Widescreen
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VisualHub 1.24 brings new high-resolution settings, tons more features
I just have to come right out and say it: VisualHub is one of the best darn things to happen to video encoding since DVD Jon worked his magic. It's a fantastic app that rocks the house when it comes to encoding videos - especially in batches - and it just got a lot cooler with a v1.24 update. Along with a healthy dose of other new features and fixes, the VisualHub crew has introduced a new high-res format for getting the most out of a widescreen H.264 file that can play across multiple devices and screen sizes. All the details and a few sample videos are provided at this VisualHub product page, but the short of the long is: this new format will allow you to encode one file that looks great on small screens like iPods and PSPs, but will also look crisp and detailed when scaled up to a screen much larger like the TV your XBox or Apple TV are connected to. As anyone who has a Mac in the basement with VisualHub chugging away on a batch of DVDs can probably tell you, this new format could very well be music to one's ears. As icing on the cake, custom settings files are even provided on the afore-linked product page so you don't have to dig around and figure out this new format for yourself.This isn't the only new thing in v1.24, however. Full support has arrived for: 8-core Macs, full-res PSP videos at 480 x 272, speedbumps for certain encoding outputs and much more. As if VisualHub wasn't already more than worth its $23.32 price tag, these updates should entice both serious and curious customers to make the leap for a license. Of course, a VisualHub demo is available for a test drive.
Apple gets widescreen
We're still not happy with Apple since they haven't released any HD content for the AppleTV yet, but at least they continue to show that they get the importance of widescreen. You might be saying, big deal, who doesn't? But the answer would be plenty of companies, -- including TiVo. You see, unlike when watching widescreen video on YouTube the Apple TV doesn't insert black bars on the top and bottom, so while the quality is still worse than HD, at least it is optimized for widescreen TVs. We don't know about anyone else, but for us, the only thing worse than watching SD on our HDTVs is widescreen SD with black bars on all four sides.
Garmin nuvi 200W and 250W to pack widescreen displays?
If you thought the 3.5-inch GPS market was getting a tad way oversaturated, apparently you weren't alone. According to a blurb at GPSPassion, Garmin has just recently let loose whispers of a widescreen four-inch version of the nüvi 200 and 250, both of which will don Ws at the end of their names to signify the extra real estate. The display itself will supposedly pack a 480 x 272 resolution, and while we can only assume that the actual software and feature sets will remain essentially the same, there's no way of knowing just yet. Notably, it's not yet clear if the North American-friendly nüvi 270 will end up gaining a bit of width too, but the 200W and 250W should hit European shops in the near future for an estimated €299 ($402) and €349 ($469), respectively.[Via NaviGadget]
Mitsubishi announces new 20.1-inch widescreen display
It looks like Mitsubishi is refreshing a few of the monitors it released in Japan last year, with the company announcing its new 20.1-inch RDT202WM-S model today, presumably a replacement for the similarly-spec'd RDTD201WM. This time around the monitor gets to add HDCP compliance to its list of specs, not to mention a spiffy new glossy display. Otherwise, the monitor will give you the standard 1680 x 1050 resolution, along with a decent 800:1 contrast ratio, 5 ms response time, 450cd/m2 brightness, and the requisite DVI input. If that sounds like it'll fit the bill, you'll be able to snag one of these on June 15th (in Japan only, naturally) in your choice of black or white for ¥49,800, or just over $400.
HANNspree intros six Vista-certified widescreen monitors
While you may know HANNspree best for their fire truck or sheep-themed TVs, it seems that the company is also quite capable of producing some decidedly blander fare, as evidenced by its latest batch of thoroughly run-of-the-mill widescreen monitors. Standing out the most from the lot is the 22-inch HW-223DPB model, which the company claims to be full 1080p but then goes on to list the resolution as 1680 x 1050. That inconsistency aside, the rest of the monitor's specs look to be decent enough, with a 1,000:1 constrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 5 ms response time, and a built-in 4 port USB 2.0 hub. As for the rest of the Vista-certified line-up, HANNspree's got two 17-inch models in the form of the HW-173DBB and HW-173DB0 ($160 apiece), as well as three different 19-inchers, including the HG-191RPB, HS-191DPB, and HW-194DJB, which'll set you back between $200 and $230.
NEC's 19-, 20-, and 22-inch AccuSync widescreen displays
You know what they say about come in threes, and even if you aren't exactly up to speed, NEC's making things real clear with its latest trio of elusive displays. The 19-inch ASLCD193WXM, 20-inch ASLCD203WXM, and 22-inch ASLCD223WXM are all newcomers to the AccuSync lineup, and additionally, all rock a movie buff-approved widescreen layout. The top two models each feature a 1,680 x 1,050 native resolution, while the 19-incher gets stuck with 1,440 x 900, but all three units manage to include a set of integrated speakers, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, five-millisecond response time, headphone jack, and NEC's own Ambix technology. Moreover, the new LCDs a "no touch auto adjust," which purportedly sets things to you liking without requiring an effort from the new owner, but the AccuColor control system allows you to tweak said settings if your uncontent heart desires. As for pricing, the smallest sibling is available right now for $229.99, while the larger two should hit shelves in May for $289.99 and $359.99, respectively.
LG's KB2700 for widescreen DMB enjoyment
"Remain calm, earthling, I do not wish to harm you -- at least, not yet. I merely wish to demonstrate LG's newest mobile TV phone, the KB2700. With a sliding keypad and a landscape screen, lazy humanoids such as you do not need to turn the handset sideways to enjoy the mind-numbing form of entertainment you call 'television.' Unfortunately, only those in the Earth territory of South Korea will be able to obtain it. Now, please lie still while I beam you back to the cornfield from which we obtained you."
"Widescreen" video watch touts 1.8-inch LCD
The video watch craze seems to be catching on, as what was once an oddity has now started to grow us just a bit, and while we can't deny the arguably appalling nature of rocking an LCD screen on your wrist, the latest option most definitely goes for broke. Hey, if you're going to go, you might as well go all out, and by slapping a wristwatch on your arm with a prominent 1.8-inch "widescreen" display front and center, you'll certainly be catching a few eyes for better or worse. This Chinavision timepiece boasts 2GB of internal memory, supports MP3, WMA, and WAV music formats, handles MTV video files care of a software conversion, a JPEG photo / text viewer, internal speaker, USB 2.0 connectivity, FM radio, voice recorder, six equalizer settings, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack to boot. Of course, glancing back at the less-than-sexy design can quickly wipe away the pros that this thing surely has going for it, but for just over $56, the CVESG-S818-2 still looks mighty tempting.[Via CNET]
Resident Evil Wii will be seen in 480p, 16:9 glory
Speaking to IGN, Capcom's senior director of strategic planning and research Christian Svensson has confirmed that Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles for Nintendo Wii will be presented in Expanded Definition 480p progressive scan and 16:9 widescreen.The revelation shouldn't be too surprising, considering the previous iteration Resident Evil 4 was letterbox widescreen on the GameCube (and given the option for true widescreen on the PS2 version). However, true to Nintendo's focus elsewhere, the list of games that use 480p / 16:9 widescreen is currently pretty small. Though the Wii, as Nintendo presents it, is a system that prioritizes interaction over graphical proficiency, the system is at least as powerful as two GameCubes duct taped together (we kid, we kid). We expect the graphics of the games to reflect the console's ability and would like to see those visuals in as crisp an image as possible, whether the game in question is realistic or comical in presentation. We hope Capcom's decision is just part of a larger trend of future Wii releases. It is unknown if Umbrella Chronicles, currently scheduled for a late 2007 release, will be present at Capcom's Gamers Day event April 12.
Wii Warm Up: Virtual Console on HDTV
Of the download services for the new consoles, Nintendo's Virtual Console provides the most faithful representation of older games. ToeJam & Earl on the Wii looks like ToeJam & Earl on the Genesis-- no borders, no filters, no "enhancements." We appreciate Nintendo's decision not to try to improve on the resolution or anything, since we see the VC as a form of preservation.It is especially maddening, then, to hear that VC games default to widescreen when played on HDTV's. This seems to fly in the face of what the VC is about. We're sure some of you are HDTV owners, and we want to know: does this bother you as much in practice as it bothers us in theory (no HDTV here)? Or have you gotten used to switching the aspect ratio every time you want to play Vigilante? Or ... are you playing in a non-archival resolution? Don't tell us if you are. We don't think we could take it.[Thanks for the idea, RD!]
Apple TV kinda sorta works with certain 4:3 SD TVs
Semi-good news for the folks out there short a fancy widescreen display to plug an Apple TV into: nothing's going to explode or nothing if you go ahead and hook it up to your regular old TV. The folks at Rogue Amoeba have been celebrating just such a feat, since the Apple TV seems to be running just fine at 480i on their ghetto-school 4:3 CRT via component, unfortunately, it seems their celebrations are a tad premature. They claim to have video running unsquished, but as you can see in the pic above, which compares the Rogue setup to our own, the menu at least is most definitely being squeezed to fit. The word on the street is that 4:3 TVs are fine as long as they have the proper hookups and a simulated widescreen mode, but it's pretty clear that the Apple TV itself provides no support for 4:3 viewing.[Via El Reg]
Navigon unveils 5100 / 7100 GPS units at CeBIT
While we suspect a fair amount of rebadging will be going down at CeBIT this year, we've got good news for those hoping for Navigon to step it up a notch. The firm is reportedly coming clean and finally manufacturing a unit of its own, and based on what we're seeing right now, it's not a half bad first effort. Both the 5100 and 7100 GPS navigation systems purportedly sport a Bluetooth handsfree calling system, "exclusive lane assistance," free traffic jam reports, voice input, and PIN code security as well. The higher-end 7100 boasts a 4.3-inch widescreen display, while the more budget-minded 5100 sticks with the more diminutive 3.5-inch variety, but both units do feature a new technology dubbed "Reality View" to give you a "more realistic" look at those oh-so-critical signs and upcoming roadways. Of course, both devices are slated solely for a European release, and while the 7100 series will be landing this summer for around €450 ($593) to €500 ($659) depending on map selection, the 5100 series will demand just €350 ($461) to €400 ($527).
Reader UI of the Week: January 31 to February 6
Once again it's time for the ever-increasingly popular Reader UI of the Week. This week brings us something special, in that these teeny-tiny images link to GIANT MONSTROUS IMAGES. This is the widest screen setting I've seen so far. Be warned, clicking opens massive real-sized images that are about 2 megs each. Character Name: Seperioth (50 druid) (pictured is my 19 rogue twink. Seper) Screensize: 2560x1024 (2 19" lcd's) General Theme: Anything that helps make gameplay easier and information brought forward to where I need it. Addon's Used: Atlas, Atlas Loot, Auctioneer, CT_MailMod, Enchantrix, FlightTime, MobsToLevel, punky_coords, Titan, TitanBG, TitanHonorGrind, Titan Emote and FinalFantasylization (not all the time though) I go searching for addons every week now to try and find answers to problems I might be having or have had in the past. A big one is I tend to miss my buddy's and my health (because its so far to the left :p) so sometimes we wipe because of that. I haven't found an answer to that yet. Other problems in the past have been how many mobs to lvl (i like grinding mobs when i'm a few bars away), what loot a boss drops ( when i was making my twink this came in handy) and flight times (so i can go get a drink or snack real quick). I use all these things alot and dont know how i went through 30 lvls without them :p Ive attached 2 shots. One of my UI the other shows the beautiful screenshots I can take that a single 19" monitor could not take. Alot of people are amazed I play at that resolution. Some of you might not realize I have the LCD frame in the middle of my screen :p So my character, bars etc. are all cut in half :p. But you get used to it after awhile. So there you have it, another amazing Reader UI setup. Discuss in the comments, and remember to submit your UI to "readerui at gmail dot com". Just be sure to type it correctly!
Viewsonic intros 17-inch widescreen monitor
It may not exert the same desktop dominance as the company's 24 and 28-inch offerings, but Viewsonic's new 17-inch monitor will still let you get a taste of the widescreen action while leaving room in your wallet to match all that extra desk space. Coming in at just barely over $200, the VA1703wb brings the 1440x990 resolution you'd expect on a monitor of this size, along with a 500:1 contrast ratio, 250 cd/m2 brightness, and an 8 ms response time. The port situation is equally low-end, with just a single VGA input to meet your connectivity needs. Interestingly, DigiTimes reported late last year that both Viewsonic and Apple were set to release 17-inch widescreen displays by the first quarter of this year, making them half-right so far, although how much credibility this adds to the prospect of a 17-inch Cinema Display remains to be seen.[Via TG Daily]
Yojimbo gets a 3-pane widescreen hack
You can't say I've never blogged anything I don't like - remember that three-pane widescreen plugin for Mail.app? Well, Jon Hicks (yeah, that Jon Hicks) has brought the same window paradigm to Yojimbo with a little hack. Now you too can be the proud owner of a three-pane, widescreen Yojimbo. The hack (which requires the latest version 1.4, that we mentioned earlier) isn't hard to install, but you should still check out Jon's post and follow his instructions word-for-word (to be clear: that especially includes the word 'backup'). There is also a minor catch with the hack in that you can't shrink the Yojimbo window too small, otherwise the notes list will overrun into the note preview window. Fortunately, clicking the bar between the two areas will snap them back into place, so you shouldn't have much to worry about.Me? I still believe there's a lot in a name (and email subjects, too). Maybe it's my blogger practices, but nearly all my notes have very descriptive names, so I need to see as much of those names as possible. These widescreen hacks just feel like change for change's sake, as opposed to good UI (but don't get me wrong: Mr. Hicks does fantastic work). But, in the end, I also still believe in "to each their own," so enjoy the hack if this is your bag.
The widescreen iPhone -- not so widescreen
You know how Steve Jobs and Apple like to boast of the iPhone's ability to function as a "widescreen iPod?" Well, anyone who sat in Moscone Center to witness the holy unveiling surely noticed the screen cropping (letterboxing) that occurred when Steve played Pirates of the Carribean. That's because the iPhone isn't "widescreen" as the term is customarily understood outside of the reality distortion field -- it is not a 1.78:1 (16x9) aspect ratio. Rather, the display utilizes a 1.5:1 aspect ratio. That puts the iPhone somewhere in the proprietary zone between the NTSC or PAL television standard 1.33:1 (4x3) and a proper widescreen 1.78:1 (16x9) aspect ratio like that thrown off Apple's new Apple TV. As demonstrated during the Jobsnote, true widescreen videos can be zoomed to fill the iPhone's screen but only at the expense of cropping the left and right-hand side video. Will this, uh, clarification or other nits prevent the first batch from selling out? Oh hells no. But at least now you know the truth.
Wario thumbs his nose at widescreen
Chalk another one up to Chris Kohler's 4:3 Hall of Shame with Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. But the question is -- do you care? It's certainly annoying (though perhaps understandable in Trauma Center, at least) when your video games don't take full advantage of your televisions, but so long as all the game play is accessible, visible, and in full, brilliant color ... is this important to you? [Via Joystiq]
Apple TV tidbits
Everyone is gah gah over the iPhone, and rightfully so, but I thought that Apple TV should get some love. Apple notes that you need to have a 'widescreen TV' in order to use Apple TV. Furthmore Apple says that Apple TV works with 'widescreen, enhanced-definition or high-definition TVs capable of 1080i, 720p, 576p, or 480p resolutions.' It looks like your standard run of the mill TV won't be up to the task of working with Apple TV (all the Apple TVs on the showfloor are hooked up to Sony Bravia TVs).Apple has also posted a tour of the Apple TV UI, so if you aren't at Macworld you can take an Apple TV for a spin.Update: John says if your TV works with a progressive scan DVD player you should be set. Standard TVs are welcome at the Apple TV party.
HP's widescreen TX1000 convertible tablet reviewed
If you're in the market for an ultralight, sexy, and multimedia-centric convertible laptop, it looks like the TX1000 might not be such a bad choice. According to LAPTOP Mag's review on the pre-production convertible tablet, HP's design team did a bang-up job here, and all the multimedia sweetness (like a dual-layer DVD burner, webcam, "great" speakers, and HP's Media Center) you'd expect in a Pavilion unit still appears even in the 12.1-inch frame. Also praised was the potent 1.8GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 processor, generous 2GB of RAM, and a rather spacious 160GB hard drive; opening and operating applications was noticeably quick, and the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics card did wonders when playing back DVDs and rendering Vista's Aero interface. The biggest digs came (unfortunately) from the glossy touchscreen LCD, as reviewers noted that the screen felt "quite flimsy" when switched into tablet mode, but was assured by HP that finalized units wouldn't suffer the same issue. Additionally, fan noise was (understandably) louder than similar, less-spec'd units, the touchpad was "an acquired taste," it lacked a hover zone found on many other tablets, and the entire touchscreen was simply less responsive than expected. Overall, however, the machine seemed to do more impressing than disappointing, and if you're looking to use this more like a laptop and less like a tablet, this 4-star rated machine would probably suit you just fine.
Mitsubishi's RDT221WM Diamondcrysta 22-inch LCD
The shift towards a larger standard screen size isn't a surprising one (remember the dark days of 15-inch CRTs?). Besides, manufacturers need a legal reason to keep prices level as efficiency is continually increased, and consumers can't seem to get enough screen estate. Unless you've been living in a cave for the past few months, then you'll have noticed that the size du jour is 22-inch widescreen LCDs. Mitsubishi is the latest to join the fray with the announcement of the 22-inch RDT221WM Diamondcrysta -- although sadly it doesn't come with any diamonds or crystals. Specs wise, the RDT221WM features a 1680 x 1050 panel which is viewable 160 degrees vertically and horizontally, a hardly dazzling brightness of 300cd/m2, a pretty standard 800:1 contrast ratio, and an average 5ms response time. If that didn't blow your mind (it didn't ours), then the 1W speakers, choice of silver or black bezels, and the non-HDCP DVI-D and VGA inputs probably won't either. No matter, because the ¥59,800 ($506) price tag is pretty much in line with the feature set. If you're still interested, then look for the RDT221WM when it's available on January 26.[Thanks, vinit]
