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‘Babylon 5’ is great, so why does it look so bad?
When the histories of this golden age of television are written, they will likely begin with The Sopranos. But that would be a mistake because the template a lot of modern-day TV copies was instead created by Babylon 5. A decade before The Wire would be hailed as a "novel for television," B5 was a hyper-serialized grand story that was conceived as a single five-year epic.
'Batman: The Animated Series' is coming to Blu-ray in 2018
Batman: The Animated Series is finally getting the remaster treatment it deserves. From this weekend's New York Comic Con Warner Bros. announced that "later in the year" in 2018 it will release the influential animated show to high-def formats. As Polygon notes, the specifics are a bit fuzzy at this point. Will the 85-episode show come out all in one boxed set, or in volumes like the DVDs before? At this point that's up in the air. However, any package will likely look and sound better than streaming the show on Amazon Prime. Plus, every episode will almost assuredly have the iconic opening credits sequence attached.
Relive the first 11 seasons of 'South Park' on Blu-ray this fall
While we tend to post more about South Park video games around here, television's most crass social satire is equally important, really. To that end, Paramount Pictures has just announced that the first 11 years of South Park will be available on Blu-ray this fall for the first time. The individual seasons will come as a two-disc set, with the first five seasons available on November 21st and the following six seasons available on December 19th.
Samsung's stylish speakers upgrade your audio to 32-bit
Samsung's latest speakers aren't just classy AV units that complement your furniture, they also deliver 32-bit audio. The company is promising listeners a new level of clarity thanks to its new Ultra High Quality (UHQ) audio tech, which upscales both existing 8-bit and 24-bit sound to output at 32-bit. Targeting audiophiles who might be able to tell the difference, Samsung's 32-bit audio should deliver sound closer to the original recording. The new tech works with both wireless and wired speakers, and Samsung's upcoming H7 Wireless Speaker and MS750 Soundbar are both compatible. Even if you can't hear the difference in audio quality, the speakers are pretty darn... pretty.
Middle-earth Blu-ray set is gorgeous, but insanely expensive
Yes, many Lord of the Rings fans (including this writer) may be obsessive collectors, but the latest movie collection that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are releasing this far takes things into the realm of the truly crazy. The just-announced "Middle-earth Limited Collectors Edition" includes the extended editions of all six of director Peter Jackson's films set in J.R.R. Tolkien's imagined world on Blu-ray. That gets you the three movies based on The Hobbit and three more movies that make up The Lord of the Rings. It all comes in a lavish and beautiful presentation -- but that lovely physical package will set you back a whopping $799.99.
'Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV' gets its first English trailer
A new theatrical trailer is out for Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the film companion to the upcoming video game. This is the first time audiences can hear the CG movie's star-studded English-language voice talent.
Panasonic's $699 UHD Blu-ray player arrives in September
If you thought Ultra HD Blu-ray players were already pretty expensive, Panasonic would like to have a word. Whereas Samsung's player and the recently released unit from Philips aim for a mainstream crowd with $400 price tags, Panasonic is targeting audiophiles and folks with slightly deeper pockets. The DMP-UB900 costs $699 and features a few wild specs like twin HDMI outputs for separating audio and video signals; premium capacitors, circuitry and signal processors; "digital tube sound" that supposedly replicates analog warmth from a digital signal and playback for DSD and ALAC audio formats. Yep, your TV's speakers would be a waste of all this tech.
'The Iron Giant' gets a collector edition Blu-ray this fall
Last September, the animated classic The Iron Giant returned to US theaters as a "Signature Edition" with high definition visuals and two additional scenes. Warner Bros. has now confirmed a Blu-ray release for this fall, as well as an "Ultimate Collectors Edition" that includes a few extra goodies. For $74.99, you'll get the "Signature" cut and the original theatrical release, both in high and standard definition. There's also a documentary on the disc called The Giants Dream, which gives a "definitive" look at how the 1999 classic was put together.
Watch the version of 'Star Wars' that George Lucas hates
If you want to watch the original, unaltered version of Star Wars from 1977 legally your options are essentially nonexistent. George Lucas has infamously disowned the original theatrical releases, standing by his CGI-filled Special Editions from the late '90s. If you're willing to bend the law a little bit, though, a fan-restored 35mm print of the original has been floating around the web and garnered a solid amount of interest recently. And until there's an official release of the unaltered trilogy on Blu-ray (keep the hope alive!), it's probably the best way to watch Han shoot first.
Sony's UHP-H1 Blu-ray player also does multi-room audio (updated)
Going into CES, we knew we'd see a number of Ultra HD Blu-ray players. It's no surprise Sony has one of its own: the UHP-H1. Oddly enough the UHP-H1 is not a 4K Blu-ray player -- its main attraction is its focus on audio. The player can be configured to play multi-room audio through Sony's SongPal app or bump songs stored on a USB drive. Its Bluetooth features also makes for easy pairing with speakers or headphones.
Sony's first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases will arrive early next year
If you were hoping Ultra HD Blu-ray discs would be here in time for the holidays, you're going to have to wait a bit longer. Well, as far as Sony Pictures content is concerned anyway. The company announced today that its 4K Ultra HD discs will go on sale "in early 2016," missing the end-of-the-year estimate the Blu-ray Disc Association revealed back in August. When Sony's catalog does arrive, you can expect The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Salt, Hancock, Chappie, Pineapple Express, and The Smurfs 2 to be included in the first wave of releases. Newer movies like Fury and Captain Philips are in the works as well, and after being restored from the original film, the likes of Ghostbusters and The Fifth Element will make the leap to 4K, too.
Daily Roundup: Titanfall's secret weapon, Edward Snowden talks encryption, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Gamefly tries adding movie rentals to its disc-by-mail service
Netflix may have flinched at the prospect of maintaining its disc-by-mail service, but GameFly seems to be embracing it. On April 4th, the company will begin shipping DVD and Blu-ray discs to customers with a 2-game (or higher) GameFly subscription. The program is a test, Gamefly CEO Dave Hodess told VentureBeat, launched in the wake of subscriber pleas for film rentals. It's free for now -- piggybacking on the company's existing game distribution network -- but Hodess says that Gamefly will monitor the test and tweak the program as needed. While we don't know how large the company's film library is just yet, the beta presents an interesting alternative for folks who miss the duality of Blockbuster's defunct disc service.
White Xbox One and an all-digital, less expensive console reportedly coming fall 2014
Microsoft's white, employee-only Xbox One could become a little less exclusive. The snow-colored console is rumored to appear alongside the cartoony shooter Sunset Overdrive this October, and a 1TB version of the hardware might release in November according to a NeoGAF thread that's been confirmed by The Verge's sources. What's more, Microsoft's latest console may also see worldwide release this year sans Blu-ray drive for $399. With the annual DICE Summit and Game Developers Conference not far off on the horizon, it might not be long before we see these rumors publicly confirmed. We've reached out to Redmond and will let you know if we hear back. Update: The source of the NeoGAF thread also says that a Limited Edition Titanfall console is on the way too, posting what he says is an image of the special console's design. Skip on past the break for a peek at the alleged hardware.
Xbox One installs discs to the HDD, friends list capped at 1,000
The Xbox One's 50GB Blu-ray discs will automatically rip to your 500GB hard drive, Microsoft tells us, and it looks like you won't have to wait til they're done to get going. That's according to the Xbox One landing page on Xbox.com, spotted by our friends at Joystiq, which says, "With Xbox One, you can start playing immediately as games install. And updates install seamlessly in the background, so your games and entertainment won't be interrupted." And that's not all they've sussed out in details -- the Xbox One will also have a 1,000-person friend cap. How does that tie into the Skype integration? Good question! That's not clear just yet, but it stands to reason that they're independent of each other.
