Recently, XBox 360 product manager, Aaron Greenberg, indicated in an interview that the Blu-ray is not the future. He also goes on to take stabs at Sony for some of its decisions regarding the PS3.
Greenberg stated in an interview with Major Nelson, that the Blu-ray is no DVD. He also indicated that the Blu-ray format could be the next UMD. I assume he is attempting to correlate UMD as a failed format for movies. An odd comparison considering that the UMD is a Sony PSP-only format. I assume you could also say then, that the Nintendo DS cartridge is a failed format as well.
Greenberg said: “We have no plans to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience,.. We believe that we shouldn’t force consumers to pay for things they don’t want. We also believe that the future’s digital, and that’s why we’ve invested in a massive library of entertainment content.”
This supports my recent story detailing how Microsoft’s nickel and dime bu... More »
Reports indicate that the Samsung BP-1500 Blu-ray player, which usually sells for $400, will go on sale on Black Friday for just $149.
To quote: You might want to hold off on buying a Blu-ray player for a few weeks, because thankfully, finally, seriously, and almost too-latedly, Blu-ray players will soon drop into truly affordable territory.
A source close to Ultimate Electronics has told us to expect the Samsung BD-P1500 — usually about $400 — for $149 on this particularly welcome and poignant Black Friday.
Ultimate Electronics is a primarily Midwestern chain, but look to be offering this deal in cooperation with Samsung — in other words, it's probably not the only place you'll see stupidly cheap Blu-ray players come November 28th.
Xbox Group product manager Aaron Greenberg has refuted reports that Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology Corp will develop a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360, claiming owners of the console would not be interested in such an add-on.
"We have no plans to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience," he told Major Nelson. "We believe that we shouldn't force people to pay for things they don't want."
Following the commercial failure of the HD-DVD format Microsoft decided to invest in, Greenberg also stated that Microsoft's position on high-definition movie and TV content is currently centred around digital distribution.
"We've invested in a massive library of entertainment content. That's why we're bringing things like Netflix to members in the US, that's why we're growing our library in Europe, that's why we're adding all types of entertainment experiences around the world.
"And Blu-ray: who knows? I'll tell you one thing: if you look... More »
According to XBitLabs (linked above), Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology Corp. has been contracted to manufacture external Blu-ray disc drives for Microsoft XBox 360 game consoles.
Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology Corporation is a joint venture between Samsung Electronics and Toshiba Corporation. The Blu-ray disc drives are rumored to cost in the $100-$150 range.
To quote: It is still unclear when exactly Microsoft plans to release its external Blu-ray solution for Xbox 360. Hypothetically, the company may launch it slightly ahead of the holiday season in an attempt to steal an advantage from the PlayStation 3. B
ut since sales of Blu-ray are still on a low level, the software giant may decide to postpone the unveiling till Consumer Electronics Show early next year in order to get the most attention of the media with new device.
Microsoft and TSST did not comment on the news story.
Philips has shown off 3D on Blu-ray at IFA 2008. A demo at the event shows that its 2D plus depth content format can be applied to Blu-ray, which has the effect of enabling a more life-like viewing experience on a variety of different display sets.
To quote: The demo shows that its 2D-plus-Depth content format can be applied to Blu-ray thereby enabling a great 3D movie viewing experience on a variety of displays.
With the growing amount of 3D movies currently on theater release, people now want to enjoy the 3D viewing experience in their homes as well. In order to bring high quality 3D content to the home, the 2D-plus-Depth format offers a solution that can be applied to Blu-ray. Subsequently, these discs can be enjoyed on both stereoscopic (special glasses needed) as well as auto-stereoscopic 3D displays, which do not require glasses.
Philips 3D Solutions provides end-to-end 3D system solutions ranging from 3D displays for professional use, 3D c... More »
Update: We have received word from Paramount that they will meet the street date, and that the 'Iron Man' Blu-ray will not be delayed.
Blu-ray.com is reporting that the upcoming Blu-ray release of ‘Iron Man’ has been recalled. A few weeks back, some of those receiving review copies reported trouble playing the disc in their Blu-ray players. Apparently, there is an authoring problem with the disc, and distributors have been issued direction to send back all product.
According to those distributors, Paramount is doing everything possible to get enough replacement discs to retailers in time for its September 30th release date, but it may not be able to meet the demand. If Paramount can’t get enough titles onto retail shelves, they may delay the title until October 7th.
Online retailers like Amazon are likely to ship first-come, first-serve, so make sure you have your pre-order in now if you... More »
In an interesting development that may de-value it's own PS3, Sony is focusing on more user-friendly price points to promote its two new Blu-ray Disc players.
The new models, showcased at a Sony event today, are aimed at current DVD and HDTV users who have previously been priced out of the market.
Sony technology communications manager Paul Colley explained that the new Blu-ray strategy is heavily influenced by history, with the Sony looking to replicate the whirlwind take-up of DVD. Colley noted that DVD players didn’t explode in popularity until the players were able to reach a price point more agreeable with everyday consumers.
This was back in December 2001, when the price point for DVD players came down to around the $400 mark. In was at this time that DVD players finally overcame various competing formats to become the number one choice for movie playback in Australia. Sony hasn’t been able to get its prices that low, but they h... More »
This is a dramatic change in my opinion. For almost 1/8 of the cost of the games we purchase we can make a backup copy just in case little cousin Debbie finds out it's really cool to microwave MGS4.
Of course to whom this backup is useful to... it can't be said as of yet, but never the less with dropping prices, I see a bright future.
The second listing is for those without a BD-R drive yet. $200 and it is almost future proof with 6x write compatibility versus the 2x available. AND it reads HD DVD's :O... More »
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