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Panasonic justifies Blu-ray recorder cost by asking "How much are memories worth to you?"

by Richard Lawler posted Jul 1st 2009 at 3:24PM


Apparently blissfully unaware of how much the Engadget staff has paid for the events of the last CES to be forgotten, Panasonic is promoting the UK launch of its FreeSat+ compatible series of Blu-ray recorders (£999 for the 500GB DMR-BS850) by promising to archive ones most valuable memories. Is that enough for you to navigate the various copy protection flags towards Blu-ray disc archival, or will you risk the family Christmas video (worth £542) on something less than a 50GB Blu-ray disc?

Panasonic DMR-BS850 Blu-ray DVR gets reviewed

by Richard Lawler posted May 11th 2009 at 2:13PM


Infuriatingly restrictive DRM aside, Panasonic's FreeSat+ Blu-ray burning DVR brings some new capabilities to the UK, apparently enough to impress Home Cinema Choice. A few downsides, like ITV marking its HD broadcasts Copy Never preventing any disc backups, and an inability to connect to other devices on the network didn't take away its DVR features, h.264 compression capabilities and solid Blu-ray playback. Of course the entry price for the DMR-BS850 is high, but take a look at the rest of their notes before deciding whether or not all those arrows and padlocks are worth the trouble.

International HD news roundup

by Richard Lawler posted May 10th 2009 at 11:10AM


Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Vi ses!

Read - Czech Prima trials HD
Read - Eurovision Song Contest broadcasts in high definition
Read - 5 linear HD channels 'to join Virgin'
Read - ITV content attracts 4m views on Virgin Media catch-up in first month
Read - Freesat celebrates first birthday, 400,000 strong
Read - ZON doubles HD take-up (Portugal)
Read - History HD Expands Korean Footprint
Read - Freeview rolls out high definition for World Cup
Read - YouSee adds Canal HD

International HD news roundup

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 26th 2009 at 9:36AM


Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Allez ciao!

Read - Canal Digital launches HD over IP
Read - Freeview picks up marketing push
Read - Freesat: How we'll compete with Freeview HD
Read - iBAHN Launches High Definition with Hilton Hotels
Read - Virgin adds new 'Dexter' in HD
Read - Du goes HD IPTV in Dubai
Read - Free HD From FRANSAT Finds ATLANTIC BIRD 3 Highly Beamable
Read - Fox International to simulcast FXHD channel

BBC breaks down the new DRM rules for Blu-ray recorders

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 17th 2009 at 4:01PM


The reason Blu-ray recorders have migrated from Japan to the UK recently -- and why you'll likely never see them in the U.S. -- is all about the copyright holders. Danielle Nagler, head of BBC HD, hit the blogs to break down the wheres and hows of the DRM changes associated with bringing FreeSat disc HD DVRs like the Panasonic DMR-BS850 and Humax FOXSAT-HDR to market, basically meaning users are allowed one HD copy of a show, which can be played back on protected devices and connections only (transfer to portable players is planned to the future.) Follow the flow chart for the details, and figure out if it'd be worth it to make your own BD-R DVR backups so easily.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

Panasonic's Blu-ray burning FreeSat+ DVRs due in June

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 16th 2009 at 8:11AM


Blu-ray archiving DVRs have been a staple in Japan since the format was still in protective cartridges, and now we have more details on the new Panasonic HD Everything lineup launching in the UK. All three boxes can convert recorded programs into h.264 to save disc space, and beyond their FreeSat+ twin tuner DVR capability, support Panasonic's VIERA Cast internet hookups to pull in video and pictures from YouTube and Picasa. The DMR-BS850 and DMR-BS750 support BD-Live enabled Blu-ray playback and recording in HD, while the DMR-XS350 serves as an HD DVR on its hard drive, but falls back to SD for disc archiving on old school DVDs. No word on a price, but while the British ponder Panasonic vs. Humax we're already willing to trade in proposed tru2way boxes to have a shot at these.

[Via TechDigest.tv]

Update: TrustedReviews came through with some better pics, specs, and most importantly, prices for these joints - The DMR-BS850 has a 500GB HDD for £999, the DMR-BS750 has a 250GB HDD for £899 and the DMR-XS350 clocks in with a 200GB HDD for £699.

LG FreeSat LCDs are finally official, shipping this month

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 9th 2009 at 6:05PM


LG is ready to ship its line of LCDs with integrated FreeSat tuners starting this month. The 1080p LF7700 series comes in sizes from 32- to 47-inches and includes 100Hz Trumotion in the 42- and 47-inch versions, with a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and invisible speaker design. Don't think a TV would hit the market today without the green tag, these claim to use 69% less power, thanks to the integrated light sensor. The cheap ones start at £700, even with BBC HD and ITV HD beckoning lackluster UK buyers may choose to wait for the 200Hz LH5000 models due later this year.

LG previews two new UK-bound LCDs

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 5th 2009 at 4:47AM


Stuff.tv has the heads up on two more members of LG's 2009 lineup, the LH5000 and LF7700. The LF7700 LCD should fit the bill for anyone needing an alternative to Panasonic's TX-37LZD81, with integrated FreeSat support, while a plasma version will follow later in the year. If 100Hz isn't enough and 480Hz is too much, the LH5000 drops 200Hz TruMotion tech on European heads later this year. No price or size info for either, but hopefully all this new kit will slightly make up for a Netflix-less existence suffered by our people across the Atlantic.

