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DLO introduces HomeDock HD: yet another upscaling iPod dock
Just in case the HomeDock hasn't been revamped and slightly renamed enough already, DLO is busting out yet another in the line and throwing the all-too-trendy "HD" moniker in there for good measure. As with most every other alternative already on the market, the HomeDock HD offers up 720p / 1080i upscaling and gives your iPod an easy way to output content via HDMI. You'll also find an optical digital audio output, a USB port, an auxiliary input and S-Video / composite outputs. DLO claims that the enhanced on-TV interface will just melt your heart (more or less, anyway), and the bundled remote will keep you firmly planted on the sofa when flipping through clips. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment, but feel free to take a second and check out this thing's backside after the break. [Via CNET]
Toshiba introduces SD-4100 / SD-6100 DVD players
Toshiba wasn't exactly enthused about the recent happenings in the land of HD DVD, but it did manage to churn out a couple of new DVD players, one of which handles upconversion nicely. If you're somehow still not willing to make the leap to HD DVD / Blu-ray, the SD-4100 / SD-6100 just might fit the bill. The former leaves quite a bit to be desired, sporting just progressive scan (huzzah?), component outputs and MP3 / JPEG playback. If you managed to not doze of yet, you may be slightly (and we stress "slightly") more intrigued by the SD-6100, which offers up 1080p upconversion via HDMI, REGZA Link and support for WMA, MP3 and JPEG files. We have our doubts about anyone's eagerness to snag either of these, but if you're on board, you'll only have to lay down $39.99 / $69.99, respectively.
Creative Xdock HD upconverts iPod content to 720p / 1080i
We've no qualms with seeing yet another iPod dock that upscales material to HD, but it seems Creative got a bit too rambunctious when penning its press release for the Xdock HD. Contrary to its claims, the aforementioned device actually isn't the first to do what it does. 'Course, it may have a point with the whole "upscaling your audio to X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity," so we'll just consider it a wash. Nevertheless, this bugger connects to your home theater system via HDMI, component or composite and relies on analog / optical outputs for audio. It also outputs an HD interface, comes with a remote and has the ability to "distribute music throughout your home to X-Fi Wireless Receivers up to 100 feet away without requiring a wireless network." Unfortunately, the Xdock HD (bundled with one X-Fi Wireless Receiver) will set you back nearly four bills, but you can look for it later this Spring if it tickles your fancy. [Via PCMag]
Samsung announces slew of upconverting DVD players, recorders
Can't get enough of Samsung's new gear? Good, because there's plenty more where that came from. Next up on the docket is a half dozen DVD players and recorders, so without further ado, let's check out the DVD-F1080 ($99.99). This "ultra-compact" unit provides 1080p upconversion, HDMI-CEC, progressive scan playback and support for multimedia files including DivX, MP3, WMA and MPEG4. The DVD-HD1080P8 ($89.99) serves up the exact same features as the aforementioned F1080, but does so while residing in a slightly larger chassis. Moving on, we've got the über-slim (14.2-inches wide) DVD-P180 ($49.99), which upscales DVDs to 720p / 1080i, rocks an HDMI-CEC port and also plays nice with DivX. For the rest of the gang, we suggest you head on past the break.
Samsung intros BD-P1500 Blu-ray player, BD-UP5500 combo player
Hard to believe that CES 2007 was the venue at which Samsung launched its second-generation Blu-ray player, as just 12 months later we're staring the fourth-gen unit right in the face. Coming this May, the BD-P1500 will support 1080p playback (not to mention 720p / 1080i / 1080p DVD upconversion), 7.1 PCM, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR and MA, Bitstream audio output via HDMI, HDMI 1.3 with CEC and the obligatory Profile 1.1. Meanwhile, the firm is also announcing its forthcoming combo player, and for those out there who have yet to successfully hunt one down or are just too frightened by the reports of lackluster audio performance, you may want to hit the pause button 'til May. The BD-UP5500 (pictured after the break) handles Blu-ray / HD DVD discs and supports 1080p24, but otherwise remains functionality identical to the P1500. The pain? $399 for the BD-P1500, $599 for the BD-UP5500.
Onkyo intros the HT-SP908 and HT-SP904 do-it-all home theater systems
Have you ever been sitting at home at night, looking at your 19-inch CRT television and listening to your Victrola phonograph and thought, "Shazam! This setup stinks!"? Well, perhaps you're in dire need of an introduction to Onkyo's HT-SP908, a home theater in a box which does everything... and we mean everything. The progressive-scannin', multi-format-playin', 7.1 system offers 90-watts per channel, an iPod dock, XM and SIRIUS radio compatibility, 720p / 1080i / 1080p upscaling, 1080i and 1080p HDMI in / out, component in / out, optical and coaxial audio in / out, plus playback of DVD Video, Video CS, CD, CD-R/RW, DVD+/-R/RW, MP3, WMA, WMV, MPEG 4-AAC, DivX, and JPEG formats. If that's not enough, it also makes lunch, breaks up with annoying girlfriends, and organizes your t-shirts by color. The HT-SP908 is available now for $1099, a slimmed-down, 5.1 version called the HT-SP904 is also currently on shelves for $899.Read -- HT-SP908Read -- HT-SP904
LG unveils HT972TR HTIB, favors Chocolate
If you thought LG had milked the Chocolate for all it was worth, you've got another thing comin'. That thing would be the HT972TR HTIB, which includes five satellite speakers, a 225-watt subwoofer, 1,000 total watts of amplification and a DVD player that handles 1080p upscaling as well as DivX. Moreover, the system boasts HDMI, DTS support, an AM / FM tuner and a USB port for loading up portable media. Not a lot of details beyond that just yet, but do yourself a favor and check out two more delicious shots waiting after the jump. [Via Electronista, images courtesy of Le Journal du Geek]
Pioneer's DV-800AV DVD player upscales to 1080p, plays SACD
Nah, Pioneer's DV-800AV won't play back HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs, but it should make those vanilla DVDs look an awful lot better. This fairly high-end device sports HDMI / component outputs and optical / coaxial digital audio ports, and it plays nice with a plethora of file types including WMV, DivX, JPEG, MPEG-4, AAC and WMA. For those still clinging to the fledgling music format, there's even support for SACD, and the Burr Brown 24-bit / 192kHz PCM1796 DAC should impress, too. The unit is all set to launch late next month for ¥70,000 ($611).
Meridian's iRIS iPod dock upscales videos to 1080p via HDMI
If you're having a flash of déjà vu, fret not, as this device certainly isn't the first from Meridian to output 1080p content from your iPod. Unveiled today, the iRIS universal dock for iPod claims to pump out your stored videos in resolutions as high as 1080p via HDMI, all thanks to the "high-end video upconversion processing." Of course, we're admittedly skeptical about how well this thing truly walks the talk, but nevertheless, users who opt for component outs instead of HDMI can purportedly witness 720p / 1080i content straight from their Pod. Notably, the Qdeo technology is said to "further incorporate advanced DSP for per-pixel, motion-adaptive video processing that corrects both color and contrast losses," and while there's no word on whether this thing plays nice with the new family of iPods, users will enjoy the coaxial / optical audio outputs, headphone and line-level outs, and the HDMI input for external sources. We know you're intrigued, so look for this bad boy to land in November for $379.
Panasonic unveils upscaling SC-PTX5 home cinema system
Regrettably, Panasonic's SC-PTX5 won't play either high-definition disc format, but for those still basking in the glory of plain ole DVD, it's not a half bad setup. The system consists of an upscaling DVD player that takes your DVDs to 1080p over HDMI as well as a 2.1 sound system with 140-watts of total power. The DVD player also plays nice with WMA, MP3, JPEG, MPEG4, and DivX files, touts a built-in DTS decoder and VIERA Link, and boasts a slew of ports including component, optical digital audio in / out, optional iPod connectivity, and a USB socket to boot. Per usual, there's no official deets on pricing, availability, or whether we Americans will ever see this package make its way to our side of the drink, but word on the street has it at €649.99 ($888).[Via Pocket-Lint]
Latest Yamaha receivers boast HDMI 1.3a / Ethernet / 1080p upscaling
Shortly after Sony unveiled its newly revamped ES lineup of AV receivers, along comes Yamaha with a powerful new duo of its own. The RX-V3800 (140-watt x 7) and RX-V1800 (130-watt x 7) each support lossless Dolby Digital TrueHD / DTS-HD and feature Yamaha's Cinema DSP processing engine, video upscaling to 1080p, HDMI 1.3a, and an Ethernet connection that enables consumers to "access internet radio stations, music files stored on a PC, and the company's MusicCAST audio system server." Furthermore, the units are also compatible with your iPod and XM radio via optional adapters, include Burr-Brown 192kHz/24bit DACs, and will be on display at next month's CEDIA expo. As expected, neither of these devices can be classified as cheap, as the less powerful RX-V1800 will demand $1,299.95, while the higher-end RX-V3800 rings up at $1,699.95.
The Helios H2000: your $99 upscaling multiformat DVD player
Those familiar with the Helios name probably haven't forgotten the uber-cheap H4000 that landed late last year, but the firm has outdone itself once again by slipping under that oh-so-magical $100 price point with the H2000. This slim multiformat player can not only upscale your standard DVDs to 1080i, but MPEG2/4, DivX, and even XviD files can also be upconverted for your viewing pleasure via component, HDMI, or VGA. Moreover, this device also outputs unprocessed 480i / 576i signals via the HDMI port if you're sending it to an external video scaler, and while we're sure you may be willing to give your first second born for all these niceties, Helios Labs will only be asking for $99 when it arrives next month.
Ask PS3 Fanboy: Volume 2
Welcome to Ask PS3 Fanboy: Volume 2: The bad news edition! Today I disappoint people on a variety of topics, including Eight Days and 720p game upscaling. Read on to have your hopes crushed! And as always, you can e-mail me with your questions and comments, and I'll do my best to answer your questions during next week's column.Q: I've read in the manual for PS3 that EDY viewer is only available on PS3 systems sold in Japan. Is their any way of using this system on American PS3 units?A: No, unfortunately the EDY integration is something that's limited to only Japanese systems right now. And since the EDY system is purely a Japanese service, it's unlikely that this will change any time soon. If the service is ever rolled out to Europe and America, like originally planned, than maybe we'll see our PS3s updated -- but thats a pretty big if. Q: What is going on with Eight Days?A: Eight Days was one of the most impressive titles shown at last year's Sony E3 event, but has completely fallen off the radar since then. Earlier this year there was rumor swirling around that it was going to be turned into an episodic game, with each day consisting of one episode, but it turned out this was just a case of mistaken identity. The rumor actually applied to a point-and-click adventure title for the PC, called 8 Days. Overall, I'm pretty skeptical of the game actually coming out though. The complete lack of information for over a year is never good and the trailer was pretty clearly a mock-up. Info may come out at next month's E3 -- but if it doesn't, there's a very strong possibility that this game DOA. Hit the jump for the last e-mail!
Sony hoping to improve PS3 upscaling 30 - 40%
The 1.80 PS3 firmware update might have just went out the door, but they aren't letting the coders sit still in Japan. In an interview with AV Watch, Sony Computer Entertainment managers Kawanishi and Kanehide let it slip that Sony isn't content to simply match the visual quality of upscaling TVs and DVD players, since the Cell is capable of doing much better. Sony expects to improve the quality of the image another 30 - 40% when all is said and done, and is waiting on a stable version of the Blu-ray spec so it can enable scaling of 1080i BD content to 1080p. The duo also hinted that a remote media playback solution that doesn't involve having to leave the PS3 on at all times is in the works, and that Sony plans on updating the PS3's firmware every quarter. No word on when we might see rumble finally show up, but we'll take what we can get -- maybe the upscaling will actually make a difference this time around.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Future PS3 firmware updates could improve upscaling 30% to 40% [Update]
If you're already impressed by the PS3's upscaling of older PlayStation games and DVD movies, wait until you see what Sony engineers have in store for future updates. SCE chief technology officer Kawanishi and AV manager Kanehide were talking about the future of the PS3's firmware updates when a very interesting claim was made. "We have gotten feedback from critics regarding several failure patters for upconverting, but we are getting closer to the goal. I think we can improve another 30 to 40%," said Kawanishi. He is talking about the upscaling performance, as in, 30 - 40% better than what was given during firmware 1.80. The dynamic duo also believe they can give this performance boost without additional fan noise, further believing in a future, fanless PS3 console. Very cool indeed.[Update: We had previously, failed to source Next-Gen Biz for the original story. The links have slightly changes, but all sourcing is cited correctly. Apologies all around.][Via CVG]
PlayStation 3's upscaling update analyzed
Sony, ya' see this is why you should have tried to push out the PS3 with 1080p upscaling right off the bat. Instead of people actually enjoying your games, you've got everyone booting up Photoshop to compare the minute differences between the quality of PSOne/PS2 games in their unscaled, original state and at 1080p resolution. It turns out that the differences aren't that astounding, and get even harder discern as you move towards more recent titles like God of War 2: and these are only static shots, not full motion comparisons. The skinny on the upscaling update is that it makes everything look slightly more smooth, but in some cases too smooth. IGN even preferred the original 480p setting for certain games, mentioning that it's sharper, more detailed, and well-defined. The argument between upscaling and native rendering is ultimately a matter of taste, so if you prefer cinematic and smooth, go for upscaling; if you prefer detailed but slightly grainy, go native. 'Nuff said.[Via I4U News]
PS3 upscales PS2 games and makes them look fantastic [Continued]
Have we got a treat for you today! We've gone ahead and compiled whatever screen captures we could find of some before and after pictures of the new upscaling capability of the PS3 and how they change the PS2 titles everyone cares about. These are exciting rollover images, so what you see below are the before upscaling. Toss your mouse pointer onto them and wham! Instantly, you're seeing the upscaled image. Ready to have some fun? First, this is a comparison for Final Fantasy XII from the normal resolution to the upscaled madness, taken from the user Perfect Sin at the PS3 Forums. We're focusing on Vaan here not because we like those weird skeletal-abs he's sporting, but because it's a pretty clear example of the difference the upscaling can make. Yes, we know the two pictures aren't in the exact same spot or have the exact same dimensions, but you get the idea. It's a heck of a lot smoother. We also had to brighten the "after" shot because the original was kind of dark for some reason.We've also got some Shadow of the Colossus images from user I Have Candy at the PlayStation Forums. Again, the image isn't in the exact same place or anything, but you can really tell the difference between the default image and the rollover image. We should all applause Sony for making this work out so well. In fact, this may make some people less irritable about the Emotion Engine getting removed in future PS3's. If those weren't enough, user Mastagamer at the PlayStation Forums uploaded a good set of images from Bully. We chose to use these two because they seemed most representative of the difference between upscaled and normal. We'll leave it to you guys to decide what you think.Pretty slick, right? It's zoomed out a little bit, but nobody's perfect. We're pretty much sold on this upscaling game business. We've tested out a multitude of games ourselves, but we don't have any capturing equipment to throw up here. Trust us -- the games look brilliant. Kingdom Hearts 2 is practically perfect. More perfect than on the PS2. What do you guys think?
Sony's 1.80 PS3 firmware enables 1080p upscaling for games and movies
Hot on the heels of an 80GB Korean-bound (and US, too?) PlayStation 3 comes news that Sony is planning on seriously upping the abilities of the PS3 with a forthcoming firmware update. Compared to minor changes that have occurred in the past, this one looks to be fairly substantial, so we'll cut to the chase and give you the skinny. First off, firmware v1.80 will enable "upscaling of PlayStation / PlayStation 2 games and DVD movies up to a full 1080p when viewed on a compatible HDTV set." Of course, that "up to" bit frightens us a bit, but we'll take any progress we can get. Moving on, PSP users will enjoy Remote Play on their PSP across the internet, which will allow them to "access their PS3 anywhere in the world where a broadband internet connection is available." Additionally, owners can now view multimedia stored on a DLNA-enabled media center PC "seamlessly," and there will even be an option to print images stored on the console's HDD or inserted media to a "selection of Epson printers." The tough news, however, is that this attractive update won't be available until May 24th, so go dig up that original Twisted Metal disc in the meantime so you're ready to rock when the time comes.[Via PS3Fanboy]
Firmware 1.80 to include 1080p upscaling for games and movies
Sony has officially unveiled plans for PS3 firmware 1.80. This update looks to be the most significant yet. Here's a breakdown of what to expect: Full 1080p upscaling for DVDs, PS2 and PS1 games. With upscaling, there's no need to throw away your old DVDs and PlayStation 2 games. The content will be converted to resolutions as high as 1080p, and will breathe new visual life into your old discs. DVD movies can only be upconverted using an HDMI connection. PSP Remote Play via internet. Although this feature was supposedly included in a previous update, many were unable to have it properly run. This hopefully corrected feature will allow PSP users to watch and listen to content stored on the PS3 from any wi-fi connection in the world. PSP firmware 3.50 will be required. DLNA media center connectivity. Media content stored on DLNA-enabled PCs and laptops can be shared and viewed on PS3 systems. Print photos with Epson printers. Images stored on the PS3 hard drive can be printed using compatible printers. Transfer PS1/2 save files from PS3 using Memory Card Adaptor. Previously, users could only transfer save files to the PS3. Now, gamers will be able to transfer data to and from the PS3. This update hits European PS3s on May 24th. A worldwide release should arrive on or near that date.[Update: SCEA has contacted us with confirmation that the update will also hit American PS3s on May 24th as well. See past the break to see pictures of the newest firmware update in action.]
Yamaha's new RX-V861 1080p upconverting receiver for a grand
Yamaha has announced an upscaling 1080p receiver for just shy of $1000, with many of the features normally reserved for more expensive models, like microphone-based speaker optimization, HDMI output, and XM and iPod compatibility. The RX-V861 will upconvert HDMI, S-Video, or component, and output via HDMI to your display, while accepting audio formats such as DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD digitally for output over its 7.1 channels. Four preset buttons on the front of the unit allow for quick switching between audio modes, including the seventeen flavors of DSP processing. The optional iPod dock allows for playback of audio and video through the receiver's remote, which also controls XM satellite radio subscriptions. The RX-V861 will be available in May for a suggested retail of $999.95.
