U.S. broadcasters get leeway on digital TV switch

By Peter Kaplan WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission on Monday approved new rules giving U.S. broadcasters more flexibility in making the switch to digital television from traditional analog signals. The rules...

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CCTV to launch HDTV in Beijing Jan 1st

China's Central Television will launch High Definition TV services starting January the 1st. The service will first broadcast in Beijing, and then rollout throughout the country over the next few years.

This new HD channel will be transmitted through wireless broadcasting system. These high-definition programs will give Beijing viewers a new, sophisticated experience.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has unveiled the technical standards to receive the HD channels' signals.

Zeng Qingjun, deputy director of tech dept, said "Viewers have to buy high-definition TV sets. However, if it is not compatible with CCTV's HD technical standards, viewers will have to buy an additional set-top box. For other TV sets, it is also necessary to have set-top box to receive the HDTV signal. However, it will be in normal definition. If you want to watch real high-definition program, it's necessary to buy an HDTV set."

Blu-ray option on new MacBook Pro

Panasonic will announce the industry’s first slim-line Blu-ray DVD writer at CES on January 6. The 9.5 mm drive fits into the same space used by current DVD burners. Panasonic supplies most of Apple’s notebook DVD burners.

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Great Post

Here's a great post I read on alleyinsider.com:

I don't think Hollywood executives care whether a supporting player is in the living room or in the mother's basement. The fact that it's in the mother's basement probably also means it's hooked up to a decent widescr33n monitor. Anyway, I doubt that Hollywood is seriously concerned. They surely recall that we've got one year until analog video goes the way of audio cassettes, betamax, and laserdisc players. All they have to do now, is wait. Only when people can see the difference for themselves (or are forced to do so, as in 2009), will they bother to dump technology that still works.

Analysts: Hi Def Format Frustration at CES

Article about what to expect at CES upcoming.

More here:

Measuring CPU usage during HD video playback: ATI vs. NVIDIA

HD content is becoming more popular, but maintaining smooth playback requires a significant amount of CPU and/or video card power. Here, we take a look at the latest offerings from ATI and NVIDIA to see how they measure up.

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The New York Times says: "In the DVD War Over High Definition, Most Buyers Are Sitting It Out"

duh!

A little more than 18 months after their introduction, the two systems — Blu-ray, developed by Sony, and HD DVD, from Toshiba — have sold around one million stand-alone players combined. Both sides promote their technologies, their movie studio allies and the growing list of movies available in the new formats.

More here:

Universal Drives to Take Two-Thirds of $2 Billion High-Definition DVD Drive Market in 2012

ABI Research can tell the future:

The adoption of high definition optical drives by personal computer manufacturers and consumers is only just beginning. Nonetheless both Sony (with its Blu-ray format) and Toshiba (HD DVD format) have announced their intentions to include high definition DVD drives in all their machines.

With consumers confused about which format to buy and a relative paucity of drives available to computer manufacturers, how rapidly will HD optical drives enter the PC market?

“ABI Research expects high-definition drives to bring in revenues of about $2 billion by 2012,” says principal analyst Steve Wilson. “Of that, about two-thirds will be accounted for by universal drives, which can play either format. Few universal drives are sold today, partly because of their higher price. But those prices will fall to about the same as Blu-ray players by 2009, and we forecast universal player sales to exceed Blu-ray the following year.”

More here:

MORE THAN HALF OF U.S. HOUSEHOLDS OWN A DIGITAL TELEVISION

More than 50 percent of U.S. households now own a digital television (DTV), according to new research released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®. As the nation transitions to digital television, consumers are adding DTV to their homes at a record pace.

“I am proud to announce our nation has hit this digital milestone. With 50 percent of U.S. homes able to experience the reality of digital television, we have crossed a critical threshold,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. “2008 will continue to demonstrate the growth and success of DTV, with nearly 32 million units forecasted to ship. Consumers are particularly keen to add HDTV to their homes, with high definition expected to account for 79 percent of total DTV shipments in the U.S in 2008.”

According to new CEA sales projections, manufacturers will post 11 percent revenue growth, to over $25 billion, from sales of digital televisions in 2007. CEA also forecasts 13 percent revenue and 17 percent unit sales growth for digital television in 2008.

