DVDs

THOR has a release date! It is coming to home video on September 13, 2011 and will be available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD – even offered in a THOR three-disc Ultimate Set!

The folks over at IGN have all the disc details and box art for the various THOR Blu-ray and DVD releases – giving you a first look at what's included on the three versions.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins, the story follows the powerful but arrogant warrior Thor as he is cast out of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

Head on over to the IGN website and get all the details!

Are you looking to upgrade your DVD movies to Blu-rays? Trade them in via Best Buy's Trade and Save program and get $5 off of more than 135 Blu-Ray titles!

Head to your local Best Buy retail store's customer service center with an original, commercially released DVD (no burned copies) in its original case and Best Buy will give you a $5 coupon that's valid on select Blu-ray movies.

Some of the Blu-ray movies applicable for discounts include: 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, Hereafter, I Spit On Your Grave, and many more. View the full list here.

You can bring up to five DVD titles per store, for a total of $25 in discount vouchers. The offer is valid through June 4, 2011. For complete details, visit www.bestbuy.com/tradeandsave.

By now, everyone is familiar with the Redbox DVD kiosks found almost everywhere you go. With the cost of a one night rental at $1.00, it's quite a bargain. But what if I told you there is a way to get that Redbox rental free? Even better, huh? Just announced today is a new iPhone app from Neese Products that gives you promo codes for FREE rentals! The codes are updated twice a day and also feature a ranking system to ensure the code of each promo offered is valid.

It works like this: simply launch the application or update/refresh the codes before leaving to rent a movie and get the latest collection of ranked promotion codes for free DVD rentals at Redbox kiosks. After selecting a movie, click "Enter Promo Code" on the Redbox checkout screen and enter one of the promo codes provided by the app. The Redbox will confirm the FREE rental before you finish. Easy!Read more

GE just announced the development of a new optical storage technology – micro-holographic discs. These discs will be able to read and record on systems similar to a DVD player, but can support 500 gigabytes of storage (!!) in a standard DVD-size disc. Think about it…that's like 20 Blu-ray discs, 100 DVDs or the hard drive for a large desktop computer!

What is a holographic disc and how is holographic storage different? DVDs and Blu-ray discs store information only on the surface of the disc; holographic storage technology uses the entire volume of the disc material. Holograms (or three-dimensional patterns) are written into the disc and can then be read. GE says that the hardware and formats are so similar to current optical storage technology that the micro-holographic players will be able to play back CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

"GE's breakthrough is a huge step toward bringing our next generation holographic storage technology to the everyday consumer," said Brian Lawrence, who leads GE's Holographic Storage program. "Because GE's micro-holographic discs could essentially be read and played using similar optics to those found in standard Blu-ray players, our technology will pave the way for cost-effective, robust and reliable holographic drives that could be in every home. The day when you can store your entire high definition movie collection on one disc and support high resolution formats like 3-D television is closer than you think."

For more information on Holographic storage visit GE Global Research at www.ge.com/research.

The official title for the giveaway is, "JVC The Dark Knight Capture the Joker Sweepstakes" that ends on December 31, 2008. The grand prize JVC home theater package is valued at more than $3,000 USD. There are many other products being given away, including several DVDs of the latest Batman movie. Warner Home Video is also sponsoring this opportunity with JVC. December 9, 2008 is the date the movie, The Dark Knight, is released on DVD and Blu-ray disc. JVC will feature the movie The Dark Knight in its advertising campaign through the Holidays. Are you ready to "Catch the Joker"? Visit www.jvc.com/thedarkknight for your chance to win! The daily prizes will keep you going back for more chances to win this amazing home theater setup. The JVC microsite also has behind the scenes footage and movie trivia.