Recent Comments:
Will Sony's PlayStation 4 have Blu-ray? Someone thinks not. {Engadget HD}
Sep 18th 2008 12:51AM I'm gonna go with... Bollocks.
Why?
1) Sony is Blue ray's "Daddy"; they're going to support it as long as is practical for them to.
2) Streaming video has absolutely crap quality compared to Blue Ray
3) The net is getting bandwidth limited faster than it is growing, hence #2 is getting worse
4) Downloads are impermanent, discs are something you can show your family next xmas.
5) Those disks are a very convenient way to lock a game into a physical package. Not DRM per se, but "this" is my game, not some easily lost chunk of data on an HD, where one crash can wipe out your entire collection of downloadables.
So yes, definitely bollocks.
PlayStation video download service is live {Engadget HD}
Jul 16th 2008 3:23PM Dr XYM, no, I don't rent movies, either from a storefront or via download. Doesn't make economic sense to me unless pirating is involved, and I won't do that, either.
We also don't go to the theater; same basic reason, makes no economic sense.
Well, that, and the crying baby two rows back, the fellow who won't shut up down the row, the teenagers with their cellphones and their texting and their apparent inability to understand the most basic courtesies, the two kids fighting over popcorn, the guy behind you who apparently has the world's worst cold ever and snorts, blows and coughs all through the movie, the ticket cost for just two is more than a Blueray that can be shown to the entire family and lent to your friends, the snacks are priced as if they are gold-plated, you get to be abused first by a series of incredibly badly made and entirely unwelcome local commercials, followed by professional, but just as unwelcome, ads for Coke or whatever... As near as I can tell, theater owners don't *want* my money.
As far as I'm concerned, it's the age of the home theater, and buying my own permanent copy of the content gives me maximum flexibility at a cost I can live with. Looking to get more reasonable towards Christmas, too. With a group of people who buy Blueray, free lending from one to another also adds value; same ethics and methods as lending a book. We've got a significant group of friends who all have Blueray systems and that pretty much sounds the death knell for rental making any sense at all.
PlayStation video download service is live {Engadget HD}
Jul 16th 2008 1:38AM Yeah. yay. Yawn. Not gonna use it, ever. Downloading content makes no sense. The download is huge, consumes huge amounts of pipe. Buy a Blueray, own it, watch it as much as, and with whomever, you want, for as long as you want, then re-sell it if you like or keep it. You get higher resolution, better sound, permanence, the legitimate ability to swap and loan and gift... downloads suck so bad my vacuum cleaner ran outside and threw itself under a truck. They represent the very worst form of DRM.
Now, when Sony gets "Home" going, you can wake me up for that. It actually looks like they're doing something creative there, instead of trying to re-monitize an already existing income stream at our expense and to our extreme disadvantage.
All of this downloading nonsense is just a tempest in a teapot. They're never going to get a penny out of me for it.
Poll: Do you own / plan to own an HTPC? {Engadget HD}
Jul 11th 2008 2:28PM Got a Mac Mini on HDMI input #6; provides occasional media @ 720p, music, and most importantly, a Delicious Library catalog of many DVDs, CDs, a few HD-DVDs, Bluerays, XBox and XBox 360 titles, PS3 titles, PS2 titles, Gamecube titles and Wii titles. Plus you can do anything else you might want to do on a Mac. We use bluetooth KB and mouse to make running it convenient. Aside from the annoyance of changing batteries now and then, it all works smooth as silk.
Plus it looks *excellent* on our 200+ inch display:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fyngyrz/2531688467/
Ask Engadget HD: Which AV receiver has the best upscaling chip? {Engadget HD}
Jul 11th 2008 2:10PM I own the Sony STR-DA5300ES. Keep in mind that beautiful user interface doesn't work for beans when you're using HDMI connections. This is because of unholy DRM issues; So, what happens when you select something that uses the UI is, what you're watching goes away, and after a few seconds for your display to re-lock with the Sony's internal UI generator, you get the UI. Which you use, and when done, again, the display goes blank and after a few seconds, you get your program material back.
In addition, the Sony is billed as a multizone receiver, but, it will only up-convert, not down-convert, and zone 2 is component video only. So, if you use HDMI sources (and you will), then none of them can be viewed in zone 2 under any condition, because component is considered "down" from HDMI. Nice, eh? More favors from the DRM crowd.
Other than these rather severe glitches, it's a nice receiver, and the six HDMI inputs are helpful, although mine are already all full and I'm in the market for a switch. Be nice to have more, but it sure beats the heck out of the three that are typical for most receivers today.
Good luck.
