A number of selected Blu ray players and Viera HTVS from Panasonic will soon be able to receive a brand new Video on Demand function following a recent announcement from online retailer, Amazon.com.

Consumers will be able to buy films directly from their player and will be able to watch them instantly in HD on their Blu ray player or HTVS unit using the new Amazon Video on Demand function.
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Although there had recently been mention of Philips releasing its BDP3000 Blu ray player, the manufacturer has officially announced that its player has now been launched.

The new Philips BDP3000 is a BD-Live compatible Blu ray player has been released to compete with Blu ray players like the Sharp BD-HP21H, which is currently priced at around £169, and the player is an upgrade from the high quality BDP7300.
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The release of a Blu ray player for the Xbox 360 is currently not being planned according to Microsoft even though Toshiba has announced that it will now be entering the Blu ray market.

The latest announcement of plans to ship Blu ray players by the end of 2009 by Toshiba has raised increased speculation of whether the Xbox 360 may soon be using Blu-ray even in light of previous denials by Microsoft of this happening.
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The LG BD370 is one of a number of Blu ray devices to offer users internet connectivity of some sort and has moved to a slightly more comprehensive range of services than the usual BD-Live service, which is currently in its early stages of development, with its Home page menu offering users access to features like YouTube.

Apart from the new connectivity features that the LG BD370 Blu ray player provides, users will also get the full Blu ray experience with the BD370 also being a Profile 2.0 player. The BD370 has a single silver power button on the front fascia and basic eject and play/pause button, with a drop down flap that reveals a USB slot and a skip and stop control on the right side of the fascia, that give the console a simple yet elegant look.
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Experts fear that a serious issue could develop mainly with users of Blu ray media when transferring files, especially as an increasing number of homes start using the high-definition format.

In order for the digital copies that are embedded in the discs to be copied over to either a portable device or computer the files must be transferred over within 12 month of the date of release according to the small print information.
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The sale of Blu ray discs in the UK this year has been given a huge boost by the release of new blockbuster movies like James Bond’s Quantum of Solace and Batman’s The Dark Knight according to the latest figures that have been released.

In the midst of the current recession the sale of Blu ray discs has continued to increase throughout 2009 based on data taken from the Official Chart Company by the British Video Association (BVA). Compared to the same period last year the sale of Blu ray disc in 2009 has risen to 3.1 million with over 1500 Blu ray movies now available for purchase in the UK.
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Disc seller are blaming the current global recession and the increase in piracy online as the reason for a drop in the sale of both Blu-ray and DVD’s during 2008.

With a drop in the sale of Blu-ray and DVD discs by 4.8 percent worldwide during 2008, disc companies are blaming widespread online piracy, which appears to be steadily increasing and the current global economic climate as the reason for the slump.
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With the current Blu-ray market’s relatively young nature the need for manufactures to offer eye catching feature with their players is essential to bring in new customers and Phillips claims that the new BDP7300 come with a few interesting extras.

The relatively slow start-up times that are inherent in most Blu-ray players that are currently available at the moment are one of the biggest reasons why many consumers are reluctant to go out and buy new Blu-ray equipment say Phillips.
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A recent announcement by a number of studios have has been made that at the beginning of 2010 user will be allowed to create backup of the Blu-ray discs they own.

Something that has been a grey legal area for a number of years now is the legality of making backups of media like DVD and Blu-ray from discs that have been brought. Any users of Blu-ray technology will, from the beginning of next year be given the option to make single and legal copy of any Blu-ray media that they purchase.
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The latest research from Futuresource consulting has found that by the end of 2009 over 100 million Blu-ray discs will be purchased by customers in Japan, the US and in Western Europe.

Even in the midst of the current economic climate it has been noted by this latest research that with the cost of buying Blu-ray players falling significantly and the massive increase in the number of High Definition TV’s being used the interest in Blu-ray discs are set to go up as a result.
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