Sony Sued Over Blu-ray

It seems that Orinda Intellectual Properties USA has filed a suit against Sony based on claims of Blu-ray patent infringement. The patent itself is for "methods for recording and reproducing information via optical disc." For those keeping score at home, such a patent would presumably not only describe Blu-ray, but also all other disc-based content known to man, including CDs, DVDs, and CD-ROMs. Yet, surprisingly, no companies that manufacture such goods have been named in the suit; interesting huh?

Orinda is demanding a jury trial, and seeking an injunction barring Sony from selling the PS3 and any other Blu-ray player. They are also requesting a "reasonable royalty" for their obviously unique and one-of-a-kind idea.

There’s about a 99.9% chance this suit will be laughed out of court, but if these idiots somehow manage to win I’m filing a patent for "an organic device which allows the owner to breathe air by filtering out harsh contaminents and provided oxygen to cells," and then suing every single member of the human race for having the audacity to have a set of lungs without paying me.

-thegamereviews

Samsung loves Blu-ray today but says only “5 years” left

A top Samsung UK executive has demolished Blu-ray’s chances of being relevant for more than about 5 years, if that, in an interview with UK tech site Pocket-link. How “blu” must Sony be feeling with Samsung right now?!

When HD-DVD was dealt its death blow at CES thanks to Warner definitively choosing the Blu-ray format, Sony’s Howard Stringer said at the Blu-ray press launch words to the effect that “We’re all feeling Blu today – in a good way!”

But perhaps Sony is feeling “blue” instead today, at least with its LCD screen manufacturing partner Samsung, after comments to UK tech site Pocket-lint by Andy Griffiths, Samsung’s “Director of Consumer Electronics” in the UK.

Griffiths made some bold statements, saying: “I think it [Blu-ray] has 5 years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10".

But then he said that 2008 is “going to be huge" for Blu-ray, and that "We are heavily back-ordered at the moment”, clearly suggesting that while Samsung thinks Blu-ray’s future is bleak, right now things are still quite rosy.

He also told Pocket-link about rental sites and stores offering more Blu-ray titles, which ensured that while the Blu-ray format was the HD winner now, that wouldn’t be the case forever.

Samsung believes its future profits will come from OLED technology (organic light emitting diode). Promising better picture quality and colour depth than LCD or plasma, “high manufacturing costs” have prevented its widespread release, although 2010 is being flagged as the year of OLED.

Of course, we’ve also heard of Laser TV in the meantime, and if it too launches by 2010, it could easily be OLED TV’s biggest competitor, with both formats potentially leaving LCD and plasma in the digital dust.


by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Bluray tech celebrated at Playboy mansion

The infamous Playboy mansion in Los Angeles hosted a recent party which was partly sponsored by Blu-ray.

Blu-ray - known as the Blu Ray Disc (BD) is said to offer more capacity than any other type of entertainment format.

Fans say it gives a higher quality picture than HD (High Definition) TV with more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and holds up to 25 GB on a single-layer disc and with more channels of surround sound and more types of value added content.

The Entertainment Merchant's Association 2008 Annual Report on the Home Entertainment Industry predicts that BD sales will surpass DVD sales by the year 2012, as 87% of Playstation3 owners report that they're watching Blu Ray movies on the console now.

Others say they're waiting because they find they are upgrading a bit too much.

Matthew Roberts says he hasn't taken the plunge yet but plans to because of the impressive picture quality.

John Reizenstein, a tourist from the UK says he prefers to keep his home entertainment set up simple but may be pushed into conversion shortly.

Blu-ray and Sony Playstation3 hosted a launch party for the ESPY (sports) Awards at the notorious Playboy mansion in Los Angeles recently (July 14, 2008) where Blu Ray movies were playing throughout.

VIP guests had access to the exclusive "Blu Lounge" where they were able to experience Blu-ray technology.

Mark Finer is the Technical Director of the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) - an industry funded group that promotes digital entertainment.

He says that one third of US consumers have an HD TV in their home and that the figure is growing.

Blu-ray is currently supported by more than 180 of the world's leading consumer electronics personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies and it has the support of seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Warner, Sony, Paramount, Fox, MGM and Lionsgate).

New technology

Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner says he appreciates digital advancements and enjoys his regular movie nights.

Jose Canseco, former Major League baseball player admits he's not too up on the new technology He says that younger people seem to be more up to date with developments.

Michael Vartan, a TV and movie actor, jokes he's addicted to his Playstaiton3 but is holding out to upgrade to Blu-ray but is concerned that he will become addicted to it.

Sony's next-generation Blu-ray disc model to enter the market recently is the new 'BD-Live'.

Randy Waynick, the Senior Vice-President of Home Producers Division Sony Electronics, explains how the technology works.

Best Buy is the largest store selling consumer electronics in the US and Canada.

Tara Adams-Clarke, Best Buy's home theatre expert in California, says there is much you can do with BD-Live.

Many movie studios have announced they will begin releasing new movies on Blu-ray Disc at the same time as the DVD.

Amy Jo Smith, Executive Director of the Digital Entertainment Group, explained that BD Live will allow children to talk to their favourite characters on screen.

New Study Finds Low Interest In Blu-ray

A new consumer survey recently released chronicles the woes of the winner of the hi-definition format war: nobody wants it. While consumers were very happy to embrace the DVD standard when it came about because it brought a huge jump in quality over VHS, the pros of switching to Blu-ray are not as obvious. From the article: 'In contrast, while half of the respondents to our survey rated Blu-ray's quality as 'much better' than standard DVD, another 40% termed it only 'somewhat better,' and most are very satisfied with the performance of their current DVD players." Another reason cited was that a Blu-ray investment also dictates an HDTV purchase, something consumers are reluctant to do.'" Maybe it's also that line-doubling DVD players can be had for less than a hundred dollars.

Panasonic DMR-BW500 Blu-ray Disc Recorder

Meet the future of digital TV recording. The BW500 is the first Blu-ray recorder on the Australian market and a good indicator of what to expect in the coming months from the other electronics companies. In addition to being able to burn HD recordings to Blu-ray discs, the BW500 is also equipped with a 500GB hard drive capable of storing up to 72 hours of full HD video (1080p). It features twin digital TV tuners so you can record two programs at the same time while playing back a third. You can pause live TV at the push of a button.

Home movies are catered for, too. Plug in the SD card from your camcorder (AVCHD format only) and you can transfer your videos to the built-in hard disk or burn them to Blu-ray. You can even edit out the unwanted bits via the remote. The Blu-ray burner means that any recording stored on the hard drive can be transferred to a disc. If you want to lend a recording to a friend who doesn't have a Blu-ray player, it can burn regular DVDs as well - scaling down the resolution in the process.

The BW500 picks up the seven-day electronic program guide broadcast by the TV networks, which you can use to set the recording schedule. Programming a recording is thankfully reasonably painless and you can adjust the start and finish times with ease. Significantly for the hearing impaired, it's capable of capturing closed captions in the digital broadcast, which can then be switched on or off during playback, as with subtitles in a DVD.

Of course, it's also a fully fledged Blu-ray player that supports 7.1-channel surround sound and cinephiles will appreciate the 24 frames-a-second playback mode.

The BW500 is Blu-ray Profile 1.1, however, so it doesn't support the new BD-Live features and the firmware isn't upgradeable. Panasonic is throwing in three Blu-ray single-layer 25GB rewritable discs worth $119, which should lessen the sting of being an early adopter.

http://www.panasonic.com.au

Blu-ray DVD format may not dominate for years

Blu-ray stomped HD DVD to become the standard format for high-definition movie discs, but years may pass before it can claim victory over the good old DVD.

Noemi Velazquez, a 44-year-old warehouse worker, can explain why. She took one look at the $399 price tag of a Blu-ray player at a Best Buy store in Glendale, Calif., and kept going.

"I have to admit, Blu-ray is great," she said. "(But) I'm going to wait until they go to half-price."

Analysts, movie studios and the Blu-ray Disc Association, a manufacturing group, all say Blu-ray discs will eventually dominate video sales. The question is when.

Consumers are balking at the $300-plus cost of most Blu-ray players especially because only limited movie titles are available in the format.

"People aren't going to pay three times as much for a platform that's only half-baked," said Steve Wilson, a consumer electronics analyst with ABI Research.

Many also are waiting to see how cable, satellite and online video services play out. But, above all, consumers seem satisfied with standard-definition DVDs and players _ even consumers who upgrade to high-definition TVs that can tap into Blu-ray's sharper picture and clearer sound.

Velazquez said that because she was still paying off a $1,000 high-definition TV she bought in October, she was happy for now to keep watching pay-TV movies and standard-definition DVDs on it.

Sony Corp.-backed Blu-ray was crowned the next-generation video technology in February after Toshiba Corp., creator of the competing HD DVD format, abruptly said it would drop the fight. The move came after Warner Bros. decided to join most other studios by going solely with Blu-ray and video rental chains followed suit.

Manufacturers are planning a souped-up lineup of titles and special features on Blu-ray discs to boost sales this summer and during the coming Christmas season in the hope that Blu-ray can turn around the sagging home video market. And retailers are creating new displays to explain Blu-ray's benefits.

U.S. consumer spending on home video rentals and purchases in all formats, including DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray and VHS, fell 3 percent to $24.1 billion last year. The figure was expected to drop another 2 percent this year to $23.6 billion, despite a sixfold increase in Blu-ray disc spending to $1.3 billion, according to Adams Media Research.

The Blu-ray increase is not enough to offset an expected 6 percent drop in overall spending on DVDs.

Adams says it could take two more years for Blu-ray sales to put the home video market back on a growth path.

"The group that bought $2,000, 40-inch TVs are the ones that will lead the charge," said Tom Adams, founder of the research firm. "Everyone else will come along when the price comes down."

To jump-start the changeover, studios are beginning to release movies in Blu-ray with enhanced bonus features like picture-in-picture director commentary. The new bells and whistles are meant to entice consumers to plop down as much as $10 extra for a Blu-ray disc compared with a standard DVD.

Blu-ray machine prices are starting to drop. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. began stocking a $298 Magnavox model in mid-May, said spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien. That's cheaper than most alternatives but a hefty price hike from a typical $50 DVD player.

The format also faces sales challenges that DVDs did not when they took over from VHS in the late 1990s. It doesn't save any space compared with DVD, and there's no need to replace a DVD collection once you buy a Blu-ray player because it will play your old discs.

There also is a proliferation of direct-to-home offerings appearing on cable, satellite and the Internet that threaten to stop Blu-ray growth in its tracks. Blu-ray backers say, however, consumers prefer physical copies of movies over virtual ones, especially when some online rental services impose a time limit.

And Blu-ray's adoption curve is similar to _ maybe even faster than _ that of DVDs, backers say. Blu-ray players, now available for three years, cost $100 less than DVD players did at a comparable point in their life cycle, said Dorinda Marticorena, a senior vice president at Warner Home Video, a unit of Time Warner Inc.

"DVD was exactly the same thing. Players were expensive and there were not many titles. Lo and behold, the awareness went up and demand went up," said Andy Parsons, chairman of the association's U.S. promotion committee. "It'll happen in good time."

Blu-ray still has a long, uphill climb. Last year, more than 101 million U.S. households could play DVDs, compared with 3.7 million that could play Blu-ray discs, including those with PlayStation 3 consoles, according to Adams.

But that's double the 1.6 million DVD devices that were in U.S. households in 1998, the comparable second year they were available. By the end of 2008, 14.4 million U.S. households are expected to be Blu-ray compatible, compared with the 9.4 U.S. million households that could play DVDs in year three.

Manufacturers and studios are preparing new offerings to take advantage of a feature known as BD Live, which allows access to enhanced Blu-ray bonus features over the Internet. It's available now on Sony's PlayStation 3 game consoles.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. added a BD Live clip-sharing function on its horror flick "Saw IV" and plans to have "Rambo" director Sylvester Stallone conduct an interactive exchange with viewers about his director's cut.

"It makes these discs almost alive," said Lions Gate President Steve Beeks.

The Walt Disney Co. is set to rerelease the 1959 animated feature "Sleeping Beauty" in October in Blu-ray with chat, trivia and video-messaging functions, just as its rerelease of "Snow White" on DVD in 2000 introduced a then-revolutionary animated menu.

"'Snow White' made the mass market wake up to the potential of DVD and helped demystify the technology," said Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Worldwide. "'Sleeping Beauty' on Blu-ray a decade later represents much the same thing."

-© 2008 AP DIGITAL
This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an additional service to readers.

Slimmer and cheaper Blu-ray players on the way?

Blu-ray may well be the next-gen home cinema format of choice but in order to play a BD disc you have to buy a rather chunky player.

This is due to the innards being far more complicated than that of a standard-def DVD player, mainly due to the size of the chips used to process the hi-def audio and imagery.

In fact, a Blu-ray Player needs seven external memory chips and separate front and back-end LSI (Large-Scale Integration) devices. Until now… 

Small is the new big

Panasonic has announced that it has created a new chip that is 50 per cent smaller and uses 25 per cent less power. Not only that, it is compatible with the latest Profile 2.0 BD releases.

The company had this to say about the new chip: “By using this product, Panasonic will be able to realize smaller sizes and lower power consumption in BD players compatible with the latest BD standards.”

Theoretically, the new technology means that Panasonic could soon be making Blu-ray players that are slimmer and cheaper, which is nothing but a good thing for the fledgling HD format.

Blu Ray Wins Format War But Not A Place In Our Homes

After disapointing sales, was the costly format war really worth it?



We all know that the HD DVD Vs Blu Ray war is over. Sony won after getting backed by most of the major movie studios, and Toshiba walked away with its tall between its legs licking its wounds.

Now that the format war is over many retailers were happy to get down to the business of selling the Blu Ray player without all the confusion of the HD DVD format. The only problem is, is that very few people are interested in buying BluRay player for £300 when we are in a economic down turn. To get some real momentum behind the BluRay format there needs to be a Sub £150 player and a huge amount of new tittle releases. Without this Sony could win the format war only to be left with a pot of foools gold especially as IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is just around the corner.

-unbeatable.co.uk

Hitachi launches world’s first Blu-ray camcorder in the UAE

Eros Group, one of the leading players in consumer electronics, telecom and allied multi-products in the Middle East region, has introduced the world's first Blu-ray Hybrid camcorder in the UAE.


The DZ-BD7HSW is Hitachi's flagship BluRay - Hard Disk Drive Hybrid model which incorporates Blu-ray disc recording capability and a 30 gigabyte (GB) Hard Disk Drive (HDD). The integrated 30GB HDD can record approximately four hours of Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 video (HX mode) or up to eight hours of HD 1,440 x 1,080 video (HS mode).

In addition, with a simple push of a button, it can copy the contents from HDD to BD within the camcorder itself, a major convenience feature for on-the-go consumers who can now bypass external devices (PCs, docking stations, etc) altogether to quickly dub a movie video. Easy editing functions such as split, delete and connect can also be made right in the camcorder before using the 1-touch dubbing function to burn Blu-ray disc copies.

Beyond the ability to transfer high definition video from the HDD to Blu-ray discs, there is also a new trans-coding feature which allows users to select high definition video stored on the HDD to be transferred to standard definition DVD copies using the 1-touch dubbing feature and family members who may not yet own a Blu-ray playback device.

The Hybrid Camcorder also allows video to be recorded in standard definition quality to DVD discs (DVD-R/-RW/-RAM/+R/+RW). Lifelike image reproduction and rich, immersive color are a result of Hitachi's 5.3 mega pixel CMOS image sensor and HD quality 12-element lens system.

Despite Victory, Consumers Not Buying Bluray

It was in February this year that Toshiba formally pulled the plug on the dying HD DVD format, inadvertently crowning rival Blu-ray as winner in a bloodied war that has been fought for months on end.

However three months down the line and the crowning glory hasn't translated into substantial sales for Blu-ray, not really. A recent NPD Group study revealed that Blu-ray sales have increased by only 2 percent from Feb to Mar and that they've actually dropped 40 percent from Jan to Feb.

Obviously a big disappointment for supporters of the winning format. There could be several reasons for this: one, despite the format war well over, people may not be ready yet to ditch traditional DVDs in favor of Blu-ray; and two, Blu-ray is still too expensive for the majority of people to plunge into adoption. As of now, it can be only hoped that all the advertising and publicity might help sway public opinion in favor of the format.

-techtree.com

Samsung P1500 BluRay player gets BD-Live upgrade & June launch

Samsung fourth-generation BluRay player, the BD-P1500, has been delayed until June as the company updates its specifications to include BD-Live functionality.  First announced back in January, the P1500 was originally slated for a May launch with a MRSP of $399.  Capable of full 1080p playback, the unit will also upscale normal DVDs to 720p, 1080i or 1080p.



Samsung BD-P1500 BluRay player

Connectivity includes HDMI 1.3, component video and S-Video, coaxial and optical digital audio outputs, ethernet and USB, with the latter being used for firmware upgrades.  This will include a DTS-HD update later in the year; out of the box, the P1500 will support Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TruHD.  BD Profile 1.1 Bonus View is also supported.

However with the delay also comes a potential price change; the MRSP now states “TBD”.
-slashgear

iPhone to become Blu-ray remote control

iPhones and iPod touches could soon offer special Blu-ray hook-up, thanks to some new software to launch this week that will network the devices with Blu-ray players.

NetBlender will release new networking technology that links Blu-ray content to the Apple devices, called BD Touch.

The software uses the network capabilities of some Blu-ray players, and means iPhone and iPod touch users could soon be able to use their devices as remote controls for their next-gen home cinema devices.

"The sophisticated user interface of the iPhone enables greater user interaction as well as the power to leverage the iPhone?s existing network. Search, e-commerce and advertising possibilities related to movie content abound when one imagines real-time communication between the iPhone and the content currently being displayed on a Blu-ray player," Netblender states.

New Blu-Ray Player Lets You Record TV On Your PSP

Still waiting on that promised ability to transfer Blu-Ray's from a PS3 to a PSP. In the meantime, I'm going to point out something you're never going to buy, and a situation you'll most likely never find yourself in, but is interesting nonetheless. At least on a trivial level. Above is Sony's BDZ-A70 Blu-Ray recorder, which lets you watch TV, then record that TV onto a Blu-Ray disc. And also a PSP. I know, you can do that already in a less-than-legal sense, but having it officially embraced by Sony like this suggests the little handheld will find itself integrated more and more into Sony's non-gaming lineup as it spreads its multimedia wings.

-kotaku

Constant Rumors Show 360 Gamers Want Blu-ray

When it comes to the rumors surrounding the possibilities of any kind of Xbox 360 support of the disc that won the format war, the one shred of truth is this: people love to talk about it! You don't have to look very hard to see that there is a great amount of interest in not only reading about, but starting rumors about Blu-ray coming to the Xbox 360. At this point, Microsoft is probably on the verge of going on national television and screaming "It's not happening already!", and yet, that would probably not quell the recurring speculation, or should we say demand?

Going all the way back to the final days of HD-DVD, Microsoft has repeatedly denied rumors that even Sony themselves have started on the possibility of Blu-ray coming to the Xbox 360. Microsoft had been very upfront in their response to this rampant gossip, stating that Blu-ray simply isn't in their interest, and that their concentration is centered on the method of digital distribution. But it seems as though the gaming community just doesn't want to take no for an answer, and maintains a kind of stalker relationship with Microsoft, constantly peering into the window to see any signs of a Blu-ray drive. The hopes are even able to co-exist with the denials, as TechRadar.com's article debunking the rumor has a final section entitled, "Blu-ray not ruled out," where they suggest MS may not want to announce a Blu-ray drive until Christmas.

Of course, the most recent rumor, sparked by DigiTimes concerning the company Lite-On developing Blu-ray disc drives for a new generation of 360 consoles, was killed like all its brethren with the response: "No. Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360. As we have stated, games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster game available." It's funny that Microsoft isn't content with just saying no to these rumors, but constantly has to justify the reason that they are not putting a Blu-ray drive on 360. This rumor is unlikely to be the last, and MS will have to find better excuses than this.

Why? Let's look at this statement, "Games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles." Well MS, the many people buying up PS3's for the Blu-ray drive may think differently. Blu-ray has been credited with the recent increase in PS3 sales, a trend analysts, such as Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter, only sees continuing: "Longer term, I think it's a huge boon for Sony, as most retail clerks will be inducted to push Blu-ray along with sales of HD monitors at holiday, so we should see a large increase in PS3 sales year-over-year at holiday." Add in the fact that it plays games, and you have a multipurpose machine with decent value.

One explanation for all these rumors is that they are founded on nearly no truth and are similar to people on UFO documentaries, who complain of alien anal probing, in that the creation of both is meant only to get attention. Now let's remember that nobody would be bothering to post Blu-ray rumors, or in some cases, even make them up, if they didn't feel like the speculation would generate hits, and indeed it has. So MS has proven that they are prepared to state time and time again that they don't care for the format, but how much longer can they say the same about the consumers?
-

Microsoft hoses down latest Xbox 360 Blu-ray rumor

If you're suddenly overcome with a feeling akin to déjà vu, go ahead and kill that speed dial to your physician. For the second time in a month, Microsoft has actually come forward to squash a Blu-ray Xbox 360 rumor. This go 'round, an alleged statement from Redmond states quite outrightly that "Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360," and it continues on by noting that "customers who want a premium movie experience [can check out the] library of on-demand HD content" available to console owners. Still, we've grown accustomed to these denials by now, and while you'd think that having a pair of rumors on the matter smashed would put the issue to rest, we've all ideas this one isn't quite dead and buried just yet.
-engadget

Blu-Ray Xbox 360: “No way” says Microsoft; Microsoft: No Blu-ray in Xbox 360

Microsoft: No Blu-ray in Xbox 360
-gamedaily

Microsoft has today firmly stated that it is not looking to include Blu-ray in an Xbox 360 consoles anytime soon. In an interview with Reuters, group product manager for Xbox 360 Aaron Greenberg shot down the idea that his company's console would support Blu-ray in the wake of the format death of HD-DVD. Instead, Greenberg says that his company will invest its efforts in downloadable content via Xbox Live.

"Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience," said Greenberg to Reuters in an interview, adding, "We're the only console offering digital distribution of entertainment content."

Greenberg also commented that he expects the Xbox 360 to be outsold by the PS3 for the second straight month, citing supply problems. "We definitely expect we will trail in February as a result of our supply constraints," said Greenberg. "By April, we will be in a very healthy inventory situation."

Microsoft has had something of a schizophrenic relationship with Blu-ray. Right after they announced support of HD-DVD, then Corporate Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business Peter Moore said the 360 might support Blu-ray if the format wins, only to have that recanted days later in a statement. The issue flared up again when U.K. Xbox head Neil Thompson commented, that whichever format was the winner it would be "highly likely" for a "solution" to be offered. Earlier this year, Albert Penello, group marketing manager for Xbox, said that Mircosoft would "consider" supporting Blu-ray, but the he officially rejected that position a week later , saying the company is "not thinking about it." This most recent clarification comes after Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer said "we'll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense."


Blu-Ray Xbox 360: “No way” says Microsoft
-electricpig.tv

Ever since the demise of HD-DVD, we’ve been hankering for a Blu-Ray add on (or built-in drive) for the Xbox 360, but now Microsoft has dashed our hopes, saying it’s not in talks with Sony, and that recent stories to the contrary are just plain wrong.

The latest comments come from Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360. He told Reuters: “Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-Ray Association to integrate Blu-Ray into the Xbox experience,” claiming that the console isn’t in immediate need of HD discs.

“We're the only console offering digital distribution of entertainment content,” he added, “we still think we have significantly better value than Sony. Every month we've actually been in stock we've outsold them by a 2 to 1 margin.”

So there! It’s clear we’re getting mixed messages from Microsoft, but could the case be that it’s Sony who’s not in talks with Microsoft rather than the other way ‘round? Would they really give away one of the PS3’s most attractive features to the competition so easily? Stay tuned and we’ll tell you more as soon as we hear it.

Panasonic's DMP-BD30K Blu-ray Player Goes DivX Certified

Panasonic's just become the first manufacturer to make a DivX-certified stand-alone Blu-ray player, the BD30K, which will be available in Europe and Russia starting this month. It's not the first machine to have both DivX and Blu-ray (the PlayStation 3 did that a few months ago), but it does signal the continuation of a trend that started with many DVD players getting DivX functionality. Do you really need DivX on your Blu-ray player? Probably not, but if you're frequently downloading stuff off BitTorrent, having another machine that can play back last week's Lost is pretty convenient.


Panasonic to Release DivX Certified Blu-ray DVD Player Next Generation DVD Player to be Available in Europe and Russia DivX, Inc., a digital media company, announced the DivX® Certification of Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc (BD) Player The Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, which joins a number of existing DivX Certified products from Panasonic, is scheduled to be released beginning in March and is expected to be the first DivX Certified® Blu-ray Disc Player available in Europe and Russia. Like Panasonic's existing DivX Certified DVD players, the latest DivX Certified Panasonic Blu-ray disc player enables users to enjoy high-quality DivX video playback. "In order to give our users access to the extremely popular, high-quality DivX format, we have introduced the first DivX-Certified Blu-ray Disc Player for Europe and Russia," said Yuki Kusumi, Group Manager of Product Technology, Video Business Unit, Network Business Group, Panasonic AVC Networks Company, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. "The timely launch of this strategic product is a direct response to the strong demand for DivX playback among consumers. We are very confident this product will be very popular in the European and Russian markets." "The DivX Certified Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Player is a great device from a leader in next generation DVD technology, and marks an important strategic milestone in our growth into new product categories," said Kevin Hell, CEO of DivX, Inc. "DivX has already become a de-facto standard on existing DVD players and we are well-positioned to repeat that success in the Blu-ray category. We're pleased Panasonic continues to recognize DivX technology as an important feature on next-generation devices." Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure a high quality DivX media experience that includes reliable video playback, excellent visual quality, and interoperability with other DivX Certified digital devices. The DivX logo has become a powerful symbol for a high-quality digital video experience across any device. About DivX, Inc. DivX, Inc. is a digital media company that enables consumers to enjoy a high-quality video experience across any kind of device. DivX creates, distributes and licenses digital video technologies that span the "three screens" comprising today's consumer media environment--the PC, the television and mobile devices. Over 100 million DivX Certified devices have shipped into the market from leading consumer electronics manufacturers. DivX also offers content providers and publishers a complete solution for the distribution of secure, high-quality digital video content. Driven by a globally recognized brand and a passionate community of hundreds of millions of consumers, DivX is simplifying the video experience to enable the digital home. -gizmodo

Microsoft Preps A New 60 GB Xbox 360 With BluRay Drive?

Right after the Financial Times reported that Sony and Microsoft are talking about a possible BluRay drive for the Xbox360, a new rumor has emerged. TrustedReviews claims that a “rock solid source” said that Microsoft is working to release a new standard version of its Xbox 360 with a 60 GB hard drive, that will replace the currently 20 GB hard drive.

TrustedReviews also said that the new version is due to be out until the end of Q2 and, in the light of the previous rumors, it seems it will include an internal BluRay unit.

Microsoft did not confirm officially the information about the BluRay unit or about a new version of Xbox 360, but at Mix 08, Steve Ballmer admitted that the company is working on device driver support for Blu-ray drives in Windows. “Toshiba has moved on. We've moved on, and we'll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense", Ballmer said.

Shortly after Warner Bros has signaled the end of the high definition war, by choosing the BluRay as its exclusive format, a Microsoft official admitted in an interview with Reuters that the company could consider a BluRay drive for Xbox 360, if the consumers will demand such a feature.

Although, right before this year CES, there were rumors that Microsoft is working on a new version of its gaming console. Last year in October, an Australian site claimed that a dual HD TV tuner and a docking port for an MP3 player are considered as new improvements for Xbox 360. The same source also said that the new version will include a HD DVD unit, but before CES, Microsoft downplayed the rumors about a new Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD unit.

