowed to pull it out and get a clear shot of the ports, but did manage to snap a image of the disc loader on the right side of the unit. Still no word on pricing, so keep guessing.

Samsung BD-P4600 hands-on: 'world's slimmest' Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Panasonic

Three new Blu-ray players from Panasonic: BD60, BD80 and BD70V originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

Here they are, folks: the world's first wall-mountable Blu-ray player alongside the ultra-sleek BD-P3600 (pictured above). It only takes a glance to see that Samsung has certainly broken away from the boxy mold with its latest BD decks, and we couldn't be happier about it. The BD-P4600 -- which we spotted on the show floor a few days back -- is just 1.5-inches thin with a piano black design, ruby highlights and a clear, "prism-like edging." Both units support Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) interactivity, DVD upscaling, DivX support (huzzah!), touch sensitive controls, 1GB of internal memory and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. Of note, one of those USB sockets will get filled with an included 802.11b/g/n WiFi dongle, but those still wary of cord-free internet can hook things up via Ethernet. Finally, we'll mention that the pair decodes the latest high-res audio formats and includes an HDMI 1.3 port, while the P3600 includes 7.1-channel analog audio outs for good measure. Take a wild guess at the pricing and availability -- you might be close.

Samsung trots out BD-P4600 / BD-P3600 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray players at CES 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Sharp

Many thought that Profile 1.1 players should've died last year, but that just wasn't the case. But those internet content lovin' fools can finally get behind Sharp's Blu-ray players. At this point Sharp realizes that with all the Blu-ray players available, you gotta do something special to get noticed, so Sharp is striving to make its players work better with its line of TVs by automatically putting the display into the optimal viewing setting -- like dot by dot. The only thing that distinguishes these two players from each other is that the BD-HP22U will be out in May, includes 2GB of USB memory, and retails at $299, while the BD-HP16U is due in March for $229.

Sharp gets with the Profile 2.0 program with the BD-HP16U & BD-HP22U originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sharp

Providing some audio punch to go along with all the video, Sharp's taking the wraps off of two new 5.1 HTIBs with Blu-ray included , the BD-MPC40 and BD-MPC30, plus two new 2.1 channel sound bars, the HT-SB300 and HT-SB200. Since no AV rollout is complete without an iPod dock, the DK-AP7N and DK-CL6N. Why, you ask, is only the soundbar pictured? To peek into the eye of the $799 piano black Blu-ray packing home theater units would be madness, ditto for the $99 - $129 iPod docks, ready to give you two channel audio (DK-CL6N) and 2.1 ESound processing, video out packing DK-AP7N. The theme here is convenience and quality in small packages, some hands and ears-on time should give us enough info to safely pass judgement.

Sharp debuts Blu-ray HTIB, soundbars and iPod docks originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, LG

Today at CES, LG shared the details of its two new Network Blu-ray players that will be the first to support the new NetCast with content partners like CinemaNow and YouTube -- no love for the older players. The BD370 and BD390 are essentially the same with both featuring BD Live etc, with the main difference between the two being the BD390 includes 1GB of internal storage for BD Live, and 7.1 discrete analog output. No word on the price of either, but the BD370 is due in Q2 while the 390 is due in Q3. There are also three new home theater systems that feature Blu-ray players, which of course are also BD Live and feature NetCast, but more interestingly also sport TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. Unlike the LHB954, the LHB977 and LHB979 both feature Tallboy speakers and two HDMI inputs which will really come in handy for anyone with a game console or a STB -- so yeah like everyone. The LHB979 (picture after the break) distinguishes itself from the rest with speakers that were designed by Mark Levinson and has more power.

Continue reading LG's 2009 Blu-ray revamp and new Blu-ray HTIBs

LG's 2009 Blu-ray revamp and new Blu-ray HTIBs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Samsung

We don't have any hard details yet, but word on the street is that Samsung is planning on pairing up its 6.5mm (.2-inch) thick LCD HDTV with an equally svelte Blu-ray deck just 39mm (1.5 inches) thick. We'll find out more during Wednesday's press event, we're sure -- any bets on whether "thin BD players" will be this year's "thin displays?"

Samsung to launch 1.5-inch thin Blu-ray player at CES originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

New CES, same doubts about Blu-ray originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other hardware, Players, Speakers, Sony

When Sony unleashed its BRAVIA BDV-IT1000 Blu-ray HTIB back in August, we were given no indication of a price or release date. Clearly the time has (almost) come for prospective buyers to buy in, as Home Cinema Choice has procured the bundle and posted up a thorough preview. Upon testing, the crew found that it performed much better with movies than with music, and given that a BD deck comes packaged in, we suppose that's the point. The surround experience was also dubbed satisfactory, with "perfect channel separation" and a subwoofer with plenty of oomph. Hit the read link for the hands-on writeup, and get ready to pony up a staggering £1,500 ($2,168) when it ships in the UK this Spring.

Sony's BRAVIA BDV-IT1000 Blu-ray HTIB gets unboxed, previewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other formats

Ever wondered if anyone ever bothered to utilize that Digital Copy that so many films are shipping with these days? Warner Home Video did, so it engaged in a bit of research to find out who exactly was tapping in. In short, BD movie buyers accessed Digital Copy around twice as much as did DVD buyers, and it was found that the uptake rate is "measurably growing among Blu-ray consumers with successive Warner releases." Still, data shows that Digital Copy usage across the industry is still relatively rare, with title uptake across studio titles ranging between 5% and 13%. We found it particularly interesting that adding a copy of the film to a disc carried with it a substantial expense -- around $1.15 per unit -- so we wouldn't be surprised to see studios refine their strategies to ensure that consumers appreciate the addition.

Blu-ray Disc buyers accessing Digital Copy twice as much as DVD buyers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Blu-ray, Players, Others

If Sherwood's BDP-5003 were a buck fifty or so, this thing may actually be worth buying. After all, critics loved the quick start-up and disc load time, appreciated the "very good" image quality and stellar audio performance and bowed to the easy-to-use onscreen menu system. So, what's the problem, you ask? For starters, there's no internal decoding of high-resolution formats nor a 5.1 analog output, so unless you've got a receiver that'll decode for you over HDMI, we wish you the best of luck squeezing any surround out. Furthermore, it's not upgradeable to Profile 2.0, the remote wasn't backlit, DVD upscaling was just so-so and the reds and blues were "slightly oversaturated." In other words, this here player does a decent job with the basics, but for $299 (list), it's about time we started demanding more from our BD decks.

Sherwood's BDP-5003 Blu-ray player reviewed: perfectly average originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

Merely weeks after Samsung rolled out its v2.1 firmware update to enable HD Netflix streaming on the BD-P2500 / BD-P2550 Blu-ray players, in flies an update just before the dawn of 2009. As of right now, users can surf on over (courtesy of the read links provided below) in order to download version 2.3, which officially acts to "improve playback compatibility of some movie titles." Fire up the download and give it a go, and feel free to report back with any other, unnamed changes that you discover.

[Thanks, Vivek]

Read - BD-P2500 download
Read - BD-P2550 download

Samsung issues v2.3 firmware update for BD-P2500 / BD-P2550 Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others, Panasonic

Scads of individuals thought the BDA was crazy / lying / joking when it granted 11 China-based manufacturers with Blu-ray licenses earlier this year, but now we're beginning to see some fruits of that labor. China Hualu Panasonic AVC Networks -- a joint venture between China Hualu Group and Panny -- has just launched a trio of BD decks in China, the BDP0801, BDP0810 and BDP0821. Not much is known about the middle child (ain't that always the case?), but the first deck is the most basic of the bunch while the latter one handles BD-Live interactivity. Apparently, all three units are available now for 1,999 yuan ($292), 2,299 yuan ($336) and 2,499 yuan ($365) in order of mention, which is probably vastly more expensive than any of you were imagining.

[Via DigiTimes]

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Sony

You, the BDA, whomever, can spin it however you wish, but the fact is that Blu-ray has not had a momentous year. Has it been profitable? Sure. Has adoption grown? No doubt. But consumers at large are showing with their purchasing habits that DVD is still a-okay in their lives. Paul Sweeting over at ContentAgenda surmises that a huge strategy shift is needed for BD to ever seriously steal away market share from DVD. First off, the aptly coined PlayStation 3 "Trojan Horse" strategy has to go. The PS3 is clearly lagging behind the other two consoles in terms of sales, and now that BD deck prices are far lower than the console's MSRP, yet another advantage to owning one has slipped away. The point we most agree with is the one that's likely the most controversial: Blu-ray backers need to get honest here and realize that the format offers only "incremental improvement over standard DVD."

Just think about it -- the move from VHS to DVD was almost entirely unlike the transition from DVD to Blu-ray. In the former example, the quality improvement was incredible. Rewinding became a thing of the past. Full blown surround sound was introduced. Special features and tasty extras were able to fit. Interactive menus were born. Discs were able to be played on desktops and laptops. Compare that to the shift from DVD to Blu-ray. The disc size has remained the same (physically). Audio has only marginally improved, mostly at a level that only audiophiles can appreciate. Visually, there is noticeable improvement only for those with enough cash to snag an HDTV. BD-Live interactivity isn't nearly as captivating as it sounds on paper. Oh, and Blu-ray Discs are markedly more expensive than DVDs.

The reality is that there is far less motivation to switch from DVD to Blu-ray than there was years ago when consumers were tempted to leave VHS behind and enter the DVD arena. Yet, for whatever reason, Blu-ray movies are priced in opposition to that fact. The way we see it, BD will continue to be a niche product so long as it's priced like a niche product, and if it holds out too long, we won't be shocked to see the increasingly ubiquitous HD streaming snag away at least a small bucket of potential customers.

What Blu-ray needs to do in 2009 in order to gain ground originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Blu-ray, Media streamers, Others

Unbeknownst to many (us included), HDI's Dune BD Prime has been making the rounds for a little while now. The deck, which is primarily marketed and sold outside of North America, claims to be the first bona fide multimedia player that's also a Blu-ray deck. The unit is available in four variations: the vanilla package, one with 802.11n WiFi, one that adds Ethernet and another that packs twin eSATA ports. The unit essentially plays dual roles by sucking down HD content from network-accessible drives / PCs while spinning up the latest Blu-ray Disc in its spare time. File format support doesn't look to be an issue, though a critical review over at MPCClub definitely found a few faults. Those with Euros to burn can find the player for around €449 ($638), though we don't get the feeling this is heading stateside anytime soon.

Read - Announcement
Read - Review

HDI Dune BD Prime: world's first hybrid Blu-ray player / HD streamer originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Anyone who has even looked into recording content onto a BD-R knows just how immensely expensive a single disc is. Thankfully, you'll have one more option (and thus, one more competitor to push prices downward) starting next year. Advanced Media, the parent company of Ridata, will be debuting 6x recordable Blu-ray Disc media at CES 2009, with availability in the US slated for Q2 '09. As of now, the only discs planned for release here are 25GB single-layer units, but we don't suspect the dual-layer variants will be too far behind.

Ridata bringing 6x BD-R media to United States originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 04:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray

While the average consumer won't care an awful lot about what goes into a Blu-ray Disc chipset, here's something anyone working hard for every dollar they earn can appreciate: more competition. Word on the street has it that both MediaTek and Sunplus Technology, two Taiwan-based consumer IC design houses, are fixing to certify their own Blu-ray Disc chipsets and to ship 'em as early as Q2 2009. The two outfits are expected to compete with Samsung and Broadcom, though there's no word yet on potential customers for their wares.

MediaTek and Sunplus to offer Blu-ray Disc chipsets next year originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

Before you get all shocked and awed, may we remind you that Blu-ray has been performing well across the pond pretty much all year. We know, this beacon of shining, happy news from Futuresource is quite the contrast from what we've been hearing lately about the industry overall, but it's far from surprising. The numbers show that British consumers purchased around 462,500 Blu-ray Discs in November, which is an increase of 165% from October. 'Course, a little film called The Dark Knight probably helped out, but we digress. The figures are looking mighty good for the future as well, with Blu-ray's share in the optical disc market expected to double to 6% in France next year. Who knows -- maybe Europeans are so sick and tired of waiting for a decent HD channel lineup that they're using BD to get their high-resolution fix.

Blu-ray reportedly doing more than alright in Europe originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Blu-ray, Players, LG

LG's BD300 can handle both Blu-ray Discs and HD Netflix, though PC Advisor's recent review focused squarely on the disc spinning abilities of the deck. Overall, critics were fairly pleased with the offering, though they didn't hold back their criticism for its lackluster DVD upscaling performance. The good news, however, is that it did look pretty good when playing back bona fide BDs, though we get the sense that the image quality wasn't anything phenomenal. Critics did take time to praise the relatively quick load times and the nice build quality of the remote, but the omission of a backlight made the keys difficult to see with the lights down. The bottom line? It's a feature-packed player that has more than a few tricks up its sleeve, but these reviewers still expected better looking images for the money.

LG's BD300 Blu-ray / Netflix player gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's fitting that after a roller-coaster year for Blu-ray the high-def format should end 2009 on a high AND a low.
With sales in the US encouraging, a poll by Zogby International shows that Blu-ray players are one of the most wanted holiday gifts this season for HDTV owners.
The high-def players are only beaten by consumers looking for a second HDTV.

Filed under: Blu-ray

South Park was already a winner in HD, and now it's finally making the expected leap to BD. For the first time ever, the calloused crew will be seen on Blu-ray format when the Complete Twelfth Season BD launches day-and-date with the DVD set in March 2009. All 14 uncensored episodes will be presented on a three-disc set, with each in 1080p and boasting Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound. Sadly, we're still waiting to hear an MSRP and whether any of the prior seasons will follow suit on BD, but there's a good chance that studio execs are waiting on sales numbers from this one to determine the latter.

South Park making long-awaited Blu-ray debut in March originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Olevia

Missed your opportunity to score a low-cost Blu-ray player on Black Friday? Worried senseless about how you're ever going to get a BD deck for that special someone at a price you can stomach? Chill, please -- you're making us all anxious around here. As you can see above, Target is planning to slash the price on the Olevia BD-100 starting Sunday to a totally delicious $149.99. Granted, the cut is slated to be for "a limited time" only, but that's all the time you need to get in, right?

Olevia's BD-100 Blu-ray player dropping to $149.99 at Target originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other hardware, Players, Receivers, Speakers, Sony

Just in case you needed some new kit to throw on and around your BRAVIA RHT-G500 home theater stand, Sony's got two new bundles that ought to fit the bill -- so long as you're in the UK, that is. The BRAVIA BDV-FS350 (pictured) gets things going with a compact 2.1-channel sound system paired with an undisclosed Blu-ray deck (likely the BDP-S350) and an active subwoofer. The package also promises DVD upscaling over HDMI, BRAVIA Sync, a DIGITAL MEDIA PORT for hooking up your portable music device and S-Force PRO Front Surround technology. Moving on, we've got the HTP-BD3IS, hailed as Sony's "most advanced home theater setup yet." This one includes 450-watts spread over 5.1-channels, three HDMI inputs (one output) and inbuilt Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD decoding. You can add either to your basket right now for £489.00 ($751) / £678.99 ($1,043), respectively.

Sony intros BRAVIA HTP-BD3iS / BDV-FS350 Blu-ray HTIB systems in UK originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Internet

First came Samsung's duo, then came the TiVo. Now, LG's BD300 is taking its turn, just as we were promised it would. Available now, the vBD8.11.480 firmware update will take your deck to the next level by solving the following symptom: "Netflix HD streaming is not supported." The update is also said to "fix the menu flickering when RMC key is served on the BD-Live menu," so yeah, there's that. Get that update going and report back, will you? Oh, and keep a close eye on quality -- we hear it's been wonky of late.

[Thanks, Jerry]

LG's BD300 Blu-ray gets HD Netflix-enabling firmware update originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Memorex isn't spilling any details, but lo and behold, it has pumped out a version C firmware for its low-end MVBD-2510 Blu-ray player. 'Course, the player has only been out for a couple of months now, but it is apparently already in need of 23.1MB of refreshing. Oh, and don't bother checking for a changelog in the download hosted in the read link -- you'll just end up sorely disappointed. So, MVBD-2510 owners, we're all relying on you to hook your player up and report back with pluses and minuses. Who's down?

[Thanks, Elmopio]

Memorex issues firmware update for MVBD-2510 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other hardware

6x Blu-ray media is far from new, but Moser Baer has just become the first company outside of Japan to develop and ship 1x to 6x BD-Rs. The New Delhi-based outfit actually popped up on our radar last year with claims of 8x Blu-ray recording media, and now it has "received product verification from the Blu-ray Disc Association for its next generation Blu-ray (BDR) 1x-6x discs." We're no experts on certification, but we're all about getting more options on the shelves to drive down prices.

Moser Baer nabs BDA certification for 6x BD-Rs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Oh the cat and mouse game of DRM, how we love it -- as long as content owners make these unsuccessful attempts to protect their business models, we'll have this great game to watch. As you'd expect if you've been following this up until now, it is Fox that is once again doing whatever it can to prevent you from having your way with its content. The latest BD+ application has already successfully locked down 16 new Fox releases (not all in the US) and according to a SlySoft developer, it'll probably be February before the latest version is defeated. Of course by then Fox will probably have a new version and it will all just start over again. Really sheds some light on why SlySoft's new subscription model was a necessity.


[Via Slashdot]

BD+ rides again originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Blu-ray

Sometime between the third crescent moon and a witch's equinox (or early last week, to be specific), Criterion began shipping out its long-awaited Blu-ray Disc collection. The question remains, though: are these much ballyhooed discs worth their weight in gold, or what? We've rounded up a number of reviews from around the web covering a wide range of the first wave titles, and generally speaking, critics were floored. Almost every single reviewer had a difficult time hitting the "stop" button on their praises of the visual / auditory qualities, and while the plots of each film are completely subjective, it's safe to say that these are quite the must-haves for strict audio- / videophiles. The only title that didn't receive an inordinate amount of laud was Chungking Express, with the reviewer noting that it had "a somewhat erratic look on Blu-ray, alternately semi-soft and sharp." Outside of that, however, it's all glowing.

Read - The Third Man review
Read - Bottle Rocket review
Read - The Man Who Feel To Earth review
Read - Chungking Express review
Read - Overview of Blu-ray transfer process

Criterion Collection Blu-ray Disc review roundup originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray

So we've already had a discussion over which ten films that aren't on Blu-ray, um, should be, but this one's about choosing the most beautiful of the titles already available. Popular Mechanics has listed its top twenty Blu-ray Discs in terms of pure visual incredibleness, noting that these winners "reward repeat viewing with great stories, evocative soundtracks and dazzling visuals." Understandably, a few from the Criterion Collection made the cut, with notable others including Wall-E, No Country for Old Men, The Bourne Ultimatum and A Passage to India. We didn't find too many avenues for disagreement on the films that were chosen, but we were taken aback by the fact that Baraka was nowhere to be found. A simple oversight, or a purposeful omission?

Popular Mechanics picks 20 best Blu-ray Discs for showing off originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight has eclisped Iron Man to become the fastest selling Blu-ray Disc movie of all time.
Approximately 600,000 Blu-ray copies of the movie sold on the first day in the US, Canada and UK.
This represent 20 per cent of the total three million copies sold during the first 24 hours.

Filed under: Blu-ray

The numbers are in, and they're big. Just as predicted, Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight was a huge day-one success, with consumers in the US, Canada and UK snapping up three million copies during the first 24 hours (give or take a few) that it was on sale. More germane to our conversation, however, is this 600,000 figure, which tells exactly how many Blu-ray Discs were sold. We already know that around one-sixth of those were moved in the UK, leaving us to determine that North America did some serious shopping. The studio has now projected it to sell one million BDs by Saturday, and curiously enough, current sales have been "especially strong at grocery stores, indicating that the format is broadening beyond early adopters to more mainstream buyers, notably women." Needless to say, this title took down Iron Man's record of moving 250,000 BDs on day one, which just ratchets up the bar for the next big one to take down.

[Thanks, Geoff]

The Dark Knight shatters sales record, moves 600,000 Blu-ray Discs on day one originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other formats, Players

As the year 2008 draws to a close, we're seeing report after report talking about Blu-ray sales and / or adoption. The latest to focus on the former comes from Pali Research analyst Rich Greenfield, who has reportedly stated that new DVD release sales are down "almost double digits," even despite respectable performance in the first half of the year. Said figure may help explain why the rental business is doing so well, but we digress. Greenfield also notes that DVDs are slowly but surely losing floor space to BDs, and given that not nearly as many folks are buying the high-def format just yet, it's not exactly helping the DVD cause. Beyond all that, he notes that Blu-ray trends are "encouraging," with titles that appeal to gamers (and thus, PS3 owners) doing particularly well. Then again, it's easy to look good during the holidays, but how will things look when everyone's third home equity loan is dried up in March?

[Image courtesy of BusinessWeek]

Analyst finds DVD sales down, Blu-ray trends "encouraging" originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blu-ray players bucked generally weak Black Friday sales in the US - helped considerable by average prices dropping to USD $200, according to DisplaySearch.
Stripping out sales of Sony's PlayStation 3, the researchers report that US Blu-ray Disc player revenue "more than tripled from a year earlier" during the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday .

Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

While we're still not clear on when Blu-ray Disc prices will fall more in line with newly lowered hardware prices, it seems that movie studios are at least beginning to standardize wholesale stickers. Reportedly, Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have all priced their BDs for distributors and direct retail accounts between $24 and $26. As expected, none of the studios would comment on the reports, and certain distributors and retailers contacted by Video Business still felt that they were "experimenting with Blu-ray prices and features." Unfortunately, we're still waiting for that one big studio to take a risk and undercut the others, but if Q4 sales don't exceed expectations, we'd expect some drastic measures to be taken early next year.

Studios begin to settle on wholesale Blu-ray Disc prices originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

So, you and hundreds of thousands of others picked up your Blu-ray copy of The Dark Knight today, huh? We know you haven't had time to fiddle with the BD-Live extras just yet, but one Joe Lynch from G4 TV has. One of the most intriguing aspects of the flick's interactive feature set is the fan commentary; put simply, users hook up a USB webcam to their player (PS3 included) and then commentate as the film progresses. From there, you can upload your take(s) to the BD-Live servers for others to enjoy. Granted, we aren't too sure how you'll actually find someone bored enough to listen to you jabber on about a film they purchased, but we reckon that's beside the point. Vid's waiting after the break.

Continue reading The Dark Knight fan commentary BD-Live feature shown on video

The Dark Knight fan commentary BD-Live feature shown on video originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players, Sony

Black Friday sales overall may have been weak this year, but high-def sales were something special. HDTVs were up, and judging by the latest DisplaySearch numbers, so were Blu-ray players. Not including Sony's PlayStation 3, Blu-ray Disc player revenue during the week of Thanksgiving in the US and Black Friday "more than tripled from a year earlier after Sony and Samsung dropped their prices of entry-level machines below $200." Over $30 million was generated on sales of 147,000 Blu-ray decks, and overall prices averaged $200 compared to nearly $400 just a year ago. Of course, we can't say that the momentum will carry now that prices are hovering back up, but at least the BDA will have one particularly bright spot to brag over when it looks back at 2008.

Standalone Blu-ray player sales triple over Black Friday originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

No one really blinked when Netflix announced that it would begin implementing a $1 per month fee for the right to rent Blu-ray Discs, but quite a few folks took notice when it said it hoped to have half a million of these very customers before 2009. Here we are just weeks from next year, and Netflix has already surpassed its goal. The outfit's CFO stated today that the rate at which it was signing up new BD subscribers was actually quicker than anticipated, and chief content officer Ted Sarandos confessed that it would begin "promoting Blu-ray inside its mailing envelopes next year." No surprises here, really -- the first thing we'd do after coming home with a $128 Blu-ray player and no overpriced films would be to fire up a new account to get the rentals flowing.

Netflix acquires its 500,000th Blu-ray subscriber, is quite pleased originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

We'll warn you -- these numbers are likely very preliminary and subject to change, but Pocket-lint is reporting (via Official Charts Company data as revealed by the British Video Association) that some 513,000 copies of The Dark Knight were sold on day one in the UK (but isn't the day still ongoing?), 21% of which were Blu-ray. If our abacus is to be trusted, that's just north of 107,000 Blu-ray Discs, and it falls right in line with the apparent BD boom going on across the pond. Just for comparison, it took the white hot Casino Royale a full week in the UK to move just 10,000 BD units. Looks like the flick is off to a solid start -- we'll be keenly watching for US numbers as soon as they become available.

107,000 The Dark Knight Blu-ray Discs sold in UK on day one originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

It's a pretty big day for Testronic Labs, as this day marks the tenth year that it has been testing optical media quality and bucking The Man and his brother (dubbed The Economy) to stay afloat. More important than that (to us, anyway) is this little tidbit: today also saw the 1,000th Blu-ray Disc tested for quality assurance in its facilities. For those unaware, this outfit works with movie studios to ensure the interactive content you receive is as bug free as humanly possible, and we'll admit, we've heard a lot less crying from Blu-ray Disc buyers of late compared to early on. Kudos, Testronic Labs -- we'll raise our glasses to a thousand more.

