Blu-ray, DVD, HDTV, Video info and more at WesleyTech.com

How to play Blu-ray video on portable devices

If you were interested in backing up your Blu-ray Disc movies and playing them on your iPod, PSP, PS3, AppleTV, iPhone, Wii, Xbox 360, or other device, I may have found the product for you. BestHDsoft is selling BestHD Blu-ray DVD Ripper which includes all of these functions, and more.

The software – which is on sale now for under $56 – can convert high-definition Blu-ray video to standard definition video formats such as AVI, XviD, DivX, WMV, MPEG4, MOV, FLV and other various formats. The software can also convert Blu-ray movies to high-definition video formats for high-def playback.

The audio encoding is obviously part of the package, and the BestHD Blu-ray DVD Ripper software supports 5.1 surround sound audio, as well as subtitles.



Once encoded, the video can be imported into virtually any video playback device you would like.

The software is supported by Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 2000. Of course you also need a Blu-ray Disc drive, which are getting more and more affordable.

All about 3D

Last week the Blu-ray Disc Association announced a unified specification for 3D content. Called “Blu-ray 3D,” the finalized spec averts another format war, and has pushed the street date for Blu-ray hardware up to second quarter 2010.

The implications of this achievement means compatibility between differing manufacturers with 3D content. Different display manufacturers will still have different shutter eyeglass technologies, but the software delivery is codified.

3D Displays and BD players will be revealed at CES in January. Sony, LG, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, and Samsung are all showing their designs.

Sony’s PlayStation 3 will also get real 3D gaming with a future firmware update.

HD Guru reported 3D content will play at 48fps, which means 24fps per eye. The 3D displays that manufacturers have shown have been 120Hz or 240Hz, so the video will be multiplied within the display’s processing.

Get $4 free at Amazon Video on Demand

Looking to test out Amazon Video on Demand? In addition to their free video on demand titles, Amazon is currently offering a free $4 credit good for use on any Video on Demand title.

To redeem the credit, go to the Amazon Video on Demand home page and look for the graphic on the top right that says “Have a Promotion Code? Here’s how to redeem”.

Click on that graphic and you’ll be taken to the promo code page, where you can enter promo-code AVODGIFT to get $4 free towards the purchase of any Amazon Video on Demand title. Enjoy!

Promotional offer is valid from December 23, 2009 12:00 AM PST through January 3, 2010 11:59 PM PST. You must redeem the code by January 3, 2010 11:59 PM PST.

Amazon Video on Demand titles can be viewed from your PC, from a Roku player or any other supported device.

Sony Blu-ray megachanger gets IP control

The BDP-CX7000ES 400-disc Blu-ray Disc megachanger from Sony’s ES line now has the ability to be controlled through its Ethernet connection.

IP control is a lot faster than the RS232 connection standard in most high-end control situations. It also means the disc metadata, including cover art, also displays faster on touch panels from companies like Crestron and AMX. Since the player is already plugged into the Ethernet network, this also means one less cable to deal with at installation.



While this isn’t the most exciting news for the average consumer, it’s great news for custom integrators.

The BDP-CX960 does not have IP control yet.

The new firmware can be downloaded here.

The Boxee box

The free Boxee media aggregation software will soon have a hardware option.

Boxee software installs on your PC and collects all of your DRM-free video and audio content, plus online content to be accessed in one interface. The hardware is a set-top box designed and built by D-Link and brings the same software to your television.

Online services include YouTube, Comedy Central, and Netflix. Of course many other services are available, plus more will be added. The most interesting services to me are the academic lectures from Standford, Harvard and TED amongst others.



Another feature that makes Boxee stand out from the competing streaming services is the social networking abilities which allows friends to share content and show each other what the other is viewing. You can even join video in progress with friends.



The unusual-looking box includes WiFi, USB, SD card slot and an IR remote. Interestingly the only video output is HDMI, but there are Toslink and RCA stereo audio outputs.

The set-top Boxee sells for approximately $200 and will be available in 2010.

Universal to release Blu-ray/DVD flipper disc

Universal Studios was the largest exclusive HD DVD studio supporter, and one of the reasons was the HD DVD/DVD dual-sided disc with high-def on one side and standard-def on the other. Coming 19 January 2010, Universal will be the first to release a Blu-ray Disc/DVD flipper disc.

