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rumor
Asus Subsidiary Making Blu-ray Xbox 360
Despite repeated bashing and smashings, the Xbox 360 Blu-ray rumor is eternal like the sun god. Taiwanese rag Economic Times is reporting that Pegatron Technology—an Asus subsidiary, not a Decepticon as McWhertor points out—has received an order from Microsoft for a Blu-ray-equipped Xbox 360, due to be manufactured soon and shipped in time for the holidays. Weeks ago, Digitimes said Lite-On was going to make 'em. Let's assess. More »
home entertainment
If you are planning on picking up an HDTV in the near future, HD Guru's list of the 10 worst HDTV ripoffs for 2008 is required reading—pure and simple. Chances are, many consumers have already heard about the issue with HDMI cables—which is probably one of the biggest scams of all time (right up there with Q-Ray ionized bracelets and the Ionic Breeze). Other scams, like the one involving contrast ratio specifications are also making their way into the public consciousness.
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The 10 Worst HDTV Ripoffs Explained
If you are planning on picking up an HDTV in the near future, HD Guru's list of the 10 worst HDTV ripoffs for 2008 is required reading—pure and simple. Chances are, many consumers have already heard about the issue with HDMI cables—which is probably one of the biggest scams of all time (right up there with Q-Ray ionized bracelets and the Ionic Breeze). Other scams, like the one involving contrast ratio specifications are also making their way into the public consciousness.
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camcorders
DXG-569V HD: HD Camcorder For $169
You probably remember DXG's insanely cheap DXG-566V HD camcorder, the $150 answer to Sanyo's Xacti line. Well, DXG maybe didn't think the 566 was enough of a copycat: The company has totally revamped the 720p/30fps camcorder with a "sexy vertical design" to look a lot more like the Xacti. The low price is retained: the all-new DXG-569V HD only costs $170, while Xactis still cost anywhere from $260 up to $700. The DXG also only comes in silver or black, a small price to pay... literally. Specs and availability after the jump. More »
dealzmodo
Score Cheap Philips Flat Panel Refurbs
Maybe it has something to do with them exiting the US market, but Philips has some excellent deals on refurbished LCDs. All of them are 1080p and 60Hz, featuring sweet 3 HDMI ports and dynamic contrasts up to 8000:1, it's not the latest and greatest LCD tech on the market, but a 42-incher will run you just $650. For the size-mongers in the audience, a 47 with similar specs will cost a hundo more at $750. There's also a 50" plasma with 10,000:1 (non-dynamic) contrast. Shipping is $29. [bargainjack]
major tom to ground control
NASA to Broadcast Earth Views in High Definition
Fans of space, high definition television, and watching-your-washing-machine-while-stoned rejoice! Honoring planet Earth and hoping to bring us closer to the awe that astronauts feel while watching or home planet, NASA is going to start transmitting crystal-clear HD video of Gaia taken from orbit—both totally silent and also with commentary. More »
cable
CableLabs Responds to CableCard Screwjob Allegation
The good folks at CableLabs replied to today's piece about CableCard customers getting screwed out of HD channels. To their credit, they did not ask for a correction, because we didn't print anything inaccurate (though they do claim the HD Guru may have). They just wanted us to consider some "clarifications," arguments that go far to highlight the tension (hatred bordering on violence?) that exists between Big Cable and the consumer-electronics companies. The short version: Cable content is always changing, two-way CableCard exists in theory if not at Best Buy, the dongle could work on anything with a USB port and upgradeable firmware, and, oh yeah, you'll probably be buying all-new gear before this thing blows over. Jump for a more spelled out—but still excerpted—version of CableLabs' rebuttal argument: More »
cable
Our friend Gary Merson, the HD Guru, has uncovered an issue that may soon piss you off. Cable customers who use the current CableCard to decode signal directly in their TV, a TiVo or Windows Media Center PC may soon start losing HD channels because of a change in technology. To conserve bandwidth, cable carriers are moving from a direct stream of video to "switched digital video," which use two-way digital cable boxes to see what customers need then send it to them. CableCards are only one-way, so they can't make use of any SDV coming down the pipes. What does this mean? Merson says that as of April 15, Cablevision has cut off CableCard access to 15 Voom HD channels, and Time Warner will apparently make similar cuts.
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CableCard Users Are Getting Screwed Out of HD Channels
Our friend Gary Merson, the HD Guru, has uncovered an issue that may soon piss you off. Cable customers who use the current CableCard to decode signal directly in their TV, a TiVo or Windows Media Center PC may soon start losing HD channels because of a change in technology. To conserve bandwidth, cable carriers are moving from a direct stream of video to "switched digital video," which use two-way digital cable boxes to see what customers need then send it to them. CableCards are only one-way, so they can't make use of any SDV coming down the pipes. What does this mean? Merson says that as of April 15, Cablevision has cut off CableCard access to 15 Voom HD channels, and Time Warner will apparently make similar cuts.
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digital cameras
Here's why we're excited about Red's announcements of their 3K Scarlet and 5K Epic digital cameras. Their insane resolution. It's one thing to talk about resolution as an abstract number, but Red has a fantastic chart comparing these resolutions to things you're actually familiar with, like your HDTV or your old SDTV. Even the Scarlet, the most affordable of their cameras, dwarfs your 1080p TV in the way that Wilt Chamberlain's "scoring" record dwarfs ours. [Red]
Red's 5k, 4k, and 3k Pro Cameras: What the Resolution Really Means
Here's why we're excited about Red's announcements of their 3K Scarlet and 5K Epic digital cameras. Their insane resolution. It's one thing to talk about resolution as an abstract number, but Red has a fantastic chart comparing these resolutions to things you're actually familiar with, like your HDTV or your old SDTV. Even the Scarlet, the most affordable of their cameras, dwarfs your 1080p TV in the way that Wilt Chamberlain's "scoring" record dwarfs ours. [Red]
camcorders
Canon Quietly Releases XL H1S and XL H1A, Lowers H1 Series Price
Today Canon has announced updates to their XL H1 1080i Pro HD camcorder, splitting the line into two offerings: the XL H1S and XL H1A, a more simplistic XL H1A will be offered at a retail price of just $5,999 this July—several thousand less that we saw the original XL H1 priced for. And the H1 classic XL H1S, available this June, will run $8,999. More »
camcorders
Toshiba IK-HD1 is World's Smallest HDTV Camera
With vital measurements of 1-6-inches cubed and 2.3-ounces in weight, Toshiba's IK-HD1 waltzes in to easily steal the "Smallest HDTV Camera, Ever" title. Packed to the miniature eyeballs with three CCD chips, the 1K-HD1 can capture video at broadcast-quality at 1080i, but it won't be making its way to your camcorder anytime soon. The tiny marvel is actually intended for professional broadcasting, and needs to be hooked up to a rather sizable control unit, which can be placed up to 90-feet away. It appears Mr Professional Broadcasting wins again. Dammit. [DVice]
home entertainment
Comcast has begun compressing HDTV shows in order to deliver more HD channels to you while using the same amount of bandwidth. They didn't use to do this before, but now, when compared to Verizon FiOS, the channels are grainy and blocky and full of artifacts—a result of shoving three channels into a space where only two previously occupied. A guy at AVSForum measured how the new bitrate stacks up against Verizon.
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Comcast Compressing HDTV Signals to Fit Three Shows into Two Shows' Bandwidth
Comcast has begun compressing HDTV shows in order to deliver more HD channels to you while using the same amount of bandwidth. They didn't use to do this before, but now, when compared to Verizon FiOS, the channels are grainy and blocky and full of artifacts—a result of shoving three channels into a space where only two previously occupied. A guy at AVSForum measured how the new bitrate stacks up against Verizon.
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hd
HD VISION Sunglasses...Yes, the "HD" Stands For "Hi Def"
With all the confusion around 720p, 1080i, 1080p, HD, full HD, Blu-ray, HD DVD, ACVHD and the pesky digital television transition, thank goodness we have the fine folks who make infomercials standing in the ready to soothe our tired brains. Before watching this very important offer, we had no clue that we'd only been seeing the world in standard def. How embarrassing! Note: this is not a parody. Sometimes the world just feels like one. [Seen On TV]
hd
Elephants Shoot Excellent Video
For the upcoming BBC documentary series Tiger - Spy in the Jungle, filmmakers enlisted the help of elephants to capture the tigers with hidden HD cameras. The large "trunk cam" (pictured here) was the most ludicrous of the devices carried by the elephants, while the smaller, lighter "tusk cam" proved to be easier for the elephants to carry for long periods of time. In addition, various log and rock cams were placed along the ground and activated by motion sensors when animals came close. Here's what it looks like when a sloth bear checks out its reflection in the lens. More »
hd
It May Be Too Late for Combo Blu-ray/HD DVD Drives
Plextor has just announced a couple of new Blu-ray drives that also read HD DVDs, clearly designed for the poor saps who made the wrong choice in the format war. At first it might seem like an OK choice for people with a HD DVD collection quickly growing obsolete, but for $500 for a read-only drive or $600 for a burner, maybe a better idea would be to just get a straight-up Blu-ray drive and consider your HD DVD losses an early adopter tax. [Product Page via Electronista]
satellite
Proof Satellite Sucks: Dish and DirecTV Get FCC Approval to Downgrade HD Channels Until 2013
High-def channels consume bandwidth like Britney Spears at a Frappuccino trough (props, last night's South Park). That's a problem for twinkly satellite providers Dish Network and DirecTV, who just don't have the capacity to blast every channel in HD—so the FCC just gave them the nod to downcovert broadcasters' HD signals until 2013. Basically, it means that just because a channel is broadcast in HD, they don't have to give it to you in HD. More »
cracked
AnyDVD HD Is Here, So Start the Blu-ray BD+ DRM Crackin'
Late last year, disc-copying software maker SlySoft claimed they cracked the BD+ DRM protection in Blu-ray discs. They weren't kidding. The newest version of AnyDVD HD strips Blu-ray discs of BD+, allowing you to copy even the most locked-up Blu-ray discs (*cough*Fox*cough*) to your heart's content—assuming the copies are for personal use, of course. On the DVD front, the updated software rips movies that can't be read by Windows, and can now get around most ARccOS protection. Sounds like a reasonable temptation to all you pirate types, so run along, have at it and report back to us. [SlySoft] Thanks, Mike!!
digital cameras
It may not be first touchscreen digital camera on the market, but Panasonic's new LUMIX FX500 is better late than never with a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and the same 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens 10.1MP resolution, intelligent ISO and face detection as the FX35. It also features a 5x optical zoom, auto focus tracking and the ability to shoot HD video (1280 x 720p) content and still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Not too bad for the $399.95 price tag. Expect to see it on store shelves starting this May. Additional pic and press release after the break.
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Panasonic Goes Touchscreen With the LUMIX FX500 Digital Camera
It may not be first touchscreen digital camera on the market, but Panasonic's new LUMIX FX500 is better late than never with a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and the same 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens 10.1MP resolution, intelligent ISO and face detection as the FX35. It also features a 5x optical zoom, auto focus tracking and the ability to shoot HD video (1280 x 720p) content and still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Not too bad for the $399.95 price tag. Expect to see it on store shelves starting this May. Additional pic and press release after the break.
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