-
'Scar 3D' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The 2007 slasher film is coming to Blu-ray in anaglyph 3D this March.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Phase 4 Films will be bringing 'Scar 3D' to Blu-ray on March 29. There's no word on tech specs yet, but the release will include both 3D and 2D versions of the film and two pairs of 3D glasses. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Scar 3D' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 29.Posted Thu Jan 13, 2011 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Sunlyte Creates Carbon-Free Disc Packaging[teaser]It's lighter, it's efficient, and it's carbon-free. [/teaser] Paul Gelardi is the CEO and Founder of Sunlyte inc., and despite the deliberate misspelling in his company name he seems like a pretty good guy. His company has just created the first carbon-free manufacturing service for packaged discs like CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. The Sunlyte Tray, a part of the company's packaging solution, is made of 100 percent recycled plastic water bottles, and FSC or SCI certified paperboard to reduce not only waste, but energy and material costs too. It's not just about saving the environment, but making business more efficient. "The carbon footprint of a product is in large part a measure of waste," says Gelardi, "and waste is not only bad for the environment, it's bad for business." Sunlyte packages adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Recording Association of America, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and Walmart. There's no word on if and when we'll see this new packaging used in a major disc release. Source: Sacramento BeePosted Thu Jan 13, 2011 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Skyline' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]Aliens will invade the high-definition format this March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal has slated 'Skyline' for Blu-ray on March 15. The film stars Eric Balfour and Scottie Thompson and is directed by Greg and Colin Strause. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Commentary by directors Greg and Colin Strause; Commentary with co-writer/producer Liam O'Donnell and co-writer Joshua Cordes; Deleted, Extended, and Alternate Scenes; Pre-viz clips; and Trailers. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Skyline' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 15.Posted Thu Jan 13, 2011 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Dish Network Remote Access and Sling Now Available on Android Tablets[teaser]If you've got something with a screen in your home, there's a good chance you can watch Dish programming on it. [/teaser] Dish has been pushing hard on the mobile and handheld device front and it seems to be getting a lot of love from customers. The latest to get some sweet, sweet Dish love is the Android tablet. To start things off, Dish announced that you'll now be able to access your DVR from an Android tablet. That means you won't have to be sitting in front of your TV to schedule a new show. Of course, you can still sit in front of the screen and use the tablet as a controller if you like. That's the less exciting news. The really good stuff is that Android tablets now work with Sling-enabled devices, giving you the ability to watch your TV right on your tablet. It's an invaluable solution for those on the go, or those that just got up for a snack. Source: Broadcasting CablePosted Thu Jan 13, 2011 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Deep Red' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Dario Argento's 1975 cult classic is coming to high-definition this April. [/teaser] According to a report from Fangoria, Blue Underground is planning to release 'Deep Red' on Blu-ray on April 26. The release will be a two-disc set which will include the uncensored English-language version as well as the Italian Director's Cut as a Blu-ray exclusive. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Interviews with Argento, co-scripter Bernardino Zapponi and Goblin (Claudio Simonetti, Massimo Morante, Fabio Pignatelli and Agostino Marangolo); US trailer & Italian trailer; and Music Videos: Goblin, "Profondo Rosso" (2010) & Daemonia, "Profondo Rosso" (directed by Sergio Stivaletti). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Deep Red' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 26.Posted Thu Jan 13, 2011 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
The State of Blu-ray At CES 2011[teaser]This year's CES was the first that didn't have Blu-ray players and Blu-ray discs featured as major releases. That's not necessarily a bad thing...[/teaser] No matter how you got your CES - whether you read about it on High-Def Digest, watched snippets on TV, or went in person - you know that 3D was the big news of the show. Like it or not, it's what all of the major companies are pushing. Some companies are making the 3D move more forcefully than others. Toshiba seems to be sitting on the fence between a few technologies, while Sony is putting everything it has into 3D, and 3D into everything it has. With all the talk of 3D, it seems like Blu-ray got lost in the shuffle. There weren't any major Blu-ray player announcements and only one significant Blu-ray release was brought up at the show. You might even think of that as an ill-omen for the format, but it's exactly the opposite. Before we talk about why Blu-ray didn't make the splash that it has in the last few years, I want to start with the big Blu-ray events of the show. The ones that were big enough to get picked up by mainstream sites and shows that don't specialize in Blu-ray coverage. The biggest Blu-ray announcement at the show is something we already knew was in the works. Still, Panasonic held a bit of a ceremony to officially announce the upcoming release of the 'Star Wars' saga on Blu-ray disc. This is huge. The original 'Star Wars' trilogy has been one of the most desired Blu-ray releases since the format was launched. Those three films are going to drive adoption of Blu-ray players to those who don't yet have them, make huge waves for Blu-ray sales numbers, and it's what's finally going to turn my dad into a Blu-ray fan. You can criticize the release all you want, but even with the special editions of the original films and the inclusion of the second trilogy this is going to be one of the most successful Blu-ray sets of all time. It's big news for fans and it's big news for the format. After all, now that Blu-ray has the biggest film trilogy ever made, there's not an obvious retort like "why would I buy a format that doesn't even have Star Wars?" It's a good get. The second big Blu-ray event at the show was the Blu-ray director's panel, which I had the privilege of attending. It featured Baz Luhrmann, Michael Mann, and Oliver Stone talking about - you guessed it - Blu-ray. It was a bit of a puff piece to be honest, but towards the end we started to get some really interesting insight into