HBO GO is the latest new service to bring pay TV content to your PC -- assuming you can prove you pay for cable. So today when FiOS announced that its subscribers were to be one of the first to use it, we decided to try it out. Honestly we didn't even expect it to work considering, you know, we don't subscribe to HBO. Now we're sure it won't take long before this is locked down to actual HBO subscribers, but in the meantime we spent some time playing so you'd know what you were, or weren't missing.

Continue reading Eyes-on with HBO GO

Eyes-on with HBO GO originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As we figured they would, Warner Bros. and Redbox have come to an agreement that will see the movie house supply DVDs and Blu-ray discs straight to the kiosk renter, after a 28 day delay, as well as a promise to destroy the copies after they are taken out of rental circulation. Much like Warner's deal with Netflix, it sees the delay as a way to protect its high margin sales and pricier VOD rentals, then provide the equivalent of a dollar movie theater down the road as flicks hit budget renters. On Redbox's end, it's looking forward to reduced costs for movies and access to Blu-ray titles in return for dropping its lawsuit, and has a deal in place with yet another content provider. No word on any expansion of Blu-ray availability in kiosks, but the new deal kicks off with The Blind Side in March, can you wait that long to save a few bucks?

Redbox to delay renting Warner movies in return for lower costs and access to Blu-ray originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PostRank has announced its Top Blogs for 2009. Catalogued topics where awarded in three categories: Most Engagement, Most Influential, and Biggest Mover & Shaker.

HDTV.Biz-News.com is a winner in the 2009 Category for “Mover & Shakers” and has ranked second in the “Most Engagement” Category for HDTV.

When we took a tour of one of the only two Verizon FiOS Super Head Ends (SHE) in the country It didn't surprise us to learn how much different Verizon's FiOS infrastructure is from most mutli-channel video programming distributors (MVPD) out there. After all FiOS was the first national fiber to the home video provider. But what did surprise us was how similar some things are. This isn't shocking to FiOS customers who just like many Comcast and TWC customers use a Motorola set-top, or to the TiVo and Media Center users who use FiOS with a CableCARD. Verizon entered into the MVPD business less than five years ago, which means it was able to choose to improve the design where it made sense, while sticking to what works instead of reinventing the wheel. And although not everyone can show up at a Super Headend and get a tour, everyone can click through and see a few pictures and learn a little bit about how your favorite show gets to your HDTV.

Continue reading An inside look at a Verizon FiOS Super Headend and Video Hub

An inside look at a Verizon FiOS Super Headend and Video Hub originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although the FCC has recently realized that CableCARD is a failure, it'll be years before anything changes; and even when things do change, the cable industry is probably going to support it for years to come. So we are still happy to see that Panasonic is continuing to try to push tru2way into more homes. Currently only available in Comcast areas of Chicago, Denver and Atlanta; Panasonic plans to add Boston to that list. The interesting twist here is that apparently Panasonic has given up on HDTVs with tru2way built in, and is instead pushing a set-back solution. Basically it would be a box designed to attach to the back of a Panasonic TV and presumably require it's own power but only one connection to the TV via HDMI. Then it would work just like the function was built into the TV -- this kind of defeats the purpose of tru2way, but it is better than a traditional set-top box sitting under the TV with its own remote. The problem is the set-back box doesn't have an analog tuner, which crazy enough is a FCC requirement, so Panasonic is also asking the FCC to waive this requirement, and honestly this is one waiver we would agree needs to be granted.

Panasonic to make Boston the fourth tru2way market originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has set an important milestone in developing OLED technology. The OLED prototypes that OSRAM has developed as part of a research project are large transparent light sources only a few hundred micrometers thick.

Thanks to new technology these organic light emitting diodes do not need separate encapsulation and can be made incredibly thin in any layout.

The transparent test samples have a luminous area of 210 cm² and are already showing the enormous potential of OLED light sources.

Filed under: Industry, Fiber

Possible more notable than the Broncos 5-0 start (okay, not really, did anyone see this coming after that seemingly terrible offseason?) is the announcement from Level 3 Communications that its home games at Invesco Field are the first to have their video sent back to the broadcaster completely uncompressed. Thanks to its fiber connection laid in preparation for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the company sends a 1.5 Gbps stream directly to the broadcaster's home studio, as an alternative to the usual (and still in place while this new delivery is evaluated) method of compressing at the site on a production truck. VP Mark Taylor claims this allows them to get the absolute highest quality signal possible, but we'll wait until it's installed at more than one professional stadium to proclaim end to end uncompressed video delivery as the way of the future.

Level 3 delivering end to end uncompressed video from Broncos home games originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Japan approaches the end of analogue broadcasting in 2011, the digital TV market has entered a period of diversifying customer needs.

“In order to meet demand for more vivid reproduction of high contrast, high definition images, simultaneous viewing and recording of multiple programs, along with access to broadband content,” as they say, Toshiba just unveiled newly developed CELL REGZA TV and the CELL Platform.

CELL REGZA 55X1 is the new flagship of the company's REGZA line-up and will be available in the Japanese market from the beginning of December.

Filed under: Fiber, Sports

FiOS customers to get NFL RedZone channel for free this Sunday originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aiming to bring Full HD 3D TVs to the market in 2010, Panasonic steps up its efforts in developing the related technology. The company has just developed a 50-inch Full HD 3D compatible plasma display panel (PDP) and high-precision active shutter glasses that enable the viewing of theater-quality, true-to-life 3D images in the living rooms.

The new PDP and glasses evolved from Panasonic's Full HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System that was developed in 2008 and comprised of a 103-inch PDP and a Blu-ray Disc player. The prototype PDP has a 50-inch screen, which is expected to become the most popular size for home theaters.

Filed under: Fiber, Sports, New content

Chalk this one up as a total rumor, but you can imagine our surprise today when we saw all of these NFL Sunday Ticket channels show up on our CableCARD equipped Windows 7 Media Center connected to Verizon's FiOS. Unfortunately the channels didn't actually tune in when we selected 'em and this could very well be another case of bad guide data, but no way we could pass up the chance to share this one.

Is the NFL Sunday Ticket coming to Verizon FiOS? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Media streamers, Fiber

Obviously Verizon is all about delivering a whole home DVR solution, so it's no shocker that something like the RVU Alliance is right up its alley. But we are glad to see the fiber to the home provider doesn't shy away from adopting someone else's technology -- we say this because we all know how much Verizon loves, tru2way -- and ask much as we want to be able to have access to the same content in every room of our house, we're not big on the current Verizon solution. The bottom line is that we are on the same page with Verizon here are glad to hear the CTO say that Verizon wants to "lead the industry to an ever-simpler process for integrating consumer electronics." What we hope he means though, is that Verizon will be bring an RVU server to the party so we can enjoy all those HD channels on a Samsung HDTV without a STB.

The RVU Alliance picks up Verizon as a founding promotor originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Swiss brand nvp3D introduced the FreeD Multi-Media Player – the first portable autonomous 3D monitor for viewing without glasses.

The device is autonomous, that means there is no need of a computer connection to view. The content – videos and photos - is displaying on 7-inch monitor from the SD card. Autonomy of the player is limited by the battery to approx. 2 hours.

Filed under: Media PCs, Other hardware

We were just complaining on the Engadget HD podcast that the Zune HD wasn't that HD because it couldn't encode broadcast HD content in the US. Then today a listener chimed in to let us know that the latest version of Microsoft Expression Encoder 3 that ships with Expression Studio 3.0 ($600) includes a few profiles for the Zune HD. While both included profiles output HD, one is specifically intended to be used with the AV Dock and thus is set to output WMA 5.1 surround sound. We did a little digging and while it does appear that Expression Encoder 3 will accept a WTV file containing MPEG2 and AC3 as input, who really wants to pony up $600 to convert their TV shows -- especially when you can use DVRMSToolBox for free. But hey, at least one team at Microsoft gets this whole HD thing.

The Zune HD will support surround sound originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time goes by and FiOS TV just keeps on crawling along, most recently into a few more New york communities and NYU housing. Also of note in NYC is a deal to stream Yankees games over the internet, while customers everywhere can take advantage of new and newly expanded features,

Read - Verizon and YES Network Team Up to Bring Online Yankees Games to FiOS TV, Broadband Customers
Read - Verizon Wins Approval From New York University to Install FiOS Services in Faculty Housing
Read - Two Additional Central New York Communities Take Step Closer to Real TV Competition
Read - Advanced Multimedia and Remote DVR Features Now Available to FiOS TV DVR Customers
Read - More New Choices Now Available From the No. 1 Video-on-Demand Service - Verizon FiOS TV
Read - Verizon Adds Even More Interactivity to FiOS TV's Facebook and Twitter Social TV Widgets

FiOS TV expansions: August 23, 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft announced today that the Zune HD, its long-awaited media player, is available now for pre-order and is set to hit store shelves on Sept. 15.

Filed under: DVRs, Fiber

New features they aren't, but Verizon has just loosed its Media Manager software and Remote DVR scheduling features to more customers, now that they're available to all subscribers with both FiOS TV and internet service. Previously available only to Home Media DVR owners, and then all DVR owners, now more customers get the unending joy of scheduling recordings even away from home, or streaming pictures, music and compatible movie formats to the set-top box from their PC.

