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Sep 23

Sony’s blazing fast BDX-S500U Blu-ray drive tests USB 2.0’s true transfer chops

Posted in: blu-ray, sony, Today's Chili, usb, usb 3.0, Usb3.0

Here’s a lesson in actual vs. theoretical. Sony Optiarc America has announced the new BDX-S500U external USB 2.0 Blu-ray drive capable of burning single-layer BD-R discs at smoking speeds of 6x or dual-layer discs at up to 4x. If you do the math, those specs imply transfer speeds of 27Mbps for single-sided 25GB discs and total burn times of roughly 20 minutes. That’s great news for folks with PCs looking to use the high-storage medium or watch 3D Blu-rays — except for one tiny hitch. See, USB 2.0’s theoretical maximum transfer speed is 60MBps, but in the real world most are lucky to get even half that rate. According to tests by Techworld, those with certain USB 3.0 chipsets can even experience USB 2.0 rates as low as 11MBps. In that light, the BDX-S500U’s impressive speeds — just like Paul Walker — may be too fast and too furious for its computer counterparts to keep up, making it a different kind of bag of hurt for buyers. While no official pricing has been offered the drive will go on sale later this month and online retailers are already listing prices in the range of $214 to $240. For full specs and details, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony’s blazing fast BDX-S500U Blu-ray drive tests USB 2.0’s true transfer chops

Sony’s blazing fast BDX-S500U Blu-ray drive tests USB 2.0’s true transfer chops originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

Netflix Lies to Canadians, Insults Americans, Still Looks Good

Posted in: blu-ray, canada, Home Audio and Video, netflix, Today's Chili

Oh, Netflix. We can’t stay mad at you. Even though you clearly think we’re all a bunch of idiots.

Netflix just launched Watch Instantly in Canada with a big press event. Unfortunately, apparently they were also (for reasons unknown) simultaneously, at the same location, shooting a corporate video with hired extras who (according to Netflix’s official apology) “were given improper directions” to talk to the press about how much they loved Netflix. (Love that “mistakes were made” agent-less sentence construction.)

Okay — so you duped some Canadians. Simple souls, they may be gullible — but luckily for everyone, the truth was soon found out. We Americans are too worldly to fall for something like that. We’re stupid in entirely different ways, as CEO/co-founder Reed Hastings revealed in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter:

THR: Are you concerned that American Netflix subscribers will look north and ask for the same discount Canadians get at $7.99?
Hastings: How much has it been your experience that Americans follow what happens in the world? It’s something we’ll monitor, but Americans are somewhat self-absorbed.

So we’re self-absorbed, huh? We don’t follow the world; we just spend all of our time watching the same shows over and over again on TV, do we, Netflix? But you’ll still take our money so we can watch movies without leaving the house?

That’s a serious question: You’ll still take our money, right? We’ll pay even more than those cheap-ass Canadians! Blockbuster just filed for bankruptcy! Microsoft and Apple say Blu-ray’s a dead end and streaming is the future! The new Roku player is so cheap!

Don’t make us go back to broadcast or cable! I can’t watch The Godfather trilogy any time I want there! Seriously, I’m watching it on my iPhone right now! Canada will never love you like we love you! What would our lives be like without you?

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Sep 22

Sony Offers Slim External Blu-ray

Posted in: blu-ray, netbook, Today's Chili

Sony is announcing its first slim, portable, external Blu-ray Disc rewritable drive today, for use with notebooks, netbooks, and desktop computers. The BDX-S500U writes BD-R discs at up to 6x speeds and dual-layer BD-R discs at up to 4X speeds. That means you can record a 25GB disc in about 20 minutes. To get 6X recording speed, you’ll need to use 6X compatible BD-R media. One 25GB Sony blank BD-R disc comes in the box.

Also included with the drive is CyberLink’s Media Suite 8 for capturing, authoring, editing, backing up, and viewing high-definition content, and playing back Blu-ray Disc movies (including 3D Blu-ray movies). The drive will be available later this month, and the price hasn’t yet been given.

Sep 20

PS3 firmware 3.50 is a go, 3D Blu-ray movies suddenly feel more wanted

Posted in: blu-ray, film, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, Today's Chili

Right on schedule — or a day early, depending on your time zone — Sony has unleashed version 3.50 of its PS3 firmware. And as previously promised, it’s got 3D Blu-ray movie playback with it. According to the Official US PlayStation blog, there’s also some added Facebook integration and new methods of grief reporting. We’re still updating and will let you know what else we might unearth.

Update: Surprise, surprise, it works. We were able to test Blu-ray 3D out and got it running without too much hassle, as long as the HDMI setting is on “Auto” it will detect your 3DTV and switch to the correct mode just like it has for gaming since the update that enabled 3D functionality there. We didn’t see any differences in the menus with the Disney Blu-ray 3D demo disc we had on hand, but we’ll be checking out how BD-Java functions in 3D later on.

Update 2: Per Sony’s v3.50 support page, and verified by several sources, the PS3 has to choose between Blu-ray 3D playback and lossless audio, whether from DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD, it will fall back to a compressed codec while playing 3D content, while menus, items and BD-Java contet “may be different” on the PS3 than on other systems.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading PS3 firmware 3.50 is a go, 3D Blu-ray movies suddenly feel more wanted

PS3 firmware 3.50 is a go, 3D Blu-ray movies suddenly feel more wanted originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 20

PlayStation 3 Getting 3D Blu-ray Disc Playback Support

Posted in: blu-ray, playstation, sony, Today's Chili, video games

A little piece out of the Tokyo Game Show this morning (where, quite frankly, I would much rather be right now than at my desk on this gloomy Monday morning in Manhattan): Sony has announced that it will be introducing 3D Blu-ray support for the PlayStation 3 with the console’s next system software update.

The update–version 3.50, for those keeping track–will roll out to 38 million PS3s tomorrow, September 21st. Back in April, Sony rolled out version 3.30, which added the ability to play games in stereoscopic 3D.

Sep 17

3D Blu-ray on the PS3: it works! (video)

Posted in: blu-ray, feature, Features, firmware, firmware update, FirmwareUpdate, hands-on, playstation, playstation 3, Playstation3, sony, Today's Chili, video

We’ve been waiting for 3D Blu-ray support to hit the PS3 for a good long while now, and Sony‘s been promising it would happen for, well, exactly that same amount of time. Yesterday the company confirmed that the 3D-enabling 3.50 firmware update is less than a week away, dropping on September 21, and here’s proof that it works: a demonstration unit up and running at TGS. Fully animated evidence after the break.

Gallery: 3D Blu-ray on the PS3

Continue reading 3D Blu-ray on the PS3: it works! (video)

3D Blu-ray on the PS3: it works! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 16

On Sept 21st, Watch 3-D Movies on Your PS3

Posted in: blu-ray, Home Audio and Video, kinect, playstation, ps3, sony, Today's Chili

Playstation 3, Move Controller, and Eye Camera, from Sony.com

A free software update for all Sony Playstation 3 owners on Sept 21st will enable playback of 3-D Blu-ray movies and games.

Sony’s Hiroshi Kawano made the announcement at the Tokyo Game Show this morning, according to the AP’s Yuri Kageyama.

The update is actually being pushed out early to capitalize on the popularity of 3-D movies, and to coincide with the Sept 19th US release of Sony’s new Move motion-controller wand.

The release of the Move and 3-D video playback also puts Sony ahead of rival Microsoft, whose Kinect video-capture system won’t be released in North America until November. Sony wants to be the first in the console gaming and home theater markets to offer an integrated three-dimensional experience — at a lower cost (just $99 for the Move package).

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Sep 15

PS3 update 3.50 adds 3D Blu-ray movie support starting September 21

Posted in: blu-ray, firmware, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, software update, SoftwareUpdate, sony, Today's Chili

We’re live from Tokyo Game Show where Sony just announced a version 3.50 software update coming to the PS3 on September 21st. On that date, we’ll finally get 3D Blu-ray movie playback, in Japan at least, but likely worldwide.

Read more at our liveblog.

PS3 update 3.50 adds 3D Blu-ray movie support starting September 21 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 15

Toshiba brings WX800 and VX700 HDTVs stateside, BDX3000 3D Blu-ray player this month

Posted in: 3d tv, blu-ray, hdtv, LED, netflix, Today's Chili, Toshiba, Yahoo

Remember that slate of drop-dead gorgeous Toshiba HDTVs that emerged at IFA? They’re back, and they’re making a beeline for a living room near you. Provided that “you” are in “the US of A,” that is. Just as we expected, Tosh has come clean with the US variants of its LED-based Cinema Series, with the flagship WX800 models (46- and 55-inches) getting 3D Resolution+ technology, 240Hz processor, inbuilt 802.11b/g/n WiFi, the company’s own Enhanced NET TV service, Yahoo! widgets (score!) and a native 1080p panel. The lower end VX700 series (again, 46- and 55-inches) is meant for those content with 2D imagery, but they still retain the connected features along with two USB ports, an SD / SDHC card slot and DLNA support. Lastly, the BDX3000 3D Blu-ray player that we’ve been holding out for finally has a ship date, and it’s soon. Within a fortnight, the aforesaid player will be out and about on US shelves for $249.99, representing a $50 premium over the 3D-less BDX2700. Check out the full list of details embedded after the break.

Gallery: Toshiba WX800 and VX700 HDTVs; BDX3000 3D Blu-ray player

Continue reading Toshiba brings WX800 and VX700 HDTVs stateside, BDX3000 3D Blu-ray player this month

Toshiba brings WX800 and VX700 HDTVs stateside, BDX3000 3D Blu-ray player this month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 08

Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray

Posted in: blu-ray, desktop, HTPC, intel, PC, Today's Chili

Now this is an HTPC worth gawking at. Zotac has just revised its long-standing Zbox line with a new duo, and we have to say — we’re digging the new look. Beyond the exterior improvements, the outfit has bolstered the internals by providing the HD-ID33 and HD-ID34 with Intel’s new 1.8GHz Atom D525 CPU, 2GB of DDR2-800 memory, NVIDIA’s next-gen Ion graphics platform, an HDMI output, 6-in-1 card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a couple of USB 2.0 ports and an unexpected pair of USB 3.0 sockets. The only notable difference between the two is the inclusion of a 250GB hard drive in the ID34, while the 2.5-inch HDD slot is left open for DIYers in the ID33. Windows 7 is onboard, naturally, as is a slot-loading Blu-ray drive that the company is (rightfully) proud of. It’s not talking prices just yet, but we’re willing to overlook a modest premium to finally get BD support within a delightfully small package. Hit the gallery below for more eye candy.

Gallery: Zotac’s Zbox ID33 and ID34 with Blu-ray