<![CDATA[Gizmodo: blu-ray 1.1]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: blu-ray 1.1]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/bluray11 http://gizmodo.com/tag/bluray11 <![CDATA[Denon Lowers Price, Sticks with 1.1 For DVD-1800BD Blu-ray Player]]> Instead of blowing out all the stops with a big mama pajama queen of all Blu-ray players, Denon appears to be playing the Pioneer card by launching the $750 DVD-1800BD player. It's lower in price than its $1,200-and-up predecessors, and only meets the mandatory 1.1 spec (that is, picture-in-picture but no Ethernet) rather than full-blown but optional 2.0. You know, it's probably not a coincidence that Denon is moving this way, since it has to be buying the core player from Pioneer or another major Blu-ray partner, so they're probably all on the same development timeframe. Also, no word from Denon on that "universal" HD DVD/BD player—we're gonna guess that it's a dead dream at this point. Jump for detailed press release of the DVD-1800BD.

DENON EXPANDS ITS BLU-RAY LINEUP WITH NEW MODEL DVD-1800BD PLAYER — New More Affordable Player Brings Denon-Quality Blu-ray Performance Within Reach of More Consumers; Features HDMI 1.3a with Deep Color Support — Mahwah, NJ, May 20, 2008 — Denon Electronics, one of the world's premier manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment components, today announced the introduction of the third member in its highly successful and critically acclaimed Blu-ray DVD family, the model DVD-1800BD Profile 1 version 1.1 Blu-ray Disc Player (SRP: $749). Offering consumers extraordinary video quality and audio excellence at a more affordable price point, the DVD-1800BD features HDMI 1.3a with Deep Color and Bonus View support, full bitstream output of Dolby and DTS-HD audio formats, as well as 1080p scaling from SD DVDs and 2-channel analog audio output. The Denon DVD-1800BD is scheduled for availability in October 2008 Like Denon's two recently introduced Blu-ray products, the DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Disc Player ($1,999) and the DVD-2500BTCI (SRP: $1,199) Blu-ray Disc Transport, the DVD-1800BD allows owners of advanced A/V receivers to add Blu-ray capability to their system and enjoy high definition video. The VD-1800BD will natively output an HD audio bit-stream to a connected receiver via HDMI. Once this signal is accepted in the receiver, it can then be decoded into its native format including Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio. For those listeners who want to use the DVD-1800BD as a step-up CD player, this unit features a dedicated 2-channel analog output, equipped with high-class Burr-Brown D/A convertors and superior analog components to ensure the high level of sound quality for which Denon is renowned.

In keeping with the guidelines mandated by the Blu-ray Association for BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1 players, the Denon Model DVD-1800BD incorporates a secondary audio and video decoder. This allows for simultaneous playback of a secondary audio and video track which may be used for interactive audio and commentary and for picture-in-picture capability (respectively). Additional information (subtitles, audio streams, camera angles, trailers, games, etc.) can be downloaded from the Internet via computer and stored on a SD card that the player will accept. This content can be played with the original content of Blu-ray Discs.

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<![CDATA[Disney Goes Blu-ray 1.1 With Sleeping Beauty, Finding Nemo]]> Disney just announced some Blu profile 1.1 firsts for them: that Sleeping Beauty will start its Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc collecting in Fall 2008 (with special features like a Virtual Castle and interactive games) with 7.1 surround sound. Finding Nemo will also be joining it shortly afterwards. A whole bunch of non-animation Disney films will be released as well in 2008, and they're listed after the jump.

Burbank, CA , January 4, 2008 - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announces an exciting new line-up of Blu-ray initiatives in 2008, an ever-expanding Blu-ray slate and new technological-advancements in bonus feature materials, all which guarantee a superior high-definition home entertainment experience.

"This is an exciting time for Disney as we not only announce the release of our first Platinum Disney animated classic on Blu-ray with Sleeping Beauty, but also allow consumers to create an entirely new home entertainment experience with stunning new bonus features and amazing interactive capabilities like never before seen," stated Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

For the first time ever, WDSHE will begin releasing its treasured animated classics on Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc™ launching with Sleeping Beauty in the fall of 2008. Taking advantage of the numerous technological advancements of the Blu-ray format, these all time favorites have been revitalized to include exceptional high-definition picture and sound quality and compelling interactive content such as virtual games, full motion picture-in-picture and online shopping capabilities via BD-Live broadband connection.

