While Syntax-Brillian proper is no longer with us, Olevia International Group LLC is (at last check, anyway). Semantics aside, that Olevia-branded Blu-ray deck we heard about way back in May has apparently made it out of the production plant and into Target's supply chain. The BD-100 has finally landed in Target stores, boasting full 1080p output, support for Dolby TrueHD, HDMI / component sockets, coaxial / Toslink digital audio ports and what appears to be a backlit remote. Of note, the unit was slated to launch this month at $299, but first-hand reports have already spotted an entirely more digestible $229 sticker in Target stores. Granted, we're not too sure who'd take a chance with Olevia when a Sony on closeout can be had for even less, but to each his / her own.

[Thanks, David]

1080p on a 28-inch panel, huh? HANNspree is evidently hoping you'll find that proposal quite attractive, as its HT09 offers up just that along with two 5-watt speakers, a 3-millisecond response time, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 800:1 contrast ratio and 160-degree viewing angles. Furthermore, you'll find a pair of HDMI ports (not to mention component, composite and VGA) and a handy remote, all for £279.99 ($491). It's available now in the UK.

[Via Stuff]

If you were hoping to grab a new Blu-ray writer to slap inside of that new tower, you'll be sorely disappointed with Lite-On's new iHES206. The 6x optical drive simply reads Blu-ray Discs, but it will handle writing of blank CD and DVD media. As for speeds, it can digest single-layer BD-R / RE / ROM discs at 6x (dual-layer at 4x) while writing DVD±R at 16X, DVD±R DL / DVD+RW at 8x, DVD-RW at 6x and DVD-RAM at 12x. It's on track for a November release in Europe for a manageable €139 ($189).

[Via CDFreaks]

What we're watching tonight:

• CW (1080i) has 90210 at 8 p.m. and Privileged at 9 p.m.
• ABC Family (720p) has Lincoln Heights at 8 p.m. and Greek at 9 p.m.
• CBS (1080i) airs NCIS at 8 p.m.
• ABC (720p) brings home Dancing With the Stars at 8 p.m.
• ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN, PBS have the Presidential Debate at 9 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) has Dirty Jobs at 9 p.m.
• Sci Fi (1080i) drops in ECW at 9 p.m.
• A&E (720p) has The Cleaner at 10 p.m.
• ESPN2 (720p) has Troy/Florida Atlantic college football at 8 p.m.

After one of our most recent Ask Engadget HD questions aired, we quickly found that you folks heavily preferred the cost and quality of cables at Monoprice. We can't say that those set in their ways are apt to switch over anytime soon, but Inspiretech is clearly aiming at the same crowd with its sleek, inexpensive new HDMI cables. The company has launched a number of HDMI 1.3 interconnects including a 3-footer for $3.99, a 6-footer for $5.99 and a 6.5-foot HDMI-to-Mini HDMI cable for $12.99. Sure beats some of those other companies quite handily.

The writing was all over the wall, but now it's in stone. Parent company iNDEMAND has confirmed in a statement that MOJO HD is fixing to cease as we know it. More specifically, it states that MOJO HD was "originally conceived as a way to satisfy consumers' thirst for pure true high-definition programming," and while the channel "accomplished this goal, there is a wealth of HD programming now available and thus we have chosen to discontinue the service." To be frank, we're not exactly sure what to make of this comment. Is it saying it'd rather bow out than engineer new, unique programming to boost ratings now that HD content is more accessible? Or is this just some canned response used to appease the masses? Whatever the case, we'll miss you MOJO, and here's hoping Zane Lamprey and Three Sheets finds another television home (and fast).

Update: iNDEMAND pinged us with an official response (and to reaffirm the dissolution of MOJO HD), most of which you already read above. For the full thing, head on past the break.

Ready to see (local) talking heads in high-def, Sacramento? You're in luck, because CBS affiliate KOVR is finally broadcasting its local newscasts in HD. As of October 1st, locals were able to tune in and hear all sorts of fantastically hopeful news in a higher resolution than ever before, though the switch won't make the weather and / or stock market any easier to predict. Bugger.

[Thanks, Eric]

Love it or not, BD Live is the latest must have feature for Blu-ray players. Samsung is finally delivering on its promise today by making a firmware update available for download that turns on the internet magic of your Blu-ray Discs when you load them in a BD-P1500. Of course you'll need internet access behind your TV for any of this to work, but if you prefer, you can still download an image of the update disc if you don't want to use the player's auto-update feature. Now that the BD-P1500 and Sony BDP-S350 do BD Live, can both be had for less than $300, and offer just about every feature you'd want, it combined with Hollywood's impressive slate of titles released on Blu for this season, we can't think of any other excuses that an HD lover could have to not jump on the Blu-bandwagon.

