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'Promised Land' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]The drama directed by Gus Van Sant will have a Blu-ray release in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal is readying 'Promised Land' for Blu-ray on April 23. Matt Damon stars as corporate salesman Steve Butler, whose journey from farm boy to big-time player takes an unexpected detour when he lands in the rural town of McKinley with partner Sue Thomason, played by Frances McDormand. There to offer much-needed relief to the economically hard-hit residents, the pair begin strategically obtaining drilling rights to the home owners' properties. What seems like an easy job for the duo, though, quickly becomes complicated by a respected schoolteacher (Hal Holbrook), a slick environmental activist (John Krasinski) and Butler's interest in a local woman (Rosemarie DeWitt). As they grapple with a surprising array of open hearts and closed doors, the outsiders soon discover the strength of an American small town poised at a crossroads. The Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy combo pack will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include deleted scenes and a making-of featurette. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Promised Land' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 23.Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
From Watches to Smartphones, Can Sapphire Display Screens be Far Off?[teaser]GT Advanced Technologies bringing "unscratchable" screens to smartphones. [/teaser] Sapphire, currently popular in watches, is hoping to take up the mantle of "phone screen savior" from Gorilla Glass. As many consumers know, despite having been touted for years, Gorilla Glass is hardly unscratchable, and those scratches are the beginnings of shattered screens, scourge of the rough and tumble smartphone user. But are sapphire screens practical? Currently, handsets that feature the supposedly durable screens sell for over $10,000, but at the Mobile World Congress, the word is that sapphire screen production is ramping up. With smartphones and tablets targets for the naturally growing crystal, a trickledown effect to other displays is likely. Even as display sizes balloon, we may reach a point where all screens are touch screens, and suddenly, displays that users were careful to never touch will become handled more and more like tablets. At such a point, products like Gorilla Glass and sapphire may emerge as living room musts. Source:Digital TrendsPosted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
'Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away' Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Dated and Detailed[teaser]The latest film featuring the world renowned performance troupe is bound for Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount is preparing 'Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away' Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and 'Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away - 3D' Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo pack for March 12. Visionary filmmakers James Cameron ('Avatar') and Andrew Adamson ('Shrek') invite you on a spectacular adventure unlike anything you’ve seen before. Leap, soar, swim and dance with the legendary performers of Cirque du Soleil as they transport a young couple on a “magical journey” worlds away and beyond imagination. The releases will feature 1080p video, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks, and supplements will include: Making Worlds Away and A Day in the Life of Erica Linz. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is set at $39.99 and the Blu-ray 3D is $54.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're both indexed under March 12.Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Ready for Ultra HD: Yamaha Introduces Latest RX-V Series of AV Receivers[teaser]All five new receivers support Ultra HD pass-through, while two models will actually upscale to 4K.[/teaser] Yamaha has introduced the latest iteration of their RX-V series of AV receivers, and four of the models sport networking options that include Mobile High-Definition Link, which allows for HD playback of audio and video content from MHL-compatible phones and similar devices. Airplay, Pandora, and vTuner Internet Radio join Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. Those networked models can be controlled through Yamaha's AV Controller App (iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire), which also allows streaming from the connected device. The new models are not only Ultra HD ready, but they also support 3D pass-through with ARC (Audio Return Channel). The RX-V775WA and RX-V675 can upscale to Ultra HD, a route that some users will prefer. The RX-V775WA and RX-V675 also contain Burr-Brown DACs and Yamaha's CINEMA DSP 3D processing. The line-up emphasizes high speed HDMI switching with source specific settings, and even include four SCENE mode buttons, that like a macro command, can quickly power on the receiver with settings geared towards a specific use, such as watching movies, playing games, or viewing TV programs. The new RX-V Series models will be available at the following dates: RX-V775WA will be available in April (MSRP: $849.95) RX-V675 will be available in March (MSRP: $649.95) RX-V575 will be available in March (MSRP: $549.95) RX-V475 will be available in March (MSRP: $449.95) RX-V375 will be available in February (MSRP: $299.95) Source:YamahaPosted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Storage 24' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]Johannes Roberts' creature feature will debut on Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an announcement to retailers, Magnolia says 'Storage 24' is coming to Blu-ray on March 12. London is in chaos. A military cargo plane has crashed leaving its highly classified contents strewn across the city. Completely unaware London is in lockdown, Charlie (Clarke) and Shelley (Campbell-Hughes), accompanied by best friends Mark (O'Donoghue) and Nikki (Haddock), are at Storage 24 dividing up their possessions after a recent break-up. Suddenly, the power goes off. Trapped in a dark maze of endless corridors, a mystery predator is hunting them one by one. In a place designed to keep things in, how do you get out? Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Feature Commentary; Creature Development Featurette; Production Design & Costume Featurette; Music & Sound Design Featurette; On Set Featurette; Video Blogs; A Day In the Life Of: Clarke & O’Donoghue; Scene Commentaries; Deleted Scenes; and Photo Gallery. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Storage 24' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 12.Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Pre-Orders Live![teaser]Peter Jackson's epic return to Middle-Earth coming to Blu-ray in March is now available for pre-order! [/teaser] As previously reported, Warner Brothers is preparing to release 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' on Blu-ray on March 19. The Blu-ray 3D will also be available on the same date. 