We sort of saw the writing on the wall, but now Belkin has went and made it official: the FlyWire is dead. Originally showcased at CES 2008 and at practically every AV-related trade show since, the wireless HD-enabling FlyWire was seen as the poster child for wireless HD / HDMI by many, and the death of this product certainly doesn't bode well for the technology as a whole. It's true that AMIMON -- the wireless startup responsible for the WHDI technology within the FlyWire and a few other devices -- just landed an extra $10 million in VC funding, but still, we've literally been waiting years for this so-called "promising technology" to get a foothold in the market. Or even make a wave, really.

As has become customary these days, Belkin is also pinning the cancellation of the FlyWire on the economy, with a spokesperson telling us that the "retail price of $1,499 would be out of line given the current state of the economy." She continued by stating that the company has "opted to halt production of FlyWire" and "will no longer be introducing [it] to the market." Granted, the company does seem somewhat apologetic, concluding that "there will be some disappointed folks out there, but [Belkin's] end goal is to introduce products that are accessible and that make sense in the current environment."


Frankly, we're not buying it. In April, Belkin affirmed to us that while AMIMON's WDHI technology was "solid," it was taking its sweet time in order to "pay very close attention to the user experience, such as the packaging, setup, and the quick install guide." We could be way off base here, but we'd say the economy was sucking quite a bit harder in April than it is today. And honestly, that's beside the point. A $1,500 device that enabled a Blu-ray player to communicate wirelessly with an HDTV is obviously a luxury item, and regardless of unemployment numbers, Belkin had to know that the FlyWire would only appeal to upscale consumers. You know, the same folks who also put in an order for a Ferrari California in 1H 2009 while their hedge fund dived.

To us, the sudden death of the FlyWire is more of an industry signal than anything. For quite some while, we've been wondering when the industry at large would embrace wireless HD and HDMI technology, and now we're beginning to think that said embrace will never happen in any significant capacity. Even Wireless USB couldn't cut it, and we're guessing there are an awful lot more USB users out there than HDMI. If the price dropped dramatically and the sector consolidated a bit in order to agree on a single standard, we'd say wireless HD / HDMI has a fighting chance. 'Til that happens, you can pretty much bank on the FlyWire fiasco becoming a model for the rest. Belkin's statement in full is past the break.

File this one in the category of "Oh, no they didn't!" Sadly, it seems they really have. DirecTV has sent out an email stating the following: "DirecTV has suspended the development of the HDPC-20 tuner project that was designed to integrate DirecTV service into Windows Media Center after assessing the impact of missing the August 2008 release of Windows Media Center update and considering timing of the next release." The note goes on to say that both the satcaster and Microsoft understand that folks are clamoring for an easy way to get DirecTV content on the PC, and that both companies are "continuing to explore ways to integrate DirecTV service with Windows-based PCs in the future." And to think, that hands-on we got late last month just might be the last you ever see of this promising little box. Why... just, why?

[Via Gearlog, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Well over 1.5 months after parent company iNDEMAND confirmed that MOJO HD was being canned, the day has finally come for it to expire. We know, you were crossing your fingers and summoning all sorts of good fortune in hopes of it magically staying active after the December 1st date with Dr. Death (sorry for the Dr. Danger reminder), but it just wasn't to be. Here's to you, MOJO HD, and all the outstanding (and lackluster) programming you've delivered over the years. Time for a "best MOJO moment" list in comments? We vote yes.

[Thanks, Tom]

Update: Another obituary is after the break -- feel free to send in your own and we'll post! Thanks, Eddie!

We pinged MOJO HD's parent company, iN DEMAND, in an attempt to hear that some of our favorite high-def programming wouldn't be vanishing forever with the dissolution of the channel. Thankfully, we heard back, and while the news isn't fantastic, it at least gives us room to hope. When we asked what would happen to the programming currently on MOJO HD, we told that "individual producers would be working to find other homes for the series," and that "announcements would come from those networks." Additionally, the MOJO MIX HD video-on-demand service will continue to operate into 2009, giving users another venue to fetch most of the original MOJO programming. In all seriousness, we can't imagine a Travel Channel HD (for example) not picking up Three Sheets, but we suppose only time will tell.

