Onkyo Blu-ray Player Gets BOD Streaming

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 8/31/2010

Dallas - Onkyo said Tuesday that its forthcoming Blu-ray Disc player with Internet streaming will include access to the Blockbuster OnDemand (BOD) instant movie service.

Model BD-SP808 ships this month to electronics stores to authorized Onkyo electronics stores nationwide, the company said.

Blockbuster said the player joins a list of more than 85 consumer electronic devices that now integrate the streaming movie service.

"Our partnership with Onkyo further represents Blockbuster's commitment to increasing the availability of movies, particularly the newest titles, as well as old favorites," stated Bruce Anderson, Blockbuster OnDemand's senior VP and general manager. "Combining Blockbuster OnDemand with Onkyo's sophisticated Blu-ray technology, users will discover a convenient way to enhance their in-home movie watching experience."

The service allows customers to browse and select many of the top movies as soon as they are available on DVD and Blu-ray without having to pay a monthly subscription fee.

The system's search tool provides ratings, trailers and other information about each movie.

"With the BD-SP808, Onkyo aimed to deliver not just on picture quality, but also on usability," said Paul Wasek, Onkyo USA's marketing manager. "Enabling consumers to access the movies they want faster and more easily is a part of that."

 The Onkyo BD-SP808 is a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player with DLNA 1.5-certified networking, access to video-on-demand services, Marvel Qdeo video scaler, and Profile 2.0 BD-Live features such as picture-in-picture and web-sourced firmware updates.

An SD card slot allows playback of downloaded web content or stills and video from a digital camera. HDMI Source Direct mode enables the player to output video in native resolution for optional external processing. It will not have 3D-capability.