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LG BD690 is the first Blu-ray player certified for Wi-Fi Direct, keeps Bluetooth paranoid
The possibilities teased in 2009 by Wi-Fi Direct have probably kept Bluetooth up at night, and we're sure the commencement of device certification last month hasn't helped, either. Now the LG BD960 has emerged as the first Blu-ray player on the Wi-Fi Direct certification list, hinting direct P2P communication in our home theaters among WiFi devices (without the need for a routing middleman) could soon go from fiction to fact. Unfortunately, mum's still the word on shipping and pricing. The mere chance however that the player could stream content to any other WiFi-equipped device -- Direct certified or not -- is a big enough deal to give our dedicated media streamers Defarge-like glances already. Particularly, if the BD960 comes packed with features similar its suspected predecessor the LG-BD390, which can stream both Netflix, Vudu, and DLNA network content, as well as play DivX HD 1080p content. Until more details surface though, we'll simply have to keep reminding our poor Galaxy S that it isn't destined to be alone in this cold, cruel world forever.
Sharp squeezes DivX HD playback into new Quattron HDTVs
Apparently there was still a HDTV or two without the DivX stamp, but that should be mostly resolved now after a new deal with Sharp. The new AQUOS LE820 LCDs -- featuring the apparently astonishing Quattron quad-pixel technology -- are able to play 1080p DivX HD files from a connected USB drive. Not quite the embedded content service we saw at CES, but as previous announcements have revealed, DivX has been very effective at squeezing a toe in the door and eventually widening it to include more devices and compatibility. The best part? We don't have to re-rip all those DVDs prepared for the upcoming Galaxy S smartphone.
Samsung Wave is world's first DivX HD phone, Galaxy S in a hurry to be world's second
Want some DivX-encoded 720p goodness on your fancy new superphone? Samsung will be the way to go, at least in the short term. The Korean company has announced that its Bada-infused Wave handset will be the first phone with certified support for DivX HD playback, with the freshly announced, Android-driven, Galaxy S following up at an unspecified point in time. Guess we're finally going to get the content to do justice to those spectacular Super AMOLED displays. Hit up Engadget Spanish for the full PR while we get to work on transcoding our entire DVD collection.
Panasonic including DivX Plus HD (MKV) support into next gen Blu-ray players, TVs
Nearly a year after Panasonic stepped the UniPhier chips at the heart of its Blu-ray players up to DivX HD, comes word that the company is moving on up to DivX Plus HD (read: Up to 1080p h.264 video in an MKV container) next time around. That includes not only its next line of Blu-ray set-top players we're sure to see unveiled at CES, but also digital TVs and in-car players, so between Panasonic and NEC MKV fans should be able to take their videos even more places without the extra step of transcoding in 2010.
DivX 7 for Mac now available
Coming a scant few months after the PC version, DivX 7 for Mac is now available, putting all the h.264 enabled power into your hands, whether it's for good or evil is your choice. That reminds us, we're still looking around for those DivX Plus HD Certified devices (beyond the DivX Connected beta) featuring MKV and many other forms of compatibility, but for now, this will have to do.[Via 123MacMini]
LG's super slim LED backlit LCD packing wireless HD, DivX HD
Finally ready to give up further details on its 24.8-mm thick LED backlit LH95 (apparently dubbed the LH9500 in the UK), revealing to Stuff.tv we can expect a 55-inch HDTV with wireless HD box included. DivX HD support on the panel itself (sorry, no word about any Netflix streaming abilities just yet) via USB or Bluetooth makes sure there will be plenty to watch on the 2,000,000:1 contrast screen with 240Hz technology. At least on paper, one of the slimmest, best looking LCDs we've heard about so far, we'll see if it impresses in person shortly.
DivX HD Certification given to Broadcom chips
As of now, it's still rare to find an HDTV with media streaming / playback capabilities built right in, but in preparation for the possible explosion of media-friendly sets, Broadcom has went and got a trio of its digital television (DTV) system-on-a-chip solutions certified for DivX. Yep, the BCM3548, BCM3549 and BCM3556 are all stamped with a DivX seal of approval, giving whatever HDTVs they land in the ability to natively play back streamed or local DivX / DivX HD files. Now, if only we knew which sets these chips were headed to (and when)...
Panasonic UniPhier Blu-ray platform stamped DivX HD Certified
First Blu-ray chipset to nab the DivX HD Certified stamp of approval? That'd be Panasonic's UniPhier SoC (specifically model #MN2WS0043DA, oddly enough not the MN2WS006 sample that claimed DivX HD support in May, but who's counting?), now thoroughly tested and promised to be compatible with all manner of videos using the codec in resolutions up to 1080p. Expect a renewed flood of DivX HD-compatible devices to hit...any minute now.
DivX finds a way into new LG, JVC & Vestel players
Another tradeshow, another chance for DivX to add juice to its symphony of new consumer hardware. Listen closely so your attention's undivided as the first DivX HD-compatible DVD player from a major manufacturer, the LG DVS450H, stands ready to play back full length HD flicks from disc or USB flash drive. Turkish manufacturer Vestel is back to straighten the facts, introducing the first DivX-capable STB for Europe in the t5000. It's still undergoing DivX certification, but promises a firmware update should be the only thing needed to ensure complete compatibility. JVC steps up to make the people unite with its first Blu-ray player, the NX-BD3, carrying DLNA and DivX certs to acquire content via wired or wireless networks, and play back DivX files from DVD or CD after it goes on sale in September.Read - LGRead - VestelRead - JVC
DiVX- and WMV-HD player both hits and misses
I-O Data has recently announced the US release of their popular Japanese HD media player, the AVeL LinkPLayer2. While we've previously discussed the merits of WMV versus DiVX for high-definition, this player bridges that gap nicely. Boasting both WMV– and DiVX–HD, MPEG2–TS for those downloaded clips, as well as Slingbox networking functionality, it seems to fill that niche we have mentioned on the podcast for ways to get your HD content on standard DVD media. It plays back the usual smorgasbord of video and audio formats like XviD, MP3, AAC, Ogg, JPEG, PNG, and others. It also is ready for Rhapsody and CinemaNow accounts, and can read RSS feeds so you can get your HD Beat fix while you watch your content. You even get a coupon for a free HDNet WMV disc included. So where does it go wrong? For starters, it doesn't upconvert standard DVDs. They are simply outputted to your set at 480p. Also, there is no digital video output, only component (not such a problem for viewers like me who only have analog anyway, but surely a hassle for those of you with digital matrix switchers). Finally, the player isn't certified for DTS - although it isn't clear from the specs whether this simply means they can't put the DTS–certified logo on the case, or if it doesn't support DTS at all. In any case, if you're waiting out the next–gen DVD war, or just want a way to placeshift content over your network using the player and your Slingbox, the LinkPlayer2 will be available at CompUSA starting August 1st.
NeoDigits set to launch their X-Line of HD Network Media Players
NeoDigits is ready to launch another 1080p up-scaling DVD player. Remember that first one we reviewed a month ago, but these have some cool features that cannot be found in a normal DVD players. Like the name implies, they allow you to stream media over your home network to 'em. There is two different models in this new line and they both have some great features standard. Like...built-in Ethernet and 802.11g, HDMI, analog 5.1 and optical outputs. The higher end X5000 player has a different brushed metal front and utilizes audiophile grade amps, capacitors, and power supply. The only thing with these media players though is they tend not to support a lot of formats, but this one seems to support almost everything; including WM9HD, DivX HD and even allows for iTunes sharing. No word on pricing or availability, but we'll keep you updated.
