Recent Comments:
DISH to have 150 HD channels this year and 1080p VOD in August {Engadget HD}
Jul 31st 2008 10:55AM Actually, things aren't looking well for DISH's outlook these days,
according to a BusinessWeek report in this week's issue. Losing
market share (while DirectTV gains), with customer defections, and
even more so when at&t stops using Dish TV's service in the next 6
months. I'm a subscriber to the print edition, but here's the online
link...
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_31/b4094065678206.htm?chan=search
Warner to finally bring V for Vendetta to Blu-ray {Engadget HD}
Mar 31st 2008 9:14PM The "well dried up" for good Warner HD-DVD exclusives? ...hmm, scratches head.
How about -
CONSTANTINE
CASABLANCA
GRAND PRIX
FORBIDDEN PLANET
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY
...etc
-LOL- (at your comment)
Format heaven: 10 other failures HD DVD will meet {Engadget HD}
Mar 21st 2008 11:01PM For clarification (not mentioned)...
DIVX discs were in Full-Screen only (NO widescreen titles) and did NOT have any special bonus features. Also, Fox was primarily releasing on DIVX (Disney too), and only occasionally released a title on regular DVD. By the way, Sony and Warner NEVER supported or released titles on DIVX.
CED (like LaserDisc) held 2 hours on a disc (two sides). Since Raiders of the Lost Ark has a running time of 115 minutes, it did NOT require a 2nd disc (see comment above) - both the CED and LaserDisc were on one disc. However, any movie over 2 hours required a 2nd disc, although a few movies that were just a few minutes beyond the two hours were often released 'time-compressed' so as to fit on one, 2-sided disc.
Fujitsu quits the display business {Engadget HD}
Dec 27th 2007 6:24PM quote: "Try Samsung, with more patents per year than any other company."
You absolutely sure about this claim? I always heard that it's IBM receives "more patents per year than any other company."
Nothing wrong with Fujitsu displays, except their price, as even those who can afford them might lean these days to the latest generation of high-quality plasmas [Pioneer, Runco, LG] than those available by the legendary Fujitsu.
I recently picked up the 50" Pioneer #5080HD KURO 720p plasma [w/4 HDMI, new plasma cell structure - deep blacks and higher contrast, beautiful color, no image rentention with Orbitor option, etc], a $3499 MSRP unit that I picked up after sale price/discount/price matching for a low $2249. It's the best HDTV I've ever seen (or owned).
Plasma vs LCD: Plasma is still better {Engadget HD}
Dec 22nd 2007 8:12PM I agree with the above from HDpurist. After owning a Sharp Aquos for the last 2 years, I decided to buy a REAL HDTV for dark-room (lights out) theater viewing of movies and concerts. So I just bought a 50" Pioneer KURO 5080HD 720p plasma (w/3-year, 0% interest financing at BBuy) on sale for $2699, with another 10% off (coupon), so my net cost was $2430 + tax. And this past week, I price-matched and saved another $200 since they had lowered the price (to $2499).
The other night I watched APOCALYPTO on Blu-ray from my PS3, with 1080i/60hz output to the Pioneer Kuro, via HDMI, with "smooth" setting on the Kuro's Pure Cinema control [perfect scaling and 3:2 pulldown]. Well... OH MY GOD! Jaw-dropping clarity, color, contrast [w/deep blacks], and no blur at all (unlike LCD) - so much realistic detail, color, and shadow depth that it looks 3-D!!
I will never buy another LCD (except for a office environment, etc), as it is no match to plasma's picture quality, especially the new Pioneer deep-black KURO line released this year. PLASMA ROCKS!
More analyst conjecture: format war will remain stalemated {Engadget HD}
Dec 6th 2007 5:27PM It's funny to read predictions of one hi-def format to soon "win the war".
There's a big problem though. You don't "win" a war if regular/standard DVD has 95% of home video sales, while both HD formats disc sales are less than 5% combined!
Even if we could have perhaps one HD disc format in use right now (take your pick), the majority of discs sold would still be for standard DVDs, rather than an HD version.
So, as another speculated above, both of the HD formats may never become the "mainstream", and could remain a niche format by a limited number of users, like the LaserDisc, which never had more than 4 to 5 million owners worldwide (from it's existence between 1978 to 2000).
Black Friday Giveaways (part 13): Slingbox Pro + HD Connect Cable {Engadget HD}
Nov 25th 2007 5:22PM -My Contest Entry-
DisplaySearch forecasts bright future for plasma displays {Engadget HD}
Nov 4th 2007 3:24PM I've owned a very good quality Sharp Aquos LCD for the past few years, and cannot wait to upgrade to a discounted Panasonic plasma during the after-Thanksgiving sales drive!
I watch movies/concerts almost 100% in a dark-room environment, and no matter how low I set my LCD picture settings, the blacks look so lame [compared to plasma], with "grayish" blacks, and poor color accuracy.
Now that 50" (Panasonic) plasmas have finally become affordable [under $2000 for select 720p and 1080p models], I'm getting anxious to buy my first plasma and move the LCD to the office.
LCDs [with traditional CCFL bulbs] just have no place in a serious "lights out" home theater environment. However, the newer LED-lighted LCDs will probably do quite well, but these are at a premium price right now (until next year when more companies will have LED models).
Sharp's AQUOS P Series of TVs: world's first 22- and 26-inch 1080p LCDs {Engadget HD}
Oct 30th 2007 6:32PM Don't be in a hurry to knock 1080p resolution in smaller-screen sizes.
Geoffrey Morrison commented earlier this year, about one company's forthcoming 9" LCD with 1080p, saying something like: "Don't laugh, imagine having this screen in front of you while watching a hi-def disc on an airplane". Just because it's small doesn't mean there is no benefit to the higher resolution, just as long as you sit close enough to the screen.
Shocker: HDTV price wars headed for Black Friday {Engadget HD}
Oct 23rd 2007 7:50PM I've been happily watching the price of the basic Panasonic 720p plasma [PX75U series] continue to fall for several months now, in both 42" and 50" sizes.
As of today, Fry's Electronics has the 42" screen for only $1100, and the 50" screen is just $300 more ($1400). Amazing prices, and I'm expecting a further drop in the next month, and during the Black Friday weekend.
Compare these bargain plasma prices to an LCD - where a 52" LCD is at least $3000 (and higher), and while having a higher native resolution (1080p), LCD TVs do not have better overall image quality compared to plasma [lower black levels, smoother picture on fast-moving images, etc]. So, I'm looking to get a great Panasonic 720p plasma in about a month.
