CES 2010: LG Blu-ray Soundbar Spotted

Unannounced by LG but discovered lurking on their stand by an intrepid Cnet reporter, this soundbar with a Blu-ray drive built-in looks to be the US release of the LG HLB54S, launched in the UK back in November.  The specification is very similar - dual HDMI sockets, wireless subwoofer, Wi-Fi, an iPod dock and 430 watts of power - with the only addition being some of the US-only online services added into LG's NetCast.  There is also no mention of hi-fi expert Mark Levinson tuning the sound either.

The soundbar had the designation of LLB915, but it's not unusual for the name to change entirely for a different territory and the only stylistic differences we can make out is the addition of the silver highlights on each end, which the UK model doesn't share.  Like the HLB54S, this variant didn't come with any exact release date or price, so prospective buyers will have to be patient. 

We like the space-saving attitude of the soundbar, but have yet to hear one in the right room to judge the sound quality.  Anyone out there heard an LG model, or the Samsung BD8200 shown off at last years CES?  If so, let us know what you thought.

CES 2010: Panasonic's New Blu-ray Players in Pictures

Yesterday we covered the major new Blu-ray player announcements from Panasonic, but today we got to see them a little closer. 

First up is the DMP-BDT350, their 3D Blu-ray player:

Follow the link to see pictures of other Panasonic Blu-rays and their All-in-One systems too.

Is Blu-ray the Next Sirius?

In this struggling global economy, it can definitely be a game of roulette as to what will get consumers to open their wallets when it comes to new products?  For example, it wasn't intuitively obvious that netbooks would account for such a large chunk of PC sales.  Be that as it may, I ran upon this analysis of trying to link Blu-ray with struggling Sirius XM radio, and postulating they will have a similar fate.

Huh?  I'm left scratching my head on this one as well.  I really don't see the parallel here.  They are just totally different business models.  Satellite radio is a pure subscription, and the hardware locks you into a single provider.  Don't pay the bill for the month, and you can toss the gadget out the car window as it won't do anything.  In the end, there just aren't that many folks willing to pay to listen to the radio.  With consumers picking up bills for more cell phone features, faster internet, and more HD channels, I just thought that satellite radio would be the breaking point, and mantra of "Enough is enough," and not be willing to fork over the "little more" for more choices.  In the end, I don't think it was terrestrial radio that was its main competition, but iPod and Zune devices, with their free podcasts, and never ending audio choices, that made many wonder why pay a monthly fee for so few channels of satellite radio compared to the endless internet.

The article goes on to point out that Blu-ray will follow the same fate which I disagree with.  First of all, it is not a closed ecosystem.  Any Blu-ray discs will work (with isolated exceptions) with every player.  While it is true that online video is the main competition, I think Blu-ray will still find a place.  How exactly are most consumers getting their NetFlix subscription onto the living room TV?  It's easier with a dedicated device, and Blu-ray has that covered as well with newer players that add in bells and whistles to differentiate themselves in a crowded market.  The Blu-ray player is slowly being transformed into a dedicated living room PC, in a way that was not foreseen.  Not to mention that so many owners of HDTV's want the highest quality image, and quickly realize that DVD's are not it.

No, Blu-ray is far from going down the road of satellite radio, and here to stay.  Don't you agree?

JVC Blu-ray Comes to the USA.

JVC have used the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas to announce the decision to bring their Blu-ray products to the USA. JVC Blu-ray has proved popular in Europe and Asia, especially with the manufacturer's competitive pricing, and up until now, the USA has had to admire them from afar, but starting from March anyone who wants to will be able to snap one up on home soil.

March sees the release of the XV-BP1 player - a first not only for the States, but JVC too - featuring profile 2.0 for BD Live, playback of the JVC-used AVCHD format, HDMI v1.3 with Deep and x.v. colour plus support for Dolby True HD, DTS and DTS HD. A retail price of a touch under $300 has been suggested.

Hanging on until April is the JVC TH-SB100, an all-in-one Blu-ray system for the home to cost around $699. This package is a great starting point for the Blu-ray or home cinema newcomer as it features a BD Live enabled player and a 3.1 sound system. However, the built-in amplifier has two channels in reserve ready for an upgrade to a full 5.1 sound experience whenever your wallet allows. Just like the BP1 player, it supports the AVCHD format found on some HD camcorders, JVC included.

There are concerns the TH-SB100 won't have support for TrueHD like its European counterpart, however there is a good chance JVC will have fixed this oversight before it reaches the shelves. Regardless, it's great to see JVC taking their impressive hardware stateside.

BD Live Traffic Is High

BD Live is the feature that allows disc makers to include web only content and interactive features linked into the Blu-ray disc.  The first time I heard about this, I thought it was really cool, and would offer a definite feature to differentiate Blu-ray from DVD, and reinforce the new technology aspect.  After I thought about it, I realized that I didn't have an internet connection available behind my HDTV, and this could not be easily remedied without some serious network upgrades (like a WiFi bridge or a separate Powerline network, as Cat 5e is not an option).  I wondered how many other consumers would not overcome this barrier to entry?

Apparently, it is not much of an issue.  Even though the PS3 is the only player that does BD Live that's commonly available, and even though not too many discs have these features, BD Live traffic has been high.  Even at this early stage, Sony is reporting that the BD Live entertainment site is nearing a million hits.  They are also preparing for more BD Live traffic as The Dark Knight is scheduled for release soon, and it is a highly anticipated BD Live disc.

Just out of curiousity, while I realize that many PS3 owners do gaming and hence need the network connection, how do you folks have it hooked up to your network?

Blu-ray Holiday Sales Missing Mark Before Start

With the slowdown of the global economy, it's no big mystery that sales of the Blu-ray format are flat as a pancake aren't exactly living up to expectations.  With the players price's finally coming out of the stratosphere, and the Blu-ray discs still commanding a premium, it's seriously no mystery why Blu-ray remains stuck in first gear.

However, given all these factors, I'm really not sure what the folks at Sony were smoking when they came up with their estimates of sales.  According this this, the sales were expected to be 10 times of what they actually are!  Are they serious?  I'm pretty confident that no amount of Black-Friday-Blu-ray-pricing is going to be able to save those sales numbers!  About the best we can hope for is that Blu-ray gets more firmly established before digital downloads become more practical with real broadband for the majority of Americans.

Nortel Adds a New BD-Live Feature

Sure, we've been hearing the term "digital convergence" ad nauseum for many years now.  While PC's have gotten awfully good at playing video from a variety of sources, the missing link is a set top box that connects your television to the internet.  There are many potential applications, and some are available today, for example my cable DVR can display phone Caller ID info which is seriously useful to see who is calling before getting off the couch.

Recently, Nortel previewed a new BD-Live feature.  With the Blu-ray box connected to the internet, these kinds of apps may become more common with consumer interest.  What they have come up with is a Video Bulletin Board feature that leaves my Caller ID thingie in the dust.  What they showed was that not only can a user upload images and even cell phone video to a buddy via a Blu-ray box, but then the Blu-ray box can call the cell phone back.  Perhaps living room video conferencing will eventually become available, all made posible via a feature on a Blu-ray box.  With the Blu-ray players purpose built computers, it was just a matter of time before those clock cycles were put to use...

Big Blu-ray Brother Is Watching

Sure, by now we've all heard that BD-Live offers a really cool feature set that allows for interactivity.  These kinds of features could never be done in DVD, and offers a real advantage taking the user beyond what is on the disc, and into exclusive content, which is internet based.  Of course, that means that the Blu-ray player needs to have a connection to the world wide web.  While my initial thought is how to snake some CAT 5e cable to the back of a Blu-ray player, that may be the least of the concerns.  Recalling that the internet goes both ways, and Sony just may be using this new level of connnectivity to collect more than a little data on its users.  Is this just paranoia, or one more example of why Sony shouldn't be trusted when it comes to technology?  Personally, if this type of info is being collected, the user should be informed up front, and not find out later.

Microsoft's X-Box Passes On Blu-ray

Way back when the Next Generation Format War was being fought (sometime after The Clone Wars in a galaxy not so far away...) Microsoft decided to align itself with the HD-DVD camp.  After all, Sony was the manufacturer of the rival Play Station series of game consoles, so clearly it put them rooting for the opposing team.  However, Microsoft ended up backing the loser.

Fast forward to present day.  Those X-Box 360 consoles with their HD-DVD add ons are in need of a Blu-ray add on.  This way one could watch video goodness in a hi def way from their video game player.  Is Microsoft going to cave in and do such a thing?  Apparently not.

It comes down to Microsoft not wanting to back an opposing format.  While the war may be over, Microsoft won't change their hardware to appease the winner, and in turn, their minions of loyal hi def seeking fans.  While their games stick with the HD-DVD format, there will be no viewing of Blu-ray films on the X-Box 360.  It's a games platform after all.  Tell that to PS3 fans.

Blu-ray HD-3 Conference Coming Also

Another day, another Blu-ray conference. This time around it is the HD-3 conference, held in Los Angeles on Nov. 11.

HD-3 apparently used to covered both Blu-ray and HD DVD, but since the latter format is pretty much extinct now it is just about Blu-ray. Focus items are said to include studio plans for the fourth quarter of the year, a sneak peek of studio announcements expected to be made during CES, seminars and workshops and a research "supersession" on software, hardware and consumer trends and habits.

Also planned for this event are the "High-Def Disc Awards," in which a panel of critics will determine the best Blu-ray Disc titles that came to market between Oct. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30, 2008. Sounds exciting...