Pioneer introduces two new standalone Blu-ray players today – the Elite BDP-05FD and the Pioneer BDP-51FD BonusView players. Both of these new players support 12 bit deep color (thanks to the 12 bit video DAC), 1080p/True 24 frames per second video output, as well as all of the advanced audio formats available on Blu-ray including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD, and DTS HD Master. Other common features include:

• Wolfson Digital Audio Converters
• Center loading tray to help reduce vibration
• Dedicated audio and video boards for smooth operation and uninterrupted playback of discs
• Same GUI as KURO and Elite receivers
• Improved disc load, power on, power off, and disc eject times

The Elite BDP-05FD features gold-plated connection ports, capacitance touch key buttons, and an aluminum front panel.

The specs to the Pioneer BDP-51D include:

• HDMI 1.3a support
• 12 bit deep color
• Supports all advanced audio bitstream formats
• Decodes Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS-HD, and DTS HD Master
• 4 Wolfson Professional Audio DACs
• 108MHz 12 bit video encoder
• Jitter free HDMI Audio with PQLS
• Picture Control Suite
• 7.1 Channel Analog Output
• 1 year warranty
• Suggested price of $599

The specs to the Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD include:

• HDMI 1.3a support
• 12 bit deep color
• Supports all advanced audio bitstream formats
• Decodes Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS-HD, and DTS HD Master
• 4 Wolfson Professional Audio DACs
• 297MHz 12 bit video encoder
• Jitter free HDMI Audio with PQLS
• Picture Control Suite
• 7.1 Channel Analog Output
• Gold Plated Connectors
• Aluminum Front Panel
• Capacitance Touch Key Buttons
• 2 year warranty
• Suggest price of $799

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Pioneer, Elite BDP-05FD, Pioneer BDP-51FD BonusView, Blu-ray Player

Shuttle Europe announced their first AMD-based HD-compatible Mini-PC Complete System called the Shuttle XPC G5 6801M capable of playing back both Blu-ray and HD DVD media (Umm.. someone tell Shuttle that HD DVD lost to Blu-ray already! .. though granted Europe accepted HD DVD a bit more handily than Blu-ray). Blu-ray and HD DVD support comes in the form of the included LG GGC-H20L Combo drive.

The G5 6801M provides a home theater PC experience thanks to Windows Media Center within Windows Vista Home Premium. Watch HD flicks, watch and record live television shows, listen to music, view digital images.. you name it.

Specs to the Shuttle XPC G5 6801M include:

• Shuttle XPC Barebone SN68SG2 with the PF27 front panel
• AMD Athlon X2 6000+
• 2GB DDR2-800 of Memory
• 500GB, Serial-ATAII HDD
• ATI HD3450, 256 MB Graphics
• Wireless LAN
• LG GGC-H20L Blu-ray/HD DVD Combo
• DVB-T/Analog Hybrid TV Tuner
• 25-in-1 Card-Reader
• Remote control and multi-functional front display
• Gigabit LAN
• Six USB ports
• eSATA ports
• 8 Channel audio
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Dimensions: 310(D) x 200(W) x 185(H) mm

The recommended price for the complete system is EUR 1,234.

[Check out the press release via Akihabara News]

[Check out the product page]

Technorati Tags: Shuttle Europe, Shuttle XPC G5 6801M, Blu-ray, HD DVD

Did you purchase an HD DVD player of some sort from Amazon.com before February 23rd of this year? If so – you better check your email! Amazon is sending out $50 dollar credit codes to anyone who purchased an HD DVD player from them before that date. These codes appear to be valid for one year from the time that Amazon issued the code. And yes – this applies to the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on too (since I ordered my unit from Amazon back when it first came out at the end of 2006). It’s nice to see Amazon following the lead of Best Buy in giving back credit to consumers who jumped on the HD DVD bandwagon. Now.. if they would only do something with these HD DVD discs of ours…

Hint: How about a trade-in program please? HD DVD 300 for Blu-ray 300 perhaps? Sounds fair to me!

Technorati Tags: Amazon, 50 dollar credit, HD DVD

Now that the HD DVD format is officially dead, I was thinking about what I could do with all those HD DVD titles that I’ve managed to accumulate over the last year and a half. So without further ado, here are some ideas in no particular order:

• Use them as coasters for all of my house parties
• Create some unique artwork containing the HD DVDs – maybe a poster or a framed design?
• Use them as mini-Frisbees
• Save them for posterity reasons. I’m sure my kids will someday want to know what the hell HD DVD was (if they will even care!)
• Hang them on my rear view mirror to piss off the drivers behind me
• Go to Best Buy, Circuit City and many other electronics stores and jam the drives of all the showcased Blu-ray players to spite them!
• Sell them on eBay now to people who don’t realize that HD DVD is DEAD!

OK.. that’s just a quick short list of ideas but I can’t help but wonder what all the HD DVD owners are going to do now (myself included) with their content.

Here’s one thought I had tonight on this topic. I bet that someone out there is thinking about filing some sort of class-action lawsuit against Toshiba or some of the HD DVD forum members. Ha..

Technorati Tags: HD DVD

With Toshiba exiting the HD DVD business, the next major remaining question is – what will Microsoft do for the Xbox 360. As everyone knows, Microsoft has been a firm supporter of the HD DVD platform with the Xbox 360 being one of the main delivery platforms for HD DVD thanks to the Xbox 360 HD DVD player add-on accessory. In fact, the entire gaming/home entertainment arena has been primarily split between the lines of the Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3 with the Xbox 360 behind the HD DVD format and the PS3 behind the Blu-ray format.  The concept was simple really. Interested in a media platform? Get the console that supported it so you can also enjoy gaming.

It certainly has been an interesting “ride” up until now with HD DVD riding the waves of success that the Xbox 360 has enjoyed and the PlayStation 3 depending on the success that Blu-ray has picked up. The Xbox 360 doesn’t exactly need HD DVD to be a successful gaming and home media platform. It already has a large selection of highly successful gaming titles and it of course has Xbox Live. Contrast that with the Sony PlayStation 3. The console has been somewhat popular primarily because it has an integrated Blu-ray drive which makes it a no-brainer choice for those wanting to jump into the Blu-ray market. Let’s face it – gaming on the PS3 isn’t compelling enough as of yet simply because of the lack of interesting gaming content (that’s also why you see Sony PS3 commercials lauding the fact that the console can play Blu-ray movies).

While these are certainly arguable facts, there is of course the public perception of what is reality right now. With Blu-ray winning the high definition wars, you can be sure Sony will use that to its marketing advantage for the PS3. Microsoft will certainly state that the Xbox 360 console doesn’t need the HD DVD platform in order for the system itself to be successful but let’s face it folks – from a marketing standpoint, the Xbox 360 needs to have some sort of high definition playback support.  As Don Reisinger points out in his News.com blog, it’s only a matter of time that Microsoft will introduce a Blu-ray add-on player for the Xbox 360.

Why? The company simply has to do this. Sure, it has Xbox Live and it has downloadable high definition content support within the 360 console, but there’s something to be said about the instant gratification that a person gets in placing a high definition disc into a media player. Right now.. you get your high def experience. There’s no wait for a purchase to go through, no wait for the downloading to begin, no wait for anything to happen. Plus, again, we all know Sony will use it’s Blu-ray advantage to the max for the PS3. Thus, Microsoft HAS to level the playing field by introducing a Blu-ray add-on.

The technology is all there on the 360 platform. It’s just a matter of licensing the rights from Sony and creating an add-on device.

Will it happen in a month as Don suggests? I’m not sure but it will definitely happen folks.

Technorati Tags: Xbox 360, HD DVD player add-on

It’s finally official. Toshiba has announced that they will discontinue the HD DVD business. The company will no longer develop, manufacture, and market HD DVD players and recorders based on the “recent major changes in the market.”  Those of you who do own HD DVD players from Toshiba should not necessarily fear as the company will continue to provide full product support and service.

Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation had this to say in the official press release from Toshiba:

“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.”

“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.”

So what’s the road ahead for Toshiba? First off, shipments for HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels will be ending by around the end of March. Toshiba also plans on ending volume production of HD DVD disk drives for PCs and games during the same timeframe. The company will still evaluate the business for integrated HD DVD drives within notebook PCs but you have to believe that particular business will eventually subside as well.

While the end of the HD DVD format is certainly a disappointment for the million plus individuals out there who purchased HD DVD players, it does finally offer clarity to the high definition video business. Don’t expect Blu-ray to take off necessarily though. With the only competitor now out of the picture, you can expect prices to stabilize on the Blu-ray front. One has to wonder whether you will see as many movie offers as you had been seeing in the past now.

[Check it out via News.com]

Technorati Tags: HD DVD, Toshiba,

It appears that HD DVD’s death is indeed imminent as Toshiba is close to pulling the plug on the business. According to an anonymous company official, Toshiba could make a decision as early as tomorrow during a company board meeting. Whether or not Toshiba actually drops support for HD DVD, it really does not matter at this point in time. The market has already spoken and it certainly does appear that Blu-ray is the clear cut winner now. In the first two months of 2008, we’ve seen nothing but glowing support for Blu-ray in the news. First it was Warner Brothers dropping support for HD DVD and going with Blu-ray (right before CES too – ouch!). Then Netflix announced that they would no longer be acquiring new HD DVD discs and would go with Blu-ray from here on out. Best Buy then announced that they would be recommending Blu-ray devices to consumers from here on out and then… the final nail in the coffin was Wal-mart’s decision to drop HD DVD altogether last week.

Ah yes.. HD DVD.. we hardly knew ya. This news is certainly unfortunate for the 1+ million people who bought into the HD DVD platform (myself included).

Here’s a random thought however – wouldn’t it be nice if the studios offered free trade-in programs for owners of HD DVD discs? What a thought huh? Trade your HD DVD copy of King Kong for a Blu-ray version. I know..I’m definitely dreaming but it’s a nice dream isn’t it?

In any event, congrats to Blu-ray and let’s not forget to attend the funeral services for HD DVD ok?

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: HD DVD, Blu-ray, Toshiba,

Here’s yet another nail in the coffin for the HD DVD format. Netflix announced today that they would be stocking high definition content exclusively in the Blu-ray format – effectively dropping support for the HD DVD format. The company cited that the industry has “stated its clear preference for Blu-ray and that it now makes sense for the company to initiate the transition to a single format.”

Netflix had been stocking both Blu-ray and HD DVD content over the last several years – even though BlockBuster video decided to opt for Blu-ray last year. The company claims that even now, consumer preference is towards the Blu-ray format.

Netflix will discontinue acquiring any new HD DVDs but will still continue to offer its current HD DVD inventory until the discs’ “natural life cycle takes them out of circulation in the coming months.”

Netflix currently offers over 400 Blu-ray titles with many more to come this year. I suppose it really is time to say good-bye to HD DVD. We hardly knew ya!

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Netflix, Blu-ray, HD DVD

The HD DVD fire sale continues as Microsoft has lowered the price of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player by $50 dollars – going from $179.99 to $129.99. While it certainly appears that HD DVD will lose the high definition fight to Blu-ray, it doesn’t mean that one should NOT consider getting this player. Think of it this way. For $130 dollars you can also get in on the 5 free HD DVD offer. Factor in an average price of approximately $25 dollars per HD DVD, that’s $125 dollars worth of movies – making this a pretty sweet deal overall. From the list of free HD DVDs, this is my personal picks:

• Babel
• The Hulk (grudgingly picked this one)
• Swordfish (or Full Metal Jacket)
• Firewall (or possibly U2: Rattle and Hum)
• Troy

Oh yes – one more thing. If you head over to Best Buy this week, you can enjoy the buy one get one free HD DVD deal. I got Disturbia today and received 40 Year Old Virgin for free. Not bad.

Even if HD DVD loses out in the end, I’m fairly confident you’ll see new titles coming from both Paramount and Universal for some time (though Paramount could pull out any day now). Check out my original review of the HD DVD Player from Microsoft from way back in 2006.

[Check it out via Major Nelson's blog]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Xbox 360 HD DVD player, HD DVD

Still can’t decide between HD DVD and Blu-ray? (though the answer seems a bit more clear to me than ever before!) That’s where the LG BH200 Super Blu Player comes into play. This second generation high definition player supports both HD DVD and Blu-ray (as well as DVD playback) media formats and might be the best choice for those who really can’t decide on a single format. Key features of the BH200 include the following:

• 1080p output
• Qdeo Advanced Video Processing
• DVD 1080p video upconversion
• HDMI 1.3 (deep color support)
• LG SimpLink Control – Control other LG SimpLink products via HDMI
• Advanced Interactivity
• USB Media Host

The downside to the BH200? It’s still fairly pricey – especially when you consider you can get a standalone Blu-ray player AND a standalone HD DVD player for less. PC Magazine recently reviewed the BH200 and found the following:

The BH200 may cost an arm and a leg, but it solves the Blu-ray/HD DVD dilemma by playing both formats. That said, sluggish HD DVD menu navigation and a bevy of quirks give the player an unfinished feel.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LG, BH200 Super Blu Player, Blu-ray, HD DVD