| HIGH-DEF GEAR NEWS TAGGED "BEST BUY" | Receive High-Def Gear News via RSS |  |
Best Buy to Embed CinemaNow on Most Connected Devices
Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Best Buy, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)
No, we’re not just talking about Dynex or Insignia here, Best Buy announced today that they’ll be embedding the Roxio CinemaNow service into nearly all capable devices sold in their stores, in a variety of brands. Oh, and there’s more.
The move will effect more than just Blu-ray players and HDTVs, as the CinemaNow digital distribution service will be embedded into not only the usual suspects but set-top boxes, personal media players, and even mobile phones. From what we’ve heard, essentially anything that can play video and connect to the internet.
So with a majority of the hardware purchased from Best Buy set to offer up the digital rental and purchasing service CinemaNow, what’s next? And how exactly does this aggressive move towards digital distribution benefit Best Buy?
Best Buy’s Chris Homeister has the answers. “We’re going into this business in a big way,” he states. “The idea is to let consumers pay once for a DVD and then eventually be able to play it on any device.” This would mean, essentially, that a DVD purchase from Best Buy or BestBuy.com would translate into digital rights for the same content.
Best Buy hopes that the inclusion of the service and the future availability of same day digital copies will create loyalty to the brand from consumers who tend to be increasingly concerned with bargain hunting.
Of course, an advertising and educational campaign is sure to follow, explaining to consumers exactly what they’re getting and how it benefits them. As Dave Habiger of Sonic Solutions puts it, “With Best Buy's ability to drive in-store promotion and education, consumers will come to quickly understand and appreciate the convenience, flexibility, and control that digitally-delivered video entertainment affords them.”
Source: Yahoo News
Toshiba’s BDX2000 Blu-ray Player Hits Best Buy
Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 02:00 PM ETTags: Toshiba, Best Buy (all tags)
At long last Toshiba has a Blu-ray player on store shelves, at $50 cheaper than announced.
Toshiba’s BDX2000 isn’t an especially unique Blu-ray player, but the circumstances around its creation and release certainly were. Toshiba of course was the driving force behind HD-DVD, and a long time Blu-ray holdout. After the end of the format war, Toshiba made a lot of statements that downplayed the importance of Blu-ray, but as time went on, the Blu-ray market became too strong to ignore.
That brings us to the BDX2000 Blu-ray player, spotted at Best Buy for $199.99. It features a 1080p resolution and is BD Live capable. The BDX2000 decodes Dobly True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio, and features 7.1 channel audio output through HDMI. There aren’t any streaming services to speak of, just what looks to be a pretty good Blu-ray player.
Toshiba’s official website states a November release date, but user submitted photos indicate that at least a few Best Buy stores have this on the shelves now.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Best Buy and Netflix Announce Insignia Partnership
Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 06:00 PM ETTags: Best Buy, Insignia, Netflix (all tags)
In the increasingly competitive HDTV market, functionality seems to be key in nabbing sales. To that end, Best Buy will be integrating Netflix functionality into their Insignia Blu-ray players.
The ever popular Netflix streaming program seems to be a feather in the cap of any piece of electronics that allows consumers access, and manufacturers are taking note. The Insignia Advanced Series and Insignia Connected Blu-ray players from Best Buy will both feature Netflix functionality.
The soon to be released WiFi ready Advanced (model NS-WBRDVD) has an MSRP of $249, but is selling at $199 on Best Buy’s site at press time. Currently available, the Insignia Connected player (model: NS-BRDVD3) runs $179 and streams via an Ethernet connection. While the Insignia Advanced BD player will run Netflix out of the box, the Insignia Connected player will require a firmware update.
Interestingly, as Best Buy has a stake not only in the sale of their Blu-ray players, but in the sale of Blu-ray discs, this may be an indicator of a change in the marketplace. More likely though, Best Buy simply wants to make sure that Insignia Blu-ray players leave the shelves quickly this holiday season.
Source: Press Release
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Best Buy Wants To Upgrade Your Old “Scary” Technology
Thu Oct 08, 2009 at 02:00 PM ETTags: Best Buy (all tags)
Well, sort of. Best Buy is running a contest to find the person with the oldest, most broken down home theater system and is offering a full makeover as a reward. The downside? It’s all Insignia gear, except for the stuff that’s Rocketfish.
You can find more information at ScaryTechnology.com but the essential information is this: if you have old crap, Best Buy wants to see it, and they want to upgrade it. Simply take a picture of your insanely large cellular phone from the late 80s, or that record player that doesn’t do LPs or EPs, just your grandfather’s old collection of 78s, or even that old PC with a turbo button and a tape drive, and then upload the picture to Best Buy’s site.
The top prize for the contest is an Insignia home theater package which includes a Rocketfish Wireless Home Audio System, an Insignia Blu-ray Player, and Insignia 1080p camcorder, and a $2,500 gift card to spend on “additional Insignia HT gear and Geek Squad Installation.” First and second runner up get gift cards as well, but without suggestions on what to spend it on.
Source: Best Buy
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Best Buy Details Insignia Blu-ray HDTV Combos
Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Best Buy, Insignia, High-Def Retailing (all tags)
Retail giant Best Buy has released details on their upcoming Insignia brand Blu-ray player HDTV combos. At $599.99, they run a scant $100 more than the equivalent drive free model.
Insignia isn’t the first name that comes to mind when thinking of home theater products, but it will almost certainly be on the lips of those searching for a cheap way to get into high definition this holiday season. Best Buy’s 32” Insignia HDTV/Blu-ray combo features everything that the $499 drive free model does, plus a Blu-ray player, at a price of $599.
The display is Full HD, and features a contrast ratio of 4000:1. Insignia’s new set also features a pair of HDMI inputs as well as ins for composite, component and PC. The set also features an Ethernet port that “lets you connect your TV to your home network” according to Best Buy’s site.
Little information on the Blu-ray drive is available, and the site specifications appear to be off, as the section detailing the built in player states a DVD player, rather than Blu-ray.
The Insignia Blu-ray HDTV combo has not been dated, but it can certainly be expected before the holiday shopping season kicks in.
Source: Best Buy
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Sony and Best Buy Join Forces on ATLUS Audio Line
Thu Aug 20, 2009 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Sony, Best Buy (all tags)
Promise multi-room audio freedom throughout the home.
After two years in the works, Sony and Best Buy are ready to debut their new ATLUS line of audio devices. "We're breaking new ground in the consumer electronics industry with this unique cooperation between manufacturer and retailer," states Mike Fasulo of Sony in an announcement yesterday.
Among the new products announced as part of this partnership were setups for wireless speaker and subwoofer setups for the iPod and iPhone, as well as add on speaker units for the system. Much like the Sonos multi-room music system, Sony is focused on using one source and multiple receivers able to select different streams from the source.
Perhaps most interestingly, a Blu-ray disc home theater system was announced in connection with the new ATLUS line. Sony’s BDV-E500W is a 5.1 Channel Blu-ray home theater setup that can act as a base for wireless audio streaming of up to 10 different sources.
While the new line will not be available until September from Best Buy, Sony Style offers them for preorder now.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
TiVo and Best Buy Hook Up – The DVR-TV combo is born
Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 12:30 PM ETTags: Best Buy, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)
The entry level consumer is almost certainly the main target of TiVo and Best Buy who announced today that they would be joining forces on a new line of products.
It’s a pretty strong pairing, with Best Buy who could use a good push on their proprietary HDTVs, and TiVo, who have lost a great deal of popularity in the last several years.
For Best Buy’s part, they’ll be increasing marketing and merchandising for TiVo units, as well as doing some work on the user interface for TiVos sold at Best Buy. On TiVo’s end, they’ll be giving Best Buy some advertising space on their service and allowing them plenty of marketing options for consumers.
But that’s the boring stuff, here’s where it gets good. TiVo and Best Buy will be working together to see how best to integrate various TiVo features into their Exclusive Brands group of Dynex, Insignia, Rocketfish, and Geek Squad. The press release mentions integration of TiVo’s search functionality and user interface, but it’s almost certain that a TiVo/HDTV hybrid will be in the works. An entry level TV at an entry level price with a TiVo built in could make Best Buy the number one choice for a starter HD set.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
Best Buy Offers $100 Blu-ray Player, But There's A Twist
Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: High-Def Retailing, Best Buy, Insignia (all tags)
If you're looking to jump into the Blu-ray world, Best Buy's latest offer may aid you in your cause.
Best Buy is putting some muscle behind its Blu-ray support. In addition to two double-page spreads touting Blu-ray titles in last weekend's newspaper inserts, the retailer has just rolled out an offer that's sure to pique the interest of anyone itching to dip their toe in the Blu-ray waters, particularly if they have kids. The retailer is currently selling the Insignia NS-BRDVD for $199, and, in a welcome twist, they're including a coupon book for $100 off on a selection of titles from Disney, Touchstone, and Miramax. No word on what those titles might be (if anyone picks one of these up, please email us the full details), but this does present an interesting opportunity.
According to the player's specs, it supports a variety of disc formats, is capable of 1080p upconversion via HDMI, and of course, it plays Blu-ray movies in all their high definition glory. Built-in decoders support Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD, and Dolby TrueHD sound. Outputs include HDMI, stereo audio, composite video, component video, digital optical audio, and digital coaxial audio. And oh yeah, it comes with a remote.
No details on how long this offer will last, but some of you may want to check it out now.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Insignia NS-BRDVD [BestBuy.com]
Best Buy Offers $100 Blu-ray Player, But There's A Twist
Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 03:00 PM ETTags: High-Def Retailing, Best Buy, Insignia (all tags)
If you're looking to jump into the Blu-ray world, Best Buy's latest offer may aid you in your cause.
Best Buy is putting some muscle behind its Blu-ray support. In addition to two double-page spreads touting Blu-ray titles in last weekend's newspaper inserts, the retailer has just rolled out an offer that's sure to pique the interest of anyone itching to dip their toe in the Blu-ray waters, particularly if they have kids. The retailer is currently selling the Insignia NS-BRDVD for $199, and, in a welcome twist, they're including a coupon book for $100 off on a selection of titles from Disney, Touchstone, and Miramax. No word on what those titles might be (if anyone picks one of these up, please email us the full details), but this does present an interesting opportunity.
According to the player's specs, it supports a variety of disc formats, is capable of 1080p upconversion via HDMI, and of course, it plays Blu-ray movies in all their high definition glory. Built-in decoders support Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD, and Dolby TrueHD sound. Outputs include HDMI, stereo audio, composite video, component video, digital optical audio, and digital coaxial audio. And oh yeah, it comes with a remote.
No details on how long this offer will last, but some of you may want to check it out now.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Insignia NS-BRDVD [BestBuy.com]
» High-Def Digest home page