This strong sales growth of DTV is reflected on the show floor and in conference sessions at the 2008 International CES^®, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, running January 7 - 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. DTV and related products are prevalent throughout the record-setting 1.8 million net square feet of show floor space. Exhibitors are showcasing the world’s largest flat panel displays, next generation DTV products, technologies to enable consumers to view HDTV on the go and a host of other new products and technologies. In addition to the 2,700 exhibits on the show floor, DTV will be a hot topic at multiple events and conference sessions.

Super Hi-Vision Makes Your HDTV Seem Archaic

You think your HDTV is impressive? Your HDTV sucks. Sorry, I don't mean to be a jerk. 1920x1080? Please. Japanese broadcaster NHK has come up with what they call Super Hi-Vision, and it puts HD to shame with an insane resolution of 7680x4320. Yeah, that's the equivalent of 16 HDTVs crammed into one. Like I said, your HDTV sucks.

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This christmas period, 10% of all HDTVs will be returned

According to a new report, about 10% of all HDTV sets purchased as a Christmas gifts will be returned, a decrease from 20% last year.

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Apple's Deal With Fox Divides Integrator Sentiment

This week, reports surfaced that Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) and film studio 20th Century Fox reached an agreement to allow iTunes users to rent Fox films through digital downloads. Apple currently lags behind the competition in digital film downloads, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs has voiced reservations about a rental service in the past. Some home integrators are voicing their own concerns about Apple's strategy.

More here:

Question of the Week

Ok, so I got to thinking about physical media and how attached we are to the little round discs we have for audio and video. I have recently been putting my movies on a 500gb HD hooked up to my Xbox 360 and have really enjoyed not having to find the disc, put it in the player and then putting it away later. Less space taken up too!

So here's my question:

Would you pay for a pre-loaded Hard drive made to hook up to whatever system you use (i.e. Xbox 360, PS3, whatever) with a bunch of movies and tv shows on it?

Like, get a Fox drive with the top Fox movies in HD with some type of DRM loaded so you couldn't send them over the Internet...just a thought.

Post you're comments below.

American Gangster Cover art

still no release date...

BD-Java: The Software Behind Blu-ray

More fodder for the seemingly endless back and forth of Blu-Ray VS HD-DVD. Let's you know a little bit more about the software that powers Blu-ray.

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Next-Gen DVD Format WAR wastes everyones time

Futility, thy name is the next-gen DVD "war". Truly, the struggle for supremacy between Blu-ray and HD-DVD is a pointless skirmish that serves no purpose save for the aggrandizement of woefully out of touch corporations Sony and Toshiba/Microsoft. The two titans of the business world could have averted this ...

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Amazon reports strong sales of HD DVD & Blu-ray standalones

According to a company press release, Amazon had strong sales for next-gen disc players, helping the e-tailer to its best holiday shopping season ever. Amazon even went as far as to say that "it had sold enough high-disc players during November and December to cover seven football fields."

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Fujitsu quits the display business

At a Board Meeting held on December 27, 2007, the Board of Directors of Fujitsu General Limited passed a resolution to cease activity in the visual display business.

Link:

Review: Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray Disc Player

Toshiba and HD DVD have been leading the price war for some time and Toshiba’s newest entry-level model, the HD-A3, should be in stores selling for $299 or less by the time you read this. Sony and the other manufacturers in the Blu-ray Disc (BD) camp have been slower to come down in price, but the BDP-S300 is Sony’s first dedicated BD player to list for $499—the same price as their BD-based Playstation 3 (PS3). Going in to this review, one question seemed obvious. How does the BDP-S300 compare to a PS3 if one is looking for an “affordable” Blu-ray player?

more here:

Please don't buy this movie! Balls of Fury: HD DVD Review

This sporty spoof has some guts, but sadly no high-def glory.

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Samsung SDI unveils 31-inch organic display screen

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean display screen maker Samsung SDI Co (006400.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday it had developed a 31-inch ultra-thin organic screen, raising the stakes in an accelerating worldwide race for organic...

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Apple and Fox planning movie rental deal: reports

Apple Inc and News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox are set to announce a deal that will allow consumers to rent movies through Apple's digital iTunes Store, media reports said on Thursday.

The agreement will allow rentals of Fox's latest DVD releases by downloading a copy from the online iTunes store for a limited time, the Financial Times said, quoting a source. The Wall Street Journal also reported the deal in its online edition.

Representatives from both companies were not immediately available for comment.

