DivX
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Toshiba SD-580J brings some low-cost HDMI action
If you're a gadget freak on a budget, and/or someone who prefers to archive your recorded shows in DivX format so you can cram more of 'em onto a single DVD, then Toshiba has the product for you. Their new ¥14,000 ($118) SD-580J DVD player will handle those DivX 3/4/5/6 files and serve 'em all up via beautiful HDMI. Or if you're too cheap for that, then you've your normal array of secondary options: optical sound, composite video, or S-Video. Additionally, if you've got a few VHS tapes kicking around in your closet and want some DivX capability, Toshiba also has its new SD-V700 player, a DVD / VHS hybrid -- but even though this will set you back ¥20,000 ($170) -- it appears you'll have to suffer without HDMI for now.[Via Engadget Japanese]Read - SD-580JRead - SD-V700
Cyrus Farivar10.01.2006
Perian - play most video formats in QuickTime for free
The veritable ocean of available video formats can often instigate a confusing and frustrating adventure in hunting for plugins and explaining to grandma why that DivX email forward she received plays the audio, but not the video. Fortunately, instead of bookmarking the plethora of codec download pages and backing up loads of installation disk images, a new plugin called Perian brands itself as a "swiss-army knife for QuickTime," as it aims to help solve all our video format woes. Perian supports an impressive list of codecs, including DivX, XviD, 3viX, FLV (y'know, those Flash files you can save but can't play because Adobe's Flash player doesn't seem to install an actual GUI front end?), AVI, and much more. Of course, you still need Flip4Mac if you have to play WMVs, but it looks like Perian can have you covered for most of the other formats you (and grandma) might encounter in your journey across the internets. As an upcoming bonus for Democracy Player users, Perian will be included in the next version.Perian is offered for free from Perian.org, though I can't track down any system requirements or whether it works on both Mac and PC.Thanks Rick
David Chartier09.30.2006
Novac's NV-HV355 Mobile Video HDD
After bringing us the TV for Skype Anywhere product we were kinda hoping for something equally unusual from Novac's next consumer offering. Unfortunately, all we're getting this time around is the NV-HV355 Mobile Video HDD media player in need of a 3.5-inch IDE disk. Once you sort that out, stuff the disk via USB 2.0 with all the DivX 3/4/5, MPEG-1/2/4, XviD, VOB, JPEG, and MP3 files you can muster. Plug 'er into the TV via composite, component, or even SCART, link the coax to your hi-fi and kick back with your Pabst resting on that slim remote coaster content in the knowledge that you're sticking it to the man mkay torrent-boy. On the cheap too at ¥12,800 or about $109 when this drops in fiver. [Via Akihabara News]
Thomas Ricker09.22.2006
Hyundai launches Roadbank RNB 70 DMB/PMP/GPS device
We've had a dearth of Korean DMB/PMP/GPS action lately, but Hyundai Telematics has come to fill the void with that sweet, sweet Korean exclusivity we so desire. Their new Roadbank RNB 70 DMB navigation system is all prepped for dashboard action, and the 7-inch screen should help you squeeze a good amount of movie into your peripheral vision while tearing through the streets of Seoul. A SiRF Star III chip brings the GPS love, and there's an SD card slot for DivX action, along with AV in/out for integration with a DVD player or external display. This one should be dropping for somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 KRW ($313 to $417 US).
Paul Miller09.15.2006
Commodore announces Gravel In Pocket device
Tomorrow at IFA in Berlin, Commodore will show off its new personal media player, called the Gravel In Pocket (yeah, great name). The new personal media player sports a 2.8-inch screen, WiFi support, and plays DivX, Xvid, WMV, MP3, WAV files. It's got 1GB (or optionally 2GB) of internal flash storage, but also has an SD card slot. Commodore also announced its new site, CommodoreWorld, to provide content for the little Gravel, which will be available no later than November. We may have to erm, grovel, to get our hands on a Gravel sooner than that. [Warning: PDF link!]
