NEC announced today the EMMA 3PF chip, which is the first large-scale integration (LSI) chip that contains all the major functions of Blu-ray including Profile 2.0, analog-to-digital conversion, HDMI output, and sound encoding/decoding. The EMMA 3PF also features a multicore CPU which allows for improved startup times and operation speeds. Most importantly, the chip will significantly reduce the physical size of Blu-ray players as well as reduce the overall cost. The chip will start shipping in September so expect players that use it to begin appearing in the near future.
It looks like Netflix users will have to pony up an extra dollar or two to be able to rent Blu-ray movies as the rental company’s CEO mentioned earlier this week would happen really soon. EngadgetHD is reporting some Netflix members have been notified of a $1 per month charge (plus taxes) while others say they’ve been notified the charge will be $2. Regardless of which two amounts is correct, this change will come within a month and we really don’t the see this increase as reason enough to cancel a membership.
According to a new consumer survey by ABI Research, over half of the 1000 respondents said they had ‘other priorities and have no plans to purchase a Blu-ray player in the near future; about 23% said they would likely purchase one in 2009.
According to ABI Research principal analyst Steve Wilson, this response can be attributed to consumer’s perception of the value propisition that Blu-ray holds. Wilson notes that with DVD technology, consumers did not have to purchase a new TV as most do with a Blu-ray player, namely an HDTV. Additionally he says, “While half of the respondents to our survey rated Blu-ray’s quality as ‘much better’ than standard DVD, another 40-percent termed it only ‘somewhat better,’ and most are very satisfied with the performance of their current DVD players”
Wilson expects the price of entry-level Blu-ray players to remain at the $300 price point, with retailers using Blu-ray movie bundles to attract potential buyers. Just like we reported a couple days ago, he points out the success of the PS3 and notes that owners purchase just as many movies as those with standalone Blu-ray players.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe has just hit theaters but producer and co-writer Frank Spotnitz along with director Chris Carter are still exploring the capabilities of the Blu-ray format as they work on the movie’s planned Blu-ray release.
Spotnitz said, “I had no idea what Blu-ray could do. I thought it was just a higher-definition picture, but it’s much more than that. We are trying to think of every possible way to exploit the Blu-ray medium. Those discussions are still continuing. We’ve been working on the Blu-ray and the DVD release for months already. It’s going to be packed with a lot of bonus features.”
Although, Spotnitz said details will be confirmed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, he did share some some of the extras that will be included. “There will be a gag reel; a making of, as there always are; multiple commentaries; both audio and video that you can access in a unique way because its Blu-ray,” Spotnitz said. “We are going to take advantage of the online feature in a way we haven’t determined yet.”
According to Asia Pacific VP Tim Meade for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE), market reports in the US show that the worldwide sales ratio of Blu-ray movies to DVDs will reach an estimated 40:60 in 2010. Furthermore he says this indicates sales volume of Blu-ray movies may surpass DVD by 2011.
Meade is basing this on rise of Blu-ray’s market share among all formats from 9% at the end of 2007 to 25% by the end of this year. Meade noted the sales volume of Blu-ray players in the US and Europe increased on year by four times and six times respectively, during the first half of 2008.
It’s great to see Blu-ray’s market share increase so drastically in such a short period of time. Looks like Sony’s marketing strategies are working nicely.
DISH Network announced today they’ll begin offering 1080p Video-On-Demand in addition to 114 national HD channels beginning in August. The most interesting part of the announcement is that DISH says 1080p VOD service will be ‘the same as Blu-ray quality’. More about that in a minute. To celebrate ‘this new era in the high definition viewing experience’, DISH Network will begin offering I Am Legend in 1080p as a pay-per-view offering.
Now, DISH Network’s claim that their 1080p VOD will be the ’same as Blu-ray quality’ must be clarified. Satellite companies such DISH Network and DirecTV, who will also add 1080p programming this year, need to conserve broadcast space. Therefore, 1080p broadcasts will have a video bitrate that’s less than half of what a typical Blu-ray title requires for perfect video reproduction, resulting in pixelation during scenes with a lot of movement. On the audio side, while Blu-ray titles offer PCM, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio while satellite broadcasts only use 5.1 Dolby Digital for audio soundtracks.
Fact is that satellite broadcasts can not compare to the true high-def experience of Blu-ray. DISH Network is trying to use Blu-ray’s name for their own benefit that will undoubtedly cause further confusion for consumers. DishNetwork has not responded to requests for clarification on their statement.
Taiwanese distributor, Deltamac, has sold over 25,000 Blu-ray movies in Taiwan from their 120 available titles. With additional titles available and the expected price drops of Blu-ray players, sales volume may reach 100,000 Blu-ray discs in 2009, Deltamac pointed out. Asia Pacific vice president Tim Meade for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment pointed out that 5.64 million Blu-ray movies have been sold worldwide in 2008, adding up to 11 million sold since the format’s inception.
This new Sony Vaio ad, created by 180 in Los Angeles, shows an HDTV open up swallow a Blu-ray player. It’s meant to show the Sony Vaio as a combination of an HDTV and Blu-ray player. Either way it’s a pretty awesome clip, enjoy.
BIG Home Entertainment has announced they’ve signed an exclusive deal with Warner Home Video to distribute titles from Warner Brothers’ film catalog in India, Sri Lanka,and Bangladesh. As part of the agreement BIG will market and distribute VCD, DVD and Blu Ray products from Warner Brothers, including sub-studios like HBO, Castle Rock, and New Line.
BIG will also try to control the abundance of piracy that exists in these parts of the world with new anti-piracy measures. Shweta Agnohotri, Chief Operating Office of BMHE said, “While piracy has to some extent been curbed in India, it is still a big menace in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where pirated home video products account for 99 percent of the market.”
Good to see Blu-ray legally expanding into other parts of the world. No doubt this will help sales and keep spreading the format.
Dell on Tuesday announced their new line of mini PCs, the Studio Hybrid. Available in various colors, the stylish Studio Hybrid is an 8-inch mini PC that can be stored either vertically or horizontally and is small enough to fit nearly anywhere. It is 80 percent smaller than a standard desktop, consumes 70 percent less power, and comes with a system recycling kit for the environmentally aware.
The Studio Hybrid is powered by an Intel Pentium Dual Core processor, comes with 1GB of DDR2 memory, and Intel’s integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 in its standard form. The PC also comes with a 160GB 5400rpm hard drive and 8x slot load CD/DVD writer. Optional features include a 6x slot load Blu-ray/CD/DVD combo drive, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of memory, and 320GB of storage.
The Dell Studio Hybrid price starts at $499 in the configuration mentioned above. It is available via the Dell Studio Hybrid website and is expected to hit selected retailers this fall.
