HD DVD & Blu-ray

[Waryor]

Damn you got a good deal!

i should clarify. it is not an hd-dvd player like those that you connect directly to your hdtv. it is an hd-dvd drive that you install into your computer. plus it was a refurbished model (they don't make any new ones, obviously). but it looked new to me and works great. but it wasn't easy to figure out how to use it to copy hd movies to my hard drive.

[Poopsnorkeler]

i should clarify. it is not an hd-dvd player like those that you connect directly to your hdtv. it is an hd-dvd drive that you install into your computer. plus it was a refurbished model (they don't make any new ones, obviously). but it looked new to me and works great. but it wasn't easy to figure out how to use it to copy hd movies to my hard drive.

actually, that was what i was assuming you got. still a great deal!

if you haven't tried it yet, anydvd-hd should help with copying your hd-dvd movies...

[Waryor]

if you haven't tried it yet, anydvd-hd should help with copying your hd-dvd movies...

yeah, i did. the 21 day trial though. it worked great but my trial offer is up. my goal was to do everything free (okay, maybe i'm just cheap) so i don't want to pay 50 bucks or so to buy anydvd.

but i did find a free solution. it involves using backuphddvd. first you have to use backuphddvd to copy the contents to your hard drive (and it also removes the encryption) and then i use various tools such as EAC3to to remux the video and audio back into an mkv container. it takes more than an hour for the entire process, but it's pretty cool and it's free.

[Kailuaboy]

Warner to offer cheaper Blu-ray movies later this year

July 14, 2008 1:26 PM PDT
Posted by Matthew Moskovciak


As much as we complain about the high prices of standalone Blu-ray players, in some ways the high prices of Blu-ray movies are even more frustrating. Today, Warner Home Video has taken a step in the right direction, by announcing that the company will offer discounted pricing on select titles this fall. Blu-ray buyers can expect prices between $17 and $20, which is a lot more than DVDs sell for, but less than the $20-$30 prices Blu-ray discs currently go for.


300 is one of the movies that will feature a lower price tag in the fall.
(Credit: Amazon)

While there isn't a complete list of movies that will be available at this lower pricing, Video Business reports that The Fugitive, Enter the Dragon, Clockwork Orange, The Shining, The Aviator, Road Warrior and Swordfish will get the discount. Additionally, some newer movies will get a smaller price cut, including 300, The Departed, I Am Legend, Ocean's 13 and We Are Marshall.

While this certainly won't make everyone run out and buy a Blu-ray player, it's definitely good news that studios are hearing complaints that Blu-ray movies are just too expensive at their current levels. Of course, we'd prefer if the prices fell below the $15 mark, which would make them feel comparatively-priced to DVDs, but we'll probably have to wait until at least 2009 to see those prices. In the meantime, at least there's always Netflix.


http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-999 ... l?hhTest=1

[Kailuaboy]

Sony's BDP-S350 Blu-ray Player Officially $300 and BD-Live Capable

2:40 PM on Mon Sep 29 2008
By Wilson Rothman



Not only did Sony's mainstream BDP-S350 Blu-ray player finally get its firmware update to be fully compatible with the net-interactive BD-Live (BD 2.0) content already hitting stores, but it also got that $100 price reduction we told you about. Even on the MSRP-only Sony Style site, it's $299.99, which means it could be found even cheaper at competitive retailers. When you bring it home, you still have to upgrade the firmware to make it fully BD 2.0 compatible, and you still have to stick a flash drive of your own into the back of it, but those are small obstacles for a Sony-branded Blu-ray player that's (FINALLY) cheaper than a damn PS3. [ Sony ]

Read more:
http://gizmodo.com/5056429/sonys-bdp+s3 ... ve-capable

[Kailuaboy]

The Dark Knight Blu-ray: Crushing Nielsen Ratings December 9th

1:45 PM on Mon Sep 29 2008
By Mark Wilson



Rumors and logic speculated that Warner would release The Dark Knight in time for the holiday season, and the Blu-ray two-disc and collectible limited edition will indeed go on sale December 9th, the same day as the standard DVD release. The standard, two-disc edition will be Warner's first BD Live disc, and it'll pack all sorts of Batarrific extras. From HiDef Digest:

Extras included on the first disc also include "Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene," a "focus points" version of the film containing behind-the-scenes vignettes with director Christopher Nolan and his team discussing the planning of the film, the use of IMAX photography, the stunts, and more.

Disc two will feature additional extras presented entirely in HD, including a pair of featurettes ("Batman Tech," "Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight"), the "Gotham Tonight" collection of six episodes of the Gotham Cable's Premiere network, and "The Galleries," containing multiple still galleries, theatrical trailers and TV spots.

Apparently the collectible limited edition is exactly the same as the standard Blu-ray edition, except it'll come in fancy Bat Pod packaging.

The standard edition will retail for $35.99 (though it'll probably hit shelves for less), while the premium edition has yet to be priced. On a completely unrelated note, Gizmodo will not be in service from December 9th until further notice. Our apologies.

Read more:
http://gizmodo.com/5056398/the-dark-kni ... cember-9th

[H20]

The Circuit City should be open in a month or two in Kona, I'll finally pick up my blu-ray player there.

[Poopsnorkeler]

Sony's BDP-S350 Blu-ray Player Officially $300 and BD-Live Capable

2:40 PM on Mon Sep 29 2008
By Wilson Rothman



Not only did Sony's mainstream BDP-S350 Blu-ray player finally get its firmware update to be fully compatible with the net-interactive BD-Live (BD 2.0) content already hitting stores, but it also got that $100 price reduction we told you about. Even on the MSRP-only Sony Style site, it's $299.99, which means it could be found even cheaper at competitive retailers. When you bring it home, you still have to upgrade the firmware to make it fully BD 2.0 compatible, and you still have to stick a flash drive of your own into the back of it, but those are small obstacles for a Sony-branded Blu-ray player that's (FINALLY) cheaper than a damn PS3. [ Sony ]

Read more:
http://gizmodo.com/5056429/sonys-bdp+s3 ... ve-capable

I still think if I was even remotely interested in Blu-ray I'd pick up a PS3 instead. Get a BD player plus a video game console to boot. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Kailuaboy]

More studios offering Blu-ray-DVD combos

by Matthew Moskovciak
February 23, 2009 10:51 AM PST


The "Marley & Me Bad Boy Edition" includes both
a Blu-ray and DVD, but we hope the final packaging
will make that more obvious.
(Credit: Amazon)

More movie studios will begin offering Blu-ray Disc movies with an included DVD, according to a recent report by Video Business.

The article mentions that "Marley & Me," "The Princess Bride," and "T2 Complete Collector's Set" will be getting this treatment, and that Disney is planning on releasing seven Blu-ray-DVD packages this year. While several Blu-ray movies include a Digital Copy that allows you to copy the movie to a computer, a standard DVD is compatible in more locations.

Read more:

[Kailuaboy]

Review: Samsung BD-P3600 is speedy the PS3, packed with features


by Matthew Moskovciak
April 14, 2009 8:36 AM PDT




In almost every standalone Blu-ray player we review, you're likely to find a comment about its disc-loading speed and how it inevitably doesn't compare with the Sony PlayStation 3. For once, that's not the case, as the Samsung BD-P3600 is flat-out faster than the PS3 at loading most movies and its operational speed is just as quick.

It also has a nearly comprehensive feature package, including 7.1 analog outputs, 1GB onboard memory, an included Wi-Fi adapter, and Netflix and Pandora streaming. Top it off with excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies and a sleek design, and the BD-P3600 is one of our top choices for a standalone Blu-ray player.

Read the full review of the Samsung BD-P3600.



http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-102 ... ncol;title

[madeinhawaii]

I still think the PS3 is the best deal out there for a BlueRay player. Use it with a TV graphics card on your pooter or plug it into your TV. My son uses it with his pooter as my wife and I occupy the TV.

[Poopsnorkeler]

Yep, the Samsung player costs about the same as a PS3. So why bother with just a Bluray player when you can get that AND a video game console with the PS3?

Still seems like a no-brainer to me...

[Kailuaboy]

Yep, the Samsung player costs about the same as a PS3. So why bother with just a Bluray player when you can get that AND a video game console with the PS3?

Still seems like a no-brainer to me...

Well, yes but not everyone looking for a Blu-ray player wants or cares about a gaming console. Surveys have shown that a lot of early Blu-ray adopters that picked up a PS3, only bought it since it was the cheapest Blu-ray player and didn't even know the PS3 was also a gaming console.

If I was looking to purchase a stand-alone Blu-ray player, I'd wait til at least Christmas time. By the end of this year, I'd expect to see the average price of Blu-ray players around $200 if not lower.

[madeinhawaii]

Yep, the Samsung player costs about the same as a PS3. So why bother with just a Bluray player when you can get that AND a video game console with the PS3?

Still seems like a no-brainer to me...

Well, yes but not everyone looking for a Blu-ray player wants or cares about a gaming console. Surveys have shown that a lot of early Blu-ray adopters that picked up a PS3, only bought it since it was the cheapest Blu-ray player and didn't even know the PS3 was also a gaming console.

If I was looking to purchase a stand-alone Blu-ray player, I'd wait til at least Christmas time. By the end of this year, I'd expect to see the average price of Blu-ray players around $200 if not lower.

I think most come with a 90-day warranty. Doesn't the PS3 come with a one-year warranty?

[Kailuaboy]

I think most come with a 90-day warranty. Doesn't the PS3 come with a one-year warranty?

Yes, the PS3 has a one-year warranty. Also, the Sony BDP-S350 and the Samsung BD-P3600 posted above also carry a standard one-year warranty too.