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ESPN 3-D Hits Comcast June 11th[teaser]The channel will make its Comcast debut just in time for the World Cup. [/teaser] What's the fascination with showing soccer in 3-D? It's not that soccer is bad, mind you. It's a fine sport. But the big broadcasting companies seem to be obsessed with providing the FIFA World Cup in 3-D. Comcast is no different. They'll be bringing ESPN 3-D to their customers just in time for the first match of the World Cup. But that won't be the only thing coming to you in beautiful 3-D. If soccer's not your thing, don't worry. College football games (including the BCS Championship game in January) will all be shown in 3-D. The same goes for NBA basketball and next year's college basketball Big East tournament. And of course, what would 3-D be without things getting a little extreme? The summer and winter X Games will be broadcast in full 3-D. Say what you will about the relevance of the X Games, they'll be great to watch. Source: ComcastPosted Fri May 14, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Cop Out' Blu-ray Dated & Detailed[teaser]The old good cop/zany cop routine is getting the high-definition treatment this July. [/teaser] Warner Brothers is bringing Kevin Smith's comedy 'Cop Out: Rock Out with Your Glock Out Edition' starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan to Blu-ray on July 20. The release will be a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack and will feature 1080p video, a lossless soundtrack, and supplements will include: Maximum Comedy Mode with Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott, Focus Points, and Wisdom from The S*** Bandit. Suggested list price for the release hasn't been revealed yet. You can find the latest specs for 'Cop Out: Rock Out with Your Glock Out Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under July 20.Posted Fri May 14, 2010 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Verizon Takes TNT and TBS Shows Online[teaser]They're also working on CBS, MTV, and FOX News. [/teaser] Verizon has announced that they're bringing two more channels Online. Starting in June, FiOS cable and internet subscribers will be able to jump onto FiOS TV Online and check out shows like 'Lopez Tonight,' 'The Closer,' and 'Southland.' Episodes will all be available within 24 hours of their original air date, according to Verizon. And from the sound of things, all the major shows for each network will be covered. Hopefully that includes Conan's new show this November. Verizon is working with other content providers as well. You'll soon be able to get your FOX News fix any time you want it. The same goes for CBS, MTV, Hallmark, The Smithsonian Channel and The Tennis Channel. Source: VerizonPosted Fri May 14, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Ip Man' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The Hong Kong action flick from the trio behind 'Kill Zone' is coming to Blu-ray in two flavors this July. [/teaser] Well Go USA is preparing to release Wilson Yip's 'Ip Man' and 'Ip Man: Collector's Edition' starring Donnie Yen and featuring action choreographed by Sammo Hung on Blu-ray on July 27. Grossing over $21 million at the Asian box office, the critically-acclaimed film has been nominated for numerous awards, including an unprecedented 12 Hong Kong Film Award nominations, winning Best Film and Best Action Choreography. 'Ip Man 2' will be released theatrically by Well Go USA in early 2011. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but only the Collector's Edition will contain bonus features which will include: Interviews with Director and Actors, including 20 Minutes with Donnie Yen; “The Making of Ip Man” press; deleted scenes; trailers; TV spots; photo gallery; and a sneak peek at 'IP Man 2.' Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.98 ($32.98 for the Collector's Edition). You can find the latest specs for 'Ip Man' and 'Ip Man: Collector's Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under July 27.Posted Fri May 14, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Blu-ray Enters the 'Riverworld'[teaser]The highly rated SyFy original movie based on the acclaimed book series will wind its way to high-definition in June. [/teaser] Vivendi is bringing the sci-fi epic 'Riverworld' starring Tahmoh Penikett ('Battlestar Galactica') and Alan Cumming ('X2: X-Men United') to Blu-ray on June 22. With over 2.1 million viewers, the four-hour movie premiered with the highest ratings of any Sunday primetime show this year. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $24.