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BonusView posts

Panasonic in-dash HD nav system & Blu-ray player ready to ship, are you ready for the price?

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 20th 2009 at 9:01AM

Don't think you can sell the kids short anymore, keeping the Blu-ray copy at home and taking DVD rips on the road, now that Panasonic is ready to deliver its in-dash Blu-ray player and 7-inch HD screen packing nav unit in September. We got a good peek at these back in April and the specs haven't changed, with the Profile 1.1 Bonus View compatible CY-BB1000D taking care of Blu-ray duties and featuring the same UniPhier guts as the company's line of living room Blu-ray players. The CN-HX3000D is a WXGA 1280x720p 7-inch LED backlit widescreen display ready to play back media via standard HDMI, iPod connector, SD card or its digital TV tuner, powered by Windows Automotive with navigation duties assisted by Google Maps and Yahoo! Japan. The CY-BB1000D is ¥99,750 ($1,057) and the CN-HX3000D is ¥365,400 ($3,872), and both arrive September 10 in Japan. We'll let you decide if around 5 grand is a good price for the in car HD experience (might want to look at custom mounting a DMP-B15, $800 and you can take it with you.)

Read - CYBB1000D
Read - CN-HX3000D

Denon outs 2009 line of Blu-ray players, AV receivers and headphones

by Darren Murph posted May 11th 2009 at 2:30PM

Ready for loads of succulent new audio / video equipment that you can likely only afford in your wildest dreams? Fantastic. Today in NYC, Denon has decided to introduce a whole fleet of new kit, so we'll get right down to the nitty gritty. Oh, and we're on hand at the premiere, so expect some hands-on shots shortly.

DBP-2010CI ($699; shipping in July) - Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, onboard Ethernet, BD-Live / BonusView support, DivX HD playback, support for AVCHD, Anchor Bay Technologies VRS processing, upconversion and IP scaling to 1080p/24, RS-232c support, HDMI / component / composite video outputs
DBP-1610CI ($499; shipping in July) - Same as above sans Anchor Bay chip and RS-232c
Nine new AV receivers, priced from $379 at the low-end to $1,999 at the high; shipping between May and July 2009
ASD-51W ($299.99) and ASD-51N ($249.99) network-enabled iPod docks, both shipping in August. Both items also allow for Rhapsody streaming, Internet Radio streaming and Napster support.
AH-NC600 ($199), AH-C710 ($149) and AH-C360 ($49) in-ear headphones, all of which will ship by July

Full press releases and details for each are posted just past the break, and yes, it's overwhelming.

Gallery: Denon outs 2009 line of Blu-ray players, AV receivers and headphones

Gallery: Hands-on with Denon's new lineup

Continue reading Denon outs 2009 line of Blu-ray players, AV receivers and headphones

Pioneer intros BDP-120 / BDP-320 / Elite BDP-23FD Blu-ray players

by Darren Murph posted Jan 8th 2009 at 9:00AM

Pioneer has put a few new BD-related products of late in other regions of the world, but America has been longing for a fresh line of Blu-ray decks from the outfit for months. At long last, we're being treated to a shiny new Profile 2.0 trio: the BDP-120, BDP-320 and the RS-232C-packin' Elite BDP-23FD (pictured above). From the top, the 120 features HDMI 1.3a, Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD bitstreaming, 1080p24 output, BD-Live with no internal memory (1GB flash drive is included), TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and an Ethernet jack. The 320 steps it up with 48-bit Deep Color support, three noise reduction circuits, KURO Link, 7.1-channel analog audio outs, 1GB of internal memory and a "jitter free audio transmission for CD playback." The Elite deck adds an aluminum front panel, RS-232C control port and little else. The trifecta is expected to hit in April for undetermined prices, though you can find the ultraslim DV-420 upscaling DVD player in June for just $90. The finer details are just past the break.

Continue reading Pioneer intros BDP-120 / BDP-320 / Elite BDP-23FD Blu-ray players

ezGear gets in the Blu-ray game with the BluCobra Blu-ray Disc Player

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Jan 2nd 2009 at 6:20PM

If you were hoping that another no-name company would release a $400 Blu-ray player, then today is your lucky day as ezGear is very proud to share the details of its BluCobra Blu-ray Disc Player. The BluCobra -- love the name btw -- features 7.1 analog outputs, SACD, TrueHD, DTS-HD HR&MA and the cutting edge profile 1.1, otherwise known as Bonus View. Luckily Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic can rest easy until at least March when this beast is scheduled hits the streets. Oh, and just a little prediction, no way the BluCobra will sell for its MSRP.

Memorex intros $269 MVBD-2510 Blu-ray player

by Darren Murph posted Sep 18th 2008 at 8:42AM

Right, so we're pretty stoked about having one more option in the sub-$300 Blu-ray deck club, but the lack of Profile 2.0 (which is only the latest, most up-to-date Profile, you know) is a real bummer. That aside, the BonusView-enabled MVBD-2510 doesn't seem like a half bad attempt from Memorex. It features audio decoding for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD High Resolution along with Master Audio bitstream output. You'll also find 5.1 analog audio outputs, a white LED display and a few brushed metal accents to jazz it up externally. Look for it this November beside a whole host of new Memorex cleaning supplies.

Sony's $400 BDP-S350 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player now shipping

by Darren Murph posted Jul 16th 2008 at 5:27PM

Wow, Toys 'R Us was only a day off. Sure enough, Sony's BDP-S350 -- which was first introduced / spotted in February -- has gone on sale at Sony Style retail outlets, the Sony Style website and other fine retailers near you. If you're looking for a quick refresher, this Profile 2.0-compliant deck supports BonusView (picture-in-picture), but curiously enough, Sony mentions that "a firmware update enabling BD-Live is planned [for] later this year." You'll also find full 1080p output, 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio support and a promise to suck down 21% less power in playback compared to the BDP-S300. All yours for $400 (give or take a few pennies).

Pioneer reveals new Blu-ray players in Europe

by Darren Murph posted Jun 25th 2008 at 3:55PM

Remember how your curiosity level shot through the roof when Pioneer abruptly discontinued the BDP-LX70A Blu-ray player in the UK? We're willing to bet this is why. Announced over on Pioneer's European website, we're being treated to three fresh faces -- the Profile 2.0-compliant BDP-LX91, Designer BDP-LX08 and BDP-LX71 -- along with one familiar face (the BDP-51FD). All of the new units will feature 1080p24 support, HDMI 12-Bit Deep Color support, KURO LINK, DTS-HD Master Audio / Dolby True HD compatibility and professional-quality Wolfson Digital Audio Converters (DACs). As for pricing and availability other than Europe, your guess is as good as ours, but we are told to expect the BDP-LX71 in September, the BDP-51FD / BDP-LX08 in October and the BDP-LX91 "later on in the winter." For more on Pioneer's European onslaught, head on over to Engadget HD.

Gallery: Pioneer reveals new Blu-ray players in Europe

Philips launches BDP7200 BonusView-enabled Blu-ray player

by Erik Hanson posted Jan 6th 2008 at 5:39PM

Philips has announced the second generation in its line of Blu-ray players with the BDP7200, sporting 1080p/24 and Deep Color support, and BonusView (aka Profile 1.1) picture-in-picture capability. The player can also upscale DVDs to 1080p, and control connected devices using the EasyLink HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocols. Philips will release the BDP7200 in April for a $349 price, putting it towards the low end on the Blu-ray player price list, but the one thing we wish Philips had let us know was the level of audio codec support, with no mention at all of DTS or Dolby's high-end audio formats.

[Update: Also see our hands-on with the BDP7200.]

Click on for a couple more photos

Continue reading Philips launches BDP7200 BonusView-enabled Blu-ray player

First Blu-ray Disc with PiP profile 1.1 announced -- players please?

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 7th 2007 at 7:20AM

That's it, you're looking at a screenshot from the world's first Blu-ray profile 1.1 disc. The title is Neues vom Wixxer, available in Germany on December 10th. Ok, not exactly a global blockbuster but a first's a first. As such, it supports the "Bonus View" profile which adds decoders for secondary PiP video and audio. This disc in particular, takes advantage of the profile by integrating video commentary from the film's makers and actors. Unfortunately for our dear German readers, Michael Becker, CEO of Imagion AG authoring studio laments that, "no Profile 1.1 players will be available on the [German] market" when it's released. Conversely, the US has a profile 1.1 player (and whispers of another) and no 1.1 media. Sigh. That tittering you hear is the sound of HD DVD fanboys who've had this functionality since day one.

[Thanks Tim W. and Michael B.]