Audio Video News

Vidabox LLC recently announced an interesting entry into the next-gen HD disc format war in the form of two lines of "dual HD" Media Center PCs that will playback both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. In addition to playing standard DVDs, Vidabox's LUX and MAX dual HD systems analog and dual HDTV tuners allowing users to record as many as four TV programs at once, obviating the need for a DVR.

The big releases on next-gen HD media keep pouring in just in time for the holiday season and again, Warner is leading the charge by releasing one of the real treasures in its catalog, <I>Casablanca</I>, on HD DVD. The Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman classic joins the somewhere between camp classic and minor classic sci-fi flick <I>Forbidden Planet</I> starring none other than Robbie the Robot, and 1962's <I>Mutiny on the Bounty</I> starring Marlon Brando on HD DVD.

Rob MacDonald, Senior Vice President of the Primedia High Tech Group, has announced the appointment of Angela Speziale as Publisher of <I>Home Theater</I> magazine, <A HREF="http://www.hometheatermag.com">www.hometheatermag.com</A> and <A HREF="http://www.UltimateAVmag.com">www.UltimateAVmag.com</A>.

Back in July <I>UAV</I> <a href="http://ultimateavmag.com/news/072306supernews/">reported</a> the exciting news that accompanying the November 28th DVD release of this summer's <I>Superman Returns</I> would be new, vastly expanded special editions of <I>Superman: The Movie</I>, and the fabled, somewhat legendary <I>Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut</I>. Well, the news gets better still. Not only will <I>Superman Returns</I> see a day-and-date release on both Blu-ray and HD DVD, <I>Superman: The Movie</I> and <I>Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut</I> will also be released on HD DVD November 28th with the now de rigeur 1080p video and Dolby Digital Plus sound.

Earlier in the year rose-colored glasses must have been somewhat in style when Warner's Steve Nickerson was <a href="http://ultimateavmag.com/news/081006sopranosHDDVD/">quoted</a> as saying that Warner, which supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD, expected consumers to spend "between $225 million and $500 million during the fourth quarter (of 2006)." He also predicted that by the end of 2006 that there would be 500,000 Blu-ray and HD DVD standalone players sold, plus two to three million game consoles and two to four million computers with HD DVD or Blu-ray capability.