DVD-3800BD & DVD-2500BT new Denon Blu-Ray Players

Denon recently announced its upcoming High-end Blu-Ray players, the DVD-3800BD and the DVD-2500BT.

These Denon Blu-ray players support Blu-ray Profile v1.1, Dolby digital +, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, HDMI v1.3a and are backwards compatible with DVD and CD. It features a 1080p video output, a 24 bit/192kHz DAC plus RCA, BNC and RS-232C connectivity.

The main difference between the two models is that the DVD-3800BD does internal decoding of the audio, while the DVD-2500BT only supports output of the HD audio bitstream to an external decoder. The DVD-3800BD also comes equipped with a Silicon Optix 10-bit Realta video processor with image correction technology D.P.I.C. (Denon Pixel Image Correction).

Both players will hit the japanese market in early 2008, priced at $2,900 for the DVD-3800BD, and $2,000 for the DVD-2500BT.

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New Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray Disc Player

Panasonic is going to introduce this month, its latest DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player. Being the first Profile v1.1 compliant Blu-ray player to hit the market, the DMP-BD30 holds a bunch of new and enhanced features. Also it includes an SD Memory Card slot for playback of High Definition content recorded in the AVCHD format.

The DMP-BD30 gets a secondary video decoder for Picture-in-Picture (which displays a second image in a sub window), an extra audio decoder (allows the consumer to switch the sound between the main and sub windows), and the player offers the support of Deep Color Compatibility and HDMI 1.3B, 1080 / 24p playback. The Panasonic DMP-BD30 is available in pre-order through the Panasonic's site for $499.95.

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LG BH200 HD-DVD / Blu-ray Combo Player now available

LG has finally announced that its new BH200 HD-DVD / Blu-ray combo player is now available for the price of $999.

In addition to playing both HD formats, the player also has the somewhat notable distinction of being the first player to support Blu-ray profile 1.1, although you'll still have to wait a while to take advantage of that particular feature. Otherwise, you'll get full 1080p support (including upscaling of DVDs), HDMI v1.3, component and composite video outputs, digital optical and analog audio outputs, and a LAN port, not to mention a USB port on the front for impromptu slide shows or music playback.

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CES 2008 - Samsung BP-U5500 Blu-ray & HD-DVD Hybrid Player

The Samsung BP-U5500 offering the ideal solution for those consumers new to the world of HD home entertainment. This hybrid player follows up the BP-U5000 which just hit the shelves recently. It remains similar with Blu-ray and HD-DVD playback along with CD and DVD support in a single box. Also Samsung's BP-U5500 player has HDMI 1.3 connectivity and supports the latest audio decoding such as 7.1-Ch PCM, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master audio, and Dolby TrueHD

The BD-UP5500 will be available in the second-half of 2008 at a MSRP of $599.

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CES 2008 - Samsung intros BD-P1500 Blu-ray player

Samsung just announced its new fourth-gen Blu-ray player dubbed the BD-P1500. It features HDMI 1.3 port with CEC, built-in Ethernet connection for BD profile 1.1 discs and firmware downloads, and 7.1 PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master Audio. The video processor upconverts standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions and offers Full HD video playback capabilities. The BD-P1500's enclosure has a slick exterior with a black glossy finish and a minimum of buttons.

The BD-P1500 will be available in June 2008 at a price of $399.

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CES 2008 - Philips BDP7200 Blu-ray Disc Player

Philips showcased its new blu-ray disc player at the CES, priced at only $349 the BDP7200 is Philips' first BonusView compliant BD player (Blu-ray profile v1.1). It features Full HD 1080p resolution at native 24 FPS, Deep Color functionality to eliminate on-screen color banding, picture-in-picture capability, graphical enhancements and multi-languages for on-screen display.

The BDP7200 offers a fully digital interface with the audio/video EasyLink HDMI Consumer Electronics Control protocols (CEC1), which allows easy control of connected devices with one remote. This BD player also ensures the playback of your older DVD libraries while upscaling them to 1080p.

