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Cyberlink's PowerDVD 13 universal media player for Windows 8, iOS, and Android has an improved UI and 4K support
It's been well over a year since Cyberlink released a new version of its venerable PowerDVD software, but now version 13 has arrived sporting a shiny new look, 4K support and a fresh media upconverting trick. Among the UI highlights are: a dedicated movie library, the addition of cover art for movies and music, a mini music player and the ability to customize hotkeys and mouse controls. Oh, and the app is built to auto-scale the interface to play nice with hi-res Retina displays, too. As with the prior version, PowerDVD 13 uses Cyberlink's TrueTheater video technology to enhance picture quality but now it can apply that black magic to 1080p and Blu-ray video as well. Rounding out the enhancements is a BD-Live bypass feature that lets users avoid the interminable load times that normally accompany so equipped Blu-ray discs. It works on Windows 7 and 8 and will set you back $99 for the full-fledged Ultra version. The best news? Forking over that hundred bucks also gets you the PowerDVD Mobile and Remote apps for iOS and Android for free.
Toshiba showcases 2013 AV range and updated Cloud TV platform (eyes-on)
Toshiba isn't the first name you'd associate with exciting products, but recently we were invited to check out its 2013 selection of AV gear in the hope we'd be dazzled by pixel counts and the IQ of its revamped smart TV platform. We revisited a few products we had flings with at CES, were introduced to some new panels, and taken through the ins-and-outs of the company's fresh Cloud TV interface. Was there anything to get excited about? Head past the break for the full tour.
MediaPortal 1.3 exits beta with official Windows 8 support, revamped skins
MediaPortal 1.3 is throwing its hat in the air today after graduating from beta to full release status. The Titan skin intended for 1080p widescreen displays has made the final version with plug-in support, but don't worry if it doesn't fit your style or screen, as the default skins have also been refined. UI themes and settings can be easily modified for deeper personalization, and you can now highlight shows in the TV guide to better plan your evening's entertainment. Unencrypted Blu-Rays will work in the native player (with the right decoder) and several improvements have been made to video playback and the bundled codec library. MediaPortal settings can be configured more easily in 1.3 and the "My Videos" section has picked up some new features. Finally, 1.3 adds official Windows 8 support, although the team admits there may be some bugs that remain undiscovered. If MediaPortal is your HTPC software of choice, you might want to check out the complete changelog at the source link, where you'll also find installation instructions if you wanna cut straight to the hands-on.
Archos releases free version of Android Video Player, placates penny-pinching cinephiles
While there's no dearth of video playing apps available on Android, French outfit Archos' $5 offering stands out as an especially feature-rich option. For those that shied away from the Archos Video Player just because of the outlay involved however, there's now a free version up for grabs. Supported by ads, it provides all the functionality of its premium cousin, including hardware-accelerated encoding, ability to play network content and online retrieval of movie information like posters and subtitles. Entertainment aficionados can snag the goods at the source link for the unarguable cost of zero, and likely spend the saved scratch on some high-definition bird-slinging action instead.
Western Digital unveils WD TV Play streaming box, directly competes with Roku
After making a stop at the FCC recently, Western Digital's WD TV Play streaming media player got an official announce this morning. The Roku-esque streaming media box touts easy setup, a $70 price tag, and connectivity with a variety of apps (YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, VUDU, SlingPlayer, Spotify, Pandora and Facebook are specifically named). The device can also manage and display your own media, via DLNA-friendly devices, all in 1080p. A remote control comes with the device, but there's also a free WD TV Remote application headed to iOS and Android devices -- you'll need WiFi running to get the app synced up, of course. The WD TV Play is already available for purchase via Western Digital's online store, and there's no word on retail availability. We've reached out to Western Digital to find out more.
