The JVC XV-BP11 is a new entry-level Blu-ray player available immediately for a price of $199.95. Features of the XV-BP11 include:

• BD Profile 1.1
• Playable Discs: BD-Rom, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, Audio CD, CD-R/RW
• Playable Formats: AVCHD, WMV, JPEG, MP3, WMA, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS HD Master Audio/Essential
• Connections:
  • Video: HDMI V1.3, composite
  • Audio: Analog L/R, coaxial, HDMI V1.3
  • USB Host (front panel)
• Convenience Features: Quick loading, cinema zoom (x16), parental lock, slim design
• 1080/24p Playback
• HDMI with x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color

Yeah.. no Profile 2.0 support but then again this is an entry level player.

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Technorati Tags: JVC XV-BP11 Blu-ray player

• Reads Blu-ray discs and reads/writes CD/DVDs
• Reads BD-R and BD-ROM discs at up to 8x speeds
• Reads CDs at up to 40x and DVDs at up to 16x
• Average access speed of 350ms
• Comes with two lenses for more stable reading and writing – one lens for BD read and one lens for CD/DVD read/writes
• Spherical Aberration Compensation Technology (SACT) improves reading quality on a BD drive whose protective layer does not have a uniform thickness
• Precision Step Control Technology (PSCT)
• Four point skew adjustment
• Optical lens cooling system reduces heat buildup
• Eco-friendly drive with low power consumption and aerodynamic frame design to lower acoustic noise by preventing pressure concentration in several areas of the bezel and the door
• Bundled Cyberlink Powerproducer software
• Front bezel includes chic mirror front door design and blue LED

The Samsung SH-B083 will be available in November – no word on pricing as of yet.

Technorati Tags: Samsung SH-B083

Pictured above is Denon’s latest Blu-ray player – the DBP-4010UDCI Universal Blu-ray Disc Player – which features many of the latest technologies and enhancements found in their DVD-A1UDCI player yet at a lower price point (though at $1999, the DBP-4010UDCI is still not for the faint of heart).

The DBP-4010UDCI features:

• Profile 2.0 support
• BD Live and “Bonus View” support
• Plays back DVD-Audio and SACD discs with native digital audio output via DENON LINK or PCM conversion with full bass management
• Ethernet port for Internet connectivity, firmware updates, BD Live interactivity, IP control for third party controllers, CI remote access, and web browser support
• Support for AVCHD and DivXHD playback
• Built-in SD card reader
• Anchor Bay Technologies (ABT) VRS processing for “highest resolution video available via HDMI connection” – supports upconversion and IP scaling to 1080p and HD audio decoding
• New HDMI Clock Control feature – when using HDMI for A/V output, the DENON LINK allows for connected AVR or AV processor to take over the Master Clock Control signals – avoiding digital jitter via HDMI
• Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit-HD technology (DDSC-HD) with decoding of all the latest HD formats from Dolby and dts.
• Bit-Stream Bypass to HDMI for Dolby Digita+
• Support for TrueHD 7.1 and dts-HR, dts-HD Master Audio 7.1 digital transmission to an AVR/AVP for decoding
• 12 bit 297MHz Analog Devices Video DACs
• Burr-Brown 24/192 PCM1796 DACs
• Multi-channel analog outputs with separate dedicated stereo analog outputs
• All aluminum construction

The Denon DBP-4010UDCI will be available in October and will have a suggested price of $1999.

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Technorati Tags: Denon DBP-4010UDCI Universal Blu-ray Disc Player

[Check it out via PC World]

Technorati Tags: Toshiba, Blu-ray player

If you’re looking for a dirt cheap Blu-ray player, you might want to drop by your local Wal-Mart retail store. According to Crave.com (via several other blog sites), Wal-Mart is now offering the low-end Magavox NB530MGX for a mere $98 dollars. It’s not a profile 2.0 player so forget about BD-Live support – but then again how many of you actually use BD-Live? Seems like a good bargain for those on a tight budget.

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Technorati Tags: Magnavox, NB530MGX, Blu-ray player, Wal-mart

“.. count Sony out of the $150 (or lower) Blu-ray player market and so-called “The Battle at the Bottom” in 2009.”

Why skip this market? For Sony, it comes down to quality and costs:

“They (analysts) know and understand the real manufacturing costs; they also know that there’s a broad delta between inexpensive chip sets and those that can deliver what consumers expect. They also know full HD video when they see it, and most of the blu-ray players on the lower end simply aren’t providing a compelling entertainment experience in their view.”

Dave cites one analyst’s quote which was:

“If I needed a hearing aid, I wouldn’t want to bottom feed when it came to price”

True.. but a Blu-ray player isn’t quite as important as say a hearing aid.. so there’s something to be said about inexpensive players – especially in these tough times.. just a thought.

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Technorati Tags: Sony, Blu-ray players

Harman Kardon announces today the U.S. availability of their first standalone Blu-ray media player – the BDP 1. We first saw this player last month when it was announced for the European market (it goes by the BDP10 name there). If you’re already an owner of several Harman Kardon products, then you’ll love the BDP 1 since it matches nicely with many of their existing home theater products. The BDP 1 features:

• Supports BD-Live
• Upscales DVDs to 1080p (via HDMI connection)
• Allows for simultaneous JPEG and MP3 music file playback from discs or USB drives
• Comes with photo sldieshow presentation for image and sound files
• Supports Blu-Ray Disc media, including BD-R/RE, BD-Live and BonusView, DVD/DVD+R/DVD-RW, CD/CD-RW, MP3 or JPEG files on disc
• Audio formats support includes: LPCM, MP3, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD Master Audio and WMA
• RJ-45 port for Internet connectivity
• HDMI output (1.3a with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD bitstreams and high-resolution video)
  Front-panel USB jack for additional BD-Live memory or MP3 or JPEG file playback
• Optical and coaxial digital audio outputs
• Measures 66mm x 440mm x 352mm
• Weighs 3.7kg

You can purchase the Harman Kardon BDP 1 now at www.harmankardon.com for a suggested retail price of $499.

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Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon BDP 1, Blu-ray player

The BDP-V6000 Professional Blu-ray Disc Player features the following:

• Supports Blu-ray and standard DVD media playback in both NTSC and PAL formats
• Serial RS-232C support allows integrators to control the player through multiple external devices
• Enhanced Search Option – Users can navigate through a disc’s file, chapter, and time code menus quickly and easily
• Plays 30, 25, and 24 frames per second
• Professional Graphical User Interface – newly designed GUI
• 1GB of on-board memory
• BD-Live capable
• USB 2.0 port supports external devices
• Rack Mount Kit included

Meanwhile, the new HD-V9000 Professional HD Video System allows playback of high quality video files through the use of swappable SD/SDHC memory cards. Features of the HD-V9000 include:

• Four advanced control options including stand-alone operation, RS-232C support, IP addressable embedded web server, and the HD-Pilot PC software program. The HD-Pilot PC provides network access to integrators for remote content update, playlist revisions, etc
• Maximum of 80 Mbps of MPEG2 and up to 50Mbps of H.264 video file playback
• IP addressable and can be accessed through Pioneer’s HD Pilot PC software or through embedded web serbver
• Text crawl and image overlay support – user specified messages, RSS text fieldds, and BMP graphics can be displayed over video content
• SD/SDHC memory card support
• RS-232C control

You can expect the BDP-V6000 Professional Blu-ray Disc player to begin shipping in September while the HD-V9000 HD Professional HD Video player is not expected until Q1 of next year. No word on pricing as of yet.

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Technorati Tags: Pioneer BDP-V6000 Professional Blu-ray Disc Player, HD-V9000 Professional HD Video System

Sony Insider reports that Sony will soon unveil two new Blu-ray Disc Changers – the BDP-CX960 and BDP-CX7000ES. The CX960 expects to sport a 200 disc changer while the CX7000ES should have a 400 disc changer. (OK.. I’m not sure about all of you out there, but I don’t know a single person with more than 40 Blu-ray discs at home.. now of course you can store DVDs in these changers too). The CX7000ES will cost ya around $2250.. ouch.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Sony BDP-CX960, Sony BDP-CX7000ES, Blu-ray Changers

Harman Kardon will soon release their very first standalone Blu-ray player in the form of the BDP10 (and it’s about time folks!). Key features of the BDP10 include:

• Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and PCM outputs – up to 7.1 channel
• Outputs include one HDMI (v.1.3a with x.v.Color), one wide-bandwidth component output, one front-panel USB port for flash drives and external USB hard dives (FAT32 support), Ethernet port, two digital outputs (coaxial and optical), two-channel analog output, one composite video output
• Full-color and multilanguage user interface
• 1080/24p playback support
• BonusView support
• BD-Live (BD-Video Profile 2.0) support
• DVD playback with 1080p upscaling via HDMI output
• Plays back audio and video files on USB connected drives
• Supports MP3, WMA v.8/9 audio playback
• Supports HD JPEG playback along with slideshow playback of JPEGs and audio from same source
• Supports DivX video playback
• Backlit remote control
• Removable power cord
• Seven speed smooth scan and three speed slow motion playback
• Program playlist
• Parental control system with user-programmable password
• Dimmable dot matrix front panel display
• Color coded connections

According to Electronista, the Harman Kardon BDP10 will be coming out in May for the European market at a price of around $940 U.S. dollars (ouch). Expect the unit to eventually make it to the US.

[Check it out via Electronista]

Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon BDP10, Blu-ray player

Pioneer Electronics has announced their latest internal Blu-ray drive burner– the BDR-2203. Shipping in April with a suggested price of $249.99, the BDR-2203 has the following features:

• Writes up to 8x speed on BD-R & BD-R DL and up to 2x on BD-RE & BD-RE DL Blu-ray Disc Media
• Writes up to 16x speed on DVD-R/+R, up to 8x on DVD-R/+R (DL), up to 8x on DVD+RW, up to 6x on DVD-RW, up to 5x on DVD-RAM, up to 32x on CD-R, and up to 24x on CD-RW
• Reads up to 8x speed on BD-ROM/BD-ROM DL, BD-R, and BD-RE and up to 6x on BD-R DL and BD-RE DL media
• Reads up to 16x speed on DVD-ROM, DVD-R/+R, and DVD-Download, up to 12x on DVD-ROM DL, DVD-RW/+RW, and DVD-R/+R (DL), up to 5x on DVD-RAM, up to 40x on CD-ROM, up to 32x on CD-R, and up to 24x on CD-RW media
• Includes CyberLink PowerDirector, PowerDVD, and Power2Go software applications
• SATA interface

A couple of things stand out to me. First off – burning 25GB of data to a single layer BD disc will take approximately 15 minutes while burning 50GB will take approximately 30 minutes. Nice. Secondly – the price. It has a suggested price of $249.99 which means street prices will definitely be lower. Time to consider getting an internal Blu-ray drive finally.

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Read this in Chinese Simplified and in French

Technorati Tags: Pioneer Electronic, BDR-2203, Blu-ray Burner

Introduced back at CES 2009, the Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray player is now available in South Korea. The BD-P4600 is the world’s first wall-mountable Blu-ray player and features:

• 1.5 inch thickness
• Support for BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile 1.1)
• Full HD playback with DVD upscaling
• CD playback with support for JPEG and DivX content
• Netflix video streaming and Pandora streaming support
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Ethernet port
• 1GB of internal memory
• Support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR/MA decoding and bitstream output

And as always, the model is not included.. I know.. sad.

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Read this in Chinese Simplified and in French

Technorati Tags: Samsung BD-P4600

The front and center channel speakers for both systems are made with a bamboo diaphragm, while the subs feature a Kelton system with a dual diameter structure.

Content wise, both systems support Panasonic’s VIERA Cast functionality which provides access to Internet content such as Amazon VOD, YouTube, Google Picasa etc.

Specific features of the SC-BT200 include:

• 7.1 channel system with 1000 watts of power
• Smart Setup Guide for easy home theater settings
• BD/DVD/CD player
• 1080p DVD upconversion
• Wireless ready for rear speakers
• iPod dock for audio and video playback
• VIERA Cast support
• SD card slot for AVCHD video and JPEG playback
• Six matching speakers

Specific features of the SC-BT300 include:

• 7.1 channel system with 1250 watts of power
• Smart Setup Guide for easy home theater settings
• BD/DVD/CD player
• 1080p DVD upconversion
• Wireless ready for rear speakers
• iPod dock for audio and video playback
• VIERA Cast support
• SD card slot for AVCHD video and JPEG playback
• Two front tower speakers and four matching surround speakers

The SC-BT200 will have a suggested retail price of $599.95 while the SC-BT300 will have a suggested retail price of $699.95. Both models will be coming out next month.

