Engadget HD Podcast 100 - 09.3.2008
by Trent Wolbe 
posted Sep 3rd 2008 at 11:55PM
This has been a long time coming, but after false starts, a long hiatus, and who knows how many hosts, here we are at the Engadget HD Podcast episode 100. We start the show way back in 2005 by talking about what ended up being the warm up to the first podcast, as Ben and Warren talk up the origins and motivations. Then, in early 2006 Ben joined the HD Beat team and with Kevin Tofel, they knocked out the very first weekly HD Beat podcasts. But only after ten episodes, Kevin moved on and Matt moved in as the co-host for the next 34 episodes before the long hiatus. Finally, after about a six month break, Steve step in and helped step up the podcast's game, as we cranked out more consecutive shows than ever before, ultimately bringing us here to episode 100. But during this walk down memory we lane we make a couple stops as Warren reminds Ben that HD.net didn't end up being the HD powerhouse he predicted, Kevin tells how he moved on from HD DVD to digital downloads, and finally Ben reminds Matt while he was right about the price of the HD DVD add-on drive for the 360, he was wrong about his prediction of the outcome of the format war. So while this show doesn't include the usual HD news you've come to expect, it does have four times the witty banter -- especially if you like to hear it when Ben is given a hard time -- and a historical perspective on the show.Get the podcast
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[MP3] Download the show (MP3).
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim
Producer: Trent Wolbe
00:29 - Warren Wiltshire
18:51 - Kevin Tofel
42:06 - Matt Burns
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
IseWise @ Sep 4th 2008 3:27AM
I cant remember where you said it in the podcast Ben, you said something about streaming Hulu and there is an option.
http://www.themediamall.com/
I haven't tested it. Might make for a good feature.
Dana @ Sep 5th 2008 9:42AM
Congratulations! I just found you about 10-15 episodes ago and can honestly say this is the only podcast that makes me laugh out loud at times. Thanks!
dj496 @ Sep 4th 2008 9:19AM
Woohoo! historic day for Eng HD. Cant' wait to listen to #100! Congrats guys...
dj496 @ Sep 4th 2008 10:52AM
A brilliant and highly enjoyable podcast. I really enjoyed the dialogue between Kevin the red and the two blue guys - healthy, stimulating and very interesting. + many laugh-out-loud moments.
Cheers for another 100 great shows.
S4Rs @ Sep 4th 2008 11:07AM
In commenting on BD player prices.
Why cant I buy a profile 2.0 player, that just outputs bitstream (no audio decoding), and DVD's at 480i, and only have a single HDMI out cable on it.
Getting rid of the DVD up-conversion, the Audio decoding, and the 7.1 analog audio, 2 digital audios, composite, S, and Component videos (thats 15 wires) and letting my expensive AV receiver do what I bought it to do should bring the cost of the device below 300 bucks.
Just look at Pioneer Elite. if you have an Elite TV, AVR, and BD player, you are throwing your money away because they all can decode Audio, make SD look nicer, Home Media Gallery support, etc... There should be a way to buy all Elite Products without overlaping the features. But that is common with most BD players when you already have a nice AVR or TV.
Ben @ Sep 4th 2008 11:10AM
The Insignia player is pretty close at $249.
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/08/19/insignia-ns-brdvd-blu-ray-deck-gets-reviewed-its-no-ps3/
Mitchell @ Sep 4th 2008 11:23AM
About the having to use the PC to manage your media...I totally agree with Ben. I use MythTV as my DVR and out of the three years I have had it I MAYBE have used the TV to schedule recordings 3 times. The web interface is SO much better/faster.
Ben, You were saying thats a problem with Vista MC connected to your TV. Does VistaMC not have a web interface?
Mitchell
Ben @ Sep 4th 2008 11:26AM
Media Center has a third party app, but it kept causing me grief so I didn't use it, and it doesn't even work with the TV pack.
Larry @ Sep 4th 2008 1:46PM
I did enjoy the discussion on Mark Cuban. I still enjoy HDNet, and I find myself watching more than I used to. As a MMA fan HDNet is the place to go for news and fights. This was a great show and it was nice to see behind the scenes of the podcast.
Larry @ Sep 4th 2008 1:50PM
Oh and Steve needs to put up more of fight :>
burndive @ Sep 4th 2008 4:26PM
This podcast was lame. I didn't even finish it. I don't care about people and their lives. No more guests unless they're actually experts who have something to add to the discussion.
Kevin C. Tofel @ Sep 4th 2008 5:47PM
Ben and Steve: thanks for having me on the show. It was a pleasure to catch up and see how much eHD has grown since the humble beginnings.
Oh and burndive: without the "people and their lives" from behind the scenes there would be no eHD, no podcast and no discussion for you participate in. Surely you can humor 1% of the total podcasts dedicated that no? Just a thought dude. Peace.
Darkstone @ Sep 5th 2008 12:12AM
Great show guys.
Was definitely interesting to hear Kevin join in since I've seen a few of his "Geek Sessions" and whatnot.
You guys are quickly becoming my favorite bloggers/podcasters on the net; I'm just getting started in home theater and I could pick either of your brains for hours.
Good work!
-Matt
Matt G @ Sep 5th 2008 12:27AM
Well, looks like my previous post was lost...
Anyhow, the show was great, I loved it!
Was cool to have Kevin on the show, I watch the "Geek Sessions" when a hot new gadget comes out. (Brush those haters off)
I always find the podcasts to be informative and hilarious. Keep it up!
I'm just getting started in HomeTheater and could pick either of the host's brains for hours, given the opportunity!
Cheers!
-Matt
Matt G @ Sep 5th 2008 12:28AM
OMFG and NOW the first post appears...
this comment system needs work. lol..
Garrett @ Sep 5th 2008 2:40PM
We lost 6 months of great podcasts and a great host because of a f-bomb. Are you kidding me? You shouldnt have told us that because that sucks.
Julio @ Sep 5th 2008 5:55PM
Congrats guys! and great show, all the guests were great.
Lets hope Steve doesn't burst one day and completely cuss out Ben so the show wont go on hiatus again... but... it would be funny...
cckrobinson @ Sep 5th 2008 10:19PM
Great show. I've been listening since the early days with with Ben and Warren.
I have to agree with Matt about Ben's posts. I find my self scanning the titles in my RSS readers and 95% of the time I can tell that Ben wrote the post. That's not a bad thing because I'm interested in most of the topics. If it title includes Tivo, Pioneer, tru2way or hell freezing over then I know Ben wrote it :)