| BLU-RAY NEWS TAGGED "TECHNOLOGY FORECASTS" | Receive Blu-ray News via RSS |  |
Sony Increases Dolby TrueHD Support, Introduces New Subtitle Feature with 'Immortal Beloved' Blu-ray
Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 03:32 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Technology Forecasts, Sony (all tags)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has confirmed final specs for the August Blu-ray release of 'Immortal Beloved,' which will see expanded Dolby TrueHD support and a new user-controlled subtitle feature.
Originally announced early last week for Blu-ray release on August 21, 'Immortal Beloved's initial spec package seemed typical for a catalog Sony release, including the usual 1080p transfer, uncompressed PCM audio and a vintage making-of featurette.
That was, until additional exclusive spec details for the title subsequently appeared over at Blu-ray.com, and Sony has now confirmed to us directly that 'Beloved' will indeed boast a couple of features never-before-included on a next-gen title released in the US.
In addition to a English Dolby TrueHD track, which Sony has already introduced on a couple of notable previous Blu-ray releases (including 'Stomp the Yard' and the blockbuster 'Ghost Rider'), 'Immortal Beloved' will also boast TrueHD tracks in both French and Spanish -- a first for a domestic Blu-ray or HD DVD release.
Even more innovative is a user-controlled subtitle feature, which allows the viewer to adjust the position of text based on display format. As has often been common with films like 'Immortal Beloved' shot in a wide 2.35:1 aspect ratio, subtitles often "bleed" into the letterbox ares of the picture, which many consumers find distracting, and (in case of those with large front-projector set-ups with variable aspect ratio screens) can cause the subtitles to be partially or completely cut off during display.
Long requested by high-end early adopters (and as reader Joseph Whip points out, already implemented overeas on the French HD DVD edition of 'T2'), it's exciting to see Sony offering this option for high-def consumers stateside -- we can only hope 'Immortal Beloved' meets with success and the feature becomes the norm in the future.
You can find a link to the full specs for 'Immortal Beloved' in our Blu-ray Release Schedule, under August 21. And be sure to stay tuned for a full review of the disc in the coming weeks...
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Exclusive News: Immortal Beloved Special Features [Blu-ray.com]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Immortal Beloved (Blu-ray)
- Ghost Rider (Blu-ray)
- Stomp the Yard (Blu-ray)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Sony Brings 'Immortal Beloved' to Blu-ray (Jun 12, 2007)
BD Plus Copy Protection Ready for Primetime; More Blu-ray Titles to Follow?
Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 08:55 AM ETTags: Industry Trends, Technology Forecasts (all tags)
BD Plus Technologies LLC has announced that it has begun issuing specifications to content providers for use of its BD Plus content protection system.
BD Plus (BD+ for short) allows for extra levels of copy protection against digital piracy above current Blu-ray format specifications. With the announcement by the Technologies group, BD+ is now effectively ready for implementation by any Blu-ray content developer, including the major Hollywood studios.
Though the Blu-ray format successfully launched last year without BD+, several major studios have expressed considerable interest in the advanced levels of protection the technology offers.
Fox and MGM are even said to have ceased releasing new Blu-ray disc titles due to the lack of BD+ availability (neither studio has released a single high-def title on Blu-ray since April).
Though no studio has publicly stated any plans to release BD Plus-encoded Blu-ray titles, the availability of the technology would certainly seem to be another potential obstacle surmounted in the format's path to mainstream success.
We'll keep you posted on any developments in this story, as well as any official announcements of BD Plus-encoded titles. Stay tuned!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- BD Plus Technologies LLC Specifications for BD+ [Official Site]
High-Def Goes Purple with LG Dual-Format Blu-ray/HD DVD Player
Thu Jan 04, 2007 at 04:16 PM ETTags: Hardware, Technology Forecasts, LG (all tags)
In another last-minute announcement, LG will finally be premiering its on-again/off-again Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player -- the world's first -- at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
After first showing its planned BD-199 Blu-ray player at last year's CES, the manufacturer abruptly cancelled the unit, and promised to retool the deck as a dual-format combo player. Then in yet another turnaround, this past Fall LG again abandoned its next-gen hardware plans, apparently reaffirming its Blu-ray-only support.
Well, it now seems LG is back on the format-agnostic bandwagon, and is planning to not only announce its still-unnamed combo player at CES but demonstrate a full working prototype. The company will also reveal full pricing and availability information at the show, with rumors currently indicating a late Winter or early Spring arrival for the much-anticipated player.
LG's news comes only a day after news leaked that Warner will be unwrapping another potential salvo in the next-gen format wars, a hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD disc dubbed "Total HD."
Given all this sudden Red State/Blue State lovey-dovey handshaking going on at CES, perhaps we should start calling 2007 The Year High-Def Went Purple?
Stay tuned for more news when CES officially kicks off next week.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Surprise! LG to Debut Dual-Format Blu-ray & HD DVD player at CES [Engadget]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Warner to Unveil First Blu-ray/HD DVD Hybrid Discs at CES (Jan 04, 2007)
Are You Ready for a 200GB Blu-ray Disc?
Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 05:40 PM ETTags: Technology Forecasts, TDK (all tags)
Move over, BD-50! TDK earlier today unveiled a prototype 200GB multi-layer
Blu-ray disc at the IFA conference in Berlin, Germany.
Red Herring reports that the German-based optical storage manufacturer was able to greatly increase the capacity of its recordable high-definition Blu-ray discs -- well above even the company's initial 100GB prototype announced earlier this year -- by advancements in blue laser optical media technology
A 200GB Blu-ray disc would be an eight-fold increase in storage capacity over the current industry standard BD-25 single-layer disc, which maxes out at 25GB. It would also be four times that of the upcoming BD-50 dual-layer, 50GB disc variant, the recordable version of which TDK announced they would begin shipping to retailers tomorrow.
If TDK can eventually perfect its 200GB prototype for mass consumer production, it could conceivably hold up to 18 hours of Blu-ray formatted video -- and instantly render today's squabbling about BD-25 versus BD-50 moot.
However, backwards compatibility issues with today's current and upcoming Blu-ray players -- none of which are capable of playing a 200GB disc -- could prove problematic for TDK. Still, the idea of a Blu-ray disc with such massive storage potential is undeniably intriguing. (Just think of all those remastered 'Star Trek' episodes a single 200GB disc could hold!)
Stay tuned for the latest news as the story develops...
- Related links:
- TDK Increases Blu-ray Capacity [Red Herring]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Paramount Confirms 'Star Trek' HD Remaster (Aug 31, 2006)
» High-Def Digest home page