Warner quietly extends the expiration dates of digital copies, discs remain ornamental
Missed out on claiming digital copies of video included with your discs because the expiration dates have passed? Well, Warner Bros. wants to make such frustrations a mere memory, as Tech of the Hub has found it's silently updated the use-by dates of a significant portion of its catalogue. By browsing the WB digital copy support page, it's evident most titles are now available until May 17th 2017, although we did find several exceptions. Some may discover that despite the extension their original codes won't work, but Gabe at Tech of the Hub was swiftly provided with fresh and functional ones when he notified WB, so we assume you'll get the same treatment. With streaming support now available for many of these digital copies through iCloud and expiration dates a thing of the far future, there's never been a better time to pack those shelves with limited editions and classic re-releases.
Panasonic's UN-W700 runs Android, streams Blu-ray video, takes Skype calls, isn't a tablet
We've seen Android used for home theater purposes before, but it's been rare that a company has wanted Google's OS used almost exclusively with that purpose in mind. Panasonic is gambling that its UN-W700 can use Android (2.3, unfortunately) for an all-singing, all-dancing compact video device. The 7-inch, 800x480 standee plays media from its SDXC card slot or over DLNA, including recordings normally destined for Blu-ray from one of Panasonic's Diga set-top boxes. If you'd rather dish out video than just receive it, there's a front camera for Skype video calls -- and the W700 is still Google-blessed, so you can visit Google Play if you'd rather play Death Rally than watch Death Race 2000. We're not sure about the idea of a tablet without much of the portability, but Japanese shops will give the opportunity to decide for yourself on July 25th for an unofficially estimated $446.
Engadget Giveaway: win a Sony 40-inch 1080p HDTV, courtesy of The Grey on Blu-ray and DVD
It's movie time, folks. The bad news is that you have to bring your own popcorn. The good news, on the other hand, is that the feature film and the TV are on us! Thanks to the folks at Universal Studios Home Entertainment, there's a 40-inch 1080p HDTV up for grabs. The occasion is the studio's release of The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, on Blu-ray this coming Tuesday May 15th. If you're the lucky winner, however, you won't even have to venture out to stores to pick up a copy of your own -- one will come included with the TV! Unfortunately, there's one additional restriction this time around: only US residents are able to enter. But if you qualify, head below and leave a comment, and good luck!
iTunes movies in 1080p: less than or equal to Blu-ray image quality?
Blu-ray's been atop the home entertainment mountain, with only fleeting competition from HD-DVDs, ever since its introduction. Since then, home internet connections have gotten faster and the quality of downloadable content has improved such that iTunes can offer 1080p versions of your favorite movies. But, does iTunes really provide the crystal clear quality we're accustomed to seeing from its disc-based competition? The good folks at Ars Technica decided to find out using the film 30 Days of Night, and results were mixed: text and color reproduction were virtually indistinguishable, but the compressed iTunes version showed warts when dealing with bright spots and dark gradients. Highlights in the downloaded movie were a little blown out and lacked the detail of their Blu-ray counterparts, and banding was visible in the downloaded movie during a darker scene. So, it seems that supreme video quality still comes via optical drive, but if you're willing to sacrifice a smidge, the iTunes alternative is still pretty darn good. Don't take our word for it, though, there's lots of photos detailing the difference at the source below.
Hitachi to halt domestic production of Wooo LCD and plasma TVs, Mitsubishi to axe optical discs?
Hitachi's line of domestically produced Wooo TVs is coming to an end, now that the manufacturer has confirmed plans to close a major plant in central Japan. In an announcement issued today, Hitachi said it will shutter its factory in Gifu, where some 100,000 LCD and plasma TVs are produced each month. Citing industry-wide price competition as the deciding factor, the company went on to clarify that the facility will shut down by September of this year, and that it will instead be used to manufacture projectors and chips. Hitachi will, however, continue to offer non-Wooo TVs manufactured by non-Japanese contractors. Japan's Asahi Shimbun, meanwhile, is reporting that Mitsubishi has decided to terminate domestic production of DVDs and Blu-Rays, due to declining sales of each. From now on, optical disc manufacturing will instead be outsourced to partner companies in India and Taiwan. For more details, check out the post-break press release.