Hasta La Gadget!

Panasonic has finally made official several pack-in deals already in effect at retailers both physical and online that add Blu-ray 3D players, glasses and most notably, an exclusive copy of Avatar on Blu-ray 3D (also available to existing owners via a mail-in offer, owners of the Extended Collectors Edition can preview a 3D Easter Egg there too.) Despite being the highest grossing 3D movie of all, it’s still not available at retail and is unlikely to show up there anytime soon, sending the price of those pack-in copies skyrocketing on eBay as owners of non-Panasonic 3D capable TVs try to get their hands on the ultimate demo material. Many current auctions are above the $200 mark, while the highest sold price we saw was $399 about a week ago, although considering a copy of Bee Movie went for $400 back in the day, we can’t say we’re too surprised. Check out the details about Panasonic’s current promotions on its highly rated HDTVs (and the demo tour that just started) in the press release after the break and bring your calculator, if Dances With Smurfs wasn’t your cup of tea anyway, we might have found the perfect way to finance your new home theater upgrade.

Continue reading Panasonic officially launches exclusive Avatar Blu-ray 3D pack-in, discs hit $400+ on eBay

Panasonic officially launches exclusive Avatar Blu-ray 3D pack-in, discs hit $400+ on eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We may very well be in the minority here, but we definitely didn’t peg winter 2010 as the second coming of Vudu. In just the past month or so, the resurgent movie rental outfit has managed to slink its way onto Sharp connected HDTVs, D-Link’s Boxee Box, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and now, Panasonic’s crew of Viera Cast-enabled Blu-ray decks. The DMP-BDT350, DMP-BDT300, DMP-BDT100, DMP-BD85, DMP-BD65 and DMP-B500 will all gain access to Vudu’s 4000+ 1080p movie library starting just two days from today (that’s November 24th, for the calendar-challenged), promising instant streaming on titles that start at just $2 per night. If you’re the proud owner of one of those players, keep an eye out for an impending firmware update… otherwise, well, keep an eye out for those keeping an eye out.

Continue reading Vudu’s 1080p movie streaming to hit Panasonic’s Viera Cast Blu-ray players

Vudu’s 1080p movie streaming to hit Panasonic’s Viera Cast Blu-ray players originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While I doubt the new Audiovox AVDBR1 is going to make it into in-dash units anytime soon, if you’ve been looking for a way to take your Blu-Ray movies on vacation with you and keep the passengers on the back of the car quiet for the duration of the trip, Audiovox has the solution. The new AVDBR1 plays both Blu-Ray and standard DVDs, and will retail for $349.99, making it a pricey addition to or replacement for the entertainment system in your family van.

The new player uses a standard 12-volt connector and can be safely mounted anywhere in the vehicle and doesn’t require special mounting or extra space to function. Expect to see Escalades outfitted with this new toy first, and minivans full of kids headed to soccer practice second, as soon as it’s released in April 2011.

[via Crave]

With the holiday buying season descending upon us, fancy new commercials are naturally ramping up in tandem. Microsoft has a new spin on its Windows 7 promotional efforts with its latest ad, which shows a Mac and a PC bonding over a Blu-ray copy of Avatar during a long flight. Naturally, the PC is the only one who can play Blu-ray, which is Microsoft’s semi-subtle pitch, but really this commercial is about the power of Friendship and Sharing Things With Others. We were halfway about to ruin it all by smarmily suggesting the fact that the Mac can play a very similar HD copy of Avatar pulled down from iTunes that won’t put as much of a hurt on his battery, but for whatever reason there’s no Avatar on the US iTunes Store right now (possibly James Cameron’s upcoming extended special collector’s millennium edition release has something to do with it?). Which brings us around to Apple’s real reason for not supporting Blu-ray: they can’t take it away from you.

Microsoft’s adorable new Windows 7 ad touts Blu-ray, shows Macs and PCs really just want to be friends originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a move curiously timed after this morning’s Wal-Mart/VUDU news, Amazon has announced its Disc+ program is growing, up from around 300 titles last year to more than 10,000 DVDs and Blu-ray discs. If you not familiar, Disc+ means that when you buy the disc, not only is that shipped to you, but you also get a free downloadable copy to watch right away. Check out the main site for a full list of available titles, you could be watching The Girl Who Played With Fire or Kick-Ass a lot sooner than you think.

Continue reading Amazon expands Disc+ program, over 10,000 titles now include immediate downloadable access

Amazon expands Disc+ program, over 10,000 titles now include immediate downloadable access originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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