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Tag: blu-ray

  • US Blu-ray and HDTV Households Growing


    Blu-ray Disc player household penetration is up to 12.3 million in the US for the first quarter of 2009, a 71 per cent gain year over year, according to a survey.

    Research firm Centris also found that the number of American households with an HDTV is up to 50.5 million – a gain of 33 per cent from the first quarter of 2008.

    Both satellite and cable industries appear to have matured, however, with satellite subscribers up only slightly to 32 million and cable subscribers mostly unchanged at just less than 63 million.

    Centris’ US Communications and Entertainment report also notes large year over year gains in household penetration for all three next generation gaming systems: 15.2 million for the Nintendo Wii (up 85%), 11.4 million for Xbox 360 (up 28%) and 7 million for PlayStation 3 (up 52%).

    Centris president William Beaumont said that as with its previous research findings, there are several key observable trends as technology developments, marketing programs and the economy take their toll on the industries in which our clients compete.

    "In some areas, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in consumer use of home technology, which flies in the face of what one might expect in this economic landscape," he said.

  • Onkyo Launches Home Theater Packages for Blu-ray and HD Video Systems


    Onkyo has introduced two new 7.1-channel home theater systems that it claims deliver leading edge AV processing and surround sound reproduction for HDTV and Blu-ray.

    The HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 each feature powerful AV receivers with 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs, 130 watt-per-channel amplification, processing for every major audio format on the market.

    This includes the option of incorporating front height-channel reproduction with Dolby’s newly introduced ProLogic IIz processing.

    Each package also includes a high performance 7.1-channel speaker system with a powerful active subwoofer, and Onkyo’s exclusive U-Port single-cable iPod dock and charging system.

    The Onkyo HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 are now available at suggested retail prices of USD $899 and $699 each, respectively.

    Onkyo has also introduced a new BD-Live interactive Blu-ray Disc Player, model DV-BD507.

    The player delivers high definition 1080p video playback and high resolution multichannel audio over a HDMI 1.3a.

    The Onkyo DV-BD507 is currently available at a suggested retail price of USD $449.

  • Universal Adds iPhone/iPod Features to Blu-ray Titles


    Universal Studios has announced plans to add a series of iPhone and iPod touch-enabled features on its upcoming Blu-ray releases.

    These will enable access to exclusive interactive content through the mobile devices – starting with the Blu-ray release of the box-office smash Fast & Furious on July 28th.

    The free app will be available from Apple’s App Store on the same day and will give users the ability to control interactive content on web connected Blu-ray players.

    One of the features, Virtual Car Garage, will give users360-degree views of the cars in the movie, as well as the ability to call up exclusive technical specs.

    Later this year, Universal will extend the features to allow access to bonus content on Blu-ray discs, which will be downloadable to the iPhone/iPod touch to watch features on-the-go.

    The devices will also be able to be used as a virtual remote to control Blu-ray disc features and/or access additional detailed information about the film, its cast and more while watching the movie.

    Releases will also integrate with social network applications or sites such as Facebook and Twitter to allow users to update their friends about movie-related activities.

  • HD Streaming and Blu-ray "Can Co-exist" – For Now


    There are already more digital delivery devices connected to HDTVs in US homes than Blu-ray players, thanks largely to the Xbox 360 and the likes of TiVo, Roku, AppleTV and Vudu.

    Yet despite the numerical supremacy of players capable of streaming HD content, digital downloads are not expected to be a serious competitor to the Blu-ray format anytime soon.

    Why not? Well most consumers don’t have fast enough broadband connections to stream HD video. And the amount of content available is limited.

    Even without these factors, most companies say HD streams can’t yet match the quality of Blu-ray.

    Despite this, Vudu, Apple iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand have all added high-def titles in the last six months.

    They will be joined shortly by Microsoft, via the Xbox 360, and Roxio CinemaNow in a major high-def push.