Cyrus Farivar08.31.2006
PiMPstreamer homebrew streams video
One of things I wanted in the next official firmware upgrade was the ability to stream video. A reader by the name of Joel stated that "the PSP doesn't have a Core 2 Duo, it has 237 Megahertz. Live streaming video needs mmuch more."Well, looks like homebrew has proven you wrong. Very wrong. A homebrew application called PiMPstreamer has just been updated, and the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. The program lets you stream movies and music from your PC to your PSP. Movies can include traditional MPEG, AVI and even WMV files. It's only been tested on 1.5 firmware, so those of you that homebrew-compatible PSPs might want to check it out. For the rest of us, I think it's a clear indicator that the PSP is very capable of a video streaming function, and we should demand Sony implement it in the next firmware.[Via PSP Hacks]
Andrew Yoon08.18.2006
Cima Lab's new DVD player rocks DivX, card slots, and USB
We remember when $70 wouldn't even buy you a decent VCR, but oh, how times have changed. With upscaling DVD players -- not to mention next-gen optical formats Blu-ray and HD DVD -- currently all the rage, now that same $70 will buy you a device that not only plays DVDs but features memory card slots and a USB port as well. Coming in September for about 7,980 yen ($68 -- why, that's even less than 70 bucks!), the CDP-200UCR from Cima Laboratory will happily spin all of your plain jane DVDs and CDs, but ups the ante by including DivX, MP3, and WMA support as well. You're also getting 5.1 analog audio, an integrated card reader with SD / MMC, MemoryStick, and yes, even SmartMedia slots (do they even sell that format anymore?) plus a front-panel USB jack for piping in content from compatible devices. Sure this player may never make it Stateside, but its nice to know that our friends in Japan have all their bases covered.
Evan Blass08.17.2006
ATO announces HD iSee video sleeve for iPod
While the original iSee 360i video sleeve was meant to appeal mainly to non-5G iPod owners -- as you'll recall, it lets the 4G-, nano- and mini-flavored 'Pods act as mass storage devices for feeding video to its 3.6-inch LCD -- a new version is looking to bring even the latest iPod into the fold by offering playback of high definition content. Like its predecessor (pictured), ATO's iSee HD (our name, not theirs) partitions your 'Pod's hard drive into two sections: one dedicated to DRM'ed material you downloaded from iTunes, and another for unencrypted MPEG-4, DivX, and HD.264 files that you want to watch on its screen. According to company CEO John Scott, the new iSee will hit stores in about five months, which should be plenty of time for you to save up the $200 to $250 that it's expected to set you back.
Evan Blass07.27.2006
Philips' Cineos HTS9800W HTIB with wireless rears
Home theaters in a box are not for everyone -- most people we know prefer to assemble their entertainment systems piecemeal -- but if you're in the market for such a product, then Philips is offering a fairly stylish new HDMI-equipped system with convenient wireless rear speakers that may be right up your alley. The Cineos HTS9800W is a 6.1-channel package (three 125-watt fronts, three rears, and a 150-watt subwoofer) with a slimline, upscaling DVD player that supports DVD+/-R discs, DivX-encoded video, and MP3 CDs, along with all those Super Audio CDs that we're sure you've been collecting over the years. Not a bad setup, especially for your bedroom or guest house, and it's available now for around $650.[Via Shiny Shiny]
Evan Blass07.16.2006
WMV-HD vs DivX-HD
So what is the best codec to use when recording high-def? WMV-HD or DivX-HD are both recorded at 1280x720 but one must be better quality then the other. Each one of these codecs can record at different quality at the same resolution but the bit rate changes to allow for smaller file sizes. DEN GURU did a set of tests that compares them against the original high-def transport stream. What we liked about their shoot-out is the split screen shots that lets your eyes decide which one is better then the other. Sometimes though, the picture quality isn't everything. They liked the WMV-HD image better but the DivX-HD produced a file five times faster and 50% smaller. That's worth something in our book.[via eHomeUpgrade]
Matt Burns07.07.2006
Klegg's Mini V12 video player with Bluetooth stereo audio
Klegg just dropped a new Bluetooth 2.0 video player into the mix with their Mini V12. The V12 sounds pretty sweet on paper with listed support for MP3, WMA, MPEG-4, WMV, DivX and AVI formats, a "bright" 1.8-inch TFT, 20 hour battery (audio only, presumably) and Bluetooth A2DP stereo audio support for cable-free listening. Prices will start at $100 for players in capacities of 1 / 2 / 4GB but only the 4 gigger includes Bluetooth. And yeah, Klegg's still got the minerals to boast in true ambiguous terms that the V12 is "slighter smaller than an Apple iPod." Oh, would that be the iPod nano, Shuffle, 5th gen with video or maybe some earlier generation iPod, hmm? Expect the V12 to drop mid-summer under a marketing and distribution deal with VisioNET who will provide the user interface for access to their "first-rate" media content. We say bring it Klegg... if you can. Read -- Press Release (Via dapreview) Read -- VisioNET deal
Thomas Ricker07.07.2006
Casio's Exilim EX-S600D with DivX
The DivX conspiracy is continuing, and this time its Casio bringing a DivX capable product to "anywhere but the US." Their new Exilim EX-S600D for Europe merely adds DivX to their already snazzy EX-S600 from earlier this year, but USA citizens are apparently too slow to figure out what to do with a good compression codec. All the other specs of this 6 megapixel shooter are still around, and the camera is as thin as ever. The S600D boasts an hour of recording time onto a 1GB card, and has the same "Past Movie" function of the S600 to start recording 5 seconds before you press the record button. No word on price, but we're guessing it'll be similar to the S600 -- just, you know, in Europe.
Paul Miller06.26.2006
Denon's DVD-3930 upscaler plays it all
Comprehensive format support is becoming more and more the norm, and we have no problem with that. Denon is joining the club with their new DVD-3930, which can upconvert DVDs to 1080p and output over HDMI (with some HDCP in the mix), along with supporting SACD, DivX, MP3 and WMA. The new 10bit upconverter chipset, along with the 192khz/24bit digital audio converter, makes for some high quality entertainment, though the $1,900-ish pricetag will probably leave this to the audio and videophiles. Denon is also trotting out the DVD-2930 for a "mere" $1100 which we're sure lacks some must-have processing capabilities, but on the surface seems to offer most of the functionality of its big brother. Both players should be out in July.[Via Akihabara]
Paul Miller06.20.2006VersionTracker offers DivX Pro license with subscription purchase
VersionTracker has announced a new bundle offer included with purchases of VersionTracker Pro subscriptions. For the first 350 who purchase, renew or extend a VersionTracker Pro subscription, they will receive a free license to the new DivX Pro (a $19.99 value), which we blogged last month. DivX, as you might remember, is a fairly popular video codec used on the internet and compatible with other devices such as DVD players and PDAs. VersionTracker Pro, if you need a refresher, is "an automated, simple and cost-effective way to inventory and keep all your software current and secure". It is a service and software package (also a widget, of course) that allows you to view new versions of just the software you use, manage the downloading and install of new packages, and more. VersionTracker Pro costs $49.99/year for up to three Macs.If you're interested, we recommend you run (don't walk!) as they only have 350 DivX licenses to hand out on a first-come, first-serve basis.
David Chartier06.16.2006
Acer's MP-500 PMP gets official
It doesn't really look a whole bunch like those concept renders of a touchscreen MP-500 rumored from Acer back in February, but a 3.5-inch screened device of the same name does seem to be coming soon from the company. Besides that 3.5-inch QVGA screen, the device has pretty hefty format support, including DivX, XviD, MPEG-2/4, WMV9, MP3, WMA and JPEG. Along with video and audio out there appears to be a video in source, since the unit records both audio and video. You can get about 4 hours of video or 8 hours of audio out of the replaceable Li-ion battery. There's a 20GB 1.8-inch HDD, along with an SD card slot, but the device manages to measure less than an inch thick. Really, not bad specs for this Acer offering, but we're not sure what here could entice a user already flooded with PMP offerings. The $440 MSRP isn't going to do it.[Via dapreview]
Paul Miller06.15.2006
Pioneer goes format crazy with new HiFi set
If you can't find something to play on Pioneer's new X-MF7DV HiFi set, you should seriously consider updating your media collection a little bit. Not only can the device do the usual CD, FM and AM playback, but the player can handle MiniDiscs, DVDs, DivX videos, MP3/WMA/AAC, JPEG, USB storage, and we're afraid to ask what else. The device has digital and analog video outs -- we're not quite sure of what kind -- and Pioneer does mention progressive scan DVD playback. We're also in the dark regarding audio outputs, though there are, of course, included speakers. Pioneer is bundling a remote to control the mayhem, but the make no mention of price or availability. We're guessing Japan-only anyways.[Via Akihabara]
Paul Miller06.15.2006
O Canada! Sony gives DivX to the True North
We're not normally so hot for portable DVD players, but Sony's recent VE7000S Walkman DVD player kind of caught our eye -- if only it had DivX or some other spicy flavors, right? Well, we haven't heard anything new on the US front, but it sounds like our neighbors up north are getting their very own version of the player with DivX. The Canadia version doesn't do anything else different than the 7-inch, dual-headphone jack unit we already saw, and we're guessing a mere firmware update was required to get the DivX hopping. We guess we can just chalk this up as another instance of device makers hating on the citizens of the US, but we're all ears for any deeper or darker conspiracy theories. Just remember, next time your grandma heads north for some prescription drugs, have her pick up a VE7000S while she's at it.
Paul Miller06.12.2006VisualHub - The universal video converter
VisualHub is a feature-packed and 'universal' video converter for Mac OS X from the maker of iSquint. From its website: "VisualHub bridges the gap between numerous complicated video formatting standards, and people that just want to get the job done - just what you would expect from the Mac." It boasts fast conversion from nearly every video format to iPod, PSP, DV, DVD, AVI, MP4, WMV, MPEG and Flash (what: no animated GIF?), and brags about ts three-step conversion process: click, drag, click.Fortunately, VisualHub also offers advanced features like bitrate control, frame cropping and audio quality. Xgrid is supported for those with multiple Macs on a network and CPU cycles to spare, while QuickTime Pro and other plugins need not apply.VisualHub's long list of features don't stop there, however, so check out Techspansion's product page for the full feature list and samples of its work. A demo is available, while a full license will cost you a mere $23.32 USD.[thanks Khaled!]
David Chartier06.07.2006
SavitMicro's Dueple: HD media player with DVD
We've seen Korean manufacturer SavitMicro a few times before, once with a hub for multi-cam recording and another time with a media-playing drive enclosure, and now they've popped up once again at Computex with yet another device that promises to simplify your digital life. Like their drive enclosure, the new "Dueple," as it's known, also accepts swappable 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives for multimedia playback, but throws in a DVD player as well for spinning any of those old-fashioned discs you may have laying around. The Dueple features DVI, component, S-video, coax, and digital audio outputs for hooking up to your home theater gear, Ethernet and USB ports for data transfer, and lets you watch/listen to MPEG-1/2/4, MP3, DivX, WMV, WMA, and OGG files, including high-definition content. There are probably better ways of getting your digital swag onto a TV than this particular solution, but if it sports a reasonable pricetag when it comes out within the month -- from e-tailer GeekStuff4U -- we imagine that it will draw some interest.
Evan Blass06.07.2006
Oppo's upconverting DV-970HD DVD player
Oppo's just announced a new upconverting DVD player, the DV-970HD, featuring HDMI and a very reasonable $149 price tag. The player will convert standard DVDs up to 720p/1080i and can output a native 480i/576i resolution over HDMI. Sure, it's no match for HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, but we're guessing most of you aren't ready to trade in your DVD collections just yet. In fact, the player should play just about anything short of HD or Blu-Ray, including DVD-Audio, SACD, DivX, and XviD -- we remember when all that format support used to cost you a grip. It's also both PAL and NTSC compatible to boot, and includes a 4-in-1 flash memory reader and a USB interface. And did we mention it's only $150?[Thx, Dustin]
Donald Melanson05.31.2006