The initial movies released on this new technology will be all three Jason Bourne titles: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum.

With a combo disc, a user can watch the high-def movie on their Blu-ray player at home, and the DVD side on their laptop, in the car, or the kid’s room. Universal also touts this as a way to “future proof” your library if you are not yet a Blu-ray player owner.

I am concerned that these new BD/DVD flippers will suffer some of the same problems that the HD DVD/DVD versions had. Toshiba (the leader of the HD DVD camp) blamed authoring, and the studios blamed firmware in the players, but the fact is some discs just had to be replaced, making it seem as though there were issues with the format itself.

And don’t forget the DualDisc with a DVD on one side and CD on the other. These often would not play in CD players.

TV TrickleSaver Review

TickleStar was kind enough to send us their TV TrickleSaver device for review. The TV TrickleSaver is designed to eliminate “vampire power”, reducing your electricity usage and saving you money.

TV TrickleSaver Overview

Let’s take a look at the overview, straight from the manufacturer’s website: The TrickleStarâ„¢ TV TrickleSaverâ„¢ reduces the standby energy consumed by TV accessories The product has inbuilt current sensing circuitry to sense when a TV is on or Off. When the TV is on the product will switch On all peripheral devices. Conversely when the TV is Off, the product will switch Off all accessories The product is easy to install and provides simple automation to reduce wasteful standby energy consumption. The product is suitable for residental and workplace applications. The product can be connected directly to equipment or connected to a standard electrical powerstrip with a number of connected devices.

TV TrickleSaver Key Features

• In-build relay for switching off devices that consume standby current.
• Adjustable sensitivity for sensing TV status.
• Rear mounting holes for wall, under desk mounting.

TV TrickleSaver product itself

Let’s take a look at the product shall we? The TV TrickleSaver comes packaged in a nice looking box.

What’s inside the box?

The TV TrickleSaver box is filled with all the items you might expect. The box contains the TV TrickleSaver itself and some instruction manuals in various languages. Let’s have a look at the TV TrickleSaver device itself, out of the plastic.

As you can see, the device has 3 cords attached. The first cord pictured on the left is the power plug that is plugged directly into a wall power outlet.

The two cords on the right are used to attach devices to the TV TrickleSaver. One of these cords is the “master”, which is designed to be used with your TV’s power cord. The second is the “slave”, where you plug in a TV accessory or a surge protector/power strip full of TV accessories.

TV TrickleSaver tests

I tested the TV TrickleSaver in our living room by connecting our 42″ Panasonic plasma to the master plug and our TV accessory surge protector to the slave plug. A home theater system and a Sony PS3 game console were plugged into the surge protector.

The TV TrickleSaver functioned exactly as advertised. When I turned my TV on, all of my TV accessories came to life, with the accessory power switched on by the TV TrickleSaver. When I turned my TV off, all accessories were turned off by the TV TrickleSaver.

The TV TrickleSaver should work automatically with most TV’s, but if it doesn’t function as desired with a particular model, there is also a “trimmer” dial on the device. This trimmer can be used to adjust the threshold at which the accessory devices switch on and off.

TV TrickleSaver review summary

We found that the TV TrickleSaver functioned just as the manufacturer stated. The only downside we could find, is that a TV would no longer be protected by a surge protector when the TV TrickleSaver is used, as the instruction manual recommends that you connect the TV TrickleSaver power cord directly to a wall power outlet.

Other than this minor complaint, the TV TrickleSaver device is a great product to use to cut down on the energy use of your TV accessories and peripherals. Game consoles in particular, are notorious for consuming large amounts of power, even when switched to “off” mode. And of course, there’s always that forgetful person that might not turn off a game console after powering down the TV. The TrickleStar comes to the rescue in that case too.

Some reports have stated that a PS3 game console can suck away up to $250 per year in electricity costs when in standby (off) mode. With costs like that, purchasing a TV TrickleSaver for use with a Sony PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii or another power hungry device seems like a no brainer.

You can purchase the TV TrickleSaver on Amazon or from other electronics retailers.

Disclosure: The TV TrickleSaver device was given to us for this review.

If you have any questions on the product or this review, please let us know in the comments.