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LG Will Launch a 25 Inch Glasses-Free 3D Monitor in 2012[teaser]Slowly but surely, glasses-free 3D displays are getting bigger. [/teaser] When it comes to 3D, a lot of people get hung up on the issue of glasses. Wearing glasses over your existing glasses, or just wearing glasses in the first place, can be a real turn off. But of course, glasses-free displays have been limited to incredibly small screens. The DX2500 is a step forward, taking the glasses-free display up to 25 inches. LG says they've solved the frustrating problem of viewing angle by adding a head-tracking camera to the monitor. If you move your head while watching a movie or a game, the monitor will adjust accordingly so you don't lose the 3D picture. LG's glasses-free DX2500 is out in Korea now and will be launching in the US early next year at a price of $1,100. Source: ecousticsPosted Mon Dec 5, 2011 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
British Retailer Tesco Offers Up an UltraViolet Like Service of Their Own[teaser]The service is called "blinkbox" and it gives customers digital copies of movies they buy. [/teaser] The UltraViolet digital distribution / digital rights management initiative is up and running in the US but it hasn't made it overseas yet. Ultraviolet will launch sometime next year in the UK but it's going to have a bit of competition from a new service called "blinkbox." blinkbox is a creation of the massive retailer Tesco. It gives customers digital copies of movies that they buy, but only if they purchase a movie using their Tesco Clubcard. Tesco currently owns 80% of blinkbox. Digital copies of movies purchased from Tesco will be available to watch on tablets, PCs, tablets and game systems. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Mon Dec 5, 2011 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Bonus View Digest - December 2, 2011Can you believe we've already rounded the corner into December? 2011 is almost over, but The Bonus View keeps plugging along, bringing you the very best in high-def news. Whether it is updates about theatrical releases or the latest television scuttlebutt we've got you completely covered. [teaser]Take a load off for a minute. Stop thinking about the impending Christmas shopping season, and instead sit down and find out what juicy tidbits you may have missed out on this week.[/teaser] Blu-ray News The big news this week was that we were giving away a brand spanking new copy of one of the funniest horror comedies since 'Shaun of the Dead.' You can still enter our 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' contest until the end of the day today, so make sure you do. You could end up being the winner. Last week we gave away a copy of J.J. Abrams' 'Super 8.' We're always running free Blu-ray contests, so you'll want to make sure you're keeping up with the blog to find out about our latest giveaways. Make sure you stop by Josh's weekly Blu-ray Highlights column where he details every home video release hitting the market this week. This week saw a very eclectic mix of movies hit store shelves, let Josh guide you to the right ones. Theatrical News As always, Luke Hickman has you covered on the theatrical front. Make sure to check out his Weekend Box Office update along with his discussion about the movies that came out during the long Thanksgiving weekend. And in case you missed them, Luke posted reviews for some of the hottest theatrical openings such as 'The Muppets' and 'Hugo.' E presents another edition of The Trailer Park, previewing two trailers. One for 'Young Adult' and the other from '21 Jump Street.' Finally, you don't want to miss the eye-opening article that Luke posted about Universal executive Ronald Meyer discussing, quite candidly I might add, the "crappy" movies that his studio has made over the years. Home Theater News E is dabbling in a home theater renovation. He's in the process of creating his own home theater personal computer, and this is his first post about how he's planning on doing it. Check it out and see if it gives you ideas on organizing your movie collection. Don't know what the "DTS Bomb" is? Let Josh explain in his article about the annoying audio glitch that happens with certain equipment which is trying to decode the DTS authoring. You'll want to know how to avoid it if you can. Jonesing for something to watch on your streaming service? Well we've got you covered there too. Check out what's playing on the Netflix Stream or VUDU streaming service. Or take reviewer Wayne Rowe's suggestion and check out the movie 'Dutch' in his One From the Vault column. TV Recaps As always, we have a good run down of television recaps to keep you up to date with TV's most popular shows. Make sure you catch our recaps of 'American Horror Story' and 'The Walking Dead.' As 'The Walking Dead' just had its fall finale, the episode's recap sparked quite a bit of debate. If you're a fan of the show you'll want to make your view known in the comments section for sure. As we wait for 'The Walking Dead' to come back in February, Aaron is going to be dissecting each character and calculating their chances of survival. You'll want to check out 'Walking Dead' Character Guide this week, because we profile the Grimes family and wonder if Rick, Lori, and Carl will make it through the zombie apocalypse alive. Videogame News We've always got videogame related articles for you gamers out there to enjoy. This week's Mid-Week Poll focused on videogames