The always expensive (but equally coveted) DVDO HD video processor lineup just got even more attractive, as the Anchor Bay iScan VP50 can now take any SD or HD signal all the way to 1080p-24 without a hint of lag or artifacting. The free software update enables v1.04 of its "Film Technology" feature, which allows users to take any input (interlaced or progressive) and have it converted to 1,920 x 1,080 at 24 frames-per-second. So, how many of you are actually lucky enough to need this?

[Via Audioholics]

Home cinema newbies can collectively rejoice, as even Epson has stepped up to the plate and is offering a high-end HTIB of its own. The Ensemble Home Cinema System provides "everything" (even patience?) you need to turn your den into a theater worth being proud of, and includes your choice of a 1080p or 720p Epson projector, 100-inch motorized screen, a 5.1 Atlantic Technology surround system, ten-inch subwoofer with built-in amplifier, AV controller with twin HDMI inputs and an upconverting DVD player, and a pre-programmed universal remote that takes the fun frustration out of establishing a one-button setup. Interestingly, Epson claims that the entire installation can be completed in a mere four hours, so if you're inches away from tearing your hair (or walls) out, simmer down and hand over your $4,999 (720p) to $6,999 (1080p) to handle HT the easy way.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Not too long after Pioneer went and introduced its second generation Blu-ray player, along comes Panasonic to follow suit, but unlike the BDP-LX70, we've got a pricetag as well as a few tempting reasons to pick this one up over the competition. The DMP-BD10A packs an audio upgrade that brings 7.1, Dolby True HD, and DTS-HD on board, and it incorporates Panasonic's EZ-Sync system for "one-touch operation" of your home theater. The overall design doesn't deviate too far from that seen in the first iteration, but you will find 1080p upconversion via HDMI, a 14-bit DA converter with 4x oversampling, support for BD-J, and compatibility between select HD camcorders via the AVCHD (H.264) codec. Notably, Panasonic is giving users two reasons to seriously considering its new offering, as the fairly reasonable $599.95 pricetag looks even better when you consider the five BD films (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Transporter, Fantastic Four, and Crash) you'll be getting right in the box.

[Via Impress]

If you're itching for a new DVR, and wouldn't mind losing your current DVD player and media streamer in the process, Beyonwiz's DP-S1 should be just the thing for you -- if you reside Down Under, that is. Aimed squarely at the Australian market, this dual-tuner HD DVR packs a sleek, black and silver chassis, 200GB hard drive, an integrated DVD player that purportedly upconverts, and a built-in media center that "streams video, music, and photos over Ethernet or WiFi from your home computer network, external HDDs, or the internet." Marketed as an end-all home entertainment solution, this conglomerate even boasts a well featured front panel with USB 2.0 connectors and a three-in-one flash card reader that plays nice with SD, MMC, and CF. Best of all, this multi-faceted device is available right now in the land of Oz, but it will run you a stiff A$1,599 ($1,318).

Let It Wave's bandlet upconversion technology is on the air on a French high definition TV station broadcasting the French Roland Garros Tennis open. The CTO of France Televisions Interactive states the company is using the technology to mix upconverted SD sources with native HDTV footage, enabling high definition programming to reach customers sooner. We haven't had the best experiences with mixed SD content at US sporting events like the PGA Championship, but Let It Wave claims its technology upconverts as high as 1080p with no flickering or jaggies. French television is currently testing the technology on Altera FPGA-based hardware and will continue to do so for the next three months with a variety of sources, the company plans to announce more products at NAB 2007.

That was quicker than we thought. Let It Wave's upconversion technology that claims to be better than current motion-adaptive techniques (like Faroudja's DCDi) has a hardware partner in Altera.

Altera has already put their FPGA chips in some devices you may have heard of, like LG's 71" gold plated PDP, RCA's Scenium line of DLP HDTVs and Texas Instruments' DLP chipset. With that track record we should hopefully be seeing this technology in shipping products very soon, especially since the FPGA is designed to be able to change and add new technology quickly.

DVD up-scalers have been everywhere lately. We have done tons of posts about them the last few months and even an in-depth review of one of the newest ones on the market. But they can be confusing. We have located the best explanation of what they do and why they are good. While we are not as excited about them as this author is - he presents it like it is a gift from God - they do work good sometimes. Before you get out your pocket book though, many high-end HDTVs have great scalers built in so you might not see any improvement over your current progressive scan DVD player.

Do you remember when DVD players were $499? No skip that, VCRs that were $799! We sure do but the most recent video device to drop is DVD up-scalers. Just two years ago there was a Samsung for $299 but it sure was cool. They have now reached a milestone though: the $100 mark.

Samsung has been producing these players from the beginning and they were the first to hit this mark. The DVD-HD860 may not have a lot of bells and whistles but it does scale the DVD up to 720p or 1080i via HDMI. It is small and cheap, but doesn't comes with a HDMI cable. So big box shoppers note: it maybe cheaper to buy the big brother, DVD-HD960, as it comes with both a HDMI and a DVI cable then it is to buy a HDMI cable in large retail stores. Plus, you will get a better DVD player.