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Unstoppable: the first Blu-ray film with Android-compatible Digital Copy
It's a little shocking that it's taken this long to get a Digital Copy that's compatible with Android, but clearly it's the week of shackles being broken. Just yesterday, Qualcomm announced that all future Snapdragon devices would be cleared for Netflix streaming, and now Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is announcing that its impending Unstoppable launch will allow Android users to watch the flick on the go. By enabling the transfer through BD Live, it marks the first time that this has been possible with Google's mobile OS, though it should be noted that consumers will need the disc itself, a WiFi-connected BD player, Android 1.6 or higher and the free PocketBLU app to make the magic happen. Both the movie and app can be downloaded starting today, but here's the real question: are you willing to invest in a movie just to experience Digital Copy... on Android?
Philips BDP5010 Blu-ray / Divx player drops below $70 at Target
Believe it: $70 at Target takes home a new Philips (eh hem, Funai) BDP5010 Blu-ray player that once sold for as much as $250. Hell, it's listed for $139.99 right now on Target's online storefront. If you do manage to track one down in a real life Target store then you'll be getting DivX support, a SDHC card reader, BD Live, and HDMI CEC convenience. While a quick search returns a bevy of mixed reviews (image quality is only so-so), really, for $69.98 you really can't complain if you're looking to finally make the jump to 1080p physical media. [Thanks, Keith B.]
Terminator: Salvation BD-Live director commentary impressions
One of the main problems with initial Blu-ray director's chat sessions was a lack of feeling any life or interactivity, but Warner gave it another shot this weekend by offering audio over BD-Live as a moderator bounced audience provided questions off of director McG while watching Terminator: Salvation. Despite a less than stellar reputation, BD-Live has continued to slowly creep along, adding features and enhancements, so we wanted to if this event bodes well for the future of internet enabled discs. Check after the break for our impressions, plus a few clips of the director talking about what he did and didn't like about the finished product, director's cuts in general, and the possibility of doing another Terminator movie. %Gallery-79793%
BD-Live scores 4-million monthly connections, and that's a lot of trailers
We'll say it right up front -- BD-Live hasn't impressed early, but we're not going to give up on it altogether. For the most part, it has underwhelmed because of uninspired implementation, not the technology itself. While we skip right by most BD-Live features, however, consumers are connecting their decks to the cloud some 4-million times each month to grab up freebies, according to Deluxe Digital Studios. What's the most popular kind of feature that users are getting their hands on? Trailers, of course -- reinforcing our "uninspired" comment. The linked post at Video Business hints at exciting new BD-Live developments like social networking and hooking into mobile devices, and we'd like to see some of these ideas get traction. But our advice is that if Hollywood doesn't "... want people to feel like they are being marketed to," then just don't market to them. Crazy talk, we know, but share your crazy ideas below.
Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray player coming November for $250, gives HD-DVD the final cold shoulder
And so it is. Toshiba, the one-time cheerleader for HD-DVD, has now officially gone to the azure side with the BDX2000 Blu-ray player. It supports BD-Live (Profile 2.0) and REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC), outputs 1080p at 24 frames per second, and does Dolby True HD / DTS-HD Master Audio... but really, all that needs to be said here is that it's a Toshiba Blu-ray player. Look for this one-time paradox this November for a penny under $250. As for yesteryear, we think this line from the press release says it best: "This product does not play HD DVD discs." It's at once both sad and poetic that this very well may be the last official line ever uttered in the once-promising format's story.
Onkyo shows pride in its DV-BD507 Blu-ray player with lofty $449 price tag
Onkyo's never been one to dabble in the Blu-ray bargain basement, but with BD decks selling for well under the $200 mark, we're wondering what kind of secret sauce is boxed in with the DV-BD507. The outfit's latest Profile 2.0 player doesn't sound too special based on specs alone, as it supports HDMI 1.3a, 1080p output, BD-Live functionality and BonusView features just like every other respectable rival on the market already. Sure, we can't say we don't appreciate its innate ability to process AVCHD files stored on SD / SDHC cards or toasted DVDs, but even on a good day we can't justify the $449 MSRP. Maybe it's upgradable to 3D... or something. Fancy rear shot is waiting after the break.