the way directors see the format. Opinions varied across the directors even though all three are fans of Blu-ray. Oliver Stone, for example, said that he sees Blu-ray as the last bastion of movie preservation. It's possible that Blu-ray will be our final disc-based media format and that discs will one day be a thing of the past. For him, making a Blu-ray edition of his film is his chance to get the last word and finally close the book on his movies. Baz Luhrmann is more optimistic about the future, but praises Blu-ray as the best way to reproduce video. For Baz, it's all about the colors that Blu-ray allows him to reproduce - something that DVD just couldn't do. These were both significant events, and both made it to mainstream media, but neither made mention of Blu-ray players at all. Oliver Stone didn't sing the praises of a Panasonic player and Darth Vader - yes there was someone there in a Darth Vader costume - didn't plug any players either. It was all about movies. The fact that no company felt the need to proselytize to the DVD crowd and sing the praises of the superior format seems strange considering the last few years, but it's a very good sign for Blu-ray. Think of it in terms of 3D televisions. They're all the tech companies will talk about right now, and there's a reason for that. We're not buying them. Sure, 3D is selling, but it's not selling in the kinds of numbers that manufacturers want and the surefire way to improve that is to keep iterating, innovating and repeating the message. The lack of huge Blu-ray player announcements and massive ad campaigns tells us more about Blu-ray adoption than any poll could. It shows that Blu-ray hasn't just been picked up by tech savvy consumers. The general public - the moms and dads of these tech savvy consumers - understand the benefit and are buying the players. Think of the other technologies that were getting huge announcements in the last few years. LED backlit LCDs were shouted from the rooftops, but now they're a part of the HDTV environment just like 1080p, a 24Hz refresh rate for Blu-rays and even remote controls. We no longer have to decide if we support it or not - it's just there. The other thing that I found incredibly telling about the lack of big Blu-ray player announcements was the lack of crazy new Blu-ray players. It seems like innovation has settled down for the format, and now the battle of cost efficiency and design has begun. After all, you can pick up a Blu-ray player that handles 3D, streams Netflix with built-in WiFi and even plays back media files from your computer for under $200. What more could you want? Sure, there were a few new things, like portable players, those with built-in glasses-free 3D screens and those packing Google TV. For the most part though, it seems like Blu-ray players have stabilized. Most of the new players on the market offer the same features in a different package, just like DVD players before them. Every year since the release of the format has been hailed as "the year of Blu-ray," but really 2011 seems to be it. It's the year we finally stopped making a big deal out of the hardware, got everything right, and started talking about what matters most - the movies. - Dick WardPosted Wed Jan 12, 2011 at 12:43 PM PST by: -
'Unstoppable' Blu-ray Supplements Added[teaser]Bonus features have been detailed for the runaway train plowing into high-definition next month! [/teaser] As previously reported, 20th Century Fox is planning to release 'Unstoppable' starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine on Blu-ray on February 15. The adrenaline-fueled film is directed by Tony Scott and was nominated for five Satellite Awards including Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Audio commentary with Tony Scott; The Fastest Track: Unleashing Unstoppable; Derailed: Anatomy of a Scene; Hanging Off the Train: Stunt Work; On the Rails with the Director and Cast; Tracking the Story: Unstoppable Script Development; and a Digital Copy. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Unstoppable' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under February 15.Posted Wed Jan 12, 2011 at 12:30 PM PST by: -
'The Next Three Days' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Russell Crowe and Liam Neeson bust Elizabeth Banks out of prison this March on Blu-ray! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate has revealed 'The Next Three Days' for high-definition on March 8. Hailed by critics as a "mesmerizing tick-tock thriller" (Salon.com), Academy Award® winning writer* Paul Haggis brings to life one family's struggle to stay together during the most difficult of times. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the release will be a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack and will include a "making of" featurette, a featurette that looks at the "men" of the film as well as a look at true prison break stories in the name of "love," plus funny cast moments and deleted and extended scenes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Next Three Days' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 8.Posted Wed Jan 12, 2011 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Audiovox Intros the First In-Dash Blu-ray Player[teaser]And yes, it is Wi-Fi capable for all your streaming needs. [/teaser] Hey, we get it. You love your Blu-ray. You've got a good collection going and a home theater that really shows off just what the format's capable of. But there's something missing -you can't enjoy the benefits of Blu-ray on your commute to work. That's where Audiovox comes in. Over the weekend, the company unveiled the first ever in-dash Blu-ray player. The player is designed not only to help reap the benefits of the format, but to make life easier for Blu-ray fans. "This mobile solution will allow them to maintain a single video collection that works both in the vehicle and at home," says Audiovox president Tom Malone. One of the really interesting things about the new AVDBR1 Blu-ray player is that it boasts Wi-Fi capability and, after a firmware update later this year, will be able to handle a variety of streaming services. You'll be able to pick up the AVDBR1 in the spring of 2011 for a suggested price of $349. Source: HDTV MagazinePosted Wed Jan 12, 2011 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
'S.W.A.T.: Firefight' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The direct-to-video action thriller has been dated for March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony has revealed 'S.W.A.T.: Firefight' for Blu-ray on March 1. The film stars Robert Patrick as an assassin hell bent on taking out a Los Angeles S.W.A.T. Officer (Gabriel Macht) and his team while in Detroit. Specs have yet to be revealed, and the only supplement will be Sharp Shooting: On the Set. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $30.95. You can find the latest specs for 'S.W.A.T.: Firefight' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 1.Posted Wed Jan 12, 2011 at 10:00 AM PST by:
