TiVo aren’t the only ones getting a streaming HD update: Samsung have released a firmware upgrade for their BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray players that enables high-definition streaming from on-demand partner Netflix. Version 2.1 also “improves playback compatibility” of some content.
Samsung had promised the update back in November; currently there are around 300 titles in HD available to view. Aside from Netflix, the two Blu-ray players have HQV video processing, 7.1 analog outputs, Dolby Digital, Digital Plus, TrueHD or dts audio support, together with DTS-HD HR and DTS-HD MA bitstream support. The BD-P2500 is available at a variety of stores, while the BD-P2550 is a Best Buy exclusive.
The firmware is available to download from Samsung’s support pages. However, if you installed the v2.0 firmware released back in October, the auto-upgrade feature that package introduced might just do it all for you.
[via Engadget HD]
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Written by Chris Davies on December 3rd, 2008 with comments disabled.
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A prematurely added menu item seems to have confirmed that Amazon will be offering high-definition content on TiVo. The new option - which has appeared in the normal Amazon Video On Demand menu - currently does nothing when selected, but presumably it will soon offer a list of titles that can be streamed in HD.
Amazon’s On Demand service has been available to TiVo users since July 2007, with streaming content from the retailers “Unbox” service. Up until now, however, there’s only been standard-definition movies on offer.
It’s uncertain how long download times will be for high-definition content, with the extra data involved. Also unknown is Amazon’s pricing for the new HD movies. However the appearance of the menu option suggests that we’ll find out those answers sooner rather than later.
[via Engadget]
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Written by Chris Davies on December 3rd, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Dish Network have confirmed that their DTVPal DVR will be available to pre-order from next week, with deliveries of the personal video recorder beginning in December. The unit includes an Over The Air (OTA) analog and digital TV tuner with an unspecified recording capacity and 720p/1080i outputs.
While the DTVPal PVR includes both USB and ethernet connections, they won’t initially be in use. Rather than sourcing program guides from online, the PVR will access OTA data. Both analog and digital content can be paused, recorded, reversed and more.
Of course, what will attract most people is the absence of a subscription fee; like Freeview PVRs in Europe, the Dish Networks box will cost only as much as its initial purchase price. Even that’s subject to some sweetening: a $50 rebate on the $300 sticker price for early buyers.
[via Dave Zatz]
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Written by Chris Davies on November 12th, 2008 with no comments.
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Flip have announced their latest camcorder, the MinoHD, capable of recording 720p high-definition widescreen footage to its 4GB of internal memory. Designed with the same, ease-of-use principles as the rest of the Flip range, the MinoHD has a 1.5-inch glare-free display, minimal controls (which are touch sensitive) and built-in FlipShare editing and uploading software that installs automatically via the pop-out USB 2.0 port. In a first for the company, you can specify custom casing designs either from a range of existing options or by uploading your own image.
Measuring just 4 x 2 x 0.6-inches and weighing 3.3oz, the MinoHD is intended for point-and-shoot users who want a straightforward way to take high-definition footage. To that end there’s no expandable memory or complicated settings, just onboard software that offers basic editing and uploading. Alternatively it’s compatible with Windows and Mac editing apps.
The MinoHD boasts up to 2hrs use from its integrated, non-user-replaceable battery, and connects directly to a TV via the include cables for instant playback. It’s available, in black, from Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and other retailers, or in custom casings from TheFlip.com; both options have an MRSP of $229.99.
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Written by Chris Davies on November 12th, 2008 with no comments.
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Dell have taken the wraps off of their latest XPS computer, the 24-inch Dell XPS One 24 desktop PC. Running at full 1080p 1920 x 1080 high-definition, the XPS One has optional Blu-ray for entertainment and high-capacity back-ups, together with a 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor and optional NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT video card. Dell have also managed to pack in a 25W 2.1-channel JBL audio system.
Two basic versions of the new XPS One 24 are available, the first with a 320GB 7,200rpm hard-drive and integrated Intel GMA 4500HD graphics and the other with a 750GB drive and a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT video card. Both have 4GB of DDR2 RAM and an integrated HD TV tuner, but keep the single-cord design of the existing, 20-inch XPS One.
The Dell XPS One 24 is available now, priced from $1,699. It’s available in white, grey or (PRODUCT) RED charity livery.
[via Electronista]
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Written by Chris Davies on October 30th, 2008 with no comments.
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Samsung’s flexible OLED panel isn’t the only display the company has been showing off this week; they’ve also wheeled out a 40-inch OLED screen capable of full 1920 x 1080 high-definition resolution. The new panel also has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
The prototype is an update of a previous 40-inch OLED display, which Samsung first began developing in 2005. That first screen, while the same size, had a resolution of just 1,280 x 800 and a 5,000:1 contrast ratio. Samsung demonstrated the latest model alongside the 14-inch and 31-inch prototypes it recently unveiled at IMID in Korea.
At 40-inches full-HD, the panel is a world-first. Samsung has given no indication of if or when this specific display will be commercialized, but the company has previously claimed that AMOLED screens will become economically feasible in 2009.
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Written by Chris Davies on October 29th, 2008 with no comments.
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Setting up a computer-based media center can be a matter of picking one off the shelf of your nearest Best Buy, or spending days building your own DIY version. But if you’d rather stick with the PC you already have, the Hauppauge HD PVR Model 1212 could be the device for you. Capable of recording high-definition content, without DRM, it’s a compact USB box with a great cluster of ports; Gear Diary have been testing it out.
The good news is that it works exactly as intended. With component, optical, composite and S-Video, the only port you’ll really miss is HDMI. Still, there’s likely to be some way you can connect it up to your set-top box, and after that the Arcsoft software handles scheduling and playback.
The bad news is that, apparently, the Arcsoft software is pretty much awful. You’ll also need a decent spec PC, well above the dual-core and 256MB graphics Hauppauge suggest. The HD PVR also can’t output video, only guzzle it in, and of course it’s a real storage hog; budget for an extra hard-drive. It’s also not a standalone option, and will only work with an attached computer.
Still, the quality of the HD images (SD less so) pleases reviewer Joel McLaughlin, so if you can get past the usability issues then you’ll be left with decent output results.
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Written by Chris Davies on October 22nd, 2008 with no comments.
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The International Meeting on Information Display (IMID) 2008 kicked off in Korea yesterday, and both Samsung and LG Display brought along their latest OLED-based displays for a little screen-quality sparring. LG tried valiantly, with their 19-inch OLED panel, but Samsung’s smaller, 14-inch panel fought back with the lower power-requirements of AMOLED while their larger 31-inch full-HD panel won the war of inches.
The smaller Samsung AMOLED is also capable of high-definition resolution, though that’s of arguable use with a diagonal screen size of just over a foot. Still, it all bodes well for the larger-scale panels that Samsung promised will reach commercial viability in 2009.
Samsung also brought along a 15-inch Blue Phase mode LCD, with improved image quality over previous prototypes, and a number of large, super-thin sets including a 7.9mm-thick 40-inch LCD TV and a 9.8mm-thick 52-inch TV. It remains to be seen when commercial products based on these technologies will reach the marketplace.
[via OLED-Info]
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Written by Chris Davies on October 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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