The new design of the home entertainment systems were inspired by Sony’s own “Sense of Quartz” design used on the company’s Bravia line of televisions, that way users can have matching equipment if they happen to have a Bravia TV. The new systems also allow for easy wireless streaming of music through a smartphone or tablet.

Perhaps the most notable feature is the 4K upscaling that comes with the new N-series Blu-ray Home Cinema system. Of course, upscaling always takes away some of the quality, but it’s probably better than watching a movie at its native resolution on a higher-res display. Then again, you’ll need a 4K TV to take advantage of the new feature, but someday, right?

Sony is also touting the new Football Mode, which uses “acoustic data” that’s captured at a Brazilian football stadium, and makes it feel like you’re actually there in the stands. Essentially, Football Mode (soccer, for those Americans) allows you to cut the commentator’s voice when you simply want to focus on the action with no other distractions. Sony says that the new feature also supports other sports like rugby, tennis, and racing. No pricing details were given, but you can expect these new systems to become available in May.

According to the source, the final version of the film looks “vastly better” than what was shown off at CinemaCon, which apparently hadn’t yet undergone post-production tweaks. Warner and Jackson may be enthusiastic about the format, but the studio is reportedly limiting the rollout of the 48fps to gauge audience reaction.

The bigger issue is that theaters aren’t quite ready for 48fps movies just yet, although a software upgrade is reportedly due to be applied in September that will enable most theaters to project the higher frame rate version of the movie. Other equipment found in cinemas, however, may need replacing entirely. Digital cinema projectors and servers are categorized into two sections: Series 1 and Series 2. Series 2 equipment will be able to apply a simple software update, while Series 1 can’t display 48fps 3D at all.

Ultimately the audience will be the deciding factor in the rollout of the 48fps version for the second and third installments of The Hobbit, but it’s still curious that Warner would limit higher frame rate showings of the first movie. Still, official details haven’t been released yet, and we’re a long way off from the film’s December 14th release date.

[via Slashfilm]

The official press release for the upcoming project states that it will indeed be a sequel, and that Hampton Fancher is in talks to join the project. Fancher wrote the script for the original Blade Runner, and will work with Ridley Scott to develop a screenplay for the sequel. The PR does state that he’s not writing the project, merely helping brainstorm for the movie, so the film could still be in need of a writer.

What’s the story for the new fick? No word yet, although Scott is reportedly toying with the idea of having a female lead: “I started my first meetings on the Blade Runner sequel last week. We have a very good take on it. And we’ll definitely be featuring a female protagonist.” As for Scott’s latest film, Prometheus, various viral videos continue to sprawl across the internet, with the film due for release on June 1st in the UK and June 8th in the United States.

[via SlashFilm]

So what exactly was the issue? Jannard decided to create his own shoot out after disagreements with company Zacuto over 2K vs 4K. Jannard says that companies should stop living in the past and embrace the future of 4K, pushing out a 4K finish on top of 1080p and 2K, while Zacuto argues that 4K simply isn’t fully with us yet in terms of equipment or movie theater showings.

Zacuto go on to say that Jannard refused to participate in past shoot outs despite invitations being extended, “begging” Jannard for an EPIC camera yet receiving no reply, and ultimately catching some heat from fans when there was no RED appearance in the final competition. It seems then that Jannard wanted to do things on his own terms, including a proper 4K shoot out, but says that “several companies have refused to participate”, and that RED “just aren’t up for the grief. We have better things to do.”

Jannard himself admits that “resolution is not everything”, but movies shot on these cameras are going to be around for a long time. Unlike film, the resolution you shoot in is the resolution that the content is going to be stuck with for the rest of its life, so why not shoot higher? Then again, there are other aspects to take into account. RED’s workflow is said to be more complicated than other digital offerings, and some directors may simply prefer film. Christopher Nolan for example says he much prefers film, saying that it looks better and is cheaper to work with.

[via The Verge]

Jannard says that footage will be screened in both 2K and 4K using digital projectors across several screen sizes, including 10, 20, and 40-feet. Comparisons will also be made between resolution, frame rates, dynamic range, and color. When asked if he was worried at all about other companies besting RED cameras in the competition, Jannard replied that he wasn’t and that the “customer has the right to know.”

The CEO goes on to say that he would be “disappointed” if other companies didn’t participate, as this will be the only test where they have complete control over the equipment and testing. There hasn’t been any indication of camera companies taking RED up on the offer so far, but hey, if they do, there’s a free lunch in it for them. No, really: Jannard will be providing lunch for free. If the event does end up happening, it’ll go down on June 4th in Hollywood.

Obviously this is no ordinary camera and it packs enough of a punch to create quality production level video. The Cinema Cam features a built-in high-bandwidth SSD recorder drive to help curb damage to high-compression video, complete open file format support, and even color correction with a full version of DaVinci Resolve and a built-in LCD for data entry. From independent film, television commercials and more its digital film can be used on Windows and Mac.

Most current video camera suffer from what Blackmagic calls a “video look” due to a limited contrast range, poor sensors and lenses, and the use of heavy compression. With the new Cinema Camera Blackmagic has improved on all of these levels. Making for a portable, compact solution to create awesome video and even feature films. As you can see from the images it has all the ports one would ever need, a large LCD for viewing and entering metadata, a portable design, and they even offer a dedicated camera handle for $195 on their site.

For you camera and video lovers, or those seeking more details on this top quality digital cinema camera hit the press release below for everything you need. More information can also be found at blackmagic-design.com

[via Blackmagic]