Microsoft has announced that they will be offering certain Xbox Live users a free preview of the upcoming autumn Dashboard update.
The full expected update, via Eurogamer:
Netflix Updates
Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.
* Movie Parties - Xbox Live Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
* Manage Your Queue - Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch - no computer required.
* Enhanced Playback Experience - Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
* Friends Info - Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.
Avatar Marketplace
Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.
* Clothing - Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as “Halo.”
* Props - You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
[More]>>
Result for: video formats
Blu-ray.com is reporting that the blockbuster hit The Dark Knight is close to hitting 2 million units sold on Blu-ray, a number that smashes all previous releases by a large margin.
In just over a week in stores, 1.8 million units have been sold. ‘The Dark Knight’ set the launch day record for Blu-ray when it sold 600,000 units on December 9th.
U.S. buyers have accounted for most of the sales, with over 1 million coming from the region.
Another important number to note is 13, the percentage Blu-ray sales represent of all home video formats, including DVD.
Result for: video formats
Yesterday, Popcorn Hour announced that its only product, the highly anticipated Popcorn Hour A-100 digital media streaming device is now available for pre-order directly from the company’s site.
For those unaware, the A-100 “allows for streaming digital media from users’ PCs via a wide range of connectivity options, digital cameras or USB mass storage devices or directly from the Internet via its integrated Media Service Portal. The A-100 supports high-bitrate video formats, including DivX and Matroska, as well as subtitle files, with firmware upgradeable to future codecs.”
More interestingly, the media hub can also act as a NAS device and BitTorrent P2P downloader in place of a computer. For those features however, you will need to add an internal HDD. Using the device’s Media Service Portalallows for IPTV compatibility with YouTube, Google Video and Metacafe.
Flickr and Photobucket, as well as a ton of video, audio, Internet radio and RSS feeds can stream content to A-100.
The A-100 “includes 256MB of DDR SDRAM along with 32MB of flash memory and is network-ready. A pair of USB 2.0 plugs as well as a Parallel ATA port act as the physical interface options. Connections include an HDMI v1.1 input, component video in, S-Video, composite plugs, as well as coaxial and analog audio.”
Available now for pre-order, the A-100 has a $180 USD price tag.
