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Sound and Vision Mag's in-depth review of the Samsung BDP-1000
We know this is a bit late into the game but it does come from a print magazine. Sound and Vision sat down and spent some quality time with the first Blu-ray player in the wild, the Samsung BDP-1000, and walked away kind of disappointed. Right of the bat, they experienced the same softness and graininess that everyone else did, but these big-wigs of the audio/video world got special treatment from Samsung and had the opportunity to view a corrected BDP-1000 next to the original flawed one. (Remember, Samsung went on record stating that the noise reduction circuit had been set to full, causing the picture to be soft and grainy) Did they see anything in the "new" player? Not so much - there was some difference but not a huge amount. This is a very in-depth review and if you have been following this Blu-ray saga, this will be your cup of tea.
HDTV Listings for July 29, 2006
What we're watching: Tonight NBC plays the is-it-HD-or-not (thanks rocko!) game with The Italian Job, which you would expect to be shown in high-def but isn't listed that way on their site. Titan TV says it is, we'll know for sure at 8 p.m. ABC brings us Practical Magic, while The Longest Yard remake with Adam Sandler hits Showtime tonight. Finally, all the Lil' Bow Wow fans out there can see the skating flick Roll Bounce on Cinemax.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
Daewoo release their first large LCD TV - SummuS DLD-42C 1LMR
If you have a thing for matching brands, you might want to look at Doewoo's first LCD TV. The set has impressive stats with 5,000: contrast ratio, a 6-millisecond response time, PC input and the standard HDMI port. The LCD has a 720p resolution to prove even more that it is just another normal LCD. Back to that brand thing though, if you pick up this TV, it could match your Daewoo car, microwave (I have one), refrigerator and even your air conditioner. Talk about a brand penetration. There isn't any word on price or availablity yet, but even if there was, chances are the LCD is only going to be available in Korea.[via Akihabara News]
No second-gen HD DVD player this year
It doesn't look good that Toshiba is going to produce a second generation HD DVD player before the end of the year. Toshiba's VP of marketing, Jodi Sally, denied any second-gen player this year to Video Business. We still hold a belief that at CES '07, the Toshiba booth will be filled with the next version of their HD DVD players. Their current players are selling well so why would they want to hurt that by announcing a second-gen device? Many people support the HD DVD camp but if there was another device announced, they would simply wait till that one was released instead of buying the current one.Are you waiting for the second-gen devices before you jump on the HD DVD/Blu-ray bandwagon?[via highdefdigest]
Daewoo releases SummuS DLD-42C1LMR LCD TV
Daewoo has released what appears to be its first LCD TV, the 42-inch SummuS DLD-42C1LMR. Spec-wise the set looks decent enough, with an impressive 5,000:1 contrast ratio, 6-millisecond response time, and HDMI input, although you'll have to settle for 1080i 720p resolution. The display also features Daewoo's MGDi PLUS engine, which promises to reduce noise and provide a "smoother" picture, as well as something that Google interprets as "TV/VCR/DVD/DSTB/mammary gland combinations," which, uh, would also be a first. No word on price but it looks like this one's only available in Korea.[Via Akihabara News]
HDTV Listings for July 28, 2006
What we're watching: Friday night continues to be the most barren of the wasteland that is summer television programming. Kyle XY fans have another new episode, otherwise it is all reruns and movie stunners like Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. You can also keep up with the latest training camp happenings on ESPN's NFL Live, but that's about it.Our traditional high definition listings continue below.
MyNetworkTV the first all HD broadcast network?
We have been wondering for some time what was to come of the many former WB/UPN affiliates once the CW goes live this fall. We're not sure what rock we have been under for the past few months but most of this news is from May. Better late than never, this will possibly be the first all HD network. Don't get too excited because it doesn't look like the new network is going to have something for everyone. Unless your favorite programing is Novelas, yeah we didn't know what they were either, but thanks to Wikipedia we learned they are spanish style soap operas, the kind they make fun of on SNL's Besos y Lagrimas. The network is owned by Fox Television and CEO Jack Abernethy said, "We will be all telenovelas, all the time." If you still can't wait to watch check out the affiliate list to see if MyNetworkTV is coming to your area.
DirecTV's HD DVR coming in August?
So what's the dealio, DirecTV? The vicious cycle of delays surrounding its upcoming HD DVR has definitely not been pleasing, and these release date reports are beginning to lose clout. What we do know is that DirecTV's HD DVR has been delayed for months, and according to analyst speculation, the delay could be stemming from inventory shortages. Although we recently reported that you could (possibly) expect this much-anticipated device to drop in the September / October time frame, DirecTV has crafted a new statement shaving a month or so off that estimate. The company seems so sure (or just desperate?) about the forecast that a spokesperson made a point to "clarify that it's rolling out in LA in mid-August." While we realize it may actually be this fall before those outside of California get their paws on one, at least this party would finally get started somewhere. But before we put too much stock in what DirecTV is selling, it also proclaimed that "the box has performed magnificently in tests." While we can muster some patience waiting for a product to be done right, the question beckons: if it's all good, what the heck is taking so long?
EU investigating HD DVD, Blu-ray licensing terms
Both high definition optical disc formats have already seen their share of setbacks in the form of delays and hardware problems, and now they may be facing some nasty anti-trust allegations pending the results of a recently-launched EU probe. Having already flexed its authoritative muscle against Microsoft, the European Commission has now moved on to investigating the terms that the major backers of Blu-ray and HD DVD are exerting upon their respective licensees. Since the investigation is still "unofficial" at this point, the Commission refused to specify the particular companies being probed, although Sony publicly confirmed that it has received one of the letters in question and that it's cooperating with regulators. If these same regulators decide that nothing fishy is going on, then the matter will be dropped; but if they're displeased with the responses they get, a full anti-trust probe is likely. Best case scenario: only one of the camps ends up being subjected to further scrutiny, leaving the other as clear-cut victor in the format war and saving us all the hassle of choosing sides.
Amazon selling a $4,000,000 32-inch LCD by LG
Perhaps you are looking for a 32-inch LCD my friend. Well, you came to the right place. What we have for you today is the pinnacle of flat-screen technology. This 32-inch LCD by LG is the cream of the crop, the king of the mountain, the best of the best. What's so great you ask? It features one DVI input that says by itself that this TV is filled to the rim with top of the line electronically...stuff. But LG didn't stop there. They included a NTSC tuner for your analog viewing pleasure. And for you my friend, we will even throw in the batteries for the remote. Deal? How much you say? Well, how does $4,018,100 sound?[via Digg]
Samsung most valuable global TV brand?
What's in a name? Everything and anything if you are a manufacturer of consumer electronics. Your brand could have the ability to sell on name alone. Or, have the ability to turn away customers with just the name. Business Week has taken a long look at who is the most powerful brand in the world and Coca-Cola came out on top. We aren't here to cover soda pop though - we would love to, but the boys upstairs probably wouldn't like it too much. In order to even qualify for this list, a company has to have over 1/3 of their total sales outside of their home country; this is a global list you know. The list evaluates brands on not how much they are making now, but rather, how much they are projected to earn in the future. Samsung came out on top of the audio/video business at number 20 based on their LCD and memory chip business. Sony then followed at 26, Philips at 48, Panasonic at 77, and LG rounding out the list at 94.Everyone has their own perception of a certain brand. Do you think that Samsung's brand has reached Sony's level? Business Week sure thinks that they are going to do more with that name.
AVCHD format explained
AVCHD is all the rage these days. The format was announced back in May and Sony just produced two new camcorders that take advantage of the new format. But what the heck is it? PC World has a great article up explaining where it came from and how it works. It seems like a great format to us, but my goodness, (everyone playing needs to take a drink, right WallyB) do we need another format? In this case, it seems so. AVCHD doesn't take up that much more room then normal miniDV and is much higher-res. We think it sounds great from that front but it doesn't play in just anything though; the PS3 and Blu-ray players can display the content though. There are plans to license the technology so if this does turn out to be somewhat successfully, AVCHD compatible DVD players are a sure bet. Check out the article; it's not that long nor overly complex.[Via DVguru]
D-Link DSM-520 wireless HD media player review
Currently, there are a few good ways to stream your high-def content to your HDTV and D-Link's DSM-520 is an oldie but a goodie. This guy was introduced into the market about a year ago and at that time, CNET gave it a great review. The product has since been introduced into the Canadian market and this spurred another set of reviews. If you are looking to stream high-def content to your HDTV, take a look at this product. It does a great job at streaming your media files over a wired or wireless network. The only hiccup some people might run into is that it won't play all of your favorite media files, but will play MPEG 1, MPEG 2, MPEG 4, XviD, AVI, and WMV9. The guy also has HDMI and component outputs. Not to bad for a $250 product.How do you stream your high-def content to your HDTV?
