Panasonic DMP-B15 Portable Blu-Ray Wins CES 2010 Award

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Today Panasonic won a CES 2010 Innovations award for their DMP-B15, the world's first portable Blu-ray player. The B15 will be shown off at CES 2010 along with all of the other award honorees. It's not hard to see why the B15 won this year. There are no other portable Blu-ray players on the market. If you want to watch your Blu-ray disks while on the go, your options are either the B15, or a really expensive laptop.

The B15 displays its videos on an 8.9" WSVGA LCD screen. It has an Ethernet connection which gives it access to Viera Cast, a Panasonic service through which users can access Amazon Video-on-Demand and YouTube. There's also an SD reader, for the folks who want to transfer their Blu-ray collection to a more portable form. In addition, the B15 has an HDMI input, which allows it to also serve as a standalone Blu-ray player.

Posted on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:44:50 CST | by Robert Evans

HP DV8 Blu-Ray Notebook Launches

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Ladies and gentlemen, the rumor fairies were right! The HP dv8 has just launched over in Taiwan, and Digitimes has the confirmed specs. First off, we're looking at a quad-core i7-720QM CPU, an Nvidia graphics card with 1GB of video memory, 4 GB of DDR3, and a 1 TB hard drive. The display will be 18", and the optical drive will be a Blu-ray.

Posted on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:33:09 CST | by Robert Evans

Walmart Black Friday $78 Magnavox NB500MG1F Blu-ray Player Deal Analyzed

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According to the leaked Walmart Black Friday Ad the retailer will set a new low level for Blu-ray player prices. On Black Friday Walmart offers (via BFAds) the Magnavox NB500MG1F Blu-ray Player for $78 as a doorbuster deal in limited quantities.
The Magnavox NB500MG1F Blu-Ray is listed on the Walmart online store with a ridiculous high price of $200.
Read more

Posted on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Yet Another Hot Blu-ray Sale On Amazon

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Blu-ray is breaking into the mainstream this year with Blu-ray players at their lowest prices and of course Blu-ray movies are becoming affordable to own too.
Amazon has Blu-ray movies on sale all the time. Now they've added a category where you can get Blu-ray movies for under $10. The Blu-ray for $9.99 sale includes classics like The Silence of the Lambs, American Psycho and Rambo II and III.
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Posted on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:26:02 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Insignia NS-BRDVD3 Blu-ray Player Review

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Today I am looking at the Insignia NS-BRDVD3 Blu-ray player that supports BD-Live. The player has a bargain price and is one of the cheapest players around with BD-Live support and Netflix. Best Buy unveiled the Insignia NS-BRDVD3 in October.

If you haven't upgraded to Blu-ray yet, the Insignia NS-BRDVD3 Blu-ray player may be the perfect low cost player for you. It also plays standard DVDs as well. Read more

Posted on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:03:16 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Apple Mac mini Blu-ray Drive Upgrade Kit Unveiled By Amex Digital

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Apple is not supporting Blu-ray drives in Mac computers yet. If you want Blu-ray inside your Mac mini now than check out this new Blu-ray Drive Upgrade Kit unveiled by Amex Digital.

The Mac mini Blu-ray Drive Upgrade Kit BD-UG1 has an MSRP of $199 and also supports Blu-ray recording if you use BootCamp on your Mac mini and work under Windows. It is not clear if you can actually use the Blu-ray drive at all under Mac OS.
Read more

Posted on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:44:01 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Blu-ray New And Recent Releases Now Under $20 On Amazon

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You can already get hot holiday movie releases on DVD for $10 on Amazon and Walmart. Now Amazon also offers a great deal on a broad selection of new and recent Blu-ray movies for under $20 and older favorites for up to 60% off.

For Instance the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy & BD-Live) sells for only $16.99 (December 8th Release).
Read more

Posted on Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sony Networked TV and Blu-ray Owners Get Exclusive Movie Access Before Release

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Today Sony announced that owners of Sony networked BRAVIA HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players will be able to get an exclusive in-home offer to rent the Sony Pictures animated hit, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, four weeks before it is available at retail.
Starting today, customers who purchase a networked BRAVIA HDTV or Blu-ray Disc player and register the device between Nov. 9, 2009 and Jan. 4, 2010, will receive a free 24-hour rental of the movie in high definition (a value of $24.95).
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Posted on Mon, 9 Nov 2009 07:59:29 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

ZiiLABS ZMS-08 CPU Brings Blu-ray Quality H.264 Decode To Low-power Device

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Creative's ZiiLABS today announced the ZMS-08, its 3rd generation media-rich applications processor that brings 1080p Blu-ray quality H.264 decode to low-power devices.

Delivering more than 4x the performance of previous generation devices, the ZMS-08 combines the flexible multi-format media processing capabilities of ZiiLABS' StemCell Computing array with a 1GHz ARM Cortex processor to deliver the low-power, high performance media-rich processing required of next-generation connected devices such as web tablets, netbooks, connected TVs, video conferencing systems and home media hubs.
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Posted on Mon, 9 Nov 2009 06:52:21 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Buy Up on Blu-ray And Get $10 Off A 2nd Blu-ray Disc On Amazon

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Disney's Up is one of the Top DVD Movie Releases for the Holidays 2009. Amazon just posted a new deal on this page where you can buy the Up Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and receive $10 off the purchase of a second Blu-ray title.

