Hasta La Gadget!

Though they’ve been floating around retail channels for a few weeks, Best Buy and Netflix have finally made official a partnership bringing streaming to the latest Insignia Blu-ray players. The NS-BRDVD3 runs $179, while the NS-WBRDVD edition tosses in WiFi for $20 more, while they won’t stream out of the box, a firmware update just made available should add all that Watch Instantly goodness. These two keep the (we’ll be nice and call it plain) styling of earlier models, and likely live up to the family reputation of “basic Blu-ray playback at a bargain” reported on the second generation of players. Of course, the BD-P1600 offers more features and a nicer reputation at about the same price, but Reward Zone members may want to think twice, with AVS Forum posters mentioning the NS-BRDVD3 can be had for just $99.99 through the 24th. Decisions, decisions.

Read – Best Buy and Netflix Announce Partnership to Instantly Stream Movies Over the Internet Via Latest Models of Insignia Blu-ray Disc Players
Read – Save $50 On Select INSIGNIA(R) Connected Blu-ray Disc[TM] Players with Netflix [Via AVS Forum]

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Netflix, Best Buy deal brings Watch Instantly streaming to even cheaper Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d been hearing that Western Digital was about to update its WD TV set-top media player lineup, and it looks like that leaked WD TV-2 has turned into the WD TV Live on the way to Best Buy. Nothing here too out of the ordinary — wide codec support, Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, HDMI out, and an Ethernet jack for DLNA streaming and accessing YouTube, Flickr, and Pandora make this one a solid buy at $119 if you need it, but it’s not going to blow up the world, you know? We’re still saving up for monster Windows 7 / CableCARD Media Center rig.

[Thanks, Keith D.]

Filed under: Home Entertainment

New Western Digital WD TV Live media player hits Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well well, it looks like the Android-powered Motorola Sholes will be out on Verizon by the holidays. That’s at least the impression we’re getting from a bunch of leaked Verizon retailer documents posted up by Boy Genius Report, which also indicate the BlackBerry Storm 2, Curve 2 and LG Chocolate Touch will hit Big Red in time for eggnog, along with an unspecified netbook — we’re guessing this Gateway number. Speaking of netbooks, a similar document from Best Buy Mobile also leaked over the weekend, and it looks like the Nokia Booklet 3G will be exclusive to Best Buy and compatible with AT&T 3G. Oh, and the Pixi is coming, but you already knew that. Here’s the real mystery, though: “There are multiple Android launches across multiple carriers, along with some new technology that doesn’t exist today.” That’s certainly open for interpretation, so we leave it to you — is Best Buy Mobile about to start selling teleporters, or what?

Read – Sam’s Club and Target Verizon docs
Read – Best Buy Mobile docs

Filed under: Cellphones

Motorola Sholes to launch by holidays, along with the BlackBerry Storm 2 and Nokia Booklet 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve long suspected that the Storm 2 would be bowing in the next couple months, within earshot of the original Storm’s one-year anniversary — and new evidence suggests that even if we can’t get an actual device in October, we’ll at least be able to make clicking sounds with our mouths as we amble around a non-functional display unit (you laugh, but it’s our idea of a good Saturday night). Boy Genius Report has been slipped a Best Buy inventory screen — a familiar sight in the phone scooping world — that reports an in-stock date for Storm 2 dummies of October 25. Those dummy units can end up arriving before or after the actual phones, and considering that we’ve seen other evidence pointing to an October launch, this could be the real deal. Tao envy might be a problem by the time this hits, but we’re sure there’ll be a few folks willing to give RIM a mulligan on its touchscreen dealings.

[Via PhoneArena]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

BlackBerry Storm 2 dummies coming to Best Buy around October 25? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not that surprising to learn Best Buy will be among those delivering a 1080p LCD with Blu-ray disc player packed in under its Insignia store brand, as we’ve been expecting rebadged units from overseas to hit the value market for some time. Marked “coming soon” at $599, it’s easily a few hundred less than a comparable model from Sharp, but buyers will have to live without some of the newer line items like 120Hz motion processing and a contrast ratio higher than 20,000:1. Though we don’t expect a lot in terms of load times, audio support or other features (no specs on the Blu-ray player noted) we’re sure a bedroom or dorm room somewhere will find a spot for the NS-LBD32X. Your move, Wal-mart.

[Thanks, Zach]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Best Buy bringing value priced all-in-one 32-inch LCD & Blu-ray HDTV to stores “soon” originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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