HDgadget

If the new Nokia 5630 XpressMusic has got you all worked up and eager for its Q2 launch, you’ll be pleased to hear that Nokia have released an HD video of the handset in action.  The skinny little S60 candybar gets flipped about to show off its ports and dedicated media keys, then the new animated Contacts Bar gets a run-through.

Video demo after the cut

Specs for the 5630 include HSDPA and HSUPA, a 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording, a standard 3.5mm headphone socket and Bluetooth A2DP for wireless headphones.  There’s also an FM radio and N-Gage mobile gaming support, all in a package just 112 x 46 x 12mm.

The Nokia 5630 XpressMusic is expected to launch in Q2 2009, priced at around €199 before taxes or subsidies ($256).  Remember, if you want to watch the video in HD, choose the option from the pop-up box or click here to go to the video page.

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Optoma have two new HD Projectors coming to the market, the HD8200 and HD808 have been developed with the help of HD Projector experts Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PXLW). The two of these devices were on show at CES 2009.

These two High-def projectors are powered by Pixelworks’ PW9800 co-processor, which also has DNX MotionEngine, as they are HD projectors you get native 1080p resolution. The HD8200 is the more expensive model, the cost is $4,999.99.

The HD8200 is rated at 1,300 ANSI lumens and has a contrast ratio of 20,000:1. The cheaper HD808 costs just $3,499, this model has 1,200 lumens and a contrast ratio of 15,000:1. For the consumer, the latter is the better option.

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We've been a fan of Samsung's roundish camcorders ever since we reviewed the SC-HMX20C, and the HMX-R10 somehow manages to improve upon even that. The CMOS-based Full HD camcorder sports a 2.7-inch LCD monitor, a lens that's angled up at 25-degrees (you know, for those spy shots) and a 5x optical zoom. Details beyond that are scant, but you can take a closer look in the read link below.

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We've been busy shutterbugs while wandering around the CES showfloor, and here's a rundown of some new TVs that drifted in front of our lens. Take a stroll with us past the break and see what we picked up.

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After some demo time with WirelessHD and founder John Marshall, it appears 2009 will finally be the year cable-free TV connections roll out in a big way. Expect products to launch towards the end of Q2, according to the Gefen rep on hand, their adapter will go into production towards the end of Q1 and hit shelves for about $700, while WirelessHD tech could add as much/little as 10% to the cost of a new TV like the demo units from LG and Panasonic. How well does it work for the money? Pretty well, with no untoward effects on the picture, and easily switching from source to source automatically. Walking between the display and source didn't cause a problem but even millisecond-switching 60Ghz hardware was no match for being picked up and fumbled around by a photo snapping Engadget editor. Check out pics featuring Gefen (fear not, the final models will have RS-232), LG & Panasonic prototypes plus OEM hardware we're likely to see soon in one form or another.

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Until now, Optoma has pretty much been a no show at CES this year, but our mums always said that late was better than never. At any rate, the company is finally coming clean with two new high-def projectors: the HD8200 and HD808. Both beamers are powered by Pixelworks' PW9800 co-processor with DNX MotionEngine, and of course, they sport a native 1080p resolution. The HD8200 ($4,999.99) is rated at 1,300 ANSI lumens / 20,000:1 contrast ratio while the HD808 ($3,499) scales back to 1,200 lumens / 15,000:1 CR. Consumers are entirely more likely to find the latter in stores, as the former is reportedly tailored to custom channels. For more details on each, give the links below a look.
[Via PC Mag]

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You may have never heard of Dual Electronics, but the firm is getting talked up today courtesy of Clear Channel Radio. You see, said outfit has launched the world's first personal navigation device to support real-time traffic via HD Radio. The XNAV43HD can pull down up to 500 messages per minute in over 50 markets in which the new service is live, and all of the information will be continuously monitored and updated by Clear Channel's staff. Specs on the PND itself are as follows: 4.3-inch touchscreen, text-to-speech and a multimedia player. The $279.99 price tag ain't half bad, but our interest lies in how quickly this service will get rolled out to other navigators, factory-supplied and otherwise.

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Lookie here -- we've got yet another new entrant into the portable navigation market, but thankfully, Cydle has decided to differentiate a bit with the inclusion of HD Radio support. The company's one and only model (for now, anyway) is the T43, which features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, the latest version of Cydle 3D Map and Cydle XE Map, HD Radio support, real-time traffic via the traditional RDS-TMC as well as the newer HD Radio-based method and Bluetooth for good measure. It'll reportedly hit Best Buy shelves in the not-too-distant future, though there's no price mentioned

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Netflix seems to be doing things right when it comes to the streaming game, partnering with several hardware companies in an attempt to make its service more or less ubiquitous -- a pretty sharp break from the proprietary hardware approach taken by most of its competitors. That means Netflix subscribers have quite a few choices when it comes to streaming, and we thought we'd put the ones available now head-to-head and try to crown a winner. The good news? There isn't a mediocre choice out there. The bad? Well, read on.
Update: We shot another video to answer some lingering questions about the Roku player, check it below.

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Engadget Japanese is attending a Sanyo presser where its much loved Xacti camcorders are being overhauled. The 5-strong mix of pistol-grip and new, horizontally-oriented camcorders includes several world's firsts according to Sanyo: the world's first to shoot progressive, Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 video at 60fps (models DMX-HD2000/FH11 pictured above), the world's first waterproof HD cameras (DMX-CA9 and DMX-WH1 with 30x optical zoom), and world's first HD camera to shoot 10 megapixel still images (DMX-CG10). All the cams shoot in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format for broad compatibility with devices and video editing software. The DMX-HD2000 will hit the streets first on February 6 with the rest to trickle out before April is up. No prices were announced but we expect these to be competitive, as always. The rest of the new models pictured after the break with full specifications just beyond the read link.
[Via Engadget Japanese]

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We've been playing around with Kodak's new Theatre HD Player for the past few days, and our feelings are mixed. Kodak is doing a lot of interesting and innovative things here, especially with the gyroscopic Pointer Remote it has included for interfacing with the box, but we're not convinced this thing is polished or helpful enough to justify the $299 asking price. Check out our full impressions after the break.

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The economy is putting the hurt on everybody these days -- and while it's no less true for Miu, the company is working feverishly to release their everything-at-once handheld, despite some serious setbacks in the funding department. Ready to go into production at the drop of a hat (and a $500,000 check), there are currently two versions of the device in development -- the basic Atom-powered netbook / PMP / e-book reader will stay at the $500 price point, while the $900 version is a dual-boot Windows XP / CE device that includes a GPS and a mobile phone. As far as we can tell the thing is still a fist-full of ugly, but we hope these crazy kids make it, and we wish them the very best. We really do.

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We tell ya, these KIRFs are getting good. Real good. If we didn't know any better, we'd assume the HTO HD was a bona fide original, and even though we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this thing is a direct rip of HTC's MAX 4G, we're still itching to hold one. In fact, the lucky crew over at Engadget Chinese were able to do just that, and they've hosted up a hands-on gallery to prove it. Specs wise, the handset features a 4-inch WVGA display, 5 megapixel camera (with AutoFocus), 8GB of internal storage, an SDHC expansion slot, digital TV tuner, GPS / FM radio modules, Bluetooth, WiFi and a standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. Availability is still unknown (big shock there, right?), though it'll reportedly be priced around 3,000 Chinese yuan, or $439 in greenbacks. In other words, this really might be the most expensive, high quality knockoff we've seen to date. Hit the read link and decide for yourself.

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Oh, bollocks! If one particular spokesman who opened up to ZDnet today is accurate, Philips' totally sweet 56-inch Cinema 21:9 HDTV won't ever be sold on American soil. Quite frankly, we're wondering what's up with Philips and its apparent disdain for the US market. It farmed out its Blu-ray / DVD and TV operations in North America to Funai, it didn't even bother showing up in Vegas for CES, and anything even remotely swank that it produces seems to be reserved for those overseas. What happened to the worldwide love, Philips? Did someone give you the impression that Yanks wouldn't buy one of these completely mesmerizing new panels? Sigh.

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Notice something missing from your Xbox 360 ever since the NXE went live? Some HDMI-connected gamers lost all audio after the update, and a fix is finally on the way. According to Major Nelson, it's due to arrive February 3 at 2:00 a.m. PST in a mandatory dashboard update that should address the issues experienced with some HDTVs. That problem with your idiot friend always triggering the witch while playing Left 4 Dead? Still unaddressed.

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Let's face it, that low res cellphone video of last weekend's party and your Days of Thunder VHS won't be upscaling themselves, hence the sudden explosion of Super Resolution technology including this most recent entry from NEC. Claiming low power and memory requirements, part number uPD9245GJ is ready for duty blowing up images for display on your VGA cellphone or nav system without blurring, or upscaling low res sources to 1080p in a Blu-ray player or HDTV. Don't let the ridiculous soundtrack on the demo reel fool you -- recent reviews have given super resolution tech a thumbs up, and with Toshiba, Hitachi and Broadcom already in the game we've got a clue what feature will be checkmarked on your next electronics purchase.

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Look, we feel your pain. There's about a gazillion options when it comes to portable hard drives, but the IDrive Portable actually does differentiate itself from the masses in one particularly useful way. Aside from being the "thinnest and lightest portable USB drive in its class," this 0.3 pound unit houses 320GB of space on a 5,400RPM HDD, and it plays nice with Windows / OS X machines. Predictably, it features a one-click backup option for storing precious data outside of your PC, but unlike the other guys, this one also includes the ability to backup online for yet another layer of protection. Of course, that online bit will run you up to $4.95 per month, but we have to say the interface looks pretty swank. Anywho, the device itself is listed as shipping within one to two days for $119.95, and all the nitty-gritty about the services is tucked away in the read link.
[Thanks, Chris]

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'Tis a shame Optoma's reserving its latest 1080p beamer for the overseas crowd, but we'll set aside our envy for a tick and just join in the across-the-pond-excitement. The ThemeScene HD82 sports a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 1,300 nits of brightness, a 20,000:1 maximum contrast ratio and a DLP engine. Britons will also enjoy a 1.5x zoom, PureMotion / PureShift technologies, twin HDMI ports and a DVI socket to boot. Of course, enjoying that £2,999 ($4,382) price tag may not be as easy, but it's still comparatively affordable in the grand scheme of things.
[Via AboutProjectors]

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It's not quite as whimsical as some of Thanko's other gadgets, but those looking for a barebones media player may actually want to consider the company's new HDD Media Player 2, which looks like it should get the job done and do so on the cheap. Naturally, you'll have to supply your own hard drive, but the enclosure will handle most of the media-playing abilities you'll likely want (including DivX and even DVD VOB file playback), and you'll get a decent enough complement of ports, including VGA, component, composite, s-video, and an optical digital audio output. Look for this one to set you back just over $70 -- plus the necessary shipping charges from Japan, of course.
[Via Le Journal du Geek]

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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.

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Besides quality and value, Oppo consoles are well known for its full featured Universal supports and a simple region-free implementation- A few keystrokes on the supplied remote would magically turn any Oppo console to play all-region disk without throwing the darn incompatibility warning. The manufacturer has recently announced the availability of the much-anticipated Blu-ray player; early adopters should be able to their hands on the BDP-83 in weeks, but may have to live without the region-free feature that they’ve grown accustomed to.

Let’s get real; a region hacked Blu-ray player is unlikely, it’s conflicting with BDA region coding. Questions have been raised since its initial launch, video enthusiasts’ dream to get an unlocked Oppo with Blu-ray console though improbable, but they have hope; at least, get acquainted with region-free on SD materials (upconvert on legacy DVD materials). Unfortunately, that wouldn’t work too, says beta tester.

Oppo hands are tied in complying with the BDA; unlocking the region-code would have revoked agreement and likely to face penalty from BDA. Thus, the upcoming Oppo Blu-ray BDP-83 will not support remote-hack on Blu-ray or SD materail. The long-awaited BDP-83 will be secured with Region 1 locked on DVD disk and Region A locked on Blu-ray disk. But the good news is, the Oppo is said to be capable of PS3 loading disk and toe to toe with BD-J materials. One area that’s has been the weakness on most Blu-ray standalones tested to date.

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Epson Japan have updated their ST1XX series of super-compact desktop PCs with a shot of high-definition and an improved processor.  No mere nettop, the Endeavor ST120 has a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU, a Japan-only MonsterTV HDUS digital TV tuner and a Blu-ray burner, all in something measuring just 75 x 185 x 195mm.

The Endeavor ST120 as standard gets 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard-drive, though these can be upgraded to up to 4GB and 320GB 7,200rpm respectively.  If the standard processor isn’t good enough for you, Intel’s P8600 (2.4GHz), T9400 (2.53GHz) and T9600 (2.8GHz) are all options. There’s also gigabit ethernet and an HDMI output.

Pricing for the basic ST120 - which still includes Blu-ray, remember - starts at 137,500 Japanese yen ($1,527).  Other models are available with DVD burners or dual hard-drives, which are obviously cheaper.

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Victor JVC formulated the first hybrid Blu-ray/DVD media (BD-25GB/DVD-9 8.5GB) but the technology was never put in good use even in the time of Format War. Infiniti storage media picked up the equation, partnering with Co-Tv (Both Japan-based companies) to launch a TV-series show authored in a new breed of hybrid Blu-ray/DVD format- disc that is regular DVD on one side and Blu-ray the other movie on one side.

The first title to honor the new kind of technology is a Japanese TV-series drama “Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX”. The hybrid disk consists of single layer (25GB) BD and Dual-layer (8.5GB) DVD on each one side. Its standard is BDA certified but has not been approved by DVD-forum due to a potential compatibility issue from certain DVD players that are made in other countries, according to the press release.

The released titles, however, posted a 100% compatibility test in its company test group of 64 units from PC drives, DVD and Blu-ray players. The company also said they have achieved a dual-layer (50GB) BD and single-layer (4.7GB) DVD and is in the progress from BDA approval.

[Article corrected : Disk is one side not a dual-side]

The BD/DVD version of the TV show has 4 discs, content are encoded in MPEG4-AVC while the legacy DVD release has 7 disks. Both features 534 minutes of playable content.

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China has failed to resurrect now-defunct HD-DVD with CH-DVD despite having its share of World largest market to boost; their latest answer to Blue High-definition Disc, abbreviated CBHD, which is also an improved version of previous CH-DVD, is facing the same destiny according to reports.

Taiwanese manufacturers are unwilling to spur another Format War, supports of CBHD to friends in mainland have dropped and decided to stick with Blu-ray disk format only. Reports also cited part of the seasons were similar schemes failed to deliver China-based optical disc red-laser technologies (EVD) and its alternate DVD format, FVD to win over studios’ and CE markers’ supports.

The Taiwanese’s setback will leave the lone Format in the hands of few China-based vendors and consumer electronics to burden the home grown blue-laser optical disc technology. Counting the yuan, CBHD players sells at about US$438 is way too steep to penetrate the established Blu-ray standard.

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The Format War might have ended many moon’s ago, but Blu-ray never took control of the world’s largest market, and in fact, China has its own HD format (China Blue High-Definition) to counter foreign license fees from BDA. Darn CBHD is much more resilient than HD-DVD despite having zero studio endorsements. Nevertheless, recent setback; the Taiwanese pullout, and now the China made Blu-ray for Chinese market could finally put this issue to rest, or could it?

A joint venture between China Hualu and Panasonic have released three new Blu-ray players for the first time in the China market with the announcement of BDP0801, BDP0810 and BDP0821.

“BDP0801 is an entry-level model, while BDP0821 supports Internet-based BD Live, the sources indicated. BDP0801 is much less expensive than Sony’s entry-level BD player model BDP-S300, whose retail price has dropped to 3,990 yuan currently from 4,990 yuan in early 2008, the sources pointed out.”

The prices of these players are actually more expensive than comparable models that are being sold at North American markets. According to DigiTimes, the move is to put pressure on CBHD and its supporters with plan to launch the CBHD hardware before the year ends. Seriously, 1.3 billion supporters behind its back are not to be ignored, it’s hard to go though another Format War.

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LG have announced two new streaming content providers that users of their 2009 network Blu-ray players will be able to access.  Both CinemaNow and YouTube have joined Netflix, which is the only media-on-demand provider currently accessible to users of the LG BD300.  That means a choice from 14,000 pay-per-view CinemaNow titles from the major movie studios, broadcast and cable television shows (as well as more than 250 independent film titles and music videos from all major labels), together with unlimited access to YouTube’s catalog.

CinemaNow users will be able to browse the store directly from their TV, as well as select and download titles without needing to turn on their computer.  They’ll also be able to access content from other providers that use the CinemaNow distribution system.  YouTube addicts, meanwhile, can search, see thumbnail previews and watch streaming clips in multiple screen sizes.

Network Blu-ray Players capable of accessing the two new services will be launched at CES 2009 next week.  We’re waiting to hear back from LG regarding whether existing Network Blu-ray players can be updated to take advantage of the new media sources.  We’ll update this article when we have more information.

