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LEGO Harry Potter available for iOS, but iPad requires 4.2
Warner Bros. has released the game LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, and it's available as a universal download from the App Store for US$4.99. Gameplay includes going inside Hogwarts castle, the most detailed LEGO game location ever; the game provides 40+ levels of play along with endless freeplay to discover areas not accessible in Story Mode. Players can play as any one of over 100 characters including Harry Potter himself, and can cast spells, mix potions, or fly on broomsticks throughout the game. Mike Rose has played both the Wii and iOS versions of HPY1-4, and he notes that the iOS take is more isometric and 'LEGO-like' than the 3D action of the Wii version. The iOS game presents specific tasks/quests that have to be performed and puzzles to be solved before you can advance Harry and his cohorts to the next scene of the game. Potential buyers should note that while the game is ready for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation) running iOS 4.1 or later, iPad owners will have to wait until they are running iOS 4.2 to play and sync their devices. This is clearly noted in the app description, but it hasn't stopped some overeager buyers from giving the app one-star reviews because they didn't notice the caveat beforehand. Maybe while they are waiting for iOS 4.2 to drop they can check out some LEGO guys unboxing an iPad to pass the time. With Harry Potter popularity at a fever pitch right now due to the first-half film version release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, LEGO Harry Potter might have more than a few fans looking for a good game to download. I myself am looking forward to spending time digging through all the different worlds in the game, especially with a three-day train trip coming up. This should occupy some of that time, for sure.
Inception Blu-ray with Limited Edition Briefcase gift set is available in the US
For a moment it appeared that the sweet Limited Edition release of Christopher Nolan's Inception on Blu-ray would be a European only thing, but Warner Bros. has made it available for US customers as well, exclusively via its WBShop.com website. Located by a few Blu-ray.com forum posters, it looks to have all the fixings, with art cards, totem, PASIV instruction manual and of course the metal briefcase itself with Inception Blu-ray and DVD held inside. Preorders are $49.95 and ship December 6, so don't forget to figure in overnight shipping.%Gallery-107316%
Warner says Netflix 30 day delay works like a charm
Those who love to rent discs on the cheap were less than thrilled about the 30 day delay for Netflix and Redbox, but Warner is happy to report that the strategy paid off. We suspected as much after the latest DEG numbers showed a healthy rebound the quarter after the windows were enforced, but there's nothing like hearing it straight from the source. For those who missed it, the digital download and streaming services were the real winner there as they're still day-and-date with Blu-ray sales, and the studios are keen on 'em. Warner's CFO even went so far as to say "Digital is going to be good for our business, we think it is a great time to be in our business." To which we say, any business that isn't losing money is a great business to be in. So while many seemed to strongly oppose the new windows when announced, months later it seems most have learned that it's better to be patient and save money, than to pay $6 to stream a blocky mess.
NBC says no to iTunes rentals at 99 cents
With reports of credit cards being charged for Apple TV pre-orders, it's only a short time before Apple's hobby takes a rather serious step forward. But with only ABC and Fox having signed up to Apple's new $0.99 price point to rent television shows, it seems there's a lot hanging in the balance. Most notably, for Apple - and for those that purchase the Apple TV - whether other large television studios will follow suit and get on board with Apple's new strategy. Recently, we reported that Warner Bros. was not best pleased with Apple's new TV episode price point. And now NBC has chimed in, too. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Investor conference, Chief Executive of NBC Universal Jeff Zucker said, "We do not think 99 cents is the right price point for our content," and continued by saying, "We thought it would devalue our content." As reported by AppleInsider. But Apple's been at loggerheads with NBC before. Back in 2007, NBC decided not to renew its contract with Apple, resulting in NBC content being removed from the iTunes store, rather abruptly. NBC wanted the price point to be raised to $4.99 per TV episode, and that was three years ago. Eventually NBC came good with Apple, with NBC content being restored to the iTunes Store. Could history be repeating itself again? We're inclined to think so. Though Apple's new TV platform doesn't have everything going for it, it's certainly got a lot in its favor. And, as always, time will tell if Apple's going in the right direction, again. Be sure to let us know when your new Apple TV arrives at your door.
Warner Bros. says Apple's TV rentals are too cheap
When Apple recently announced the availability of $0.99 rentals of TV episodes, not every network was on board with it. The Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. (parents of ABC and FOX, respectively) were good with the deal, though one of the most notable opponents was Warner Bros. (CW, among others). The reason: $0.99 for an episode rental is too cheap. Chief Exec Barry Meyer of Warner Bros. went on to say that having rentals set at such a low price would hurt sales of full seasons of their television shows, adding that the current $2.99 to own an episode, via iTunes, suited them just fine. Ever since the idea of renting TV episodes came about, I couldn't fathom why someone would choose to purchase -- permanently -- an entire season of a show until after they'd already seen it. I can see why one would want to watch their absolute favorites over and over again, but only once they know they're good. Rentals can only help boost sales of permanent purchases, but the show has to be proven good first. Maybe that's what's really scaring Warner Bros. here. [via 9 to 5 Mac]
Warner has six Blu-ray 3D discs headed to retail November 16, Sony brings along Open Season
We're not sure if they were just waiting for the PlayStation 3's Blu-ray 3D update to be officially announced, but Warner Bros. has finally responded to our pleas and mentioned a few Blu-ray 3D discs that are headed for retail without any exclusive bundling holding them back. Home Media Magazine reports that among them, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore will be a day-and-date release along with the standard DVD and Blu-ray editions, while the other five are Clash of the Titans, The Polar Express, IMAX Deep Sea 3D, IMAX Under the Sea 3D and IMAX Space Station 3D, all sporting $44.95 MSRPs. According to SVP Dorinda Marticorena, this push "is just the beginning" and timed to capitalize on an increase in sales of Blu-ray 3D hardware during the holidays. No doubt, as Sony Pictures has also apparently dated the release of Open Season in 3D for November 16 as well, the same day A Christmas Carol arrives -- 3D early adopters mark your calendars appropriately.
Engadget HD Giveaway: Win the Lord of the Rings Trilogy on Blu-ray!
In celebration of the Lord of the Rings movies being available individually on Blu-ray today (we still always skip to RotK, the Sam/Frodo bromance makes the series), what makes more sense than to offer you chance to win all three at the same time? How about if there were some bonuses thrown in, like bookmarks, a New Zealand Jade Necklace, ornament, deck of LotR playing cards candle and poster, would that be something you were interested in? (Okay, they're not the Extended Editions, but work with us here.) We're not sure if TNT is still airing them in stretch-o-vision or not, but you have no excuse to watch with commercial interruption any longer, drop a comment in after the break to enter and block out nine hours on your schedule next week -- you have plans. Special Thanks to Warner for providing the discs!
Engadget HD Giveaway: Win Chuck: The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray!
It's a tough job keeping up with all the TV shows starting their new seasons this fall, so let us make it easier on you with a copy of Chuck: The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray before the next season kicks off September 20. All it takes to win is to leave a comment on this post, so go ahead and double check the rules and trailer after the break, then do what comes naturally -- but just once each, please. Special Thanks to Warner for providing the discs!
Inception European Limited Edition Blu-ray (w/ briefcase) listed for December 6
After The Dark Knight, there's no doubt many Blu-ray fans can't wait to see Christopher Nolan's next blockbuster on their HDTVs, and now the Inception special edition has been listed for pre-order in the UK. Specs confirm Warner will include its Maximum Movie Mode where the director walks you through key moments of the film and two digital comics that serve as prologues to the film's events. The packaging itself is also special, with a case resembling the PASIV (Portable Automated Somnacin IntraVenous) device that controls dreams in the movie, a spinning top to remind you when things are over and of course, DVD and digital copy version. Play.com lists a December 6 release date, here's hoping the US gets a similarly full-featured treatment for one of this year's biggest movies.
Samsung Blu-ray players won't play Warner, Universal movies after firmware update, require a rollback
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/hardware/Samsung_Blu_ray_players_won_t_play_Warner_Universal_movies'; As annoying as continuous Blu-ray player updates are, usually having the latest one is the best way to play more movies. Unfortunately the opposite was the case for Samsung (again) with the v2.09 update posted recently for its 2009 BD-Px600 line of players. Forum posters on CNET and AVSForum report the upgrade blocked them from playing Universal and Warner Bros. movies, which conveniently lock up after displaying the title image. Samsung's rolled back to an older firmware version (v2.07) on its support site that should fix things for now, but with some users still having problems downgrading, all they can do is wait for the next update, whenever that arrives. Some help line reps have said the new version should arrive "in a couple of weeks," but it's not like you really wanted to watch Clash of the Titans or Book of Eli right now anyway, right? [Thanks, CJ Robinson]
HBO releasing Deadwood: The Complete Series on Blu-ray November 23
HBO and Warner have finally announced what Deadwood fans are waiting for -- no, not a movie or new season -- the complete series is coming to Blu-ray, with all 36 episodes in one boxed set. Getting all of the wild west into your Blu-ray player won't be cheap however, as it's carrying a $209.98 MSRP (currently on Amazon for $146.99), with no additional extras over what were already on the previous DVD releases. Still, seeing everything in 1080p with a DTS-HD MA soundtrack is what you're here for, and HBO claims this series is the most demanded on after only The Sopranos and Rome so there should be plenty of fans unwrapping these this holiday season.
NHL uses BD-Live to connect Blackhawks fans via championship Blu-ray discs
One of this week's Blu-ray releases was the NHL Stanley Cup Champions 2009-2010 disc from Warner, and it's surprisingly packing a few BD-Live extras courtesy of Imagion AG and Giant Interactive. As one of the discs released with their BD-Connect features, fans (or bandwagon jumpers -- c'mon, no one was rooting for the Blackhawks when they were losing) can expect downloadable content including dynamically updated news from Blackhawks TV and league sources every time they pop the disc in to relive the glory of last season. That's an ambitious start for the NHL's first Blu-ray release, we guess hockey has realized how important its high-def fans are.
Warner Bros. head spin: lawsuit claims studio pirated anti-piracy patent
We'll let that headline sink in for a second -- it gets even better, we assure you. The story goes as such: German company Medien Patent Verwaltung (MPV) claims that in 2003 it showed Warner Bros. (under a confidentiality agreement) a way to track where exactly a pirated movie came from. One year later, according to the company, Warner started using the same technology without ever providing compensation. Thus, a lawsuit is born -- filed in both New York and Germany against Warner, Technicolor and Deluxe. As bad as it sounds, we can't help but love the irony of such an accusation, but the crème de la crème of all this? The New York lawsuit accidentally cites Warner's patent in place of MPV's. It's being amended now, but think about it: the name of the patent claimed to be a stolen patent was itself stolen by the original patent holder as its own patent. And that's really fun to say out loud.
Movies could be available as a VOD rental before DVD, Blu-ray -- for $20 to $30 each
The MPAA has often stated its desire to offer movies through video on-demand ahead of their release on DVD or Blu-ray -- provided the analog hole was closed -- and now that it has been, the Wall Street Journal reports Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. are considering a pitch from Time Warner Cable to do just that. The price for cutting the usual four month wait for home viewing to just 30 days? As much as $20 to $30 for a rental. Sony's already tried experimenting with a higher price point on early delivery of Hancock and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs to BRAVIA HDTV owners, but at least they threw in a free Blu-ray copy with the former. So far the studios have only agreed that their current release strategy needs some sort of change, but unless they add some sweeteners we don't see this one shifting us from our current rental/purchase habits.
Warner's DVD2Blu trade-up program gets bigger, cheaper (maybe)
Warner Bros. is making things a little less needful for new Blu-ray buyers with extensive DVD libraries in need of upgrading, slashing the lowest prices on its DVD2Blu upgrade program to $4.95 (+ the original DVD copy) and adding more movies to the list of eligibles for a total of 87. Of course there's still a catch, as the minimum order needed to score free shipping ($4.95 per order) has risen $10 to $35. Of course, if you've been looking for an opportunity to catch 2001: A Space Odyssey and Gran Torino and Ocean's Eleven in all their 1080p glory then check the price list after the break and do the math -- this offer might be for you.
Book of Eli Blu-ray disc arrives June 15 with plenty of extras
It seems that without plans for a double or even triple dip on the horizon, Warner's somehow found a way to squeeze lots of extras on the home release of its recent blockbuster, Book of Eli. Denzel Washington and the Hughes brothers will chime during a picture-in-picture Maximum Movie Mode, and "more than 90 minutes" of Blu-ray exclusives are in store. Besides being a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital copy combo pack it's listing extra scenes and several featurettes, but with a BD-Live logo prominently featured in the ad, we're hoping that maybe 2010 has another new wrinkle over 2009's top home movie releases (other than 3D.)
All Warner theatrical Blu-ray releases to include DVDs
Here's a trend that Disney started that's taking over the Blu-ray landscape -- in the first quarter of 2010 all Warner Brothers theatrical Blu-ray releases will include a DVD and a digital copy. This is obviously good for consumers when the price stays the same as it adds value to Blu-ray without adding that much of an additional cost to the studio -- and we have to say that we prefer two discs in the box to the double sided disc that Universal seems to want to use. We expect both discs in one box to be the new norm and the bottom line is we think this is a good thing because we only want to pay once to see a movie, but totally love the flexibility to watch it any way we please.
Poll: Do you plan on participating in a DVD to Blu-ray trade-in?
First Warner, now Disney, we're wondering if any of you are actually interested in any of these DVD trade in programs? Besides the issues of availability & selection there's whether or not you get to keep your old discs, and the simple hassle of participating. Still, clearly the studios think there's a market for these programs to get people jumping into Blu-ray discs and players, so let us know, are you biting? %Poll-38287%
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%
Terminator: Salvation's McG hosts the first audio Blu-ray director's chat session tonight
It's been a little over a year since we first checked out a live director's chat session on Blu-ray with Guillermo del Toro and Hellboy II, and now Warner is prepared to take the next step by letting interested fans hear their questions answered rather than simply reading text for the duration of the movie. the first release so honored? Terminator: Salvation and its director McG. Everything's set to go off at 9 p.m. est, with only a copy of the movie, BD-Live connected player, registration on Warner's website and an appetite for yet another sequel in an action movie franchise that topped out two movies and almost as many decades ago. A chance to see if Blu-ray's interactive potential can ever pay off means we're in, interested parties can sign up at the read link below, if you can't make it check back later, we'll try and grab some audio. Update: Well, we're logged in and ready to go, we'll save you our 30 seconds of confusion and remind that you'll need to insert the director's cut disc to access the BD-Live menu. Feel free to add "Rjcc" as a buddy on Warner's BD-Live setup.
