Blu-ray

Paramount and DreamWorks give HD DVD a boost

Just when you thought the next-gen DVD war was on the verge of being over, a couple of studios decide to muck things up even further. Today, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation announced that they will exclusively support HD DVD on a worldwide basis.

According to the press release, "The exclusive HD DVD commitment will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment."

"The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs. Paramount Home Entertainment will launch its exclusive HD DVD program with the release of the blockbuster comedy hit 'Blades of Glory' on August 28th and follow with two of the biggest grossing movies of the year 'Transformers' and 'Shrek the Third'."

Until today, Paramount was putting out movies on both Blu-ray and HD DVD, so needless to say, the announcement came as a surprise. Also, all of this comes in the face of reports that on the software front, Blu-ray was outselling HD DVD by a 2-1 margin, and that both Blockbuster and Target would be pushing the Blu-ray format in stores. (Note HD DVD fans: Yes, Target will continue to carry the XBox 360's add-on HD DVD player). Consensus was that things were looking pretty bleak for HD DVD. Is this a game changer?

HD DVD: Format of choice for geek TV?

Are you a dork? Do you love TV? If the answer to both those questions is yes, you'll probably want to select HD DVD as your next- generation format of choice, because there are some seriously exciting sci-fi TV shows hitting the format in the next few months.

We already know that Heroes is on the way to HD DVD, which is tremendously exciting for fans of the show who haven't been able to catch it on its BBC HD outing. We're also aware of the impending arrival of Star Trek: The Original Series, series one, which … Read more

New 'Blade Runner' Ultimate Collector's Edition includes unicorn, car, Sir Ridley letter

Sorry if the is old news to some, but I just got back from vacation and noticed that details are out on the hotly anticipated new version of Blade Runner that's due to arrive December 18. Blade Runner was one of the first movies released on DVD, and while it sold well, the video transfer sucked. Well, for the 25th anniversary of the film, Warner Brothers and director Ridley Scott finally got around to restoring and remastering the thing--and a lot of folks are pretty stoked, especially now that the film will be available on both Blu-ray and HD … Read more

Onkyo (finally) makes its HD DVD player official

Following months of hints and peeks, Onkyo has finally made the details of its first HD DVD player official. Available this fall, the $900 DV-HD805 is a return to the high-end for the HD DVD format, which has seen prices dropping as low as $250 this year. In addition to the Ethernet port, Web connectivity, and built-in memory found on all HD DVD players, the DV-HD805 looks to have all of the bleeding-edge HDMI 1.3 features of the newly announced third-generation Toshiba players, including support for 24-frame 1080p video, Deep Color compatibility, and lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master … Read more

Toshiba third-gen HD DVD players on the way--but how useful are their new features?

When a trio of new HD DVD players popped up on Amazon.com last week, the question wasn't so much, "Are they real?" as "How are they different from the existing models?" Toshiba clarified the issue today by officially announcing the three new models in a press release that trumpeted a handful of new features that will appeal to enthusiasts. But some key questions about those step-up features remain unanswered.

First, the basics. All three of the new models boast new, slim cases that are only 59.5mm high (less than 2.5 inches). And unlike many Blu-ray players--including models that cost hundreds more--the new HD DVD players each include active Ethernet ports and upgradeable firmware, so they can take advantage of the growing number of HD DVD titles that make use of interactive online features. The new lineup breaks down as follows:

HD-A3 ($300, October 2007): With its output resolution limited to 1080i, the primary appeal of the entry-level model is its affordable price tag. Except for the slimmer case, this looks to be nearly a clone of the current HD-A2, which is currently selling online for as little as $200.

HD-A30 ($400, September 2007): An extra $100 buys you 1080p output, HDMI CEC compatibility (which allows for control between other CEC-enabled AV products when connected via HDMI and using a single remote control), and 24-frame video support (1080p/24).

HD-A35 ($500, October 2007): In addition to the same features as the HD-A30, the top-end model in the fall 2007 lineup adds 5.1-channel analog audio outs, support for Deep Color video and HDMI passthrough audio.

Sounds great. Of course, there's a secret about those cutting-edge features that all those other blogs aren't telling you. … Read more

Hitachi's first Blu-ray camcorders

Hitachi jumped to the front of the Blu-ray camcorder race this morning, announcing two camcorders that can record video at up to 1920x1080-pixel resolution on 8-centimeter Blu-ray discs. Both models, the DZ-BD7H and the DZ-BD70, include 5.3-megapixel CMOS sensors developed by AltaSens of Thousand Oaks, California. When recording video, the camcorders will use up to 2.07 megapixels (or 1920x1080), but will use up to 4.32-megapixels when capturing 4:3 still images. Both models will also sport 10X optical zoom lenses, 2.7-inch LCDs, and will be able to fit about one hour of 1920x1080 footage, or two … Read more

Sony to add TiVo capabilities to the PS3 in 2008?

GameSpot UK is running an article that's based on an interview with Warwick Light, Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand's head of marketing. The article appeared in New Zealand's The Press under the headline "The Future According to Sony."

What's interesting about the article is that Light uses terms such as "future proof," "true next-generation machine," "scope for scalability," "home entertainment system," and "super computer," to describe the PS3. He also goes on to talk about the flexibility of the machine, noting how "We (… Read more

Japanese porn industry extends welcoming tentacle to Blu-ray

They haven't put out a press release about it or anything, but the signs are pointing to a decisive victory of Blu-ray over archrival HD DVD when it comes to the Japanese smut industry. A PC World article writes that Sony, manufacturer of the Blu-ray Disc, has been offering more technical support to Japan's adult film companies. At the Adult Treasure Expo 2007 in Chibo, Japan, filmmakers attested to this and said that it's no longer as difficult for them to find mass production outlets.

In the U.S., HD DVD has an edge in the porn … Read more

Blu-ray v. HD DVD: Where do we stand?

The expected next-generation DVD format war isn't quite the deadlock many expected.

Target's announcement Thursday that it would sell a Sony Blu-ray player in its stores alongside Blu-ray discs in a special feature promotion is important because the second-largest retailer in the U.S. doesn't sell HD DVD players in its stores, outside of the external HD DVD drive made for Microsoft's Xbox 360. It does sell a Toshiba HD DVD player on its Web site, however.

When the battle between the competing optical disc formats--HD DVD and Blu-ray--began brewing last year, analysts predicted protracted trench warfare, … Read more

Target jumps on Blu-ray bandwagon

First Blockbuster, now Target's going Blu-only. Or at least that's what it appears from an AP report that was filed late yesterday. According to the story, "Target Corp., the nation's second-largest retailer, will start selling a Sony Blu-ray high-definition DVD player during the critical holiday shopping period and feature the player along with Blu-ray discs in store displays, dealing a potential blow to the rival HD DVD format."

The story goes on to say that the move will formally be announced Thursday and is designed to help cut through the confusion that's kept consumers … Read more