Blu-rayRecorder
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Panasonic intros DMR-BR500, DMR-XW320 and DMR-XW120 HDD / Blu-ray recorders
Panasonic's got a set of all new recorders for us to drool over, and while they each include analog / digital tuners, only the crown jewel (that'd be the DMR-BR500) includes a 4x Blu-ray writer. Said unit also boasts a 250GB hard drive, UniPhier chip and MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 encoders. As for the 500GB DMR-XW320 and 250GB DMR-XW120, each of these stick with DVD / HDD recording, but look to feature all the other aforementioned niceties including support for Dolby True HD, DTS-HD and HDMI 1.3. No official word on price at the moment, but expect to pay a pretty penny when these land late next month (presumably in Japan).[Via AkihabaraNews]
Sharp kicks out BD-AV1, BD-AV10 Blu-ray recorders
If that 1TB-packin' Blu-ray recorder Sharp announced earlier today is just a tad out of your reach, you might want to consider one of the company's also-just-announced hard drive-less recorders, which'll let you get your Blu-ray recording fix for about half the price. Available in a range of colors, the AQUOS BD-AV1 and BD-AV10 recorders look to be identical in most respects, with the notable exception of added dual-layer recording on the BD-AV10 model. Otherwise, each unit packs a single digital TV tuner, along with a lone HDMI port, a FireWire port, and some plain old composite ports to accommodate your older gear. If that's enough to make you forget about the lack of a hard drive, you'll be able to grab either unit at the end of next month, with the BD-AV1 setting you back ¥100,000 and the BD-AV10 running ¥120,000 (or roughly $865 and $1,040).[Via I4U News]
BenQ's BW1000 Blu-ray Disc recorder for PCs hitting Japan: writes 50GBs for less
It's well past August but we're finally seeing the release of BenQ's Blu-ray Disc recorder for PCs. Well, in Japan anyway where this much heralded, dual-layer (50GB) SATA player/recorder built by Philips is set to hit before the month is up. Your ¥89,900 (about $760) -- reduced from the $1000 originally quoted -- buys you a trio of tricks: read/write BD, DVD, and CD media at speeds up to 2x BD-R/RE, 1x dual-layer BD-R/RE, 12x DVD+/-R, and 32x CD-R -- and that's just a smattering of media supported. Bundled PowerDVD 6 software allows you to play back studio Blu-ray Disc flicks at a full, 1920x1200 resolution under Vista, you know, just as long as your video card and monitor support HDCP. But then you know that by now, right? Expect to hear about these popping for the US and beyond any day now.[Via Impress]
Daewoo DBD-8000 Blu-ray Player...and recorder?
Looks like Daewoo was dropping more than nav systems at IFA earlier this month. Lit in a lovely pancreas green was this Daewoo DBD-8000 HD Video Recorder. What it records to we have no idea since there's nothing listed in the specs or printed on that bland chassis. But that ShowView EPG icon bottom-left means it definitely records to something. However, if it records to Blu-ray Disc then it certainly trumps the supposed Panny first from yesterday. For sure, it plays Blu-ray Discs and includes a built-in DVB-T TV tuner (for Europe), HDMI out, DV in, and additional support for DVD, VCD, CD, and MP3 or JPEG laden discs. Oh hey, is that a DivX logo on the front? Sho'nuff. No drop date or pricing so if you've got the 20 then by all means, let us know. More pics after the break.[Via HD Beat]
Panasonic's DMR-BW200 and BR100 Blu-ray and hard disk recorders
We peeped a mock-up Sony Blu-ray Disc and Hard Disk recorder just the other day which may or may not see the light of the rising sun. Now Panny brings it for realz with their new DIGA DMR-BW200 (pictured up top) and BR100 Blu-ray Disc and fatty hard drive recorders. Both drives support DL BD-R/BD-RE (50GB) at 4x speeds and healthy dose of the ol' in and outs including 1080p-capable HDMI. The BW200 is the high-ender and brings a 2x digital (terrestrial and satellite) and 1x terrestrial analog TV tuners, 500GB disk, Firewire to bring an external hard drive to the show or to connect your video cam, and Ethernet for easy EPG G-Guide access. The lower-end BR100 is limited to 1x digital (terrestrial and satellite) and 1x terrestrial analog TV tuners and 200GB of disk. Both should pop for retail on November 15th in Japan with an expected price of about ¥300,000 (about $2,550) for the BW200 and ¥200,000 (about $1,700) for the BR100. Sure, neither measure up to the HD DVD recorder with 1TB disk from Toshiba, but then again, you don't have to worry about 'em tipping over and crushing the pet either.[Thanks, ccthoo]
AMEX Digital launches M505-BDR Blu-ray recording HTPC
We've known this Blu-ray-equipped media center PC was on the horizon, and now AMEX Digital is finally dropping the pimped-out M505-BDR in Europe with even crazier specs than we originally thought. Aside from sporting that swank single-layer Blu-ray burner -- which not only plays Blu-ray titles, but also upscales normal 'ole DVDs to "stunning 1080p" resolution -- the M505 apparently houses an unidentified Intel Core 2 Duo processor on the Intel 945P Express chipset, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 1.5TB of SATA disk space, and a UK-friendly dual hybrid analog / digital DVB-T TV tuner. This beast also rocks Gigabit LAN, 802.11b/g WiFi, a FireWire connector, 8.1 channel HD audio, and, of course, an HDMI port that doesn't bother to tout its HDCP compliancy (or lack thereof). This Windows Media Center 2005-powered machine delivers that crystal clear HD video via the ATI X1600 graphics card, and AMEX even throws in a "multi-function" remote to control the action from your oh-so-comfy loveseat. The drool-worthy device is set to be released to European markets on August 28th at a cost of near $2,000 -- but considering the lofty prices for standalone Blu-ray burners and players alike, we'd say this looks like a bargain; and don't forget the free Blu-ray title (apparently of your choice) that comes with the purchase, perhaps sending fence-sitters squarely into the "buyers" camp.
