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PlayTV's NZ debut purportedly delayed to add Freeview HD support
Bret? Present. Jemaine? Present. Murray? Present. PlayTV? ... Sony's PlayTV DVR add-on for the PlayStation 3 suffered through more than one delay before going on sale in Europe, and it appears thing will be no different in New Zealand, but at least with good reason - they're getting HD working this time. As it stands, the original version's dual HD DVB-T tuners are pretty useless since there aren't any Freeview stations broadcasting in that format in the UK and FreeSat HD support is still up in the air. David Hine from Sony revealed on the ButtonMasher podcast that a push back 'til the end of the year is related to the spread of high definition on the island, so that they can "work in" HD support before it launches, unleashing Remote Play and XMB powered HDTV watching upon the populace so they can catch season two of Flight of the Conchords as it was meant to be seen.
Shuttle's Mini H7 4500H media PC joins Blu-ray, DVB-S tuner in matrimony
Shuttle's back with another mini HTPC, the H7 4500H, only this time you can swap out that DVB-T tuner with a DVB-S for satellite TV. The cost of going for the latter means you have to settle onboard graphics only, but either way you're still getting DVR capabilities and Windows Media Center. Max configuration for the Vista-based machine includes 2.83GHz Intel Core 2 Quad, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285, 1TB SATA HDD, 4GB DDR2 RAM, and a Blu-ray writer. It's also got HDMI, SPDIF, eSATA, FireWire and six USB ports. Starting price is around €775 ($1,020), but if you're planning to get the whole kit and kaboodle, the price jumps to about €1858 ($2,450). [Via I4U]
Archos 5 Snap-on TV DVB-T tuner reviewed on video with disarmingly alluring soundtrack
If you're still on the fence about picking up the Snap-on TV DVB-T tuner for your Archos 5, the crew at the French-language site Archos Lounge have snagged a copy and run it through the ringer. Turns out that even with that extra antenna, you'll still need to be reasonably close to the signal source and preferably not blocked by too many walls if you plan on enjoying a broadcast. If all the conditions are optimal, they say it's a pretty decent attachment. If that's not enough, they also produced a "moving pictures" version of their review, completely with a rather kicking soundtrack. Dim the lights, grab some popcorn, and check out the video after the break.
Sigmatek's HFDL-1080 brings an LCD to the mini-system desk party
The niche product segment dedicated to "executive desktop" solutions will be getting a new entry in the "hi-fi with articulated LCD" category in late April (€159) thanks to Sigmatek's HFDL-1080. This piece of desk jewelry comes with a DVD spinner, DVB-T and ATV tuners and an articulated 7-inch LCD. We're guessing the "1080" in the product name is just a byproduct of the predecessor's "HFDL-1070" moniker and not a spec, but for what it's worth, the HFDL-1070 came in at 500 lines of resolution, so the new model will at least meet ED spec. More to the point, we seriously doubt you're going to notice a dramatic difference between HD and ED on a 7-inch display; and shouldn't executive types be focused on work while at their desks anyways?
Archos 5 Snap-on TV DVB-T tuner released
Yes, it looks goofy as hell, but we're sure Archos 5 owners aren't complaining about the new Snap-on TV DVB-T accessory -- not only will it allow you to watch live TV, it integrates with the DVR features of the unit to give you portable recording. Interestingly, although the Snap-on TV features dual tuners, they're used to increase reception quality, not to allow viewing of one channel while recording another, which is a bit of a bummer. Still, we wouldn't lean on this for hardcore DVR use anyway, so we're guessing it won't be a huge issue. ArchosLounge says it should be on sale in Europe in the next couple weeks for less than €60 ($76), and they've also got some in-the-wild pics, hit the read link to check 'em out.[Thanks, Candy]
Dream Multimedia unveils dual-tuner DM 8000 HD PVR in Europe
Not to be confused with the similarly named DM 800, the DM 8000 HD PVR is finally shipping overseas. The Dream Multimedia DVR comes with a 400MHz processor, MPEG-2 / H.264 decoding, an Ethernet jack, an OLED display, twin DVB-S2 tuners (DVB-C / DVB-T optional), a pair of SmartCard readers, S/PDIF audio output and all sorts of other ports. According to a local, the potent box is on sale now for €989 ($1,369), and just in case you're having trouble deciding if the inkling you're having is true: yes, that's absurdly expensive.[Thanks, Rob]
KWorld's USB Lamborghini UB385-T tunes DVB-T really, really quickly
Tired of those vanilla USB tuners, are you? Not really getting the performance you deserve when tuning into your HD locals? Then have a glance at K-world's USB Lamborghini UB385-T -- but look quick, else you might miss it. Terrible jokes aside, this wicked quick DVB-T tuner is unnecessarily flashy, but early reports suggest that it works remarkably well. Setup was lightning fast, reception was world-class and the design was really something special. And heck, with a price tag like this (S$140; around 93 greenbacks), you won't even have to pony up too much for the branding.
Four French national channels going HD over-the-air this month
Apparently all that's necessary to get a lagging country to hop on the high-def bandwagon is to talk bad about 'em, or at least that's the case here with France. After we heard that the nation wasn't exactly rushing out to adopt HD, in comes word that four major French channels will soon be available in high-definition on digital terrestrial TV (DTT). TF1 HD, France 2 HD, M6 HD and Arte HD will all begin broadcasting OTA in HD on October 30th, and while all of these are already available on other platforms, we can only imagine that beaming 'em out gratis will greatly increase HD awareness. Any other nations want to follow suit? Oh, and France, way to be a role model out there.
E-TEN's V900 gets handled, unloved
Bad camera, poor battery life, a dodgy d-pad, ugly color -- is there anything good to say about the most well-spec'd glofiish in E-TEN's range? Well, yes: with support for not one, not two, but four mobile TV standards under its belt, you'll have a hard time finding a WinMo set out there that's friendlier to telly on the go. Plus, the V900 rocks a flush VGA display and tri-band HSDPA, which are "good things" last time we checked; you're just going to have to put up with flimsy build quality and a host of software and hardware niggles to get 'em. At $700, it's hard to swallow the thought of buying a device this heavily panned in a review, but if you absolutely must be able to switch between DAB and DVB-T with aplomb... well, your crappy phone has arrived.
Captive Works intros CW-4000HD Linux Media Center
Tired of those Windows-based media servers, are you? Enter Captive Works, which has just unleashed its Linux-based CW-4000HD. The all-black unit packs an AMD 4600 X2 CPU, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a hard drive slot, NVIDIA's GeForce 7050 GPU, an optional ATSC tuner, HDMI / component / S-Video outputs, four USB 2.0 ports, a DVD burner and analog / digital audio outputs. It also comes bundled with software to handle PVR duties, P2P streaming, multimedia playback and pretty much anything else you'd expect a low-end HTPC to do. No mention of a price at the moment, but stay tuned on the read link if you're interested in (eventually) taking one home.[Thanks, Aren]
Conceptronic intros Media Titan server / PVR for DVB-T nations
After a long summer of staying all but silent, Conceptronic is hitting back with an all new PVR / media player. The aptly-named Media Titan brings along optional 802.11n wireless support, twin hard drives, dual DVB-T tuners and support for more formats than you can shake a stick at. You'll also find a bundled remote, three USB ports for external storage, HDMI / Ethernet ports and UPnP AV compliance. Pricing remains a mystery for now, but citizens of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France can expect to find out later this month. Full release after the break.[Thanks, KJ]
BBC's DVB-T2 Freeview HD trials deemed a success
We're not quite sure what this means for the immediate future of OTA programming in the UK, but we suppose a "huzzah!" is in order either way. Reportedly, those complicated DVB-T2 Freeview HD trials that were underway have been successful, with Auntie Beeb achieving the "world's first reception of HD pictures over DTT using DVB-T2." If you couldn't guess, DVB-T2 is a successor to the existing DVB-T broadcasting protocol which provides additional bandwidth and more swagger to TV signals. In theory, the switch to DVB-T2 (in conjunction with the move to MPEG-4 from MPEG-2) will enable more high-def content to be available in the UK. Of course, when we say "more," we basically mean "any" -- estimates assert that just three HD stations will be available OTA in the UK by 2009, one of which will be owned by the BBC and the other two by ITV, Channel 4 or Five.
