Blu-ray 3D

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

If I had to recommend just one Blu-ray player for 2012, it would be Panasonic's DMP-BDT220 ($130 street price). It's in the sweet spot of Panasonic's Blu-ray lineup, with built-in Wi-Fi and an excellent set of streaming-media services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant, Vudu, MLB.TV, and Pandora.

And while competing players from Samsung and Sony offer just as many streaming apps, they're hamstrung by awkward user interfaces.… Read more

The BP620 is LG's "flagship" Blu-ray player for 2012, but you couldn't tell by its $130 street price or ordinary feature set. It includes all the important features that manufacturers are charging for this year, such as 3D compatibility, built-in Wi-Fi, and a suite of streaming-media services.

The big catch, especially if you were familiar with LG's platform last year, is that Amazon Instant will not be included on 2012 players, which could be a deal breaker for cord cutters. However, LG continues to have one of the best-designed streaming-content portals, with a dead-simple user … Read more

A tweet from the official Google TV twitter account indicates that a noteworthy update's coming to Sony's Google TV devices.

When the update lands this week, owners of the NSZ-GT1 Google TV/Blu-ray player will be able to watch 3D Blu-ray movies through the device. The new firmware update also speeds up the Google Chrome browser implemented in the aforementioned Internet TV box and Sony's short-lived NSX-24GT1, NSX-32GT1, NSX-40GT1, and NSX-46GT1 televisions with Google TV built-in. We assume the next generation of Sony Google TV devices (NSZ-GS7 and NSZ-GP9) will ship with this new functionality. … Read more

I have mixed feelings about 3D. Much as I enjoyed "Avatar" and "Despicable Me" on the big screen, I'm not exactly dying to bring the 3D experience into my home.

On the other hand, why not give myself the option? All I need is a 3D-ready TV (or projector) and Blu-ray player. Today only, and while supplies last, DailySteals has a killer deal on the latter: a refurbished Samsung BD-D5500C 3D-capable Blu-ray player for $69.99, plus $4.99 for shipping.

That price rivals, and even exceeds, most of the non-3D Blu-ray players I'… Read more

Disney is doubling down on 3D with a mix of big-screen 3D rereleases and a big "Toy Story" rollout on Blu-ray 3D.

While analysts across the board are wondering if the general public wants movies in 3D at home or at the multiplex, a chorus of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" resounded from Burbank as Disney dominated the box office the last couple of weeks with the 3D theater release of "The Lion King."

So, forever an entity eager to make hay while the cartoon sun shines, Disney has announced more 3D rereleases of animated classics. The limited theatrical engagements will include "Beauty and the Beast" on January 13, 2012; Pixar's "Finding Nemo" on September 14, 2012; Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." on January 18, 2013; and "The Little Mermaid" on September 13, 2013.

On the home front, the "Toy Story" trilogy will hit on Blu-ray 3D on November 1. … Read more

Onkyo has announced a new flagship 3D Blu-ray player, the BD-SP809, to be released in August for $600. In addition to Blu-ray, the BD-SP809 offers several streaming-media services, including Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster, and Film Fresh. There's also a USB on the back panel, with the BD-SP809 capable of playing back several digital file formats, including DivX HD, MP3, and WMA.

The BD-SP809 is also THX-certified and (more importantly to us) includes Marvell's Qdeo processing, which we've found to deliver excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies and DVDs in the past. There are two HDMI outputs, which is helpful for those with an older receiver that has non-3D compatible HDMI inputs. Alternatively, dual-HDMI outputs can be used to connect to both a TV and projector simultaneously.… Read more

"Star Wars" will be entering the third dimension in less than a year, Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox have revealed.

The studios announced yesterday that "Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace" will be coming to theaters on February 10 in all its 3D glory. Purists will be happy to hear that Lucasfilm is guaranteeing that the conversion to 3D is "being done with utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions."

Lucasfilm first announced its intention to bring the "Star Wars" … Read more

If you've been waiting for the 3D Blu-ray version of James Cameron's Avatar, you can finally get your hands on it. But it won't be as easy as going to the store to pick up a copy.

Starting today, customers who buy a Panasonic Viera 3D HDTV VT series or GT series set will also receive the company's 3D Full HD Ultimate Pack, which includes two pairs of Panasonic 3D glasses and a copy of Avatar in 3D Blu-ray, at no additional charge. Panasonic is also allowing those who purchased one of the company's 3D … Read more