Recently Filed in Blu-ray

We’ve all marveled at the KURO displays and even the projector. Now Pioneer is pushing out components to accompany its luxury A/V line. The Elite BDP-05FD ($799) and BDP-51FD ($599) BonusView Blu-ray Disc players are designed with KURO in mind, with HDMI 1.3, picture-in-picture and other interactive features. Shipping this summer, the company says that both will feature support for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD and DTS HD Master high-resolution audio formats. Speaking of audio, Pioneer has also announced plans for four A/V… View this story
Blu-ray • Receivers • Home Theater • Audio • Product News

Panasonic has given its Blu-ray line a bump, with the DMP-BD50. The company’s third-generation Blu-ray player adds in BD-Live functionality, meaning you can tap into additional features, including games, images and other content, on some newer Blu-ray movie titles. It also has VIERA Link, which allows users to rope in applicable home theater components under one remote. “Panasonic was the first to bring a Blu-ray player with Bonus View (Final Standard Profile 1.1) to market and now with the DMP-BD50 we are again leading the… View this story
Blu-ray • Home Theater • Product News

Lots of ”discussion” lately as to why Blu-ray isn’t taking off the way some predicted/hoped. Overpriced hardware, questionable economy, global warming… whatever the cause, I’ll tell you one thing, it’s not Buy.com‘s fault. They’ve had several very enticing sales on Blu-ray titles lately, and this one has placed several titles at new lows. Over 80 relatively decent movies to choose from including T2, 3:10 to Yuma, all the Rambos, Dawn of the Dead, Lord of War and a couple seasons of Weeds. One odd thing… View this story
Blu-ray • Movies and Music • Deals • Product News

Blu-ray may have won the war, but it’s still in the fight—to get sales. Research firm NPD Group says (via USA Today) that the demise of HD DVD hasn’t really helped Blu-ray sales much. In fact, the report says that Blu-ray hardware sales dropped 40 percent from January to February. Also, sales only grew 2 percent from February to March. However, that number excludes the number of PlayStation consoles, so the real number of players involved is a mystery. However, Sony says they sold 257,120… View this story
Blu-ray • HD DVD • Home Theater • Product News

Haven’t built up that Blu-ray collection yet? Xperinet wants to give you a boost. The company is pre-loading Blu-ray packages onto its MIRV (Multiple Independent Replay Video) servers, so not only don’t you have to worry about the longish time it takes to load a high-def flick (relative to loading standard DVDs), but you can access them quickly and easily. Packages include movies organized by genre, like action, comedy, drama, family and more, the company says. Each package has 25 movies, mainly of new releases… View this story
AV Components • Blu-ray • Digital Media Servers • Home Theater • Multiroom AV • Product News

Paramount is back in the Blu-ray camp! The studio, which previously dumped the reigning high-def format in favor of HD DVD, is going back into the Blu-ray business—and has announced its release schedule. Beginning May 20, the company will release the animated movie “Bee Movie,” as well as Nicolas Cage flicks “Face/Off” and “Next.” The Hollywood Reporter says the studio will kick it up a notch on June 3, with recent releases “Cloverfield” and “There Will Be Blood.” On June 24, they will roll out… View this story
Blu-ray • Movies and Music • Home Theater • Product News

From the oh-no-they-didn’t category: Gizmodo is reporting that Netflix plans to raise the price on Blu-ray rentals. The company says it will soon charge a “modest monthly premium” to get that high-def goodness mailed to your house. Cheesy? Perhaps. However, CEO Reed Hastings says that, “Consumers are used to paying more for high-definition content.” Apparently he thinks that makes it OK to gouge them further. To what extent they plan to gouge, we’re not sure. There’s no word on whether it will be an instant… View this story
Blu-ray • Web Services • Movies and Music • Home Theater • Product News

Q. I have a 4-year-old, 50-in. 720p Fujitsu plasma, which still gets a great picture. It does not have an HDMI connection, but it does have DVI. How can I hook up an HD DVD or Blu-ray player? - Chase, Tacoma, WA You can connect HD DVD or Blu-Ray players to your 720p plasma in a few different ways. Due to the ever-changing state of technology, manufacturers make “hybrid” or crossover cables. These cables have one type of connection on one end and a completely… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Plasma • Blu-ray • HD DVD • Home Theater • Ask a Pro

When it comes to Blu-ray, the only question these days is whether to buy a player now, or wait for v2.0? And it’s not really an easy question to answer given the myriad of factors involved. First, are you cool with blowing $300-600 on a machine that will be “ancient” in just 7 months (is that too optimistic)? Second, what will the next gen of players bring to the table, or rack as it were? And third, how impatient are you? If you are, in… View this story
Blu-ray • Deals • Home Theater • Product News

From the what-took-you-so-long category, Universal Studios just announced that it will soon release new titles on Blu-ray, as well as standard DVD. The first title will be the sci-fi thriller, “Doomsday.” It’s not exactly the title everyone has been clamoring for, but The Hollywood Reporter (via Reuters) says that 40 additional titles will come before the end of the year. Those will include summer’s highly anticipated reincarnation of “The Incredible Hulk” with Edward Norton, the musical “Mamma Mia,” Angelina Jolie’s “Wanted,” “Hellboy II: The Golden… View this story
Blu-ray • Movies and Music • Home Theater • Product News

We were expecting this, but now the word is official: Sony has launched its new and improved PlayStation Store. There’s no denying that the site looks much better, but the company says it will also make the whole experience faster. It makes sense, considering that the store is no longer just a website, but actually an application on the PS3. We geeks don’t like to wait when there’s hours of gaming to get done! The new navigation includes more categories, which should make it easier… View this story
Blu-ray • Gaming Accessories • Gaming Systems • Home Theater • Enhancements • Product News

If you cared enough to buy this film then you’re probably watching the unrated version. And I’m assuming you’re expecting gross, uncompromising violence supported by two “best of breed” extra-terrestrials fighting it out with humans relegated to the role of fodder. With the exception of people getting a bit more airtime than we’d like, this film doesn’t disappoint (although it’s anything but a “horror” movie). And kudos for using “real” creatures rather ones spit out of a computer. High-definition brings to life dark crevices and… View this story
Blu-ray • Movies and Music • Movie Reviews • Home Theater • Product News