KAON's KM35 PMP does mobile TV on the side
Pucker up, jet-setters -- South Korea's own KAON Media has a new PMP on the way, and for whatever reason, we've found ourselves strangely attracted to what the KM35 has going on here. The "Anywhere TV and Internet" device runs on Windows CE (and handles fresh-out-of-cinema films very well) and features a 3.5-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, 4GB or 8GB NAND flash drive, WiFi, an SD expansion slot, optional FM tuner and your choice of DVB-T/H, ISDB-T or T-DMB TV tuners. Early estimates peg battery life at around 2.5-hours when watching live TV, though there's no word yet on pricing or worldwide availability.[Thanks, J. Carter]
Sony's PlayTV DVR for PlayStation 3 reviewed on video
It's black, it plays nice with your PS3 and it enables owners in DVB-T territories to watch live TV via their PlayStation 3. Yep, it's Sony's PlayTV, and it has recently been reviewed on video by Stuff's Ruth Owen. We'd go into elaborate detail about exactly what she thinks, but then you might be discouraged from actually clicking through and hearing her most delightful accent. So we won't.[Thanks, JimB]
Sony's PlayTV DVR for PlayStation 3 gets unboxed
Time flies when you're having fun, but not when you're waiting anxiously for a new piece of kit -- particularly one that has been delayed numerous times. For Europeans waiting on pins and needles for the release of the PlayTV DVR for PlayStation 3, your time has arrived. Before rushing out to get one, however, might we interest you a short unboxing and a brief overview? No pressure whatsoever, though.
TVP HD begins airing Olympics in HD
Heads up, international HD mavens. A kind tipster just alerted us to one TVP HD, a channel that just started broadcasting Olympics coverage and will continue to throughout the 2008 Games. After the spectacle has concluded, it will reportedly morph into a station much like BBC HD. Currently, the channel is available via digital cable in Poland on carriers like Multimedia Polska, Aster and a few other smaller companies that provide HD receivers. We're also told that it'll launch shortly on UPC Cable, ITI's digital satellite platform N and (in trial form) via DVB-T. In somewhat related news, the European version of MTV HD just starting testing yesterday on the Hot Bird satellite, with an expected go-live date sometime in September.[Thanks, Arsenal]
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best USB HD tuner?
There are HD junkies, and then there are HD junkies. You know, those folks who can't leave on a business trip without packing in a USB HD tuner to catch some OTA goodness once they arrive. Here's to you, latter guy / gal: "I travel quite frequently on business, and while some hotels I end up in have HD programming, many still do not. I'm considering picking up an OTA TV tuner that I can just plug into my laptop's USB port, but there are just so many options. Any help out there on which performs the best and which comes with the nicest PVR software?" We're going to assume this fellow is in search of a TV tuner that works here in the US (ATSC), but feel free to chime in with DVB-T, etc. options as well. Oh, and be sure to signify whether your recommendation only works on Mac or PC if that is indeed the case.Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
Loewe to unveil ART SL series LCD HDTVs at IFA
We've already seen what Samsung plans on bringing to Berlin in just over a month, but a new duo from Loewe is lookin' mighty fine in its own right. There's not a whole lot being divulged prior to the expo's opening day, but we are told that a 42- and 47-inch ART SL LCD HDTV will be shown off to the public. Each set will reportedly boast a Full HD panel, 100Hz technology, built-in 250GB hard drive (optional) and an integrated DVB-T / DVB-C or DVB-S2 TV tuner. Each unit will be made available in glossy black or silver chrome, though we'll have to wait until August to get pricing / release information.
Leadtek launches WinFast PxDTV1300 T PCIe DVB-T TV tuner
The stream of DVB-T-friendly TV tuners continues, and this time we've got Leadtek cranking one out that's fit for a desktop. The simplistic WinFast PxDTV1300 T takes a no-frills approach by offering up DVB-T reception, Dolby Digital AC3 audio support, an IR remote, bundled WinFast PVR2 software and little else. There's no word on pricing, but judging strictly on looks / features, we're guessing Leadtek won't be asking for too many pounds here.
Elgato's USB EyeTV DTT Deluxe tuner handles DVB-T / Freeview
Folks traveling to DVB-T / Freeview land (that would be across the pond for you Yankees) should certainly give thought to how they're going to receive their much needed dose of OTA programming while there. If you're still living without a USB tuner, have a gander at Elgato's latest. The EyeTV DTT Deluxe snaps right into any spare USB port (on a Mac, that is) and picks up DVB-T / Freeview signals within range. Bundled in, you'll find the recently released EyeTV 3 software, two types of aerial antennas and an EyeTV remote. Folks in Europe can snatch the unit right now for €79.95 ($126), and while we're hoping for an ATSC version to surface shortly, there's nothing to signify that our dreams are close to coming true.[Via 123MacMini]
