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RED blows away small room of videophiles with 4k RED RAY footage at half the bitrate of MiniDV
While RED has been pretty tight-lipped about its planned RED RAY product, some footage shown off at RED's NAB party gave a sizable hint that RED RAY could be much more than meets the eye -- specifically a $1,000 device that can play cinema-quality 4k video off of standard DVDs. At the party they played an uncompressed showreel of 4k footage on a Sony 4k projector, which clocked in at 1.3GB per second, and then showed that exact same footage under the "RED RAY" codec at a mere 10Mb/s (megabits, not bytes; about half the bitrate of SD DV), at a compression rate of 700:1. Attendees claimed they could see zero visible compression, though a projector in a ballroom isn't exactly the best case scenario to test that sort of thing. Unfortunately, there's little other info about how they're achieving this (we hear "wavelets" come into the equation at some point), or to what nefarious aims, but with compression like this the implications for content distribution are pretty stunning: 1080p+ streaming for all. Naturally, the down side of all of this is probably some pretty hefty processing power on the consumer end, but we'll cross that I/O bridge when we come to it.[Thanks, Ben H]
China Blue HD players revealed, second stage of the format war is officially on
China's alternative to Blu-ray finally has some hardware to show off, with players from TCL and Shinco making their debut this week. Priced at less than 2,000 yuan ($292) they're reportedly 40% cheaper than the competition, and while the promised support from Warner Bros. has yet to materialize it plans to release 100 movies on the CBHD format by the end of the year. That's about all the machine translation could help us make out beyond the usual promise of lower licensing fees for Chinese manufacturers, but a better look at the latest (and by far most legit, although that's not saying much) Blu-ray fighter is beyond the read link.[Via CDR Info]
Pioneer gives its PDX-Z10 SACD player an iPod boost
We're not sure about how well the SACD (Super Audio CD) format is doing in Japan, but if it's anything like it is here in the US, then the iPod input on Pioneer Japan's PDX-Z10 SACD player will be a welcome addition to those audiophiles who actually want a wide selection of content. To be fair, the PDX-Z10 packs a fair bit of audio utility into its sleek chassis, with a 2x50-Watt amp, USB input, and an ethernet port for DLNA access to media stored around your local network. The PDX-Z10 is set for a late May release, but the ¥150,000 ($1500) pricetag is going to relegate this piece of gear to the executive offices. Again, we're not intimately familiar with the Japanese market, but we're scratching our heads over how Pioneer could shutter the Kuro displays, but keep a light on for SACD.
Motorola's QUE100 MicroEncoder lets analog sources and digital displays to play nice
We were pretty excited to see analog TVs disappear from store shelves; delays in the analog shutoff aside, it was a big move in the right direction. But wouldn't you know it, there's a niche market that still legitimately needs to move video around to analog-only endpoints -- security cameras, commercial distribution systems and MDU (multiple dwelling units) setups, for example. Users of such systems who haven't stocked up on analog sets will be glad to know Motorola's got them covered with the QUE100 QAM MicroEncoder. The svelte rack-mountable units will soak up 2, 4, 8 or 12 (depending on model) standard definition MPEG-2 analog video feeds along with their audio and put them all into a single MPEG-2 QAM output that can be tuned on those newfangled digital tuners.
Blockbuster voices "substantial doubt" about ability to survive
As depressing as it is to see an American icon come this close to collapse, is it really any surprise? While the world kept turning, Netflix kept reinventing itself and movies found their way onto the internets (legally), Blockbuster sat still... and that's putting things nicely. Sure, it tried the whole movie set-top-box thing, but no on will argue that it went about things the wrong way. In a recent SEC filing, the company made perfectly clear that there was serious risk that it wouldn't be able to refinance its crushing debt load in order to stay afloat for a wee bit longer; in fact, it noted that said quandary raised "substantial doubt" about its "ability to continue." 'Course, hampering its Total Access rental plan and promising less stock in-store doesn't exactly sound like a brilliant plan to be successful, but maybe yesterday would be the best time to completely revolutionize its business and go online only. Just an idea, is all.
ArcSoft's SimHD plug-in takes SD footage to "near HD"
Another month, another upscaling technology. Tapping into NVIDIA's versatile CUDA architecture, ArcSoft has just announced its SimHD upscaling tech, which scales SD and DVD content to "near high-definition quality." The app integrates with the company's heralded TotalMedia Theater, though you'll need an NVIDIA GPU in order to really take advantage. We're told that it's compatible with millions of NVIDIA GPUs from the GeForce 8 Series onwards, including GeForce and Quadro lines. The pain for better looking pixels? $19.95 and a 5MB download, which may or may not end up costing more than the code itself if you use Time Warner Cable.
AMC adding upwards of 1,500 3D screens in North America
Remember when seeing a movie was simple? You just strolled in, paid one low price for a ticket, and you saw the flick. No worrying over which theaters had 4K projectors, which had DTS sound or which had 3D support. As cinemas across the nation continue to leap on the three-dee bandwagon, RealD and AMC Entertainment has just linked up in order to bring up to 1,500 3D screens across Canada and the US. We're told that the rollout is already underway, with more and more screens getting equipped each month. All told, this will bring RealD's 3D network to nearly 8,000 total committed screens worldwide with approximately 2,600 RealD 3D screens installed today. Excited? No?
Video: GE bringing 3D HD baggage screening to airports
Certain airports have already taken the whole "walk through the metal detector" thing to the next level, but things are about to get stepped up once more thanks to TSA certification on a new product from GE Security. The CTX 9800 DSi, which happily sits in the company's explosives detection systems (EDS) line, is now free to waltz into airports in order to "protect travelers with advanced high-definition 3D imaging baggage screening technology." We're talking 360 degree, finely-detailed views of baggage contents, which will undoubtedly cause immense embarrassment when a given TSA agent sees your prime selection of underwear, nose hair trimmer and pink nail polish. Here's hoping this won't slow security lines down even further, and if you're interested in seeing what all this thing can do, just mash play on the video above.
Warner Bros. 'Archive' brings obscure films to DVD on-demand
Being the digital aficionados that we are, we still prefer Criterion's Online Cinematheque over this approach, but those not quite ready to give up physical media will absolutely (and understandably) disagree. At any rate, the studio has just fired up its Warner Archive, a nice little web portal where film fanatics can surf over and locate niche titles to be placed on a DVD and shipped out. Most of the flicks are priced at $19.95, but that's still far cheaper than scouring eBay for hours in hopes of finding the original reel, having it converted and then watching it. Head on over to see if there's anything you like, but don't be shocked if you leave a few Benjamins poorer.
Fast & Furious Blu-ray Trilogy reviewed, D-BOX shines
The new Fast & Furious, not to be confused with the old Fast & Furious, is all set to become the first major theatrical release with D-BOX baked in. And as TheHDRoom points out, these movies were just born to be felt as well as watched. When reviewing the trilogy on Blu-ray, they found these discs immediately among their favorite D-BOX discs. More specifically, they noted that the sensation was strong and engrossing throughout, especially when cars were changing gears -- though they did confess that Tokyo Drift suffered from jolts that were just too faint to really enjoy. Of course, you'd have to be the world's biggest F&F fan to let this trio of flicks convince you to pick up one of those pricey D-BOX motion chairs, but if you're leaning that way, give the read link a look beforehand.
Deutsche Telekom exec sees holographic TV within a decade
Deutsche Telekom, the parent company of the better known T-Mobile, has certainly made a name for itself over at the IPTV World Forum. The outfit's Chief Innovation Officer Christopher Schlaffer was quoted as saying that both 3DTV and holographic TV were definitely primed to take off within the next ten years. His reasoning for such a bold assertion was this: "Storage capacity and processing capacity is exploding. There is no doubt that bandwidth is tripling every year, so ten years from now are we going to be looking at 1,000Mb connections in every home on average? I would say yes, absolutely." Granted, this is just one guy's opinion on what may or may not happen, but given just how quickly the television viewing experience is morphing right now, we suppose it's not all that far-fetched. Besides, some of this has to come true if we're to enjoy the 2012 Olympics in 3D, right?[Via ElectricPig]
iZ3D debuts polarized 3D glasses, announces DirectX 10 driver
iZ3D, the company responsible for that $399 22-inch 3D monitor, has just unveiled a new way to see the third dimension at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco. The new polarized 3D glasses are currently in beta testing and should soon be released alongside the iZ3D v2.0 / DirectX 10 driver. Reportedly, these linear polarized glasses will solve color viewing issues experienced by some users, not to mention allowing for easier user adjustments. Full releases for both the spectacles and the new driver are just past the break.
Netflix goes social, integrates with Facebook Connect
Clearly, having access to your Netflix queue on your iPhone just isn't intimate enough, and now the company is expanding its reach once more by announcing Facebook Connect integration. Officially, the integration "seamlessly links a Netflix member's account with his or her Facebook account," though with Facebook changing its layout every three month, you probably won't be able to find the Netflix bit by the time summer draws to a close. At any rate, Facebook Connect will extend members' movie ratings from the Netflix community to Facebook, and of course, Netflix subscribers can decide whether or not they want to take advantage. The idea here is for Facebook friends to yap online over ratings and such, and generally keep Netflix on the tip of their tongue at all times. Hit up the full release past the break for all the appropriate setup information.
Blockbuster hamstrings Total Access rental plan
You know what the last thing a losing company should do? Something that makes even more of its customers jump ship. As Blockbuster looks to cut costs and buy fewer DVDs from studios, the company is also hoping that Total Access customers don't notice a tiny change (posted in full after the break) in the fine print. Up until now, Total Access customers could swap their by-mail rentals in store for a DVD that didn't count against their maximum out-at-a-time number; starting right about now in most locations, "all free movie in-store exchange rentals will count towards the number of DVDs you are allowed out under your Total Access plan at any one time." Of course, it also removed the return date limitation on all movies rented in-store while still a paying Total Access subscriber, but clearly the cons outweigh the pros here. Anyone considering Netflix now that Blockbuster has pulled a fast one?[Thanks, Michael]
Comtrend's wireless video adapters based on Celeno HD WiFi chip
Earlier this year, Celeno and Cavium teamed up to pump out a WiFi-based wireless HDMI Solution, and now the former company has notched yet another partner in its quest to spread the joys of wireless video the world over. Announced at the IPTV World Forum, Comtrend has selected Celeno's HD WiFi chips for its wireless video adapters, which are available now for service providers worldwide. Their purpose? To distribute multiple HD IPTV content from any Ethernet-equipped home gateway or DVR to IP set-top-boxes. In other words, the solution ensures reliable IPTV home networking, providing whole home coverage without any new wires. There's no specific word on where we'll see this stuff roll out, but those over in London can check it out in person starting tomorrow. Full release is after the break.
Blockbuster to cut costs, buy fewer DVDs from studios
Maybe we're way off our rocker here, but it seems like every quarter Blockbuster is trying something new to get its business out of the dumpster. We've heard everything from potential mergers to boosted rental prices to yes / no on enhanced digital delivery, and now we're hearing that it'll be slashing costs by offering less of what you want more of. While the company saw same-store sales increase 4.4 percent in Q4 and 6.4 percent for the full-year 2008, it still managed to post a $435 million loss on an impairment charge for the most previous ending quarter. In order to shave costs, we're hearing that it'll be buying fewer DVDs from studios and lobbying for "better revenue-sharing participation from movie studios and video games publishers." In reality, though, we see all of this as just a band-aid for a stupendously large gash; it's going to take a serious overhaul for Blockbuster to survive the next decade, and buying a few less discs ain't it.[Via TomsPayde]
Poll: Are you still buying DVDs?
This week's poll question is pretty simple, really. Even if you've taken the Blu-ray dive, are you still spending your hard-earned cash on DVDs? Are you still forking out for DVDs instead of making the switch to Blu-ray? Discuss the pros and cons below if you'd like, and remember, upscaling really is all that's needed for some people. Okay, videophiles? %Poll-28328%
Movie Gallery fires up in-store PowerPlay subscription plan
At this point, Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video are just children in the grown-up world of video rentals, but even we can't help but appreciate its latest, um, attempt. After finding that people don't actually enjoy waiting for DVDs to arrive by mail, it has concocted its very own in-store subscription service, dubbed PowerPlay. In theory, at least, it's a fantastic plan; users are able to pop in, check out a DVD or Blu-ray for an unlimited window of time (or video game for five days), and then return it at their leisure. The problem? The unlimited service is a staggering $39.99 per month, and so far as we can tell, you can only have one flick at a time checked out. Other plans are certainly available, but none of 'em come close to the awesomeness of Blockbuster / Netflix. Sorry, but it's true.[Via VideoBusiness, image courtesy of CPDothan]
Dolby gives Chinese Blu-ray makers access to TrueHD / Digital Plus
It's hard to tell if this is a coincidence or not, but just hours after the Blu-ray Disc Association granted the DRA audio coding technology approval for use on Blu-ray flicks, Dolby has come forward to proudly proclaim that its TrueHD and Digital Plus audio technologies can now be used by select Chinese firms. TCL Technoly Electronics, MIT Technology and Lite-On have all been given the green light under license to use Dolby's tech on Blu-ray Disc products, though it does seem a bit curious to us that only these three were selected. Maybe those other guys didn't pass the "apt-to-ape" test?
DVD region code blocks British Prime Minister from enjoying Obama's gift
"Oh, bollocks." No, we can't definitively prove that Gordon Brown said that after witnessing a "Wrong Region" code when inserting a DVD given to him by Barack Obama, but we're sure something of the sort was uttered. You see, the ridiculous DVD region coding system recently prevented the British Prime Minister from viewing a set of 25 "American classics" on DVD, all of which were bestowed upon him by President Obama during a recent visit to Washington, D.C. We hate to bludgeon a dead mule, but seriously, when will the DRM madness end? Er, on second thought, maybe this is precisely what's necessary to keep those region-free player outlets in business, and thus, the economy strong.[Via techdirt, image courtesy of AmericaLives]
