bluray

Getting a new Blu-ray player? Ignore these apps

If you're getting a new Blu-ray player this holiday season, chances are it's loaded with apps. And a lot of them aren't worth trying.

A broad selection of apps is theoretically great, but in reality there are entire genres of apps worth skipping on Blu-ray players. Sure, you could find that out the hard way by trial-and-error, but that's particularly frustrating on Blu-ray players where you often have to tediously enter in a log-in and password using an onscreen keyboard and a remote.

The big-screen experience just doesn't lend itself to all types of apps, … Read more

Pioneer intros smallest, lightest Blu-ray burner

Pioneer's new BDR-XD04J contains a mind-numbing array of disc burning and playback options that should cover you for the next several years.

Perhaps the biggest highlight is support for BDXL BD-R discs, which means you can burn those fancy triple-layer 100GB and quad-layer 128GB Blu-ray discs in a tiny package. This is supposed to be the world's smallest BDXL-compatible portable drive. … Read more

Do all Blu-ray (and DVD) players sound the same?

I get this question a lot, "Steve, what's the best-sounding Blu-ray player." Sometimes the questioner is more specific, "I have an Oppo BDP-83, but is the Oppo BDP- 95 better? What are you using at home?"

I have an Oppo BDP-95 ($999), which has a lot in common with the company's BDP-93 ($499) 3D universal Blu-ray, SACD, DVD-Audio player, but the BDP-95 is the potentially better sounding player. I say potentially because that player's upgraded digital-to-analog converter and audio circuitry won't make a nit of difference if you're using the player'… Read more

Get an Epson Home Cinema 6100 1080p projector for $699

Today's deal is a little weird. Awesome, but weird.

Fry's has the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p projector for $699, plus $10.44 for shipping. It's new, not refurbished, making this the best deal I can recall seeing for a 1080p projector.

What's the weird part? The Fry's site says it's "available for preorder," so there's no way to know when you'll actually get it. Hmmm.

Update: It now shows in stock!

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained cheaply, right? Having just reviewed a similar projector priced at $1,500, … Read more

Wondershare's ultimate video converter

Wondershare's Video Converter Ultimate is, as its name suggests, the ultimate video utility for Windows users. But more than just a file converter, the program is a DVD ripper, DVD burner, Web video downloader, 2D-to-3D converter, audio ripper, and even a bare-bones video editor.

It's interface is simple and straightforward, as it has all the major functions laid out as icons along the top of the window. All of the controls are intuitive, and it even lets you drag-and-drop video files.

For the most part, Video Converter Ultimate performs exceptionally well. Exactly as advertised, it lets you quickly … Read more

Disney plans 3D party in theaters and on Blu-ray

Disney is doubling down on 3D with a mix of big-screen 3D rereleases and a big "Toy Story" rollout on Blu-ray 3D.

While analysts across the board are wondering if the general public wants movies in 3D at home or at the multiplex, a chorus of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" resounded from Burbank as Disney dominated the box office the last couple of weeks with the 3D theater release of "The Lion King."

So, forever an entity eager to make hay while the cartoon sun shines, Disney has announced more 3D rereleases of animated classics. The limited theatrical engagements will include "Beauty and the Beast" on January 13, 2012; Pixar's "Finding Nemo" on September 14, 2012; Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." on January 18, 2013; and "The Little Mermaid" on September 13, 2013.

On the home front, the "Toy Story" trilogy will hit on Blu-ray 3D on November 1. … Read more

'Pulp Fiction' finally arrives on Blu-ray

Strike another one off our list of best movies not on Blu-ray: "Pulp Fiction" is finally available after years of waiting and it's priced pretty reasonably on Amazon for $15.99 right now.

We're happy to report that both the video and sound are stellar (apparently director Quentin Tarantino personally supervised the production of the Blu-ray). And while there isn't a whole lot in the way of new of extras that are different from what you'll find on the two-disc Collector's Edition DVD, you do get a set of new retrospective cast interviews … Read more

Reserve Redbox movies from your phone

The Redbox app lets you easily find and reserve Redbox movies right from your mobile device. Just boot it up and scroll through the newest releases or perform a simple search. If you like, you can filter by genre or search only for Blu-ray discs. Tap on a title, then hit Find This Movie to pull up all of the Redbox machines in proximity. From there, you can reserve the movie if you have a Redbox account. If you don't, it's easy enough to register for one.

The Redbox app is easy to use, and perfectly reliable. Our … Read more

Fifteen worthy Blu-ray movies for less than $15

We've been producing a "cheap" Blu-ray movie list for several months and it's time for another update, especially since a number of our earlier picks on the list crept over the $15 mark.

As we like to note, cheap is popular these days and, not surprisingly, a lot of these bargain-price titles end up on the best sellers list on Amazon.com. But when it comes to owning discs, most people have become fairly discerning, and don't just buy anything because it's cheap. With that in mind, we've culled down the list of … Read more