Apple iPad misses the mark as HD-enabled living room tablet, media controller

That new Apple iPad is full of potential. I really want to want one but it feels like it’s just missing the mark by a hair. And that hair is going to keep this writer from buying. At least this year. …Continued…

[VIDEO] HD Nation Covers Blu-Con 2.0 – Martin Scorsese, Best Buy, Restoration

If you’re not watching HD Nation, we can’t be friends. No seriously. Don’t even try to talk to me. Especially about Blu-ray or TVs or … well, just don’t even talk to me. HD Nation is Patrick Norton and Robert Heron, both ex of Tech TV hosting a new show every Tuesday about our favourite topic – High-Def stuff! And this episode is a particular delight! Shot during Blu-Con 2.0 a couple of weeks ago, the guys managed to nail down interviews with some pretty influential folk as well as getting some footage of Martin Scorsese’s keynote Q&A … Continued…

Netflix Streaming Coming to Playstation 3 in the USA

Microsoft can’t catch a break this week! First came the dashed hope of an Xbox 360 Blu-ray player accessory, now comes the news that their Netflix Streaming feature is no longer exclusive to their gaming console, despite the fact that they were touting it as such only a scant couple of months ago. Netflix and Sony have announced that we’re only a month away from seeing the streaming movie service debut on the PS3…only in the USA, of course. We Canadians are going to have to suck it up once again and wait for the priveldge of a no-doubt far inferior service to appear on our gaming consoles. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Details of the Netflix/PS3 deal in the press release: …Continued…

No Blu-ray Drive for XBox 360, despite what Microsoft CEO says

Did you see this video? This interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer? He appears to be saying that you Xbox 360 owners are going to be getting a Blu-ray drive accessory some time in the near future. Seemed suspicious to me. I didn’t believe it for a moment. And now my suspicions have been born out. Apparently Steve made a slip of the tongue, or was a little obtuse or just led us astray with his poorly worded comments – Microsoft now confirms that there will be no Blu-ray on the Xbox. …Continued…

Canadian Home-Video retailer Future Shop "Lowest Price Guarantee" a lie

I know. Calling a major chain’s policies “a lie” is pretty strong. Well, I have proof. …Continued…

Sony's PS3 Slim News Round-Up: Released, Reviewed, Compared

It’s smaller, thinner, lighter, better, uses less energy and best of all…IT’S ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS CHEAPER!!! …Continued…

How a Blu-ray Disc is made: Inside Sony's Blu-ray Factory

Designer Elaine Ho (www.roadkillroadkill.com) of Montreal forwarded me a link to this excellent exposé on the Blu-ray manufacturing process yesterday: a slideshow of images from Sony’s new Blu-ray factory in Sydney, Australia, with an excellent, concise walkthrough of the process by Charlie Brewer. He takes you from tiny polycarbonate granules being piped around the factory to molded, flat, coated discs, packaged and ready to ship out to shops in fifteen easy steps. The photos are fascinating and the text, while short is pretty illuminating. …Continued…

Universal to release iPod Touch/iPhone apps that control Blu-ray players, PS3

I’ve been waiting for this in some form or another. I knew it would happen some day. I just didn’t expect to be able to control my PS3 with my iPhone via a Fast and Furious movie related application.

So, it turns out that Universal Studios Home Entertainment has beaten all the iTunes App Store developers to the punch and come up with a way for us to control our Blu-ray players through an application downloaded onto an iPhone or iPod Touch. The bummer of it is that it’s such a specific and limited control that we’re offered through the device that it’s almost not worth the bother, at this point. But I see a lot of potential here. On July 28th the studio will release the film Fast and Furious on Blu-ray with a “Virtual Car Garage” bonus feature that uses BD Live technology. If your player is connected to a network, you’ll be able to manipulate this content on-screen by using a free app you can download onto your iPhone or iPod Touch through the iTunes store. …Continued…

Rumour: PS3 to offer "Completely New System" in Firmware 3.0

Stop the presses!

According to awesome game-nerd site VG247, we Playstation 3 owners have got a treat in store for us, coming down the bits-and-bytes pipes before the holidays. Their super-secret sources deep in the bowels of Sony have revealed to them that we’re going to get a firmware update to version 3.0 that will amount to a having a completely new system. A radical PS3 operating system redesign. Awesome!

Here’s what they have to say: …Continued…

Sony to Cut PlayStation 3 Price $100 in August, $99 Blu-ray Players by Holidays

Home Media Magazine has gotten a quote from Arvind Bhatia, media analyst with Sterne Agee in Dallas, stating that Sony will drop the PS3 by $100 before EA’s Madden NFL 2010 is released on August 18th. Sony has previously stated that their goal is to increase console business by 30% in 2009.

“That’s not going to happen unless they lower the price significantly,” Bhatia said. “It’s widely known that a price cut is going to happen; it’s a question of when and how much.”

This sounds pretty likely to me, in the wake of all the PS3 Slim rumours swirling around the inter-webs. Sony can drop the price of the old version of the console, while pimping their newer, slimmer model for the original MSRP of $399. An old-school PS3 for $299 is nothing to sneeze at. I think a lot of people would be anxious to scoop one up for that price, even with the newer, flashier, sexier model on the shelves. …Continued…