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EyeTV Hybrid shrinks down, gains Win7 compatibility
Same price, same features (mostly) but a sleek and slender new look: yesterday Elgato introduced the latest revamp of its EyeTV Hybrid USB tuner for high-definition digital television. The US$150 widget gives you the option of watching over-the-air digital television in full HD glory, and can also tune in unencrypted (Clear QAM) and analog cable TV signals. If you've got an analog source like a VCR or videogame console, you can also route those signals through the EyeTV Hybrid to watch or play on your Mac (for those who don't need the analog option, Elgato also sells the HD tuner-only EyeTV One for $120). The tuner ships with the EyeTV 3 software, enabling live TV, DVR functionality and shared recordings for your iPhone and iPod touch. With every new EyeTV Hybrid you get a one-year subscription to the TV Guide data feed, which provides full listings and enables the Smart Series recording feature; the software also can detect and display the embedded ATSC schedule information for broadcast shows. After the first year, re-upping with TV Guide will cost you $20. Other than the slimmer profile, the major new feature on this model is the addition of driver support for Windows 7's Windows Media Center. Mac users may not care much, but this does let you use the same tuner if you're using Boot Camp, or you can loan it out to Windows-centric friends -- if you trust them to give it back. You can check out our previous coverage and reviews of the EyeTV Hybrid for more.
Broadcasters may have to pay extra for the right to deliver Mobile DTV
As a geek who just wants to enjoy gadgets, it can be very hard to understand the complicated spider web of media rights -- it's easily the kind of thing that puts one into an outrage when things like Hulu being pulled from Boxee happen. The problem is of course money, but this one is just too crazy, so we'll spell it out for you. Lets say a broadcaster pays NBC for the exclusive right to broadcast the network's signal in the Los Angeles area. Now obviously the exclusivity means that the broadcaster is the only one who can deliver that content in that area. Well evidently just because they paid for the right to broadcast the signal to HDTVs and cable customers, doesn't necessarily mean they own the rights to broadcast that signal to mobile portable device. Yeah, that's right, networks want broadcasters to pay extra for that. The part that makes this really ridiculous is that the older NTSC standard worked just fine on mobile portable devices without any extra licensing fees, but now that we have one type of signal for stationary, and one for mobile, they have to pay more. Gotta love those content creators.
Vizio digs into mobile TV market with three Razor LED TVs, other wild audio products
Here we go again, eh? Vizio's hitting us up with yet another round of wares here at CES, starting with a trio of Razor LED sets that are designed to watch mobile TV. The 9-inch VMB090 and 10-inch VMB100 are among the first to use the new ATSC-M/H standard and ship with an HDMI 1.4 input, while the 7-inch VMB070 holds it down on the low end. The whole trio arrive in enclosures that are less than 1-inch thick, though you'll only really enjoy the integrated antenna if you live in a spot where the broadcasts are available. Speaking of, none of these will be available until "later this year," with prices set for $149.99, $199.99 and $229.99. Moving on, the company's outing 2.1 and 5.1 channel wireless surround home theater systems, wireless headphones and stereo Bluetooth headphones, and if you're super interested in learning more about the bevy of options there, give those source links a tick of your attention.
LG reveals Full HD 3D projector, Skype-enabled HDTVs and more at CES
The show floor finally opened up here in Vegas today, and just as we knew they would, the product announcements are flowing hot and heavy. LG's one of today's biggest players, unleashing a whole bevy of new kit that truly spans the gamut of consumer electronic sectors. Kicking things off is the CF3D, which is hailed as the planet's first Full HD, 3D single lens type projector. As for specs, you'll get 3D auto picture calibration, a twin engine, two HDMI 1.3 sockets, 300 ANSI lumens and a single USB input, while the XGA HX300G won't do much of anyone outside of traveling salespeople much good. Moving on, there's a little confirmation of the Skype news that we caught wind of yesterday; sure enough, a range of LG's NetCast-enabled HDTVs will ship with Skype capabilities, though it sounds as if you'll need to budget for a standalone camera. LG's also making official that Mobile DTV-supporting DVD player that we first spotted at the tail end of last year, which will be in stores later this year for around $249. There's plenty more to share on these -- as well as a good bit surrounding a legion of new monitors -- so hop on past the break if you just can't get enough. %Gallery-81670%
Samsung's Mobile DTV-enabled Moment hands-on
Samsung's out and about this evening showing off its just-announced Moment with extra Mobile DTV circuitry stuffed in, and if you thought it looked an awful lot like a standard Moment... well, you'd be absolutely right. The only notable change is an articulating, telescoping antenna that screws into the top of the phone -- a sure sign that this device is nothing but a trial unit since we'd assume retail devices would have a sexier way to stow it. Speaking of stowage, what do you do when you're not watching TV? Pop off the antenna, collapse it, and screw it into the attached charm -- "geeky" doesn't even begin to describe it. Anyhow, we got a little video of the modded Moment in action -- unfortunately, Samsung's having reception issues with its private broadcast setup (there's no Mobile DTV network here in Vegas, or anywhere, for that matter) but we were able to see how the UI's going to work and learn a little bit about the system. Guide data will typically be pulled over the TV airwaves, though the company says that it'll be up to the manufacturer and carrier if they want to supplement or replace that with a 3G-based feed; the video was coming down at 416 x 240 and can be shown full-screen on the Moment's AMOLED display. Unlike MediaFLO, it's completely free for users -- and that might be just the kick in the pants mobile TV needs to take hold. Follow the break for our video!
Samsung Moment being trialed with Mobile DTV
You know the old saying -- as LG does, so does Samsung -- so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Sammy's swinging in today with a ATSC Mobile DTV announcement following LG's a few days ago (of course, it helps that both companies worked were actively working on the technology for a couple years, too). There are some interesting parallels here; LG basically transplanted a boob tube tuner into its Lotus, while Samsung elected to take its Android-powered Moment and retrofit the new circuitry. It's little more than a proof of concept for now, but by the end of the quarter, Sprint and Samsung look to roll out trial units to customers in Baltimore and Washington, DC. Productivity: you're on notice.
Cydle P29A spices up mundane spec sheet with Mobile TV capabilities
Well, it seems like South Korean companies aren't fooling around when it comes to getting us riding that newly minted Mobile TV bandwagon. In the wake of LG announcing its first Mobile DTV devices this morning comes Cydle with the P29A PMP. It sports a 2.9-inch touchscreen (see what they did there?), an accelerometer for automatic reorientation, a world clock, and voice recording via a built-in mic. That's a somewhat disappointing goodie list, considering the currently available HD radio-playing P29H (pictured for illustration purposes) also has GPS onboard. Still, you can snap up the A model in Q2 2010 for $199, which seems like a keen price when compared to the $499 Mobile DTV car tuner we've seen before.
LG goes nouveau nostalgic with first US Mobile DTV devices
LG just announced its first commercial products for the fledgling US Mobile DTV standard approved in October. First up is what appears to be a DTV-ified LG Lotus clamshell -- a phone first introduced in 2008 but now capable of extracting digital TV from the aether with an assist from that telescoping antenna. Also set for a CES launch is that DP570MH portable DVD player that lets viewers watch up to 4-hours of ATSC-approved Mobile DTV broadcasts before heading back for a charge. LG's also promising more ATSC Mobile DTV devices from Dell (laptops), Kenwood, and others including in-car receivers all using LG's LG2160A ATSC-M/H tuner chip. Still, mobile antennas and DVD players... how can something so new feel so retro?
Sezmi's low cost cable / satellite premium TV alternative launches in L.A.
Ready for yet another way to watch TV? Sezmi has just gone on the air in Los Angeles, offering its unique blend of premium OTA and internet delivered video to a few limited trial users. $5 a month brings whatever local networks you can pull in, basic IPTV (YouTube, OnNetworks, podcasts) and internet VOD (CinemaNow) access, while throwing an Andrew Jackson on top of that adds "more than 100 cable TV networks," delivered via antenna. According to the L.A. Times that doesn't include any channels from the Disney or Fox family like ESPN, regional sports networks or premium movie channels, but if those are already stations you're avoiding, it's a cheaper option than most cable TV plans. Other than the allure of sticking it to the current distribution model, the 1TB DVR package includes a rather unique UI to aggregate and even seek out new shows for you from those varied sources, while maintaining individual profiles for different users. The three month trial has just the right price -- free -- so even with little info on how much high definition Sezmi's network can handle or what areas or channels will be added next, it's at least worth a look.
Concept Enterprises reveals first Mobile DTV car tuner
The Advanced Television System Committee just approved the Mobile DTV standard last month, and already Concept Enterprises is dishing out what looks to be the planet's first in-car tuner to support that very format. 'Course, only time will tell if this thing will actually be loved in the market; we've already seen AT&T halt its CruiseCast installations after only a few months of being ignored. At any rate, the minuscule box is engineered to work with any after-market / OEM monitor with conventional RCA outputs, and it only requires a 1-inch roof-mount antenna base along with a 6-inch antenna wire. There's no word on when the $499 box is expected to hit the market, but until your DMA becomes one of the markets where testing is going on, you're probably better off just not thinking about it.
Samsung develops first chip for US mobile digital TV transmission, provides no release date
Mmm, nothing like a pinch of predictability to wake us in the morning. Just days after the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) finally announced that a North American mobile DTV standard was struck, Samsung has jumped in with what it's calling the planet's first single chip solution designed to handle those very transmissions. All we're told is that the solution combines RF and "digital chip components" into one 65 nanometer chip, making it ideal for smaller devices such as smartphones, car-mounted televisions and portable media players. Of course, Sammy doesn't even bother to mention a mass production date, so we're guessing we all just rise awkwardly and start a roaring slow clap to celebrate the accomplishment.
The future of TV on your iPhone is ATSC Mobile DTV
If you're able to watch TV on your iPhone or iPod touch right now, you're probably having something streamed to your handheld device. That may change -- your phone may soon be equipped with a digital TV tuner to pick up the signals sent out by your local stations. The Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) announced on Friday that they've agreed on a standard that will let local TV stations broadcast directly to mobile devices on their existing frequencies. The devices that can be equipped to pick up the ATSC Mobile DTV signals include mobile phones, laptops, handheld TVs, and even in-vehicle digital TVs. ATSC Mobile DTV will be completely different from the existing services provided by AT&T and Verizon, which are pay-for-view services streaming national content. With ATSC Mobile DTV, you'd be able to watch local newscasts as well as network TV that is broadcast in your area. The signal is carried alongside regular digital TV broadcasts using Vestigial Sideband modulation and the IP transport system. ATSC Mobile DTV can send H.264 video and High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding Version 2 (HE AAC v2) audio and support interactive and subscription-based TV. I want my Mobile DTV! Here's hoping that the next generation of iPhones, iPod touches, and future iTablets can receive ATSC Mobile DTV. [via Macworld]
US Mobile DTV standard finally approved
Well freaking finally. The Advanced Television System Committee just approved the Mobile DTV standard, meaning we're finally about to see for-real mobile television in the US. LG and Samsung have already made gear for the new standard, and the tech will be demoed later today before a rollout... sometime. Still, it's heartening news to hear that it's finally ready -- over 800 stations are signed up to broadcast the new signal, which makes use of existing 6MHz airwaves to do everything from straight TV to video-on-demand and targeted advertising. Cool, so now we're what, just a billion years behind DVB adoption?
Gartner predicts that by 2013, 95 percent of video will be H.264
This is an older report by Gartner that just caught our eye, but we just found the news so refreshing -- and predictable -- that we couldn't pass it up. The long and the short of the $500 report is that H.264 has finally won the codec competition and that in the next few years everything will be encoded with it. Although this makes sense to standardize on a codec going forward, it is hard for us to imagine over-the-air broadcast TV changing from MPEG-2 in the next four years. While it is true that H.264 has been part of the ATSC spec for a few years now, with all that equipment out in the field already it is hard to imagine much of it getting replaced again in the next 10 years, never the less the next four.
Okoro OMS-BX300 goes for the 'you must be high' end
You know, with the PS3 slumming it in a lower weight class and $300 price point, you'd think it'd be hard to sell people on costlier "Blu-ray Digital Entertainment Systems," but that hasn't stopped Okoro from trying. Updating its BX300 unit with dual Blu-ray Lightscribe drives, a Core i7-920, 6GB of 1,333MHz DDR3, pair of hot swappable 2TB HDDs in RAID1, and a 64GB SSD for OS duties is all well and good (okay, it's kind of awesome), but -- even though it has come down some -- the price is still a loony $3,095. There are also dual NTSC / ATSC / QAM tuners and a CableCARD option to go along with an ATI Radeon HD 4850 -- and for an extra $800, you can get the slinkier touch pad remote-pimping version pictured on the right. Ah well, just another reason to envy rich people. [Via ZDNet]
ATI Theater 750 HD chip can bring OTA HD to PCs around the world
No matter what country one finds themselves in, a PC equipped with a TV tuner powered by one of ATI's new Theater HD 750 chips should be able to tune into any over the air TV broadcasts available. These give a step up over the hardware in the company's old TV Wonder 650 line by adding PAL, SECAM and DVB-T support to NTSC, ATSC and ClearQAM access. Of course Media Center PC owners can set up all manner of DVR features, and for that all-ATI feel combines with ATI Stream software and videocards to transcode video into a variety of formats. Expect the new tuners to come out in PCI Express, USB stick and other flavors later this year, if you can't wait, try a glimpse of the preview trailer embedded after the break.
Dell adding Mini 10 TV tuner, passion purple color options today
When Dell said its Mini 10 TV tuner was coming this summer, well, we didn't expect it to be so soon. The company's dropped us a line to say we should expect to see it as a customization option starting sometime today, presumably along with the external antenna that's needed when the signal's low. The cost is an extra $50 and it'll net you over-the-air ATSC -- that's the new HD format, for those who haven't been keeping track. Additionally, a seventh color, passion purple, is being added to the library, and if your heart's set on cherry red, you'll be happy to know they're now a part of the (PRODUCT) RED portfolio, meaning Dell will donate $5 to the Global Fund with each purchase. No pics of the new hue just yet, but if any of these new additions sound enticing, you might wanna hit cancel on that late-night order we caught you placing.
International HD news roundup
Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Sanga'ay hanto!Read - AETN signs carriage agreement with Taiwan Broadband CommunicationsRead - AAAN enters TaiwanRead - Multichoice HD PVR update positively received (South Africa)Read - Central European Expansion for HISTORY & HISTORY HDRead - History HD confirmed for SkylinkRead - Microsoft Mediaroom Comes to RussiaRead - High Definition a key driver for UK Projector marketRead - ITV, C4 worry over Freeview HD fundingRead - El Salvador adopts ATSC digital TV standard
HD 101: What is ATSC, PSIP, QAM, and 8-VSB?
Once you buy an HDTV it doesn't take long before you get confused by all the acronyms. We love us some HD, but the days of simply bringing a new set home and plugging into a coax cable are long over -- at least for most. It is pretty obvious by the latest surveys that most people don't understand exactly what it takes to enjoy HD on their HDTV, but even if you do, you may not understand what most of it means. Now while this isn't the typical make sure you have your HDTV configured to watch HD post, it will help you understand the different ways HD is delivered.
Microsoft restores guide data for ATSC channels in Media Center
We'll say one thing for our friends in Redmond, they might not always be on the ball but they do recovery quickly. Not even 48 hours after we reported the problem of missing guide data for ATSC channels that no longer have an NTSC counterparts, Microsoft came up with a interim fix that should restore guide data to all those pre-TV Pack Windows Media Center users. As we suspected, the issue had something to do with the old analog channel requirement and the root source of the guide data -- you didn't think Microsoft hand coded all that information did you? Evidently one of the sources of data used for both NTSC and ASTC channels dried up, post analog shutoff, and it caught the eHome team off guard. The good news is that all should be restored when your HTPC requests new data and if your like us -- you know the impatient type -- then a quick visit to "Tasks --> Settings --> TV --> Guide --> Get Latest Guide Listings" should do the trick. The full response from Redmond after the break.
