Skip to Content

Massively looks at the best free to play games
AOL Tech

HDTV Listings for November 13, 2009

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 13th 2009 at 6:16PM

What we're watching tonight:
  • USA (1080i) has Monk at 9 p.m. and White Collar at 10 p.m.
  • ABC (720p) has Ugly Betty at 9 p.m.
  • CW (1080i) has Smallville at 8 p.m.
  • CBS (1080i) brings Ghost Whisperer at 8 p.m., Medium at 9 p.m. and Numb3rs at 10 p.m.
  • NBC (1080i) has Law & Order at 8 p.m.
  • MyNetworkTV (1080i) has WWE: Smackdown at 9 p.m.
  • HBO (1080i) has the season finale of 24/7: Pacquiao/Cotto at 9 p.m.
  • Starz (1080i) brings Crash at 10 p.m.
  • Syfy (1080i) airs Stargate Universe at 9 p.m. and Sanctuary at 10 p.m.
  • Discovery (1080i) has Lobstermen at 9 p.m.
  • TLC (1080i) has Say Yes to the Dress at 9 p.m. and Battle of the Wedding Planners at 10 p.m.
  • ESPN (720p) has an NBA doubleheader with Hawks/Celtics at 8 p.m. and Lakers/Nuggets at 10:30 p.m.
  • ESPN2 (720p) has West Virginia/Cincinnati college football at 8 p.m. and Dynamo/Galaxy MLS action at 11 p.m.

UK Channel 4 set to throw some 3D programming our way

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 13th 2009 at 10:53AM

Sony and Panasonic are both hellbent on convincing us their forthcoming super-duper 3D television sets are the future, but before we all start selling off the children and re-mortgaging our homes, how about a little taster of what it might be like? Channel 4, the British answer to a question nobody ever asked, is about to offer up a selection of 3D programming this month, which it dubs as a return to "good old fashioned fun." The menu includes a documentary about the Queen's coronation (in other words, ancient history), a magic show, and even a couple of goodies like Flesh for Frankenstein and Friday the 13th, Part III. If we find can remember to get down to the local Sainsbury's and grab ourselves a free pair of those rad-looking three-dee glasses, you might even be treated to our eyes-on impressions. Watch this three-dimensional space!

[Thanks, Mitch T]

YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week (update: 1080p video!)

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 13th 2009 at 5:14AM

Ready to have your imperfect complexions scrutinized by every anonymous coward on the Internet? You'd better 'cause YouTube has announced the move from 720p to 1080p video streaming to make use of those cheap, Full HD camcorders flooding the market. Now puff up that keyboard courage -- the ruthless bashing of your peers is set to begin next week.

Update: 1080p sample video posted after the break.

Continue reading YouTube begins streaming 1080p insecurities next week (update: 1080p video!)

Sony's 2010/2011 OLED and flagship XBR series LCD roadmap leaked?

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 13th 2009 at 3:24AM

Ready to dig deep, really deep, for a tiny but magnificent OLED television? You'd better be 'cause some purportedly leaked Sony documents are showing a new "KDL-ZX Series OLED" on the 2010 / 2011 roadmap. All the sets are listed as prototypes so they may or may not make it to market for retail. But with Sony's two year old, 11-inch XEL-1 OLED TV now dwarfed by LG's new 15-inch OLED TV and a 20-incher promised for 2010, well, we expect Sony will want to regain its leadership in the new year. The docs also show updates to Sony's flagship XBR series with the XBR11 LED W-backlit LCD and XBR12 Advanced LED RGB-backlit LCD sets coming in sizes from 32- to 60-inches featuring 240Hz Motionflow, a new Bravia Engine 3 PRO with HD Video processor, and UV2A panel technology. Unfortunately, some of the XBR information (the most important, presumably) is blacked-out and we're only looking at 2 of what appear to be 24 pages of leaked content. Boy would we love to peak behind that curtain. XBR11 spec sheet on display after the break.

[Via OLED-Display]

Continue reading Sony's 2010/2011 OLED and flagship XBR series LCD roadmap leaked?

YouTube going 1080p, already?

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 12th 2009 at 7:37PM


A year removed from adding 720p streams to its repertoire, YouTube Director of Product Management Hunter Walk hit the stage at NewTeeVee Live and mentioned, among other things, that over the next few days it will be rolling out 1080p video, including going back and re-encoding all previous videos uploaded at that resolution. While other streaming services have offered 1080p for some time now we weren't exactly expecting YouTube to flip the switch just yet. With an eye towards improving quality for its 10-foot experience and moving beyond just the computer screen, clearly an upgrade was necessary, though Blu-ray or even VUDU quality is probably out of the question (though if the company jumps in the online rental biz all bets are off) the commitment is for your uploaded content to "look as good or better than the source quality." Check the video after the break for more tidbits about what's next for the site, including YouTube XL.

Continue reading YouTube going 1080p, already?

HDTV Listings for November 12, 2009

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 12th 2009 at 6:18PM

What we're watching tonight:
  • ABC (720p) has FlashForward at 8 p.m., Grey's Anatomy at 9 p.m. and Private Practice at 10:01 p.m.
  • Fox (720p) has Bones at 8 p.m. and Fringe at 9 p.m.
  • NBC (1080i) has Community at 8 p.m., Parks & Recreation at 8:30 p.m., The Office at 9 p.m. and 30 Rock at 9:30 p.m
  • WGN (1080i) has WWE Superstars at 8 p.m.
  • CBS (1080i) has Survivor at 8 p.m., CSI at 9 p.m. and The Mentalist at 10 p.m.
  • CW (1080i) airs The Vampire Diaries at 8 p.m. and Supernatural at 9 p.m.
  • Spike (1080i) has TNA! Impact at 9 p.m.
  • History (720p) brings Gangland at 9 p.m.
  • FX (720p) has It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia at 10 p.m. and The League at 10:30 p.m.
  • TLC (1080i) has American Chopper at 9 p.m. and Street Customs at 10 p.m.
  • NFL Network (1080i) has Bears/49ers football at 8 p.m.
  • ESPN (720p) has South Florida/Rutgers college football at 7:30 p.m.
  • Versus (1080i) has Florida/New York UFL football at 7 p.m.

Comcast TV Everywhere launch details: December, free for existing subs, really goes anywhere

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 12th 2009 at 4:58PM


Comcast's Amy Banse just hit the stage at NewTeeVee Live and announced key details about the company's new On Demand Online launch. If you can't check out the video (embedded after the break) here's the important stuff: It will be available at no additional cost to existing subscribers and allow the authorization of up to 3 devices per household. Log in once from home to Comcast.net or Fancast.com, download the Move Networks powered player to authorize your PC and proceed to stream from the very healthy library of VOD, whether at home or anywhere else, despite previous rumors to the contrary. The bad news? Yes, this does still count against the 250GB monthly cap if used at home and still no word on HD streaming, but within the concept of making content available to subscribers wherever they want to view it, this seems like a good first step.

[Via Media Experiences 2 Go]

Continue reading Comcast TV Everywhere launch details: December, free for existing subs, really goes anywhere

DirecTV exclusive Sunday Ticket is "in the consumers' best interest"

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 12th 2009 at 3:46PM

You love the NFL's exclusive DirecTV deal for Sunday Ticket right? New York Giants chairman and co-owner Steve Tisch says you do, as it is "really in the consumers' best interest." We're suspecting the bang caused by millions of football lovers who can't / won't switch to the satellite service's heads exploding was muffled by all the cash stuffed in his ears as he continued, praising the "successful model" of the NFL Network channel and its quest for wider distribution. As long as the money keeps flowing and, as he claims, TV ratings are hitting record highs, don't expect anything to change any time soon.

Redbox testing out movie distribution without discs, boxes, red

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 12th 2009 at 1:50PM

Downloads and streaming may not be ready to overtake discs yet, but it's become standard practice for anyone in the business of delivering round platters to peek into online options and Redbox is the latest one. Word from VideoBusiness is the company has a trial program going with everyone's favorite partner CinemaNow where customers prepay for rental packages and get a gift card that can be redeemed for the online movies. At a $1 a day, we don't think Redbox is close to being overtaken by the online space, but obviously it is trying to figure out where to go next with its business, and a hybrid deal for movies we don't have to get off the couch -- or put pants on -- to watch is as good of a plan as any.

Boxee inks deal with first hardware partner: a 'Boxee Box' is coming

by Darren Murph posted Nov 12th 2009 at 11:48AM Breaking News

Color us shocked and elated. Boxee, the white-hot startup that has risen from nothing to everywhere thanks to its internet TV software portal, has just announced that a deal has been inked between it and an undisclosed "hardware partner." If you'll recall, we actually heard that the outfit was mulling the production of its own set-top-box back in January, and now it looks like Roku, Apple TV and a host of other mini PCs will have yet another formidable rival vying for space underneath the tele. The firm isn't spilling any details whatsoever on the so-called "Boxee Box," but we are told that mockups and the like will be presented at the Boxee Beta Unveiling on December 7th. Oh, and as if you aren't excited enough already, chew on this -- the company has informed us that they believe "this will be the first of several living room devices you'll see running Boxee in 2010," so don't be shocked if your favorite game console or Blu-ray player gains an embedded Boxee app in the near future.

Don't miss this video of Martin Scorsese gushing over Blu-ray at Blu-Con

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Nov 11th 2009 at 10:21PM

Blu-Con 2.0
Have you always wanted to go to Blu-con but never made it? Us either, but our friends at HD Nation did and shot some great HD footage which includes some interesting tidbits about transferring movies to Blu-ray. The highlight is listening to Martin Scorsese talk excitedly about transferring classics to Blu-ray, where he discusses things like the factors that influence him to modify audio and video. A great example is where he talks about upgrading the mono audio from Taxi Driver by going back to the original stereo score and mono dialog and remastering for the first time ever. So if you always wondered why some get so excited about seeing classics on Blu-ray, or you just can't get enough Blu-ray, don't hesitate to check it out.

