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ran300 A gem from Akira Kurosawa along with several Criterion Collection releases mark this week’s Blu-ray arrivals.

Valentine’s Day has come and gone—did you watch any of our 15 favorite romance flicks on Blu-ray?—and we’re getting into the winter doldrums. Without a theme for Hollywood studios to latch onto this week, the Blu-ray releases are a tad weak.

However, the true movie buff will be delighted, because in has stepped the Criterion Collection to offer a handful of releases while the big boys take a break. With titles like Hunger and Revanche, we’re not saying these will be name films that you’re going to run out and buy … but Criterion has become well known for its phenomenal restoration process of audio and video and great packaging to accompany its Blu-ray releases. Plus it’s willing to go on a limb and give you movies you’ve never heard of but chances are will be thought-provoking and leave you on the edge of your seat.

And if you have any doubt about the Blu-ray authoring, just look for Academy Award nominee The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which many have hailed as reference-quality Blu-ray material.

Anyway, it looks like the story of an Irishman’s hunger strike, Hunger, could be a winning Criterion pick this week.

Speaking of lavish-looking movies, famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa was known for stunning epics and this week we get to see the high-definition treatment of his 1985 film Ran, released by Lionsgate. Expect the usual sweeping vistas and attention to details.

Also, if you’ve missed it in an earlier release version, there’s a 20th Anniversary edition of GoodFellas on its way to shelves this week. We’re never real fond of double-dip releases, but you can’t really go wrong with GoodFellas. If it’s more gun action you’re looking for, check out the Dirty Harry Collection that arrives this week as well.

Here’s the complete release schedule for the week of February 16, courtesy of Blu-ray.com:

Black Dynamite
Cabin Fever
Claymore: The Complete Series
Coco Before Chanel
A Concert by the Lake
Contempt
Dirty Harry Collection
Freeway Killer
GoodFellas (20th Anniversary Edition)
Halo Legends
Herioc Age: The Complete Series
Hunger
The Ladykillers
Law Abiding Citizen
Lola Montes
Ran
Revanche
Women in Trouble

by Arlen Schweiger

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/top_10_blu-ray_releases_for_february_16/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Theater, Audio and Video Services, Home Automation in North Carolina and South Carolina

analog_sunset All high-definition video will be supplied through the HDMI connection on Blu-ray players.

The installation world is facing something of a paradigm shift with the upcoming “Analog Sunset,” referring to the phasing out of analog ports on Blu-ray players.

After December 31, 2010, manufacturers will not introduce new hardware with component video outputs supplying more than an SD resolution (480 or 576i).

If the manufacturer has existing models in its line-up, it will be able to continue selling that model until the end of 2013.

The idea is that all high-definition video will be supplied through the HDMI connection.

But that’s not the end of the story. After January 1, 2011, software manufacturers will be able to insert something called an Image Constraint Token into any Blu-ray disc. This bit of digital information will turn the high-definition component video output OFF the player(s).

This is true today for Blu-ray players, but it does not currently apply to other high-definition sources, including satellite and cable boxes.

Potential Fixes

This will clearly cause some discomfort for installers who have, in the past, avoided HDMI because of technical issues associated with the format. If the installer did not take into account the possibility of a change in format, they may be facing an unpleasant situation.

There are a number of potential remedies for installers who have component-only wiring in place. The first choice would be to deploy a set of baluns, which use either two or, later this year, one Category 5e or 6 wire to carry the HDMI signal. Essentially, these devices are either stand-alone boxes or wall plates, with RJ45 and HDMI jacks for connectivity.

Another alternative is wireless transmission of HDMI, with all the perils associated with wireless devices, including range, interference issues and cost.

Another choice is using five coaxial cables with a variation of the baluns.

Manufacturers are also exploring devices that will support HDMI over a network connection, over coaxial cable, and over power lines. Results may vary on the format and form factor you choose.

By Fred Harding

http://www.cepro.com/article/say_goodbye_to_analog_ports_on_blu_ray_players/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Theater, Audio and Video Services, Home Automation in North Carolina and South Carolina