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CEDIA: Sharp Introduces BD-HP20U Blu-ray player
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 01:55 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Sharp, Hardware (all tags)
After months of rumors, Sharp has finally unveiled their first next-gen disc player for the US, the AQUOS BD-HP20U Blu-ray player.
Due in stores later this month at an MSRP of $549.99, the new player will be the first non-LCD product in Sharp's US line to carry the AQUOS moniker.
Key features include 1080p/24 fps video, onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD, and a built-in HDMI 1.3 AV interface.
The company says that all of the key components of the player were built by Sharp itself, including the Blu-ray laser, the pick-up beam, and the driver unit.
Athough the player doesn't appear to offer bit-stream audio output, Sharp's press release boasts of a "Quick Start" feature, which promises load-times of less than 10-seconds.
Cosmetically, the player features a black piano finish, and a "slim-profile" design. Gizmodo posted a series of photos of the unit earlier today, and indeed this puppy looks to be thin.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sharp Announces AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Player for the U.S. Market [Press Release]
- Photo Gallery: Sharp BD-HP20U Blu-ray Player [Gizmodo]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Sharp Readies First Blu-ray Player for Fall Release (Jul 06, 2007)
CEDIA: Pioneer Unveils New Elite Blu-ray Player for October
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 11:00 AM ETTags: CEDIA, Pioneer, Hardware (all tags)
The parade of next-gen hardware announcements from CEDIA continues with news of a new Blu-ray player from Pioneer.
Dubbed the Elite BDP-95FD, this third Blu-ray player from Pioneer picks up where the BDP-94HD (released last spring) left off, featuring 1080p video at a rate of 24 frames per second.
In a first for Pioneer, the new deck will feature HDMI version 1.3 output, enabling support of all high-resolution audio formats.
Also new to the BDP-95FD is HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), which is designed to simplify integration of operation with other HDMI-CEC-enabled high-definition theater components.
Pioneer says the Elite BDP-95FD will carry a $1,000 suggested retail price, and is due on store shelves this October.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- New Elite Blu-ray Player To Bow [TWICE]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Pioneer Announces Second-Gen Blu-ray Player (May 10, 2007)
Report: Sony Says Blu-ray Standalone Players Out-Selling HD DVD
Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 09:30 AM ETTags: CEDIA, Sony, Hardware (all tags)
UPDATE (9/6/08, 6:00PM): Toshiba has issued a statement refuting Sony's claims as reported in the story below. To read Toshiba's full statement, click here.
Although it's the type of news we'd expect to see accompanied by a huge press release, Sony apparently revealed Wednesday that stand-alone Blu-ray players have begun out-selling their HD DVD counterparts.
As reported by Video Business, the revelation came during Sony's CEDIA press conference, when Sony VP Chris Fawcett said that within the last 12 weeks, Blu-ray players had pulled out ahead of HD DVD.
According to the Video Business report, Fawcett cited NPD Group research for the data, but declined to declined to provide exact market share percentages of the two sides. Fawcett is said to have attributed the surge as mostly due to the introduction of Sony's $499 player in early June.
Although Blu-ray has enjoyed a 2-to-1 lead in disc sales over HD DVD since the start of 2007, the HD DVD camp has long attributed Blu-ray's lead to the short term market dominance of the Blu-ray enabled PlayStation 3, while pointing to its decisive lead in standalone player sales as a long term sign of strength in the high-def format war.
If independent numbers end up confirming this news from Sony, it would certainly seem to be a punch in the gut for HD DVD, especially given the extent to which its backers have emphasized their own lead in this category.
Needless to say, we'll let you know of any updates in this developing story.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sony: Blu-ray set-top players out-selling HD DVD [Video Business]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Sony Launches BDP-S300 Blu-ray Player, Drops Price to $499
CEDIA: Sony Introduces Two New Blu-ray Players
Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 08:35 PM ETTags: CEDIA, Sony, Hardware (all tags)
Sony has unveiled two new Blu-ray players for the US market -- the BDP-S500 ($700), and the brand new BDP-S2000ES ($1,300).
Although the BDP-S500 was first introduced last week for the European market at Berlin's IFA trade fair, today's announcement confirms a US release for the mid-range player, and introduces a new high-end player for the very first time.
Both new players share the same key features: 1080/60p and 24p video, support of all high-resolution audio formats via HDMI version 1.3a, plus support for AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color.
While the operating feature set on the higher-end BDP-S2000ES is identical to the BDP-S500, the higher end player includes several fortifications to the player's build, including "dual shield construction" and separate boards for audio and video, which Sony says will provide for even better quality performance. The BDP-S2000ES is the first Blu-ray player to carry Sony's ES ("Elevated Standards") designation.
Each of the two players are due to hit stores in the United States sometime this fall, joining the already-released lower-end BDP-300 ($499).
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sony Bolsters Blu-Ray Disc Player Line With Two New Models [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- IFA Underway in Berlin; Blu-ray Takes Center Stage
CEDIA Preview: All Eyes on HD DVD, Blu-ray
Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 09:30 AM ETTags: CEDIA (all tags)
The high-def format war is once again expected to take center stage as the curtain rises for this year's CEDIA Expo in Denver, Colorado.
Starting today and running through Sunday, the CEDIA Expo is the home theater industry's biggest annual tradeshow, bringing together hundreds of manufacturers with thousands of home theater professionals.
This year, all eyes are trained on Blu-ray and HD DVD, as manufacturers on both sides of the next-gen aisle introduce and exhibit their latest and greatest in hardware.
Kicking things off late Wednesday afternoon are dueling press from key format backers Sony and Toshiba, with both expected to unveil new details about their next-gen player plans for the coming holiday season.
Other companies rumored to be unveiling details about upcoming plans for the US market include Daewoo, Phillips, Onkyo and Sharp.
Needless to say, we'll be bringing you any news from the show as it happens. Watch for updated reports throughout the rest of the week.
We've also set up a dedicated section in our forums area for first-hand reports and discussion of the latest news out of the conference. Stay tuned!
- Related links:
- CEDIA 2007: General Discussion [High-Def Digest Forums]
- CEDIA EXPO [Official Site]
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