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HD surgery provides gruesome level of detail
High-definition capture and monitoring equipment has long been available for medical uses, but for whatever reason, widespread use has yet to catch on. Now, however, you people will be able to um, partake, in viewing the "first HDTV surgery ever broadcast" as National Geographic HD airs a special presentation of the 1080p system in action. According to a doctor that actually got to experience the technology first-hand, the KSEA HDTV Surgical System provides a widescreen, Full HD look at what's going on within, employs a 3CCD camera with an acquisition resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, and outputs an image that is progressively scanned and displayed at 60 full frames-per-second. We'd recommend you tune in to the aforementioned show on September 16th if the channel is available in your neck of the woods, but you may want to click on and see a few stills of the KSEA in action before subjecting yourself (read: your weak stomach) to the real deal.[Thanks, Dr. Steven P.]
Verbatim to launch Mini Blu-ray discs with Hitachi's camcorder
Now that Hitachi has announced a Blu-ray camcorder to put some of that high-def footage on, you've got to have something to record onto, right? Verbatim will ship 8cm Mini Blu-ray Recordable/Rewritable (BD-R/RE) blank media in August for Japan, with shipments to North America and points beyond in October. The media will hold 7.5GB on a single side, with recording times of one hour for 1920x1080i resolution, and up to two hours at 1440x1080i. The discs come with Verbatim's standard hard-coat finish for protection against scratching and dust, making them pretty reliable for the kinds of stresses you'll see filming your own season of Survivor: Fargo.
Pioneer launches BDC-S02J internal Blu-ray player / DVD writer
Pioneer's latest internal Blu-ray player / DVD writer certainly lacks a few amenities, but for those not interested in forking out for BD-Rs or messing with HD DVD, the BDC-S02J is catered specifically for you. Arriving in both black and beige color schemes, this SATA drive plays back content on single- and dual-layer Blu-ray discs, BD-REs, and all flavors of DVDs and CDs including writables. Additionally, it will come bundled with a host of software, and while pricing information is strangely absent, those in Japan can expect it to land sometime next month.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Sony's DVDirect VRD-MC5 handles HD video transfers
Not down with countless late nights behind the editing station just to extract a few unwanted relatives clips from a family reunion? Sony most certainly feels your pain, and the DVDirect VRD-MC5 looks to be just the thing for transferring home videos to DVD without even involving a PC. The multi-function DVD recorder promises to make HD or SD video transfers a breeze, and can even handle AVCHD-quality clips. The device transfers data (including photos) directly from a Sony HDD or Memory Stick-based camcorder onto a DVD "in their native 1080i resolution," and sees no problem with SD footage taken in via FireWire, S-Video, composite, or USB. So go on, give pops a break from the grind of color correction and volume adjustments by picking up Sony's VRD-MC5 for $230 next month.
Toshiba's 52- and 46-inch REGZA H3300 120Hz LCD televisions
What better way to start the day than with a pair of big-azz 120Hz LCD televisions with integrated HD recorders? Meet the new 52- and 46-inch REGZA H3300 sets for Japan. Each features a bevy of tuners and 300GB slot loading disk with a hunger for more via eSATA expansion. With support for 1080p (60p/24p) frame rates over 2x HDMI, Tosh's 120Hz panels will surely make the most of your native 24fps programming (read: Blu-ray or HD DVD films) without any messy frame doubling or interpolation (24 x 5 = 120, after all). But it's your world, and we're just a squirrel trying to get a nut, so the ¥620,000 (about $5,099) for the 52H3300 or ¥520,000 (about $4,276) for the 46H3300 makes us want to move our butt. Everybody dance now! Um, sorry for that. [Via Impress]
Panasonic prepares 4x DL BD-R burner: 50GB in 46 minutes
Panasonic is set to join LG with the introduction of their own 4x speed BD-R recorder. However, while LG's GBW-H10N Blu-ray recorder burns are limited to single-layer media, Panny is boasting of a 4x burn to a dual-layer BD-R platter. That's 50GB in 46 minutes in case you're keeping track. No pictures, price, but you can expect Panny to go big and fast with product sometime later this year. [Via Impress]
Toshiba's VARDIA RD-A600 HD DVD recorder with 600GB disk
Check it Sony, Toshiba just unleashed a new VARDIA hybrid HD DVD / HDD recorder in Japan. The 600GB RD-A600 and 300GB RD-A300 feature a pair of digital hi-vision HD tuners, Firewire, and HDMI and can write to HD DVD-R and DVD-RAM/R/RW media in addition to their respective hard disks. In fact, the HDD is the only point of divergence between the models. They'll cost a tad more than $199: as much as ¥200,000 (about $1,643) for the RD-A600 model when these start shipping later in the year. Read-on for a few more pics including a shot of the backside ports.[Via Impress]
Lite-On's LH-2B1S 2x Blu-ray burner gets reviewed
The list of internal Blu-ray burners hitting the test bench just keeps on growing, and if you've been holding off on picking one up as prices begin to sink, here's yet another to mull over. Lite-On's LH-2B1S Blu-ray writer doesn't deviate too much from its major competitors, sports a 2x maximum write speed to BD-R and BR-RE single-layer discs, and toasts up to 8x on certain formats of writable DVDs. The unit was tested using Nero CD/DVD Speed v4.70, and was primarily pitted against Sony's own BWU-100A. During traditional transfer rate testing, the Lite-On lagged behind in average transfer speeds, random seek times, and full stroke times, while actually using more CPU power all the while. Interestingly, the LH-2B1S' write performance was better on vanilla DVD+Rs, marginally slower on DVD+R dual-layer, and a wee bit less quick than the Sony burning to BD-RE. As expected, reviewers weren't mauling crowds at their local retail shop in order to grab on of their own as the ho hum performance really wasn't groundbreaking, but if you've got to have such a unit this very moment in time, the comparatively cheap $499 pricetag still makes the LH-2B1S a viable option.
NHK's 15k RPM optical disc recording system utilizes Blu-ray technology
Pulling out the 15k RPM card this late in the game would usually be frowned upon, but in the case of NHK, its latest development to spin at 15,000 revolutions per minute has nothing to do with a hard disk drive. Researchers at Nippon Hoso Kyokai are working with engineers at the Science and Technical Research Laboratories (STRL) to create an "optical disc recording system based on consumer Blu-ray disc technology that can spin as fast as 15,000 RPM" without worry of a disc experiencing a complete meltdown and shattering within the drive. The first iteration was reportedly demonstrated just last week, and could purportedly be used to record 250Mbps HDTV streams; furthermore, researchers have seemingly dodged the disintegration issue by "making a flexible disc that is just 0.1-millimeters thick." The disc was co-developed with Ricoh and is "essentially the recording layer from a Blu-ray Disc without the 1.1-millimeter plastic substrate that is used to give the disc rigidity," thus, a "thick stabilizing plate has been added into the drive" to keep volatility at a minimum. NHK reportedly claimed that this newfangled approach was similar to that seen in the Stacked Volumetric Optical Disc, but unfortunately, it wasn't able to hand out any hard numbers as to when we'd see this stuff in action.[Image courtesy of DigitalArts]
Moser Baer develops 8x-capable Blu-ray Disc media
Indian manufacturing giant Moser Baer today announced development of 8x-capable Blu-ray Disc media, which would allow for a 2-hour movie to be recorded in under 15 minutes. This speed corresponds to around 3.3GB a minute, or 55MB a second, assuming a full dual-layer disc. Competing format HD DVD is working on 2x and 4x burning, although both camps are still held back by expensive hardware and media. Now all we need is 8x burner hardware to get started backing up all those Vista CableCARD recordings.[Thanks, Jagannath]
