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Sony Increases Dolby TrueHD Support, Introduces New Subtitle Feature with 'Immortal Beloved' Blu-ray
Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 03:32 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Technology Forecasts, Sony (all tags)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has confirmed final specs for the August Blu-ray release of 'Immortal Beloved,' which will see expanded Dolby TrueHD support and a new user-controlled subtitle feature.
Originally announced early last week for Blu-ray release on August 21, 'Immortal Beloved's initial spec package seemed typical for a catalog Sony release, including the usual 1080p transfer, uncompressed PCM audio and a vintage making-of featurette.
That was, until additional exclusive spec details for the title subsequently appeared over at Blu-ray.com, and Sony has now confirmed to us directly that 'Beloved' will indeed boast a couple of features never-before-included on a next-gen title released in the US.
In addition to a English Dolby TrueHD track, which Sony has already introduced on a couple of notable previous Blu-ray releases (including 'Stomp the Yard' and the blockbuster 'Ghost Rider'), 'Immortal Beloved' will also boast TrueHD tracks in both French and Spanish -- a first for a domestic Blu-ray or HD DVD release.
Even more innovative is a user-controlled subtitle feature, which allows the viewer to adjust the position of text based on display format. As has often been common with films like 'Immortal Beloved' shot in a wide 2.35:1 aspect ratio, subtitles often "bleed" into the letterbox ares of the picture, which many consumers find distracting, and (in case of those with large front-projector set-ups with variable aspect ratio screens) can cause the subtitles to be partially or completely cut off during display.
Long requested by high-end early adopters (and as reader Joseph Whip points out, already implemented overeas on the French HD DVD edition of 'T2'), it's exciting to see Sony offering this option for high-def consumers stateside -- we can only hope 'Immortal Beloved' meets with success and the feature becomes the norm in the future.
You can find a link to the full specs for 'Immortal Beloved' in our Blu-ray Release Schedule, under August 21. And be sure to stay tuned for a full review of the disc in the coming weeks...
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Exclusive News: Immortal Beloved Special Features [Blu-ray.com]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Immortal Beloved (Blu-ray)
- Ghost Rider (Blu-ray)
- Stomp the Yard (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Sony Brings 'Immortal Beloved' to Blu-ray (Jun 12, 2007)
BD Plus Copy Protection Ready for Primetime; More Blu-ray Titles to Follow?
Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 08:55 AM ETTags: Industry Trends, Technology Forecasts (all tags)
BD Plus Technologies LLC has announced that it has begun issuing specifications to content providers for use of its BD Plus content protection system.
BD Plus (BD+ for short) allows for extra levels of copy protection against digital piracy above current Blu-ray format specifications. With the announcement by the Technologies group, BD+ is now effectively ready for implementation by any Blu-ray content developer, including the major Hollywood studios.
Though the Blu-ray format successfully launched last year without BD+, several major studios have expressed considerable interest in the advanced levels of protection the technology offers.
Fox and MGM are even said to have ceased releasing new Blu-ray disc titles due to the lack of BD+ availability (neither studio has released a single high-def title on Blu-ray since April).
Though no studio has publicly stated any plans to release BD Plus-encoded Blu-ray titles, the availability of the technology would certainly seem to be another potential obstacle surmounted in the format's path to mainstream success.
We'll keep you posted on any developments in this story, as well as any official announcements of BD Plus-encoded titles. Stay tuned!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- BD Plus Technologies LLC Specifications for BD+ [Official Site]
High-Def Goes Purple with LG Dual-Format Blu-ray/HD DVD Player
Thu Jan 04, 2007 at 04:16 PM ETTags: Hardware, Technology Forecasts, LG (all tags)
In another last-minute announcement, LG will finally be premiering its on-again/off-again Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player -- the world's first -- at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
After first showing its planned BD-199 Blu-ray player at last year's CES, the manufacturer abruptly cancelled the unit, and promised to retool the deck as a dual-format combo player. Then in yet another turnaround, this past Fall LG again abandoned its next-gen hardware plans, apparently reaffirming its Blu-ray-only support.
Well, it now seems LG is back on the format-agnostic bandwagon, and is planning to not only announce its still-unnamed combo player at CES but demonstrate a full working prototype. The company will also reveal full pricing and availability information at the show, with rumors currently indicating a late Winter or early Spring arrival for the much-anticipated player.
LG's news comes only a day after news leaked that Warner will be unwrapping another potential salvo in the next-gen format wars, a hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD disc dubbed "Total HD."
Given all this sudden Red State/Blue State lovey-dovey handshaking going on at CES, perhaps we should start calling 2007 The Year High-Def Went Purple?
Stay tuned for more news when CES officially kicks off next week.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Surprise! LG to Debut Dual-Format Blu-ray & HD DVD player at CES [Engadget]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Warner to Unveil First Blu-ray/HD DVD Hybrid Discs at CES (Jan 04, 2007)
Toshiba Unveils New HD DVD Combo Disc
Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 02:41 PM ETTags: Combo Discs, Technology Forecasts (all tags)
A potential big boost in HD DVD storage technology, Toshiba has unveiled
a new prototype "triple layer" HD DVD/DVD that promises to double
the capacity of current combo discs.
Toshiba and co-developer Memory-Tech announced yesterday that the single-sided, three-layer ROM disc offers a storage capacity of 30GB on the HD DVD side, and 4.7GB of standard DVD capacity. The technology would be a major improvement over the double-sided HD-15 (15GB)/DVD-9 (4.7GB) combo discs currently on the market.
Currently, HD DVD backers Universal and Warner are the only studios that have released disc titles using existing double-side HD DVD/DVD combo technology. However, with increased storage capacity and the appeal of a single-sided disc, Toshiba's prototype, if perfected, could usher in more widespread industry and market support for the combo format.
Toshiba and Memory-Tech plan to introduce the prototype to the HD DVD Forum in the coming weeks, after a successful test marketing run in Japan that began last April.
- Related links:
- Toshiba to Bow Single-Sided DVD, HD DVD Disc [Home Media Retailing]
Are You Ready for a 200GB Blu-ray Disc?
Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 05:40 PM ETTags: Technology Forecasts, TDK (all tags)
Move over, BD-50! TDK earlier today unveiled a prototype 200GB multi-layer
Blu-ray disc at the IFA conference in Berlin, Germany.
Red Herring reports that the German-based optical storage manufacturer was able to greatly increase the capacity of its recordable high-definition Blu-ray discs -- well above even the company's initial 100GB prototype announced earlier this year -- by advancements in blue laser optical media technology
A 200GB Blu-ray disc would be an eight-fold increase in storage capacity over the current industry standard BD-25 single-layer disc, which maxes out at 25GB. It would also be four times that of the upcoming BD-50 dual-layer, 50GB disc variant, the recordable version of which TDK announced they would begin shipping to retailers tomorrow.
If TDK can eventually perfect its 200GB prototype for mass consumer production, it could conceivably hold up to 18 hours of Blu-ray formatted video -- and instantly render today's squabbling about BD-25 versus BD-50 moot.
However, backwards compatibility issues with today's current and upcoming Blu-ray players -- none of which are capable of playing a 200GB disc -- could prove problematic for TDK. Still, the idea of a Blu-ray disc with such massive storage potential is undeniably intriguing. (Just think of all those remastered 'Star Trek' episodes a single 200GB disc could hold!)
Stay tuned for the latest news as the story develops...
- Related links:
- TDK Increases Blu-ray Capacity [Red Herring]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Paramount Confirms 'Star Trek' HD Remaster (Aug 31, 2006)
VMD Headed to US September 2006
Mon May 15, 2006 at 02:32 PM ETTags: VMD, Technology Forecasts (all tags)
While you're waiting for the price of Blu-ray and HD DVD players to come down, New Medium Enterprises is hoping that you'll drop a Benjamin or two on a Versatile Multilayer Disc (VMD). VMD provides a high def image using Red-ray technology, which compresses more digital information onto a disc than the standard DVD, but less than an HD or Blu-ray disc.
London-based New Medium is partnering with Chinese hardware supplier Beijing E-World to deliver the first VMD-compatible hardware to the US. The first VMD player to hit US markets will be priced at $150 and will be backward compatible with standard DVD content.
While they haven't announced which titles, New Medium is promising 100 VMD releases by September, priced at $25 per disc.
Essentially a third high def format, the proponents of Red-ray technology are hoping to find a foothold in the market with consumers who want high-def playback, but don't want to pay for developing HD and Blu-ray technology. Rather than a shift in format, New Medium conceives of itself as providing the next incremental step in the quality of DVD players.
- Related links:
- Another High-Def Format to Launch [Video Business]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Are You Ready for Another High-Def Format? (Mar 14, 2006)
Are You Ready for Another High-Def Disc Format?
Tue Mar 14, 2006 at 01:14 PM ETTags: VMD, Technology Forecasts (all tags)
We know you need another high-def DVD format like you need a hole in the head, but that's just what London-based New Medium Enterprises is planning to introduce later this year. The company has developed the Versatile Multi-Layer Disc (VMD), a multi-layer disc technology that promises equal or greater storage capacity to existing HD-DVD and Blu-Ray high-def formats, and cheaper player and disc costs.
Wisely, New Medium isn't planning to introduce the format in the U.S. anytime soon, so as to avoid direct competition with HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, which are due to hit the domestic market this spring backed by both strong manufacturer and studio support.
"We don't want to be in collision with the big guys," said COO Eugene Levich, adding that the company will promote VMD first in China and India later this year, followed by Eastern Europe, Russia and South America. "[That's] enough for a small company like us. Those markets are a good chunk of business."
Even if VMD is successful overseas, it faces an uphill struggle here in the U.S, where it has absolutely zero manufacturer and studio support. Still, given the the numerous delays that continue to plague both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, who knows -- at this rate, VMD could just beat them both to market.
- Related links:
- High-Def Without the High Price? [PC World]
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