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Gizmodo (gizmodo.com) has great Blu-ray Disc news, photos, videos and more
Thursday, Jan 28
Samsung's 3D Blu-Ray Player Available for Preorder [Blu-Ray]
There are plenty of other Samsung products popping up for preorder on Amazon today, such as the BD-C6500 with a price $300 and a boot-time of only 15 seconds—though that player is limited to two dimensions. Like my TV. [Amazon via 3D-Display-Info via Engadget]
Why the iPad Will Crush Netbooks and Ebook Readers
You could say, "Those were Apple's successes, what about their failures?" In the second age of Steve Jobs, there aren't a whole lot. Apple TV is the standout—quite possibly because Apple discovered, after releasing the product, that there wasn't a big enough market for it, or any of its co...
Monday, Jan 25
Now Available [Now Available]
In addition to the Satellite, Toshiba has also started shipping the Tecra A11 and the Ferrari-esque 18.4"-behemoth Qosmio X500. The 15.6" Tecra A11 features an integrated number pad—for tax season I assume—and the standard duo of new NVIDIA and Intel hardware in it's guts. It'll set you bac...
Sunday, Jan 24
Oppo's Sub-$300 BDP-80 Blu-ray Player Plays Whatever You Throw At It
We've long been fans of Oppo, makers of high-quality, universal Blu-ray players, but that quality always came at a price. Their new BDP-80, announced today, plays Blu-ray discs, DVDs, SACDs, MKVs, MP3s, and more for only $289. The last we heard from Oppo, their BDP-83 was getting near-per...
Saturday, Jan 16
Is a Firmware Update Killing PS3 Blu-Ray Drives? [PS3]
Forum members have reportedly pinpointed several reproducible freezes in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which they claim began only after installing the 3.10 firmware (the most recent release is 3.15). After experiencing this freezing, many members reported problems in other games, le...
The Week In Gizmodo [Roundup]
Wilson explained how Blu-ray players are cannibalizing set-top boxes, and why it's a tasty prospect for consumers. John scolded Microsoft for continuing to charge Xbox users for Netflix. We wrote on the gear we used at CES. Microsoft said Android is like a puppy. The internet went "awww."
Friday, Jan 15
Sony: No OLED TVs for 2010, PS3 Getting Bravia Link Video Streaming [Sony]
Bravia Link currently supports Netflix natively, so this could mean PS3 users get to ditch the disc for Instant Watch. Other than that, it would change a whole lot as is, but the prospect of new streaming widgets being added to the Bravia Link platform—assuming it consistent across hardwa...
Nintendo Claims Wii Owners Don't Need Netflix HD, Nor A New Console [Gaming]
Oh, Reggie. You used to be such a gaming icon, hell, I even bought your Wii nunchuck t-shirt. But how can you judge your fanbase so incorrectly, saying Wii owners don't care about Netflix HD? the vast majority of content for streaming on Netflix is not HD content, so there really is no loss for t...
Thursday, Jan 14
Sony Torne Adds TV Tuning to the PS3...Again [PS3]
Connecting to the PS3 via USB, the Torne adds internet-based program search and DVR functions to the PS3 (that still work even when you're watching a Blu-ray or something). Shows are recorded to either the PS3 itself or a connected USB hard drive.
Wednesday, Jan 13
Why a Blu-ray Player Might Become Your Only Set-Top Box
We looked at the four newly announced flagship players from the four biggest Blu-ray companies, LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony. Any self-respecting Blu-ray player today has Pandora and Picasa, and of course Netflix subscription streaming video. They also have some form of pay-per-vi...
Microsoft, It's Time to Stop Charging for Other Companies' Content on Xbox [Xbox Live]
I'm not saying that Microsoft should scrap Live altogether, or that there can't be a paid tier for the service. I'm also not saying that other companies are innocent here—Sony, while they're not charing for Netflix access, do require a Sony-tied login to access it, which seems like an unne...
Monday, Jan 11
Blu-ray/iTunes/DVD Combo Movie Packs Prove DVD Is Still King [Rant]
A DVD can be portable-ish, playing on laptops, little LCD DVD players, and—especially for family stuff where these combo packs first appeared—in-car entertainment systems. There aren't many Blu-ray players in cars, and unless each of your kids gets their own iPod Touch, iTunes DRM vid...