Motorola might be looking to sell set-top business, we've got $5 on it

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 11th 2009 at 7:52PM


We mostly have a tolerate - hate relationship with the Motorola branded boxes (though it's probably the software's fault) delivered to us by various pay-TV providers, but the possibility floated today by the Wall Street Journal that the company could be looking to sell its set-top biz piques our interest. Though real details beyond a potential $4.5 billion price tag are scant, what can't be ignored is the conspicuous timing of this news, immediately after the launch of the latest Call of Duty. While someone at Moto may be trying to avoid another Ryan Block takeover attempt from his new digs at GDGT, we figure if someone can pull him off the Xbox 360 long enough to rattle a saber in the general direction of Schaumburg, Illinois, in 18 months or so there should be a sleek, sexy Android powered DVR croaking out annoying sounds every time we record a new show.

Black Friday ads leaking all over town, we've rounded them up

by Laura June posted Nov 11th 2009 at 6:02PM


The holiday shopping season is really creeping up on us quickly this year... wasn't it just Halloween the other day? Regardless, Black Friday ads revealing the deals to come are leaking all over the internet, so we thought we'd round up a few of the less monotonous-looking bargains. So what's on offer? It looks like Sam's Club has an Acer Aspire One 10.1-inch netbook going for $197, and an HP G71 17-inch laptop with a Blu-ray player for $499, an Olympus FE-4000 12 megapixel digicam for $98, and a few other odds and ends. Meanwhile, over at Staples you can snag a 500GB Western Digital My Passport portable hard drive for $70 and a 23-inch Acer widescreen LCD for $140. If you're still up to it, you can head over to Target and grab a Nikon Coolpix S203 for $88 or a TomTom XL340S for $97. Finally, it looks like Kmart's going to have a 42-inch Panasonic 720p Plasma HDTV for $550 and a 10.1 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot W180 for $99. While you're there, don't forget to pick up a Jaclyn Smith cashmere sweater set for $30, too! Hit the read links for full ads.

Read - Sam's Club Black Friday Ad Leaked
Read - Staples Black Friday Ad
Read - Target Black Friday Ad
Read - Kmart Black Friday Ad

HDTV Listings for November 11, 2009

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 11th 2009 at 4:55PM

What we're watching tonight:
  • CBS (1080i) has The New Adventures of Old Christine at 8 p.m., Gary Unmarried at 8:30 p.m., Criminal Minds at 9 p.m. and CSI: NY at 10 p.m.
  • ABC (720p) has the 2009 Country Music Awards at 8 p.m.
  • NBC (1080i) has Mercy at 8 p.m. and Law & Order SVU at 9 p.m.
  • Fox (720p) has Glee at 9 p.m.
  • Discovery (1080i) has Mythbusters at 9 p.m. and Time Warp at 10 p.m.
  • FX (720p) has Nip/Tuck at 10 p.m.
  • Syfy (1080i) has Ghost Hunters at 9 p.m. and the premiere of Ghost Hunters Academy at 10 p.m.
  • DirecTV (1080i) has Friday Night Lights at 9 p.m.
  • Spike (1080i) has The Ultimate Fighter at 10 p.m.
  • Comedy Central (1080i) brings South Park at 10 p.m.
  • History (720p) has Nostradamus Effect at 9 p.m. and MysteryQuest at 10 p.m.
  • TBS (1080i) has House of Payne at 9 & 9:30 p.m. and Meet the Browns at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
  • ESPN (720p) has an NBA doubleheader with Cavaliers/Magic at 8 p.m. and Hornets/Suns at 10:30 p.m.
  • ESPN2 (720p) has Toledo/Central Michigan college football at 8 p.m.

Ask Engadget HD: How do I get the best audio from my PS3, without HDMI?

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 11th 2009 at 3:34PM


Once you've actually decided what hardware to purchase, avoided the perilous purchasing decisions involved in finding cables, but actually setting it up can trip up the newbies among us. Suck is our friend David's problem, trying to figure out if lossless audio is a possibility for his HDMI-less receiver:

"I read your article and I would like further advice. I have the brand new PS3, which I'm going to use with a 1080p Sony Bravia - the video is fine..HDMI to the tv. The problem is that I have an ONKYO THX 7.1 system (really 5.1), and there is no HDMI, so I plan on using an optical audio cable from the PS3 into the receiver. How do i get the best sound? Will the PS3 decode the trueHD (or whatever it is) and send the full spectrum of sound across the optical to the receiver? Will NOT having the HDMI to the receiver affect my sound, or will the PS3 internal decoding send a perfect lossless sound to my non-HDMI receiver?"

Just in case our HD 101 explanation wasn't enough (First off, S/PDIF transmission -- over either optical TOSLINK or coax -- does not have the bandwidth to carry Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA signals. If you connect your Blu-ray player to your receiver with optical or coax, the audio will "fall back" to Dolby Digital, DTS or two-channel PCM -- lossless, but only two channels,) any tips on how David can get the highest audio quality possible out of the equipment he has? Of course, if you think replacing one of the components is a better choice, that's always an option as well.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.




AOL News

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Joystiq
Download Squad
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
BloggingStocks
Joystiq Xbox
Autoblog
Big Download
Fanhouse NFL Blog