Marantz releases AV8003 processor and MM8003 amplifier separates in the US {Engadget HD}
Jun 17th 2008 2:10PM Joseph, I'm using all six of my HDMI inputs right now:
1) PS/3 [gaming, Blueray]
2) DVR/Satellite receiver
3) OTA HD television receiver
4) XBox 360 [gaming, HD DVD - yes, I bought quite a few]
5) Mac mini [media librarian)
6) Upconverting DVD player
I'm also using several component inputs, and even SVHS for the house security system's aux output. Here's the system:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fyngyrz/2531688467/
...In the future, I expect to add a standalone Blueray player, for one, and I'd also like a front panel input for an HD camcorder on any system I upgrade to.
Zargon, I own plenty of Marantz gear:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fyngyrz/sets/72157600798126397/
...so I'm quite familiar with the fidelity; but frankly, if I have to go to fooling with switchers, I'm not interested. The job of audio gear is *both* to make the experience pleasant and provide good fidelity. And while Sony doesn't have the high-end cache' that Marantz does, the fidelity is nothing to sneer at.
By the way, I also own a Denon from the previous generation, it has 3 component inputs, and if you want to talk about frustrating, try dealing with not *one* component switcher, but two. It brings inconvenience to entirely new levels; no one in the house could run the system but me. That's no good. Fidelity or not, I chucked that into the family room where it handles 720p for the kids.
What the both of you need to understand is that your view of how audio gear is used is not definitive of how everyone uses it. When someone says four inputs is not enough, derision is a poor response; if you don't understand why they might want them, just ask.
Marantz releases AV8003 processor and MM8003 amplifier separates in the US {Engadget HD}
Jun 14th 2008 7:34AM Yes, exactly. 4 HDMI inputs rules this out for me, and I would have *loved* to have a separate head so I could set up all discrete amps.
My Sony has six HDMI inputs. Check it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fyngyrz/2531688467/
InFocus kicks out IN5100 series projectors {Engadget HD}
Jun 13th 2008 5:27PM WXGA = 1366×768, and XGA = 1024×768, since Engadget has decided to be obscure, rather than informative.
What is funny about this is that I bought an Optoma HD-80 1080p DLP unit for about $2500 (retail); so (a) we know they can make these things at a reasonable end-user price, and (b) they can do it at full HD (1920x1080, progressive.)
It's no wonder adoption of projectors is so slow. Five grand, seven grand, even more... it's silly. I have a bright, clear picture on a 1.0 gain screen at 204" -- that's right, 17 *feet* diagonal -- with just 1300 lumens. How bright is it? When the screen goes white, it'll bloody well blind you. WTF would a consumer need 5000 lumens for? I'd have to wear sunglasses.
Here's a pic of my setup (click "All Sizes" above the image to see a hires version):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fyngyrz/2531688467/
...for reference, I pushed the shadow detail way up in that image, the room is a lot darker than it looks.
XCM offers up Mega-Cool component-to-VGA converter {Engadget HD}
Jun 13th 2008 5:13PM See, I'd be asking "Why doesn't it light up? Why? How am I going to know where to prod it in the mass of already far too anonymous components?"
What it needs is an *option* to light up. You could turn it off, I could leave it on.
Failing that, a very minor hack - like cutting one leg of an LED - will probably get you what you want. That is, darkness. :-)
Krell unleashes its Evolution 707 preamp/processor {Engadget HD}
Jun 13th 2008 4:44PM My receiver, a Sony STR-DA5300ES, has 6 HDMI 1.3 inputs. All of which are used. Plugged into them (presently) are a satellite receiver, an XBox360, a PS3, a Mac (as media librarian), a unscaling DVD player, and an Accurian HDTV Receiver. HDMI output goes to a DLP projector. In addition, the Sony has lots of component, SVHS and composite inputs, not to mention optical and coaxial audio and a special input for iPods. And a separate PIP input. All this for about $1500.
Looks to me like Krell isn't putting effort into the right part of the design. I mean, really, if they want to tempt me, they're going to have to at least outdo the mundane consumer rigs in input flexibility. Four inputs just doesn't cut it. Offer nine, or even twelve (and dual or triple independent HDMI outputs), and they'd have my attention -- and my money.
How long before something comes out that makes me want more inputs than six? A hi-def security DVR, or an HDMI radio or other audio source, or a handheld camera that just begs for a handy, front panel HDMI input?
For those of you who have struggled with switchers, you know that a well integrated input that your remote understands and gives direct random access to is far preferable to an array of outboard multiplex hardware.
Seriously... manufacturers, hi-end doesn't just mean more channels. Enable me. Add features and flexibility. Maybe even add some front panel controls so I don't spend my entire life wading around in menu hell. C'mon. I DARE you.
