Blu-ray Group Welcomes 3D Into The Fold At CES

By Greg Tarr On Jan 18 2010 - 8:00am

The Blu-ray Disc Association greeted the dawning of the 3D age at International CES by celebrating the strong adoption rate of the Blu-ray format, and by pointing out that more than 20 2D and 3D Blu-ray Disc products were being introduced by manufacturers.

The group also launched here a new 3D Blu-ray logo that will help consumers quickly discern 3D-capable Blu-ray players from 2D-only versions.

 

 

Blu-ray, Digital Up As Video Sales Dip

By Greg Tarr On Aug 2 2010 - 4:01am

LOS ANGELES — The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) had both good news and bad for home video sales in the first half of 2010 — Blu-ray Disc and online digital purchases were up but over video software sales were down as DVDs continued to slide.

The group said consumer spending on DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and digital distribution dropped 3.3 percent to $8.8 billion for the first half of 2010 compared with the same period last year.

However, consumer spending on home entertainment products was up 2.3 percent in the same period, the group said.

Pioneer Unveils 1st 3D Blu-ray Players

By Greg Tarr On Oct 4 2010 - 4:01am

ATLANTA — Pioneer gave CEDIA Expo attendees a sneak peek at the company’s first Blu-ray Disc players with 3D playback capability.

In total, the company showed three players — two under the high-end Elite badge and one under the core Pioneer trademark.

Little, except the core feature sets, was said to be finalized on any of the players, including pricing and model numbers.

Blu-ray Growth Seen Despite IP Streaming

By Greg Tarr On Jan 6 2011 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — Despite the growth of streaming movie services through connected devices in 2010, Blu-ray Disc player sales seem to remain on a surging growth track for the foreseeable future, key hardware and software industry executives told TWICE.

Andy Parsons, U.S. promotions committee chairperson for the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and Pioneer Electronics USA senior VP,said BD player and disc sales growth exceeded expectations in 2010.

3D Spreads Through Blu-ray Lines

By Greg Tarr On Jan 6 2011 - 6:01am

LAS VEGAS — More and more new Blu-ray Disc players slated for 2011 will offer 3D TV support and Internet streaming services and apps as disc-based system continues it rapid penetration into U.S. households.

The following is a snapshot of new models planned for the year ahead by some of the industry’s top brands:

LG Electronics has expanded its assortment of 3D-capable Blu-ray models from one to five in 2011, all of which will include its newest streaming video platform.

Onkyo Ships Blu-ray Player, A/V Systems

By Greg Tarr On Jul 28 2009 - 7:41pm

Upper Saddle River, N.J. - Onkyo said Tuesday it is now shipping its latest "high-performance" BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray Disc player, and a pair of Blu-ray-ready home-theater systems to support it.

The single-disc player, model DV-BD507 (shipping now at a $449 suggested retail), outputs FullHD 1080p video and multichannel audio over its HDMI 1.3a digital output.

Sony Unveils Blu-ray Decks, Bravia IPTVs

By Greg Tarr On Mar 9 2009 - 6:00am

Sony took the wraps off four Blu-ray products and another series of Bravia Internet-video-ready HD LCD TVs at its dealer show, here, last week.

Although the company revealed the majority of its 2009 televisions and home audio products at the International CES in January, a few surprises were held back for the dealer get-together.

Web Extras Coming To Blu-ray

By Greg Tarr On Jan 7 2008 - 8:00am

HD DVD won't be the only high-definition video disc format with Web-enabled interactivity much longer.

San Francisco-based software developer Related Content Database is announcing at International CES two new Blu-ray feature platforms — BD Live and BD Magic. Both will bring the power of the Internet to Blu-ray Discs, offering a broad range of interactive possibilities to enhance the user experience.

Sharp To Ship Blu-ray Recorder In Japan

Staff On Dec 6 2004 - 8:00am

Sharp announced that it would deliver on Dec. 9 its first Blu-ray Disc (BD) recorder for the Japanese market. With the announcement, Sharp becomes the third company to introduce a deck using the new high-density optical disc media for Japan, joining Sony and Panasonic.

Retailers' Blu-ray Moves Ended Format War

By Greg Tarr On Feb 25 2008 - 8:00am

Momentum was clearly against HD DVD in the days leading up to Toshiba's decision to drop its HD DVD format as several of the country's largest retailers announced their support for Blu-ray Disc.

Perhaps the biggest blows came when retail giant Wal-Mart and online video rental company Netflix announced plans to stop selling HD DVD products this year, making it difficult for customers to find discs to play on the machines.