GeekSugar

Picking Up a Blu-Ray Player? Consider the Samsung BD-P2550

GeekSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:03:06 -0800

Although I already have my Blu-Ray player squared away, I'm kinda excited about this Samsung high-def model instead. What sets the Samsung BD-P2550 aside from others is its features. Not only does it have HDMI, 1080p, 7.1 analog audio outputs, along with Dolby TrueHD decoding capabilities (which translates to amazing video and audio quality), but you can also stream Netflix On Demand movies and Pandora Internet radio right from the player.

Yeah, you can stream Pandora from your Blu-Ray player. Crazy, right? So if you assumed there would be an extra-special price tag to go along with all this "flair," you would be absolutely right. The Samsung BD-P2550 clocks in at $349 from Best Buy (and goes as high as $489 from Amazon), but I'm totally adding this to my Price Protectr list just in case.

Get Your HD DVD Money Back From Best Buy

GeekSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:15:15 -0700

Now that the war between HD DVD and Blu-ray is finally over, I bet you're still wondering what to do with that dummy DVD player that you sunk your cold hard cash into. Thankfully, there is a silver lining to your HD DVD raincloud. For all you hard core Best Buy customers, rejoice! If you bought a Toshiba HD DVD player from the home of the Geek Squad before February 23, you're entitled to a nice $50 gift card to replace your defunked player. And if you are an Xbox fan and bought your HD DVD add-on, the refund applies to you as well. Best Buy president Brian J. Dunn, hopes that the gift cards will come as a nice consolation prize for choosing the wrong side in the format war:

"Now that the format war is over, we hope these gift cards will reassure our customers that we will help them make a smooth transition into the right technology for their needs,"

This coming on the heels of Circuit City offering full credits for HD DVD players within 90 days of purchase. To find out how to get your Best Buy refund, read more

For Reward Zone members, you don't have to do a thing! You'll get your gift cards sent to you right away. If you purchased the player with your credit card, cash or check, call (888) Best Buy and supply a receipt. What's more, even if you didn't buy your player from Best Buy, the guys in blue and yellow are offering a trade in program. Once you agree on a trade in price, Best Buy will send you a gift card in your agreed upon amount. But then again, maybe you should store it - it could be worth something someday. Remember LaserDisc?

Source

HD DVD/Blu-ray Combo Products to Debut in 07

GeekSugar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:36:51 -0800

The battle of Blu-ray versus HD DVD continues with the two technologies facing off at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next week in Las Vegas. There are however, a few neutral products that bring the best of both worlds together and should delight gadget lovers.

LG Electronics announced that it will launch the world's first dual-format high-definition disc player, capable of playing both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD content. The company said the unit will be released in the United States in early 2007, and that it "expects this technological breakthrough to end the confusion and inconvenience of competing high-definition disc formats for both content producers and consumers."

Warner Bros. followed with the announcement that it would launch a hybrid disc that works in both Blu-ray and HD DVD players. According to the AP, Warner Bros. developed the "Total HD Disc" to help break the stalemate between HD DVD, developed by a consortium led by Toshiba Corp., and rival Blu-ray, backed by Sony Corp.

HD DVD and Blu-ray offer resolutions that are much higher than standard-definition DVDs, and offer brighter contrast and color, sharper sound and higher levels of interactivity.

Do You Care About Having Blu-ray on Your Laptop?

GeekSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:33:41 -0700

Last week Sony debuted an affordable line of Sony VAIO laptops, the NW series, that can support Blu-ray discs. The news is great and is continuing the trend of laptops being able to support Sony's high-def disc technology, including an even cheaper Blu-ray laptop from Acer, just announced yesterday.

But it's hardly the simple format roll-out previously seen for, say, DVDs - Steve Jobs famously called Blu-ray "a bag of hurt" just months ago, when asked if we'd see it on Macs anytime soon.

Although I'm psyched about the possibility of being able to watch my Blu-rays on my laptop, it's not a huge deal breaker for me - if I want to take high def movies with me, I'd download the digital copy from the Blu-ray or buy an HD movie on iTunes. Who wants to lug more stuff traveling anyway?

Of course I realize that some people have more important uses for Blu-ray on their laptop; I'm just not one of them. Do you care about getting Blu-ray support on your laptop?

Netflix Raises Blu-ray Access Prices: Still Worth It?

GeekSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:02:25 -0700

I was quite peeved when I got an email yesterday from Netflix saying that the price for Blu-ray access was being raised from $1 to $3 for my two-at-a-time membership (check out a price breakdown).

