-
Enter the blog, er, grid, and win TRON and TRON LEGACY 5-disc set on Blu-ray![teaser]Did you like the 'Black Swan' contest The Bonus View had recently? Then just wait till you hear what they're giving away this week! The complete 5-disc 'Tron' and 'Tron: Legacy' 2-Movie Collection on Blu-ray (which includes both 2D and 3D copies of the second film). [/teaser] That’s right, The Bonus View is going all the way here. The prize is the 'Tron' and 'Tron: Legacy' 5-disc Blu-ray package that includes all of the following, packaged in a slipcover with sweet lenticular 3D artwork. 'Tron: The Original Classic' (Blu-ray) 'Tron: Legacy' (Blu-ray) 'Tron: Legacy' (Blu-ray 3D) 'Tron: Legacy' (DVD) 'Tron: Legacy' (Digital Copy) You've probably had enough caption contests recently, so they're throwing a little culture into the mix. This one is a haiku contest. To win the prize, you must come up with a creative 'Tron'-themed haiku in the standard 5-7-5 format. That means 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and another 5 syllables in the third line. Check out The Bonus View for examples and further details The winner will be selected based on our own subjective discretion. We have one copy of the prize to give away, so there can only be one winner. Entries are limited to 10 per person. That should give you plenty of opportunities to craft a good submission, but will also help us to avoid any potential appearance of awarding prizes based on volume rather than quality. The deadline for entry is this Friday, April 15th. The winner will be announced next week. Good luck, everyone! Go to The Bonus View for details and to submit your Haiku masterpieces!Posted Tue Apr 12, 2011 at 06:35 AM PDT by: -
AMC Theaters Issues a Statement on Premium VOD[teaser]Rather than a threat, the release is simply an appeal to eliminate the idea for the sake of theaters. [/teaser] The folks at AMC Theaters aren't happy with premium VOD, but they're not resorting to pulling trailers or making threats - at least not yet. For now they're trying to appeal to an industry that's beginning to leave them behind. "We believe the theatrical experience has a bright future, and we are aggressively investing to prepare for it," says the company in an official statement. "We are in the midst of a multi-year, multi-million dollar rollout of digital projection and 3D, IMAX and our own proprietary ETX format." AMC says that premium VODs, or p-VODS, would threaten that expansion and the very existence of movie theaters as a business. To that end, they've expressed their concerns to studios and are working to ink special deals for movies that go to premium on demand. "The future is bright," says the statement, "even as it promises to be different, and we look forward to the success that lies ahead for all parties." Source: AMC TheatersPosted Mon Apr 11, 2011 at 11:45 AM PDT by: -
Regal and Cinemark Theaters Pull Trailers to Protest VOD[teaser]Theater owners are doing everything they can to keep premium video on demand from happening. [/teaser] Premium video on demand is the latest idea from cable providers and studios. Allowing users to rent a movie before the normal DVD window for an appropriate fee could help to keep money flowing. Theater owners are less excited at the prospect. In response to the new VOD method, both Regal and Cinemark theaters will be pulling previews for any new releases that are planned to be released as premium VODs. "Based on the recent announcement regarding premium video-on-demand, we are amending our policies for support of films from studios participating in the new VOD model," says Regal Cinema CEO Amy Miles. "It is simply not in Regal’s best interest to utilize our resources to provide a marketing platform for the release of premium VOD movies." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Mon Apr 11, 2011 at 11:15 AM PDT by: -
Samsung Drops Price on 3D Glasses - Includes More With TVs[teaser]Samsung hopes that cheaper entry into active 3D will get more people excited about the new tech. [/teaser] One of the biggest problems associated with active 3D televisions is the cost of the glasses. When sets first launched, glasses were priced at between $100 and $200, which meant that for a family of four, you could be looking at an $800 investment for 3D, depending on how many pairs your TV came with. Samsung is making things a lot easier starting in late April when they bring the price of extra glasses down to $50 a pair. It's not the same price point as passive glasses, but it's a massive step in the right direction. In addition to lowering the price, Samsung is going to be packing in two pairs of glasses with all of its 2011 3D capable televisions. It seems like a very smart move for the company. Source: TWICEPosted Mon Apr 11, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
ASUS Launches 12X Speed External Blu-ray Writer[teaser]The company says that the new BW-12D1S-U is the fastest external drive available for Blu-ray discs. [/teaser] The latest external Blu-ray writer from ASUS is said to be the fastest on the market. It's capable of burning Blu-rays at speeds of up to 12X thanks to the use of USB 3.0 and Optical Tuning Strategy (OTS) technology. According to ASUS, you'll be able to burn 50 gigs of data in less than 15 minutes - not too shabby. This is, of course, as long as you're using USB 3.0. You can still use the drive with USB 2.0, but you won't get the same speeds. As is true of all ASUS drives, the BW-12D1S-U is stylish. It's black, it's shiny, it's got a fancy diamond shape and it even glows blue. Source: eCousticsPosted Mon Apr 11, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
