Smart Home Blog

Next to Netflix another US online content provider VUDU comes to the AV devices. Its Apps will be added to the HDTV by Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp and Toshiba. Toshiba will also integrate Vudu Apps in to their line of internet-capable Blu-Ray players. A list of applications is huge. Except VUDU Streaming Movie Service, it includes Flickr, Picasa, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Diggnation HD and much much more.

This is a good tendency when online services are integrated directly to TV or player. The bad thing for non-US citizens is that the either VUDU or Netflix is not available outside US. Just wondering about availability of VUDU Apps in Europe.

Good news for all PS3 fans. Last week the specs for 3D Blu-ray were finalized and as result PS3 will have support 3D. So, if you already have Sony Playstation 3 you’ll just update its firmware to enjoy 3D effects (sure, you should have a 3D compatible TV). Also Sony will be licensing RealD tech for use in consumer products in 2010. If you don’t know the RealD is company who is behind the 3D technology for many of the high-end 3D films in theaters like Avatar, for example. That new 3D technology will be added to the 3D Bravia LCD TV line. It’ll need 3D eyewear to view the content.

[via SlashGear]

This is a really good news for Linux-based HTPC owners. Mplayer recently added supports of HD-DVD/Blu-Ray codecs. The latest code in Subversion repository can do it with that DRM decryption patch. The full guide how to play and rip HD-DVD and Blu-ray disks under Linux can be found here.

I was asked a few times about possibility to play Blu-ray disk under LinuxMCE. So, with solution below it could be possible to do that.

[via phoronix]

After LG and Samsung Sony announced its networked Blu-ray player. The BDP-N460 offers a practically standard set of online features – Netflix, YouTube, Blip.tv, Crackle, and Slacker Radio as well as its own BRAVIA Internet Video platform. The player sports Ethernet and USB port. It’d be possible to use WET610N Dual Band Wireless-N Ethernet Bridge adapter to connect the BDP-N460 to the local network. There is no information about possibility to play DivX or MKV files from USB storage or network shares.

Sure, the BDP-N460 provides functionality of high-end Blu-ray players such supporting BD-LIVE content, upscaling SD video to HD and outputting 1080p video with 7.1 Dolby Digital and DTS-HD audio via HDMI.

The BDP-N460 will be available this October at $249.99.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

Recently Samsung released new firmware for its networked Blu-ray players. The most interesting features are support online video services Youtube and Blockbuster as well as MKV files playback. It seems that company understands the situation with media when everything goes in Internet. In my opinion replacement DVD/Blu-ray disks by their online analogs is a just a matter of time. Short time I hope.