You need to enter promo code DISNEYBD at checkout to receive your credit. You must purchase both items together to receive the discount. Offer ends on November 10, 2009 and is only valid for one item per customer.
Read more

Posted on Thu, 5 Nov 2009 06:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

ASRock ION330 Gets Blu-ray

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ASRock has announced that its ION330 SFF computer is getting an update. The machine was small in size already making it an appealing HTPC for home theater fans and now the device is gaining a Blu-ray player.

Other updates from the previous version of the ION330 include WiFi, DTS 7.1 sound, RAID support, eSATA connectivity, MCE controller, and a 500GB HDD for storage. The ION330 now comes in three models with the 330HT-BD getting the Blu-ray player. Read more

Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Black Friday: $99 Blu-Ray Players?

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Are you looking forward to Black Friday? The recession and plumetting price of consumer electronics could make this year one of the best years for deals ever. Even if you hate braving the holiday crowds, the sacrifice could be worth it. After all, how often do you get the chance to buy a new Blu-ray player for under $100?

Video business reports that an analyst from the NPD group has predicted holiday Blu-ray prices of $99 for Blu-ray players. Some name-brand players, like the new JVC device, are already down to $200. It's not hard to imagine prices dropping to half that. Analyst Ross Rubin even stated that prices as low as $49 for non-name brand players could be seen.

Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:22:25 CDT | by Robert Evans

JVC $200 XV-BP11 Blu-ray Player In Time For Black Friday

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JVC today released their first budget Blu-ray player, the XV-BP11. This player is a back-to-basics type of machine. It only recognizes Blu-ray Profile 1.1 and measures only 1.5” thick at its fattest point. The XV-BP11 has the standard, front-mounted USB drive and the ability to read H.264 files right out of the box.

Electronista states that the BP11 can also read WMV videos, JPEG images, and MP3 and WMA audio files. It can output surround sound audio via Dolby Digital, Digital Plus, True HD, DTS, DTS Essential, and DTS HD Master Audio standards.

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:30:05 CDT | by Robert Evans

Gift Tip 7: LG BD390 Blu-ray Player

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The LG BD390 Blu-ray Player has virtually endless entertainment built-in. It offers a wide variety of standard-definition, instant-gratification media options to complement the high-definition Blu-ray experience.
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Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:28:58 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Black Friday Blu-ray Player Deal Predicted At $49

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Blu-ray player prices are in free fall compared to last year. Sales analyst NPD even sees a $49 Blu-ray player deal as conceivable on Black Friday according to Blu-ray.com.
I agree that a $49 Blu-ray player is possible. We just reported about the Sylvania NB530SLX Blu-ray player on sale for $124.99 last week.
Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Is It Already Black Friday? Sylvania NB530SLX Blu-ray Player Only $124.99

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If you are looking for an absolute budget Blu-ray player you do not have to wait until Black Friday to come around. Amazon has the Sylvania NB530SLX Blu-ray Player on sale for only $124.99 ($199.99 MSRP).

Features of the Sylvania NB530SLX Blu-ray Player include 1.1 Profile with Bonus View, Dolby Digital Plus, HDMI and PIP with Sound. Read more

Posted on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:53:07 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

New Insignia NS-BRDVD3 And NS-WBRDVD Blu-ray Player Stream Netflix

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Best Buy and Netflix announced this week that the new Insignia Advanced Series Blu-ray Player NS-WBRDVD and the Insignia Connected Blu-ray Player NS-BRDVD3 (photo) are streaming Netflix movie rentals.
Both new Insignia Blu-ray players are Internet ready, giving Netflix members on an unlimited plan access to a growing library to watch instantly on their TV. The Insignia Advanced Series model uses built-in Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet while the Insignia Connected player uses an Ethernet connection.
Read more

Posted on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:54:32 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Xbox 360 Gets A Blu-ray Drive Says Steve Ballmer?

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That comes out of now where. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says in a new interview just published on Gizmodo that the Xbox 360 gets Blu-ray drives as accessories.

Since the whole HD DVD disaster Microsoft always said no to Blu-ray drives and put streaming movie services as the valid alternative. Read more

Posted on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:23:24 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sony BDP-N460 Networked Blu-ray Player Available For Pre-Order

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LG and others already offer networked Blu-ray players like the LG BD 370. Sony announced in September their networked Blu-ray player model dubbed Sony BDP-N460.
The Sony BDP-N460 is available for pre-order on Amazon.com for $249.99 and is supposed to ship this month.

The internet service of the BDP-N460 supports YouTube, Slacker, also Netflix. Read more

Posted on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Is It Already Black Friday? LG BD 370 Netflix Blu-ray Player Only $150

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It was not that long ago that the Sony PS3 was the most affordable Blu-ray player. Prices really just dropped dramatically last year. This Holiday shopping season Blu-ray players will most likely see even lower prices.
What is new this year is that many Blu-ray players now offer network services to get Netflix, Youtube and other streaming video services.

The price war on Blu-ray players has already started though. Home Media reports that California electronics retailer Ken Cranes already announced 50% Blu-ray players, bringing some models to under $100. Read more

Posted on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:33:40 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Samsung Announces Internal Blu-ray Combo Drive with 8x BD-R Burning

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Samsung has announced the pending launch of its first Blu-ray combo drive that can burn BD-R media at 8x speed. The drive is called the SH-B083 and it can burn to 25GB and 50GB Blu-ray media.

In addition to burning BD-R and reading BD-Rom discs, the drive can also read CDs at up to 40x and DVDs at up to 16x. Samsung uses its dual layer jumping algorithm to provide a fast average access time of 350ms, which Samsung claims is much faster than other drives on the market. Read more

Posted on Thu, 8 Oct 2009 10:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun