Venturer launches 'affordable' high definition HD DVD player

By

Dave Walker

on December 3, 2007 Comments (0)

Venturer has launched the SHD7001, described as the 'affordable' HD DVD player, although no price for the player is currently available, perhaps because the price of said players is falling so rapidly, the landscape might be very different when it hits the shelves in late December.

The SHD7001 offers 1080i video output via the HDMI connection, as well as Dolby TrueHD (5.1 channel) sound. It also upscales standard DVDs to 'near HD sharpness' says Venturer, as well as featuring a 10/100 Ethernet connection.

The player will initially be available to buy in the UK from the QVC TV Home Shopping Channel from the 29th December - so you'll know how much it actually is if you tune in.

Venturer

Medion offers HD DVD and Blu-ray multimedia PC base station in Aldi stores

By

Dave Walker

on December 3, 2007 Comments (1)

Still not sure which way to go with HD? Well, with the Medion MD8828, you get the option of both HD DVD and Blu-ray.

The multimedia PC base station is available from today from Aldi stores, offering a machine based on Intel VIIV technology and featuring a multi-format, high definition HD-DVD and Blu-Ray optical drive, not to mention an Intel 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo E6750 processor, NVIDIA GeForce 8600GS DirectX 10 graphics card with DVI-I connector and HDMI port, 2GB of RAM, 500GB of SATA hard disk space, Medion’s triple TV tuner ( DVB-T, DVB-S Satellite and analogue TV), Wi-Fi and all the connectivity you'll probably need.

Bundled with a software package that includes Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium edition, it's available for £629.99.

Medion

European Blu-ray Association claims they've sold one million discs, owns 73% of HD market

By

Katherine Hannaford

on November 28, 2007 Comments (0)

The Sony PR machine is in overdrive at the moment, with them churning out more facts and figures about Blu-ray sales, than they do playable games on their PS3 console.

The Blu-ray Disc Association in Europe has let information leak about the one million Blu-ray movie discs they've sold, which according to them is 73% of all HD films sold. Bad news for HD DVD, if those figures are accurate. Of course, it was only last week we heard from the HD DVD camp that HD DVD player owners purchase 3.8 films each, whereas Blu-ray player owners buy just 0.7 films each on average.

IBM adds advert serving to DVD spec - film watching is DEAD as a hobby

By

Gary Cutlack

on November 27, 2007 Comments (0)

In a move that sounds like they're trying to kill off movie watching on purpose and force everyone to buy new computers to watch everything online, IBM has patented an advert delivery system that can pause movie discs so you have the pleasure of watching an advert.

It's like IBM examined the strengths of the home movie formats, then created a feature designed specifically to destroy them.

The idea is based on analysing a digital certificate to see if users are allowed to watch a movie without ad interruptions - presumably so DVD sellers and renters can offer 'premium' ad-free movies and cheaper ad-supported options. Clearly this would need a web-enabled player, which would query Blockbuster's server and see how much you paid to rent Spider-Man 3 before deciding if you should get advertised to or not.

So would you put up with Google ads for hair replacement drugs (Bruce Willis movies) and Viagra (Angelina Jolie movies) and Swiss euthanasia clinics (Wes Anderson movies) every ten minutes if it meant a cheaper or even free DVD rental?

(via Ars Technica)

Warner ditches Total HD hybrid disc format - for good

By

Gary Cutlack

on November 16, 2007 Comments (0)

Learning that two wrongs don't make a right, Warner has decided it's probably best not to launch its "Total HD" Blu-ray and HD DVD combined disc format after all.

We last mentioned Total HD when the launch of the possibly market-saving dual format disc was delayed a few months ago - now Warner's given up on the idea altogether.

Speaking to HD Digest, Warner's Jim Noonan said "The short answer is, for the moment, it is on hold."

Noonan goes on to point out that Warner had no financial interest in Total HD, it was simply offering it to the industry as a little olive branch that could end all the pain and suffering the "format war" is inflicting upon the world. But none of the other makers were bothered about it.

Another stunning success in the never-ending tale of misery and apathy that is the HD format war!

(Via HDTV UK)

HDTV UK's Guide to the Ultimate High Definition Home Cinema Experience - Part Three: High definition disc players

By

Stuart Waterman

on November 15, 2007 Comments (0)

In the third of this six part series from HDTV UK on creating the ultimate high definition home cinema system, we look at high definition disc players

When it comes to watching high definition content, particularly movies, there's a paradox.

Theoretically, the easiest and cheapest method is to invest in a high definition disc player (HD DVD, Blu-ray, or HD VMD) and buy high definition discs.

However, thanks to an ongoing format war between competing film studios and competing hardware manufacturers, the choice is made harder for consumers.

HD DVD and Blu-ray: What's the issue?

We've talked at length — and I mean at length — on HDTVUK.tv about this so-called format war.

Often paralleled with the VHS/Betamax video cassette 'war' of the 80s, which Sony's Betamax eventually lost, the two main manufacturers in this war are Toshiba and Sony.

Sony pioneered the Blu-ray format, while Toshiba created the HD DVD format. A number of other manufacturers and movie studios have either sided with one format or the other, sat on the fence, or created hybrid players. (We'll get on to HD VMD later).

The problem is that, unlike standard DVDs, you now can't get every movie on both formats. Notable examples are Transformers, available on just HD DVD, and Spider-Man 3, only on Blu-ray.

HD DVD owners buy more movies than Blu-ray owners, in Europe at least

By

Gary Cutlack

on November 14, 2007 Comments (5)

Another week, another unsubstantiated series of boasts from HD format makers.

This week it's the turn of HD DVD to do a bit of claiming about how well its doing, with the group saying European HD movie fans buy more discs on HD DVD format than on "other" HD formats. Apparently, owners of HD DVD players have bought an average of 3.8 movies each, compared to an abysmal 0.7 attach rate for Blu-ray.

At this point we always have to point out that these figures count Sony's PlayStation3 as a Blu-ray player, which has sold sort of well. It's unlikely many of those PS3 buyers are bothered about buying films, as they're all a bit busy playing all the amazing games that came out on Xbox 360 last year.

This is pretty much exactly what we don't need. The next-gen war is messy enough, without the extra fuss and nonsense that could be caused by HD DVD winning in Europe and Blu-ray winning America.

The bloody format makers need to get together over a few beers and sort this thing out. How hard can it be? They both go in the same sized holes.

(Via Afterdawn)

The Blu-ray versus HD DVD format war is "stalemate" says Sony boss

By

Gary Cutlack

on November 12, 2007 Comments (0)

Straight-talking Sony boss man Sir Howard Stringer isn't the guy you'd expect to be all coy about the Blu-ray / HD DVD battle of tedium, but his recent comments have been... almost humble.

"It's a stalemate at the moment. We lost some of our momentum when Paramount dropped our format, and winning the prestige battle is not the end of the world," he said, showing more restraint and dignity than most forum posters and commenters on the Blu-ray / HD DVD internet battlegrounds.

But Stringer became marginally ENRAGED when talking about the recent HD DVD exclusivity deal announced by Paramount, pointing out that "we were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides," he said of the loss of Paramount's movie catalogue.

Stringer also took the opportunity to big-up PlayStation3, which he says is now the best-selling console in Europe following the recent price-cut. Although Nintendo doesn't agree with that - and has the graph to prove it.

Rock offers high-definition Pegasus 710 notebook

By

Dave Walker

on October 26, 2007 Comments (0)

HD DVD or Blu-ray? It's not just about your movie viewing, it can also dictate your choice of notebook. And if you are leaning towards HD DVD, you might ant to check out the new Pegasus 710 from Rock.

As well as its HD DVD/Dual Layer DVD re-writer, the 710 also features a 17” X-Glass widescreen, NVIDIA 8600M GS graphics, HDMI output to hook it up to your large HD-ready screen, up to a T7700 2.4GHz processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM and a 250GB hard disk drive

There's also Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 1.3MP webcam, 4-in-1 card reader, express slot and Windows Vista Home Premium. Prices start at £999.

