Month: April 2008 (Page 2 of 5)

Samsung continues to expand its lineup of Blu-ray products with its fourth-generation Blu-ray player, BD-P1500, featuring the latest in Blu-ray technology as well as advanced connectivity for use with other digital devices.

Designed with fans of multimedia technology in mind, the BD-P1500 easily connects to other digital devices through an HDMI 1.3 port with CEC for expanded color delivery and easy home theater control. The P1500 has BD Profile 1.1 Bonus View and is BD Live Ready. With its built-in Ethernet connection and USB input users can quickly upgrade their BD-P1500 with the latest firmware.

Audiophiles will love the BD-P1500 for going beyond standard Dolby Digital audio playback to include Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TruHD and DTS-HD High resolution (scheduled to available later this year via firmware update).

The BD-P1500 will be available in June 2008.

BBC Video has announced a July 22nd release date for their five-part series “Earth: The Biography.”

The five episodes from the series include Volcano, Atmosphere, Ice, Oceans, and Rare Earth. The combined runtime is 230 minutes which spans two BD-25 single-layer discs, presented in 1080p video with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.

During a conference call, Netflix President and CEO Reed Hastings announced the following:

“Purchasing Blu-ray DVDs costs more both at retail and wholesale than standard definition DVDs, and consumers are used to paying more for high-definition content in every other channel, including video rental stores, video-on-demand, and cable channels. Because of the higher cost of Blu-ray and the consumer expectations around high-def content, we are planning on implementing a modest monthly premium for access to Blu-ray some time this year.”

You hear that? That’s the sound of people cancelling their Netflix accounts.

Five memorable classics make their high definition debut on Blu-Ray Disc June 3 from Fox Home Entertainment.

Featuring a battle that ranks as one of the most exciting ever fought in the skies, Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier and Christopher Plummer star in the BAFTA Award-nominated film BATTLE OF BRITAIN, the true story of England defending its homeland against the Germans’ attack during World War II.

Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Sir Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford and James Caan star in director Richard Attenborough’s epic A BRIDGE TOO FAR, recapturing the danger and excitement behind World War II Allies’ daring and disastrous attempts to capture key bridges behind enemy lines in a complicated parachute and armored assault.

With an all-star cast including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Robert Mitchum, Rod Steiger and Peter Lawford, to name a few, the Academy Award-winning epic THE LONGEST DAY recounts one of the largest and greatest military missions in history; the triumph and tragedy of the World War II heroes as they stormed the Normandy Beach on D-Day.

Winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role (George C. Scott), Best Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Art Direction, the sweeping WWII epic PATTON tells the story of one of the most extraordinary generals, George S. Patton, Jr., whose lust for glory swept through the North African battlefield and across Europe, earning the fear and respect of his enemies, as well as the resentment of his allies.

Directed by Hollywood icon Robert Wise and nominated for eight Oscars, the definitive naval epic THE SAND PEBBLES stars Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Mako and Candice Bergen and follows a defiant sailor as he clashes with foreign culture as well as his own superiors during the 1926 Chinese Revolution.

Eagle Rock Entertainment has announced that they will release Korn: Live at Montreux on Blu-ray on July 1st. The concert took place in 2004 and was one of the last times that all the original band members played together.

Track List:

Sony today announced plans to release the Clint Eastwood hit “In the Line of Fire” on July 1st. The 1993 Wolfgang Petersen directed movie stars Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich and Rene Russo.

Complete tech specs and bonus features haven’t been announced but you can expectt 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound along with the bonus features found on the 2001 special edition DVD.

Via HD Digest