However, I found it hard to believe that Microsoft will offer an internal BluRay unit for Xbox 360. For the moment, it is unclear in which way a BluRay unit will affect the current price of Xbox 360.

Currently the 20 GB version of Xbox 360 with HDMI port sells for $349.99 and Microsoft is facing a tough competition from Nintendo Wii, that sells for $250. So, adding a new feature which will probably boost the price it doesn’t seem like a good move.

However, an external BluRay unit that will be sold as an accessory seems to be a logical decision as the HD DVD format has lost the battle. It won’t have any impact on the overall price of Xbox 360 and it could be a nice addition for the Xbox 360 owners.

As for the rumored 60 GB version of Xbox 360, maybe after two years since its release it is time for Microsoft to refresh the standard version and maybe to cut the prices of the 20 GB version.

- eFluxMedia

Hook a Blu-ray Disc drive up to your laptop

With Blu-ray Disc now the clear victor in the high-definition format war, those cautious about buying hardware can spend with ease. Those with home theater PCs or laptops will be pleased to learn that Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS) will be soon releasing its first USB external BD-ROM drive in Q2 2008.

“Due to recent market developments we can expect an increasing volume of movies to be released in high definition on Blu-ray Discs,” said Jelmer Veldman, European Marketing Manager at PLDS. “The market adoption of Blu-ray as the optical disc standard for High Definition content results in a growing demand for Blu-ray playback solutions. The portable external Lite-On BD-ROM drive allows users to playback their Blu-ray discs on any PC via a USB 2.0 cable.”

The upcoming model, designated the Lite-On DX-4O1S can read Blu-ray Disc media at 4X, single-layer DVD at 12X, dual-layer DVD at 8X, and CD media at 32X maximum.

Alternatively, HTPC addicts may consider the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, now on clearance for $50. While HD DVD may have limited future potential, the Xbox 360 add-on, which works with natively with Windows Vista, is an affordable option to view today’s high-definition content.

-dailytech

Acer to begin Blu-ray laptop "push"

Sees hardware, not home cinema, as way forward for format

Following the demise of the HD DVD format, DigiTimes reports that Acer will "push" Blu-ray notebooks this year.

Acer, who was signed up to both next-gen formats, has predicted that the sales boost of Blu-ray drives will first be seen in notebooks rather than standalone players.

Scott Lin, president of Acer, has revealed the company is planning to launch BD-capable notebooks in the second quarter of this year.

The reasoning behind the notebook push is since most homes do not yet have Full HD (1080p) ready TVs, a notebook with a Blu-ray disc drive and full HD panel will have more advantages over a stand-alone player, said Lin.

One of the two new notebooks will apparently boast an 18.4-inch screen and the other will be a 16-inch offering, both will support HD quality images.

Source: Pocket-lint

Sony Intros New Bluray Disc Players

With Toshiba's public withdrawal of HD DVD having virtually sealed the fate of the format, rival Sony has made some haste in announcing spanking new Blu-ray Disc Player models; namely, the BDP-S350 and the BDP-S500.

Announcing the Blu-ray Disc players at Sony's product showcase in Las Vegas, Chris Fawcett, vice president (Marketing) of Sony Electronics Home Product Division, said "the new devices bring home movie experience beyond cinema".

Both players support 'Bonus View' for viewing picture-in-picture content, and have external ports for users to add optional storage devices.

Meanwhile, the BDP-S350 is BD-Live capable, and has an Ethernet port for firmware upgrade and access to Internet-based interactive content.

The other player, the BDP-S500 does not require any firmware upgrade to enable interactivity features, and will ship with 1GB of storage.

The S350 and S500 can handle 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD decoding and bitstream output, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio bistream output. Whereas the S550 adds DTS-HD Master Audio decoding to 7.1 channel analog audio output.

Both players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output, and are compatible with a wide array of video formats, including BD-R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD/CD recordable media.

Sony said the BDP-S350 will ship this Summer for about $400, while the BDP-S550 will be available this Autumn for around $500.

In a separate announcement, DreamWorks Animation SKG said that it is locked in an exclusive deal to distribute DVDs on Toshiba's HD DVD format, even though the latter plans to quit HD DVD technology.

Explaining further, DreamWorks Chief Executive, Jeffrey Katzenberg, said, "We have a partnership with Toshiba, and have an obligation to see this through. As you know, we have been well-compensated for our support. It really is in their court at this point to really declare what the next step will be. We're poised either way to jump into the marketplace when the conditions are right to do so."

Sony gives Toshiba something in return for its troubles

Sony gives Toshiba something in return for its troubles -- Japanese Cell chip plants for $835M

A new twist has emerged with the death of HD DVD. After Warner, Best Buy, Walmart and Netflix jumped on the Blu bandwagon, the fate of HD DVD was already sealed.

Despite the grim news, the principal HD DVD developer, Toshiba Corporation, refused to initially comment on its plans for its HD DVD. However, as many analysts predicted, Toshiba came out last week and officially surrendered to Blu-ray.

Many saw Toshiba's willingness to give up on HD DVD as a logical business decision and perhaps an admission of Blu-ray's superiority. However, there might be a little more to the story. Reuters reports that on Wednesday Toshiba and Sony Corporation, one of Blu-ray's principal developers, agreed to a major business deal, reached just after Toshiba made its final HD DVD decision.

Sony agreed to sell it microchip processing facilities in western Japan for approximately $835M USD. These facilities currently produce Cell processors and RSX graphic chips. Toshiba will enter the joint venture with Sony on April 1, 2008.

Toshiba, IBM and Sony were the principal developers of the Cell microprocessor, but Toshiba previously showed little interest in using the chip for any of its own projects. Sony touts the Cell broadband engine in its Playstation 3 consoles; IBM uses the Cell processor in high performance computing clusters. Toshiba has vowed to now use the Cell in its upcoming products.

While Toshiba and Sony entered into talks back in October 2007 and reached a tentative agreement to sell the cell facilities, the two companies continued to haggle about the price. Sony's concession of what is considered a favorable price for Toshiba will likely strike many following Toshiba's drop as HD DVD as more than a coincidence, and perhaps a sign of an informal agreement.

The other interesting aspect of the move is that it indicates a clear shift by Toshiba to back the PS3. The PS3, which last month outsold Microsoft's Xbox 360, previously had few ties to the company; while Microsoft's number one ally in hardware manufacturing has always been Toshiba. Toshiba manufacturers several components for the Xbox 360, including the HD DVD add-on, and the Microsoft Zune MP3 players.

Toshiba's flip-flop may have been in the cards for a while. Microsoft showed little remose as HD DVD took second place to Blu-ray; a move Toshiba must have recognized from its American ally. Now the solidified PS3 venture between Sony and Toshiba indicates that Toshiba now has switched to backing the PS3 almost exclusively, another victory for Sony.

Did Blu-ray win because of unrelated business deals?

Did Blu-ray win because of unrelated business deals?

Did Sony and Toshiba conspire to kill HD DVD?
Timing may suggest impropriety where there is none, but...
J. Mark Lytle
25 Feb 2008 08:00 GMT

Although we promise not to bore you with too many stories about the demise of HD DVD this week, there's an intriguing conspiracy theory about the Blu-ray victory that's worth a quick look.

It concerns the suggestion that a recent deal done in Japan between Toshiba and Sony was somehow connected to the former's decision to stop making HD DVD hardware.

Chips with everything
In the immediate aftermath of HD DVD's demise, Sony announced the value of a deal that gave Toshiba its chip-making plants in west Japan for over £400 million. The new Toshiba plants will supply Cell processors and graphics chips for the PS3 as well as parts to various Toshiba items.

Although the sale was negotiated last October, the price was not revealed until after Toshiba agreed to give up on its high-definition format.
Conspiracy or coincidence - you decide.

Sony's new Blu-ray players don't beat PS3 Strictly for home cinema enthusiasts

Sony has announced the imminent launch of two new Blu-ray players that will be able to support the latest Profile 2.0 features, including BonusView
(picture-in-picture) and BD-Live.

The first of the two new models is the $400 (£200) BD-S350, which is expected to reach the shelves by the summer. Although this model will reportedly ship as a Profile 1.1 player, BD-Live support can be added through a simple firmware update.

The S350 will be followed later in the year by the $500 (£250) BD-S550, which will be both BD-Live and BonusView ready straight from the box.

Both models will come with USB ports for local storage, and the BD-S550 will be supplied with a 1GB HDD. In addition, both players are able to support 1080p and can decode Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus.

The more expensive BD-S550 can also decode DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio, and has 7.1-channel analogue outputs. Standard DVD upscaling to 1080p is standard on both players.

Designed for enthusiasts

There's little doubt that both players are designed to appeal primarily to home cinema enthusiasts who might feel ill at ease using a PS3 alongside a heavyweight home cinema system.

However, viewed purely from a value-for-money perspective there is little to recommend either player over a PS3. Especially given the fact that by the time the machines become available the PS3 could cost even less.

Toshiba Surrenders In Next-Gen DVD Battle

The high-definition video disc format war is over. And to the victors --
Blu-ray Disc and its main backer, Sony (NYSE:SNE) -- go the spoils.

Toshiba folded its rival format, HD DVD, on Tuesday, ending a 20-month
battle to determine the high-def successor to today's standard-definition
DVD.

Winners include the consortium of consumer electronics firms backing Blu-ray
Disc, which was led by Sony SNE and included Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG)
PHG and Matsushita Electric Industrial MC, best known for its Panasonic
(NYSE:MC) brand.

Other winners include the major movie studios, which can unite around one
format to drive growth in the home entertainment business to make up for
sagging DVD sales. Retailers such as Best Buy BBY also stand to benefit as
HDTV owners try to get sharp HD video and surround sound on their sets.

Losers include HD DVD backers Toshiba and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) MSFT,
which together dumped millions of dollars into making and promoting
now-obsolete hardware. Toshiba built standalone HD DVD players and drives
for notebook computers. Microsoft sold an HD DVD accessory for its Xbox 360
game console.

With the format war history, some analysts expect a burst of sales of
Blu-ray Disc players because of pent-up demand. "There are people who have
been waiting for prerecorded (HD) content for awhile and have sat out
because of the format war," said Josh Martin, a Yankee Group analyst. "We'll
see a short-term pop from people who have been waiting on the sidelines."

Blu-ray Disc players could be big sellers this holiday season, he says.

Tech enthusiasts will buy Blu-ray machines now, but not the mainstream
public, says Danielle Levitas, an analyst with IDC.

With players costing $400 and movie discs going for $30, Blu-ray is still a
little pricey for the mass market, she says.

"I don't expect people to go out in droves in light of this news," Levitas
said. She expects Blu-ray Disc players to be a bigger deal at Christmas 2009
rather than this year. That's when the major consumer electronics vendors
will be making lower-priced devices.

The timing is right for a winning high-def disc format because of the
growing number of HDTV households.

Of U.S. households, 39% have high-definition televisions. Less than 10% have
the highest quality HDTVs, capable of displaying video in 1080p resolution
(1,080 lines of vertical resolution, noninterlaced), which Blu-ray can, says
Steve Koenig, an analyst with the Consumer Electronics Association.

The percentage of digital TVs sold with 1080p resolution is expected to jump
from 21% last year to 39% this year and 54% in 2009, he says.

Toshiba, which began selling HD DVD players in March 2006, has sold 1
million worldwide, including peripherals for Xbox 360 consoles. About
600,000 HD DVD players were sold in North America.

By comparison, 6.3 million Blu-ray Disc players have been sold worldwide,
including 4.1 million in the U.S. Those figures include Sony's PlayStation 3
video game console, which has an integrated Blu-ray Disc drive.

Toshiba on Tuesday said it would no longer develop, make or market HD DVD
players and recorders. Toshiba aims to clear out its remaining inventory by
the end of March.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called
next-generation format war and concluded that a swift decision will best
help the market develop," Atsutoshi Nishida, chief executive of Toshiba,
said in a statement.

The turning point 14 the format war came Jan. 4 when Time Warner's
(NYSE:TWX) TWX Warner Bros. studio decided to back Blu-ray Disc exclusively.
That gave Blu-ray the support of a clear majority of the major Hollywood
studios, including Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) (NYSE:DCQ) DIS Sony and News
Corp.'s (NYSE:NWS) NWS 20th Century Fox.

In recent weeks, support for Blu-ray Disc grew even stronger. Online movie
rental company Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) NFLX and Best Buy announced plans to
phase out HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray on Feb. 11. Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT)
WMT on Friday revealed similar plans.

Blu-ray's biggest rival is likely to be digital downloads. Analysts say that
technology could take years to develop.

"There isn't enough bandwidth on the Internet to deliver even a fraction of
the HD DVD and Blu-ray movies that are out there," said Richard Doherty, an
analyst at the Envisioneering Group.

Onkyo Ends HD DVD Production, Will Do Blu-ray

read this short article...

Onkyo, one of the few manufacturers of HD DVD products besides Toshiba, will end its development and production of the format, the company announced.
The company, which announced support for the format at CES 2007, says it has sold about 2000 players. Its decision came after Toshiba’s announcement to officially stop producing and marketing HD DVD.
Onkyo’s HD DVD players were manufactured with parts from Toshiba, making continued production more difficult.
Blu-ray is on tap, as Onkyo says that its R&D teams have a development program in place for the format.

It is now official; Toshiba Corp has discontinued support of HD DVD.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," commented Toshiba Corp boss, Atsutoshi Nishida.

"While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Best Blu-ray players rated

Best Blu-ray players rated
With Toshiba conceding victory to their rival Blu-ray consortium in the High
Definition DVD format war now is a good time to invest in a Blu-ray player.

Here's a compilation of what we believe to be the Blu-ray players offering
the best combination of value and performance.

1. Pioneer BDP-LX70A (90%)

For: Superb HD 1080p pictures, supports HDMI 1.3 and can stream High
Definition sound.

Against: Expensive.

Summary: Pioneer's BDP-LX70 is currently the most sophisticated and
accomplished Blu-ray player, at a price.

2. Sony BDP-S300 (88%)

For: Excellent value along with 1080p playback and HDMI 1.3.

Against: No support for High Definition sound.

Summary: Sony's BDP-S300 is the first attempt to bring a stand alone blu-ray
player to the masses. The goal is largely achieved with excellent features
and performance for a reasonable price.

3. Sony PS3 (88%)

For: Excellent value for a combined blu-ray player and games console.

Against: Not the best High Definition picture.

Summary: Having had upscaling ability added through a firmware upgrade the
PS3 offers a compelling option.

4. Pioneer BDP-LX70 (87%)

For: Excellent pictures with 1080p playback.

Against: No DTS High Definition sound or HDMI v1.3.

Summary: Same excellent performance as the BDP-LX70A with fewer features.

5. Sony BDP-S500 (86%)

For: Excellent pictures with 1080p playback and HDMI 1.3 along with support
for High Definition sound.

Against: Almost twice the price of its S300 blu-ray sibling.

Summary: Sony's BDP-S500 is well specified and puts in a great all round
performance.

6. Sharp BD-HP20H (85%)

For: Excellent 1080p playback

Against: Poor standard DVD performance

Summary: Sharp's BD-HP20H is one of the best High Definition players, but
standard DVD performance is a disappointment.

7. Samsung BD-P1400 (85%)

For: Excellent features for the price including support for High Definition
sound.

Against: High Definition pictures are a little disappointing.

Summary: Samsung's BD-P1400 promised a high spec for a bargain price. It
largely delivers, but the most important component, HD pictures, are
slightly disappointing.

UPDATE:

Toshiba has issued an official statement on the matter, declaring that the company has made no such decision in regards to dropping HD DVD.

"The media reported that Toshiba will discontinue its HD DVD business.
Toshiba has not made any announcement concerning this. Although Toshiba is currently assessing its business strategies, no decision has been made at this moment."

Bluray Format Wins

Toshiba to end HD DVD, format war? "Zion! The war is over!"
Well, we may not be residents of Zion, but one war has ended today: the format war. According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Toshiba Corp is planning to end production of equipment compatible with the HD DVD format, giving Blu-ray camp the official victory.
Sony is surely pleased with the victory of its Blu-ray format, after enduring the failures of such formats as Betamax and UMD over the past two decades.
Toshiba will sell their remaining stock of HD DVD products, but will not continue to produce new HD DVD players and discs, said NHK earlier today.
After such massive retailers as Wal-Mart and Best Buy going Blu, it seemed only a matter of time until Toshiba gave in. The only question that remains is how and when will Toshiba adopt the Blu-ray format into their line of products. Toshiba is expected to lose amounts of up to tens of billions of yen by ending production of HD DVD products.
Toshiba couldn't be reached for comment at the present time.