Time Warner does / doesn't support CableCARD TiVos
Since we ran that last post about Time Warner Cable (disclaimer: TWC is owned by Time Warner, our parent company's parent company's parent company) giving peeps hell about running their TiVo Series 3 boxes with operator-issued CableCARDs, we've seen the cable company subjected to inscrutably painful amounts of ire the likes of which TWC isn't even accustomed to hearing from the Engadget Podcast. But now things are just getting confusing and muddled. All of a sudden TiVo Community user BillyT2002 got a call back from a Time Warner direct manager who laid the FUD to rest by letting him know that the TiVo S3 will definitely work perfectly and be supported by and on TWC's network with TWC's CableCARDs, and that the CSRs who made the previous statements to the contrary were completely misinformed. Ok, sweet. Except for the fact that mere minutes before we were sent this tip, a gent by the name of Phil forwarded us an email from TWC in LA / San Fernando Valley that stated the following: "We do offer Cable Card [sic] technology, however, we will not install Cable Cards onto equipment aside from the television itself. We will not support any 3rd party equipment devices such as Tivo." (We've published it in full after the break.) Oook. So what's it going to be, guys? We've got some freaking gear to buy already -- it is 2006, after all. And people wonder why CableCARD hasn't taken off, and why there's little or no consumer confidence in its adoption.[Thanks, Ken & Phil]
Sky HD reaches 90k subscription orders
Well, that was quick. Sky launched their high-def service on May 22nd and they have already reached 90,000 orders for the service. If the provider had better luck with their equipment, then perhaps, all of the orders will be fulfilled Right now, only 36,000 of those that ordered have equipment installed at their house. Sky is planning on having all of the current orders fulfilled by September. Europe is the next big market for HDTVs and Sky is ready to provide that service to those sets. Many forecasts predict that there will be 2.73 HD ready TVs sold in the UK just this year. Does any of our readers have Sky HD? How long did it take to get installed? Is it even installed yet?
Denon's new 1080p upscaling DVD players
If you can't make heads nor tails of the whole HD DVD / Blu-ray debacle but still want a taste of 1080p, Denon's new lineup delivers just that. Realizing some people are still waiting to see how the next-gen optical disc war pans out, Denon has unveiled three new 1080p upscaling DVD players that are marginally more affordable than its more luxurious options. Apparently Denon is marketing these units to easily fit into any custom installation by labeling each model "CI," although we can't really think of how else to install a DVD player. Regardless, the DVD-3930CI ($1,499), DVD-2930CI ($849), and DVD-1930CI ($369) all offer 1080p upconverting over HDMI and SACD / DVD-Audio playback. The DVD-3930CI sports the same Realta HQV chipset as in the DVD-5930CI, Denon Pixel Image Correction (DPIC), on-board keystone correction, and Burr-Brown PCM-1796 DACs. The mid-ranger features the Silicon Optix REON VX chipset and DPIC while the DVD-1930CI steps down to a Faroudja DCDi chipset and a more economical version of the Burr-Brown DACs. Not much has changed outside of the technical rundown, as all of the units feature Denon's subtle black styling and promise to deliver that "uncompromising quality" we've come to expect. If you need something to hold you off awhile longer before choosing an HD format, or maybe a good reason to see what you've been missing on DVD, Denon's two higher-end models can be grabbed now while the DVD-1930CI will be available in August.
Sleepy Hollow HD DVD review roundup
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and nowhere does that appear to be more true than in reviews of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow as released on HD DVD by Paramount. One thing that seems to be shared by all the reviews we read is that in this case the source material, with dark, largely colorless backgrounds and very present film grain. It's not the kind of movie that you look at in high definition and it practically jumps off the screen in 3D at you, making it a difficult choice for the format. However in the three reviews we found plus a discussion on AVS Forum, reactions to the quality of Paramount's 1080p VC-1 encoded effort varied widely.
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.
"Tokyo Drift" confirmed for HD DVD release
Most people could assume from the last Fast and Furious post we had, Universal was committed to releasing all of that franchise on HD DVD. The only thing was that they had been mum about the newest title: Tokyo Drift. Well, to be honest, they are still being tight lipped but have released the box art for for the HD DVD, meaning it is going to come sometime; we just don't know when. The movie is still in theaters, so it is going to be a at least a few months.
TV Squad: The five best sports to watch on TV - do these hold true when HD is concered?
We know many of you are sports fanatics and perhaps thats why you purchased a high-def TV to start with. TVSquad has a list of the top five sports to watch on TV. Baseball Tennis Poker Football Hockey Now are these the best sports to watch on TV when high-def is considered? Baseball looks great with the higher-resolution but it's still the same 'ol thing. Tennis looks awesome and it definitely does your HDTV justice. Poker was just broadcast for the first time back on July 2 via INHD and it was definitely great to watch. High-def and football goes together like sour cream and onion. Tasty combination; the same goes for hockey. The reflection off the ice combined with the quick movements makes any HDTV shine. But do you agree with the sports that are on this list and especially in that order? What would your top five list look like when high-def is involved?
