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ZeeVee releases Zinc TV browser for Macs
ZeeVee has announced a Mac version of its Zinc video browser. Aimed ata TV-compatible interface to any streaming website Zinc should run on any Intel Mac running OS X 10.5. Specifically pointing out boxee, Zinc says users can create access to new sites just by adding an rss feed to their favorites tab. Give it a shot and let us know if its as easy as they make it sound, Mac owners.Speaking of remote-focused interfaces for streaming sites, ZeeVee has announced a Mac version of its Zinc video browser. Aimed at the suddenly crowded field of giving a TV-compatible interface to any streaming website Zinc should run on any Intel Mac running OS X 10.5. Specifically pointing out boxee, Zinc says users can create access to new sites just by adding an rss feed to their favorites tab. Give it a shot and let us know if its as easy as they make it sound, Mac owners.
MartinLogan's Encore TF speaker -- below $500, face punch not included
Whether you're a "wall person" who can't spoil your HT room's feng shui with a equipment rack or not, MartinLogan's Encore TF speaker can fit into your HT speaker setup at a price point we didn't expect the company to hit. Put it on a wall or use the included table stand, hang it horizontally or vertically -- for $499 you get a Advanced Thin Film (ATF) mid/tweet backed by a pair of 4-inch woofers. Purists will cry that the ATF mid/tweet is a departure from MartinLogan's electrostatic calling card, but MartinLogan promises that the transducer is a good match for its panels -- it's still a push-pull design that moves the entire driver surface evenly -- and we figure consumers will appreciate the lower prices and smaller cabinets afforded by the design. Press release and more pics after the break.
Engadget HD Podcast 139 - 06.04.2009
According the comments from last week it seems we've really hit our stride incorporating uStream into the show and we have to say it makes it much more fun. If there were two themes with week it would be the Xbox 360 as a media hub and Hulu. Some might argue that this doesn't have anything to do with HD, but it does. Once again Richard joined us this week, which is always a good thing, but it is even better when we talk anything gamer related, because lord know the rest of us aren't gamers. Finally we have a soap box addition as we express our disgust in HDMI for the five new versions of HDMI 1.4 -- yes five. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS - MP3] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS - AAC] Enhanced feed, subscribe to this with iTunes. [Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [MP3] Download the show (MP3). Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh, Steven Kim, Richard Lawler Producer: Trent Wolbe Program 01:21 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 138 - 05.29.2009 14:10 - Xbox Live gets 1080p Zune video store, Netflix browsing, Twitter and Facebook integration 24:00 - Poll: Do you actually want to watch TV via your game console? 26:15 - Hulu Desktop app puts a remote control friendly face on for Macs & PCs 33:44 - Hulu coming to Roku video player? 43:00 - Poll: How much would you pay for Hulu on your TV? 50:40 - DISH / EchoStar ordered to pay TiVo $190 million in patent infringement case 59:23 - HDMI 1.4 officially detailed: Ethernet / Audio Return channels, 3D, 4K x 2K support LISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)
NBA TV follows NFL Network to Comcast's digital classic tier
It doesn't appear to be coming in time for everyone to enjoy C-Webb and The Glove's studio antics during the NBA Finals, but now that Comcast closed a deal to bring NFL Network to its many digital classic subscribers, working out an agreement to add NBA TV (home of the pioneering all-SkyCam broadcasts & silent game) as well was the only logical followup. No word on exactly when the switch will happen, but hoops fans should keep an eye on their (soon to change drastically) channel lineup with the long term deal slated to shift the channel off the sports tier and into mass availability ahead of the 2009-10 season, bringing along plenty of VOD and streaming content to Comcast.net. Unfortunately, NBA League Pass is still a pay add-on, but we guess that would be asking for just a bit too much, right?
A cool new DTV map from the FCC to help you prepare for the transition
We've long been a fan of free over-the-air (OTA) HD and have been over to antennaweb.org on a number of occasions to help others assess the viability of going cable-less. And while this has worked pretty well for us, we were excited to see this new tool on the FCC's site that shows a much prettier map and even more useful stats that try to predict the signal strength available at your house. We're not sure how accurate the "receive power" estimates are, but we're sure they are more useful than no data at all. So if you're trying to figure out if you need to make any changes to your antenna farm post-transition on the 12th, head on over and check it out.[Via The Digital Media Zone]
Buena Vista and Vudu to sell HD titles day-and-date with Blu-ray
Big news for Vudu fans this morning as yet another barrier to the digital download world is knocked down. Buena Vista has shown over the past year or so that it is willing to try new things and today that means you'll be able to buy HD and HDX titles via Vudu. This is the first major studio to make this type of commitment to digital purchases via Vudu and although we're not the biggest fans of the model due to limited viewing windows etc, we have to admit that having access to 60 HDX quality movies like No Country for Old Men is intriguing. No mention of animated features in the release though, which is a concern, but even so, we like knowing that there are higher quality digital downloads than Apple available for sale.
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.
NEC CRV43: 43-inches of curve on sale July
See that? All 43-inches of this curved NEC monitor with 2880x900 pixel resolution can be yours in July. Ok, it'll cost you $7,999 but it's, well, it's curved! The CRV43, first spotted at CES in January 2008 and again on video in 2009 (where it was expected to cost $6,499), measures in with a 200 nits brightness rating, 10,000:1 contrast, 0.02ms "Rapid Response," covers 99.3% of Adobe RGB color gamut, and packs at least one USB2.0 jack and DVI-D and HDMI 1.3 connectors. Unfortunately, gaming is not listed amongst its targeted uses so you'll be on your own to find a release supporting the CRV43's 32:10 aspect ratio. Unfortunately, there's some junk in that trunk so deftly hidden by the glamor shot above. See what we mean after the break.
Klipsch rewarding wisecracks with sweet gear
Especially these days, a witty sense of humor and a quarter won't even get you a cup of coffee, but Klipsch is giving funny-makers a shot at some its S4 headphones and a HD Theater 300 speaker setup. That's right -- those snarky remarks you normally give out for free can now score you some gear! Here's the bracket breakdown -- four caption contests will be run (each lasting two weeks) and the winning entry from each caption contest will win a pair of S4 in-ears; and a random entry from the final four will score a HD Theater 300 speaker system. Long odds and lots of competition, so now's the time to break open that war chest of audiophile taunts you've been building up. Full PR release after the break.
DirecTV CEO resigning effective July 1
Turns out the rumors were correct, DirecTV has officially announced CEO Chase Carey is resigning as of July 1, and a search for a successor is "under way." Of course, there's no word if the subsequent speculation that the company's next move after its spinoff/merger is a sale to AT&T is at all accurate, but we're sure there will be plenty of viewpoints on the subject in the weeks and months to come.
DISH / EchoStar DVR injunction temporarily put on hold by court
It's the case that never ends -- the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has issued a temporary delay of the injunction and fine handed down yesterday in the EchoStar / TiVo lawsuit while it considers an appeal, meaning that DISH owners with older DVRs won't have to worry about losing their pause-and-rewind functionality at least for now. That pretty much means we're back in stasis with this one, with even more delay to come if the appeal is granted. That's cool, we needed a nap anyway.
Pioneer brings more affordable Blu-ray options to UK
Pioneer has introduced a familiar trio of Blu-ray players to the British market -- entry-level, midrange and a high-end LX model. The company is going to kick things off in the middle in June when the BDP-320 (pictured) shows up on shelves wearing a £400 MSRP, followed in July by the appearance of the £550 BDP-LX52 and £270 BDP-120 for those who need more luxury or cash, respectively. All models are Profile 2.0 and lossless codec support, but it doesn't look like the UK-spec models of the BDP-120 and 320 don't seem to carry the 7.1-channel analog output thats the US models do, so it's either pony up for the LX52 or go the Bitstream route, friends. Persistent storage is handled by an 2GB USB flash drive for BDP-120 buyers, the other two models have onboard storage.
HDTV Listings for June 3, 2009
What we're watching tonight: NBC (1080i) continues I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here at 8 p.m., Inside the Obama White House at 9 p.m. and the season finale of Law & Order at 10 p.m. ABC (720p) has Wipeout at 8 p.m. and The Unusuals at 10:01 p.m. Discovery (1080i) has Time Warp at 8 p.m., Mythbusters at 9 and Pitchmen at 10 p.m. History (720p) has MonsterQuest at 9 p.m. A&E (720p) brings Dog the Bounty Hunter at 9 & 9:30 p.m. followed by Tattoo Highway at 10 & 10:30 p.m. TBS (1080i) has Tyler Perry's House of Payne at 9 & 9:30 p.m. followed by the season premiere of Meet the Browns at 10 & 10:30 p.m. Spike (1080i) has The Ultimate Fighter at 10 p.m. Comedy Central (1080i) has Reno 911 at 10:30 p.m. ESPN (720p) has Red Sox/Tigers baseball at 7 p.m.
LaCie debuts LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD HD media players
LaCie's LaCinema Black MAX is but a few months old, and already the aforesaid company is expanding the family. The newest two are the LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD, both of which enable users to stream HD media over their network, house content internally with up to 1TB of space and connect sans wires via WiFi. As expected, there's a built-in UPnP client to suck down content from a networked PC or Mac, and it'll even handle 1080i upscaling of SD material. Oh, and if you couldn't guess, the RECORD also enables TV tuning and recording if you're into that type thing. Both can be ordered up right now starting at $429.99.
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best mainstream Blu-ray player?
It's been some time since CES 2009 and the requisite flood of brand new Blu-ray hardware flooding store shelves. Now that most of them are for sale, Scott has the same question I'm sure many of us are wondering - which one is the best? "I'm finally ready to jump on the Blu-ray bandwagon and move up from DVDs, but I have no idea which player to buy. I'm not really looking for a universal player like the BDP-83, and I'm not sold on streaming services just yet and I'm not in need of discrete analog outs. I just want a high quality picture, support for all the audio codecs and fast load times. With a budget of around $300, where should I turn for the Blu-ray player that fits me, or should I just grab a PS3?" You have your mission if you choose to accept it, now that many of us have some hands on time with the latest and greatest hardware so let him know which one you like.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.
Pioneer BDP-V6000 is a Blu-ray player for the pros
Filling your need for 1080p sources in digital signage, museums, video walls, houses of worship, public displays, nightclubs, opium dens and broadcast, Pioneer has taken the wraps off of the BDP-V6000 professional Blu-ray disc player, complete with RS-232C support, "enhanced search" through a disc's menus and time code, Pro GUI, BD-Live and rack mount kit. No price, though interested buyers should expect a September launch, though you can get an in-person demo at Infocomm later this month. If you prefer your high res video from SD/SDHC cards, Pioneer's also announced the HD-V9000, ready for stand alone operation or control via RS-232C or over a network for high end applications, no price tag or final specs on that one, though it is due in early 2010.
Poll: How much would you pay for Hulu on your TV?
Hulu has made it very clear that it doesn't want the likes of Boxee, or anyone else really, making Hulu work on your TV. Not only has Hulu been willing to play cat-and-mouse games with Boxee, but in the EULA of the new Hulu desktop application, it specifically states that "You may not download, install or use the Hulu Software on any device other than a Personal Computer including without limitation digital media receiver devices (such as Apple TV)." Competitors have previously stated that Hulu advertisements are generating "scant incremental revenue," so with the recent Xbox 360 and Roku rumors we wonder, how much would you pay for Hulu on your TV? %Poll-30724%
YouTube rebrands TV web portal "YouTube XL"
Whether you call it ten-foot or lean back like Hulu Desktop, putting a TV-ready front end on your website is all the rage nowadays, and after six months of beta, YouTube is relaunching its Wii and PlayStation 3-aimed site as YouTube XL. Now accessible by any browser at www.youtube.com/xl, it's been stripped down to the basics (at the moment, that means no HD, or even HQ viewing option) to make YouTube work on the big screen, plus tweaks allowing control via Bluetooth remotes or some cellphones, like Android devices running Gmote. The HTPC crowd, those living without widgets and other direct access will surely find plenty to love, why not hit up the site right now to try it out?[Via TechCrunch]
ASUS O!Play HDP-R1 media player won't likely get an O-face
We knew it was coming, now the ASUS O!Play is official. The HDP-R1 HD Media Player supports HD video playback in a variety of codecs including MPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, and RM/RMVB in a multitude of packages including .mp4, .mov, .avi, .divx, and .mkv just to name a few. FLAC and OGG audio? Yup, no problem. The box connects to your display over HDMI or composite A/V with an option for optical digital audio for multi-channel setups. Media can be slung off a single USB 2.0/eSATA combo port, second vanilla USB 2.0 jack, or streamed over fixed Ethernet if you prefer to keep your content on the other side of the house. Sorry, no 802.11n because, you know, everyone's home is wired with Cat 5 (riiiight). No price or release date given; but it would have to be cheap and soon for us to be even remotely interested.
Motorola debuts world's first retail DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems
You'll still need the love and support of your dear cable provider, but if you're within range of DOCSIS 3.0 service, you can bypass at least one aspect of dealing with your local monopoly ISP. Starting this week, Motorola is launching the planet's first retail DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems, which enable speeds up to four times faster than DOCSIS 2.0. The SURFboard SB6120 DOCSIS 3.0 eXtreme cable modem will soon be cluttering up shelves at Fry's Electronics, presumably just beside the incredibly deceiving Monster Cable demonstration area. There's no word on price just yet, but don't expect such a luxury item to run you cheap, okay?
