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  • Dolby Vision imaging tech swings to Sony movies

    by 
    Timothy J. Seppala
    Timothy J. Seppala
    09.11.2015

    Slowly but surely Dolby Vision is making its way to more and more places. The cinema company recently announced that it's partnering with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to give Hirai and Co.'s flicks a brighter, more contrasty image, whether you're watching it via a physical or digital format. No specific titles were announced for the high dynamic range video feature, but the press release quotes mention that new releases as well as catalog titles will benefit from the relatively new 4K UHD tech. So! For those keeping track at home, this marks two major studios signed on, as Warner Bros. announced its partnership earlier this year. On the streaming side, Netflix and Xbox Video announced in 2014. Now we just need those Ultra Blu-rays and their players to hit and we'll really be in business.

  • House of Cards S2 Blu-ray goes on sale June 19th for those who prefer a hard copy

    by 
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    04.15.2014

    House of Cards may be most famous for leading the charge of Netflix's original streaming content, but the show's producer Media Rights Capital is ready for all avenues. Just like the first season, season two will get a release on physical discs this summer from Sony Pictures. Frank Underwood's Washington D.C. escapades are ready for viewing in 1080p, and although that's not 4K, at least your ISP's connection to Netflix can't get in the way. One change this year is that there are a few extras on the discs including a behind the scenes look at a table read and dive into Frank's tendency to directly address the viewer -- we'll have to wait and see if Netflix adds special features to the streaming editions before the next season arrives. There's no pricetag yet, but the first season started off at about $50 before settling in near $30, and we'd expect about the same for this one.

  • Got Comcast? You can watch House of Cards without a Netflix subscription

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    03.10.2014

    Have you been eager to watch House of Cards, but haven't wanted to spring for a Netflix subscription? If you're a Comcast subscriber, you no longer have to. The cable firm has reached a deal with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment that lets subscribers buy the first season of House of Cards through the Xfinity Store on their set-top boxes. Orange is the New Black will reach the store on May 13th. The arrangement also gives provides access to some hotter Sony movies and TV shows before the usual video on demand release window, including American Hustle and Breaking Bad. Netflix still has exclusive streaming rights for its shows, but that shouldn't be a problem for Comcast customers with a little extra cash on hand.

  • Sony to offer UltraViolet movies in France and Germany starting late September

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    07.05.2013

    To use UltraViolet these days, you have to live in one of a few English-speaking countries. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will change that soon: the company just teased its plans for the digital locker service in mainland Europe. According to the firm's David Bishop, Germans will get cloud access to Sony movies in late September -- possibly September 30th, as DECE hinted in April -- while the French will have their turn sometime in the fall. Neither Sony nor other studios have provided additional launch dates, although we know that neighboring countries like Belgium and the Netherlands should be next on the list.

  • Spider-Man Blu-ray comes with a Second Screen app for iPad and Sony's Android tablets

    by 
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    10.03.2012

    Since no blockbuster movie in 2012 can have a home release without a second screen companion app for fans to dig through extra content while they watch, Sony has, naturally, announced one for The Amazing Spider-Man. Just like the only three movies to best its take at the box office this year (The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises and even The Hunger Games), Spider-Man's app syncs with the movie in a Timeline Mode that pulls up featurettes, storyboards and the like, while Production Mode lets users sift through the moviemaking process, then select particular clips to play on their TV. Unlike some of the others it is not only on iPad but also Android, however the press release indicates it's restricted to Sony's own Tablet S and Xperia Tablet S. Still, we were able to initiate the 500MB+ download and access it on non-Sony tablets including the Nexus 7 and an CyanogenMod HP TouchPad, so your mileage may vary. You can check out the apps for free at the links below, a preview trailer embedded after the break and snag the movie itself for $25 on Amazon, delivered November 9th.

  • Sony schedules The Social Network Blu-ray for release January 11, 2011

    by 
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    12.15.2010

    After an impressive run in theaters and a recent slew of year end awards, it's no surprise Sony Pictures has quickly scheduled the release of The Social Network on Blu-ray for January 11, 2011. The two disc set includes extras like a commentary with director David Fincher, another with writer Aaron Sorkin and the cast, a documentary about the making of the movie and more. Of course, we think they really might be missing out if there's not some sort of BD-Live powered Facebook checkin included, but that's just us.

  • Monster House 3D Blu-ray reviewed, hints Sony's skills are improving

    by 
    Ben Bowers
    Ben Bowers
    10.08.2010

    If your 3DTV and eyes are moaning from endless replays of the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D Blu-ray, High-Def Digest says Sony's second 3D Blu-ray release, Monster House, can provide some relief. Besides gushing over the "spectacular" 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer, they note that Sony has fixed the issue of background smearing and image ghosting present in the few other 3D Blu-ray titles out there like Cloudy and Monsters vs Aliens. The "impressive" DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack was also deemed a great improvement over the original Blu-ray release's English PCM 5.1 version. Combined with the refreshing lack of pointy-objects-in-your-face 3D gimmick shots and accurate color reproduction, they gave the title 4.5 out of 5 stars for both HD video and audio quality -- which certainly isn't kids stuff. Good news aside, it probably won't make up for the scorn of Pansonic's Avatar exclusive for those using LG, Sony or Samsung gear, but then again, you can always just rent Dances With Wolves if you just need to belong. To read the full review, hit the source link below.

  • Sony 3DTVs go on pre-sale at Sony Style stores immediately, 'Cloudy' hits Blu-ray 3D June 22

    by 
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    06.09.2010

    After getting price and release date information in the UK, Japan and even Canada, Sony has finally seen fit to announce US details for the latest and greatest additions to the BRAVIA LCD lineup. Additionally, the software update to turn on Blu-ray 3D playback and DLNA streaming in its latest players (the out of the box 3D ready BDP-S770 ships next month) is going out today, provided you can find a disc to slip in them -- which you can't until Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs arrives at retail June 22. Just like the other launches, buyers of the new TVs can expect a copy of that movie, Deep Sea, and vouchers for 3D games on the PlayStation Network (once it comes back up.) Oh, and how much will you be spending on the new televisions? Check after the break for all the details, but MSRPs (expect much lower prices in reality, as revealed by JR.com) range from $2,100 for the KDL-40HX800 to $5,000 for a 60-inch BR-60LX900. No word yet on when you'll be able to pick up these displays at any other retailers, but if Sony is your preferred brand for 3D, you'll need to run by a Sony Style store to have a chance of sticking one on the wall in time for the 2010 World Cup.

  • Sony Pictures has 3D Blu-ray titles in store for 2010

    by 
    Ben Drawbaugh
    Ben Drawbaugh
    01.07.2010

    In what is sure to be just the beginning of announcements from studios getting behind 3D Blu-ray, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that when Sony Bravia 3D HDTVs and Blu-ray Players hit the street this Summer that at least one movie from said studio will be available in the new format. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is the first 3D title on the list, but details and other titles are promised this Spring.

  • Sony embeds Blu-ray exclusives on The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut

    by 
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    03.11.2009

    With sequel Angels & Demons ready to hit theaters in May, Sony Pictures is throwing in nearly a half hour of exclusive extra footage on The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut coming to shelves April 28. Codebreakers can look forward to in movie BD-Live chat, a $10 coupon off tickets to the sequel, new director's commentary and a picture-in-picture mode allowing for eight different ways to watch the movie at once, we think fans (and with $700 million+ grossed worldwide there's more than a few of those) will find this hard to pass up.

