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Movie Studios Offer Consumers Win-Win Way to go Blu-ray By Jim Bray February 14, 2009 It looks as if there may be an outbreak of consumer-friendly common sense coming from a couple of the big Hollywood studios. This particular anomaly is a way to help people transition to the Blu-ray format by marketing "combination" disc packages that include both DVD and BD versions, so those who don't yet have a Blu-ray player (which is most people) can watch their favorite titles on DVD now, with the BD version waiting patiently in the package for the day when they do eventually...

The most technologically savvy homeowners bask in crystal-clear television screens when they're home and can control the lights while they're out of town. Without moving an inch, they can decide what music is playing in each room and can monitor the well being of their aging mother in a different city. So says Greg Hoshaw, owner of High Definition Systems in St. Charles, Ill., who presented the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association's top 10 "must have" technology trends for homes at the International Builders' Show here this week. A home theater or media room. A home theater is a...

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese consumer electronics maker Sharp Corp. (6753.T: Quote, NEWS , Research) said on Tuesday it has started the commercial production of blue laser diodes, taking aim at a market with strong growth potential.Sharp in November began volume output of blue laser diodes, used to read and write data on high-definition optical discs, at 150,000 units a month at its existing plant in western Japan, Sharp spokesman Hiroshi Takenami said.The diodes can be used in DVD players based on the Blu-ray format, championed by Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, NEWS , Research), as well as competing HD DVD technology, promoted by...

Los Angeles , CA - The MPAA is lobbying congress to push through a new bill that would make unauthorized home theaters illegal. The group feels that all theaters should be sanctioned, whether they be commercial settings or at home. MPAA head Dan Glickman says this needs to be regulated before things start getting too far out of control, "We didn't act early enough with the online sharing of our copyrighted content. This time we're not making the same mistake. We have a right to know what's showing in a theater." The bill would require that any hardware manufactured in...

A new poll released Thursday reveals that a large majority of people – 73 per cent – prefer to watch movies at home on DVD, VHS or pay-per-view. The same poll found that only 22 per cent of people preferred to see movies the old-fashioned way – in a movie theatre. The numbers may provide fodder for those who believe the proliferation of at-home entertainment technologies is permanently changing moviegoing patterns.