    But because of broadband limitations, most companies in the space are positioning HD downloads as a complement to Blu-ray.

    Their rationale for this is covered in detail by Jennifer Netherby at Video Business, who quotes a PriceWaterhouseCoopers report predicting that digital sales won’t come near that of Blu-ray in the next five years.

    She goes on to explain that many digital services are planning to deliver them through Blu-ray players in an attempt to expand their reach into the home.

    Sonic and Netflix already have deals with LG Electronics to offer their services on BD players coming this fall.

    Vudu’s director of content acquisitions Rob Holmes acknowledges that HD streaming and Blu-ray can co-exist.

    "We certainly don’t see ourselves as competing with Blu-ray," he told Video Business.

    Some comfort for Blu-ray then, but it is surely just a breathing space?

  • Panasonic makes Tsuyuzaki new CTO


    The executive who helped Panasonic develop its Blu-ray discs and 3D FullHD TV technologies has been named as the new chief technology officer of Panasonic Consumer Electronics North America.

    Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Panasonic’s Hollywood Laboratory managing director, is replacing Paul Liao who is leaving the company to be the new CEO of Cable Television Laboratories.

    Tsuyuzaki has served in the Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory as managing director since 2005.

    Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, chief technology officer of Panasonic Consumer Electronics North America

    While in the post he directed the company’s next-generation entertainment R&D activities in the US, including the development of the Blu-ray Disc format and 3D FullHD TV technologies.

    Tsuyuzaki is well known in Hollywood studio circles, furthering Panasonic’s ties with the software and creative communities.

    He is regarded as the consumer electronics industry’s chief champion of Blu-ray.

    A participatant in various panels, conferences and seminars with his studio counterparts, he has talked up the format in both the trade and the consumer media.

    He also masterminded several big Blu-ray Disc promotions.

  • Rising Demand Makes Toshiba Reconsider Blu-Ray Products


    Ever since losing the high-def format war to Blu-ray, Toshiba has resolutely refused to join the enemy camp and start manufacturing Blu-ray products.

    Until now that is. According to reports coming out of its annual shareholder meeting in Tokyo, Toshiba is considering making Blu-ray products.

    The company’s president, Atsutoshi Nishida, told shareholders that Blu-ray recorders in particular appear to be a viable option, reports CrunchGear.

    The logic appears to be that with demand for Blu-ray recorders increasing (especially in Japan) Toshiba cannot afford to miss out on a slice of that market.

    There is also Toshiba’s current financial plight – although for the current fiscal year, Nishida said his company is expected to save USD $3.5 billion after a poor 2008.

    The company’s change of attitude comes as a survey by Harris Interactive suggests the picture for Blu-ray is still far from rosy.

    It shows that the percentage of American adults with a HDTV is up from 35 in May 2008 to 47 per cent today.

    But the only 7 per cent of Americans own a Blu-ray player – up from 4 per cent a year ago. By comparison, 11 per cent of Americans own a machine that plays the now-defunct HD DVD format.

    Milton Ellis, VP and senior consultant for Harris Interactive, said only 7 per cent of non-Blu-ray owners is considering buying a Blu-ray disc player within the next year, down from 9 per cent in May 2008.

    He said Blu-ray adoption is being hampered by competition from alternative technologies, such as cable and satellite TV and the Internet, all of which offer HD content.

    "Consumers today can easily watch high-definition TV channels or use the Internet or video-on-demand to access high-definition movies," he said.

    "In the near future, access to high-definition movies may be a download or streaming delivery of one’s favorite movies to a home media server that eliminates the need for a Blu-ray player and Blu-ray disc."

    However, the Blu-ray Disc Association has challenged the accuracy of the Harris Poll.

    It said the Harris survey doesn’t chime with actual shipping and sales numbers for Blu-ray.

    The BDA cited Adams Media Research data that puts the numbers closer to nearly 8 per cent for Blu-ray and less than 1 per cent for HD DVD.

    Calling the Harris data "grossly inaccurate", the news release states that by the end of 2009, Blu-ray players will be in nearly 15 per cent of American TV homes.

    Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research, suggested the Harris survey findings were a result of consumers’ inability to identify what exactly is next to their TVs.

    "Some people believe a DVD player on an HDTV is high-def," he said.

    "There’s just so much confusion out there. Everybody makes mistakes, but we have models that show those numbers just can’t be true."

  • Price Barrier to Blu-ray Falling Away?


    There are several arguments put forward as to why Blu-ray has been slow to reach mainstream adoption – but price can surely no longer be a major factor.

    Best Buy in the US is now offering the Insignia NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray player for US $129.99 shipped.

    While that is still more expensive than your bargain basement DVD player, it is a vast improvement compared to where Blu-ray player prices were even just a short while ago.

    Figures released in May from NPD showed the average price of Blu-ray players was USD $261 in Q1 2009.

    Granted that’s the average price, but the next set of quarterly data should show that has dropped significantly if the Insignia deal is anything to go by.

    Featuring, among other things, 1080p output and upconversion, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD audio, the Best Buy own-label Insignia also comes with a one-year warranty.

    It supports Blu-ray Profile 1.1 but requires a software update, which can be downloaded and installed on the player using a disc.

  • Consumers Prefer Discs Over Downloads At Home


    Watching movies and other video content on DVD and Blu-ray Disc accounts for 88 per cent of home entertainment spending – even although newer digital methods are beginning to gain a foothold in the consumer market.

    The average US home video consumer reported spending an average of USD $25 per month on all types of home video purchases and rentals, according to NPD Group.

    The researchers found that when it comes to spending on home video content: 63 per cent was spent on DVD purchases; 7 per cent on BD purchases; 18 per cent on DVD/BD rentals from retail stores, subscriptions or kiosks; 9 per cent on video on-demand (VOD); and 3 per cent on digital downloads and online streaming.

    Most consumers don’t use digital options to watch a full-length movie, although the numbers have grown over the last year.

    Digital movie downloaders also tend to buy and rent Blu-ray Discs more than the average consumer: 25 per cent of them bought or rented a Blu-ray Disc in the last three months, versus 5 per cent overall.

    Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD, said discs are still and by far the dominant way Americans enjoy home video.

    "But there is an increasing appetite for digital options," he said. "The good news is that the consumers engaging with digital video today also tend to be heavy consumers of DVDs and Blu-ray Disc, but it remains to be seen just how long physical discs and digital formats can co-exist."

  • Sony Raises Blu-Ray Stakes With Feature-packed Entry-level Player


    Sony has unveiled its latest Blu-ray player – the BDP-S360 – which comes with full 7.1 surround sound via a compatible AV receiver.

    This is achieved thanks to newly incorporated DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD decoding capabilities – the first time these have been made available on an entry level Blu-ray player from Sony.

    Throw in the interactivity of BD-Live, Precision Cinema HD Upscale technology (converts SD DVDs to 1080p) and Sony’s Precision Drive technology, the BDP-S360 presents a fairly impressive home entertainment package.

    To complement the Blu-ray player’s pristine 1080p picture, Sony is also launching three new BRAVIA Theatre systems, the HT-FS3, HT-SS360 and HT-SF360, which provide exceptional high definition sound.

  • Panasonic's Dash-mountable Devices Offer In-car Blu-ray


    Blu-Ray may still be absent from most people’s living rooms – but Panasonic is offering a pair of dash-mountable devices for those who need their high-def fix in the car.

    The CN-HX3000D Windows-powered device, with a 7-inch, 1280 x 720 display offering GPS, Bluetooth, a 40GB hard drive, and iPod/iPhone compatibility.

    Use in conjunction with the CY-BB1000D in-car Blu-ray player and the results are no doubt impressive.

    At what cost, though, Panasonic has still to release, though the pair are expected to hit stores by the end of the summer.