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AT&T adding four new U-verse HD channels?

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 9th 2008 at 12:59AM


We won't know for certain if this whisper is true until July 10th, but an administrator over at the AT&T U-talk forums has proclaimed that four new high-definition channels are headed to the carrier within the next 24 to 48 hours. U-verse users can reportedly look forward to seeing Bravo HD, CNBC HD, USA Network HD and SciFi HD lighting up the fiber soon, bringing the grand total of HD stations available nationally to 46. Keep an eye on that EPG -- particularly you customers with the U400 package -- and let us know if (and when) the supposed newcomers go live in your living room.

[Thanks, Mark]

The HD Guru puts Pioneer's Pro-111FD plasma to the test

by Steven Kim, posted Jul 9th 2008 at 12:42AM

Pioneer Pro-Elite plasma
You've got to respect the effort that Gary Merson, a.k.a. the HD Guru, puts into his TV reviews. Thorough and technically savvy, he relentlessly exposes the weaknesses of displays passing through his lab. His latest review is a showdown between two 50-inch plasmas vying for the top, the new Pioneer Pro-111FD and the Panasonic TH-50PZ850U. We've long heard about these 9th generation Pioneer plasmas, the last to come off of Pioneer production lines, so our eyes perked up at the comparison. We won't spoil the outcome of the "two plasmas enter, one plasma leaves" showdown (and that pesky $1500 price difference between the two units is significant), but we will say that the Pioneer lived up to the Kuro name by displaying blacks too dark for the Guru to reliably measure with his test gear. Oh, and the 10th generation promises to be darker still.

D-Link DSM-330 DivX Connected media streamer now shipping in the U.S.

by Richard Lawler, posted Jul 9th 2008 at 12:05AM


The D-Link MediaLounge DSM-330 is finally shipping to U.S. media streaming heads fiending for its 1080p upconverting, Divx/Xvid streaming abilities, although our excitement is dimmed a bit by all the competition that's popped up since we first laid eyes on the GejBox, and Stage6 falling by the wayside certainly doesn't help. That said, DivX has been on an upswing as of late, so the launch of its first Connected hardware couldn't come a moment to soon. Unfortunately MKV support isn't part of the package yet, but for $299 it does handle quite a few formats. Interested U.S. buyers should be able to find out if it matches up to Popcorn Hour's A-100 now, with Canadian distribution following shortly. Check after the break for the press release and the rest of the details.

Continue reading D-Link DSM-330 DivX Connected media streamer now shipping in the U.S.

Epson's Ensemble HD Home Cinema System now shipping

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 9:45PM


We're still rather bummed that Epson failed to add in a third option for its Ensemble HD Home Cinema System that included a Blu-ray player, but nevertheless, those interested in picking up a complete -- and we mean complete -- home theater system at once can finally do so. Said package is available with your choice of a PowerLite 1080p or 720p projector, a 100-inch motorized screen, upconverting DVD player, Atlantic Technology 5.1 speaker system, universal remote, every single cable you'll need to hook things up, a wire management track system and all necessary mounting brackets. Ready for the sting? You're looking at $6,999 for the 1080p system and $4,999 for the 720p edition.

Mitsubishi's 3D plans brought into focus, PC gaming to play a role

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 7:04PM


When Mitsubishi admitted that it was holding hands with NVIDIA and Aspen Media for no other reason than to prove that they all three hearted 3D, we must say, we were miffed. Now, however, it seems that plans are finally coming to light, and everything is starting to make a whole lot more sense. Reportedly, the three firms are gearing up to showcase how well they can work together to produce eye-pleasing 3D PC gaming results in select retail outlets this July. At first, none of the components will be sold together per se, but bundle deals are definitely in the works. Whether or not budding PC gamers are ready to switch to a DLP-based HDTV as their primary monitor, however, remains to be seen.

Sharp kicks out a trio of AQUOS LCD TVs in the UK

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 5:38PM


Nothing too exceptional here, but Sharp is livening up its AQUOS LCD TV family with the introduction of three new (currently unpriced) kids. First up is the 19-inch LC-19D1E (available in black or white), which features a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 7,500:1 contrast ratio, built-in Freeview tuner, PC / HDMI inputs and 176-degree viewing angles. Next, we've got the 32-inch LC-32XL8E and 37-inch LC-37XL8E (piano black only), both of which boast 1080p panels, 100Hz technology, a 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 6-millisecond response time, three HDMI sockets, SRS TruSound and a Freeview digital tuner to boot. Folks in the UK can find the smallest of the three right now, while the newest duo in the XL8E series can be procured later this month.

[Via TechDigest]

HDTV Listings for July 8, 2008

by Richard Lawler, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 4:43PM

What we're watching tonight:
  • ABC Family (720p) has The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8 p.m.
  • ABC (720p) brings I Survived a Japanese Game Show at 9:01 p.m.
  • Discovery (1080i) has Deadliest Catch at 9 p.m.
  • Sci Fi (1080i) throws in ECW at 10 p.m.
  • History (1080i) has Mega Disasters at 10 p.m.

Are there two Vista Media Center updates due this year?

by Ben Drawbaugh, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 3:46PM

Vista Media CenterThe little birdies that clued us in about the upcoming Vista Media Center update a few days ago are at it again, but this time with some potential good news. When the recent Windows Media Center TV Pack release candidate 0 was released to testers and was missing all of our favorite features, we were quick to assume that this would mean no new features until Windows 7. Well, based on some recent information received by our sources, the reason H.264 was cut was because it was too complex to add -- because of all the dependencies involved -- in time. You see, evidently this tuner update was promised to be released to OEMs by the end of July. Now our sources seem to be optimistic that there is another update in the works, and that it might just include both H.264 and DirecTV tuner support. More about the Windows Media Center TV Pack after the jump.

Gallery: Leaked Fiji Screen shots

  • Telextext support
  • Edit favorites menu
  • Edit your favorite list
  • Edit the channel number

Continue reading Are there two Vista Media Center updates due this year?

LG Display to post huge Q2 profits, LCD sales expected to slump in coming quarters

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 2:54PM


While we just heard last month that flat-panel sales would be spearheading 2008 consumer electronics growth, a new outlook has those very sales looking bleak for the remainder of the year. The news come amidst the expectation of LG Display to post profits for Q2 that "more than [triple] thanks to strong demand for TVs and tight supplies of PC panels." According to James Kim, an analyst at Lehman Brothers, "earnings have peaked in the second quarter," and while he asserts that "demand to replace TVs with flat-screen models is still there, fewer consumers are buying large-size TVs because of the weak economy." Still, sales of smaller sets are expected to steadily climb in emerging markets as the Beijing Olympics draw near, but it remains to be seen how large an impact those markets will have.

[Via WidescreenReview]

Windows Media Center SideShow Gadget released in beta

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 1:41PM


We'll admit that SideShow hasn't acquired nearly the fanfare we bet Microsoft figured it would, but those still interested in what it can do will likely be elated to find that the long-awaited Windows Media Center SideShow Gadget is finally available. Released last week in beta form, said download can be sucked down as we speak and used within Vista Media Center to change live TV channels, schedule recordings, start / stop playback of clips and browse your photo / music files to boot. Anyone spent any serious time with it over the holiday (in the US, anyway) weekend?

[Via Chris Lanier's Blog, thanks Josh]

Syntax-Brillian waves the white flag, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 12:45PM Breaking News

So yeah, apparently that whole attempt to "streamline operations" back in April didn't go over so well, as Syntax-Brillian -- you know, that firm neck deep in panel partnerships and responsible for Olevia HDTVs -- has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Arizona-based company has also "entered into a deal to sell certain of its assets to a newly created company called Olevia International Group LLC," which has agreed to pick up some $60 million of its secured debt. We're also told that operations in Tempe have ceased, and "about eight employees" (including the finance chief, general counsel and finance staff) are sticking around with nothing better to do.

[Thanks, Paul]

Acer rolls out the Aspire X1200 home theater-friendly mini PC for $499

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 11:49AM

Acer Aspire x1200
Always wanted to install a little computer into your home theater but none of the available options are cutting it, what with all the giant media files and HD displays you're rolling? Enter Acer's Aspire X1200, which for $450 includes on-board NVIDIA GeForce 8200 graphics, an AMD Athlon X2 2850e processor, and HDMI port. Acer promises full 7.1-channel audio support as well as the guts to work with H.264, VC1, and MPEG2 and the spunk to output 1080P. The whole shebang comes in a rack-friendly 10.6 x 4.0 x 14.4-inch enclosure. Of course, prices scale up to $699 based on your needs -- the latter coming with a 22-inch display -- but the base price will get you a 320GB SATA II drive and the start of what could be a sweet little home theater PC.

European broadcasters rushing to add HD ahead of the Olympics

by Richard Lawler, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 11:40AM

Despite word from France Television's director of sports programming that HD wouldn't be available for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, France 2 HD has already launched on CanalSat DTH and Numéricable. Unlike the Versus broadcast here, French viewers are also getting the Tour de France in HD and can expect the same from their Olympic coverage. Meanwhile Belgians can thank TV Vlaanderen for adding VRT's Eén HD temporarily to its DTH platform, delivering both events in HD, along with Belgacom TV adding Eén HD, France 2 HD, Eurosport HD and TF1 HD for a total of 13 high definition channels. Really, we can't see watching the Olympics any other way.

Read - Belgacom TV
Read - France 2
Read - VRT Eén HD

JVC Everio HD40 HD camcorder review

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 10:14AM Featured Story


Just last month, we had the absolute pleasure of reviewing Samsung's SC-HMX20C -- which, if you couldn't tell, we really liked. This month, JVC's GZ-HD40 arrived, and we set out to put it through the same paces. Upon ripping the box open and wrapping our paws around it for the first time, we were simultaneously pleased with how light it felt and somewhat dismayed by the bulky design. Still, there's more to a camcorder than external pizazz, so join us after the break as we test out this dual-format device on a fantastic weekend filled with sun, sand and sunburn.

Continue reading JVC Everio HD40 HD camcorder review

First Blu-ray Disc testing center established in China

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 9:34AM


Barely a month after hearing rumors that the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) would be granting licenses to 11 China-based manufacturers, in flies official word that the very first Blu-ray Disc testing center has been established in that very nation. CESI Technology, a contributor member of the BDA, is the lucky winner, and as of today, "Chinese manufacturers can receive verification services for the official production of BD-ROM Movie Players at this center." Hopefully, this means that we'll be waiting less for the development and market launch of BD products. On a slightly related note, DigiRise DRA -- also a Chinese company -- found that its homegrown digital audio coding technology has passed an important milestone in the Blu-ray approval process. Not that we're crazy about having one more codec to juggle, but there you have it. More details on both points below.

Read - First BDA testing center in China
Read - DRA audio codec




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