Loewe's BluTech Vision Blu-ray player also lands

Not to be left out of this year's HD device love-fest at IFA, German firm Loewe has a sexy yet silly named Blu-ray player surely only slightly more likely to gather respect than the American actor Rob of the same name. The BluTech Vision Blu-ray player features HDMI, 24p, TrueHD, DTS HD, 7.1 surround, although not much else is known -- like where the hell you put the discs, or where the front display is. Guess Loewe's home audience of Germany will find out when it's released in October. One more shot after the break.

[Thanks, AG23]

[BrettB @ Aug 31st 2007 9:26AM]

It's rear loading. For your convenience.

[SHopkins @ Aug 31st 2007 10:00AM]

I'm sure the front glass drops down to reveal a tray or slot for loading...

But Loewe equipment is notorious for being expensive and esoteric, especially in the US. What BluRay needs are inexpensive players... not more super high-end units, especially when I can't see what the likely $1k+ pricetag of this unit will offer that others don't (other than perhaps DTS-HD).

[Silverfrog @ Aug 31st 2007 11:02AM]

SHopkins, right now Blu-Ray and HD-DVD manufacturers are catering to the higher end crowd, because quite frankly it's the higher end crowd that usually adopts a new format first. They'll likely already have a large HDTV in their living rooms. Plus, it will be these folks who can afford to buy the HD discs. At $35 a pop, the movies themselves aren't mainstream. Releasing a $200 player won't matter as much right now. They will milk the money from the ubergeeks and videophiles first. If you want cheap, you could get a PS3 anyways, and they know this.

[Temple @ Aug 31st 2007 10:03AM]

Looks pretty cool.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Aug 31st 2007 2:20PM]

Second that -- I'm guessing the front panel drops down or pulls out for the disk-load. And it's semi-transparent to show the front-display.

This is definitely something you'd buy for looks, not for features. I used to own a Loewe TV back in the 90s that was gorgeous. Best feature was that the tiny remote control could be stored in the front of the unit.

Loewe is the Apple of the German AV industry: They don't really invent anything new, or pack the most features, and their stuff is expensive... but boy, do they look good doing it.

[jstar @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:01PM]

Well, I must strongly disagree. They are more like the Lamborghini of the AV industry: the stuff they make looks perfect, and under the hood it's even better. Their TVs have an architecture more akin to a PC than a TV set: they use modular plug-in cards and each TV set is always built for a specific customer, with the features he chooses (internal DVR, internet access, satelite/terrestial/cable digital twin and single tuners). Even after the initial purchase you can decide that you want to add some features and what you do is simply go to the shop and say that you want an additional feature installed - and a technician arrives with the neccessary plug-in card. Add to that, the service mode is accessable by the customer so he can fine-tune the set precisely the way he wants (disabling and enabling the enhancing systems as he sees fit, changing the LCD color calibration and so on). So, basicly, it's not like Apple Inc. at all.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Sep 4th 2007 2:19PM]

@jstar -- that's something new then. Back when I owned my Loewe TV, the only option was the VideoText card, which came pre-installed at the dealer where I bought it. If this is indeed what they do now, I'm very impressed. This is how TVs SHOULD work.

[steve.stewart22 @ Aug 31st 2007 10:50PM]

This is a sweet-looking Blu-Ray player - typical Loewe style. I wish they hadn't stopped exporting products to the U.S. The TV's may have used modified RCA ProScan tubes, but the company beefed them up and made them shine. Let's hope the intent is somehow similar with their Blu-Ray players.

Finally, I have to shoot down the Rob Lowe joke. I'm no big fan of his, but the names are neither spelled the same nor pronounced the same. The company name is spoken as "loo-vah". Sorry guys, not so funny.

[Jay @ Sep 20th 2007 11:51PM]

it is not a silly named player. it looks beautiful and the name makes it easy to remember instead of bdp 40583jd9eofaf nonscence. so this one goes to ryan block. its not silly named. if i could afford this i would surely buy it.