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Inspiretech launches inexpensive HDMI cables and adapters

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 5:50PM


After one of our most recent Ask Engadget HD questions aired, we quickly found that you folks heavily preferred the cost and quality of cables at Monoprice. We can't say that those set in their ways are apt to switch over anytime soon, but Inspiretech is clearly aiming at the same crowd with its sleek, inexpensive new HDMI cables. The company has launched a number of HDMI 1.3 interconnects including a 3-footer for $3.99, a 6-footer for $5.99 and a 6.5-foot HDMI-to-Mini HDMI cable for $12.99. Sure beats some of those other companies quite handily.

iNDEMAND confirms MOJO HD cancellation

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 4:54PM Breaking News


The writing was all over the wall, but now it's in stone. Parent company iNDEMAND has confirmed in a statement that MOJO HD is fixing to cease as we know it. More specifically, it states that MOJO HD was "originally conceived as a way to satisfy consumers' thirst for pure true high-definition programming," and while the channel "accomplished this goal, there is a wealth of HD programming now available and thus we have chosen to discontinue the service." To be frank, we're not exactly sure what to make of this comment. Is it saying it'd rather bow out than engineer new, unique programming to boost ratings now that HD content is more accessible? Or is this just some canned response used to appease the masses? Whatever the case, we'll miss you MOJO, and here's hoping Zane Lamprey and Three Sheets finds another television home (and fast).

Sacramento's KOVR broadcasts local news in HD

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 3:59PM

Ready to see (local) talking heads in high-def, Sacramento? You're in luck, because CBS affiliate KOVR is finally broadcasting its local newscasts in HD. As of October 1st, locals were able to tune in and hear all sorts of fantastically hopeful news in a higher resolution than ever before, though the switch won't make the weather and / or stock market any easier to predict. Bugger.

[Thanks, Eric]

Samsung BD-P1500 update finally enables BD Live

by Ben Drawbaugh, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 2:53PM

Samsung BD-P1500
Love it or not, BD Live is the latest must have feature for Blu-ray players. Samsung is finally delivering on its promise today by making a firmware update available for download that turns on the internet magic of your Blu-ray Discs when you load them in a BD-P1500. Of course you'll need internet access behind your TV for any of this to work, but if you prefer, you can still download an image of the update disc if you don't want to use the player's auto-update feature. Now that the BD-P1500 and Sony BDP-S350 do BD Live, can both be had for less than $300, and offer just about every feature you'd want, it combined with Hollywood's impressive slate of titles released on Blu for this season, we can't think of any other excuses that an HD lover could have to not jump on the Blu-bandwagon.

DISH appeal denied by Supreme Court, TiVo to receive $104 million payout

by Steven Kim, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 1:43PM

DISH fights TiVo
Bust out the forks, because it looks like the long-running dispute between DISH and TiVo is coming to an end (yes, again). The Supreme Court denied DISH's appeal in the DVR "time-warp" patent infringement case and in the next few day DISH will release $104 million ($94 million plus interest) from an escrow account to TiVo to cover damages stretching back to September 8, 2006. The dust isn't all settled, though, as there's more litigation in the pipeline regarding DISH's supposed workaround software currently deployed to its DVRs. Certainly, this is good news for TiVo's finances, but we'd really like to see some improvements with TiVo itself -- LiquidTV / TiVo PC is a small step in the right direction, but more advanced concepts are what we're calling for, here.

Panasonic's 58-inch VIERA TH-58PZ800U gets reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 11:52AM


Panasonic's 58-inch TH-58PZ800U probably isn't the first bigger-than-big plasma that comes to mind when shopping for the best, and even though Pioneer's KURO line is currently basking in the limelight, this bugger is still probably worth a look. The PDP was recently reviewed over at CNET, and somewhat surprisingly, the set was found to be a solid performer -- if not an outright star. Critics found that it reproduced deep black levels / highly accurate colors, had excellent uniformity compared with RPTVs and featured a very satisfactory assortment of ports. The only rubs were the lofty price tag and somewhat lackluster picture controls, but we're just thrilled to see some real competition in this space.

Reggie Fils-Aime denies Wii HD rumor

by Nilay Patel, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 11:07AM

Reggie Fils-AimeNintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime sat down with VentureBeat on the heels of last week's DSi announcement, and while he didn't drop any major bombshells, he did put the kibosh on those Wii HD rumors, saying that they were "pure rumor and speculation" and that Nintendo wouldn't show off upcoming models to devs as the rumors claimed. Reggie also downplayed the talk that Nintendo is going head to head against Apple, saying that Ninty's always "viewed ourselves as competing in a larger entertainment space." That's the end of that for now, we suppose -- but Reggie didn't close the door on either rumor entirely, and his closing comment that Nintendo's good fortunes "makes us the most paranoid people in the world"certainly keeps possibilities open. Hit the read link for the full interview.

Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD now shipping to Canada

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 10:29AM

Sling Media told us that its minty fresh Slingbox PRO-HD would be shipping to the Great North soon, and lo and behold, the promise has been kept. Effective immediately, interested Canadians can snatch one of these high-def slingers for $329.99 at Future Shop, Canada Computers and London Drugs (just to name a few). Wondering how this thing looks / works? Check out our hands-on!

TWC beefs up HD lineups in Brooklyn, Queens and Mount Vernon

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 9:00AM

Time Warner Cable is stirring the HD pot in the Empire State once more, this time bringing the lineups in Brooklyn, Queens and Mount Vernon up to par with those already stocked (Staten Island, we're looking at you). In a new programming announcement on the provider's website, we're told that the "previously announced drop of MOJO (796) on October 1st has been postponed," presumably until sometime in December. Additionally, Brooklyn / Queens will be seeing HBO HD (651), Cinemax HD (658), Showtime HD (666), TMC HD (674), Starz HD (676), Cartoon Network HD (722), FX HD (737) and Speed HD (774) on October 22nd. Including Mount Vernon, all three locales will get Big Ten Network HD (472), CBS College Sports HD (467), ESPNU HD (793) and Tennis Channel HD (465). Stellar news, right? Full shot of the announcement is after the break. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, Jason and Eric]

Continue reading TWC beefs up HD lineups in Brooklyn, Queens and Mount Vernon

Hitachi shows off custom HDTV frames at CEATEC

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 8:38AM


Hitachi sure was busting out the prototypes at CEATEC: a 15mm 37-inch LCD TV, wireless HD camcorder and a slew of custom framing options for its Wooo HDTVs. This isn't the first (far from it, actually) attempt we've seen at covering those traditional black / silver bezels with something a bit more flashy, but it's not often that a TV manufacturer gets involved. Unfortunately, there's still a good chance the pre-production frames will be held as Japan-only accessories depending on US demand, but we hear planes fly to Tokyo everyday if you're dead-set on eventually acquiring one.

HDTV brushes economic woes off its shoulder in latest survey

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 8:01AM

Some things in life may be substitutable -- fine dinners can be sufficiently replaced with Top Ramen, high-end kicks can be swapped out for homegrown sandals, and that luxury whip can be exchanged for a jalopy. Apparently, one thing that simply can't be done without even in "tough economic times" is HDTV. Based on a recent survey from PriceGrabber (which, admittedly, shouldn't be taken very seriously), 73% of non-HDTV owners that responded said that they were forging ahead with plans to snag an HDTV within the next 12 months. Granted, such a figure really isn't all that shocking -- after all, the looming digital transition is the perfect excuse to splurge, and prices are apt to be at an all time low this Black Friday. Trust us folks, 720p+ is worth the sacrifice.

[Image courtesy of StarTribune]

Oregon Comcast users to lose MOJO, gain a few others in December

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 7:29AM


It looks as if the last sliver of hope for MOJO HD has vanished, as we're now facing yet another report pounded out in the all-telling black and white that spells out MOJO's demise. A recent bill sent to an Oregon Comcast subscriber explained that MOJO HD would be falling off of the EPG "on or after December 1st," although SPEED HD (723), Versus HD (732), Golf HD (733), FOX News HD (748) and FX HD (753) would be added. Interestingly, this also points out the separation of Versus / Golf HD as a single station, though we're unsure if this will end up being a sweeping change or simply a localized one.

[Thanks, Brad]

Jamo intros IW 827 in-wall speaker to the world, DMR 70 DVD receiver to US

by Steven Kim, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 6:41AM

Jamo IW 827 LCR in-wall speakers and DMR 70 DVD receiver
Jamo is embracing streamlined AV gear with its latest two product introductions -- the IW 827 LCR in-wall speaker is totally new, and the DMR 70 DVD receiver is new to US shores. The IW 827 LCR is a 2.5-way speaker with a 1-inch tweeter, 7-inch mid/woofer and a 7-inch woofer that directs sound ever so slightly downwards, so be sure to place them high on the wall. Once you've hidden the speakers, you can grab a DMR 70 DVD receiver to complete the minimalist look. The DMR 70 adds 5x65-Watts of Class D amplification to the 2-inch high upscaling DVD player. With the IW 827s going for $800 each and the DMR 70 coming in at $449, there might not be too much market overlap here, but putting fashion first can make for some unexpected component matches.

Read - IW 827 LCR in-wall speakers
Read - DMR 70 DVD receiver

Pioneer KURO LCD pics from CEATEC emerge

by Steven Kim, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 2:42AM

KURO LCDs at CEATEC
In case CNET's pics of the upcoming Pioneer KURO LCDs weren't enough to get your wild speculation going, and you can't get over to Germany to pick one up for yourself, some more photos of the KRL-32V, 37V and 46V sets have emerged from the CEATEC show. Getting good photos from the tradeshow floor is tough, but these pics (especially the ones against a black backdrop) look promising in terms of black level, at least. The linked post hints that the LCDs may not have quite measured up to the namesake plasmas, so remember what we said about show floor pics. Still, even if Pioneer is sourcing the panels from Sharp, we're encourged by the focus on image quality over slim profiles. Hit the link for more eye-candy and let us know what you think.

SlingCatcher gets unboxed, our hearts beat ever faster

by Nilay Patel, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 12:51AM


After seemingly endless delays, it looks like the SlingCatcher is finally making its way into the world, as evidenced by this grainy unboxing at the SlingCommunity forums. Sure, it looks exactly the same as the prepro boxes we've toyed with, but we won't lie -- we've been waiting for this box with breathless anticipation ever since it was announced at CES 2007, and combined with the recent launch of the Sling 2.0 software, the Slingbox PRO-HD, and the seemingly-imminent launch of the the Sling.com video portal, Sling's ending the year strong. Click on for a few more pics, and don't worry -- we'll be blowing this thing out as soon as we get our hands on one.

[Thanks, Christopher]
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