Media Manager, Remote DVR scheduling features reach more FiOS subscribers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Displays, Sharp, LCD

So, Sharp, you introduced the world's first HDTV line with integrated Blu-ray players last year, what are you going to do next? Only naturally, the Japanese lineup of DX2 series one-ups the original DX by adding Blu-ray recording as well. It doesn't appear that these pack the LED backlighting of the new X-Gen based displays headed our way this fall, so for now buyers will have to make do with the 15,000:1 contrast ratio shared with the other D-series televisions. Still, the big deal here is that the 1080p (52-, 46- and 40-inch) and 720p (32- and 26-inch) displays will burn up to 30 hours of HD video on dual-layer Blu-ray discs, by way of transcoding and compressing to MPEG-4 format without any messy external boxes or wires. The price range from ¥170,000 ($1,740) at the low end to ¥480,000 for the largest size when these ship September 15 but don't count on seeing them on this side of the Pacific (or the Atlantic.)

[Via AV Watch]

Sharp's AQUOS DX2 HDTVs don't need any help to burn Blu-ray discs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Set-top boxes, Fiber

We've seen plenty of pics of the new social aspects that kicked off Verizon's Widget Bazaar plans, but our friends at Zatz Not Funny have had a little seat time with the other major addition, video streaming via Home Media Manager. Pulling video from the internet or a PC it all looks to work pretty easily, although they noted the software did crash a few times when they tried it. Otherwise, we've heard some complaints about the codec support and a lack of video controls, but if you don't have one of those FiOS TV Motorola boxes in your living room, click on through for more pics and video to see what it's like.

FiOS TV Media Manager streaming hands on w/ video originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Speakers, Others

Thin is all the rage for TVs, so why not loudspeakers, too? At least that's what Boston Acoustics' VS 344 speakers hope -- the addition to the Vista VS line packs four 4.5-inch woofers alongside a 4-inch midrange and 1-inch tweeter into each slender cabinet, and the relatively tall 44-inch profile only enhances the svelte look. That's a bunch of fours in the specs that we'll just keep rolling with -- $5,000 for a set of four (but available individually). Of course, everything is an acoustic and aesthetic match to other VS speakers, with glossy cabinets capped by wood panels, Super Wide Bandwidth tweeters and Organic Composite Cone Material woofers and mids.

Boston Acoustics VS 344 speaker dishes up lots of four on the floor originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More flesh has been added to Toshiba's plans to bring out a Blu-ray player - it is likely to be called the BD-18 and could be available as soon as the year end.
The company, which backed the HD DVD high-definition format that eventually lost to Sony's prevailing Blu-ray, had stubbornly maintained it would not bring out a Blu-ray player and instead focused on its XDE DVD-upscaling technology.

Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

There are just two months to go before CEDIA kicks off in Atlanta, but Sharp's obviously not down with waiting 'til the Fall to introduce its latest gaggle of AQUOS HDTVs. First off, we're taking a look at the outfit's first LED-backlit AQUOS television, which will be available in 52- (LC-52LE700UN), 46- (LC-46LE700UN), 40- (LC-40E700UN) and 32-inch (LC-32LE700UN) screen class sizes. Each of the sets boast 1080p resolutions, a new X-Gen Panel -- which supposedly leads to deep, dark black levels that could very well blow your mind -- a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 176-degree viewing angles. Separately, Sharp also debuted the 65-inch LC-65E77UM and the 60-inch LC-60E77UN, 1080p sets that are joining the E77 series and offering up 120Hz dejudder technology, a 4 millisecond response time, four HDMI sockets and an RS-232 socket for custom installers. We should be getting a little face time with all of these here shortly, and if you're looking for specifics on any given set, hop on past the read link and have a look.

Continue reading Sharp intros slate of new AQUOS LCD HDTVs, first LED models included

Sharp intros slate of new AQUOS LCD HDTVs, first LED models included originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Speakers, Others

With each of the five satellite speakers measuring less than 4-inches (on a side) each and missing any obvious Goldmund badging, we're going to go out on a limb and guess that the "XS" in Boston Acoustics' SoundWare XS 5.1-channel speaker system stands for "extra small" rather than "excess." We have to take issue with calling the 2.5-inch driver in each satellite a "woofer," and just hope that Boston Acoustics isn't trying to get into a race for the "smallest speakers available that don't fit in your ears" title. Boston Acoustics mercifully adds an 8-inch, 100-Watt subwoofer module to restore any tones below a few hundred Hertz for the psychologically safe price of $499, your choice of black or white.

Boston Acoustics' SoundWare XS 5.1 speaker system -- think "extra small," not "excess" originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry

If you thought the well-to-do crowd wasn't feeling the pinch from the rotten economy, consider this -- D&M is not going to be at CEDIA Expo 2009 in a couple of months. You know, the show that features pricey, high-end custom install toys. Not being able to get our paws on the latest toys from Denon, Marantz, McIntosh, Boston Acoustics, Snell and Escient breaks our hearts, but D&M has decided to commit its resources to dealer training (and promotions, we hope); all the better to drive new customer sales. To be clear, D&M will have a presence at CEDIA, it just won't be on the Expo floor -- meetings will be by appointment only. We're just keeping our fingers crossed that similar measures won't have to be taken at CES in January. Planar (and by association, Runco) may take a similar CEDIA approach, not entirely surprising given its recent performance.

Tough economy sidelines D&M Holdings, Planar at CEDIA Expo 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Displays, Samsung, Sharp

We just spent some time talking to Sharp's reps about that ITC ban on its LCD panels, and while they certainly didn't sound happy about the ruling, they made it clear that it shouldn't have too much of an effect on US consumers -- all Aquos TVs and Sharp professional LCD displays that infringed the patent were taken off shelves last month and replaced with updated models. As you'd expect, the new displays have been re-engineered to workaround the Samsung patent in question, but here's where it gets confusing: the basic model numbers haven't changed. Instead, the new units have an "N" at the end, so a TV like the Aquos LC52-E77U will now be labeled LC52-E77UN. Sharp says the updated models have exactly the same specs as the outgoing ones, but we're waiting on a detailed list of spec changes -- or better, a side-by-side comparison -- so we can decide whether or not the HDTV equivalents of a pre-CBS Fender are floating around out there.

Sharp says ITC ban on LCD imports won't affect US consumers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, HD DVD, Toshiba

Though some iffy poll results & a Chinese spinoff may have you thinking HD DVD is just on the cusp of a comeback, Toshiba president Atsutoshi Nishida suggested today that the company might join the rest of the consumer electronics community and support Blu-ray. In the midst of defeat last year he said it had "no plans" to switch sides, focusing on flash memory and DVD upscaling tech instead, but after a few billion in losses that might have changed, as the prez indicated just losing the format war wasn't enough reason to skip out on the Blu-ray market and that Toshiba "would like to keep our options open." Besides enjoying the good news that our exes have found gainful employment as executive speechwriters, we'll be keeping an eye out for another Cell-based Blu-ray player to join the PS3, if not tomorrow, someday.

Toshiba CEO mentions the possibility of supporting Blu-ray originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Displays, Media streamers, Sharp, LCD, Internet

With Akihabara, mobile TV that works and games like this, does Japan really need another nicety to remind us of how awesome it is? Starting this week, Yahoo Japan has started to deliver free video services to loads of Sharp AQUOS HDTVs. The so-called Douga Channel currently offers some 3,000 videos gratis, and absolutely no member registration is required to tap in. At least initially, the service will target Sharp's AQUOS DS6 family of products, which are equipped with a revised Sharp GUI and an 'Ex System' for handling the video processing. Better still, the material coming through can be viewed in SD or HD, which has to make local cable companies cringe. At any rate, the company is still trying to hammer out a business model before delving into pay-TV, and it's hoping to service at least one million TV sets in the not-too-distant future. So... any news for North America?

Yahoo Japan fires up video delivery service for Sharp AQUOS TVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 28 May 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Fiber, Internet

With the weather warming up, Verizon's finally started adding a few more areas again, signing on seven new housing developments for FiOS TV, and reminding potential customers how easy the switch can be. Even though its YES Network deal didn't include Yankees games, Mets fans can enjoy their jetstream-less field and game on video on-demand, and everyone can celebrate remote DVR scheduling.

Read - Verizon FiOS TV Offers New York Area Customers Free Mets Games On-Demand From SNY
Read - Verizon Offers Ultimate Home Upgrade With Easy, Affordable Switch From Cable to Advanced, All-Fiber-Optic FiOS Services
Read - Seven More Long Island and Queens Housing Complexes Sign On to Receive Verizon's FiOS TV and Internet Services
Read - Verizon Expands Advanced, Remote DVR Management Service to More FiOS TV Customers

Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: April 25, 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

The Oscar nominees continue to roll out this week with Frost/Nixon hitting the shelves from Universal, but Fox is the one really opening up the catalog with four new releases, two of which should help round out your HD X-Men collection. Anchor Bay has an old classic horror film featuring pin-head -- even the thought of those hooks makes us skwirm. Next week has some pretty good options too as both Star Trek and the first Dan Brown movie makes their way to Blu-ray to finish out April.

• Frost/Nixon (Universal)
• Arctic Tale (Paramount)
• The Arrival (Lionsgate)
• Notorious (Fox)
• The Wrestler (Fox)
• X-Men (Fox)
• X2: X-Men United (Fox)
• Sin City (Disney)
• Genghis Khan (Funimation)
• Hellraiser (Anchor Bay)
• Hellraiser Puzzle Box (Anchor Bay)
• The Last Word (Image)
• The Wages of Fear (Criterion)

Blu-ray releases on April 21st 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meru Networks has introduced what it says is the first wireless LAN solution optimised for delivering high-quality video over the new generation of IEEE 802.11n networks.
The company's Video Services Module (ViSM) is designed to address video-delivery issues specific to 802.11n networks - which are susceptible to unpredictable loss rates that can negatively impact video quality.

Filed under: Misc, Fiber, Advertising

Light week on FiOS TV expansion news, now that the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network HD is on the air, it's broadcasting around Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The lack of expansion news apparently left time for Verizon to congratulate itself on running a successful Community Forums project that's already borne fruit by pushing forward a software upgrade to dim annoying lights on the company's set-top boxes. Check 'em out if you've a problem or solution, apparently someone is listening.

Read - FiOS TV Adds Mid-Atlantic Sports Network in High-Definition for Virginia Subscribers in Richmond, Hampton Roads
Read - FiOS TV Adds Mid-Atlantic Sports Network in High-Definition for Subscribers in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia
Read - Verizon's Online Community Forums Provide Enhanced Customer Service

Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: April 4, 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Other hardware, Others

Hey, Archos 5 / 7 users -- do we have your attention? Good. You know that high-def support you've been not-so-patiently waiting for? Archos just hooked you up good fashion. As of right now, the read link is holding fresh firmware for both players (v1.6.03), which tosses in support for WMV / VC-1 playback at 720p (24fps; 6Mbps maximum). The update also fixes a number of bugs involving MP3 tags, TV recording errors and GUI malfunctions. Give it a download and report back, won'tcha?

[Thanks, Trevor]

New firmware adds high-def video plug-in to Archos 5 / 7 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD, Sports

It's still up in the air whether the New York Mets will have a solid 2009 season, but one thing is for certain: locals are stoked to see Citi Field open up on April 13th. Sharp has just pushed out a press release that gives baseball loving HD junkies even more reason to go check out a game in person, as we're told that over 800 AQUOS HDTVs will be littered about the new venue. There will also be a gigantic 108-inch Sharp LCD in Citi Field's main lobby, which ought to complement the 12,000 square-feet of Daktronics HD signage quite well. Man, stuff like this really makes us rethink the whole "stay home vs. see it live" debate. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading New York Mets' Citi Field set to be loaded with AQUOS HDTVs

New York Mets' Citi Field set to be loaded with AQUOS HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Media PCs, Media streamers

It was mid last year when Microsoft released the first "Power Pack 1" for Windows Home Server, fixing that ugly data corruption bug and mixing in a few handy enhancements all the while. Since then the company's been quiet about the OS, but finally will release another update today. No major bug fixes this time, but as expected Power Pack 2 will include enhancements to make remote access easier, enabling sharing directly to Media Center PCs or to Media Center Extenders, and adding support for streaming MP4 content to the Xbox 360 and some other devices. Microsoft also let slip news that Acer's easyStore WHS tower will be shipping to the US next month, giving Americans with too much content another box with too many LEDs to fit their needs.

Windows Home Server gets Power Pack 2, Acer easyStore gets US release date originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Cables, Ports

Man, this is just sad. Over a year after the internet was set ablaze with rage after seeing Monster's HDMI cable scam, we've just been notified that the tactic is still being used in at least one Fry's Electronics store. For those unaware, the rig works as such: two TVs are set beside each other along with a sign that says "See the Monster HDMI Difference." Trouble is, the "Monster set" (on the right) is connected to its source via an HDMI cable, while the "non-Monster set" (on the left) is connected via composite cable. As in, the lamest looking signal next to using an RF modulator. So, is anyone with any amount of power paying attention to this? We get the feeling "false advertising" is a real understatement of the situation.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Monster "HDMI Difference" scam still kickin' in Fry's Electronics originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Sharp already introduced us to its BD and E series at CES this year, but this here A team is something different. Debuting first in Japan, this threesome is comprised of the 52-inch LC-52AE6, 46-inch LC-46AE6 and 40-inch LC-40AE6, all of which sport 1,920 x 1,080 resolutions and a digital TV tuner. The whole crew also includes 120Hz de-judder technology, a 15,000:1 contrast ratio, 450 nits of brightness and 176-degree viewing angles. Moreover, each one features an integrated ambient light sensor to adjust the backlight automatically depending on surrounding light, and they also pack a pair of stereo speakers in case your surround rig is currently out of order. The larger two are expected to ship on May 15th, while the small fellow heads out on April 10th; as for pricing, we're hearing ¥390,000 ($4,048), ¥260,000 ($2,698) and ¥200,000 ($2,076) from largest to most diminutive.

[Via Impress]

Sharp debuts AQUOS A series LCD HDTVs in Japan originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Fiber, Advertising

Verizon Communications has just been slapped with a lawsuit from New Jersey's Attorney General, who alleges that the company engaged in "deceptive and misleading" sales, billing and customer service practices related to its FiOS services. Mind you, this is far from the first time we've heard outrage over poor FiOS service, but Verizon New Jersey president Dennis Bone asserts that the majority of the issues raised by the attorney general are "related primarily to the start-up of the FiOS business nearly two years ago in New Jersey and have been largely addressed." Of course, just because things are sailing smoothly now doesn't mean that justice shouldn't be served, but we will concur that we've heard far less grumbling of late compared to years ago. Who knew offering up free TVs to get folks to sign up would lead to this much turmoil?

New Jersey sues Verizon over deceptive FiOS practices originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Toshiba

We needn't tell you that things haven't been going awesome for Toshiba ever since HD DVD hit the skids and slid right into its coffin, but the company has yet to lose hope in its future. As a sign of impending change, Tosh's board of directors has just selected Mr. Norio Sasaki -- who is currently a senior executive VP in the company -- to become the next CEO and President this June. Sasaki will replace Atsutoshi Nishida following an ordinary general meeting of the shareholders, and he'll also succeed Tadashi Okamura in becoming the next chairman of the board at Toshiba Corporation. If you're curious as to whether or not this chap has what it takes, check this: the man is into mountain biking, smooth jazz and golf, and his personal motto is "perseverance will open the way." How dare you doubt that?

Toshiba selects Norio Sasaki as next President and CEO originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Fiber, New content

Good news FiOS heads, now there's even more video on-demand for you to enjoy. Say hello to VOD from eight Turner networks including TBS, TNT and CNN, plus Sony's lineup of recent flicks like Pineapple Express and Hancock. Only the Sony movies are specifically mentioned as including HD, but if anyone at Verizon and Turner knows how we feel about The Closer, they'll make sure we can catch up on past episodes as they were intended to be watched.

FiOS adds Turner, Sony content to VOD library originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Other hardware

We've never been huge fans of HomePlug -- 5GHz WiFi is our preferred obscure networking tech -- but the new dLAN Audio system from Arkados and devolo AG might have us reconsidering. The various dLAN components all simply plug into power outlets and connect to each other, instantly creating a whole-house audio streaming system. Arkados and devolo are hyping iPod compatibility, but we don't care about sources, really -- we just want to see how crazy speaker and radio designs can get when both power and signal are coming from one plug. Sadly, there are no pics, pricing, or availability yet, but we'll keep our eyes peeled.

dLAN Audio World streams audio over HomePlug originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It seems peculiar that with the drive towards making HDTVs all-singing, all-dancing Internet-connected marvels, little had been done to improve something as simple as enjoying your photos on the big screen.
Now Hong-Kong-based Hi-Den Vision has popped up with what it claims is the world's first HDMI 1080p digital photo viewer.

After a period of steadily dropping HDTV prices the cost of sets to consumers appears to be climbing again.
The average selling price for HDTVs in the US jumped by more than 10 per cent in February, according to data from the Retrevo CE Index.

Filed under: Industry, Speakers, Others

It's a sad day for fans of Now Hear This (NHT) Audio, best known for its speaker offerings -- the company is "going quiet." A letter from company co-founder Chris Byrne makes it clear that while the NHT didn't go bankrupt, there's been a sea-change in the audio market that needs a different approach. Them's strong words from a company that has a pretty solid reputation for doing things a bit differently. We remember, for example, when the NHT 3.3s came out -- that gangly narrow cabinet afforded good imaging from the front-firing drivers and the radical (at the time) woofer location on the side wall enhanced the bass response -- NHT definitely was quirky in a good way. March 31st will mark the end of NHT as we know it; here's to hoping we see it rise again in a new form with creative ideas to throw into audiodom. Not that we're counting on it, but it might just happen.

NHT Audio sings its swan song... for now originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Speakers, Others

You remember the curvy-looking Boston Acoustics speakers that came in under the "Vista" name, only to get re-branded "VS" to avoid confusion with other products sharing the Vista moniker? Well, the top of the line model VS 336 floorstanders grabbed a pretty good review from CE Pro, with the soundstaging and bass response earning good remarks. But speakers being subjective, you'd be advised to kick the tires on the $3,400 per pair boxes before you drive them home -- the review turned up a bit of excess presence in the upper bass and midrange that gives a lot of detail but also turned into a "forwardness" as notes moved up the scale. If you're considering them, judge for yourself if you like the effect or not; at this price point you've got plenty of choices that combine looks and performance.

Boston Acoustics' VS 336 floorstanding speakers get reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Displays, Others, Sharp, Internet

Artwork on HDTVs is nothing new, but Screen Dreams is the first HD imagery provider (that we know of) to take advantage of the incoming rush of connected HDTVs. Starting this April, the company's high-def imagery service will be ready for Sharp's line of AQUOS Net displays. Rather than having to insert a DVD, Blu-ray Disc or flash card into a set in order to get high-res screensavers running, users can simply hook their HDTV to the internet and watch the magic happen automatically. Yeah, we know -- this totally isn't the most exciting thing when one thinks about connected HDTVs, but if Screen Dreams can cut it, can you imagine the possibilities? The full release is after the break.