Rock

Microsoft giving away five free HD DVDs to HD DVD Player buyers

By

Gary Cutlack

on October 19, 2007 Comments (0)

The only minor catch is you have to buy an Xbox 360 HD DVD Player between now and the end of January. If you were sort of planning on doing that anyway it's a major result.

Once you've done that, don't throw away the box - if you send the barcode off to Microsoft along with a form you can claim your five free HD DVDs, with such joys as Children of Men, Full Metal Jacket, Serenity and, er, Dreamgirls among the titles on offer.

The only bad thing about this is it could lead to a spike in HD DVD sales figures. This will make the HD DVD consortium send out a press release claiming that HD DVD is winning the "format war," but then, the following month, sales will drop back down again and the Blu-ray consortium will send out a press release claiming that Blu-ray is in fact wininng the "format war."

And so the HD format war boredom continues.

(Via Xboxer.tv)

Murdoch, Iger, Parsons: execs argue over high definition, disregarding the consumer

By

Andy Merrett

on September 20, 2007

The rhetoric surrounding Blu-ray and HD DVD has continued, with various media executives weighing in with their opinions of each other, and even the consumer.

Firstly, Rupert Murdoch commented on Paramount's decision to exclusively support HD DVD, first declaring that only God knew why they had decided to "switch out", but then adding that it was because they were offered $150m to choose HD DVD.

Richard Parsons, CEO of Time Warner, probably gives the best consumer-friendly answer, by saying that "The consumer doesn't care about the format," and that his company is simply interested in reaching customers.

High definition disc format war to continue until at least 2011

By

Andy Merrett

on September 18, 2007

The format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray that some of us get so worked up about is set to continue until at least 2011, according to UK media analysts at Screen Digest.

In addition, they say that any movie studio who exclusively supports one or other format is simply hurting their bottom line. Having said that, it's hard to see Sony pushing out HD DVDs any time soon, or those slipped a few (million) quid to freeze out one or t'other format becoming format neutral again.

Richard Cooper, Screen Digest Video Analyst, believes that this Christmas could be a crucial time for the two camps, though there's so little equipment doing the rounds that the only ones getting burnt at present are the early adopters.

China implements own version of HD DVD format, vaguely compatible

By

Andy Merrett

on September 11, 2007

The ongoing war between the two main high definition disc formats — HD DVD and Blu-ray — may just have become a little more complicated, as China has adopted its own version of the HD DVD format.

With China becoming an increasingly powerful economic force, this could have notable implications for the disc format.

Developed by the Optical Memory National Engineering Research Centre (OMNERC), CH DVD (China High Definition DVD) is very similar to the original HD DVD format, though has additional copy-protection features aimed at reducing illegal disc copying in the region.

Sony's Blu-ray presentation paints less than rosy picture of format

By

Andy Merrett

on September 7, 2007

Sony's presentation at CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association Expo), which tried to show the superiority of the Blu-ray high definition disc format over rival HD DVD, in fact showed a rather erratic, and currently only slightly higher, total sales volume.

Though it shows Blu-ray sales have always been higher (except in mid April), it clearly proves that Blu-ray is not stealing the format war. Additionally, the graph stops in mid-May — what's happened since?

Some of Blu-ray's peaks are likely to have been caused by major film releases, but HD DVD's sales figures certainly look more stable. Better sustainable?

Most consumers couldn't really care less, though - all they really want is a reliable format that won't become obsolete six months down the track.

(Via DailyTech)

LG unveils new BH200 Super Multi Blu player - now with HDi

By

Stuart Dredge

on September 5, 2007

We got quite flustered over LG's BH100 Super Multi Blu player (pictured) when it was announced at CES this year, what with it offering a solution (a very expensive solution, admittedly) to the dilemma over whether to choose Blu-ray or HD DVD.

However, LG has just announced the follow-up BH200 product, which is due to go on sale next month in the US for around $1,000. Like its predecessor, it can play Blu-ray AND HD DVD discs, with the main improvement appearing to be the inclusion of HDi technology to access the interactive features of HD DVD discs.

The original Super Multi Blu was criticised for lacking this, so it's a welcome addition that brings it into line with Samsung's just-announced BD-UP5000.

