CableLabs has created a new, streamlined approval process for consumer electronics companies that wish to produce tru2way capable devices for interactive cable services. Part of the new agreement allows CE vendors to ’self-certify’ tru2way two-way cable products. Formerly CableLabs required all two-way devices to be submitted for testing and certification by CableLabs itself. Samsung is the first CE vendor to sign the new agreement.

The agreement also allows CE vendors to formally participate in CableLabs processes and includes a license to use the tru2way trademark. The new agreement consolidates and simplifies two separate licenses, the CableCARD Host Licensing Agreement (Chila) and the OpenCable Application Platform Implementer Agreement. Formerly both were required for any CE vendor who wished to implement tru2way in their devices.

Via Multichannel News and Light Reading’s Cable Digital News.

Announced back at CES, but without details, Panasonic has released more details on the DMP-BD50. This new box will have BD-Live, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio support, as well as Panasonic’s VIERA Link, which is all nice, but it will carry a $700 MSRP, which is not so nice. If you’re looking for a feature laden, top-end Blu-ray deck, and price isn’t a big issue, the DMP-BD50 is certainly worth a look when it ships later this spring. But personally I still think the Sony PS3 is the best value at this point.

Picked up from Electronic House.

Korean company Dreamer yesterday announced their BIDDLE™ Technology, which appears to be a BD-Live based platform for Blu-ray players to act as broadband content set-top boxes. The BIDDLE technology is currently used by over one million customers in Korea where it is used by #1 IPTV provider Korea Telecom and #1 cable MSO CJ CableNet. Checking out the website, it really looks like quiet an interesting platform, above and beyond the conventional BD-Live content we’ve seen announced to date, or the online content HD DVD used to have. It looks like it could really be a content delivery platform to turn any BD-Live enabled device into a receiver for broadband content.

Here’s Dreamer’s press release:
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This is nice to see, Amazon is running a Buy Two, Get One Free Blu-ray sale with 34 titles to choose from. Most of the titles are priced at $27.95, though some are $20.95, and two for $19.95. Of course, the way it works is that the cheapest title out of three is the free one. So if you purchase three $27.95 titles and three $20.95 titles, you’d get two $20.95 titles free. Here’s a little tip - make two orders, three $27.95 in one, three $20.95 in the other - then you get one $27.95 and one $20.95 free, saving $7 more. (And you can combine open orders later if you want to.)