Audio Video News

Blu-ray Launch Pushed Into June


The writing has been on the wall with this one for a while. Sony and the other studios participating in the Blu-ray launch have moved off the originally scheduled May 23rd release date, pushing out to late June. This news comes weeks after Samsung announced that its BD player would not be ready for release until June 25th. Shockingly, Samsung's player is currently scheduled to be the first Blu-ray player to market, beating Sony, Panasonic and Pioneer.

Although it's believed that Blu-ray Disc drives for computers will be available by the end of this month, and Sony claims its first batch of titles will indeed be ready for release on May 23rd, the lack of standalone players at retail demands that the release be pushed back.

Strangely, Sony has announced the titles as available on June 20th, even though Samsung's player won't be in stores until June 25th. The Sony/MGM titles available June 20th include the day and date with DVD Underworld: Evolution, 50 First Dates, Fifth Element, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, The Last Waltz, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and XXX.

A second wave of 13 Blu-ray titles is scheduled to arrive on June 27th from Sony/MGM and Lion's Gate. Among these will be the Oscar-winner Crash, Lord of War, Legends of the Fall, The Terminator 1&2, Saw, and Robocop.

Reuters has reported that the first Warner Blu-ray titles are also expected to be released around late June, but no firm titles or dates have been announced.

Rotel RSX-1057


Rotel has long been an industry fixture in offering high performance at the value prices that are typically the province of the Japanese mass-market companies. This tradition continues with the RSX-1057, a five-channel A/V Receiver that offers high performance audio and advanced video switching, including HDMI, for just $1499.

The RSX-1057 is rated to deliver 75Wpc into each of its five channels with all channels driven simultaneously from 20Hz-20kHz, and with no more than 0.05% THD. An old trick of the marketing trade is to offer a more impressive power rating that is with fewer channels driven, or a relaxed distortion threshold. Rotel is making a statement here by providing a more robust, real world spec.

All the latest Dolby and DTS surround modes are included, as well as Dolby ProLogic II and DTS 24/96 and Neo:6. In addition to the HDMI switching, there are three component video inputs internal transcoding for simplified switching. The RSX-1057 is available now.