Sleeping Beauty will be WDSHE's first Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc and will feature a Virtual Castle, utilizing the new BD-Live technology, as well as the interactive game Maleficent's Challenge which puts viewers face-to-face with one of Disney's greatest villains.
Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo Blu-ray Disc will debut the first Cine-Explore featuring full motion picture-in-picture (BonusView). This interactive visual commentary with director Andrew Stanton, co-writer Bob Peterson and co-director Lee Unkrich allows the viewer to dive deeper into the making of Finding Nemo without ever leaving the film. For kids and families, there is the all-new BD-Java enabled learning mode "Mr. Ray's Ed-venture." Hosted by Dory, Marlin and of course Mr. Ray, viewers will learn all about sea life and have the opportunity to earn stickers for their virtual sticker book by answering "quizlettes" while watching the movie. Viewers can also go to their sticker book at any time and create their own scene. Finding Nemo will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

As part of its continued worldwide Blu-ray release strategy, WDSHE will be announcing the addition of many exciting movie titles to their 2008 Blu-ray line-up in North America, Europe and Asia.

In North America, WDSHE will be releasing new theatrical titles to Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD including The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) on January 22; Gone Baby Gone and Becoming Jane (both Miramax) on February 12; and Dan In Real Life (Touchstone Pictures) on March 11. WDSHE will expand its catalogue titles on Blu-ray Disc with the releases of The Rock (Hollywood Pictures) and Con Air (Touchstone Pictures) on January 8; Crimson Tide (Hollywood Pictures) on February 5; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) on March 4; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Coyote Ugly: The Double Shot Edition (Touchstone Pictures), Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in spring 2008.

In Europe/Australia, WDSHE will roll out Blu-ray Discs in 2008 beginning with The Recruit (Touchstone Pictures) in January; and Dark Water (Touchstone Pictures) in February; Underdog (Walt Disney Pictures) and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in February;
Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) in March; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures) and Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) in April; Signs (Touchstone Pictures), There Will Be Blood (Miramax), Shall We Dance (Miramax), Ladder 49 (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and
The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Japan will see WDSHE release Blu-ray titles starting with Hollywoodland (Miramax) in February; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures), Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Meet The Robinsons (Walt Disney Pictures), and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in April; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures), Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) and Signs (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Following overwhelming consumer response WDSHE is also announcing the extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, to eight additional North American cities. The first stop will be to Toronto, Canada the weekend of January 25th and continue on to Nashville, Denver, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham, Hartford and conclude with Chicago at Unity 2008 in July.

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<![CDATA[Denon Introduces $2,000 DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Player]]> Today in Jersey City, Denon unveiled its flagship DVD player, the DVD-3800BDCI, coming out this fall. It will be among the first to sport the BD-ROM version 1.1, which means it will have dual audio/video decoders to take advantage of picture-in-picture content, and has an SD card slot, so that you can download web content. It does not have an Ethernet jack, however, so you will have to use a PC to download content to SD. It's also, according to Denon, the world's first high-def disc player to use the Realta HQV video processor for super-badass video cleanup. The processor will clean up Blu-ray discs, if that tells you anything.

DENON TO INTRODUCE GROUNDBREAKING BD-ROM PROFILE 1 version 1.1

BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER AND TRANSPORT

• New Products Represent the Pinnacle of High-Definition DVD Video and Audio Performance; Offer Exciting Interactive Capabilities -

Mahwah, NJ - July 24, 2007 — Denon Electronics, a world leader in high-performance home entertainment products, today announced the upcoming introduction of two groundbreaking DVD products, the new reference-standard DVD-3800BDCI BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1
Blu-ray Disc Player and the DVD-2500BTC BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1 Blu-ray Disc Transport. The DVD-3800BDCI (SRP: $1,999) is the world's first BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1 Blu-ray Disc Player from a Blu-Ray Disc Association member featuring the acclaimed 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta chipset. It provides users with the highest resolution high-definition video available today via HDMI™ connection, as well as the ultimate in audio performance, including high-definition audio decoding and DDSC-HD audio output. The DVD-2500BTCI outputs audio and video signals and requires a connected audio/video receiver to do the decoding. Both BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1 Blu-ray units are slated to ship this fall.

In addition to its Blu-ray Disc introductions, Denon is updating its advanced lineup of DVD players and changers with six additional models, including the DVD-1940CI (SRP: $349) and DVD-1740 (SRP: $169), as well as the new DVM-1845 (SRP: $269) 5-disc DVD changer. With the new additions, Denon's current line of DVD players now feature advanced HDMI output capability for the ultimate in audio and video performance. Three new models in the company's Retail Home Theater DVD lineup have also been added, including the DVD-758 (SRP: $349) and DVD-558 (SRP: $169) DVD players, as well as the new DVM-745 (SRP: $269) 5-disc changer.

Joe Stinziano, Denon's Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing, noted: "Denon is committed to providing our discriminating customers with a no-compromise high-end solution for enjoying next-generation high resolution media. Our new products exemplify the highest level of home theater quality. As a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, we brought all of our design and engineering expertise to bear in the creation of these groundbreaking Blu-ray products, setting new performance standards for the format. Denon remains committed to offering our customers the most options in ultimate-quality home entertainment products and to this end, our future plans do not preclude the introduction of high-definition products in other formats."

Reference-Standard DVD-3800BDCI: "Boundless" Home Entertainment
Denon's new DVD-3800BDCI BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1 Blu-ray Disc Player sets new standards in high-performance, interactive DVD playback. In addition to delivering the pinnacle of high-quality audio and video performance, both the DVD-3800BDCI and DVD-2500BTCI feature SD card readers that offer users a new level of full interactivity with multiple opportunities for content providers to add enhanced content such as movie trailers, games and more.

The Ultimate in Video Performance...
In addition to being in the forefront of BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1 Blu-ray Disc Player technology, Denon's DVD-3800BDCI is also the world's first to feature the acclaimed 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta chipset, providing enhanced video performance with upconversion and IP scaling to 1080p. The pixel-by-pixel and Digital Noise Reduction feature afforded by this technology allows the player to remove image-degrading artifacts, resulting in astoundingly clear, high-resolution image quality.

The Ultimate in Audio Performance...
Denon's new DVD-3800BDCI also utilizes a variety of the world's most advanced audio technologies, including Advanced AL24 processing, to deliver the ultimate in audio performance. The player offers HD Audio and DDSC-HD, with decoding of Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and is capable of outputting both 7.1-channel analog signals and PCM audio via HDMI output.

DVD-2500BTCI Blu-ray Transport: High-Performance Connection to A/V Receivers
The DVD-2500BTCI is a leading edge Blu-ray Disc Transport that allows owners of advanced A/V receivers to add Blu-ray capability to their system and enjoy high definition video. The DVD-2500BTCI will natively output an HD audio bit-stream to a connected receiver via HDMI. Once this signal is accepted in the receiver, it can then be decoded into its native format including Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio.

Secondary Video and Audio Decoders
In keeping with the guidelines mandated by the Blu-ray Association for BD-ROM Profile 1 version 1.1 players, both Denon Models DVD-3800BDCI and DVD-2500BTCI incorporate a secondary audio and video decoder. This allows for simultaneous playback of a secondary audio and video track which may be used for interactive audio and commentary and for picture-in-picture capability (respectively). Additional information (subtitles, audio streams, camera angles, trailers, games, etc.) can be downloaded from the Internet via computer and stored on a SD card that either player will accept. This content can be played with the original content of Blu-ray Discs.

Denon's DVD Lineup offers More Models with HDMI Output
In addition to the new Blu-ray Disc products, Denon has significantly upgraded its DVD player line. Denon's new DVD-1940CI and DVD-1740 DVD players, for example, output video at stunning 1080p resolution via HDMI, making them ideal for use with the advanced digital display devices of today (and tomorrow). The superior image quality of the DVD-1940CI is achieved through the use of the advanced Faroudja FLi2301 DCDi chipset, providing an improved Film Mode, 3:2 pulldown detection and de-interlacing, as well as five Progressive Mode memory settings that enable viewers to fine-tune picture quality to their particular preference. The result is remarkably clear, high-resolution image quality, free from picture artifacts. Additional audio/video enhancements in the DVD-1940CI include HDMI 1.1 output compatibility, SACD / DVD-Audio playback, discrete interlaced and progressive video D/A converters. For enhanced audio playback, both the DVD-1940CI and DVD-1740 use discrete high performance Burr
Brown Audio DACs - models PCM-1738 and PCM-1756 respectively. The DVD-1940CI and
DVD-1740 will also interchangeably convert video standards; NTSC and PAL and the DVD-1940CI will now support the popular DivX Ultra standard.

The DVD-1740 and the DVD-1940CI are both currently available.

NEW 5-Disc DVD-Changer Added to Lineup
To provide additional flexibility, Denon is also introducing a new 5-disc DVD changer, with HDMI 1.0 and selectable scaling output to 1080p. Model, DVM-1845 is a progressive scan changer with DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD and CD-R/RW playback compatibility, Kodak Picture, FujiColor, and JPEG Photo File Viewer for total convenience and utility. For enhanced image quality, the DVM-1845 also includes an advanced 12-Bit Video DAC (108MHz, 480i/480p) and 3:2 Pull-Down detection. The DVM-1845 is currently available.

In addition to the new models announced today, Denon's DVD line includes: the flagship DVD-5910CI (SRP: $3,800), DVD-3930CI (SRP: $1,499) and DVD-2930CI (SRP: $849).

New Retail Home Theater Series Models: High-Value, High-Performance
Denon's new Retail Home Theater Series line of advanced DVD players, includes the DVD-758, DVD-558 and DVM-745 5-disc changer, and offers many of the same high-quality features found in Denon's companion models. Features include HDMI output with upscaling to 1080p, Burr Brown 24/192 Audio DACs, playback of CDs and DVDs with MP3 and WMA 9 audio files as well as CD-R/CD-RW, DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW. Additionally, the DVD-758 will play discs encoded with DivX Ultra. All three models are currently available.


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