Video sales have lagged behind the growth in popularity of music downloads on iTunes. Media companies have wanted more flexibility from Apple in pricing policies.

150-inch Plasma at CES 2008

Panasonic, currently second place in the big TV war, is rumored to be gunning for the 108-inch LCD champ with a 150-inch plasma, marketed with the CEO with the smallest penis ever.

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Panasonic Announces World's Thinnest Internal Blu-ray Drive

Panasonic has announced their development of the world's thinnest internal Blu-ray drive. At just 9.5 mm tall, it's thin enough for laptops but still packs a performance punch.

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CMC chairman: Blu-ray yet to be mainstream

The time for Blu-ray to gain mass penetration is yet to be seen as high royalty fees and equipment costs mean Taiwan disc makers are conservative over their deployment in the next-generation optical disc standard, said CMC Magnetics chairman Robert Wong.

Although recent sales of Blu-ray optical drives in North America have been stimulated by cut-throat pricing indicating that the Blu-ray market should deliver substantial business potential, Wong commented that experience should still prompt Taiwan optical disc makers to be conservative over their deployment. The rapid expansion of CD-R and DVD+R/-R disc production in the past, which eventually led to a drastic average selling price (ASP) drop, will likely scare off Taiwan optical disc makers, Wong said.

more here:

Predictions for 2008

How did the 2007 forecast go? And what's on the front burner for 2008?

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Cleaning up the site

Decided to get rid of the Youtube thing at the bottom right....send me some ideas on what you'd like to see on the site...my email is rob@sirdvd.com

How to Mount an HDTV on Your Wall in 4 Easy Steps

Hanging a flat-panel LCD or plasma television on your wall is a simple project that can be accomplished in about an hour. But, once you're done, it takes a surprising amount of faith to step back and leave a $1000 to $5000 piece of electronics perched above the floor—suspended only by the quality of your workmanship.

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Panasonic readying 150-inch plasma HDTV?

Panasonic is developing a plasma set it will claim as the world's largest TV barring a surprise from rivals, says a claim in Japan's Daily Yomiuri. The paper points to anonymous sources which say the set will measure 150 inches diagonally, beating out screens such as JVC's 110-inch rear projector for the title of the larg

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Best Buy offers year end HD DVD sale

The company is advertising over 200 eligible discs, meaning most, if not all, of the HD DVD movies the retailer carries qualify for the deal. Prices range from $24.99 to 34.99 USD and after the discount the effective per disc price is lowered to between $16.00-24.00 USD

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Hi-Def Surprise: Widespread Consumers Unhappiness With HDTV

The dirty little secret of HDTV is that as many as 20 percent of sets are returned to the retail outlets in some areas.

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IEEE fellow up for next challenge

Interesting article about a guy who's seen a lot in a few years in the HDTV world.

I only met John Apostolopoulos, manager of the HP Labs Streaming Media Systems Group, over the phone the other day. Yet, talking to John was almost nostalgic. We've covered the same ground--video compression, mobile video communication and secure media streaming. I've done so as a beat reporter, John in R&D. For his accomplishments, John has been named a 2008 IEEE fellow.

More after the jump:

Crunch-Time in High-Definition Format War

Performance of both Blu-ray and HD DVD during this second holiday season is crucial in establishing the new generation of optical discs.

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Plunging player prices to reveal Blu-ray vs HD DVD winner?

A clear leader in the battle to be the top next-generation optical disc format could emerge next year as player prices plummet and take of the cost of entry out of the equation, market watcher Understanding & Solutions (U&S) has claimed.

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Blu-ray.com - Official BDA Website Hacked (Updated)

The official website of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has been hacked and is now directing traffic to the website of the HD DVD.

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Sony Refuses To Let OXM Review Bravia HDTV

Official Xbox Magazine was denied the opportunity to review a Sony Bravia HDTV due to OXM's affiliation with the Xbox 360...Pretty ridiculous. I guess Sony only wants people to use their TV's with PS3's?

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Google Trends compares Blu-Ray to HD DVD

Bourne, Harry Potter HD DVDs outpacing Blu-ray titles

Fourth-quarter HD DVD releases The Bourne Ultimatum and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are outpacing similarly high-profile Blu-ray titles, according to Universal Studios Home Entertainment and other industry research sources.

