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Last chance for a Lifetime update subscription for AnyDVD HD Blu-ray Ripper

Slysoft, the company behind the very popular AnyDVD HD software that can be used to rip & copy Blu-ray Discs and DVDs, has announced that they will be ending their Lifetime update subscriptions at the end of this year. So if you have ever been interested in purchasing a Lifetime update subscription for AnyDVD HD, now is the time to do it.

Slysoft is known for relentlessly updating their software to defeat every new copy protection that has ever been introduced, so purchasing a lifetime update subscription could definitely come in handy, especially if you’re a frequent Blu-ray or DVD movie disc ripper.

Here’s the notification that I received directly from Slysoft:

As of January 1st, 2011, SlySoft will discontinue the ‘lifetime’ update
subscription. This is being announced well in advance to give everybody
a final opportunity to acquire SlySoft products and product upgrades
with lifetime free updates and renew limited subscriptions to lifetime.

To make your decision even easier, you’ll get a 20% discount, applicable
to all products including upgrades from AnyDVD to AnyDVD HD and renewals
of update subscriptions for all SlySoft products.

This promotion is only valid until Friday, December 31 2010, so if you
are entertaining the thought of purchasing one or more of our products,
now is the right time to act …

If you plan to upgrade an AnyDVD license to AnyDVD HD, please do so prior
to purchasing subscription renewals:

I recommend using AnyDVD HD to copy Blu-ray Discs. AnyDVD HD can defeat all DVD and Blu-ray Disc copy protections, including the latest versions of BD+. You can also test out AnyDVD HD free for 21 days, by downloading it from here.

Netflix adds streaming only subscription

Netflix is now offering a streaming-only subscription service for $7.99 per month. This includes unlimited streaming of all of their instant titles, but with no DVD in the mail.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said this came with the success of the $7.99 streaming service in tested in Canada. Streaming is such big business for them, it’s overshadowed their disc delivery model. Netflix is standard with practically every value-priced Blu-ray Disc player, and mid-level LCD or plasma HDTV.

We are now primarily a streaming video company delivering a wide selection of TV shows and films over the Internet.

At $7.99, this plan is the same price as Hulu Plus. I expect Netflix will try to leverage their ubiquity to get current TV programming on their instant service.

Also announced today, Netflix is increasing their price for subscriptions which include mailed discs. This chart details the increases:



The Blu-ray Disc surcharge will remain the same.

Review: Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player

The first Google TV Blu-ray player on the market is the Sony NSZ-GT1 ($399) – available only at Sony Style and Best Buy. We were able to get our hands on one, and after a few days of playing around with it, a review is in order.

Setup

The physical setup isn’t difficult at all. In the box you’ll find the player, remote, quick guide, HDMI cable, and a twin IR emitter. The player will be connected to your TV or AV receiver with an HDMI cable; the cable or satellite receiver will connect to the HDMI input on the player; and the IR emitter will provide control signals from the player to the cable/satellite receiver and either the TV or AV receiver.

The remote/keypad connects to the player with Bluetooth, but it also has an IR broadcaster to control a TV. If you do have an AV receiver, you will connect the emitter to the receiver and use the remote’s IR broadcaster to control the TV.

Once it is all connected, there is a simple setup wizard to fit the image onto the TV (very cool), internet connection setup, and Google account set up. Once this is done, you’re ready to go.

I had issues with the setup, and I’ll explain them here because I’m sure other people have had the same issues. Best Buy had two “open box” returns in the store here, so clearly somebody had some problems.

First, it took a long time for the internet connection to work. I plugged in an Ethernet cable and when I selected Ethernet as the connection, it sat there “looking for connection” for a good 5 minutes before I gave up. That’s unforgivable. Next I tried Wireless connection, and that pulled up local networks. When I selected my network and put in the password, it too would “search for connection” for a long time. After a few tries, it finally connected and on to the next step, the Google account. However, I accidentally selected on the remote “back” (it’s an icon) instead of “backspace” (also an icon) and it took me back to the internet connection. After a few more tries to connect, I finally got the system set up.

Next up on the problems, the optical sensor for the mouse wasn’t working. It was weird because I would click the button, and I could move the mouse very slowly and awkwardly with the button depressed, but it frankly didn’t work the way it should. I got on support with Sony and after another 15 minutes they finally fixed the issue by re-pairing the Bluetooth.

For a lot of people, setup was quick and easy, but it took me a good two hours to get it set up all told.




Operation

To describe the initial use of Google TV in one word: Confusing. In the video, you’ll notice I say “confusing” a few times. For the first few hours of use, I and everyone else who used it was simply confused on how to navigate around the menus, and find what we wanted right away.

But, after a while, and particularly after the cable channels were added, the general opinion changed to “this is actually pretty cool.” I guess when you get used to some of the quirks, and customize a few menus to your liking, everything starts to come together.

I can liken this to Apple and Android. The beauty of Apple is it’s intuitive immediately, but you have to adapt yourself to Apple’s process. With Android, the process adapts to you, and becomes much more personal.

I mentioned in the video I couldn’t figure out how to turn the player on from the remote. When the player is off, the remote seems to be non-responsive. However, when the player is on and you wish to turn it off, the power button works just fine.

Conclusion

It’s an expensive Blu-ray player with a lot of cool features, most importantly the television integration. Most Blu-ray players have the other applications, but the ability to search for what you want at the push of a button is a very cool feature. However, if you don’t watch TV, a PlayStation 3 is $100 cheaper.

Sony releases details on Google TV products

Today, Sony released details of their upcoming Google TV product line. Included in the line are both HDTVs, and Blu-ray Disc players.

Sony Internet TV

The HDTV comes in four sizes: 24 ($599), 32 ($799), 40 ($999) and 46 ($1,399) inches. The LED side-lit LCD full HD 1080p HDTV availability will begin later this week.

Based on the Android OS from Google, the Internet TV will have access to the Android App Store, plus the standard Sony Internet Video. A handheld keypad with mouse will facilitate the internet browsing. WiFi is built in.



By now you should be familiar with Google TV, so I won’t get into the details again. This HDTV is fully-featured as a TV, and as a Google TV device. The TV will interface with Dish Network HD DVRs for live and recorded satellite TV.

Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player

The Blu-ray Disc player (NSZ-GT1) will also be available later this week. It will sell for $399. It feature all the same Google TV and Sony Internet Video services as the HDTV, but as a stand-alone package – plus a Blu-ray Disc player.



The Blu-ray Disc player has an HDMI input and an HDMI output. This would be for integrating the Dish Network HD DVR. It also includes three USB ports, presumably for adding a hard drive, keyboard, mouse, or other peripheral. WiFi is built in.

Both the HDTV and the BD player have support for smartphone control, both iOS and Android are supported. The software is upgradeable (it’s Android, remember?), so support for Windows 7 Mobile, WebOS and Blackberry are possible, though not confirmed.

Regardless, the remote that comes with either product is pretty sufficient, including control for the DVR even.



Both products look great! My only problem would be the cosmetics of the BD player; why is it white?

Here’s to hoping the cable providers and DirecTV jump on board!

How to hook up a Blu-ray Disc player

Last week we received an email asking,

How do I hook the unit up or do I have to get someone to come to the house to do it? What other cords need to be purchased to hook it up properly?

Seems like a pretty straight forward answer, and for most of us it is, but some people do have more complicated setups, so I’ll try to answer a lot of different scenarios.

The basic setup

Most of us have a TV on a stand, and we probably have a cable box and DVD player underneath, or nearby. This is what I see in most homes I go into, and offers the simplest setup. Solution: DIY

What you’ll need:

• HDMI cable
• Power cable
• Ethernet cable (optional)

Every Blu-ray Disc player comes with the power cable, and most come with the Ethernet and HDMI cables. Check the box to see if it needs more cables.

Don’t buy an HDMI cable in the store! If you need one, order it online. There is no need to pay more than $10 for an HDMI cable.

In the box you’ll find a user manual, and sometimes a quick guide to help you set up the device. This is the best way to do it because every player is different. But the generic steps will be:

1. Plug HDMI cable to the television in an open input
2. Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the Blu-ray player
3. Plug in the Ethernet cable to the router or switch (optional)
4. Plug in the other end of the Ethernet cable to the BD player (optional)
5. Plug in the power cord into the power strip

From here, you will turn your TV on and select the proper input and then turn the BD player on. An on-screen menu will guide you through the initial setup, which will include date, time, and video and audio settings (select “auto”).

You will have noticed I put “optional” by the Ethernet cable. Ethernet is not required for Blu-ray Disc playback, but it is highly recommended. It will allow you to update the player’s firmware and software for increased reliability and compatibility. Many BD players these days come with built-in WiFi, and this may be preferable for you if you don’t have a router or switch nearby. This would be setup in the initial setup of the device.

Systems with A/V receivers

If you have a speaker system in addition to your TV, the same instructions apply above, but with one more device between the player and the TV. Solution: It depends.

The most basic systems are easy to setup, so you should be able to do this yourself. More elaborate systems usually require a professional installation.

If your system is already installed, the instructions are basically the same as before, except this time you plug the player into the receiver, so scroll back up and follow those directions.

If you are buying a whole new system, it is more complicated, and could use a whole new tutorial. Receiver setup can be tricky for some, and there are a lot of steps involved. A receiver’s manual can be over 100 pages long, and there is usually not a quick guide.

Generally, a receiver would accept inputs from a few devices (cable box, BD player, game console), and provide one cable to the TV, and several wires to the speakers. Follow the instruction manual carefully. Connecting speakers improperly can cause the audio to sound terrible.

One mistake often made with a receiver set up is not turning the TV’s audio off. I have gone into homes and found the 5.1 speakers weren’t even on. Go into your TV’s on screen menu and turn off the audio.

If you’re uncomfortable setting up the system, you can get professional help relatively inexpensively. A simple home surround sound setup might run a few hundred dollars. Check for CEDIA certification to make sure the installers know what they’re doing.

Don’t let this long article dissuade you. The manuals are usually very easy to follow. Unless you are going to hide the wires inside the walls, you shouldn’t need professional help.