and asked about your preference. Do you like single player or online gaming better? Come and let us know with your vote. Dick Ward discusses how Sony killed downloadable Vita games before launch day and also gives a quick rundown of the games that hit store shelves this week. Special Features Seeing that it was Thanksgiving last week, we decided to go the sentimental route and ask the writers of the blog what they were thankful for during the Weekend Roundtable. Warning: Maximum mushiness. Hey us film critics have feelings too alright? Thanks for making this another successful week at the world's greatest HD-centric blog. We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and that your wallets don't see too much of a dent during the holiday shopping seasons. May you seek out the best deals and always find the best Blu-ray bargains.Posted Fri Dec 2, 2011 at 11:16 AM PST by: -
Analyst Michael Pachter Says Netflix is Broken - 11 Million Lost Hybrid Subscribers by 2012[teaser]Of those 11 million, he predicts that seven million will downgrade their plans and the rest will leave Netflix completely. [/teaser] Right now, the future of Netflix is unclear. Things could go one of two very different ways for the company thanks to an incredibly aggressive plan for growth. Netflix is expanding to other countries, acquiring new contentw, and doing everything it can to get new customers, but that may be at the root of the problem. "In our view," writes Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities, "the company’s business model was broken when it raised prices for its hybrid customers, and continued customer defections will require it to invest ever-increasing amounts in marketing." Pachter suggests that Netflix will lose 11 million hybrid accounts, meaning accounts that subscribe for both disc delivery and streaming. He says that four million will leave the service and the rest will downgrade to just streaming or just discs. This loss is just the beginning of what Pachter says will be a big loss for Netflix. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Fri Dec 2, 2011 at 10:20 AM PST by: -
Sony Adds Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more to Bravia TVs[teaser]The latest firmware update to 2011 Bravias brings plenty of added functionality, including laptop control. [/teaser] Receivers, Blu-ray players and TVs are more and more frequently offering customers the ability to control their devices via a smartphone or tablet. If you can control your set from a less capable device, why not a laptop? That very functionality is being implemented in the newest update to Sony's 2011 Bravia televisions. You'll be able to control different aspects of the set through your laptop including, thankfully, apps that would normally require you to pick letters one-by-one with your remote. Also new to the TVs are YouTube HD for your high definition Epic Meal Time enjoyment and Facebook integration allows you to share those YouTube videos with your friends. Another new feature is the Twitter Ticker, which displays messages from your Twitter feed across the bottom of your screen as you watch. Could be a fun setup for sharing your thoughts on the game, the Oscars or whatever event you watch with friends. Source: EngadgetPosted Fri Dec 2, 2011 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
The BBC iPlayer Makes it to Canada[teaser]It's coming to the US soon, but until then we have reason to be jealous of our neighbors to the north. [/teaser] Canadian fans of British television now have access to the BBC iPlayer, an app for the iPhone that allows subscribers to watch shows from the BBC any time they want. It's a bit like a British Hulu. The BBC is adding a little bit of incentive for Canadian customers to use the service too. They'll be giving up one piece of entertainment a day until Christmas. They're hoping, of course, that this taste of what you can watch on the iPlayer will inspire viewers to pay the $8.95 a month subscription for the rest of the content. Canada is the 16th territory to get access to the program and the first in North America. A US release date hasn't been announced, but the BBC has confirmed that the iPlayer is on the way to the states. Source: EngadgetPosted Fri Dec 2, 2011 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
High-Def Holidays: Ho-Ho-Hi-Def!by Dick Ward [teaser]Need help picking out a few movies for your Christmas marathon? This isn't the list for you. We'll have that list of course, but this one's all about celebrating those holidays that slip under the radar. The weird ones celebrating things that just don't need celebrating. The holidays that you didn't even knew existed.[/teaser] Okay, Christmas people, I'll throw you a bone. 