The DMP-BDT300 is the first Blu-Ray 3D compatible player Digital Versus had a chance to test.  The DMP-BDT300 is a good player but has its limits. Its multimedia player only plays SD and HD DivX (as well as JPEGs and MP3s) and we found the SD upscaling a little hard. Read full review @ Digital Versus.

We all know 3D Vision, but now Nvidia is gearing up for 3DTV Play, a piece of software that allows you to use your PC as a video source with a 3D TV. To recap, 3D Vision is a kit with a USB transmitter and a pair of stereoscopic glasses for gaming or watching films in 3D. You also need a 120 Hz screen and an NVIDIA graphics card. The new 3DTV Play includes a simple piece of software that allows you to use a 3D TV in guise of a screen. This means you can use the TV glasses for access to 3D stereoscopic gaming and Blu-ray – along with an additional piece of playback software such as PowerDVD 10. Read more @ Digital Versus

Asus has just announced plans for two new 120 Hz monitors that will be compatible with Nvidia’s 3D technology.  The Taiwanese manufacture is the latest to join the party after Samsung kicked things off a year ago with its 2233rz, but it hasn’t arrived empty-handed.

Amongst the monitors on offer, there’s a Full HD 23” display, the VG236H, and, for the first time, a 120 Hz 27” monitor, the PG276H, which is also Full HD.  Up until now, the largest 120 Hz display we’ve seen was the 24” Acer GD245HQ.  More info @ Digital Versus.

The guys at DV visited a Sony Style store where the team were showing off a Sony Bravia 52LX900 – a LED backlight 3D TV!   It’s a 3D compatible television, for one thing.  Apart from that, it uses Edge LED backlighting and has the Motionflow 200 Hz Pro system.  We still don’t know how much it’s going to cost because it won’t actually go on sale until the summer.  The demo that we saw wasn’t a production model, axnd the software inside could well change before the LX900 reaches the shops.

The first thing we noticed is that the LX900 was connected to a PS3, which confirms that the console will receive a firmware update to make it compatible with 3D, and good progress has already been made.  So Sony could use a PS3 to show us a series of 3D clips including documentaries, extracts from films, football matches and even some game that will be adapted for 3D.

Full article:  Digital Versus

Yup, we’ve got more 3D from the IFA in Berlin.  But make no mistake: if this show is anything to go by, then 3D is on its way.  Being here has allowed us to understand a little bit more about how the technology is developing.

Until now, when people mentioned 3D, what came to our mind was Pixar animations or video games: in short, products for young people.  However, the demos we’ve seen here have been much more wide-ranging (sport, films, games, concerts …) and a cross-generational audience.  From 8 to 80, we saw just about everybody trying on the glasses, and above all a lot of people aged over 35.  Maybe youngsters are up-to-speed with 3D already?

Read full article @ Digital Versus

Here at Engadget HD, we’d prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. ‘Til next week, ?? ????????!

Read – RTVE to launch HD next year
Read – Lithuania’s TEO adds three HD channels to Interactive GALA TV
Read – We can convince ITV HD to support Blu-ray recording, says Panasonic
Read – More HD for Russia’s Platforma
Read – UEFA Champions League and FA Cup Final airing in HD next week

Source: EngadgetHD

The Walt Disney Studios enters exclusive long-term distribution agreement with Dreamworks Studios; Steven Spielberg & Stacey Snider align with Disney to distribute and market their Live-Action Motion Pictures. Read full press release in the rest…

Burbank, California, February 9, 2009 – The Walt Disney Studios has agreed to enter into an exclusive long-term distribution arrangement with filmmaker and DreamWorks Studios co-founder Steven Spielberg, and partner Stacey Snider, chief executive officer of DreamWorks, to distribute all upcoming live-action motion pictures produced by DreamWorks under their partnership with Reliance BIG Entertainment, part of The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, it was announced today by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Under the terms of this arrangement, Disney will handle distribution and marketing for approximately six DreamWorks films each year.  The first DreamWorks motion picture to be released under the Touchstone Pictures banner is scheduled to hit theaters in 2010.

DreamWorks principals Spielberg and Snider partnered with Reliance BIG Entertainment last fall to form a new motion picture company.  In addition to being a partner in DreamWorks, Reliance will also distribute the new company’s projects in India.

Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, “We’re both thrilled and honored to be marketing and distributing all of DreamWorks’ signature upcoming live-action motion pictures, and to begin a new relationship with such respected colleagues as Steven, Stacey, and their creative team at DreamWorks.  Steven has made some of the biggest and most loved films of all-time, and continues to be one of the great icons of our industry.  Stacey has an impeccable reputation and a phenomenal track record for making a wide variety of quality films.  Their motion pictures will be the perfect compliment to the already robust slate of Disney and Touchstone films being made by Oren Aviv and his team.”

Bob Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, added, “We are tremendously pleased to join forces with Steven Spielberg, whose artistic vision and commitment to quality filmmaking are legendary,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.  “DreamWorks has had a great creative and commercial track record under the leadership of Steven and Stacey Snider and I am delighted they’re now associated with Disney.

Steven Spielberg said, “Disney is the birthplace of imagination and has always been as close to the worldwide audience as any company ever has.  I am so pleased that industry leaders like Bob Iger and Dick Cook reached out to become our distribution partner.  This is a major step forward for us and Reliance.”

Stacey Snider added, “Under Bob Iger and Dick Cook’s leadership, the Walt Disney Company represents the highest standard of quality in our industry.  Everyone at DreamWorks is thrilled to be embarking upon this new and exciting partnership and we look forward to our future with their great team. “

About The Walt Disney Studios

The Walt Disney Studios is a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and produces and distributes motion pictures under the following banners: Walt Disney Pictures(which include live-action movies, animated feature films from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios) as well as Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films.  Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International serves as the Studio’s international distribution arm.  Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment distributes Disney and other film titles to the rental and sell-through home entertainment markets.  Disney Theatrical Group is among the world’s most successful commercial theatre enterprises producing or licensing live entertainment events that reach a global annual audience of more than 20 million people in more than 40 countries, and the Disney Music Group distributes original music and motion picture soundtracks under its three record labels: Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records and Lyric Street Records.

About DreamWorks Studios

Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider and The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group announced the formation of a new motion picture company which will be led by Spielberg and Snider. The new company is a continuation of DreamWorks Studios which was formed in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. The company won three consecutive Best Picture Academy Awards with “American Beauty,” “Gladiator,” and “A Beautiful Mind” (both co-produced with Universal). Among the company’s other successes have been such films as “Saving Private Ryan” (co-produced with Paramount), “The Ring,” “Minority Report” (co-produced with 20th Century Fox), “War of the Worlds,” “Dreamgirls,” and “Transformers” (all co-produced with Paramount). Snider joined DreamWorks Studios in 2006 as Co-Chairman and CEO. Snider has overseen the company’s business strategy as well as the creative and financial aspects of all film development and production.

About Reliance BIG Entertainment

Reliance BIG Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL) (www.rbe.co.in ) is the flagship media and entertainment arm of Indian conglomerate, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG), (www.relianceada.com) with significant presence in film entertainment (film production, distribution, and exhibition), broadcasting and new media ventures.

With investments over USD 1 billion in its Filmed Entertainment business RBEL’s motion picture brand BIG Pictures has built a formidable film production slate in Hindi, English & other Indian languages, which it markets & distributes worldwide.

In Hollywood, BIG Pictures has development silos with Nicolas Cage’s Saturn Productions, Jim Carrey’s JC 23 Entertainment, George Clooney’s Smokehouse Productions, Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures, Tom Hank’s Playstone Productions, Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment,  Jay Roach’s Everyman Pictures Brett Ratner’s Rat Entertainment and Julia Roberts’ Red Om Films.

Just to put that into perspective, only 2-percent of homes globally were tuning into HDTV at the end of 2007. According to Simon Murray, principal media analyst at the company, a “major contributing factor is that set and set-top box prices have fallen substantially in the last two years,” and it should come as no surprise that HD adoption has been highest in North America.

Read the rest @ EngadgetHD

For those unfamiliar, it’s the Euro version of the prestigious BDP-95FD that we reviewed just last month. There’s no word on exactly when the product will be discontinued (nor if the US version will follow suit), but we are hearing that numerous back-orders have been canceled and that a replacement model won’t be around until August.

Read the rest @ EngadgetHD

In the finals of HDTV “Hottie Hysteria”‘ – TVPredictions.com’s elimination tournament to determine who’s the hottest female in high-def — Jolie soundly defeated Jessica Alba, 62-38. (7,679 readers voted in the poll.)

For the past month, TVPredictions.com posted a daily reader poll pitting one celebrity babe against another. Readers were asked to vote on which female looks best in high-def. Then, based on their votes, each winner moved to the next round.

Jolie, the top seed in the Plasma division of Hottie Hysteria, defeated Keira Knightley, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Maria Sharapova before conquering Alba in the Finals.

On Monday, April 14, TVPredictions.com will launch a new elimination tournament to determine the best TV show in High-Definition.

Source: tvpredictions.com