Today, Pioneer announced three new entries in the HD home entertainment market; Blu-Ray players guaranteed to suit the needs of the most discerning home theater aficionado. The price tags on each will please the wallet a little too.
First up, the BDP-120 is a nice introduction to the Blu-Ray world, or an inexpensive second player for those wishing to add high definition players to other rooms of the house. While it does not boast any extra special features, it is a high quality player of Blu-ray, DVD, and CDs. This baby is available at a selected retail price of $299.
The BDP-320 is for those who want to customize their experience for optimal display and enjoyment. Between on-board circuitry to reduce video noise, and the Picture Control Suite, you are the master of what you see. This next step up in their offers has a retail price of $399.
The cream of the Pioneer crop, the Elite BDP-23FD, provides full home theater integration and functionality. Designed with connectivity with Pioneer A/V receivers and KURO flat panel displays for the ultimate in home theater experiences. This unit boasts a tag of $599.
All three of these beauties are equipped with USB ports for flash and hard drive connection to boost storage capacity of BD-Live interactive content that is often available through Blu-Ray disks. Pioneer states these units are currently for sale at many retailers.
View Etronics.com’s selection of Blu-Ray DVD players here.
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
Blu-Rays of Sunshine
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Samsung Teams up with Netflix on the BD-P2500 and BD-P2550
Today, Samsung announced a firmware update for two of their existing Blu-ray decks that enables streaming media playback.
The web’s most popular streaming content providers, Netflix and Pandora, have teamed up with Korean’s colossal consumer electronics manufacturer to bring streaming net-based media to those among us who desire a full cinematic experience, but loathe digital cable’s price gouging.
The Samsung BD-P2500
Pandora, an easy way to discover new music and stay up-to-date with our favorite artists, is supported only on the BD-P2550.
If you own one of these decks now, you can update today, free of charge. More info can be found at: www.samsung.com/bluraysupport
Press Release
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
Memorex intros $269 MVBD-2510 Blu-ray Player
High priced Blu-ray technology may have just bought the farm. Finally, Blu-ray players are beginning to drop to a reasonable price. Memorex has just announced their entry into the Blu-ray arena, the Memorex MVBD-2510.
Sporting a price tag of $269.95, this new offering falls in the very sparsely populated category of players under $300. Not quite the bleeding edge tech you get with a profile 2.0 player, but of those who can enjoy a movie without watching every possible extra, this will totally work out just fine.
Product Features
- Progressive scan Blu-ray Disc player 1080p capability for higher definition video content
- Full HD 1080p, DVD up-conversion up to 1080p (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p), 24p, 60p video frame rate
- Multi-channel audio content (supports more advanced Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD)
- BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, CD-ROM, CD, CD-R/-RW
- 16:9 / 4:3 picture select
- On-screen graphical user interface
- Slow motion function (2x - 4x - 8x)
- RW/FF play function (2x - 4x - 8x - 16x)
- VFD display
Connectivity
- HDMI v1.3 digital output
- Component video output
- S-video output
- Composite video output
- Optical audio output
- Analog 5.1 channel audio output
- USB 2.0 input
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Friday, August 29, 2008
Sony Blu-ray Home Theater System BDV-IT1000
Sony’s European press centre has a release that may interest those of you shopping for that new Blu-ray Disc Home Theater in a Box. This is Sony’s first crack at marketing a Blu-ray HTiB, even though they are the main innovators of this tech. As a result, many loyal fanboys have been waiting impatiently for an announcement along these lines. While under development, Sony appropriately code-named the project ‘Pockey’, which is a chocolate dipped cookie stick. This perfectly describes the stick-like speakers that complement the aesthetically pleasing style of this sleek system. Providing the power to blast is a 700w 32-bit amp, with integrated BD player. That should be enough power to blow your socks, hats, shirts, and pants off.
Spec sheet after the break...