'User friendly' XBMC for Android build rolls out for set-top boxes and mobile devices
If you've been waiting to try out XBMC on your Android, now you'll have a chance. While beta and nightly builds were already available, the team behind it (note: not the official XBMC, this XBMC Android project is its own spinoff) has finally readied a release it says is "end user friendly," ready to run on most any device. It achieves that feat by offloading video player duties to another app MX Player, in a split from the official build, in order to get around XBMC's lack of hardware support for certain devices. After sideloading the two necessary APKs we were able to get it up and running without any trouble, tossing in add-ins and playing back locally stored media without a problem. There's a video to go along with the release (embedded after the break) but installing it yourself is probably the best way to get a feel for its video, picture and audio playback abilities. Update: Just to be clear, this project is not produced by the official XBMC team or related to its build for Android, as XBMC Android is a separate group.
Archos Video Player app comes to all recent Android devices
Archos has been big on custom, exclusive software as a selling point for its mobile devices, even into Android models where the extra work isn't strictly necessary. It's giving the rest of us a taste by allowing everyone to download its Video Player app from Google Play. Any phone or tablet running Android 4.0 or later can use the app to play "most" movie formats, the company says. The app primarily touts a larger amount of network intelligence than some of its peers, including SMB and UPnP sharing, device-to-device playback syncing and internet retrieval of movie details like subtitles. While Archos isn't exactly giving away the keys to the kingdom with a $5 asking price, we at least won't have to switch to new hardware to see what we've been missing.
MediaPortal 1.3 hits beta, scores new Titan UI, preliminary Windows 8 support
After simmering in its second alpha stage for roughly two weeks, MediaPortal 1.3 has hit the beta phase with a trio of newly-minted looks. The Titan skin spruces up the open source media player's interface with fresh visuals designed for folks with 1080p 16:9 displays. If you're worried about the new look harshing your plugin mellow, the Titan Extended option already plays nice with a handful of add-ons: OnlineVideos, MovingPictures, MP-TvSeries, My Films, Fanart Handler, Latest Media Handler, Trakt, InfoService and the Extensions plugin. Those who'd rather not make the leap to the brand-spanking-new skin can take advantage of refreshed Default and DefaultWide themes instead. In addition to the new coat of paint, the Beta adds preliminary support for Windows 8, which is scheduled to mature in the final version. Thanks to Last.fm's about face on free API access, the music service's plugin has been nixed, but it might return for Last.fm subscribers. For the full changelog and instructions on migrating to the latest test release, hit the bordering source link.
Favi's Android-packing SmartStick finally shipping to give any HDMI-equipped TV a brain
If you've been hearing "SmartTV" this and "SmartTV" that while your old HD panel just sits there like a big dummy, Favi's SmartStick is ready (at last) to bring it into the 12's. Like Roku's Streaming Stick, it's a media player that's been squeezed into a dongle-sized form-factor, running Android 4.1 and packing apps like Netflix along with the Plex media server, a full web browser and DLNA. It'll stream all that media through the HDMI port on your TV and connect to your other devices wirelessly, all for the sum of $50. You can even add a $40 wireless keyboard to avoid the usual finger calisthenics -- check the PR after the break to grab it.
XBMC 12 Frodo enters development, beta releases expected mid-November
The media player paradise of XBMC 11 Eden has served us well for the majority of the year, but now it's time to move to Middle Earth. XBMC 12 Frodo has entered formal development, bringing with it a feature freeze until the new version is done and dusted. This means there won't be many changes beyond tweaks to the default skin for the foreseeable future, but a few significant additions just made the inclusion deadline, such as a UPnP update, advanced filtering (pictured above) and more. Beta versions of the hobbit-friendly release are expected to start appearing in the middle of November, but if you're still craving forbidden fruit, alpha software is available to install now at your own peril.
OpenELEC-2.0 Linux distro released, turns your PC into an 'appliance-like' home theater device
If you're itching to park that AMD or Intel PC beside your TV as a dedicated home theater device, OpenELEC would like to offer up the first stable release of its Linux distro, version 2.0, for your consideration. The new build is now available for free (with the option to donate, of course), and the group behind it says that the installation takes less than five minutes and requires "zero Linux experience." Once you've done that, it'll be ready to serve your media needs in less than 10 seconds from a cold start, according to OpenELEC, with only a remote control needed to start surfing. The system updates automatically, including the XBMC V11 media core, and now includes PVR support, improved AMD functionality, CEC adapter compatibility, NFS, AFP, CIFS and SSH shares and Airplay / Airtunes support. If you're already Mac- or Windows-centric, an OpenELEC system will play well with all your existing media, so if you're ready to see how the Linux media crowd rolls, hit the source.
Neil Young's Pono music service wants to democratize high-quality audio (video)
Neil Young isn't shy when it comes to embracing new technology, something he put beyond question with his latest appearance on The Late show with David Letterman. The artist took the opportunity to reveal plans for his high-fidelity Pono music service. The aim is to tackle the poor quality in which he believes most people receive their music these days -- the humble MP3. Young's offering would comprise a three-pronged approach, including a music store with high-resolution recordings, a digital-to-analog style conversion technology, and portable hardware to listen to it all with. The simple intention is to offer music as it was originally intended to be heard, but at this time there's no detail as to what this actually entails (sorry specification fans). According to Rolling Stone, the big three labels are interested, and the goal is to unify, rather than diversify, the quality of recorded content. The Pono players (that yellow wedge you see above) will serve up your existing catalog, but you'll likely need to re-buy some of your collection if you want the holistic experience. With no cards fully on the table, we're at the ransom of Young's celebrity endorsements, which all claim that the benefits are tangible. Young, of course, says "You can't get better than this, this is what they do in the studio," but until we get some details, or ears on, everybody knows this is nowhere. [Image credit:CBS]
Pioneer CDJ-2000nexus updates the flagship DJ player, brings WiFi and slip mode (video)
Pioneer's CDJ-2000 took the spot at the top of the firm's CD turntable range a couple of years back, and has enjoyed a decent spell as the club standard. To ensure that its reign continues unchallenged, a new iteration in the form of the CDJ-2000nexus (no relation) has just been announced. The vast majority of the DNA remains the same, but there are some key new features such as WiFi (as we saw in the XDJ-AERO) for use with the rekordbox app, Beat Sync, Wave Zoom and Slip (a much wanted feature first seen in the CDJ-900). In total, you can now load tracks from CD, DVD, USB, SD, networked machines, and WiFi, meaning the player has essentially outgrown its "CDJ" labeling, becoming a true multimedia player. If you fancy taking one for a spin, you can do so starting from some time this month, for the upbeat price of $2,399. Laidback Luke demo video on rotation after the break.
Samsung's split personality patent conjures up a camera with detachable media player
Samsung recently added some serious smarts to its point-and-shoot lineup with the Galaxy Camera, which -- if you're so inclined -- can also double as a personal communicator and multimedia player. As we discovered during our hands-on with the device, however, its bulky size could deter many who might've hoped to carry it at all times. A patent just granted to Samsung might change all that, however, which describes a camera that also acts as a multimedia player, only with one curious difference: the PMP unit is detachable. Naturally, this component houses the display and its own separate storage, but also contains the multimedia module that's necessary for the camera to record movies. Samsung applied for this patent back in 2007, which suggests this particular setup may never see the light of day. Then again, if such a split personality camera ever appears, there's a good chance that it'll carry the Samsung name.
Samsung unveils Galaxy Player 5.8, pockets everywhere brace for impact
We hope you wear baggy pants, because you're going to want big pockets to carry Samsung's giant new jukebox. The Galaxy Player 5.8 is dominated by its namesake 5.8-inch, 960 x 540 LCD -- a screen that makes the 4.8-inch AMOLED on the closely related Galaxy S III look downright modest by comparison. Android 4.0 and the latest generation of TouchWiz make their first appearances in a Samsung media player here, with the spin naturally on books and movies instead of the tasks you'd associate with a smartphone. You're otherwise looking at the kind of media player you'd expect in 2012: there's either 16GB or 32GB of built-in storage, a microSD slot, a front VGA camera for those face-to-face sessions and a huge 2,500mAh battery to compensate for the display. We're still waiting on a few details, such as the exact processor and the Galaxy Player 5.8's launch schedule, although the announcement's timing suggests we may get a peek at this behemoth when IFA 2012 kicks off later this week. In the meantime, we'd advise against buying a pair of skinny jeans.
Diamond Multimedia outs AMP1000 Android set-top box: Gingerbread-based, 1080p, sells for $120 (update: ICS coming this week)
Diamond Multimedia's more commonly known around the web for selling Mac and PC capture cards (among other things), but as of today, the company's officially entering the set-top box game with its AMP1000. The media player itself is running a not-so-new flavor of Android -- Gingerbread, to be exact -- which will be used to bring a slew of familiar entertainment tidbits to the bigger screen, such as a media player capable of 1080p playback, an evolved internet browser and an oversized photo viewer, as well as other content like games, ebooks and magazines -- all of which can be downloaded from Google's Play repertoire. Although Diamond Multimedia's formally pricing the AMP1000 at $120, there's a Facebook-only offer that knocks the price down to a mere $100. Now, will it be enough to compete with, say, Vizio's $99 Google TV box? We'll let you be the judge of that. Update: Well, in case you weren't fond of the AMP1000's Gingerbread innards, Diamond Multimedia's got something in the works to solve that problem. A company rep has contacted us to let us know Ice Cream Sandwich will be coming to early adopters "later this week," as well as noting that all future units will come with the creamy OS already onboard.
RealPlayer leaves beta, becomes fully-fledged Android app
RealNetworks has decided to roll out that old internet chestnut, RealPlayer, to a fresh-faced generation of smartphones that are screaming out for one more media player. This one reckons it can handle your music, video and photo content al in the same blueish hue and while the player has a basic flavor out for free, there's a $5 app for those that like the finer things in life. Extra features in the paid-for version include a graphic equalizer with save function, Gracenote database compatibility and manual metadata editing for those with more esoteric music tastes. Naturally, advertising is nixed in this version too. Now out from beta testing, hit the source for the download.
VLC 2.02 adds Retina display support, ditches font cache interruptions
The latest version of everyone's favorite file-type-friendly media player has been updated on both Windows and OS X, although the Apple iteration gets the most major addition -- playback support on the new MacBook Pro's Retina display. Alongside sharper menus, VLC's latest update extends functionality to the video itself, maintaining crispness on smaller viewing windows and even fully-blow 4K video. Good news on all platforms though, as the developers have now nixed that grating "building font cache" pop-up window. Smaller changes include support for Growl and the return of the "keep aspect ratio" option. Hit up the changelog for a full run-down of the other changes.
Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review: Android media player that needs more of a voice
More Info Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 remote viewfinder hands-on Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 4.2 hands-on Galaxy Player 4.0 review It wasn't all that long ago that one of the pinnacles of the gadget world was the PMP. How many gigs has yours got? Mine plays FLAC. Whoa, iPod video! These are sentences that are largely consigned to the digital mists of time. Now that your phone, watch and pretty much any other gadget can fill the shoes of the media player, its days among gadget nobility are numbered, and its rank slipping ever lower. There will always be a corner of the gadget realm for them but it's more of a country cottage, compared to the sprawling manor of yesteryear. Why all the nostalgia? Samsung's Galaxy Player 4.2 is the latest descendent of the Android media player lineage, and the company's rightful heir to its PMP kingdom. As you can see, a full-fat media player in 2012 wears a very different uniform than its forefathers, and definitely fights a different battle. Can what is essentially a phone-without-a-phone, hold its territory and prevent the mobile bandits from scaling the walls? We spend some time with it in the trenches to find out.%Gallery-158412%
Panasonic's UN-W700 runs Android, streams Blu-ray video, takes Skype calls, isn't a tablet
We've seen Android used for home theater purposes before, but it's been rare that a company has wanted Google's OS used almost exclusively with that purpose in mind. Panasonic is gambling that its UN-W700 can use Android (2.3, unfortunately) for an all-singing, all-dancing compact video device. The 7-inch, 800x480 standee plays media from its SDXC card slot or over DLNA, including recordings normally destined for Blu-ray from one of Panasonic's Diga set-top boxes. If you'd rather dish out video than just receive it, there's a front camera for Skype video calls -- and the W700 is still Google-blessed, so you can visit Google Play if you'd rather play Death Rally than watch Death Race 2000. We're not sure about the idea of a tablet without much of the portability, but Japanese shops will give the opportunity to decide for yourself on July 25th for an unofficially estimated $446.
