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NHK makes first successful Super Hi-Vision OTA broadcast, man cave owners giggle with glee
Fresh off from successfully shrinking its Super Hi-Vision camera, Japan's NHK is sticking another feather in its cap -- the first over-the-air broadcast of its super-duper high-resolution technology. The broadcaster says it recently managed to send a compressed Super Hi-Vision signal from the roof of its Science and Technology Research Laboratories in Tokyo to a distance about 4.2 kilometers away with no issues. NHK used two UHF channels during the experiment. To optimize and boost transmission capacity, NHK leveraged technologies such as orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). Low-density parity check coding was also used for error correction. NHK has been constantly experimenting with its Super Hi-Vision high-resolution (7,680 x 4,320) video format, including a UK-to-Japan broadcast via a 24Gb/s internet connection in 2010. Folks who happen to be in Japan from May 24th to 27th can check the tech at the NHK labs' open house in Tokyo's Setagaya ward.
Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV
It's been almost a full year since we heard a peep from the fine folks at Myka, but it looks like we could be talking about 'em a lot more often judging by the specs list on its latest contraption. The simply-titled ION is an Atom-based media PC that relies on NVIDIA's Ion graphics set and a customized interface that brings Hulu, Boxee and pretty much any other web content you can stumble upon to your television. Within, you'll find a 1.6GHz dual-core Atom 330 CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, ten USB 2.0 ports, VGA / DVI / HDMI outputs, an eSATA connector, Ethernet and plenty of audio outputs. The fanless design ensures that things remain quiet, and for those oozing cash, a Blu-ray drive, HDD and WiFi module can be implanted. It's up for order right now starting at $379, but you'll be stuck waiting four to six weeks for delivery. %Gallery-77659%
Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime squashes Wii HD rumors... again
Oh, brother. Here we go again. Just over a year after Nintendo's own Reggie Fils-Aime denied the existence of a forthcoming Wii HD, the bigwig is having to make that very same denial again. Naturally, a few new rumors of an HD-enabled Wii have surfaced since that fateful day in October of 2008, and with the recent price drop, it made sense to think that the Big N might actually be looking ahead. Instead, it seems that it's perfectly content selling hundreds of thousands of consoles that want nothing to do with modern amenities like "HDMI," "1080i" and "things that the PS3 and Xbox 360 have offered since day one." The man's exact quote? "I don't know how forcefully we can say there is no Wii HD." And Reggie, we don't know how much more forcefully you can continue to break our hearts. [Via Joystiq]
OWC takes quad-interface Mercury Pro external BD burner to 12x
Pioneer's BDR-205 may not be hitting shelves in retail form until early next year, but those who desperately need a Blu-ray burner that outpaces the optical media currently available still have an option. OWC has today updated its long-standing Mercury Pro external BD drive -- which boasts FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0 and eSATA connection options -- with Pioneer's latest, giving it the ability to toast BD-Rs at up to 12x. Of course, you'll need lady luck on your side to actually find any media that'll support said rate, but hey, there's always the future. It's available today for $349.99, or $449.99 if you want Roxio Toast Titanium PRO bundled in. [Via Macworld]
Netflix streaming purportedly hitting Nintendo's Wii next
Mmhmm. We see precisely where this is going. First came Microsoft's Xbox 360, then came the PlayStation 3. Now, the beast that is Netflix's "Watch Instantly" is coming to Nintendo's Wii... or that's the scuttlebutt, anyway. According to StreamingMedia, an undisclosed source close to the project has confirmed that the Big N is currently testing Netflix streaming on the Wii, and that it'll be rolled out to the public "very soon." Our initial reaction is to think that "very soon" will translate into "before the holidays," though we all know that only time will tell. But hey, when you've been waiting for this to happen since March, patience comes naturally.
Netflix hints at Watch Instantly integration on 'already-popular device'
Microsoft's Xbox 360 may call itself the only console to stream Netflix, but all that could be changing -- and soon. As Netflix continues to pull in new subscribers (and cash flow) like it's no big deal, the company is apparently looking to spread its wings even further by integrating its wildly popular Watch Instantly feature into "a device already owned by a large number of consumers." Naturally, the most fitting candidates for that would be Sony's PlayStation 3 or Nintendo's Wii, though the company has yet to come forward with anything concrete. Just so know you, Netflix credits the Xbox 360's streaming integration as the main reason some 2.4 million customers have signed up since late 2008, so it's more than apparent that it loves the game console. Any bets for when this will go down, or are you just plugging your ears in order to avoid potential disappointment? [Via Joystiq]
Rocketfish wireless whole home audio system cuts the cord on all your speakers
Anyone stumbling into a Best Buy looking for some sort of wireless speaker solution has probably been ushered over to the Rocketfish section, but up until now, only a few devices have been available. Now, the Best Buy staple is introducing an all-encompassing system that aims to cut the (speaker) cable to all of your speakers. The wireless whole home audio system, which is obviously only available at the yellow-tagged retailer, is comprised of a Wireless Amplified Audio Receiver, a Wireless Sender / Receiver, a Wireless Outdoor Speaker and a Wireless HD Audio Starter Kit, which includes both a sender and receiver. The whole rig is designed to work with standard connections for speaker line and line level inputs, so most any speaker assortment should play nice. All told, the devices combined can send up to five sources to nine receivers throughout the home, but not surprisingly, there's no mention made of the presumably lofty price tag.
PSP to HDMI, all with one giant converter box
Props to Lenkeng for dressing up their otherwise anonymous VGA-to-HDMI converter box with a PSP-related angle -- the LKV8000 comes with the necessary cables to take your PSP-2000 or above's 480p video output and push out a 720p HDMI signal complete with stereo audio. Not a bad idea -- except that we can't think of an HDTV that lacks either component or VGA jacks and that doesn't have a built-in scaler to do the same job. Maybe you're just out of ports? In any event, this guy needs a Stateside distributor before we can tell you pricing or availability, so you're stuck swapping cables for a while, Sparky. [Via Oh Gizmo!]
Xbox 360 Dashboard Update... updates: Preview program reopened, Sky TV due Oct. 27
Just as it did earlier this year, Microsoft has opened the preview program to let the most hardcore of Xbox 360 owners poke around the updated dashboard -- presumably with access to all the 1080p instant-on streaming, Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm add-ons we've been expecting -- ahead of its official release in order to shake out any remaining bugs. While worldwide console owners should scrape together console IDs, make & model of your TV, router and more in hopes of receiving an invite next week, a little more concrete news is in order for the UK, with the console launch of Sky TV nailed down for October 27. You'll have to wait until then to find out exact pricing and channel line up availability, 'til then it's a matter of finding out who on your friends list is most suited for the inevitable football viewing party. [Via Joystiq & NeoGAF] Read - Xbox Live update Preview Program Read - Xbox.com - Set a date for Sky Player!
WirelessHD second generation hardware promises "mass adoption" pricing
Two years after assembling a team to fight the tyranny of wires with 60GHz beaming and less than a year after entering mass production, SiBEAM has unveiled its second generation of WirelessHD chips, this time with the promise of low cost, mass adoption price points with an eye towards reducing overall costs and improving video quality. The new 65nm chips don't require active cooling, use less power and take up less space, plus integrate HDMI, HDCP and DTCP support and surround sound capability. Last year the premium was too steep for us to consider wireless HDTV as a serious option, but as costs come down and manufacturer support comes up it may be time to take another look at WirelessHD.
Samsung's new SH-B083 drive doesn't write Blu-ray, but it kin reed gud
Say hello to Samsung's first internal Blu-ray combo drive for PCs, while the SH-B083 isn't a super fast writer like some of its classmates, it does feature 8x BD-R and BD-ROM read speeds. Also a capable 40x / 16x CD / DVD burner, if all you want to do is watch movies, this should be a considerably cheaper option to the Pioneer BDR-205 12x burner or other 8x recordable drives when it hits shelves (specifically Amazon and Newegg) in November, though exact date and price remain unspecified. Plus, it has that "chic mirror front door design" we can't believe we've lived without for so long, making the 350ms access speed a mere afterthought. This could fit nicely inside that new C-200, right? Specs follow after the break.
Ask Engadget HD: Best home theater setup for gaming?
As usual, this week's Ask Engadget HD centers around a particular home theater setup question, as Philip is trying to set things up for one particular purpose: gaming. Movies and TV are great source of high definition, but some of us just want to hook up the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 and go. We'll let him flesh out the details: "I'm finally ready to build the home theater I've always wanted, and while I'll definitely be watching TV and playing Blu-ray discs as well, it's going to be all about gaming. I've already got a PS3 and Xbox 360 hooked up to an old 20-inch LCD, but I need a real HDTV and surround setup now. I know some games support 7.1, is it worth the extra setup? Also, what HDTV in the $1,000 - $2,000 price range is best for games?" While 7.1 may not be the immediate move for everyone, we're sure some Killzone 2 players may appreciate the extra speakers. Let Phil know what setup you're running, and if you want to throw in a Xbox Live Gamertag or PSN ID as well we certainly won't be mad at you. [Note: This isn't about which system is the best, we've been there and while we might revisit the question later, fanboys, this is about the surrounding equipment so try and stay on topic, k? 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's 12x BDR-205 Blu-ray burner is so fast it's ahead of its time
We're still not sure if that many people are interested in buying Blu-ray burners yet, but Pioneer just unveiled the first 12x capable drive (up from 8x, and with an 8x read speed that gives us a great idea for the next PlayStation 3 revision) the BDR-205. Initially rolling out to OEMs this month, this drive couldn't wait for 12x certified discs to exist, though its full speed has been tested on Panasonic and Sony 6x BD-R blanks, "12x writing on all media cannot be guaranteed." Minus that caveat, expect to see these popping up on Newegg and the like any second now, the only price mentioned is for the full retail package BD-2205 coming Q1 2010 for $249.
Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link
Say it with us now: "Yippee!" Why such joviality? We'll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new "industry standard" for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we're still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they're working on it. And they're working hard.
Sky TV arriving on Xbox 360 in mid-October according to SkyMag; Twitter, Facebook & Zune to follow?
Live Sky TV viewing via Xbox 360 didn't make it into the most recent dashboard update, readers report page 17 of the network's most recent SkyMag indicates it will arrive around mid-October. Additional details flesh out what's available, while all Xbox Live Gold members (in the appropriate areas) will get access to the Sky Player similar to the PC implementation, you will need a Sky subscription with the appropriate channels to view sports and movie content. Look out for more updates at the skyplayer.com/xbox360 site, while those of us beyond the network's reach wonder whether we can expect other features like Twitter (you're following us, right?) Facebook and 1080p instant-on movie streaming to arrive at roughly the same time. [Thanks, David]
PS3 3.0 / 3.01 firmware update making Blu-ray drive unusable?
What could possibly cause nearly 700 comments on an official Sony blog post announcing the relatively minor 3.01 firmware update for the PS3? Plaudits? A Kanye meme gone awry? No, it's the age old problem of an update that apparently breaks more than it fixes. In this case, a sizable number of users are reporting that the 3.0 and/or 3.01 update caused their PS3's Blu-ray drive to be all but unusable for both games and Blu-ray movies (although some folks report that DVDs still work). Other users are also reporting intermittent problems like no sound, and some problems with specific games, but it does seem like the complaints are pretty widespread and, as of yet, Sony isn't saying much about them. Bitten by the upgrade bug yourself? Let us know in comments. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Intel announces Atom CE4100 for insanely powerful cable boxes and Blu-ray players
Intel's CE3100 media chip has been behind some of the cooler demos they've done here at IDF, and it's just gotten a big brother, the Atom CE4100. As you'd expect, the big change is the replacement of the CE3100's Pentium M core with an Atom core, but this thing is actually kind of a monster -- it can decode two 1080p video streams with various high-end audio codecs, it adds MPEG-4 support and 3D graphics capability, and it can even capture uncompressed 1080p video. Of course, it's up to manufacturers and cable companies to actually put all this power to use, but Intel's promised us some hardware demos from partners -- stay tuned.
Toshiba's Cell TV still on for 2009 debut, now with Blu-ray
Just in case there was any doubt, Toshiba has confirmed plans to launch its halo product, the Cell (for Cell Broadband engine, similar to the one in the PS3) TV, with all the LED backlit 3D GUI, 3840x2160 resolution, and DLNA streaming capabilities one could want, in Japan by the end of the year. Thanks to the company's new religion, it will also feature a Blu-ray recorder to go along with the 1TB hard drive, though we can bet that will be axed before making its way stateside in 2010. Of course we're still looking forward to the Media Center Extender packing display expected here some time soon, but when an executive promises the "ultimate entertainment machine" we can't help but wonder what's in store. More detailed specifications and any pricing info other than "it will be fairly expensive" are still unavailable.
Ask Engadget HD: Best headphone setup for a home theater?
Sure, it's great to discuss all manner of surround sound setups, in-wall speakers and the like, but for a rare few circumstances have combined to require all their audio come through nothing but a pair of headphones. That's Cory's problem, check it out: I work a different schedule from my roommates. I've been watching Movies and TV with a crappy set of computer speakers as a headphone amp. I'm looking to upgrade and would like some suggestions. I watch TV via VMC and Movies via Toshiba HD-A3 so multiple inputs would be nice. I'm looking to spend $200 but all suggestions are welcome I'll need to upgrade someday. What does he need to get the best quality audio, while keeping things quiet for everyone else in the house? (We're assuming building a soundproofed room is slightly out of the question.) Surely someone of you have dealt with the same issue, let us know in the comments how you get the best sound from a pair of cans. 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.
Just Add Power introduces Projector Connector HDMI-over-IP solution
It looks like the gang over at Just Add Power have cooked up a device that will let you manage multiple HDMI sources without the limits of traditional HDMI switches (and no, it isn't an HDMI Balun). The Projector Connector consists of an encoder unit that converts your HDMI source signal to IP packets and a networked receiver that decodes the signal at the display end. Add a managed switch and you can keep adding sources and display devices to your heart's content (up to 200 displays). Controlled by a PC over HTTP, this is definitely a product that will see more use in large organizations than it will in home theater setups. But still, what HD aficionado wouldn't love to get his hands on something this powerful and (relatively) inexpensive? The encoder (VBS-HDMI-308A) sells for $299, while the decoder (VBS-HDMI0108A) will run $250 -- you'll have to buy your own switch. Supports 1080p, HDCP, and up to 5.1 digital audio. Hit the read link to pick one up for yourself. [Via CE Pro]
