We had a pretty good feeling this would go down eventually, but we certainly didn't see a confirmation (of sorts, anyway) coming this soon. Jim Denney, VP of product marketing at TiVo, has been quoted as saying that although the current version of Amazon Unbox can't process high-definition content, TiVo and Amazon will jointly announce HD capabilities "in the not too distant future." Granted, the content -- whenever it does actually arrive -- will only be accessible by "cable subscribers" with adequate bandwidth, but it's not like that's any sort of surprise. Sadly, details beyond what you've seen here were left out, but at least you can sleep soundly tonight knowing that high-def Unbox material is most certainly on the horizon.

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

We've had our fun, now it's your turn. Considering that Apple just beamed out its (long-awaited) v2.0 software to Apple TV owners, we're quite interested in finding out what you love / hate about take 2. Head on over to Engadget Classic to give the world a piece of your mind on the matter, won't you?

Simmer down -- it's not like you haven't seen advancements in blue laser technology before, and even though the current format war may still be raging when either's successor rolls into town, Kaai and Soraa are already looking to the future. Reportedly, Khosla Ventures has invested in both of the aforementioned firms, and while company representatives aren't disclosing much at the moment, we do know that the duo is exploring ways to "exploit gallium nitride, which is also the basis for existing blue LEDs and blue lasers." Apparently, they'd like to concoct suitable replacements for conventional LEDs in the lighting market and make a showing in the optical data storage arena, too. But seriously, with 200GB Blu-ray discs, who needs to worry about the next best thing?

[Image courtesy of DigitalHomeMag]

VUDU's self-titled set-top-box has certainly made quite the name for itself in the few short months that it has been on the market. Whether or not that name is positive one, however, is most certainly up for debate. Soon after launching at $399, reviews came pouring in that seemed to harmoniously shout "meh," but we still had hope for it. Upon speaking with company representatives at CEDIA, we knew that potential was still untapped at its coming out party -- the only question was how much support would it get from studios when pleading for their precious content in high-definition. Needless to say, garnering said backing still seems to be an uphill battle, but we managed to wrap our paws around the now-$295 device and put it through the paces that we HD junkies care about. Follow us after the break for the full spill, won't you?

We'll be the first to say we truly hope that HD downloads -- be it on one's computer or main HDTV -- take off, but we're not so certain the technology is poised to overtake either Blu-ray or HD DVD anytime soon. A opinionated piece over at Economist takes a look at the current state of the format war, and interestingly enough, even goes so far as to call both HD discs "interim solutions, if even that." Apparently, it expects both formats to soon be "eclipsed" by some alternative, most likely the instantly gratifying downloadable movie offered up by various carriers in the form of HD VOD. Of course, we also expect this outlet to gain traction once broadband speeds ratchet up across the nation, but our main beef with the article comes with the proclamation that "[HD DVD and Blu-ray] are marginally better than upscaled DVDs." We've expressed our true feelings about upconverting DVD players before, and quite frankly, unless one hooks up their high-definition movie player with composite cables, we simply can't see anyone not being able to tell the difference.

[Image courtesy of GenerationMP3, thanks Paul F. and Daniel D.]

Just a day after VUDU started pushing out its long-awaited v1.2 software update, a kind user has whipped up a spreadsheet documenting all 65 HD flicks that are now available (or will be shortly) for renting. Truth be told, we're not exceptionally impressed with the list, but hey, to each his / her own. Hit up the read link to take a peek at what you're missing out on (or what you're about to have access to).

[Thanks, Brian S.]

Merely a day after the Apple TV (take 2) update was delayed, VUDU has apparently beamed out the v1.2 update for its self-titled set-top-box. According to users who have successfully downloaded it, the new build reportedly enables HD streaming and adds a new "Instant HD" speed setting along with a "Constant Audio" setting to "fix the popping issues" that some folks are experiencing. According to NA9D over at the VUDU user forums, the update has also made 64 (give or take a few) HD titles available for viewing (all are rental only at the moment, save for the third Bourne Identity), and while some of them are said to be new releases, some supposedly go back as far as 1972. For anyone with a VUDU STB in their abode, feel free to check things out and give us an idea of available titles in comments below.

[Thanks, Brian S.]

One of our biggest problems with the VUDU box is about to be resolved. We're not saying the video quality is bad now, but we think that paying $400 for a STB, just to rent movies that look as good as DVD, is a hard pill to swallow. But, now it appears VUDU is well on its way to adding real HD content -- just as it promised at CEDIA -- as it has signed agreements with the studios to get the deal done. The press release is very thin on details, so we don't know when to expect HD content or if it'll be 1080p, but we'd bet the audio will remain at Dolby Digital plus. We really like the idea of downloading movies, but the HD would have to look pretty darn good for us to live with our movies trapped in yet another STB on top of our HDTV using up one of our precious HDMI ports.

We knew it would just be a matter of months before Cox Communications found the means to offer up HD video-on-demand -- after all, you can't lag behind your main competitors for too long without stepping up, right? Nevertheless, the company has announced that customers in San Diego can now access "more than 20 high-definition titles" via the HD Movies on Demand channel, and the library of HD flicks should hopefully grow as time goes on. On deck to receive the HD VOD luxuries are Northern Virginia and Oklahoma City, with other unnamed markets to get tapped "later this summer." So, for those San Diegans looking for a good HD movie to soak in on Independence Day, why not give Cox's latest offering a whirl and tell us how it goes?

Everything's not exactly peachy in the world of DirecTV, but for those looking for even a hint of hope in regard to seeing HD video-on-demand via satellite, that time has (finally) arrived. Apparently, DirecTV is readying an HD VOD service that will initially include "more than a dozen programming services" such as Food Network and Discovery Channel. Interestingly, it looks like the satellite provider will utilize "a broadband connection to allow consumers to watch on-demand content in real time," and hinted at partnerships with a number of carriers that would be given "complete control over their own channel, including content and marketing messages." It was also stated that eventually, customers with an HD DVR and broadband internet "would have access to more than 2,000 on-demand movies," many of which in would be of the HD variety. Reportedly, the service will hit the beta stages sometime this month, and if no major hiccups are incurred, it could be rolled out to subscribers as early as July.

[Via DBSTalk]