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New releases on HD DVD gaining momentum

As sales trends over the Christmas shopping period are being charted an interesting trend is starting to come into focus. While the overall figures have continued to favor Blu-ray over HD DVD in terms of Title sales, higher player sales due to superior prices is finally starting to pay off for HD DVD supporters.

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Analysts forecast a Blu-ray victory for next year...Probably

“Blu-ray and HD DVD player prices have been falling since the summer, culminating in Toshiba’s loss-leading sub-$100 HD DVD player, available in the U.S. last month for a Limited time,” said Jeremy Wills, an Understanding and Solutions consultant.

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Upcoming HD DVD release list

Dec. 18, 2007

• Balls of Fury
• Blade Runner (Complete Collector's Ed.)
• Blade Runner (Ultimate Collector's Ed.)
• The Moody Blues: Lovely to See You - Live
• R. Kelly Live - The Light It Up Tour
• Roy Orbison: A Black & White Night
• Stardust
• Sunrise Earth: American Sunrises Vol 1
• That’s Entertainment: Complete Collection

Dec. 23, 2007

• Eastern Promises
• The Kingdom

Dec. 26, 2007

• Cat People (1982)
• The Heartbreak Kid
• Pan's Labyrinth
• Sunrise Earth: American Sunrise

Jan. 8, 2008

• The Invasion
• Mobster
• The Pianist
• White Noise
• White Noise 2: The Light
• Zodiac: Director's Cut

Jan. 22, 2008

• Channels
• Method Man: Live from the Sunset Strip

Plexiglas-like DVD to hold 1TB of data

A TeraDisc could hold up to 250,000 high-resolution pictures or 40 HD movies

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Consumers beginning to drive the HD market

Blu-ray is gaining traction in the adult film industry: The format is still too expensive for the industry to be generally adopted, the director of “Pirates” told TGDaily.com, but consumer demand and brisk PS3 sales are beginning to break down the production barriers created by the Blu-ray camp.

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Worst Cable TV Horror Story Will Win a 42” Plasma

Antennas Direct is having a contest to find the ten worst cable TV horror stories. The best of the worst verified story teller will receive a 42” Plasma HDTV and a Terrestrial Digital™ Off-Air antenna, selected to allow them to receive the most digital Off-Air stations for their location.

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Why we need consolidation of HDTV technologies

And in the end, is this consolidation of technologies really what we want? Is it really what we need? The answer may not be that clear cut--after all, do we really want LCDs for the next 10 years? Regardless, we need one technology--the best technology--to lead us into the next decade.

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Porn industry snuggling up to Blu-ray

A major porn movie studio today announced that it will be releasing its first Blu-ray title on January 4. “Pirates”, says director by company founder Joone, will be the largest epic in the history of adult films.

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OLED TV Alliance To Catch Up WIth Sony's Lead

Matsushita, Hitachi and Canon are in talks to jointly develop the next generation of ultra-thin flat panels, news reports said Wednesday, in an apparent bid to catch up to Sony's lead in the new technology.

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Technology to watch - Ultawide Band (UWB) for HDTV streaming

Every few years we get a new technology buzzword to watch; it was nano technology, then RFID and now it is UWB (Ultra Wide Band). What is Ultra Wide Band and why should you care?

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Two Words On HDTV for Producers: ‘Up Yours!’

great article from the Masked Engineer about the digital switchover to ATSC:

Link:

Today’s HDTV, or Next Year’s?

For consumers who care greatly about what advances are just around the corner, the only correct answer would be to wait. But with technology, that’s almost always the case.

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New on DVD: Three Versions of 'Blade Runner'

It may be hard to believe, but there are even more DVD editions of "Blade Runner" being released Tuesday than there are versions of the movie (if you count HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats). Your options are:"Blade Runner: The Final Cut Special Edition": two-disc set, $20.97.

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Nero 8 update offers Blu-ray and HD DVD authoring

Multimedia suite Nero has received an update which enables authoring of both Blu-ray and HD DVD.

Popular multimedia management software Nero's newest version, Nero 8 has been certified for authoring and playback of writable Blu-ray Disc Multimedia Video (BDMV) in addition to HD DVD content authoring on DVD-R/W.

Link:

The Year In HDTV -- Reflections on 2007 - Part 1

Flat-panel displays emerged in a big way, while the battle between high-definition DVD formats is just beginning. By Dennis P. Barker At time of the year, ...

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10 Things to Know When Buying an HD Camcorder

Looking for an HD camcorder? They're proliferating like bunnies, but is it a good time to buy one yet? Here are 10 things you need to know before you plunk down your cash.

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Blade Runner: Final Cut DVD Review

"The long-anticipated DVD event of the year is finally here and, after years of hype and expectation, Blade Runner: Final Cut doesn't just live up to expectations, it shatters them to become one of the best home market releases to date." Features details on every disc of the five-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition.

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One 3rd of the HD DVD Players are the Xbox 360 add-on drive

Xbox 360's HD DVD add-on makes up one 3rd of the American HD DVD market.It's funny to see the analogy with the Playstation 3, which seems to be best sold Blu-ray Disc player.

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Warner Brothers Blu-ray Blunder... Again

as much as I hate quoting such a biased source:

One of the most anticipated releases on Blu-ray this quarter is the Blu-ray release of 'Blade Runner'. Demand for the release has left many retailers sold-out, leaving fans of the iconic Sci-fi film empty-handed. Unfortunately, some fans lucky enough to get a copy have found that the fifth disc is actually the same as the first disc, instead of the being the labeled "Work Print".

Fans are reporting that, while the fifth disc is labeled as the "Work Print", when they play the disc they are finding it to be the "Final Cut" of the movie. To find out if you have the correct version of the film on the fifth disc, play the movie and see which audio options you have in the set-up. If you only have an English track, you're ok. If you see the option for a Dolby TrueHD track, you have a bad disc (only the "Final Cut" has a Dolby TrueHD cut).

Warner Home Video has yet to make an official announcement, and with low supplies, returning for replacement copies might not be an option. We'll keep you updated when we hear from the studio.

Source: Blu-ray.com

HDTV: 2007's Winners & Losers

By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (December 18, 2007) -- High-Definition TV has certainly had a big year, generating huge sales at retail and almost becoming a household staple in the United States.

However, as 2007 comes to a close, you can't say that every high-def company will be celebrating on New Year's Eve. The industry produced a number of prominent losers as well as winners during the year.

Via tvpredictions.com

New Disney Blu-ray Disc titles!

Find your favorite Disney Blu-ray Disc movies - the latest additions and more. New Disney movies coming to Blu-ray include Remember the Titans, Meet the Robinsons, Cars, Pixar Shortrs, High School Musical 2, and Underdog.

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Blu-ray and HD DVD movies: Buy one, get one free

So you bit the high-def bullet and popped for a Blu-ray player. Or an HD DVD player. Either way, it's time to start building your movie library.

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Disney's 'Enchanted' Coming to Blu-ray This Easter

Enchanted coming to DVD, Blu-ray Disc

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Sharp Intros The Affordable Blu-Ray Disc Player

Enjoy the high definition revolution this Christmas with Sharp's BD-HP20A Blu-ray Disc player, the most affordable player in the market with an SRP of P44,998.

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PS3 2.10 Update Gets Blu-Ray 1.1, DivX

All signs point to the 2.10 firmware update hitting PlayStation 3's tomorrow and it's set to include improvements to the consoles Blu-Ray and media viewing ...

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Toshiba to Release First HD DVD-RW Qosmio multimedia Laptop

Toshiba is launching its first Qosmio G40 multimedia notebook with a rewritiable HD DVD and two HDTV tuners in Japan this week from Friday.The benefit of rewritiable HD DVD is you can transfer recorded TV shows or any content from a high-definition video camera to disc or DVD discs.

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'Bourne Ultimatum' Delivers at Retail

The Bourne Ultimatum, the third installment of the action thriller franchise, through Sunday outperformed its predecessors by selling more than 5.4 million DVDs and generating $95 million in revenue since its Dec. 11 release.

The ABCs of 1080p HDTVs

When shopping for a high definition television (HDTV), one of the common buzz words you'll hear is resolution--but the resolution of what exactly? In the realm of HDTV, resolution can describe a video format as well as the physical number of discrete pixels a particular TV screen provides (a.k.a. screen resolution).

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30 Days of Night on DVD & Blu-ray

Sony Pictures will release "30 Days of Night" on DVD & Blu-ray this February 26th. The film stars Josh Hartnett, Ben Foster, Melissa George, ...

