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Value Electronics Announces 2018 TV Shootout Event[teaser]The annual TV competition will be held later this month.[/teaser] Value Electronics will hold its 2018 TV Shootout on September 23. The event will feature a head-to-head competition between some of the industry's top 4K Ultra HD displays in order to determine the year's "King of TV" -- and High-Def Digest will be on hand to participate on the panel of judges. The Shootout will begin at 11am at the Value Electronics store in Scarsdale, NY with a series of industry presentations and display tests. The 14th annual competition will be webcast live and is set to feature a mixture of test patterns and real world content to help evaluate the various picture quality attributes of the competing TVs, including contrast, color fidelity, color saturation, motion resolution, input lag time, and off axis image quality. In addition, the evaluation will place a heavy emphasis on HDR performance, including HDR contrast range, P3 color fidelity, color volume, and EOTF. An expert panel of judges and attendees will then vote on each TV's performance for each category for both pre and post calibration conditions and for day and night ambient light viewing. The TVs will all be randomly sourced from the store's inventory rather than specifically supplied for the competition by the manufacturers. Though additional TVs are still under consideration for inclusion in the event, here's a list of the confirmed competitors as of press time: LG’s OLED65E8PUA Samsung’s QN75Q9FN Sony’s XBR-65A9F Sony’s XBR-75Z9F And here's a detailed rundown of the Shootout's testing methodology per the press release: The number one most-used professional calibration software, SpectraCal’s CalMAN®, and calibration hardware, procedures and workflow will be used. Konica/Minolta’s professional CS2000A spectroradiometer, Klein 10A meters and the new Konica/Minolta CA-410 color analyzer will all be used in the calibration process. The Klein 10A meters will be profiled using the CS2000A spectroradiometer for each TV. SDR, HDR and Dolby Vision patterns will be generated and fed from Murideo’s SIX-G 4K Pattern Generator and a preview selection from Stacey Spears upcoming HDR test disc. All of the cables and interconnects are Metra Home Theater Group Ethereal brand Velox True 24 Gbps passive cables with their Gigabit Accelerator the HDM-GA1. All of the TVs will be visually matched to the white point of Sony’s BMV-X300 professional color grading monitor. Sony’s BMV-X300 reference monitor will also be used as the reference for all TVs to be judged against. Well respected top professional calibrators will be tuning each TV to its best possible FHD/SDR and UHD/HDR performance. The calibrators are David Abrams, DeWayne Davis, and John Reformato, supervised by Tyler Pruitt. All tested panels will be concurrently fed through AVPro’s Edge for 18G Uncompressed professional HDMI distribution matrix switch from four Panasonic UB820 Blu-ray players, 1080 FHD/SDR for Cable/DIRECTV, 4K streaming, SDR and HDR test patterns. The televisions featured this year are the flagship 4K Ultra HD LCD/LEDs and OLEDs from the premium TV manufacturers. Video experts will then guide the attendees through the evaluation process and the panel of experts and all attendees will vote on each picture quality attribute. Attendees will be led through the different attributes of picture quality and will evaluate and judge the newest TVs from the leading consumer electronics manufacturers that are competing to be the" King of TV." Make sure to check back with High-Def Digest for a detailed breakdown of the 2018 Value Electronics TV Shootout later this month. Source: Value ElectronicsPosted Wed Sep 12, 2018 at 06:35 PM PDT by: -
Apple Details iPhone Xs & Xs Max with OLED Displays and Dolby Vision Support[teaser]The company's latest iPhone models have been revealed.[/teaser] Apple has announced the newest additions to its smartphone lineup. The collection includes the flagship iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, along with the new iPhone Xr. The iPhone Xs features a 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display with a resolution of 2,436 x 1,125. Meanwhile, the iPhone Xs Max features a larger 6.5-inch Super Retina OLED display with a resolution of 2,688 x 1,242. In addition, both models offer support for Dolby Vision and HDR10. Under the hood, the smartphones are powered by Apple's A12 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine, six-core fusion architecture, and a four-core GPU running iOS 12. A dual rear camera design with a wide-angle 12MP and telephoto 12MP lens is integrated as well, along with a 7MP front camera. Likewise, the phones support premium image features like advanced depth segmentation using the Neural Engine, Smart HDR, advanced bokeh quality in Portrait mode photos, and a dynamic depth of field option. "iPhone Xs is packed with next-generation technologies and is a huge step forward for the future of the smartphone. Everything is state of the art including the industry-first 7-nanometer A12 Bionic chip with 8-core Neural Engine, faster Face ID and an advanced dual camera system that shoots Portrait mode photos with Smart HDR and dynamic depth of field," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "iPhone Xs is not one, but two new iPhone models, and iPhone Xs Max offers the biggest display ever in an iPhone with the biggest battery ever in an iPhone, delivering up to an hour and a half more battery life in your day." And beyond the flagship models, Apple also announced the new iPhone Xr. This model features an aluminum and glass design with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display and a resolution of 1,792 x 828. Under the hood, the device is powered by the same A12 Bionic chip as the step-up models. Finally, a rear 12MP wide angle camera and front 7MP camera are integrated as well. "iPhone XR helps us reach even more people with the latest iPhone innovations. It is packed with the newest technologies including a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display that goes edge to edge, the latest TrueDepth camera with faster Face ID authentication, new 7-nanometer A12 Bionic chip with second generation Neural Engine and a 12-megapixel camera that takes advanced Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting photos," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "The new iPhone XR has a gorgeous new aerospace-grade aluminum and glass enclosure that has IP67 protection from liquids and dust, long all-day battery life and comes in six beautiful finishes. iPhone XR makes it possible for even more people to have the great experience of the latest iPhone X technology, in beautiful new designs, at a more affordable price." The iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max will be available in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB models in space gray, silver, or gold finishes starting at $999 and $1,099. Pre-orders are set to launch on September 14 and units will start shipping on September 21. The iPhone Xr will be available in 64GB, 128GBm and 256GB models in white, black, blue, yellow, coral, or red starting at $749. Pre-orders will begin on October 19 and units will start shipping on October 26. Sources: Apple 1, Apple 2, EngadgetPosted Wed Sep 12, 2018 at 01:35 PM PDT by: -
Denon Offers Trade-In Program for AV Receivers[teaser]Customers can earn credit toward new models by trading in their old Denon products.[/teaser] Got your eye on Denon's new flagship 13-channel AVR-X8500H A/V Receiver, but don't have an extra $4,000 on hand to pull the trigger with? Well, fret not! There's actually a way to help reduce the cost of new Denon gear. Per a tip from HDD reader Judd Weisgal, it turns out that Denon offers a handy trade-in program for its products, allowing users to upgrade to new models for a discounted price. Though the company's website does not appear to make any mention of this feature, the program can be initiated via a call to Denon's customer service at 201-762-6665. In order to be eligible for a trade-in, users must have a Denon product that is less than 5 years old. Likewise, customers must have a valid receipt from the original purchase. After calling customer service, Denon will then email eligible users an upgrade letter with more details. Corporate will then decide the exact value of the trade-in when being applied to the purchase of a new Denon model. As an example, Judd Weisgal was kind enough to offer details on his own experience with the program. After calling customer service, Weisgal was assigned a sales rep who continued the rest of the process via email. He was then able to trade in his 1.5-year-old AVR-X6200W for $2,000 worth of credit (the same price he paid when it was originally bought) toward the purchase of a new AVR-X8500H ($4,000), bringing the total down to $2,000. In addition, Denon also paid for the shipping costs of the old unit and the new unit. Exact offers will of course vary depending on the models being traded in and the new items being purchased, but interested parties looking to upgrade their Denon gear should definitely give the program a shot! Source: DenonPosted Wed Sep 12, 2018 at 12:25 PM PDT by: -
Reminder: You Don't "Own" Digital Copies[teaser]A user's recent iTunes experience is shining a light on the dark side of digital "ownership."[/teaser] Do users truly own the digital copies they buy on services like iTunes? Well, not when content providers can simply decide to yank movies from your library whenever they choose. And that's exactly what happened to iTunes user Anders G da Silva. As recounted in a thread on his Twitter account (embedded in full below), da Silva recently loaded up his iTunes library only to notice that three of his purchased titles were now missing. After contacting customer support, da Silva was told that the content provider had removed those titles from the Canadian iTunes store. And while that's bad enough, the only compensation Apple offered in response was two free rentals. When da Silva understandably requested for his movies to be added back to his iTunes library or for Apple to issue an actual refund, the company informed him that iTunes was merely a "store front" for content providers to sell their titles. As such, they couldn't keep offering any movies that a studio had removed. Likewise, refunds can only be granted within a certain time frame, and da Silva's purchases were apparently no longer covered under Apple's refund policy. The company's solution to da Silva's continued and totally justified frustration: two more free rentals! Though not terribly surprising, situations like this only serve to further illuminate the difference between physical media and digital media "ownership." If a content provider no longer wants to offer a physical disc online or in an actual brick-and-mortar store (or perhaps is no longer able to due to a rights issue), they of course have the option to pull remaining copies from retail locations and the ability to stop sending any new stock. But that doesn't mean that they also have the right to sneak into the home of a customer who already bought the movie and take the disc back. And that's essentially what this iTunes policy is allowing in the digital realm. While iTunes does state that "previous purchases may be unavailable if they are no longer on the iTunes Store" on its website, removing previously bought copies from a user's library without issuing a refund just seems wrong. On the bright side, at least there will be no confusion about the free rentals Apple granted as compensation. It's understood that those are supposed to disappear in a couple of days. Here's Anders G da Silva's complete Twitter thread on the matter with Apple's responses in full: Part 2:Me: I am not really interested in the rentals. I want my movies back or my money back.Apple: I totally get how you feel...Me: Condescending, but go one...Apple: You see, we are just a store front.Me: Store front?1/7 pic.twitter.com/U1D3Wj0zmZ — Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 11, 2018 Apple: Yeah, we take your money, but we are not responsible for what is sold. And, we certainly do NOT guarantee you get to keep anything you buy in our store front. We only guarantee that we get to keep your money.2/7 — Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 11, 2018 Me: I see... So, that "Buy" button is meaningless? It should maybe be called: "Feelin Lucky?"Apple: I see you are unhappy. Have two more rentals on us.3/7 — Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 11, 2018 This reminds me of a story I used to hear growing up in Brazil. A person goes to a store, sees a stereo they really like. They buy it. They get a box that looks like there is a stereo inside. 4/7 — Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 11, 2018 They get home only to find the box only contains a few stones. The modern twist is that, here, the person goes back to the store to ask for the stereo they bought. The store manager says sorry, can't help you.5/7 — Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 11, 2018 We are just a front. So they cannot be held responsible for what the manufacturer puts in the box. I see you are unhappy. I'll do you a sweet deal. Rent the stereo from us free ofcharge. 6/7 — Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 11, 2018 You can keep it for 30 days. But, once you plug it in, you have to return it in 48 hours.Time to dust off the old DVD player, I guess. For all their faults, at least DVDsstuck around.Thank you to everyone that has retweeted.7/7 — Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 11, 2018 Source: @drandersgs (Twitter)Posted Wed Sep 12, 2018 at 10:45 AM PDT by: -
BLACKKKLANSMAN 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray & Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]Spike Lee's latest film is coming to 4K later this November.[/teaser] As previously reported, Universal is prepping BlacKkKlansman for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray. The release date is November 6. From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It's the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The young detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream. Produced by the team behind the Academy-Award winning Get Out. The releases will feature Dolby Atmos audio and supplements include A Spike Lee Joint - Ron Stallworth, Jordan Peele, and the cast discuss working with the iconic director and the BlacKkKlansman Extended Trailer Featuring Prince's "Mary Don't You Weep". You can find the latest specs for BlacKkKlansman linked from our Blu-ray and 4K Release Schedules, where it is indexed under November 6. Order the 4K Blu-ray Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Sep 12, 2018 at 09:54 AM PDT by: -
