Circuit City was listing the LG BH200 dual-format Blu-ray/HD DVD deck for $799.99 earlier today, $200 off MSRP, according to EngadgetHD. But it is back to $999.99 now. Typo or a leak of what the pricing will be once it becomes available?

Video Business reports that the Fox Home Entertainment Blu-ray release of the film Sunshine will be the first Blu-ray Disc title with Final Standard Profile support for PIP when it streets in January. The article again mentions that Sony is expected to update the PS3 to Final Standard Profile (aka Profile 1.1) in a firmware update soon. The PS3 should have all of the hardware necessary to support Profile 1.1, even Profile 2.0 (BD Live). (Via EngadgetHD)

In an article on a Blu-ray promotional press event, Home Media Magazine started speculation that Warner Home Video may be considering a switch to Blu-ray exclusivity.

Also there was Dan Silverberg, VP of high-definition media for Warner Home Video, which since Paramount’s move to the HD DVD camp is the only studio to support both next-generation formats.

That may not be for long, Silverberg said. “One thing that may be changing is our strategy,” he said. “When both formats launched and hardware prices were high, we made a decision to support both formats and let the consumer decide. But now that hardware pricing is affordable for both Blu-ray and HD DVD, it appears consumers no longer want to decide — so the notion of staying in two formats for the duration is something we are re-evaluating now that we are in the fourth quarter.”

Silverberg noted that Warner has the top-selling Blu-ray title of all time with 300 and is consistently No. 1 or No. 2 in both Blu-ray sales market share and in number of Blu-ray titles in the market.

“We can definitely talk Blu-ray,” he said. “We are committed to the format.”

So, if they’re committed to the Blu-ray format, but they’re re-evaluating the strategy of supporting both formats, it seems the only think that can logically mean is that they may drop HD DVD support. Warner is a major factor in both BD and HD DVD - 24.71% of Blu-ray (#2 to Sony’s 25%) and 33.96% of HD DVD (#2 to Universal’s 39.88%). If Warner were to drop HD DVD it would be a major blow to the format, much more so that Paramount and DreamWorks going to HD DVD. It sounds like the Blu-ray camp is going to be turning up the heat on HD DVD. (Via EngadgetHD)

User infopex in the HighDefDigest forums reported claims by Slysoft that the company has cracked the BD+ DRM protection available for Blu-ray discs, and that the next version of their AnyDVD software will be able to copy any titles. The thread links to this page at the German version of Tom’s Hardware and this page at Golem.de. (Via EngadgetHD)

Gizmodo is reporting that Amazon will have
a batch of Nintendo Wiis in stock at 10AM PST today, Halloween. Good luck.

Panasonic today introduced the DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player. This is the first player to support what is known as Blu-ray Final Standard Profile, also known as BD Profile 1.1. This includes two video decoders for PIP support, two audio decoders, and expanded on-box storage. With an MSRP of $499.95, this is certainly an attractive player, especially compared to similarly priced Profile 1.0 players already on the market. I expect it will be selling for well under $500 online during the holidays.

With an SRP of $499.95, the DMP-BD30 also features a myriad of technology advances, including Deep Color Compatibility, and HDMI 1.3B, that bumps the step gradation from 8-bit 256 all the way up to 12-bit, 4,096 step gradation. To further enhance the viewing experience, the DMP-BD30 also provides 1080/24p playback, so the consumer can enjoy the same 24-fps (frames per second) reproduction as the original movie. This eliminates the need to utilize 3.2 pull down, a process to convert 24-fps images to 60-fps, resulting in a smoother picture.

The inclusion of a multi-function SD Card slot is another new addition to the Panasonic Blu-ray player. Coupled with the AVCHD codec, the DMP-BD30 allows for images recorded on a high capacity HD SD card to be outputted directly from the player’s HDMI terminal in their original 1080p form. To further benefit the user, the DMP-BD30 provides an AVCHD Direct Navigator function that makes it easy to search for particular scenes. The player can also play back JPEG still images on an SD card, such as those recorded with a Panasonic Lumix digital camera. The DMP-BD30 converts the images to 1920×1080 resolution, ideal for viewing on a 1080p HD Plasma and output them through the HDMI terminal.

The only downside to this player is that it lacks an Ethernet port, so no support for future BD Live online content. A shame, everything else about this player looks pretty good. Though the lack of BD Live is probably not that big of a deal for most users, adding an Ethernet port even for just firmware updates would be nice. The player will be available the second week of November, and should be the first Final Standard Profile player on the market, beating the Samsung BD-UP5000 dual-format (BD/HD DVD) player, and for half the price.

The press release:
Read the rest of this entry »

A couple of items relating to TiVo’s on-box advertising popped up today. First, Integrated Media Measurement, Inc (IMMI) released a press release which touched on TiVo-based promotions:

The data, which was collected by monitoring actual media exposure and individual behavior, shows that of the IMMI panelists who watched a fall television show promo on TiVo Showcase, a way for TiVo subscribers to request ads, 42 percent went on to actually watch the show. IMMI tracked promos for shows on ABC, NBC and CBS during the six-week period leading up to the fall television premieres.

“The value of using television to promote television shows is very clear,” said Amanda Welsh, co-founder of Integrated Media Measurement Inc. “Nonetheless, the TiVo Showcase offered good penetration levels and a dramatic return on investment when compared to other ‘pull’ advertising mechanisms like the Internet.”

It certainly sounds like good news for TiVo’s ad sales department, ‘dramatic return on investment’ is always nice.

And BtoB Magazine ran an article on TiVo’s marketing platform, which also had some good things to say. The article mentions the five major ways TiVo provides advertisers access to the TiVo user - through the TiVo Central promos (the article states that TiVo Central is viewed about 4.8 times a day by each of 4.2 million users), pop-up adds over commercials in recording content (the ‘Press Thumbs Up to record’ or ‘Press Thumbs Up for more info’ pop-ups, as well as the ‘billboard’ ads during FF over commercials, etc), the add-box on the delete/keep screen at the end of playback of a recording, the Showcases menu, and Product Watch.

But I found this the most interesting:

TiVo hopes to soon have a Click to Buy button so advertisers can get sales directly from TiVo. “Marketers like leads, but they love sales even more,” Barnett said. “That button is our big push right now.”

Down the road, Barnett sees TiVo working with television producers to embed pop-ups in programs for viewers to opt in to. “That’s TiVo 2.0,” he said, “but definitely possible. Product development is working on ways to make programming actionable. The future holds that in store.”

I’ve been saying for years now that they should have a ‘Click to Buy’ feature, especially on impulse items like CDs, DVDs, etc. I could see this tied into other things - how about ‘Rent now from Unbox’ on DVD ads when the movie is available that way? ‘Add to Rhapsody play list’ for music. Really integrate the different product features.

The embedded pop-ups in programming both excites and worries me - because I can see it being used for great things, or being really, really bad. The last thing I want is product placement gone wild, which advertising pop-ups appear during a program - that would really piss me off. But I also watch a lot of shows which do things like plug their website for more videos, behind the scenes content, etc - like Mythbusters, Build It Bigger, etc. It would be very cool if I could hit Thumbs Up and those extra videos would download to my TiVo in the background via TiVoCast. Or take advantage of TiVo Desktop and have a ‘TiVo Bookmarks’ feature where the TiVo lets the central server know you’re interested in more info on ‘X’, and you TiVo Desktop sync’s with that regularly, just like the TiVo, so you can go to your PC later and just pop open those new links in your browser. TiVo could even produce an extension for Firefox, IE, etc, to integrate that right into the browser.

Convergence excites me because it can do some very cool things. But it can also be abused, so I’m hopeful, but cautiously so.

I just received a Buy.com affiliate email update on a number of deals they’re currently running, a number of them are worth checking out:

They have several Xbox 360 promotions: Xbox 360 Elite System (120GB HD) Holiday Bundle for $449.99 (expires 1/31/08), Xbox 360 Pro System (20GB HD) Holiday Bundle for $349.99 (expires 12/31/07), and Xbox 360 Arcade System Holiday Bundle for $279.99 (expires 1/31/08). The first two include two free games - Forza 2 Motorsports and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. An Xbox 360 Live 12 Month Gold Card is $46.99 through 11/30/07.

And there is the previously posted deal on the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on for $164.99, which includes the free Heroes Season 1 HD DVD, the King Kong HD DVD included with the drive, and five more free HD DVDs. This deal only runs through 11/04/07.

To feed that HD DVD drive, Paramount HD DVDs are on sale through 11/16/07.

On the other side of the format war, they now have the 80GB PlayStation 3 at its new price of $499.99 (expires 1/31/08). That comes bundled with MotorStorm and is eligible for five free Blu-ray movies. The PS3 Blu-ray DVD remote is $26.17 through 12/31/07.

To feed this, Blu-ray titles are on sale through 11/26/07, with other Blu-ray deals through 12/31/07.

And you can save $10 off $200 with this coupon, expiring 11/30/07

This press release dropped in my inbox today. Expect to see a lot of publicity over the next year, leading up to the 2009 digital switchover.

Contact:
Shermaze Ingram, NAB
202-429-5477
singram@nab.org

Broadcasters Join Digital Television (DTV) Consumer Education Campaign in Record Numbers

Networks and Television Stations Nationwide Enlist en Masse

A list of participating stations can be found here:
www.dtvanswers.com/Supporters.pdf

Washington, D.C. – More than 1,000 broadcasters are participating in a consumer education campaign designed to ensure that no viewer loses access to free broadcast programming in 2009 when television stations switch to digital broadcasting. Eighteen broadcast companies representing 139 television stations recently joined the multiplatform, multifaceted campaign, which includes a rich variety of on-air, online and grassroots initiatives, as well as earned media and advertising components. (Many other stations are expected to participate in the campaign).

The campaign marks the second phase of the industry’s DTV education initiatives, which began in late 2006. Earlier this month, broadcasters announced their latest consumer education efforts, committing over $697 million to helping viewers prepare for the February 17, 2009, transition to digital television.

“We are very pleased to announce our steadily increasing partnerships with local and national broadcasters, all pledging their time and services to help educate consumers about the DTV transition,” said David Rehr, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). “The full participation of broadcasters is vital in making this transition as easy as possible for consumers.”

Broadcast networks and television stations nationwide have been working closely together to coordinate initiatives for the campaign, which will include:

• “DTV Action” television spots
• Crawls, snipes and/or news tickers during programming
• 30-minute educational programs about DTV
• 100-day countdown to the February 17, 2009, DTV deadline
• Public relations elements, including earned media coverage in newspapers and online
• DTV Road Show that will visit 600 locations nationwide
• DTV Speakers Bureau that will reach one million consumers
• Online banner ads on TV station Web sites

Broadcasters’ participation in the campaign has increased dramatically since NAB’s announcement on October 15. (Complete list of participating stations is included in the above link).

The combined elements of the DTV campaign will reach nearly all television viewers and generate 98 billion audience impressions during the course of the campaign, which will run through February 17, 2009, when all television stations must turn off their analog signals and begin broadcasting exclusively in the digital format.

Dave Zatz over at ZatzNotFunny, who also happens to have a ‘day job’ with Sling Media, is giving away his personal Slingbox PRO and HD Connect. (I guessing he brought home a new Slingbox SOLO from the office. )

I like the way he does his giveaways - you have to link to a past comment you left on his blog. I just may use that myself at some point, since it rewards those readers who are active and leave comments.

Just last night I posted about Circuit City pricing the Toshiba HD-A2 at $197.99 in response to Wal*Mart’s $198 price, stating that Amazon was still charging $229.98 but that I wouldn’t be surprised if they dropped their pricing too. Well, color me unsurprised, as the Toshiba HD-A2 is now $197.99 at Amazon.com - with free shipping.

But there’s more. Sears’s Black Friday ads have been leaked, including the Toshiba HD-A3 which they’ll be selling for $169.99 from 5AM until noon that day. You can see the ad in this post at AVS Forum. They apparently picked it up from SlickDeals.net, and I found it via a comment at Gizmodo. Ah, the World Wide Web…

You HD DVD fans can never say I don’t do anything for you.

Yeah, I know I’m a Blu-ray supporter, but for some reason some of you insist on buying HD DVD. So I thought I’d let you know that Buy.com is running a special 10/29 - 11/04. You can get the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on for $164.99 with free budget shipping, and you get the Heroes Season 1 HD DVD free. Oh yeah, and remember the 360 HD DVD comes bundled with King Kong on HD DVD. And the drive is eligible for the ‘five free HD DVD‘ mail-in offer from TheLookAndSoundOfPerfect.com too. That’s six free discs and an entire free series of Heroes all told.

While I’m at it, they’re also offering the Samsung HL-R5678W 56″ 1080p DLP TV for $1,399,99 with free budget shipping. You know, if you need something to play those HD DVDs on.

TiVo’s last rebate on the S2 and S2DT family expired yesterday, 10/27/2007. But not to fear, today a new rebate goes into effect on units purchased between 10/28/2007 and 1/26/2008, and it is remarkably similar to the last rebate. You save $170 off the Series2 models starting with ‘540′, and $150 off the Series2DT (model starting 649) and other members of the Series2 family (models starting with 264, 275, 565, 590, and 595). The rebate has yet to appear on TiVo’s official rebate page, but WeaKnees has it posted already. It’ll probably appear on TiVo’s page Monday.