(via Reuters)

HD DVD player manufacturers to drop prices

By

Andy Merrett

on September 3, 2007

As mentioned at Toshiba/HD DVD's IFA press conference, a number of manufacturers are set to drop the prices of their current and new HD DVD players, with entry level machines now coming in at around €300 (£200-ish).

Oliver Van Wynendaele, a manager in Toshiba's HD DVD group, said that was around half the current prices.

Heading up the cheap-n-cheerful crop of new players is the Ventura SHD7000, though it's worth noting that it won't play every high definition format, bombing out short of HD's 1080p holy grail. Still, not bad if you're on a budget.

IFA 2007: HD-DVD (and Toshiba) bite back

By

Susi Weaser

on August 31, 2007 Comments (4)

So, yesterday we heard about how Blu-ray is taking over the world. They're winning the war. They're the format of choice. Or are they? I'm here waiting for the Toshiba/HD-DVD press conference to start, and wondering if there's another side to the story....

First up, we get a look at the new stuff coming from Toshiba though.

Apparently the man on the stage is a German TV presenter. Bless him, I think he's used to people being more impressed. He's just branded himself a 'movie freak'. That's all I can tell you about him, to be honest. So, to Toshiba.

Oh, no. First we're sitting through a bizarre showreel of some cogs that turn into a boat. I'm not sure why. It's quite a nice boat, but I'm pretty sure Toshiba haven't branched out into sailing equipment... Don't worry. We'll get to the good stuff in a minute.

God. It's going on for hours. This is bizarre.

IFA 2007: Samsung's BD-UP5000 - the world's first Blu-ray/HD DVD player?!

By

Ashley Norris

on August 31, 2007 Comments (1)

Samsung, more than any other company ever, loves its world firsts and surprise, surprise IFA is teeming with them. The one that is getting the hacks most excited is the BD-UP5000 Duo HD player, which it is billing as the first ever dual format optical high definition player. By that it means the first to have both Blu-ray and HD DVD players on board.

In reality Samsung is taking a liberty or two as LG got there first with the BH100. The big difference is that the Samsung is compatible with both BD Java and HDi which means it can access all the interactive goodies that you get with the disc – the LG can’t. It also has the edge in the audio stakes in that supports Dolby Digital 7.1, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby True HD.

Toshiba's pretty pleased with Paramount and Dreamworks' HD DVD decision

By

Andy Merrett

on August 23, 2007

Regardless of the true motivation behind Paramount and Dreamworks' decision to go exclusively HD DVD, it's no surprise at all that Toshiba are pretty pleased about the deal.

“We welcome the announcement from Paramount and DreamWorks Animation SKG,” said Yoshihide Fujii, Corporate Senior Vice President and President & CEO of Toshiba’s Digital Media Network Company, noting that it was "clearly significant" that Paramount, previously a supporter of both major high definition disc formats, had now opted for HD DVD.

"I understand that these decisions reflect [their] understanding of the present value and future potential that HD DVD brings to home entertainment, including cost-effective manufacturability and advanced features," he nonchalantly continued.

Just one thing though. What the heck is "manufacturability"?

C'mon, Tosh, just how much "encouragement" did you give 'em to switch, eh?

Allegedly. Only joking.

FInancial incentives for going HD DVD; Transformers' director's mini-rant

By

Andy Merrett

on August 22, 2007

Hands up who believed that Paramount and Dreamworks moved to the HD DVD format purely for quality reasons?

Unsurprisingly in business, money talks very loudly. According to two anonymous Viacom executives (Viacom owns Paramount), the two companies will receive a total of $150m in financial incentives thanks to their newfound commitment to HD DVD.

The two companies remain tight-lipped. Microsoft, self-confessed slave to the HD DVD format, said that it would never rule out incentive payments, but in this case claimed not to have done so. Perhaps Toshiba slipped them a few notes?

In any case, there appears to be plenty of room for the two companies to crawl back to Blu-ray should market conditions change. Paramount have agreed to stick with HD DVD for 18 months, and Steven Spielberg's films were not included in the deal.