'Die Hard.' Hi Neighbor Month It's true, people don't really talk to their neighbors like they used to. So they want you to say hi. Fine. I say do it one better and make it High-Def neighbor month. Get your player hooked on Blu-ray with my personal favorite disc to date and one that I think really shows the power of the format - 'Star Trek.' Give 'em a taste of what they're missing out on. Read a New Book Month Reading books can take you on wonderful new adventures, teach you lessons about humanity and about yourself, and help you learn the meaning of words like "inconceivable." But why read a book when you could watch 'Princess Bride,' a movie about people reading a book? It's faster than a proper book and has way more Peter Falk. Of course... if you're still dying to read an actual book, why not check out HDD Editor-in-Chief Mike Attebery's latest release: Seattle On Ice available as a $2.99 Kindle edition and $9.50 paperback (Makes a great gift!). December 5th - Walt Disney's Birthday Just seconds after you hit play on a Disney movie you'll see an opener that pulls out to reveal Cinderella's Castle to the music of "When You Wish Upon a Star." It's from "Pinocchio" and is one of the sweetest and most beautiful songs put into a Disney film. December 6th - Ira Gershwin's Birthday Ira who? No, Ira Gershwin. Ira, along with his brother George, is responsible for some incredibly memorable music that you should really know. ' A Star is Born' is debatably the last great work of Ira Gershwin. It stars Judy Garland and James Mason. Also it's great. December 12th - Sinatra's Birthday Boy do I love Sinatra. The man had style, composure, mob ties, excellent comedic timing, and a great voice. All right, the mob ties aren't exactly a plus but the other bits are. As much as I do love the 2001 version, nothing beats Frank, Dean, and Sammy in ' Ocean's Eleven.' December 17th - Underdog day Sean Astin is the king of the underdogs. The absolute king. For starters, he was Rudy in 'Rudy,' a movie about a guy that might just be the ultimate football underdog. But that's not all. He was Mikey in 'The Goonies,' a tale of a group of underdogs who beat out a crime family and saved their home. Not enough? How about his role as the fat, lazy, unwilling Samwise Gamgee from 'Lord of the Rings.' No one thought he'd ever really help out on the adventure but when times got tough he was the one who managed to overcome significant adversity and get Frodo to where he needed to be. See? King of the underdogs. December 20th - Games Day Games play an important part in a lot of movies, from the drunken festivities of 'Beer Fest' to the Ouija board in 'Paranormal Activity.' No other movie completely revolves around a game in the way 'Jumanji' does though. If nothing else, watch the movie for Van Pelt - best character by far. December 28th - Card Playing Day Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Gretchen Mol, Famke Janssen, John Malkovich. That should be all you need to hear about ' Rounders' until you go out and buy it and watch it and love it. Oh, it's about poker. December 29th - Pepper Pot Day I have no idea what a Pepper Pot is, but I know who Pepper Potts is and I know that she's played really nicely by Gwyneth Paltrow in both the original and 'Iron Man 2.' December 29th is also my roommate's birthday, and I'm sure he'd love a Pepper Potts of his own. If anyone knows where I can get a brilliant and sexy personal assistant on the cheap, hit me up. December 31st - New Year's Eve Before the movies started to get funny and long before they added Chris Rock and turned the films into self-parody there was a wonderful and dark movie called 'Lethal Weapon.' It starts just after Christmas and on through New Year's.Posted Thu Dec 1, 2011 at 03:45 PM PST by: -
A Sneak Peak at 'The Smurfs' Second Screen and Exclusive Blu-ray Special Featuresby Michael S. Palmer As Black Friday madness recedes into memory, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is offering families an unofficial alternative on December 2nd -- Blue Friday -- with 'The Smurfs' launching on Blu-ray and other digital rental / purchase platforms. [teaser]Our friends at Sony Pictures Imageworks were kind enough to invite HDD to their studio lot in beautiful Culver City, California to learn se about the various Blu-ray editions, test out Smurf-O-Vision: Second Screen Experience and some family friends apps, and enjoy an early look at 'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol.'[/teaser] A Smurf-sized Film and Why I Wish it Was HD Christmas may be my favorite holiday. My wife and I often decorate before Thanksgiving, I usually leave a string or two of lights up in my living room as cheap "cinema lighting", and one time I purposefully left up the office Christmas Tree until March to see just how long it would take my passive aggressive supervisor to directly request its removal (a hilarious and cheerful three months, it was!). So while the growing multitude of Dickens adaptations may be boring to some, I'm always up for a new twist on the classic tale. 'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol' doesn't disappoint. This heartwarming, visually striking short utilizes both modern CGI animation as well as 2D cell animation reminiscent of the old TV show. The only catch, my HD-loving friends, is that it's exclusively available on DVD as part of the 3 Disc Holiday Gift Set (see below). A shame, because yesterday we were able to see an HDCAM copy of the short, which is richly detailed, colorful, and would have popped on ye olde HDTVe. However, after a bit of technical difficulty, we watched the most of the short projected from the DVD, and it admittedly looks pretty good in SD too. Second Screen Smurfs Next on our tour was a look at Smurf-O-Vision, also available exclusively on the 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set. While most Second Screen applications act like behind the scene featurettes, allowing users to dive into production designs and concept art, Sony did something quite different and really fun with 'The Smurfs'. Smurf-O-Vision is a free app that allows kids to play along with the movie in 15 unique activities. For example, if a character on screen is blowing bubbles, bubbles appear on your iPad and you pop them. There's