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Elgato unveils dual-tuner EyeTV Diversity USB stick in the UK
If you didn't bite when Elgato released its pocket-friendly EyeTV Hybrid, you may be interested in its supercharged successor, the EyeTV Diversity. The USB 2.0 stick makes for easy travel, and this rendition sports dual attachable antennas and a DSP, "which uses information from both tuners to generate the best signal possible." Designed to work with DTT / DVB-T signals, the device supports dual tuner functionality, PIP, scheduled recordings via the included EveTV 2 software, and a one-year subscription to the "tvtv" program guide. It touts seamless integration with Toast 7, and even provides easy converting for use on video-playing iPods. The company also notes that 1080i and 720p viewing / recording is possible on Macs housing "dual PowerPC G5 or Intel Core Duo" processors, and the dual-tuner USB stick can be picked up now on the other side of the pond for €149.95 ($191).[Via digg]
Humax expands LCD TV lineup with Freeview-equipped LU32-TD1
Humax is expanding its IDTV lineup once again, offering a less expensive alternative to its fairly similar LP32-TDR1 and LGB-40TPVR options, except this flavor loses the built-in PVR functionality. This HD-ready LU32-TD1 boasts a sleek, black finish, 32-inch panel, 1,024 x 768 resolution, 1200:1 contrast ratio, 450cd/m2 brightness, integrated Freeview tuner for catching those gratis UK terrestrial broadcasts, and an eight-day electronic program guide to boot. While details are far and few between concerning the port assortment, we do know the LCD TV sports one HDMI port, a VGA connector, audio in / out, composite, S-Video, and component AV inputs. The LP32-TDR1 should satisfy those ultrathin DVT-B (sans PVR) desires for £749 ($1,429) when it hits the European market real soon.
Evesham intros Freeview-equipped 47-inch 1080p LCD in the UK
Evesham -- best known for its fleshed-out lineup of notebooks -- is delving into the TV realm by dropping a bit (47 inches, to be exact) of 1080p love to the blokes across the pond. Sporting an ultrathin 5.43-inch enclosure, the plainly-named 47INCHLCD sports a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 1600:1 contrast ratio, 550 cd/m2 brightness, 8-millisecond response time, and a built-in analog / Freeview (DVB-T) hybrid tuner. The panel also touts a pair of 10-watt stereo speakers along with a bevy of inputs, including VGA, HDMI, component, S-Video, and audio in / out. Those lucky enough to live in the good ole UK can pick up the 47INCHLCD right now for £1,899 ($3,592). [Via Pocket-Lint]
Shic P-1000 decked out with DVB-T tuner
In other news from semi-obscure Chinese electronics manufacturers, Shic has just come out with a new media player, dubbed the P-1000. Like its rivals Skardin, Archos and MSI before it, this player lets you get your Chinese digital terrestrial television on (DVB-T), plays video files (MPEG-4, XviD, DivX 3.11) and of course, can jam to audio files including MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV and ACC. The P-1000 will stay powered up for 4-6 hours of video or 16 hours if you're only playing audio. It appears to also have an SD card slot on one side, and possibly a line-in jack as well, but unless you're extraordinarily well informed you'll have to spend 3,580 yuan ($453) to find out for sure.Read - AVINGRead - iNotebook.com.cnRead - Shic
Gigabyte's dual-tuner g-Smart i200
Though Gigabyte's not much of a mobile presence here in the US, folks in Asian countries might want to listen up: the spec sheet on their g-Smart i200 Pocket PC phone makes it sound like the best thing since... well, the i120 and i300. The 512MB of internal storage is hot, the promise of Crossbow (if it's available by the device's launch in Q1 '07) is pure gold -- but what's really got us all fired up are the integrated dual tuners (DVB-H and DVB-T) and 2.69-inch VGA display. Yep, we said it: VGA. Everyone waiting for the promise of compromise-free mobile web browsing and remote desktop connections can come out of hiding, because this bad boy could very well be the phone you've been waiting for. The TV-out and DVR functionality don't hurt, either. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to book our flights to Taiwan.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Skardin's DVB-T-equipped HT-250 PMP
Don't you hate how the hottest gear is usually restricted to non-US countries; just for once, why couldn't the best cellphones, DAPs, and laptops make an appearance here fir...oh, wait. Nevermind. That intro is reserved for the type of lustworthy foreign gadget like Samsung's 10-megapixel B600 cameraphone -- this post features a nondescript, cookie-cutter PMP being shown off at the Taitronics Autumn 2006 trade show going on in Taiwan. What we've got here is the 2.4-inch "HT-250" by Skardin Industrial, sporting a DVB-T tuner, SD/MMC slot, and not much else -- since there's no internal storage, you'll have to cram your MPEG-1/2/4, DivX, and XviD files onto a 2GB card (it's possible there's SDHC support, but we're not hopeful). Also notably absent is any mention of compatible audio codecs, so you may end up having to re-encode your tunes before loading them up. [Via Anything But iPod]
LG's new AV Xnote laptops, sportin' DMB and 3G
LG is going "premium" on their new line of AV Xnote lapsters, with Core 2 Duo across the board (topping off at the 2.16GHz T7400), and sizes from 12 to 17-inches. There's also some hefty 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 going on, along with 2GB max RAM, 160GB max SATA HDD, 5-in-1 card reader and 5.1 Dolby surround sound. The laptops run WMCE 2005, and are sporting DVB-T or DMB and EV-DO to top it all off. No word on price, but these should be available this month in Korea and Europe.[Via I4U]
Miglia TVBook Pro - watch & record DVB-T broadcasts
File this under "wish it was ATSC not DVB-T." Miglia has produced what appears to be the first digital TV reception card for the ExpressCard slot. DVB-T means that this guy will not work Stateside but in most European counties and well, that is where it is being sold for 150 Euros so it better use their standard. If the little built-in antenna isn't strong enough to pick up the broadcasts, Miglia has included a USB based amplified antenna to hopefully give ya that extra little boost. Thanks to the ever-so-popular eyeTV software, it can schedule and record broadcasts, along with the standard DVR functuality of pausing and rewinding TV. But still, when is the ATSC version coming out?
