It’s really no surprise that Redbox is going nationwide with its $1.50 Blu-ray rentals, at every step along the way of its Hollwood dealmaking, the company has pointed out its aim towards procuring a supply of high definition movies, and now the day is finally here. The high definition disc packing kiosks currently number 13,300, and the plan is to have Blu-ray in all 26,000 locations by the fall. While we spotted plenty of Blu-ray enabled locations with a San Francisco zip code, other areas in the Midwest and East Coast weren’t so lucky.

We applaud Redbox for getting with the HD media revolution, and hopefully this will make the format more palatable for mainstream consumption down the road.

Do you really have to check the calendar to know what time of year it is? That’s right baby, it’s Shark Week, and as usual, Discovery’s taking a midsummer break to bring everything shark related to its prime time lineup. This year, Discovery follows up on one of the most-watched Shark Week specials of all time, Air Jaws, with Ultimate Air Jaws August 1 at 9 p.m., with 2,000 fps HD footage of great white sharks leaping out of the water to attack seals. Even if that’s not enough details (and time, with one second of footage expanded to an entire minute) to count every tooth in the shark’s mouth as the press release breathlessly claims, then check out Into the Shark Bite, where they inserted high speed HD cameras — where else — directly into a shark’s jaws.

If you’re a fan of big nasty sea animals (in HD not 3D, mind you), then you have to tune in this week to bite into your favorite species of shark.

No precise specs yet, but we’d expect to see the same TLC taken in remastering and restoring the audio and video to eye-popping quality that’s been seen on previous releases.

We’re seeing a real surge in companies remastering classic films for Blu-Ray high-def, and we love the trend, we have to say. We’re looking forward to these releases, as (closet) lovers of old-fashioned animated films.

Look at the difference in this preview pic here…amazing.

Here’s another choice quote from the article:

I’m surprised by figures, forecasts, predictions and prophecies all showing a rosy outlook for 3D TV beginning as early as this year, because I’ve seen most of the 3D offerings available and I have no plans to buy — not now and not anytime soon. I should be a part of the core demographic for 3D: I like TV, movies and video games. I’m am early adopter. I have reasonable disposable income. I’m not afraid of betting on the wrong standard. And yet, I’m not buying.

That’s not good news, i’m assuming. We’ve been wary of 3D since it came out, as readers of this blog know quite well. It appears more journalists are betting against the technology than with it right now.

Add one more to the list of retail Blu-ray 3D discs, now that Sony Pictures has put a date on Monster House. Due September 14, Sony Pictures’ website currently lists the same special features included on the original Blu-ray release back in ‘06, which we expect to see included in the package, just like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and a similar $39.95 MSRP.

It appears past these sorts of releases, the slate for the future of BR 3D of fairly dry for a bit, so this will really test its staying power to the limit. IMAX will be putting out a Grand Canyon disc, and sometimes this year Resident Evil: Afterlife will come out along with Open Season. We remain guarded about its future, honestly.

After successfully predicting shocking trends like Blu-ray player prices heading downwards and the PS3’s continued install base lead on other players, analysts at ABI Research see 62.5 million Blu-ray players shipping next year. Analyst Mike Inouye sees this as a part of the growth potential of TV-centric devices related to price declines, plus new technology arriving like larger displays, internet access and 3D. With market penetration (in TV owning households) expected to rise from 7% in 2009 to 18% next year, we’re wondering what’s holding the format back from even more growth. Prices are relatively low now, full featured players are easy to find, and HDTVs are rapidly taking over.

We certainly hope this comes to pass, or perhaps even a higher percentage as more discover the made in heaven match that is 1080p HDTV and Blu-Ray.

Netflix has just announced it’ll be taking its first tentative step abroad with a rollout of its video streaming service in Canada. Specifics are predictably light at the present moment, but interested Canucks can sign up now to be informed as soon as those details drop. So Canada in the fall… and the UK in winter, perhaps? We can only hope.

No word on prices or anything like that, but NF is something we’re hoping spreads far and wide, so that people across the pond can experience the joy of watching lots of Blu-Ray classic movies for a small monthly fee.

It hasn’t been that long since Criterion collection started shipping its classics on Blu-ray, and one of the most recently announced movies on the way is Akira Kurosawa’s classic, Seven Samurai. A flick which should need no introduction, it will get a three disc set when it arrives October 19 with a $49.95 MSRP, while we’ll have to wait for more specs and features, there will also be a few other incredible movies like The Magician, Paths of Glory, House and The Darjeeling Limited arriving around the same time, so make your preorder choices wisely.

We like the trend, and look forward to more Criterion masters down the road on Blu-Ray.

Over the years, NASA has, from time to time, piped some HD of shuttle launches and other space related video via its satellite network, but starting July 19 it will be broadcasting 24/7. Beyond exclusive videos like shuttle launches, there will be a daily ISS update and plenty of file footage, all in MPEG-2 encoded HD. Media, cable and satellite providers should all have access so if it’s not yet a channel in your area, you probably know who to call.

Here’s the page with more info about it as well: Press Release

Apple has added a $10 or less HD movie section for older titles that were previously sold for the new-film premium of $20. The sub-$10 library only consists of 30 titles at the moment (though we assume that’ll grow with time), including 3:10 to Yuma, American Psycho, and The Doors, as well as more appropriate bargain bin specimens like Midgets vs. Mascots, The Midnight Meat Train, and Witless Protection.

We like price drops, but we’d like it even more if 99 cent show rentals, etc. made all of this not even matter. With Apple’s track record, we aren’t too sure about that happening.