It was announced today that Marantz, the high-end audio/video brand owned by D&M Holdings Inc., will release a DivX Certified(R) Blu-ray Disc player (model: BD8002) in Japan and the U.S.. This device combines the DivX(R) and Blu-ray formats which would allow consumers to store and play back more than 25 hours of DVD-quality video on a single Blu-ray disc.
The BD8002 has a high-end range of features such as HDMI 1.3a output with 36-bit Deep Color support and an Analog Devices 297 MHz/12-bit Video DAC. It also includes a 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta HQV Video Processor, upscaling to 1080p, IP converter and 24 fps output. On the audio side, support includes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, channeled through 7.1 surround outputs, and a RS-232C port.
The Marantz BD8002 will be available in Japan in June for approximately $2000. A US release date has not yet been announced.
[InfoSyncWorld]
Tags: BD8002, Blu-ray News, Blu-ray Players, DivX, Marantz, Marantz BD8002
Sharp just announced three new Blu-ray DVRs set to be released in Japan early July. They are the BD-HDW30 with 1TB of storage, the BD-HDW25 (500GB), and the BD-HDW22 (250GB). All three units will record video in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 at three different bitrates - 4.8, 8, and 12Mbps as well as both digital and analog TV tuners. They don’t support AVCREC so recording HD video to DVD is not possible.
[akihabaranews]
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Tags: Aquos, BD-HDW22, BD-HDW25, BD-HDW30, Blu-ray News, Blu-ray Players, Sharp, Sharp Aquos, Sharp BD-HD25, Sharp BD-HD30, Sharp BD-HDW22
I stopped by the Los Angeles Wal-Mart last night to see if I could find the Funai NB500 Blu-ray player that was spotted in stores yesterday. I didn’t find any but did stumble across the Samsung BD-P1500 $348.88 sticker price. Samsung previously announced it would be available in June after delays to add BD Live. The Samsung BD-P1500 comes with BD Profile 1.1 Bonus View and Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TruHD and DTS-HD High resolution. At $348.88 it looks like it’s worth the $50 upgrade over the Funai NB500. It’s also been spotted at a San Diego store so it shouldn’t be long until its available at every location.
UPDATE: May 14 Went to Best Buy in West Los Angeles and saw one on display (pictured above) so I asked the manager if there were any in stock. He checked the computer and said the district warehouse had 701 on hand. They get deliveries on Tuesdays and Fridays and even told me I’d be able to pick one up for $399 Friday or Saturday if I paid for it today.
Tags: BD-P1500, Best Buy, Blu-ray News, Blu-ray Players, Samsung, Samsung BD1500, Wal-Mart, Walmart
Now that the dust has settled and Blu-ray stands alone it’s time to look at the best entry Blu-ray players that can be yours for under $500. CNET rounds up six Blu-ray players and takes a look at which one is the best deal. Their top pick is the Panasonic DMP-BD30K because it supports Blu-ray Profile 1.1 and has excellent image quality. The PS3 is the best bargain for excellent image quality, fast load times, and because it’s Blu-ray Profile 2.0 compliant. CNET doesn’t include the $298 Funai NB500 so it to remains to be seen how good of a Blu-ray player it turns out to be.
Check out full article and reviews here
[CNET]
Tags: Blu-ray Deals, Blu-ray News, Blu-ray Players
Panasonic is now shipping its first Home Theater in a Box system that includes a Blu-ray player. Among the features of the SC-BT100 is a dock for iPods that allows charging, control via the home theater remote, and both music and video playback. It also comes with an SD card slot which allows easy viewing of hi-def videos and photos. On the audio front, this HTiB is compatible with Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, DTS-HD, DTS-HD High Resolution, DTS-HD Master Audio, and Linear PCM. All this will set you back a cool $999.95 and is now shipping.
[Panasonic]
Tags: Blu-ray HTiB, Blu-ray Players, Panasonic, Panasonic SC-BT100, SC-BT100
Pioneer BDP-51FD
Pioneer announced they will release two new Blu-ray disc players that will feature picture-in-picture interactivity as well as a redesigned platform that will improve overall perfomance. Among the visual improvements, the Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD and BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray disc players will both support HDMI 1.3a for better hues and shades. On the audio side, both players will support Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD, and DTS HD Master. The Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD will come in at $799 and the BDP-51FD at a lower $599.
[InfoSyncWorld]
Tags: BDP-05FD, BDP-51FD, Blu-ray Players, Pioneer, Pioneer BDP-05FD, Pioneer BDP-51FD
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