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Technorati Tags: Panasonic SC-BT200, Panasonic SC-BT300, Blu-ray Home Theater Systems

Common features across all three new models include:

• PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus image processing technology
• HD audio decoder with support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio Essential
• VIERA CAST provides access to Internet content from providers such as Amazon VOD, YouTube, Google Picassa Web Album, Bloomberg, and others
• Built-in SD memory card slot
• USB slot
• 1080/24p output support
• 96kHz surround re-master enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources
• Auto Power Stand-by which automatically turns off the player when you return to TV operation using VIERA Link menu

Specific features of the three new models are as follows.

DMP-BD60:

• Consumes 16% less power in standby mode than previous DMP-BD35 model
• The suggested retail price will be $299.95

DMP-BD80:

• 7.1 channel analog out
• Includes playback information window used to display detailed image information while a movie is playing
• The suggested retail price will be $399.95

DMP-BD70V:

• World’s first dual deck VHS-Blu-ray player – play back VHS, CD, DVD  and of course Blu-ray
• 1080p upconversion for all video formats
• The suggested retail price will be $399.95

All three new models will be available in April.

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Technorati Tags: Panasonic, DMP-BD60, DMP-BD80, DMP-BD70V, Blu-ray players

Here are pictures of the new models.

LC-52BD80U:

LC-46BD80U:

LC-42BD80U:

LC-37BD60U:

LC-32BD60U:

Common features of these new combo units include:

• Single step operation turns on TV and activates play with Blu-ray disc is inserted
• Advanced Super View (ASV) Superlucent panel for bright/crisp pictures with reduced reflection
• AQUOS Pure Mode for optimized viewing of Blu-ray titles
• AQUOS Blue design – subtle blue accent on the bottom of the frame and swivel stand
• Models LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U and LC-42BD80U feature Fine Motion Enhanced Technology for 120Hz frame rate conversion, 10 bit panel for Deep Color compatibility, and “dejudder” technology for smooth reproduction of film content
• Fast pixel response times
• Spectral Contrast Engine provides deep blacks and high contrast ratios
• 176 degree viewing angles
• LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U and LC-42BD80U have four HDMI inputs
• LC-37BD60U and LC-32BD60U have three HDI inputs

The LC-52BD80U and LC-46BD80U will be available in February. The LC-42BD80U, LC-37BD60U, LC-32BD60U will be available in January.

Technorati Tags: Sharp, AQUOS, LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U, LC-42BD80U, LC-37BD60U, LC-32BD60U, CES 2009

First up, we have the Sharp AQUOS BD-HP50U Blu-ray Disc Player. This is a fairly standard player with features such as full HD 1080p playback, support for BD-ROM Profile 1.1, HDMI 1.3 output, and support for the latest advanced lossless surround-sound formats.

Here’s a quick rundown of specs for the BD-HP50U:

• Built-in RS-232C port allows external control systems to manage the player
• IR input allows the unit to be controlled wirelessly through a remote sensor – allows the player to be hidden away
• Supports BD-ROM Profile 1.1
• HDMI 1.3 output including support for x.v.Color
• Lip Sync – automatically adjusts audio and video signal processing times to eliminate lip sync errors
• Support for Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD, Dolby Digital Plus
• Quick Start loads a movie in less than 10 seconds
• JPEG viewing
• Supports 1080p/24p output
• Compatible with BD-ROM/RE/R, DVD Video, DVD-RW/R, DVD+RW/R and audio CDs

The AQUOS BD-HP50U is available now for $449.99.