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.

Update 2: We've heard back from iN DEMAND about the future of MOJO's programming. Check it out here.

It looks as if the last sliver of hope for MOJO HD has vanished, as we're now facing yet another report pounded out in the all-telling black and white that spells out MOJO's demise. A recent bill sent to an Oregon Comcast subscriber explained that MOJO HD would be falling off of the EPG "on or after December 1st," although SPEED HD (723), Versus HD (732), Golf HD (733), FOX News HD (748) and FX HD (753) would be added. Interestingly, this also points out the separation of Versus / Golf HD as a single station, though we're unsure if this will end up being a sweeping change or simply a localized one.

[Thanks, Brad]

Man, what a bummer. It's fairly apparent that those rumors we heard late last month are now proving true, much to our own chagrin. In a recent electronic filing by the Department of Public Utility Control in Connecticut, we're told quite plainly that MOJO HD's regularly scheduled programming will cease on October 29th, 2008. Granted, this specifies that it will no longer be available to Cox customers alone, but the attached footnote is where things get really grim. It states that parent company iN DEMAND "has announced that it will be canceling its MOJO HD regularly scheduled programming by the end of the year, but it will continue to provide OnDEMAND programs." Is this really the end of Three Sheets and I Bet You as we know them? Pardon us while we shed a tear.

[Thanks, Erik]

Given the finality of the format war, we can't say we're totally shocked to hear that Samsung will be pulling the plug on its recently announced BD-UP5500 HD DVD / Blu-ray combo player, but still, it's not good news for folks planning to pick it up for kicks (or watching their library of HD DVDs). Interestingly enough, Sammy had already planned to axe its current flagship hybrid player -- the BD-UP5000 -- this May, just months after it went on sale and began taking heat for not meeting expectations. On the plus side, the firm's latest BD-only player was a real gem, so hopefully we'll see lots more where that came from in the future. Oh, and if you're weeping this very moment at the thought of never getting to see one in person, feel free to click here and live vicariously through us.

Just as quickly as it began, so it ends. Unfortunately for Germans who have thoroughly enjoyed the high-definition programming available over the past few years on Sat.1 HD and ProSieben HD, you'll be forced to check out the SD variants until 2010. You heard right -- apparently, the demand for the HD stations in Germany wasn't as high as originally predicted, and considering the dearth of HD support from other networks in the country, these two have practically been set aside on an island. 'Course, rumors are already swirling that the real reason for the move is that its free ride on ASTRA's HD transponder is up, and rather than paying to continue using it when demand is down, the parent company is hoping to jump back in at a later date when things will hopefully be more profitable. Either way, it's tough to hear of a country losing HD channels.

[Thanks, Chris]

Quite frankly, we reckon this move has more to do with lackluster demand than anything else, but nevertheless, Universal is reportedly canning its plans to bring back Dazed & Confused and Land of the Dead in non-combo HD DVD form. If you'll recall, both of these flicks were dished out in 2006 as HD DVD / DVD combo discs, but the studio had previously expected to re-issue them both as standalone HD DVDs next month. According to HighDefDigest, a company representative did mention that they could "resurface at some point in the future," but gave no rhyme nor reason as to why the duo is being canceled (if only momentarily).

[Thanks, Brian]

Bad news from Samsung today: the high-end BDP-2400 Blu-ray deck has been cancelled, and the dual format BD-UP5000 has been delayed. The linked article speculates that the BDP-2400 has fallen victim to the transition to BD 1.1 spec, which occurs on October 31. Worst of all, mum's the word on when/whether Samsung plans on making a 1.1 spec player available. For those who didn't have their heart set on Blu-ray, the bad news is that Samsung has delayed their dual format BD-UP5000 player until December. The silver lining to this December delay could be twofold: the unit will be at least up to BD 1.1 spec conformance; and now this unit's arrival might coincide with your holiday wishlist.