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Xantech lets loose slew of HDMI products
Yeah, we saw plenty of HDMI sockets while cruising through Gefen's booth at CEDIA, but now Xantech is apparently looking to hop in the HDMI accessory biz head first. The company has recently announced that it will soon be delivering a full line of HDMI and HDMI-compatible products, which will include "cables, switchers, splitters, extenders and boosters." More specifically, customers can look forward to HDMI 4x4 ($2,500), 4x1 ($500) and 3x1 ($325) Switchers, HDMI 1x4 / 1x2 splitters, a $250 HDMI Signal Booster, a point-to-point HDMI / CAT 5 extender, and a bevy of cables to boot. Hit the read link for the full rundown.
Accell launches UltraAV 1-2 HDMI Splitter
Yeah, there's already a number of devices on the market to split that HDMI signal, say, ten different ways, but for those just needing a traditional 1-to-2 split, Accell's got you covered. The UltraAV 1-2 HDMI Splitter, set to be exhibited at CEDIA, allows a "single HDMI audio / video source to send an audio / video signal to two devices." The wee box handles resolutions up to 1080p, can be daisy-chained to play with more than two displays, supports HDCP, but isn't marked as being HDMI 1.3-compliant. 'Course, the respectable $119.99 pricetag may be low enough to win you over, anyway.
Greenhouse offers up 22-inch widescreen LCD in Japan
Though you may be apt to link Greenhouse's name with incredibly small DAPs, the firm's TIG223SDB-L proves that it understands a thing or two about displays, too. Rockin' a 22-inch widescreen format, this sleek, all-black monitor touts a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution display, HDCP-compliant DVI port, VGA connector, an anti-glare coating, five-millisecond response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, integrated power supply, dual one-watt stereo speakers, and VESA mount support as well. All yours for ¥44,800, or just about $391.[Via AkihabaraNews]
IOGEAR releases 4-port HDMI switch
IOGEAR has just released the GHDMIAS4 4-port automatic HDMI switch, which takes four of your favorite HDMI inputs and pares them down to one output. It has automatic sensing to switch to an input when a new source is turned on, or you can use the remote with discrete buttons. The switch supports 1080p and HDMI 1.3, is HDCP-compliant, and ships now for $189.95, including a bonus 6-foot HDMI cable.
Crestron intros DVPHD-PRO HD digital video processor
Just in case you were waiting for something a bit more sophisticated to drive that LCD4620, Crestron's DVPHD-PRO should make complex ads a whole lot more attractive. The self-proclaimed "advanced multi-window digital video processor and touchpanel interface" enables up to eight simultaneous video windows to be outputted onto a single HD display, as users can utilize four DVI inputs and four BNC arrangements (shown after the jump) to create an on-screen graphical montage. Moreover, the unit can handle both NTSC and PAL signals, is HDCP compliant, and boasts Crestron's 24-bit Isys graphics engine, which enables the creation of high-resolution images / backgrounds, dynamic text, and full-motion animations. Notably, the RS-232 and USB ports allow the box to be controlled via an external touchscreen monitor or whiteboard, and while pricing details aren't listed, we can't envision this bad boy coming without a serious premium.
Shuttle's XPC SG33G5 hearts HD, touts HDMI port
Before Shuttle goes and entertains any potential bids to sell itself, it's answering the demands of HTPC admirers hankering for a small-form-factor barebones system that integrates well into an AV setup. The SG33G5, straight from the egotistical Glamor series, sports an Intel G33 Bearlake chipset, 250-watt power supply, supports Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad Intel CPUs, handles up to 4GB of RAM, and features the company's own I.C.E. cooling technology. Furthermore, you'll find a PCI Express slot, Intel's GMA 3100 graphics set (weak, we know), 7.1-channel audio, Dolby Digital / DTS support, gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, SATA compatibility, VGA output, and the obligatory HDCP-compatible HDMI port. Of course, picking up a quasi-stripped box in order to snag the HD DVD / Blu-ray drive of your choice won't come cheap, as the currently available SG33G5 will set you back a whopping €303 ($405) right from the start.[Via PCLaunches]
PS3 add-on allows full HD resolution for Blu-ray on DVI
For those gaming on popular computer monitors with non-HDCP DVI inputs, a gadget has been released that allows a workaround of HDCP protocols, allowing Blu-ray movies to play at full resolution on these displays. If you're a bit confused about the protocols of HDCP and how it all works, you are not alone. High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) allows content providers to prevent the full resolution of products (Blu-ray or HD-DVD) by crippling the resolution on displays where the HDCP handshake fails. Technically, all parts of the chain need to be HDCP-compliant in order for the full resolution to process. For an HDMI connection, HDCP would spring to life when an HDMI-DVI adaptor is introduced to a non-HDCP compliant DVI port, forcing the resolution to 540p at best. The introduction of such a gadget is a welcome addition, allowing users to view the content they paid for, even though the mere fact consumers have to revert to such methods is downright infuriating. Thankfully, with ICT not being an issue until 2010, PS3 owners can enjoy Blu-ray content via HDMI, analog (component) and now, all forms of DVI. Lets hope the ICT mess gets figured out sooner rather than later, so we can get back to awaiting the latest Blu-ray releases without the fear of having high-def viewing pulled out from under us.[Update: Edited post to point out this gadget is most useful for non-HDCP compliant DVI inputs. HDCP DVI inputs will not limit the resolution to 540p as suggested. Thanks!][Via Kotaku]
Envision's G918W1, H1781, and H1981 LCD monitors
Just in case you still haven't located a "Vista-certified" LCD you're comfortable with, Envision is hoping one of its three latest will hit the spot. The 17-inch H1781 sports a 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, five-millisecond response time, wall-mount support, 300 nits of brightness, 700:1 contrast ratio, 170-degree viewing angles, and a VGA input to boot. The 19-inch rendition (dubbed the H1981) boosts a bit larger screen but manages to keep all of the same specs found in its smaller sibling, while the widescreen G918W1 (pictured after the jump) ups the resolution to 1,440 x 900, the contrast ratio to 800:1, and adds an HDCP-compliant DVI port. Of course, all three of the units feature a relatively unsexy frame, but considering the modest $199.99 (H1781), $219.99 (G918W1), and $229.99 (H1981) pricetags, we suppose there's not too much room to grouse.[Via PCLaunches]Read - H1781Read - H1981Read - G918W1
VESA approves DisplayPort 1.1: kiss those DVI and VGA ports goodbye
Get ready for hot, hot convergence kids 'cause the DisplayPort 1.1 specification was just approved. The new VESA-approved digital interface standard is meant to replace DVI and VGA ports while co-existing with HDMI for HDTV connectivity. As you can see in the picture above, it's about the size of a USB connector yet offers 2x the performance of DVI in a much smaller package. They also bake in a nasty dollop of HDCP 1.3 content protection to keep the Blu-ray and HD DVD kiddies happy. The wee size allows the interface to be included in smaller handheld electronics while enabling direct-drive LCD panels thereby eliminating the need for non-panel LVDS electronics in the monitor designs. Of course it also supports pass-through of DVI and HDMI signals via simple adapters similar to DVI-to-HDMI variety on the market today. So which of our esteemed manufactures will bite first? We're not sure, but VESA isn't shy about using Dell's high-end XPS systems in their marketing collateral. Of course, the question they don't answer is, why not just move everything to HDMI? For that, you just have to look at who backs royalty-free DisplayPort (the PC industry) and who backs HDMI (the consumer electronics industry). Yeah, we know.
Xbox 360 Elite uses HDMI 1.2; no support for Dolby TrueHD
For audiophiles, this may hurt. For everyone else, this may induce yawning.The Xbox 360 Elite will ship with HDMI version 1.2, as opposed to the latest version 1.3. What do you lose with such a monstrous degradation? HDMI 1.3 adds support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio streams; this can be accomplished in HDMI 1.2 if the player can decode these streams into uncompressed audio, but unfortunately neither the Xbox 360 nor HD DVD add-on support it. (For reference, the PlayStation 3 was the first device to use HDMI 1.3.)Other differences include audio / lip sync technology, a greater transfer speed -- which would matter if you were outputting above 1080p, but that is currently the maximum resolution -- and Deep Color, which again will be more distinguishable in future resolutions.For now, the only major disparity will be the audio. Does this affect anyone's decision to purchase the Elite?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Component to HDMI cables already exist, already pointless
Our BFF, Engadget, got a tip about an upcoming component to HDMI cable for the non-elite 360, and we're left shrugging our shoulders. Such adapters already exist at a steep cost; you plug component and audio cables in one end, and a single HDMI cable feeds out the other.That's cool if you're down with OCD, but for the rest of us, why bother? One feature of HDMI is to run a digital signal for audio and video over a single cable. Connecting each audio and component feed into an analog-to-digital converter negates that one-cable, digital-only benefit.Another "feature" of HDMI is its support for HDCP, and these adapters can't handle that copy-protected signal. What that means is someday, when a studio executive pushes a red button to turn on an Image Constraint Token for new movies, an HD-DVD enabled 360 will down-scale HD movies to DVD-quality; full quality in that future scenario will require a direct HDCP connection between a device and a TV. And some of our fancy HDTVs don't even support HDCP. Thank you, piracy panic.Maybe Microsoft is preparing an HDMI cable to interface with the original 360's video-output port. Even then, the interface change won't impact games; it's only a convenience and movie issue.Note that pictured adapter includes component to VGA cable.
IOGEAR's first automatic 2x1 HDMI switch now shipping
Got more HDMI devices than available HDMI ports? Since getting up off the couch to change connections is not an option, you're going to keep everything plugged in all the time. IOGEAR just announced it has begun shipping the first "true" automatic HDMI switch, the GHDMIAS2, using its patented HDAS technology to instantly lock on to the correct HDMI source. The HDMI 2x1 Automatic Switch detects an active source, switches automatically and delivers perfect quality 1080p resolution and HDCP compatibility with no latency. We've seen automatic switches before but they usually take a few seconds to change between devices. The MSRP for adding one more automatically switched HDMI port to your setup is $169.95, so its probably still cheaper to count the jacks on your new HDTV before purchase.
Asus rolls out HDMI-enabled EAX1600PRO / EN7600GT graphics cards
Asus is no stranger to kicking out curious motherboards and other peripherals that we geeks just can't help but love, and following up on its undertaking of auxiliary displays and the AquaTank PCI card is a couple of swank new video cards that tout an HDCP-friendly HDMI port. The half-height ATI Radeon X1600 EAX1600PRO was apparently crafted with the common HTPC builder in mind, as its diminutive size lends itself to becoming a perfect fit for those tight spaces within AV-like media center PC cases. But before you gamers get too excited, you should probably know that in-game performance is likely to be less than stellar, but HotHardware did note that its model wasn't shy when overclocked. Interestingly, this HTPC-centric card comes bundled sans a true HDMI-to-HDMI cable, which leaves us all a bit miffed considering the niche it's trying to appease. The EN7600GT ups the ante by delivering the frame rate luxuries as only an NVIDIA GeForce 7600 can, but its full-height design will definitely cause problems in slimmer enclosures. Other extras found on this device are its SLI-capabilities, DVI / S-video outputs, and optical audio jack, but considering it packs just 256MB of GDDR3 RAM, the hardcore gamers in the crowd are still not likely to find themselves impressed. Still, with the EAX1600PRO ringing up at just around a cool hundred, and the more powerful EN7600GT asking just about twice that, these here cards look to be solid options if you're just getting around to creating your own HTPC.[Via Slashdot]
I-O Data cranks out 19- / 22-inch HDCP-compliant LCDs
A few months and a new operating system later, it looks like I-O Data is upping the ante on its 17- / 19-inch LCDs in a couple big ways. Both of the firm's newest displays, which come in at 19- and 22-inches, sport a black or silver color scheme, dual 1.5-watt stereo speakers, VGA inputs, HDCP-compliant DVI ports, audio inputs, and of course, the obligatory Vista certification. The smaller of the two boasts a 1,440 x 900 resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 800:1 contrast ratio, five-millisecond response time, and a viewing angle of 170-degrees. The 22-inch variety, however, steps up to a WSXGA+ resolution, but aside from that detail, remains identical in terms of specifications to its smaller sibling. Both monitors are scheduled to hit the Japanese market in late March, and while the LCD-AD192XW/B will run you ¥39,800 ($330), the model your eyes truly desire (read: the larger LCD-AD221XW/B) will demand an extra ¥10,000 ($83).[Via Impress]Read - I-O Data's LCD-AD192XW/BRead - I-O Data's LCD-AD221XW/B
AMD integrates ATI Radeon X1250 into Vista-certified 690 chipset
Although ATI's R600 graphics chip may have hit a recent snag, it seems that the company's Radeon X1250 GPU is coming along just fine, as it claims the proud title of "world's first" integrated graphics unit to receive Vista certification. The chip, of course, is a critical piece of AMD's latest 690-series chipset, which integrates Aero-capable graphics, 1GHz HyperTransport interface speeds, and support for Sempron, Athlon 64/64 FX/64 FX X2 processors, PCI Express, Microsoft's DirectDraw, hardware acceleration for MPEG-2/4 and WMV9, TV output, HDCP-compatible DVI / HDMI outputs, and the general smorgasbord of connectors we're all used to seeing these days. Putting the resources of the ATI / AMD merger to full use, the 690 family claims to be the first chipset from the pair that supports ATI's Avivo technology, which purportedly makes your multimedia experiences within Vista a smooth ordeal. AMD's latest should be available right now for an undisclosed price, but we'd wait for a few hands-on opinions before rushing out and skipping over a dedicated GPU in your next rig.[Via 64-Bit-Computers]
IO-Data shows off 24-inch LCD-TV241XBR-2 TV / monitor
Talk about your incremental upgrades: PC hardware manufacturer IO-Data has just introduced an update to that 24-inch LCD-TV241XBR WUXGA display we saw last spring, but for the life of us, we can't figure out exactly what improvements the LCD-TV241XBR-2 offers. Just like its predecessor, this new full HD monitor sports a 1000:1 contrast ratio, maximum brightness of 500cd/m², built-in analog TV tuner, and a DVI input supporting HDCP encryption. Sure its not the most stylish 24-incher around -- if aesthetics are your main concern, BenQ, Dell, and heck, even Gateway offer snazzier looking models -- but with a suggested retail price of only €740 ($972), you'll be able to pick this one up for well under a grand. And hey, this must be the "upgrade" that IO Data's talking about: the XBR-2 is going for at least $250 less than the XBR did at its debut.
Windows Vista Protected Media Path DRM already broken?
It sounds like we may have another name to add to the pantheon of anti-DRM digital freedom fighters: Alex Ionescu, who's claiming his driver signing bypass method allows end users to bypass Vista's Protected Media Path DRM (the junky stuff that prevents you from watching "premium" content and HD material on non-HDCP outputs, like component, VGA, older HDMI TVs, etc.) Using Alex's technique (which has yet to be released to the general public, for fear of going the way of our man Viodentia), no unsigned drivers are loaded in the process, thereby convincing the media applications that are scanning for anti-DRM "badware" that everything's peachy, go ahead and output that signal even though it may be through the analog hole. We'll all be waiting, Alex, for you to move to Sealand so you can release the hack, we've got a lot of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies to watch, and not a lot of patience for HDCP-carrying gear.[Via Slashdot, thanks gamebittk]
Blu-ray, SLI-equipped Alienware Area-51 7500 reviewed
Alienware's Area-51 7500 desktop has certainly been on the chopping block before, but the inquisitive folks over at Bit-Tech were able to land a refreshed unit that not only featured dual NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card and a 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor, but a built-in (unbranded Matshita) Blu-ray drive to boot. Instantly, reviewers expected the snazzy looking machine to spin right on through every benchmark laid in front of it, and for the coin you'd be paying, we can't say that's such an unrealistic request. During 2D / 3D testing, the SLI-equipped system simply dominated in terms of FPS, image quality, and smoothness, as reviewers actually stated that current games couldn't even take full advantage of all that horsepower just yet. Also of note was the Blu-ray playback, which ended up being practically flawless after the review crew had their (understandable) doubts about how well the unit itself and HDCP films would operate within a PC environment. After trying out both analog and digital monitor connections, the player streamed out films in crisp 1,920 x 1,080 resolution without a hitch after PowerDVD 6.5 was loaded up, officially allowing for a collective sigh of relief. With a system this pricey, however, criticisms come easier, and they were quick to note that the included Patriot RAM was likely hindering performance somewhat due to "faulty memory timings," and also stated that the lackluster audio card should have been spruced up given the lofty cost. Overall, Bit-Tech was quite pleased with Alienware's latest, but while the machine itself landed an 8 out of 10 rating, the £3,434 ($6,780) pricetag resulted in a paltry 5 out of 10 in the "Value" department, which is about par for the course for these guys.
Vista's crippled output DRM explained
If you have been following the site for some time, you are all too familiar with ICT, HDCP, AACS and all the other bad words that make up the next generation DRM, but most of main stream media is just now realizing what is going on because Vista is right around the corner. All the chicken littles are coming out proclaiming how bad Vista is for consumers because of all this new DRM. The long and the short of it is that if the studios ever set the ICT bit on their titles and you don't have all your DRM ducks in a row, you will be forced to watch your HD DVD and Blu-ray movies at 540p (we wonder if you would even notice on a 14" laptop screen), this also goes for CableCARD content. While this does kinda stink, it would be more worrisome if there wasn't already a crack for AACS, so if it causes you any trouble just rip the movie first before playing it back. For a clearer more in-depth explanation of Vista's new DRM check out Chris' run down.
Westinghouse and the blinking PS3: HDCP gone awry?
Some PlayStation 3 users who play on Westinghouse 1080p screens might have noticed a blinking problem when loading up their games, wherein no sound comes up and the screen's imagery blinks off and on. Popular Mechanics has been following the story and trying to deduce the culprit of this problem.The blinking phenomenon stems from High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection, or HDCP, a form of DRM for signals that run through HDMI cables. Initially, Westinghouse VP of Marketing Rey Roque explained that the issue was firmware within some of their television sets but has now retracted that assertion, placing the blinking blame on the PlayStation 3 itself. Roque notes, "Westinghouse products are fully compliant with the HDMI and HDCP specs." Westinghouse and Sony reportedly met yesterday to discuss the issue, but Popular Mechanics went ahead and offered a quick-and-dirty fix to the problem: simply unplug HDMI cable, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in. Video of the phenomenon and its quick fix is embedded after the break.[Via /.]
