blu

Six questions for 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' actress Karen Allen

For the launch of the "Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures Blu-ray," Karen Allen, who played Marion Ravenwood in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and then returned for the fourth installment ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"), was in New York to promote the release. Normally, we don't do too many celebrity interviews here on CNET, but when Paramount reps offered a very short chat, I thought, hey, it's Karen Allen, why not?

As for how the Blu-ray package is, the short answer is that the first three movies have … Read more

Top 5 home theater essentials (2012)

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It's easy to go over the top when it comes to outfitting your dream home theater system. One minute you're checking out HD projectors, and the next minute you're trying to figure out how to convert your entire basement into a giant subwoofer.

But it never hurts to start with the basics. In this CNET Top 5, I asked CNET Associate Editor Matthew Moskovciak for the essential ingredients in today's modern home theater system.

Get a Toshiba Blu-ray player for $29.97

Blu-ray players are notoriously unreliable. Check the user reviews for just about any model and you'll see any number of "died after a week!" and "died after two months!" comments. It's the unfortunate nature of the beast, I guess.

So call me maybe crazy, but why not keep a spare on hand just in case your primary player croaks -- which will invariably happen just as you and the kids are sitting down to watch "The Avengers." That way, boom, you just swap in the backup and dry everyone's tears.

And … Read more

LG to unveil new products for video and audio buffs

LG Electronics is set to show off a slew of new products aimed at the home theater market.

Running the gamut from 3D sound systems to entertainment hubs, the new devices will be on display at the IFA trade show in Berlin. The show runs from August 31 to September 5.

First on the list is a 3D home theater system with the product name BH9520TW. The gear includes four 3D speakers delivering a sound that LG compares with that of an IMAX theatre. A 3D sound zooming technology synchronizes the audio with the action on a 3D TV. Viewers … Read more

The Audiophiliac's Top 13 music Blu-ray discs

I wrote a Top 10 music Blu-ray list late last year, so it's time for an update.

Patricia Barber, "Modern Cool"

Sultry jazz singer Patricia Barber's "Modern Cool" album was a hit with the audiophile crowd soon after its release in 1998, so I was surprised to see it come out on Blu-ray with a new 5.1-channel DTS Master Audio mix. Even more surprised that the surround mix totally works. You're in the middle of the band, which I usually don't care for, but it clicks here. Barber wrote a lot … Read more

Are letterboxed movies really 1080p?

CNET Reader Doug Hagemeister asks:

Hello! I was watching a movie on Blu-ray the other day filmed in the 21:9 aspect ratio and I realized that it technically wasn't "1080p" since about 1/4 of the screen was taken up by the horizontal black bars (called "letter boxing," correct?). Anyway, I was just wondering how many pixels were being used on the TV. Thank you!

Ah, letterboxing, how I love you.

To understand letterboxing, we have to talk about aspect ratio. HDTVs are 16x9, or 1.78:1. Slightly wider than they are tall, they're pleasantly rectangular. Old-fashioned tube TVs were 4x3, or 1.33:1, so closer to square. … Read more

'Jaws' looks killer on Blu-ray

A lot of people have noted that best thing about Blu-ray is seeing "new" versions of old films in the format.

"Jaws" doesn't qualify as a really old film, but it did first hit theaters in 1975, so it's certainly an older film, and it looks truly impressive on Blu-ray. This is one of the films that Universal has chosen to restore for its 100 anniversary (of Universal, not the film), and some of its earlier restoration efforts have been lauded while others have been criticized for introducing too much digital noise reduction and … Read more

Avatar on Blu-ray 3D available to all October 16

It took nearly two years, but "Avatar" on Blu-ray 3D is finally being offered in-store to anyone who wants to purchase it.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today announced that the film version will be available globally starting October 15. The company will launch the movie in North America on October 16.

"Avatar" has been available on Blu-ray 3D since 2010. However, the film was offered exclusively to Panasonic customers who purchased one of the company's HDTVs or other devices. All others were forced to stick with the Blu-ray version.

Why it took so long … Read more

DVDs, Blu-ray disc rentals still surpass streaming

Streaming video may be cost-effective and convenient, but consumers are still renting more movies via the mail and physical retailers.

People renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs through retail stores, kiosks, and Netflix's mail service totaled more than 62 percent of all movie rentals in the first half of the year, according to NPD Group. In contrast, those renting digital movies via subscription streaming, pay TV video on demand, and Internet VOD added up to only 38 percent.

Though physical discs still lead the rental landscape, their popularity has been waning. Rentals of DVDs and Blu-ray discs dropped by 17 … Read more

The 404 Show Special: Jay Chandrasekhar and Kevin Heffernan

The 404's Jeff Bakalar had a chance to sit down with Jay Chandrasekhar and Kevin Heffernan, two of the members of the comedy group Broken Lizard (Super Troopers, Beerfest). The duo has a new film out called "The Babymakers" in select theaters, iTunes, and on-demand August 3rd.

In addition to a discussion about "The Babymakers," Jay and Kevin talk to Jeff about a sequel to "Super Troopers," getting "Potfest" off the ground, and what else is in store for Broken Lizard.… Read more