What You Should Know About the LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Plus

Blu-Ray has, quite understandably, become wildly popular in the last couple of years. Why is this? The simple fact is that there is no better method for watching your favorite movies now that Blu-Ray has improved its sound quality head and shoulders above even the best in traditional DVD players. But, it's important to understand that not all Blu-Ray players are of equal quality. That's the reason we're taking the time to explore the advantages of the LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Plus.

It is no exaggeration to say that the LG BD 390 Network Blu-Ray Disc Player Plus is one of the absolute best players on the market. While there are many systems that can effectively deliver a solid sight and sound system, this particular model is one of the best of the best. That is why it is constantly wracking up some very excellent - and well deserved - positive reviews from consumers all over electronics market.

Perhaps the best feature of this system is its incredible picture quality. For unsurpassed clarity and detail, this system is a must have. As those who own the system can attest, it certainly does deliver. It's evident that a great deal of research and quality has gone into designing the video capabilities of this system. Those who enjoy a top notch visual display would do well to buy a LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Plus.

One incredible feature of this system is its ability to connect to your PC using a wireless system. Hook up is not difficult and is less complicated than most would likely assume, and the system includes Nero software than can be installed very quickly. After installing the software, you can stream a number of different file types directly to your Blu-Ray system, including music, videos, and photographs. This makes for an incredible viewing experience and integrates your home entertainment and computer systems.

Those with Netflix subscriptions (and there are millions of you) will also be pleased to discover you can stream Netflix files directly to this player. This is a huge plus over watching the items on your computer as the picture quality is much better and the ability to skip chapters is much nicer.

Another great feature of this system is that you can view your favorite YouTube videos right on your television screen with the LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Plus. As you probably know, YouTube is no longer just short clips and media bits these days; you'll also find that it hosts full length movies, television shows, and other extended files. This great feature lets you watch these video clips in better quality on your TV, rather than on your computer screen.

Some may wonder if the setup of this Blue-Ray system is difficult to hook to you your TV and entertainment center. Actually, it is very easy to hook up. All you need to do is connect the player to the TV with the corresponding HDMI cable that comes with the system.

The price on this system is very fair and it is a system accessible to many budgets. For those looking for an excellent system with great picture quality and many multimedia functions, the LG BD 390 Network Blu-Ray Disc Player Plus is for you.

Thomas Sneed is an expert in electronics. Today, he is supplying the largest collection of compact DVD players currently available anywhere at very reasonable prices. Drop by Thomas' site today to know more about the LG BD 390.

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Myths Related To Blu-Rays Busted

Blu-ray disc, which is also known as BD or blu-ray, is a format for storing optical disc media. It is generally used for high-definition video storage and data storage. This disc looks like any ordinary disc and has the same dimensions.

The name of blu-ray Disc comes from the blue laser that is used for reading and writing this type of disc. It is a combination of the word "blue" that stands for blue-violet laser and `ray` standing for optical ray.

Since it has shorter wavelength of around 405 nm, so it can store substantially more data than a DVD that uses a red or 650 nm laser. To give you more details, a dual layer blu-ray disc has the capacity to store 50 GB, which is almost six times of the capacity of similar dual layer DVD.

The blu-ray Disc was invented by the Blu-ray Disc Association. It is a group of companies that represent computer hardware, consumer electronics, and are also involved in motion picture production. There are more than 180 member companies in this association, from all over the world. The current board of directors consists of companies like Apple Computer, Inc., Warner Bros. Entertainment, Dell Inc., Thomson Multimedia, Hewlett Packard Company, Sharp Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., Twentieth Century Fox, LG Electronics Inc, Sony Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Sun Microsystems, Inc Ltd, TDK Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Pioneer Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Walt Disney Pictures.

There was a time when blu-ray disc was competing with the HD DVD format, but soon most of the leading companies announced that they could no longer find buyers for their HD DVD players and recorders. Hence blu-ray emerged as the clear winner of the format war.

There are many myths regarding this technology since it is comparatively new. In this article we will try to clear some of those. The first myth is that internet connection is necessary for supporting this format. It is absolutely untrue. Internet connection is not needed for basic playback of blu-ray supported movies. It will only be needed for extra features like downloading value-added services, web browsing, watching latest movie trailers etc. You will also need internet if you want to authorize the managed copies of those blu-ray movies that are transferred over your home network.

The second myth is regarding down-converting analog outputs. Blu-ray players will not down-convert the signals of analog output unless your video contains ICT or Image Constraint Token. Since most of the movie studios like Sony, Fox, Disney, MGM, Paramount, and Universal do not use this feature so you will not be having much trouble with this.

Another question is regarding supporting mandatory managed copies. Well, the blu-ray format will have mandatory managed copy (MMC) in order to enable customers to make legal and authentic copies of blu-ray movies, which can be easily transferred over the home network.

Since it is a new technology so it is obvious that the first generation products will be somewhat expensive as there will be low production volumes. But manufacturers are planning a wide range of blu-ray products like players, drives, recorders, media, writers, etc and hence product volumes are soon expected to rise giving way to lower prices.

It is a general expectation that blu-ray will soon replace DVDs and most of the big movie studios have hugely supported this format compared to DVDs monopoly. They have already released movies in this format and plan to continue the same. But it is a high probability that DVDs will also not become completely extinct. Chances are that these two formats will co-exist for some time. That is the reason why most top consumer electronics brands like Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Pioneer and LG have introduced products that can read and write CDs, DVDs as well as blu-ray discs.

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The OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disk Player - On Review

Technology marches on, and it you want to keep up to date, then you need to look sharp. I guess we have all seen and admired the superb HDDVD (high definition DVD) technology that hit the marketplace quite recently. Like most of us I am sure that you applauded just how clear and bright the pictures were and thought that we had reached the pinnacle of perfection. Well, I am pleased to be able to shatter that illusion. Now we have the Blu-ray player, and it's taking things to yet another level.

The OPPOBDP-83 Blu-ray Player is a multi-function player that combines several different technologies into one, playing videos but with a CD/DVD audio capability too, all in the one player. This machine is the business. It will play most types of commercial media including Blu-ray, DVD, Audio DVD, SCAD, and CDs too of course. The BDP-83 has the complete function range and is fully automatic, so it doesn't matter what sort of disk you put in, it will automatically recognize it, select the appropriate program and play it. You don't have to do anything; it's all done for you.

This player rules all players. Use this player to enjoy any CD or DVD in your home. What more, you can even burn home videos, jpegs and music to disc or transfer them to a USB drive and enjoy them on this player. The days of collecting a device for a specific task is over.

The technology behind this player is cutting edge, with an award winning chip at its center. The chip governs the entire system and as well as giving you the total versatility of this incredible machine, it is responsible for delivering best ever high definition pictures up to 1080p with other settings for 480p, 480i, 1080i, and 720p. Not only that, but if you have any Blu-ray movies recorded at 24fps, it will play those too.

The OPPOBDP-83 incorporates an award winning chip that is the centerpiece of this fantastic piece of kit, providing the best picture quality you are likely to see anywhere with high definition to 1080p and options fpr 480p, 480i, 1080i, and 720p. You can also play any Blu-ray movies that have been stored at 24fps.

The BDP-83 really delivers, and you will be able to enjoy home cinema with all of the picture and sound quality that you would expect; in fact, this little beauty will exceed your expectations.

The player supports both DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD audio, and this provides you with sound that is studio quality and nothing is lost. Owners of the player will also be happy to know that BDP-83 supports SACD and DVD-Audio. These are the two formats that deliver multi-channel audio and stereo sound. These formats are responsible for bringing your sound that much more superior to the sound on CDs.

Even the remote control of the BDP-83 is state of the art with its backlighting for increased clarity (especially in the dark), and a clear set of printed instruction on the panel that make operational control as easy as can be.

Thomas Sneed is an experienced guru on DVD players. He is currently offering a wide array of cheap portable DVD players and so much more at rock bottom prices. Drop by Thomas' site today to know more about the OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player.

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Blu-ray Disc Player Reviews - Sony HTSS360

If your family's one who loves watching movies on the television, but you've yet to catch up with the latest Blu-ray technology, you are in for a very pleasant surprise. You may have been satisfied with the quality that your DVD player gives you, but believe me, you'll realize just what you have been missing when you do finally decide to take the plunge and invest in the new Sony HTSS360.

It offers you a wonderful opportunity to sit and spend time with your loved ones watching movies, and there is no better way to watch movies than in complete style and excellent quality while being able to listen to each word clearly and understand precisely what they are saying. The picture quality produced is something phenomenal and will have you watching movies more than you normally do.

With the wonderful features this Blu-ray player offers you, you are sure to have more friends over for movie night too! Just a few of the features are its BRAVIA sync, Surround Sound home theater system which is optimized for High Definition, and it cosmetically goes together well with Sony BD players and BRAVIA TVs.

It has some great audio facilities too, and with the appropriate DMPORT accessories you can play music files from your iPod plus various other types of files and source equipment. So not only does the HTSS360 give you out of this world movie repro, you'll also enjoy the very best in music repro too.

For any technophobes out there, you'll be interested to hear about the Sony's state of the art digital tuning technology, its compatibility with coaxial digital, and optical digital signals, how it uses a universal remote, and that it incorporates Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital, and DTS decoders for its inbuilt decoding system, and that the power is rated at 1000W.

The Sony HTSS360 is a stunning player. Sony are so confident that it will deliver a quality of sound you have never heard before, that they invite you to play a movie or a soundtrack that you are really, really familiar with, and then just pick out all of the little sounds and nuances that you have either never heard before, or that you have had difficulty in hearing clearly before. You will be amazed.

The customer feedback has been brilliant. Everyone who has bought the HTSS360 is absolutely delighted with the product, and its top performance. Sound, picture quality, color; all are highly acclaimed. The other thing that comes through clearly in the feedback is just how easy it is to install and set-up. At last, a player that doesn't need a nuclear physicist to set it up! You'll also be relived to know that the HTSS360 has a universal remote controller, so instead of shouting at the kids to find where they left the various remotes, you've only got the one to worry about.

The Sony HTSS360 Blu-ray disc player is a mean machine. It's the latest and greatest in digital playback technology, taking sound and picture quality to the highest levels ever. Go out and buy yours now. You won't regret; you'll just wonder why you didn't do it earlier.

Richard Greenwood is an experienced guru on home theaters. Recently, he started providing home theater equipment that carry reasonable price tags as well as superior reliability. Visit his site today to see his new toy, the Sony HTSS360.

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10 Best Movies of the 70's Now Available on Blu-ray

Many people have called the 1970's the second Golden Age of Cinema, on par with movies produced during the late 1920s up to the late 1950s. With new directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese coming onto the scene, it's very hard to argue this fact. The 70's were without a doubt a time of great storytelling, producing high quality movies driven by characters more so than by plot. Great movies that still hold up today.

Below are some of these 70's movies now available on Blu-ray. Each one is a great achievement in cinema and would be essential to anyone's movie collection. One of the greatest advantages of owning a Blu-ray DVD Player is the fact that you get to relive watching all these wonderful movies you enjoyed in the past, as if you were watching them for the very first time. Check out these top movies of the 70's and enjoy them once again.

M*A*S*H (Director: Robert Altman, 1970)

While being one of the most acclaimed comedies ever made, M*A*S*H is also one of the most iconic antiwar movies ever produced. Directed by Robert Altman, it is based on the novel "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors" by Richard Hooker. Adapted for the screen by Ring Larder Jr., it tells the story of a group of medical doctors and nurses stationed in Korea during the Korean War. With no real plot, the film is about the arrival of two surgeons, Captains "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Duke" Forrest and their interaction with the surgical staff. They use a series of humorous hi-jinks to keep their sanity during all the horror that war brings.

Video Quality: M*A*S*H was never a film that looked crisp and sharp; or particularly bright. This was the intentional purpose of the original cinematographers. They used filters and brownish tones to give the film its unique look. While this look is preserved in its 1080p with AVC-encoded transfer, it still gives us the best image quality the film has ever had.

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2:35.1
Original aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio Quality: The film has been given a newly lossless sound in the form of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 soundtrack.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono

Special Features:
- "The Complete Interactive Guide to M*A*S*H"
- "AMC Backstory: M*A*S*H"
- "Enlisted: The Story of M*A*S*H"
- "M*A*S*H: History Through the Lens"
- "Remembering M*A*S*H: 30th Annual Cast & Crew Reunion"
- Two trailers
- Stills gallery

A Clockwork Orange (Director: Stanley Kubrick, 1971)

A controversial film even to this day. Its depiction of sex and violence is some of the most graphic ever put on screen. But simply stated, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is a cinematic masterpiece. Adapted from the Anthony Burgress novel of the same name, the film is about a man, Alex DeLarge, who is a psychopathic delinquent. Among his many delights is Beethoven, rape, and ultra-violence. He is the leader of a group of young criminals who spend their nights stealing cars, breaking into peoples homes and vicious attacks on their follow human beings. Alex is taken by the government and is used as a test subject in an experiment to force criminals to become well behaving citizen. With this film, Kubrick asked us to consider the greater evil. The monstrous acts committed by Alex throughout the film or our willingness to destroy a person's own moral choices to maintain social order.

Video Quality: The film is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p with VC-1 encoding and a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Its many brilliant and crude colors are given a tremendous upgrade.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Audio Quality: The audio for the movie has been remixed into a PCM 5.1 uncompressed track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. You can now enjoy synthesized Beethoven symphonies in all their glory.
English: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1

Special Features:
- Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Film Historian Nick Redman
- "Still Tickin': The Return of A Clockwork Orange"
- Great Bolshy Yarblockos: The Making of A Clockwork Orange"
- "O Lucky Malcolm"
- Theatrical Trailer

The Godfather I and II (Director: Francis Ford Coppola, 1972/1974)

Generally considered two of the best American Movies ever made and landmarks in world cinema. Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Godfather II is a multi-generational crime family saga. Staring Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as his son Michael; the story takes place in New York in the late 1940's. The Corlones are a Mafia family, and Vito is the Godfather or Don. Michael is initially an outsider in the family. Making the decision to stay out of the family business. Through a series of unfortunate events, Michael is soon drawn into a life of crime and eventually rises to the position of ultimate power. Through both films we are shown every aspect of their lives; from births, marriages, dealings with friends and allies, to deaths. What we are left with, in essence, is a great family drama.

Video Quality: Noticeable better than their DVD counterparts, The Godfather Films on blu-ray are delivered in 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. It offers great fullness and sharp images.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio Quality: Presented in Dolby TruHD 5.1 Surround for all films, it offers great clarity and the best sound ever for The Godfather films.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Young Frankenstein (Director: Mel Brooks, 1974)

They don't come any funnier than Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein. A spoof of the classic horror movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Using the same sets as the original, the story centers around Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his on going effects to re-animate the dead. With the help of a bumbling assistant Igor (Marty Feldman), and the beautiful Inga (Teri Garr) he is able to create life, The Monster (Peter Boyle). With scene after scene of comedy highlights, Mel Brooks brings out the very best in his cast which includes: Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo. Unlike many comedy films, this one does not age and its jokes are still as funny as they were 30 years ago.

Video Quality: It gets the absolute most out of its 1080p with AVC-encoding. The remastering of the black and white imagery looks fantastic.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio Quality: The film has a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 sound track and a remix of the film's original mono.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Mono
French: Mono
Spanish: Mono

Special Features:
- Inside the Lab: Secret Formulas in the Making of 'Young Frankenstein'
- Alive! Creating a Monster Classic
- Making FrankenSense of Young Frankenstein
- Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris
- The Franken~Track: A Monstrous Conglomeration of Trivia
- Mexican Interviews

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Director: Milos Forman, 1975)

Milso Forman directed this 1975 film depicting the lives of patients in a mental institution. This film is regarded as one of the greatest films in American Cinema. The main character in the story is Randle Patrick McMurphy, played to perfection by Jack Nicholson. Who is sentenced to 18 months in prison for statuary rape, but he soon convinces the prison guards he is crazy and in need of psychiatric care. His rebel nature soon attracts a following with the other patients. He soon gathers them up to take on Nurse Ratched, who runs the institution more like a dictator that a dedicated health care giver. The resulting conflicts and battles will give viewers some of the most powerful emotions ever experienced while watching a film. A solid masterpiece of cinema, well worth experiencing once again on Blu-ray.


Video Quality: This film comes to Blu-ray in a 1080p with VC-1 encode. Certainly the best remastered version produced. With it high quality 1080p images, the resolution is a giant lead forward over any other version released previously.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio Quality: The sound resolution is in Dolby Digital 5.1.
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono
Italian: Dolby Digital Mono

Special Features:
- Audio Commentary
- The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
- Collectible Booklet


Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director: Steven Spielberg , 1977)

This, Steven Spielberg 1977 film, has become one of the most revered Science Fiction movies of all time. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, and Teri Garr. It is the story of an electrical lineman whose life takes an unexpected turn one evening when he encounters some unidentified flying lights in the sky. He soon becomes obsessive and can not help himself from being drawn to a rural site in Wyoming. Government agents are also at this site keeping away the general public. More of a character driven movie, this science fiction tale is no less riveting and visually spectacular.

Video Quality: This is a visual stunning film transferred to 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. The film remains to keep its grainy tone but you will never see this film look as vibrant as it does on Blu-ray.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Audio Quality: You get two audio options, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Both giving you high resolution sound making the soundtrack absolutely brilliant as well.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Special Features:
- Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters
- Storyboard to Screen Comparisons
- Photo Gallery
- Making of Documentary
- "Watch the Skies"
- Deleted Scenes
- A View From Above

Saturday Night Fever (Director: John Badham, 1977)

Most movies come and go without much notice or impact on our daily lives. While others, all be it rare, can come along and in an instance have an impact and even change our culture. Saturday Night Fever is one of those movies. After its 1977 release, disco rules the music airwaves and the dance floors. It tells the story of a 19 year old Italian American living in Brooklyn by the name of Tony Manero (John Travolta). He works at the local paint shop and still lives with his family. At night he frequents a nightclub and becomes a disco dance god. Director John Badham does a great job showing the spiritual connection between music and dance, and how Tony sees this as a means of escaping his limited life to something bigger.

Video Quality: Great quality with the Blu-ray format in a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. This version of Saturday Night Fever is the best the movie has ever looked including theatrical revivals.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio Quality: Remixed in Dolby TrueHA 5.1 Surround, the sound track is very impressive. You be able to enjoy all those classic songs like never before.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Special Features:
- Commentary by Director John Badham
- Pop-up trivia
- Documentary: Catching the Fever
- Back to Bay Ridge (9 minutes) hosted by Joe Cali
- Dance like Travolta and John Cassese (9 minutes)
- Fever challenge - Interactive feature
- Deleted scenes

Midnight Express (Director: Alan Parker, 1978)

Midnight Express is about Billy Hayes and what happens to him when he is caught trying to smuggle out two kilograms of hashish from Istanbul, Turkey. Sentence to 4 years in prison, the sentence was soon extended, with Mr. Hayes experiencing terrifying and unbearable acts of physical and mental torture. While being committed to the prison's insane asylum where he manages to escape in 1975. Told with fine skill and detail, director Alan Parker and Screenwriter Oliver Stone, have created a powerful film.

Video Quality: This films is delivered on Blu-ray with a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 .The image quality is good and faithful to its source.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio Quality: Audio is also, faithful to the original source. Remixed into Dolby TrueHD 5.1 you get very good results.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Special Features:
- The Producers
- The Production
- The Finished Film
- The Making of 'Midnight Express'


Being There (Director: Hal Ashby, 1979)

Peter Sellers gives an award winning performance as Chance the Gardener (Chauncey Gardiner) in the truly classic comedy film. He plays a simple man who has been isolated his entire life in a townhouse in Washington, DC. And the only things he knows anything about is what he has seen and heard on TV. Once he is thrown out into the world, he comes across an array of characters from the inner circles of political power makers and the resulting fall-out makes this one of the best comedies of the 70's.

Video Quality: Remastered with a 1080p with VC-1 transfer the image is the best this movie has ever been.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio Quality: The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 or lossless Dolby True 2.0 mono.
English: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English: Dolby Digital 1.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 1.0
French: Dolby Digital 1.0

Special Features:
- Memories from Being There
- Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- Gag Reel
- Theatrical Trailer


Enjoy Once Again!

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How To Get The Best Picture From Your Blu-ray System

If you have just recently purchased a Blu-ray Player or you're thinking of purchasing one, you should realize it may not be as simple to set-up or connect to your TV/Home Entertainment center as you did with your old VCR or DVD player. This is mainly because the Blu-ray player is forcing manufacturers to change the way they are making TVs and AV receivers, causing these manufacturers to play catch up in order to give viewers the full benefits of this new technology.

So in order to get the best performance out of your Blu-ray player, here are some tips or guidelines you will need to correctly set-up your player. Also highlighted are some of the problems you might encounter when adding a blu-ray player to your Home Entertainment system.


Getting The Best Picture From Blu-ray:


Blu-ray players are manufactured to work on any TV that has component inputs, regardless if the TV is High Definition or not. However, having a Blu-ray player connected to a HDTV (High Definition TV) via the HDMI or component video inputs will allow you to get the full HD experience from your Blu-ray Player. So even though connections can be made to any TV with at least composite video inputs, in order to get the high definition Blu-ray resolution(1080/24p) you really need a 1080p HDTV. HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface and is the new standard for transmitting uncompressed digital data from your player to your TV set, just make sure all your devices have HDMI outputs or inputs. HDMI cables can be expensive, try to get a package deal where these are included with the product you're buying.

First, you should know the difference between a HDTV (High Definition TV) and HD Ready TV, you only have to remember one key difference: if your set has a built-in digital tuner it is HDTV, if it doesn't have this built-in tuner, it is HD Ready. So when a HDTV is labeled HD Ready, it means a television set does not include a built-in tuner for receiving over the air signals in high definition through an antenna. To overcome this problem, if you have HD cable, the box provided to you by the service provider will receive the HD signal necessary to give you high definition images on your HDTV. So even if you only have a HD Ready TV you will still have no problems watching Blu-ray high definition movies on it.

Now, having a 720p HDTV is recommended, but a 1080p HDTV would be your best option. This is because all blu-ray movies are stored on the disk in 1080p at 24 frames/second. You will often see this referred to as 1080p/24p. The original film was shot at this rate and the blu-ray format allows you to view the movie as the director wanted it to be seen. You should definitely be aware of older blu-ray players that were not capable of displaying 1080p/24p. These blu-ray players will convert the 1080p/24p signal to 1080p/60p using the '3:2 pulldown' technique. This means one frame is played 3 times and the next is played 2 times and so forth. One frame gets to be on the screen longer than the other causing a slight error in the video signal, commonly called telecine judder, the picture appears to have a slightly jerky movement.


Most of the newest blu-ray players have 1080/24 p output. But not all TVs can support 1080/24p. So feeding your 1080/24p signal into a television that cannot support it will result in the TV converting the incoming signal to 50 or 60Hz. This will also produce the telecine judder or vibration in the picture. Luckily most of the latest LCD and plasma TV set can now easily handle the 1080/24p signal.


To summarize, in order to get the best quality picture you need the following:


- Blu-ray Player with 1080/24p output signal

- Television that can support 1080/24p

- HDMI cable for connection

- For HD Television broadcasts you need HD cable service


This will give you the best cinematic images when watching movies or TV programs in the comfort of your own home. Happy viewing!

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Buying The Right Blu-ray DVD Player For You

The home theater experience is not quite complete without a Blu-ray DVD Disc Player. Mainly because Blu-ray players raises your entertainment level with glorious High Definition images and sounds. But which blu-ray player is the best one for you? Like DVD Players, different Blu-ray Players come with many different features - some may even require additional accessories, so choosing the right one is very important. Below is an outline of the common Blu-ray features to help you choose the right Blu-ray Disc player for your home entertainment setup.

High Definition - 1080p:
If you have purchased a HDTV set you are probably familiar with the terms 720p,1080i and 1080p. If not, basically what you need to know, is that 1080p is the highest video resolution available to you. And right now, Blu-ray players are the best source to get this resolution, even High Definition television broadcasts cannot compete with the visually stunning and clear images produced with a Blu-ray Player. Of course, Blu-ray Players alone don't give you these superior images, you will also need a High Definition TV set capable of displaying 1080p which will give you the clearest picture possible and this is what you should aim for. However, if you don't have a 1080p High Definition television, all Blu-ray Players have the ability to select the resolution that best suits your HDTV. A High Definition TV with a display of 720p or 1080i will still give you a remarkably clear picture.


High Definition Sound Quality:

The next big feature that draws people to the Blu-ray Player is AUDIO. Dolby Digital and DTS are the common formats you may be familiar with since these are provided on a DVD Player. Blu-ray has these formats plus superior new versions of them. First, there is Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD. They are an improvement over the standard Dolby Digital and DTS since they offer higher bit rates and more efficient compression which gives you better sound quality. And both are capable of 7.1-channel surround sound. Keep in mind, most movies produced today still only go to 5.1-channel surround sound, so if you do not have a 7.1-channel surround sound system, there is no need to go out and purchase one.


Second, is Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, which uses a "lossless" compression codec, which means once it's decoded it is identical to the studio master. Providing you with the best possible sound, matching the movie audio you get in a theater. There is also PCM. This is an uncompressed audio format, which again matches the original studio master.

Not all blu-ray players support the new audio formats. Most can support them, but they are not required to. The three audio formats you will find in every Blu-ray Disc Player is Dolby Digital, DTS, and PCM. Therefore, to get the optimal sound performance, it is wise to choose a Blu-ray Player that has one or more of the following audio formats: Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio.


Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD can be decoded internally in most Blu-ray Players. Players internally decoding DTS-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio is rarer but the number is increasing. While decoding internally is great, you do need to know, not all Blu-ray Players that have built-in surround sound decoding have multichannel analog outputs. So a HDMI cable would be needed to take advantage of the Blu-ray Player's internal decoding. If your home theater receiver does not have HDMI inputs, you will need to get a Blu-ray Player with multichannel analog connections.


Having a Blu-ray Player with these new Audio formats is just one side of the story. These new audio formats also need to appear on the Blu-ray movie disc. This is nothing to worry about, because since 2009 almost every blu-ray disc manufactured and released have at least one or more of these lossless formats (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and PCM).

Blu-ray Profiles:


Blu-ray disc have all the same bonus features that is on a regular DVD disc. Things like deleted scenes, alternate endings and trailers. But it also has special interactive features different than the DVD disc. Things such as Bonus View (picture-in-picture), online games, access to chat rooms and downloads. Not all Blu-ray DVD Players will support these features. Earlier Blu-ray DVD Players did not have to support any new "bonus features". Three categories, known as Profiles, have been established to distinguish between the different types of Blu-ray DVD Players. Now, any Blu-ray Profile will play a Blu-ray disc but with different Profiles you get different extra features available to you. There are three types of Profiles.

Profile 1.0


Profile 1.0 is very basic with no extra features available. After Nov 27, 2007 all of Blu-ray DVD Players released were required to support Profile 1.1.

Profile 1.1


Profile 1.1 is the mandatory requirement of all Blu-ray DVD Players. Profile 1.1 Blu-ray Players have 256 MB of local storage. They have the picture-in-picture function, mostly refer to as Bonus View. This is used to show a smaller picture within the movie. Mainly used when a director or actor is giving commentary about a particular movie. This movie itself is being displayed in the larger picture. Obviously a secondary video and audio decoders are needed for the smaller picture. Most major studios now have this feature in all their standard Blu-ray releases.

Profile 2.0 (BD-LIVE)


Includes all the features of Profile 1.1 with an increase in local storage to 1 GB. Profile 2.0, which is also know as BD Live, has the ability of an internet connection, usually through an Ethernet port. So it is capable of interactive features when playing a Blu-ray disc. Features such as movie-related games, downloading the latest trailers, chat rooms and other content. Most of the newer models are more likely to be Profile 2.0.


Online Streaming:


Some of the newer Blu-ray Disc Players offer online movie and music streaming from Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Amazon-On-Demand and others. In order to use this feature you would need subscriptions to these places and a broadband internet connection. Some Blu-ray Players even allow you to add it to your home network, providing access to other digital content stored on your computer.

Final consideration:

The last thing you may want to look for in choosing a Blu-ray player is what other type of media can it play. For example, you're probably used to your DVD player being able to play CD-Rs or CD-RWs. Listening to MP3 or WMA files on your DVD player. Not all Blu-ray Players have these capabilities. Or they may be able to play MP3s on a CD but not on a DVD disc. You would have to look to see if the Blu-ray Disc Player has any of these capabilities.

In summary, here are the Key Points to remember when choosing a Blu-ray disc player:


- Does the Blu-ray Player support Full 1080p Play Back?
- Do you have a HDTV capable of displaying 720p resolution or Higher. (1080p is the best)
- What Audio formats are supported by the Blu-ray Player?
- What Audio Outputs does the Blu-ray Player have?
- How are you connecting the Blu-ray Player to your Home Theater Receiver, via HDMI or multichannel analog connection?
- What Profile does the Blu-ray Player have? (Profile 2 / BD-Live is the best option)
- What type of media and video formats can the Blu-ray Player use? Does it play MP3's? Can it play CD-R/RWs or DVD-R/RWs?
- Does the Blu-ray Player have Online Streaming capability?


Answer all these questions and finding the right Blu-ray DVD Player for you will become a lot easier.

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