I'm Sold On 3D TVs...And I Kind of Hate Myself For It
I'm a skeptic who's seen every consumer-grade 3D TV in existence from manufacturers like Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony. I've seen OLED 3D, plasma 3D, LCD 3D and LED LCD 3D. And I've finally made up my mind on the matter. I would buy a 3D TV this year.
Sunday, Jan 10
Blu-Ray MovieIQ Sync Lets You Play Along with Michael Jackson's This Is It [Blu-Ray]
The disc also has a feature that allows owners to create and share custom playlists using songs from the movie. Again, not a lot of fanfare about this. Could it be that most people don't really mess around with all this extra crap on their discs, and just, you know, want to watch the movie? [BigP...
Saturday, Jan 9
The Best of CES
• An HDTV in a polar bear. • Panasonic showed us their dual-eyed 3D camcorder. It'll be $22,000 when it comes out in Fall. Speaking of 3D! • We checked out the first 3D DirecTV broadcast, and it looked as good as any home theater 3D we've seen.
Friday, Jan 8
Hands On: BD Remote lets you Control Sony Blu-Ray Players With an IPhone/iPod Touch [Sony]
The free BD Remote app lets users control their Sony BD equipment (no PS3 support, yet) via wifi from any iPhone or iPod Touch. Meta-data for media being played can be displayed on the iPhone along with related YouTube clips. Is the app revolutionary? No, but the app is free and adds good value...
Thursday, Jan 7
Paul Otellini CES Keynote: Chips Ahoy! [Intel]
Intel has a new Wireless Display technology that's launching with four partners. The WiDi will available soon at Best Buy. With a $100 adaptor, you can link your TV to your laptop. Now showing off WiDi, with a Netflix movie loaded onto a laptop playing simultaneously the TV it's connected to.
Hands On: Samsung C9000 Ultra-Thin TV and Sweet Wi-Fi Video Touchscreen Remote [Ces2010]
The brushed-aluminum LED-lit C9000 is not just the handsomest slender TV at the show, it comes with the most innovative Wi-Fi remote control—one that looks suspiciously like an iPhone and feels suspiciously like a Samsung phone.
First Hands-On: Sling Touch Control 100 Remote Control [Ces2010]
Once you get your hands on this thing, you can use it to not only control your SlingGuide DVR, but other stuff in your home theater like Blu-ray players and receivers. What I love is the ability to fiddle with your DVR without turning your TV on. Convenient and eco-friendly!
Wednesday, Jan 6
PS3 Will Play 3D Blu-ray Movies [Sony]
Sony just announced at their ever-hectic press conference that the PS3 will be able to play full 3D movies through the newly announced 3D Bravias.
Testing the First 3D DirecTV Broadcast: Surprisingly Decent [3D]
I've seen 3D on every type of TV/glasses combo, but up until now, the video feed itself was always streamed from Blu-ray. So with DirecTV announcing three 3D HD channels arriving in 2010, I just had to try it out. My verdict: After about 5 minutes of watching the feed on a 50-ish inch Panasonic p...
Sony's F-, Y-, and Z-Series Notebooks Boast Multimedia Goodness [Vaio]
The Z model has an optional Blu-ray Disc (BD) optical drive for enjoying, creating and storing high-definition content. Watch BD movies in stunning clarity while on the road or utilize the HDMI output during meetings and make presentations come to life in full 1080 HD resolution. Compati...
PlayStation Network Brings Single ID, Premium Media Store to Tons of Sony Products [Sony]
Sony is making a big push with Playstation Network, finally bringing their breadth of media ownings and hardware together. We're talking PS3, Vaio, Blu-ray, Bravia TVs, everything—it's all going to play nice now.