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is the first chapter in Peter Jackson's new epic trilogy set in Middle-Earth 60 years before J.R.R. Toklien's "The Lord of the Rings" saga. Follow Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he's swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Their journey will take them through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs, giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. They must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature Gollum (Andy Serkis), who will change his life forever. Alone with Gollum on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers guile and courage that surprise him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities, tied to the fate of all Middle-Earth. Several key talent members from 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy reprise their roles, along with exciting new cast members. Each Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy combo pack will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: New Zealand: Home of Middle Earth, 10 Video Blogs, 5 Theatrical Trailers, and 3 Game Trailers. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray combo pack is $35.99 and the Blu-ray 3D combo is $44.95. You can find the latest specs for 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 19.Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 07:45 AM PST by: -
Poll: How Was Seth MacFarlane as Oscar Host?Since the ceremony aired on Sunday night, 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane has received very mixed notices for his job as Oscar host. Some viewers called him the best host in years, while others decried the whole event as a fiasco. What did you think? Would you like to see MacFarlane come back to host again, or would you rather see the Academy burn his likeness in effigy? Vote in our blog poll today.Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'The Central Park Five' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The latest documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns comes to Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, PBS has just revealed 'The Central Park Five' will arrive on Blu-ray on April 23. On April 20, 1989, the body of a woman barely clinging to life was discovered in Central Park. Within days, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise confessed to her rape and beating after many hours of aggressive interrogation at the hands of seasoned homicide detectives. The police announced to a press hungry for sensational crime stories that the young men had been part of a gang of teenagers who were out “wilding,” assaulting joggers and bicyclists in Central Park that evening. The ensuing media frenzy was met with a public outcry for justice. The young men were tried as adults and convicted of rape, despite inconsistent and inaccurate confessions, DNA evidence that excluded them, and no eyewitness accounts that connected any of them to the victim. The five served their complete sentences, between 6 and 13 years, before another man, serial rapist Matias Reyes, admitted to the crime, and DNA testing supported his confession. Set against the backdrop of a city beset by violence and facing deepening rifts between races and classes, “THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE” intertwines the stories of these five young men, the victim, police officers and prosecutors, and Matias Reyes, unraveling the forces behind the wrongful convictions. The film illuminates how law enforcement, social institutions and media undermined the very rights of the individuals they were designed to safeguard and protect. “This is a radical departure for me as a filmmaker,” said Ken Burns. “Eschewing narration, bringing in many new stylistic elements – I think the intensity of the circumstances, and the political and tragic implications absolutely demanded that we implement an intensified discussion. What I think adds to our story is the humanity of the five young men who are at its center, especially because no one was willing to do that during the original media coverage and trial.” “This case is a lens through which we can understand the ongoing fault-line of race in America,” said Sarah Burns, who also wrote The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding, (Knopf, 2011). “These young men were convicted long before the trial, by a city blinded by fear and, equally, freighted by race. They were convicted because it was all too easy for people to see them as violent criminals simply because of the color of their skin.” “Ultimately THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE is about human dignity,” said David McMahon. “It is about five young men who lose their youth but maintain their dignity in the face of an horrific and unimaginable situation.” In 2002, based upon Matias Reyes’s confession, a judge vacated the original convictions of the Central Park Five. A year later, the men filed civil lawsuits against the City of New York, and the police officers and prosecutors who had worked toward their conviction. That lawsuit remains unresolved. Among those interviewed in the film are: The Central Park Five and members of their families; New York City Mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins; journalists Jim Dwyer, Natalie Byfield and LynNell Hancock; the Reverend Calvin Butts; and historian Craig Steven Wilder. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Central Park Five' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 23.Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
'Not Fade Away' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]David Chase's rock and roll drama will take the stage on Blu-ray this April. [/teaser] In an announcement to retailers, Paramount says 'Not Fade Away' will have a Blu-ray release on April 30. It’s 1964, the Rolling Stones appear on television and three best friends from the suburbs of New Jersey decide to form a rock band. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include The Basement Tapes, Building the Band, and Deleted Scenes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Not Fade Away' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 30.Posted Tue Feb 26, 2013 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
BeeWi Mobot Allows You to Operate Your Home Theater Remotely[teaser]The little plug creates a network that allows remote control of the home's outlets. [/teaser] BeeWi is showing off a prototype of their Mobot at the Mobile World Congress, and the device has some intriguing possibilities. The Mobot consists of a master and its slave plug modules. By placing the Mobot between a devices plug and the outlet, the user obtains a host of scheduling options and new capabilities. From anywhere the user can use an app to connect to the master Mobot module, and set any of the Mobots plugged-in devices to be turned on or off, which grants the user the knowledge of what devices are in use. The Mobots also contain motion detectors, which can even manage to turn on a home theater's lighting whenever a viewer stands up. More advanced features include fire detection, and the Mobot has a battery, so it can weather brownouts. The pricing for the impressive little devices is less than impressive, however, with the master Mobot costing close to $200. Each slave Mobot is $80, making a network of Mobots a serious investment, suitable for users that need a lot of control over devices when away. Source:CNETPosted Tue Feb 26, 2013 at 11:00 AM PST by:
