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

• 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

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

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,

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,

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

• 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

Not surprisingly, three of the top selling next generation DVD recorders belong to Sony with the company accounting for 60 percent of the total sales in that market. Panasonic followed up with 27 percent of sales and Sharp had nearly 10 percent of sales. Both companies of course support Blu-ray. Toshiba, the principle backer of HD DVD, had only four percent of the overall sales market.

Yes, it does appear Blu-ray is winning the High Def war finally.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, HD DVD, Japan

More interesting news from the high-definition wars. This time, it’s news from Toshiba where they have announced price cuts on all three of their current HD DVD players out on the market. The new prices are as follows:

• HD-A3 now sells for $149.99
• HD-A30 now sells for $199.99
• HD-A35 now sells for $299.99

These new price cuts come barely a 10 days after Warner Brothers announced that they would be dropping support for HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray. According to Paul Erickson, director of DVD and HD market research of The NPD Group, “For them [Toshiba] to drop MSRPs now couldn’t come at a better time.. It was a gap Blu-ray was able to close down upon holiday sales.”

Although the price cuts are certainly a boon for consumers, one has to wonder if this will seriously help the HD DVD front. Up until now, HD DVD has held a price advantage over Blu-ray which has helped drive sales for HD DVD. Yet, Blu-ray continues to push forward – especially in light of the lower prices for the Sony PlayStation 3 console and the various deals that retailers have conjured up over the holiday season. Finally, one has to wonder how low these prices can eventually go. Let’s face it – hardware prices can only go so low and at some point, Blu-ray hardware manufacturers will catch up (or rather lower their prices to be on par with HD DVD). If we do reach price parity in the near future, content will likely drive the winner of this battle and it does appear from a glance that Blu-ray is the leader at this point.

I’ve been a fan of HD DVD from the get go – simply because it was rather inexpensive to get an HD DVD player for the Xbox 360 platform and the qualities of the released titles have been rather good thus far. (OK.. having Battlestar Galactica on HD DVD helps if you ask me!) Am I going to stick with HD DVD? No. As a consumer, I will go with what makes sense from a financial standpoint since there really is no picture quality difference between the two platforms. Heck – I’ll even consider getting a PS3 just for the sole purpose of getting Blu-ray if need be!

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Toshiba, HD DVD player, price cut, Blu-ray,

SE2 Labs had a smooth booth at CES 2008 showcasing their ITC One – their personalized all-in-one home entertainment solution. With each ITC One, custom installers or end users can design a personalized system from the SE2 Labs website. According to SE2 Labs, every ITC One is then built and shipped within two weeks. You can choose from the following components for the ITC One:

• Microsoft Xbox 360 console
• Xbox 360 HD DVD player
• Nintendo Wii
• DirecTV
• High Definition TiVo
• Dish Network DVR
• National Cable Providers DVR including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox Cable etc
• AMX Netlinx Control System
• High End Digital Surround Processor
• Bryston Pre-Amp Processor with full digital outputs
• IcePower High End D Class Amplifers
• High End Video Processor
• Front Touchpanel Screen
• Apple Video iPod with Dock
• Proprietary Remote Control
• Power Conditioning
• Super Quiet Cooling System
• Super Easy 2 Connect Rear Panel
• Transparent Cabling and Cable Harness
• Anti-Noise and Vibration System

The idea is simple enough – do you want to build a complex home theater system yourself or do you want to purchase an all inclusive system that’s put together by a system integrator? I just wish the box was a bit more.. attractive looking??

What’s even better – once you’ve designed the ITC One on the website, installing it is a cinch – simply connect the power, video source, and speakers, and then turn it on. There’s no cabling to deal with – no racks to install, and no integration issues to deal with.

Starting prices for the ITC One is $24,995.

Here’s the side profile of the ITC One:

Here’s the back panel

Here are some official press images:

Finally, SE2 Labs won the “Best of Innovations 2008″ for the Integrated Home Systems category.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: SE2 Labs, ITC One, CES 2008

Warner Brothers Entertainment announced today that the company would be releasing high definition content only in the Blu-ray format. Up until now, the company had been releasing movies in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. Warner decided to go with Blu-ray over HD DVD because “consumers have shown a stronger preference for that format than HD DVD.”

This change will take place this year although Warner will continue to release HD DVDs until the end of May. Warner Brothers now joins Disney, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and MGM as backers of Blu-ray. Paramount, Dreamworks (owned by Paramount) and Universal Pictures supports HD DVD.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Warner Brothers Entertainment, Blu-ray, HD DVD

I wish I saw this first hand last week. Apparently the official Blu-ray Association website was hacked on Friday to have traffic re-directed to the HD DVD website. While certainly not funny to Blu-ray officials, I’m sure at least one or two HD DVD followers got a chuckle out of this.

[Check it out via GearFuse]

Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, HD DVD

For Blu-ray, you get to choose from the following titles:

• The Departed
• Mr. and Mrs. Smith
• Spider-Man 3
• 300
• Underworld: Evolution
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
• Hostel Part II
• Saw III
• Mr. Brooks
• Crank
• The Condemned
• Ocean’s Thirteen
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• 28 Weeks Later
• Are We Done Yet?

For HD DVD, the titles are as follows:

• Shrek The Third
• Blades of Glory
• Shooter
• Mr. Bean’s Holiday
• 300
• I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
• The Departed
• Ocean’s Thirteen
• Evan Almighty
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Transformers
• Disturbia
• Arctic Tale

Personally, I like the HD DVD list a tad bit better..

Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, HD DVD, Best Buy, Sale

LG Electronics has launched their Super Multi Blue Drive for the Korean market at a price of $520 U.S. dollars According to Newlaunches.com, the Super Multi Blue Drive supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats and features a 6x Blu-ray burner functionality. No word on the actual model number yet.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LG, Super Multi Blue, Korea, HD DVD, Blu-ray

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Toshiba, HD-A2, HD DVD player

Why the commitment to HD DVD? According to the press release from Viacom, the companies made the decision based on an evaluation of the “current market offerings” which showed that HD DVD was “market-ready technology”, and had “lower manufacturing costs”.

The first HD DVD to come out from Paramount will be “Blades of Glory” on August 28th. Following this release will be “Shrek the Third”, and “Transformers”.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, had this to say about the “Shrek the Third” release on HD DVD – “We decided to release “Shrek the Third” and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience — families”.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: HD DVD, Paramount, DreamWorks

Onkyo has announced the launch of their first HD DVD standalone player in the form of the DV-HD805. The DV-HD805 will be available in the fall timeframe of this year and will support HDMI version1.3a.

Key features of the Onkyo DV-HD805 include:

• Supports Dolby TrueHD, dts HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
• Supports 24 frames per second playback
• Supports HDMI v.1.3a enabling Deep Color support
• Includes Ethernet port to for web-enabled content
• Includes on-board HQV Reon VX video processing chipset for video scaling to 720p, 1080i, 1080p

The DV-HD805 will be available at a price of $899 which seems a tad bit high for an HD DVD player considering third generation Toshibas are now under $500 dollars. Thanks to Gizmodo for the picture of the player.

[Check it out viz Gizmodo]

Technorati Tags: Onkyo DV-HD805, HD DVD player