Jul 30
Satellite broadcaster Sky has announced that it will launch a 3D channel next year. Sky has been demoing its technology recently at trade events but now it’s official. Existing customers that use Sky’s HD service will not need to upgrade their set-top-boxes as the service will run through the existing Sky+HD box. You will however need a new 3D ready TV which are expected to hit the market next year (well they better if Sky want viewers). As the service will use existing boxes and infrastructure the picture will be somewhere between standard definition picture quality and 1080p full HD. Sky currently feeds 1.3m customers HD in the UK so that’s quite a base of customers for the TV companies, expect the first TV’s to be in the higher price bracket. Sky has been recording several sports events including; Usain Bolt, sprinting 150 metres down a specially designed track on Manchester’s Deansgate during the Bupa Great City Games (17 May 2009), Swan Lake, a special performance by English National Ballet to capture the UK’s first ballet for 3D TV (9 April 2009) England vs. New Zealand Rugby Union Test Match (29th November), Sky1’s Gladiators (December 2008), Liverpool FC vs Marseille UEFA Champions League (26th November 2008) and Ricky Hatton vs. Juan Lazcano (12th March 2008). Pricing and availability will be announced closer to launch.
Jul 30
75 year old Wharfedale has released a new version of its Diamond 10 Series speakers the Diamond 10.1. These new speakers are substantially upgrades from previous versions and include; New stronger cabinets to reduce resonance, new front baffle provides stronger mounting for the drive units, the new drive units have also been improved with a new mounting system and new crossover design. Some models also feature a mew mid-range unit purported to increase the stereo image. To further enhance base new rear firing reflex ports have been introduced extending the base below 45Hz. Full details of the entire range including stereo speakers, centre speakers and subwoofers can be found here
Jul 30
Hi-Fi and Home Cinema manufacturer NAD has introduced a range of modular plug-in card upgrades for its range of AV amplifiers including the T785, T775, T765 and T175 AV Tuner Preamp-Processor. The upgrades offer increased HDMI ports, HD audio and video processing including a module with VXP Broadcast imaging processing. The upgrades range from £299 and £625.
Full details here
Jul 29
Got a computer or smart phone? Well you can already access IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase) and soon with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine you will be able to access it from your BD-Live enabled Blu-ray player. You will be able to access biographies and up to date information on cast and crew on the movie you just watched.
Is it me or is the Blu-ray industry desperate to find ways of making existing technologies available on a Blu-ray player when a PC can already do them perfectly.
So you can stream movies (lower quality) to your TV, get your Blu-ray movies delivered, order pizza via your TV, get your groceries delivered online. How about building a slide from your front door into your living room and you’ll never have to leave your la-z-boy.
No wonder the more developed parts of the world have a problem with obesity
Jul 29
LG have announced a new range of TV’s featuring it’s NetCast technology based on VUDU’s HDX streaming systems to deliver full 1080p video with Doldy Digital 5.1 sound. The VUDU service features over 2,000 movies with more being added constantly, some available before other subscription services. The new TV’s feature a broadband internet connection and will be able to connect to the service next month in the US.
LG’s 47-inch LCD HDTV (model 47LH50) and 50-inch class* plasma HDTV (model 50PS80) with NetCast Entertainment Access are available now at national retailers with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,699 and $1,799. LG’s 42-inch LCD (model 42LH50) and 60-inch plasma (model 60PS80) will be available next month.
Jul 26
UK buyers of Watchmen Blu-ray may have been disappointed to find that not only did they get the theatrical release whereas in the US the disc features extended directors cut but they could not participate in watching the movie with director Zach Snyder at Comi-Con. This was for two reasons, firstly the UK disk is launched after the event took place and secondly the whole feature is missing from non US releases. It sounds like the event went well with Snyder’s comments appearing during the movie with only a slight delay. You can expect to see more of these features, well if you live in the US.
A full review of the UK version once I’ve ploughed through the extras.
Jul 26
A bumper release week for the UK.
Street Fighter
The Grifters
The Kite Runner
The Who: At Kilburn 1977
Watchmen (w/ Bonus Digital Copy)
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children – Complete
Monsters Inc.
Duplicity
Kylie: Live X2008
Gangster No.1
Embodiment Of Evil
Passengers (2008)
Roy Orbison: Black & White Night
Barry Manilow: Manilow Live!
Chicago And Earth, Wind & Fire: Live At The Greek Theatre
ASP: Von Zaubererbruedern
Bill Douglas Trilogy (2 Disc)
Comrades (2 Disc)
Earthscapes: Hawaii
Earthscapes: The World’s Most Beautiful Places
Heart: Alive In Seattle
K.D. Lang: Live In London
Stravinsky: Rake’s Progress
Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty
The Moody Blues: Live – Lovely To See You
Verdi: La Forza Del Destino
Wagner: Gotterdammerung
Jul 24
Previously shown behind closed doors at the consumer electronics show earlier in the year Sony has announced availability of the BDP-CX7000ES 400 disc Blu-ray ‘MegaChanger’. I guess we are getting close to having 400 worthwhile Blu-rays available. The player features Sony’s Super Bit Mapping and HD Reality Enhancer technologies to create a 14bit colour gamut from 8bit sources as well as supporting Deep Colour. The model also upscales DVD’s to full 1080p and supports 1080/24p.
Another changer announced is the BDP-CX906 which has many of the same features but lacks the Super Bit Mapping, HD Reality Enhancer and Deep Colour support
Both models feature support for Dolby TruHD and DTS Master Audio HD audio formats and both include 7.1 analogue outputs. BD-Live support is also included with the CX7000ES also linking to the Gracenote web site to get the details of discs inserted to add titles and other details.
The BDP-CX7000ES is available this August for about $1,900, while the BDP-CX960 will be available this fall for about $800.
In the slightly smaller stakes Sony announced a new high end single disc player the BDP-S1000ES. The player also features Sony’s Super Bit Mapping, HD Reality Enhancer technologies and Precision Drive HD. This new ‘ES’ player also has built-in Wi-Fi with support for a wide range of standards including 802.11n 300mbps. The rest is as you would expect, HD Audio support 1080/60/24p support and firmware updates over the internet. Expect to pay around $700 in August.
No word on when these will be released outside the US though…
Jul 22
Already released in the UK in what must be one of the fastest series releases after airing (literally around a week after it finished) Torchwood: Children of Earth will be released on Bluray in the US on the 28th of July again very shortly after airing from the 20th-24th in the US. This must be setting some kind of record for the fastest Bluray release. I won’t reveal any of the story here just to say it’s by far the best Torchwood yet and a great climax. It’s still sitting on my Sky+ HD PVR for another viewing it was stunning to watch on BBC HD so the Bluray looks like a worthwhile investment.
Jul 22
LG has announced that the new THX certified LH90 series displays are now available. These new displays offer 1080p with a claimed contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 and LG’s TruMotion 240Hz technology of offer smooth bright pictures. The sets feature a pre-defined THX movie mode that sets colour and black levels to THX standards. The TV’s are also EnergyStar 3.0 compliant.
The LH90 is available in 55-, 47-, and 42-inch sizes at suggested prices of $3,199.95, $2,399.95, and $1,899.95 respectively.
Jul 22
Fox Home Entertainment will partner with EyeWonder and Moxie to run advertising banners that promote the BluRay release of TV series Dollhouse through twitter. When web users mouse over a Dollhouse banner add they will be prompted to tweet their thoughts on the series which may feature in other ads. I’m getting into Dollhouse even though we are only half way through the first season in the UK.
Jul 19
JJ Abrams’ reimaging of Star Trek will launch on BluRay in the US on November 17th. The BluRay will be a 3 disk set (if there all double later that’s 150gigs of Trek goodness). Users will be able to hold their disks up in front of a web cam and unlock special features including a special tour of the new Enterprise. You can sample the feature now be visiting the Experience the Enterprise web site. The disks will also feature deleted scenes (including the baby Spock scene much talk about) as well as digital copy. More info as we get it.
Jul 19
A nice healthy release list this week
Glory (Only Available At Play.com)
The Haunting In Connecticut
Doom
Wrestlemania 25th Anniversary (2 Discs)
The Secret Of Moonacre
Hellraiser
Into The Wild
Paycheck
The Pianist
Disturbia
Brick
Switchblade Romance
Hush
Captivity
Elephant
Cadillac Records
Puppies And Kittens
Redacted
Make It Happen
Nine Songs
Jul 17
Debuting on DVD and BluRay Battlestar Galatica: The Plan tells the story of the epic battle from the side of the Cylons. Directed by and featuring Edward James Olmos and reuniting other cast members. The BluRay also features deleted scenes, from Admiral to director: Edward James Olmos and the plan – A day-in-the-life with director and actor Edward James Olmos, The Cylons of the plan features interviews with the actors who played the Cylons and several behind the scenes features. US release date is October 27th for £39.98
Jul 17
Sorry I could not resist it. Well respected speaker manufacturer Klipsch has announced the gorgeous looking Icon W Series of slim speakers aimed to complement the latest designed in flat panel TV’s. Klipsch usually manufactures larger horn based speakers but they have a new technology dubbed XT Trarix ® Horn which gives the traditional high dispersion associated with traditional horn based speakers and enables the new Icon W series to be slimmer. Mark Casavant, vice president of product development for Klipsch said “Icon W is intended for consumers who buy with both their eyes and ears. When compared to traditional box products, these speakers are more refined, take up less space yet still deliver the high-output, low-distortion sound Klipsch is known for”
For finishes the Icon W series are non-endangered Berlinia veneer from West Africa stained through a 10 layer process in either Cabernet or Espresso.
Pricing below and more detail at www.klipsch.co.uk of www.klipsch.com
