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Televisions Fifty Inches and Higher Hit Sales Records[teaser]Larger sets made a huge impact during the first quarter of this month, making up more of the market than ever before. [/teaser] Back in the first quarter of 2010 the television market was dominated by sales of sets between 40 and 49 inches, while sets 50 inches or larger sat at a 20 percent market share. In the following quarters, large sets fell down to as low as 18.7 percent, but that's changed significantly for the beginning of this year. In the first quarter of 2011, 50 inch sets accounted for 22.7 percent of sales - a new record. Smaller sets took a dip across the board, except for those between 30 and 39 inches, which also rose. Analyst Riddhi Patel of iSuppli says that the primary reason for the change is the price. "The rising popularity of 50-inch-and-larger sets among U.S. consumers stems from pure market economics," says Riddhi. "Televisions have become less expensive for the consumer, allowing even bigger sets previously considered beyond the reach of most consumers to become accessible." Source: TwicePosted Wed May 18, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Netflix Signs a New Deal with Miramax[teaser]The streaming selection expands next month with a range of Miramax classics. [/teaser] Netflix streaming is getting better next month with the addition of a good chunk of movies from Miramax. Netflix describes it as "an incredible range of Miramax films" which holds quite a bit of promise. Among the movies listed as highlights by Netflix are 'Clerks,' 'Bad Santa,' 'Good Will Hunting,' 'Kill Bill,' 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Chasing Amy.' Not a bad lineup, especially considering that it's only the tip of the iceberg. Several of the listed films, including 'Clerks,' are already listed on Netflix as being available for streaming starting on June 1st. Source: Netflix BlogPosted Tue May 17, 2011 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
PSN is Back - "Welcome Back" Package Detailed[teaser]The PlayStation Network is up and running, with full functionality expected to return later this week. [/teaser] It's been a trying time for PlayStation owners, but the restoration of the network this weekend was met with a great deal of excitement. At this point, the PlayStation network should be back up and running across the globe. You should be able to jump on and play games with your friends right now. You can check your trophies, visit your Home, and even jump on third party services like Netflix and Vudu without error. The store is down, and will likely remain down for another few days. Sony says it's the last thing that will be going up and that the relaunch of the store will coordinate with the release of a "Welcome Back" package meant to help entice users to stay with PlayStation. Sony isn't messing around when it comes to freebies. PS3 owners will be able to download a free copy of 'iNfamous,' 'LittleBigPlanet,' 'Dead Nation' and a few others. You're limited to two games from the list, but two free games is still a pretty slick setup. PSP owners get similar treatment in the game department. You'll also be getting a few free movie rentals and 100 free virtual items for PlayStation Home. Source:Posted Tue May 17, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
BenQ Announces the SH960 DLP Projector[teaser]It boasts a dual lamp setup, a strong contrast ratio, and a few features to ensure the best color accuracy possible. [/teaser] The latest projector from BenQ is designed to be bright, clear and reliable, even in rooms with plenty of ambient light. The SH960 sports a 3000:1 contrast ratio and a color palette of 1.07 billion. "For many professional applications as well as viewers who would like to enjoy a ballgame or movie with the lights on, projection does not come in a more vibrant and crystal-clear display than with the SH960," says BenQ VP Mitch Mauch. "We've combined extraordinary brightness with 1080p native resolution to enable stunning image quality even in settings where ambient light is difficult to control." In addition to standards like an eco-mode to extend lamp life and lens shifting, the BenQ SH960 offers a Wall Color Correction feature that adjusts the picture to provide correct color even on walls that would normally throw it off. The BenQ SH960 will be available in June at a price of $6,999. Source: eCousticsPosted Tue May 17, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Netflix Finally Hits the Android Marketplace[teaser]Android phones finally get caught up with a free Netflix app. [/teaser] The Android platform has gained quite a bit of popularity since the initial launch. While the iPhone still tops the market in terms of popularity, Android based devices are picking up steam fast. To meet the increased demand, Netflix has unveiled a new app for Android phones. Initially, the application will only be available for certain phones - HTC's Incredible, Nexus One, Evo 4G, G2, and Samsung's Nexus S. Netflix says that the slower rollout is because, unlike iPhones which all conform to the same hardware specifications, Android phones vary in both software and hardware. "We are aggressively qualifying phones and look forward to expanding the list of phones on which the Netflix app will be supported," states Roma De on the official Netflix Blog. "We anticipate that many of these technical challenges will be resolved in the coming months and that we will be able to provide a Netflix application that will work on a large majority of Android phones." Source: Netflix BlogPosted Mon May 16, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Blockbuster Gift Cards No Longer Being Honored[teaser]The Blockbuster bankruptcy and subsequent purchase means that your gift cards are now worth absolutely nothing. [/teaser] Ah the humble gift card. It's such a simple gift to get for Christmas, birthdays, Easter, graduation, or just to say "thanks." The giving of gift cards is a fine tradition, but one that has occasion to backfire - and that's what's happening now. If you have Blockbuster gift cards lying around then that's what they'll continue to do. As of now, they're worthless. Blockbuster has announced that they're no longer accepting gift cards. Not too big a deal if you've got a $10 card lying around, but if you have something a bit more significant it couldn't hurt to make a call. And of course, since Blockbuster is no longer accepting gift cards, don't buy one of the dozens of cheap gift cards on eBay or one of the many that you'll find popping up on Craigslist - unless you really love collecting gift cards. Source: Sun SentinelPosted Mon May 16, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