DViCO's TViX M-5100SH offers 1080p, HDMI, and H.264 decoding
Seems like only yesterday -- ok, 4 days ago -- we were telling you about the DViCO M-4000SA HD media player. Now they're back with the M-5100SH which bests the former with 1080p support, HDMI output, and H.264 decoding. It still packs Ethernet for plenty of in-home media streaming and of course DViCO will be more than happy to throw in a 3.5-inch, 512MB SATA disk for a fee. But why not save some bills-per-byte and double your capacity with a 1TB Hitachi disk purchased elsewhere. You can also add WiFi and an optional ATSC tuner to create a full-featured 1080i video recorder. Decent but standard stuff so far; what's odd is the pricing. The cylindrical M-5100SH is only available for pre-order and will cost $439 when it ships next month in Japan and presumably parts beyond. Meanwhile, the boxy M-4100SH offers all the same features as the M-5100SH yet costs only $359. Oh, and it's available domestically now. Of course, black MacBook owners already know the premium paid for aesthetics. Peep the M-4100SH slab after the break. [Via Impress] Read -- M-5100SH Read -- M-4100SH
Sony's HDR-SR5, HDR-SR7, and HDR-CX7 1080i Handycams outed
So you liked Sony's HDR-SR1 and HDR-UX1 did ya? Well check out these images sent to us by a trusted insider (and confirmed by another) clearly depicting two new HD camcorders: the HDR-SR5 and HDR-SR7. Both camcorders feature built-in hard disk drives, 2.7-inch widescreen LCDs, VZ Vario Sonnar 10x optical zoom lenses, a built-in flash, 5.1ch audio recording, and a 5 hour battery. The SR5 packs a 1/3-inch ClearVid CMOS sensor which captures 4 megapixel stills and 1080i, AVCHD video back to its 40GB disk. The SR7 brings a 1/2.9-inch ClearVid CMOS sensor for 6.1 megapixel stills to its bigger 60GB disk as well as optical Super SteadyShot for superior stabilization when recording HD video. Essentially, we're looking at HDD toting versions of Sony's HDR-UX5 and HDR-UX7 DVD camcorders. We expect to see both the £648/$1,294 HDR-SR5 and £849/$1,696 HDR-SR7 up for pre-order as early as Thursday with shipments arriving sometime in June. We're also told that a $1,200 HDR-CX7 camcorder should be launched at the same time (sorry no pics). It will record directly to Memory Stick and is billed as the "smallest high-definition camcorder on the market." Take that Sanyo. Biggie pics for zooming in on the detailed specs in the gallery below. Sony's HDR-SR5, HDR-SR7, and HDR-CX7 1080i Handycams outed [Thanks, anonymous tipsters]
Sony announces XDCAM EX prosumer camcorder
NAB brings the prosumer a new choice in camcorders this morning with this, Sony's XDCAM EX. This tapeless MPEG-2 recorder will snag images captured by a trio of half-inch imagers to a pair of Sony's (and Sandisk's) new SxS 16GB ExpressCard flash modules for up to 120 minutes of high-definition video. It's switchable between 1080/60i and 720/60P, and capable of recording at 1080/50i/30P/25P/24P and 720/50P. No official word on dates or pricing yet but they'll probably slip in around the time the SxS cards hit which is sometime "later in 2007." Picture of the SxS flash card after the break.
Panasonic's HDC-SD3 and HDC-DX3 bring the H.264
You know that pair of Panasonic 3CCD AVCHD camcorders recently announced for the US? Yeah, the HDC-SD1 and HDC-DX1. Well, you might want to give a tug on your wallet reins cowboy 'cause Panny just announced their HDC-SD3 and HDC-DX3 (pictured) HD camcorders. Besides bringing new desktop software to the show, these 1080i (1920 x 1080 now achieved without any tricks) recorders are fully H.264 capable for superior image quality. Like the pair before them, the SD3 and DX3 are feature identical except for the fact that the SD3 records to SDHC cards (4GB card in the box) while the DX3 records to 8-cm DVDs. Expect both cams to pop in Japan on April 25th: the HDC-SD3 should go for ¥150,000 ($1,269) while the HDC-DX3 will demand a tad less at ¥140,000 or about $1,185 by the time they arrive in the US after a few month lag. Check a picture of the SD3 after the break.
Sony intros new range of HDD/DVD recorders
Bringing up the rear after all those BRAVIA projectors and LCD TVs already trotted out, Sony's now announced a bundle of new HDD/DVD recorders to go along with 'em (although apparently in the UK only). Available in 160GB, 250GB, and 500GB varieties, each unit comes equipped with either a standard analog tuner or an added DVB-T tuner for your Freeview needs, with the whole lot of them boasting 1080p upscaling of content, as well as Sony's trademark BRAVIA Theater Sync for the usual Sony-centric benefits. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any word on pricing or availability, or any indication of a comparable line being released 'round these parts.
I-O Data's HVR-HD1000LE: same old Rec-POT, new 1TB disk
I-O Data is updating their Rec-POT series of hard disk recorders to 1TB this morning with this, the HVR-HD1000LE. The recorder connects over Firewire to a variety of devices including Panasonic's Blu-ray recorders, Sharp DVD recorders, HueMAX set-top tuners, and Sony, Toshiba, Sharp, and FORIS.TV televisions to capture hi-def broadcasts direct to disk. Only in Japan starting April 12th for ¥79,800 (about $680). [Via Impress]
Optiarc unveils first Blu-ray players -- HD DVD says "uh oh"
The Optiarc mashup between Sony and NEC has spawned a new brood of DVD and Blu-ray Disc drives. For HD DVD lovin' NEC already seen dabbling in dual-format underpinnings, the addition of Blu-ray Disc drives to their product roster is a notable development in the format war and yet another possible sign of Blu-ray's emerging dominance. No less than four new Blu-ray devices for laptops were launched at CeBIT: the BD-5710S, the BD-5600S, the BD-5500S, and the BD-5500A. The BD-5500A (pictured above) writes at 2x to both single- and dual-layer BD-R, 2x BD-RE DL, 4x DVD-R DL and reads BD at 2x. Also notable is the AD-7191A 20x DVD burner which is also capable of 12x DVD-RAM, 8x DVD±R DL/+RW and 6x DVD-RW. With Sony owning 55% of the joint venture, we're not holding our breath for Optiarc HD DVD drives anytime soon. All the drives are expected to hit in the July timeframe.
Sony's DVD recorders get ATSC treatment
While you've had the option to pick up a DVD recorder with a built-in ATSC tuner for some time now, it looks like Sony is helping the digital dream by refreshing its product line like its 2009. As a matter of fact, Sony's latest four recorders don't even offer an NTSC tuner, as you can only choose renditions with the ATSC variety or none at all. The tuner-less RDR-GXD355 has line-input recording and pass-through support, while the still-tuner-less RDR-VX555 adds a VCR for easy dubbing between VHS and DVD. The ATSC-lovin' RDR-GXD455 can record digital content to dual-layer DVD+Rs, while the RDR-VXD655 handles VCR duties for those stuck in last century. Additionally, each of the four will also boast HDMI output and 720p / 1080i upscaling, but we're still not sure of the pricing and availability of these forward-thinking recorders.
Disk Makers' ReflexBlu Blu-ray burning towers
We've seen a couple of these "Blu-ray factory-in-a-box" setups already, but thought we'd run another set by you just in case you missed the first wave. The ReflexBlu2 and ReflexBlu4 go for $3000 and $5000, respectively, and can burn Blu-ray, DVD-R and CD-R discs. ReflexBlu2 does up two Blu-ray discs per hour, while the Blu4 manages double that. Both systems hook up to your computer via USB, and sport 250GB HDDs for holding on to nine Blu-ray disc images at once. Sure, the price might sound steep, but your extended family will be thanking you later for those 1080p editions of "Family highlights '07" you'll be able to mass produce this next holiday season.
High-powered lasers will allow burning dual-layer Blu-ray at 10x
Once the realm of mighty giants with huge pocketbooks, burning a dual-layer Blu-ray (or HD DVD) disc might be yours at ten times normal speed starting in 2008, when Japanese firm Nichia Corp. will start production on a higher-powered laser diode for use in recorders. The diode emits pulsed light at a higher output than current models, and is stable enough for 1,000 hours of operation, which we estimate should net you around 5,000 two-hour burns... of data, of course! It will also allow for 2x burning of up to four layers. We're still waiting for word on how fast it will burn those ten-layered discs.