Testronic Labs tests 1,000th Blu-ray Disc for quality assurance originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Polls, Blu-ray

Look, we're as tired of hearing about "the economy" as you are, but even disregarding that, Blu-ray Discs are expensive. Darn expensive if we should say so ourselves. We get the feeling that they'll start falling to line up more evenly with Blu-ray hardware, but given that most flicks are still quite a bit at retail, we're curious to see the ratio of renters to buyers. Also, we're pretty sure most everyone would gladly answer this with "Both!," but we're concerned with what you do most. The majority of the time, are you a renter or a buyer? Has that changed since your days with DVD?

[Image courtesy of Parislemon]

Poll: Do you rent or buy your Blu-ray Discs? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

We've already passed along one Blu-ray primer this holiday season, but just in case you missed it (or your one specific question remains unanswered), we'll point you to this one. USA Today has written ten relatively basic questions (and answers) that may be in the minds of those teetering on taking the plunge into high-def media. Things like "Will my sound system work with Blu-ray?" and "What features do Blu-ray movies have that DVDs don't?" are covered in sufficient detail, so we'd highly recommend having a look if "your friend" is still a bit clueless.

10 Blu-ray questions keep the newbies in the know originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Generally, we wouldn't bother covering that Wally World was moving Blu-ray Discs at a discount -- after all, isn't that store like the low price leader or something? But this just reeks of something different. This just reeks of change, and we certainly hope it's a sign of things to come. With Black Friday far behind us, Walmart has seen fit to start selling a few Lionsgate (read: non-sucky) BDs for $10 each, and the news comes just days after one reporter questioned when Blu-ray software would fall more in line with the hardware in terms of dollars. Really, every other retailer out there has to pay attention to this should Walmart start to drastically undercut the rest in terms of BD pricing, so here's hoping the store puts even more at the $10 level, and soon.

[Thanks, Joel]

Walmart pushing Lionsgate Blu-ray Discs for $10 a pop originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

For movie buffs who've been waiting on pins and needles to see their Criterion Blu-ray Disc order status switch from "wait longer, fool" to "shipped," we've got some excellent news. We're beginning to hear individual reports that BDs from Criterion (at least ones that were pre-ordered a few months back) are beginning to ship, and while the company has yet to replace the "Pre-order" badges with "Buy" labels on its website, we suspect that will take place in the near future. Have any of you readers received your discs yet? If not, keep a close eye on that mailbox.

[Thanks, Christopher and Harold]

Criterion Blu-ray Discs begin to ship out originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Okay, so Denon wares aren't exactly "cheap," but you can't knock it for trying to innovate. Despite that fact that about eight people on this Earth still care about their beloved SACD / DVD-Audio collections, Denon has developed a Blu-ray player specifically for them. The DVD-A1UD is hailed as the world's first universal BD deck, and it features a black (shown after the break) or silver motif, SD / SDHC card slot, DivX support, HDMI 1.3, 1080p60 / 1080p24 output, internal decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio / Dolby TrueHD, 7.1-channel analog outputs, Denon LINK and all sorts of sophisticated pixel / audio restoration technologies. Better still, users who buy in can look forward to a Profile 2.0 update in the near future. Not surprisingly, the decked-out player will ship in Japan next month for a patently astounding ¥546,000 ($5,860), so you'll probably be stuck dreaming about it unless your ship rolls in.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Denon's DVD-A1UD: world's first universal (SACD / DVD-A) Blu-ray player

Denon's DVD-A1UD: world's first universal (SACD / DVD-A) Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray, Players, Samsung

Man, we're beginning to sound like a broken record when referring to BD-P1500 firmware updates. Back in June, we were miffed when a Profile 2.0-less update hit; if you'll recall, it was months later before BD-Live capabilities were added. Today, we've seen the deck's more flamboyant siblings receive updates that bring along the highly anticipated HD Netflix stream, yet the corresponding v2.1 BD-P1500 upgrade offers only "improved playback compatibility of some movie titles." 'Course, we never heard specifically that said feature was destined for this player, but wouldn't it be nice? Yes, yes it would.

Samsung's BD-P1500 gets firmware update, HD Netflix not included originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other formats, Players, Internet

The day before Thanksgiving seems so far away now, doesn't it? For those that can think back pre-feast, Samsung promised that a firmware update was on the way in order to bring HD Netflix streaming to its BD-P2500 / BD-P2550 Blu-ray players. Exactly one week later, it's here. Officially, the firmware v2.1 adds support for "Netflix VC1-AP HD Streaming" and "improves playback compatibility of some movie titles." We needn't tell you how urgent it is you download this and give it a try -- but be on the lookout for less-than-stellar image quality. Best of luck, brave ones.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Firmware update brings HD Netflix streaming to Samsung BD-P2500 / BD-P2550 Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Sony, Internet, OLED

Both Sony Electronics president Stan Glasgow and consumer sales president Jay Vandenbree were caught opening their mouths lately, with one uttering somewhat more respectable statements than the other. Put the two of 'em in a room together, and this is what you get. At a recent media roundtable at the Sony Building, Glasgow confessed that Blu-ray had not met sales expectations, but he still felt confident that there "would be growth this holiday season." Interestingly, he also noted that Sony's low-end price on a Blu-ray deck would remain "stable" at $299 (for now, we presume), though "it might be less in promotional bundling of HD products at retail." The two also felt that Blu-ray Discs and digital downloads could live happily together, pointing out that bandwidth restrictions / caps / etc. would hurt the latter's chances at existing exclusively. Finally, we're told that Sony is toiling away in an attempt to deliver big screen OLED TVs, though (sadly) no time frames were mentioned. Check the read link for the full interview, but don't expect any big surprises.

Sony execs talk up Blu-ray, digital downloads and OLED originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

Remember when high-def discs had to be priced competitively, else the other format would gladly undercut it? Yeah, those were the days. Now that BD is parading around as the lone high-def physical format, the only real competitors are digital downloads, DVDs and internet piracy. All of which are very real threats, by the way. A recent writeup over at The Dallas Morning News brings up an excellent point -- now that Blu-ray player prices are at a reasonable level, when can we expect movies to follow suit? Oh sure, we understand that programming in all that interactivity that eight people care about costs a lot of dough, but seriously, you can't just let admission be next-to-free and then make the rides unattainable. Back in July, we heard that Warner was looking to lower the (pricing) bar this holiday season, but since then, everyone else has been mute. It's about time someone spoke up, no?

[Image courtesy of GamerNode]

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Not like we haven't heard about these much anticipated features already, but it's always refreshing to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Or Warner Home Video's mouth, in this case. The Dark Knight marks the studio's very first foray into the controversial world of BD-Live, and what's apt to be the best selling BD of the year will pack quite the interactive punch. Owners with Profile 2.0 players will be able to "host their own Live Community Screenings with friends, record and post user-generated commentaries over the film using My WB Commentary, access more The Dark Knight content exclusive to Warner Bros. BD-Live, get sneak peeks and trailers of upcoming Warner Bros. films, create an online library of Blu-ray movies, manage a wish list for upcoming releases and connect to the WB store." As we've already seen in a number of instances, there's also a hint of a BD-Live-assisted interview with director Christopher Nolan "during a special Live Community Screening." For the full spill, give that read link a gentle tap.

Warner gets official with The Dark Knight BD-Live extras originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sharp

It's a few days past October and all, but Sharp has still managed to get its BonusView-enabled BD-HP21H Blu-ray player out in the UK. Reportedly selling for around £249 ($383), the Profile 1.1 deck is probably a touch overpriced given the current state of BD across the globe, but then again, we've also heard reports that finding low-cost players across the pond isn't proving simple. At any rate, the unit does tout 1080p24 and a pretty slick design, and it's guaranteed to put a smile on the face of anyone who unwraps it. That's worth, what, at least a few quid?

[Via Register Hardware]

Sharp's £249 BD-HP21H Blu-ray player ships to UK originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blockbuster may be hinting at offering its download service on Blu-ray players - Netflix is actually doing it.
From next week two Samsung Blu-ray players are to provide Netflix videos in high definition.

Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

NAD's BD-Live-enabled T587 Blu-ray deck heads to Canada for $1,600 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Oh sure, an equal amount of UKers are apt to buy NAD's absurdly overpriced T587 Blu-ray player as Americans (2.5 persons, for those wanting specifics), but what's up with the pricing discrepancy? The BD-Live-enabled deck -- which includes internal decoding of the latest lossless codecs from Dolby and DTS, an HDMI 1.3 port, Ethernet jack, component / composite video outputs, coaxial / optical digital audio sockets, external IR input and a front-panel USB port -- is scheduled to hit shelves sometime in December for around £850. We know the greenback has been gaining ground and all, but we Americans are still getting dinged for an extra two bills here. Ah well, what's $200 to the man / woman who's throwing down for a $1k+ Blu-ray player, right?

NAD's Profile 2.0 T587 Blu-ray player coming to UK for £850 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Blu-ray, Players, Pioneer, Sony

Long load times on Blu-ray players have always been a pet peeve of ours, and obviously we aren't alone. The gurus over at CNET UK rounded up four of their favorite decks and popped in a test disc (Vantage Point) in order to find which was the quickest at getting down to business. Trailing the pack was Pioneer's BDP-LX71, which took a staggering 1:54 to load and play the film. Panasonic's DMP-BD35 nabbed the bronze in unceremonious fashion (1:16), while Samsung's BD-P1500 slipped in second with a 1:09 load / play time. As we gave away in the headline there, Sony's PlayStation 3 easily took first with a test time of just 42 seconds. We'd love to know if any other untested decks could outperform that -- anyone care to time their unit and chime in below?

CNET UK hosts Blu-ray player load time shootout, PS3 wins originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Recorders

Lookie, lookie -- yet another 8x Blu-ray burner to choose from. In Japan, of course. The BDR-S03J SATA drive is able to write to single- and dual-layer BD-R media at 8x, and that rate doubles when toasting to blank DVDs. It also features 4MB of cache and can burn CD-Rs at 32x and CD-RWs at 24x, but it'll only ship in the Land of the Rising Sun (at least initially) this January for ¥38,000 ($399).

[Via Impress]

Pioneer introduces 8x BDR-S03J Blu-ray burner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic has submitted a proposal for a 3D Blu-ray standard to the Blu-ray Disc Association.
The submission comes as Korea's LG announces its intentions to bring 3D TVs to some markets in 2009.

Filed under: Blu-ray, Media streamers, LG, Internet

Remember when we heard that Microsoft's Xbox 360 was just one of many boxes that would support HD Netflix streaming over the next few months? Yeah, well we get the impression that the first week in December will be the go-live date for a smattering of new units. Just hours after hearing that Samsung's BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray decks would be receiving a free update to enable high-def Netflix support, along comes a strikingly similar release from LG tipping us off on a strikingly similar update for its BD300. Said BD player, which has supported Watch Instantly from day one, will also support HD streaming after a gratis firmware upgrade in "early December." Mmm, we definitely like where this is headed.

LG's BD300 next in line for HD Netflix streaming originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

The long wait for Criterion's break into the world of Blu is just about over, and we're assured that our patience will not have been in vain. According to Criterion technical director Lee Kline: "If our Blu-ray discs are going to come out, then they'd better look right." Presumably addressing the delays, he noted that "we had to make sure that the compression was right, that the audio encoding was up to par, and we had to make sure that the discs played on all players, particularly the older generation models, as well as [the] PlayStation 3." Possibly the most exciting news is that the first wave of releases will be available for purchase on December 19th. Also of note, each title will "not be housed in the traditional blue-colored Blu-ray boxes that the major studios have adopted, nor will they carry the Blu-ray Disc logo. Rather, the Criterion titles will carry a small credit on the back of the box indicating that the title is in the Blu-ray format, and there will be a blue sticker on the shrink wrap indicating the same." Way to go your own way, Criterion.

First wave of Criterion Blu-ray Discs to tout plain packaging, ship December 19th originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players, Samsung, Internet

Around this time last month, we learned that Netflix streaming would be making its way onto Samsung's BD-P2500 / BD-P2550 Blu-ray players. Today, Sammy has dropped another related bombshell: HD Netflix streaming is just around the bend. Beginning the first week of December (which isn't vague at all), owners of the aforementioned decks will be able to suck down a simple firmware update to enable high-def Netflix streaming. Enjoy the exclusivity, Xbox 360 -- it all comes to an end soon.

HD Netflix streaming coming to Samsung's BD-P2500 / BD-P2550 Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

Blu-ray Disc sales may be up a staggering 396% in the UK, and the BDA may be bullish about BD's success in Europe as a whole, but Europeans looking to buy in cheap as we Americans have recently been able to do may be out of luck (for now, at least). According to a new report from Reuters, "a scarcity of cheap Blu-ray players combined with the effects of a recession are expected to delay take-up of the Blu-ray format in Europe." It's suggested that supply issues earlier in the year could mean that those relatively cheap BD decks in the US may not make their way to Europe before the big holiday shopping season. Screen Digest analyst Richard Cooper even went so far as to say that these factors "[could mean that] the format is unlikely to move much beyond the early adopter market this year." Granted, no one really anticipated BD going from niche to mainstream by the time CES 2009 got going, but a scarcity of affordable players sure won't help matters.

Cheap Blu-ray players a rare commodity in Europe originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Who knew that the trials and tribulations of Sherwood's BDP-5003 Blu-ray player could mirror the drama of the movies it plays? First shown off at CEDIA, then delayed and most recently threatened with the axe, but now Sherwood has brought its $300, Profile 1.1 Blu-ray player to the market, just in time for the holidays. Sure, it's probably a competent enough player, but we just don't see the value proposition of this next to entry-level models from other brands. Perhaps last-minute shoppers looking to jump on the Blu-ray wagon this holiday will grab one when Netflix-enabled (a little more money), Profile 2.0 (a few more features), or better-known brands (a tad more comfy) disappear from retailer shelves; but if that's the plan, maybe giving this model the axe would have been a better approach.

Sherwood delivers its BDP-5003 Blu-ray deck originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other hardware, Players, Sony

For the longest time, the answer to the inevitable "What's the best Blu-ray player?" question was simple: "Sony's PlayStation 3, of course." Now, however, prices of less extravagant decks have plummeted, making the PS3 one of the pricier BD players on the market. True though that may be, Sony's BD-infused console still managed to top CNNMoney's list of "Best of the Blu-ray players." Critics pointed out that its Profile 2.0 support, quick load times and obvious extra benefits (gaming) made it a surefire winner, with the BDP-S350 and Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD notching silver and bronze, respectively. Panasonic's Profile 2.0 DMP-BD50 and Samsung's tried and true BD-P1500 finished out the top five, though it's fairly evident that reviewers didn't bother taking cash into account. We'll keep an eye out for the "Best Of" list for bargain hunters, but you're probably better off just grabbing the cheapest deck you can find this Friday and pondering the decision at a later date.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Sony's PlayStation 3 tops another "Best Blu-ray player" list originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

They always said a picture was worth a few hundred words, and that's about right with the image above. After toying with the idea for a tick, it seems that Redbox has decided to go Blu. Starting now in select movie rental kiosks, users can rent a Blu-ray Disc for just $1 per night, but you'll have to be lucky enough to be near one that actually serves up BDs. Have a look at your local machine(s) and see if you're one of the fortunate ones.

[Via VideoBusiness]

It's official: Redbox welcomes Blu-ray with open arms originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Blu-ray's Internet capabilities got a brand new push this weekend, with the first director's chat featuring Hellboy II: The Golden Army's Guillermo del Toro live from New Zealand. Didn't get home in time to access the event (scattered forum posts reported problems logging in at all, or people who were logged in but unable to access the comments), or might not have the movie? No problem, here's a quick look at things after the break, and hopefully a preview of what to expect from future director / fan chats.

Continue reading Hellboy II BD-Live director's chat event recap

Hellboy II BD-Live director's chat event recap originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray

Looking to edit some of that sweet, luscious 1080p footage and burn to Blu-ray, are you? If you're feverishly nodding your head up and down, and you're all about getting a bargain, listen up. MAGIX has just introduced its Video Pro X professional video editing software, and with it comes Blu-ray support and a $199.99 introductory price for current MAGIX users ($249.99 for everyone else). The program imports video material from XDCAM camcorders and can natively edit AVCHD material, and of course, users can create 1080p discs with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound if you've got a few BD-Rs laying around waiting to be used. If you're not already married to some other brand, you can download this one today and get to cutting.

MAGIX intros Video Pro X editing software with Blu-ray support originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players, Sony

While Sony's Jay Vandenbree is over in one corner griping about HDTV price drops, the outfit's Stan Glasgow is off in another making a bit of sense. In a recent interview with Reuters, the bigwig stated that he understood that movie studios "needed to make money, and [that] packaged media (discs) is a critical way for them to [do so]," but he continued on to say that he would "love to see those prices come down, as well as the price of Blu-ray players to drive adoption." These absolutely laudable comments come on the heels of him admitting that Blu-ray sales overall would fall around 10% short this holiday season of prior expectations, despite the fact that BD deck prices are apt to hit record lows on Black Friday. It's actually pretty astounding to hear a higher-up such as Stan uttering such logical statements, and if you're looking for more of his take on the industry, you know where to head.

Sony's Glasgow wants Blu-ray prices to come down originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blu-Ray discs will go on sale in China for the first time today - officially that is.
While it's been possible to buy dubious pirated version of the high-def format for some time, today marks the start of what is expected to be a major push by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment into the vast Chinese market.

Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other formats, Other hardware, Players, Magnavox, Others, Philips

If you were a bit confused as to how Funai planned on boosting its Q4 numbers with sales of Blu-ray players, maybe this will clear things up. Effective January 1, 2009, Philips Consumer Lifestyles will "license its Philips and Magnavox brands to Funai for Blu-ray Disc players, DVD players, DVD recorders and home cinema products in the US." With the onset of the new year, Funai will take responsibility for the "manufacturing, distribution, marketing and sales activities" for all of the above mentioned items, and of course, Philips will receive royalty payments in exchange. The agreement is set to last for three years with a possibility of extension, and once the transformation takes place, Philips Consumer Lifestyles' "On The Go" portable wares will be the only ones it exclusively offers without any assistance from Funai.

Philips and Magnavox brands licensed to Funai originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Bourne is already a proven winner in high-def, so it's no shock at all to see that Universal Studios Home Entertainment is finally bringing the acclaimed trilogy to Blu-ray. The only real surprise is the release date; rather than squeezing it in before the holiday break, Universal's hoping to grab a small chunk of your grandma money in late January. The three pack, which will obviously include The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, will not only include hours of bonus materials including deleted scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries, but it'll also take advantage of BD-Live. The disc will grant access to the studio's BD-Live Center, where fans can then "download even more bonus content, share their favorite scenes with buddies, and engage in a BD-exclusive strategy game that pits users against each other in hand-to-hand combat simulation." Too bad the MSRP is set at $119.98, but you've got until January 27, 2009 to get enough couch change together.

[Via Blu-ray, thanks Anthony]

Bourne Triology hitting Blu-ray Disc in January 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Magnavox

We casually mentioned this here deal a few days back upon spying Walmart's leaked Black Friday list, but just in case you missed it, there will be at least one Blu-ray player out there for well under $150. The Magnavox NB500MG9 (which is really a Funai NB500 underneath the logo) will be offered for just a buck twenty-eight on the day after Thanksgiving here in the US, and while it's far from the most highly acclaimed BD deck in existence, there's no denying that the price is right. Our hopes and dreams? That five other players undercut it.

[Via DVICE]

Magnavox Blu-ray player to be $128 at Walmart on Black Friday originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

It's hard to know what to believe these days. Just weeks ago, we heard that the worldwide economic situation would actually increase at-home entertainment sales; now, we're hearing that overall home entertainment spending will likely decline 3% to 4%. Regardless of what actually happens, Blu-ray backers are still scaling back their expectations for the format, with Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president David Bishop each estimating that total BD software sales in 2008 will reach $750 million. That's compared to earlier forecasts of around $1 billion, though it was noted that Paramount Home Entertainment president Kelley Avery nailed the revamped estimate a few months back. As it stands, year-to-date Blu-ray sales have surpassed $500 million, which means BD still needs a big holiday season to hit the fresh figures -- do see you it happening?

Blu-ray forecasts slightly lower due to wild economy originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

While some studios are backing away from Asian countries due to rampant piracy, Sony's content with diving right in. According to a recent report from Variety, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will begin distributing 30 current and classic Blu-ray Discs to China on Friday, though they won't be exceptionally cheap. In fact, with titles costing around 205 yuan ($30), we'd bet those Chinese "BD" pirates may actually see a spike in sales. Funny how so much Blu-ray manufacturing is going on in China, yet it's just now about to get its first taste of authentic BD software sales. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world, we tell ya.

[Via TechRadar]

Sony to ship real live Blu-ray Discs to China originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Misc, Blu-ray, Other formats

We'll be completely honest -- we had every idea that D-BOX would just fade away into the sunset just a few short months after we initially heard about it. Au Contraire! In just the past week, we've seen the outfit -- which is responsible for a rumbling Motion Code technology that enables you to "feel" the motions of the movie you're watching -- venture into the wide world of gaming and now into Universal's heart. Starting with the December 23-bound Death Race, D-BOX Motion Code will be available on select Universal Studios Home Entertainment Blu-ray Discs, and if we were still placing bets, we'd now say this is probably just the first of many big studio licensing agreements to come.

D-BOX deal brings Motion Code rumblings to Universal Blu-ray Discs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players, Tuners, Others

So, apparently sales of Blu-ray players and DTV converter boxes are on the up and up now that the format war is over and the DTV transition is quickly approaching in the USA -- who would've thunk it? According to reports, Funai's latest quarter saw an operating income increase of 108.8%, and it didn't hesitate to thank sales of Blu-ray players and DTV converters for such a surge. The outfit also proclaimed that sales of CRT TVs and DVD decks were down, and even though the boost from converter boxes will be short lived, it's hoping a deeper adoption of BD and sales of Philips-branded LCD TVs will compensate in 2009. Godspeed, we say.

[Via VideoBusiness]

Funai sees operating income jump on sales of BD decks, DTV converter boxes originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Internet

Hellboy II: The Golden Army director Guillermo del Toro (and avowed Blu-ray fan, take that Michael Bay) is the first to connect to viewers (as suggested by a particular EHD ed at the last CES) and chat live while watching the movie on Internet-connected players November 23. Exactly how "live" the chat will be remains to be seen, as questions will be submitted ahead of time on UniversalHiDef.com, before the event commences Sunday at 6 p.m. PST, but an opportunity to hear the director's responses in real time is not to be missed, and finally scratches the potential for Blu-ray's online capabilities. Still holding out hope for BD-Live? Make sure you're close to your PlayStation 3 this weekend, and think of a different question than "Here's my 10 suggestions on how to make The Hobbit totally awesome" 'cuz we already submitted that.

Hellboy director chats with Blu-ray fans live Sunday originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The latest survey from SmithGeiger shows that HDTV owners would rather watch movies on Blu-ray Disc than stream content directly to their TV.
Well, hardly any surprise there. There's never been any doubt about the phenomenal quality of Blu-ray images - but that still doesn't seem to be translating into sales.
Even with price drops in the US of between USD $200 and $300, the HD players aren't rushing off the shelves.

Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Okay, so maybe Memorex's Profile 1.1 MVBD-2510 was only $269 from the get-go, but busting through the unofficial $150 price barrier is a pretty big deal for Blu-ray. Granted, we're totally expecting a few more to join the fold come Black Friday, but who's not all about buying from the comfort of one's home versus braving frigid temperatures only to catch eight airborne diseases and shave 2.85 years from your life due to statistically significant levels of stress on a day off? Bottom line: $139.99 for a BD deck is pretty darn cheap (even for Woot's standards), and even if there's no BD-Live support baked in, it'll still handle the 1080p basics. Order now, debate later.

[Thanks, Jamil]

Memorex MVBD-2510 Blu-ray player hits $139.99 (but not for long) originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players

Right, so the obvious answer here is: "No, you don't need a Blu-ray player." But, you know -- do you need a Blu-ray player? At its core, the latest argument put forth by an Orlando Sentinel editor is yet another debate over the viability of the format in comparison to upscaled DVD and in the wake of surging support for HD streaming, but there are certainly a lot of points made that we vehemently disagree with. According to the editor, the "difference between DVD and Blu-ray is nowhere near as striking [as VHS and DVD], despite what the consumer electronics retailers and manufacturers might tell you." He goes on to assert that a BD player simply isn't worth purchasing if you've already got a stout DVD library, particularly if you own an upconverting DVD player. Ruining any shot at anyone taking his view seriously were the remarks by his colleague, who watched Planet of the Apes on a BD deck and a $40 DVD player; according to him: "The features are fancier, but the picture? No improvement. Investing in a [Blu-ray] player... is a needless expense. Downloads are the future, not discs in a cute blue box." Let the firefight begin.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Editor ponders: Do you need a Blu-ray player? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

We'd like to think that anything put out by Criterion would be worth the wait, but this is getting a wee bit annoying. After first announcing that a gaggle of Criterion Blu-ray Discs would be out by October, we were hit with the unfortunate news that things were being pushed back 'til November. Here we are in that very month, and now we're staring yet another month-long delay in the face. For reasons unknown, classics like Bottle Rocket, Chungking Express, The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Last Emperor have all been knocked back to December with the exception of the last film, which is being delayed until January of 2009. Bah, humbug!

[Via Sound & Vision, thanks Anthony]

Criterion Blu-ray collection delayed again until at least December originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other hardware

Despite the obvious color bias in the company's name, Red Box is giving Blu-ray a fighting chance. After hearing that BDs were popping up in rental kiosks around the Northwest, it's now looking mighty official that Blu-ray Discs will be headed to its rental boxes around the country. As of now, the firm has made space for a dedicated Blu-ray section on its website, though it's currently empty and waiting for occupants. Impulse renting of BDs? Now there's something the BDA won't mind hearing.

[Thanks, Michael]

Red Box makes space for Blu-ray on its website originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other formats, Others

After seeing what we saw at CEDIA this year, we knew this innovation was only a hop, skip and a jump away. RCDb and Nortel have teamed up to showcase what they're calling the Video Bulletin Board, which is an interactive application that enables cellphones and Blu-ray players to communicate like never before. With it, you can "send a photo or video from your mobile phone to your own or a friend's BD Live-enabled Blu-ray deck and then, using the remote, activate a click-to-call feature that would automatically have your phone call back the mobile user who sent you the photo." It won't be long before you're ordering pizza from your Blu-ray player and watching outtakes on your handset -- at least, we hope.

[Image courtesy of Blu-ray.com]

Video Bulletin Board enables mobile-to-Blu-ray player interaction originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other hardware, Players, Sony

Despite the weakening economy, video game sales across the board have remained impressively high. Now that each of the big three have reported their Q3 figures, we found Sony's report in particular worthy of critique. Sure, Nintendo moved more Wiis last quarter than Sony did PS3s, and Microsoft sold about twice as many Xbox 360s, but that's beside the point. The most expensive console on the market (by far) still managed to see a 56% sales increase year-over-year, which is pretty remarkable in and of itself. We've no hard evidence suggesting that Blu-ray's victory in the format war helped escalate its sales, but would you be willing to bet that it did? C'mon, the PS3 was widely regarded as the best Blu-ray player in its price range for a solid while there, surely that helped out Sony somewhat -- no? Chime in with your analysis below.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players

What do you know, more number games with Blu-ray. The latest report asserts that Blu-ray players, in general, aren't moving any quicker of late even after dropping between $200 and $300. For instance, Texas superstore Bjorn's and Pennsylvania-based Gerhard Appliances "saw no sales change after Sony and Samsung cut $100 off their respective BDP-S350 and BD-P1500 models to $299 at the end of September." Granted, year-to-date BD sales in the aforesaid price range comprised 17% of all BD decks compared to just 9% for that same window through July. Also (and probably more importantly), it's suggested that consumers will finally move in a big way once the bulk of players sink below $200. Of course, we've been hearing similar for quite some time, but now that Black Friday is but days away, we're finally close to finding out who's right in all of this.

[Image courtesy of 360East]

Blu-ray player price cuts not spurring huge sales... yet originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Other formats

Not quite sure what happened to DVD neXt COPY's shift key while filling out those incorporation documents, but whatever the case, the outfit's latest piece of software is quite interesting. The bizarrely titled DVD neXt COPY Ultimate can not only transfer your DVD movies to portable devices while stripping it of unwanted material like the sizable DTS audio stream, but it also toasts those films back to a BD-R. In fact, it promises to squeeze ten whole DVDs onto a single blank Blu-ray Disc, though we're unsure how great (or terrible) it is at busting through all of those encryption schemes it's sure to run into. Those willing to take the risk can pick up a copy right now for $69.99.

DVD neXt COPY Ultimate burns ten DVDs to one Blu-ray Disc originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

It obviously proved impossible for a brand like Sherwood to pull off a $299 Profile 1.1 player in today's competitive market place, but for someone like Denon, high prices are simply expected. The "budget" DVD-1800BD BonusView Blu-ray deck has finally shipped to the United Kingdom, complete with a bloated £600 price tag. Call us crazy, but we still expect the firm to move quite a few of these, worldwide recession be darned.

Denon ships DVD-1800BD Blu-ray player to the UK originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

One time Xbox 360 HD DVD player pack-in King Kong is finally making its Blu-ray debut, complete with U-Control interactive features and some additional bits we'd missed the first go round. Apparently Universal has seen fit to replace the previous edition's Dolby Digital+ 5.1 soundtrack with a 5.1 DTS-HD MA version, as well as the Extended Edition footage (on an already 3 hour+ movie?) that was missing from the HD DVD. Making the jump from HDi to BD-Live is online My Scenes sharing, just in case you still needed a reason to pay the $29.98 MSRP for this disc January 20.

King Kong gets additional features for Blu-ray release January 20 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

It's not that Oppo's BDP-83 is completely unexpected or anything, but this marks the first time the company is publicly admitting that the device is more than a show floor spectacle. Oppo has created a placeholder for the BD deck in order to give prospective buyers a chance to be notified of the unit's release. Unfortunately, all that we're given to chew on now is a pair of high-res images, so feel free to jump past the break and peek the other if the one above just isn't doing it for you. C'mon Oppo -- drop this puppy for under $150 and make yourself some new friends.

[Thanks, mostly a lurker]

Continue reading Oppo teases BDP-83 Blu-ray player, offers no vital information

Oppo teases BDP-83 Blu-ray player, offers no vital information originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

Onkyo's had a long journey from HD DVD to Blu-ray, first giving an indication that it would produce a BD deck of its own this past February. This summer, we'd heard that the player would set buyers back a few bills, but that was back when players were all selling for a few bills. Now, the DV-BD606P has been introduced as a "professional" player, which essentially means that it's rack-mountable and needlessly expensive. It boasts all the usual suspects -- 1080p output, Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, DVD upconversion, Profile 1.1 support and an HDMI 1.3a port -- but we don't see anything in particular that justifies the $599 MSRP. Good luck marketing this one, Onkyo.

[Via EMediaLive]

Onkyo finally launches $599 DV-BD606P "pro" Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players, Others, Panasonic, Sony

If you held back from snapping up a multi-region Blu-ray player the last time you had a chance, today's your lucky day. BlurayMods has finally returned to the scene, and it brought along with it some fancy new toys. The ICOS HD mod converts your current BD deck into a multi-region bundle of fun, and if you believe the seller, it's totally easy to install and operate. For those not willing to hand over €69 ($88) for the mod chip -- which functions with Sony's BDP-S350 / BDP-S550, Panasonic's DMP-BD35 / DMP-BD55 and Denon's DVD-2500 -- you can buy a pre-rigged player for quite a bit more. We'd say the euro-to-dollar conversion really rules these out for most Americans, but if things get much crazier, you may find yourself looking at a steal.

BD-Live-capable Blu-ray players get offered in multi-region form originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sony

Sure, we might see $150 Blu-ray players on Black Friday, but how's about a $175 Sony right now? Okay, so maybe $176.96 isn't quite a buck seventy-five, but with a little digging we're sure you can uncover a coupon. Sony's BDP-S300, which has been free-falling in price over the past few weeks, has hit a new low at Circuit City. You should know, however, that this here player isn't apt to last long, and that "Outlet" tag makes us even more fearful of limited stock. So, the magic question: buy in (at long last), or hold out just a bit longer?

[Thanks, Darren F.]

Forget Black Friday -- $175 Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player here now originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Well over two years ago, Universal hit a home run with its decision to release Serenity on HD DVD. Now, the studio is finally giving Blu-ray aficionados the privilege of buying the film, and it's even tossing in a few nice upgrades to boot. Given that this title would likely sell on Blu even without any extras, we appreciate the touchups. Those who take the plunge will be treated to a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, a 2.35:1 1080p video transfer, BD-Live support and a whole slew of bonus features that can't all be listed in this space. Make sure you don't spend all of that holiday cash before December 25th, as you'll need $29.98 (MSRP) in order to snatch this one up on December 30th.

Universal bringing Serenity to Blu-ray with upgrades and extras originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

We wouldn't book this one just yet or anything, but Digitimes has it that Taiwan's own Kenmec is gearing up to ship Blu-ray players in just a few months. The outfit has generally stuck to producing automation and flat-panel display manufacturing equipment, but it's reportedly looking to extend its business by dipping its toes in the Blu, Blu waters. It's stated that the firm has received ODM orders for BD players from "retail chains in Europe as well as China-based vendor Haier, with shipments to begin in the first quarter of 2009." There's no telling if or when these units will ever head stateside, but we're sure its already measuring the feasibility.

Taiwan's Kenmec reportedly shipping Blu-ray players in Q1 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players

If you've been conveniently ignoring all the ins and outs of Blu-ray while the prices have been out of reach, you may have found yourself feeling a bit behind the times now that the technology is becoming more attainable. No worries, though -- Forbes has hosted up a detailed Blu-ray Holiday Primer that gives you the skinny on BD's advantages over DVD, how it stacks up against digital downloads and what all those Profiles actually mean. If you've been scouting a simple crash course in Blu-ray before plunking down $150 or so (we hope, anyway) this Black Friday, you know where to head.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Blu-ray holiday primer gets you informed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

It was bound to happen, and while wildly speculating was fun, we can now finally mark our calendars. The appropriately christened "sleeper hit of 2004" is all lined up for a Blu-ray release, and it'll arrive not a moment too soon. The film will be presented in 1080p / AVC MPEG-4 with a lossless 5.1-channel DTS-HD Master Audio track (not to mention French / Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks on the side). There's no date set in stone just yet, but "February" at $34.95 (MSRP) is close enough... gosh!

Napoleon Dynamite finally hitting Blu-ray in February: flippin' sweet originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

During a period where Blu-ray deck manufacturers are begrudgingly lowering prices in order to increase BD adoption, NAD's sticking to its high-end roots and pricing its own Profile 2.0 player accordingly. The T 587, which was briefly spotted at CEDIA 2008, got all official on us today, as we learned that it'll come loaded with HDMI 1.3, Ethernet, composite / component outs, coaxial / optical digital audio ports, an external IR input, front-panel USB socket and internal decoding of the latest lossless audio codecs from Dolby and DTS. It'll also offer 1080p24 playback, specially developed silicon rubber feet (you know, for vibration isolation), a swank upscaler for sprucing up your DVDs and native support for BD-Live / BD-Java applications. Too bad it's being priced entirely too high at $1,499, but those with reputations to uphold can get one installed next month.

[Image courtesy of HomeTheaterMag]

NAD's $1,500 T 587 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray deck shipping in December originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Polls, Blu-ray, Other formats, Internet

Make no mistake -- the digital downloads versus physical media debate has been raging quietly for years now, but for whatever reason, lighter fluid found the smoldering fire just this week. Granted, the HD Netflix streaming for the Xbox 360 announcement probably helped things along, but we digress. We already gave you our take on the whole ordeal, and overall, we just think streams have too many strings attached to truly eradicate optical discs. Time restrictions (both watch and wait times), overly heavy DRM limitations, possible quality issues, thin catalogs, etc. all detract from the allure that instantly gratifying digital downloads have at first glance. But who knows, maybe you're willing to overlook all of that. Drop your vote in the poll below and sound off in comments. It's Decision 2008, folks -- make it count!

Poll: What's your preference -- digital downloads or discs? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Samsung

While Samsung's latest crop of Blu-ray players has had the ability to output DTS-HD High Resolution & Master Audio via HDMI 1.3 in the form of a bitstream from day one, many still have an older A/V receivers that doesn't feature HDMI 1.3. So today Samsung dropped us a note to let us know that that those poor souls in need a new A/V receiver will have to endure the DTS core track in our favorite Blu-ray movies a little longer. This is because the firmware update that was scheduled to deliver the new codecs to existing players is delayed. But don't fret, the good news is that Samsung is still opptamistic that it can deliver the new feature before the year is up.

Internal DTS-HD decoding for Samsung Blu-ray players is delayed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Bringing the "look-at-me" Web 2.0 feel to the set-top box, Universal's Death Race Blu-ray will include the ability for users to record a play by play video of themselves, and upload it to be judged and win unspecified prizes. On top of that BD-Live powered treat Digital Copy and DTS-HD MA audio should come home as part of the package. Beyond a December 23 release date (same as the DVD) little else is known for sure but in the meantime we'll need to update our Twitter, Myspace & Facebook statuses while taking oddly-angled cellphone pics in the mirror.

Death Race Blu-ray features unique BD-Live contest originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Whoa, this player didn't last very long -- first there was the delay, and now the Sherwood Blu-ray players announced at CEDIA, may never see the light of day. The reason is a good one for consumers, which is that Blu-ray player prices are dropping so fast that Sherwood doesn't think its player would be competitive. We can't say we blame them, when the big names in the market, like Sony and Samsung, have stand-alone players selling at select retailers for as low as $200. We don't think anyone predicted that player prices would drop this fast, and not only are "value" companies like Sherwood likely to drop the budget players, but the old fashioned DVD players are sure to follow. We mean, who in there right mind would buy a stand-alone DVD player if they could buy a Blu-ray player for the same price?

Sherwood might cancel Blu-ray players due to competitive prices originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Insignia

Ah, ha! So that's why the Insignia NS-BRDVD recently stooped below $200. Out of absolutely nowhere comes the successor to the previously mentioned unit, the Profile 2.0 NS-2BRDVD. According to Blu-ray, the newest unit actually does have an Ethernet jack, although you wouldn't know it simply by looking at the specifications on Best Buy's website. At any rate, the new deck checks in a few inches smaller and a few pounds lighter than the old, while still supporting 1080p playback and boasting optical / coaxial audio outputs, a single HDMI socket and a bundled remote. Unfortunately, the NS-2BRDVD trashes the Media Card slot and Energy Star qualification that the previous model possessed, so not everything is actually a step up. Those too impatient to see what Black Friday will bring can expect delivery in one to two weeks if you plunk down $249.99 right now.

[Via Blu-ray, thanks Anthony]

Insignia's $250 Profile 2.0 NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray player emerges at Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

We're still a little perplexed about this, but The HD Room has it on authority that the Blu-ray rendition of Mamma Mia! will boast a Blu-ray first: shareable video commentary. Trust us, we had the same reaction that you just did. According to the specs, the "My Mamma Mia! Commentary" will allow users to "record their own video commentary while watching the movie and share it with friends," though we suspect you'll have to own a BD-Live-enabled player in order to do so. Additionally, the film will be presented in 1080p widescreen with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, and it'll offer up on-screen lyrics for 22 songs, the Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! music video and a number of less enthralling extras. Expect the BD to ship day-and-date with the DVD on December 16th for $39.98 (MSRP).

Mamma Mia! to deliver Blu-ray first: shareable video commentary originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray

While most everyone's busy drooling at the thought of checking out HD Netflix streams on November 19th, Blu-ray is peeking its head out for a share of the limelight, too. Hollywood Reporter has it that Blu-ray Disc has hit a rather large milestone today: the all-important 1,000 mark. As of now, over 1,000 high-definition movies have BD written all over it, with 841 on the market currently and 185 scheduled for release. The latest big time announcement for the format is Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment's 70th anniversary platinum edition of Pinocchio, which just notched a March 10, 2009 release date. Huzzah!

Blu-ray hits a milestone: 1,000 titles on the format originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players, Sony

Just two weeks ago the Wall Street Journal was telling us that Blu-ray still hadn't arrived, players having an average price way up there at $350 and only 1.7 percent of households owning one. Now the WSJ is telling us to watch out for Black Friday, indicating that retailers have warehouses full of dusty old BD-Live-less players and will be slashing prices to get rid of them. Brick and mortar shops are also said to be cringing at the looming threat of digital distribution, which could be another factor driving low prices this holiday season. The $150 price point, which we've seen predicted elsewhere, is mentioned again, and with units on store shelves around the nation for well under $200 we just might be getting close to mass adoption of the format. Now, if only they could do something about those $30 movies...

Excess inventory driving Black Friday Blu-ray sales? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Players, Sony

And so it begins. With the day after Thanksgiving in the USA (more affectionately known as Black Friday) closing in, we're starting to see the earliest slippage of deals from big box retailers. Up first this year is Sears, which has let loose a laundry list of discounts that will be available for a limited time on November 28th. When peering at the items we care about, the most notable inclusion is a Sony Blu-ray player for $179.99; granted, we've seen the BDP-S300 for under $200 already, but the link takes us to Sony's fresher, better BDP-S350. Hard to say how legitimate that is, but at any rate, those looking for BD and audio can find Samsung's HT-BD2E Blu-ray home theater system for $599.99, and folks just now looking to dive into DVD will find a Memorex DVD player for $14.99. Check the read link for the full rundown, and get prepared for an onslaught of lists just like this from elsewhere as B-Day draws closer.

[Via I4U News]

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Other formats, Players, Recorders

We knew Japan was warming to Blu-ray, but apparently those tepid desires have morphed into infernos of passion. According to new statistics loosed by the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), Blu-ray Disc recorder / player shipments hit a level of 138,000, or around 107 times more than the shipments posted a year ago. Moreover, those shipments accounted for 31% of "overall shipments of DVD equipment on a volume basis." Unsurprisingly, BD equipment -- coupled with flat-panel TVs -- were the two biggest drivers of consumer electronics shipments in Japan this year, with visual equipment shipments rising 8.2% year-over-year. Blu-ray and HDTV: a match made in heaven. Or Tokyo.

[Image courtesy of TVSnob]

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Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Media streamers, Samsung

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