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Blu Ray wins the week

HD DVD Add-On Sales Rising

The HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 may not be main stream by any means, but it’s still showing some respectable numbers for an add-on. The NPD Group has released some attach rate numbers that may surprise.

Via XboxFamily

Addonics releases external HD DVD, Blu-ray combo drive

Both the ZBH63DES and the ZBH63DEU offer playback of both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, while still supporting older media to include DVD, DVD DL, CD, ...

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HD DVD Review: Dog Day Afternoon

Extras are brought over from the DVD release from 2006. The extensive making of is split into four sections. Story (12 minutes), Casting Controversy (13 ...

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Pacific Media Reports 1080p LCD Outsold Lower Priced Plasma

Menlo Park, California, USA - December 13, 2007. Pacific Media Associates, the global market information experts on large-screen displays, reports that in the hotly contested 50" to 54" HDTV market segment, 1080p LCD models outsold 1080p plasma models nearly...

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Microsoft Releases Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator

Microsoft Corp. today announced the release of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator, enabling film studios and disc authoring companies to model the behavior of HD DVD disc content, including encoded video and HDi interactivity, in a virtual environment before committing to burning a single HD DVD disc.

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Add an HDTV tuner to your PC for $29 (after rebate)

(Credit: eCost)Okay, so maybe now is not the best time to add a TV tuner to your PC. Thanks to those striking writers, there's not much left worth watching, time-shifting, or recording. Still, the day will come when Battlestar Galactica, Lost, and 30 Rock come back to us,

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Monster HDMI Cable Scam

You just bought a new HDTV and a PlayStation3 from the local big box store. Now the sales clerk begins applying pressure to buy one of their expensive digital cables. The inquisitive may ask: Do expensive cables really make a difference to picture quality? The store clerk that says "yes" is either lying or ignorant.

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Sony: Innovation Key After Restructuring

Flat-panel TVs, a music player with robotics technology and planned networking services for the PlayStation 3 video game console are a key part of Sony's growth following a nearly three-year restructuring effort, Chief Executive Howard Stringer said Tuesday.

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Save Over $200 on Samsung Blu-ray Player at Amazon

Samsung's BD-P1400 Blu-ray player with up to 1080p resolution is on sale for $270 at Amazon.com, down from $499.

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Sony CEO Damns Blu-ray With Faint Praise -- Again

Sony's Howard Stringer is at it again.

The chief executive of Sony, the top supporter of the Blu-ray high-def DVD format, tells the Associated Press that he doesn't know whether Blu-ray or HD DVD will win the format war.

Stringer said he believes Blu-ray is winning, but suggested that his company's format fave is hardly running away with the race.

"We have momentum," he told the wire service this week. "But that's all we have at the moment."

Via Swanni

Blu-ray vs. HD DVD battle heats up as Christmas approaches

Heading into Christmas, the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray fight is in full swing, but HD DVD is taking some punches. A Samsung player is now available for just $279, and Warner Bros. is reportedly considering a move to Blu-ray only.

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LG BH200 Blu-ray and HD DVD Player Works

LG Electronics' highly anticipated second-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD video player is now shipping. My first impressions of this player in action are mostly positive: The player does its job in properly decoding both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.

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TDG's Latest Research Suggests HD DVD May Benefit From Pull of Mainstream HDTV Buyers

According to research from The Diffusion Group, close to one-third of non-HDTV households are interested in purchasing a new HDTV in the next six months -- a very encouraging sign for HDTV manufacturers and, by relation, high-def DVD manufacturers.

Link:

On-demand video company to offer HD movies

However, Vudu today will begin a test of 'same day' releases with The Bourne Ultimatum, starring Matt Damon, which also makes its DVD and HD DVD debut today ...

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Voyager 2 probe reaches solar system boundary

Ok, I know this isn't DVD or HDTV related...but it still is pretty cool:The Voyager 2 spacecraft has crossed an important space frontier called the termination shock, and in a few years may become the first object made by humans to travel outside the solar system.

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Samsung's BD-P1400 Blu-ray player drops below $300

Since the beginning of the so-called format war HD DVD has had a price advantage over Blu-ray as far as disc players are ...

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A common HDTV mistake

Make sure you are watching HDTV. Studies have shown that many consumers misconfigure their systems to display standard definition TV and never notice ...

