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Posts with tag bd live

Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray players start to see the light of day


One of the most highly anticipated new Blu-ray players is the Panasonic DMP-BD50 and after months and months of waiting it is starting to show up as in stock on various obscure online retailers. A quick search online shows that the big box stores have yet to receive their initial shipments, but it is safe to assume that when the likes of 6th Ave and Rainbow Electronics has them, widespread availability can't be too far behind. The first full featured Blu-ray that includes everything from BD Live, to internal DTS-HD MA decoders won't come cheap though, the initial prices are right at the retail of $699.

[Via Blu-ray Stats]

Warner includes download-only iTunes Digital Copy with 10,000 B.C. Blu-ray

BD-Live isn't the only thing Warner's adding to its Blu-ray releases, with the news that 10,000 B.C. comes with an iTunes Digital Copy. Unlike previous Fox and Lionsgate releases, this one isn't on the disc, apparently due to space considerations on the single-layer 25GB disc. DVD buyers don't even get that option, and in the absence of an official announcement by Warner or Apple about inclusion going forward, it seems to us this is a way for the studio to dip a toe in the water before making a decision on possible wider inclusion. However, if cost is a concern, the choice between copies to take on the road and bonus online features on the disc itself is an interesting one. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Via iLounge]

CyberLink PowerDVD nets Profile 2.0 / AVCREC certifications

Call us crazy, but it seems that CyberLink has been patting itself on the back quite frequently. Shortly after announcing that its PowerDVD software was certified for DTS-HD Master Audio playback, it's now trumpeting two more certifications: Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) and AVCREC. These additions assure users that any connected material on BD-Live-enabled titles will play back just fine in PowerDVD, and the AVCREC approval enables it to "play back the recording of high-definition video onto DVD recordable discs using the MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) format." Per usual, owners of PowerDVD 7 or prior will need to fork out some cash for the upgrade, while PowerDVD 8 owners can nab the update gratis.

Sony to implement BD-Live on all future Blu-ray releases


That sound you hear off in the distance is the BD-Live bandwagon gaining steam, and the latest studio to hop on board is Sony. Shortly after Universal, Disney and Warner Bros. announced their BD-Live plans, along comes Sony to do the same. Reportedly, Rich Marty, Sony's VP of new business development, has affirmed that all new Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases that hit store shelves after Men In Black will have at least some level of BD-Live interactivity wrapped in, though no specifics about what to expect were given. Marty did note that the studio has seen "a great response so far," with some 1 in 5 BD-Live movie buyers taking the time to activate and explore the feature. Not that we necessarily agree that 20-percent represents a "great response," but we can't argue with more interactive content for the minority demanding it.

Warner Bros. lines up BD-Live films for winter release


Considering that Disney just made headlines with its decision to go BD-Live on a few notable releases, it's no real surprise to see Warner Bros. following suit. At the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy conference, the studio's president of Technical Operations Darcy Antonellis asserted that it was "looking to launch web-enabled Blu-ray titles with BD-Live as early as the winter holidays." He elaborated by specifically mentioning "real-time viewing, library tools, a search engine, a recommendation tool with e-mail reminders, ringtones and wallpapers." Unfortunately, nary a clue was given as to what titles would be sporting what features, but it can't go and just reveal everything ahead of time, right?

Disney goes all BD-Live on upcoming titles

As Disney gets its digital strategy together, one feature to look forward to is BD-Live on every Blu-ray release going forward. ABC, Touchstone and Miramax flicks are exempt from the requirement, but that doesn't mean you won't see BD-Live titles there eventually. Sleeping Beauty will get things started, but look for Disney to highlight networked features in its Blu-ray mall tour and try to sell families on why they should even bother with networked features. Tinker Bell is the next movie up to get the BD-Live treatment, plus future Pixar releases like WALL-E. Unfortunately for online Disney Channel fans Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds and the Jonas Brothers' Camp Rock will not have BD-Live capability, but we'll be waiting to see where Disney goes next with the technology.

Transformers Blu-ray edition gets detailed, confirmed for September launch


Check it, Blu-ray fans. That totally believable rumor about Transformers finally fitting into a BD sleeve was indeed accurate, and now we're starting to see the nitty-gritty details about what we can expect come September 2nd. For starters, the Blu-ray edition will feature a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track as well as a 5.1 PCM uncompressed track to complement the obligatory 1080p transfer. We're also told to expect a trailer for the BD release of Iron Man, BD-Live content and a lengthy list of supplemental material -- all of which is expected to be in beautiful high-def. Tap the read link for the full list of extras, and start saving that $39.99 (or so) right now.

[Thanks, Wii60Warrior]

Transformers 2-disc Blu-ray edition coming September 2?


The day Michael Bay and fans of Blu-ray and big robots have all been waiting for is September 2, according to advanced, inside information obtained by TVShowsonDVD.com. Last year's HD DVD blockbuster Transformers is finally coming to Blu-ray after last fall's exclusivity agreement fell by the wayside, in a 2-disc release described as "similar" to the previous version. Hopefully that means all HDi and internet connectivity features intact, with new bits added courtesy of 50GBs of storage space and BD-Live. We expect there should be, and with a majority of Blu-ray owners using PlayStation 3s, they may even surpass the HD DVD edition's 30% internet-connected rate.

[Via Seibertron.com]

Disney pulls back the cover on Sleeping Beauty's BD-Live features

BD-Live offerings to date have been pretty tame, but Disney's got a few tricks up its sleeve for the first release in its Platinum Edition series, Sleeping Beauty. Blu-ray owners with compatible hardware will be able to chat with friends during the movie using a laptop, BlackBerry or other PDA, make video messages and send them to others, play trivia games, and earn points used to trade in for ringtones, wallpaper or other items. From the moment the disc hits the tray, the iconic castle will feature a backdrop sync'd with weather conditions in the viewer's hometown. As noted in USA Today some owners of Blu-ray players sans-internet will miss out, but with a street date of October 7, there's still time to grab a PS3 or one of the compatible standalone boxes coming on the market. Customer desire for next gen networked features hasn't always been incredibly enthusiastic, but we suspect once the 'tween group gets into this (and High School Musical 3 hits Blu-ray) things could change.

Dreamer's Biddle makes Blu-ray players a way around your cable company?


While most are just dipping their toe into the BD-Live pond so far, Dreamer is thinking bigger. With its middleware Biddle software (based on the same DVB-GEM spec as OCAP, and also available to cable operators) included on a Blu-ray disc, the company claims its ready to deliver an "interactive TV service" consisting of VOD, web browsing, e-mail, social networking access or nearly anything else you can imagine. The upshot is that any internet-connected PS3 (or any other BD-Live capable hardware on the way). By downloading only what's necessary at the moment, the client overcomes the Blu-ray program size restriction and delivers what customers have already come to expect from leading Korean IPTV and cable companies using the software in their STBs. The first titles with the software included are planned with KD Media this month in Korea, but the company is still showing its software off to domestic providers, with an eye towards hopping on expected $299 Blu-ray players (not yet) and into American homes.

[Via Multichannel News]

Pioneer introduces Elite BDP-05FD / BDP-51FD Blu-ray players

BDP-51FD
While most consumer electronics companies choose to unveil new products at CES, Pioneer prefers to buck the trend and pick a day that it can keep all to itself. The other trend Pioneer isn't following with these new players is BD-Live, as neither the new Elite Blu-ray player nor the outfit's first non-Elite player features the latest interactive features. Instead, it's choosing to focus on picture and sound quality, as both Summer-bound decks will internally decode every next-gen multi-channel lossless codec (DTS-HD with firmware update) or bitstream any of them to your AVR. The other new focus is speed, as Pioneer seems confident that both players will be some of the fastest in the industry, boasting 15-second eject from off times and 22-second disc load times. The BDP-51FD will set you back $599 -- almost half as much as Pioneer's previous model -- while the Elite BDP-05FD will demand $799. The latter will net you a longer warranty, gold connectors, a superior video decoder, nicer fit / finish and an upgraded front face plate complete with capacitance touch keys. If you're the type that prefers quality and could care less about interactive features, either unit will likely satisfy -- otherwise, we'd keep hunting. Full release after the break.

Neil Young's entire music archive to be released on Blu-ray


Sun Microsystems's pledge to aid the widespread development of interactive content on Blu-ray wasn't the only thing going down today at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco. Rather surprisingly, famed musician Neil Young announced plans to "release his entire music archive on Blu-ray discs that can be updated over the internet." Reportedly, the first installment of Young's archive will cover 1963 to 1972 and will be released as a ten-disc set this fall on Reprise / Warner Bros. Records, and subsequent archives will be released chronologically and "include some previously unreleased songs, videos, handwritten manuscripts and other memorabilia." Stressing Blu-ray interactivity, it was also noted that fans could download more songs, photos and tour information via their internet-connected decks. Needless to say, we're pretty stoked about the whole ordeal, and can only hope that more artists follow suit in serving up their work via Blu-ray.

[Thanks, JDS]

Sun Microsystems announces support for BDLive.com, aims to promote development of interactivity


Today at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco, Sun Microsystems professed its love for BDLive.com and the availability of the BDLive.com developers disc. Put simply, Sun -- a proud member of the Blu-ray Disc Association Board of Directors -- has teamed up with Related Content Database Inc. in order to create said website and offer devs, BD content owners and consumer electronics manufacturers "advanced network services focused on improving the overall BD Live user experience." Essentially, the web portal weds Sun's network.com infrastructure and RCDb's recently announced BD Live Platform to "enable the quick creation of device-appropriate features that provide a user-friendly DVD-like experience." If you're eager to know more, click on past the break.

Study finds high prices, hamstrung players limiting Blu-ray's dominance


ABI Research has just confirmed feelings that we've had for months: Blu-ray just isn't going to dominate the market until prices sink down from the stratosphere and players emerge that are fully-featured. A new study from the previously mentioned firm has suggested that we still have "12 to 18 months" before the BD market really kicks into gear, and it specifies that "fully-featured" decks need to come in at $200 or below before the general public will consider coughing up the cash required to make the jump to high-definition media. It's also noted that many are perfectly satisfied with the quality of DVD, and until prices make it manageable to switch, the outfit feels that huge chunks of consumers will simply stay put. Additionally, we're told that PS3s will "make up over 85-percent of the BD players in the field" during 2008, and we won't see Sony's console fall from the top until 2013 when the installed base of standalone decks / PC-based BD players overtake the installed base of PlayStation 3s. Yeah, you're hearing echoes on that last tidbit.

[Image courtesy of LA Times]

TotalMedia Theater gets BD Live "Certified"

ArcSoft TotalMedia Theater
Just over a month ago Cyberlink was the first to announce its product would support BD Live and today ArcSoft claims it's the first to be "certified." Unfortunately, ArcSoft failed to mention exactly when this free update would be available, so for now if you can't go without the current unimpressive features already available on select discs, PowerDVD is the only game in town. Regardless, the Blu-ray playback software market is really heating up, and although none of them offer a full featured player yet, with BD Live checked off the list that only leaves the highest quality lossless audio support.




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