Engadget HD http://www.engadgethd.com Engadget HD http://www.engadgethd.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget HD http://www.engadgethd.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[AMEX DIGITAL's Mac mini Blu-ray drive upgrade kit is not what it seems]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/11/amex-digitals-mac-mini-blu-ray-drive-upgrade-kit-is-not-what-it/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/11/amex-digitals-mac-mini-blu-ray-drive-upgrade-kit-is-not-what-it/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/11/amex-digitals-mac-mini-blu-ray-drive-upgrade-kit-is-not-what-it/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A Blu-ray "upgrade kit" for Apple's revamped Mac mini... sounds like the ultimate for home theater buffs right? After all, such a device holds the promise of adding Blu-ray playback to a relatively powerful, off-the-shelf micro computer starting at $599 that'll run any of the amazing media center apps available for either Windows 7 (with some extra legwork) or OS X. Not so fast bub, remember, OS X still doesn't support native playback of Blu-ray discs pressed by Hollywood's media fairies. As such, Blu-ray films purchased on disc can only be played by booting into Windows -- under OS X you are limited to reading and writing data assuming you already have software like Adobe's Premiere Pro CS3 with Encore or Roxio's Toast with Blu-ray plug-in. Unfortunately, AMEX Digital is purposely unclear on this point by suggesting that the kit will simply "play Hollywood Blu-ray Disc movies on a properly configured PC or MAC." For the extra $199 required to take the BD-UG1 home, we'd suggest a native PC solution, cheapo standalone Blu-ray player or PS3 and avoid these headaches altogether. Image of the drive laid bare after the break.

[Via I4U]

Continue reading AMEX DIGITAL's Mac mini Blu-ray drive upgrade kit is not what it seems

AMEX DIGITAL's Mac mini Blu-ray drive upgrade kit is not what it seems originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amex digitalAmexDigitalappleBD-UG1blu-rayhome theaterHomeTheatermacmac miniMacMiniminiWed, 11 Nov 2009 04:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray mini-review]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/spears-and-munsil-high-definition-benchmark-blu-ray-mini-review/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/spears-and-munsil-high-definition-benchmark-blu-ray-mini-review/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/spears-and-munsil-high-definition-benchmark-blu-ray-mini-review/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-rayIf you're like us and you don't think it's possible to own enough HDTV calibration discs, then you've probably already bought the Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray Disc. Otherwise you might be looking at all the different options and since you only want to buy one, you're trying to figure out which one. Well, we've played with most of them and although we're hard pressed to decide on which is our favorite, we really like this one. To find out why, click through.

Continue reading Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray mini-review

Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray mini-review originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blu-raycalibrationfeaturedfeaturesSpears MunsilSpears Munsil High Definition BenchmarkSpearsMunsilSpearsMunsilHighDefinitionBenchmarkTue, 10 Nov 2009 15:06:00 EST<![CDATA[ZillionTV signs the final remaining major studio]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/zilliontv-signs-the-final-remaining-major-studio/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/zilliontv-signs-the-final-remaining-major-studio/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/zilliontv-signs-the-final-remaining-major-studio/#commentsFiled under: , ,

ZillionTV
A good idea is worthless without adoption and we're glad to hear that ZillionTV has signed Paramount, which means that all six major studios are on board. Of course we still don't know how much we're actually going to like ZillionTV because although streaming content for free or ad-supported sounds like a new approach, who knows how it'll work. We do think we'd love the choice of either watching ads or paying if that is what's actually going to happen. According to HMM, at least in regards to Paramount, some content will be available for rent or purchase while other content will be ad-supported. If this is going to be the case for all the content, then we're sure the ZillionTV will look great in our attic sitting next to our Moviebeam.

ZillionTV signs the final remaining major studio originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>HMMhome media magazineHomeMediaMagazineParamountZillionTVTue, 10 Nov 2009 13:29:00 EST<![CDATA[ITC rules Samsung infringed on four Sharp patents, bans import of some LCDs]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/itc-rules-samsung-infringed-on-four-sharp-patents-bans-import-o/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/itc-rules-samsung-infringed-on-four-sharp-patents-bans-import-o/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/10/itc-rules-samsung-infringed-on-four-sharp-patents-bans-import-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The US International Trade Commission already ruled in June of this year that Samsung had infringed on one patent held by Sharp, but it's now back with another ruling that finds Samsung violated no less than four LCD-related patents held by its rival. Once again, the ITC has also barred Samsung from selling the infringing LCDs in the US (still not clear on exactly what's affected), but Samsung seems more than ready to comply with the ruling, saying that there will be "no impact on our business and our ability to meet market demand." For its part, Sharp simply says that the ruling has "made it clear that ITC has consistently supported Sharp's claim that LCD products of Samsung violated Sharp's patents" -- Samsung, meanwhile, says it has no plans to negotiate with Sharp on the issue, so let's just hope its workaround is more than a quick fix.

ITC rules Samsung infringed on four Sharp patents, bans import of some LCDs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>international trade commissionInternationalTradeCommissionitclawlawsuitlcdlegalpatentpatent infringementPatentInfringementpatentssamsungsharpTue, 10 Nov 2009 11:52:00 EST<![CDATA[Dolby's spreading the word, reaching out to eyes and ears]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/05/dolbys-spreading-the-word-reaching-out-to-eyes-and-ears/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/05/dolbys-spreading-the-word-reaching-out-to-eyes-and-ears/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/05/dolbys-spreading-the-word-reaching-out-to-eyes-and-ears/#commentsFiled under: ,

Dolby truck
Our trip to Dolby's San Francisco lab facility was mind-blowingly great, but it turns out that the company is ramping up efforts to let you get behind the "double D" logo. Things have come a long way from optically-encoded film audio and analog tape noise reduction, so Dolby just launched a campaign to bring everybody up to speed on how much higher your grin factor will be if you treat yourself to great surround sound in your home and on-the-go audio setup, no matter if music, movies or games are your cup o' tea. Fire up your browser and hit the links below -- the company is blanketing the webisphere with a microsite, special twitter activity (a little birdie mentioned the magical "giveaway" word), YouTube and flickr. Things will get really fun, however, if you push back from the keyboard, venture into the sunlight and get yourself into the Dolby truck as it makes the rounds at special events around California. Planned stops for the funhouse on wheels are in the links below; you'll see why we'd like to "borrow" this little rig chock-full-of audio wizardry to go alongside our own CES double-wide.

Read - truck schedule
Read - campaign microsite
Read - twitter feed
Read - YouTube
Read - Dolby's flickr feed

Continue reading Dolby's spreading the word, reaching out to eyes and ears

Dolby's spreading the word, reaching out to eyes and ears originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demodolbytrailertruckThu, 05 Nov 2009 11:19:00 EST<![CDATA[RVU Alliance gets Motorola, Pace, Thomson and others to dream the multiroom dream]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/04/rvu-alliance-gets-motorola-pace-thomson-and-others-to-dream-th/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/04/rvu-alliance-gets-motorola-pace-thomson-and-others-to-dream-th/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/04/rvu-alliance-gets-motorola-pace-thomson-and-others-to-dream-th/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Chalk up a few more for the multiroom crowd, as the RVU Alliance (get familiar) has added some power names from the set-top box market to its roster as "Promoter" members. The new additions appear to set things up for compatible solutions from your cable or satellite provider arriving sooner rather than later, capable of streaming video and interfaces from set-tops to any screen in the house. Names like Motorola, Pace and Thomson have probably already graced your entertainment rack, while lesser known additions include Entropic Communications, maker of hardware for home entertainment networking, JetHead, focused on creating RVU client software, and set-top manufacturer NXP. Is hoping for a big splash at CES too much? We think not.

RVU Alliance gets Motorola, Pace, Thomson and others to dream the multiroom dream originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>motorolamultiroomnxppacervurvu allianceRvuAllianceste top boxSteTopBoxthomsonWed, 04 Nov 2009 14:22:00 EST<![CDATA[A la carte lawsuit against cable companies dismissed ]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/a-la-carte-lawsuit-against-cable-companies-dismissed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/a-la-carte-lawsuit-against-cable-companies-dismissed/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/a-la-carte-lawsuit-against-cable-companies-dismissed/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Generic TV image
Nothing shocking here as a judge has dismissed a lawsuit against cable companies for not offering cable channels a la carte. We always find this whole a la carte issue interesting because in reality customers aren't really asking for less channels as much as they're asking for lower prices. So while we're usually against new laws to regulate businesses, we do think that something should be done to reign in on all the tying that content providers do, as well as other restrictions. So what customers should really be doing is asking congress to prevent ESPN (for example) from holding back on the main offering in order to force programmers to carry the completely useless ESPNews or ESPN Classic. Or maybe, the entire you can't carry our channel unless its on the basic tier silliness. No, no, la carte channels aren't the answer, but real competition is.

[Via TechDirt]

A la carte lawsuit against cable companies dismissed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>A La CarteALaCarteTue, 03 Nov 2009 17:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Nielsen reports the effects of the digital transition]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/nielsen-reports-the-affects-of-the-digital-transition/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/nielsen-reports-the-affects-of-the-digital-transition/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/nielsen-reports-the-affects-of-the-digital-transition/#commentsFiled under:

Nielsen DTV chart
This is a really interesting report of the affects of the digital transition on ratings. Like the fact that "TV stations that transitioned to digital only experienced an 8 percent share decline immediately following the analog shut-off." But even more interesting is this that same number goes up to 13 percent if the broadcaster switched from UHF to VHF because of reception problems -- no wonder some broadcasters are going back to UHF. The other thing that piqued our interest was that cable companies seemed to be the real winners here as 18.2 percent of those facing the decision to buy a converter box, just ordered cable instead -- little do they know that they are just putting off getting a box.

[Via TVB]

Nielsen reports the effects of the digital transition originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analog shutoffAnalogShutoffDTVdtv transitionDtvTransitionFCCNielsenUHFVHFTue, 03 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Best Buy partnering with CinemaNow to stream first-run DVDs to 'all web-connected devices sold']]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/best-buy-partnering-with-cinemanow-to-stream-first-run-dvds-to-a/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/best-buy-partnering-with-cinemanow-to-stream-first-run-dvds-to-a/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/11/03/best-buy-partnering-with-cinemanow-to-stream-first-run-dvds-to-a/#commentsFiled under: ,

Can you live without physical media? Are you ready to buy into owning a license without any physical property to show for your purchase? We hope so 'cause that's the future. Today Best Buy will announce confirmation of its rumored partnership with CinemaNow in a deal that will stream first-run DVDs directly to consumers. Better yet, according to an AP report, the software required to access CinemaNow's video library "will be included on all the Web-connected devices sold in Best Buy's more than 1,000 U.S. stores." If taken literally then wow, just wow... that's a lot of devices. However, since Best Buy sells Apple's iPhone and iPod touch, and there's no way that Apple's going to let a retailer tamper with its devices, we think the AP's wording is a bit ambitious.

The idea here is simple: pay once for a DVD then eventually be able to play it on any device be it a television, Blu-ray player, PC, smartphone or some other connected device. The new Best Buy-branded service will launch "early next year" according to Chris Homeister (yes, that's his real surname), as Best Buy gets "into this business in a big way." Remember, Best Buy already announced a streaming Netflix deal and partnerships with TiVo and Napster that will be launching early next year as well. And we've already seen Sonic Solutions, CinemaNow's owner since last year, bunging its 1080p-capable CinemaNow service into every connected-device imaginable -- even 3D content for 3D Vision-ready displays. The whole concept sounds very much like Disney's Keychest which already sounded very much like the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (or DECE) consortium. Hopefully Best Buy will clear up the details later today when this gets really official. The future is now -- too bad US broadband is so yesterday.

Update: It's official. The agreement will allow customers to "buy or rent" from CinemaNow's library of content on "connected consumer electronics" sold through Best Buy retail stores or BestBuy.com. New titles will "often" (note the qualification) be made available day and date of the DVD release. The service will also leverage digital copies to bridge the physical and digital stream worlds. See the full press release for all the detail.

Show full PR text
Best Buy Co., Inc (NYSE:BBY) and Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) today announced a strategic relationship that will result in a new Best Buy customer offering in its growing line-up of digital entertainment products. The new on-demand movie and entertainment service will be powered by Sonic's Roxio CinemaNow[TM] and will allow consumers to have access to buy or rent a vast library of premium content.

To power this offering, Best Buy has entered into a multi-year agreement in which Best Buy plans to license and deploy Sonic's Roxio CinemaNow[TM] technology and services platform to make on-demand digital content delivery a standard feature on connected consumer electronics devices sold throughout U.S. Best Buy retail stores and BestBuy.com. Under the terms of the agreement, Best Buy acquired warrants enabling it to purchase shares of Sonic Solutions common stock.

Best Buy, one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in the world, has a strong track record of bringing innovative technologies to a broad audience through its consumer-focused marketing, education, and Geek Squad services. To foster the consumer appetite for obtaining on-demand premium content electronically, Best Buy intends to embed the Roxio CinemaNow technology on a wide array of devices - web-connected television sets, portable media players, PCs, Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes, and mobile phones - from a variety of manufacturers. Best Buy expects to undertake a marketing program to educate consumers about the increased convenience, flexibility, and choice digital content delivery affords.

With the new Best Buy service, consumers will have access to buy or rent an extensive library of premium content including new movies, TV shows, independent films, and older catalog movies, which they will be able to access on devices in the broad ecosystem. It is anticipated that new titles will often be available on the same day they become available on DVDs in retail outlets. Together with their Studio partners, Best Buy and Sonic plan to also collaborate on new service and content offerings, including those that leverage digital copies to bridge physical disc sales and electronic sell through.

"Best Buy is in a great position to expand the market for on-demand home entertainment," said Thomas Gewecke, president, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. "The combination of Sonic's platform with Best Buy's expertise in selling consumer electronics, video content and technical services creates an opportunity for a wide variety of exciting new consumer offerings."

"Our relationship with Sonic Solutions allows Best Buy to quickly establish a strong position in the digital delivery of video entertainment," said Brian Dunn, CEO of Best Buy. "It also enables us to make deeper and more meaningful connections with our customers and expand our relationships with content owners and hardware vendors to create compelling new home entertainment solutions."

"With Best Buy's ability to drive in-store promotion and education, consumers will come to quickly understand and appreciate the convenience, flexibility, and control that digitally-delivered video entertainment affords them," said Dave Habiger, president and CEO, Sonic Solutions. "With Best Buy's focus, we expect on-demand entertainment to quickly grow into a mass market activity, with digital sell-through and rental becoming a significant new revenue stream for content owners."

Roxio CinemaNow includes Hollywood-approved digital rights management, encoding and adaptive delivery technologies, and secure device-optimized playback of premium entertainment. Roxio CinemaNow's cloud-based media services power devices which consumers can use to seamlessly enjoy video entertainment anytime and anywhere across the broadest range of devices. The Roxio CinemaNow ecosystem includes PCs, connected TVs, set top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc and mobile media players from leading manufacturers such as Archos, Dell, HP, LG, Microsoft, Nintendo, Pioneer and TiVo and is powering internet movie delivery for Blockbuster.


Read -- AP report
Read -- New York Times

Best Buy partnering with CinemaNow to stream first-run DVDs to 'all web-connected devices sold' originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best buyBestBuybreaking newsBreakingNewscinemanowdecedistributionkeychestsonicsonic solutionsSonicSolutionsTue, 03 Nov 2009 04:11:00 EST<![CDATA[LG roadmap predicts 'OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016']]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/30/lg-roadmap-predicts-oled-panels-will-cost-less-than-lcd-panels/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/30/lg-roadmap-predicts-oled-panels-will-cost-less-than-lcd-panels/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/30/lg-roadmap-predicts-oled-panels-will-cost-less-than-lcd-panels/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Speaking at the FPD show in Japan, Won Kim, VP of LG Display's OLED sales and marketing group laid bare its OLED plans for the future. Pretty significant as LG is one of only two players currently manufacturing production OLED TVs; though unlike Sony, LG has yet to ship anything -- that bit of consumer magic begins in November. So here's the deal: LG will release 20-inch and larger OLED panels in 2010, 30-inch and larger in 2011, and 40-inch and larger OLED panels in 2012. While 40-inch OLEDs will still be "fairly expensive" in 2012, Kim predicts that "OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016." We'd love to believe that but it sounds overly aggressive to us considering the enormous investment panel manufacturers have made in LCDs (they'll be milking profits just as long as they can) and new push towards 3D televisions. Besides, LG's been all over the map with its OLED dates so let's not go carving anything in low-temperature polycrystal silicon just yet.

[Via OLED-Display.net]

LG roadmap predicts 'OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016' originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fpdfpd 2009Fpd2009lgoledroadmapwon kimWonKimFri, 30 Oct 2009 06:31:00 EST<![CDATA[SeaChange shows 108 TB DVR at Cable-Tec]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/seachange-shows-108-tb-dvr-at-cable-tec/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/seachange-shows-108-tb-dvr-at-cable-tec/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/seachange-shows-108-tb-dvr-at-cable-tec/#commentsFiled under: ,

SeaChange diagram
More news from the Cable-Tec Expo and this time it's from SeaChange -- although we'd all probably love to have this in our home, the RS-DVR is 108 TB and is designed to service 500 subscribers, while taking up 7 racks of data center space. The system would probably work nicely for operators like Cablevision who plan to replace the DVR sitting under your HDTV with a network based version -- especially since SeaChange claims the total cost of ownership is only $100, which apparently is less than a third what DVRs are currently costing providers. The RS-DVR can record 4,000 SD shows at once, which might just be enough since Hollywood is requiring cable companies to record one copy of each show per customer. It can also serve up content to portable devices while still letting you resume where you left off later on your HDTV. No word if there's been any takers, or even a price though.

SeaChange shows 108 TB DVR at Cable-Tec originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cable-TecSeaChnageThu, 29 Oct 2009 19:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Members of the ATSC agree on measure to curb loud commercials]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/members-of-the-atsc-agree-on-measure-to-curb-loud-commercials/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/members-of-the-atsc-agree-on-measure-to-curb-loud-commercials/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/members-of-the-atsc-agree-on-measure-to-curb-loud-commercials/#commentsFiled under:

ASTC logoAnd here it was not even a few weeks ago when we thought our only hope to address crazy loud commercials was a new law and now Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has agreed on a measure that'll solve it with out Congress. The new Loudness Recommended Practice will be called ATSC A/85 and specifies that all content be submitted with the audio set at -24 dB (±2 dB). NBC Universal has already gotten started by deploying new software that will ensure all the content stored on file servers is at the correct level, otherwise the encoder will correct it. In addition, new dB meters have been installed to ensure technicians have the necessary tools to make sure this happens. Among others, CBS, Starz, HBO, ABC, and PBS are also involved, but everyone is going to have to get on board to ensure the end of commercials that are louder than the content. Of course this still doesn't mean we'll watch them, but on the rare occasion that our Media Center doesn't automatically skip 'em we won't get blown out of our seats.

Members of the ATSC agree on measure to curb loud commercials originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:24:00 EST<![CDATA[Broadcom's new DVR chip could make all our dreams come true]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/broadcoms-new-dvr-chip-could-make-all-our-dreams-come-true/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/broadcoms-new-dvr-chip-could-make-all-our-dreams-come-true/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/29/broadcoms-new-dvr-chip-could-make-all-our-dreams-come-true/#commentsFiled under: ,

Generic Broadcom chipWe look to our TV provider and companies like TiVo and Moxi to bring us DVRs, but the one thing just about every DVR has in common is a Broadcom chip makes them tick. So while the rest of the box varies by a lot, if the System on a Chip (SoC) doesn't support it, then it probably isn't there -- assuming another chip isn't added for a specific task. So you can understand why we got so excited when we saw the specs on the latest SoC, the BCM7125, announced by Broadcom at the Cable-Tec Expo. It of course supports tru2way and CableCARD, but more interestingly; MoCA 1.1, DLNA, Flash (as in video streaming), DOCSIS 3.0, and a 3D graphics engine. This means that little little guy could be the key to a multi-room DVR without running wires, that will play Hulu directly from the internet as well as stream content from PlayOn, all via a great looking user interface. So yeah, it has potential. The sad news is that there's no way to know how long we'll have to wait before a DVR is released that'll actually take advantage it.

Broadcom's new DVR chip could make all our dreams come true originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BCM7119BCM7125BroadcomCable-TecCableCARDDLNADOCSIS 3.0Docsis3.0FlashMoCAMocA 1.1Moca1.1Multi-room DVRtru2wayThu, 29 Oct 2009 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Details of 3D cable demo at Cable-Tec emerge ]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/details-of-3d-cable-demo-at-cable-tec-emerge/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/details-of-3d-cable-demo-at-cable-tec-emerge/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/details-of-3d-cable-demo-at-cable-tec-emerge/#commentsFiled under:

Cable-Tec Expo 3D cable demo
Our friend Mari at the official Motorola Blog just got back from checking out the 3D demo at Cable-Tec and was able to dig up a few extra details in addition to sharing her impressions. Overall she said the circular polarized and active shutter demos both "looked good" but each was driven by a different set-top-box so it was hard to do a fair a to b comparison. This also makes us continue to wonder how compatible these two 3D display technologies are -- we suspect they are compatible and that this was just to prove that both IPTV and QAM worked as delivery methods. The most interesting tidbit is the fact that, thanks to new Multiview Video Encoding techniques, the 3D stream only requires about 30 percent more throughput than the same image in 2D. This isn't as much as Panasonic is claiming the new 3D Blu-ray spec will require, which is estimated at 50 precent. One other thing we're left wondering is what the frame rate of the demo was, but earlier this week CableLabs did confirme that the demo is 1080p and that the SCTE has already added 1080p at 60 fps to its encoding standards. We assume the frame rate had to be at least 30 fps per eye though, because otherwise the flicker would probably be noticeably annoying.

Details of 3D cable demo at Cable-Tec emerge originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3DCable-TecMotorolaSCTEscte cable-tecScteCable-tecWed, 28 Oct 2009 23:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola releases new HD set-top DCX700]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/motorola-releases-new-hd-set-top-dcx700/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/motorola-releases-new-hd-set-top-dcx700/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/motorola-releases-new-hd-set-top-dcx700/#commentsFiled under: ,

Motorola DCX700
This week at the SCTE Cable-Tec show, Motorola released the latest in its long line of digital cable HD set-top boxes. the DCX700 is an digital only box for those markets that have eliminated all those bandwidth hogging NTSC channels. It supports both H.264 and MPEG-2 as well as Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus. Also included is our new favorite networking protocol, MoCA, which will allow it to act as a multi-room DVR. This low profile box was designed with wall-mounting in mind and should eventually be available through your cable provider.

[Via MediaExperiences2go.com]

Motorola releases new HD set-top DCX700 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cable-TecmotorolaMR-DVRmulti-room DVRMulti-roomDvrSCTESCTE Cable-TecScteCable-tecWed, 28 Oct 2009 19:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Samsung's 30-inch 3D AMOLED TV won't make you dizzy, will leave you poor and silly]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/samsungs-30-inch-3d-amoled-tv-wont-make-you-dizzy-will-leave/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/samsungs-30-inch-3d-amoled-tv-wont-make-you-dizzy-will-leave/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/28/samsungs-30-inch-3d-amoled-tv-wont-make-you-dizzy-will-leave/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Feeling that 3D craze yet? No? Well what if we told you that Samsung was bringing stereoscopic 3D to its magnificent AMOLED panels touting a million-to-1 contrast? Today in Japan it's showing off its 30-inch AMOLED 3D television with Full HD panel measuring just 2.5-mm thick. Although much is lost in the Korean language press release, Sammy is claiming that itd panel plus shutter-glasses technology helps to reduce the dizziness felt by some 3D viewers. The set's just a prototype at the moment but its price will certainly invoke financial vertigo whenever it might hit the manufacturing lines. One more very serious picture after the break.

Continue reading Samsung's 30-inch 3D AMOLED TV won't make you dizzy, will leave you poor and silly

Samsung's 30-inch 3D AMOLED TV won't make you dizzy, will leave you poor and silly originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>30-inch3damoleddizzinessdizzyfpdfpd 2009Fpd2009oledprototypesamsungtelevisiontvWed, 28 Oct 2009 04:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Pace and Rovi work together to make a standard set-top a true multi-room DVR]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/pace-and-rovi-work-together-to-make-a-standard-set-top-a-true-mu/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/pace-and-rovi-work-together-to-make-a-standard-set-top-a-true-mu/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/pace-and-rovi-work-together-to-make-a-standard-set-top-a-true-mu/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pace DC900X DVR MoCA 1.1 NAS
There aren't many times where we're caught off guard by a new product enough to think, why didn't we think of that, but this is one of them. The set-top-box manufacture, Pace, has just launched one of the coolest multi-room DVR solutions we've ever heard of. Not only does it over come the limitations of other so called solutions by not being limited to two tuners (for the whole house), a 160 GB hard drive, copy control flags (it streams, not copies) and a scattered recorded TV list; but it doesn't require even a single extra wire to be run in your house -- no, it doesn't use WiFi. What Pace has done is to work with Rovi and load up new software on its standard dual tuner HD set-top, the DC700X. This new software paired with a MoCA 1.1 NAS (pictured above) makes every DC700X set-top in the house a multi-room DVR. If this sounds like what you've been waiting for, then you'll want to click through past the jump to learn all about it -- or just to see another picture.

UPDATE - Pace announced deals with Buckeye Cablevision, Mediacom Communications, NCTC and Sunflower Broadband to deploy this.

Continue reading Pace and Rovi work together to make a standard set-top a true multi-room DVR

Pace and Rovi work together to make a standard set-top a true multi-room DVR originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DC700XDC900XFeaturedFeaturesMoCAMoCA 1.1Moca1.1multi-room dvrmulti-room viewingMulti-roomDvrMulti-roomViewingPaceRoviTue, 27 Oct 2009 20:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Comcast should be tru2way ready by the end of the year]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/comcast-should-be-tru2way-ready-by-the-end-of-the-year/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/comcast-should-be-tru2way-ready-by-the-end-of-the-year/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/comcast-should-be-tru2way-ready-by-the-end-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: ,

tru2way demo
Remember that big to do about the tru2way memorandum of understanding that Sony and the rest of the Consumer Electronics manufacturers signed earlier last year. You know, the one that said every cable operator in the US would be tru2way capable by July 1st 2009? Well that date has come and gone and while the providers insist it is no big deal, no HDTV manufactures seem very excited about tru2way at the moment. According to Comcast's EVP David Cohen, more than just three markets will be ready to go by the end of the year. At this point we'll believe it when we see it, because supposedly tru2way HDTVs have been available to Comcast subscribers in Chicago, Denver and Atlanta for some time, yet not even a single review or hands-on has appeared online, in fact we haven't even gotten a single tip or comment that anyone even has one of these tru2way TVs. Every provider in world could be ready but if there aren't plenty of tru2way TVs announced at CES in a few months, it's all for naught.

Comcast should be tru2way ready by the end of the year originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CableCARDComcastOCAPPanasonictru2wayTue, 27 Oct 2009 14:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Televisa broadcasted the first soccer match in 3D]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/televisa-broadcasted-the-first-soccer-match-in-3d/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/televisa-broadcasted-the-first-soccer-match-in-3d/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/televisa-broadcasted-the-first-soccer-match-in-3d/#commentsFiled under:


Football and Basketball aren't the only sports to benefit from a 3D presentation and we're sure our friends to the south were excited to see their favorite in 3D. Televisa -- the largest media company in the Spanish speaking world -- presented the America versus Guadalajara soccer match this past Sunday in 3D to theaters in Guadalajara and Monterrey. Said broadcaster also plans to give the same treatment to the Primera División Apertura tournament finals as well -- whatever that is but it sounds impressive. We have had the pleasure of experiencing our favorite sport in a 3D theater and have to say it was very enjoyable, so if you have the opportunity don't pass on it.

Televisa broadcasted the first soccer match in 3D originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d3D soccer3dSoccerTelevisaTue, 27 Oct 2009 13:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Hollywood Theaters upgrading screens to Sony 4k projectors]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/hollywood-theaters-upgrading-53-screens-to-sony-4k-reald-3d-capa/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/hollywood-theaters-upgrading-53-screens-to-sony-4k-reald-3d-capa/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/hollywood-theaters-upgrading-53-screens-to-sony-4k-reald-3d-capa/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sony 4K projector
With some help from Sony, Hollywood Theaters is upgrading to 4K digital cinema, some of which that will do 3D. The project kicks off over the next few months when 13 locations will get the upgrade that consists of 167 screens all of which will all be going digital. On top of that, 53 of those screens will also support 3D movies thanks to RealD and circular polarized glasses. Of course we won't be happy until every theater in the US is digital and 3D, but this is a decent step in the right direction.

Hollywood Theaters upgrading screens to Sony 4k projectors originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3D4KHollywood TheatersHollywoodTheatersRealDSonyTue, 27 Oct 2009 12:24:00 EST<![CDATA[First MoCA 1.1 cable set-top-box gets certified]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/first-moca-1-1-cable-set-top-box-gets-certified/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/first-moca-1-1-cable-set-top-box-gets-certified/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/27/first-moca-1-1-cable-set-top-box-gets-certified/#commentsFiled under: ,


If you loved using the existing coax in your home to network your devices together at 110Mbps, then you'll love MoCA 1.1 even more -- testing has shown it can reach speeds of 175Mbps and up the number of participate devices to 16. The real challenge with MoCA right now though is that there aren't many devices out there that support it and those that do cost a pretty penny -- well worth it if you can't run CAT5 cables though. Advanced Digital Broadcast, and Entropic made a little progress today however by getting the first MoCA 1.1 set-top-box certified, which we're hoping is just the first of many devices to jump on the MoCA bandwagon. Because as cool as it sounds to have an Ethernet jack on the back of your HDTV or game console, it doesn't do most any good because there's only a coax cable running to their equipment.

First MoCA 1.1 cable set-top-box gets certified originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ADBAdvanced Digital BroadcastAdvancedDigitalBroadcastEntropicMoCAMoCA 1.1Moca1.1Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Ready or not, the latest 3D technology is coming home]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/26/ready-or-not-the-latest-3d-technology-is-coming-home/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/26/ready-or-not-the-latest-3d-technology-is-coming-home/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/26/ready-or-not-the-latest-3d-technology-is-coming-home/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

ESPN 3D camera
Avid readers of Engadget HD are up on the latest 3D display and display technologies, but the same can not be said for the general masses. And before you start on the whole "I'm not wearing any stupid looking glasses," because no matter what you say, there are more people paying extra to go 3D movies than ever and the reason is simple; it's because this isn't like the crappy 3D you saw during the Super Bowl last year -- or that our parents grew up with. No, the 3D that Sony, Panasonic, and others are promising next year is like nothing you've seen. We've come a long way since the old anaglyph red and blue glasses that come in cereal boxes. So if like most, you could use a refresher on the 3D technologies and when you might get to use them, you should head on over and check it out.

Ready or not, the latest 3D technology is coming home originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What measures 3.9-mm thin by 40 inches? If you answered the standard Korean product waif you'd be close. This time, however, we're talking about Samsung's LED backlit LCD featuring a 120Hz refresh and 5,000:1 reported contrast. Yup, that makes it the world's thinnest -- easily besting cross-town rival LG's 5.9-mm thick LCDs -- even if you can't buy it as a complete television package... yet.

[Via Akihabara News]

Samsung's 40-inch LCD is world's thinnest at 3.9-mm, attracts magic pencils originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.9-mm3.9mmlcdledled backlitLedBacklitpencilsamsungslimslimmestthinthinnestMon, 26 Oct 2009 06:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Netflix hints at Watch Instantly integration on 'already-popular device']]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/24/netflix-hints-at-watch-instantly-integration-on-already-popular/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/24/netflix-hints-at-watch-instantly-integration-on-already-popular/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/24/netflix-hints-at-watch-instantly-integration-on-already-popular/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Microsoft's Xbox 360 may call itself the only console to stream Netflix, but all that could be changing -- and soon. As Netflix continues to pull in new subscribers (and cash flow) like it's no big deal, the company is apparently looking to spread its wings even further by integrating its wildly popular Watch Instantly feature into "a device already owned by a large number of consumers." Naturally, the most fitting candidates for that would be Sony's PlayStation 3 or Nintendo's Wii, though the company has yet to come forward with anything concrete. Just so know you, Netflix credits the Xbox 360's streaming integration as the main reason some 2.4 million customers have signed up since late 2008, so it's more than apparent that it loves the game console. Any bets for when this will go down, or are you just plugging your ears in order to avoid potential disappointment?

[Via Joystiq]

Netflix hints at Watch Instantly integration on 'already-popular device' originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contentfilmsinternet tvInternetTvmedia streamingMediaStreamingmoviesnetflixonlineonline tvOnlineTvprogrammingrentalsstockstreamstreamingwatch instantlyWatchInstantlySat, 24 Oct 2009 17:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Hulu might be looking to subscriptions to turn digital pennies into digital dollars]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/22/hulu-might-be-looking-to-subscriptions-to-turn-digital-pennies-i/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/22/hulu-might-be-looking-to-subscriptions-to-turn-digital-pennies-i/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/22/hulu-might-be-looking-to-subscriptions-to-turn-digital-pennies-i/#commentsFiled under: ,

Hulu logo
Other than the lack of HD content, Hulu is a pretty slick service -- in fact it is a glimpse of our content dream, whatever you want, whenever you want. But according to NBC Universal's TV chief, Marc Graboff, Hulu is still looking for ways "to turn those digital pennies into digital dollars." Although the technology for digital delivery has been around for some time, actually making money on it has been another story. Hulu is determined to make it work though and is trying all kinds of things "like adding inventory (more advertising) or creating a subscription model with different windows" -- now when he says Windows, he doesn't mean the things we look out of, he means limited availability of shows. We'd argue that release windows are currently the worst part of all the digital delivery services today, but as much as we hope Hulu figures it out, based on our own polls, most aren't willing to pay a subscription for Hulu's current offerings.

Hulu might be looking to subscriptions to turn digital pennies into digital dollars originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digital downloadsDigitalDownloadsHuluThu, 22 Oct 2009 11:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney Keychest to make buy-once view-anywhere movies a reality with Apple's help?]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/22/disney-keychest-to-make-buy-once-view-anywhere-movies-a-reality/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/22/disney-keychest-to-make-buy-once-view-anywhere-movies-a-reality/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/22/disney-keychest-to-make-buy-once-view-anywhere-movies-a-reality/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

You know who's missing from the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (or DECE) consortium? A group bent on redefining the way we buy, access, and play digital content with a membership roster that includes Best Buy, Cisco, Comcast, Fox, HP, Intel, Lions Gate, Microsoft, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Philips, Sony, Toshiba, VeriSign, and Warner Bros? Right, Apple and Disney, the latter landing a lengthy piece in the Wall Street Journal describing Disney's own distributed content ownership scheme that goes by the code-name, "Keychest;" a DRM solution that instantly provides access to content on any participating service (digital download store, mobile-phone provider, or on-demand cable for example) when a purchase is made. Keychest does this though a system of unique keys that are issued when a movie is purchased. The keys are then stored in a central repository (aka, chest) that participants would query. In this scenario, the movies would reside with each delivery company on their respective systems -- movies would not be downloaded. On the bright side, if a content provider went out of business you would still have access to your films elsewhere. The proposed solution would work with Blu-ray disc purchases too, since BD players are internet-enabled by design -- DVD keys would have to be manually typed in by the user. So in effect, you'd now be paying once for ownership rights to the film, not to the physical media. If it sounds similar to DECE it is, but Disney claims that its approach is more streamlined and you know, better.

Disney has been quietly courting other movie studios with Keychest and intends to go public with its technology next month. Of course, with Steve Jobs listed as Disney's largest stockholder and the rumored Apple tablet being a media-redefining device that will single-handedly save newspapers while ridding the world of hunger and ignorance, well, you can see where the speculation is headed.

[Thanks, Demopublican]

Disney Keychest to make buy-once view-anywhere movies a reality with Apple's help? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appledeceDigital Entertainment Content EcosystemDigitalEntertainmentContentEcosystemdisneydrmkeychestThu, 22 Oct 2009 07:38:00 EST<![CDATA[3D cable TV to be demoed at Cable-Tec Expo next week]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/19/3d-cable-tv-to-be-demoed-at-cable-tec-expo-next-week/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/19/3d-cable-tv-to-be-demoed-at-cable-tec-expo-next-week/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/19/3d-cable-tv-to-be-demoed-at-cable-tec-expo-next-week/#commentsFiled under: , ,

CableLabs LogoAt this point we know what you are thinking and we can say that you are wrong, we aren't about to rename the site to Engadget 3D -- not yet at least -- but we are getting excited about 3D and there isn't much more exciting then the idea of broadcast 3D. We say that because although we love movies, we're not crazy about 3D movies, but we are very very crazy about 3D sports which obviously requires broadcast 3D. So while we have a long way to go until we can enjoy our favorite sport at home in 3D, a demo by CableLabs at the Cable-Tec Expo next week is a great first step. The demo will be on a real cable plant and will fit on a single existing size cable channel. That's about all the details we know right now, but we'd assume it's using H.264 instead of MPEG-2, and we can only hope it is 1080p30, or better, to each eye. One other nuget in the article is that the broadcast will work with both circular polarized and active shutter glasses, which is something we've wondered about. Also on display will be 3D TVs from LG, Hyundai, Sony and Panasonic.

3D cable TV to be demoed at Cable-Tec Expo next week originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3DCable-TecCableLabsMon, 19 Oct 2009 15:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Samsung develops first chip for US mobile digital TV transmission, provides no release date]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/19/samsung-develops-first-chip-for-us-mobile-digital-tv-transmissio/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/19/samsung-develops-first-chip-for-us-mobile-digital-tv-transmissio/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/19/samsung-develops-first-chip-for-us-mobile-digital-tv-transmissio/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mmm, nothing like a pinch of predictability to wake us in the morning. Just days after the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) finally announced that a North American mobile DTV standard was struck, Samsung has jumped in with what it's calling the planet's first single chip solution designed to handle those very transmissions. All we're told is that the solution combines RF and "digital chip components" into one 65 nanometer chip, making it ideal for smaller devices such as smartphones, car-mounted televisions and portable media players. Of course, Sammy doesn't even bother to mention a mass production date, so we're guessing we all just rise awkwardly and start a roaring slow clap to celebrate the accomplishment.

Samsung develops first chip for US mobile digital TV transmission, provides no release date originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>65nmatscbroadcastchipdigital TVDigitalTvDTVdvbmobile dtvmobile tvMobileDtvMobileTvmphnorth americaNorthAmericasamsungususaMon, 19 Oct 2009 09:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Hitachi exhibits 10-inch glasses-free 3D display]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/16/hitachi-exhibits-10-inch-glasses-free-3d-display/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/16/hitachi-exhibits-10-inch-glasses-free-3d-display/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/16/hitachi-exhibits-10-inch-glasses-free-3d-display/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hitachi's face-recognizing, power-saving plasma may have been the outfit's show-stopper at CEATEC, but this little bugger here showed some pretty fantastic potential as well. The 10-inch 3D display, more formally known as the Full Parallax 3D TV, one-upped most every other 3D display at the show thanks to its ability to showcase dimensions sans any glasses. Unfortunately, the native resolution is just 640 x 480, and yes, it really is just 10-inches in size. In due time, the outfit hopes to scale up to screen sizes that may actually be appealing to end users by utilizing multiple projectors (each of which with a 800 x 600 resolution), though a 4K x 2K 3D display (of the glasses-free variety) is still probably a couple of trade shows out. At least.

[Via 3D-Display-Info]

Hitachi exhibits 10-inch glasses-free 3D display originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10-inch3d3d glasses3dGlassesceatecceatec 2009Ceatec2009Full Parallax 3D TVFullParallax3dTvglasses freeglasses free 3dglasses-free 3dGlasses-free3dGlassesFreeGlassesFree3dHitachiprojectorFri, 16 Oct 2009 20:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Funai, CinemaNow team up to include online video store access in devices worldwide]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/16/funai-cinemanow-team-up-to-include-online-video-store-access-in/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/16/funai-cinemanow-team-up-to-include-online-video-store-access-in/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/16/funai-cinemanow-team-up-to-include-online-video-store-access-in/#commentsFiled under: ,

Expect various movie streaming services to pop up in every store brand TV, Blu-ray player and set-top box around shortly, now that Funai and CinemaNow have announced a business deal. The two companies have a lot in common, while you may see Sylvania, Magnavox, Philips and Emerson as the brand on the shelf, Funai puts together the lower end electronics that end up flying off the shelves of local Wal-marts, while CinemaNow 's movie store is behind the online efforts of giants like Blockbuster. Be prepared to notice on-device streaming as the next checkbox next to "3D digital comb filter" on every generic cardboard box in the electronics aisle, though until the experience improves we don't see too many customers taking advantage.

Funai, CinemaNow team up to include online video store access in devices worldwide originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blockbustercinemanowemersonfunaiinternet videoInternetVideomagnavoxphilipsstreamingsylvaniaFri, 16 Oct 2009 16:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Level 3 delivering end to end uncompressed video from Broncos home games]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/13/level-3-delivering-end-to-end-uncompressed-video-from-broncos-ho/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/13/level-3-delivering-end-to-end-uncompressed-video-from-broncos-ho/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/13/level-3-delivering-end-to-end-uncompressed-video-from-broncos-ho/#commentsFiled under: ,

Possible more notable than the Broncos 5-0 start (okay, not really, did anyone see this coming after that seemingly terrible offseason?) is the announcement from Level 3 Communications that its home games at Invesco Field are the first to have their video sent back to the broadcaster completely uncompressed. Thanks to its fiber connection laid in preparation for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the company sends a 1.5 Gbps stream directly to the broadcaster's home studio, as an alternative to the usual (and still in place while this new delivery is evaluated) method of compressing at the site on a production truck. VP Mark Taylor claims this allows them to get the absolute highest quality signal possible, but we'll wait until it's installed at more than one professional stadium to proclaim end to end uncompressed video delivery as the way of the future.

Level 3 delivering end to end uncompressed video from Broncos home games originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>denver broncosDenverBroncosfiberlevel 3level 3 communicationsLevel3Level3CommunicationsTue, 13 Oct 2009 11:31:00 EST<![CDATA[A 1998 Forrester Research prediction about HDTVs wasn't even close]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/09/a-1998-forrester-research-prediction-about-hdtvs-wasnt-even-clo/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/09/a-1998-forrester-research-prediction-about-hdtvs-wasnt-even-clo/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/09/a-1998-forrester-research-prediction-about-hdtvs-wasnt-even-clo/#commentsFiled under:

Forrester Research logoOne of our favorite pastimes here at Engadget HD is to give analysts and researchers a hard time and this is one that we just couldn't pass up. The HDTV Almanac happened across a very old Forrester Research report that didn't think HDTV had much of a future. Of course looking back over 10 years makes it almost too easy to poke fun, but predicting that HDTVs would still cost $2000 in 2008 seems pretty silly about now. What's worse is the prediction that only one million sets would be sold by 2003, while the number ended up being 3.4 million. Looking back at all of this makes us wonder about all the 3D predictions we've seen lately, because if consumers went that crazy about going from 480i to 1080p, just imagine how they'll feel about adding a third dimension.

A 1998 Forrester Research prediction about HDTVs wasn't even close originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Loud Commercials
Unfortunately with the dynamic sound of Dolby Digital sound in HD programming also comes crazy loud commercials. In addition to a few technical reasons, the main way advertisers get around the FCCs commercial volume regulations is by making the entire commercial just as loud as the explosion that killed off your favorite character. Obviously this is ridiculous and Rep. Anna Eshoo of California intends to do something about it by introducing CALM (Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation Act) to the House of Representatives. At the same time the folks at ATSC are looking for ways to let broadcasters get it under control, and of course there is Dolby Volume and SRS TruVolume if you want to take matters into your own hands. Personally we wish there was just a hack that would automatically hit the mute button during commercials, and just for the record, we DVR everything and skip commercials for everything except sports.

It'll probably take an act of congress to ban loud commercials originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Seattle Times sat down with Ceton, and the entire Hammer family that founded the company, and uncovered some pretty interesting details about the Kirkland, WA startup. Lucky for Windows Media Center fans -- when Gary and Pamela Hammer's son Jeremy graduated from college with a engineering degree, the entire family decided to start a new company, which designed the first multi-stream CableCARD tuner for HTPCs. Without going into all the details here, we did enjoy learning about the origins of the company as well as the fact that a yet to be announced dual tuner version of the quad tuner card should sell for less than $300. We've been excited about this product since CES 2009, but as we get closer and stories like this surface we can hardly contain our anticipation.

A brief history of Ceton and its 6-tuner CableCARD HTPC tuner originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As with pretty much every other optical disc out there that claims to hold a near-infinite amount of data, we're still skeptical about TDK's ability to actually bring to market the 320GB spinner you see above. But hey -- it's got ten 32GB layers and it's practically see-through. Did you really expect us to walk on by without clicking the shutter even once? Exactly.

TDK's heavily stacked 320GB disc shows its nearly-clear face at CEATEC originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We can't say for certain how good it feels to hoist this big-faced behemoth onto one's shoulder, but it's the first time we've seen Panasonic's 1080p twin-lens P2 3D camcorder out and about since its fabled introduction at NAB earlier this year. Strategically placed beside a 3D Avatar trailer demo, the camcorder looked exactly like the press shot we saw of the prototype before, though there's still no formal word on when it'll be used to film your friend's Bar Mitzvah (or anything else half as cool). A boy can dream, yeah?

Panasonic's 1080p twin-lens P2 camcorder seen behind three-dee glass at CEATEC originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1080p3d3d camcorder3d hd3dCamcorder3dHdavatarcamcorderceatecceatec 2009Ceatec2009conceptfeatureshands-onhd 3dhd camcorderHd3dHdCamcorderp2panasonicpicspicturesprosumerprototypeTue, 06 Oct 2009 23:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Panasonic's 50-inch 1080p 3D plasma spotted, watched at CEATEC]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/06/panasonics-50-inch-1080p-3d-plasma-spotted-watched-at-ceatec/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/06/panasonics-50-inch-1080p-3d-plasma-spotted-watched-at-ceatec/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/06/panasonics-50-inch-1080p-3d-plasma-spotted-watched-at-ceatec/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

At this point, Panasonic's 50-inch 3D plasma is just another one joining the fray, but considering how highly hyped the technology behind this was, we couldn't pass up an opportunity to throw our eyes on it for a bit at CEATEC. The 1080p panel was strikingly thin (or well mounted to give that impression), and the viewing angles were fantastic. The glasses that Panny provided, however, were relatively annoying (no surprise there). It should be noted that the actual spectacles sit pretty far off of your face, which simultaneously enables those with actual glasses to partake in the 3D experience while frustrating those without by giving them a cute blue rim that refuses to leave the periphery. As for image quality, the G-Force demo looked downright stunning, with depth being easily perceived and fast moving action whisking about seamlessly. Still, we're having a hard time believing a family of four would sit down and use these glasses for a two-hour presentation, but hey, we're not going to give up on the marketing squads just yet.

Panasonic's 50-inch 1080p 3D plasma spotted, watched at CEATEC originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And some people didn't know it is possible to make an old movie look good in HD, and here Pixar is going back and making 15 year old movies 3D. Evidently Pixar has always thought about how its movies would look in 3D and decided to go back and make it happen with the first two Toy Story movies. The timing is due to the fact that Toy Story 3 is right around the corner, but while fans wait to see it, they can go to the theater and relive the first two like never before. What's interesting is that the original data took about 4 months to convert just to make it compatible with Pixar's current technology, and after that was done, it took another 6 months to convert each movie to 3D. The other interesting nuget is about how the distance between the two cameras help determine how "3D" an image will look -- an interesting read even if you're not interested in 3D.


[Via TVSnob.com]

Pixar talks about what it took to upgrade Toy Story to 3D originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3DNY TimesNyTimesPixarToy StoryToy Story 2ToyStoryToyStory2Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Wal-Mart cutting back DVD and Blu-ray display area]]>http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/06/wal-mart-cutting-back-dvd-and-blu-ray-display-area/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/06/wal-mart-cutting-back-dvd-and-blu-ray-display-area/http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/10/06/wal-mart-cutting-back-dvd-and-blu-ray-display-area/#commentsFiled under: ,

Wal-mart Blu-ray display
Looks like the nation's biggest retailer is figuring out that DVDs and Blu-ray Discs don't bring in the number of customers that they used to. Honestly this is pretty much what we'd expect as more and more consumers are renting from Netflix and Redbox and when they do decide to buy instead of rent, they know that Amazon is hard to beat. So all of that combined with the streaming competition, it makes sense to reassign the valuable shelf space to something a little more profitable.

Wal-Mart cutting back DVD and Blu-ray display area originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3D camera
You know what the least accurate type of survey is? One where you ask someone what they'd pay for something, because we don't know about anyone else, but the answer is almost always, "as little as possible." So it isn't much of a shocker that when asked, only 43 percent of those interested in 3D at home, said they're willing to spend an extra $200 for a 3D capable HDTV. Of that same group who actually wants 3D, only 33 percent would be willing to spend an extra $50 on a 3D capable Blu-ray player -- no clue why these two numbers aren't the same, guess the respondents didn't think about where the 3D content would come from. Although these numbers aren't encouraging, we wonder if a similar survey was ever conducted for 1080p HDTVs. We say that because at this point most consumers wouldn't think about buying a 720p HDTV and 3D is a much bigger upgrade.

Survey says consumer won't pay that much extra for 3D originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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