Bust out the forks, because it looks like the long-running dispute between DISH and TiVo is coming to an end (yes, again). The Supreme Court denied DISH's appeal in the DVR "time-warp" patent infringement case and in the next few day DISH will release $104 million ($94 million plus interest) from an escrow account to TiVo to cover damages stretching back to September 8, 2006. The dust isn't all settled, though, as there's more litigation in the pipeline regarding DISH's supposed workaround software currently deployed to its DVRs. Certainly, this is good news for TiVo's finances, but we'd really like to see some improvements with TiVo itself -- LiquidTV / TiVo PC is a small step in the right direction, but more advanced concepts are what we're calling for, here.

Panasonic's 58-inch TH-58PZ800U probably isn't the first bigger-than-big plasma that comes to mind when shopping for the best, and even though Pioneer's KURO line is currently basking in the limelight, this bugger is still probably worth a look. The PDP was recently reviewed over at CNET, and somewhat surprisingly, the set was found to be a solid performer -- if not an outright star. Critics found that it reproduced deep black levels / highly accurate colors, had excellent uniformity compared with RPTVs and featured a very satisfactory assortment of ports. The only rubs were the lofty price tag and somewhat lackluster picture controls, but we're just thrilled to see some real competition in this space.

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime sat down with VentureBeat on the heels of last week's DSi announcement, and while he didn't drop any major bombshells, he did put the kibosh on those Wii HD rumors, saying that they were "pure rumor and speculation" and that Nintendo wouldn't show off upcoming models to devs as the rumors claimed. Reggie also downplayed the talk that Nintendo is going head to head against Apple, saying that Ninty's always "viewed ourselves as competing in a larger entertainment space." That's the end of that for now, we suppose -- but Reggie didn't close the door on either rumor entirely, and his closing comment that Nintendo's good fortunes "makes us the most paranoid people in the world"certainly keeps possibilities open. Hit the read link for the full interview.

Sling Media told us that its minty fresh Slingbox PRO-HD would be shipping to the Great North soon, and lo and behold, the promise has been kept. Effective immediately, interested Canadians can snatch one of these high-def slingers for $329.99 at Future Shop, Canada Computers and London Drugs (just to name a few). Wondering how this thing looks / works? Check out our hands-on!

Time Warner Cable is stirring the HD pot in the Empire State once more, this time bringing the lineups in Brooklyn, Queens and Mount Vernon up to par with those already stocked (Staten Island, we're looking at you). In a new programming announcement on the provider's website, we're told that the "previously announced drop of MOJO (796) on October 1st has been postponed," presumably until sometime in December. Additionally, Brooklyn / Queens will be seeing HBO HD (651), Cinemax HD (658), Showtime HD (666), TMC HD (674), Starz HD (676), Cartoon Network HD (722), FX HD (737) and Speed HD (774) on October 22nd. Including Mount Vernon, all three locales will get Big Ten Network HD (472), CBS College Sports HD (467), ESPNU HD (793) and Tennis Channel HD (465). Stellar news, right? Full shot of the announcement is after the break. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, Jason and Eric]

Hitachi sure was busting out the prototypes at CEATEC: a 15mm 37-inch LCD TV, wireless HD camcorder and a slew of custom framing options for its Wooo HDTVs. This isn't the first (far from it, actually) attempt we've seen at covering those traditional black / silver bezels with something a bit more flashy, but it's not often that a TV manufacturer gets involved. Unfortunately, there's still a good chance the pre-production frames will be held as Japan-only accessories depending on US demand, but we hear planes fly to Tokyo everyday if you're dead-set on eventually acquiring one.

Some things in life may be substitutable -- fine dinners can be sufficiently replaced with Top Ramen, high-end kicks can be swapped out for homegrown sandals, and that luxury whip can be exchanged for a jalopy. Apparently, one thing that simply can't be done without even in "tough economic times" is HDTV. Based on a recent survey from PriceGrabber (which, admittedly, shouldn't be taken very seriously), 73% of non-HDTV owners that responded said that they were forging ahead with plans to snag an HDTV within the next 12 months. Granted, such a figure really isn't all that shocking -- after all, the looming digital transition is the perfect excuse to splurge, and prices are apt to be at an all time low this Black Friday. Trust us folks, 720p+ is worth the sacrifice.

[Image courtesy of StarTribune]