The best Blu-ray Disc player

We recently received an email asking what the “best” Blu-ray Disc player is, and how to hook it up. I will attack the first question first, and provide a follow up post for BD player setup later.

To answer this question, one has to determine what criteria to use. Because different people are looking for different features, I’ll provide a few categories of “best.”

Also, if someone asked me what the “best” sedan was, I might point them to a Cadillac CTS, or a Mercedes S Class. But this is pretty unrealistic for most of us. We might have to settle for an Volkswagen Jetta, or even a Hyundai Genesis. What I mean by this is I’m not going to offer the genuine “best” players, because these cost thousands of dollars. I’m going to provide affordable models.

Best picture quality



Right off the bat, I’m going to have to take a step back from my claims at affordability. At $499, the Oppo BDP-83 is just outside the price range for most consumers, but if your sole criteria is the best picture, the Oppo offers this. It also happens to offer a slew of features, like playback of virtually all discs you might stick in it, including SACD, DVD-Audio, CD, DVD, Divx, and more. What it doesn’t offer is some of the internet features we’ve also been enjoying on Blu-ray Disc players, nor does it support 3D content yet.

So what about in the $200 price range? Panasonic has an advantage here as their Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory actually works with the studios to author Blu-ray content. They have also developed a chip set for use in authoring which is also included in the Panasonic players for playback of that content. The DMP-BDT100 is a 3D player with built-in WiFi for Viera Cast (which includes Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video on Demand, and more), and a half-second start up time.

Best audio quality

I’m sorry, but for audio quality, you will have to pay a bit more. If you’re looking for $200, skip ahead.



The ideal solution is to use the HDMI input on a receiver that supports multi-channel LPCM audio. But some people prefer using the analog audio inputs on ridiculously expensive equipment, and in this case you expect to pay more anyway. In this case, just look to the Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD at $2200. Its picture quality rivals that of the above Oppo, but its audio section is beefed up with 8 separate Wolfson audio DACS for each analog output.

Don’t worry about this, though. The vast majority of us could get incredibly high-quality audio through the HDMI inputs on a high-quality AVR. In fact Pioneer has come to this conclusion themselves, with their newest BD players not having multi-channel analog audio outputs at all. They do offer a precision clock in their Elite players and Elite AVRs called PQLS which eliminates judder in the audio. For the same $2200 you could get an incredibly splendid Pioneer Elite SC-35 AVR and a BDP-33FD, and still have money left over.

But for $200, any of the other players I’m offering are comparable to one another.

Best internet features



There is a clear-cut category winner here in the Samsung BD-C5900. Why? It’s way under $200 for a 3D BD player, with the largest selection of internet streaming sources available. In fact some of us would be completely satisfied with a Samsung BD player instead of a comparably-priced internet video streaming box (like the AppleTV, or Roku). This player doesn’t have WiFi, but an adapter is very inexpensive. If you want it built in, try the BD-C6500.

Samsung offers their own app store for these players, and it is constantly growing. Available now is the largest selection of video available, including Hulu Plus, YouTube, Blockbuster, Netflix, DailyMotion, CinemaNow, and Vudu. I wish Amazon Video on Demand was available, as it is on other players, but it isn’t available yet. It could come at any time though, as it is up to Amazon to offer this app, and I doubt Amazon would want to stay out of this market as Samsung is one of the leading BD players in terms of market share.

Beyond video, Samsung Apps are available for popular games such as Monopoly, Sudoku and Texas Holdem. Audio is provided from sources such as Napster and Pandora. There are social media apps for Facebook and Twitter. You can even , Skype.

Yahoo! Widgets are supported as well, so the possibilities are endless.

Conclusion
Since picture and audio quality are pretty good across the board (at least for Blu-ray content), I would have to conclude the Samsung players are generally the best. But those from Sony and LG do offer many of the same features, and some different features you might find enticing. It wouldn’t hurt to look those over before you make your decision.

Blockbuster files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The news we had all been waiting for has finally come: Blockbuster, Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Most of the company’s services will remain available throughout the process, which will last a few months. But as part of its reorganization, the company plans to shut down as many as 800 of its 3,400 stores in the United States. It also plans to move more toward a kiosk- and digital-based approach to delivering its content.

If you’ve been in a Blockbuster store any time during the past couple of years, you could see this coming. Gone are the days of perusing shelves and seeing if there was an extra DVD behind a movie title at your favorite video store. There has been a colossal shift in the industry, with mail and kiosks taking over much of the market.

It’s somewhat surprising that the kiosk-based approach that Redbox uses is still going strong. The convenience of stand-alone machines – usually found in front of pharmacies and supermarkets – coupled with the low prices make them successful, but you still have to drive somewhere.

Netflix is king of the home video market right now, but for how long? Many times I have grown impatient at the two-day turnaround time because I really needed to see the next three episodes of “Dexter.” Eventually this model will give way to on-demand, digital delivery of media. Netflix is already offering part of its inventory online, and Amazon and some cable providers are doing the same. Once set-top boxes such as Boxee and Apple TV become more common, we’ll see the scales tipped – again.

This was a guest post. About the author: James Mowery is a computer geek that writes about technology and related topics.