BDV-IT1000 at a glance
* Super-slim speakers made possible by finger-sized full-range drive units
* All-in-one home cinema system with integrated Blu-ray Disc drive
* Full HD 1080/24p picture quality with Deep Color and x.v.Colour
* Wireless rear speakers for great surround effects without cables
* BD-Live Ready: upgradable to Profile 2.0 for extra content and downloadsvia Ethernet port
* DVD upscaling to 1080p
* Two HDMI input terminals for connection of games consoles, HD TV decoder boxes or other sources, and one HDMI output
* Optical digital and analogue stereo inputs. Also composite/component video in
* Upconversion to HDMI for analogue sources
* Fast, perfect ‘one-touch’ set-up with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration
* BRAVIA Sync for integrated operation with other Sony components
* XrossMediaBar onscreen display for simple, logical operation of all functions
* Connectivity with Network WALKMAN® and iPod® players, Bluetooth devices and home Wi-Fi networks via DIGITAL MEDIA PORT, plus Portable Audio Enhancer
* 700W total power: 5x100W plus 2x100W for subwoofer, using efficient, high-quality 32-bit S-Master digital amplification
Press Release
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Monday, July 21, 2008
Sony's Latest Standalone Blu-ray Players
Try as the might; Sony just can't seem to make a standalone player that competes with their own Playstation 3. Something tells me they're really not trying that hard. Their latest player the BDP-S350 is priced the same as the Playstation 3 40GB at $399.99.
It only makes sense they'd rather you purchased a video gaming system that takes more than one media. When you buy a Playstation your not gonna just watch movies on it. Your gonna get some games too, even if your not a gamer per say. So the licensing royalties made off those Playstation games roll in. Plus, you need a remote and another controller right off the bat.
The initial reports on the player from the frontlines...
make it seem that Sony's tryin’ to pull one over on us. Hands on reporters had noted the cheap feel of the new unit and felt the asking price was inflated. Sure they’ve inflated the price, why not? It’s a new technology that people will fork over big bucks to be a part of.
Prices will come down. I think some technology reporters are getting too use to the pace of blogging and expect the world to follow suit. Sorry guys the market and the market alone will decide when the price can fall, and not even Sony can make more people buy these things.
Press Release
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Friday, April 4, 2008
Go Blu-ray with the Denon dvd-3800bdci
Denon has always meant serious A/V performance. While other manufactures are more worried about how much Blu-ray blue the can get on the front of their latest players or how to price it for the causal movie viewer, Denon worries more about things that actually concern videophiles.
In other words, the Denon DVD3800BDCI Blu-Ray Disc/DVD/CD Player actually advances the industry by integrating exclusive Denon developments such as rock solid multi-layer case construction which minimizes extraneous noise and a vibration suppressive stabilizing disc drive that ensures quiet accurate disc playback. Denon also decks out their disc jockeys with the most advanced A/V chipsets around then pairs these advancements with the newest HDMI standard 1.3a.
What the Denon DVD-3800BDCI sends out over that HDMI is key; it's 36-bit deep color on the picture end and Dolby true HD or dts-HD Master Audio on the sound side of things. As far as upscaling goes, standard def dvds are output at 1080p/24fps; pixel-by-pixel and digital noise reduction processing results in no degrading artifacts or jaggies. Making your entire catolog look as good as possible.
This bleeding edge Denon hardware provides its owners with a unique immersive cinematic experience that is so striking it will have other manufactures scrambling to compete.
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Monday, February 18, 2008
HD-DVD Production Halted?
HD DVD has been on death row since Warner announced, early in January, the movie studio’s exclusive support of Blu-ray format. HD DVD evangelist Toshiba is reeling after Friday’s announcement that Wal-Mart, whose large market share and ‘gangsta’ business tactics has forced manufacturing plants overseas in droves, decided to restrict consumer choice to only Blu-ray high definition video discs and players.
Wal-Mart will be added to the short list of retailers choosing sides, BestBuy and Netflix have also allied with Blu-ray, but Wal-Mart's decision weights a bit more heavily on the format's future. Something tells me Sony and Panasonic, Blu-rays main backers, already fluent in Wal-Mart’s ‘language’ of cut throat dealings, took a trip to Bentonville, and hammered out a deal involving mass sums of
money to flip the switch to ‘off’ for the HD DVD format, at least in Wal-Marts. This is all conjecture, and breaks anti-trust laws, but this *is* Wal-Mart we're talking about, they’re not exactly stewards of fair trade.
This announcement has had a ripple effect all the way to the HD DVD manufactures, underscoring the supercenter’s massive market influence. Reports out of Japan have stated that Toshiba will discontinue any further production of HD DVD players or discs. Wal-Mart was a huge proponent of HD DVD back when they where selling players at $100 each; now we know why they were so cheap. Were they knowingly promoting a dying format in order to clear stock, then turned around and discontinued it? Sounds like business as usual; consumers getting handed the short end of the stick…from the company who touts “Save Money, Live Better”.