  • Sony to ship real live Blu-ray Discs to China

    by 
    Darren Murph
    Darren Murph
    11.19.2008

    While some studios are backing away from Asian countries due to rampant piracy, Sony's content with diving right in. According to a recent report from Variety, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will begin distributing 30 current and classic Blu-ray Discs to China on Friday, though they won't be exceptionally cheap. In fact, with titles costing around 205 yuan ($30), we'd bet those Chinese "BD" pirates may actually see a spike in sales. Funny how so much Blu-ray manufacturing is going on in China, yet it's just now about to get its first taste of authentic BD software sales. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world, we tell ya.[Via TechRadar]

  • Sony caves, will offer iTunes film download in Pineapple Express

    by 
    Darren Murph
    Darren Murph
    11.12.2008

    It's a momentous occasion, folks. Sony -- the outfit known for boldly sticking to its proprietary guns when perfectly acceptable options are widely available -- is finally showing that it can reach across the aisle to get things done. All politics aside, the January-bound Pineapple Express will include a downloadable version from iTunes. We're told that this is the first time in which a Sony Pictures Home Entertainment release has included such a thing, and yes, a traditional digital copy for PCs / PSPs will also be bundled with the DVD / Blu-ray. Which is just about as cool as killing your arch enemy with a Daewoo Lanos.[Via HomeMediaMagazine, image courtesy of SPHE]

  • PS3 European launch helped sell over 180,000 Blu-ray movies

    by 
    Peter vrabel
    Peter vrabel
    07.04.2007

    The HD war over real estate in your living room just hit a new milestone with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's recent claim of just how successful the European launch of the PS3 was. Citing a 1000% increase in Blu-ray movie sales since the European launch of the PS3 in March, the boys (and girls) in the Sony camp are certainly smiling. Sony Pictures also mentioned sales of their movies account for 50% of all Blu-ray movies sold in Europe, thanks in large part to the permeation of their strongest release to date, Casino Royale. Other top-selling HD discs include The Departed, which previously enjoyed the top-selling Blu-ray movie slot prior to Casino Royale's runaway truck-like sales growth, and the fantastic BBC documentary Planet Earth. Both highly recommended, no matter what side of the HD fence you happen to fall on.

  • Final Fantasy gets a Blu-ray treatment [Update]

    by 
    Peter vrabel
    Peter vrabel
    05.31.2007

    In lulls of gaming goodness, we like to sit back and watch what 1080p can deliver, thanks to the PS3 built-in Blu-ray player. Recently Sony Pictures Home Entertainment unveiled their late summer lineup, with Arlington Road and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within both set for release on August 7th. The feature list for Arlington Road looks pretty light, but Final Fantasy is getting the full treatment, with additional featurettes, an interactive documentary, deleted footage and even joke outtakes. Then on December 11th, Lost: The Complete Third Season will mark its debut on both standard DVD and Blu-ray with again, more goodies than typical Blu-ray fare has provided so far. It's good to finally see movie studios show their strong Blu-ray support by supplying meatier Blu-ray supplemental features. Are there any unannounced titles you are heavily anticipating for Blu-ray release?[Update: Disney Home Entertainment has officially come out to say that Badder Santa and Lost: The Complete Third Season are "not planned for high-def (Blu-ray) release." Also important to note, they reaffirmed their Blu-ray exclusivity and have "no plans" to support HD-DVD anytime soon. Removed Lost from the post title.][Thanks Mark & frambrosis]

  • Surprise surprise, new movies on HD DVD outsell catalog releases

    by 
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    06.30.2006

    In the least surprising news of this century, VideoBusiness is reporting that the titles that are selling the fastest on HD DVD, are new releases, and movies including HD DVD-specific interactive features. 16 Blocks, Syriana, The Bourne Supremacy and Constantine are all noted as having excellent performance in the marketplace, blowing away older titles like Blazing Saddles.Please take this time to allow the shock you are feeling in response to that wash over you. Ready to move on? Ok. We've begged, pleaded, cajoled and done...unspeakable things hoping to convince executives of the various movie studios like Warner, Universal and Sony Pictures to put out more (and better) content on HD DVD and Blu-ray but to no avail. Hopefully these cold unflinching numbers can achieve what our time on the casting couch didn't.  Convince executives that early adopters won't buy just anything we want premium content in high definition and are willing to pay for it. It's not that we don't like Blazing Saddles, it's just not exactly what we were dreaming of showing on our 1080p HDTVs.