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Sony BDP-S350 & BDP-S550 Blu-ray Disc Players

Sony updated its Blu-ray disc player line today with two new models, the BDP-S350 and BDP-S550. Both models support Bonus View and BD-Live interactive features, include USB connectivity for external storage, AVCHD discs encoded support, 1080p HDMI, DVD upscaling to 1080p and HD audio processing for Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital plus. The BDP-S550 adds DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

Sony's BDP-S350 ships this summer for about $400 and BDP-S550 will be available this fall for about $500.

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Toshiba HD-A3 Price Drop to $89.99 and comes with 2 HD-DVDs

HD-DVD price drop continue, the Toshiba HD-A3 can be found now for a mere $89.99 at Crutchfield. The player comes with 2 free HD-DVD titles, 300 and The Bourne Identity. The HD-A3 not only read HD-DVD discs, it also supports the playback of standard DVD, DVD-R/-RW as well as music CDs and CD-R/RW.

At this price the Toshiba HD-A3 may be one of the cheapest DVD player with 720p/1080i video upscaling through HDMI.

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Panasonic DMP-BD30EG-K Blu-ray Player comes with 2 Free Blu-ray Movies

Panasonic UK offers two blu-ray movies, Ratatouille and Cars, when you buy a DMP-BD30EG-K Blu-ray spinner. This blu-ray player features the final standard profile 1.1, full HD 1080/24P output, HDMI version 1.3 with Deep Colour and incorporates a SD Card Slot.

Priced at £349.99 this special offer went "temporarily out of stock" fast but it will be back soon.

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Sony BDZ-T90 Blu-ray Recorder

New Sony's BDZ-T90 blu-ray recorder has improved the video quality recording as well as the addition of True Cinema 24p support, 500GB HDD, two analog/digital TV tuners and Sony Room Link support. The BDZ-T90 can record directly on a Blu-ray or on the built-in HDD in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 in a choice of seven different quality settings. Also, this Blu-ray recorder includes HDMI output, S-Video, RCA and optical.

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Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD & BDP-51FD Blu-ray Disc Players

Pioneer has introduced a couple of new Blu-ray disc players in its Elite line, the BDP-05FD and BDP-51FD models. These players have the ability to decode all advanced audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD and DTS HD Master. Both features 1080p HDMI 1.3a technology, professional quality Wolfson 12-bit D/A converters, and DVD playback with 1080p up-conversion.

The Elite BDP-05FD comes with a 2-year warranty instead of one year for the BDP-51FD, and features gold-plated connection ports, capacitance touch key buttons and an aluminum front panel that will have audiophiles and videophiles eager to use and display within their high end home theater décor.

The Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD and BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray disc players will begin shipping this summer for suggested prices of $799 and $599, respectively.

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Marantz BD8002 Blu-ray Player

Marantz will release soon its first blu-ray player, the BD8002. Unveiled at the last CES in Las Vegas, this high-end player will be priced at $1,999. Marantz equipped it with a 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta video processor, HDMI 1.3 connection as well as the latest in HD audio decoding including Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The player also offers a SD-card reader, analog audio outputs and it even plays your old DVDs with upconversion feature or CDs.

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Hitachi Wooo DV-BH250 Blu-Ray Recorder

Here is the newest Blu-ray recorder from Hitachi, called the Wooo DV-BH250, it will be available early this month in Japan, but price tag is still unknown. The player features a 250GB HDD, HDMI output (of course) and the device is AVCREC compatible, which means this player is able to record high-definition content straight on DVD-R/RW/RAM formats besides the BD-R/RE formats.

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Denon launches new DVD-1800BD Blu-ray Player

Denon DVD-3800BD

Denon lowers price on high-end Blu-ray players by launching the DVD-1800BD player. This player incorporates HDMI v1.3a with Deep Color and Bonus View support, Dolby Digital Plus/Dolby True HD/DTS-HD/DTS-HD MA decoders, 1080p upconversion and high-class Burr-Brown DACs.

The Denon DVD-1800BD is scheduled for availability in October 2008 for $749 instead of $1,199 for the actual entry-level model.

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Insignia NS-BRDVD, a Cheap Alternative to the PS3

For the $70 less than the Playstation 3, the Insignia NS-BRDVD Blu-ray player is a good alternative. Available at BestBuy for $329, the NS-BRDVD has 1080p HDMI output, SD card slot, built-in decoders for next-generation Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD high-resolution surround and Dolby TrueHD. Outputs include 1x stereo audio, 1x composite video, 1x component video, 1x digital optical audio, 1x digital coaxial audio and 1x HDMI.

And for this price don't expect to get a sweet-looking player, it's just a basic rectangular-shaped player with a cheap front panel.

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Pioneer expands its Blu-ray Disc Player Line-up with 4 Players

Pioneer BDP-LX08

According to Pioneer's European website, 4 Blu-ray disc players will be introduced by the company. The new line-up will include the BDP-LX91 (LX Line Reference Blu-ray disc player with BD-Live / Profile 2.0 support), BDP-LX08 (LX Line "Designer" Blu-ray disc player with BonusView / Profile 1.1 support), BDP-LX71 (LX Line Blu-ray disc player with BonusView / Profile 1.1 support) and the BDP-51FD (Blu-ray disc player with BonusView / Profile 1.1 support).

The BDP-LX71 will be available in September. The BDP-51FD and the BDP-LX08 will arrive in October and the BDP-LX91 later on in winter. Price for each model remains a mystery.

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Panasonic SC-BT100 Blue-ray Home Theater System

Panasonic SC-BT100 Blue-ray Home Theater System

As it often happens, one starts with a simple question: "Does this sort of thing actually exist?"
In this case, the likelihood that someone already started making Blue-ray home theaters at an affordable price was fairly high. Indeed, here it is:







The price tag of this SC-BT100 is going to be just under $1000:

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9906766-7.html

It's certainly no the best that is out there, but it will do for some folks. I am still looking for a manual.

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What is Blue-Ray Disc Matching? Sony HT-SS2000.

I you happen to leisurely search the web for an inexpensive Blue-ray disc player chances are you will come across an attractively priced ($400) unit called Sony HT-SS2000 - Blu-ray Disc Matching Component Home Theater System. Unless you do your homework you may end up with a decent home theater system, but without a Blue-ray player. How is that possible you may ask? Well, quite simply, just because this unit has the words Blue-ray Disc in its name does not make it a Blue-ray player. It is primarily an audio system, but because it is capable of processing high-resolution audio signal outputted by true Blue-ray players. In essence, that's all, folks. To make things even more confusing, Sony uses the same bluish color scheme for this unit as Sony's true Blue-ray Disc systems

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Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-Ray Player

The future of Blu-ray technology is here with the BDP-S550 and BD-Live. The BDP-S550 comes equipped with a built in Ethernet port and 1GB of memory on board (There is a USB port for additional Memory if needed as well) to allow you to access specially created content on your BD-Live enabled Blu-ray Disc Movie from the comfort of your Home Theater. Whether you are viewing upcoming trailers, playing a game with your friends, or just downloading a new ring-tone to your phone, BD-Live takes the movie experience to a whole new level. You still get the amazing picture performance of Full 1080/24p output and incredible upscaling up to 1080p for your DVD collection via the HDMI connection. Plus, to add to the great Home Theater experience, you get full bitstream output or, if you choose, internal decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution). To further the connectivity to your existing system, the BDP-S550 has a full 7.1 analog output for older receivers. Making all these wonderful features easy to access is the new Xross Media Bar¿ menu system, which is an icon based menu system for simple navigation. BRAVIA sync is also included which allows for easy one-button operation when connected via HDMI to other compatible Sony TV and Audio products. The BDP-S550 brings the world of BD-Live and Blu-ray to life!

Product Dimensions: 17 x 8.8 x 2.4 inches ; 6.4 pounds

Shipping Weight: 10 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.

Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.

ASIN: B001FN3ZRQ

Item model number: BDPS550

Average Customer Review:

 

9 Reviews 5 star:  (6) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all 9 customer reviews...

  (9 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

#3 in	Electronics > DVD Players & Recorders > DVD Players
#3 in	Electronics > DVD Players & Recorders > Blu-ray Disc Players

Date first available at Amazon.com: September 11, 2008

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Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

Revel in astounding HD clarity with the BDP-S350 Blu-ray Disc player. The most noticeable additions to this year's model are the Ethernet port that lets you download firmware updates directly to the player, and -- with one of those firmware updates -- access web contetent encoded to Blu-ray discs via BD-Live, compatibility with the Bonus View feature of select Blu-ray movies, and a USB port that allows you to add more storage to access the growing number of special features that will be available given the immense storage capacity of Blu-ray discs themeselves. This player also outputs a Full 1080/24p True Cinema picture, and upscales your existing DVD collection to 1080p when using an HDMI connection. Dolby TrueHD capability delivers lossless sound that is true to the original studio master. Bringing it all together is the new icon based Xcross Media Bar, which provides simple navigation of the player's menu system.

Key Features

• True 1080p Output (Learn more)
• Dolby TrueHD compatible (Learn more)
• Ethernet connection for BD-Live Compatibility and firmware updates (Learn more)
• USB Port Allows More Storage for Access to More Special Features, Like Bonus View (Learn More)
  
• Higher Bit Rates mean less video compression (Learn more)
• Emmy-Award Winning Xross Media Bar Interface (Learn More)
• Bravia Sync for Easy Connectivity (Learn More)
  

Learn More

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More Picture

See Everything Your HDTV Can Show You with Full HD. 6 Times the Picture Data on DVDs See everything your HDTV can show you. Blu-ray Disc's Full HD 1080p resolution produces over 2 million pixels per frame to produce a razor-sharp picture with unmatched depth and clarity that takes full advantage of the capabilities of today's 1080p HDTVs. That's six times the picture data contained on DVDs, which are encoded at only 480p. 24p True Cinema Video Output Most of all Hollywood movies are shot at 24 frames per second, and Blu-ray Disc movies are mastered at 24 frame per second, so it is only fitting that the Sony Blu-ray Disc Players can output your films at 1080/24p for a true film-like experience at home. Of course, Sony Blu-ray Disc Players can also output at 1080/60p for more traditional HDTV sets on the market. Either way Sony has you covered for the best picture possible in Full 1080p. Backwards compatible and Upscaling All existing Blu-ray Disc players will play your standard DVD collection without a problem. And with built-in 1080p video upscaling, they'll look even better.

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More Bits

In the digital world, picture quality is not just about resolution, but also about bit rates. The higher the bit rate, the more data that is processed, typically resulting in higher video quality. DVDs have a maximum video bit rate of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps). In comparison, Blu-ray Disc is capable of video bitrates up to an incredible 40 Mbps. The bottom line, higher bit rates allow for the least amount of data compression for HD video that looks closest to the original video source.

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More Sound

The BDP-S350 is compatible with Dolby TrueHD, Dolby’s next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media. Dolby TrueHD delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, unlocking the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs. When coupled with high-definition video, Dolby TrueHD offers an unprecedented home theater experience that lets you enjoy sound as stunning as the high-definition picture.

• Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs.
• Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound.
• Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow.
• Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming.
• Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others.

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Xross Media Bar

Xross (pronounced Cross) is Sony's Technical-Emmy award-winning graphic user interface for Sony WEGA and BRAVIA televisions and PS3 and PSX game systems. The interface features category icons spread horizontally across the screen that organize the viewing options (TV, Music, Internet, Tools, etc...). When a category icon is selected on the horizontal bar, a vertical bar appears showing the viewing options within that category. Using the directional pad on your remote, you can easily maneuver horizontally from category to category, then scroll vertically through individual viewing options to easily navigate through the wide range of programming available on today's televisions.

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BD-Live

BD-Live is a Blu-ray feature that enables you to access  special content via an internet-connected Blu-ray player. Because it's not coded into the disc, BD-Live content is always updated, always fresh. With BD-Live, your Blu-ray disc is different every time you view it. Check out the latest previews,  download special scenes, exclusive features and ringtones, and participate in online communities or games. As BD-Live continues to grow and expand, even more features will become available, customizing features and content to your location or preferences. Now, your disc k

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More Space

Blu-ray Disc has 5x more storage capacity than DVD, which allows more content to fit on the disc. The extra storage capacity also means more room for special features like inline navigation, Bonus View, interactive games, deleted scenes, director commentary and more
Navigate to special features, other scenes, or settings without leaving the content you are watching.	Bonus View lets you watch special features and commentary inline without leaving the movie.

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x.v Color

RGB Color Range

xvYCC Color Range

Thanks to the adoption of a newly approved international color standard called xvYCC (an option in the HDMI v1.3 spec and which Sony participated in creating), the color space has been greatly expanded. All Sony XBR HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

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Deep Color

So, where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color. Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors Enables increased contrast ratio Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white

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Connectivity

As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA Sync to gobeyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA televisions and other Sony audio and video products, in addition to audio and video transmission, control functions will betransmitted via the HDMI cable. With "One Touch Play," operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on then the BRAVIA television turn on and switch to the correct video input–Simple–Easy–BRAVIA Sync. Inputs and Outputs Analog Audio Output(s) : 2 Channel: 1 (Rear) Coaxial Audio Digital Output(s) : 1 (Rear) Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Output(s) : (Y/Pb/Pr) OUtput(s): 1 (Rear) Composite Video Output(s) : 1 (Rear) Optical Audio Output(s) : 1 (Rear) S-Video Output(s) : 1 (Rear) Ether port for firmware updates USB port for BD-Live External Memory

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Specifications

Audio Features

• Dolby : Dolby Digital (Decoding): Yes (HDMI bitstream out)
• Dolby Digital plus Decoding : Yes
• Dolby TrueHD Decoding : Yes (HDMI™ bitstream out)
• LPCM : Yes (multi-channel decoding): Yes (HDMI™ bitstream out)
• MP3 Playback : No
• dts Decoding : Yes (HDMI™ bitstream out)
• dts Output : No

Video Features

• BD-R/RE Read Compatibility : Yes (BDMV and BAAB format)
• DVD+R Read Compatibility : Yes
• DVD+RW Read Compatibility : Yes
• DVD-R Read Compatibility : Yes (Video Mode AVR Mode
• DVD-RW Read Compatibility : Yes (Video Mode AVR Mode
• JPEG Playback : Yes

Service and Warranty Information

• Limited Warranty : 1 years parts/1 years labor

Product Description
The BDP-S350 models support BonusView (picture-in-picture) featured on some of the Blu-ray Disc theatrical releases. The BDP-S350 models are BD-Live ready featuring an Ethernet port for an easy firmware update and access to Internet-based interactive content features. They also feature an external port for local storage, so users can add optional flash-based memory. The players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. They are compatible with most standard DVDs and feature 1080p upscaling through an HDMI connection to capable HDTV sets, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.The BDP-S350 models offer 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD and Dolby digital plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts-HD high resolution audio and master audio bit-stream output. The players support AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color (xvYCC) technology, an international standard for wide color space reproduction. The standard expands the current data range of video by about 1.8 times, allowing the players to output more natural and vivid colors similar to what the human eye can actually see. The players also feature compatibility with an array of video formats, including BD-R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW (video mode), CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD/CD recordable media.

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