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Research Reveals Dramatic HDTV Growth among US Homes[teaser]A new study reveals that 77 percent of US households now own an HDTV, while smart TV adoption is minimal and awareness for 4K displays remains low. [/teaser] According to a survey of 1,231 United States households conducted by the Leichtman Research Group, the majority of American homes now feature HDTVs, with 77 percent owning at least one HDTV. Likewise, 46 percent own multiple high definition displays. While these high numbers might not come as a surprise to many, just five years ago these stats were significantly lower, with just 34 percent of households owning at least one HDTV and a paltry 11 percent owning multiple displays. Furthermore, even when one factors in households that don't own any high-def televisions, 59 percent of all TVs in US homes are now HDTVs. This number was only 18 percent in 2008, demonstrating a dramatic growth in consumer adoption and mainstream appeal. In addition to HDTVs, the study also revealed some surprising facts about Ultra HD awareness and smart TV ownership. Based on the same study, only 14 percent of US homes have an internet connected smart TV, and connected smart TVs make up just 7 percent of all televisions used in US households. And while HDTV adoption is now in the majority, 4K awareness remains low. According to the survey, 30 percent of US adults are aware of Ultra HD technology, and of that 30 percent, only about one-third have seen a 4K TV in person. Even more telling, just 15 percent of those who have heard of Ultra HD and 28 percent who have seen one, are actually interested in buying a display. While these numbers reveal a relatively slow start for Ultra HD, considering the steady and dramatic growth that HD has seen in the last five years, consumer interest could certainly take off as manufacturers continue to push 4K adoption. Source: Leichtman Research Group via TWICEPosted Tue Mar 11, 2014 at 10:30 AM PDT by: -
'No Holds Barred' Blu-ray Bound[teaser]The cult action flick starring Hulk Hogan will step into the ring on Blu-ray in April, and you can pre-order it now. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Image Entertainment is preparing 'No Holds Barred' for Blu-ray on April 1. When world wrestling champion Rip Thomas (wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan) refuses to join a competing network, an evil executive creates a new program, "The Battle of the Tough Guys," where rules don't exist and men engage in an all-out brawl for money. After a murdering ex-convict by the name of Zeus (Tommy Lister, 'The Fifth Element') comes out on top as the toughest man, an ultimate title match with Rip is the TV network's best chance for big ratings. But when Rip refuses the challenge and his brother is roughed-up as a consequence, the world champion has no choice but to teach Zeus a lesson in a final "No Holds Barred" fight to the finish in this 80's cult classic film. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: No Holds Barred (12/27/1989) Tag Team Steel Cage Match Zeus and Randy Savage with Sensational Sherri vs. Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake; Summer Slam (8/28/1989) Tag Team Match Zeus and Randy Savage with Sensational Sherri vs. Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake with Miss Elizabeth; and a Photo Gallery. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'No Holds Barred' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 1.Posted Tue Mar 11, 2014 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
'Green Lantern: The Animated Series' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]All 26 episodes of the animated series are heading toward Blu-ray in March. You can pre-order the show now. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Bros. is preparing 'Green Lantern: The Animated Series' for Blu-ray on March 18. In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night! Green Lantern shines bright in DC's radiant, groundbreaking CGI animated series. The Green Lantern Corps patrols the galaxy, fighting evil. But in the farthest reaches of deep space where few Lanterns patrol, a new evil is rising - the Red Lanterns! Hal Jordan and fellow Lantern Kilowog defy The Guardians of the Universe and board a new experimental spacecraft, the Interceptor, and race to the Guardian Frontier to face the evil Red Lanterns head-on! But a menace lurks beyond the Red Lantern invasion and Hal, Kilowog and fellow Green Lanterns Tomar-Re and Aya discover an even greater evil that threatens to extinguish all life. It's an interstellar race to destroy the mechanical Manhunters, aid Saint Walker and his Blue Lanterns and stop the planet-eating Anti-Monitor! Pick up this exciting double-disc complete series set to see if Green Lantern's light can defeat these powerful new enemies! If not, the universe will fall into darkness! Specs and supplements have not been detailed yet, but suggested list price for the 2-disc set is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Green Lantern: The Animated Series' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 18.Posted Tue Mar 11, 2014 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Philomena' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]Director Stephen Frears' Academy Award nominated drama is coming to Blu-ray in April. You can pre-order it now. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay is preparing 'Philomena' for Blu-ray on April 15. Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, this film focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock — something Philomena's Irish-Catholic community didn't have the highest opinion of — and given away for adoption in the United States. Following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn't allow for any sort of inquiry into her son's whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Philomena meets Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a BBC reporter with whom she decides to track down her long-lost son. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Feature Commentary with Steve Coogan and Screenwriter Jeff Pope; A Conversation with Judi Dench; The Real Philomena Lee; and Q&A with Steve Coogan. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray/Digital Copy combo pack is $34.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Philomena' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 15.Posted Tue Mar 11, 2014 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Sony to Show Off High-Res Audio in Austin[teaser]Sony plans to demo its latest high-resolution audio components in Austin, Texas on March 12 - 14. [/teaser] Several new and upcoming audio products will be on display at the The Heart of Austin Presented by Sony. The event will be held on March 12 - 14 from 4PM - 1AM at The Market on the corner of 4th and Colorado in Austin, TX. Guests will be able to demo the gear and listen to live musical performances throughout the event. With high-resolution audio, listeners get to experience "master quality sound" that delivers the music exactly as the artists and sound designers intended without the limiting compression of lossy formats like MP3. Availability of high-res audio products and content continues to grow, and Sony will be demoing several options, ranging from media players to amps and digital recorders. The full lineup of high-resolution audio components that the company will be demonstrating include the UDA-1 USB DAC System for PC Audio, HAP-S1 High Resolution Music System, HAP-Z1ES High Resolution Music Player, PHA-2 Portable High Resolution DAC/Amplifier, and PCM-D100 High Resolution Portable Stereo Recorder. Source: SonyPosted Mon Mar 10, 2014 at 05:30 PM PDT by: -
'Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season Six' and 'Chain of Command' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]How many lights do you see? The sixth season of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and another seamless 2-part movie are bound for Blu-ray this summer! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount will be releasing 'Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season Six' on Blu-ray on June 3. Discover new visual depths and enhanced special effects in unforgettable episodes that take the crew to strange new worlds. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) endures a Cardassian torturer, Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) uncovers a life-changing secret aboard the Starfleet station Deep Space Nine, and Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) rescues Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (guest star James Doohan) from a 75-year transporter limbo. The 2-part episode 'Chain of Command' will also be available on the same date. Tensions rise as a possible Cardassian attack looms, and Picard, Dr. Crusher and Worf are sent on a secret mission to find and destroy suspected biological weapons. The headstrong replacement captain, Edward Jellico, is cold and demanding -- to the dismay of the remaining crew. But when Picard is captured by the Cardassians and tortured for information, dismay turns to anger and resistance as Jellico's plans exclude a rescue mission. With his options running out, Picard must fight to save his sanity and ultimately his life. Each release will feature 1080p video, a lossless 7.1 soundtrack, and supplements have yet to be revealed. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray season is $129.99, while 'Chain of Command' is set at $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season Six' and 'Chain of Command' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under June 3.Posted Mon Mar 10, 2014 at 02:00 PM PDT by: -
'House of Cards' Comes to Comcast Store[teaser]Comcast subscribers will be able to purchase the popular Netflix series through the Xfinity store along with several other Sony titles. [/teaser] Comcast and Sony have announced a deal that will give Comcast customers access to the first season of 'House of Cards' without a Netflix subscription. While the series remains a streaming exclusive to Netflix, viewers will be able to buy episodes of the show through Comcast's Xfinity store for playback on a variety of devices. The show has also been available for downloadable purchase from several other services like Amazon and Walmart.com. The deal also grants Comcast the rights to sell several other Sony shows and films through its service, including titles like 'Breaking Bad' and 'Captain Phillips' which will be available in the coming weeks. Likewise, the cable provider will be able to sell and rent many upcoming titles ahead of their regular VOD releases. This includes 'American Hustle' which will be available for rent or purchase starting this Tuesday. In addition, Comcast has signed a separate deal with Lionsgate for the rights to sell another critically acclaimed Netflix series.The first season of 'Orange is the New Black' will be available in the Xfinity store on May 13 (the same date as its Blu-ray release). Titles purchased through the Xfinity store can be viewed through the Xfinity On Demand service on a customer's set-top box, on a computer through the Xfinity website, or through the company's apps for Android and iOS devices. Sources: Variety, ComcastPosted Mon Mar 10, 2014 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
'The Invisible Woman' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Ralph Fiennes' period drama centered around Charles Dickens is planned for Blu-ray in April. Pre-order here. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony will be releasing 'The Invisible Woman' on Blu-ray on April 15. Nelly (Felicity Jones) is haunted by her past. Her memories take us back in time to follow the story of her relationship with Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) with whom she discovered an exciting but fragile complicity. Dickens – famous, controlling and emotionally isolated within his success – falls for Nelly. As Nelly becomes the focus of Dickens' passion and his muse, for both of them secrecy is the price, and for Nelly a life of "invisibility." Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include: Audio Commentary with Ralph Fiennes and Felicity Jones; On the Red Carpet at the Toronto Film Festival; and SAG Q & A with Ralph Fiennes and Felicity Jones. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Invisible Woman' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 15.Posted Mon Mar 10, 2014 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Sony and Panasonic Develop Archival Disc Standard[teaser]The electronics companies have teamed up to create a next-generation disc standard aimed at improving long-term data storage. [/teaser] Sony and Panasonic have announced the development of a new optical disc standard dubbed "Archival Disc." The technology offers many benefits over other storage options, including dust-resistance, water resistance and resistance to humidity and temperature changes. Likewise, the discs also feature inter-generational compatibility, allowing previously stored data to be read as the format develops and upgrades over time. The Archival Disc is being developed for professional use and both companies plan to have 300GB discs ready by summer 2015. 500GB and 1TB disc are also planned for the future. The basic spec uses double sided disc technology with three layers per side. The increased capacity could prove especially valuable to professional fields that require increasingly large data storage needs, including the film industry. Sony and Panasonic previously worked together on the development of the Blu-ray disc medium. They hope to promote the new Archival Disc standard as a next-gen high capacity solution for professional data storage and protection. Source: SonyPosted Mon Mar 10, 2014 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete Series' Swings to Blu-ray[teaser]The 2008 animated series is getting the Blu-ray treatment next month. Pre-orders are now available. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Sony will be releasing 'The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete Series' on Blu-ray on April 22. The set includes both seasons of the animated series and features story arcs including Arcs include The Lizard, Tombstone, The Goblin, The Symbiote, The Master Planner, Venom, The Gang War, and a return to The Goblin. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $65.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete Series' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 22.Posted Mon Mar 10, 2014 at 10:00 AM PDT by:
