Engadget HD Podcast 103 - 09.24.2008
The BDA says prices won't be falling soon, but thankfully retailers broke ranks this week and Blu-ray players sank below the $200 mark. Player pricing may be falling into line with Joe Six Pack budgets, but who's to say when Apple's OSX will get the memo. Based on our poll, Profile 2.0 support isn't necessary, we're just asking for some basic playback here, Apple. We move on to talk about the dearth of OTA HD DVRs; we think it's got a lot to do with the limited OTA offerings here in the US. Maybe a HTPC would be the way to record your OTA HD, but one thing made loud and clear by our poll is that folks won't be paying $5,000 for that pleasure, even if it comes in the form of a headless Windows Media Center. Speaking of HTPCs, we talk a little about DisplayPort and HDMI and wonder if a divide between CE and PC gear is brewing on that front. An easier way to get your PC content on your TV might be the ZvBox, which we reviewed this week. ATSC 2.0 with H.264 encoding is too far off to even think about, so we take a shorter view and focus on Verizon's HD MLB coverage on TBS and the debut of HD on 60 Minutes this past weekend. Finally, we can't pass up the opportunity to thank iTV for setting the vision that has guided us all to the interactive TV wonder we know as Ben-o-Vision.Get the podcast
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim
Producer: Trent Wolbe
00:33 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 0102 - 09.17.2008
14:19 - BDA sez Blu-ray player prices aren't sinking anytime soon
14:35 - Samsung's BD-P1500 Blu-ray player dips under $200
18:14 - Blu-ray support destined for Mac OS X 10.5.6?
20:03 - Poll: Are you sold on Blu-ray Profile 2.0?
22:43 - Ask Engadget HD: Where are all the standalone OTA HD DVRs?
29:08 - Poll: What's the most you'd pay for the ultimate HTPC?
32:40 - Microsoft planning La Veuve de Media Center?
37:48 - DisplayPort and HDMI square off in uber-thorough comparison
42:19 - ZeeVee ZvBox review
50:01 - ATSC 2.0 includes support for H.264
50:01 - Verizon FiOS adds TBS HD in time for the MLB playoffs
52:39 - 60 Minutes pulls out the HDTV cams for Obama & McCain Sunday
57:01 - Ins and Outs: Whatever happened to iTV?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian @ Sep 24th 2008 2:06PM
Why do you disable UAC when installing your Media Center?
J.Goodwin @ Sep 24th 2008 2:11PM
I think that there's an unclosed bold tag in this post.
Nael M. @ Sep 24th 2008 3:57PM
Yeah, it's not only affecting these comments but also the front page as well.
zoran @ Sep 24th 2008 2:31PM
Hi guys,
Thanks for responding to my comment. No, I am not PR, I just proof read my stuff. I know what you mean about the colors, i just like mine turned up a little more to have the image stand out, but it can be adjusted. Second, I have seen Samsung and Sony and was going to buy one of them, but what I meant by not seeing the Philips I meant I saw it in the store with a split connection that feeds hundreds of tvs and very bright overhead lights. Getting it home and watching a blu-ray movie it in a dark room is a diferent story, I really believe that this TV is ahead of its time. Tvs I buy are either Sony or Panasonic, but not after this one. I am not a Philips fanboy, as a matter of fact, Philips was losing it with that Amilight stuff, and Philips is not known for their TVs at all, but I really think people should check it out. Anyway, put it next to your best set, compare, and then shoot it down. Thanks guys.
Jim Mallory @ Sep 25th 2008 9:41AM
1. I have a $5,000 Media Center (Velocity Micro CineMagix with a lot of upgrades)
2. No, you can't borrow it.
3. Never had a problem with HDMI (nVidia 8860)
4. I had to setup UAC and auto-login
My guess is that Velocity Micro does (or did when Mr. Morley was there) a bit more integration testing then Dell does. Is it something that Dell or HP could do? Sure, but that cuts into their profit margin.
Ken P @ Sep 25th 2008 1:21PM
I have pulled off TiVo everywhere from on box, like Ben proposed for the ZeeVee box. On my main system, all sources are HDMI, and go through an HDMI 5x1 switch. The output of the switch goes to a 1x2 HDMI splitter. Output 1 of the splitter goes into my main TV. Output 2 goes to the bedroom TV with a 50' HDMI cable. The HDMI splitter can be daisy chained so more HDMI capable TVs could be included. Obviously IR distribution is added to send IR back to the main system for the HDMI switching and source components. So in the bedroom I can watch the TiVo, Blu-Ray and Comcast box that sit in the living room. I can see Ben rolling his eyes right now and saying "but that is way to complicated". It gets more complicated. The IR distrib. is done via a Channel Modulator setup I used to use as primary distrib. of TV signals. It send the IR back over coax. The channel mod is still in play and sends the TiVo and Comcast box analog outputs on a couple channels via coax for the other standard def TVs and for IR distrib. It is complicated. But it works for me. Also, all that HDMI is working without any handshake problems.....
Ken P @ Sep 25th 2008 1:22PM
"From on box" should be "From one box"
Ken P @ Sep 25th 2008 1:29PM
Hey Ben, how about posting your list of things to do when setting up a Media Center. If you already did, sorry, I missed it.
Chris @ Sep 26th 2008 11:13AM
I have been a listener for long time and love the podcast. I have two comments/suggestions about the podcast. I think the things you cover in the podcast are great but the covering the comments part is my least favorite and to me not the main part of why you do the show. I think it would follow much better if you cover comments at the end of the podcast and just just jump right into the main topics.
I also love the listings of what time each part of the program starts that you have on the blog. I know that it is included in the podcast description but that does not show up on the iPhone or iTouch. If the program list is added as lyrics though they show up when you tap the Now Playing screen and it works great.
Spiza @ Sep 26th 2008 6:56PM
Wanted to add something on Sony saying blu-ray pricing wasn't going to drop soon. All CE producers say this stuff. They don't want you waiting for a price drop. If you know the price is going to drop 33% in a month, most people will wait that month out.
On Uverse, I thought about trying to switch from Comcast (since its comcraptic), but changed my mind after reading so many reviews on bad image quality. They are already planning on adding a 3rd HD signal by compressing more as well, so the image quality will most likely get even worse.
Dallas Knox @ Sep 26th 2008 9:58PM
Ben and Steve mentioned in the show the impending Microsoft announcement coming in October. I received a message from Xbox Live noting that live will be down all day on 29 September. I wonder if the two are connected, and if so, is this the rumored dashboard update promised earlier this summer.
Any Comments.
PaulF @ Sep 29th 2008 5:53PM
Ben,
My HTPC (Sage, but it doesn't really matter) with ArcSoft TMT - starts playing a BD in about 5-7 seconds. My only problems have been physically damaged disks (scratch resistant coating my a$$). I do LPCM, letting ArcSoft do the decoding and sending it out analog to my receiver and it sounds great. Bitstreaming is a PITA currently, but why not just use analog? I do use AnyDVDHD though. I'd never think of going stand alone...did they get faster?
PF
Larry @ Sep 30th 2008 11:49AM
First 20 minutes of the show was kinda boring. Blu-Ray talk = instant fast forward. On to the good stuff. Ben are you going to write that post about time shift dvr programming soon? The biggest problem with OTA DVRs is the lack of a programming guide. I would pick up a simple dvd recorder with a hard drive for my mom if there was a simple way to setup recording of shows.
Larry @ Sep 30th 2008 11:59AM
Proof positive you should not post a comment before listening to the rest of the show. I think the smart thing Microsoft could do with Media center is to sell an add on for the Xbox 360 that has built in tuners/hard drive that gives you a media center in a box.