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How Shadow of Mordor PS4 stacks up to PC's huge textures
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a great action game, and a pretty (gruesome) one at that. Those playing on consoles will get a good sense of Monolith's interpretation of the Tolkien universe, but high-end PC players have access to an even more detailed version of Middle-earth. Players with beefy computers can download the HD content pack on Steam, which patches Shadow of Mordor with the "highest resolution textures available." The content pack requires a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows 8 as well as a minimum of 8 GB of system RAM and a video card with at least 6 GB of RAM. Digital Foundry put together a comparison video with the PC version's ultra textures and a PS4 copy of the game, found after the break. For more footage of Shadow of Mordor in action, check out Tuesday's hour-long archived Joystiq Streams. [Image: WBIE]
Cult classic adventure Outcast rebooted for PC
Indie developer Fresh3D recently launched a Kickstarter project to fund a high-definition remake of Outcast, the 1999 Infogrames-published PC adventure game. The open-world game will feature re-designed objects, textures, environments and characters, each made from scratch to run in 1080p HD at 60 frames per second. The developer is targeting $600,000 by Wednesday, May 7, to fund the game. So far it's achieved more than $140,000. Fresh3D includes three designers from Appeal, the developer of the original cult classic adventure game: Yann Robert, Franck Sauer and Yves Grolet. Grolet is involved in the project as a gameplay advisor, while Robert and Sauer are technical and creative directors, respectively. The three designers purchased the rights to Outcast in July 2013. [Image: Fresh3D]
Sony Stitch merges footage from two 4K F65 cameras to create zoomable panoramic with HD output (video)
Well, that's a mouthful of a headline. Going a bit more in-depth, a new professional solution from Sony allows broadcasters to capture side-by-side 4K video at, say, a sporting event, then use a standard camera zoom device to select small portions of each feed for 720p or 1080i output. On the receiving end, you'll see a live image that looks indistinguishable from something you'd capture with a moving camera, with a few extra benefits to boot. Sony demonstrated the system using feeds from an F65 4K camera earlier this year at NAB, but was only able to present a simulation at that point, with pre-recorded output cropped from larger-format footage. Now, as we saw today at IBC in Amsterdam, the technique works in realtime, so an adjustable smaller portion of the video is pumped out seamlessly and instantaneously. The 4K video can also be recorded at full resolution simultaneously, letting you change the framing long after an event takes place. Sony only had the demo configured to pull live video from the left portion of the feed, but eventually the entire capture will be enabled, giving producers access to an entire football field, as you'll see in the hands-on video after the break. We wouldn't expect this solution to replace human camera operators anytime soon, but it's certainly a viable method for adding angles and placing a bit more control in the hands of production teams, even after the fact.
Drift Innovation unveils compact Drift HD, still up for your extreme antics (video)
Fan of recording extreme death-defying stunts, yet find your current helmet cam just too darn unwieldy? Drift's creatively named Drift HD might fit the bill, as the firm's managed to cram the 170-degree field of view rotatable lens / LCD combo from the HD170, into a 25 percent smaller package. The nine megapixel 1080p shooter also features a bevy of redesigned mounts, a replaceable lens and support for 32GB microSD cards, allowing it to keep chuggin' where lesser cameras would have otherwise called it quits. Connectivity junkies will also swoon at the inclusion of micro-HDMI and a 2.5mm microphone input. We weren't exactly smitten with the HD170, but this $369 makeover might be enough to change our minds. If you're dying to find out for yourself, the Drift HD will be available August 31st, but do us a favor and keep your eyes on the snow -- we wouldn't want you to end up like this guy.
Panasonic's new suite of colorful camcorders hits stores this July, gets priced right now
When Panasonic introduced us to its Skittles-like array of candy-coated camcorders, they gave us a taste of the little things, but left us hanging on price and availability. Well, if you've been slobbering over the specs since February, you can sate your appetite soon, because the HM-TA20, HM-TA2, HX-WA10, HX-DC10, and HX-DC1 will hit stores starting in early July. The Flip-style, 1080p HM-TA20 rings in at $200, while its less rugged little brother, the HM-TA2, will run you $170. The upright and rugged HX-WA10 will do 1080p video and 16-megapixel stills for $350, and you'll drop $280 on the HX-DC10 for the same functionality without the weather-proofing. For the same look at an even lower price, you can shoot 14-megapixel stills on the HX-DC1 for $200. Hungry for more? Full PR awaits you after the break.
iPad 2 mirroring: Capturing video in higher definition
Co-blogger Steve Sande and I have been collaborating on our attempts to find a solid solution that allows iPad 2 owners to use the screen mirroring feature in tandem with a computer video capture tool; this would simplify screencasting, training, recording and scores of other things. Steve was looking for a way to integrate his iPad's screen into his TUAW TV Live shows. I need to create videos for demonstrations, reviews and tutorials. While this would be relatively straightforward if Apple's mirroring support included the older Composite AV and Component AV adapters for the iPad, sadly it does not. Only the HDMI-sporting Digital AV adapter and the VGA adapter are permitted to work with the mirroring option, which helps close the analog hole for purchased/rented digital video, but it doesn't make the job of DIY iPad recording any easier. Steve recently blogged about our first solution, a quick and dirty approach that offered a "barely enough" 480p standard-definition video feed. As Steve pointed out, this basic setup is not a high resolution answer to our video capture needs. Text is barely readable, screens fuzzy -- not ideal for either product demonstrations or how-to-videos. We were determined to nudge quality up. To do that, I turned to Elgato, who graciously provided an EyeTV HD unit (normally retails for $199), which allows Macintoshes to capture HD video from component sources. (Our original solution was built around composite video.) Sewell Direct, manufacturers of the $40 PC to TV converter Steve bought, provided a SW-4280 unit (retails for $79.95) that offers plug-and-play VGA-to-Component conversion at 720p (60fps) and 720i (30fps) as well as 480p.
Papal productions going HD for better views of the Holy See
The Vatican has recently unveiled a new six million dollar HD mobile unit, hinting that if seeing is believing, they'd prefer representation in 1080p. To help blunt the cost on the nation's coffers, the Knights of Columbus pledged one million Euros to the initiative ($1.36 million dollars) while Sony also cut the walled-enclave a matching discount -- possibly as a further mea culpa for the Manchester gunfight scene. The new equipment is slated to be fully operational just in time for Pope's Christmas broadcasts and from then on would be rolled out during special Vatican events. Thinking ahead to the future, the system is also designed to be easily 3D upgradable, which head of Sony Italia Gildas Pelliet was sure to mention "can be done in a very discreet, subtle way" while still engaging future audiences with the Pope's message. Combined with his texting habits, a recent YouTube channel, and the Pope2You online portal, Pope Benedict XIV has done quite a lot in his five-year tenure to help one of the oldest institutions get up to speed with today's technology -- let alone for an 83-year-old man.
ASUS WiCast EW2000 1080p streaming solution reviewed: 'lots of wires for wireless'
It's a modern day dilemma, really -- you'd love to hang that flat panel on your wall, but the wireless technologies available to mere mortals in the year 2010 just aren't up to snuff. Wireless power is a pipe dream, and even wireless HDMI has its drawbacks. Case in point: ASUS' new WiCast media streaming solution. Introduced last month in conjunction with Amimon, this high(er)-end streamer is theoretically capable of transmitting 1080p material over the air, with 3Gbps at its disposal. Trouble is, critics at AnandTech found that there were gobs of wires to connect before anything started to stream "wirelessly," and moreover, they noticed significant artifacting in Iron Man 2 even with just five feet separating the receiver and transmitter. The good news is that the WiCast isn't platform / machine-specific, but that luxury comes with a price -- you'll have to connect three cables (two USB and an HDMI) to your laptop and a receiver box to your HDTV. In the end, there seems to be just one real winner: Monoprice.
ASUS teams with Amimon on WiCast EW2000 1080p streamer
Keepin' it varied, are we ASUS? Just a few months after we peeked a pair of WirelessHD-equipped laptops at ASUS' Computex booth, in flies this -- news that the company has aligned with Amimon and joined the WHDI Consortium to boot. It's hard to say if the introduction of the WiCast EW2000 is in direct response to HP's Wireless TV Connect, but it sure looks mighty similar in practice. The two-piece set connects to a PC via USB (it's USB powered, too) and to an HDTV via HDMI. Once you're setup, you can stream 1080p video (including Blu-ray and DRM'd material) straight to your tele with under a millisecond of lag, and better still, you could connect it to an HDMI-equipped set-top box or game console for cordless machine-to-device magic. Mum's the word on price, but there's a delightful promo video ready to get you amped up about it just past the break. Update: ASUS pinged us to say that it'll ship on September 15th for $199.99. Start saving!
