blu-ray

Panasonic announces pricing, details for 2011 Blu-ray players

Panasonic first announced its 2011 Blu-ray lineup at CES 2011, but details were scarce, aside from model numbers and some basic features. Yesterday at the company's spring line show, full details for all the players were announced and we've broken down the key differences below:

Panasonic DMP-BD75

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-BD75:

New graphical user interface Netflix, CinemaNow, and Vudu streaming DLNA compatible 1 USB port $100 list price; currently available

Panasonic DMP-BDT110… Read more

Get a Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box for $219 shipped

Audiophiles and videophiles alike tend to turn those noses up at home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems, the idea being that the closely integrated components rarely measure up to standalone counterparts. But I think in terms of price and simplicity, they're hard to beat.

In fact, here's one that's really hard to beat: Sixth Avenue Electronics has the Panasonic SC-BT230 Blu-ray Home Theater System for $218.88 shipped. That's after applying coupon code AFL4COUPON at checkout. (FYI, I'm not sure how long that coupon is good.)

I'm no audiophile myself, but I know decent specs when I … Read more

Blu-ray film comes with Android-friendly option

Android handset owners will now be able to watch a digital copy of a Blu-ray film on their smartphones.

The functionality comes by the way of "Unstoppable," an action-thriller starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine that hit store shelves today. The movie is the first with a Blu-ray Digital Copy that plays on Android, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment said in a statement.

The ability to watch digital copies of films on Blu-ray is already available for Apple's iPhone and iPad. And as with many iPhone-compatible films, "Unstoppable" will also allow Android owners to access … Read more

Don't sit too close to the (3D) TV

When I read Roger Ebert's latest blog post bashing 3D last week, modestly titled "Why 3D doesn't work and never will. Case closed," I couldn't help but wonder whether he was right. As a TV reviewer, my job sure would be a lot easier if I could just ignore 3D and focus on what my readers have overwhelmingly expressed as more important to them: good picture quality in 2D mode.

Alas, I don't think Ebert is right. There's the little fact that 3D works well enough to adequately entertain millions of viewers of blockbusters like "Avatar" and "Toy Story 3." And "never" is a long time.

Regardless of the headline's hyperbole, Ebert's most damning piece of anti-3D evidence has merit. The crux is a statement by Walter Murch, a highly respected film and sound editor, who says:… Read more

Why you should avoid proprietary Wi-Fi dongles

For the last few years, every major manufacturer has been offering a proprietary Wi-Fi dongle to add wireless connectivity to certain HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and other home theater products. And they all cost way too much money.

Somehow, all of the manufacturers have settled on the same price--$80--for their respective Wi-Fi dongles, despite the fact that tons of PC-based USB wireless adapters are available for $10 at Newegg.com. Manufacturers can get away with the high price because they're not interoperable; Samsung's dongle doesn't work with Sony products and vice versa. If you need a Wi-Fi … Read more

Top 5 doomed technologies

OK, so "doomed" is a strong word, but these five are all either a day late or a dollar short. And in this business, that can doom you fast. Buy into these with caution.

After you watch this, check out our list of Top 12 most-anticipated technologies of 2011

'Star Wars' on Blu-ray coming September 27

The excitement over the launch of "Star Wars: The Complete Saga" on Blu-ray is palpable. And now, we finally have a release date for the box set.

According to the listing on Amazon, the 9-disc Blu-ray set, which includes all six "Star Wars" films and three discs with more than 30 hours of special features, will launch September 27.

The official date follows statements made last summer by Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, saying the set would be available in fall 2011, and a more recent blog post on the Star Wars site saying … Read more

CES: Philips intros first wireless HDMI Blu-ray player

LAS VEGAS--If you always wished you had a Blu-ray player equipped with wireless HDMI to stream video from across the room to a wall-mounted TV, Philips has a new solution: the BDP7580 wireless HDMI Blu-ray player.

Due out in April with a price tag of $499.99, the BDP7580 offers 3D playback, NetTV, Netflix, and Blockbuster streaming, as well as Philips MediaConnect, which allows you to stream content from your PC to your TV via a Wi-Fi connection. NetTV is Philips' integrated Internet TV feature that offers a built-in browser for accessing standard Web sites, including Facebook and Twitter. The … Read more

LG rounds out Blu-ray lineup with Ethernet-only BD630

LAS VEGAS--Built-in Wi-Fi is becoming less and less of a premium feature in Blu-ray players, but most manufacturers are still producing one budget Ethernet-only model. Along with its line of Wi-Fi Blu-ray players and the flagship, hard-drive packing BD690, LG has announced the entry-level BD630.

Like the BD640, the BD630 offers a stripped-down set of streaming media features (Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow, and YouTube streaming), rather than the more extensive Smart Apps platform that is available on high-end players. You also won't find other step-up features, such as 3D Blu-ray compatibility or DLNA personal media streaming. Unlike the BD640, there'… Read more