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Amazon Expands Disc+ On Demand Program to 10,000 Titles[teaser]Now you can watch the movie before the disc even arrives. [/teaser] Let's face it, waiting for that Blu-ray to arrive in the mail isn't easy. You want that content the minute you order it – and now you can have it. Amazon has expanded the Disc+ On Demand program to include 10,000 different titles. When you buy one of these, you'll instantly be able to download and watch the movie as a Video On Demand rental. If you've got a device that puts Amazon Video On Demand on your television, so much the better. Whether you're buying 'Kick-Ass' or 'Sex and the City 2' this weekend, you'll be able to watch them right away. You can find a full list of Disc+ On Demand titles from Amazon at the link below. Source: AmazonPosted Thu Nov 4, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Consumer Reports Says Go Plasma if You Want Good 3D[teaser]Of all the sets tested, Panasonic plasmas came out on top. [/teaser] It's been a long time since a mainstream publication has been in plasma's corner. The poor tech ended up with a lot of bad press early on, but it seems 3D may be changing all that. In the recent TV review from Consumer Reports, Panasonic was singled out as the superior tech. The testing process used a 3D test pattern developed in-house as well as 3D Blu-rays and recorded 3D programming. While the normal issues, like black level and brightness, still came into account, it was ghosting that topped the list as a problem for 3D. Panasonic plasmas rank at the top of the list, with LG and Samsung plasma sets follow close behind. The top LCD television was from Sony, and exhibited near plasma quality, but still had more ghosting than the three plasma sets. Source: Consumer ReportsPosted Thu Nov 4, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
DTS Ready for 129th AES Convention in San Francisco[teaser]Audiophiles and professional audio technicians are counting down the minutes until tomorrow, when the Audio Engineering Society (AES) begins their 129th convention in San Francisco. [/teaser] For those unaware, running November 4 - 7, the annual AES conference brings together a world-wide auditory brain trust for seminars, master classes, technical demonstrations, and strategy sessions. Of course no pro audio gathering would be complete without the folks at DTS who are, in addition to their conference activities, exclusively sponsoring an event today entitled "Surround Live 8: Absolutely Surrounded." Speakers include Russ Berger of RBDG, Michael Nunan of CTV Canada who worked on the 2010 Winter Olympics, Kyle Weslosh of American Public Media who used DTS Neural Surround for radio broadcasting, and Randall Smith of Post Haste Sound who used DTS Neural UpMix to remix 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' Blu-ray in 7.1 DTS-HD MA. Today's event will also include a special DTS presentation, "Upmix-Downmix—The Current State of the Art," which will give a technical overview of the DTS technology used in sporting events such as the Super Bowl, World Cup, French Open, XGames and Monday Night Football. For the full press release and to see a list of all of DTS activities planned for the 129th AES Annual Conference, check it out here.Posted Wed Nov 3, 2010 at 03:45 PM PDT by: -
Dolby and Sonic Solutions Bring Dolby Digital Plus to RoxioNow[teaser]It's been a busy few weeks for Dolby and their Dolby Digital Plus format. [/teaser] After providing the first multichannel audio solution to Netflix streaming for the PS3 on October 18, Dolby Laboratories has announced a partnership today with Sonic Solutions to deliver 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus through the RoxioNow entertainment platform. Also known as CinemaNow, the RoxioNow service is a partnership with retailers such as Best Buy, Blockbuster, Kmart, and Sears that streams film and television content for rental, with the option to download permanently as a purchase. Streamed or downloaded content can be played on a variety of devices including Windows PCs, RoxioNow equipped HDTVs or Blu-ray Players, smart phones such as the iPhone, and the X-Box 360. Full press release is available here.Posted Wed Nov 3, 2010 at 03:30 PM PDT by: -
Xbox 360 Update Includes ESPN and Searchable Netflix[teaser]Of course, Kinect compatibility is included too, but that won't matter for another few days. [/teaser] The latest dashboard update for the Xbox 360 is live and it brings more to the table than just a redesigned look and new sound effects for switching through the menus. For starters, Xbox owners finally get the Netflix search they've been hoping for. It allows you to search by title, which is nice, but allowing for an actor or director search would be a great benefit. The entire Netflix interface has been redesigned, making it smoother and easier to browse though even if it's not as pretty. If you're a sports fan, you'll be excited to know that ESPN has been added to the lineup. You can jump on anytime you want and watch live or recorded games. Content is limited, but college football is available in HD and that's not bad. Source: WiredPosted Wed Nov 3, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Philips Shuts Down Its Pronto Controller Business[teaser]Pronto remotes will remain available until supplies are exhausted.[/teaser] There's nothing good about a business shutting down, especially when it leaves us with very little competition in the realm of higher-end universal remotes. The Philips Pronto brand was introduced back in the 90s and while plenty of strong controllers and in-wall control panels have been brought to market, the brand just didn't perform as Philips had hoped. In 2009, Philips announced that it would be selling off Pronto. "Following thorough research, no suitable partner was found for the acquisition of these activities," reads the official statement. "As such, Philips confirms today that it will discontinue the Pronto product line and related activities." There's no word yet on what this means for current Pronto customers. SourcePosted Wed Nov 3, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Yamaha Intros the BD-A1000 3D Capable Universal Blu-ray Player[teaser]The new player includes streaming options, 3D capabilities, and promises stellar Blu-ray playback. [/teaser] The latest addition to the Aventage line is the BD-A1000 Universal Blu-ray player. In addition to what you'd normally find on a Blu-ray player, it includes Netflix, Blockbuster and YouTube streaming as well as two USB ports for playback of digitally stored content. It plays back Blu-rays at 1080p/24 and boasts 7.1 channel analog outputs that utilize four 2-channel DACS. It can handle all the latest high definition audio formats and boasts solid audio performance. "Home theater enthusiasts are demanding versatile content compatibility, and Yamaha offers the most versatile entertainment options," says Yamaha president Tom Sumner. "The new Yamaha AVENTAGE BD-A1000 highly enhances the visual and audio experience." The BD-A1000 can be had at a price of $699. Source: HDTV MagazinePosted Wed Nov 3, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Things are Fixed with Fox, Cablevision and DISH[teaser]Cablevision bit the bullet – sour grapes abound. [/teaser] Cablevision customers will be happy to hear that Fox channels are finally back on the air. The company released a statement to explain how it all worked out and it's more than just a little snippy. "In the absence of any meaningful action from the FCC, Cablevision has agreed to pay Fox an unfair price for multiple channels of its programming including many in which our customers have little or no interest," says the release, which later goes on to say, "In the end, our customers will pay more than they should for Fox programming, but less than they would have if we had accepted the unprecedented rates News Corp. was demanding when they pulled their channels off Cablevision." Cablevision isn't the only provider with Fox troubles these days, but it sounds like DISH anted up before things got to Cablevision levels. "After prolonged negotiations to reach a fair deal, we're pleased to enter into a long term agreement with Fox and to assure our customers that they can continue to enjoy these channels," explains VP Dave Shull. Source: PR NewswirePosted Tue Nov 2, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
ITRI's Flexible AMOLED Measures a Tenth of a Millimeter[teaser]This miniscule screen makes even the sveltest of sets look like fatties. [/teaser] You want a thin screen? ITRI's got your thin screen. The Taiwanese research company has a new flexible AMOLED that comes in at a tenth of a millimeter. It may even be easier to say that it measures just 100 micrometers. The tech company gives credit to a new technology called Flex UPD, which the company developed for its paper like qualities. The sour note with all cool OLED and AMOLED news is that as usual there are no plans to develop this for larger scale applications. That means the coolest new screens around will be used for cell phones, MP3 players and e-readers instead of our television sets. Source: OLED InfoPosted Tue Nov 2, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Gucci Joins the 3D Glasses Game[teaser]Designer glasses packing passive 3D tech will hit shelves later this year. [/teaser] Let's get one thing out of the way up front. There is absolutely no practical reason to own designer 3D glasses. Even assuming that theaters knock off the $3 upcharge since you brought your own, you'd need to see 75 3D movies to even it out. That is, of course, if you're willing to try and get that discount. There's bound to be some hassle over the extremely rare case of the guy with his own glasses and considering that most theaters had to upgrade their projectors for 3D, you may be out of luck. Gucci's new designer 3D glasses run $225. That's a step over the Oakley Tron glasses, but you can bet the movie itself is going to look exactly the same. Sure it's a lot to pay, but you'll look good. In the dark. Facing a screen. For two hours. Source: Luxist (via Engadget)Posted Tue Nov 2, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by:
