blu-ray

Top movies not out on Blu-ray: 'Chariots of Fire' off the list

For the past few years, we've kept a running list of top titles not out on Blu-ray. It started out with 40 titles and has been whittled down to 15 in more recent months.

"Chariots of Fire," which won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1981 and hit stores yesterday (just in time for the Olympics), is the latest flick to be removed from the list, which is a good thing.

Warner Bros. has done an impressive job bringing the movie to Blu-ray, with an excellent video transfer (the audio's also quite good, but when … Read more

Get Blu-ray Copy (Win) for free

Despite recent advances in streaming media, when it comes to watching movies, you still can't beat Blu-ray.

Indeed, it's precisely because of Blu-ray's unsurpassed picture and sound quality, to say nothing of its copious extras, that many movie lovers still prefer to own their favorite films on those shiny silver platters.

Shiny, expensive silver platters. I kind of feel like now that I've bought and paid for a Blu-ray of "Despicable Me," I should be able to make a backup copy -- just in case the original gets scratched. And what if I want … Read more

Top 40 must-have Blu-ray discs

Another month, another set of new Blu-ray releases -- and another update to our long-running list of must-have Blu-ray movies. This month's entries: "The Sting," and "Chinatown."

Though my face is at the top of the column, the list was compiled with input from editors John Falcone, Matthew Moskovciak, and David Katzmaier, who look at a lot of video content in their day-to-day testing of products. We also keep an eye on AVS Forum's Blu-ray picture-quality and audio-quality threads and have always appreciated the site's tiered rating system.

This list is not set in stone, and we'll be adding and removing discs as new ones come out. As always, feel free to make comments and suggest your own personal favorites. They may get added to the list in the future. … Read more

How to make your speakers sound better than ever

Since most people listen to music on free earbuds, plastic computer speakers, or car audio systems, it's easy to understand why great-sounding new recordings are rare. Even so, exceptional ones sneak through from time to time, and when I have a stack of candidates, I cover the best new releases here.

"The Raconteurs: Live in Montreux 2008" (Blu-ray) The Raconteurs were formed in 2005 by Jack White of the White Stripes, but this show from 2008 has just been released. The band's ferocious performances sound great here in DTS Master Audio. I like the two Raconteurs … Read more

Disney delays DVD releases to rentals, Netflix

If you were hoping to catch "Friday Night Lights" star Taylor Kitsch with his shirt off in Walt Disney's "John Carter," you may have to wait a few more days.

Disney has begun delaying select title releases to rental companies and Netflix by 28 days, which means the studio has held back on the June 5 release of Kitsch's "John Carter" to places like Redbox, Blockbuster, and Netflix, according to Home Media Magazine.

Disney is the last of the major studios to begin embargoing its DVD releases, a practice it started with … Read more

Sony nixes idea of online-only console, WSJ says

Gamers would have experienced an online-only PlayStation console from Sony if the company hadn't pulled the plug on the development, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Sony decided against a download-only plan for its next gaming console and opted to include the traditional optical disk drive, according to the WSJ, which cited unnamed sources.

Online services that allow console users to download games, television shows and music without the need for disks or cartridges are gaining popularity with consumers. The Xbox 360 has evolved beyond a gaming machine and into a media hub.

But the console industry is slow to … Read more

Get a loaded Sony Blu-ray player for $64.99

DVDs or on-demand movies? Some pundits would have you believe it's one or the other, but you can walk the line and enjoy both. All you need is a Blu-ray player that has apps.

Like this one: While supplies last, Quick Ship Electronics has the refurbished Sony BDP-BX58 Blu-ray player for $64.99 shipped. It's without question the most loaded set-top box I've seen at this price.

How loaded? Well, it's a Blu-ray player for starters. It supports regular and 3D discs, the latter kind of fun if you know where to score 3D movies to watch at home.… Read more

When streaming video is better than Blu-ray

Last week, I was reminded that cable-cutting can beat cable when it comes to a commercial-free TV-watching experience. Yesterday, an excellent story from Ars Technica reminded me why streaming often feels much more satisfying than watching Blu-ray.

The U.S. government yesterday rolled out not one but two copyright notices, one to "warn" and one to "educate." Six major movie studios will begin using the new notices this week. [...] Will the two screens be shown back to back? Will each screen last for 10 seconds each? Will each screen be unskippable? Yes, yes, and yes.

It'… Read more

Is the glasses-free 3D laptop ready for prime time?

Stereoscopic 3D in televisions, PCs, and game consoles has alternatively hailed as an industry savior and blasted as overhyped and undercooked. But no matter which side of the 3D debate you fall on, everyone agrees that bulky active shutter 3D glasses are a major impediment to widespread adoption.

That's why we were so interested in the idea of an autostereoscopic laptop (which basically means glasses-free 3D). Using the laptop's built-in Webcam and eye-tracking software, a laptop can, in theory, keep the 3D image in sync by tracking the viewer's eye movements. We first saw this demonstrated at … Read more