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Rumor: Warner Bros. Going All Blu-ray at CES

Following up on the rumor that Warner Bros. was going exclusively Blu-ray from October, BusinessWeek has their own speculation that Warner Bros. will be swapping to the Sony side. The rumor stems from a quote from Lionsgate.

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Heartbreak Kid coming to HD DVD December 26th

Here's the coverart:

Next-Gen DVDs: Advantage, Sony

Sony-led backers of Blu-ray seem to have pulled ahead of rivals in the race for a single high-def DVD standard

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The State of HD-DVD (Gizmodo)

This piece answers the following questions: How in hell has the HD DVD camp lasted this long? And how will the format's backers stay competitive in the next year in the face of cheaper and more plentiful Blu-ray players?

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The State of HD-DVD (Gizmodo)

This piece answers the following questions: How in hell has the HD DVD camp lasted this long? And how will the format's backers stay competitive in the next year in the face of cheaper and more plentiful Blu-ray players?

read more | digg story

High-Def 2.0 Conference Focuses on Establishing High-Def Media

The format war took a back seat to high-definition media in general at High Def 2.0. While a majority of panelists represented companies producing Blu-ray Disc software and hardware, and representatives of HD DVD chose not to appear for the panels and awards show, research and opinions from studio, consumer electronic and media representatives offered a view of the high-def world on a whole.

Via Homemediamagazine

10 Things to Do When You're Ready to Buy an HDTV

In the market for a flat-screen HDTV for the holidays or the Super Bowl? Even if you're planning to buy this key element of your home theater online, you should still eyeball sets in the store.

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Sony announces HD TV downloads for PS3

Sony has announced that high-definition video downloads will be soon be available for the PlayStation 3. The service will be launched in Japan, on 13 December, when the release of driving game Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be accompanied ...

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We can see clearly now that HDTV is here

As HD takes hold, TV personalities face a new challenge: namely, hiding that zit in magnified resolution. Makeup techniques that traditionally hid flaws have become as obvious as the blemishes themselves, the Baltimore Sun reports.

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Michael Bay Slams Microsoft over HD-DVD, favors Blu-ray

Corporate politics, and dirty secrets... Bay lashes out in forums about lack of his movies on Blu-Ray

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Analysts: Blu-ray & HD DVD Will Both Survive

Despite calls for a single format, two research companies yesterday said both Blu-ray and HD DVD high-def discs will be around for years to come.

Via TV predictions.com

Blu-ray Boasts Sales Numbers

Looking at recent high-def DVD sales, it seems as though a lot of consumers are planning on a Blu Christmas.

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XBox 360 HD DVD Player for $129 at Toys "R" Us

Toys "R" Us has the XBox 360 HD DVD player on sale for $129

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Xbox 360 Fall Update is now live

In the next few hours you will be prompted to accept the update when you sign into Xbox Live. After receiving the update you will have all of the cool new media and social networking features contained within the fall update. Enjoy!

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Web Communities Flourish With New HD DVD Titles

Web Communities Flourish With New HD DVD Titles

Venturer HD-DVD, too little too late

First introduced by HD DVD Promotions Group early this year, the first Chinese-manufactured, headquartered in Canada Hi-def player that could change the ...

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Choosing sides in the DVD war

When the DVD war is over, which emerging technology will be the last one standing? For now, you're safe with the standard DVD format. But two types of players are competing to be the next generation of home movie machines, and videophiles aren't the only ones choosing sides. Film studios are, too.

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HD DVD Review: Anchorman

With Will Ferrell plastered all over the box, one would expect him to be a show stealer. While he has some great one-liners and gives audiences his typical “egotistical moron” shtick from Talledega Nights and Blades of Glory, it’s Steve Carell who generates the true gut-busting laughs in Anchorman

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US holiday shoppers prefer LCD to Plasma

According to a report by Consumer Reports magazine, US holiday shoppers are more keen to buy LCD HDTV sets this year than Plasma models. ...

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HD TV loses its definition - Times Online

CHRISTMAS shoppers are being warned not to rush into buying the next generation of high-definition (HD) TVs because they could end up paying for technology they never use.The new TVs, labelled as “full HD” or “1080p” in high-street stores, are set to be big sellers this festive s....

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Blu-ray takes early Christmas sales lead

On the first weekend of the Christmas shopping season Blu-ray discs outsold HD DVD by nearly 3:1 according to Nielsen Videoscan To some this was a ...

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