The Bonus View Digest - May 13, 2011[teaser]Here we are again. Another week is about to wrap up and we're already halfway through May. This week has been an extremely productive one on The Bonus View. Let's take a look at some of the posts that you may have missed.[/teaser] Movie Madness The tournament of death is still going strong. Big wins this week were posted by Batman, Darth Vader, and Alice. Take a look at the matchups below to see how close some of the matchups ended up being. Alice and Blade went down to the wire, but the zombie-killing hottie ended up pulling it out. Blade vs. Alice Han Solo vs. Batman Darth Vader vs. Dutch Theatrical News Luke Hickman has kept us apprised of all the news happening in Hollywood as the summer movie season looks to kick into full gear. This weekend was huge for 'Thor' as it smashed everything else at the box office. Luke also let us in on the news behind Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln biopic and the strength of its cast. TV Recaps We continue to follow a variety of different shows on HD television spanning just about every genre. Nate Boss even stopped by this week as a guest blogger to recap an episode of 'South Park'. Don't forget to check out our other television recaps for shows like 'Game of Thrones', 'Modern Family', 'Chuck', 'Glee', 'Justified' , 'Fringe', NBC's Thursday night comdey lineup, and 'Doctor Who'. Video Game News Dick Ward has the video game world covered this week as he showed us what brand new titles we should be excited for on May 8th. Blu-ray News Josh covered the Blu-ray releases for this week in his weekly post about the new titles hitting the store shelves, but he curiously left out 'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.' Special Features This week's Weekend Roundtable caused us film critics to swallow our pride and announce to the world which classic movies we are ashamed that we haven't actually seen. Don't forget to vote in our Mid-Week Poll where we asked how much of your movie collection have you actually watched. We all have shrink wrapped discs lying around that we paid top dollar for. Here's your chance to admit it. Be sure to stay tuned to The Bonus View for ongoing news, features, and fun. It's a place where HD enthusiasts can gather and talk openly about their favorite movies, TV shows, and anything else they've got on their minds. Hope to see you there.Posted Fri May 13, 2011 at 11:50 AM PDT by: -
Onkyo Announces the 4K Upscaling, Network Capable TX-NR809 Receiver[teaser]The receiver boasts two different video processing techs and a few streaming features as well. [/teaser] Onkyo has stepped things up for this year's TX-NR809, the replacement to the NR808. They've added a second USB port to allow front and rear access, iPhone and iPod compatibility, and Zone 2/3 preouts for those looking to supply sound to more than just one room. The NR809's best feature might be the dual video processing technologies used to make your picture as crisp and clean as possible. The HQV Vida processor takes care of upscaling to 1080p and cleaning up compressed video while Qdeo tech scales video from 1080p to 4K. Of course, video is only half of what a receiver needs to do well. It won't come as a surprise that Onkyo's NR809 is built for quality audio as well, boasting a range of Audyssey features like MultEQ XT room-correction tech and the option of Audyssey DSX high and wide channels. You'll be able to pick up a TX-NR809 for yourself later this month at a price of $1,009. Source: OnkyoPosted Fri May 13, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
New Google TV Interface on the Way[teaser]Google I/O revealed plenty about the company's plans for the future, including a new look for Google TV. [/teaser] Google TV has a problem, though it might be more accurate to say that Google TV is the problem. Though the hardware side of Google TV devices seems solid enough, the platform just isn't up to snuff. The folks at Google know that, and they're making some big changes. At their Google I/O tradeshow, the company showed off a quick glimpse of a new user interface that's set to be released later this year. It's based on the Honeycomb operating system and definitely features a different look, though just how much of an improvement we'll see is a mystery. Also announced at Google I/O - the source code for the Android remote app is going to be made available, giving developers the ability to create their own variations. Source: EngadgetPosted Fri May 13, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Dish Network Will Offer Free Sling Adapters to Existing Customers[teaser]Well not exactly free, but you'll get a rebate in the form of an American Express gift card for the amount you paid. [/teaser] New customers get all the perks. When you first sign up for cable or satellite services, the companies throw everything they have at getting you in, but after the first six months the relationship stales. You're not new and exciting anymore and they start to charge more and take away some of the cool freebies. Dish subscribers have some good news coming their way. The company has decided - according to Satellite Guys - to extend an offer of free Sling Adapters to current customers instead of just the ones new to the service. Technically, the adapters aren't free - at least not initially. You'll have to pay $99 up front, but you'll get a $99 rebate in the form of an American Express Gift Card. You get your money back, but you'll have to wait a bit. Source: EngadgetPosted Fri May 13, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by:
