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VUDU offering select HD / HDX titles for $4.99 purchase on Black Friday
Trust us, we too have been looking for a good reason to simply stay put this Black Friday rather than venturing out in an attempt to save $8.43 and contract at least six airborne diseases. Finally, we've found our reason. VUDU has announced on its forums that this Friday, it will sell (read: not just a 24-hour rental) four HDX titles, six HD flicks and a slew of SD movies for $4.99 each. We imagine the motive here is twofold: for starters, it'll generate buzz and probably lead to a few impulse buys; secondly, it could be a litmus test to the real popularity of its minty fresh HDX format. Hit the read link for the admittedly short list, and feel free to register in order to beg for a larger selection prior to Friday.[Thanks, Rob]
Darren Murph11.25.2008
D-BOX deal brings Motion Code rumblings to Universal Blu-ray Discs
We'll be completely honest -- we had every idea that D-BOX would just fade away into the sunset just a few short months after we initially heard about it. Au Contraire! In just the past week, we've seen the outfit -- which is responsible for a rumbling Motion Code technology that enables you to "feel" the motions of the movie you're watching -- venture into the wide world of gaming and now into Universal's heart. Starting with the December 23-bound Death Race, D-BOX Motion Code will be available on select Universal Studios Home Entertainment Blu-ray Discs, and if we were still placing bets, we'd now say this is probably just the first of many big studio licensing agreements to come.
Darren Murph11.19.2008
Red Eagle Games to develop The Wheel of Time MMO
Red Eagle Games is a relative newcomer to video game publishing, but their first MMO will be based off of a well-established IP -- Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" series of novels, which are a blend of fantasy and eastern mysticism. Although Jordan passed away in 2007, he left behind 11 novels and a deep imaginative legacy that could prove to be a popular setting in the MMO world. Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon from Red Eagle Entertainment, which has spun off Red Eagle Games, recently spoke with VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi about their plans to bring The Wheel of Time into the realms of film and games. Film tie-ins with The Wheel of Time IP have already been funded, they're still in the process of raising funds for Red Eagle Games, according to Selvage. "That could prove to be difficult, but he said he has already received an enthusiastic reaction, largely because the rights to the series are considered so valuable," Takahashi writes. Funding issues aside, whether or not Red Eagle Games can break free of the stigma connected with games released in tandem with films isn't clear yet. "Selvage said he is aware of the risks and he believes that most games based on movies fail because they are made in too short a time and there isn't enough cooperation with the movie studio," Takahashi adds. Are you familiar with The Wheel of Time series of novels, and do you think the setting and lore would lend itself well to a massively multiplayer online title?
James Egan11.12.2008
Spain pushing 3D cinema to get butts in seats, glasses on faces
Looks like North America isn't the only locale heavily advocating 3D in cinemas, as Spain is also looking towards the format to boost attendance numbers in theaters. Believe it or not, Spain is said to be Europe's "worst-performing large film market," and Spanish producers are hoping that forthcoming 3D films such as Goleor and Holy Night! will reinvigorate national interest in a night out at the movies. Europe as a whole seems to be embracing stereoscopic footage as well, with 64 3D-capable screens now open across the UK, Germany, Spain and France.[Image courtesy of YoungGalleryPhoto]
Darren Murph11.11.2008
Blockbuster could release its own movie set-top-box
Well, well -- what have we here? As Microsoft's Xbox 360 skyrockets up the list of most wanted movie set-top-boxes and units like the Roku Netflix Player hold the promise of incorporating HD downloads in the near future, along comes the flagging Blockbuster to put up a mild fight. In a move that's half baffling and half expected, the DVD rental company is reportedly looking to pump out a movie STB of its own for the holiday season. That's according to CEO Jim Keyes, who said as much on a recent conference call with investors. Unfortunately, he passed along no other pertinent information whatsoever, though he did mention a "Blockbuster-branded widget on Intel-manufactured chips embedded in IPTV monitors" for next year. Good luck Blockbuster, you'll probably need it.[Via NewTeeVee]
Darren Murph11.10.2008
MGM agrees to host full-length films / TV shows on YouTube
YouTube has been dabbling in full-length professional content for a good while now, and as it seeks to compete more directly with the likes of Hulu, today it has landed a real big fish. Soon, a number of films and TV shows from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's archives will pop up on the video sharing site including episodes of the original American Gladiators and films like Bulletproof Monk and The Magnificent Seven. For all content added, it will obviously be free for anyone to view, though advertisements will be running "alongside the video." Now, if only we could convince Google to offer YouTube HD (or anything close), we'd be set.
Darren Murph11.10.2008
Poll: Are your new James Bond Blu-ray Discs acting up?
We've been hearing of complications surrounding playback of the new suite of 007 Blu-ray classics since last week, but we suspected the issues were contained. Apparently we were badly mistaken. A week later, we're still hearing reports that players from nearly every manufacturer are having one issue or another, with no real rhyme / reason as to what's going on. It seems as though deck manufacturers are aware of the issues and are working towards a solution, but we're just curious to see how many of you are experiencing problems. Are your new Bond discs causing headaches, or is everything humming along nicely?[Via CDFreaks, thanks Anthony] %Poll-21844%
Darren Murph11.03.2008
Blu-ray hits a milestone: 1,000 titles on the format
While most everyone's busy drooling at the thought of checking out HD Netflix streams on November 19th, Blu-ray is peeking its head out for a share of the limelight, too. Hollywood Reporter has it that Blu-ray Disc has hit a rather large milestone today: the all-important 1,000 mark. As of now, over 1,000 high-definition movies have BD written all over it, with 841 on the market currently and 185 scheduled for release. The latest big time announcement for the format is Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment's 70th anniversary platinum edition of Pinocchio, which just notched a March 10, 2009 release date. Huzzah!
Darren Murph10.29.2008
Top 10 films that should be released on Blu-ray -- do you agree?
Sound & Vision has a rather interesting article up about the ten films that it most wants to see released on Blu-ray, and while we concur with the most of 'em, we're interested to see what you readers think as well. Before delving into your fanboy-ish desires, however, it's important to note that past popularity isn't necessarily a sign that a particular movie will be re-released on BD. As we've learned before, there are quite a few variables that studios take into consideration outside of just public perception. We're tempted to blurt out all ten right here for discussion, but we know how disgruntled some of you folks get when spoilers are sprung on you.
Darren Murph10.26.2008
TiVo uncorks movie downloads via CinemaNow and Jaman
Earlier this summer, we heard that TiVo and CinemaNow were getting into some sort of relationship that also involved ABC and Disney, and now the details on that affair are beginning to flow. Starting this week, broadband-connected TiVo users will be able to suck down Disney rentals via CinemaNow, and in case you're looking for something a bit less mainstream, you'll likely find something to suit you via Jaman. The aforementioned service will give TiVo users access to a slew of independent and international film titles, and prices for those start at $1.99 (though some shorts and full-length films are available gratis). All of a sudden, your TiVo is looking like a pretty good secondary movie streamer -- now, if only if could natively agree with SDV...[Via ZatzNotFunny]Read - CinemaNow dealRead - Jaman deal
Darren Murph10.26.2008
Poll: Which Blu-ray studio is your favorite?
You've already seen how Sound & Vision graded the biggest Blu-ray studios, but now we're interested in getting your take. Now that you've had a number of months to check out each studio on a level playing field (read: everyone on team Blu), which studio(s) have impressed you the most? Feel free to include pros / cons from image quality, soundtrack fidelity, extras, BonusView / BD-Live support, etc. Let us know which of the Blu-ray studios has made you smile the most in 2008, and make sure you voice your opinion on which one(s) could stand to improve. %Poll-20775%
Darren Murph10.11.2008
A&E Home Video gets ready to enter Blu-ray market
Pretty scary way up there, isn't it A&E? Without first checking the depth of the murky waters below, A&E Home Video is gearing up to plunge into the Blu-ray realm with two titles later this month. Tentatively scheduled to ship on October 28th (though we've seen pre-order dates well into November), The Universe: The Complete Season One and Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us will take viewers into a 2005 tour shot with over 24 HD cameras and into 13 episodes of galactic exploration (we'll let you guess which is which). Look for the 30+ song concert disc to sport an MSRP of $34.95, while the latter collection will demand $79.95.
Darren Murph10.09.2008
DVDPlay bucks the trend, actually drops prices of movie rentals
Good news, DVDPlay addicts. That little movie kiosk that you can't seem to ever avoid as you exit your local food mart is about to become less of a drain on your wallet. Reportedly, the company has decided to lower its per-movie rental fee from $1.49 to $1.00, with president Charlie Piper stating that in "an economy of rising prices, our customers are looking for value for their entertainment dollars." The price change went into effect on October 1st, and it seems that Blu-ray rentals will also be ratcheted down to a buck. Not bad, if we should say so ourselves.[Image courtesy of SelfServiceWorld]
Darren Murph10.06.2008
VUDU goes live with 1080p HDX rentals, doesn't charge extra for 'em
We had a hunch that VUDU was readying Blu-ray quality rentals, and sure enough, the company has just got official with its HDX format. Essentially, HDX is a new tier of video quality for the on-demand rental service. VUDU will be delivering the content in 1080p24 via its patent pending TruFilm compression technology, which is reportedly "unrivaled" in the home content delivery biz. In our talks with the outfit, it clearly spent some serious time mastering the delivery process here, but all this quality comes at a cost. Not monetary, mind you -- the actual HDX rental fees will be the same as current HD rentals -- but we're talking time. On most broadband connections, you'll be waiting three to four hours before the experience begins, though the ability to order an HDX film online (while you're at work, for instance) helps alleviate that pain somewhat. Also of note, HDX flicks will only be available for rental initially, though hopes are that a purchase option will show up in due time. 50 HDX films are on tap today -- dig in and see what you think. Full release is after the break.
Darren Murph10.02.2008
Netflix "Watch Now" streaming support coming to Mac by year's end
Netflix didn't bother to mention this teeny, tiny snippet in its recent release confirming the deal with Starz, but we felt it was important enough to highlight. Over on the official Netflix blog, Brent made exceptionally clear that the team has been toiling away on a solution that would enable Mac users to tap into the Watch Now streaming feature. Best of all? Netflix should "have something for [us] by the end of the year." Huzzah!
Darren Murph10.01.2008
Fox gets with the program, reduces MSRP on some Blu-ray Discs
No matter what your current stance on Blu-ray is, one thing everyone can agree on is that the prices for discs have to come down. If you'll give Hollywood the benefit of the doubt for even a second, you can't blame them for starting disc prices high, in attempt to figure out what the market will bare. Luckily it didn't take long before the market leader woke up and realized that $40 for an older catalog title was just too much, as Warner lowered the initial price on many of its older titles to about $20. For whatever reason Fox has been the last to follow suit and if the more recent releases are any indication, even Fox is getting with the program now. The real win for consumers though, is that not only is the retail price of many older titles now $20, but the street price is coming in around $13. If this is any indication of the future of Blu, it combined with players that rival the price of upconverters, could easily carve out a solid market for Blu-ray in the future.Read - Blu-ray Stats News LogRead - Format War Central
Ben Drawbaugh09.30.2008
The Dark Knight storming onto Blu-ray on December 9th
You knew there was no way Warner Home Video was letting its crown jewel release of 2008 slip until after the holiday season, right? As expected, the studio has just revealed that the latest tale in Batman's life on the silver screen will be outed on BD this December 9th. It's also expected that the film will be available in a standard edition and two-disc limited edition box that comes with a Bat-Pod display case. The film in each set will be presented in 1080p with a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, and a few swank HD extras should be wrapped in as well. No price is given just yet, but c'mon, you're buying this.
Darren Murph09.29.2008
ESPN breaks into the Blu with 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
Apparently ESPN was not only pleased with the 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story DVD sales, but it reckons that NASCAR fans are ready and willing to pick it up on Blu, too. The sports giant has just revealed that its first Blu-ray title will be the Collector's Edition of the aforementioned title, and it's slated to land on November 11th. There are no definite extras or specifications to speak of, but we'd expect ESPN to bring the heat on its first foray into BD. MSRP for the title is set at $34.95, but as always, you'll be able to find it for much less without too much effort.[Via High-Def Digest]
Darren Murph09.23.2008
X-Files: I Want To Believe is Fox's first BD-Live title
If you plunked down the extra coin to get yourself a BD-Live-enabled deck, you can look forward to having one more BD-Live-enabled title to enjoy come December. Fox Home Entertainment has announced that its very first BD-Live enhanced film will be The X-Files: I Want To Believe, which will take advantage of the web-connected functionality with "exclusive features, games, additional content and connectivity to other BD-Live users and X-Files fans nationwide." The X-Files Dossier will allow users to "create their own Special Agent avatar that can browse through Agent Dakota Whitney's case files on clairvoyance and post their own notes and theories to her files online and download other profiles directly to their BD player memory files." Fun, right? Make your choice on 12/2 when it hits shelves (with Digital Copy, no less) for $39.99 MSRP.
Darren Murph09.20.2008
VUDU readying Blu-ray quality rentals
While rumors have been flowing hot and heavy about VUDU's possible demise, it seems the company has other plans in mind. We've received word that select beta team members are now being asked to try out new downloads that are intended to rival Blu-ray quality. Dubbed HDX movies, these ultra-high-def flicks are currently being watched by folks willing to wait a number of hours (two to three) for a film to start, but there's no guarantee that we'll ever see this hit the masses. Sure, we totally dig the idea of BD-quality content on-demand, but we could almost scoot down to Blockbuster, rent a bona fide Blu-ray Disc, watch, and return it before a so-called HDX title even begins.[Thanks, anonymous]
Darren Murph09.10.2008