Futuresource: Hi-def disc market doing well

According to a recent report by Futuresource, a consulting company that did a survey on how many of us copy DVDs a while ago, the high-definition disc markets in both the US and Europe continue to perform very well, thanks to the fact that the world shifted to one format--Blu-ray--at the beginning of the year.

Currently, taking only big titles into account, the share of total sales being taken by Blu-ray has already hit 5-6 percent. By the end of the year, this share is estimated to be more than 10 percent. With many hot title releases planned, it is expected that by the end of this year, consumers will purchased to up 45 million Blu-ray Discs in the US alone (a 400 percent increase from last year).
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Button pushers: PS3 gets keypad

While Xbox 360 has had the option to type away on the Xbox 360 ChatPad, PS3 owners will soon have the same luxury with the announcement of the Wireless Keypad at the Leipzig Games Convention. The device can hook on to either a Sixaxis or DualShock 3 controller and allow gamers to send messages to friends over the PlayStation Network. This functionality will also come into play with the eminent release of PlayStation Home.

Most interesting is that the Wireless Keypad features a mode that converts the entire surface into a touchpad for use with something like navigating a Web page. Also built-in is Bluetooth support and two shortcut buttons that will make it easy for jumping over to the messaging features on the PlayStation 3.

While we don't currently have a price for the Wireless Keypad, it is set for release in late November. Expect our full review then as well.

Via Crave CNET

Mitsubishi to make a wireless HDTV

Mitsubishi will be joining the rarefied ranks (in TV anyway) of Sony and Samsung in offering wireless television.

Wireless chipmaker Amimon is set to announce Thursday that Mitsubishi will use its technology to send high-definition TV signals to its latest LCD TV without wires. It will come in 40-inch and 46-inch sizes. The 40-inch model will cost 300,000 yen (or US$2,731), and the 46-inch model will sell for 400,000 yen (US$3,642).

Mitsubishi's TV will have the chips embedded in the TV, and will come with a separate receiver unit that can send and receive uncompressed HD video signals up to 100 feet away. That means you can keep the receiver in a room downstairs or in a cabinet--no line of sight necessary.

Here's the catch--it's being released in Japan only this fall. However, it's likely Mitsubishi will broaden distribution of this TV. Wireless HD video is a category that Amimon--which heads a consortium of chipmakers and consumer electronics companies pushing for a whole-home wireless TV standard called Wireless HDI--and others have been talking up for a while.

But it's been a long time coming, and it will be even longer before this is a mainstream product category. Amimon said recently it sees that happening in three to five years.

Via Crave CNET

Coming this fall: The 160GB PS3

If news of an upgraded PSP wasn't enough for you, how about a new PS3 bundle? Sony has announced a 160GB PS3 that will hit stores in November for US$500. The limited-edition system will also include the rumble-ized DualShock 3 controller and two games: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and (via a voucher for the PlayStation Store) Pain.

Sony was less specific on other details, but the presence of just two USB ports on the spec sheet would seem to indicate that this is basically a "Core" model with a bigger hard drive--which means no built-in flash card reader, and no backward compatibility with PS2 games.

The addition of the 160GB model comes as the 40GB Core PS3 is being replaced by an 80GB Core model--meaning anyone buying the entry-level PS3 will soon be getting twice the capacity for its US$400.
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Sony BDP-S350 coming soon

Have you checked out our Sony BDP-S350 review yet? This Blu-ray player is unique in the sense that it's easily the sleekest unit around, featuring just half the depth of its peers to be exact. It's almost future-proof, too, with a promised BD-Live (Profile 2.0) firmware upgrade and USB storage expansion option. For the less patient crowd, there's even a Quick Start function to power up the player within 6 seconds, as well as a faster disc-loading time.

According to our Sony insider, the BDP-S350 should be launched in Singapore within the September and October time frame. Availability for the rest of Asia and pricing are not available at the moment, but we'll keep you folks updated once we receive more news from the company.

Photo credit: Sony

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