Buy the Lord of the Rings HD trilogy on PSN, get a free dynamic theme
We're constantly looking for reasons to re-purchase the Lord of the Rings film trilogy -- a fact clearly evidenced by our ownership of the theatrical versions of the films, the extended director's cut of each movie, the Blu-ray version of the trilogy, and another set of each of those, so we can keep one in mint condition, and watch the other on a bi-weekly basis. A recent PlayStation.Blog post has informed us that we'll need to shell out for yet another version of the films: The HD, downloadable trilogy on the PlayStation Store. Not only does it curtail our need to purchase two versions of the bundle, but it also comes with a free, LoTR-based dynamic PS3 theme. We've already collected a number of background skins for Sony's home gaming console, but we have a feeling this one has a pretty good shot at ruling them all.
EVE's animated hangar backgrounds available as high-def downloads
EVE Online players who were fortunate enough to attend Fanfest in 2009 kept raving about a collection of animated video backgrounds that were running on screens during panels and presentations. Players were so taken with these that they'd been pressing CCP Games to make them available for download. CCP delivered on their promise this week, making these sweeping tours of the Gallente, Caldari, Amarr, and Minmatar space station interiors available for download in HD. Once you see them, you'll probably understand why the EVE Fanfest attendees have been wanting them ever since. Those are some fairly hefty file sizes though, so for a quick look you can also see all four of the hangars and a nice selection of each race's ships in HD on YouTube. Stick with us past the jump for a look within an Amarr hangar which shows off the theocratic race's golden fleet.
TI's OMAP-DM5x coprocessors promise 20MP cameraphones, 720p recording and freedom from heartache
Another season, another Texas Instruments coprocessor for us to wonder about. For what feels like ages now, TI has been pumping out silicon that promises to bring high-def recording capabilities to cellphones, but by and large, most everything has been stuck at VGA or below. Oh sure, we've seen our first batch of 12 megapixel cameraphones, but it's not like those things are replacing DSLRs en masse. Bitterness aside, the OMAP-DM525 coprocessor is supposedly capable of bringing 20 megapixel imaging to handsets along with 720p video recording, while the OMAP-DM515 hits the ceiling at 12 megapixels. Of course, the DM525 won't actually be ready for volume production until sometime next year, but here's hoping a sample or two slips out at CES.[Via LetsGoDigital]
Aion video tour shows off the Altgard zone
A number of fantasy MMO gamers who are looking for an aerial twist on combat, or simply the ability to soar, are looking forward to Aion: The Tower of Eternity. The latest title from NCsoft is expected to release sometime in Fall 2009, and the developer has been releasing a series of zone tour videos to stoke people's interest in the game. The latest video NCsoft has released shows off the Altgard Zone, with panoramic otherworldly scenes of the world's surface and even its subterranean depths. If you're interested in seeing Aion's Altgard, we've got a YouTube embed of the video for you below the cut.
VUDU goes live with 1080p HDX rentals, doesn't charge extra for 'em
We had a hunch that VUDU was readying Blu-ray quality rentals, and sure enough, the company has just got official with its HDX format. Essentially, HDX is a new tier of video quality for the on-demand rental service. VUDU will be delivering the content in 1080p24 via its patent pending TruFilm compression technology, which is reportedly "unrivaled" in the home content delivery biz. In our talks with the outfit, it clearly spent some serious time mastering the delivery process here, but all this quality comes at a cost. Not monetary, mind you -- the actual HDX rental fees will be the same as current HD rentals -- but we're talking time. On most broadband connections, you'll be waiting three to four hours before the experience begins, though the ability to order an HDX film online (while you're at work, for instance) helps alleviate that pain somewhat. Also of note, HDX flicks will only be available for rental initially, though hopes are that a purchase option will show up in due time. 50 HDX films are on tap today -- dig in and see what you think. Full release is after the break.
SNK considering Metal Slug HD makeover
SNK may soon be trading in its "rocket lawncher" for a high-def upgrade, as IGN reports that the company is considering bringing an HD version of Metal Slug to consoles. If true, the move would echo recent efforts by the company, such as with the forthcoming The King of Fighters XII, to abandon stale sprites for delicious eye candy.Nothing else is known of SNK's future plans for the franchise, and considering that the company merely looks forward to announcing something "someday soon," we are not holding our breath just yet. However, fans itching for a retro fix can pick up Metal Slug 7 when it rolls on to the DS in November.
VUDU readying Blu-ray quality rentals
While rumors have been flowing hot and heavy about VUDU's possible demise, it seems the company has other plans in mind. We've received word that select beta team members are now being asked to try out new downloads that are intended to rival Blu-ray quality. Dubbed HDX movies, these ultra-high-def flicks are currently being watched by folks willing to wait a number of hours (two to three) for a film to start, but there's no guarantee that we'll ever see this hit the masses. Sure, we totally dig the idea of BD-quality content on-demand, but we could almost scoot down to Blockbuster, rent a bona fide Blu-ray Disc, watch, and return it before a so-called HDX title even begins.[Thanks, anonymous]
Microsoft's Bach tamps down Blu-ray Xbox rumors
Well, it's tomorrow, and despite yesterday's rumor that Microsoft would be announcing a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 today (that's yesterday's tomorrow, for those of you confused by that first clause), so far we've so far heard bupkis. In fact, we've heard less than bupkis if you take into account the San Francisco Chronicle interview with Robbie Bach, in which the Microsoft Entertainment & Devices president downplays disc-based movie formats and stresses Microsoft's HD video downloads."Xbox 360 has a great ability to deliver [high-definition experience] through the Xbox Live (online download) service," Bach said. "It's a great way to get the high-definition concept because it's right there. There's no additional media. There is nothing you need to purchase ... You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player. The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, 'I am not going to pay extra for that.'"The full interview also includes Bach's thoughts on in-game ads, the next-next-gen Xbox, and motion-sensitive controllers. Check it out.
Rumor: Xbox 360 Blu-ray player could be out by May
We've heard over and over and over how a Blu-ray movie player add-on for the Xbox 360 was a distinct possibility if the HD DVD format ended up losing out. Well, now that the Microsoft-supported format seems just one step away from dead, we're hearing rumblings of just how possible that Blu-ray player possibility is.Citing "insiders at Microsoft in the USA," Australia's Smarthouse says Microsoft's Blu-ray add-on is already fully designed, and could be on the market within three months, "subject to internal marketing and sales approvals." Smarthouse also repeated the rumors of a built-in high-def drive for the system, although now that rumored drive plays Blu-ray discs instead of an HD DVDs. Regardless, the tech site seems to think Microsoft will focus on digital movie downloads for those who don't want an add-on.As for Sony, they couldn't be happier that Microsoft is considering jumping over to the "winning" side of this HD disc battle. "We would welcome Microsoft to the Blu-ray stable," SCE Managing Director Michael Ephraim told Smarthouse. "In fact it is quite logical for them as the PS3 has been very successful in driving consumers to Blu-ray. In fact we believe that it has done more to win the format war than traditional Blu-ray player." Hey, they just won a format war ... they can afford to be a little smug.[Via Megatonik]
Rumor: Toshiba set to kill off HD DVD format
While the writing has been on the wall as far as HD DVD is concerned for a some time now, today's Hollywood Reporter story takes that writing, highlights it in thick black ink, and draws some big red arrows pointing towards it. Citing "reliable industry sources," the entertainment newspaper predicts Toshiba will officially stop supporting the high-definition movie format "sometime in the coming weeks."If true, the move would somewhat validate Sony's costly decision to integrate Blu-ray technology into the PS3, and would give Sony a rather large stake in the future of the lucrative HD home movie market. While the death of HD DVD would obviously be a blow to Microsoft's external HD DVD drive (and everyone who bought it), Microsoft has said again and again they are open to the idea of a Blu-ray attachment if and when that format wins out. Which, at this point, seems like only a matter of time ...[Via Engadget]
Sony, MS downplay high-def movie war
It seems Sony and Microsoft no longer have their hearts fully in the battle over high-definition movie disc formats -- if they ever had them there in the first place, that is. In an interview with Home Media Magazine, Microsoft Consumer Media Group Director Kevin Collins seemed uninterested in making the format a cornerstone of the Xbox 360 package. "Microsoft knew if we put in an HD DVD drive that we would have to raise costs and disenfranchise our customers (that are primarily gamers) as the unit would become too expensive," he said.While Collins said he was proud of HD DVD's strong performance against Blu-Ray, his desire for a fight to the death between the formats left something to be desired. "The [Blu-ray] camp's claims about Microsoft's desire to have a format war are baseless," Collins said.Sony CEO Howard Stringer, for his part, told the AP said he thought the high-def disc battle had reached a stalemate, mainly due to the lower costs of HD DVD players and the defection of Paramount to the HD DVD camp. That's OK though ... apparently the winner of the movie war doesn't matter all that much after all. "It doesn't mean as much as all that," Sony CEO Howard Stringer told the AP. Yeah ... and those grapes are probably sour, anyway.Read - Microsoft / Home Media Magazine (via High-Def Digest)Read - Sony / AP
