blu-ray movies

Does it still make sense to buy DVDs?

I'm on vacation for the next couple days, so I'll see you back here on Thursday. In the meantime, I have a nice, meaty topic to tide you over.

A few weeks ago I asked if it still made sense to buy CDs, what with so many download and streaming options.

Today, let's turn our attention to those other silvery platters of goodness: DVDs (and, by proxy, Blu-rays). Do they still have a place in the world?

Despite the physical similarities of the media, music and movies aren't quite the same thing. I think people tend … Read more

Get a Sony 3D Blu-ray player for $79

Much as I love me a good Roku box, I still think there's value in having a Blu-ray player--especially one that can stream media from all the big-name services, just like a Roku.

Today only, and while supplies last, RedTag has the refurbished Sony BDP-BX58 3D Blu-ray player with Wi-Fi for $79, plus $1.95 for shipping.

That's one of the best prices I've seen on a name-brand player with 3D, Wi-Fi, and Roku-caliber channel support.

Needless to say, a Blu-ray player is great for those times when you want ultra-pristine video and sound. I say that … Read more

Get a 3D-ready Samsung Blu-ray player for $69.99

I have mixed feelings about 3D. Much as I enjoyed "Avatar" and "Despicable Me" on the big screen, I'm not exactly dying to bring the 3D experience into my home.

On the other hand, why not give myself the option? All I need is a 3D-ready TV (or projector) and Blu-ray player. Today only, and while supplies last, DailySteals has a killer deal on the latter: a refurbished Samsung BD-D5500C 3D-capable Blu-ray player for $69.99, plus $4.99 for shipping.

That price rivals, and even exceeds, most of the non-3D Blu-ray players I'… Read more

'Star Wars' breaks Blu-ray sales records

After just a week on store shelves, "Star Wars: The Complete Saga" on Blu-ray has already set global sales records.

Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox have so far sold one million units of the Blu-ray box set, which launched on September 16, including 515,000 units in North America alone. With that many unit sales, according to the film studios, "Star Wars" is now the "bestselling catalog Blu-ray Disc of all time."

In addition, the "Star Wars" Blu-ray set generated $84 million in worldwide revenue in the past week, including $38 million … Read more

Get Digiarty WinX Blu-ray Decrypter for free

Just a quick reminder that I'm posting less than usual this week. (Sorry to newsletter subscribers who were confused by yesterday's duplicate mailing. My bad.) And Monday's Labor Day, so I'll see you back here on Tuesday! Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Free DVD rippers are pretty easy to come by these days (I seem to see a new giveaway or promotion once every month or two), but free Blu-ray rippers? Those are still fairly rare.

From now until Sept. 15, you can download Digiarty WinX Blu-ray Decrypter free of charge. It's not quite … Read more

Fifteen worthy Blu-ray movies for less than $15

We've been producing a "cheap" Blu-ray movie list for several months and it's time for another update, especially since a number of our earlier picks on the list crept over the $15 mark.

As we like to note, cheap is popular these days and, not surprisingly, a lot of these bargain-price titles end up on the best sellers list on Amazon.com. But when it comes to owning discs, most people have become fairly discerning, and don't just buy anything because it's cheap. With that in mind, we've culled down the list of … Read more

A Kwik way to manage media

Nero Kwik Media is a light and free media manager with which you can organize, edit, and share your music, photos, videos, and data. Imagine iTunes and iPhoto rolled into one, then trimmed in half. While this download is technically "free," there is one caveat: you'll have to purchase some of its functionality in the form of "apps" listed in Nero's built-in store. Sure, most of these add-ons aren't too expensive, but it's a shame that a few of them (like Nero Kwik Play, a video decoder) don't come with the … Read more

Releasing soon: 'Apocalypse Now' Blu-ray and other classics

We've been looking forward to a few big Blu-ray releases coming this fall, including "Apocalypse Now" (three-disc full-disclosure edition), which hits stores on October 19. As its title implies, in the box you'll find three discs that pull together "The 1979 Cut," the longer "Apocalypse Now Redux," and the "Hearts of Darkness" documentary.

Both versions of the film are presented in high definition for the first time from a 1080p transfer "supervised" by Francis Ford Coppola. You also get a bunch of extras, which gives fans of "… Read more

IE9 beta takes a bow

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded: Microsoft releases beta version of Internet Explorer 9 Craigslists rules out reopening adult services Facebook competitor Diaspora releases source code Apple iOS 4.2 brings the iPad up to par Playstation 3 firmware update includes 3D Blu-ray support

Warner Bros. expands DVD-to-Blu-ray program

Warner Bros. has expanded its DVD2Blu program, a service that offers customers the opportunity to send in a DVD copy of a movie and receive back from the studio a Blu-ray version.

Citing Blu-ray's success, Warner Bros. said consumers can now choose from 90 of the company's "most popular titles to upgrade." The available movies include several well-known titles like "The Aviator," "A Christmas Story," and "Get Smart."

Although I haven't tested it out, the process of using DVD2Blu seems painless. Customers can go to the site and select … Read more