Blu Ray

"Dragon's Lair," the beloved laserdisc arcade game from the 1980s, has been kept alive on multiple platforms over the years, including versions for the Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, PC, Mac and even the DVD player. And then there was the commemorative 20th Anniversary Special Edition and last year's "Dragon's Lair HD" for Windows. So it's no surprise we now see yet another incarnation of this coin-operated classic -- this time on Blu-ray Disc, a high-definition format that is competing with HD DVD to become the successor to the DVD. Blu-ray Discs also work on the new Sony PlayStation 3 console.

One of the biggest obstacles to 3-D adoption in the home is the requirement for uncomfortable, eye-straining glasses. Now there is an alternative, at least in the laptop department. Today Toshiba introduced the world's first glasses-free 3-D notebook. The Qosmio F755 has an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDA GeForce 540M graphics, as well as Harmon Kardon speakers, a Blu-ray drive and HDMI output. It can display content in either 2-D or 3-D. To achieve a 3-D effect without glasses, the F755 uses an auto-stereoscopic display.

I already made the initial investment for the system about a year ago. I'm not super savvy about video-game consoles, but I want to maximize its usefulness. Dear Dana, When the PS3 initially came out, I admit I had my reservations. Offering a Blu-ray media player with its console at a time when the HD format war was in full swing was a pretty gutsy move on Sony's part -- one that paid off as HD DVD fell by the wayside. The Xbox 360, while going with the now-defunct HD DVD format for its media player, is superior (in my opinion)

Before "The Lovely Bones," the aughts had been a charmed decade for Peter Jackson. It began with the one-two-three punch of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, a juggernaut that grossed almost $4 billion worldwide at the box office and won 17 Oscars -- 11 of those, including best picture and best director, for the final chapter, "The Return of the King." Jackson followed "Rings" with his 2005 remake of "King Kong," which was another huge success both at the box office and with critics.

Those on the fence about which video game console to buy might be tempted by Sony's recent introduction of the higher-capacity and slimmer new PlayStation 3, with a $100 price cut to $299. And keep in mind that it's also a high-def Blu-ray player, a Wi-Fi-enabled Web surfing machine and a streaming media player that can wirelessly access digital content on a nearby PC. If you need more incentive, however, consider "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," an exclusive adventure that's shaping up to be the best video game of the holiday season.

As U.S. video gamers prepare to stampede into electronics retailers across the country, here's all you need to know about Sony's PlayStation 3. PlayStation 3? No marks for originality there. Can't they do something new? The all-conquering games console has proved so lucrative over the last decade that Sony can't really afford to give the brand up. The PlayStation transformed video gaming when it launched in 1994, taking the industry beyond the 16-bit age of the Sega Megadrive and the Nintendo SNES.

As second kahuna in the no-name HDTV surfing contest after big-wave Vizio, Westinghouse always seems to have something to prove. The 47-inch TX-47F430S LCD rides hard with an extralong board's worth of features , including four HDMI inputs, 1080p native resolution for a relative pittance, oodles of picture settings, and a great selection of power-affecting modes. Despite the strong effort, however, this surfer wipes out when it comes to looks, and while we liked a lot of its picture quality characteristics, its lighter black levels don't help it stand up. If you can look past those somewhat washed-out blacks, however, the Westinghouse TX-47F430S is among the best big-screen LCD bargains available.

If you're a Netflix subscriber you may have noticed that in the last year or so the company has rolled out a Watch Now option that lets you instantly watch some of the movies and TV shows in the Netflix library on your Windows PC with a broadband connection. More recently, in upgrading its digital offerings, Netflix has taken things a step further by separating out the Instant Queue from your DVD Queue. While the all-you-can-eat streaming video option is a nice perk for users (it's available to any subscriber on the $8.95 per month plan or better)

While the MacBook Air was certainly the sex symbol of Steve Jobs's MacWorld keynote today, the product with the biggest impact may be the new Apple TV. One of the big news items at last Week's CES was that Blu-ray appeared to have finally won the high-definition disc war. Well, it may have been a brief victory. BD players are still pricey items, while Apple TV starts at just $229. And Blu-ray still lacks support from two major studios. Apple TV is starting small?with about 1000 films at its launch at the end of February.

Dear Mr. Lucas, Happy Star Wars Day to you! I hope you are enjoying May the 4th, the day fans of your movies have turned into an unofficial holiday celebrating the world you have created, and which we love. As you -- or whomever you pay to do it -- look through the social networks and see your fans declaring "May the 4th be with you," please stop and think about how you have turned it into a bad marketing ploy for the Blu-Ray release of the "Star Wars" movies. I am sure by now that all is revealed on the official Star Wars May the 4th Day page, and now enough people have spread the word of how you are revealing images and information from the upcoming release of the movies on Blu-Ray.

One of the biggest obstacles to 3-D adoption in the home is the requirement for uncomfortable, eye-straining glasses. Now there is an alternative, at least in the laptop department. Today Toshiba introduced the world's first glasses-free 3-D notebook. The Qosmio F755 has an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDA GeForce 540M graphics, as well as Harmon Kardon speakers, a Blu-ray drive and HDMI output. It can display content in either 2-D or 3-D. To achieve a 3-D effect without glasses, the F755 uses an auto-stereoscopic display.

Before "The Lovely Bones," the aughts had been a charmed decade for Peter Jackson. It began with the one-two-three punch of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, a juggernaut that grossed almost $4 billion worldwide at the box office and won 17 Oscars -- 11 of those, including best picture and best director, for the final chapter, "The Return of the King." Jackson followed "Rings" with his 2005 remake of "King Kong," which was another huge success both at the box office and with critics.

Those on the fence about which video game console to buy might be tempted by Sony's recent introduction of the higher-capacity and slimmer new PlayStation 3, with a $100 price cut to $299. And keep in mind that it's also a high-def Blu-ray player, a Wi-Fi-enabled Web surfing machine and a streaming media player that can wirelessly access digital content on a nearby PC. If you need more incentive, however, consider "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," an exclusive adventure that's shaping up to be the best video game of the holiday season.

I already made the initial investment for the system about a year ago. I'm not super savvy about video-game consoles, but I want to maximize its usefulness. Dear Dana, When the PS3 initially came out, I admit I had my reservations. Offering a Blu-ray media player with its console at a time when the HD format war was in full swing was a pretty gutsy move on Sony's part -- one that paid off as HD DVD fell by the wayside. The Xbox 360, while going with the now-defunct HD DVD format for its media player, is superior (in my opinion)

"Dragon's Lair," the beloved laserdisc arcade game from the 1980s, has been kept alive on multiple platforms over the years, including versions for the Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, PC, Mac and even the DVD player. And then there was the commemorative 20th Anniversary Special Edition and last year's "Dragon's Lair HD" for Windows. So it's no surprise we now see yet another incarnation of this coin-operated classic -- this time on Blu-ray Disc, a high-definition format that is competing with HD DVD to become the successor to the DVD. Blu-ray Discs also work on the new Sony PlayStation 3 console.

As U.S. video gamers prepare to stampede into electronics retailers across the country, here's all you need to know about Sony's PlayStation 3. PlayStation 3? No marks for originality there. Can't they do something new? The all-conquering games console has proved so lucrative over the last decade that Sony can't really afford to give the brand up. The PlayStation transformed video gaming when it launched in 1994, taking the industry beyond the 16-bit age of the Sega Megadrive and the Nintendo SNES.