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Epson's Ensemble HD Home Cinema System now shipping

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 9:45PM


We're still rather bummed that Epson failed to add in a third option for its Ensemble HD Home Cinema System that included a Blu-ray player, but nevertheless, those interested in picking up a complete -- and we mean complete -- home theater system at once can finally do so. Said package is available with your choice of a PowerLite 1080p or 720p projector, a 100-inch motorized screen, upconverting DVD player, Atlantic Technology 5.1 speaker system, universal remote, every single cable you'll need to hook things up, a wire management track system and all necessary mounting brackets. Ready for the sting? You're looking at $6,999 for the 1080p system and $4,999 for the 720p edition.

Mitsubishi's 3D plans brought into focus, PC gaming to play a role

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 7:04PM


When Mitsubishi admitted that it was holding hands with NVIDIA and Aspen Media for no other reason than to prove that they all three hearted 3D, we must say, we were miffed. Now, however, it seems that plans are finally coming to light, and everything is starting to make a whole lot more sense. Reportedly, the three firms are gearing up to showcase how well they can work together to produce eye-pleasing 3D PC gaming results in select retail outlets this July. At first, none of the components will be sold together per se, but bundle deals are definitely in the works. Whether or not budding PC gamers are ready to switch to a DLP-based HDTV as their primary monitor, however, remains to be seen.

Sharp kicks out a trio of AQUOS LCD TVs in the UK

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 5:38PM


Nothing too exceptional here, but Sharp is livening up its AQUOS LCD TV family with the introduction of three new (currently unpriced) kids. First up is the 19-inch LC-19D1E (available in black or white), which features a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 7,500:1 contrast ratio, built-in Freeview tuner, PC / HDMI inputs and 176-degree viewing angles. Next, we've got the 32-inch LC-32XL8E and 37-inch LC-37XL8E (piano black only), both of which boast 1080p panels, 100Hz technology, a 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 6-millisecond response time, three HDMI sockets, SRS TruSound and a Freeview digital tuner to boot. Folks in the UK can find the smallest of the three right now, while the newest duo in the XL8E series can be procured later this month.

[Via TechDigest]

HDTV Listings for July 8, 2008

by Richard Lawler, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 4:43PM

What we're watching tonight:
  • ABC Family (720p) has The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8 p.m.
  • ABC (720p) brings I Survived a Japanese Game Show at 9:01 p.m.
  • Discovery (1080i) has Deadliest Catch at 9 p.m.
  • Sci Fi (1080i) throws in ECW at 10 p.m.
  • History (1080i) has Mega Disasters at 10 p.m.

Are there two Vista Media Center updates due this year?

by Ben Drawbaugh, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 3:46PM

Vista Media CenterThe little birdies that clued us in about the upcoming Vista Media Center update a few days ago are at it again, but this time with some potential good news. When the recent Windows Media Center TV Pack release candidate 0 was released to testers and was missing all of our favorite features, we were quick to assume that this would mean no new features until Windows 7. Well, based on some recent information received by our sources, the reason H.264 was cut was because it was too complex to add -- because of all the dependencies involved -- in time. You see, evidently this tuner update was promised to be released to OEMs by the end of July. Now our sources seem to be optimistic that there is another update in the works, and that it might just include both H.264 and DirecTV tuner support. More about the Windows Media Center TV Pack after the jump.

Gallery: Leaked Fiji Screen shots

  • Telextext support
  • Edit favorites menu
  • Edit your favorite list
  • Edit the channel number

Continue reading Are there two Vista Media Center updates due this year?

LG Display to post huge Q2 profits, LCD sales expected to slump in coming quarters

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 2:54PM


While we just heard last month that flat-panel sales would be spearheading 2008 consumer electronics growth, a new outlook has those very sales looking bleak for the remainder of the year. The news come amidst the expectation of LG Display to post profits for Q2 that "more than [triple] thanks to strong demand for TVs and tight supplies of PC panels." According to James Kim, an analyst at Lehman Brothers, "earnings have peaked in the second quarter," and while he asserts that "demand to replace TVs with flat-screen models is still there, fewer consumers are buying large-size TVs because of the weak economy." Still, sales of smaller sets are expected to steadily climb in emerging markets as the Beijing Olympics draw near, but it remains to be seen how large an impact those markets will have.

[Via WidescreenReview]

Windows Media Center SideShow Gadget released in beta

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 1:41PM


We'll admit that SideShow hasn't acquired nearly the fanfare we bet Microsoft figured it would, but those still interested in what it can do will likely be elated to find that the long-awaited Windows Media Center SideShow Gadget is finally available. Released last week in beta form, said download can be sucked down as we speak and used within Vista Media Center to change live TV channels, schedule recordings, start / stop playback of clips and browse your photo / music files to boot. Anyone spent any serious time with it over the holiday (in the US, anyway) weekend?

[Via Chris Lanier's Blog, thanks Josh]

Syntax-Brillian waves the white flag, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 12:45PM Breaking News

So yeah, apparently that whole attempt to "streamline operations" back in April didn't go over so well, as Syntax-Brillian -- you know, that firm neck deep in panel partnerships and responsible for Olevia HDTVs -- has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Arizona-based company has also "entered into a deal to sell certain of its assets to a newly created company called Olevia International Group LLC," which has agreed to pick up some $60 million of its secured debt. We're also told that operations in Tempe have ceased, and "about eight employees" (including the finance chief, general counsel and finance staff) are sticking around with nothing better to do.

[Thanks, Paul]

Acer rolls out the Aspire X1200 home theater-friendly mini PC for $499

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 11:49AM

Acer Aspire x1200
Always wanted to install a little computer into your home theater but none of the available options are cutting it, what with all the giant media files and HD displays you're rolling? Enter Acer's Aspire X1200, which for $450 includes on-board NVIDIA GeForce 8200 graphics, an AMD Athlon X2 2850e processor, and HDMI port. Acer promises full 7.1-channel audio support as well as the guts to work with H.264, VC1, and MPEG2 and the spunk to output 1080P. The whole shebang comes in a rack-friendly 10.6 x 4.0 x 14.4-inch enclosure. Of course, prices scale up to $699 based on your needs -- the latter coming with a 22-inch display -- but the base price will get you a 320GB SATA II drive and the start of what could be a sweet little home theater PC.

European broadcasters rushing to add HD ahead of the Olympics

by Richard Lawler, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 11:40AM

Despite word from France Television's director of sports programming that HD wouldn't be available for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, France 2 HD has already launched on CanalSat DTH and Numéricable. Unlike the Versus broadcast here, French viewers are also getting the Tour de France in HD and can expect the same from their Olympic coverage. Meanwhile Belgians can thank TV Vlaanderen for adding VRT's Eén HD temporarily to its DTH platform, delivering both events in HD, along with Belgacom TV adding Eén HD, France 2 HD, Eurosport HD and TF1 HD for a total of 13 high definition channels. Really, we can't see watching the Olympics any other way.

Read - Belgacom TV
Read - France 2
Read - VRT Eén HD

JVC Everio HD40 HD camcorder review

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 10:14AM Featured Story


Just last month, we had the absolute pleasure of reviewing Samsung's SC-HMX20C -- which, if you couldn't tell, we really liked. This month, JVC's GZ-HD40 arrived, and we set out to put it through the same paces. Upon ripping the box open and wrapping our paws around it for the first time, we were simultaneously pleased with how light it felt and somewhat dismayed by the bulky design. Still, there's more to a camcorder than external pizazz, so join us after the break as we test out this dual-format device on a fantastic weekend filled with sun, sand and sunburn.

Continue reading JVC Everio HD40 HD camcorder review

First Blu-ray Disc testing center established in China

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 9:34AM


Barely a month after hearing rumors that the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) would be granting licenses to 11 China-based manufacturers, in flies official word that the very first Blu-ray Disc testing center has been established in that very nation. CESI Technology, a contributor member of the BDA, is the lucky winner, and as of today, "Chinese manufacturers can receive verification services for the official production of BD-ROM Movie Players at this center." Hopefully, this means that we'll be waiting less for the development and market launch of BD products. On a slightly related note, DigiRise DRA -- also a Chinese company -- found that its homegrown digital audio coding technology has passed an important milestone in the Blu-ray approval process. Not that we're crazy about having one more codec to juggle, but there you have it. More details on both points below.

Read - First BDA testing center in China
Read - DRA audio codec

Gangs of New York Blu-ray transfer not up to snuff?

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 8:57AM


This isn't the first time we've heard of a Blu-ray release not exactly living up to the format it's being released on, but apparently purchasers of Gangs of New York are none too pleased with the BD transfer. It is noteworthy that this film had a pretty wretched DVD transfer, but it seems that those in charge of transferring it to Blu-ray didn't quite take the time to fix the issues that were already present. Sure, the BD version looks a touch better than the DVD edition, but we're still seeing loads of artifacts and noise... just at 1080p. Anyone else raging mad right about now, or is your copy not worth griping over?

[Thanks, Michael]

Will Blu-ray audio discs take off, or flounder aimlessly à la DVD-A / SACD?

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 7:58AM


For those burned by either DVD-Audio, SACD or HD DVD (or, heaven forbid, any combination of the three), you're probably taking a rather defensive approach to Blu-ray audio. Now that said format is the sole king of high-definition media (in the physical realm, anyway), it's just a matter of time before firms start pushing out full-fledged audio discs while trumpeting the incredulous sound quality. After all, with 50GB of space, you can fit an awful lot of high-resolution audio on there. We've already seen the first BD record released and we already know that Neil Young's entire archive will soon be loosed on the format, but are the puzzle pieces aligned for Blu-ray audio to take off? From our standpoint, we're still hesitant to say yes. With CD players still dominating dashboards and BD drives still a long ways from being commonplace in computers, BD audio is apt to remain a niche good for years to come. Even still, do you think it has what it takes to overcome?

Crystal Audio launches TR-100 and TR-60 wireless speaker kits

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 6:28AM


A couple of months back, we asked about options for hooking up rear surround speakers without running wires. For those still on the hunt (and located in the UK), here are two more options. Crystal Audio's TR-100 frees a pair of speakers from wires by providing two transmitters and two receivers, each which pack 100-watts of power. The more affordable TR-60 powers a pair of speakers from one receiver, giving each driver a touch less power. We're told that the units can handle uncompressed wireless transmission of audio and that delay latency is "inaudible to the human ear," but unless you can find these in a local shop to demo, you'll be shelling out £399 ($791) / £249 ($493) in order to see hear for yourself.

[Via Telegraph]




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