Continue reading Screen Dreams bringing HD imagery to Sharp's AQUOS Net

Screen Dreams bringing HD imagery to Sharp's AQUOS Net originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARCHOS, the company that "invented the PMP", is to bring out a touchscreen smartphone based on the Android operating system.
The new ultra-thin Internet Media Tablet (IMT) will allow playback of HD video while offline.

Filed under: Media streamers, Other hardware

Get enough Netflix / Microsoft synergy yet? We hope not, since that Netflix queue manager for Windows Mobile showcased during Steve Ballmer's CES keynote is slicker than we thought, with an exclusive streaming video preview feature. Whether DVD or Instant Watch that should add some enjoyment to your Netflix browsing, check out a YouTube demo after the break or just go ahead and download the app for yourself.

[Via My Philly Network]

Continue reading Windows Mobile Manager for Netflix includes streaming video previews

Windows Mobile Manager for Netflix includes streaming video previews originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Panasonic, Camcorders

Panasonic's HDC-HS300 was unleashed amidst a flurry of other camcorders at CES this year, but according to Trusted Reviews, it won't be hiding under the shadows of everyone else for long. Rather than bogging you down with details, we'll just get right to the punch -- critics didn't hesitate to suggest that this "could well be the best [consumer] camcorder released all year." The most important aspect (yes, we're talking about image quality) was said to be "nothing short of stunning in virtually all conditions," and low light performance was deemed "particularly amazing." There were plenty of outputs, a swank touchscreen LCD and a very impressive cross-shaped array of microphones that could record 5.1 audio. Add all that up, and you've got a real winner; in fact, these guys suggested that even Canon's stellar line of VIXIA camcorders should watch closely, 'cause the HS300 is stepping all up in that rarefied air.

Panasonic's HDC-HS300 HD camcorder reviewed, thoroughly enjoyed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Fiber, Sports

If you can't quite afford a ticket to attend Super Bowl XLIII, you may still be able to get close enough to feel the noise. If so, there's a decent chance you'll be enjoying the action nearby courtesy of Verizon. This year, said operator has become the first ever "non-partner" vendor allowed in the NFL Experience, as it was selected to wire the Tampa Convention Center and several affiliated hotels in the area with its FiOS fibers. All told, the outfit laid some 14,000 years of fiber in downtown Tampa is preparation for the big game, and FiOS TV will power 143 TVs throughout five downtown venues. Additionally, 116 FiOS TV set-top-boxes were installed along with 138 data lines, though there's no telling if any of this will remain after fans pack up and head home. More details are just past the break.

Continue reading Verizon's FiOS playing big role in Super Bowl XLIII

Verizon's FiOS playing big role in Super Bowl XLIII originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Sharp, LCD

When it comes to HDTVs, there's really only one thing that matters most: picture quality. Evidently Sharp's engineers took this to heart, as the 52-inch LC-52D85U was harshed on in just about every other area. The remote was picked apart for having minuscule buttons and a near-worthless backlight, while the on-screen menus were lambasted for being difficult to navigate. Heck, critics even blasted the omission of an SD card slot, Ethernet jack, USB socket and picture-in-picture functionality. One thing they couldn't slam, however, was the quality of the images coming from the screen, with critics noting that "at $2,300, this model provides the best picture for its price among the 50- and 52-inch sets." So, do you stare at your HDTV, or tinker with it? That, friends, is the question.

Sharp's LC-52D85U LCD HDTV reviewed: at least the image quality rocks originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 01:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Displays, JVC, LG, Others, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Westinghouse

It's easy to see that a whole slew of new HDTVs were introduced to the world at CES, but actually keeping up with 'em is another thing entirely. In an effort to make sure you aren't duped into thinking that set you're about to buy is actually a CES '09-announced set, we've laid out the entire line of newcomers (ones that'll actually see store shelves -- we avoided the concepts to save you some grief) just past the break, complete with scheduled release dates and prices where applicable. Nah, you won't find any big screen OLEDs in there (maybe next year, kids), but there's plenty of Hz, pixels and inches to go around.

Continue reading The HDTVs of CES 2009

The HDTVs of CES 2009 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cable, Sports, New content

We heard that Numericable was planning to deliver a few new high-def channels to its lineup late last year, and while it has definitely taken longer than locals would have liked, it's hard to complain with new HD channels in Europe -- belated or otherwise. Effective immediately, subscribers interested in watching Ushuaia HD and / or Eurosport HD can select the Premium package in order to tune in, and we're also told that SciFi HD and 13th Street HD should join the party in the near future. In related news, a multi-year agreement between the cable carrier and TF1 will give customers access to TF1 HD, so yeah, even more reason for applause.

Read - Ushuaia HD addition
Read - Eurosport HD addition
Read - TF1 agreement

Numericable brings Ushuaia HD / Eurosport HD to French subscribers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

It's hard to believe we are already half way through January, but we are and by the looks of it, we won't have any "great" titles until after the Oscars in late February. This is because all of the really good movies were either released in time for the holidays or are waiting for a post Oscars release to ride the buzz. That being said, Appaloosa looks to be your best shot this week if you are into westerns -- we are. If you like horror movies then Fox's Mirrors might be worth a shot. Superhero Movie and Without a Paddle both look really bad, so it's pretty safe to pass on 'em if you respect IMDB's scores. Next week isn't much better either, that is of course unless you can't wait for The Notebook.

• Appaloosa (Warner)
• Mirrors (Fox)
• My Best Friend's Girl (Lionsgate)
• Stargate: The Ark of Truth (MGM)
• Superhero Movie (Weinstein)
• Swing Vote (Disney)
• Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling (Paramount)

Blu-ray releases on January 13th 2008 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Fiber

Word on the Vegas strip is that Verizon is just moments away from announcing that Home Media DVR customers will soon have remote scheduling access. In essence, the company is just now catching up with AT&T, being that remote DVR features have been available for all U-verse tiers via the web and cell at no charge. This service, however, will only be gratis for Home Media DVR users, and it will enable remote control service via the FiOS TV website or by using downloadable software on select Verizon Wireless handsets, including the LG enV2, LG Voyager and LG Chocolate 2 handsets. We'll keep our ear to the ground for a go-live date.

Verizon to add remote scheduling to Home Media DVR originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes

Not sure why Echostar had this hidden little gem at the bottom of its Sling press release yesterday, but apparently Echostar intends to leverage its technology from the ViP 922 DuoDVR to produce a tru2way DVR for the cable industry that will not only bring DISH Networks' DVR software to cable subscribers, but will also be SlingLoaded. We sure wish we had more to share with you, but we'll all have to wait together until the spring when Echostar is ready to announce the full plans to trial this box.

Echostar to announce SlingLoaded tru2way box this spring originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Others

We're not even going to front -- prior to this article, we hadn't heard of Bush (the consumer electronics manufacturer) nor the BD01. According to reports from the UK, though, the Bush BD01 has become the nation's first widely available sub-£100 Blu-ray player. At least at Argos, the deck -- which typically sells for £146.80 -- has just dropped to £97.86, and while the specifications aren't anything to write home about, it'll certainly handle the BD basics. You won't find BD-Live support and it won't help those in NTSC territories (PAL only), but it will upscale vanilla DVDs via HDMI and it won't totally demolish your savings. Better get a move on though, as we're told that stock is "very limited."

[Via ITProPortal]

Bush BD01 becomes UK's first sub-£100 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 01:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

The UAE may be short on HDTV content, but there's no shortage of Blu-ray material to watch. To that end, Sharp's giving those with big eyes and bigger egos a chance to indulge with the launch of its RX Series in the region. The 65-inch LC-65RX1M is first on the scene, bringing with it a 1080p panel, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 450 nits of brightness, 12-millisecond response time and a wide assortment of ports. Oddly, there's no mention of price, but it should be available locally right now.

Sharp's 65-inch LC-65RX1M launches in UAE originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Fiber

Who knows if council members were just signing lines to get their holiday started early, but the Troutdale City Council nevertheless approved a video franchise for Verizon with an "ambivalent" four-to-three vote. We're told that Troutdale, Oregon has just over 3,000 potential FiOS TV subscribers, and while not everyone was super jazzed about the passing, we can only imagine that locals in search of pay-TV competition will be thrilled. Too bad there's no apparent time line for a build-out.

Troutdale, Oregon gives Verizon blessing to offer FiOS TV originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After weeks of trialling its new HD capabilities YouTube has officially launched its high-def channel.
Users clicking on the newly added "watch in HD" option will automatically see the videos play in widescreen (16:9 aspect).

Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray, Displays, Players, Sharp

With LCD HDTV sales expected to slow dramatically in the new year, it's no wonder that Sharp's playing the tried-and-true "Buy something, get something else free" card in order to shave down its presumably bloated AQUOS HDTV inventory. From now until January 31, 2009, anyone who purchases one of over a dozen AQUOS HDTVs will receive a Profile 1.1 BD-HP21U Blu-ray deck absolutely free; if you're after the next model up, you can opt for $300 off of the purchase of a BD-HP50U Blu-ray player. Curiously, there's no mention of where exactly this promotion is valid, but we get the idea that you'll have to buy from a Sharp authorized retailer and pay way too close to MSRP in order to qualify. Prayerfully we're dead wrong, but you can decide for yourself by checking the full print after the break.

Continue reading Sharp giving away free BD-HP21U Blu-ray player with most AQUOS HDTVs

Sharp giving away free BD-HP21U Blu-ray player with most AQUOS HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: New content

There doesn't appear to be a set time line in place, but TV One is expected to launch an HD simulcast of its SD network soon on several Comcast / Time Warner Cable systems. The channel, which is a self-proclaimed "entertainment television network for African Americans," will first hit TWC's NYC region and Comcast systems in Boston, Chicago, Portland, OR and Seattle. We're told that more regions should find the HD iteration of the channel beginning in early January 2009, and at least initially, some 20% of the content will be shot and aired in high-def; if all goes well, that figure should rise to 40% by 2010.

TV One HD coming to several TWC / Comcast markets originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cable, New content

Check it, Beantown. Comcast has just upped the HD ante in your city, delivering a badly needed new helping of high-def stations to its lineup. Starting now, users in the Boston region can find a bunch of new HD premium movie channels along with HDNet, Travel Channel HD and CBS College Sports Network HD. For the full rundown of newcomers, give the read link some love (or just a look).

[Thanks, cypherstream]

Comcast adds a bunch of HD nets in Boston, Massachusetts originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VUDU has launched a new platform that brings Web-hosted applications and services to consumer appliances, including its own Internet movie player.
The VUDU RIA (Rich Internet Application) platform will deliver TV shows as well as Web apps which enable users to share their photos and watch the tens of millions of YouTube videos on their HDTVs.
The company plans to open VUDU RIA up to third party developers in the first half of 2009.

Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Don't ever say Sharp ignored you, UK, because the AQUOS LC-46D65E is a fine, fine offering. The 46-inch addition to the outfit's D65 family arrives with a 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 450 nits of brightness, a six-millisecond response time, 176-degree viewing angles and a full 1080p panel. You'll also find a DVB (Freeview) tuner, three HDMI inputs and two SCART sockets, not to mention a USB terminal for loading up pictures and tunes. Best of all, it's available as we speak in pound country for around £714.99 ($1,067) on the street.

Sharp adds Freeview-tuning AQUOS LC-46D65E to UK range originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Displays, Sharp

Sharp just recently announced that its AQUOS Advantage Program would be expanded to cover 32- and 37-inch sets here in the States, and apparently it felt quite rotten about leaving our dear friends to the north out in the cold. Sadly, the Canadian launch of the platinum-level customer support experience -- which includes "priority repair services, extended weekday and weekend telephone support hours and a dedicated toll-free support line staffed by highly-trained AQUOS Advantage Advisors" -- only applies to HDTVs 42-inches and up, so those looking to get a set for their bedroom will likely be sorely disappointed in the lack of coverage. C'mon Sharp, whatever happened to fair and equal treatment?

Sharp's AQUOS Advantage support program launches in Canada originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Displays, Sharp, LCD

Maybe companies really do get in the holiday spirit, as it seems that about this time each year we get wind of yet another concierge type service related to HDTVs. This year, we're seeing Sharp kindly expand its AQUOS Advantage Program to cover mid-sized HDTVs. Previously, only AQUOS sets 42-inches and up were eligible for the special customer service program, which grants owners "priority repair services, including next business day scheduling and expedited service visits." Now, even AQUOS HDTVs of the 32- and 37-inch varieties are included. Unfortunately for Sharp, we still get the feeling that cash-strapped consumers will be eying that sticker more so than any fancy extras this holiday season, but we reckon it can't hurt.

Sharp expands AQUOS Advantage Program to cover mid-sized HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite, New content

Rather than pumping out yet another programming provider in Hungary, we'd suggest just adding more HD and lowering prices at the ones that already exist. But hey, what do we know? Starting this week, Hungarian citizens now have one more DTH satellite provider to choose from in T-Home SatTV, which taps into Spacecom's AMOS-3 satellite to provide "a large channel bouquet including four HD channels." There's no mention of exactly what high-def stations are included nor how pricey the service will be, but in the end, we suppose choice (and thus, competition) is a good thing.

Hungary gets another DTH satellite option in T-Home SatTV originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube has finally moved to a default widescreen player with an HD-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the announcement follows the video sharing giant's recent decision to start hosting full-length Hollywood movies.
Not that anyone will be complaining.

For a while now, Sony's PS3 has done very well out of being the best Blu-ray player in its price range - oh, and you can play games with it too.
So it will be interesting to see how it fares now that Microsoft's Xbox is offering US users streaming HD content from Netflix.
That, and the fact that Blu-ray player prices generally are falling, may have some impact on the Sony console.

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Sharp, LCD

It's a good thing companies are out there toiling away on masterfully created universal remotes, because it looks like you'll be needing one with the purchase of Sharp's AQUOS LC-46D65U. The 46-inch set, which was unveiled at CEDIA 2008, was recently reviewed over at Digital Advisor, and as with most big screen HDTVs, critics found plenty to love and detest. It was stated that the unit handled pure 1080p content "like a dream," showing off Blu-ray Discs with images that were "sharp, crisp and brilliant." Unfortunately, it didn't hold up so well when handed a fresh serving of SD material, so those still halfway in the past may want to take note. Additionally, the bundled remote was said to be frustrating in every way possible, though the copious amount of inputs did put a smile on their faces. All in all, the set was deemed a good bargain for the $1,300 or so it's selling for online, but make sure you factor in a Harmony of some sort before sealing that budget.

[Thanks, Michael]

Sharp's 46-inch AQUOS LC-46D65U reviewed: good HDTV, not so good remote originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Not content with just loosing the succulent (and oh-so-silver) XS1 LCD HDTV in the UK, Sharp has just announced that the limited edition set can now be procured in Canada. It's available in two sizes -- the 65-inch LC-65XS1U or the 52-inch LC-52XS1U -- and both units boast a 10-bit Advanced Super View 1080p panel, 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, an ultra-slim design that is just 0.9-inches thick at the thinnest point and an all new RGB-LED backlight system that creates "the clearest and brightest screen that Sharp has ever produced." Too bad the little guy rings up at a penny under 12 grand while the big fellow checks in at $15,999.99. Oh, our bad -- didn't mean to startle you like that.

Sharp's limited edition XS1 LCD HDTV comes to Canada originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Sharp

Generally speaking, Sharp's AQUOS line is a pretty safe bet. That being said, its 46-inch LC-46D85U didn't fare too well under the scrutiny of CNET. Reviewers did point out that it displayed accurate color once calibration was complete, and they also admired the copious quantity of inputs and the "understated, no-nonsense styling." Still, the uneven backlight uniformity (which produced banding), light black levels and lack of dejudder video processing pretty much nullified the previously mentioned gains. In the end, the troubling quirks associated with the image quality all but eliminated it from consideration given its lofty price tag ($1,700+), which should be quite troubling to the ears at Sharp -- particularly with a heralded KURO LCD HDTV rolling stateside in under a year.

Sharp's AQUOS LC-46D85U LCD HDTV reviewed: average at best originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Misc, Speakers

Another one bites the proverbial dust. Hot on the heels of Tweeter zipping up its distribution centers comes word that the Florida-based Sound Advice will be throwing in the towel as well. Interestingly enough, we just heard hours ago that ripples from the Circuit City / Tweeter closings could affect upscale dealers, and here we are watching 22 boutique shops liquidate their current inventory and call it a done deal. About 50 employees stand to lose their jobs, but of course, those with an outlet around can take advantage of some killer deals right about now. Granted, this probably has quite a bit to do with the fact that Tweeter actually acquired Sound Advice in 2001 for $61 million, and generally speaking, children don't fare too well when their parents hit the skids.

Sound Advice closing up shop, liquidating stores originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Cables, Ports

HomePlug AV has been around for what seems like eons, but regardless of how hard it tries, it never seems to really take hold in the market place. That being said, two big names in the industry are teaming up to give it yet another push, as STMicroelectronics and Arkados join hands to "develop and manufacture a 200Mbit-per-second HomePlug AV wideband powerline modem System-on-Chip (SoC)." If all goes to plan, it'll become the world's first HomePlug AV SoC, and it's being designed to "power applications ranging from simple Ethernet-to-powerline bridges to full-featured products as wide ranging as HDTV distribution, digital set-top boxes, IPTV, whole-house audio, networked digital picture frames, surveillance systems, etc." We'll see if anyone notices when it ships in mid-2009.

STMicroelectronics and Arkados join up on HomePlug AV SoC originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Sports, New content

Even DirecTV didn't have too much to say on this one, but as of today, its subscribers can catch the 24/7 high-definition version of CSN New England (also known as Comcast SportsNet New England) on channel number 630. The highlight of the add? More of those defending NBA champions in glorious HD.

DirecTV lights up 24/7 HD for CSN New England originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

For the third week in a row Blu-ray has managed over 10 percent of the home media market share of the top 20 titles according to Nielsen VideoScan data courtesy of Home Media Magazine. The numbers this week were delayed a bit for whatever reason, and at the same exact time, we only got to see the top ten, instead of the top twenty titles. But no matter, the undisputed top seller this week was Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- wow what a mouth full. Indy's latest adventure easily outsold the competition leaving the three week old Iron Man in the dust by about three to one. The truncated chart does make it impossible to see how many choose the Blu-ray version though; but one thing is for sure, it wasn't more than 17 percent. We do know that the DVD version outsold Iron Man by closer to five to one. As expected, the latest Matrix box set did pretty well this week, as the DVD re-release was tied at number eleven on the DVD charts, the Blu-ray version not only hit number three on it's respective chart, but also managed over 95 percent of the market away from the SD version. There is little doubt that next week's sales will be down, but that is assuming that all the Bond movies won't move that sell well and at the the same time, the Incredible Hulk, won't sell as well as Indy.

Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending October 19th, 2008 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Fiber, Sports, New content

It may be a bit late for the start of the season, but Verizon's added the NHL Center Ice package, letting viewers subscribe to 40 out of market NHL games every week and early round playoff games, with "select" games in high definition. Beyond the $169 season bundle, FiOS also will soon be home to the NHL Network channel promising 75 HD games this season, along with 24 hours a day to talk cross-checking, zambonis and whatnot. We don't know if it can save hockey but we're glad Verizon is providing another option to the MLB, NBA and NFL action going on right now.

Verizon adds NHL Network, NHL Center Ice to FiOS lineup originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Cable

This isn't the first hotel deal RCN has managed to land, and we have every reason to believe it's far from the last. The cable carrier's lastest grab is the Mandarin Oriental luxury hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, where it will deliver HDTV programming, all-digital cable and a dedicated data network connection to serve as the hotel's failsafe for internet connectivity. The multi-year deal will bring the services to 136 guestrooms, 12 luxury suites and the condominiums, apartments and retail stores located within the hotel. Now, if only we could afford a room to check it all out, we'd be set.

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Filed under: Industry

You don't have to have a Nobel Prize in economics to know that the current state of the economy is bad news for sales of HT gear, but it would be doubly bad for a company that, say, was just trying to get business moving again after emerging from bankruptcy. Enter Tweeter, which only this past summer was retooling stores into "electronic playgrounds." The company's CEO has been replaced by a restructuring firm exec (aka axeman) who quickly got down to business by putting Tweeter operations into a "temporary transition period," and we've got a bad feeling that means the electronic playground just got a lot rougher.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Samsung, LG and others may be readjusting expectations and scaling back output, but Sharp -- of the many new LCD plants -- still plans to sell 11 million TVs in the fiscal year, according to its prez, Mikio Katayama. To that end, expect the new DX line to cross over to North America by year-end (packing a Blu-ray player in place of the Japanese edition's recorder) and European and Asian markets next year. Whatever the state of the economy, expect the battle on store shelves to continue throughout this year and well into the next.

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Steve Jobs quashed suggestions that Apple would upgrade its Mac OS X Leopard to allow Blu-ray because of the cost of licensing and drives.
Speaking at today’s today's notebook keynote, Jobs said: "Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt. I don't mean from the consumer point of view.

An upgrade to the Mac OS X Leopard that would allow Blu-ray is one of the more interesting rumors circulating ahead of Tuesday’s Apple event.
Currently at 10.5.5, it could be that version 10.5.6 would allow Blu-ray discs to be handled without the need for third-party software add-ons, and would then allow Apple to add Blu-ray drives to its machines.

Filed under: Blu-ray

So much for the theory that only movies that fit in the Blu-ray demographic can hit number one on the Nielsen VideoScan charts -- thanks Home Media Magazine for the data -- as Sex and the City: The Movie easily beat any other title by almost 35 percent. This might sound like a lot but it's nowhere near as much as the DVD version, which outsold Leatherheads by almost 92 percent. This one title easily explains the low market share for Blu-ray this week at 6 percent, in fact the Blu version of S&TC only managed 3.37 percent of the share from DVD -- which is about a third of what a title like Forbidden Kingdom manages. The other interesting thing this week is that while Leatherheads was number two on the DVD charts, it's only number five on Blu, with older titles like Speed Racer and Transformers easily outselling it. This week is fun and all, but next week is when the real fun starts because Iron Man has reportedly already outsold every other Blu-ray Disc to date. Because of the predicted success of just this one title, we'd be so bold as to expect the Blu-ray market share to be the best in record, which would put it over 12 percent.

Continue reading Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending September 28th, 2008

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Filed under: Speakers, Others

Engadget HD public service announcement -- the Boston Acoustics Vista speakers have nothing to do with any other products (HT-related or not) in the marketplace using the name Vista. For both of the people out there who may have been confused on that point, Boston Acoustics is renaming the entire model line "VS," to signify the speakers as "a new Vision in great Sound." The company is not making even a suggestion that Microsoft applied any pressure, which makes us even more disappointed in the new name -- the "Vista" moniker was a lot easier to remember. We hope another PSA clarifying that these speakers can do more than play a certain Pearl Jam album is not called for.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. Pricing for Sharp's sexiest, freshest and altogether loveliest HDTVs has arrived. As stated at CEATEC in Japan, the 65-inch LC-65XS1U-S will sell for a whopping ¥1.28 million ($12,225), while the 52-inch LC-52XS1U-S goes for ¥980,000 ($9,243). We'd expect those figures to be a touch lower whenever they come stateside, but rest assured, you'll be breaking into the piggy bank if either of these is to be your next set.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp

While we knew these new Sharp Aquos HDTVs were coming, we had no idea how thin and bright they were in person. Today at CEATEC 2008 Sharp officially announced its LC-65XS1U-S (65-inch) and LC-52XS1U-S (52-inch) AQUOS LCD HDTVs right at CEATEC Japan's opening bell. The displays' 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 1080P panel are nice and all, but we now know they measure in at a super gaunt 2.28-cm (0.9-inch) depth and are outfitted with a 2.1-channel, three-way five-speaker system that Sharp jointly developed with Pioneer. Meanwhile, Sharp boasts some serious energy savings with the new displays, promising a 26% reduction in power consumption. Expect them to hit stores in Japan October 15 in limited numbers for an undisclosed (read: 'spensive) price. Check the emaciated photos in the gallery if you're so inclined.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

What a disappointing week for the studios as the new releases that appeared to be big titles didn't sell well at all. Although they didn't sell well on Blu-ray, it's hard to say how well they fared against DVD as Home Media Magazine didn't publish the market share per title chart this week. We suspect it's about the same, as DVD isn't up this week either. As many might have predicted, the number one title fits right in the so-called PS3 demographic as Speed Racer outsold the much older Transformers by almost two to one, and more interestingly outsold the new release 88 Minutes by even more. Weinstein's first Blu-ray release didn't do too well either as The Mist came in at seven and 1408 at eighteen. What's more telling this week though, is the random titles on the Blu-ray charts, we're betting that his is from a combination of weak new releases and promotions directed at titles like Troy and A Clockwork Orange. We expect next week to be better as The Godfather Collection, Deception, and Leatherheads will all be counted and should be enough to move the charts. But hold on to your seats for the week after that as Iron Man is released and is expected to beat every Blu record to date.

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Filed under: Cable, New content

Looks like Chattanooga isn't the only Comcast market waking up to news of fresh HD channels bulging from the DVR, as word from Bean Town has it that Boston will also be blessed with a new heap. Without further ado, here's what you folks can expect: Encore HD (785), Fox Business HD (789), Hallmark Movie HD (790), Toon Disney HD (792), Fuse HD (793), Bravo HD (794), CNBC HD (795), ESPNews HD (796), Biography Channel HD (797), Independent Film HD (798), Women's Entertainment HD (799), MGM HD (819), FX HD (830), FOX News HD (841), Starz Edge HD (873), Starz Kids HD (874), Starz Comedy HD (876), and Big Ten Netowrk HD (885). Phew.

[Thanks, Mike]

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Filed under: Fiber, New content

Although just about every FiOS TV market was about to add TBS HD within the next month, if you're a baseball fan it's likely it was scheduled to be added a little too late. Every self respecting MLB fan knows that the playoffs start next week, and with 20 out of the first 20 games in HD on TBS HD, it is a must have for baseball fans. We have to say that when it comes to sports Verizon always seems to find a way to deliver the HD in time. First it was CNBC HD and USA HD in time for the Olympics, and then it was ESPNU HD in time for the kick off of the College Football season -- one of the only providers to add it on launch day too -- and now this. So if you're in one of those FiOS TV markets that's still waiting on the HD expansion to come your way, go check out channel 849 to make sure you're ready to follow the playoffs in HD -- or maybe you just want to watch Seinfeld reruns in HD.

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Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Sharp, LCD

Sharp's 46-inch AQUOS LC-46X8E was recently acquired by the fine folks at TrustedReviews, and overall, it was just decent for the coin. If you're a bit perplexed by the model number, you should be -- this is a fairly exclusive set, currently sold only in the UK at retailer John Lewis. All that aside, performance was simply dubbed "okay." It didn't do anything particularly well, though it didn't do anything spectacularly bad, either. The sharpness, fittingly enough, was highly praised, though the lackluster handling of SD material and the appearance of a few off-kilter tones were downers. The moral of the story? The set actually proved to be a mixed-bag, albeit one that would probably be recommended for a few hundred pounds less. Do yourself a favor and dip into the full review before marching into Mr. Lewis' store and picking one up.

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Filed under: DVRs, Fiber

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Good news, Canada! Sharp's AQUOS D65 and D85 LCD HDTVs (those ones uncovered at CEDIA) are headed your way. Starting this month, the 42-, 46- and 52-inch sets will begin landing on Canadian floors, bringing with 'em 120Hz technology, a 4-millisecond response time, AQUOS LINK, five HDMI 1.3 inputs, a 1080p panel and an RS-232C input for custom installs. The whole lot ranges from $1,399.99 (LC-42D65U) to $2,499.99 (LC-52D85U), so start saving those bucks.

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Filed under: Blu-ray

Continue reading Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending September 7th, 2008

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sharp

The whole Profile 1.0 thing kind of put a damper on Sharp's latest Blu-ray players, but since they were showcased at the company's CEDIA booth, we figured it prudent to take a few snapshots and pass 'em along. Design wise, the two are exceptionally similar, and we can't say with good faith that the HP50U is really worth the extra coin. Hit the gallery below and see if you can pick the two apart... and, go!

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sharp

Continue reading Sharp sticks with Profile 1.1 on AQUOS BD-HP50U Blu-ray deck

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Players, Sharp

If you've seen the BD-HP21H Blu-ray player, you've seen the BD-HP21U. Sharp is presumably getting official with the US version of said player here at CEDIA, and while the price tag is comparatively nice, the specifications are so last year. We're talking Profile 1.1, AQUOS LINK, a Quick Start feature to get flicks rolling in under ten seconds and an HDMI 1.3 output. Granted, the glossy black player is mighty thin, but it's still overpriced at $349.99 in our opinion. Full release after the jump.

Continue reading Sharp rolls out AQUOS BD-HP21U Profile 1.1 Blu-ray player

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Thin is in at IFA 2008, and Sharp's LCD lineup leads off with the super-skinny XS1 Aquos series LCD. A 23mm thick 1080p 52- or 65-inch panel packing 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 100Hz motion processing and detachable speaker system, halves it's previous 5cm best from May of this year. Old school fat LCD fans can look forward to the D65E line, pulling 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and claiming an "environmentally conscious design" for Sharp's premium range, in sizes from 32- to 52-inch models, with prices to match from €899 to €2299. Of course, none of this would be right without a matching Blu-ray player, and Sharp has announced the BD-HP21H, a Bonus View Profile 1.1 model with a quick-start mode, but like the XS1 lacks pricing info that would make it so much juicier. All are due in the UK in October, we should hope for more details before then.

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Say what you will about Bose's price to performance ratio, that company knows how to move iPod docks. The Bose SoundDock and SoundDock Portable have an astounding hold on the premium end of the iPod accessory market, and the SoundDock Series II followup likely won't be breaking that streak. The new Series II dock has a slightly refined look, more akin to the SoundDock Portable than the original, includes an aux-in jack (at last), and can charge the iPhone 3G -- a sore point for folks who've been charging their iPods and iPhones just fine on the original SoundDock for years, only to have the legacy-free iPhone 3G do them in. The Series II dock also includes the Portable's more advance remote for browsing playlists and such. Price is $299, it should ship starting in September.

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Filed under: Fiber, Sports, New content

Though probably not as niche as Rural Free Delivery (RFD HD), World Fishing Network HD still has a pretty narrow audience. That being the case, there's still some logic to pushing the channel in rural parts of America or in regions with nearby fishing outlets. Call us crazy, but New York City is not the first place that comes to find when someone mentions deep sea fishin'. Nevertheless, Verizon has just announced that WFN HD has arrived in the Big Apple on FiOS TV, giving transplants an easy way to get back in touch with their small town roots. There's no word on when the station will hit other FiOS TV areas, but we'd bet it'll be making the rounds soon enough.

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Filed under: Other hardware, Speakers, Others, Apple

It only takes a glance to realize that Boston Acoustics' Horizon i-DS2 iPod boombox is merely a cleaned up version of the knobby Duo-i, but we must say, the new look is pretty sleek. Built to function with any dock-connecting iPod, this 60-watt speaker system includes twin 3.5-inch full-range drivers, a composite video output, USB connector and an auxiliary input for plugging in other DAPs / PMPs. The unit itself arrives in glossy white or glossy black, though users with an itch to customize can select from a variety of P.O.P. metal grilles. On paper, the unit isn't too shabby, but the $179.99 price tag is somewhat of a drag.

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Microsoft has announced that it is the first operating system developer to more completely incorporate Blu-ray support into its platform, with the addition of the Windows Feature Pack for Storage.
This will allow Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008 users to burn Blu-ray discs directly from the OS without the need for usually expensive third party applications.

Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes

When DISH Network and EchoStar split, it really had us scratching our head, but more recently the plan has started to become apparent to us. The latest revelation is that EchoStar has signed on to produce tru2way boxes. Evidently it hopes to steal away some of the business away from Cisco and Motorola. Although many seem to really like the DISH DVR, we're not sure what aditional value EchoStar intends to bring to the tru2way scene since the magic of the DISH DVR is in the software. We suppose EchoStar could be offering a package deal that includes the software as well, but really who knows. One thing that does seem apparent -- and a trend -- is that there aren't intentions to sell the box directly to customers, which to us, kinda defeats the entire purpose of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Fiber

Verizon's latest push to get you to switch from your current carrier revolves directly around high-def, as it's offering new customers a HD DVR or HD Home Media DVR for a full year should they sign up before October 4th. According to Shawn Strickland, vice president of video solutions for Verizon, FiOS TV is "delivered over the network that's built for HD," and it's doing its best to ensure that everyone out there knows it. So, do any of you other providers care to match this, or will the leapfrog game end here?

[Image courtesy of PCMag]

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Filed under: Regulatory, Other formats

We hoped that we had pretty much heard the end of Sony's ridiculous ARccOS copy protection -- which added in corrupted sectors in order to prevent copying (and legitimate playback in a myriad players) -- but sadly, not all wishes are granted. Dave Zatz noticed an announcement on Netflix's website which spells out the remaining DVDs in which ARccOS is still in play, with 007: Casino Royale, Black Christmas, The Grudge 2, Pursuit of Happyness, Stranger than Fiction, The Holiday and a smattering of other halfway popular titles in the mix. It also shows the list of players known to be affected by the DRM, so you may want to take a peek before renting any of the aforesaid titles. Thanks, Big Content!

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Filed under: Blu-ray, HD DVD, Media PCs, Other hardware, Others

We've spent a little hands-on time with the ITC One uber-franken-HTIB, but Electronic House got some serious quality time with the unit during SE2 Labs' roadshow this past week. So if you've got $25,000 burning a hole in your pocket, but need just a little more detail on how the unit actually works, hit that read link. Still a little uneasy about pulling the trigger? Maybe knowing that SE2 Labs is adding remote diagnostics will ease your mind. For either standard maintenance (firmware updates, etc.) or unexpected problems, a technician can troubleshoot (and hopefully solve) the problem by using the RS-232 and IP connectivity in the ITC One. As SE2 Labs describes it, "...it's like having on-demand access to an A/V professional." Hmmm -- maybe if our friends got these, it would cut down the service calls we field!

[Thanks, Chuck]

Read - ElectronicHouse ITC One review
Read - ITC One remote diagnostics

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD

Aw, aren't these things just as cute as a button? Rather than dishing out a new family of big screen flat-panels (or in addition to, actually), Sharp has decided to introduce a trio of smaller sets more suited for a bedroom or well-equipped kitchen. Available in 16- and 20-inch sizes, the new AQUOS E-series features a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, 450 cd/m2 brightness and built-in analog / digital TV tuners; you'll also find a pair of HDMI ports alongside a PC input, S-Video jack and two composite sockets. The sets are expected to land in the middle of next month in Japan for ¥85,000 ($778) / ¥95,000 ($870).

[Via Impress]

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Kodak has long been known for producing imaging and photographic material.
hdtv.biz-news.com asked Matthew Yarrow, Kodak country business manager for the UK and Ireland, to explain the rationale behind his company’s decision to move into new territory with the launch of a set-top box.

Volume production of China’s self-developed high-definition optical disc format - China Blue High-definition Disc (CBHD) – is to begin in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Shanghai United Optical Disc has completed its first production line and its output is initially expected to sell only in the Chinese market.

Filed under: Other hardware

You know you're a completist when your power conditioner has to match the rest of your gear. If your tastes run along the lines of analog meters, blue backlighting and chrome-edged knobs, then McIntosh is waiting to lighten your wallet. The company has released its MPC1500 power conditioner that promises AC isolation, reduced noise and maximum power transfer (whatever that means) across its 12 outlets. For convenience, the operation of the outlets is configurable between always on, grouped, or inidividually switched. Nice, but this unit is no UPS (we're guessing there's a tranformer and surge suppressor behind the Old English faceplate), which we'd expect for our $4,500. If you're thinking of dropping that kind of cash on power, we'd recommend a dedicated mains line and a UPS -- not as pretty, but your power will be clean.

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Sony has signed up the major studios, including Fox, Disney and Warner, to offer HD movies on its US download service.
The downloads can be transferred from the console to the Play Station Portable handheld device.
This latest development follows Microsoft's announcement that it will add a NetFlix movie streaming service to its XBox 360 video game console.
The continuing rivalry between the console makers is good news for consumers.

Sony’s Play Station 3, with its integrated Blu-ray disc (BD) player, has given many millions of consumers their first taste of the high definition format.
But hopes that the makers of the video game console would give Blu-ray a further boost have been dashed by Sony Chairman Howard Stringer.
The Sony chief claims Microsoft’s decision to cut the price of its Xbox 360 by US$50 is evidence that it’s falling behind the PS3 in overall sales.

Filed under: Misc, Other hardware

Weak stomach? Yeah, you may want to utilize that scroll wheel over there and pass this one on by. TRUMPF Medical Systems has just introduced what it's calling the "world's first in-light high definition operating room camera," the TruVidia HD. Said device is designed to be "integrated into the central handle of the TRUMPF iLED surgical light," but it's also available on a separate arm for different applications. Captured images taken during procedures are stored conveniently on a USB flash drive for easy portability, but there's no mention of what hospitals are planning (or already have) to integrate a few of these into their wards.

[Via TechRadar, thanks sk]

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Eurosport could be returning to UK screens after a three year gap if negotiations currently being held with Sky are succesful.
The sports network is expected to add its HD channel to the Sky HD platform within the next few days.
It is understood to be currently testing at 28 degrees East alongside Eurosport News.
A Eurosport spokesman said: “We’ve been negotiating with Sky and are very keen to launch our service in the UK.”

Onkyo, the A/V manufacturer that backed the high def DVD format and sold around 2,000 players, is to launch its first BD player later this year.
The company had flagged up its intention to let bygones be bygones and join the other “side” shortly after Toshiba announced that it would concede the format war last February.
It discontinued production of its HD DVD players, while assuring existing customers they would continue to receive full product support and service.
A company statement also said it’s R&D team had “maintained a parallel development programme for the competing Blu-ray technology”.

Filed under: Fiber, New content

Not to beat a dead mule or anything, but Verizon has come clean and admitted that those 20-some-odd HD channels spotted yesterday in Fort Wayne, Indiana are actually supposed to be there. You know, as if to say some engineer didn't accidentally pull a magic lever. Reportedly, 15 new high-def stations are live as we speak in the aforesaid city with seven more due to hit soon, but we've heard reports that the whole lot was flipped on in select areas. Anywho, the carrier has promised to roll the newcomers out to each of its service markets in the near future, though it's anyone's guess as to which locale will claim next. The full list of new HD channels are posted in the read link.

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Japan’s Matsushita is aiming to mass-produce 37-inch OLED televisions within three years in a move that could ignite the OLED market.
The Japanese trade daily, Sankei Shimbun, reports that the electronics giant – the parent of better-known sub-brand Panasonic - is putting the finishing touches on plans to mass-produce 37-inch OLED televisions within three years.
If the plans bear out, it would make Matsushita the first manufacturer producing OLED televisions over 30 inches in size, and could enable Matsushita to challenge Samsung for the top spot in the flat-screen television market.

The idea that one movie could transform a technology from niche to mainstream may seem extreme.
Yet that is what Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios home entertainment, is suggesting will be the effect of the yet-to-be released new thriller starring Angelina Jolie.
The studio executive believes the film’s highly visual nature could be the trigger to mass sales of Blu-ray devices.
James McAvoy plays an average guy who’s recruited by Jolie to become a contract assassin.
Kornblau said he thought Wanted, which is released in US cinemas on Friday, could do for HD disks what The Matrix did for the standard-def DVD.

Filed under: Cable, New content

It's about time, wouldn't you agree? Comcast last bolstered Boston's HD lineup in February when it added SciFi HD and Animal Planet HD, but shortly after Beantown claimed its 17th NBA Championship, the carrier has decided to sneak six more into the EPG. As of now, you'll find Disney HD (824), Family Channel HD (826), Weatherscan Channel (845), Science HD (857), AMC HD (859) and TLC HD (867). Not like you'll be able to watch any of 'em until the week-long party subsides, but hey, at least you've got something fresh waiting upon your return.

[Thanks, Chad]

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Filed under: Fiber

When people think of FiOS, they think of super high speed Internet and IPTV, but in actuality FiOS only uses IPTV for VOD and the rest of the channels are distributed the old fashion way; via QAM. We're sure many of you are scratching your head right now and you might be thinking, yeah but eventually FiOS is going IPTV and if Verizon had it to do all over again, surely IPTV would be use now, right? Evidently not, as two new companies have announced a similar GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Networks) deployment to FiOS and guess what, both are using a QAM overlay system just like Verizon. Both D&P Communications and PBT Communications, both realize that QAM can't be beat, thanks to all the current hardware that is available. Sure, IPTV could take over eventually, but at this point we wouldn't dare to guess when.

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Filed under: Displays, Sharp, LCD, Projector

Never mind those guys cranking out just one or two new gizmos at InfoComm -- Sharp's busting out the big guns. The company is using the stage in Vegas to introduce a swarm of new gear including the XG-P560W 3-chip DLP WXGA projector, XG-C455W / PG-C355W 3LCD WXGA PJs, XG-P610X XGA unit and four new BrilliantColor DLP beamers (PG-F317X, PG-F312X, PG-F262X and PG-F212X). For those unfazed, it's also showcasing 46- (TL-M4600) and 52-inch (TL-M5200) professional LCD monitors meant for digital signage applications. As you can probably glean, there's way too much data on the whole lot to cover in this space, so we'll kindly direct you to the read link if you're hungry for more.

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Filed under: Internet, New content

Sick of seeing nothing but upconverted SD feeds on the brand new LCDs that seem to be finding their way into every new hotel room these days? Tangerine Global's package of HD channels are on their way to more hotels in North America, Europe and the Middle East courtesy of a deal with Swisscom Hospitality Service to add them to its new IPTV system. Swisscom is switching hotels over to a URL-based delivery system to feed guests their HD, as this new programming debuts in rious locations beginning in the third quarter of this year. Among its five channels Tangerine Global counts the NFL Network as part of its HD offerings, so football fans have one more thing to look for during a jaunt out of town next season.

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With Blu-ray sales still not setting the heather alight much has been made of the high cost of HD players and continued viewer satisfaction with standard-definition DVD.
Paul Erickson, director of DVD and HD Market Research at DisplaySearch, is in no doubt these are big factors contributing to Blu-ray’s slow shift into the living room.
Adding to the picture is the emergence of online content delivery as a viable source of HD programming, something that is seen as posing a real threat to Blu-ray’s long-term survival.

European viewers can now watch live high-definition television programming on their mobile devices using a USB TV dongle developed by the Chinese company Aigo.
The dongle, first released for the Chinese market in April, is compatible with European HDTV standards.
It will enable users to watch live HDTV on their laptops, desktop computers, portable video players and portable navigation (GPS) devices.
Viewers simply plug the device into their PC or portable video player’s USB port to capture HD programming wirelessly from local TV stations.
Feng Jun, president and founder of Aigo, said: “People across China, and now also in Europe, will have access to live HDTV on their laptops and portable video players.”

Filed under: Fiber, New content

Although rumors from well respected forum posters give us a good reason to get excited, there's nothing quite like getting confirmation from the source. The linked PDF is the FiOS lineup that will be effective next month n Portland and includes 27 new HD channels not currently available to FiOS customers. As you might expect, Verizon had to really shuffle up the the lineup -- posted after the jump -- to add this many channels, which now includes just about every HD channel anyone would want; like eight premium movie channels and all the latest cable channels like Sci Fi HD and CNN HD. These new channels will really help propel FiOS from last to first in regards to HD quantity, by over doubling the number of HD channels offered. Unfortunately, there's no word on when the rest of the FiOS customers will have access to these channels, but if you live in a FiOS area, and the analog channels are already gone, there's a good chance they'll come sooner, rather than later.

[Via TampaHDTV.com]

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Continue reading Rumor confirmed, FiOS to add 27 new HD channels in July

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Sony is to launch an original High-Definition TV show on gaming for the Play Station 3 video console.
Called Qore, the monthly programme will offer news on the latest PS3 games, game reviews and interviews with game developers. The first episode will be available on June 5.
The show, which can be purchased at the online Play Station store for $2.99 each or annually for $24.99, is being seen as a signal that Sony is preparing to compete with Microsoft’s XBox 360 programming service.

Filed under: Industry, Other formats

We'd love to tell you all of this is simply a bad dream, but unfortunately for us, it's not. For whatever reason, Staples has agreed to start stocking 24 to 26 different newer DVD releases at a time "in standalone displays at the front of its stores." We're not talking about your standard discs, however -- we're talking about those Flexplay units that vanished completely years ago (or so we thought). For those who need a refresher (that's just about everyone, right?), these time-limited discs only function for 48 hours after they've been removed from their sealed packages, creating coasters after two days. This go 'round, Flexplay is pushing the recycling aspect while Staples is hoping that business owners pick up a title or two next time they come in looking for pens and paper shredders. Even more absurd? The $4 to $6 price tag on each.

[Via PCWorld]

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Sales of high definition Blu-ray recorders are increasing rapidly in Japan as consumers take to the new generation of home movie entertainment.
Last month the more expensive Blu-ray recorders topped the old generation recorders in the value of sales for the first time.
The research firm BCN Ltd said that around a third of machines sold now carry the new format.

Filed under: Fiber

If you've been casually paying attention to just how much love Verizon is giving Massachusetts, you won't be shocked at all to learn that Mayor Lisa Wong has recently announced that said carrier "will apply for a permit to provide cable service to Fitchburg, a move she said could create more competition among cable and internet providers." According to Wong, she's looking forward to having more pressure on pricing in the area, but there's no time frame in which to count on FiOS TV arriving. All we know thus far is that the Fitchburg Cable Advisory Committee will be "called on to work with Verizon to determine the city's technological needs," so hopefully the details get worked out sooner rather than later.

[Thanks, Lance]

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Filed under: Industry, Displays, LG, Samsung, LCD

Market forces can make for strange bedfellows, as shown by the LCD cross-purchasing deal struck between Samsung and LG. Although the two Korean companies do battle in the LCD arena (and several others, too), they have agreed to purchase specific LCD panels from each other. Samsung will buy 37-inch panels from LG, and LG will return the favor by picking up 57-inch panels from Samsung. This is a distinct shift away from the former Taiwanese suppliers used by Samsung and LG for these sizes. Exact volumes and pricing have yet to be decided, but it's safe to assume that this deal is about a lot more than just national pride. We'll be curious to see if this marks the beginning of a three-way price stratification between panels from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

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Filed under: Blu-ray, DVRs, Recorders, Sharp

The popular DVR / DVD combo trend continues with Sharp's new, just-released Aquos players. The three new combo machines -- updates from last fall's models -- pack Blu-Ray playback with DVRs of various sizes ranging from the 250GB BD-HDW22, to the 500GB BD-HDW25, to the 1TB BD-HDW30 big daddy of TV-recording doom. The Blu-Ray section looks pretty standard, but the DVR records in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 at three different bitrates - 4.8, 8, and 12Mbps. If you're thinking these will record from BD to HDD or the other way around, think again. The movie studios will have none of that.

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