Audio Video News

FireWire, or IEEE1394, as it is technically known, has been bandied about as a leading contender for transmitting digital video for several years now. HDTV FireWire demos started popping up as <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?189">early as 1998</A>, but to date, little actual product has emerged for the consumer to buy.

Toshiba has made available Firmware Update Version 2.0 for its first-gen HD DVD players. In addition to enabling "anticipated network delivered content in future HD DVD discs" the new firmware version expands Dolby TrueHD support from 2.0-channels to full 5.1-channels. The update can be downloaded directly from the "Suport" link at Toshiba's HD DVD <a href="http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd/">web site</a>, or upon request Toshiba will ship a CD to registered HD DVD player owners.

First the<A HREF="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/news/82007paramount/"> Paramount defection</A>, and now some potentially big hardware news from the HD DVD camp. We've been hearing for months that the Chinese are coming with cheap HD DVD players in the fourth quarter of this year, and the first announcement appears to have been made. Headquartered in Canada, Venturer Electronics is releasing the Chinese-manufactured SHD7000 HD DVD player in time for this year's holiday shopping season. No offical release date or price was given, but Video Business is reporting it will be the least expensive standalone HD DVD player on the market at $199.

3D fans will get a jolt this Wednesday night, March 24, 2010, when Cablevision will treat 3D TV early adopters to a hockey game with two New York teams, the Rangers and the Islanders. Cablevision's MSG network is calling it "the first network hockey telecast ever produced in 3D," making MSG "the first network in America to offer home viewers a live 3D sports telecast."

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the first three 50GB, dual-layer Blu-ray Discs. We're practically soaking in the first one, as the Adam Sandler comedy <I>Click</I>, which will be on store shelves this Tuesday, is indeed the first 50GB title. Ridley Scott's <I>Black Hawk Down</I> will be the second, arriving on November 14th, and that will be followed by the day-and-date with DVD release of <I>Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby</I> on December 12th.

What could possible push the sales of Blu-ray harder into the positive numbers is debuting in Japan. The world's first hybrid Blu-ray/DVD movie is going to be released (in Japan) on February 18th.  One of the benefits of the dearly...