Next up, Sharp introduces two new third generation Blu-ray players. First, there’s the AQUOS BD-HP22U. Features of this full HD 1080p player include:

• Supports BD-ROM Profile 2.0 (BD-Live)
• Ethernet jack
• Advanced audio decoding including support for Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus
• AQUOS Pure Mode
• Lower power consumption in both Power On Mode and in standard mode (19 watts power consumption)
• HDMI 1.3  with x.v.Color
• 1080p/24p playback
• Sharp Quick Start feature
• Includes 2GB of memory
• JPEG viewer
• Available in May for $299.99

Finally, we have the AQUOS BD-HP16U which features:

• Advanced audio decoding including support for Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus
• AQUOS Pure Mode
• Lower power consumption in both Power On Mode and in standard mode (19 watts power consumption)
• HDMI 1.3  with x.v.Color
• 1080p/24p playback
• Sharp Quick Start feature
• JPEG viewer
• Available in March for $279.99

Technorati Tags: Sharp, AQUOS BD-HP16U, AQUOS BD-HP22U, AQUOS BD-HP50U, Blu-ray player, CES 2009

Move over LCD/DVD combos – JVC has upped the ante with the new LT-42B300 LCD TV/Blu-ray player combo. Yup that’s right – the above system is a complete 42 inch full HD panel with a built-in Blu-ray player. Specs to the LT-42B300 include:

• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Built-in ATSC-QAM tuner
• JVC picture improvement technology
• Digital noise reduction
• Dynamic backlight control
• 10W x 2 audio power output
• 5 band equalizer
• Smart volume
• 3 HDMI inputs with CEC
• 1 component input
• 1 SPDIF input
• 1 analog video output

The LT-42B300 will be available in June – no word on price as of yet. Of course, as with all combo systems – it would stink if the drive died…

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Technorati Tags: JVC LT-42B300 LCD TV Blu-ray player combo, CES 2009

If you’re looking for a compact multi-speaker integrated Blu-ray player/home theater solution, then you’ll also be interested in the new Samsung HT-BD7200 Blu-ray 2.1 channel home theater system. The system has the following features and specs:

• Delivers 400watts of output
• Simulated 5.1 channel surround sound with just two speakers
• Improved amplifier engine designed to minimize amplifier and power supply noise
• Speaker unit constructed from kelp
• Optional 802.11 b/g/n USB dongle
• Touch of Color design
• Support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding
• Includes iPod dock

Expect the HT-BD7200 in the first half of this year – no word on pricing.

Technorati Tags: Samsung HT-BD7200, Blu-ray player, CES 2009, Home Theater System

Above is the new Samsung HT-BD8200 Blu-ray Home Theater Sound Bar – the first ever sound bar to come equipped with a Blu-ray player and wireless subwoofer. Features of the HT-BD8200 include:

• Full HD playback
• Virtual 5.1 channel surround sound
• Only 2.6 inches deep
• Touch of Color design
• Wireless subwoofer
• Samsung “Smart Volume” technology for volume level adjustments on-the-fly without needing to pick up the remote
• Supports playback of videos, photos, or music from digital devices such as media players, mobile phones, and digital cameras using either Bluetooth or USB port
• Included iPod dock
• 802.11 b/g/n
• Optional USB dongle
• Compatible with BD-Live (Profile 2.0) interactive features
• Supports Netflix and Pandora streaming
• Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding
• Available in 1st half of this year.

Technorati Tags: Samsung HT-BD8200 Blu-ray Home Theater Sound Bar, CES 2009

The BD-P4600 features the following:

• Piano black finish with ruby highlights. Finished with clear, prism like edging
• Slim 1.5 inch wall-mountable Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player
• BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile 1.1) support
• Full HD playback with DVD upscaling
• Standard CD playback with support for JPEG and DivX videos
• Netflix video and Pandora support
• Included 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Ethernet port
• 1GB internal memory
• Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR/MA decoding and bitstream output
• Available in the first of 2009

Now onto the Samsung BD-P3600 player..

Features include the following:

• Just over two inches tall
• Encased in deep black with charcoal gray highlights curving along the outer edges
• BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile 1.1) support
• Full HD playback with DVD upscaling
• Standard CD playback with support for JPEG and DivX videos
• Netflix video and Pandora support
• Included 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Ethernet port
• 1GB internal memory
• Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR/MA decoding
• Output audio as a bitstream through 7.1 channel analog audio outputs or as uncompressed PCM signal
• Available in 1st half of 2009

Technorati Tags: Samsung BD-P4600, Samsung BD-P3600, Blu-ray players, CES 2009