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LG & Swarovski Reveal Premium OLED Display[teaser]The limited edition TV features a shimmering stand layered with Swarovski crystals. [/teaser] As if OLED technology wasn't premium enough on its own, LG and Swarovski have announced a special luxury television model that aims to deliver top-tier picture quality along with high-class design. The extra glamorous unit will make its debut at IFA 2014 in Berlin on September 5-10. "We are excited to showcase this one-of-a kind TV — our first collaboration with designers from Swarovski — to visitors at IFA," said Hyun-hwoi Ha, president and CEO of LG's Home Entertainment Company. "The epitome of luxury and refinement, Swarovski crystals and LG's premium OLED TV complement each other perfectly. The crystals help to create an aesthetic that is, quite simply, gorgeous, while our OLED technology ensures a level of picture quality that is every bit as stunning as one could imagine." The curved-screen TV uses an OLED panel that delivers deeper blacks and a superior contrast ratio over LCD tech, along with LG's advanced pixel-dimming system. In addition, the display's stand features 460 luminescent Aurora Borealis crystals attached by hand. Pricing has not been announced, but the limited edition model is expected to hit Europe in the fourth quarter of 2014. Meanwhile, for those willing to settle on a good old fashioned TV without all those fancy crystals, LG's new 55-inch 1080p OLED is currently available for $3,499. Source: LGPosted Tue Sep 2, 2014 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
'Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Complete Second Season' Blu-ray Up for Pre-Order![teaser]The second season of the animated series is swinging into action on Blu-ray soon. Pre-orders are now live. [/teaser]In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Archive Collection is preparing 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Complete Second Season' for Blu-ray in the near future. Braver. Bolder. Season two of 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' delivers more of the action you want, as the caped crusader continues to team up with heroes from across the DC Universe in this latest interpretation of the classic Batman franchise. Featuring nonstop adventure with a touch of comic relief, Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman and countless others uphold justice alongside Batman. Though still based in Gotham, Batman frequently finds himself outside city limits, facing situations that are both unfamiliar and exhilarating. With formidable foes at every turn, Batman must still rely on his stealth, resourcefulness and limitless supply of cool gadgets to bring justice home. Supplements have not been detailed yet, but the Blu-ray will feature 1080p video and a DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack. Suggested list price for the 2-Disc Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Complete Second Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Sep 2, 2014 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'Step Up All In' Blu-ray Up for Pre-Order![teaser]The latest installment in the 'Step Up' franchise is dancing its way toward Blu-ray soon. Pre-orders are now live. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate is preparing 'Step Up All In' for Blu-ray in the near future. In the next exciting chapter of the international phenomenon 'Ste Up,' all-stars from previous installments come together in glittering Las Vegas, battling for a victory that could define their dreams and their careers. Starring Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan, and Adam G. Sevani. Directed by Trish Sie. Specs and supplements have not been detailed yet, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Ste Up All In' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING.Posted Tue Sep 2, 2014 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'How to Train Your Dragon 2' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The highest-grossing film of 2014 soars to Blu-ray this November. Pre-order your copy here. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, DreamWorks says 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' will be available on Blu-ray on November 11. The thrilling second chapter of the epic HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, the next chapter to the Academy Award® nominated film released in 2010, is “sensational…an instant animated classic,” proclaims Access Hollywood. A hit with audiences and critics alike, the film received an outstanding audience reaction with a coveted “A” CinemaScore® and certified 92% fresh on RottenTomatoes.com. Variety’s Peter Debruge declares the film is “Braver than ‘Brave,’ more fun than ‘Frozen’…Dragon delivers.” It’s a must-own title for the whole family! Fans will get even more excitement, adventure and, of course, more dragons when DreamWorks Animation releases DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS, an all-new animated adventure featuring the original voice cast. A hunt for lost sheep soon turns into a high-flying sprint in the all-new epic adventure as Hiccup and friends battle to become the first Dragon Racing Champion of Berk! DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS will be available exclusively on the Blu-ray™ combo pack, DVD double pack and Digital HD. You can find the latest specs for 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 11. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Sep 2, 2014 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: 'D-Day Remembered' Blu-ray $39.99 at Amazon[teaser]Save sixty-nine percent on a set of six war films on Blu-ray this week at Amazon![/teaser] Amazon is selling 'D-Day Remembered' for $39.99 (69% off the suggested retail price). The set includes six films (Patton, The Longest Day, The Great Escape, Battle of Britain, Tora! Tora! Tora!, A Bridge Too Far). Click here to order your copy and this offer is available from now through September 7.Posted Sun Aug 31, 2014 at 07:42 AM PDT by: -
HDD Gear Deal Spotlight: Denon Receivers[teaser]For a limited time, Amazon is offering up to 24 percent off select Denon A/V receivers! [/teaser] As part of the online retailer's ongoing electronics sales and promotions, Amazon is running limited time deals on Denon's S-Series Receivers. AVR-S500BT 5.2 Channel Receiver - Currently $249 (17 percent off). AVR-S700W 7.2 Channel Receiver - Currently $379 (24 percent off). AVR-S900W 7.2 Channel Receiver - Currently $529 (18 percent off). As always, these deals will only be active for a limited time while supplies last. Make sure to stay tuned to High-Def Digest for more sales and special promotions!Posted Fri Aug 29, 2014 at 07:00 PM PDT by: -
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LG Expected to Exit Plasma Business[teaser]Reports indicate that the Korean manufacturer will be ceasing its plasma TV development. [/teaser] According to a report in the Yonhap News, LG is planning to suspend its plasma production in the near future. The decision is said to be a result of low consumer demand for the technology. An exact date for the end of LG's plasma manufacturing has not been decided, but the company is currently conducting internal studies to determine an appropriate timetable. An official announcement is expected soon. Despite offering many picture quality benefits over traditional LCD tech, plasma panels have failed to garner the market share required to stay in the game. LG's exit from the business follows similar decisions from Panasonic and Samsung. This will leave China's Changhong Electric Co. as the only major company still producing plasma panels. Meanwhile, though LG might be abandoning plasma technology, the company has been making a big push for OLED TVs. Two 4K models were announced recently and a new 55-inch 1080p model is available now. Source: Yonhap News via EngadgetPosted Fri Aug 29, 2014 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
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High-Def Digest's Essential Picks: August 2014Every month, dozens of Blu-rays hit shelves, littering stores with High-Def temptation. New releases, catalog titles, complete TV seasons, and elaborate box-sets all vie for attention, and with so many worthy releases targeting our wallets, choosing which discs to spend our hard earned cash on can be rather tricky. To make things a little easier, we here at High-Def Digest thought it might be helpful to bring you our top three must own recommendations for the month. From important classics to contemporary blockbusters, these are the discs that we consider to be the absolute cream of the crop. High quality releases with great video, audio, and supplements, these are the Blu-rays that are truly worth every penny. Last month we spotlighted an utterly unique TV mystery, a powerful biblical epic, and an experimental sci-fi drama. Be sure to check out the Essential Picks for November 2012, December 2012, January 2013, February 2013, March 2013, April 2013, May 2013, June 2013, July 2013, August 2013, September 2013, October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, January 2014, February 2014, March 2014, April 2014, May 2014, June 2014, and July 2014. [teaser]This month, we're covering a dazling, self-reflexive musical, some undead zombies, and a couple of old school gangsters. [/teaser] Please be aware, that if you haven't already seen them, there are some MAJOR SPOILERS for the discs listed. If you can only buy three titles that hit Blu-ray in August, here's what we suggest you pick up, starting with the most essential... 'All That Jazz' - A musical about a narcissistic director dying from a heart attack might not initially sound like a great idea -- but under Bob Fosse's unique direction it becomes nothing short of a masterpiece. Channeling his own experiences and flaws into a dazzling piece of cinematic art, the movie hits all the right steps and notes, creating a song and dance spectacle like no other, turning cardiac arrest into a subversive Broadway celebration. Though best known as the everyman hero of Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws,' here actor Roy Scheider tackles a very different role as the womanizing perfectionist Joe Gideon, turning in the very best work of his career. Playing a character based on the director himself, Scheider creates a multifaceted portrayal of a very flawed, but still strangely likeable man. He sleeps around and neglects his family for work, but the hard-living artist still deeply cares for the women in his life -- even if he doesn't always show it. Sweaty, pale, and constantly framed with a cigarette in his mouth, Scheider gives the impression of a gradually unravelling man just barely able to hold himself together. As the runtime goes on, Gideon becomes increasingly ill, spiraling into coughing fits while just barely fending off complete heart failure. But despite these seemingly lofty setbacks, he never misses a beat, continuing his drinking and partying even in the hospital. Throughout it all, Scheider plays up the man's irresistible charm while perfectly balancing his towering ego and deep-rooted self-loathing. And for his part, from behind the camera, Fosse proves to be every bit of the genius that his on-screen stand-in appears to be. Using innovative editing techniques the director is able to choreograph his images just like he choreographs his dancers, creating striking montages and juxtapositions. The film is littered with memorable sequences that use cinematic form to enhance the storytelling -- including a scene that cuts back and forth between Gideon's ex-wife assuring his co-workers that he's doing fine with shots of the man dying in the hospital. But nothing can beat the film's climactic fantasy musical number that sees Gideon take to the stage for a stirring rendition of "Bye Bye Love," appropriately changed here to "Bye Bye Life." Standing before an audience filled with his friends and family, the man bids farewell to his life with all the showbiz glitz and glamour we've come to expect, turning death into an elaborate Hollywood musical. But Fosse isn't just content to end on such a sparkling high note. Instead, he starkly cuts from the colorful performance to a matter-of-fact image of a lifeless Gideon being zipped up in a body bag -- finally completely stripped of the showbiz facade he once hid behind. While the director's fictional movie within the movie might only be worthy of "half a balloon," 'All That Jazz' is a true five-star achievement, and this release from Criterion is not only among the month's best discs, but the entire year's as well. Buy the Blu-ray 'The Walking Dead: The Complete Fourth Season' - Emaciated, desperate creatures struggling to limp along to some unknown destination, dressed in tattered clothing with blood dripping down their lips, fueled only by a primal necessity to survive. At first glance, this harrowing description readily describes the horde of zombies that litter AMC's hit horror series -- but as the show continues to evolve and its characters continue to reach new levels of misfortune and determination, those words could also accurately define its protagonists. An absorbing and absolutely gut-wrenching examination of survival in a post-apocalyptic world besieged by undead monsters, the series repeatedly reveals that it may actually be the living we should fear the most. Despite being a gigantic ratings success, the show has had several creative bumps throughout the years, and has gone through several different showrunners (never a good sign). Most notable of all these hiccups, have been some persistent pacing issues that have gone on to rob otherwise good material of resonance due to frustratingly slow build-ups marked by filler episodes and storylines that have aimlessly walked in circles. Thankfully, for the most part, season four works hard to correct these past mistakes, offering the most engaging and satisfying stretch of episodes yet. Extending The Governor's arc beyond season three was a poor choice, but to their credit, the writers' conclusion to his story works rather well and leads to a powerful and action-packed climax that finally takes us away from the prison. And it's in this latter half where the producers decide to mix things up. In a potentially risky move, the main cast is separated, leading to a few interesting and sometimes unexpected pairings. This lets new relationships develop and paints old characters in a different light. Likewise, the scripts continue to examine the thought provoking and disturbing realties that come with trying to live in a dying world -- exposing the many lofty sacrifices one must make of the body, mind, and even soul. This concept comes to a head in one of the season's most striking and divisive moments. With his son in danger and no other options at his disposal, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) lets go of his humanity and literally takes a bite out of his attackers. For a moment he chooses not to be a man anymore. He's simply a father. An animal protecting his cub. A mindless creature acting only on primal instinct. A zombie biting for survival. In many ways it's a moment we've been building toward since the series began without ever realizing it, and the writers pull it off with a powerful level of ambiguity. Firing on all cylinders, season four of 'The Walking Dead' manages to provide a thrilling horror story packed with gruesome scares, exciting carnage, and insightful human drama, tackling complex themes and disturbing situations with a surprising level of depth and nuance. This is easily one of the most popular and depressing shows on TV (it would make a devastating double bill with 'The Leftovers'), but it's also now finally becoming one of the best, making this Blu-ray set a clear must own. Buy the Blu-ray 'Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season' - There's just something irrefutably classy about a gangster in a fedora. Sure, they may be greedy, murdering thugs who kill and steal for their own personal gain -- but I'll be damned if they don't look rather dapper while doing it! Of course, with HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire,' this level of stylistic prestige extends far beyond just the characters' handsome hats. One of the small screen's most visually cinematic offerings, the series is layered in authentic production designs and costumes, fully bringing its prohibition era setting to life. And let's not forget about the actual performers who end up inhabiting all of those fetching coats. Led by the great Steve Buscemi, the ensemble here is simply second to none, helping to enthrall audiences into the show's slowly absorbing drama. And as deliberate as the series' pace can be, viewers can always rely on one steady fact -- it's all going to end with a bang. With season four, the writers take many of the characters down several enticing arcs while playing up existing rivalries and creating new ones. Highlights include the introduction of a fresh antagonist in the form of Jeffrey Wright's intimidating Dr. Valentin Narcisse. The actor turns in a brilliant performance that carries a uniquely subdued temperament of dread. Likewise, this storyline places a heavy emphasis on Chalky White, giving Michael Kenneth Williams some of the meatiest material he's had to work with yet. Switching gears (and cities), Nelson Van Alden's evolving transformation from prohibition agent into a full-fledged gangster continues to be one of the show's most interesting aspects. Michael Shannon layers the role with conflicted emotions and carries a level of unbridled, pent up rage that is always dangerously close to boiling toward the surface. But of all the season's various intersecting plotlines, it is perhaps Richard Harrow's (Jack Huston) struggle to find peace that proves to be the most resonant. The half-faced assassin undergoes a moral crisis, wishing to leave his life of murder behind. Sadly, this transition doesn't come easy, and the character is forced to return for one last job resulting in one of the show's most tragic ends. Oddly enough, however, it's Nucky himself who is one of the least interesting aspects of the season, though Buscemi continues to do great work in the role. Still, season five will be the show's last, and season four sets things up nicely for a potentially riveting swan song. This Blu-ray set delivers the top-tier technical and special feature package that customers have come to expect from HBO, easily making this one of the month's most impressive releases. The final batch of episodes premieres on September 7, and while I'm not sure what violent and shocking twists the writers have in store for Nucky's final curtain call, I'm pretty sure he'll be properly dressed for the occasion. Buy the Blu-ray So, there you have it. While there are many titles worth picking up this August, those are our top three must own recommendations. We'll be back next month with three more essential picks, but for now, what do you think of our selection? What are your choices for August's must own titles?Posted Fri Aug 29, 2014 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' Blu-ray Up For Pre-Order[teaser]The long-awaited sequel is up for Blu-ray pre-orders at Amazon.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay is already prepping 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' for Blu-ray sometime later this year. Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller's visually stunning "Sin City" graphic novels back to the screen in 'Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.' Weaving together two of Miller's classic stories with new tales, the town's most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more notorious inhabitants. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Aug 29, 2014 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Little House on the Prairie: Season Three' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]The third season of the classic series arriving on Blu-ray next month has been fully detailed. Pre-order here. [/teaser] As previously reported, Lionsgate Home Entertainment will be releasing 'Little House on the Prairie: Season Three' on Blu-ray on September 9. Meticulously restored to original broadcast length and remastered for optimal picture and sound quality, all nine seasons will be available in high definition for fans both new and old to experience the timeless themes of love, adventure and rich family values like never before. "I am overjoyed that 40 years later, the series that I grew up performing on, is available for new generations to enjoy. Little House on the Prairie is a show full of love, community and heart," said Melissa Gilbert ("Laura Ingalls Wilder"). "The stories are still relevant and have resonated for decades with audiences around the world. With the digital release of all nine seasons, the show now looks better than ever and the scenes that were cut for syndication are fully restored. So every episode can be seen as it was originally aired and intended." "Four decades ago Michael Landon made Little House on the Prairie the most beloved and beautifully produced show on network television and audiences were swept away," said Dean Butler ("Almanzo Wilder"). "The 40th Anniversary HD re-mastering not only restores the episodes to their original broadcast lengths...it makes them more beautiful than ever before. I think Michael Landon would be honored to know that his timeless tribute to the American family has been so lovingly updated for today's viewers and today's viewing technology." Fall in love all over again, with the classic television series that continues to capture hearts around the world and experience the treasured saga with vividly restored picture and sound. Based on the best-selling books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, this epic series about the challenges and triumphs of life on the American frontier follows the beloved Ingalls family as they plant roots and foster friendships in Walnut Grove. Starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert in their unforgettable roles as Charles and Laura Ingalls, this special collection celebrates the power of family, faith and the human spirit. The 5-disc set will feature 1080p video, a lossless 2.0 soundtrack, and supplements include: "The Little House Phenomenon: Part Three - Casting Walnut Grove" Documentary. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray set is $24.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Little House on the Prairie: Season Three' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under September 9. Order the Blu-rayPosted Fri Aug 29, 2014 at 06:00 AM PDT by:
