Blu-ray

VESA announces DisplayPort v1.2

By Mick Webb

20:16 January 22, 2010 PST

The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) has unveiled the long awaited DisplayPort Version1.2 digital display interface that brings with it a host of enhanced features. Aside from a doubled data rate of 21.6Gbps and bi-directional USB data transfer of an impressive 720Mbps, the upgrade also offers multi – monitor support from a single plug, improved audio synchronization and support for Full HD 3D Stereoscopic displays. Read More

Asus Core i7 gaming notebooks

By Paul Ridden

13:39 January 18, 2010 PST

ASUS' Republic of Gamers (ROG) showed off some new gaming notebooks at CES, with specs available including Intel i7 processor, Direct X 11 and 3D graphics, high definition audio and HDD support for up to 1Tb of storage. Gizmag took the opportunity to have a closer look. Read More

Toshiba's ZX900 Series Cell LED TV set for the US market

By Tim Hanlon

19:35 January 7, 2010 PST

The Cell microprocessor made famous by the PlayStation 3 was developed as a joint venture between Sony, Toshiba and IBM, with Toshiba taking over the majority of manufacturing duties in 2007. Toshiba plans to make the most of the Cell with a new range of Cell-powered TVs for the US market - read on to find out what 200 gigaflops can do inside a TV. Read More

Sony and Panasonic propose 66.8GB Blu-ray discs

By Tim Hanlon

21:50 January 6, 2010 PST

Sony and Panasonic have announced a new technology that would increase the capacity of a single-layer Blu-ray disc from 25GB to 33.4GB. The new technology, dubbed i-MLSE (Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation) evaluation index, is achievable using existing Blu-ray laser diodes, and can subsequently be added to existing Blu-ray players with a firmware upgrade. Read More

30mm thick Piixl EdgeCenter 3770 Media Center PC lurks behind your TV

By Jeff Salton

23:57 December 15, 2009 PST

The Piixl Edge EdgeCenter 3770 computer is designed for those who love their media but also treasure their minimalist lifestyle. They also need to be prepared to pay a premium for a Media Center PC that doesn’t have any visible wires – in fact, it doesn’t have any visible parts at all because it hides discreetly behind any VESA-compliant flat panel TV, 37 inches or wider. Read More

'Flipper' discs to contain both Blu-ray and DVD formats on a single disc

By Darren Quick

18:50 December 2, 2009 PST

Universal Studios Home Entertainment are easing the transition from DVD to Blu-ray with the announcement it will release dual-format discs containing both Blu-ray and DVD versions of some of its films on a single disc. The so-called “flipper” discs will allow users to choose between Blu-ray and DVD formats by flipping the disc, making it easy for movie buffs to future-proof their collections. Read More

ZMS-08: world's first Blu-ray quality media processor for handheld devices

By Paul Ridden

19:05 November 11, 2009 PST

With the development of the ZMS-08 system on a chip, ZiiLabs is aiming to bring high performance media processing to low power devices. As well as allowing full Blu-ray quality 1080p video playback, the chip supports simultaneous HD encode and decode, 3D and 2D image processing and advanced audio. Read More

Wii 2 details leaked – full HD support and a 2010 release?

By Paul Lester

18:09 October 30, 2009 PDT

The rise and rise of the Nintendo Wii continues unabated and we’ve seen all manner of weird and wacky accessories released over the last year. With everything from bowling balls to exercise bikes popping up to complement associated games, it’s no surprise the console is a big hit with those who like gadgets and gimmicks, but aside from the MotionPlus we haven’t seen anything genuinely revolutionary since the original motion-sensitive controls... so it looks like it's up to the next-gen successor to truly re-imagine the Wii’s potential. Read More

Philips' Wireless HDTV Link transmits up to 1080p

By Jeff Salton

19:33 October 22, 2009 PDT

Philips' Wireless HDTV Link (SWW1800/27) replaces the cables that connect the HD cable set-top box, HD satellite receiver, Blu-ray player or gaming console to a HDTV and delivers up to 1080p picture quality at a range of 75 feet. This solution should appeal to viewers who have suffered from a lack of flexibility with their set-ups because of unsightly or too short cables. Read More

Pioneer BDR-205 12x Blu-ray disc writer the fastest so far

By Jeff Salton

18:59 October 5, 2009 PDT

The Pioneer Electronics BDR-205 Blu-ray Disc Computer Writer is the industry’s first and fastest model to feature up to 12x write speed for single and dual-layer Blu-ray discs, up from previous speeds of 8x. Pioneer says that when the unit is utilized with a properly configured PC, the drive’s Low Vibration Mechanism Design improves overall writing accuracy, especially for consumers and business people who need to preserve ever-increasing amounts of critical data, making it an ideal choice for authoring providers and system builders. Read More

Five new Alienware PCs invade the gaming market with aggressive looks and specs

By Dario Borghino

17:40 September 24, 2009 PDT

Demanding PC gamers could soon see their wildest dreams come true with the five new Alienware gaming rigs — a laptop and four desktop PCs — recently presented by Dell. From overclocked, liquid-cooled Intel Core i7 processors to the latest-generation NVIDIA GeForce graphics, these machines combine the very best of the industry for blazing fast performance and an unprecedented gaming experience. Read More

Samsung releases P410M and A600 projectors

By Dario Borghino

16:42 September 16, 2009 PDT

Samsung recently added two new projectors to its lineup, both featuring high image quality and a wide range of connectivity capabilities at a very interesting price. The very portable P410M is compact and lightweight, with direct USB connectivity for games and devices, while the high-end A600 offers full HD 1080p video suitable for home theater projection. Read More

Acer Aspire Z5610 is a serious all-in-one desktop

By Darren Quick

00:20 September 7, 2009 PDT

Acer unveiled a big brother to its recently-released Veriton Z280G all-in-one desktop at IFA 2009 in the form of the Aspire Z5610. The new all-in-one unit features a larger 23-inch multi-touch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 5ms response time and 1000:1 contrast ratio. While the Veriton Z280G is more suited to basic home and office use, the Aspire Z5610 is aimed at more demanding multimedia users. Read More

Toshiba's flagship Satellite P500 for no-compromise multimedia

By Dario Borghino

23:21 September 4, 2009 PDT

When it comes to hardcore multimedia rendering and manipulation, Apple computers are traditionally considered among the best fit for the job. But the Cupertino giant could soon see its position menaced by Toshiba's latest Satellite P500, a flagship, high-performance laptop that puts multimedia enthusiasts at the core of its target. Read More

TOOB dome screen delivers IMAX experience at home

By Jeff Salton

23:12 August 27, 2009 PDT

Alexander McDonnell, founder of TOOB (Think Out Of Box) confesses to a fascination with the Mugar Omni Theater in his hometown, Boston – so he decided to build a mini-version for himself. The result is much smaller plastic half-dome screen that’s big enough for a couple of people to sit in front of to watch a movie or enjoy a video game. Read More

Sony Playstation fights back with the smaller, cheaper PS3 Slim

By Mick Webb

18:37 August 24, 2009 PDT

In a move set to shake things up in the ongoing gaming console war,

Sony has unveiled the overhauled Playstation 3. Dubbed the PS3 Slim, the unit features a revised cell processor, 120GB hard drive and is smaller, lighter and – yes – cheaper than its predecessor. Read More

Pioneer's new Elite AV receivers target high-end home theater

By Tim LeFevre

04:46 July 6, 2009 PDT

Pioneer Electronics US recently announced four new receivers to add to its Elite line-up, bringing greater clarity, detail and response to the high definition audio that Blu-Ray and HD DVD offer. The Elite SC-25 and SC-27 feature a Direct Energy HD Class-D amplifier, employing Pioneer’s ICEPower technology to ensure the levels of performance they expect from HD audio soundtracks. Read More

Sony offers new VAIO NW laptop with Blu-ray at affordable price

By Michael Mulcahy

06:34 June 22, 2009 PDT

Sony has released its new VAIO NW laptop, which comes with an optional Blu-ray player. The 15.5-inch widescreen display features Sony’s XBRITE-ECO LCD technology for sharper viewing but, helpfully, the notebook also has an HDMI output, so it can directly connect to a TV for that big-screen, high-def experience. But perhaps the laptop's most impressive feature is the price. Read More

Maingear Axess-HD Gamer: Get your game on in the living room

By Darren Quick

21:34 June 21, 2009 PDT

Maingear has added some gaming grunt to its line of high end Home Theater PCs (HTPCs) in the form the Axess-HD Gamer. Just like its stable mates, the Axess-HD and HD PRO, the HD Gamer sports a low profile design with aluminum case and optional OLED Front Panel Display that is designed to blend in with other home theater components. However, behind that stylish exterior lies a system built for gaming, an intention made more obvious by the inclusion of the Phantom Lapboard as standard. Read More

Bigger night in with Sony movieIQ and cinechat

By Paul Best

20:26 June 21, 2009 PDT

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment hopes to give BD Live – the feature that puts Blu-ray Disc (BD) players in touch with a web-load of online extras – a shot in the arm with the launch of movieIQ and CineChat – and one to its bottomline, as the blue-laser video platform begins to gain some traction, with US hardware sales ballooning 400 percent in first-quarter results. Read More

Media streamers – the future of home entertainment

By Paul Lester

19:00 June 21, 2009 PDT

In the not too distant future, the most essential set-top box for the modern home will not be the Blu-ray player, freeview box or even a satellite or cable receiver, but the home media streamer. While still at a relatively early stage of development, a streamer offers a similar service to the humble MP3 player in its ability to support playback of digital media formats, most notably video. So what exactly do these devices do, why are they so special and what do you need to look for before making your purchase? Read More

World’s first portable Blu-ray player claims a second first

By Darren Quick

03:16 June 17, 2009 PDT

The Panasonic DMP-B15, the world’s first portable Blu-ray player that first caught our interest at CES 2009, can lay claim to another first. It is also the world’s first Blu-ray player with DivX Certification. DivX compression technology enables over six hours of high-quality DivX video to fit on just one DVD without sacrificing visual quality. So even if your Blu-ray library is a little undersized, you might have to go for the optional 6-hour battery over the standard issue 3-hour job to make the most of your programming options. Read More

Bang & Olufsen announces the BeoVision 7-40 with Blu-ray

By Mick Webb

18:43 June 6, 2009 PDT

Bang & Olufsen has announced the release of the BeoVision 7-40 flat-screen LCD TV, incorporating a Blu-ray player and double-frame-rate technology. Read More

PC-in-a-vase does compute

By Darren Quick

02:40 June 4, 2009 PDT

Here at Gizmag we've covered some unusual gadgets over the years, but a computer hidden in a vase? What at first might sound like a joke, actually makes sense when you consider the once-humble PC is arguably more at home in the living room than the study as digital content and media have grown. Computer manufacturers have obliged by producing PCs designed to blend tastefully with the décor – but none of them blend as seamlessly as the PC-in–a-vase from Taiwanese manufacturer ECS. Read More

Panasonic's world-first portable Blu-ray player hits US shelves

By David Greig

00:48 June 3, 2009 PDT

The world’s first portable Blu-ray disc player, the Panasonic DMP-B15, showcased at this year's CES bash in Las Vegas, has finally it made it onto US shelves – with a price tag of USD$799.95. Read More