Sony turns up their HD marketing efforts and Disney’s “Magical Blu-ray Tour” kicks off

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2007 by MegaZone

Sony is launching a $100 million advertising campaign around the theme of HDNA – HD+DNA. The campaign will focus on educating consumers on the benefits of Sony’s high definition products, such as televisions and Blu-ray Disc systems. It will span TV, radio, print, and the Internet and feature NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhart, Jr. as spokespersons. The ad campaign will continue through the holiday shopping season and into 2008.

Get ready for a deluge of HD marketing this holiday shopping season. Both sides of the HD disc war will be going all out to give their format a boost. In addition to this Sony campaign, Disney’s “Magical Blu-ray Tour” just kicked off as well. Over at HollywoodInHiDef.com they have a video of Scott Hettrick interviewing consumers attending the Disney demonstration. The videos are in the upper-right of the home page, click on ‘Play Video’ next to “Disney’s Magical Blu-ray Tour”.

You can expect many millions more of advertising dollars to be poured into HD marketing, especially from the much larger and deep-pocketed Blu-ray camp. But you’re also going to see a lot of HD TVs being pitched this year.

(Sony news from Blu-ray.com.)

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Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics for Blu-ray and HD DVD

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2007 by MegaZone

Videophiles are likely familiar with Video Essentials and Digital Video Essentials – informational releases that were also useful for calibrating home theater setups. Well, Joe Kane, the man behind those products, has produced Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics for the high-definition user, and it is being released on both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD.

The DVD Acquisition and Development Group, Inc., the parent company of DVD International (DVDI), announces the release of Joe Kane Productions’ Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics on HD DVD and Blu-ray disc. Designed to benefit HDTV novices and aficionados alike, HD Basics has been created by Joe Kane, one of this country’s leading HD experts, designers and consultants. The comprehensive disc provides easy-to-use calibration tests and setup instructions for getting the most out of your HDTV set and offers valuable background information on today’s high definition systems. HD Basics is the successor to the popular Video Essentials and Digital Video Essentials. The HD DVD and Blu-ray versions of HD Basics will be available starting October 30, 2007, and will each retail for $29.95.

This should be a valuable tool for anyone looking to get the most out of their high-definition home theater. I plan to pick up the Blu-ray version.

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The Palm Centro – Gandolf gets a name?

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2007 by MegaZone

Sprint spilled the beans and Palm confirmed it – there is a new Palm smartphone hitting the Sprint network this fall. The Palm Centro will be targeted at the youth market and it will be the smallest Palm smartphone to date. It will run Palm OS Garnet, basically the same software as the 755p today, and have a 320×320 screen that is physically smaller than today’s Treos. It will run on CDMA/EV-DO for Sprint (and possibly Verizon and other networks as well), no word on a GSM model. Sprint will reportedly have a 90-day exclusive, and it may be offered for as low as $99 with a plan.

No official pictures have been released of the new phone – though a lot of sites are posting with previously leaked pictures that have been attributed as the ‘Gandolf’ or the Treo 800. Gearlog was there and reports that the photos Engadget is running are “roughly correct”.

Gearlog, Engadget, Palm Infocenter, Treonauts, Gizmodo, CNET, and The Register all have reports.

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Get a 60GB PS3 for $349.99 – if you sign up for a Sony credit card

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2007 by MegaZone

So the way it works, you sign up for the Sony credit card and use the instant approval to purchase the PlayStation3 for $499.99. But your first purchase of $299 or more earns a $150 credit back to the card – reducing the PS3 to $349.99. Sure, you could buy something else to earn the same credit – but what’s more appropriate for a new Sony card? Get a PS3 for gaming and Blu-ray for less. And don’t forget the five free Blu-ray Disc offer is still running, so you’d get five free movies as well. The deal is good through August 31st.

Via Gizmodo and Gamespot.

Posted in Blu-ray/HD DVD, Gaming | 1 Comment

Well, that didn’t last long

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2007 by MegaZone

Just this Tuesday I posted about the CEA working on standardizing 1080p component video. Well, the CEA has already rejected the proposal. The television and movie content owners shot it down – no big surprise. However, it looks like CE vendors will probably continue to add 1080p component to their devices – standard or no standard.

Spotted via EngadgetHD
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Posted in General Tech, HDTV | Leave a comment