Filed under: HDTV, Peripherals

Just in case you get the itch to hook up nearly every high definition source currently available (okay, maybe not all of them) in the comfort of your living room, Gefen has unveiled two new plug and play DVI switchers for the biggest of HD junkies. Doubling up on its DVI KVM device, the 4×1 DVI switcher sports 4 dual-link DVI inputs along with a single output, and supports local switching right on the box — upping the ante even further is the 8×1 flavor, which conviently comes in a 1U rackmountable enclosure and touts HDCP passthrough capability. Both units sport IR remote switching, RS-232 serial ports, includes as many 6 foot DVI cables as inputs, and can sustain HDTV signals 1080p. Detangling that royal mess of DVI cables won’t come cheap, however, as the little guy will run you $349, while the 8-port sibling demands a whopping (but not at all surprising) $899.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Runco, obviously, is already in the game. So are Sony, Sharp, Marantz, JVC, and even a little outfit called projectiondesign. But when it comes to 1,080p front projectors, we’ve been wanting to call up Mitsubishi on our Boost Mobile phone and ask them “Where you at?” Well the venerable rear-projection TV manufacturer has apparently been biding its time in order to release its first full HD unit, but the pricetag on this 3LCD model may convince you that it was worth the wait, as the LVP-HC5000 will cost “just” 450,000 yen (about $3,890) when it hits Japanese shores on October 12th. Even at this bargain basement price, you’re still getting a very respectable set of specs, most notably a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 (though static is a mere 2,000:1), 1,000 nits of blinding brightness, as well as a full complement of inputs including HDMI, DVI-I, component, composite, S-Video, and even D-sub. Yeah, this all sounds like a pretty good deal; now we’re just hoping that they’ll ship this puppy overseas and help us finally purge that embarrassing 27-inch CRT from our otherwise kick-ass home theater setup.

[Via HDBeat]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, HDTV, Peripherals

In the grand scheme of things, having too many HDMI devices and not enough HDMI inputs is a problem most of us would love to have, but it’s still good to know that there’s companies like LINDY out there making dreams come true for the HD-obsessed. The company’s new descriptively-named HDMI Switch Remote will give you three extra ports to connect HDMI or DVI sources (with an adapter) to your HDTV or projector, and it’ll let you switch between them from the comfort of your couch with its handy remote control. Fully HDMI and HDCP-compliant, the unit should easily handle video up to 1080p and multi-channel audio, as well as resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 if you’re using it with a DVI source. You can get one now, in the U.K. at least, for £149 (about $280 US).

[Via Crowdedbrain]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

So we’re not sure if this is the same Vista-focused product that the company was supposedly working on with Microsoft, but Samsung has just revealed a new 22-inch widescreen LCD known as the CX223B/W that should go nicely with the upcoming OS. Available in black or silver, this monitor features a pretty decent 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, 5-millisecond response time, and most importantly for HD fans, an HDCP-enabled DVI port (though HDMI seems to be missing). The lack of info on other important specs such as contrast or brightness makes us think that the display is not scheduled for an impending release, a notion that’s only further supported by the lack of any pricing details. If you can’t wait for the CX223BW to start shipping in the US, there’s always that LCM-22w2 from Westinghouse to keep you occupied for the time being, and both Dell and LG are expected to drop new 22-inch models in the near future as well.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Filed under: Displays, Gaming

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Filed under: Displays

Filed under: Laptops

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Peripherals

A lot of people like/need to do their computing away from the actual computer, and for most applications up to several hundred feet, a regular old wired or wireless KVM extender will do, but if for some reason you’d like to situate your machine up to six-and-a-quarter miles away, only the DVI3000HD from Gefen is up to the task. This new 1,280 x 1,024-capable extender uses single mode fiber optic cables to connect a transmitter situated by your PC to a receiver box located next to your workspace, and sports USB 1.1, DVI, and RS-232C ports for breaking the signal out to your keyboard, mouse, monitor, and/or serial devices. As you might expect, super-long-distance computing like this doesn’t come cheap, so both boxes and the included cables — available now for pre-order — will set you back a cool two grand.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Storage

Filed under: Media PCs

If you liked the Mac mini-inspired Blueado m5e home theater PC, then you're gonna love a recently-released, improved version of the machine that the company is touting as a "Sport Edition" (because, you know, nothing invokes athleticism like sitting around watching TV and movies all day), which adds several compelling features (and $500) to its $1,500 sibling. Packing in the same 2.0GHz Pentium M processor and integrated graphics as the m5e, this new edition doubles both RAM and HDD capacity to 2GB and 400GB, respectively, and also throws in both analog and digital tuners for keeping you entertained. You get a fairly wide variety of connectivity options with this one -- USB 2.0, FireWire, DVI, VGA, S-video, and digital coax -- along with Dolby Digital and DTS support for hooking up your surround sound speakers to the included RCA outputs. Of course, no HTPC would be complete without a DVD burner, remote control, and million-in-one card reader, so the Sport Edition -- available now -- mixes in those ingredients as well.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Networking

Certainly not the the first solution for streaming HD programming around your house, a new product called the AircordAV promises to dumb down the whole process into what would appear to be a 5-minute-install, and supports that sweet 1,080p resolution to boot. Instead of asking your existing router to do all the hard work, AircordAV comes with a base unit that hooks up to any of your home theater gear using HDMI, DVI, component, S-video, composite, or SCART connections, and creates its own 802.11g network with up to eight clients feeding any or all of your video displays. Aircord claims the product is capable of lossless streaming, and uses a proprietary technology to encode and decode your video signals, although the company's lack of a website or actual product shots makes us a bit wary of the whole thing. We'll find out in December if this clever idea can be turned into a working device -- that's when the AircordAV will supposedly be released -- and if it can, expect to cough up at least $500 to start cutting those cords.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

We know there are a ton of Brits anxiously waiting to hear whether Acer's 32-inch AT3205-DTV LCD, at only $1,888 dollars, is really such a bargain, so we won't keep you in suspense: according to Trusted Reviews, it most certainly is. Truth be told, the picture actually sounds like it leaves something to be desired -- black levels and fine detail aren't the best -- but they seem to fall in the acceptable range, and the 1366 x 768 screen apparently delivers vibrant colors and good brightness levels. Other plusses include the built-in Freeview tuner (no CI slot for adding subscription content, though), powerful-for-a-flat-panel sound system, and a plethora of connection options, including HDMI and DVI, component, three SCART ports, and digital audio out. So, if you can deal with some slightly gray blacks and a bit of a, um, bold design, then fear not, British friends, because your quid will be well spent on the Acer.

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV

Somehow, we suspect Sony’s brass are not very happy right now. Instead of spending their time at E3 fielding softball questions about the Playstation 3′s graphics, they’re playing defense, as they continue to face queries about the new console’s pricing and the missing features on the lower-priced version. In an interview with CNN, Sony’s Kaz Hirai said the pricing — $499 for the 20GB PS3 and $599 for the 60GB version — was justified by the inclusion of technologies like the Cell processor and Blu-ray, and added that the “totality” of the product is a “good value for consumers.” Hirai also defended the lack of HDMI on the 20GB PS3, commenting that “there’s not a discernible difference between what you get between HDMI and other forms of high definition.” While that might be the case with current Blu-ray flicks, all movie studios (including Sony Pictures) have reserved the right to implement the Image Constraint Token in future discs, which could force anyone using analog outputs — including owners of the 20GB PS3 — to watch downgraded video. We assume Hirai’s familiar with the issue, so we have to wonder whether his claim that the PS3 is “future-proofed” is just a little bit disingenuous. All it would take is one Blu-ray disc with ICT for owners of 20GB PS3s to realize they’ve been locked out of the future.

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Filed under: Gaming, HDTV, Peripherals

At Microsoft’s E3 presentation today, one of the most eagerly awaited pieces of infomation concerned the company’s plans to offer an external HD DVD player for the Xbox 360. And the company delivered — sort of. Yes, they showed off a slide with a picture of an external player designed to match the 360. And the slide did state that the player will be available “this holiday.” And, yes, that slide included images of HD DVD flicks that it will presumably be able to play. But the crucial details, such as a ship date, pricing, and, perhaps most important, info on whether or not the player will support HDCP or HDMI, were nowhere to be found.

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Filed under: Displays

src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/05/displayport.jpg" alt="" />Ruh roh, just when you knew for a fact you
were all settled in with the latest generation of video interconnects for your laptops and peripherals, then VESA comes
along and gets three of the most influential companies in the PC business, href="http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=dell">Dell, HP, and href="http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=lenovo">Lenovo, to rally behind its new video interface: DisplayPort. Ok,
so it’s not that new (we wrote about it last
year), but it looks like it’s finally ready to rumble starting May 8th. We called up VESA to get the skinny on the
port, and they were kind enough to hit us up with that graphic and the following deets: it’ll not be backward
compatible with with DVI / VGA (ouch), it’ll have wire-line encryption developed by Philips — that’s not compatible
with HDCP (double ouch), but has a very small plug and scales well
(eh). So why create DisplayPort when we’ve all already settled into DVI / HDMI with or without HDCP for plugging in our
plasma or LCD TVs or monitors? Well, because VESA wanted the market to have a unified, license-free video interconnect
standard that did a few things current systems don’t do, like have a standard low power, low pin count, low profile
connector for use on portable device internals and external monitors alike, or scale indefinitely to resolutions, color
depths, and refresh rates possibly yet unthought of by systems integrators. Ok, fair enough, but where were these guys
in 2001, huh? You know how we feel about nascent standards trying to butt in once we’ve all finally gotten settled on
something decent.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

If you're looking for the perfect 20-inch monitor, look no further than Dell's 2007WFP 1,680 x 1,050 widescreen display, say NewsFactor, who give the LCD five out of five stars. Clearly testing a unit not afflicted with the gradient banding issues some users are reporting on forums, NF finds the 2007WFP to be a solid performer for video, gaming, and office uses alike (although the 16ms response time probably won't cut it with hardcore fraggers in a world of 1ms options), offering good picture quality, plenty of connectivity options, and an intuitive GUI in an attractive package. Especially noteworthy are the variety of ports, with four USB 2.0, DVI, VGA, composite, and S-Video inputs ensuring that only component-equipped devices will feel left out. Best of all, this $530 display -- with its HDCP-support -- will work with an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player when you decide to take the plunge, making the Dell that much more of a bargain.

[Via Yahoo]

Filed under: Displays

It's hard feel sorry for a reviewer who had to spend a few hours seated at a three monitor setup trying to gauge how "immersed" he felt in his favorite FPS titles, but we've gotta give the intrepid Wil Harris some props for pulling himself away from F.E.A.R. long enough to write up a review of the Matrox Triplehead2Go. Sounds like the device does work as advertised. Meaning, it splits a VGA connection into three VGA connections and tells your computer it's hooked up to one big 3840 x 1024 display. All the software seems to work fine for the various desktop configurations, and while there aren't too many games that can handle 3840 x 1024 out of the box, the included software can help get most common games up and running, and can even be extended by users to cover other titles. As for gaming, the setup comes highly recommended if you've got the graphics power to handle the added resolution. For productivity, the analog connections and further signal degradation due to three-way splitting makes the Triplehead2Go not be such a hot choice. So hold out for DVI if you must, or throw down your $300 (plus a few LCDs), jump in and get fragging.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/04/vaiohtype.jpg" align="absBottom" vspace="4" border="0" />

Now that we’ve got Sony’s href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/12/sonys-new-vaio-l-series-all-in-one-desktop/">brand spankin’ href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/12/sonys-vaio-rc300-series-with-blu-ray-disc-get-official/">new Vaios out of
the way, we can move on to the rest of the 40-odd models the company announced in Japan today, most of which represent
spec bumps to existing boxes. Most of the Vaio laptop lines,
including the multi-hued F, href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/24/sony-adds-vaio-f-tv-laptop-for-video-on-the-go/">F-TV and S series get
Core Duo processors (or Core Solo for the lower-priced models). Most also get that coveted "Windows Vista
Capable" sticker, which you can proudly display until you can actually run Vista. The F-TV model also gets a new
display with improved brightness and darker blacks, along with an enhanced sound system. Meanwhile, the desktop V and H
(shown above) lines get processor bumps (up to a P4 641 at 3.2GHz on one model) , analog and terrestrial digital tuners,
and new LCDs with resolutions up to 1366 x 768. The 20-inch version of the LCD also includes DVI-D for HD input. So, how
does this add up to over 40 new and updated models? Well, if you add up all the display and processor permutations (and,
of course, the different colored cases on the F series and V displays), you’ll hit a number up around there. But unless
you’re a Japanese retailer or hate your job so much that you’ll do almost anything else to avoid it, we suggest
skipping that exercise.

Read – V/H Series
Read – href="http://tinyurl.com/jlwyj">F/F-TV/S Series

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Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Handhelds, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs, Podcasts, Tablet PCs