Nakamichi looks to the KIMONO for LCD design inspiration
While we enjoy sporting a snazzy kimono as much as the next guy/girl, we're not sure that we want our super-expensive LCD TV to be fashioned after said article of clothing. Nonetheless, Nakamichi has just unveiled a new flat panel lineup with a swooping lower bezel called the KIMONO series, complete with an "asymmetrical fold" designed to resemble the overlapping sections of the traditional Japanese robe. Besides the questionable aesthetics, however, the 42- and 47-inch KIMONOs offer quite an attractive feature set, complete with full 1,080p resolution, a 5.1 channel amplifier outlet (when hooked up to external speakers, the TV acts as the center channel), both analog and DVB-T tuners, a built-in DVD player, integrated FM radio, and our old favorite, an HDMI input for getting your Blu-ray or HD DVD on. Other nice touches include a USB 2.0 jack and 6-in-1 card reader (even xD gets some love here), allowing you to view pictures and presumably video content captured from a variety of sources. Pricing and availability are as yet unannounced, but if the company's $512 Lumos portable DVD player is any indication, you'll definitely be paying a premium for the privilege of sporting such an, um, unique design.
Medion working on MD RIM 1000 UMPC with slide-out keyboard?
All we've got to go on here is a grainy scan from some Medion press materials being handed out at IFA, but if this new MD RIM 1000 UMPC proves to be for reals we'll have another welcome contestant in the slide-out keyboard space -- which is where we've been at all along when it comes to UMPCs. The specs aren't bad neither, with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, onboard GPS, DVB-T tuner and webcam. In fact, if this thing manages to weigh less than thirty pounds and cost less than twenty grand we're pretty sure Medion has got themselves a winner -- or should at least be able to give Sony's UX and Averatec's forthcoming AHI a bit of competition.
El Gato's EyeTV Hybrid digital/analog tuner for Macs
You know you need it: that squishy soft gaze that comes with the kind of numb only a TV can deliver at the end of a hard day. El Gato knows this too, and delivers yet another fix to Mac owners in the form of the EyeTV Hybrid. As the name implies, this USB 2.0 stick delivers both hi-definition capable digital ATSC and traditional analog NTSC tuners to record (in MPEG-2 if your Mac has the muscle), edit, and pause live TV when combined with El Gato's bundled EyeTV 2 software. What's more, the kit works with the Apple Remote and includes a break-out cable for connecting composite and S-Video sources like your gaming rig -- for "zero latency" play on your Mac's display -- or that dusty VCR to convert the ol' VHS collection into digital media. Inputs that owners of Apple's stellar, but otherwise inflexible, 30-inch displays will certainly appreciate. Available now for $150 or €150 for our DVB-T signal lovin' brethren. [Thanks, Doug]
Acer's HD DVD-equipped Aspire 9800 laptop released
Sure, LG's got a 15-inch laptop for HD DVD lovers, and Toshiba has a 17-inch model sporting one of those sweet HD optical drives, but if you want this tech in a 20-inch notebook, then Acer's Aspire 9800 is the only way to go. Just released today, the 9800 has a lot more going for it than just that high definition drive, including a Centrino Duo chipset, nVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics, and a 1,680 x 1,050 CrystalBrite display. You're also getting up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 240GB worth of HDD storage (or 120GB in a RAID 1 configuration), a hybrid analog / DVB-T TV tuner, and for piping those HD DVD movies out to your big screen, an HDCP-enabled HDMI output. All in all, a pretty attractive set of features -- but really, you should expect nothing less from a $2,800 machine.[Via laptoping]
BenQ's Joybook P52 15.4-incher with DVB-T
The latest from BenQ is a well-specced AMD Turion-based laptop with plenty to love. Beyond the large range of dual-core Turion 64 X2 processors, the Joybook P52 features an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 card with 512MB of memory, up to 2GB of RAM, a 120GB SATA HDD, dual-layer DVD burning and DVI-D in/out. There's four USB 2.0 ports, Firewire, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11a/b/g WiFi for connectivity, along with a 5-in-1 card reader. The 15.4-inch screen manages a 1280 x 800 resolution and 16ms response times, and there's an included DVB-T tuner to round it all off. The main thing the computer seems to lack is the built-in webcams of its contemporaries, but at 1.2-inches thick and 5.6 pounds, it seems BenQ did a pretty job with this one all the same. No word on price or availability, but hopefully those AMD chips point to budget-friendly leanings.[Via Engadget Chinese]