Terrence Malick's Remastered THE TREE OF LIFE Now Available (with an Extended Cut!)[teaser]The film has received a 4K restoration and the release includes 50 minutes of additional footage. [/teaser] The Criterion Collection's The Tree of Life is now available on Blu-ray. Four decades into an already legendary career, Terrence Malick realized his most rapturous vision to date, tracing a story of childhood, wonder, and grief to the outer limits of time and space. Reaching back to the dawn of creation, Malick sets a story of boyhood memories on a universal scale, charting the coming of age of an awestruck child (newcomer Hunter McCracken) in Texas in the 1950s, as he learns to navigate the extremes of nature and grace represented by his bitter, often tyrannical father (Brad Pitt) and his ethereal, nurturing mother (Jessica Chastain, in her breakout role). Achieved with the aid of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and production designer Jack Fisk, the Palme d'Or-winning The Tree of Life marks the intimately personal, cosmically ambitious culmination of Malick's singular approach to filmmaking. DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES * New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Terrence Malick and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray * New extended version of the film featuring an additional fifty minutes of footage * Exploring "The Tree of Life," a 2011 documentary featuring collaborators and admirers of Malick's, including filmmakers David Fincher and Christopher Nolan * New interviews with actor Jessica Chastain and visual-effects supervisor Dan Glass * Interview from 2011 with composer Alexandre Desplat about the film, and a new interview with music critic Alex Ross about Malick's approach to music * Video essay from 2011 by critic Matt Zoller Seitz * Trailer * More! * PLUS: An essay by critic Kent Jones and a 2011 piece on the film by critic Roger Ebert * Conversation from 2011 between Lubezki and American Society of Cinematographers president Stephen Lighthill Check out The Tree of Life Criterion TEASER TRAILER over on Vimeo (we can't embed for privacy reason): You can find the latest specs for The Tree of Life linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under September 11. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Sep 11, 2018 at 04:13 PM PDT by: -
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Dated & Detailed for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray & Blu-ray[teaser]Marvel's tiniest superheroes are heading to 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray in October.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Disney is prepping Ant-Man and the Wasp for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on October 16. Likewise, a 4K Ultra HD Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook will also be available that same day. In addition, the film will be released on Digital HD and UHD on October 2 with two exclusive bonus features. In Ant-Man and The Wasp, Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices, as both the Super Hero Ant-Man and a father, in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he's confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission to rescue Janet van Dyne from the Quantum Realm. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp, all while attempting to serve house arrest, assist fast talking-Luis (Michael Peña) and the X-con Security crew, and thwart the efforts of a new adversary called Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and her ally Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne). The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray will feature 2160p video and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Details on HDR support have not been specified yet. Meanwhile, the Blu-ray will feature 1080p video and a DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack. Supplements will include: Director's Intro by Peyton Reed – The talented creator behind some of Marvel Studios' funniest and most charming films will invite home audiences deeper into the world of “Ant-Man and The Wasp.” Making-of Featurettes: Back in the Ant Suit: Scott Lang – Hero and all-star dad Scott Lang keeps the laughs coming for the audience, cast and crew. A Suit of Her Own: The Wasp – Highly trained Hope Van Dyne is now the Wasp. See how some of her craziest stunts and action-packed scenes were brought to life. Subatomic Super Heroes: Hank & Janet – Hank Pym's wife Janet was lost in the quantum realm. Trace the legacy of these characters and the iconic actors who portray them. Quantum Perspective: The VFX and Production Design of “Ant-Man and The Wasp” – Explore the movie's visual effects and production design from a whole new viewpoint, in which every micro and macro detail counts. Gag Reel and Outtakes – Audiences are treated to the hilarious quips that did not make the film as well as exclusive outtakes from Stan Lee and Tim Heidecker. Gag Reel - Join in the fun with these outtakes from the set. Stan Lee Outtakes - Stan Lee tries out a series of hilarious one-liners for the scene in which his car shrinks. Tim Heidecker Outtakes - Check out Whale Boat Captain Daniel Goobler and his improvised whale-watching riffs. Deleted Scenes (with commentary by Director Peyton Reed) Worlds Upon Worlds - As Janet leads Hank through the surreal landscape of the quantum realm, they encounter an intelligent life form. Sonny's on the Trail - On the hunt for Hank Pym and his lab, Sonny Burch and his henchmen check the security camera of a neighborhood bookstore. Digital Exclusives: 10 Years of Marvel Studios: The Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – See what it takes to bring the MCU to life, and the role concept artists play in bringing Super Heroes from comic book to screen. Online Close-Up Magic University – This commercial will inspire you to expand your mind and maximize your full potential! You can find the latest specs for Ant-Man and the Wasp linked from our Blu-ray and 4K Release Schedules, where it is indexed under October 16. Order the 4K Blu-ray Order the 4K SteelBook Order the Blu-rayPosted Mon Sep 10, 2018 at 01:45 PM PDT by: -
X-MEN TRILOGY Confirmed for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray[teaser]All three original X-Men films will arrive on 4K at the end of the month. [/teaser] As previously reported, 20th Century Fox is preparing X-Men Trilogy for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on September 25. Relive the original X-Men excitement with the first three films starring Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry. Follow the group of mutant outcasts as they learn to control their powers in the first X-Men. Then, watch as the X-Men join forces with their enemies to save all mutants in X2: X-Men United. Finish the trilogy with X-Men: The Last Stand, as the discovery of a “cure” for the mutation starts a war. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include: Audio Commentaries, Behind-the-Scenes Footage, Deleted/Extended Scenes, The Mutant Watch, Animatics, Character and Production Design Stills. You can find the latest specs for X-Men Trilogy - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray linked from our 4K Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under September 25. Order the 4K Blu-rayPosted Mon Sep 10, 2018 at 12:40 PM PDT by: -
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME Announced for Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray[teaser]The action-comedy will hit both formats this October. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate says The Spy Who Dumped Me will be available on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 30. Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon), two thirty-year-old best friends in Los Angeles, are thrust unexpectedly into an international conspiracy when Audrey’s ex-boyfriend shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail. Surprising even themselves, the duo jump into action, on the run throughout Europe from assassins and a suspicious-but-charming British agent, as they hatch a plan to save the world. The 4K UHD will feature a Dolby Vision HDR presentation, Dolby Atmos audio, and supplements include: • “Covert Operations: The Making of The Spy Who Dumped Me” Featurette • “Gary Powell: The King of Action” Featurette • “Makin’ Friends with Hasan Minhaj” Featurette • Deleted Scenes • Outtakes • “Off Script” Featurette You can find the latest specs for The Spy Who Dumped Me linked from our Blu-ray and 4K Release Schedules, where it is indexed under October 30. Order the Blu-ray Order the 4K Blu-rayPosted Mon Sep 10, 2018 at 12:15 PM PDT by: -
JVC Unveils First 8K e-shift Projector & New 4K Projectors[teaser]An 8K e-shift projector has been announced.[/teaser] JVC has revealed its latest lineup of home theater projectors, including the world's first 8K e-shift models. The collection includes the Procision Series DLA-NX9, DLA-NX7, DLA-NX5 and the Reference Series DLA-RS3000, DLA-RS2000, and DLA-RS1000. The DLA-NX9 and DLA-RS3000 feature 8K e-shift technology and native 4K D-ILA devices. This allows the projectors to quadruple their resolution to 8K by shifting pixels diagonally 0.5 pixel. And though actual 8K signal input is not supported, JVC's Multiple Pixel Control high resolution technology can convert full HD and 4K images to 8K. Meanwhile, the DLA-NX7/DLA-RS2000 and DLA-NX5/DLA-RS1000 models are all described as native 4K projectors equipped with the company's newest 0.69-inch native 4K D-ILA device with 3.8 µm-pixel pitch, enabling support for 8.8 million pixels (4096 x 2160). In addition, the entire lineup supports HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats, along with an Auto Tone Mapping feature and compatibility with 4K60P (4:4:4) signals. Likewise, the DLA-NX9/DLA-RS3000 and DLA-NX7/DLA-RS2000 feature wide color gamut capabilities beyond DCI-P3. Finally, ISF certification for color calibration, an installation mode capable of memorizing up to 10 different installation settings, an auto calibration function, a screen adjustment mode, and a low latency mode are all included as well. The new JVC projector lineup is set to launch in October. Here's a rundown of pricing and additional features for each model per JVC: DLA-NX9/DLA-RS3000 - $17,999.95 Brightness: 2,200 lm Native Contrast Ratio: 100,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1 DLA-NX7/DLA-RS2000 - $7,999.95 Brightness: 1,900 lm Native Contrast Ratio: 80,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 800,000:1 DLA-NX5/DLA-RS1000 - $5,999.95 Brightness: 1,800 lm Native Contrast Ratio: 40,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 400,000:1 Source: JVCPosted Mon Sep 10, 2018 at 11:20 AM PDT by:
