Engadget HD Podcast 082 - 04.23.2008
It's like old times this week with all the HD media news as Managed Copy appears to have been ripped out from under us. The other rant we get on this week is the fact that Universal isn't releasing any Blu-ray titles until July! Ben talks up a little more Vista Media Center and can't stop complaining out his CableCARD troubles. Finally, we discuss FiOS' bandwidth limitations as well as the fate of many well known brands since D&M Holdings is up for sale.Get the podcast
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim
Producer: Trent Wolbe
00:30 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 081 - 04.17.2008
05:31 - Managed Copy to be sorely absent from finalized AACS specifications?
08:38 - Universal details international, new release Blu-ray plans
11:11 - LG's latest BH200 firmware update expands HD audio support
12:50 - Netflix has "three additional partners" launching hardware this year
16:10 - Netflix to charge "premium" for renting Blu-ray Discs
19:40 - Vista Media Center update for HP's MediaSmart HDTVs now available
30:30 - DISH Network launches SCI FI HD and USA HD!
31:47 - DISH Network says some models of DVR can no longer be sold
33:27 - How to upgrade your TiVo HD with WinMFS
35:31 - Motorola's MTR700 tuning resolver edges closer to release
37:08 - tru2way demonstrations to dominate The Cable Show
38:46 - The real reason why FiOS channels are compressed less
43:52 - Panasonic's 46-inch TH-46PZ85U VIERA plasma gets reviewed
48:06 - D&M Holdings up for sale
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
micknkeef @ Apr 24th 2008 1:55AM
ben needs night mode. doods, we gotta get some compression going on this podcast. everytime ben gets excited, my ears get blasted on my drive home. steve, stop caving in and agreeing w/ everything ben says. it's so obvious that you don't.
just squash the dynamic range w/ sound forge or something like that and then adjust the level to compensate. i'll do it for you if you let me.
love you guys.
jpschneid @ Apr 24th 2008 9:01AM
I didn't realize you guys were such Netflix fanboys. I guess I was too until "Cinderella Man" sat at number 1 in my Netflix queue for 4 weeks when it was released back in 2005/2006. I applaud your loyalty (considering Netflix came up with the concept), but I have never regretted the switch to Blockbuster. In-store Blu-ray exchanges, no HD premiums, HD-DVD rentals, quicker turn around, consistent new release shipments (the day before you can pickup in the store) make Blockbuster better in my opinion. The Netflix streaming is the only advantage I see (if you value SD content). If Netflix offers free HD downloads to the Xbox360, I might consider switching back. If you have a Blockbuster store close to home, but it's hard to argue Blockbuster takes a great service and makes it better.
Larry @ Apr 24th 2008 11:36AM
While Insight may not be huge you guy have done at least three stories in little over a month that involved the company. I mean I wouldn't expect you to know everything, but it is on your site.
I think the Blu-Ray broken promise train has just taken off with lots of stops coming over the years to come.
Spiza @ Apr 27th 2008 7:18PM
That list was also wrong. Insight just added a ton of HD channels and are now up to 24. I know this because I just had to switch to comcast (ugh), and we weren't getting insight's updated HD channel line up.
Matt @ Apr 24th 2008 12:48PM
It love that as you listed all the cable companies that have fewer HD offerings than Verizon and asked if he had ever heard of them, for each one I said "Yes" then he said "No." These are mainly midwest providers and, in my area, the ONLY cable providers. I'd KILL for FIOS. KILL I tell you! KILL!
All joking aside, a lot of America doesn't have the options that the coasts have.
PaulF @ Apr 24th 2008 2:59PM
Ben, I just had to...
How's that "just plug it in and have it work" Media Center trating you?
You'll have CableCard up and running about the same time as the Hauppauge HD-PVR comes out ;) I Enjoy the blog btw.
PF
Julio @ Apr 24th 2008 9:22PM
Finally got an HDTV (hand me down though) and that overscan sucks.I'm assuming there's no way to change it if it's not in the settings...
Though I guess it's not that big of a deal...but still...*sigh*
Zingerhill @ Apr 25th 2008 10:16AM
Ben,
What do you think of that Samsung LCD? I was at the Circuit City in Midtown Manhattan yesterday and they were showing Transformers on HD DVD on a 50" (I think it was 50") Samsung 6 Series LCD. There was a large crowd just staring at the screen-- it looked amazing.
I asked if it was plasma and the salesperson said it was the new 6 Series and it was 120HZ, which is why it looked like plasma. Is this 120Hz BS or is it for real? I thought it might be their set up. They had Spider Man on BR playing as well and it wasn't nearly as impressive.
-DT
ScottM @ Apr 25th 2008 1:41PM
RE: Netflix partners
If Tivo isn't one of the partners with Netflix, they really should be. I know they do the Amazon thing, but it's not the same. If Tivo Series 4 had Tru2Way, Netflix watch now and a built-in blu-ray player, I'd only have one box under my tv.
If they changed the form factor so it stood vertical and mounted to the back of the tv, then I wouldn't have any boxes under it at all.
rossi27530 @ Apr 27th 2008 1:00AM
Ben and Steve:
Concerning the the comment about the cable companies that you hadn't heard of from the chart that Eric posted, it seems whoever made the chart just went and used the top 10 cable companies in the US based on subscribers.
http://www.ncta.com/Statistic/Statistic/Top25MSOs.aspx
Their subscriber totals for up to Sept. 07 is 57,722,100
NCTA says there's about 65,100,000 (http://www.ncta.com/Statistic/Statistic/IndustryStatistics.aspx) coming out to about 88.7% of all US cable subscribers.
Spiza @ Apr 27th 2008 7:20PM
I don't know how much you guys have heard about rural companies doing FTTH, but I know of 2 doing this in Indiana: Smithville and Hancock Telecom. Both of these plan on doing the triple package of IPTV, phone, and internet at some point. Is there someway these little guys are going to be able to compete with IPTV? Is there some convergence with these little guys?