Humax Freesat+ FOXSAT-HDR gets proper review, high marks

by Darren Murph posted Jan 2nd 2009 at 1:54PM


Humax's Freesat+ FOXSAT-HDR has been available for a few weeks now in the UK, but if you've been holding tight to your £299 in hopes of finding some reassurance, you've arrived at the right place. For UKers uninterested in signing up for a pay-TV pack from Sky or Virgin, Freesat is your only option for snagging broadcast HD. The kids over at Pocket-lint were able to take the 320GB HD DVR for a spin, and when the ride was over, everyone in the cart was all smiles. Boasting an impressive array of connections, a classy design, simple setup, intuitive EPG and gorgeous picture quality, there wasn't much left to hate. Even SD material was said to look just fine, with the only real gripe coming from the not-exactly-intuitive media hub functions. Reviewers didn't hesitate to hand over their wholehearted recommendation, though they did lament the lofty price tag. Maybe wait a few months and pray for a price drop? Decisions, decisions.

Panasonic's FreeSat-tuning TX-37LZD81 HDTV reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Dec 4th 2008 at 10:22AM

Panasonic's FreeSat-tuning VIERA TH-46PZ81B fared well in its recent review, and thankfully, so did the TX-37LZD81 LCD HDTV. The set, which was acquired and tested by the eyes at HDTVOrg, was highly praised in almost every area, with critics pointing out its fantastic ability to make both SD and HD content look its best. The integrated speakers weren't anything special, but it's not like you were expecting anything drastically different. We'd personally love to see that FreeSat tuner find more than a smattering of HD channels, but for those looking to pick out the ones that currently exist, this set wouldn't be a bad one to do that on.

BBC HD queues up more high-def content for the holidays

by Darren Murph posted Dec 1st 2008 at 8:38PM

'Tis the season for giving / sharing, so we're glad to see Auntie Beeb in the festive spirit. Reportedly, BBC HD will be bestowing upon its viewers a whole slew of high-def content for the holiday season, including Shrek The Halls, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and The Chronicles Of Narnia – The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. Onlookers will also be treated to the long-awaited three-part horror story There Was a Crooked House and The 39 Steps, not to mention a handful of other movies you've certainly been waiting eons to see on broadcast TV. Way to step up the game, BBC -- now, how's about everyone else take a note and follow suit?

FetchTV STB bundles Freeview and HD VOD support

by Darren Murph posted Nov 21st 2008 at 11:33PM

Tough to say how well this will catch on across the pond, but we're definitely digging the direction this box is headed. IP Vision's latest set-top-box is quite the interesting character, being completely carrier-independent and boasting no subscription fees whatsoever. The unit includes an HDD for storing up to 40 hours of content, a Freeview tuner, an export-to-USB feature (read: external storage support) and the ability to tap into a wide library of video-on-demand content. Speaking of the latter (FetchTV), users can suck down material from Paramount, ITV, Turner Broadcasting, Eagle Vision, Fremantle, Entertainment Rights and Aardman, with movies priced between £1.99 and £3.50 and other shows costing £0.29 to £1.99. The unit itself can be purchased now for £149.99 (or £129.99 for a limited time) -- tell us, UKers, is this something you might be interested in?

[Via TechDigest]

Humax's 320GB Freesat+ Foxsat-HDR now on sale

by Darren Murph posted Nov 21st 2008 at 11:34AM


Humax told us that its awfully cute 320GB Freesat+ Foxsat-HDR would be on sale this month, and sure enough, it's filtering into quality retailers across the UK. According to T3, users looking for "free" high-def via Freesat+ can waltz on into John Lewis, Comet, Argos or Dixons in order to trade £299 for the box you see pictured above. From there, you'll also need to grab a dish, an HDTV and an installer, but those are just details, right?

Humax announces 320GB Freesat+ Foxsat-HDR for UK market

by Darren Murph posted Oct 23rd 2008 at 5:21PM


Humax's FOXSAT-HD FreeSat receiver was perfectly fine for those with no need for timeshifting, but for the throngs of others who just can't live without some sort of DVR functionality, your day has finally come. The aforementioned company has today launched its Freesat+ Foxsat-HDR, which packs two FreeSat HD digital TV tuners (which can also access analog channels), support for radio / interactive channels, a 320GB hard drive for storing up to 80 hours of HD material or 200 hours of SD content and an HDMI port to boot. The downright sexy set-top-box also includes Dolby Digital audio output, two SCART sockets, a bundled remote, radio recording, split recording and the ability to "live pause" with instant rewind. Get ready to grab yours next month for £299 ($487).

[Via Digital Spy]

FreeSat sells 100,000 boxes -- can we get some more HD content now?

by Darren Murph posted Sep 30th 2008 at 6:19PM


Alright -- what's a bloke got to do to get some more HD? Clearly the demand is growing, as evidenced by the 100,000th FreeSat box being gleefully picked up and used to catch a meager amount of free HDTV material. Since launching just five months ago, the free-to-air satellite service has captivated quite a few citizens, though we're left wondering what it will really take to get more content providers to push their material on the service. 500,000 subs? A million?




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