also Smurfberries to poke, popcorn to pop, and flies to squash among other things. Sony was smart to make the Smurf-O-Vision application easy to use in a variety of scenarios. Users can sync the app to the film using a manual setting or WiFi (if your Blu-ray player is connected to your home network). And let's say your adorable little ones want to play Smurf-O-Vision, but you don't want to watch the film for the three trillionth time, or you're on the road with no Blu-ray available, the app still works as a standalone. The kiddies can play any of the 15 activities in any order they wish. Cleverly designed, oddly addictive, and technically you don't even need to buy the Blu-ray to ever use it. In fact, over 35 thousand people are already enjoying it. Smurftacular Apps The Smurfs Village Game (available for Apple iOS or Android) has been around for a while, but it has a new Holiday Quest update featuring all new holiday-themed quests inspired by 'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol', such as growing blackberries for holiday Smurfberry Nog, or helping the holiday-decorated mushroom village build a SnowSmurf. Another fun and free (my favorite price) app is GoldRun, which allows you to take family pictures with one of six Smurf characters. Simply adjust the characters' size and screen position to make it appear as if the Smurf was really standing next to you or the group. Then upload to your favorite photo-sharing or social networking site. How Many Different Ways Can I Buy the Smurfs? Excellent question. For Blu-ray fans, there are two versions to consider: First, there's the 3D Blu-ray + DVD edition, which includes one Blu-ray with both 3D and 2D versions of the film along with The Smurfs Fantastic Adventure Game, and one DVD, which includes a Find The Smurfs Game. Both discs also host a number of behind the scenes featurettes and audio commentaries. Next, there is a 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set (which we just reviewed). This package features one 2D Blu-ray along with the Smurf-O-Vision: Second Screen Experience, a DVD of the movie, and a DVD of an all new animated short, 'The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol'. As part of a Walmart exclusive, the 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set includes a plush Smurf toy and a $5 credit for Walmart's Vudu streaming service. All retail editions of 'The Smurfs', including the DVD-only edition, include an UltraViolet digital redemption code for streaming and/or download from your Digital Locker in the Cloud. Why in the Smurf Would I Buy It? Look for our full review coming soon, but after finally getting a chance to see the film last night, I was really surprised. 'The Smurfs' is a fun family film sure to delight the kiddies, not bore the adults, and it looks and sounds pretty darn spiffy on Blu-ray (though the rear channels in the otherwise delightful 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround track seem to be mixed a little hot at times). Pick up 'The Smurfs' on Blu-ray Friday, December 2nd! In addition to the physical copy editions mentioned above, the film will also be available day and date on various OnDemand, streaming, and digital download services such as Vudu and iTunes. Thanks again to Sony Imageworks and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for a fun afternoon.Posted Thu Dec 1, 2011 at 02:35 PM PST by: -
THX is Giving Away Blu-ray Players, Receivers and More Through the Holidays[teaser]You can even get yourself a full THX Certified system by authorizing their Facebook page. [/teaser] What's better than getting a new piece of gear for your home theater? Getting free gear for your home theater. THX is offering it up through their Facebook page and there's plenty to be had. From now until January 13th, THX will be giving away prizes to those that visit, 'like,' and authorize the page. The current prize is a $100 gift certificate to an AMC theater, but future giveaways will include Blu-ray players, receivers, and an integrated system - all THX certified of course. Swing on over to the THX Facebook page and register if you want to get in on the potential swag. Of course, authorizing THX to post to your Facebook wall is a bit of a strange request, so make sure you read up on what you're authorizing before clicking. Source: THX FacebookPosted Thu Dec 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Blu-ray Players a "Phenomenal Success" for Sony on Black Friday[teaser]The company did quite well over all, with increased sales despite a lack of huge discounts. [/teaser] Sony has been going through a real rough patch over the last few years, but 2011's Black Friday performance is looking very promising for the company. CEO Phil Molyneux says that despite not having any crazy discounts or doorbuster product, the company performed quite well. He calls out Blu-ray players in particular as "a phenomenal success." Molyneux, who was put into position just over a year ago, says that one of the big influences on increased sales was a new corporate philosophy. "We were an organization that made an effort to ship and forget," he says. "I had to drive a cultural change. The relationship with the retailer is important but the focus on the consumer is paramount." Numbers aren't in across the board yet, but Sony reported a significant increase in the business done through its online call center and a 21 percent increase at sales in Sony stores. Source: TwicePosted Thu Dec 1, 2011 at 09:00 AM PST by:
