Sound & Vision has a list of what they feel are the top high definition shows this fall.
While I don’t disagree with first two, Dexter (best show on TV, btw) and True Blood should be higher on the list. Plus SNL, Stargate: Atlantis, and ER all better looking than The Office. Great show, but there are better eye candy shows out there. Any others?
Now that a Samsung Blu-ray player, Xbox 360, and TiVo can stream Netflix, the original device by Roku is trying to make people remember that it’s still around by stating that it will be able to stream HD content by this year’s end. Some have questioned the $99 hardware’s ability to stream Netflix content but according to the companies VP of Consumer Products, it will be “delivering Netlfix in HD by the end of the year.” Plus, the UI will be upgraded as well to better work with the extra resolution. If Roku can indeed stream quality HD content and developers pick-up on the now-open system, Roku might gain some household penetration.
[Rokulabs via Hacking Netflix]
Today, the HT-S9100THX system was announced and it has its sights set on HD theater buffs across the country. The 7.1-channel system (130W/channel) includes THX’s Loudnes Plus technology and comes with four HDMI v1.3a ports. The more HDMI ports, the better, I say.
Audyssey and Faroudja handle onboard audio and video processing. Faroudja’s DCDi Edge technology bumps all component, composite, and S-video sources up to 1080i while Audyssey’s 2EQ automatically calibrates acoustical output for maximum eardrum popping. Moreover, Audyssey’s Dynamic EQ “algorithm adds moment-by-moment refinement of the receiver’s frequency response and surround levels in order to compensate for volume-dependent deteriorations in the listening experience, particularly at low volume levels.” Can anyone translate this into layman’s terms?
Additional info on the system can be found after the jump. The HT-S9100THX is available now for $1,099. Read More
Fire up iTunes and you’ll find, for the first time, TV shows from the four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) in HD. It’s still $2.99 per HD episode, and that includes a standard-def version of the TV show for your iPhone or iPod.
HD shows now include hits like Lost, CSI, 30 Rock and The Office.
But we all know The Shield is the best show on TV now, so whatever.
In Reggie we trust, right? Hope so, but he just killed quite the rumor in a recent interview.
The president and COO of Nintendo told VentureBeat that the rumored Wii HD, “penned” for 2011, is a joke. Calling it “pure rumor and speculation,” Reggie says that Nintendo isn’t about to show developers prototype version and ask, coyly, “What do you guys think?” That’s not how Nintendo does business, we’re led to believe.
And now that that rumor is dead, I predict we’ll see another one before the end of the day.
Well, look at that. We caught wind of HDX last month and today Vudu made their full high definition content service official. HDX is aimed directly at HD aficionados with 1080p screens larger than 42-inches. Pricing for HDX content won’t cost you anymore than the HD content they currently offer. A total of 65 HDX titles rolled out tonight, which include The Spiderwick Chronicles, In Bruges, Speed Racer and Classics such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Chinatown, and Saturday Night Fever with more to follow as new titles are being brought to market. Vudu will begin converting existing titles in their catalog to the HDX format.
Best Buy now carries Vudu and is offering new customers a $200 credit for a limited time.
How good is it? Hit the jump for comparisons and to learn about Vudu’s TruFilm Technology. Read More
This video from Vincent Laforet.com essentially turns the value proposition of an HD video camera on its head. If a DSLR can do this amazing work, why bother picking up a camcorder?
What the hell?! I think Jim Jannard took some peyote at Photokina and brought his laptop. He’s posted on the forums saying everything’s going pineapples for Scarlet and RED Epic.
We have changed everything about Scarlet because the market has changed and we have discovered a lot of things in the process. We have a new vision.
Wipe you minds of the past announced Scarlet. Forget the design and forget the price. It is all different now. We think you will be surprised. Glad we didn’t take any deposits… :-)
Just like Scarlet, Epic has changed completely. Throw out everything you thought before. We’ll reset the deck at the same time we announce about Scarlet.
All good here. No bad news at all. Only good surprises. Still early-mid 2009. RED ONE upgrade still in effect.
And yes, it will still be called RED EPIC.
Give me a break! Doesn’t he sound like he’s drugged, though?
Building on their cavalcade of notebooks announced a few months ago, HP whipped out two entertainment-focused notebooks today. The biggest draw for both the HDX 16 and HDX18 are their 16:9 HD displays, sort of. The HDX18 boasts a full 1080p display while the HDX16 cranks out 720p. Full specs and details after the jump.
Read More
The options for shooting hi-def video are getting more and more diverse, and this thing is a good example of that. What exactly is this shape? Well, although the design might not win any awards (well, maybe — it’s quite small), the footage should look brilliant. It records 1080p up to 60fps and 12-bit color, but it outputs as an enormous series of DNG files — essentially, RAW photo data. This is massively high-quality and also massively wasteful: their special 80GB card holds about 15 minutes of footage.
I think this is a cool device, but I’m afraid it might get slammed by something like RED’s Scarlet; after all, the Scarlet (at a similar size) records at three times the resolution, twice the framerate, and also records lossless data. The benefit of the Ikonoskop is that it has a Super-16 sized sensor and will work with many excellent cinema lenses, but will that be worth the extra $7000 when Scarlet comes to town?
[via DVICE, OhGizmo, and ProLost]
Update: My friend tells me he got to check one of these out, and says they’re stupid small. Like way smaller than you think. Sorry, got my scales a bit muddled.
Just in case you missed the brief announcement a couple days ago, HDTV shows are now on iTunes. Yup, and NBC is back giving away an episode of its best shows. All you need is iTunes 8.
via TUAW
If you’ve researched LCD displays in the past, you’ll have likely come across the resolution gap between most 22- and 24-inch LCD monitors. Most 22-inch monitors seem to be at a pretty sweet price point right now, but the 1680×1050 resolution is short of most 24-inch monitors’ full HD (1920×1200) resolution.
Well Buffalo has managed to cram full HD resolution into a 22-inch monitor, according to Akihabara News. Aside from the 1920×1200 goodness, there’s also a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m² brightness, 5ms response time, and a 170-degree viewing angle. The price seems a little stiff at 280 Euro (almost $400) but we’ll probably never see these here in the US anyway. However, it’s a good sign of things to come as more and more monitor manufacturers that do sell their wares here in the states will likely start pushing out higher resolution 22-inchers in the near future.
The FlyWire is an HD streamer that sends 1080p content to any TV, anywhere, from an HD source. Built-in IR blasters allow you to send control signals to any CE device including Blu-Ray players and receivers. It basically lets you send HD video to a TV mounted on a wall without requiring you to rewire your entire house.
Belkin FlyWire™ Offers Faster, Easier, and More Installations to Custom Installers
FlyWire, a Wireless HD Transmitter, Helps Custom Installers Reduce Costs While Increasing Productivity by Eliminating the Complication of Labor-Intensive in-Wall Wiring
CEDIA EXPO 2008
Booth #260COMPTON, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Belkin’s new FlyWire, a wireless transmitter that delivers uncompressed 1080p True Cinema HD content, makes home theater and commercial installations quicker and easier, allowing professional integrators to complete jobs more efficiently and take on more projects. This synergy aims to increase profit margins, productivity, and revenue opportunities for installers.
On display at CEDIA Expo 2008, FlyWire wirelessly connects devices—such as Blu-ray® players, receivers, video-game consoles, and set-top boxes—to HDTVs and projectors, transmitting high-definition 1080p True Cinema picture resolution with broad-home range. Featuring an intuitive and simple setup, composed of an HD transmitter, receiver, remote control, and IR repeater, FlyWire provides the freedom and flexibility to place an HDTV virtually anywhere—without cables.
CEDIA is set to begin tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean companies won’t be announcing products today. Mitsubishi just announced two Diamond Series 1080p projectors, HC7000U (pictured) and HC6500U, which both happen to be some of the quietest available on the market, secreting 17 dBa in low mode. The HC7000U is the flagship model and it has a 70,000:1 contrast ratio, which is attributed to the use of polarization.
No word on price or availability, yet.
Also announced today is the HD8000. This particular model is suited for home theaters that can’t quite block out all the light in the surrounding areas. The 1080p projector puts out 5000 lumens and uses three 1.1-inch 3LCD inorganic panels. For added convenience the HD8000 includes a DVI connector with an HDMI-to-DVI adapter and support for RJ45. The lens can be shifted both vertically and horizontally with power zoom and focus. If you have $15,000 lying around then pick one up this month.
My goodness, there has been a lot of digital cameras launched within the last few days. Nikon, Canon and now Sony. This firm’s latest sports a 10.1 megapixel paired up with a 5x optical zoom and a 3.5-inch touchscreen, but the main selling point of the T500 has to be the HD video capture mode. This mode allows for up to 10 minutes of continuous video that should fill a 4GB memory stick. Said video files are recorded, surprisingly in a non-Sony proprietary format, in MPEG4 AVC/H.264. There is even a way to snap 720p images while shooting the video. The T500 drops in October for a yet to be announced price.
I have to say, the Wired I used to love would have covered the RED camera about two years ago when it was all buzz, phantom tech, and prototype sensors, and not now when it is essentially an established cinematic tool limited only by the small amount yet manufactured. At any rate, they’ve written a pretty comprehensive long-format history of the RED from birth to current success, and it’s worth reading whether you’re a RED head or not. It’s a bit gee-whiz and they gloss over many of the issues the RED has had (buggy drivers, supply problems), its limitations (e.g. framerate), and the actual cost of outfitting oneself with one of these amazing cameras. Still, it’s worth a read and it’s good to see my favorite camera getting this kind of mainstream attention.
Vudu has big plans for their IP-based content delivery service. Big plans and we don’t mean that .99 cent rental thing.
“In a very short time we’ll have 1,000 HD titles,” says Donnigan. “That’s more than Blu-ray. We have some huge deals.”
That’s a lot of high-def content. More than any service we can think of. But also, the company wants to help recovery lost movies due to a hard drive failure by offering a lifetime content warranty. That’s very kind of Vudu; you did pay for the flicks in the first place.
The long-term future of Vudu maybe in question — after all, how many digital delivery systems do we need — but if they lead the HD title race, they just might have a bright future. More info certainly to come at CEDIA.
via CEDIANews
The boob tube has been squawking lately about some big political event next week in Denver. If you plan on tuning in, Multichannel News is reporting that CNN plans on broadcasting the entire shebang in high-def. Apparently, the outfit splurged on new cameras and related gear for the event. You would think that this gathering was important or something.
Multichannel News via TVP
Three of the best Christmas flicks, and Elf, are coming from Warner later this year to your Blu-ray player. The set includes, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, The Polar Express, and yes, unfortunately Elf. No word on price just yet, but does it really matter? A Christmas Story – in high definition. Come on! Plus, nothing brightens up the depressing Christmas season like a Clark Griswold adventure.
My TV has two HDMI inputs but I have four HDMI-based entertainment devices I’d like to hook up to it. What’s a girl to do? Boy! I meant to say “boy” instead.
Welcome to the exciting world of HDMI switchers! Today we’ll take a look at the HDS-41Rv13 HDMI switcher from RT COM.
