JVC (oddly) opts for Profile 1.1 for its latest Blu-ray player

These days, what separates Blu-ray players from one another has less to do with how they play Blu-rays--they all do that pretty well--and more to do with the sort of extra features they offer. Many players, for instance, can access a variety of online entertainment options such as YouTube and Picasa. Unfortunately, JVC's latest player doesn't have any of those online features. In fact, it can't even access the online extras found on some Blu-ray Discs.

JVC has released an entry-level Blu-ray player, the XV-BP11 (US$200), which--surprisingly--only complies with the older Blu-ray Profile 1.1 standard. That means it's not capable of playing back any of the Internet-enabled BD-Live content that is included on some Blu-ray Discs. Now, we'll admit that virtually all of the BD-Live content we've seen is disappointing, but that's still not reason to get an underfeatured Blu-ray player when there are Profile 2.0 players for US$100.
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Sony debuts enthusiast-grade Blu-ray player

Sony has announced a new BDP-S765 Blu-ray player featuring key picture-processing functions originally developed for its flagship BDP-S5000ES kit. Firstly, the HD Reality Enhancer system provides real-time edge and detail enhancement, as well as film grain suppression. This is paired with Super Bit Mapping which up-converts movies encoded in 8-bit colors up to 14-bit fidelity to boost smoother gradations. As for its audio credentials, the DBP-S765 offers full high-resolution Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio compatibility, complete with a 7.1-channel output to support legacy A/V receivers.

Other notable features include BD-Live-compliancy, an intuitive XMB user interface and a 6-second player boot-up dubbed Quick Start mode. Users can also playback JPEG from its front USB port. An Ethernet jack enables remote streaming from your home PC based on the latest Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard. The Sony BDP-S765 is now available in Singapore at S$799, pending confirmation on regional availability.

Mantis shrimps unlock future DVD technology

These mantis shrimps native to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia are not only a sight to behold, they may also unlock a piece of the puzzle in future DVD technology. The key interest here is their powerful vision which differentiates four times more colors than human eyes. This unique capability is due to the special light-sensitive cells in the shrimp's eyes, which can recognize the full light spectrum unlike the narrow-band electronics sensors found in current DVD players.

The University of Bristol's School of Biological Science is studying this new discovery, together with the University of Maryland, in a bid to incorporate these properties into future optical devices. Who knows? Maybe this research may pave the way for a new Blu-ray successor. Shrimp-ray for all your HD fixes, anyone?

Via New Launches

Samsung unveils world's slimmest LCD panel

The two Korean chaebols are locked in a bitter competition to show off the world's sleekest LCD panel. It had been barely five months since LG announced its 5.9mm-thin 42-inch prototype, and now, Samsung is challenging the record with a 3mm equivalent (albeit in a smaller 40-inch screen size). While the latter is far from being a finished product, this is not stopping the company showcasing this LED-edgelit LCD panel at FPD International 2009 taking place in Yokohama from November 28 to 30. Hailed as the Needle Slim-series by Samsung, the screen is rated with a 5,000:1 contrast ratio and offers a 120Hz refresh rate according to Japanese tech blog Akihabara News. We're currently awaiting more information from Samsung and will update this Crave accordingly.

Via Akihabara News

Seagate FreeAgent Theater now with HDMI and Ethernet

If you're new to the whole USB media player category, it goes something like this: Storage brands like Western Digital, Seagate, and Iomega are looking for ways to tap into the growing number of consumers who have multimedia files stored on their computers and want to bring them to their TVs without much fuss. Of course, game consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox 360 offer similar functionality as part of their extensive repertoire (as do some Blu-ray players), but products like Seagate's FreeAgent Theater+ Media Player are targeting a more price-conscious consumer who doesn't want--or need--to deal with a full-fledged console.
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