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3D Blu-ray Media Servers From Mozaex[teaser]If you want to watch 3D Blu-rays from anywhere in your home, Mozaex has got the hookup. It's a $4,795 hookup, but it's quite possibly the only solution of its kind. [/teaser] You can get the new Mozaex Solo system in one of three styles – two of which are traditional looking players and the third of which is a rack mount unit. Regardless of the version, all have support for 7.1 LPCM audio and bitstreaming of Dolby TrueHD and Dolby DTS HD Master Audio. In addition to the system itself, you'll need a Mozaex player in each room above three that you'd like to watch your movies in. Those come in at $3,495. You'll also need the obvious things, like a 3D capable television and 3D glasses. It's a cool setup, that's to be sure, and it's compatible with a huge range of 3rd party control. It just comes down to how much you're willing to spend. Source: eCousticsPosted Mon Aug 9, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
MGM Splits Up 'Rocky' Blu-ray Collection[teaser]Soon you'll be able to pick a 'Rocky' -- any 'Rocky,' on Blu-ray.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, MGM/UA has revealed the first five films in the franchise ('Rocky (Reissue),' 'Rocky II,' 'Rocky III,' 'Rocky IV,' and 'Rocky V') are coming to Blu-ray as individual releases on October 5. Four of the titles were previously only available as part of the 'Rocky: The Undisputed Collection.' Specs and details are expected to mirror those in the box set and each release will be a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $19.99. You can find the latest specs for the individual 'Rocky' films linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under October 5.Posted Mon Aug 9, 2010 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Pioneer Launches New SACD Players and Amps[teaser]The new Elite products cater directly to audiophiles. [/teaser] While the rest of the world is dealing with low-quality compressed audio and cheap earbud headphones, you're cranking out pristine audio from your CD and SACDs. You're a guy who cares about his audio, and you're the target of Pioneer's new Elite G-Clef line. Both players – the PD-D6MK2 and PD-D9MK2 – consist of the same basic components, but the higher end model gets everything kicked up a notch. The D9MK2 has an isolated power supply, for example, a stainless steel CD mechanism and Wolfson DACs instead of Burr-Brown. The SX-A6MK2 and SX-A9MK2 amplifiers are made to match the players. As you might imagine, the A9MK2 carries a few added benefits. It's got a motorized volume control, USB input, headphone and preamp outs, and a honeycomb chassis. You'll be able to pick up the full G-Clef line later this month. Source: Players, AmpsPosted Mon Aug 9, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Karate Kid' Blu-ray Gets a Release Date![teaser]October keeps getting more crowded, with the 2010 family remake now spin-kicking to Blu-ray. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony has slated 'The Karate Kid' starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan for Blu-ray release on October 5. The film has been receiving generally favorable reviews and currently holds a 68% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $38.96. You can find the latest specs for 'The Karate Kid' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 5.Posted Mon Aug 9, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HD Advisor 69, Dudes!Editor's Note: Each Friday, High-Def Digest's own HD Advisor will answer a new round of questions from our readers. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to [email protected]. If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient as we work our way through them. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page. Answers by Joshua Zyber Blu-ray Volume Issues Q: Both by parents and my sister have Sony Blu-ray players, but different models. My sister has the BDP-S360. I'm not sure about my parents. Both players are hooked directly to the TV with HDMI cables. The issue that both of them are having is when they switch over from watching TV to Blu-ray they have to crank the volume nearly all the way up to max on the TV just to hear the Blu-ray movie they are watching. When they finish, they have to crank the volume all the way back down before switching back over. Is there a setting they are missing in the Audio portion of the Blu-ray player that is causing this? I would think when you switch over from TV to Blu-ray and vice versa the volume would be consistent. A: What you describe actually isn't unexpected. The lossless soundtracks on most Blu-ray discs have much greater dynamic range than TV shows or movies (even when watching the same movies) broadcast on television. This dynamic range is defined as the difference between the lowest low to the highest high. In other words, there