Sony BDP-S770 Blu-ray Player Has 3D, Wi-Fi and Netflix Plus iPhone Remote Control App [Sony]
Sony may have spearheaded Blu-ray, but besides the PS3, other companies have done more to push the format to become a great home-theater product. Today, Sony shows off the BDP-S770, a truly awesome Blu-ray player of its own. And they've also got Blu-ray home theater systems:
Sony's Bravia LED LCD HDTV Lineup: XBR-LX900 and XBR-HX900 Go 3D, and Wi-Fi Abounds [HDTVs]
BRAVIA KDL-EX40B Series Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) CCFL backlit LCD Integrated Blu-ray Disc player BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets BRAVIA Engine 3 Ambient sensor Ethernet input USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback Available in May
Panasonic's Moves Into the SDXC Era with 64GB Flash Cards [Storage]
SDXC is the next generation SD Memory Card, a new standard for storing data more than 32 GB and up to 2 terabytes. The Panasonic 64 GB SDXC Memory Card features a massive 64 GB of capacity, making it ideal for recording AVCHD High Definition video, high-resolution, or even RAW still photos. Wh...
Panasonic's 3D DMP-BDT350 Blu-ray Player
Complimenting the HD audio codecs, the BD65, BD85 and BDT350 Blu-ray Disc players feature 96kHz surround re-master, a function that enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources, and even improves the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs. The BD85 furt...
Panasonic's New 3D Viera Plasma V Series HDTVs Bring Awkward Glasses Home From the Theaters [3D]
And with our introduction of Full HD 3D in screen sizes ranging from 50 inches to 65 inches, Panasonic is bringing the last frontier of television into the home. We've gone from black & white to color to digital to high definition. Now with 3D, Panasonic is making television more realist...
Panasonic's 152-Inch 3D Plasma the Biggest TV Yet [HDTVs]
Panasonic will make the First Year of 3D Television as a springboard to boost its popularity, capitalizing on the company's ability to offer complete end-to-end solutions from professional 3D camcorders and Blu-ray Disc authoring service to consumer use 3D TVs and displays and 3D-en...
Opinion: Samsung App Store For All Your (Samsung) Gadgets [Samsung]
Samsung Unveils First Ever Application Store For TVs, Blu-ray Players, Home Theater Systems and Select Mobile Phones January 6, 2010 Samsung Apps" to be Rolled Out in Multiple Product Lines to Support a New Dimension of Home Entertainment with a Few Clicks of the Remote
Samsung's LED LCD HDTV Lineup: The 9000 Does 3D and Has a Video-Previewing Touch Remote [HDTVs]
8000 Series: Not as thin as the 9000, it uses edge lit technology and has what Samsung claims is the advantage of backlighting with localized dimming. 240Hz. No prices or sizes. 3D, and treatment to upconvert 2D to 3D. Samsung apps. 7000 Series: No edgelit with localized dimming advantages as i...
Opinion: Samsung BD-C7500: Hope It Plays as Sweet as It Looks [Samsung]
LAS VEGAS, January 6, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled its 2010 lineup of Blu-ray players, reaching new frontiers in delivering quality HD home entertainment.. Standing out among the f our-player l...
Get Wood With Design Hara's Home Theater PC [PC]
Amongst the deluge of mediocre CES product updates this week, let's take a breather here with this eco-friendly Design Hara home theater PC. It comes in cypress and rose wood options, and the front cover is encased with sheep's leather.
The Best of CES [Ces2010]
• An HDTV in a polar bear. • We heard rumblings about a multitouch HP tablet, codeveloped with Microsoft. It sounds a little Courier-y, but almost definitely not the Courier. • Philips' Research Labs is making good on the color ebook reader promise, one tech demo at a time.
Toshiba Cell TVs Claim Real-Time 2D to 3D Conversion [Toshiba]
The systems will come with wireless HD and built-in 802.11N wireless capability. They'll be DLNA compliant, play movies from USB, and will feature a video phone over IP (not Skype, which had so far been the video chat platform of choice this CES) and pre-loaded Net TV channels. The Cell TV als...
Monster PowerNet 1G Is World's Fastest Powerline Adapter [Powerline]
When it works (and that's not necessarily something you should assume), power line communication basically lets you use your home's electrical system as a wired network, which is a way better option than scrabbling around in walls trying to get ethernet to every room. The problem most re...
Infina PK950 and PK750: Relief For the Plasma TV Faithful [Lg]
Featuring new picture-enhancing technology and lightweight designs in a variety of screen sizes, four new plasma series – the INFINIA PK950 and PK750, as well as the PK550 and PJ350– were introduced today at the International Consumer Electronics Show, (Booth #8205).
LG's Infinia LE9500 Is a 3D-Ready LED TV With Picture-Frame Depth [Lg]
In total, LG unveiled six new series of LED LCD HDTV models for consumers – creating a robust HDTV line up of advanced picture quality, wireless technology and diverse screen sizes. Full details on the series are below: Broad LCD HDTV Lines
Vudu Brings Apps, By The Hundreds, To Big Name TVs and Blu-ray Players [Vudu]
Whoa. This summer we were pretty excited about Vudu bringing Rotten Tomatoes to connected LG hardware. Take that excitement, add hardware from Mitsubishi, SANYO, Sharp, Toshiba, and Vizio, and multiply it by hundreds of services and you've got Vudu Apps.
Tuesday, Jan 5
Netgear Digital Entertainer Express Streams 1080p Video to Your TV [Netgear]
The Digital Entertainer Express adds to the NETGEAR family of Internet-connected set-top boxes, which also includes the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150) and Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000). NETGEAR will highlight its family of Digital Entertainers along with its home media...
ProVision's AXAR Wireless HD Streaming Technology In TVs This Year [Home Cinema]
It differs to normal wireless HD devices in that the AXAR system picks up the content from a Blu-ray player, PVR or HD set top box and sends wirelessly to a TV, PC or phone, instead of using the wireless network to do both the sending and receiving of the signal. A separate AXAR receiver will nee...
Sunday, Jan 3
The Coming Decade In 3D, HD Television
Take price, for example. HDGuru predicts set prices will be largely in line with current HDTV offerings. Initial pricing for a 40-inch 3D-ready 240Hz LED LCD will check in at about $1300, whereas a similar non-3D set from Samsung is currently for sale is $1,250.
Thursday, Dec 31
Shine On, You Crazy Gadgets
Only five companies have a shot at nailing the home, mobile and work hat trick, from software and hardware to internet: Apple, Microsoft, Google, Sony and Samsung. They're all failing in some way. Apple's cloud services are a joke. Sony can still make great hardware but have no idea how peopl...
Wednesday, Dec 30
Reinventing the MacBook Air [Apple]
Then there's the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics chip, which Advanced Micro Devices describes as a "thin and light mobile graphics processor...delivering unprecedented performance-per-watt...while watching Blu-ray movies." (The Blu-ray aspect may be overkill for an ultrathin, es...
Do-It-Yourself PC Builder's Guide: How Cheap Is Too Cheap? [DIY]
If you're not going to be running tons of apps, editing photos, or encoding videos, that quad-core is massive overkill. To save a few bucks, we're going to replace that quad-core Athlon II with a single-core Sempron LE-1250. It costs less than a Blu-ray disc at Best Buy, a mere $32. Unfortunat...
Monday, Dec 28
Studios Begin to Push TV Episodes' Digital Release Before DVD [Media]
Showtime has begun selling episodes of Weeds online before the show's full-season DVD release, a first for the series. And Weeds isn't nearly the only one—is Hollywood finally embracing digital downloads as the successor to DVD?
Saturday, Dec 26
Kindle Milestone: Amazon Sold More Kindle Books Than Physical Books On Xmas
Electronics: Kindle Wireless Reading Device; Apple iPod touch 8 GB; and Garmin nuvi 260W 4.3-inch GPSToys: Scrabble Slam Cards; The Settlers of Catan; and Scene It? Twilight Deluxe EditionVideo Games and Hardware: Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board; New Super Mario Bros; and Call of Duty:...
How To Guides: The Best of 2009
Clean Your Filthy Gadgets: Look down at your keyboard. Your smartphone. Your PMP. Your DSLR. Your HDTV. Notice how some of the most expensive things you own are completely disgusting? Here's how to clean them up on the cheap. Rip Blu-ray Discs: Optical media is dead! Well, it should be. Here's how...
Thursday, Dec 24
Acer AspireRevo R3610 Review: An Affordable Nettop That Makes a Great HTPC
Networking The AspireRevo features 802.11b/g/Draft-N connectivity, so it does a great job of streaming media. If you need more storage than the 160GB on board, you can easily connect the Revo to a network-attached storage device if you decide to go that route.