Update: LG inform us that the new content partnershps exist only for the upcoming 2009 devices, and at present there’s no talk of the functionality being extended to existing Network Blu-Ray Players:

“As LG demonstrated with a recent upgrade to their BD300 with the Netflix HD instant streaming service, future upgrades are possible, however they are not discussing that possibility yet on the BD300 product” LG statement

Press Release:

LG ELECTRONICS ANNOUNCES NEW STREAMING CONTENT PARTNERS FOR ITS NETWORK BLU-RAY DISC PLAYERS

LG to Offer Consumers Unparalleled Access to Streaming Entertainment from CinemaNow, YouTube and Netflix

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Dec. 30, 2008 – LG Electronics today announced the expansion of network entertainment options for its Network Blu-ray Disc players through new alliances with CinemaNow and YouTube™.

Available on new LG Network Blu-ray Disc Players in the first half of 2009, these new services complement LG’s instant streaming from Netflix and advanced Blu-ray capabilities to deliver consumers an exceptional entertainment experience. (In 2008, LG was the world’s first manufacturer to stream movies instantly from Netflix on a Network Blu-ray Disc Player.)

CinemaNow – an innovator in digital entertainment technology, delivering high-quality movies, TV shows and videos to users through online connectivity – and YouTube – a leading online video community for people to discover, watch, and share originally created videos – will be available in LG’s 2009 line of Network Blu-ray Disc players to be unveiled next week at the 2009 International CES®.

“As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the Internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and more home entertainment options,” said Tim Alessi, director of product development, LG Electronics USA.

“From Blu-ray to instant streaming from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions for consumers’ demand for content,” he said. “With these new alliances, LG continues its innovation leadership by allowing consumers easy access to multiple entertainment options in one device.”

CinemaNow: Instant Streaming of Hollywood’s Latest Hits

CinemaNow has pushed the envelope of digital video distribution, becoming the first Web site to offer Pay-Per-View movies from major studios and the first broadband distributor of high definition (HD) content. Collaborating with CinemaNow will enable LG Electronics to offer consumers access to more than 14,000 titles from the major movie studios, broadcast and cable television shows, more than 250 independent film titles and music videos from all major labels. Key benefits include the capability to:

Browse the entire CinemaNow premium content catalog, including latest Hollywood hits,
Instantly stream content to enjoy on compatible devices, and
Access and watch movies purchased from other CinemaNow-powered stores.

“We are extremely pleased to be providing CinemaNow premium content services to these innovative new products from LG Electronics that are helping to drive convenient consumer access to digital entertainment at home,” said Mark Ely, executive vice president of strategy, Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), parent company of CinemaNow.

YouTube: Original Streaming Video Content

Leading the way in providing unlimited access to online content, LG’s alliance with a prolific online video community, YouTube, will allow consumers to instantly stream millions of Web videos directly from the Internet to an LG Network Blu-ray Player for viewing on their television (without a personal computer). Key benefits include:

o Unlimited access to millions of videos on topics such as current events, instructional videos for hobbies and interests, comedic and viral videos and

o Easy searching, thumbnail previews and multiple screen size viewing options.

Netflix: High Definition Instant Streaming

Now available to consumers as a free on-line upgrade, LG’s first Network Blu-ray Disc Player (BD300) now delivers a growing number of Netflix titles in high-definition (HD). This new access to high-definition streaming content enhances the existing standard-definition streaming service that LG and Netflix first brought to consumers in 2008.

Future LG Network Blu-ray Disc Players will also offer consumers a variety of ways to enjoy more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes from Netflix. Netflix members owning these devices pay one low monthly subscription for unlimited DVD rental and unlimited streaming.

LG’s full line of Network Blu-ray Disc Players, additional new content alliances and other new products will be revealed at the LG Electronics CES press conference on Jan. 7, 2009 at the Venetian/Sands and will be on display at the 2009 International CES – Booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

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Let’s forget about the appearance of the device from the picture for a minute. For a mere $28, you can get a Three-in-One PS3 wireless human interface device to replace your PS3 game controller and Blu-ray remote controller then gain an additional keyboard with custom keys to operate the full feature of your beloved PS3 game console. How’s that for a steal?

At this price point, it does looks like a steal if you were to spend $24 for the Bluetooth Blu-ray remote then add another $50 PS3 wireless keypad to the equation. Cosmetically, it doesn’t gets my vote but I don’t mind having an affordable backup unit when I need it.

Do keep in mind that it’s a slide-out keyboard and the miniature analog joy sticks may not have the dedication and dynamic manipulation of the original SIXAXIS. Want it give it a short? you can get one here.

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It seems like ages ago we last bumped into TDVision at CES, not much have changed since then; they are still in Third Dimensional HD business utilizing its proprietary TDVCodec technology and TDVirtualCam algorithm 3D emulation content. But in the short couple years, they’ve managed to improve its 3D digital infrastructures and visualization systems that’s now capable of a true 3D stereoscopic broadcast, supports Blu-ray Format and backward compatible with 2D HD.

Frankly, I’m not too fond of such virtual emulation gimmick, it’s eye-constraint and fatigue if you have migraine condition like I do, not to mention the dorky goggle. But HD 3D is coming fast whether I can stand it or not; fortunate few seemed to enjoy the First NFL 3D HD live broadcast, and it’s back on the field for college companionship game next week.

If you’re wondering the 3D HD can live up to its reputation, stop by CES next week, TDVision will be there to demonstrate its high quality TDVision encoded 3D content though a variety of displays from a TI-DLP displays, dual-projection Planar system and 3D enabled LCD from Hyundai.

IRVINE, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Dec 31, 2008 TDVision Systems, Inc., the leader in design and development of 3D digital infrastructures and visualization systems will be showcasing the TDVCodec encoding and decoding system for High Definition 3D Digital Video streams that supports Blu-Ray™ and broadcast at up to 1920×1080p resolution per-eye at CES 2009. The theme of the demonstration is “encode once and deploy anywhere.”

“Stereoscopic HD3D is here. TDVision set the bar almost a year ago at CES and then in April 2008, presenting the working implementation of the TDVCodec running on a Blu-Ray™ disc and a 3D Ready DLP at NAB. Now we have optimized our systems and we are proud to demonstrate that this can be in your home today, working over existing pipelines, running on every existing and future 3D display at the best native resolution, even in 2D HD for backwards compatibility.” said Manuel Gutierrez, President and CEO of TDVision. “TDVision’s patented technology has also been implemented as Intra-view coding in the MVC MPEG4 H.264 extension recommendation initiative by comparing the difference between left and right channels. This eliminates redundant information and optimizes the bandwidth required for a given infrastructure such as cable, satellite, ATSC 1.0/2.0 and Blu-ray™ disc. The TDVCodec is the best and only way to deploy HD 3D with no loss in color, quality, frame rate or resolution. All other existing technologies like spatial squeezing or display pre-formatted techniques defeat the purpose of realistic 3D imagery by cutting resolution in more than half and at times showing only 25 percent of the original pixels after formatting and presenting to a 3D Ready Display. TDVision has simply created the first class and preeminent codec that provides full 100% 1080p per eye as close as possible to the original content,” he continued.

“People use our high quality XpanD glasses in the theater and in the home to watch exceptional content in the best quality possible, that’s why the TDVision System is so appealing to consumers that won’t except anything less than true high definition 3D,” said Ami Dror of XpanD.

Attendees at CES 2009 will experience at the show high quality cinematic content encoded in the TDVision format playing back on a variety of devices including Texas Instruments™ enabled DLP, provided by Mitsubishi™, in conjunction with high quality shutter glasses from XpanD, 3D enabled LCD (passive glasses) from Hyundai™, a Planar™ display and all the way up to a Dual Projector System provided by Scalable Display Technologies running at full 1920×1080p per-eye. TDVision will also be showing the TDVirtualCam gaming technology which accurately emulates the way the eyes and brain perceive 3D information allowing for a very comfortable and engaging gaming experience on the XBOX® platform.

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Samsung announced three new Blu-ray players at CES today, both wall-mountable with slot-loading drives and BD Live 2.0 compatibility.  The BD-P4600 is 1.5-inches thick and is Samsung’s flagship player, capable of 1080p High Definition, content on demand and wireless networking with WiFi and Bluetooth.

The BD-P4600 is capable of ejecting a disc in just 1 second, has 1GB of internal memory and two USB 2.0 ports.  It’s also capable of DivX SD and HD playback, Pandora and Netflix streaming, and HD audio.

Meanwhile the BD-P3600 is a tabletop player, with similar connectivity and features.  Both players use a WiFi USB dongle.  Samsung also announced the HT-BD8200, a Blu-ray speakerbar with wireless connectivity, pseudo-5.1 surround sound and 1080p playback.  It comes with a wireless subwoofer and Bluetooth for viewing content from cellphones and other mobile devices.

Press Release:

SAMSUNG’S LATEST AWARD-WINNING BLU-RAY PLAYERS OPEN UP A NEW MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE PORTAL

BD-P4600 Delivers HD Entertainment for the Whole Family in Contemporary Style;
BD-P3600 Satisfies Home Theater Enthusiasts with Superior Sights and Sounds

LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader
and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled the world’s first
wall-mountable Blu-ray player, the BD-P4600, as well as the new standard for Blu-ray
performance and versatility, the BD-P3600. A 2009 CES “Best of Innovations” Award
Winner, the BD-P4600 unites a plethora of multimedia features in a svelte, first-in-class
package. The enthusiasts’ choice, the BD-P3600 promises top-notch video playback,
comprehensive audio decoding, and unprecedented networking capabilities for an
immersive, theater-like experience. Both players set a new direction for the Blu-ray
category with wireless networking, access to video and music streaming services, such
as Netflix and Pandora, as well as sleek designs. Samsung’s new Blu-ray players will
be on display at Booth #11033 during the International Consumer Electronics Show,
which will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 8 -11, 2009.

“Samsung is heralding a new direction for the Blu-ray industry with the BD-P4600 and
BD-P3600,” said Reid Sullivan, vice president of Audio/Video and Digital Imaging
Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “The BD-P4600 makes it easier than ever
to bring Blu-ray into the living room with its unique, wall-mountable design, while the
BD-P3600’s comprehensive specs place it on the short list of even the most discerning
home theater consumers.”

The BD-P4600 and BD-P3600 include BD Live™ (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile
1.1) support, Full HD 1080p Blu-ray playback with DVD upscaling, and total HD
soundtrack support. Standard CD playback, with support for JPEG photos and DivX
videos, ensure even more entertainment value with the BD-P4600 and BD-P3600.

A New Era of Functional Design
Samsung’s newest Blu-ray players continue the trend of stylish and décor-friendly
electronics, with new versions of Samsung’s groundbreaking Touch of Color™ (ToC™)
design and touch sensitive controls. The BD-P3600’s traditional set-top form is just over
two inches tall, and comes encased in deep black with charcoal gray highlights curving
along the outer edges. The wall-mountable BD-P4600 is just 1.5 inches thin with a
piano black design infused with ruby highlights, and finished with clear, prism-like
edging. If wall-mounting is not an option, an integrated stand lets the BD-P4600 be
placed on a table at a 25 degree angle.

Cutting Wires Without Cutting Back on Entertainment
Both the BD-P4600 and BD-P3600 can wirelessly connect to the latest Blu-ray features
when the included 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle is connected to one of the players’ two
USB 2.0 ports, or via the traditional wired Ethernet connection. The two players can also
instantly stream more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix and Pandora
music services (subscriptions required), to deliver an ever-expanding library of
entertainment into the living room without having to leave the house. And with 1GB
internal flash memory, both players can access the latest BD Live™ and Bonus View
Blu-ray features out of the box, leaving the USB 2.0 ports for wireless networking and
memory expansion duties when needed.

Speedy Control and Upgradeability
Samsung’s newest Blu-ray players improve traditional disc loading time to begin fast
playback and can eject a disc in a single second. The players’ touch sensitive controls
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help to create a seamless experience that is pleasing to see, hear, and ultimately, use.
To keep consumers updated with the latest features and improvements, Samsungs BD-
P4600 and BD-P3600 also can easily access upgrades wirelessly via the included
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle, through the wired Ethernet connection, by connecting a USB
drive, or with a CD / DVD / BD.

Total Full HD 1080p Video and HD Soundtrack Support
Samsung’s BD-P4600 and BD-P3600 promise Full HD 1080p playback of Blu-ray discs
and crisp upconversion of standard DVDs through the HDMI 1.3 connection. For a true,
Hollywood-quality experience, both players can internally decode the latest high-
resolution digital multichannel audio soundtracks, including Dolby Digital Plus™, Dolby
TrueHD™ and dts-HD HR / MA®. The BD-P3600 can also output any of the
soundtracks as a bitstream through its 7.1-Channel analog audio outputs, or as an
uncompressed PCM signal, for consumers desiring the best cinematic sound with an
older A/V receiver.

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Today Sharp announced the new BD series of LCD TVs that include built-in Blu-ray players. Focusing on the needs of consumers the series will be available in 54” 46” 42” 37”and 32” sizes. This new line will incorporate AQUOS Pure Mode as well as a Superview Panel to enhance the viewing experience.

The HDTVs are all 1080p with 120Hz and have a built-in Blu-ray player so users can basically choose the size they prefer without losing out on specific features. The entire line of AQUOS BD Series LCD TVs will provide an All-in-One Home Theater solution for an amazing high-definition viewing experience. AQUOS Pure Mode has been incorporated into these HDTVs in order to reduce gloss and save energy.

We certainly are excited to see such amazing HDTVs with built-in Blu-ray players. There’s still no physical dimension information available yet. The new BD series will cost $2599, $2299, $1899, $1299 and $1099 descending according to size.

SHARP® PREMIERES WORLD’S FIRST HIGH-DEFINITION LCD TV SERIES WITH BUILT-IN BLU-RAY PLAYER

Full line-up of AQUOS® BD Series Provides All-in-One Home Theater Solution for a Paramount
High-Definition Viewing Experience

LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2009 – Strengthening its position as an innovative leader in the LCD TV industry, Sharp today introduces the world’s first AQUOS® LCD TV Series with a built-in
Blu-ray Disc TM player, for a convenient all-in-one home theater solution. The Full-HD 1080p AQUOS BD series, which includes the 52-inch class (52-1/32” diagonal) LC-52BD80U, 46-inch class (45-63/64” diagonal) LC-46BD80U, 42-inch class (42-1/64” diagonal) LC-42BD80U, 37-inch class (37” diagonal) LC-37BD60U and 32-inch class (31-35/64” diagonal) LC-32BD60U screen class sizes, combines the ultimate high definition television with the ultimate high definition content format with a side-loading multi-slot for Blu-ray, DVD and CD content. The series offers a single-step operation feature that turns on the TV and activates play when a BD disc is inserted. In addition, the BD series features a newly developed Advanced Super View (ASV) Superlucent panel for a dramatically bright and crisp picture with reduced reflection and a new AQUOS Pure Mode for convenient optimized viewing of Blu-ray titles. A new elegant “AQUOS Blue” design includes a subtle blue accent at the bottom of the frame and a swivel stand for viewing convenience.
“We created this series to offer consumers a product that provides the same high-quality, clear picture they’ve come to expect from a Sharp AQUOS, but with the added convenience of a Blu-ray player for a unique combination solution that allows playback of the latest HD Blu-ray movies,” said Bob Scaglione, senior vice president and group manager, Product and Marketing Group, Sharp Electronics Corporation. “This product is a one-stop, stylish home theater and the built-in side-loading Blu-ray slot is also a space-saver for style-conscious consumers, eliminating the need for a separate box and extra cables.”

Superior Image Quality
To realize the full capability of Blu-ray movies, the AQUOS BD Series offers an excellent picture, with the most advanced imaging technology on the market. Sharp’s new ASV Superlucent panel applies an ultra-smooth finish that minimizes gloss while intensifying panel brightness and contrast. The AQUOS Pure Mode automatically senses the Blu-ray disc content and intelligently adjusts display settings such as aspect ratio to optimize the movie image. The LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U and LC-42BD80U further improve picture quality with Fine Motion Enhanced technology for 120Hz Frame Rate Conversion, a 10-bit panel for Deep Color compatibility and “dejudder” technology that results in the smooth reproduction of film content. All five models offer fast pixel response time, ensuring that viewers never miss a detail of high-definition content. Additionally, Sharp’s proprietary Spectral Contrast Engine provides deep blacks and high contrast ratios. This ultimate home entertainment series also offers impressive 176 degree viewing angles, enabling the color reproduction to appear bright and vivid from virtually anywhere in a room.

Extensive Connectivity
These Full-HD 1080p models are very fully featured, with four HDMI inputs on the LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U and LC-42BD80U and three on the LC-37BD60U and LC-32BD60U, as well as two component video inputs, all of which are 1080p compatible. The HDMI terminals all have 24p input capability for high-quality Blu-ray video processing. A true high-definition TV, the models house a built-in ATSC and QAM tuner for access to DTV channels. The units also feature an RS-232C input for custom installations and a PC input so the TV serves a dual purpose as a PC monitor.

Pricing and availability
• LC-52BD80U will be available in February; pricing is TBD
• LC-46BD80U will be available in February; pricing is TBD
• LC-42BD80U will be available in January; pricing is TBD
• LC-37BD60U will be available in January; pricing is TBD
• LC-32BD60U will be available in January; pricing is TBD

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Amex Digital – the same folks who brought you Super multi drive and Blu-ray Disc Recorder – rolls out its first Blu-ray Player, BD-P1, targeting low end market with affordable price tag of $199 ($239 according to press release).

The Amex player supports BD profile 1.1, but makes no mention of BD-live feature despite having an Ethernet port. The broadband connectivity and USB port are said to have equipped for unit’s firmware upgrade in the future. Videos support Deep Color (HDMI 1.3 standard), 10-bit/108MHz video digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion, legacy DVD upconvert and Blu-ray native format of 1080p at 24hz display.

Also, the audio decoder is capable of DD plus, DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD and could be output via an optional 7.1 channel audio. Again, the press release doesn’t mention if audios are outputted via HDMI bitstream, Liner PCM, or unit comes equipped with analog outputs; but it’s being listed at blu-ray.com with 7.1 HDMI output and only supported 2 channels of analog outputs.

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Retailed at $269, and has previously appeared on Woot for $139.99, the first generation Memorex MVBD-2510 Blu-ray player has now sank below $100. The affordable value-pack has gone cheap, partly because of the newly announced successor MVBD-2520 with profile 2.0 enabled.

The 2nd-gen Memorex will feature additional BD Live to download extra features and online bonus content, but not be here until early summer, and will cost you a penny short of $200.

At sub $100, the Memorex MVBD-2510 is worth every penny if you’re seeking out a basic Bonus-View Blu-ray player. The only features that are missing from this unit are profile 2.0, 7.1 analogue out and internal decoder for DTS-MA.

[slickdeal via engadgethd]

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In a short 9 days, the Steelers and Cardinals will square off Super Bowl XL III at the Tampa bay, an estimated over 90 million viewers will be watching in front of their television sets, if wasn’t for the game, would be the 3-millions-30-seconds spot Super Bowl ads. Traditionally, hot wings, pizzas and beers are not the only Super Bowl party staples, so are the flat screen TV sets. Last year, the national biggest Super event Super Bowl approximated over 2 millions HDTV sold, boosted over $2 billions sales. To be fair, the Super Bowl has been the Number one driver for HDTV sales, third straight year in a roll.

If you’re planning to get a brand new set, or for an upgrade, just walk right any local electronic store, you shouldn’t have troubles finding sale campaigning the Super Bowl. If you prefer online shopping, there’s still a week left for delivery, and Amazon is having a special Super Bowl deal, save up to $400 on a HDTV/Blu-ray player bundle.

According to Amazon, the offer ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, January 24. A $300 discount will apply when you purchase a Sony’s BDP-S550 Blu-ray player with select W-Series BRAVIA HDTVs (KDL-46W4100, KDL-52W4100), or $400 with select XBR and V-Series BRAVIA HDTVs (KDL-46XBR6, KDL-40XBR7, KDL-52V4100). Some of the selections are Sony high-end series XBR sets, so does the Blu-ray player with key features from BD-live, DTS-MA audio decoding and 7.1 channels audio outputs.

More details on the sets are listed at Amazon.

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Lacie has announced its fastest d2 Blu-ray external drive with improved 8x BR recording speed. The drive features a pair of firewire 400 and an USB 2.0 connectivity to enable HD video and data recording, rewriting, and playbacks at high speed with ease.

The drive has read and write speeds of up to 8x, achievable when using capable single-layer BD-R media and up to 2x when using BD-RE or content protected AACS BD-ROM. Effective speeds are further limited to 6x when using it over a USB 2.0 connection.

Additionally, it also records DVDs at up to 16X, CDs up to 48X, and supports dual-layer DVD recording for up to 8x, making it an excellent single burner offering for all sort of media backup at low cost-per-gigabyte.

The drive is shipping now at the cost starts at $449.99. It comes bundled with the newly revised Easy Media Creator 10 and Toast 9 Titanium software.

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LG Electronics dished out a pair of “connected” Blu-ray players, LG BD370 and LG BD390, at CES 2009 with estimated shipping date of Q2 and Q3 respectively for US region, but decent debut in Japan with imminent release suggests US buyers may get their hands-on early than expected.

Both BD370 and BD390 feature LG’s “NetCast Entertainment Access” with ability to stream online video contents from CinemaNow, YouTube to the growing collection of HD streaming titles from Netflix. The former appears little changed from current BD300 model while the latter offers better performance with a host of upgrades from a built-in WiFi, 1G of onboard permanent memory and 7.1-channel analogue outputs. Both players have not formally priced out, but are estimated to get $299 and $399 prices release, respectively.

We’ve seen Netflix support added to the game console Xbox 360, TiVo DVRs and Blu-ray decks from Samsung, and the latter has added another pair of BD-P4600 (wall-mountable) and Bd-P3600 with additional Pandora network access. If you’re planning to get a “connected” Blu-ray, both the LG BD390 and Samsung BD-P4600 are one to watch.

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Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 is only apt to be actually experienced by those with more disposable income than sense (or just loads of cash and a taste for finer things, actually), but even us laypeople can get a quick peek at this $5,900 music server / controller thanks to the wonders of YouTube. Hop on past the break to see what you're missing out on. Or what you're headed out to pick up today, you lucky, lucky individual.

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 music server / controller demoed on video

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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]

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Like it or not, 3D is making its way into the home -- slowly, but surely. As a followup to the TITAN 1080p-3D at ISE Europe, the company has introduced no fewer than fourteen 3D-capable projectors. Up first is the iVision sx+ 3D and iVision sx+W-3D, both of which are single-chip beamers that weigh in at seven pounds and feature SXGA+ resolutions. The differentiating factor is that the former sports a standard zoom lens, while the latter is equipped with a short throw ratio fixed lens. Moving on, we've got the overloaded TITAN 3D range, which is comprised of eight different DLP-based models that are available with SXGA+ or 1080p resolutions. For 3D applications requiring the highest lumen performance, the LIGHTNING 3D line mimics the TITAN family while upping the lumens to 21,000 and bumping contrast to 4,000:1. No prices are mentioned, but you can tap the read link for more details on the full lot.

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NAD Electronics has introduced the C 725BEE stereo receiver for those who either have an audio-only system separate from their HT gear or still aren't sold on the whole discrete multichannel thing. Let's face it -- despite the great sound quality possible on recordings that go past the Red Book audio standard, chances are that most of your audio library is still sourced from two-channel CDs. Content is king, so there might be a place for this 50-Watt receiver with an analog stage that must be something special, because NAD saw fit to add its designer's (Bjorn Erik Edvardsen) initials right on the model name. Promising the sound quality of separate amplifier/preamp gear, the C 725BEE includes NAD's Soft Clipping and Power Drive circuitry, and as expected from the brand, the modest 50-Watt rating belies the 200-Watt peak short-term output. The $799 might be well worth it if you spend a lot of time sitting in your listening den's sweet spot.

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You know you've living large when you purchase a home automation touchpanel that's bigger than some computer monitors. For those who firmly believe that bigger truly is better (without exception), Crestron has introduced the 17-inch Isys TPS-17G-QM, which offers up dual-window support, a WXGA resolution, QuickMedia connectivity, a built-in speaker / microphone, an Ethernet jack and backlit push buttons. There's no mention of a price, but if you're seriously considering this, it probably matters not.

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It was May of last year when LaCie last updated its external d2 Blu-ray burner, so it's about time we saw that 4x burn rate double to an entirely more palatable 8x. Available now for consumers in the US, the latest d2 Blu-ray Drive ($449.99) can toast both single- and dual-layer BD-Rs at 8x, and it can connect to one's machine via FireWire or USB 2.0. In related news, the outfit has also introduced a LaCinema Black MAX over in Europe, which acts to serve up all sorts of digital media (photos, video clips, music, etc.) on one's HDTV. You can order it with 500GB / 1TB of inbuilt storage, and the integrated Ethernet jack / WiFi module enables it to pull media (up to 1080p) from other locations on your network. We've nary a clue on pricing / availability for this one, but we'll leave it to those in Europe to hunt it down and brag to us Yanks.

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Panasonic was already well on board the 3D bandwagon when we caught up with them at CES, and it looks like the company is now set to really blow things out, with it today announcing the opening of a new 3D authoring laboratory at its Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory in California. That, it says, will help it bring so-called "3D Full HD" to Blu-ray by 2010, and it'll apparently be working directly with various studios to ensure that 3D FHD (as the company seems to be calling it) becomes an actual standard of some sort for high-def 3D. In terms of actual products, it looks we could be seeing some of the systems that were on display at CES, including a Plasma 3D Full HD home theater system, as well as a 3D-ready digital projector with a 380-inch screen, although that is apparently intended solely 3D FHD picture evaluation at the lab. Let's all just hope they offer tours.
[Via About Projectors]

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There were plenty of people upset -- including us -- when they discovered that they could no longer automatically skip commercials after upgrading their Vista Media Center with the TV Pack. Well we're very pleased to let you know that our assertion that Microsoft broke our favorite third party application on purposed, was unfounded. You see we recently got the word from the developer behind DVRMSToolBox that the Windows 7 Media Center SDK was in hand and that it won't be long before we'll be able to can skip commercials without ever picking up the remote -- nice.

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We had a sinking feeling those promotional prices over the holidays wouldn't stick once Santa had done his duties, but rather than ratcheting price tags back up entirely, it has decided to permanently reduce the retail price on its standard VUDU movie set-top-box by half. As of now, prospective buyers can snag a box for $149 (down from $299), while the more capacious VUDU XL is dropping from $999 to $499 (and that'll include a gratis home theater connectivity software package). Also of note, the rack-mountable VUDU XL2 is stooping from $1,299 to $799 for those who prefer that form factor. So, these stickers low enough for you? Or are you really planning to wait 'til Christmas 2009 to score an even more special deal?

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We already heard late last year that HDMI adoption was on the rise, and now a new report from In-Stat asserts that the famed port is just about ready to take other areas of consumer electronics by storm. With HDMI adoption reaching nearly 100 percent in HDTVs, it's expected that 85 percent of IPTV set-top-boxes will have an HDMI port by 2012, while 10 percent of portable media players can say the same in just under three years. Also of note, HDMI-enabled product shipments are expected to increase overall at an annual rate of 23 percent up until 2012, while DVI-enabled shipments are forecast to decline at an annual rate of 30 percent through the same year. Ah, the unavoidable passing of the torch, so to speak.

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Who says you need a knock-down-drag-out to determine whether your next component should have HDMI or DisplayPort? The forward-thinking cats at Monoprice have finally provided a ship date for the forthcoming (March 15th) Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, which ought to help bargain shoppers out who have found themselves with a Mini DisplayPort-equipped laptop or graphics card. The best part? It's just $14.25 for one, and even less if you buy in bulk. How's that for fair pricing in a tough market?

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About two months after a Lionsgate executive spoke out about the phenomenon of day-and-date DVD / VOD releases, and merely days after we heard that digital distribution wasn't expected to overtake packaged media in the near term comes this. Universal, Fox and Summit have all pledged to close or eliminate entirely the gap between when a title is shipped on DVD and when it's available in on-demand form via iTunes or programming providers. At least with some titles, that is. The move is supposedly being made in order to take advantage of the growing thirst for instant gratification when it comes to films, and rather than getting left behind, these three are choosing to adapt to changing customer desires. Not surprisingly, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is still sticking to a 30 day (or so) delay before it releases a title to VOD, but considering its Q4 figures, it might want to consider hopping on the bandwagon.

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Like most everyone else at CES, Canon failed to disclose pricing and availability for its 11 new VIXIA camcorders. Now, however, CamcorderInfo has the details you've been craving, and the good news is that most of the models should be on store shelves before April draws to a close. The flagship HF S10 will ring up at $1,299 in early March, while the low-end ZR960 will sport a $249.99 sticker and an early April ship date. For everything in between, give the read link a look.
[Via GadgetReview]

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