Wal-Mart bashing aside, I’m glad to see Sony win one. Sony’s BetaMax was better than VHS, not sure about Blu-ray, but the extra manufacturing cost that drives up Blu-ray movie title prices is annoying. Another blow to cash strapped hi-def lovers is Blu-ray player pricing. They‘re twice the price of HD DVD players, although, what’s the use of owning a player at half the price if it can’t play anything.
Some analysts see Video on Demand (VoD) as the future of movie distribution. Increased data transfer speeds makes online transactions of VoD content much more viable than even 10 years ago, but these purchases still represent a tiny fraction of the overall market.
VoD is an attractive prospect to brick and mortar retailers too: little cost, no shipping, no returns, no defects, no theft, no unsold product, and instant inventory. The idea is that an in store kiosk would burn movies to the buyer’s media of choice (Blu-ray, DVD, even flash drive). The kiosk could even print the cover art and provide a case. This would satisfy the materialistic desire for a physical product, give the kiosk operator’s huge profits, all while maintaining the viewer’s choice of media. This is what’s on the horizon for movie distribution; invest in building and marketing these kiosks, and you could secure your early retirement. Just be ready to ship production overseas if you plan to sell to Wal-Mart.
Buy a nice upconverting unit and save yourself some hassle.
Toshiba SD-6000 1080p Up-Converting DVD Player
Marantz SR8002 THX Select2 Surround Receiver
Samsung HT-X250T 5.1 Channel Home Theater System
JVC RX-D702B Audio/Video Control Receiver (Black)
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Panasonic's new Blu-ray player and Home Theater
Panasonic is on the winning side of the format war. They're the leaders and main innovators in plasma TV and Blu-ray players, and never in short supply of a loyal fan base.
Their 150 inch plasma display show piece did its job well at CES, attracting the appropriate attention from journalists and attendees, alike. Other items garnishing attention for Panasonic are the first profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD50, and the newest home theater-in-a-box offering, the SC-BT100.
Panny's newest systems boasts more advanced sound reproduction not only through Digital Sound Processing, but in terms of speaker construction, as well. Bamboo diaphragm speakers replace the traditional paper diaphragms units. This improves sound velocity and reproduces superior high definition fidelity in 7.1 surround sound. Underscoring these improvements is the improved strength and durability gained with the use of bamboo.
Other cool things about Pannny's HTB are: wireless speakers, advanced processing engines for color processing and image upscaling, SD card slot to coincide with "full HD" cameras and camcorders, GUI, and an integrated flip down iPod dock complete with on screen controls and iPod video playback.
Also, there's the little announcement about how they will break with tradition, seems to be become a theme with them as of late, by not using the founder’s name Matsushita as the company name. Instead, opting to use the name everyone knows and loves, Panasonic. So that's the rundown from the Panasonic camp for CES 2008.
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-ray Disc Player
Just Announced 
So, you think you want a Blu-ray player? Well your timing is dead on; this is the first Blu-ray player to use newer technologies many avid AV heads have been waiting for. The Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-ray disc player uses the ‘final’ standard profile (who knows if it’s really finalized, nonetheless) it is an impressive upgrade. Conversely, HD-DVD has had most of these enhancements from its inception. The upgrade, A.K.A. profile 1.1, gives this Blu-ray player some unique capabilities, among the Blu-ray playing sets. These enhancements include picture-in-picture mode upgrades, which are unusable until Blu-ray disc content catches up, and an internal decoder for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. These additions compete more directly with HD-DVD.
The Panasonic DMP-BD30K is a quite the upscale piece of technology… literally. The video signal from content recorded in 480i/p, 720p, or 1080i is up-converted using high-speed image processing technology. Pixel Precision Progressive Processing (P4HD) generates each one of the resolution enhancing pixels using information drawn from up to 60 pixels surrounding the original image’s pixels. This debonair disc spinner than categorizes these generated pixels into 16 motion categories: stationary, slow moving, fast, and so on. This image processor effectively does away with those screwy pixels, rendered by older up-scaling technologies, which get stuck or make jagged or choppy images.
Panasonic took this up-converting a step further, they are very seldom out done, by utilizing deep color (12 bit) reproduction via HDMI and 3:2 pull down. CNET reviews were most impressed by these video rendering features. 3:2 pull down optimizes the image processing based on whether the source of the footage is video or film. Sticking with the “Panasonic Family Time” theme, if you own or are looking to own a Panasonic HD camcorder you can watch your cinematic musings with the onboard SD card slot present on the player at full 1920x1080. The price of this player is a bit of a sticking point and you can get a Playstation 3 that plays Blu-ray and does a lot more…for less, although AV purists should be quite content with this decked out disc player’s capabilities.
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