should be a huge difference in volume between whispered dialogue and huge explosions in a movie soundtrack. In order to accommodate this dynamic range, Blu-ray soundtracks are generally authored at a low default volume. (Normal speaking dialogue in the soundtrack is considered the median baseline.) This gives them some headroom so that the really loud sounds (like explosions) don't clip or distort. If the soundtrack were authored with too high a median volume, those loud sounds might hit the audio ceiling and cause distortion. Programs broadcast on television do not have quite as wide a dynamic range. When movies are aired on TV, they're usually run through a Dynamic Range Compression filter, which will raise the low sounds and lower the highs, pushing everything closer together towards the middle. This often gives the perception that the entire soundtrack is louder, because the portion of the soundtrack with where your baseline for volume is set (the dialogue) is higher, and is much closer to the "loud" sounds in the mix. As for what your family can do about this, I would suggest that they check the Audio section of the Blu-ray player setup menus to see if those models offer Dynamic Range Compression (sometimes called "Night Mode"). While viewers with full-blown surround sound systems that can handle lossless audio would not want to engage Dynamic Range Compression, it might be beneficial to someone listening through limited-range TV speakers. "Sharpness" vs. Detail Q: How much of a difference in sharpness is there when viewing a 1080p image on a 1080p 32" TV, as opposed to viewing the same 1080p image on a 1080p 58" TV? I would think the 32" set has the advantage because it is smaller and these 1080 lines of resolution are closer together. Is this a correct way of thinking? A: When it comes to high definition video, "sharpness" is something of a misnomer, and is arguably an outdated standard to judge a picture by. What you should be looking for in a high-def picture is detail. When you see a close-up of an actor's face, how well resolved are the pores on his skin, or the individual hairs on his head or in his beard? Can you make out the thread pattern and texture of the fabric of the clothes he's wearing? Depending on a number of factors such as the way the movie was photographed, perhaps you won't be able to see those specific details. It may even be that you're not supposed to see them. (For example, it's common for vain actors and actresses to be photographed with soft focus in order to hide things like skin pores and wrinkles.) Nonetheless, these are examples of the types of fine object detail that high definition is capable of resolving far better than standard definition. Detail is not necessarily the same thing as "sharpness." From a technical standpoint, one 1080p HDTV has the exact same pixel resolution as any other 1080p HDTV, and is capable of displaying the same amount of detail. Regardless of screen size, a large screen and a small screen of the same 1080p resolution will render the exact same 1920x1080 pixels of content. However, as you mention, the smaller screen may leave the impression of having a sharper picture than the larger screen, because the same amount of detail is crammed together more tightly into a smaller area. But this is really a false sense of sharpness. The actual detail is the same. Further, beyond a certain point, the human eye may not be capable of seeing all of that 1080p detail on a small screen. It's generally suggested that there's little to no visible difference between 720p and 1080p at screen sizes around 30" or less. The larger the screen, the more discerning your eyes will be, and the more able you'll be to pick out all of that 1080p detail. Yes, it's true that if you go with too large a screen, your image quality will seem to degrade. The pixels will become so spread apart that the picture may seem perceptibly "soft," and you may notice the pixel structure itself (which is not desirable). But it takes a really large picture to make that happen with Blu-ray. Most high-end home theater viewers report that 1080p Blu-ray picture quality holds up quite nicely when projected at 100". So, you should have no problems at all with a 58" HDTV. Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor The HD Advisor knows many things, but he doesn't know everything. Some questions are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too! Blu-ray Laptop Recommendations Q: I need a new laptop and I need to buy it soon. I want one with a Blu-ray drive, but I have no idea what specs are good these days for processing power and whatnot. What should I look for? What brands give the best value? JZ: I see that we asked this question in the Homework a little over a year ago. But things move so quickly in the computer world that I have a feeling a lot of that information may already be outdated. I think it's worth posing the question to our expert readers again. Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming. Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.Posted Fri Aug 6, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Sonic Solutions Teams with Wildvine for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry Movie Distribution[teaser]RoxioNow is coming to mobile devices this holiday season. [/teaser] Sonic Solutions is absolutely dominant in the online video rental field. They're the guys that host VOD services for Best Buy, Sears, Walmart, Blockbuster, Lionsgate and others. They're also the guys bringing the VOD experience to mobile phones this holiday season. "By teaming with Widevine," says VP Mark Ely, "we are able to seamlessly overcome the technical hurdles of digital rights management and platform optimization behind the scenes, enabling our partners to deliver a compelling, hassle-free movie experience to their customers." Thanks to the new arrangement, Sonic's video services will be hitting Blackberries, Androids and iPhones this holiday season. The rollout is all up to Sonic's partners though, so you may not see them all at once. PR NewswirePosted Fri Aug 6, 2010 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Apricorn Announces New Fanless DVR Expanders[teaser]Ramp up the capacity of your DVR with some very cool looking external drives built for the purpose. [/teaser] Apricorn – it's up to you whether this is Capricorn without a C or some sort of wonderful mix of apricot and unicorn – has just announced a line of new DVR extenders built to kick up your storage space by a notch or two. They're compatible with a variety of DVRs and are nice and easy to set up. You can connect them via eSATA or USB, and no matter the size they come in they simply need to be plugged in. Make the connection, reset your DVR and follow the on-screen prompts. Apricorn's new expanders are cool looking too, which is important. They come in a black aluminum case that's fan free and virtually silent. You can pick up drives as small as 500GB for $99, while a 2TB drive will run you $249. Source: eCousticsPosted Fri Aug 6, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Two More Concert Blu-rays Slated for August[teaser]Black Label Society and The Pixies are bound for Blu-ray this August. [/teaser] Eagle Rock has announced they will release 'Black Label Society: Doom Troopin' Live - The European Invasion' and 'The Pixies: Acoustic & Electric Live' on the high-definition format on August 24. 'Black Label Society: Doom Troopin' Live - The European Invasion' captures the live 2005 concert in Paris from the Mafia tour and will include: Four tracks from the Astoria show in London, 50-minute "Backstage Pass" on-the-road documentary, Music videos, and Making of "Suicide Messiah" music video. The Pixies (Frank Black, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering) includes two 2005 concerts after reuniting in 2004, one filmed at Boston's Paradise Club and the band's first all-acoustic concert from the Newport Folk Festival and will include: Newport Photo Gallery, Newport Rehearsal featurette with acoustic version of "Debaser", Original Home Video Footage of Live 1986 Show in Boston. Suggested list price for the Black Label Society Blu-ray is $19.98, while The Pixies is $24.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Black Label Society: Doom Troopin' Live - The European Invasion' and 'The Pixies: Acoustic & Electric Live' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under August 24.Posted Fri Aug 6, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Phase Technology Announces a New Wireless Sub[teaser]It comes in sizes of 8, 10 and 12 inches and is available now. [/teaser] There's just something great about a wireless sub. Whether you're unable to better conceal the wires, or you simply don't feel like doing it, going wireless is a nice option. The latest from Phase Technology is the PC SUB WL. It features a built-in receiver, so there's nothing to attach to the sub aside from the power cable. All you need to attach to your system is a small transmitter that sits on the subwoofer output. You can pick the PC SUB WL up now in 8, 10 or 12 inch sizes. Each of them uses a downward firing active woofer and a forward firing passive radiator that provide 2.5 inches of peak to peak motion. Prices have not been disclosed. eCousticsPosted Fri Aug 6, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' Blu-ray $7.99 at Amazon[teaser]The 1991 guilty pleasure take on the medieval hero can enchant your home video forest for under $8! [/teaser] The online retailer is selling the extended edition Blu-ray of 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' starring Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Rickman for only $7.99 (72% off suggested list price). Click here to invite the band of merry men into your home today!Posted Thu Aug 5, 2010 at 03:40 PM PDT by:
