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Future Shop Gives Credit for HD DVDs
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies
Future Shop is offering $100.00 for your HD DVD player, but this deal comes with a catch. Between March 7 and April 3, you must use that credit on either a Samsung or LS Blu-ray/HD DVD Combo Player. They will also accept those from other retailers in addition to those from its parent company, Best Buy. Considering that Blu-ray players average around $500.00, you might want to hold on to your present one until you have more of a choice and better price point.
Circuit City, not to be outdone, will give store credit for HD players that were purchased in the past ninety days.
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| Daily Tech
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Pitchfork TV to Feature All Music Online
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Internet, Movies, Music
Pitchfork Media is launching an online music TV channel April 7. Think of it as “YouTunes.” The site will feature mini-documentaries, music sessions, concerts, interviews, and music videos. They will also offer films, concerts, and music DVDs at no charge. With full creative control, the original site already has events, reviews, and news tidbits, and is simply moving up the technological ladder with Pitchfork.tv.
Pitchfork promises a hi-res display and will be adding personal playlists so you can save your faves. Let’s hope that the company sticks to its standards and offers music other than a monotonous Billboard Top Ten.
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| Pitchfork Media
Samsung Unveils 3D TV
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies
Although many companies are exploring the glories of 3D TV and consumers are paying the price for it, Korea has come up with the Samsung 3D Plasma for ordinary folk. The PAVV Cannes 450 comes in both 42 and 50-inches with a 30,000:1 ratio and will work with high performance 3D software and geeky glasses. Expect to spend ~$1,850.00 and ~$2,656.00 respectively. An HD version is also available for ~$4,145.00. Here’s hoping that “Captain EO” becomes available to go with one of our fave types of technology.
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| <3 yen
Philips To Offer External BD-ROM
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, Home Entertainment, Movies, PC / Laptop

If you are leery of the still high priced Blu-ray disc players and recorders, Philips and Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS) will be soon be releasing an external BD-ROM.
Jelmer Veldman of PLDS, says “The market adoption of Blu-ray as the optical disc standard for High Definition content results in a growing demand for Blu-ray playback solutions.”
The DX-4O1S allows for playback via USB 2.0. It can read Blu-ray, single-layer DVD, dual-layer DVD, and CD media. PLDS also has an internal drive available for ~$150.00. Due out in Q2, we figure that the DVD war’s outcome somehow was no surprise to the company.
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| Daily Tech
Next Sony Blu-ray players: BDP-S350, BDP-S550
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies

Now that Sony has felt the smell of victory, this summer they will be releasing Blu-ray disc players with new features. The BDP-S350 features an ethernet connection for broadband which will be accessible with the software upgrade BD-Live. That will allow download bonuses such as trailers and games The player should carry a MSRP of ~$400.00. The BDP-S550 will already be BD-Live capable for about $100.00 more. Both will feature PIP Bonus View for cast and crew commentary. Note how it is encased in a “we won” color.
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| ABC News
Buh Bye HD DVD
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies

It’s official. Toshiba announced today that the end is here. In a public statement, Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO said, “While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.”
The company will cease selling their products to retail dealers by the end of March, but promises to continue its product support to those who have already purchased HD products. They will continue to market standard DVD players and DVRs. Toshiba will now concentrate on other tech that supports hi-def, including NAND processing, next gen CPUs, small form factor hard disk drives, and those that utilize wireless and incryption technology.
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| Toshiba Press Release
Crank Up the Eco Media Player
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Movies, Music, Portable Audio / Video, USB
Trevor Baylis has long been into environmental products having created the first wind-up radio. He is now featuring the Eco Media Player for music, movies, and FM Radio. With a 1.8-inch display, it also stores data, allows you to view images, and charges your cell phone. Wind it up for 40 minutes of play or recording or use it for reading e-books. The Player comes with a USB cable for attaching to your PC for download (or recharging if your arm gets tired) and carries an online MSRP of £149.95 (~$290.00.)
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| Trevor Baylis
TiVo Conducts Lovelife Survey
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Misc. Tech, Movies
It seems that the good folks at TiVo do more than poll Superbowl commercials. They took a heartfelt survey that shows that 86% would rather stay home for dinner and a movie than go out for Valentines Day. Even more interesting are the results when participants were asked which TV show their love lives most represented.
- Paradise Hotel 2 - Stunning and Serene 36%
- The Biggest Loser - Difficult and Defeated 21%
- Supernanny - Crazed with Kids 15%
- When Women Rule the World - A One-sided Wonder 15%
- Rock of Love 2 with Bret Michaels - Loud and Wild 8%
- The Real Housewives of New York City - Rich and Spoiled 5%
Who are these people and where can we get our own Paradise Hotel? For those who aspire to that status, TiVo and Amazon Unbox are offering some discounted titles to watch tomorrow including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” and a free download of BBC’s “Romeo and Juliet” for the weekend February of 15 through 17.
(Thanks, Mel)
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| TiVo
Netflix to Go Blu-ray
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment
Netflix has announced that it will only buy Blu-ray discs and phase out HD by the end of the year. We suspect that is because four of the six major studios have gone the same way. While this looks to be the end of the war, we are just not ready to go out and purchase a new player right away. We hope that Sony finally feels karma for their failed Betamax. We also discovered that Netflix will be only sending out standard DVDs by the end of this month.
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| Reuters
NetFlix Offers Unlimited Streaming
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Internet, Movies
Netflix subscribers on unlimited rental plans are now allowed endless streaming of movies on their PCs. Previously, the company offered a limited amount of viewing depending on a subscription rate, but it seems that now that it has a library of over 90,000 titles, this is their time to shine over the competition. If you now are on the $4.99 singular DVD Plan or 2 a month option, you will still receive two hours of instant streaming per month. It remains to be seen just how the competition will react to the news, not to mention the dwindling supply of local neighborhood video stores.
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| Netflix
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