Marantz is showing off its very first Blu-ray player, the BD8002. The player can play back 1080p video at 24 frames per second, and can reportedly upconvert your traditional DVDs to almost high-definition quality video. In addition to playing back discs the player has an SD slot that allows you to play back files off your computer. The SD card slot can read VCDs, SVCDs, DivX, MP3, and WMA files, as well as allow users to playback JPEG’s directly from the player. If you have your heart set on picking one of these up, you’ll need to have $2,600 and be currently in the UK. The BD8002 is expected to be available in the UK only, with no US release date mentioned. [via Electronista]
Americans always want bigger and better. Think Blu-Ray is the last frontier? Think again, Spock. Holographic discs may be the next breakthrough for storing information. Instead of being etched with patterns only on the surface, a holo-disc saves data throughout its interior. When the first holographic discs hit the market next year, users will need to buy expensive systems (the early adopter tax) to handle the 300GB discs. But scientists at GE Global Research are working on a laser system that can read CD, DVD and holo-discs. That system may hit the market in 2012. So be smart– don’t go out and upgrade your DVD collection to Blu-Ray just yet… [ge]
The first commercial Blu-ray/ DVD hybrid has been announced in Japan. The JVC disc is dual sided with one side being a 25GB Blu-ray disc and the other side an 8GB DVD. The dual-layer discs open up the possibility of delivering movies in both forms at the same time. The first disc created with the technology was a special box set of the Japanese drama “Code Blue.†Get it? Code Blue? Ugh… [via AkibaharaNews]
While I’m not sold on LG’s liberal use of the word “floating” (make it levitate and we’ll talk), the unconventional look of this DVD player, and the wall-mounting capabilities that lend its nickname, are at least easier on the eyes than your standard disc box. The DVS450H uses HDMI to upscale standard-definition DVDs to 1080p, and can play DIVx files using an attached USB hard drive. For $240, it does not play Blu-Ray. [Reg Hardware via Slashgear and Boing Boing Gadgets]
Last week, GearCrave gave away three copies of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration collection on DVD (congrats due to grant, steve and steve, we’ll be emailing you shortly). Continuing with another giveaway, our friends at Paramount have joined us to give away three copies of Iron Man, the summer smash starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Starks himself. If you didn’t catch Iron Man in theaters, the film will be released on DVD next Tuesday, September 30th. In celebration of that release, we ask GearCrave readers to leave a comment, tell us your favorite part of the film. If you haven’t seen it yet, tell us why you’re excited to see it for the first time. Continue reading below for the details!
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One of the best cinematic trilogies of all time has been restored to its original state and improved for new viewing technologies. Director Francis Ford Coppola worked to restore The Godfather trilogy and provide a stunning reproduction of the original work, available next week on DVD and Blu Ray. “The Coppola Restoration” features a renewed look at the classic works, their production, their storylines and character development. In a 5 DVD set (or 4 on Blu Ray), fans of the series can now see The Godfather in unprecendented quality and detail, as well as two full discs of bonus material. In celebration of this release, GearCrave and Paramount have teamed up to give away 3 free collections of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration. Want to try your luck? Continue reading below…
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Burton fans rejoice, the cult hit The Nightmare Before Christmas has been released today in it a Collector’s Edition 2-disc set. The DVD set includes a long list of bonus features for the Nightmare fanatic, including commentaries by Tim Burton, a “making of” featurette, deleted scenes, storyboard comparisons and plenty more. What’s more, GearCrave is giving away three copies of the Nightmare Before Christmas Collector’s Edition to three randomly selected GearCrave readers. Want to give it a shot? Leave a comment below, telling us why you’d like to receive one. This giveaway will end on Monday, September 1st and 11:59p.m. (U.S. readers only).
Buy: $22.99
You haven’t had this much fun since you were a kid. Fresh off of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fame, director Garth Jennings has created a smart, funny and loveable film in Son of Rambow. If you haven’t heard of this one, you’re not going to want to miss this. Fans of Wes Anderson, David O. Russel and Jonathan Dayton will feel right at home with Son of Rambow for its playful, dry humor and smart scripting. GearCrave has three copies of Son of Rambow on DVD to give away to readers who comment below. To watch the Son of Rambow trailer and to sign up for a free copy, continue reading below. Also, don’t miss the Garth Jennings interview with our friends over at CityZine!
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One thing is certain– Bose makes some aurally exciting sound gear for the home theater environment. One of the latest is the Bose 3·2·1 Series III DVD home entertainment systems. These systems, which include a DVD player and AM/FM radio, keep it simple for those who want to make use of just three wires and a remote control. The upgraded option of the 3·2·1 systems even offers the ability store up to 200 hours of digital music. And yes, for your videophiles, there’s HDMI output so you don’t leave your HD viewing experience out in the cold… [via]
Buy: $1,500