Wednesday, Dec 23
I Don't Think You Understand How Cheap Blu-ray Really Is
The downward trajectory of Blu-ray player prices matches DVD almost to the dollar—actually, Blu-ray's cheaper. And that's not considering inflation, or that the best players do a whole lot more than Blu-ray. It's not what Blu-ray makers wanted.
Tuesday, Dec 22
Don't Get Screwed: A Guide to Deals on Cables and Extras For Your Gadget Gifts
Powerline Networking Kit: If you're getting any kind of connected Blu-ray player, TV, Roku Box, game console, HD media player or Chumby, you may want to think about a powerline adapter, like Linksys' PLK300. It's a simpler and usually more broadband friendly alternative to Wi-Fi. But the...
Gifts For People Who Hate the Holidays and Everything They Stand For
A Philips GoLite Blu: If someone hates the holidays, it's likely that they hate the holiday season as well. Part of that is due to seasonal affective disorder, which in layman's terms, means you're not getting enough sunlight and you're depressed as a result.
Yahama YHT-S400 Shoves a Subwoofer Into a Receiver [HomeTheater]
BUENA PARK, Calif.––Yamaha Electronics Corporation, the innovator in home theater and digital audio and video reproduction, today introduces its innovative YHT-S400 two-piece home theater audio package. The system, which consists of an ultra-slim "sound bar" front speaker and a fi...
Saturday, Dec 12
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Blu-ray Liveblog Now
11:51: If you're using the PlayStation 3, you should make sure you've got the correct audio output to hear the audio stream. Otherwise, like myself last time, you'll hear nothing. 12:25: And now they're singing the praises of Blu-ray, and saying the interactive experience of Blu-ray is "m...
Friday, Dec 11
Via VN1000 Chipset Classes Up Your Low-End PC With Power-Efficient Blu-ray and DX10.1 Support [Chipsets]
Taipei, Taiwan, 10 December 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA VN1000 digital media chipset for next generation desktop and all-in-one PCs, offering a world-class HD multimedia entertainment platf...
Thursday, Dec 10
What the Game Industry Could Learn from the Film Industry
I don't live in a Utopian dream state, believing that the next generation of games will play on one uniform platform. And in fact, I think diversity and competition within the market is key to innovation. So let's leverage these differences to a more consumer-centric model that will probab...
Saturday, Dec 5
Save Us, McG is Making Another Terminator Movie [Liveblog]
The Terminator Salvation Blu-ray disc can be watched with live director commentary tonight. It's starting. Update: McG is making a Terminator 5. No! 6:05: Logging into the Warner Bros. BD-Live account now. 6:15: I think it's the Director's Cut disc... 6:30: Long silence.
Friday, May 15
Opinion: The State of Blu-ray 2009: The Format Is Killing Itself
Don't get me wrong. You'll buy a "Blu-ray player." Stats show many of you already are. You may even buy some Blu-ray discs, or pay the extra $2 or $3 for Netflix Blu-ray rental. But the amount of time you'll spend watching Blu-ray on it will continue to dwindle, until, maybe one day, the disc tray j...
Thursday, May 14
LG BD390 Wi-Fi Blu-ray Player Review: So Packed You'll Forget About Blu
There are four major contenders in the standalone Blu-ray player field right now: Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and LG. As of now, in the feature department, LG appears to be in the lead. Matt Moskovciak at CNet recently rated five Blu-ray players (not including this one), and picked Panasonic...
Friday, May 8
Star Trek Season 1 on Blu-ray is the Best Way to Watch [Review]
Here's what's new: they cleaned up the video so it looks nice in 1080p, and they added slightly improved special effects like the 3D models of planets when the Enterprise is in orbit. They might have made smaller touchups here and there, but you probably wouldn't notice unless you watched t...
Friday, May 1
Samsung's Sleek BD-P4600 Blu-ray Player Lightning Review
What's the takeaway? For movies, even ill-gotten ones, it's a good box. Netflix and Pandora are surely only the beginning, too. If Amazon Video on Demand is already on Panasonic, Sony, TiVo and Roku products, it's surely a matter of time before they sign with Ole Sammy. Ditto for Rhapsody, wh...
Tuesday, Apr 21
Chinese Invasion Will Bring $99 Blu-ray Players This Christmas [Blu-Ray]
The BDA had held out bringing Blu-ray to China, knowing that when the technology and licensing became available to manufacturers over there, cheap no-name players would flood the market over here, and undercut the price of players from companies like Sony, Pioneer and Samsung—who wer...