A couple of mini-USB ATSC tuners - Artec T14A & FujuPlus FD-USB728
These little tiny ATSC slipped right under our radar. These are the first USB thumb-drive size ATSC tuners we have ever seen; we have peeped tons of DVB-T ones with jealous eyes till now. The first one is by Artec (T14A) and has just an ATSC tuner and antenna port on the unit. They even include an adapter so you can plug a real antenna into it rather then that thin piece of aluminum they call an antenna. The second one is by FujuPlus (FD-USB728); they add a NTSC and QAM tuner to the mix. The first one is going for $89 bucks and the second for $99. Nice. We did dig up a AVS Forum thread that deals with the Artec if you want more info.We have been waiting for these little tuners for a while...now if they could only work with OS X.Read:Artec T14A FujuPlus (FD-USB728)
ARA K-60 lays claim to world's smallest DVB-T TV
We can't verify Asuka Semiconductor's claim of having produced the world's smallest handheld DVB-T device, but their new ARA K-60 sure is plenty small. The 4.5 x 3 x 0.8-inch device weighs a mere 6.7 ounces, and boasts a 960 x 240 3-inch LCD. There's A/V out to playback TV on you telly, and a teensy 3 hour battery. No word on price or availability, but we're sure it won't be long until this should be making its way into Korean pockets.[Via MobileWhack]
Grundig hits the market with Freeview recorders
After taking a bit of a respite from the market, price-slashing TV maker Grundig is getting back into the swing of things in the UK, and is out to provide a bit of Freeview DVB-T recording on the cheap. Even as Sky+ HDTV makes its way slowly across the UK, DVB-T is still a decent digital TV alternative for those without access, with 30 digital channels and 20 digital radio stations. Grundig's GUDVDR0IV lets you schedule up to a week of recordings in advance, and burns onto DVD+R/RW discs for easy archivin'. If stowing the shows isn't your thing, Grundig is also offering a HDD version with 160GB of recording space, the GUDVDRHDD160V. There's actually no word on price yet, but it's a pretty a safe bet that Grundig will be aiming to undercut the current Panasonic and Sony offerings on the market. Both players should be out next month.
Wideviewer's PMP with DVB-T tuner
Wideviewer's new PMP here that they're showing off at Computex isn't the first to include a DVB-T tuner (MSI and Archos, among others, have them beat), but if plain vanilla designs are your thing, it may be just what you're looking for. In addition to the old-school style antenna, the PMP also packs a decently sized 3.5-inch TFT displaying a 320 x 240 resolution, and is MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 compatible, with both NTSC and PAL support. It's not clear what it has in the storage department, however, nor do we know how much it'll cost, although you can be pretty sure that we won't be seeing it in North America anytime soon.[Via Akihabara News]
AMEX Digital's MPC-505BD Media Center PC with Blu-ray recorder
Hot on the heels of that Sony AR Blu-ray Vaio laptop comes AMEX Digital's Windows Media Center Edition 2005 PC with Blu-ray Disc recorder. Going by the oh-so-swanky moniker of MPC-505BD, this Intel Viiv enabled monster offers DVI and HDMI (HDCP?) outs, 7.1 channel audio with SPDIF optical out, and a hybrid analog and digital DVB-T TV tuner. And if that 23GB of single-layer BD recording don't cut it son, then how about the 120 hours of high-def recording possible on that full Terabyte of SATA disk? Yeah, we thought you'd like that. The box is powered by a 3GHz Intel Pentium D 930 and features Intel 945P Express graphics, 2GB DDR2 RAM, and 802.11a/b/g WiFi. Sadly, no deets on the expected biggie price tag or date for availability but let's hope an ATSC tuner version is in the works for these here United States. [Via Newlaunches]
Acer's new AT3205-DTV 32-inch LCD
It's not going to do you a whole lot of good this side of Europe, but Acer's got a new LCD HDTV due, and it's got a few interesting features to set it aside for the World Cup buying season that's about to sweep the world (and some parts of America). Their 32-inch AT3205-DTV has a 1366 x 768 panel, both HDMI and DVI inputs, as well as integrated analog and DVB-T tuners. definitely not your usual HDTV, but you know how they roll over Europe way: deeper, harder, better. And really, the last thing you want to do is tempt them with a TV that's not up to snuff when it's World Cup season.