I took it in stride when they upped it from being free to $1 per month last year - I love Blu-rays and with my HDTV, I only rent a DVD if it's the only format available. Netflix's reasoning - that the Blu-ray demand has gotten popular and Blu-rays cost more - makes sense, but it also feels like we're getting the shaft. I've been a loyal customer of Netflix for years, and started getting Blu-rays when I got my PS3. I'm bummed.

When Blu-rays eventually get cheaper, will the price be reduced? I understand this from a business perspective, but like I said, I'm bummed - and yet, I won't get rid of or downgrade my membership. It's still the best option I have for renting movies, so I'll take this and just have to accept it.

On the other hand, while the economy is the way it is, I'm taking a good hard look at my monthly expenses, and getting hit with a higher bill is not what I want to see.

What do you think? Is it still worth it to pay a couple bucks more for Blu-rays?

Twilight's Blu-ray Disc Will Be a Target and Best-Buy Exclusive

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:00:49 -0800

Now that Blu-ray is the only format I can stand to buy new movies of these days, I wait eagerly for Blu-ray releases rather than just the DVD release. So it's with relief to say that Twilight will be released on Blu-ray at the same time as the DVD (March 21).

No huge shock there, but the interesting thing is that the Blu-ray disc will be exclusively available at Target and Best Buy until May 5 (check out that link for the DVD and B-ray extras too).

For only two retailers to have the exclusive for almost a month and a half is pretty uncommon, and just a little bit worrisome - will it keep the price of the already expensive Blu-ray up? In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing Twilight on the superlative format - can you imagine how silly the pale makeup is going to look?!

Wal-Mart: Out With HD DVD and in With Blu-ray

GeekSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:43:19 -0800

As the Blu-ray/HD DVD war continues with Netflix and Best Buy recently making the switch to Blu-ray, things are certainly looking gloomy for the future of HD DVD products. The hardest hit came today, with Wal-Mart announcing that it would be pulling the plug on on HD DVD and moving exclusively toward Blu-ray format movies and players.
By June, 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores will offer only Blu-ray movies and hardware machines, as well as standard definition movies and DVD players. In the meantime, Wal-Mart will slowly be selling off the rest of its HD DVD products. If everything looks as good as Beyoncé in Blu-ray, then I may also have to make the switch!

Source

Watchmen Gearing Up For a BD-Live Screening on Facebook

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:05:23 -0700

One of the coolest things about the Blu-ray takeover is BD-Live, which allows you do cool stuff like watch movies while recording your own commentary track - I've done The Dark Knight with my nearest and dearest and confirm its awesomeness.

For the Watchmen's Blu-ray release, it'll also get a revolutionary welcome on social network site Facebook. The Blu-ray discs will capitalize on the BD-Live feature and enable you to have "community screenings" on Facebook; you'll be able to watch the movie simultaneously with your Facebook friends and make status updates for your commentary.

The Blu-ray disc (which you'll need) will come out some time in July, and in the meantime, make sure you seek out all your Facebook friends who are also Watchmen fans!

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Toshiba to Make Gadgets Blu-Ray Friendly

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:22:07 -0700

Sony recently announced their latest Sony VAIO NW notebook, which comes fully equipped with Blu-ray disc technology and now Toshiba has just announced that they are next in line to create devices that support Blu-ray storage format.

From HDTVs to laptops to DVD players, Toshiba will start rolling out these new Blu-ray products sometime this year.

Be Kind Rewind: Um, What About Blu-ray?

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:00:39 -0700

Totally sick of hearing about the end of the format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD? And totally sick of having to think about when you'll have to start buying Blu-ray discs instead of DVDs? Escape with Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind - a whimsical film and welcome departure from the high-tech rat race that's going on.

I've long loved Gondry for his use and of high and low-tech in his films - usually in terms of special effects (if you haven't seen Science of Sleep, get thee to your Netflix queue), and this time, for Be Kind Rewind, in subject matter as well. For more on Be Kind Rewind, read more

The movie is about two video store clerks (Jack Black and Mos Def) who accidentally de-magnetize their VHS tapes and must re-record them by acting them out themselves. The shop owner (Danny Glover), meanwhile, struggles with the resistance to make the move to DVD.

Of course, after the film I thought: What about Blu-ray? There's no reference to it at all in this film, even among discussion of switching formats. If this film had been shot a year later, would it have warranted a mention? But this movie retorts, what about Blu-ray, indeed.

Be Kind Rewind chastises us for our quick abandonment to newer and better technologies, and celebrates the films and movie-making, regardless of format. By then end of this movie, I even missed my VHS tapes. Sigh. . . I still haven't replaced Reality Bites.

Photos courtesy of New Line Cinema