Recently Filed in Blu-ray

Skeptical about 3D TV? Not convinced that IPTV is the wave of the future? You can see for yourself whether or not these new technologies are as good as they’re cracked up to be by participating in a hands-on demo hosted by Panasonic. The Touch the Future Tour will take place in venues in 15 cities across the U.S. over the next five weeks. You can catch it at Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle,… View this story
Blu-ray • Manufacturers • Product News

Apparently 3D stands for 3 dips, because that’s what it looks like it’s going to take to get “Avatar” on 3D Blu-ray. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Avatar” will receive an initial bare-bones, movie-only release on DVD and Blu-ray on April 22. The Los Angeles Times also cites “Fox sources” who say previous reports of a 3D version being released in 2010 are incorrect. James Cameron, who postponed the making of “Avatar” in order for 3D technology to catch up, is waiting for the… View this story
Blu-ray • Movies and Music • Product News

What video content looks best in Blu-ray format? It’s tough to go wrong with stunning nature video. Usually broadcast TV shows are very clean. I’d still say it’s very difficult to outdo animation - look no further than Pixar, especially. Unfortunately there aren’t any new Pixar releases this week, but there are some animated efforts that ought to sparkle on your combination of big screen and Blu-ray to highlight this week’s releases (click here to view a slideshow of our top 10 picks). I’m partial… View this story
Blu-ray • Movies and Music • Product News

Panasonic offers 3D combos exclusive to Best Buy and Magnolia This week, Panasonic began selling 3D displays, Blu-ray disc players, and glasses. What threw some for a loop is they are only available as a combo, and only through Best Buy’s Magnolia Home Theater store-in-a-store. [Electronic House] Onkyo introduces entry-level AVRs with 3D support Thanks to the HDMI 1.4 spec, Onkyo’s new line of entry-level AVRs will include support for 3D video pass-through. Headlined by the TX-SR608, follow up to the popular line of 60x… View this story
Blu-ray • Product News

Yesterday I proposed a deal on a budget Blu-ray player that still offered plenty of network streaming connectivity.  Many of you, however, are probably much more interested in critical picture quality, especially for your standard DVDs that still comprise the large majority of most people’s media libraries. Most BD players aren’t excellent DVD scalers, but today’s deal is. The Pioneer BDP-320 offers a surprisingly smooth and film-like image and is an excellent scaling DVD player. It’s also currently available from J&R for only $159 with… View this story
Blu-ray • Deals • Product News

We know James Cameron is pretty high on 3D. Apparently the Black Eyed Peas are into it as well. And celebs such as Hilary Duff and Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg were willing to give 3D a test drive too. Yes, there was plenty of celebrity muscle rolled out by Samsung as it celebrated the launch of its 3D LED TVs this week in New York. The company also provided some other relevant announcements for people holding their breath about the amount of actual 3D… View this story
LCD • Blu-ray • Manufacturers • Product News

Budget Blu-ray Disc players often seem to offer capable BD playback and a multitude of ancillary features, yet skimp on playback of the bulk of most enthusiasts’ media library: the standard-definition DVD. JVC’s first foray into the Blu-ray Disc player market, on the other hand, takes the road less traveled. Instead of playing the buzz-word feature set game, JVC’s XV-BP1 player is all about performance of core features like disc load speed, audio decoding, and scaling DVD playback.  The XV-BP1 does maintain a functional set… View this story
Blu-ray • Reviews • Product News

Waiting to see how the whole 3D thing pans out, but don’t want to wait any longer for Blu-ray? You might want to invest in a budget Blu-ray player to hold you over. And you don’t have to skip great features like Internet streaming. Circuit City has the Samsung BD-P1590 Blu-ray player for just $89.99. Add another item(s) for $10.01 or more (like an HDMI cable or universal remote) and you get free shipping. The BD-P1590 also offers Netflix, Blockbuster, and YouTube streaming, as well… View this story
Blu-ray • Deals • Product News

As expected, Panasonic’s Full HD 3D home entertainment system, which it says is certified under the new Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) 3D standard, hit Best Buy stores this week. Somewhat surprising is Panasonic’s announcement that the system will be sold exclusively at select Best Buy stores via its specialty Magnolia Home Theater vignettes — in other words, not off the shelves at conventional Best Buy stores. The total combined suggested retail price of the Panasonic Full HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System components is $2,899.99.… View this story
Plasma • Blu-ray • Home Theater • Product News

Did you watch the Academy Awards last weekend? Or maybe you held off because you hadn’t seen many of the nominated films and performances? This week offers a good chance to catch up on a couple of heavily nominated movies as they make their way onto Blu-ray. (Click here for a slideshow of our Top 10 releases of the week.) Look for Up in the Air and Precious, Based on the Novel “Push” on high-definition as they lead this week’s Blu-ray releases. Both were widely… View this story
Blu-ray • Movies and Music • Product News • Slideshows

Did everyone finish their required 3D reading? After last week’s class on 3D: Getting to Know the Basics, I hope everyone has a handle on the physics and physiology of how 3D works. Now we’re moving on to the nuts and bolts ... the hardware you’ll need to to get your own 3D theater up and running in time for poison arrows, missiles, and Smurf-a-hontas to fly past your Berklines. Here are some FAQs: 1. Will I need a new display to enjoy 3D? If… View this story
Flat Panel • Blu-ray • Info and Answers

Marantz America announced today the addition of Roku streaming services to their 9004, 8004, 7004, and 5004 series Blu-ray players ... in a round-about way, but one that should please Marantz fans.  Unfortunately, the players, which range from $549 to $5,999, won’t get these services via a firmware upgrade or even a mail-in hardware upgrade. Instead, Marantz is offering a free Roku HD box via mail in rebate for anyone who buys an eligible player from an authorized dealer between now and March 31, 2010. … View this story
Blu-ray • Product News