Recent Comments:
iPod nano 4G leaked in actual, factual, really-real spy photo {Engadget}
Sep 9th 2008 11:47AM It's a fake unless Apple is now ripping off the counterfeiters in China:
http://picasaweb.google.com/piston65...47587380033826
I took that photo last Oct. 07. Remove the logo on the screen and it's the same right down to the packaging.
Hell freezes over, new DirecTV HD TiVo on the way {Engadget HD}
Sep 3rd 2008 12:53PM Wow. This is the best news I've heard from DTV in a long time. I've been using DTV's TiVo's since 2002 (including the HD TiVo) but recently switched to the HR21 to get the new HD channels. The HR21 is a serviceable DVR and not as bad as many of the cable DVRs I've played with in terms of interface, but it's no TiVo and still quite buggy (I reboot it about once a week).
Let's see how long it takes for them to actually release it though. "Second part of 2009" in DTV speak usually means late 2010. :P
Sony, Samsung both claim "world's first" 200Hz LCD TV {Engadget HD}
Sep 2nd 2008 8:55PM 240Hz makes sense in the US since it's divisible by 24, 30, and 60. These 200 Hz sets must be for PAL areas with 25 and 50 Hz content.
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best wireless rear speaker option? {Engadget HD}
May 14th 2008 8:40PM I've had mixed experiences with the Rocketfish. A friend of mine has it and gets the hum when not in use (Rocketfish claims to have fixed this in later models). I setup a friend's HTIB using the Rocketfish and it works great for him. I recently moved and bought one for myself but had it die (wouldn't power on) about a week later and had to return it. Instead of buying another one I decided to stop being lazy and physically run the wires.
When the Rocketfish works, it's not bad and the price is very reasonable. It's ideal for those with a HTIB setup and better than nothing for those with even better setups.
Engadget HD Podcast 084 - 05.07.2008 {Engadget HD}
May 11th 2008 7:45PM Ben,
In your podcast you ranted against 120Hz sets and argued that they should be 72Hz instead. While 72Hz would be great for 24fps film based material using a 3:3 pulldown, it wouldn't work so well with the huge amount of TV and video content out there that's at 30fps or 60fps. They would have to do an uneven pulldown (similar to 3:2 but a different rate, you do the math) in order to display this content. With 120Hz, you can display 24fps with a 5:5 pulldown, 30fps with a 4:4 pulldown, and 60fps with a 2:2 pulldown. This eliminates the judder seen in non-equal pulldowns for the three most common frame rates we use in the U.S.
Unfortunately many TV makers don't have a 5:5 pulldown setting in their 120Hz sets and instead interpolate frames which gives 24fps content this weird unnatural video look. However, if you can find a 120Hz set that will do a 5:5 pulldown you'll have the option to watch 24fps content at its native frame rate and judder free.
Poll: Do you have a multi-channel surround sound system? {Engadget HD}
May 10th 2008 12:27PM I have 5.1 surround with a receiver capable of TrueHD and DTS-MA-HD either via bitstream or LPCM. Audio is important to me as the picture only tells half the story.
Netflix switching queued HD DVDs to DVDs? {Engadget HD}
Feb 26th 2008 6:29PM BTW, for some reason Netflix is switching my HD-DVD selections to DVD even though I have Blu-Ray listed on my account and the movie is available in Blu-Ray. I don't know why they aren't switching them to Blu-Ray instead. Be sure to check your queue from time to time to if you happen to have a Blu-Ray player and switch those movies changed to DVD to Blu-Ray whenever possible.
Netflix switching queued HD DVDs to DVDs? {Engadget HD}
Feb 26th 2008 6:13PM Michael Clayton is still showing HD-DVD for me, but I am Legend switched to DVD. I have a PS3 as well, so I just switched the latter to Blu-Ray.
Personally, I'm glad the format war is all but over. Yeah, I bought an HD-DVD player, but it was cheap ($129). I also bought Heros on HD-DVD. Other than that, I'm not very invested in the format and would rather just have one format for HD. My A2 will make for a good upconverting DVD player in a second room and was still cheaper than my Oppo. :P
