Archives for the 'Hardware News' Category
Wal-Mart offers $100 gift card with Blu-ray player purchase
Wal-Mart announced today that from June 8-14 it is offering a $100 Wal-Mart gift card with the purchase of any Blu-ray player, including the PS3.
Wal-Mart also added Magnavox, Samsung and Panasonic brand Blu-ray players to its shelves. But wait, that’s not all! Also staring June 8, Wal-Mart will sell select Blu-ray movies for only $15, including 3:10 to Yuma, Shooter and 300.
Via Reuters
Samsung announces new Blu-ray player; BD-P1500
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.
PlayStation 3 gets DTS-HD Master Audio support
On April 15th, Sony will release yet another firmware update for the PlayStation 3. This one will probably interest you if you’re an audiophile and have a nice surround sound setup in your living room.
Firmware version 2.3 will add support for the DTS-HD Master Audio (MA) and DTS-HD High Resolution (HR). This update, along with the recent BD-Live firmware update, allows the PS3 to play all Blu-ray titles at their fullest potential.
Brian Towne of DTS commented, “We are extremely pleased that [Sony] is adding the full spectrum premium DTS-HD Master Audio codec into the PS3 so that more than 10 million owners of one of the best selling computer entertainment systems can have the best sounding, most efficient and flexible audio technology available system as well. DTS-HD Master Audio is fast becoming the must-have feature for high definition entertainment enthusiasts.”
Sony to integrate Blu-ray players and HDTVs
According to Sony president and Electronics CEO Ryoji Chubachi, Sony will offer Blu-ray Disc devices in a range of products aiming to increase the global market share of its Blu-ray Disc products from 20% to 50% by the end of 2008.
The new Blu-ray Disc devices include models integrating an LCD HDTV with Blu-ray Disc recording functionality.
Sony has relied mainly on the PlayStation 3 to gain Blu-ray popularity so launching other devices that are BD enabled should help BD gain a significant number of new users.
Via Digitimes
Lite-On developing Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360
According to Digitimes, Lite-On is developing built-in Blu-ray Disc-(BD) ROM drives for the Xbox 360. Lite-On declined to comment, citing client confidentiality.
Lite-On’s shipments of the BD ROMs will start in the second half of 2008. Lite-On is currently one of the suppliers of Xbox 360 DVD-ROM drives.
Update: Microsoft has denied this. But then again, they may not want to let the cat out of the bag just yet. So as always, should anything develop, we’ll keep you updated.
132 million Blu-ray homes by 2012
According to Strategy Analytics, Blu-ray players will be in 29.4 million homes worldwide by the end of 2008. According to, “Blu-ray Devices: Forecasting Sales and Ownership,” Sony’s PS3 games console will continue to drive the Blu-ray market until 2009, after which stand-alone Blu-ray players will become dominant. By 2012 more than 132 million homes worldwide will own at least one Blu-ray device.
“HD-DVD’s withdrawal leaves the way open for Blu-ray to become a major revenue earner for technology vendors and content owners alike,” says David Mercer, Principal Analyst. “The 265 million homes that will own an HDTV by 2012, and Hollywood’s need for a new growth engine, represent huge incentives for the industry to coordinate marketing activities and demonstrate unified support for the successor to DVD.”
New PS3 firmware released
Just a heads up to let you all know that the new Sony PlayStation 3 firmware, version 2.20, launched last night. As mentioned before, the new update adds Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 (BD-LIVE) support. All you have to do is go to the System Update section of the PS3 menu and the download will start. It should take no more than 10 minutes. That’s all you have to do. You now have a 2.0 Blu-ray player and are ready to take advantage of new Blu-ray features.
New PS3 update adds Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 support
Sony today announced that system software update v.2.20, for the PS, planned for release in late March, will add Blu-ray Disc (BD) Profile 2.0 (known as BD-LIVE). With this new update comes the ability to take full advantage of interactive features, such as downloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more.In addition to BD-LIVE, the system software update will enable photo and music playlists on a PS3 to be copied to a PSP, as well as other new features.
To access Blu-ray Profile 2.0, users require an Internet connection and at least 1GB of local storage. Movies with BD-LIVE are scheduled for release next month.
Best Buy offers gift card to HD DVD owners
Best Buy is giving $50 gift cards to customers who purchased an HD DVD player or HD DVD Xbox 360 attachment from its U.S. stores before February 23, 2008. Customers will get a gift card for each player or HD DVD attachment that they purchased. Through this program, Best Buy will distribute more than $10 million in gift cards to customers across the country.
Most Best Buy customers won’t have to do anything to receive their gift card. Best Buy will proactively mail cards to all customers that the company can identify as having purchased an HD DVD player. Members of the Best Buy Reward Zone program, customers who purchased Performance Service Plans (PSPs) or who made their purchase on BestBuy.com should look for their gift cards in the mail by May 1. Other customers who may not be easily identified can call (888) BEST BUY to receive their gift cards with proof of purchase through a credit card or their Best Buy receipt.
Why is Best Buy doing this? Because they want you to use that gift card to hopefully purchase a Blu-ray player, some movies and some of those overpriced Monster cables.
Sony to invest nearly $110 million in Blu-ray plant
Sony is planning to invest nearly $110 million in new equipment and property improvements to upgrade its Terre Haute, Indianapolis plant following Blu-ray’s victory in the “high-def war”.
Sony will invest more than $101 million in new equipment and more than $7.4 million in property improvements, for a total of $108.5 million. Along with new equipment, the company will hire at least 65 new employees.
