Consumerist
-
netflix
Check Your Netflix Envelopes This Week For Blu-ray Coupon
Hacking Netflix spotted some sweet savings on the inside of envelopes sent out by the movie rent-by-mail service: $50 off coupons that would bring the price of an Insignia Blu-ray player down to about $100 or $150. The coupon expires Saturday. More » -
home video
Walmart Move Could Render DVD Sales DOA
The Wall Street Journal reports Walmart is cutting back DVD displays as part of its effort to appeal to "higher-end" (read: Target) shoppers. More » -
sony
Sony Will Let Gamers Transfer Blu-ray Movies To PSP In November
Sony announced a while back that it would boost its foundering PSP by allowing gamers to transfer copies of Blu-ray films to the handheld device — but only if they also own a PS3. More » -
damaged in transit
Are Blu-ray Netflix Customers Paying Extra Because The Discs Keep Cracking?
Do you rent Blu-ray discs from Netflix? Have you had any show up with a crack on the outer edge that makes the disc unplayable? Victor just wrote to us that he's received several Blu-ray discs lately that are damaged, and he's wondering if it's just him or part of a wider problem. More » -
blu-ray
A Dagger For Blu-Ray: GameStop Deems Discs Un-Tradeworthy
Blu-ray sales may be on the uptick, with sales up 72 percent so far over what they were last year at this point, but apparently the format isn't so hot at GameStop, which is apparently phasing out accepting the high-definition movie discs in return for cash or store credit. More » -
netflix
Netflix Raising Blu-Ray Rates By $1 Per Tier
Netflix is raising its rates for Blu-ray subscribers (again). The rate change is between $1-$9, increasing by $1 for each successive tier. The breakdown, via Engadget, and what Netflix emailed customers, inside. More » -
best buy
Watch Out For Firmware Shenanigans At Best Buy
Reader Erin writes in to warn readers that Best Buy is offering a thirty-dollar firmware update to certain Blu-Ray players, and warning that without the update, some newer titles might not work. Erin checked the manufacturer's website and found no announced firmware updates, and the newer titles play just fine. -
netflix
$1 Netflix Price Hike For Blu-Ray Access
Netflix will be start charging you $1 more per month to offset the costs of Blu-Ray movies, starting November 5. You have to opt-in to the Blu-Ray access, and the $1 surcharge, by going to "your account" and "add Blu-Ray access." If you don't already have Blu-Ray access on your account, then your membership price stays the same. Sounds like they needed to invent a way to make more money and this fee, admittedly small, seemed the best way to go about it. Copy of the email they sent subscribers, inside. More »
-
-
iron man
Iron Man Blu-Ray Release Connects To Internet When You Insert It
If you buy the newly released "Iron Man" Blu-ray disc and pop it into your computer, and it starts trying to download some mystery content from the Internet for the next 30-45 minutes, here's what's happening and how to turn it off. Thanks, Paramount, for your shoddy "interactive" quiz nonsense. More » -
Blu-ray players just aren't selling that well, says Business Week. Maybe that's because Sony has said that prices for players "likely won't fall below $200 until the end of next year—at the earliest." [Business Week]
MORE » -
rebates
Who To Contact About Your Missing 5 Free BluRay Discs
If you're still wondering where your 5 Free BluRay Discs are, here is the mailing address to send copies of your forms to (not Buena Vista Home Entertainment, as previously reported)
Summer Blu-ray Offer (postmarked by 10/31/07)
P.O. BOX 410338
El Paso, TX 88541-0338
Holiday Blu-ray Offer (postmarked by 2/28/08)
P.O. BOX 410260
El Paso, TX 88541-0260 -
rebates
Disney's Five Free Blu-Ray Disc Promotion Is Broken
A lot of you have written in about problems with the Five Free Blu-Ray Discs promotion that was available here. The deal was supposed to be, buy a certain Blu-Ray disc player, mail in the coupon and proof of purchase postmarked by February 29, receive five free Blu-Ray movies. Many of you haven't received your movies. What happened? More » -
customer service
Newegg Doesn't Deliver PS3 With Spiderman 3, Blames Sony
Okay, everyone together in Moe Szyslak's voice: "Whaaaaa?" We're just as confused as you are. Newegg, which has one of the most stellar reputations of any retailer, online or b&m, apparently sent a customer a regular PS3 box instead of one with a Blu-ray copy of "Spiderman 3." Here's where it gets all evil alternate universe: when the customer called to complain, the CSR told him it wasn't Newegg's problem and for him to talk to Sony. More » -
format war
The Format War Is Over, HD-DVD Surrenders!
A Toshiba insider claims that the company will abandon its HD-DVD format, yielding the next-generation DVD format war to Sony's competing Blu-ray technology. So now that the war is over you should run out and buy a new Blu-ray player, right? Not so fast. More » -
Best Buy is going to recommend blu-ray players to its customers. [NYT]
-
Correction:
A Panasonic fat cat (and probably also a big wig) wrote in to let us know that Panasonic does indeed make a Blu-ray player that can play 1.1 Blu-ray discs: "The current Panasonic model available (DMP-BD30) is based on version 1.1 (BonusView) and capable of playing Blu-ray discs offering the added interactive features such as PiP." -
consumer electronics
Buyers Beware: Current Blu-ray Players Won't Correctly Play Future Discs
After the past week, it seems more and more likely that Blu-ray will be the movie disc format of the future. But with the exception of the Playstation 3, current Blu-ray disc players were built without future-compatibility capabilities, so come this October owners won't be able to take advantage of features like Internet connectivity or enhanced interactivity (whatever that means—details are sketchy). "One key Blu-ray developer told BetaNews that although he builds discs for studios including Fox and Lionsgate, he did not buy a Blu-ray player for personal use." Regarding current Blu-ray player owners, Blu-ray developers told BetaNews, "They knew what they were getting into." More » -
format war
Warner Bros. Goes Blu-Ray Exclusive
Warner Bros. rolled up its sleeves in the format war today and announced that it was discontinuing support for HD-DVD after May 2008. More »
blu-ray
New York, 7:46 PM
Tue Nov 10
24 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip Your Editors:
tips@consumerist.com
tipline: 347-42C-ON95
Co-Managing Editor:
Ben Popken
Email | AIM | Twitter
Co-Managing Editor:
Meghann Marco
Email | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Chris Walters
Email | Twitter
Weekend Editor:
Laura Northrup
Email | AIM | Twitter
Associate Editor:
Alex Chasick | Email
Associate Editor:
Phil Villarreal
Email