Universal bringing BD-Live integration to the iPhone, irony to starving children
Although Apple still hasn't managed to achieve feature parity with any of its competitors by enabling Blu-ray playback in OS X, it looks like Universal's bringing the mountain to the Mac -- or at least the iPhone. At first, the upcoming special edition of Fast and Furious will feature integration with a special iPhone / iPod touch app that'll allow viewers to control 360-degree models of the cars in the "Virtual Car Garage," but later Universal releases will feature the ability to control movie playback, read annotations while watching your flick, and even download ancillary video content for later playback on the go. Sounds like pretty nifty stuff -- let's hope El Steve reconsiders his whole "bag of hurt" stance when he gets the demo.[Via AppleInsider]
Harman Kardon brings Blu-ray to America with BDP 1 deck
See that player right there? It looks really familiar, doesn't it? Aside from a power adapter that's suited for use in the United States of America, it's essentially the BDP 10 sans a zero. Shortly after announcing its first Blu-ray deck overseas, Harman Kardon has seen fit to offer up a model here in the States, with BD-Live functionality, a USB socket, HDMI 1.3a, Ethernet, IR-remote in / out jacks, optical / coaxial digital audio outputs and support for all the major audio formats. The pain? $499, and it should start filtering into retailers as early as this month.
Panasonic's DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player: $800, ships this month
It'll definitely run you less here in America than it would if you chose to import straight from Japan, but the planet's first BD-Live-capable portable Blu-ray player still ain't cheap. Today, Panny announced that its DMP-B15 -- which originally broke cover at CES -- will be shipping later this month in the US for $799.95. That nets you an 8.9-inch WSVGA display, VIERA CAST internet accessibility, an SD card slot, 2.5 hour rechargeable battery, HDMI output and BD-Live (Profile 2.0) functionality. Oh, and quiet kids on the next road trip to Gramps' pad, which is totally priceless.
LG's HR400 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray recorder gets outed
So, why can't Yanks get ahold of these Blu-ray recorders again? All pent-up rage aside, what we're looking at above is LG's yet-to-be-formally-announced HR400, a Blu-ray recorder that will evidently be aimed initially at the European market. Packing BD-Live (Profile 2.0) support, a built-in DVB-T TV tuner and YouTube compatibility, this deck also arrives with 160GB of internal hard drive space for holding OTA recordings. Heck, this thing can even play back DivX HD files, stream media clips from other places on your network and upscale DVDs to 1080p. Is all that worth €599 ($852)? We're saying no, but you and your wallet can make your own darn decisions.
Dreamer trying to draw Java developers to its BIDDLE API
So far, BD-Live seems like an answer to a question no one particularly cares about, but we're still holding out hope that the technology will be put to good use by someone. The devil's in the details (read - please make it pleasant to use), but putting Profile 2.0 into service as a streaming service like Videocity is promising sounds like a step in the right direction. Lest we forget Dreamer's efforts along the same lines, the company is showing off its Java-based BIDDLE API to developers in hopes of gaining some traction for "BluTube" type of applications. Yeah, we need another way of accessing YouTube about as much as we need more dust bunnies behind the TV, but we see way more potential on this front than, say, Yakuza Fighter redux. With wireless networking, more codecs and increased persistent storage showing up in Blu-ray decks, APIs like BIDDLE just might make the line between STBs and Blu-ray players really blurry -- and if it means we can eBay away some of those STBs, we're all for it.
LG's WiFi-enabled, DivX-friendly BD390 Blu-ray player now shipping
LG continues to up its game in the Blu-ray department, first shipping the planet's first Netflix-enabled BD deck and now shipping the planet's first DivX HD 1080p certified player. Yep, the BD390 -- which was originally unveiled back at CES this year -- is now making its way out to eager consumers, boasting an 802.11n WiFi module and support for DivX streaming from a DLNA server. The pain? $399.95, but at least that includes BD-Live support, 7.1-channel audio output, 1GB of inbuilt memory and a USB 2.0 socket.
Denon outs 2009 line of Blu-ray players, AV receivers and headphones
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.
Poll: Have you been impressed by BD-Live?
It's been a little over a year since we got our first look at BD-Live in the home, so ow do things look now? That first experience was certainly quite disappointing, but in the intervening year there's been at least a few small steps forward, along with some notable failures. With all the director's chats, promotional networks and the like behind us, and the possibility of video on-demand and live video updates from Star Trek conferences in our present and future, have you seen anything impressive yet, or anything that bodes well for the future of BD-Live?%Poll-29733%
Star Trek, CSI Blu-ray boxed sets doing BD-Live right with dynamicHD
Implementations of dynamicHD on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs so far have been some of the best examples of the potential BD-Live holds that we keep hearing about, but rarely see. For those Star Trek fans that picked up TOS box set this week, it not only ties them into the www.cbs-bdlive.com website, but also brings home interviews, behind the scenes looks and other highlights from FEDCON in Europe that is going on from today until May 3. Next up to tie Internet downloads into the disc based experience? CSI: Crime Scene Investigation The First Season hitting May 12. You can check out the website to see who is watching right now and where, set up watching parties and share quizzes. Imagion AG demoed a lot of these features for us on HD DVD during CES '08, and some got a peek at them on Terminator 2: Ultimate HD Edition, check out the official press release after the break and let us know if this is enough to change your opinion on BD-Live.
Videociety VOD service uses Blu-ray players with BD-Live
German production house Enteractive is readying its Blu-ray Java disc powered service Videociety that turns any BD-Live enabled Blu-ray player into an Internet delivered VOD box. Still unknown is what resolution movies will be offered in and which ones, although h.264 compression (with Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 soundtracks) is confirmed, and the company has access to 400 films from sister companies Splendid Film, Polyband and WVG Media and negotiations with other major and independent studios are ongoing. Just like Netflix's Watch Instantly, movies are queued from a PC or iPhone, then streamed to the Blu-ray player once the disc is inserted. Anyone else hoping that if this works well it gets picked up outside of Germany after the official launch at IFA in September?[Via Blu-ray.com]
JVC XV-PB1 Blu-ray player surprises with 1080p MPEG-4 MKV support
The first Blu-ray player to come to the U.S. from JVC, the XV-PB1, hasn't received a lot of hype since its CES reveal, but that might change now that it appears to be one of the first supporting MKV playback, following the Oppo BDP-83 and LG BD390. EHD reader Bill picked one up on the humble and lets us know he's had no problems playing 1080p video with DTS audio from a burned DVD. The manual on JVC's website indicates official MKV and AVCHD support, but surprisingly, not DivX although the spec sheet on the same website says it does. We're reached out to JVC to confirm what buyers can expect from the XV-PB1, but with MKV on top of BD-Live, network streaming from PCs and reportedly extremely fast load times this $299 player might reshuffle the list of most desired Blu-ray hardware.
Sony still pushing the potential of BD-Live, but is anyone listening?
Still believe in the potential of BD-Live? Sony does, exec David Bishop called this the "Pong" stage of development in the technology during an industry demo yesterday on its lot. Apparently wanting to get some fresh eyes on BD-Live after some glitchy releases and underwhelming features, Sony, Disney and others are still trying to find different ways to work BD-Live into their discs, and new wireless capable players like Samsung's 2009 models mighty see more people going online. We've seen live directors chats, games, story databases and other twists, but at the moment we're not as optimistic about where BD-Live is headed in 2009 and beyond.
NetBlender drops iPhone exclusivity on BD Touch 2.0, connects Blu-ray to Blackberry, Android & Pre
It's a new year and NetBlender has a new change of gear, pairing with BluFocus to bring last year's BD Touch software -- and its BD-Live enabled Blu-ray player to iPhone / iPod Touch connections -- up to version 2.0, featuring crossplatform capability with other WiFi enabled handhelds like Blackberry, Android and Palm Pre. While going iPhone exclusive hasn't hurt some apps, hopefully we'll see wider adoption of the technology, which can enable things from making the phone a remote control to using it as a keyboard, downloading files from the disc or playing games, now that it supports more than one platform. More info should be available once it hits the floor at NAB 2009 later this week.
Momitsu BDP-899 promises out of the box region free Blu-ray for cheap
Looking for region-free Blu-ray and DVD support? The Momitsu BDP-899 fits the bill, including BD-Live and Dolby TrueHD output. It's not clear whether multi region support is included by default or only due to retailer mods, but the BDP-899 can be manually changed between DVD & Blu-ray regions when there isn't a disc in the tray via a code input by the remote. We found a few reviews indicating its region switching and PAL/NTSC conversion works as advertised, though checking out every possible combination could stress anyone's disc library. At $349, it's the cheapest BD-Live compatible region free player we've seen, although questions about how fast Momitsu will be in providing firmware updates in case of problems might have the region switching consumer eyeing more expensive modded players from other manufacturers instead. [Via CD Freaks, thanks Richard!] Read - Quick review of Momitsu BDP-899 BluRay player Read - BDP-899 (modified) Region FREE Blu-ray player review
