Skip to Content

WoW Insider is getting ready for BlizzCon!
AOL Tech

1080i posts

WD TV Mini loses Full HD, but remains a handy Media Player

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 18th 2009 at 11:54AM

While we wait excitedly for Western Digital to update its HD Media Player, the company has decided to add another, value-minded product to its media player range. Working along the same lines as the HD unit, The WD TV Mini serves as a conduit between your TV set and USB-connected storage -- whether it be a camcorder, an external HDD or a humble flash drive -- and plays back a vast array of digital media formats. The Mini part to its name refers to its diminutive 91 x 91 x 22 mm footprint, but being the younger sibling also means it loses a couple of the premium features, namely HDMI and full 1080p, though that drop-off isn't too steep with 1080i and composite plus component outputs serving as alternatives. It's available now for $99.

MSNBC sets a date for HDTV broadcasts: June 29

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 3rd 2009 at 9:03AM

Already delayed beyond its planned pre-election launch, and following CNBC's first dabble into real HD, MSNBC has chosen Monday, June 29 as the day it becomes self aw....begins broadcasting in high definition. No word specifically which programs will be in HD, but with the network already broadcasting from two HD ready studios since 2007, there should be plenty to go around for Olbermann, Maddow and Scarborough. No word on carriage, but we're thinking it's no coincidence this news came out of the Cable Show, so expect to hear more in the next few months.

1080i / 720p broadcast HD debate revisited

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 6th 2009 at 8:33AM


Looking back at the 1080i vs. 720p debate, Electronic House breaks down the broadcast formats we're left with for our televised HD. With the major players locked down and millions of dollars of equipment already in place it's basically a check of where the dust has settled (ABC & Fox on 720p, most others on 1080i.) These days our worries usually tend more towards overcompression and other maladies potentially affecting the signal than its native resolution -- at least until 1080p & 3D hit the stage.

CBS to produce all NFL games in HD, but will you see them that way?

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 1st 2008 at 2:35PM

We'd never doubt our old friend Ken H at AVSForum and his magic 8-ball, so it's no surprise that when Sports Video Group interviewed the VP of engineering at CBS, he confirmed all of the network's NFL games this season will be produced in 1080i. Unfortunately, due to a lack of network capacity, it's possible that the late game of a double header could start out distributed in SD, before switching to a high definition feed later, and halftime highlights will be SD-only. Both of those situations will be resolved by the '09 season when CBS' NFL contract requires it go all-HD, all the time - as the last NFL-free weekend comes to a close, news that the suffering will soon end eases the pain...a little.

[Via HD Sports Guide & AVSForum]

Nederland 1 testing 1080i instead of 720p after PQ complaints

by Richard Lawler posted Jul 15th 2008 at 4:22PM

Rekindling the 1080i vs. 720p HD debate, Dutch pubcaster NPO is offering an HD version of Nederland 1 HD in 1080i as opposed to 720p because of complaints about picture quality. Apparently many of the complaints stemmed from the Euro 2008 matches after the native feed was made to do the 1080i/720p switch by technical partner Technicolor, and resulted in many complaints. The 1080i feed is in testing now on several broadcasters, so any of our Dutch readers give it a shot and see if you notice the difference. As ignorant Americans we generally avoid such issues by simply ignoring sports outside our borders, but highlights of Euro 2008 looked pretty good on ESPN HD's 720p feed, so we're leaning more towards equipment or compression problems as being behind the gripes until proven otherwise.

PS3 Burnout: Paradise "Cagney" update adds 1080i support

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 29th 2008 at 2:19PM


Gamers stuck with an older HDTV that doesn't support 720p input can cheer for the upcoming Burnout: Paradise "Cagney" update, which adds (among other things) 1080i output support for the PlayStation 3 version. Dismissively referring to such sets "almost HD", Simon Phipps of Criterion dropped the details on the free update due July 10 that also adds improved SD rendering on the PS3 and support for custom soundtracks. It'd be nicer if that slick 2.40 update added Xbox 360-style scaling for all games so developers didn't to expend the effort, but from the sounds of things it's not high on Sony's list of priorities.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

ITI Neovision's N brings 1080i porn-on-demand to Poland

by Darren Murph posted May 21st 2008 at 3:34AM


Hold onto your trousers folks, as ITI Neovision's quizzically named N is bringing HD porn to Polish subscribers anytime they want. The service, which is thought to be the first of its kind in Europe, enables customers to select, purchase and view 1080i XXX-rated titles on-demand. According to a local, the first two flicks to surface are Sensual Dolls and Born To Be Sexy, both of which sound like surefire winners if that's what you're into. No word on how pricey each selection will be, but feel free to test the service out and let us know how it shapes up if you're so bold.

[Thanks, Arsenal]

Survivor meets HDTV for the first time this summer

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 13th 2008 at 8:21PM Breaking News

That's right, one of the biggest shows still stuck in 480i is making the switch when it begins shooting this summer, as announced by Sony and CBS at NAB2008. Coming into its 17th season (to air in early 2009), it's the first CBS reality show to make the HD jump, via Sony's XDCAM production system. Executive producer Mark Burnett is calling it a "new era" for the show, we're calling it "about time". It's just a bit embarrassing that the Miss USA pageant made the jump first, but we won't complain about more HD footage from the beautiful locales Survivor tends to visit. No word on how much that extra resolution will cost CBS, but with more people buying HDTVs everyday we don't see how they could afford not to.

Masters HDTV broadcast sets records on ESPN, stumbles on CBS?

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 13th 2008 at 6:27PM


We've been getting in our fair share of greens watching the last few days, with the 2008 Masters Tournament spread our over four days on two networks, it might be one of the best sports events in HD. TVBytheNumbers called it a reason to get high definition (like we need a reason), before suffering through some SD-only hiccups yesterday -- a check of AVS Forum's thread reveals there may have been breakdown in some areas, but it looks great now. The New York Times keeps it old school, insisting the Augusta National can only be truly appreciated in real life, but with the most viewers of a golf telecast on cable ever, we're sure quite a few you took a look on ESPN-HD.

Read - TVbytheNumbers
Read - New York Times
Read - AVS Forum
Read - Multichannel News

Interact-TV announces 1080i/p support across Telly media server line

by Darren Murph posted Mar 12th 2008 at 6:01PM


It's been some time since we've seen Interact-TV making any noise, but the company famous for cranking out Linux-based home entertainment servers is announcing that every product it makes will now support 1080i/p. More specifically, its Telly Home Entertainment Servers and TellyVizion playback units are all being offered with DVI / HDMI outputs, which support 1080p along with 720p / 1080i via component. Additionally, 480i upscaling to 1080p is now possible, and you can wrap your paws around one of Interact-TV's devices for as little as $899 as we speak.

Hama PhotoPlayer 1080i digital picture viewer

by Joshua Topolsky posted Dec 4th 2007 at 10:03AM


Hey there Ansel Adams -- we know you're shooting all your news pictures in an ultra-detailed, millions-of-megapixels format. Unfortunately for you, it's hard to show off your breathtaking work to friends and family. Well, a company called Hama hopes to change all that with its PhotoPlayer 1080i, a curious device that serves one basic function: it allows you to view your photos on an HD television. Basically, the little contraption is a 35-in-1 card reader which also outputs images (via component hookups) to your favorite 1080i-equipped display. The PhotoPlayer comes with a tiny remote for flipping through your majestic vision, and also includes a USB jack (for hard drives and the like), so you can go for a really, really long haul during your presentations. We can hear the "oohs" and "ahhs" already. Available now, no word on price.

[Via PhotographyBLOG]

Seven Network's 7HD launch takes Australia by surprise

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 16th 2007 at 2:12PM

Australia's Seven Network took its competitors and its customers by surprise yesterday when it officially launched its HDTV channel, six weeks ahead of the original December launch date. 7HD's plan is to "blitz" its competitors, according to executive David Leckie, and it seems to have worked, with Channels Ten and Nine still waiting 'til December to go ahead with HD broadcasts. No word yet if they have resolved the 1080i compression problems noted during testing in July, but some forum posters are complaining that the advertised 5.1 surround sound is still just regular stereo.

Read - DTV Forum Australia
Read - Herald Sun

Southeast Asia's first HD channel, HD5 launches Nov 11

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 15th 2007 at 4:16PM

Southeast Asia is finally ready to officially launch its first HD channel, when MediaCorp rolls out HD5 in 1080i on November 11. The channel will be a simulcast of Singapore's existing channel 5, and will only be in HD about 30% of the time to start. MediaCorp has already made deals with Voom and others for HD content, and plans to increase that number to 50% during prime time over the next 18 months. About 10,000 homes are already testing HDTV via SingTel's IPTV service, along with the 1,000 households previously testing the service.

Top 10 HD Misunderstandings

by Matt Burns posted Aug 22nd 2007 at 8:46PM

Normally we feel that late night TV can keep their so-called "Top 10" lists, however "Top 10 HD Misunderstandings" is something we can get into. We won't rain on this guys picnic by listing the entire list but we do have to touch on our two favorite: #4 - LCDs/Plasmas/LCoS/DLP suck for Gaming/Movies/TV/HTPC & #2 - 1080i is inferior to 720p which is finger paint to 1080p Van Gogh. While there still is a debate over the superior display type, we all can agree that LCDs, plasmas, LCoS, and DLP's are mature enough to handle video games and fast moving sports. Sure, some might be slightly better but quality sets will do a fine job. 1080i and 720p produce the same image, just in slightly different ways; the end result in both resolutions however is still high-def. 1080p sound great on paper but we still feel that until you get into a large size, or use the display chiefly as a computer monitor, most consumers will not tell the difference - Pioneer's KURO plasma helps this argument. The amount of dumbfounded folks walking around any random Circuit City/Best Buy proves this whole HDTV thing is overwhelming and while we don't feel that this Top 10 list will cure the common cold, it should help calm the stomach of some.

[Via Digg]

Sony's RDR-HXD870 HDD / DVD recorder gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Aug 7th 2007 at 4:22PM


Granted, Sony's RDR-HXD870 will attract the most attention in Freeview-capable territories, but this fairly well-spec'd digital recorder managed to lure the reviewers at TrustedReviews over to give it a whirl. Packing a 160GB HDD, HDMI output, 1080p upscaling capability, a digital TV tuner, Electronic Program Guide, FireWire, and the ability to burn content to just about every standard DVD format known to man (save for DVD-RAM), this stylish machine managed to impress with its Series Recording function, vast amount of connections, "staggering array of recording and editing features," and the "intelligently designed user interface and remote." Potentially more important, onlookers were "blown away" by the image quality when hooked up to a 1080p-capable Hitachi plasma, and while we're always a bit skeptical when there's literally no major quibbles, it sounds like Sony has a real winner on its hands with the reasonably priced HXD870.




AOL News

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Joystiq
Download Squad
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
BloggingStocks
Joystiq Xbox
Autoblog
Big Download
Fanhouse NFL Blog