Another vendor goes Blu-ray exclusive

Tartan Video has decided to go with Blu-ray exclusively for their high-definition releases. Tartan is a UK distributor of mainly independent cinema, as well as the Tartan Terror and Tartan Asia Extreme labels. Releases begin August 27th with Paul Verhoven’s Black Book and the 50th Anniversary Edition of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. These will be followed on September 24th by the Asian cinema release Oldboy.

Tartan plans to encode their videos using AVC and audio will be DTS Master Audio and Dolby Digital. Tartan will include the DVD version of the films, bundled with the BD releases, for £29.99.

From DVD Times by way of Blu-ray.com.

The press release:
Continue reading

Posted in Blu-ray/HD DVD | Leave a comment

Amazon Unbox 2.0 released – and another 99-cent sale

Amazon Unbox 2.0 is out of beta and officially released. The website has been redesigned, and the PC client has a number of new features.

And of course, you can also now access Unbox directly from your TiVo.

And while I’m at it, this weekend’s Amazon Unbox 99-cent sale is on The Pursuit of Happyness, Music and Lyrics, The Good Shepherd, The Sweetest Thing, The 24th Day, and Happy Feet. (I just realized that they spelled the title of the movie ‘Happyness’ – when it is properly ‘Happiness’.)

Posted in Amazon Unbox, TiVo | 4 Comments

Paging Jonkempato

Jonkempato, I have not heard from you to claim your free SlingPlayer Mobile license. I’ve emailed you at the address you used to enter with no replies. If I haven’t heard from you by next Monday, I’ll draw a new winner on Tuesday. Please check your email and respond to one of my messages. Thank you.

Posted in Sling Media | Leave a comment

More information on TiVo down under

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting more details on the plans for TiVo in Australia. It sounds like the Australian model will have most of the features we have in the US, perhaps all. It will have broadband video on demand for movies, and perhaps TV episodes. The Herald interviewed Seven Network’s director of digital media, Rohan Lund.

But where Foxtel iQ offers 12 hours of new pre-packaged content each week, it is understood the TiVo service will let users download from a list of latest-release movies.

Mr Lund said it had not been decided which existing video on-demand service, if any, Seven would partner with in Australia, but it was “inevitable” the feature would be available when TiVo launched.

“We will be looking at a video on-demand service, and we obviously have the option to leverage the Amazon deal that TiVo has struck in the US,” said Mr Lund.

And:

While movies would definitely be offered through a TiVo video on-demand service, Mr Lund said Seven was also considering using it to deliver television shows.

It sounds like they may even have some features we don’t (yet) have in the US:

Other video content from the internet, such as YouTube clips, would also feature prominently. But only a limited number of content sites would be supported for the sake of usability.

I’d love to see more Internet video content available on TiVo’s here in the US too. Australian TiVo owners will also be able to schedule recordings over the Internet and from (some) mobile phones, just as in the US.

Pricing has not yet been announced, but“[Mr. Lund] gave a ballpark monthly subscription cost of [AUD]$10″

Posted in Amazon Unbox, TiVo | Leave a comment

Disney, Sony, and Fox launch High-Def promotional site

Disney, Sony, and Fox have launched a new promotional website: HollywoodInHiDef.com The site is supported by the consortium behind Blu-ray, but primarily Disney, Sony, and Fox. The site includes a blog by Hollywood journalist Scott Hettrick, an ‘Inside Track’ with interviews with directors, producers, etc, break Hi-Def News, sales charts, trivia, and more. It is a fairly well done website, just be prepared for the clear slant toward Blu-ray. They do cover HD DVD, but that clearly isn’t the focus of the site.

Pick up from Blu-ray.com.

Now that Sony has dropped the price of the PS3 by $100, I plan to finally pick one up and take advantage of the five free Blu-ray disc offer.

Posted in Blu-ray/HD DVD | Leave a comment