Sony has announced two new flash memory-based high definition camcorders – the HDR-CX520V and the HDR-CX500V.
Both cameras capture full 1920 x 1080 resolution video and up to 12 megapixel photos on internal flash memory. They offer support for up to 25 hours of HD video on the 64GB model.

Filed under: Misc

We know, lots of you use Netflix. Whether your flavor is streaming, Blu-ray or plain old DVD there's something helpful that's been built via the company's API, including queue managers for iPhone or other mobile device, or websites offering a different level of organization for the Watch Instantly directory like InstantWatcher or Flicks-Now and to organize all those bits and pieces it's launched the App Gallery to let users see them and rate which are the best. Take a sec and check it out, there's only a dozen or so items listed so far but we wouldn't be surprised if there's already one that makes your rental experience a little easier.

[Via The Netflix Blog]

Netflix launches "App Gallery" directory of related apps and websites originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 15 May 2009 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

VholdR has unveiled what it describes as the first wearable HD camcorder.
Weighing just four ounces, the 5 Megapixel ContourHD can record 1280×720 video at 30fps or SD video at 60fps with H.264 codec.

Filed under: Panasonic, Camcorders

Panasonic's latest camcorders have been well-liked by the masses, but haven't quite had enough features to appease those consumers with higher expectations -- or professionals on limited budgets. To captivate the eyes and ears of that prosumer market the company has announced the AG-HMC40, a 2.2 pound semi-pro cam that will do 1080i or 720p at 60 frames-per-second, but more important for many can manage a cinematic 1080p at 24 frames-per-second, all written to SDHC cards. With 10.6 megapixel stills and a 12x optical zoom on tap it sounds like a very well-rounded offering, and, while $3,195 may not fit into every budget, it should do well for modestly funded aspiring filmmakers when it ships in August -- just in time for capturing some back-to-school teen angst drama.

Panasonic's AG-HMC40 does 1080p24 on something of a budget originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Industry, Media streamers

Not that there should be any shock surrounding the formal introduction of boxee's App Box and API -- after all, both were teased sufficiently during last month's bleeding edge alpha release -- but we're still thrilled to see things moving along nicely. This week, the open source media platform launched both an API and an application portal, both of which will act to bring all manners of third-party gems to the media browsing world. boxee doesn't plan on being any sort of gatekeeper (at least for now), which hopefully will spur innovation and get more developers interested. In related news, ArsTechnica has also found that boxee is currently in talks with a few big players in the hardware space, essentially hoping to get its 1s and 0s onto game consoles, Blu-ray players and other set-top-boxes. There's no clue as to the whens and wheres, but we suspect this means there will be no dedicated STB in the near future -- for better or worse.

[Via ArsTechnica]

boxee's App Box and API go live, could come to other hardware soon originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray, Media streamers

Because everything needs an App Store or central directory of its own, Netflix is preparing to unveil an App Gallery on its website showing what developers have created to get the most out of its service. No word exactly when the page goes up, but until then we'll highlight the Windows Mobile Manager with integrated streaming trailers and the ability to add movies directly from Rotten Tomatoes as good examples; let us know about any others (like the many iPhone apps) in the comments.

Netflix App Gallery puts API enabled innovations all in one place originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 14:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Canon today launched its Rebel T1i DSLR - its first-ever entry-level DSLR with 1080p HD video recording.
The 15.1-megapixel camera uses the DIGIC 4 imaging processor to record either full 1080p video at 20 frames per second or 30 frames per second at 720p.

Filed under: Internet, New content

Now that ZeeVee's back in business with its much improved Zinc broadband video portal, boxee actually has some serious competition to keep an eye on. That said, the company is hosting a meetup in NYC tonight in order to launch a new "bleeding edge" alpha that will integrate Pandora radio / RadioTime and showcase a more robust API. Furthermore, you'll find a fresh XUL-based framework for the boxee browser to enable the app to more easily interact with any web-based video, and as if that wasn't enough, there will also be a PBS application baked in. We have to say, we're pretty impressed with the regularity of updates coming to boxee -- now, if only those big networks would allow hit shows to be broadcast online live alongside their TV airings, we'd be in television heaven. The full announcement is after the break.

Continue reading boxee releases new "bleeding edge" alpha, inks deal with Pandora

boxee releases new "bleeding edge" alpha, inks deal with Pandora originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Industry, Other hardware

It's tough to predict the future, especially with cutbacks to R&D budgets in the face of a global economic slowdown. Still, it's always nice to see a forward-looking corporate-slide related to mobile handsets from the taller, blonder half of that Sony Ericsson partnership. LTE and fast CPUs are certainly no surprise, nor is that 1,024 x 768 XGA screen resolution that Japan's superphones are already bumping up against. The most compelling vision is that of the embedded camera sensors: 12-20 megapixels capable of recording Full HD video by 2012. Adding more fuel to firey speculation that handsets are about to find themselves embroiled in a megapixel war. Fine by us, just as long the optics and image processing are there to support such a resolution. Even though 12-20 megapixels seems high compared to the 5-8 megapixel cell phones we see today, those numbers are entirely within reason when you recall that Samsung hit 10 megapixels in Korea two years ago. In fact, we wouldn't be suprised in the least to find Ericsson's mythical device on the market well prior to 2012. Combined, these features certainly make for a tantalizing glimpse at the wireless handset future.

Ericsson: 20 megapixel cellphones shooting Full HD video in 4 years originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Cable

Earlier this month, Comcast announced that it would be boosting cable rates by around 4.6%. Now, Mediacom is joining the fun by pumping up the prices in various locales around the country. We're seeing a number of local news outlets putting out information that the carrier will be raising rates in their neck of the woods, with Cedar Rapids, Iowa expecting a 7.2% increase on its mainstay Family Cable package next month. Additionally, the greater Quad Cities area will see a similar change beginning in mid-November, and everyone in Princeton / Caldwell County, Kentucky will be paying more in a few weeks as well. We guess someone has to pay for all those huge HD expansions, right? At least we're only half kidding there.

Read - Cedar Rapids announcement
Read - Quad Cities announcement
Read - Kentucky announcement

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BitGravity has announced the release of an application programming interface (API), capable of supporting cutting-edge interactive video applications.
The company claims the updated API unlocks the ability to create affordable and scalable interactive HD video applications for the first time.

Filed under: Industry, Media streamers, Other formats, Internet

Good news, developers of the world -- the Netflix API will be open to all starting tomorrow. As of October 1st, absolutely anyone can self-signup by visiting the read link, and while details are a tad sketchy at the moment, it sounds like this could hold some serious promise. The API itself allows access to data for 100,000 movie and TV episode titles, is completely free and (most importantly) allows commercial use. In other words, it's kosher if a bright developer out there somewhere feels like "creating an iPhone app to sell for $0.99 (Netflix's words, not ours)." On the technical side, the API includes a REST API, Javascript API and ATOM feeds, and it also uses OAuth standard security "to allow the subscriber to control which applications can access the service on his or her behalf." It's time to get creative, folks.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It’s billed as America’s biggest birthday party and one that even those not able to attend in person will be able to enjoy on HDTV.
Demand from viewers has led to coverage of this year’s Capitol Fourth celebrations from Washington DC being given extended coverage on the US public broadcast network PBS.
The Independence Day fireworks will be captured live by 18 cameras positioned around the capital as national landmarks such as the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials are silhouetted on the skyline.
An estimated 100 million homes in the US own HDTVs – around 41 per cent of TV owners.
Jerry Colbert, executive producer of Capital Concerts, said that if you couldn’t be in Washington, DC for the event, watching it on HDTV would be the next best thing.

Filed under: Industry

Talk about needing a roster to tell the players apart! RHJ International -- which owns some 49-percent of the D&M Holdings hydra (Denon, Marantz, Boston Acoustics, Escient, MacIntosh and Snell) -- has accepted an offer from Bain Capital to the tune of ¥510 ($4.74) per share in a buyout bid. But earlier reports that pinned Kenwood as a partner to Bain in this effort have been denied by Bain. There's some goings-on here, for sure. First, we haven't seen any dealings involving the 12-percent stake that Philips has in D&M. Also, the soon-to-be JVC Kenwood Holdings states that it has not decided on whether it will invest in D&M; which corroborates pretty well with the latest Bain statement that Kenwood is not involved, and there are no ongoing talks of future involvement. Corporate squabbling and conspiracy theories aside, we just hope that the D&M brands come out unscathed.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Industry

Considering that we just doused you with acronyms in that headline, let us break it down real quick. Japanese public broadcaster Nippon Hoso Kyokai has recently demonstrated a prototype 33-megapixel image sensor -- which enables engineers "to use one chip per color" -- for its baffling Super Hi-Vision technology. With this device, each color sensor can operate in full resolution, whereas previous iterations relied on a foursome of 8.3-megapixel sensors (two green, one red, one blue) in order to reach 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. No worries if all these huge numbers are blowing your lid -- this stuff is still years away from being away close to mainstream.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments