10.20.2009 You've probably seen Optimus Prime on TV commercials this week, imploring you to catch him in full high-definition. Yes, the mega blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen arrives on Blu-ray this week to rock your home theater world.
It definitely headlines an otherwise pedestrian release week, with the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and scope 2.39:1 aspect ratio sure to look and sound sweet on your big home theater screen. There's even an IMAX edition release, which is a Walmart exclusive.
Of course, we're going for action here and not Oscar-winning plots. Transformers was pretty widely panned, which brings us to another of this week's Blu-ray releases along those lines ... Kevin Costner's ultra-expensive and underwhelming Waterworld. It also includes DTS-HD MA, and original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Is it worth another viewing after 14 years since its much-anticipated theatrical release? Maybe ... as a rental.
If you're looking for more of a classic to try out on Blu-ray, look for Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider and get a dose of the late 60s counterculture as well as early Jack Nicholson in a breakout role.
Here are all of this week’s Blu-ray releases, courtesy of Blu-ray.com:
100 Feet Blood: The Last Vampire The Crew Easy Rider Eminem: Live from New York City Escaflowne: The Movie Iron Man: Armed Adventures Vol. 1 Leonard Cohen: Live from the Isle of Wight 1970 Love N’ Dancing Monsoon Wedding Objectified The Secret of the Nutcracker Toto: Falling in Between Live Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (IMAX edition, Walmart exclusive) UFC 100: Making History Waterworld Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Play Ray Charles Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead
Panasonic intros 2.35:1 HD home theater projector
Panasonic recently introduced its latest home theater projector, the PT-AE4000U. The 1080p LCD projector has a 1,600 lumens brightness ratio and a 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. To help integrate it into user's existing home theater systems, there is a programmable 12V trigger for a drop-down screen and Panasonic's VIERA Link compatibility for control of all compatible system components with one remote. The lens produces up to a 120-inch picture at 11 feet away.
There is also support for 2.35:1 wide aspect ratios, though the default is 16:9, and 4:3 is an option. It will play video at a high-speed 120FPS as well as a standard 60FPS or at a cinema-native 24FPS. Connections include three HDMI 1.3a ports, one VGA port, one component, one S-video and one composite.
Toshiba Unveils First Blu-ray Player
Soon after announcing its initial entrance into the Blu-ray market, Toshiba Thursday introduced its first-ever player. The player, the BDX2000, supports BD-Live, as well as Full HD 1080p digital output.
Toshiba intends the product to work with the Regza LCD TV line.
“Toshiba is a technology leader in high definition products,” Jodi Sally, the Vice President of Marketing for Toshiba's Digital A/V Group, said as part of the announcement. “From listening to our consumers we know they demand access to full high definition content. With the introduction of our BDX2000 we are offering consumers what they want with a breath-taking HD viewing experience to meet the needs of today’s home theater.”
The player will arrive in November at a suggested retail price of $249.99.
URC MX-5000 Appears to be First Universal Remote with Tactile Feedback
07.20.2009 — Universal Remote Control appears to have the first remote with tactile feedback, known as haptics.
If you press a virtual button on the new MX-5000 touchscreen, you know you've pressed it. It seems to click just like the real thing.
"It's something we've long wanted to do," says Eric Johnson, URC's VP of technology. "We've experimented with haptics for three years."
What's taken so long? I discovered haptic-enabled touchscreens at CES several years ago and thought it was the next big thing for CE touchscreens. But URC seems to be the first implementer.
The delay "has to do with a combination of price and testing the reliability thoroughly," Johnson says. "We look at hundreds of thousands of button presses. If it can't survive one-million button presses, we're not really interested."
Currently, URC and its competitors use beeps if consumers want feedback, but the noises "can grow tiresome," Johnson says.
The MX-5000 employs a single tactile sensation, but Johnson says haptic technology "has a lot of promise." URC has tested different sensations, for example, for sliding volume controls.
URC is keeping the haptics simple and plans to implement the technology in other remote control devices in the future.
Sexiest Remote Control Ever?
When you hear Johnson gush about the MX-5000, you'd think it was something other than a remote.
"It [haptics] gives you an immediate, very satisfying sensation," he says. "When you look at the rest of the remote, too, boy it feels so good and looks so good."
He notes that URC has never received so much immediate, enthusiastic feedback from its beta dealers.
The morning after URC sent out its beta units, "We got exactly 18 phone calls," Johnson recalls. "One dealer called us up and said, 'I opened the box and all of the guys came over to look.'"
Johnson says the painstakingly designed remote represents the "epitome of engineering."
Modeled after URC's MX-6000 two-handed controller, the MX-5000 is designed for one-handed operation – made easier with haptics.
MX-5000 Features:
2.7-inch LCD color touch screen
WiFi (B and G) for metadata, control, integration
Narrowband RF and IR for control
Via URC base station, integrates with IR and RS-232 components
Includes rechargeable battery and charging base
Pricing has not yet been released, but URC says the MSRP will be less than $1,500.
MX-5000 (left) is like the MX-6000 but with one-handed ergonomics and haptic technology for tactile feedback.
Panasonic Launches 85" Plasma
Panasonic has closed the gap a bit between 65" and 103" plasmas. At InfoComm, Panasonic introduces its 85-inch plasma display as part of its new 12 series range with NeoPDP technology (for high-image quality in full HD). The new plasma display features a screen size equivalent to four 42-inch HDTVs and, despite the size, Panasonic claims the NeoPDP technology offers twice the brightness efficiency of previous models with less power consumption and without compromising on image quality.
This display is aimed at the ProAV market, but invariably will make its way to the HomeAV world. NeoPDP, says Panasonic, also offers the world’s highest moving image resolution of 1,080 lines (1080p-equivalent in analog) and a contrast ratio of 40,000:1 – something NO LCD has. The high-end specifications allow highly realistic and powerful high-quality video on a slim-line display that has been reduced to a thickness of only 99 mm. The weight of each unit has been reduced to less than 286-pounds (in fact, a 70 percent weight reduction compared to the current 103” model), making the product extremely flexible for transport and installation.
Panasonic has closed the gap a bit between 65" and 103" plasmas. At InfoComm, Panasonic introduces its 85-inch plasma display as part of its new 12 series range with NeoPDP technology (for high-image quality in full HD). The new plasma display features a screen size equivalent to four 42-inch HDTVs and, despite the size, Panasonic claims the NeoPDP technology offers twice the brightness efficiency of previous models with less power consumption and without compromising on image quality.