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Goldmund enters universal Blu-ray player space in typically gaudy fashion

by Steven Kim posted Aug 30th 2009 at 10:31PM

Goldmund Eidos Reference BlueYou knew it was only a matter of time before Goldmund jumped in on the Blu-ray bandwagon, and the result as just as ridiculous as you'd expect. The new Eidos Reference Blue -- yes, it's spelled with an "e" -- is a universal Blu-ray playback system that puts heavy (literally) emphasis on damping down all vibrations. Didn't you know that much like the needle on the old Edison cylinders you're still clinging to, those digital bits just hate to be shaken around? Well, the 180-pound Eidos Reference Blue will put a stop to that nonsense. High end decks from mere mortal companies have nothing on this player that must have been woven by especially dexterous unicorn hooves -- it's so exclusive that the 50 produced units will only be offered to Goldmund subscribers; if you haven't heard of said club, you won't be getting one. We all know the first rule of Goldmund club, right?

Redbox scores in first round for the fight for $1 day-and-date rentals

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Aug 18th 2009 at 8:47AM

Redbox
The first preliminary verdict came down against Universal yesterday when a judge refused to dismiss anti-trust charges. Redbox filed two other charges that didn't experience the same fate though, but we'd bet that Redbox was just hoping that at least one would stick. In the suit that did, the claim is that by instructing distributors to refuse to sell Universal titles to Redbox for the first 45 days after release, that Universal is using its influence to prevent Redbox from competing in the movie rental busines. This is far from a verdict though, and with Redbox buying Universal titles at retail, and the fact that this thing has already been going on for some time now, we'd be surprised if any of this was resolved any time soon.

Universal bringing BD-Live integration to the iPhone, irony to starving children

by Nilay Patel posted Jul 20th 2009 at 12:44PM


Although Apple still hasn't managed to achieve feature parity with any of its competitors by enabling Blu-ray playback in OS X, it looks like Universal's bringing the mountain to the Mac -- or at least the iPhone. At first, the upcoming special edition of Fast and Furious will feature integration with a special iPhone / iPod touch app that'll allow viewers to control 360-degree models of the cars in the "Virtual Car Garage," but later Universal releases will feature the ability to control movie playback, read annotations while watching your flick, and even download ancillary video content for later playback on the go. Sounds like pretty nifty stuff -- let's hope El Steve reconsiders his whole "bag of hurt" stance when he gets the demo.

[Via AppleInsider]

Coraline Blu-ray disc brings home 3D & 2D versions July 21

by Richard Lawler posted May 18th 2009 at 4:21AM

Waiting for the next big 3D release to come home? Universal has slotted Coraline for July 21, with a 3D and 2D version included in the 2 disc set, along with four pairs of 3D glasses. Extra features like U-control and Digital Copy are 2D only, but with 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack and D-BOX Motion Code included, it's hard to see anything this release is missing. Of course, it could be proper stereoscopic 3D instead of anaglyph, but until those 3D HDTVs gain wider adoption, we guess this will have to do.

OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray players shipping to invited customers

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 29th 2009 at 7:44PM


Haven't nabbed one of OPPO's well put together BDP-83 Blu-ray players yet? Those who signed up early and got on the invitation list should be getting their hands on one very soon for $499 with an expected ship date of May 4. Everyone else? Read through our first impressions again (high build quality, fast loads, great audio decoding and easy to use menus) and wait for a wider release.

[Thanks, Dhomas]

Gallery: OPPO BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player hands-on

BSG: Complete Series Blu-ray set official specs: 20 discs, BD-Live, July 28

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 22nd 2009 at 10:52AM

Finally, Universal has confirmed the rumors that Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series will arrive on Blu-ray July 28, packing the previously noted $349 MSRP for the 20 disc set. There's plenty of exclusive Blu-ray features planned, with U-control, DTS-HD MA soundtrack, an interactive guide to the ships and characters from the series, a BD-Live powered "Ultimate Battle" game, look behind the scenes with composer Bear McCreary and more. Not mentioned? Whether or not all that cash can buy a slightly better case design this time around.

[Via TheHDRoom]

Logitech Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 gets official

by Darren Murph posted Mar 20th 2009 at 4:48PM Breaking News


You've got to love it, don't you? Just a day after we caught wind of Logitech's Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 (via the always informative FCC), the aforesaid company has come forward and confessed to its plans. The good news is that the adapter is for real, and while we're still not being told too much about the device itself, we do know that it will operate with any Harmony remote and it won't take up a USB port on your console. In other words, it's a simple Infrared-to-Bluetooth converter, though it promises to give Harmony remote users "complete control (including power on / off) over the movie-watching experience on a PS3." We're pleading for more information on pricing and availability, but until that's received, just enjoy your weekend knowing that you'll be able to buy one soon enough.

NBC Universal content now available on PlayStation Network

by Nilay Patel posted Mar 10th 2009 at 2:47PM Breaking News


Good news for Playstation 3 owners -- NBC and Sony have just announced that NBC Universal content is now available on the PlayStation Network. In addition to NBC shows like The Office, 30 Rock, and Heroes, new movie releases like Milk and Role Models will hit PSN day and date with the DVD release, and back-catalog titles like The 40-Year Old Virgin and The Big Lebowski should already be up. Pricing is ballpark with the competition: $2.99 to $5.99 for SD and HD rentals, and $9.99 to $14.99 for SD and HD purchases. Not bad, but we won't be happy until these fools drop the shenanigans and give us what we really want: Hulu. Make it happen, guys.

OPPO to start BDP-83 Early Adoption Program

by Darren Murph posted Feb 25th 2009 at 8:27AM Breaking News


Seriously, why aren't more companies like this? In a somewhat unprecedented move, OPPO Digital has decided to let the people choose how it will proceed with the production of its highly anticipated universal Blu-ray player. Its Early Adoption Program will allow 50 randomly selected customers to purchase the BDP-83 for $499 before the official release; after those 50 have tested things out for a week or so, they'll be required to vote on whether the program should be extended or suspended. If 70 percent or more votes to expand, OPPO will select another 100 individuals to join the original 50 in testing. We're told that the deck will be shipped with a pre-production firmware version that will be updated "from time to time." Also of note, OPPO has confirmed Profile 2.0 support, internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats and that DVD-Audio playback is still in the works. Needless to say, we'll be doing our best to become one of those lucky 50. OPPO's full email on the matter is after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading OPPO to start BDP-83 Early Adoption Program

Universal, Fox and Summit close VOD-DVD release gap

by Darren Murph posted Feb 10th 2009 at 8:10AM


About two months after a Lionsgate executive spoke out about the phenomenon of day-and-date DVD / VOD releases, and merely days after we heard that digital distribution wasn't expected to overtake packaged media in the near term comes this. Universal, Fox and Summit have all pledged to close or eliminate entirely the gap between when a title is shipped on DVD and when it's available in on-demand form via iTunes or programming providers. At least with some titles, that is. The move is supposedly being made in order to take advantage of the growing thirst for instant gratification when it comes to films, and rather than getting left behind, these three are choosing to adapt to changing customer desires. Not surprisingly, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is still sticking to a 30 day (or so) delay before it releases a title to VOD, but considering its Q4 figures, it might want to consider hopping on the bandwagon.

Denon delays Japanese delivery of its DVD-A1UD universal Blu-ray deck

by Steven Kim posted Feb 1st 2009 at 7:29PM

Denon DVD-A1UD universal Blu-ray player
Have you been waiting for Denon's DVD-A1UD universal Blu-ray player to fill that gaping hole in your equipment rack left when sold your SACD, DVD-A and Blu-ray decks on eBay? Be prepared to wait a little longer than expected -- the Japanese launch, originally set for January, has been moved out by a couple of months due to a "delay in the launch of production." That means the February US release is right out, and we wouldn't be surprised to see the European availability slip from its March date either. It looks like sister company Marantz's BD8002 will have to serve D&M Holdings' kilobuck Blu-ray player market for a while longer. Hit the link for the bad news, made worse by machine translation.

[Via Electronista]

Denon prices DVD-A1UDCI universal Blu-ray player for US market: $3,800

by Darren Murph posted Dec 5th 2008 at 3:11PM


So, there's good news and bad news. The good? Denon's US version of the DVD-A1UD (coined the DVD-A1UDCI) is priced considerably lower than the yen-to-dollar conversion led us to believe. The bad news? It's still $3,800. For those that that missed it, Denon's calling this the world's first universal Blu-ray player, and folks looking for a premiere unit to handle Blu-ray, DVD, SACD and DVD-Audio can satisfy their every desire in February 2009. Better hope that Christmas bonus comes through.

Denon's DVD-A1UD: world's first universal (SACD / DVD-A) Blu-ray player

by Darren Murph posted Dec 3rd 2008 at 2:24PM Breaking News


Okay, so Denon wares aren't exactly "cheap," but you can't knock it for trying to innovate. Despite that fact that about eight people on this Earth still care about their beloved SACD / DVD-Audio collections, Denon has developed a Blu-ray player specifically for them. The DVD-A1UD is hailed as the world's first universal BD deck, and it features a black (shown after the break) or silver motif, SD / SDHC card slot, DivX support, HDMI 1.3, 1080p60 / 1080p24 output, internal decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio / Dolby TrueHD, 7.1-channel analog outputs, Denon LINK and all sorts of sophisticated pixel / audio restoration technologies. Better still, users who buy in can look forward to a Profile 2.0 update in the near future. Not surprisingly, the decked-out player will ship in Japan next month for a patently astounding ¥546,000 ($5,860), so you'll probably be stuck dreaming about it unless your ship rolls in.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Denon's DVD-A1UD: world's first universal (SACD / DVD-A) Blu-ray player

Hellboy II BD-Live director's chat event recap

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 24th 2008 at 12:45PM Featured Story


Blu-ray's Internet capabilities got a brand new push this weekend, with the first director's chat featuring Hellboy II: The Golden Army's Guillermo del Toro live from New Zealand. Didn't get home in time to access the event (scattered forum posts reported problems logging in at all, or people who were logged in but unable to access the comments), or might not have the movie? No problem, here's a quick look at things after the break, and hopefully a preview of what to expect from future director / fan chats.

Gallery: Hellboy II BD-Live director chat w/ Guillermo del Toro

Continue reading Hellboy II BD-Live director's chat event recap

Bourne Triology hitting Blu-ray Disc in January 2009

by Darren Murph posted Nov 19th 2008 at 3:54PM


Bourne is already a proven winner in high-def, so it's no shock at all to see that Universal Studios Home Entertainment is finally bringing the acclaimed trilogy to Blu-ray. The only real surprise is the release date; rather than squeezing it in before the holiday break, Universal's hoping to grab a small chunk of your grandma money in late January. The three pack, which will obviously include The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, will not only include hours of bonus materials including deleted scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries, but it'll also take advantage of BD-Live. The disc will grant access to the studio's BD-Live Center, where fans can then "download even more bonus content, share their favorite scenes with buddies, and engage in a BD-exclusive strategy game that pits users against each other in hand-to-hand combat simulation." Too bad the MSRP is set at $119.98, but you've got until January 27, 2009 to get enough couch change together.

[Via Blu-ray, thanks Anthony]




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