8/23/2007

Blue Ray Technologies Responds Strongly to Controversial Paramount/HD-DVD Deal

 

Blue Ray Technologies Responds Strongly to Controversial Paramount/HD-DVD Deal

 

Blue Ray Technologies responds to news that Paramount and DreamWorks Animation have accepted $150 million to drop Blu-Ray distribution, a move that has sparked great controversy in the multi-billion dollar film and DVD industries. Erick Hansen of BRT calls it an act of desperation by HD-DVD, which is in grave danger of losing the Hi-def format wars, as indicated by retailer and consumer preference.

 

Spokane, WA (PRWEB) August 23, 2007 -- The founder of the first and only indie Blu-ray factory in the U.S, Erick Hansen of Blue Ray Technologies, spoke out strongly about the reported $150 million in incentives Toshiba and the HD-DVD cadre gave to Paramount and DreamWorks Animation to shun Blu-ray discs.

 

"Toshiba and HD-DVD offered this deal because they are desperate. The public has chosen Blu-ray discs with their pocket books, buying BDs 2-to-1 over HD-DVDs this year," Hansen said.

 

"For retailers, it's like being forced to stock VHS tapes after the public chose DVDs," he added. "For the consumer it creates more confusion that hurts the industry-wide move to hi-def." Hanson noted DVD retail leaders Blockbuster and Target stores will only stock Blu-Ray on their shelves.

 

Studios including Sony, Disney, Fox and MGM are Blu-ray only. Warner Bros. remains dual format. Universal, and now Paramount, release videos in the HD-DVD format.

 

Hanson said he was far from alone in his opinion, citing two articles this week in the New York Times and dozens of other publications where the president of Disney Home Entertainment Bob Chapek stated "There is no longer any doubt that Blu-ray is the clear successor to standard DVDs," Chapek is widely quoted as saying. "(The Paramount deal) is not in the best interest of consumers."

 

"What has Paramount gained by accepting the money?," asked Hansen "If multi-billion dollar director Steven Spielberg and billion dollar director Michael Bay like Blu-ray, the deal is a double-edged sword. "Transformers II" and "Indiana Jones 4" are both billion dollar babies on their own. So why risk the ire of their most valued directors? If these two spoke up so quickly, you can be sure that there are a dozen others who will follow suit if they have the clout on a film."

 

Spielberg's films are specifically excluded from the Paramount-DreamWorks Animation deal, they will continue to be released in both formats, according to Paramount. Bay released a statement on his website over his displeasure of distribution of "Transformers" I and II to HD-DVD only.

 

"I would like to see others take a stand, this is only slowing the inevitable and hurting consumers and the business," Hansen said.

"This seems like a move of desperation," said Andy Parsons, a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, which represents companies like Panasonic, Samsung and Sony.

 

The New York Times and other media said Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD DVD, quoting two executives from Paramount parent Viacom, with knowledge of the deal but who asked not to be identified (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technolo...amp;oref=slogin).

 

The incentives will come in a combination of cash and promotional guarantees. Toshiba will use the release of "Shrek the Third" as part of an HD DVD marketing campaign.

 

"It's not that I'm surprised they took the deal," Hansen concluded. "But it's like paying them not to grow crops. How is the film industry going to segue into the next-gen world if it accepts a relative pittance to stunt its growth?"

 

Hansen is founder of Blue Ray Technologies (www.blueraytechnologies.com) which has built the first U.S. indie Blu-ray plant in Spokane, WA. The $12 million plant also has HD-DVD capacity, but Hansen has chosen to support Blu-ray for reasons of quality, capacity, and market penetration.

 

For further information call BRT at 877-525-8372.

 

###

 

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/8/prweb548492.htm

 

8/22/2007

The Walt Disney Studios Presents DISNEY'S MAGICAL BLU-RAY TOUR

 

Blu-ray has been turning the tide, selling almost twice as many discs this year as HD DVD. Their next weapon in the format war? A 40-foot-long promotional mega-kiosk, shaped like a Magic Kingdom Castle. The moving castle will target the fence early adopters are squatting on by touring 18 malls across the nation (by the food court, probably). The first showing happened on August 17th, in the Westfield Topanga Mall, Conoga Park, CA. God help us all. They're demoing Cars. Watch your wallets, mallwalkers.

 

The Walt Disney Studios Presents DISNEY'S MAGICAL BLU-RAY TOUR Consumers in Malls Across the Nation to Experience the Exciting

High-Def Blu-ray Disc Format

 

Tour to Visit 18 Markets and Focus on Consumer Education

 

Featuring a First Look at Upcoming

Cars and Meet the Robinsons Blu-ray Disc Releases

 

 

BURBANK, CA, July 17, 2007 - The Walt Disney Studios today announced the launch of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, which will visit 18 malls nationwide beginning August 17. The announcement was made by Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, is an interactive exhibit designed to educate consumers about the new high-definition home entertainment technology and will feature interactive kiosks, viewing stations and a special presentation theater where consumers can experience first-hand the amazing capabilities and benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology. Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour will also focus on providing clarity to consumers confused about high-definition home entertainment and educate them on the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology. The tour will kick-off in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, beginning August 17 at the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, CA and continue on to 17 additional locations across the U.S.

According to a recent survey by Leichtman Research Group, close to one-half of the 24 million households with HDTV don't actually watch high-definition programs because they haven't obtained the necessary hardware from their cable, phone or satellite operators. About one-half of those viewers - about six million - don't even realize they're not watching HDTV. The tour aims to educate consumers by delivering a comprehensive and entertaining high-definition

Blu-ray experience, allowing them to interact with the technology and view live demonstrations hosted throughout each day of the tour.

"Disney has always put consumers first and we are here to help everyone understand this amazing new technology. It is imperative that we continue to educate and engage consumers as to the advantages and exciting features that are unique to the Blu-ray Disc format," said Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. "There are so many high-definition enabled households not taking full advantage of its capabilities and we hope to change that with the Disney Magical Blu-ray Tour."

Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour will feature exciting first-look opportunities in each market including previews of Disney/Pixar's Cars, as well as Disney's Meet the Robinsons, and live demonstrations where consumers will get first-hand experience playing the interactive "Liar's Dice" game from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The Mall Tour features six to fourteen interactive stations (depending on the size of the mall) which will showcase all aspects of the Blu-ray Disc technology. A special mini theater will host hourly live presentations on Blu-ray high-definition technology. To date, Disney has released such hits as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Guardian, The Prestige and many more on Blu-ray Disc.

"Our goal with the Disney Magical Blu-ray Tour is to reach as many people as possible and to help educate the consumers across all demographics," said Bob Chapek, president of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. "Our presentations and demo areas will hold something of interest for everyone, from kids and their parents, to older adults and teens. Even early adopters won't be disappointed with the first looks of the bonus materials that we're rolling out for our future titles. Since high definition is for everyone, we made sure that the Tour elements reflected that as well."

"We are very excited to be working together with Disney to bring Blu-ray technology to consumers in this very personal, grassroots experience," said Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, vice president Corporate Development & General Manager, Blu-ray Group for Panasonic. "Consumers will be blown away by the 1080p High Definition presentations we have in store for them and are sure to be excited about the biggest new development in home entertainment since the advent of DVD 10 years ago. Also, we are proud that Disney will be displaying these beautiful images on Panasonic Plasma TVs."

 

Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, will travel to select markets across the country beginning August 17 and continue through December 23, 2007. Cities on the tour include Canoga Park, Costa Mesa, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington DC, Long Island, Boston, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Austin, and Phoenix.

 

Mall Tour Sweepstakes

Guests who visit Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour in each market can register to win a Blu-ray home entertainment package comprising a Blu-ray player and a library of Disney Blu-ray Discs.

 

Mall Tour General Schedule

Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, will be open in all locations during regular mall hours from Friday - Sunday, with a special preview for the media on Friday mornings. The exhibits will be hosted by experts from both Disney and Panasonic, who will be available to answer questions about the technical aspects of Blu-ray and content featured on Disney Blu-ray Discs.

 

 

DISNEY'S MAGICAL BLU-RAY TOUR SCHEDULE:

 

MALL LOCATION EVENT DATES

 

Westfield Topanga Canoga Park, CA Aug. 17 - 19

South Coast Plaza Costa Mesa, CA Aug. 24 - 26

Westfield North County Escondido, CA Aug. 31 - Sept. 2

Westfield San Francisco San Francisco, CA Sept. 7 - 9

Washington Square Portland, OR. Sept. 14 - 16

Westfield South Center Seattle, WA Sept. 21 - 23

Mall of America Bloomington, MN Sept. 28 - 30

Orland Square Orland Park, IL Oct. 5 - 7

Westfield West County St. Louis, MO Oct 12 - 14

Tyson Corner Center McLean, VA Oct. 19 - 21

Roosevelt Field Garden City, NY Oct. 26 - 28

Burlington Mall Burlington, MA Nov. 9 - 11

King of Prussia King of Prussia, PA Nov. 16 -18

Circle Centre Indianapolis, IN Nov. 23 - 25

Lennox Square Atlanta, GA Nov. 30 - Dec. 2

The Galleria Houston, TX Dec. 7 - 9

Barton Creek Square Austin, TX Dec. 14 - 16

Chandler Fashion Center Chandler, AZ Dec. 21 - 23

 

About Blu-ray Disc

The Blu-ray Disc format is currently the leading high-definition packaged media supported by the foremost entertainment companies in film, music, gaming and computer industries. In the U.S., Blu-ray is continuing to outsell the competing format week-by-week, maintaining a 70 percent market share per week of all high-definition titles sold this year.

 

Blu-ray Disc is the next-generation optical disc format for high-definition video and high-capacity software applications. A single-layer Blu-ray Disc will hold up to 25GB of data, and a double-layer Blu-ray Disc will hold up to 50GB of data. A standard definition DVD holds only 10GB by comparison. Blu-ray Disc is supported by the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer, gaming, music and film companies, and, with seven of eight Hollywood studios releasing their high-definition content on Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray will deliver the widest variety of high-definition, home entertainment content.

 

Blu-ray Discs deliver a truly unique high-definition viewing experience with a crystal-clear 1080p picture (the number "1080" represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution, while the letter "p" stands for progressive scan) and astounding 5.1 channel surround and 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio.

 

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

 

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company

Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, a market and technology leader in high definition television, is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (NYSE: MC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Information about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

 

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/format-war/blu+...-war-292391.php

 

 

8/22/2007

Mitsubishi planning 3D Blu-Ray players for 2008.

 

Mitsubishi's trying to bring 3D to the home.

 

(Credit: news.com.au)Along with a few other tech journalists I spent a couple of hours today over at the Westchester Country Club, which is gearing up for The Barclays PGA Tour event. What the hell was I doing there? Well, as part of a marketing deal with the PGA Tour, Mitsubishi is the "official large outdoor video display provider" of the Tour and the PR team wanted us to see some of these displays in action along with the Tour's ShotLink technology, which tracks players' shots almost down to the centimeter (the info is displayed on those giant Mitsubishi scoreboards). That's all sort of interesting if you're a golf fan, but things got a little sexier when Mitsubishi reps took us into a hospitality suite, handed us each a pair of fancy 3D glasses (a little smaller than the ones shown in the photo), and showed us a demo of some new 3D-imaging technology they were working on.

 

The demo was run from a massive Dell desktop and output onto a large DLP set. In an effort to inject new life into the fading rear-projection category, the company's pitch was that the 3D technology worked with existing DLP TVs and projectors (due to DLP's native 120 Hz refresh rate, which allows you to split it into 60/60 for 3D) but not with LCD and plasma displays.

 

Most of us were pretty impressed by the demo, which included clips from movies, commercials, and sporting events. There was real depth to the 3D and you got that whole feeling of things poking out at you from the screen. All the demo material had been shot in 3D, but the kicker to the whole presentation was that Mitsubishi apparently has a Blu-ray player in its labs that can convert existing 2D movies into 3D on the fly. Better yet, according to company reps, it may be available early next year.

 

I'm pretty skeptical it's going to show up anytime soon and I have my doubts that converted 2D content is going to look all that great in 3D. But the 3D movement is gathering more momentum as other companies like Samsung and Philips continue working on ways to bring 3D into the home. Ideally, you wouldn't have to wear glasses (Philips is trying to integrate 3D right into the display), but I have a feeling you're only going to get a true Imax-like 3D experience with some eyewear.

 

While Mitsubishi wasn't ready to get into pricing, one would expect to pay a premium a special-featured Blu-ray player. That said, Mitsubishi hinted that it was in discussions with one game console manufacturer to integrate the 3D technology into the system. The Wii's not capable of such feats and Microsoft's in the HD DVD camp, so one would have to assume it's Sony and the PS3.

 

I know, I know. It's all rampant conjecture. But eventually, HD and 2D just aren't going to cut it. We may be a few years away from that, but there's chatter out there. Anybody out there itching for 3D at home?

 

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9764622-1.html

eh. By the end, both formats will dead and a more unified format will emerge. And early adopters of either format will be screwed royally (unless a rumored all in one player finally comes out).