LATEST ADDITIONS

Toshiba showed its first outboard HD DVD-ROM computer drive.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the first three 50GB, dual-layer Blu-ray Discs. We're practically soaking in the first one, as the Adam Sandler comedy <I>Click</I>, which will be on store shelves this Tuesday, is indeed the first 50GB title. Ridley Scott's <I>Black Hawk Down</I> will be the second, arriving on November 14th, and that will be followed by the day-and-date with DVD release of <I>Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby</I> on December 12th.

Memo to early adopters of HD DVD and Blu-ray: HDMI 1.3 will support every surround codec in the Dolby and DTS stables. How I wish I could leave it at that. However, only DTS-HD Master Audio requires the full monty of HDMI 1.3, which is a good thing, since HDMI 1.3 isn't here yet. Because HD DVD and Blu-ray players have surround decoders, panners, and mixers built in, lowly HDMI 1.1 or 1.2 will transfer decoded signals for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio. In fact, even the player's 7.1-channel analog-outs will support all these new surround goodies at full resolution. Using the old-fashioned digital coaxial or optical outs will down-res the signal to Dolby Digital at 640kbps or DTS at 768kbps. There you go. Knock yourself out. I'll continue milking this thing Monday.

Surrounded Elektra/Rhino Music •••½ DualDisc Mixes •••• Extras ••••½

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