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‘Dinner Party’ relives an interracial couple’s alien abduction in VR
On the night of September 19th, 1961, Barney and Betty Hill were the victims of the first widely publicized alien abduction in US history. The Hills, an interracial couple active in the civil-rights movement, were on their way home from a trip to Niagara Falls when they noticed an unusual light in the sky. Shaken by the erratic behavior of the UFO, they headed in the direction of the closest town but never made it.
What to expect from the Engadget Experience, our immersive art + tech event
New mediums like augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence are pushing the boundaries of art, entertainment, gaming and performance -- but immersive media isn't always accessible. For one day only, we invite you to experience what happens at the outer limits of creativity. The first Engadget Experience is set to bring together some of the brightest minds in technology, art and entertainment next month, and we want you to be there. The agenda is nearly complete, and we're proud to say it's going to be a killer show.
HP made a VR backpack for on-the-job training
To date, VR backpack PCs have been aimed at gamers who just don't want to trip over cords while they're fending off baddies. But what about pros who want to collaborate, or soldiers who want to train on a virtual battlefield? HP thinks it has a fix. It's launching the Z VR Backpack, a spin on the Omen backpack concept that targets the pro crowd. It's not as ostentatious as the Omen, for a start, but the big deal is its suitability to the rigors of work. The backpack is rugged enough to meet military-grade drop, dust and water resistance standards, and it uses business-class hardware that includes a vPro-enabled quad Core i7 and Quadro P5200 graphics with a hefty 16GB of video memory.
Comcast might have to pay TiVo after losing a patent dispute
Comcast may be feeling a twinge of regret for hyping its X1 set-top boxes to the Moon and back. TiVo has won an International Trade Commission dispute accusing Comcast and its hardware partners (Arris and Technicolor) of violating patents through the X1 platform's approach to DVR recording and search. The case had originally covered six patents, but this still means Comcast could be on the hook for licensing fees if it wants to avoid a sales ban.
LG's latest 4K TVs deliver better color through 'nano cells'
If your TV line already has 4K, HDR and all the other buzzwords that promise top-tier image quality, what do you do next? For LG, the answer is simple: make sure everyone sees those colors. It just unveiled its Super UHD TV line for 2017, and all three models (the SJ8000, SJ8500 and SJ9500) revolve around Nano Cell LCDs whose uniformly-sized particles promise more accurate and consistent colors, even when you're watching from an off-center position. The technology absorbs excess light wavelengths, preventing unwanted color bleeding (such as from green to blue or yellow), fading and other effects that reduce the vibrancy of the picture.
Technicolor is building VR and AR projects for companies
For several years Technicolor has been providing video content for Hollywood movie studios. Now, it'll be working on virtual reality and augmented reality projects as well. The company is opening the Technicolor Experience Center in Culver City, California, to develop technology, platforms, and content for VR and AR.
UHD Alliance reveals its specs for 'premium' 4K TVs
Last year a number of TV manufacturers, Hollywood studios and other content companies got together so they could avoid ruining the home experience of 4K. A battle over competing standards and formats has made a mess of tech like Blu-ray/HD DVD and the rollout of 3D, but this industry consortium is committed to making sure that doesn't happen with Ultra HD. As Fox exec Mike Dunn put it during a panel discussion, "Unless you have a standards group that puts the glue for the industry together, it's not seamless for the consumer." Tonight the group showed off the logo and specs (above) that you should probably look for if you consider buying a high-end Ultra HD television. Update: Samsung says its entire line of 2016 SUHD TVs has been tagged with the UHD Premium certification.
Seiki U-Vision HDMI cable promises to squeeze 4K upconversion out of 1080p video
Known for suddenly coming on the scene last year with some of the cheapest Ultra HD televisions around, Seiki is getting into the accessories game with its new U-Vision HDMI cable. The $40 HDMI cable packs Technicolor 4K-certified video processing that it claims promises the best edge restoration, noise reduction and other tweaks available, all performed by the USB-powered Marseille Networks VTV-1222 chip within. While we usually prefer that our signal pass to the TV unaltered, so far Seiki's UHD TVs haven't proven to pack the most sophisticated scalers within. Also helping its case are industry darlings like the Darbeevision Darblet that many are using to improve the quality of their HD video on passthrough. We saw the cable in action and while the demo seemed clean, the demo reel didn't give us much of an opportunity to compare what it was actually doing. The cable will go on sale sometime in the first quarter of this year, and arrive as an adapter in Q2. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Technicolor's Color Certified Program ensures consistency across displays (video)
There's THX certification for TVs, ensuring potential buyers that they'll get solid home-theater visuals, so why shouldn't there be an equivalent for your gadgets' displays? Technicolor, along with software company Portrait Displays, is stepping up to the plate with a new standard for guaranteeing hue quality across PC and mobile panels. The Technicolor Color Certified Program will award screens that meet its requirements with a seal -- or logo, as it were -- of approval. What are the qualifications, you ask? Technicolor's spec is based on software from Portrait Displays, which works with OEMs to fine-tune screens for color accuracy. For the end user, the result should be consistent tones across all certified devices either automatically or when the Technicolor color setting is enabled for specific programs or apps. Head past the break for our eyes-on impressions.
The Engadget Interview: CEO Frederic Rose explains Technicolor's Qeo connection
When even your fellow tech editors ask "Why are you interviewing Technicolor?", you know there's a wide disconnect between the perception of a company and what it actually does. But the firm best known for saturating hues into early films like the Wizard of Oz has branched into a wide range of technical niches that only loosely connect with its original pursuit, thanks to the company's acquisition by Thomson. Products now include set-top boxes, home networking, mobile TV and a huge portfolio of technical patents -- the company controls licensing of the MP3 codec, for instance. It's now trying to address a problem that's plagued the gadget industry for quite awhile now: how to get devices from disparate ecosystems working together to make gadget-using connected and seamless. To that end, Technicolor has developed Qeo, a software system designed to allow TVs, handheld devices, intercom systems and appliances to all have one big confab. The company's CEO, Frederic Rose, took the time to explain how it works, and we went eyes-on in another video to show how a connected home using the technology might work. Considering that it shows devices using a variety of standards and operating systems all working to serve you, it's pretty impressive -- go after the break to check them both out.
Technicolor's Qeo software aims to let connected devices speak the same lingo
The idea of the "internet of things" is fine and well, but when was the last time your smartphone had a chat with the fridge? Technicolor is aiming to solve those communication breakdowns with Qeo, a software system to bridge connected devices of all types and brands. While you may be thinking, "Technicolor? That company at the end of the movie credits?" it turns out that the post-production outfit also does items like set-top boxes and DSLR routers through its acquisition of Thomson. Qeo will allow those types of devices, along with smartphones, computers, tablets and even "dumb" systems like intercoms or appliances to all communicate, regardless of the OS or protocol used by each. That'll create scenarios where your doorbell can notify your smartphone that someone's waiting to be let in, or allow you to switch a video call from your Android tablet to a Qeo-enabled TV screen, according to Technicolor -- providing the right manufacturers, software developers or network operators are using the protocol, of course. Fortunately, the company claims that it's already signed up a bevy of companies in all those categories, meaning a device-agnostic connected home may be soon within your grasp. You can check the PR after the jump for now, but we'll have even more details soon in glorious, er, Technicolor, so stay tuned.
GoPro HD Hero 2's free ProTune upgrade will add 24fps and higher bitrates
On the show floor at NAB 2012 GoPro had more to show off than just a finalized version of its $99 WiFi BacPac and Remote Control kit we saw at CES, announcing a ProTune firmware update that should bring an all new level of quality to its existing HD Hero 2 cameras -- for free. Once it's released in the in the summer, the new ProTune mode will enable owners to record their video at a new 35Mbps data rate, and shoot at 24fps to more easily intercut it with other sources later. Also integral to the new software is the "CineStyle" color profile developed by Technicolor that will let pros and prosumers streamline their workflow and produce better looking videos. We got a look at some of the video shot with beta versions of the new firmware aboard and the tweaks did plenty to enhance the color balance and image quality we were already impressed by earlier this month in the desert. Unsurprisingly given the pro atmosphere here at NAB, GoPro is also continuing to push the Cineform codec it acquired last year. There are press releases after the break as well as a few more pictures in the gallery, including a few more of its new underwater dive housing (above) with a flat front to reduce blurring and vignetting.
Vizio tops accessories off with two Google TV-powered players
It turns out Vizio's plans for Android don't stop at just tablets and TVs, as it's list of accessories being announced for 2012 are two Google TV powered set-top boxes. The VAP430 Stream player picks up where the Revue left off (and directly competes with Sony's NSZ-GS7 network player) adding the Google TV experience and access ot streaming media in any existing setup. Meanwhile, the VBR430 Blu-ray player adds discs to the mix of a VIA platform (standard and Plus) that stands to benefit from a new VOD app, M-Go from Technicolor that should bring first-run movies streaming directly to TVs. There's a few other add-ons mentioned in the PR (after the break) including a Skype webcam, iPad dock and soundbar, but all of those are available now. Like the other products Vizio has announced at CES, shipping dates and prices are still TBD.
DirecTV announces positive Q4 results; no word on new HD channels, DirecTiVo or 24/7 ESPN 3D
While its cable competition deals with fears of cord cutting and losing customers DirecTV's Q4 results reveal it's continuing to add subscribers, growing by 289,000 in the US alone and even more in Latin America. Of course, good news for investors doesn't necessarily mean anything for customers, as news on any new HD channels and the much-anticipated DirecTiVo were notable in their absence. However, our friends at ZatzNotFunny points out both a tweet by the official DirecTV account suggesting the DVR could be delayed (again & again & again) to the second half of the year, and a forum post on DBSTalk that pictures what might be the final hardware and suggests it could end up shipping with the classic TiVo interface. One more interesting note? DirecTV hasn't picked up the 24/7 feed of ESPN 3D, opting to keep it live events only for now for unknown reasons, according to Explore 3DTV.
Warner Bros. head spin: lawsuit claims studio pirated anti-piracy patent
We'll let that headline sink in for a second -- it gets even better, we assure you. The story goes as such: German company Medien Patent Verwaltung (MPV) claims that in 2003 it showed Warner Bros. (under a confidentiality agreement) a way to track where exactly a pirated movie came from. One year later, according to the company, Warner started using the same technology without ever providing compensation. Thus, a lawsuit is born -- filed in both New York and Germany against Warner, Technicolor and Deluxe. As bad as it sounds, we can't help but love the irony of such an accusation, but the crème de la crème of all this? The New York lawsuit accidentally cites Warner's patent in place of MPV's. It's being amended now, but think about it: the name of the patent claimed to be a stolen patent was itself stolen by the original patent holder as its own patent. And that's really fun to say out loud.
TiVo, Technicolor cut a deal to push DVRs internationally
Don't expect TiVo's international ambitions to stop with Virgin Media, as it's announced a deal with Technicolor (formerly Thomson) to develop "an advanced, TiVo-ready, high definition PVR set-top box" (sounds like Premiere to us, but one can never be sure.) Technicolor is putting TiVo's software on its DSI803 box (pictured above) designed to meet European Low Power Code of Conduct standards, with dual tuners and a minimum 320GB hard drive. Between that and an earlier deal with Conax it expects to be able to offer the combined product to operators worldwide, but there's no word yet on who will be first to bite.
Saving Private Ryan Blu-ray discs recalled due to audio glitch
So nice, they'll have to release it twice. Apparently a problem with the audio synchronization in at least one of the chapters of Saving Private Ryan slipped past Technicolor and Paramount, causing the whole lot to be recalled. If you own it, you've got a bad disc, so check the press release after the break for a number to call for the replacements which should arrive at retail next week on the 18th -- check for a yellow UPC label to make sure you're getting a fixed one. We hadn't noticed any of the numerous reviews mention problems with the audio, let us know if you picked up on it when you watched.
Verizon, AT&T and Dolby join the exclusive group of DLNA Promoting Members
Digital Living Network Alliance is one of the biggest media groups out there and for good reason. But while there are over two hundred members of the alliance, there are only twenty one Promoting Members. That exclusive group that "signifies a strong commitment to the work and mission" of the alliance just got bigger as AT&T, Dolby Laboratories, Qualcomm, Technicolor and Verizon have signed on. This is great news since each is a big player in the digital space and getting behind DLNA is getting behind something we love; enjoying our media on every device we own. There's no word on when this new found commitment will bear fruit, but that doesn't stop us from dreaming about seeing HD content with Dolby surround sound from Verizon FiOS TV, on our media streaming game console.
Thomson PoMMeS IPTV tablet hits the FCC
A tablet with the name "pommes" turning up courtesy of the FCC a day before a certain, possibly tablet-related event? Yeah, it's not even close to what you think, but it is something: Thomson's new PoMMeS tablet. Somewhat uniquely, this device is apparently designed primarily for IPTV streaming, although you'll also get a front-mounted webcam for video calls, and at least some basic web browsing capabilities (it's still not clear what this thing runs on). Complete specs are also a bit light at the moment, but this one does apparently pack an 8-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen display, and includes a dock that will also conveniently prop up the device for easy viewing. No indication of a price or release date, of course, but there's plenty more pictures (including a look inside) at the link below.
Dreamer's BIDDLE could actually make BD-Live useful
Imagine this -- utilizing your Blu-ray player for playing back BDs, DVDs and practically anything else available via the internet. A marvelous idea, right? Dreamer has every intention of making that web-to-TV STB you've got totally obsolete with its BIDDLE thin-client, which will theoretically enable any internet-connected Profile 2.0 BD deck to tap into the limitless world of online content. Here at CES, the outfit has announced a partnership with Technicolor that sadly doesn't pinpoint any specific players, though the concept is more than intriguing. Essentially, it would add a whole new world of functionality to BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray players, which is just about exactly what the doctor ordered for the flagging format. Only time will tell if this stuff has a shot at catching on, but we certainly dig the sound of it. [Warning: PDF read link]