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Riverworld' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 22.Posted Thu May 13, 2010 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Fujitsu Develops Curved Plasma Tube Array[teaser]Pillar and corner mounted plasma advertizing (plasmertizing?) is on the way. [/teaser] It's hard not to envision 'Blade Runner' while thinking about Fujitsu's new curved plasma display. It's designed for advertizing after all, and that was one of the most memorable things about the film. But it's such an overused comparison so we'll go with 'The Fifth Element.' Either way, Fujitsu's display is a very cool step forward. It uses the display technology created by Shinoda plasma that was demonstrated a few years back. Millimeter high plasma tubes are stacked tightly in batches of red, blue, and green. That allows the display to be not only flexible, but thin as well. The displays are a meter square, and can be curved to fit different structures. You won't be able to get the full 90 degree bend, but a nice gentle curve on a large pillar works out nicely. Fujitsu's new screens won't be available until later in the year, and there's no telling when we'll start seeing them out in public. Source:Posted Thu May 13, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Warner Releasing 'Forbidden Planet,' 'THX 1138,' and More Sci-Fi[teaser]September 7th's sci-fi releases from Warner show you've got to take the good with the bad.[/teaser] If you've been hoping for more great science fiction on Blu-ray, you're in luck. Warner Home Video has announced a September 7th release for 'Forbidden Planet,' 'Mars Attacks!,' 'THX 1138: The George Lucas Directors Cut,' and 'A Scanner Darkly.' They'll also be releasing 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'Lost in Space' on the same day, but it's hard to put those in a sentence that indicates "great science fiction." Special features for most of these discs are unannounced at this point, but 'THX 1138' seems to be getting the full treatment. There's commentary with Lucas and Walter Murch, who did the sound for the movie. In fact, many of the features focus specifically on sound design, and you can even switch the film to a sound effects only audio track. As always, you can check our Blu-ray release schedule for more info on these movies. You'll find them all under September 7th.Posted Thu May 13, 2010 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Kaleidescape Intros Two New Server Based Blu-ray Players[teaser]But just because your Blu-rays are stored digitally doesn't mean you can ditch the disc. [/teaser] Blu-ray servers are a really cool idea, but they're just not practical for most users yet. The Kaleidescape servers and players are no exception. They seem interesting enough, but the price and limitations really call the whole thing into question. The Kaleidescape M300 and M500 can both play back Blu-ray content from a Kaleidescape server. The movies stream at 1080p, 24 frames per second, and with bitstream pass-through Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. On the downside, you've got to have the appropriate Blu-ray disc in your player in order to do this. It's a bow to studios, who are concerned about piracy. So while the idea of a centralized storage area for movies is cool, it doesn't actually change the viewing experience in any fundamental way. The folks at Kaleidescape are working on it though. They're developing a multi-disc loader that should change things up a bit. Until then, you can pick up the M300 and the Blu-ray copying M500 for $2,495 and $3,995 respectively. Source: KaleidescapePosted Thu May 13, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Nanny McPhee' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The magical tale of a mysterious child wrangler is slated for high-definition in August. [/teaser] Universal says the family fantasy/comedy 'Nanny McPhee' starring Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, and Angela Lansbury is coming to Blu-ray on August 17. The release is timed to coincide with the theatrical release of the sequel this summer, 'Nanny McPhee Returns.' Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Feature commentary with director Kirk Jones and the children, Casting the Children, Village Life, Nanny McPhee Makeover, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, and How Nanny McPhee Came to Be. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Nanny McPhee' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under August 17.Posted Thu May 13, 2010 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Boxee is Heading to iPhone, iPad, and Android Mobile Devices[teaser]They've also worked out a deal to handle payment processing and subscription models, but let's be honest, the mobile Boxee is the exciting part here. [/teaser] The Boxee Blog has a way of dropping big announcements like they were casual things. Take the latest entry from Andrew Kippen for example. His post talks about a new solution for processing customer payments that would allow for subscription content. But down at the bottom of the post he writes, "Vindicia’s flexibility also makes it possible for us to enable payments on our website and across mobile platforms like the iPhone, Android, and iPad." And admittedly, that's not a clear indicator. He says payments will come via iPhone, not content. It's the last sentence in the post that gets exciting. "Boxee’s eventual expansion to these platforms will pave the way for universally accessible content no matter where a user is (we love this idea!)." So there it is. Boxee is, hopefully after the release of the Boxee Box, is going to start making its way onto our mobile devices. Source: Boxee BlogPosted Thu May 13, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by:
