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Ascent Media, Akamai & Sofatronic delivering end-to-end BD-Live solution
There's a lot to making a BD-Live enhanced movie go (just ask the people behind Iron Man), so Ascent Media's coordinating a three pronged approach to get connected discs out and working amongst the people. Sofatronic's Kaleidoscope tech is the backbone for developing interactive Blu-ray tech, while Akamai's network makes sure servers don't melt on day 1, and Ascent Media's Blink Digital group provides creative services to find implementations that appeal to viewers. Sounds great in theory, show us something we haven't seen before and make it work smoothly, then we'll be impressed.
Oppo coughs up BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player details
Lookie, lookie -- we just might have a winner on our hands here. While Denon just announced the world's first universal Blu-ray player at $3,800, the highly respected Oppo is looking to trump said offering with a low-cost version of its own. The heretofore elusive BDP-83 has finally been detailed, as consumers who signed up to know more have received an email (posted in full after the break) with oodles of delicious information. For starters, the player will indeed be fully universal -- a Profile 2.0 BD deck with SACD, DVD and DVD-Audio support -- and for SACD playback, it will support DSD over HDMI and DSD-to-analog without any PCM conversion. As of now, the unit is currently undergoing "an extensive and thorough beta test program," and Oppo is considering opening up an "Early Adoption Program" later this month to give a limited number to mere mortals for feedback. Obviously, there's no finalized date for release, but the anticipated price will hover between $499 and $599.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
The Dark Knight fan commentary BD-Live feature shown on video
So, you and hundreds of thousands of others picked up your Blu-ray copy of The Dark Knight today, huh? We know you haven't had time to fiddle with the BD-Live extras just yet, but one Joe Lynch from G4 TV has. One of the most intriguing aspects of the flick's interactive feature set is the fan commentary; put simply, users hook up a USB webcam to their player (PS3 included) and then commentate as the film progresses. From there, you can upload your take(s) to the BD-Live servers for others to enjoy. Granted, we aren't too sure how you'll actually find someone bored enough to listen to you jabber on about a film they purchased, but we reckon that's beside the point. Vid's waiting after the break.
Broadcom's latest SoC finds a home in 2009 Samsung Blu-ray lineup
Samsung and Broadcom have apparently come to the same conclusion as everyone else, deciding it is finally time to move on from the Broadcom 7440 chipset that powered Blu-ray players going back to the BD-UP5000. Expect the still-unnamed 2009 Blu-ray player line to continue to feature Netflix streaming plus enhanced video and audio features courtesy of the new 65nm BCM7601 decoder. Confirmed enhancements include full HDMI 1.3 support, motion adaptive de-interlacing to 1080p60 and a full 12-bit video pipeline all on one chip. Whether or not that's enough to make you hold off on a BD-P2500/BD-P2550, expect more info on Samsung's cheaper, faster, more powerful Blu-ray players at CES in January.
Testronic Labs tests 1,000th Blu-ray Disc for quality assurance
It's a pretty big day for Testronic Labs, as this day marks the tenth year that it has been testing optical media quality and bucking The Man and his brother (dubbed The Economy) to stay afloat. More important than that (to us, anyway) is this little tidbit: today also saw the 1,000th Blu-ray Disc tested for quality assurance in its facilities. For those unaware, this outfit works with movie studios to ensure the interactive content you receive is as bug free as humanly possible, and we'll admit, we've heard a lot less crying from Blu-ray Disc buyers of late compared to early on. Kudos, Testronic Labs -- we'll raise our glasses to a thousand more.
Sony's BD-Live network closes in on one million visits
We're not so sure if this proves folks are interested or disinterested in Blu-ray-based interactivity, but Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is suggesting its the former. According to the Sony VP of new business development Rich Marty, the studio's BD-Live network is just about to reach one million visits worldwide since launching Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story back in April. At first glance, it's easy to assume that one million hits is a lot, but without a real benchmark to go by, it's hard to accurately judge the impressiveness of the milestone. At any rate, we're glad to see that BD-Live isn't being implemented in vain, and we have all ideas the interactive chat with The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan will likely set the all all-time record for simultaneous BD-Live logins. Speaking of, will you be there?
NetBlender's DoStudio 1.6 Blu-ray authoring solution includes BD Touch support
Back in February, we saw NetBlender blend in Blu-ray support to its DoStudio authoring software. Now, version 1.6 is packing even more BD-related goodness, and it's BD Touch in particular that we're intrigued by. The latest flavor of DoStudio includes expanded capabilities such as Slideshows, Dolby TrueHD support, and BD Touch integration, not to mention a number of workflow enhancements including copy / paste, enhanced asset validation, printable reports, etc. As for BD Touch, this software now gives production outfits (or just entrepreneurial individuals) the ability to bake in support for iPhone control when the disc is played back in a PlayStation 3. The application is available for a $395 monthly rental fee, $2,495 for a 1-year license or $6,995 for a permanent license.[Thanks, Jason]
Chat with Christopher Nolan in The Dark Knight's BD-Live chat
You may have missed the Hellboy II BD-Live chat, but we're pretty sure you're not going to want to miss this one. Christopher Nolan, director of the summer's blockbuster The Dark Knight, will be part of a Blu-ray exclusive "live community screening." The registration process for this event is a bit cumbersome, and it's also limited -- so read the instructions carefully! The two disc BD set will be available on December 9th.[Thanks, snoopytimes!]
Denon's DVD-A1UD: world's first universal (SACD / DVD-A) Blu-ray player
Okay, so Denon wares aren't exactly "cheap," but you can't knock it for trying to innovate. Despite that fact that about eight people on this Earth still care about their beloved SACD / DVD-Audio collections, Denon has developed a Blu-ray player specifically for them. The DVD-A1UD is hailed as the world's first universal BD deck, and it features a black (shown after the break) or silver motif, SD / SDHC card slot, DivX support, HDMI 1.3, 1080p60 / 1080p24 output, internal decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio / Dolby TrueHD, 7.1-channel analog outputs, Denon LINK and all sorts of sophisticated pixel / audio restoration technologies. Better still, users who buy in can look forward to a Profile 2.0 update in the near future. Not surprisingly, the decked-out player will ship in Japan next month for a patently astounding ¥546,000 ($5,860), so you'll probably be stuck dreaming about it unless your ship rolls in.[Via Impress]
Warner gets official with The Dark Knight BD-Live extras
Not like we haven't heard about these much anticipated features already, but it's always refreshing to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Or Warner Home Video's mouth, in this case. The Dark Knight marks the studio's very first foray into the controversial world of BD-Live, and what's apt to be the best selling BD of the year will pack quite the interactive punch. Owners with Profile 2.0 players will be able to "host their own Live Community Screenings with friends, record and post user-generated commentaries over the film using My WB Commentary, access more The Dark Knight content exclusive to Warner Bros. BD-Live, get sneak peeks and trailers of upcoming Warner Bros. films, create an online library of Blu-ray movies, manage a wish list for upcoming releases and connect to the WB store." As we've already seen in a number of instances, there's also a hint of a BD-Live-assisted interview with director Christopher Nolan "during a special Live Community Screening." For the full spill, give that read link a gentle tap.
NAD's BD-Live-enabled T587 Blu-ray deck heads to Canada for $1,600
NAD's T587 is making the rounds, and while it has already been priced for the UK and America, the sticker is no less insane in Canada. The Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, which is obviously aimed at those with more dollars than sense, will go for $1,599 next month in the Great North. Good luck moving more than a couple, NAD.
NAD's Profile 2.0 T587 Blu-ray player coming to UK for 850
Oh sure, an equal amount of UKers are apt to buy NAD's absurdly overpriced T587 Blu-ray player as Americans (2.5 persons, for those wanting specifics), but what's up with the pricing discrepancy? The BD-Live-enabled deck -- which includes internal decoding of the latest lossless codecs from Dolby and DTS, an HDMI 1.3 port, Ethernet jack, component / composite video outputs, coaxial / optical digital audio sockets, external IR input and a front-panel USB port -- is scheduled to hit shelves sometime in December for around £850. We know the greenback has been gaining ground and all, but we Americans are still getting dinged for an extra two bills here. Ah well, what's $200 to the man / woman who's throwing down for a $1k+ Blu-ray player, right?
A recap of the Hellboy II BD-Live chat
Were you able to make it to the Blu-ray exclusive live chat with Hellboy II director, Guillermo del Toro? If not, Engadget HD has you covered. The first-ever BD-Live chat didn't go without its hitches, but there's hope in knowing future interactive experiences will be better than this. The director touts the Blu-ray disc release an opportunity for the "perfect home theater experience," as it gives viewers access to a truly encyclopedic view of the production of a film. Hopefully, other big budget movies will be able to follow with their own live commentary sessions in future Blu-ray releases. Gallery: Hellboy II BD-Live director chat w/ Guillermo del Toro
Hellboy II BD-Live director's chat event recap
Blu-ray's Internet capabilities got a brand new push this weekend, with the first director's chat featuring Hellboy II: The Golden Army's Guillermo del Toro live from New Zealand. Didn't get home in time to access the event (scattered forum posts reported problems logging in at all, or people who were logged in but unable to access the comments), or might not have the movie? No problem, here's a quick look at things after the break, and hopefully a preview of what to expect from future director / fan chats.%Gallery-37835%
Chat with Guillermo Del Toro in Blu-ray exclusive live chat
We're finally starting to see the full potential of BD-Live come to life. BD-Live is the final Blu-ray movie standard, and it adds interactive online content to movies. One of the first discs to take advantage of BD-Live is the Hellboy II Blu-ray disc. Those that own the disc will be able to take part in a live chat with director Guillermo Del Toro this Sunday at 6PM EST. If you're interested in chatting, you need to register an account at UniversalHiDef.com and then log on to the movie using your PS3 (or BD-Live compatible Blu-ray player).The potential of BD-Live is quite exciting. Should the Del Toro chat go well, we can only hope that other studios also add these opportunities to their Blu-ray movies.
Bourne Triology hitting Blu-ray Disc in January 2009
Bourne is already a proven winner in high-def, so it's no shock at all to see that Universal Studios Home Entertainment is finally bringing the acclaimed trilogy to Blu-ray. The only real surprise is the release date; rather than squeezing it in before the holiday break, Universal's hoping to grab a small chunk of your grandma money in late January. The three pack, which will obviously include The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, will not only include hours of bonus materials including deleted scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries, but it'll also take advantage of BD-Live. The disc will grant access to the studio's BD-Live Center, where fans can then "download even more bonus content, share their favorite scenes with buddies, and engage in a BD-exclusive strategy game that pits users against each other in hand-to-hand combat simulation." Too bad the MSRP is set at $119.98, but you've got until January 27, 2009 to get enough couch change together.[Via Blu-ray, thanks Anthony]
The Dark Knight features BD-Live chat with Chris Nolan for first 100,000 -- Bat Growl not included
Clearly unwilling to be seen as anything other than the premiere Blu-ray release of the year, The Dark Knight will follow Hellboy II in featuring a BD-Live chat session with director Chris Nolan -- but apparently only for the first 100,000 registered purchasers (regular or Bat-Pod edition). As TheHDRoom points out, with over one million copies headed to shelves for the launch, you may want to grab yours early. Also coming to the Bat-Channel is video commentary sharing, while details like how to submit questions and exactly when the viewing party will take place are still unclear, fans have plenty to look forward to December 9th.
Hellboy director chats with Blu-ray fans live Sunday
Hellboy II: The Golden Army director Guillermo del Toro (and avowed Blu-ray fan, take that Michael Bay) is the first to connect to viewers (as suggested by a particular EHD ed at the last CES) and chat live while watching the movie on Internet-connected players November 23. Exactly how "live" the chat will be remains to be seen, as questions will be submitted ahead of time on UniversalHiDef.com, before the event commences Sunday at 6 p.m. PST, but an opportunity to hear the director's responses in real time is not to be missed, and finally scratches the potential for Blu-ray's online capabilities. Still holding out hope for BD-Live? Make sure you're close to your PlayStation 3 this weekend, and think of a different question than "Here's my 10 suggestions on how to make The Hobbit totally awesome" 'cuz we already submitted that.
Video Bulletin Board enables mobile-to-Blu-ray player interaction
After seeing what we saw at CEDIA this year, we knew this innovation was only a hop, skip and a jump away. RCDb and Nortel have teamed up to showcase what they're calling the Video Bulletin Board, which is an interactive application that enables cellphones and Blu-ray players to communicate like never before. With it, you can "send a photo or video from your mobile phone to your own or a friend's BD Live-enabled Blu-ray deck and then, using the remote, activate a click-to-call feature that would automatically have your phone call back the mobile user who sent you the photo." It won't be long before you're ordering pizza from your Blu-ray player and watching outtakes on your handset -- at least, we hope.[Image courtesy of Blu-ray.com]
King Kong gets additional features for Blu-ray release January 20
One time Xbox 360 HD DVD player pack-in King Kong is finally making its Blu-ray debut, complete with U-Control interactive features and some additional bits we'd missed the first go round. Apparently Universal has seen fit to replace the previous edition's Dolby Digital+ 5.1 soundtrack with a 5.1 DTS-HD MA version, as well as the Extended Edition footage (on an already 3 hour+ movie?) that was missing from the HD DVD. Making the jump from HDi to BD-Live is online My Scenes sharing, just in case you still needed a reason to pay the $29.98 MSRP for this disc January 20.
