Forget holiday shopping deals, many Toshiba HD DVD players are now selling for under $200 anyway. The HD-A3 and HD-A30 are going for $134.98 and $174.98 on Amazon, respectively. You’ll still get two free movies in the box (Bourne Identity and 300) plus five more by mail, too. These may very well be closeout prices, though. Often times, retailers will change the last two digits in the price of a product to reflect its status. Things ending in 99 cents are current while things ending in 98 cents signify that no new product will be filling the warehouses, for example. So if you’re looking for a great deal on a high definition DVD format that won’t get very many new movies released for it, now’s your chance. Amazon.com: Toshiba HD DVD via DailyTech → Read More
Check the calendar, last-minute Christmas shopper. You’ve only four days (if you count today) till D-Day, so here’s a gift that should be easy to find at pretty much any retailer: “Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector’s Edition).” This is the final, that’s-all-she-wrote version of the cult classic starring Harrison Ford. Director Ridley Scott and some mega fan had complete creative control over the project, so rest assured that this version of the movie is exactly what Scott originally had in mind. That it’s in HD only adds to the value: $28 for pretty much the best sci-fi movie ever made. Blade Runner [Amazon] (HD DVD version) Blade Runner [Amazon] (Blu-ray version) → Read More
When new home owner Josh Goldman reviewed Vudu in September, it could only be used to watch movies. That’s no longer the case, with the set top box now able to pull in a dozen TV shows, including “Family Guy,” “Arrested Development” [ed. yes~!~!~!] and “The Shield.” It’s $2 per episode, so it’s right in line with iTunes pricing, but still pricier than heading to a TV torrents Web site. Speaking of torrents, Vudu today will have The Bourne Ultimatum in both high-definition and standard def. The HD download costs $25, which, again, was $25 more than I paid to see said movie over the weekend in high-def. Funny, and I though Microsoft was the only company benefitting from confusion in the high-def disc market. Vudu adds TV shows [Crave] → Read More
After somehow destroying my 20-inch LCD TV in a cross-country move, I needed to face down the task of replacing it. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money and I didn’t need a huge TV but I did want something a little bigger than 20 inches. This TV has been a great replacement. There’s a built-in HD tuner, two HDMI connections, two component inputs, two composite inputs, VGA connection, and an S-Video hookup. The picture is very nice, surprisingly nice for a sub-$400 TV. The regular price is $549 but it’s been on sale quite a bit since it’s a Best Buy brand — it’s been as low as $379, as referenced in an earlier CrunchDeal. If you’re looking for a great TV for a bedroom or den, this is an outstanding, inexpensive option. Insignia® – 26" 720p Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD HDTV [BestBuy.com] → Read More
Looks like we won’t be seeing Warner Home Entertainment’s hybrid HD DVD/Blu-ray discs after all. The company recently reported that it’s pulling the plug on the project that would have offered consumers movies under the Total HD moniker, simply meaning an HD DVD version on one side of the disc, Blu-ray on the other. To date, Warner is the only major studio that produces movies for both formats. It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out and if Warner ends up choosing one format over the other. Warner Shelves "Total HD" Hybrid Disc Plans [High-Def Digest] via Tech Digest → Read More
Howard Stringer (Sony Corp. CEO) says that Blu-ray and HD DVD are in a stalemate. He has to say that, though. I’ve stayed out of the debate since it started because, as a consumer, I don’t care who wins. I care about how much it’s going to cost me versus how much benefit I’ll get out of it. As it stands right now, I wouldn’t buy a Blu-ray player for $450 when it’s clear that the HD DVD camp is trying much harder to win my business. Both Blu-ray and HD DVD do high definition. Everything else comes down to price. Paramount pictures jumped from the Blu-ray ship to the HD DVD ship (exclusively) in August. That’s kind of a big deal. The Blu-ray camp is going to have to start cutting hardware prices soon or else. You can’t sell someone on a DVD player that costs more than twice as much as a competing device that basically does the exact same thing as far as most of your average consumers are concerned. Sony CEO sees ‘stalemate’ in disc fight [AP/Yahoo! News] → Read More
…and I say "take on" loosely, although this is going to be interesting to watch. A company called New Medium Enterprises (NME) has manufactured a "low-cost true high definition solution" that uses standard red lasers found in today’s CD and DVD players. The format is called "HD VMD" or High Definition Versatile Multilayer Disc. → Read More
Say hello to the new Advanced Interactivity Consortium. Its goal is to promote "superior interactivity for a wide range of next-generation consumer devices, digital content and distribution scenarios [and] maximize consumer satisfaction worldwide by accelerating industrywide adoption of advanced interactivity and interoperability across a broad array of HD DVD products." → Read More
According to the Apple Fairy, close relative of the Fat Nano Fairy, there’s gonna be a pretty substantial update to iTunes sometime this month that’ll help to bring AppleTV back from the teetering edge of extinction. Apple has apparently placed a gargantuan order for more AppleTV units in anticipation for the upcoming “iTunes HD” or whatever it’ll be called. The name aside, you’ll soon be able to purchase a selection of high-definition movies and television shows that’ll work on AppleTV. Finally. [Update, by Matt]: According to MacOS Rumors, they know something about Apple TV that they’re not saying yet, as they’re under embargo. We’re guessing it’s in line with what we’ve got here. Also, they’ve got word of the end of the Mac Mini, in favor of a “Mac Nano”-type computer for as little as $249. That, friends, is aggressive. → Read More
Adobe is getting set to support the H.264 high-definition standard, the same standard used in Blu-ray and HD-DVD players and set-top cable and satellite boxes. Most popular video sites on the Internet use the Flash video format and as more and more videos get published in this new format, we can expect to see the visual quality of web video improve exponentially. → Read More
Samsung has announced three new 3rd generation hi-def players (two of which we reported on earlier), including one that plays both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs known as the BD-UP5000 Duo HD. All three will support up to 1080p and 24Fs/60Fs modes, Dolby Digital Plus audio, and will include HDMI inputs and outputs along with a bevy of other connections. We can also look forward to a new home theater system called the HT-BD2, which will have a 7.1 channel receiver and speaker system electrified by 1100 watts of juice. The BD-UP5000 and the HT-BD2 will be available sometime in Q4 for $1049 and $1499, respectively, and the BD-P1400 and BD-P2400 Blu-ray players will come out in September for $549 and October for $649, repectively. Samsung Press Release (Word Document) → Read More
Still put off by the so-called high-def optical disc format war? For $99 come August, you’ll be able to grab the Helios H2000 upscaling DVD player. It connects to your HDTV via an HDMI or component connection and upscales video to 1080i from any number of sources, including Divx and XviD. No, it’s not as satisfying as a fully featured HD DVD or Blu-ray player, but if you’re still into regular DVDs it’ll get the job done. Its design reminds me of the PS2slim (what I have) and that’s not all that bad. Being that it works with most of the formats available out there, I could definitely see the H2000 gaining traction among the Pirate Bay crowd. You could do a lot worse for $99, that’s for sure. So go ahead, let the HD DVD and Blu-ray camps scream bloody murder while you sit back and enjoy what release groups like ESiR have to offer. If only you could network it to your computer à la Apple TV or Xbox Media Center. Next time, Helios. Product Page [Helios via Electronista] → Read More
Fans of the hard drive-based JVC Everio line will be pleased to hear that a new three-chip, HD version will be available in early September. The GZ-HD3 will feature 1440×1080 HD recording, three, 16:9 progressive-scan CCDs, a 60GB hard drive, and will weigh a pound and a half. Recording is 1080i only, unfortunately, but should still be plenty good for everyday use. I have an Everio camcorder and like it a lot. Recording to a hard drive is a lot more convenient (and less expensive) than buying tapes and being able to transfer the footage directly to a computer within a matter of minutes is a huge plus. Aside from that, the battery life is pretty good and it’s small enough to take just about anywhere. The GZ-HD3 will be available in early September for around $1,300. JVC Announces New 3CCD High Definition Hard Disk Drive Camcorder [JVC Press Release] → Read More
The TiVo Series3 DVR is about to get a little more affordable, according to a recent Ars Technica article. A product with the model number “TCD652160″ has apparently been popping up intermittently on retail websites in the past few days and is believed to be the new “Series3 Lite” as it’s been christened by the TiVo community. General consensus is that the new device will cost around $300 and will include many of the same features contained within the original Series3, most notably that it’ll record two shows at once and will be able to handle 1080p. The hard drive will be a bit smaller — 160GB, down from 250GB — and the unit won’t have the front panel OLED display or THX certification. You’ll also get the plain, peanut remote as opposed to the sleeker remote that you’d get with the expensive version. So for a lot less cash, you miss out on about 10 hours of recording time, a fancy display, THX, and a shiny remote. Not a whole lot to give up compared with all the money you’ll save. There’s also some talk about an 80GB unit being available as well. If true, you might be able to get into the TiVo HD game for even less. Nothing’s set in stone yet, but Ars seems to think that this information is all pretty solid. Nothing too "Lite" about new $299 TiVo Series 3 unit [Ars Technica] → Read More
Epson was also in town last week (who wasn’t? LOL!) showing off its wares and the biggest, both in size and in potential scope, was its Ensemble home theater system. It combines a set of Atlantic speakers and a 1080p Epson projector. The left-, right- and center-channel speakers are built into the piece that also holds the powered, retractable screen. The rear surrounds are built into the projector’s ceiling mount. It’s sorta like a home theater in a box, only not total crap. Ensemble’s gimmick isn’t just “everything’s included!” but its ability to be installed in rooms where you wouldn’t normally expect a home theater system. (The Epson folks were keen on mentioning that it’s damn near impossible for New Yorkers to install a home theater system without upsetting the landlord. This system is for them as much as anyone else.) A $4,999 720p version will also be released alongside the $6,999 1080p one this fall (the only difference between the two kits are the projector resolutions). The idea sounds good enough and it did work as advertised in person, so it gets the preliminary thumbs up from me. Ken looks to be reviewing it when it comes out, so keep your eyes peeled for his take. Epson → Read More
Samsung’s getting set to launch two new Blu-ray players — the BD-P2400 and the BD-P1400. Each player will feature native support for 24 frames per second playback, which Samsung claims will greatly reduce the amount of digital artifacts since movies are also filmed at 24 frames per second. The players will also support 60 frames per second to ensure compatibility with your HDTV setup. The only difference between the two models is that the BD-P2400 will contain an extra video processing chip to up-convert older titles to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Samsung’s calling this feature Hollywood Quality Video, or HQV. The BD-P1400 will upconvert DVD titles too, it just won’t have the fancy-pants HQV chip. Finishing off the BD-P2400′s expansive feature list, the built-in Hollywood Quality Video(HQV) processor, a powerful unit similar to those used by Hollywood production studios, enables true 1080i to 1080p HD de-interlacing for the best HD images possible — even from DVD formats. It is a great option to ensure full optimization of HD and non HD libraries. The BD-P1400 will be available in October for $549. The BD-P2400 will hit stores a month later for $649. Samsung Press Release (PDF File) → Read More
The Toshiba-led HD DVD group has just released European sales figures concerning the ongoing battle with the Sony-led Blu-ray camp. HD DVD lobbyists are claiming that their players are outselling Blu-ray players in Europe, three-to-one. These figures are for set-top players only, so Sony’s Playstation 3 sales are not included in these figures. → Read More
As we approach the release of Samsung’s BDP-UP5000 combination Blu-ray/HD DVD player, more and more details are finding their way to the Intertubes, or whatever funny word we’re using to describe the Internet these days. Reports out of Germany (where else?) suggest that the combo player will support all the features of both the Blu-ray and HD DVD camps. I know Toshiba just announced a firmware update to its HD DVD players last week that are wholly dependent on an active network connection, so it’ll be interesting to see if “all” really means “all.” The player is also expected to output movies at their native 24 frames per second (and even up to 60 frames per second, for that “Jacob’s Ladder” [01:46 in] or “The Ring” fast-motion effect). The BDP-UP5000 is still on track for a late 2007 release. Format war, be damned! Again! Samsung kündigt HD-Disc-Kombiplayer für deutschen Markt an [heise online via Electronista] → Read More
Universal Studios, which exclusively supports HD DVD, basically thumbed its nose at Blockbuster in its response to the rental chain’s decision to favor Blu-ray. A marketing manager for Universal said that rental income from places like Blockbuster only brings in less than one percent of its revenue. No big loss, in other words. So much for the predictions of it being the end of the world for HD DVD. Meanwhile, Microsoft once again stated unequivocally that it has no intention of supporting Blu-ray since HD DVD is better for consumers. It cited the one, set-in-stone standard on what makes an HD DVD disc and HD DVD disc as one of the reasons why it’s better. Universal Responds to Blockbuster Blu-ray Move [Trusted Reviews via Xbox-Scene] → Read More
Being a Cablevision subscriber, the news that the company will be able to offer more than 500 high-definition channels by the end of the year should make me happy. At least that’s what the company said yesterday, and that it will add 15 new high-def channels by next week, bringing its total to 40. Is this announcement in response to pressure from rival telecos like Verizon and Comcast? Yeah, probably. Anyway, the news should make me happy, but it doesn’t. Show me 500 high-def channels and I have a bridge I’d like to sell you. If you’re still reading past that horrible cliché, the fact is that, like an analyst pointed out, there’s a big difference between having 500 slots for high-def channels and actually having 500 high-def channels. As it stands, I’m content with watching “Sunrise Earth” and “NBC Nightly News.” → Read More
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