Recent Comments:
Samsung reveals 50- / 58- / 63-inch 7 Series plasma HDTVs {Engadget HD}
Jul 23rd 2008 10:51AM They aren't gunning for Pioneer, at least in how picture quality is concerned. That one million to one contrast ratio is a play on the testing specs, and it cannot do that kind of contrast with any real-world content. It's actual black levels with real movies/video is quite poor compared to the Pioneers and Panasonics. It's color accuracy is pretty good though, as well as the video processing.
Epson's Ensemble HD Home Cinema System now shipping {Engadget HD}
Jul 9th 2008 12:03AM Most of the price is the projector itself, I love their 1080UB's and hopefully they sell a lot of these.
Sony's $400 BDP-S350 Blu-ray player shows July 15th ship date {Engadget HD}
Jul 1st 2008 4:38PM Yes, that's correct.
Poll: What's the best HTPC Blu-ray software? {Engadget HD}
Jun 26th 2008 3:31PM Agreed, if you are just trying to build a pc to play discs from the drive, it's cheaper to buy a stand-alone player if you want uncompressed audio. $100-200 Video card + $150-200 sound card + $100 drive plus the software is more than a PS3.
However, if you use it as a media server then the extra cost is worth it and you really need AnyDVD HD to make streaming painless.
Fully waterproof 70-inch 1080p LCD HDTV goes great in yachts {Engadget HD}
Jun 26th 2008 12:39PM You can charge whatever you want with no competition:)
If Tiger Woods wants a big stinking tv on his boat or in his cabana, who's gonna tell him he can't do it cause it costs to much lol.
Pioneer Kuro LCDs get official European rollout {Engadget HD}
Jun 25th 2008 7:07PM ditto
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best home theater projector? {Engadget HD}
Jun 25th 2008 2:47PM http://www.projectorreviews.com/Best1080pProjectors032008/index.php
That ought to answer all the questions, the Samsung isn't in there but based on initial reviews you shouldn't need to spend the extra money on one with the RS2 and the Optoma HD-81LV probably being just as good for almost half the price.
Kaleidescape's overpriced upscaling DVD players get reviewed {Engadget HD}
Jun 19th 2008 10:15AM I haven't seen anyone post this yet so I'll go ahead and say it. I have no problem with someone selling a $4k dvd player (heck Meridian and others sell dvd players costing $20k right?), people will buy it. I too have seen dvd's upscaled on HD-DVD players looking just about the same as the HD-DVD side of the disc (although only on a 42" tv).
Like another has said, this player hooks up to the dvd/cd server to allow you to not only play a disc in the drive but all your stored movies/music. So in that sense you're also getting a streamer. Throw in the fact that these are sold through dealers looking to make a profit on hardware plus needing to support them, and you start seeing the price more justified.
What people need to realize though, is folks that purchase Kaleidescape systems also have Runco/Barco/Sim2/ProjectionDesign projectors that have built-in video processors every bit as good as what's in these dvd players. Heck the JVC RS2 and the Optoma HD81-LV have the same Gennum processing. So it's entirely pointless to have the image processed twice, just send the projector a 480i signal and allow it to do all the processing. So in that sense, these players are very overpriced, because the money for all the snazzy processing isn't going to be utilized. However, if you have these players stuffed all over the house, there's a good chance the video processing on the tv's in other rooms would not be as good as the Gennum in the player. So in that sense you can see the benefit of the extra cost. Perhaps have a player available without processing to lower cost? - yeah right, the people that buy these systems don't care how much it costs, they just want it to work and don't want to spend any time keeping it up (think of a CEO working 70 hrs a week, he doesn't care about cost just wants it to work)
In response to Curt, as far as I know Kaleidescape doesn't dim the lights and lower the screen, that's all done with separate Crestron/Lutron/AMX etc automation and lighting systems, Kaleidescape is simply a dvd/cd server with a cool interface.
$150,000 Italian Village Theater brings Italy to you {Engadget HD}
Jun 17th 2008 9:46AM Once again the guy with the Mcintosh gear has the ability to turn off the blue lights so it doesn't interfere with the picture...
Conceptronic ships Grab 'n GO Full HD media streamer {Engadget HD}
Jun 12th 2008 11:05AM Don't get your hopes up too soon, Popcorn Hour streams MKV's but has all sorts of bugs during reviews. Some show promise but need further implementation. It may stream MKV but the interface sucks or whatever, wait for reviews to come out before spending the cash.
