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Toshiba Comments on Paramount,Blu-ray

We reported earlier today that Paramount Home Entertainment would be supporting the Blu-ray format in addition to the HD DVD format.Toshiba was quick in getting an official comment out to the press reemphasizing that Paramount will still be supporting HD DVD and was not forgoing one format for another. In case you were confused.  “Our understanding is that Paramount Home Entertainment also continues to support HD DVD, a position established in comments from Paramount officials in press reports. We see Paramount’scontinued commitment to releasing HD DVD titles as proof that the studio still recognizes HD DVD’s advantages: accelerated time to market, greater proven capacity, lower expected price, and enhancedconsumer features. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the studio in this important product area.”   In related news, Toshiba also announced last week that they would be pulling back their HD DVD launch which includes HD DVD players, until early 2006. While this doesn’tbode well for the DVD forum and the success of HD DVD, Intel and Microsoft have pledged their support for HD DVD which continues to showthe great divide between the two formats; Blu-ray and HD DVD. Worth noting is that Toshiba announced their delayed HD DVD launch after Intel and Microsoft sent out statements showing their support– not too slick Toshiba.

Ian Bell
I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?
The best 4K Blu-ray players for 2023
Sony BDP-S6700 Blu-ray Player.

With such a focus on all the streaming services out there, it's easy to forget that one of the best ways to watch movies in stunning picture and sound quality, regardless of your internet speed or if you even have internet, is with a 4K Blu-ray player.

Several models of Blu-ray players can be had for very reasonable prices, and you can even find them in gaming consoles like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, in case you already have one of those in your entertainment unit. Blu-ray players can play 4K Blu-rays, regular Blu-rays, DVDs, and even audio CDs, and they can pump out impressive HDR visuals through leading codecs like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X for a truly cinematic experience at home.

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Showtime is being merged into Paramount+
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The streaming world continues to consolidate, but that's not necessarily lessening the confusion over where to watch what. The latest move is with Showtime becoming a part of Paramount+. While parent company Paramount didn't directly announce the change, it long had been in the running before Variety reported the news via an internal memo from Paramount CEO Bob Backish.

The end result? "Paramount+ with SHOWTIME." That's the official name, clunky and capitalized as it is. The change itself isn't immediately — "later this year" was all Backish had to say in the memo about the timing — but it's part of a larger sea change that actually started a few years ago. CBS All Access was the first iteration of the Paramount-owed streaming service (back then it was all a part of ViacomCBS). But the broadcast company we know as CBS doesn't have a presence outside of the U.S., and so the Paramount name took over in 2021. Further consolidation was in the cards, and that brings us to this latest news.

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BluOS will be updated to 4.0 with a fresh look, new features
Two phones showing different screens of BluOS 4.0.

Lenbrook International, the company that creates BluOS, says that the software is going to get a major update in the spring, to version 4.0. BluOS controls wireless speakers from Bluesound, as well as a variety of audio gear from NAD, Dali, and PSB. The change will bring a cleaner look to the interface, as well as several enhancements to how the app works.

“BluOS 4.0 brings added depth to personalized, multiroom hi-res listening,” said Andrew Haines, BluOS product manager, in an emailed press release. “This comprehensive redesign of the mobile app interface reflects a commitment to delivering seamless user experiences for BluOS users.”

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