Just in case there was any doubt since the task force was announced in May, the Blu-ray Disc Association is still hard at work on a standard to bring home 3D movies the way they were meant to be seen. Ahead of IFA, the group squeezed off an announcement, mentioning its decision of minimum specs including requiring 1080p resolution to each eye and backwards compatibility for discs and players, so any 3D flick will have to include a 2D version for older Blu-ray players. Of course, we're sure Panasonic has something to do with this push, it's already planning to tour the country with 3D capable Blu-ray players in tow, so it shouldn't be too much longer until final decisions are made.

We'd already heard that Toshiba -- the outfit best known for solidly backing HD DVD during the two-year format war of the early 21st century -- was preparing to swallow its pride and kick out a Blu-ray player by the year's end, but now it's official. The outfit just announced moments ago that it has "applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and plans to introduce products that support the Blu-ray format." Sadly, Tosh doesn't bother to mention exactly what kinds of BD-capable wares it hopes to produce, nor is it ready to disclose product launch time frames. We'd tell you exactly how it wants us to just be patient and all, but you're probably better off hearing it directly from the horse's trap:

"In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA. Toshiba aims to introduce digital products that support the Blu-ray format, including BD players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives, in the course of this year. Details of the products, including the timing of regional launches, are now under consideration. We will make announcements in due course."

Count the Blu-ray Disc Association as the latest to jump on the 3D standards bandwagon, announcing the formation of a task force to create a universal 3D home entertainment spec. It's already been said that Blu-ray will be a great delivery mechanism for 3D, but without a standard, even incredible productions like Coraline come home in anaglyph 3D instead of the stereoscopic 3D format that more HDTV sets are beginning to support. We won't even begin to wonder who they will back, there's not even a timetable for meetings yet but hopefully all this gets worked out sooner rather than later so we can enjoy our Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience at home, the same way we did in the theater (3 times, it was fantastic.)

Remember that funky DRA audio format we mentioned way back in July of last year? Yeah, somehow that just got approved by the BDA. While we're sure the likes of DTS and Dolby won't be up all night fearing for tomorrow, there actually is another audio format in the Blu-ray town. Over in Beijing, the Blu-ray Disc Association, China Hualu Group and Digital Rise Technology have gathered together to announce that the DRA digital audio coding technology has been approved for inclusion in the BD-ROM 2.3 specification as an "optional audio codec." The folks involved seem pretty stoked, but seriously, what are the chances any mainstream Blu-ray Disc ships this year (or ever, really) with a DRA soundtrack? Anyone placing bets?

6x Blu-ray media is far from new, but Moser Baer has just become the first company outside of Japan to develop and ship 1x to 6x BD-Rs. The New Delhi-based outfit actually popped up on our radar last year with claims of 8x Blu-ray recording media, and now it has "received product verification from the Blu-ray Disc Association for its next generation Blu-ray (BDR) 1x-6x discs." We're no experts on certification, but we're all about getting more options on the shelves to drive down prices.

We've already passed along one Blu-ray primer this holiday season, but just in case you missed it (or your one specific question remains unanswered), we'll point you to this one. USA Today has written ten relatively basic questions (and answers) that may be in the minds of those teetering on taking the plunge into high-def media. Things like "Will my sound system work with Blu-ray?" and "What features do Blu-ray movies have that DVDs don't?" are covered in sufficient detail, so we'd highly recommend having a look if "your friend" is still a bit clueless.

Despite the general lameness of the economy at large, Blu-ray seems to be faring at least decently well overseas. We already heard that Blu-ray Disc sales were up 396% in the UK year-to-date, and we're getting even more positive vibes from a BDA European Promotions Group seminar held in Amsterdam this month. According to Frank Simonis, chairman of the aforesaid group, [Blu-ray] is "experiencing strong and solid growth in every national territory [in Europe]," even with the economic situation taken into consideration. Also in attendance was FutureSource Consulting's Jim Bottoms, who boldly predicted that "in Europe, by 2012, about one-quarter of homes will have a standalone Blu-ray Disc player." 'Course, that's just wild speculation at this point, but at least we've a target to look back on and see just how accurate this fellow was / wasn't. [Warning: PDF read link]

For those of you plugging your ears whilst humming along in hopes of this whole 3D revolution fading away, we've got a rude awakening headed your way. Just days after hearing that the HDMI specification could be updated to better handle stereoscopic 3D content, along comes word that Panasonic has submitted a proposal to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) for an official BD standard to store 3D imagery formed of "left / right-eye two-channel Full HD images." Panny reportedly made the move early in order avoid a format war, but really, it's just looking to cash in on royalties for the next decade five years or less. It's no secret that movie studios are dead set on moving forward with 3D production -- might as well be ready on the other end, right?

[Image courtesy of 3DS]

While some studios are backing away from Asian countries due to rampant piracy, Sony's content with diving right in. According to a recent report from Variety, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will begin distributing 30 current and classic Blu-ray Discs to China on Friday, though they won't be exceptionally cheap. In fact, with titles costing around 205 yuan ($30), we'd bet those Chinese "BD" pirates may actually see a spike in sales. Funny how so much Blu-ray manufacturing is going on in China, yet it's just now about to get its first taste of authentic BD software sales. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world, we tell ya.

[Via TechRadar]

We can already tell you that there's not enough water in the intertubez to put out the flames that this one will spark, but we digress. Analyst Robin Harris has blurted out what we can only imagine is being secretly thought by at least a few others: Blu-ray isn't going anywhere. We'll be frank -- we politely disagree with his assertion that BD will be relegated to a "videophile niche" within 12 months, but he does make some great points about the format's inability to truly catch on. For starters, consumers are having a tough time finding a value proposition in the format, which doesn't look phenomenally better than upscaled DVD in most eyes. Second, the sheer cost of licensing involved keeps all but the biggest studios from enjoying the spoils of Blu. Lastly, he suggests that the BDA should realize that Blu-ray isn't needed in the world of HD streaming and upscaled DVD, and it must be priced accordingly. Again, some of this just seems way off base, but it's fantastic fodder for discussion, no?

You know how this game works by now -- someone says one thing, someone else says another. After hearing the Blu-ray Disc Association assert that Blu-ray wares would be flying off of store shelves this holiday season, in steps technology analyst Roger Kay to say otherwise. In fact, he predicts a "dramatic" drop in Blu-ray sales for Q4 and beyond, suggesting that consumers will choose to hold tight to their hard-earned dollars rather than spend it on a format that's still noticeably more expensive than DVD. As if that weren't enough, he also insinuated that the push back in adoption could allow "other forms of video over cable, satellite and the internet to shut the window of opportunity for Blu-ray." Of course, we've heard this whole physical media versus digital downloads debate before, but we don't exactly see a poor sales season (if there is one) as being enough to catapult digital downloads in front of BD. Regardless, we'll be anxious to see the numbers in early 2009, but for now, it certainly provides interesting fodder for discussion.

[Image courtesy of Syracuse]

Given that Iron Man just crushed every other Blu-ray sales record set before it, not to mention the fact that sub-$200 BD decks are finally upon us, we can't say we're flabbergasted by the Blu-ray Disc Association's most recent comments. Victor Matsuda, Chairman of the BDA Global Promotions Committee, was recently quoted as saying that "[the BDA] has good reason to predict that this Q4 sales period will see the Blu-ray Disc revolution take hold in US mainstream markets and [that it] will witness strong sales performance in every other geographical region." Comically enough, he also stated that "the availability of affordable players is an important factor," which contrasts pretty starkly with comments made by the BDA just weeks ago. Not that we're complaining about lower prices or anything...

[Via Pocket-lint, image courtesy of Photobucket]

We haven't seen too many BD fiascoes of late, and Thomson's Technicolor is out to make sure it stays that way. As of this week, it has established the very first BDA-approved Blu-ray Disc testing facility in the United States, which promises to provide a place for advanced BD-Live / BD-Java testing before titles are publicly released. There's no specific word as to what studios it'll be stamping seals of approval / disapproval for, so we'll just assume anyone who feels like ponying up for its services can apply.

Didn't see anything that particularly suited your fancy at CEDIA? Then feast your eyes on CEATEC. As the Japan-based trade show hastily approaches, out pops a mind-boggling new home theater package from Panasonic. The system will include one of its marvelous 103-inch plasma HDTVs, a Blu-ray player and at least one set of fancy 3D goggles. Hailed as a world's first in some form or fashion, the Full HD 3D package utilizes an undisclosed format "employed by major Hollywood film studios" to "distribute full HD images of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels to each eye via synchronized shutter glasses." Panny is hoping to promote the technology and possibly get a leg up on Samsung (our assumption) by impressing wealthy homeowners and members of the Blu-ray Disc Association. As expected, there's no mention of a price, but rest assured -- you'll be stuck choosing between this and a new BMW.

[Via Impress]