Jim Noonan, Warner Bros. Senior Vice President and General Manager, "We have made no decision to change our present policy which is to produce in both HD DVD and Blu-ray.”
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
HD DVD and Blu-ray releases on December 11th, 2007
This is the week that we've been waiting for. No, it's not because we just love Harry, it's because we can't wait to see how the red version of Harry sells against the blu. Why? Because, the HD DVD edition isn't free (like 300) and with all the stand-alone HD DVD players to hit the street recently, we think it's got the best chance yet of out selling blu. But Harry isn't the only big title this week, as Blu-ray has High School Musical 2 and Lost: The complete Third Season. Meanwhile, HD DVD has a huge title in the way of The Bourne Ultimatum. December doesn't have many more blockbuster titles, but there are a few in the coming weeks including the Simpsons Movie, as well as Rush Hour 3.HD DVD 355 vs Blu-ray 388*
Blu-ray
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Warner)
- Harry Potter Years 1-5 Giftset (Warner)
- High School Musical 2 (Walt Disney)
- The Legend of Zorro (Sony)
- Lost: The Complete Third Season (Disney)
- Rent (Sony)
- SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next (Bandai Visual)
- The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
- Freedom: 3 (Bandai Visual)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Warner)
- Harry Potter Years 1-5 Giftset (Warner)
- Picture This (Ally Distribution)
* Blu-ray total does not reflect 32 Paramount titles that were previously available.
from Engadget HD
Sharp reveals gamer-centric 1080p LC-32GP3U AQUOS LCD TV
Sharp's new GP3U family may be marketed towards the sophisticated gamer, but we're pretty certain just about anyone could get down with a set like this. Announced today, the 32-inch LC-32GP3U comes in a trio of hues (black, wine red and white), boasts a "unique swivel stand for ultimate viewing and gaming flexibility," and offers up bottom-mounted speakers to boot. Furthermore, this 1080p AQUOS touts a slim-line design, a Game Mode button on the remote for activating Vyper Drive and providing quick access to side terminals, a subwoofer audio output, two component / three HDMI 1.3 inputs, a VGA port, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, six-millisecond response time, integrated ATSC / NTSC tuner with Clear QAM support, 450 cd/m2 brightness and 176-degree viewing angles. If you're champing at the bit to fix your eyes on this one, all three versions will be available just in time for you-know-what for $1,599.99.from Engadget HD
Third Official “Grand Theft Auto IV” Trailer
Normally I summarize the media alerts and press releases we get in, but as a HUGE Grand Theft Auto fan, I must give you the following news in all of its unedited glory. Enjoy!
Today “Grand Theft Auto” fans will get their next look at the eagerly anticipated “Grand Theft Auto IV” with the release of the third official trailer, "Move up, ladies" on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
At 3pm EST, gamers can get another glimpse at Grand Theft Auto's colorful world in HD on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE Marketplace. While online you can also check out the first two trailers, screen shots, and a preview of the “Grand Theft Auto IV” Marketplace theme.
“Grand Theft Auto IV” is the next chapter of the award winning “Grand Theft Auto” franchise from Rockstar Games and will be coming to the Xbox 360 on day one. In addition to online multiplayer, a first for the series, gamers will experience hours of additional gameplay with two downloadable episodes exclusively available on Xbox LIVE following the release of the game. Focused on the story of Eastern European immigrant Niko Bellic, “Grand Theft Auto IV” takes players back to Liberty City and promises a cinematic story told like only Rockstar can, an extremely vast and detailed world to explore and gameplay like the series has never seen before.
For all things Xbox 360 and Grand Theft Auto IV visit:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/g/grandtheftautoiv
from Gamerscore Blog
Today “Grand Theft Auto” fans will get their next look at the eagerly anticipated “Grand Theft Auto IV” with the release of the third official trailer, "Move up, ladies" on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
At 3pm EST, gamers can get another glimpse at Grand Theft Auto's colorful world in HD on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE Marketplace. While online you can also check out the first two trailers, screen shots, and a preview of the “Grand Theft Auto IV” Marketplace theme.
“Grand Theft Auto IV” is the next chapter of the award winning “Grand Theft Auto” franchise from Rockstar Games and will be coming to the Xbox 360 on day one. In addition to online multiplayer, a first for the series, gamers will experience hours of additional gameplay with two downloadable episodes exclusively available on Xbox LIVE following the release of the game. Focused on the story of Eastern European immigrant Niko Bellic, “Grand Theft Auto IV” takes players back to Liberty City and promises a cinematic story told like only Rockstar can, an extremely vast and detailed world to explore and gameplay like the series has never seen before.
For all things Xbox 360 and Grand Theft Auto IV visit:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/g/grandtheftautoiv
from Gamerscore Blog
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Microsoft Cuts Price of Xbox 360 HD DVD Player Again
Microsoft has unofficially lowered the price of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player again; this time to $129. Back in July, the software giant dropped the price of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player from $199 to $179 and today, Amazon and Toy "R" Us are offering the add-on at this new low price.
Zune 80 in the CNet Prizefight
Donald Bell, Jasmine France, and Josh Lowensohn at CNet do a comprehensive review and comparison of Zune 80 vs iPod Classic.Kudos for the team at CNet for doing a thorough review - in the areas of Navigation, Sexiness, Compatibility, Sound and Science, and Wallet Factor. As for the winner? Well, clickthrough to the article to find out!
from Zune Insider
from Zune Insider
Free Xbox Live Marketplace content and Silver accounts
Just a reminder that if you have a Silver account, you won’t have access to free content on the the Marketplace (like demos) when they are first posted. That content will be available to Gold level exclusively for one week, after which Silver members will have access to the free content.
The Fall update has a special message (above) to reflect this as well. If you have a Silver account and you see a piece of content that has a red circle with a slash through it (like the ‘Ryan Industries Plasmids and Gene Tonics’ content above) you’ll have to wait until a week after the content is released to access it.
This is not done to annoy our Silver members—limited time exclusive access to content is just one of the many benefits of having a Gold Xbox Live account.from Xbox Live's Major Nelson
10 reasons why HD DVD or Blu-ray is here to stay
While our favorite past time is to argue the merits of our preferred HD movie format, there are many out there like Jason from CE Pro that believe that neither format will survive. And while we agree that there are many compelling HD alternatives to both formats, here are ten reasons why either HD DVD or Blu-ray will survive.- They offer the best picture and sound quality
- You own the disc, no one can expire it or take it away
- Discs still cost less per GB than a Hard Disc
- Discs don't 'just' go bad and cause you to lose your movies
- Discs are portable and can be shared with friends
- Eventually HDM players will cost less than upconverting DVD players
- Xbox Live Marketplace HD expires and is locked to the device
- HD VOD is limited in selection and availability
- Even when VUDU gets HD, it costs too much, and the content is locked on the box
- HD Movie channels crop, compress, and offer worse audio than DVD
from Engadget HD
Xbox Live Video Store Update for Europe and Canada
In case you missed it, the man across the pond (Acey Bongos) has all the details on the Video Store coming to Europe. Meanwhile, our friends to the North can get their update directly from the lovely Jade.
The main points is that the video store for these regions will be launching on December 11th. Check the appropriate post to find out more details, including what type of content you can expect for your region when it launches.
When I have details on when the Video Store is coming to your region, I’ll let you know. Until then please remember licensing for entertainment content is very tricky,
and everyone is hard at work to bring the Video Store to as many regions as possible. Thanks in advance for your understanding and not filling up the comments with queries about your region.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update Details
Go ahead and say I'm biased, but Xbox LIVE is the best online service for a console, period. They say the proof is in the pudding, so enjoy a giant bowl of delicious Xbox LIVE pudding as we talk about some of the new features in the Fall Update.
While we have already talked about the new Parental Timer, Games on Demand, and the Friends of Friends features, the lovely and talented Nelson Rodriguez has put together a video featuring the lovely and talented Tony and Chris to talk about some of the new features. The video shows the beta version, so expect some visual changes for the actual launch.
Popout
from Gamerscore Blog
For those of you that prefer "reading", here are some of the details:
Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits - There will be permanent discounts on some of the best-selling Arcade titles. The first games to become Arcade Hits will be “Bankshot Billiards 2” and “Lumines LIVE,” which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and “Marble Blast Ultra,” “Small Arms” and “Zuma Deluxe,” which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each.
Inside Xbox – A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing members an easy, predictable entry point where they can discover what's new in: game releases, events, and Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers.
Enhanced online profile – Members interested in sharing a few more details about themselves will have the option to go beyond their motto and further personalize their profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to “Friends Only” or the entire Xbox LIVE community.
New video features – The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
Easy-to-use navigation features – With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it.
And that's not all. For a complete list of all of the new features and improvements to LIVE, check www.xbox.com/live on December 4th for all of the details.
Major Nelson has details on Child Account Graduation and Changing Live ID Association if you're interested in how either of those are going to work.
You can read the full text of the media alert here.
from Gamerscore Blog
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