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PLAiR streams web video to TV with your devices for 99 bucks
If you like TV, and you like the Internet, you've got some really good options for getting those two crazy kids to play nicely together. PLAiR, newly arrived on the market, adds a platform-independent and compact device to the menu of connected television solutions that stream web video to your living room. To be clear, there's not a shortage of players here. Even without a Smart TV in your house, you can use an HDMI cable to connect your Mac or iPad directly to your big-screen HDTV (although that's a bit of a mobility buzzkill). It's easier to put something in the middle to handle that conversation, at least until Tim Cook and Jony Ive make all our big-screen dreams come true. For most Apple-centric households, the natural middleman is the $99 Apple TV. Apple's "experiment" delivers 1080p content direct from iTunes, subscription goodies from Netflix or Hulu, sports from the NBA, MLB and NHL, free video from Vimeo and YouTube, and of course your photos, music and videos from household Macs. The relatively recent debut of AirPlay mirroring for Macs in OS X 10.8 means that your computer can screen-mirror to an Apple TV just as smoothly as your iPhone or iPad can. If you're inclined toward non-Apple boxes with more subscription and channel support, the Roku or Boxee hardware might be more up your alley. One thing the Apple TV can't do easily -- at least not without the intervention of a mirrored AirPlay device or a jailbreak -- is stream web videos from sources outside the approved/supported list. Even if you do use a mirrored device, it's tied up for the duration of the stream; how are you supposed to chat with your vintage movie club while you're watching? And what if you have friends with non-Apple gear who'd like to stream some videos your way? There ought to be another path to video Nirvana, and the folks behind the PLAiR HDMI dongle think they have it figured out. The new $99 wireless video-streaming gadget is arriving in some customers' hands today. I saw it demonstrated at the Engadget Expand conference, and while the company's description of it as "AirPlay for everybody" may be a bit off-target with no true mirroring support, it's still quite impressive. The PLAiR device -- one assumes that the lowercase "i" is not coincidental -- is a smart adapter that connects to three things: power, your TV's HDMI port, and your home WiFi network. Once it's set up, PLAiR links to a Chrome plugin on your Mac or PC to let you hand off streaming video to it with a couple of clicks. iOS and Android devices can play too; both platforms have streamer apps available. In the case of the desktop controls for PLAiR, you simply browse to the website for the video you want to see (scores of broadcast and Web video networks play nicely with the PLAiR, although big kahunas Hulu and Netflix sadly do not). A small overlay icon reminds you that you can stream to your TV; click it and the video hops over to the wider arena. Behind the scenes, the PLAiR unit is actually running its own streaming client via Flash or HTML5 and handling the video independently; your laptop is no longer needed, and in fact you can close the window and do something else -- even sleep it or shut it down. That's not the case if you choose to stream videos or photos stored on your computer or iOS device, of course. In that situation, you can create a playlist of clips that you want to see, and PLAiR will play them all in order, but your device needs to stay online and awake to push the video to PLAiR. iPhone and iPad users can jump into the fun via the free PLAiR iOS app. With the app, the same channels and sources should be accessible, and you can kick off a stream in similar fashion. Local content will play as well, although anything purchased from the iTunes Store will not play (the PLAiR doesn't know how to deal with Apple's FairPlay encryption for video). You also cannot mirror iOS apps to the PLAiR, but at least one common-use case for that is handled by a second companion app aimed at business users: the $0.99 OmniPresent will load and display PowerPoint or PDF decks via your PLAiR stick onto a projector or TV. If your video needs don't depend heavily on iTunes-purchased content or the premium offerings of Hulu or Netflix, you might get your money's worth out of the PLAiR. It's certainly a more graceful option for free-to-stream network content than rigging up an HDMI cable across the living room. Customers who pre-ordered the PLAiR hardware are getting theirs this week, but current orders are out of stock for the moment; if you order today you might see your unit by June. Here's a brief video intro to PLAiR. I'm afraid I will have to deduct points for continuity, as the Acer laptop pictured in the video appears to be running the OS X version of Chrome. ' And here's a video preview of PLAiR in action from Engadget Expand:
Sharp nearing 1 million big-screen TV sales in North America, expanding global market
Sharp Corporation claims they may top 1 million big-screen televisions (60 inches or above) sold in North America alone by March of next year, and expects growth the next fiscal year. With a stronger hold on the Japanese market then its competitors, the company is expanding overseas to bolster competition and avoid Asia's current market forecast -- a projected $6 billion decline in LCD sales by 2015. According to Kozo Takahashi, head of the American operations division, big-screen purchases in the United States are set to triple this upcoming year despite a declining trend in the North American market. While audio visual equipment accounts for more than half of Sharp's revenue, the company sees the need to market its other products more aggressively in the Americas to remain globally competitive.
ITRI touchscreen technology lets you pinch-to-zoom boob tubes of any size (video)
Turning a plain old display into a multi-touch affair isn't exactly a groundbreaking feat, but we're still drooling over the Industrial Technology Research Institute's (ITRI) latest touchscreen enabler. The Taiwan-based outfit recently showed off a new attachment that the folks over at Netbooknews claim can make displays of any size touch-friendly. We're told that the touchy-feely accessory is still in development, which means it probably won't hit our living room anytime soon, but our fingers are tingling just thinking of the possibilities. Hop on past the break to see the thing in action.
Runco's WindowWall gives you the $100,000 view you always wanted (eyes-on)
You see them, as soon as you set eyes on the gigantic, nine-panel screen. Those black lines are plainly visible. But the 46-inch Samsung panels in Runco's WindowWall have 7.33mm bezels that almost disappear from ten feet away, and when we first walked in, we actually thought they were part of the image. In a nutshell, WindowWall is a modular display system that turns entire walls into displays capable of rendering giant images across many screens, or display different media -- say, Doctor Who, LOST, FlashForward, V, Castle, 24, a couple computer screens and an episode of Firefly for good measure -- on each individual one. Making the system work in sync requires quite a bit of hardware, including a power supply unit and display controller unit for every four 1366 x 768 panels used, not to mention an upscaling box and a seriously sturdy stand (sorry, Humanscale) to hold up all that glass. The company boasts the whole system is scalable, meaning you can make it work with as few as four or as many as twenty panels and still run the entire system as a single screen at its full, gigantic native resolution. We weren't able to see these nine pumping pixels at 4098 x 2304, unfortunately, as the only content on hand was 1080p, but the footage did seem to be well synced across all nine screens. Of course, with a system like this the catch is cost -- for the nine panels, frame, reels of CAT cable and veritable server rack required to run this particular WindowWall, Runco said we should expect to pay a heartstopping $100,000. Droolworthy, to be sure, but too rich for our blood. Perhaps if the whole neighborhood chipped in, right before Super Bowl? %Gallery-89982%
15 Minutes of Fame: Mr. Big
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.This guy's is bigger. Really. In fact, this interview is expressly designed to provoke e-peen envy. Because really now, if I have to interview this chap while squinting at my (admittedly not-so-tiny widescreen) monitor (because it's still T minus 5 days to my optometrist visit, and respeccing my prescription is definitely in order) in the face of this visual largesse, then all of you people need to hunker down along with me. Misery loves company, and once you get a look at this WoW setup, we'll be able to finish this 15 Minutes of Fame in green-eyed envy together. Because this is an impressive view of WoW. We're sure there are plenty of you out there nodding along right now, muttering, "Oh, that ain't nuthin', little lady – mine's easily as big as that one ..." Well, folks, I've got pictures of this one. And it's big, really big ... 133 inches worth of big, to be exact.
iSimulate brings iPhone apps to the big screen
Apple's iPhone simulator built into Xcode is nice, but it doesn't completely replicate the actual feel of playing with an iPhone (not to mention that things like multitouch and accelerometer info can't be tested on screen). Enter iSimulate, a new app from a company called vimov. In conjunction with a program on your Mac, it allows you to take the input (including multitouch and accelerometer) of an iPhone, and wirelessly connect it to an app running on your monitor. The effect, as you can see above, is basically an iPhone controlling a big-screen app.Which has all sorts of possibilities. Developers can use it to both test and show off their apps, which is nice. But perhaps more importantly, (assuming it works smoothly -- we haven't tested it yet) it will let people use apps on their big screen monitors. Playing on the iPhone's screen is fun and all, but wouldn't it be nicer to play on two big screens at the same time?The app might not quite be ready for that use quite yet -- not only is the app for your Mac called an "SDK" (which definitely means it's meant for developers, not gamers), but the price might be prohibitive as well. They launched it at $2, and the price is going up exponentially (it's now $8) until it arrives at its final price of $32. But this is definitely a great idea. And it if happens to be popular even at that price (for consumers and developers), we wouldn't be surprised to see Apple finally "get it" in terms of bringing some of the App Store's offerings to their own big screen.
Mom installs 98-inch screen in son's bedroom ceiling, deservedly garners award nomination
Thought you had it all set with a 14-inch TV and an NES in your room as a kid? Then you might want to look away for a minute, lest your childhood memories be diminished. Everyone else can take a good look at this 98-inch screen that Patti Deni had installed flush in the ceiling of her son's bedroom. At the center of the setup is an NEC projector paired with some Draper projection mirrors, which fills that 98-inch StarGlas60 display with some full HD images than can be viewed from just about any angle. As you might expect, however, this wasn't exactly the easiest of installs, and apparently even involved reframing and reinforcing the ceiling. No word on any mom of the year awards just yet, but the setup itself has at least attracted the attention of Electronic House's Home of the Year awards.
Illusion Labs goes to the big screen
This is only slightly Mac-related but it is really cool. We've posted about two of Illusion Labs' popular iPhone games here on the site: Touchgrind is a 3D simulation of a touchboard, and Sway is a really fun little platformer-esque swingathon that has you swinging from side-to-side using the touchscreen. Both games are pretty original in how they use multitouch controls, and so when Illusion Labs got their hands on a big tabletop touchscreen, there was only one thing to do: blow the games up and play them in a big way.You can see how it looks above -- seems like a lot of fun. And it makes you think, too -- multitouch seems to be where its at for the future of user interfaces, and the iPhone is really a breeding ground for testing out the technology and coming up with new ways to use it. It may be a long time before we all have huge multitouch screens like this in our kitches and living rooms, but considering how ubiquitous the iPhone already is (and the fact that almost anyone with some time, $100, and an idea can publish an app on the App Store), we can start seeing the kinds of applications that will live on those screens right now.
Canadian chain renting out movie theaters for gaming
CBC News reports that Canadian theater chain Cineplex has begun renting out auditoriums at its locations during "downtime" for the sole purpose of very-big-screen gaming. The company will offer two-hour, up to 12-person rentals for CAN$179 (US$169), which includes use of a supplied Xbox 360 and games from an on-site library (although the gamer or gamers ponying up the cash can bring their own games to play on the 50' screen – how considerate!). The CBC piece mentions that Cineplex locations generally have between 12 and 24 hours a week open for game-ifying its theaters, and that sessions of four hours or more can be arranged with management (as can extra-late-night events). The chain began testing in-theater gaming three years ago in conjunction with Microsoft, and utilizes LCD projectors capable of HD resolutions. Given the partnership with MS, we're not too sure how accommodating Cineplex would be to bringing a PS3 or Wii of your own to hook up, but we'd love to hear from any Canadian readers willing (and able) to give it a shot. [Thanks, Kersch!]
Reader WoWspace: Wulf Knight
This edition of WoWspace comes with actual photos of an actual person!! This is a first for us, as the rest of you have been showing off your rigs, but not your mugs (the non-coffee kind). This is a really great setup, which I'd love to mimic myself, but I'm pretty sure I'd get complaints taking my TV out of the living room and putting it into the office.My name is Wulf Knight, I'm 31 and living in Madison WI. My main is Felixia, a level 70 main-tanking furball in the progressive raiding guild of Persistence on Uldum (of which I am also a founder and occifer). I suppose one of the more unique features of my WoW environment is that fact that what you see is it's natural state... I can't stand clutter. As you can see, my computer is my entire entertainment centre... We have the Logitech Z-5500s to which the XBOX 360, PS2, primary monitor and PC are running through, all via optical (Impact Acoustics A/V Selector FTW!).
Forget relaxation, Norwegian Cruise Line offers up big screen Wii play
If you've been attempting to break into your local multiplex after hours ever since you saw that original Wii-in-a-theater video, here's something that could help put on the right side of the law, while still satisfying those big screen urges. Norwegian Cruise Line has outfitted its newest ship and its whole NCL America fleet with Wii systems galore, including setups for the kids, various public rooms, and that uber-screen in the atrium pictured above. The cruise line will offer up tournaments and other activities, and also says that "Cheering, yelling and high-fives will be highly encouraged." Pah, as if we needed the company of others to enjoy all that glorious square footage.
HDBeat Flickr Wednesday: Big screen goodness
Each week here at HDBeat, we are grab some of the best, new setups out of our Flickr pool to be featured here on our homepage. This week it is Big Screen Goodness!Jadeonly: Just finished our basement home theater: picasaweb.google.com/jadeonly/BasementContruction 100" motorized screen NHT SuperAudio ST4, SW10ii, SC2, and SB2 speakers More after the jump!