Thursday, Mar 5
Mac Mini 2009 Review [Review]
For instance, it would either take a cheap Y-cable for analog stereo out, or a Toslink-to-mini optical cable ($2.24 at Monoprice) that could connect to a receiver for surround sound. It would also take a video adapter of some kind. Many TVs have DVI or VGA inputs, and all now have HDMI inputs, s...
Wednesday, Jan 7
Opinion: Samsung BD-P3600/4600: Super-Slim, Fine-Looking, Wall-Friendly Blu-ray Decks [Ces 2009]
“Samsung is heralding a new direction for the Blu-ray industry with the BD-P4600 and BD-P3600," said Reid Sullivan, vice president of Audio/Video and Digital Imaging Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “The BD-P4600 makes it easier than ever
Sharp's Aquos BD Series HDTVs Include Built-In Blu-ray Players [Ces 2009]
“We created this series to offer consumers a product that provides the same high-quality, clear picture they’ve come to expect from a Sharp AQUOS, but with the added convenience of a Blu-ray player for a unique combination solution that allows playback of the latest HD Blu-ray movies,”...
Tuesday, Dec 9
Review: The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc
As for BD-Live content, you've got to remember that this is Warner Bros' first BD Live enabled disc, and it actually offers something really, really promising with the platform. You can record your own commentary track. The only catch is that you actually do the recording through Warner Br...
Review: The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc [Batman]
But to me, the 3-disc Blu-ray set (2 discs of content and an extra disc for the digital copy) has brought an unparalleled experience to my home theater experience. And I'm going to fanboy out a bit for 3,000 or so words after the jump. That's disc one.
Review: The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc
digg_skin = 'compact'; digg_bgcolor = '#f1f8fa'; digg_url = 'http://digg.com/movies/Review_The_Dark_Knight_Blu_ray_Disc'; But to me, the 3-disc Blu-ray set (2 discs of content and an extra disc for the digital copy) has brought an unparalleled experience to my home theater. And I...
Wednesday, Dec 3
Patch: Firmware Update For Netflix HD Streaming on Samsung BD Players Available Now [Netflix Streaming]
Just as planned, Samsung has loosed a firmware upgrade (version 2.1) for its BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray decks that now supports Netflix streaming in glorious 720p. Go grab it now. [Thanks, Ari!]
Tuesday, Nov 18
Wall-E Three Disc Special Edition Blu-ray Lightning Review [Review]
The Product: Wall-E (Three-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy and BD Live). It features the movie, obviously, along with enough extra content to keep Wall-E stacking little featurette cubes for years. The Price: $40 retail, though it's $25 at places like Amazon
Thursday, Oct 30
Opinion: Netflix HD Impressions, On Xbox 360 [Impressions]
While we've already reviewed what it's like to stream Netflix movies on the New Xbox Experience, we missed that there were 300 pieces of HD content right below our noses. Since then, we loaded up The Thing in HD and gave Netflix Instant Streaming HD our full once-over.
Tuesday, Sep 23
Sony's BWU-300S Blu-ray Recorder Burns 50GB in 30 Minutes [Blu-Ray]
The BWU-300S drive can record up to 50GB of data for random access storage and backup on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE (rewritable) discs, or up to 230 minutes of high-definition HDV 1080i video on a BD-R/RE 50GB disc. It also supports recording on standard single layer 4.7GB DVD+R/+RW/-RAM di...
Wednesday, Sep 10
Giz Explains: Why HD Video Downloads Aren't Very High Def
As you can see, regular DVD runs at about 6-8 megabits per second. High-def iTunes content, despite having a higher resolution, is half that, a mere 4Mbps. Vudu's current HD movies is also about 4Mbps, if you've got the pipes. Xbox Live Marketplace has the highest bitrate—and indeed, often g...
Friday, Sep 5
Oppo BDP-S83 Blu-ray Player May Be First (Almost) Universal Disc Reader
First, we can tell it's going to be a step up from the bottom rung due to the presence of Ethernet port—signifying BD-Live (Blu-ray Profile 2.0) capability—and analog 7.1 outputs. But what takes it beyond other players are the SACD and DVD-Audio logos on there. No current Blu-ray player can ha...
Wednesday, Sep 3
Dell Studio Hybrid Review (Verdict: Cute, Not So Cuddly)
Blu-ray Dell's integrated Blu-ray drive...really isn't too shabby. Even on my 720p test display, I'd have to say my PS3 is rendering images with less noise and more color—Dell's integrated Blu-ray player warns that it doesn't support the full Windows color space—but loading times were rea...
Thursday, Aug 28
Samsung BD-P2500 Blu-ray Player Is Today and Future Proof
· High Definition Soundtrack Support and Output BD-P2500 Blu-ray Player · Dolby Digital Plus™, Dolby TrueHD™decoding · dts-HD HR® decoding via firmware update in the fall · BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-R(V mode only), DVD-RW (V/VR mode), Audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, AVCHD disc
Friday, Jun 13
Opinion: State of The Infinite Format War: Get Ready for Five Long Years of Set-Top Battle Royale
If you thought the HD DVD/Blu-ray split was bad, at least there was an easy order to it, an alignment by studios. Warner, Universal and Paramount were on HD DVD, everyone else (plus Warner) put their movies on Blu-ray. Sure, no Big Lebowski on Blu-ray, but at least you knew why. There is nothing...
Wednesday, May 7
Pioneer Elite SC-07 and SC-05 Flagship Receivers (Plus the VSX-03TXH and VSX-01TXH)
Our flagship A/V receiver, the Susano, represents the pinnacle of high-end design and engineering in home theater equipment. We are now delivering that premium experience into our core line of Elite A/V receivers," said David Bales, audio marketing manager for the home entertainment...
Saturday, Sep 15
Samsung BD-UP5000 Combo Player Reviewed (Verdict: Excellent)
HDGuru scored the first review with the new Samsung BD-UP5000 Combo HD DVD/Blu-Ray Player. And in short, they loved it. With the format war continuing with no end in sight, the Samsung BD-UP5000 it is the logical choice for HDTV viewers that want the best performance no matter which DVD, Blu...
Thursday, Sep 6
Opinion: The Definitive Best Stuff Guide for IFA 2007
IFA 2007, allegedly the biggest consumer electronics fair in the world, had it all. But it happened on Labor Day weekend, so you probably missed all of our video hands-on and reviews of never-before-touched products. Here's the complete guide to the very best:
Thursday, Mar 8
Podcast: Coolness Roundup on Sirius: HD DVD vs. Blu-ray Showdown
Check out Coolness Roundup on Sirius Stars 102 tonight at 12:30 Pacific, where Gizmodo's Charlie White, along with Stephen Schleicher of Sci Fi Tech present a heated discussion about HD DVD vs. Blu-ray, spouting statistics and opinions that might just sway you one way or the other.
Wednesday, Feb 21
Opinion: Frankenfight: Blu-ray vs. HD DVD, Formats Not Equal [Feature]
Why HD DVD bonus features are winning:The confusion is vexing with interactive features...the HD DVD group [made] support of the HDi authoring environment mandatory as part of their spec. That means that all HD DVD players bearing the logo must fully support the feature, which is why early H...
Wednesday, Jan 24
First Review: LG BH100 Hybrid Blu-Ray/HD-DVD Player (Verdict: Format War Still Blazing)
We got the LG BH100 in the mail yesterday. It does what claims to do — be the very first high definition disc player that is compatible with both Blu-ray and HD-DVD. But don't wave the white flag in the format war quite yet. Our first grope reveals a few flaws that keep me from recommending this pla...
Monday, Dec 11
First Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1 Blu-ray Review (Verdict: Identical to Sony?)
When asked, Pioneer said they manufacture the player itself, so does that mean they make Sony's as well? Is that the reason for their massive delays? Does Sony not even make their own Blu-ray players, something they've been pushing like crazy?
Thursday, Jul 20
Opinion: Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray First-Gen Players Have Errors, Won't Be Updated Until September
Samsung's just released a statement that the softness in video playback that some reviewers noted was due to an incorrect setting in the noise reduction chip. This setting, unfortunately for early-adopters, isn't user accessible. That means their only choice is to wait until September...
