Microsoft are rumored to be thinking of the upgrade from DVDs as Blu-rays can store either 25GB or 50GB of data, which compares to only 9GB on a DVD. But that is not all as a report on Kotaku is claiming that sources are saying that the next model will have some sort of system that will prevent owners playing used games.

It is not known how this system would work if true, but could somehow link a copy of a game to users Xbox Live account. This would only be avoided if the user kept their console offline all the time. Any such move would please the game publishers who often moan that used games are cutting revenues. This has led to some using the online pass system that makes parts of the game useless without it, but some retailers say this hasn’t affected sales of used games.

There are also claims that the new console will come with an all new version of the Kinect motion controller. It would have the built in processor and would allow it to detect player’s motions better. Microsoft is also thought to be working on a smaller controller for the console.

In a way even though Blu-ray was pioneered by rival Sony it does make sense for Microsoft to include it into the next Xbox. Games are getting bigger in size and it will cut down on the amount of discs needed in the future.

There has been a lot of talk that the next gen of consoles would rely on cloud and digital gaming more, but the trouble is not everyone has a fast enough broadband connection to cope with the demand this will bring. This is also not the first time that Blu-ray has been mentioned for any new Xbox.

Would you like the idea of a Blu-ray player in the next Xbox?

Many people purchase their Blu-rays and DVDs and other media from online retailers such as Amazon and Play.com. But now according to What Hi-Fi the British government is to close a tax loophole that allows such retailers to import these items from the Channel Islands in the UK.

From April 1st next year online retailers will no longer benefit from tax relief from the items they import in from the region. This is likely to lead to higher prices for consumers after this date. There has already been a change to the system this month as the Low Value Consignment Relief maximum, was lowered from £18 to £15 before going altogether next year.

The changes are allegedly being brought in so smaller and medium sized companies can compete with the larger outfits such as Amazon. It may be good news for the smaller businesses but it won’t please consumers who may be met with higher prices in these already tough times.

Hopefully the likes of Amazon and Play can reach out to places outside of the European Union as these areas won’t be affected by the changes. It does make you wonder if the changes are more for raking in more revenue from taxes though. Do these changes annoy you?

According to a new study consumers are now favoring Blu-ray over DVD when purchasing big blockbuster movies. PCMag are also reporting that consumer spending has climbed almost five percent on home entertainment in the last year. The Digital Entertainment Group said this is the first rise since 2008, and although no exact figures were given, with big new releases Blu-ray sales are fifty percent higher than the DVD equivalent.

DEG added that electronic sell-through and digital movies streaming also saw revenue growth. Catalog sales of Blu-ray titles are also on the up as well, with increases of over sixty percent led by the likes of Star Wars, Scarface, and Citizen Kane among others.

The amount of Blu-ray compatible devices in US homes now sits at over 33.5 million, which is up 52 percent compared to last year. DEG didn’t go in to specific numbers for its results, but it is regarded as one of the most accurate.

DVD was still way out in front of Blu-ray though with $14 billion spent, compared to $2.3 billion. Digital streaming also beat Blu-ray as well with $2.5 billion, while media sales have slipped since 2004. Do you buy more Blu-ray movies than before?

An article on Sillegamer is reporting that the August 2011 edition of the Xbox 360 Mag Italy is claiming that Microsoft is preparing to launch an external Blu-ray player for the Xbox 360 console. It is thought Microsoft is making such a move in response to the PS3s rising momentum following the recent price cut of the PS3 console.

Of course such reports have to be taken with the usual pinch of salt, but there may be some truth in the rumor. Games are getting bigger in size and until the next generation of consoles becomes available this could be an ideal addition.

This is not the first time such rumors have surfaced with claims going back as far as 2008 that Microsoft were close to releasing such a device. The latest rumor didn’t say if the external drive could be used for just watching HD movies, or if it was to increase disc size for gaming on the console.

In September of last year we reported that Stephen McGill of Microsoft UK predicted the extinction of Blu-ray. He added the company had no plans to offer such a device for the Xbox 360, as it felt digital media was the future. This could well be the case in the Xbox 720 and PS4, but in the meantime if the Xbox 360 still has a long shelf life a standalone Blu-ray player could be a stop gap.

The cost of dedicated Blu-ray players has dropped dramatically in recent years, so if Microsoft were to offer such a device at a low price the take up may be extremely high. Digital media for gaming is likely to be the way forward, and is already available with the OnLive platform. Most Xbox 360 owners are probably not bother that the console doesn’t have a Blu-ray player, and it’s not exactly hard to change the disc of a game.

Would you like to see an affordable Blu-ray unit for the Xbox 360? Do you think digital media is the way forward for gaming?

In what is a major tie-in for the company, Panasonic have announced that residents in the UK who purchase either a Blu-ray player or Blu-ray Home Theatre systems, will get the original Star Wars trilogy on Blu-ray free according to TechRadar. The series of films is one of the most eagerly awaited releases for the format in recent times.

The Blu-ray format is beginning to grow as the price of the discs is lower than a few years ago, and the fact that successful franchises such as Star Wars become available. Panasonic has had a long relationship with 20th Century Fox with Blu-rays; it was the first company to bring Avatar to the UK on the format in an exclusive deal.

The complete collection of Star Wars films is being released on September 12th, but if you purchase a qualifying product from Panasonic you can get episodes IV, V and VI free. The Blu-ray players that are part of the deal include model numbers BDT110, 210, 310, PWT500. The Blu-ray Home Theatre systems which are included are BTT262, BTT270, BTT362, BTT370, BTT775, and BFT800.

There is also a couple of Blu-ray recorders included in the deal which are BWT700 and BWT800. The deal runs from today until December 31st, and to get your hands on the free Blu-rays you have to register on the Panasonic Star Wars website. Then once the trilogy becomes available you will be sent your free set.

This offer makes buying a nice new Panasonic Blu-ray player even more appealing than usual, and the films will really show off the technology at its best. Will you be getting the Star War movies on Blu-ray when they are released?

Now they intend to include movie streaming on all of its UK Blu-Ray devices, as they announce their Lovefilm app launch today. The CEO of Lovefilm says they are delighted to now be able to provide subscribers access to movies at the touch of a button. This works out good for both parties as it increases the service provider’s profile and at the same time proving Samsung can bring users of their devices many different functions using smart technology.

You can activate the Lovefilm app by subscribing for at least £5.99. Once activated you will be able to stream movies in the thousands ranging from the Cannes Film Festival nominees to Hollywood blockbusters on your Blu-ray player. Full press release can be viewed here at Engadget.

Will you be subscribing to Lovefilm through your Blu-ray device? What are your thoughts on Samsung devices in general? You may want to check out the Samsung BD-C6500 Blu-ray player.

The burners can write BD-R media at up to 12x, dual layer BD-R media at up to 8x, this allows your to record a full 25GB of data to a Blu-ray disc in just 10 minutes (give or take).

If you are still burning CDs and DVDs you will be interested to hear that they burn DVD+R/-R at up to 16x, dual layer DVD+R/-R at up to 8x, DVD-RW at up to 6x, DVD+RW at up to 8x and DVD-RAM at up to 12x. As for CDs, you can burn a CD-R at up to 48x, and CD-RW at a maximum of 24x.

Both the OEM and retail models use SATA connections for data, you should be able to pick up these drives later this month, however pricing is currently unknown.

Source: Engadget

Buffalo will be offering these drives as the BRXL-6U2 and the BRXL-6FBS-BK, the Buffalo BRXL-6U2 is an external USB 2.0 model, whilst the Buffalo BRXL-6FBS-BK is an internal drive which connects via SATA.

The 128GB 4-layer media and 100GB 3-layer media can be written at up to 4x, here is a breakdown of the many Bu-ray formats which are supported BD-RE XL, BD-R XL, BD-R, BD-R DL, BD-RE and BD-RE DL.

At the moment we have no idea of pricing, however we do know that shipping will begin in November, we will have to keep you posted as we find out more.

Would you back up important data on an optical disc?

Source: Engadget

Firstly, if you haven’t read up on McGill’s comments, you can do so by reading our previous report here. McGill basically said, ‘Blu-Ray – Who needs it?’, adding that the disc format used on the PS3 is going to become extinct as technology progresses towards digital distribution.

You could agree with him on the digital part of the argument, but I still think there is a place for Blu-Ray on the market, and especially on the Xbox 360 console. How many Xbox 360 owners can honestly say they don’t mind disc-switching for content heavy games on the 360? If there is an option to save developer’s time by putting it onto one Blu-Ray disc, then isn’t that better for everyone?

Microsoft say that they are cutting costs and it was a ‘smart decision’ to avoid Blu-Ray on the Xbox 360, but what do you think about this?

Let us know – Are you still happy using DVDs or would you prefer Blu-Ray in the future?

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If you ask any Xbox 360 user they will say that they will never want to have Blu-ray, as it will slow things down. Stephen McGill from Microsoft UK has come out with a bold statement, saying that he predicts the extinction of Blu-ray.

While talking to CVG, McGill said that Microsoft has no plans to offer Blu-ray on its consoles as they believe that digital media is the future – something that they have been saying for the past few years now.

During the most recent interview with X360A, McGill said that people used to ask all the time about Blu-ray coming to the Xbox 360, but those days are way behind them now.

I do believe that digital media is the future, but there is one thing holding this back – Internet speeds. We have a long way to go until we can get the sort of downloads speeds to offer HD quality content, so looks like Blu-ray is the best option for now.

How long do you think the Blu-ray technology will be with us for?