3D, movies, games, players
Archive for March, 2007
Record-breaking 165,000 PS3s sold at UK launch
Mar 27th
New format becomes fastest-selling home console ever over its debut weekend.
ChartTrack has confirmed that 165,000 PS3 units were sold during the console’s launch weekend.
The figure is three quarters of the total 220,000 UK launch stock for day one, and makes PS3 second only to PSP in the overall launch weekend sales stakes. The Sony handheld shifted 185,000 in its opening weekend back in September 2005.
PS3’s record-breaking debut for a home console comfortably beats the previous top seller Nintendo Wii, which sold 105,000 after its frantic launch weekend in December last year. Fellow format rival Xbox 360 racked up an estimated 70,000 at launch in December 2005.
The figure also means that Sony has not sold all of its opening weekend stock, something the platform holder claims is part of its overall strategy at retail.
Blu-ray hopes to beat HD DVD within 3 years
Mar 21st
The Blu-ray disc association has said that it hopes to have won the format war within 3 years.
“Within 3 years it will just be Blu-ray”, Frank Simonis, the Blu-ray Disc Association’s European chairman, said at the CeBIT technology trade show.
Toshiba HD DVD player US price drop coming next month
Mar 21st
HD DVD is already considerably cheaper than its Blu-ray alternative, but Toshiba is looking to make it even more so with the rumour that its three HD DVD players are set to become even cheaper from next month.
According to reports online, on 1 April, its will apparently cut the price of its three-machine line-up by up to $200.
First Total HD Combo Discs Could Be Ready by Early Summer
Mar 21st
Warner continued to promote its Total HD Blu-ray/HD DVD combo format at this week’s IRMA Forum, indicating that initial limited-capacity discs could be ready for market as early as this June.
Unveiled back in January at CES, Warner’s Total HD format is the studio’s proposed solution to the ongoing next-gen format war, offering a Blu-ray version on one side of the disc, and an HD DVD versionnon the other. The studio has said that the combo discs would be compatible with all Blu-ray and HD DVD players, and would retail for little more than current single-format releases.
Universal Announces Mega-Wave of HD DVD Catalog for June
Mar 21st
Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring more than a dozen new catalog titles to HD DVD this June, top-lined by the hits ‘Bruce Almighty,’ ‘Daylight’ and ‘Liar, Liar.’
In the studio’s biggest one-day announcement ever for HD DVD, they have unveiled a two-tier June attack comprised of a lucky thirteen new catalog faves.
HD DVD’s Second Generation: Toshiba HD-XA2 Review
Mar 21st
It has certainly been an exciting, turbulent year in the world of home theater. Less than 12 months ago, Standard-Def DVD was the end-all in home video, but now we have two new High Definition disc formats vying for position as its next-generation successor. First out of the gate, Toshiba launched their HD DVD format in April of 2006 with two player models, the entry level HD-A1 ($499) and the high-end HD-XA1 ($799). Despite the price disparity, the two players were identical in playback function and quality, distinguished only by an RS232 port and motorized flip-down front panel on the more expensive model. Internally, they otherwise had the exact same electronics. Both produced outstanding video and audio when paired up with an impressive assortment of high-quality software from Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, and later The Weinstein Company. However, as a first generation product, HD DVD came with one serious drawback: the stability and reliability of its hardware.
WarHawk on Blu-ray after all
Mar 21st
Last week we heard that WarHawk would be an online-only game, leading to speculation that the game would be offered for download via Sony’s PlayStation Store.
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Not so, says the American arm of SCE. “Officially, WarHawk will be released as a Blu-ray-based product. It will see release in late summer,” the company told IGN.
Sharp develops 6x HD DVD and Blu-ray laser burner
Mar 21st
Sharp has developed a blue-violet laser able to burn double-sided, dual layer HD DVD and Blu-ray discs at 6x speed. With 210mW of output power, it is reportedly the world’s most powerful laser.
Sharp has also said that by 2008, they’ll have developed 8x speed burning, with 10x by 2009.
Warner set June date for production of first single-layer Total HD discs
Mar 21st
Warner Brothers’ continue to push forward with their Total HD hybrid discs. We first reported on them at this year’s CES, and now WB say that the initial limited-capacity discs could be ready for market as early as June.
Blu-ray Disc Association launch ‘BD Light’ license for independent content producers
Mar 21st
In recognition of the many smaller independent labels producing content, who don’t have the budget or sales volumes of the major Hollywood studios, the Blu-ray Disc Association has introduced the ‘BD Light’ license agreement, which reduces the fee from $3000 to $500.
