Engadget HD Podcast 084 - 05.07.2008
Oh, does are favorite topic really get going again this week, as there's enough Blu-ray news to fill up half the show. Seriously, how could we resist talking about all the new Blu-ray players from Pioneer and Panasonic? Then there was the whole Blu-ray sales are bad, news that really wasn't news. And finally, the 8th reincarnation of the Xbox 360 Blu-ray rumor. But that's not all we talked up, as iTunes goes day-and-date with DVD and Sezmi looks for a market, then finally we were impressed at the lengths some local news channels will go, to do its part in spreading awareness about the digital transition.Get the podcast
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim
Producer: Trent Wolbe
00:57 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 083 - 04.30.2008
12:03 - Panasonic's DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player gets US release
24:59 - Philips Profile 1.1-compliant BDP7200 Blu-ray player reviewed
25:40 - Study finds high prices, hamstrung players limiting Blu-ray's dominance
28:04 - Who in their right mind would buy a Blu-ray player right now?
29:53 - Poll: Have you purchased a Blu-ray player post-fallout?
31:54 - Xbox 360 Blu-ray console shipping by September?
33:21 - Microsoft denies Xbox 360 Blu-ray reports yet again
34:25 - Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending April 27th, 2008
39:55 - Paramount officially rejoins the Blu-ray camp on May 20th
42:31 - Paramount payoff confirmed by Viacom earnings report
46:11 - Ask Engadget HD: Is switching from cable to satellite worth it?
48:19 - DirecTV AM21 finally available
49:56 - Apple iTunes to compete "day-and-date" with DVD releases -- Wal-Mart weeps (now official)
53:20 - Apple quietly enables movie purchases from Apple TV
56:25 - Sezmi looks to provide alternative for cable / satellite, confuse everyone
58:38 - Las Vegas station performs analog shutoff drill, sky does not fall
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Grubert @ May 7th 2008 5:26PM
- The Orphanage is a SPANISH movie, not Italian.
- Paramount has announced it is going to re-issue its entire back catalog:
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Paramount/Disc_Announcements/Paramount_to_Re-Issue_Entire_Blu-ray_Back_Catalog/1715
rossi27530 @ May 8th 2008 2:37PM
So, concerning the Pioneer Blu-Ray players...
Pioneer says they are gearing the players Elite customers that prefer to have better sound quality and picture quality over web content, but they have made it so that if you want DTS HD you need to get a firmware update?
But then, they don't include an Ethernet port on there, so you need flash from a disc to get that support. I don't understand not just including an Ethernet port. Even the Toshiba A2's and A3's that were selling for $100 back before Christmas and Black Friday included Ethernet ports.
I don't see the majority of consumers getting confused over a Blu-Ray player having an Ethernet port, because it's not like they have the Profile 2.0 specs memorized. Most consumers look for numbers that they can quickly compare so they can cut their options down to make a choice.
And then a lot of times, you might not know what ports something even has until you get it out of the box, unless the box has a diagram. So, even less of a chance a consumer will get "confused."
severian00 @ May 9th 2008 1:11AM
Yeah the Orphanage is produced by Guillermo Del Toro of Hellboy and Pan's Labrynth fame, that's why it was such a big hit on Blu-ray.
As for my Netflix queue, if I don't get lucky and get a title on it's release day I have to wait weeks to get it on Blu. Right now Juno, The Orphanage, the Untouchables, and PS I love you (for my wife, really) all show long wait or very long wait. All the other titles that have been out longer than a month or so are short wait or currently available.
Julio @ May 9th 2008 6:12PM
Good luck on your trip, Ben. I hope they don't hold you up 'cause your Macbook Air confuses them.
A$ @ May 11th 2008 7:45PM
Ben,
In your podcast you ranted against 120Hz sets and argued that they should be 72Hz instead. While 72Hz would be great for 24fps film based material using a 3:3 pulldown, it wouldn't work so well with the huge amount of TV and video content out there that's at 30fps or 60fps. They would have to do an uneven pulldown (similar to 3:2 but a different rate, you do the math) in order to display this content. With 120Hz, you can display 24fps with a 5:5 pulldown, 30fps with a 4:4 pulldown, and 60fps with a 2:2 pulldown. This eliminates the judder seen in non-equal pulldowns for the three most common frame rates we use in the U.S.
Unfortunately many TV makers don't have a 5:5 pulldown setting in their 120Hz sets and instead interpolate frames which gives 24fps content this weird unnatural video look. However, if you can find a 120Hz set that will do a 5:5 pulldown you'll have the option to watch 24fps content at its native frame rate and judder free.