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Blu-ray

Kaleidescape Cinema One - Review
Home Theater Blu-ray HD Media Centers

Kaleidescape Cinema One - Review

The Kaleidescape Cinema One is a 4TB media server priced at $3,995, capable of storing up to 100 Blu-ray-quality or 600 DVD-quality movies, with bitstream pass-through of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio over HDMI. Testing against an Oppo reference player in a high-end home theater revealed that a default-enabled detail enhancement setting degraded image quality when used alongside a Darblet video processor, and AACS licensing requires the physical Blu-ray disc to be present during playback of imported titles unless a $3,995 DV700 vault is added. Factoring in hardware amortization, per-movie cost-of-ownership for Blu-ray collectors ranges from roughly $60 to $105 depending on system configuration, making the value proposition heavily dependent on collection size and usage pattern.

Rodolfo La Maestra •
Articles
Blu-ray Streaming HD Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Expert - DEG: Here's The Rest of the Story

The Digital Entertainment Group's mid-2013 home entertainment report buries significant declines behind optimistic headlines, with overall DVD and Blu-ray disc sales falling 4.7% year-over-year to $3.6 billion while subscription streaming surged 32% to $1.5 billion. Physical disc rentals across all channels continued a multi-year contraction, and the 61 million Blu-ray players cited by DEG increasingly function as streaming media boxes rather than disc players. The looming implementation of MPEG-4 H.265 (HEVC) encoding, enabling 1080p/60 streams at 2-3 Mb/s, suggests the shift away from packaged media will only accelerate.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Home Theater Blu-ray Streaming HD

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #593: Blu-ray: Here to stay?

Blu-ray remains the benchmark for home theater quality, delivering uncompressed audio codecs and bitrates that current streaming services cannot match, even as newer compression formats narrow the gap. Physical media also guarantees consistent playback without buffering, bandwidth throttling, or license verification requirements tied to an Internet connection. For viewers with 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 surround systems and high-end displays, or those in areas with unreliable broadband, Blu-ray is not just the superior choice but often the only practical one.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Home Theater Blu-ray Streaming HD

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #592: Is Blu-ray a Dead Format?

Blu-ray delivers the highest quality audio and video available to consumers today, yet its long-term viability is challenged by streaming services already surpassing DVD quality at bitrates around 4-10Mbps and SD cards capable of 40MB/s transfer speeds on 64GB media. BD-Live's community features have been rendered largely obsolete by social platforms, while in-store kiosk downloads and online lockers represent plausible physical-media alternatives. For home theater enthusiasts, the practical question is not whether Blu-ray will be replaced, but how soon gigabit internet and studio DRM policy shifts will accelerate that transition.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Blu-ray Streaming HD OTA HD & Antennas

HDTV Expert - TV, Over The Air and Everywhere!

Aereo's antenna-based internet rebroadcasting service has drawn legal threats from CBS and Fox, who demand retransmission fees despite losing two court battles, while the NFL's silence on Aereo carrying its games without rights payments raises pointed questions about selective enforcement. Nielsen data shows Blu-ray disc adoption grew 14% year-over-year in 2012, yet streaming faces serious reliability problems, with Conviva's analysis of 22 billion video streams finding 60% experienced quality degradation including re-buffering, slow startup, and low bit-rate picture quality. For consumers, the choice between physical media and streaming remains a genuine trade-off between convenience and consistent playback quality.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Blu-ray Review: Magic Mike
Blu-ray HD Audio

Blu-ray Review: Magic Mike

Magic Mike arrives on Blu-ray with a Warner 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer shot on Red Epic cameras, faithfully reproducing Steven Soderbergh's deliberately skewed, near-monochromatic color palette with well-resolved textures and crisp edges. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is the disc's standout, delivering pulsing low-end, aggressive rear-channel support, and eerily realistic directionality during the club sequences. Viewers seeking a technically capable Blu-ray with strong audio performance will find this release rewarding, even if the intentionally muted video presentation limits outright demo-disc appeal.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews
Blu-ray Review: The Campaign
Blu-ray HD Audio

Blu-ray Review: The Campaign

The Campaign arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer delivering clean edge definition, deep black levels, and fine detail resolution down to individual facial textures. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track handles the front-heavy mix competently, with solid LFE output and clear dialogue, though immersive rear-channel activity is limited to crowd-heavy scenes. Buyers seeking a raucous R-rated comedy with reliable A/V performance will find this disc a worthwhile pickup, even if the film itself ranks as mid-tier in the genre.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews
Home Theater Blu-ray

Panasonic Announces Pricing & Availability For Its 2013 Blu-ray Disc™ Player Lineup

Panasonic has unveiled pricing for its 2013 Blu-ray Disc player lineup, spanning six models from $79.99 to $349.99, with the flagship DMP-BDT330 at $199.99 offering built-in 4K upscaling and Miracast display mirroring for Android 4.2 or higher devices. Select 3D-capable models include a 192kHz/32-bit audio DAC, twin HDMI ports, and 2D-to-3D conversion, while all but the entry-level BD79 feature built-in Wi-Fi. Buyers can choose a player matched to their budget and feature needs, from basic IP VOD access on 2D models to the full VIERA Connect IPTV platform on 3D-capable units.

Shane Sturgeon •
Bulletins
Blu-ray Review: This is 40
Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: This is 40

Universal's Blu-ray release of 'This Is 40' delivers a strong 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer with warm colors, clean edge definition, and an intact grain structure free of serious artifacting or banding. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is front-heavy with restrained LFE output and limited rear-channel activity, though dialogue clarity and live-performance music reproduction are highlights. Viewers who appreciate Judd Apatow's comedic style will find the disc's technical presentation a worthy complement to the film's relatable domestic humor.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Wreck-It Ralph
Blu-ray Home Theater HD Audio

Blu-ray Review: Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph arrives on Blu-ray with a reference-quality 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer delivering eye-popping color accuracy, pristine edge detail free from ringing or aliasing, and zero macro-blocking or banding artifacts. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track matches that standard with aggressive rear-channel activity, deep LFE engagement during first-person shooter sequences, and precise cross-channel panning. Together, these technical strengths make this Disney animated release a strong candidate for a home theater showcase disc.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Perks of Being a Wallflower
Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1, but despite its Super 35 origins, the image skews surprisingly soft and murky with wildly inconsistent contrast that undermines detail in dimly lit scenes. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track performs adequately, with discrete channelization shining in crowd sequences though the mix remains largely front-heavy throughout. Buyers should temper video expectations while the strong ensemble performances from Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson make this a worthwhile addition to any collection.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews
Home Theater Blu-ray Streaming HD

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #572: iTunes vs Vudu vs Blu-ray

Podcast episode #572 examines video quality across three distribution formats - iTunes, Vudu, and Blu-ray - through a series of side-by-side comparisons conducted by AVS Forum contributor Mark Henninger using titles including Skyfall, Argo, and Life of Pi. While streaming bandwidth has improved enough to deliver near-HD quality, the comparisons probe whether digital streaming services can match the lossless video and audio fidelity of Blu-ray discs. Viewers invested in home theater setups will find the format-by-format breakdowns directly relevant to purchasing decisions.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Blu-ray Review: Death Race 3
Home Theater Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: Death Race 3

Death Race 3: Inferno arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that captures the hyper-glossed digital video aesthetic of the Kalahari Desert shoot, delivering crisp fine detail and clean edges despite sun-bleached colors and minor shimmering from stunt cameras. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track compensates with punchy LFE output, neck-snapping directional effects, and clear dialogue even amid dense action layers. The technical presentation outperforms the film itself, which reviewers found to be a poorly acted, low-budget direct-to-video release unworthy of its runtime.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Flight
Blu-ray Home Theater HD Audio

Blu-ray Review: Flight

Paramount's Blu-ray release of Robert Zemeckis' Flight delivers a reference-quality 1080p transfer with consistently sharp detail across facial textures, fine surface scuffs, and liquor bottle labels, paired with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that renders the crash sequence with powerful, controlled bass and convincing cabin atmospherics. Dialogue remains clean and centered while music floats naturally across the stage without artificial low-end padding. Viewers seeking a technically impressive disc alongside Denzel Washington's career-best portrayal of an alcoholic pilot will find this release rewarding on both fronts.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Guns, Girls and Gambling
Blu-ray HD Audio

Blu-ray Review: Guns, Girls and Gambling

Universal's Blu-ray release of Guns Girls and Gambling delivers a 1080p/VC-1 video transfer with vivid colors, deep blacks, and crisp detail that stands as the disc's strongest asset. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track handles dialogue and gunfire competently but suffers from flat sound design, underutilized directionality, and LFE that lacks finesse. Viewers seeking a technically polished disc will find adequate but unremarkable A/V performance wrapped around a formulaic action-comedy that offers little beyond its cast.

Ryan Gibbs •
Reviews