JBL Launches Two New Speaker Systems[teaser]Each includes five speakers and an eight inch down-firing subwoofer. [/teaser] The folks at JBL have announced the launch of two new home theater speaker systems - the Cinema 300 and the Cinema 500. Both come an eight inch subwoofer that looks more than a little like Darth Vader's helmet - this could be a plus or a minus, depending on your tastes. The real difference between the two systems is in the speakers. The Cinema 300's satellite and center channel speakers offer a single three inch transducer for mids and a one inch transducer for highs. The Cinema 500 doubles up the midrange speakers on each for better overall sound and a 3dB sensitivity difference. The Cinema 300 is available now at a price of $499, while the Cinema 500 can be had at a price of $699. Source: eCoustics (500), eCoustics (300)Posted Fri Apr 8, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
YouTube Channels and Original Content on the Way[teaser]Web exclusive programming is in the works for YouTube. The company helps to compete with television for viewers. [/teaser] YouTube has proven itself to be the most popular, if not necessarily the best, site for watching short video clips online. Whether it's a music video from your favorite artist or from an internet sensation that you're secretly addicted to, YouTube has it. The site isn't satisfied with just being the place where you goof off at work though. YouTube wants to compete directly with television for your time and is spending upwards of $100 million dollars to do it. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is going to be producing original programming, exclusive to YouTube. They'll also be revamping the site to include channels that help organize content. There's no word on when this will all roll out, but when it does - especially considering the amount of Blu-ray Players, TVs and set-top boxes that include YouTube - it could be huge. Source: Wall Street Journal (via EngadgetPosted Fri Apr 8, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Discs Will Dominate Until At Least 2015, Says Study[teaser]The lowering price point of rentals and lack of broadband across the country means physical media is sticking around for a while. [/teaser] Digital distribution gets a lot of love, and though Netflix has gained quite a bit of popularity, a recent study by the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) says that digital distribution isn't taking over any time soon. Part of the reason is that there's no clear point of transition. When DVDs came out, you only really had one choice - get a DVD player. With digital distribution, you have a number of choices in both hardware and sources. It's a much more complex environment. The study also cited Redbox as a big help in keeping discs alive. Though studios don't always see eye to eye with the rental company, it's the low prices from Redbox that are driving disc rentals. Another concern, of course, is 3D. "3D content requires about twice the bandwidth as conventional 2D," says the study, adding that most homes won't have access to that kind of bandwidth in the near future. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Fri Apr 8, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Sony Announces Three New 3D Ready 2.1 Channel Blu-ray Systems for EuropeEach offers streaming video, an iPhone dock, and more. [teaser]Sony's new 2.1 channel Blu-ray player/home theater systems are pretty slick for those that don't want to fill their rooms with speakers or deal with complicated setups. [/teaser] The cheapest of the bunch is the BDV-EF200. It features a 3D ready Blu-ray player, a pair of HDMI inputs, an iPhone dock and the ability to stream music and videos via Bravia Internet Video. You can pick up a wireless adapter to get Wi-Fi, but the functionality isn't built in. Going up a step you can pick up the BDV-L600, which is far superior in the looks department and offers smart phone control, and a universal remote. It also boasts the ability to stream from your PC, instead of just from the net. The top of the line offering is the BDV-L800, which embraces Sony's monolithic design. It's the only one of the bunch to offer Wi-Fi built right in. All of these systems have been announced for Europe, but there's no information yet on whether we'll be seeing them in the States. Source: eCousticsPosted Thu Apr 7, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Harman Kardon Launches Two Blu-ray Player/Receivers[teaser]Both a 2.1 and 5.1 channel player/receiver are available, with or without the bundled speakers. [/teaser] Harman's home theater systems are a bit different than most. Instead of only selling the full system as a bundle, you can actually purchase individual pieces separately. Two of those pieces, the BDS 2 and BDS 5, are available now. The BDS 2 is a 2.1 channel receiver aimed at those that aren't looking for all the bells and whistles but still demand quality. It offers Dolby Virtual Speaker to help simulate surround sound, a front panel USB port and a built-in Blu-ray player. It's available now at $699. The BDS 5 steps things up to 5.1 channels for those that want a real surround sound experience. Like the BDS 2, the 5 offers gold plated speaker connections, a front panel USB and a Blu-ray player built right in. It can be purchased as a part of the BDS 600, 700 or 800 home theater systems or alone at a price of $799. Source: eCousticsPosted Thu Apr 7, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by:
