Filed under: HDTV

After just a few delays (cough, cough) it appears that Sony’s first Blu-ray player — the BDP-S1 — has finally landed, and a few days early to boot. At last word the player was expected on or about Dec 4th 2006, but a few lucky Blu-ray fans picked one up from Best Buy today; no word on pre-orders from the Sony Style store as of yet. The early results are good and some have already started to enjoying that 1080@24P that we have all been waiting for. Sure 3:2 pulldown works great, but there is nothing like a native frame rate to bring out the best in film. Early indications seem to point to a lack of Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD decoding, but you can still enjoy uncompressed audio tracks via discrete analog cables or HDMI. As cool looking as this player is, a PS3 at Ebay prices may still be a better deal than a stand alone Blu-ray player.

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Norcent, our favorite TV maker in San Dimas, California (home of “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” dude!), has just released a new line of five TFT LCDs, known in company parlance as the “25 series.” These flat panels range from the 20-inch LT-2025 to the flagship 37-inch LT-3725, with all but the LT-2025 sporting a 16:9 aspect ratio, 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i compatibility, and 1266 x 768 resolution. Starting with the 27-inch model, the LT-2725, Norcent decided to toss in some HDMI action, along with ATSC, Clear-QAM and NTSC tuners. Prices on these televisions start at $340 and keep head north to about $1150.

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

So if you’re a consumer electronics manufacturer in the midst of a highly-publicized product release, you’d think that the last group of customers you’d want to alienate would be the die-hard fanatics who participate in your forums everyday and were among the very first to place orders for said product, right? Well judging by the tone of the comments on the TiVo Community boards, that’s exactly what the company has down to its so-called VIP subscribers — you know, the ones who possess those coveted lifetime subscriptions and woke up extra-early this past Tuesday to ensure that their new Series3 boxes would arrive the next day. Except TiVo apparently wasn’t ready to handle the deluge of orders that it received, and after two days of wondering what the heck was going on (calls to customer service were met by confusion and misinformation on the part of the phone reps), everyone finally received an email confirming the delays and promising shipment by Friday. Luckily TiVo had the good sense to refund the shipping charges — in some cases $50 worth — to these early adopters, but much to the VIPs’ displeasure, they learned that they’d be unable to cancel their pending orders if they wanted to go the retail route; and what’s more, there was some confusion as to whether store-bought TiVos would even be eligible for the $200 lifetime subscription transfer. As of this writing it seems that only a handful of folks actually got their boxes on Friday, with everyone else scrambling to reschedule the CableCARD installation appointments they’d made with their cable providers. So while there’s little argument that TiVo makes a fine product with a world-class interface, perhaps when it eventually comes out with the Series4, it’ll do some better planning or leave distribution to the professionals — apparently, TiVo and e-commerce don’t seem to go too well together lately.

[Via HDBeat]

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

So the worst-kept secret in the consumer electronics industry right now is that TiVo is on the verge of releasing the CableCARD-sportin’, HD-recordin’ Series 3 box — but no one seems to know exactly when you’ll be able to buy one. We heard from Todd the Best Buy employee that the new machines will be in stock on the 17th of this month, and now our friend Dave over at ZatzNotFunny has spotted the highly-anticipated DMR (remember, they’re not DVRs anymore, and TiVo won’t sell you one if you use that terminology) on Circuit City’s website showing an October availability. Now does that mean October 1st? The 15th? The 31st? Well if we knew, we’d tell ya, but at least now we seem to have an actual release window: the Series 3 will (probably) be available sometime between September 17th and October 31st. As usual, we’ll keep you posted as more information comes to light, but if that’s not good enough, you’re always welcome to switch over to satellite and pick up on of DirecTV’s new HR20-700 HD DVRs — thanks to HDBeat, we know that Best Buy will ship you one of those post haste.

Read- Series 3 [Via ZatzNotFunny]
Read- HR20-700 [Via HDBeat]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

As part of its “extensive” coverage of this year’s International Meeting on Information Display in Korea, AVING has a brief write-up on a 42-inch LCD monitor from LG that can switch between 2D and 3D modes at the touch of a button. And by “brief write-up,” we mean just that; it’s literally a one line mention of the HD-capable set, with no explanation as to how it performs this amazing feat. We suspect that the company has been working with Philips and implemented its WOWvx 3D technology, which provides auto-stereoscopic images without the need for those silly-looking, 50′s era blue and red glasses. There’s a good chance that this monitor will be on display again at CES, though, in which case we promise to provide you with the full deets (or at least a post containing a little more of the technical jargon that you love).

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Sony’s been doing this for a while, but Canon just finally jumped into the consumer HD game with their new HV10 HDV cam. To see how they well they’ve managed, David Pogue over at the New York Times got ahold of the camera and pitted it against Sony’s latest: the HDR-HC3. He doesn’t go so far as to name a victor, but the Canon does come out looking pretty good. With the recent bouts of HD-induced nausea consumers have been experiencing lately, Canon stuffed in an extra external auto-focusing sensor for near instant focus with quick camera moves. They also threw in some optical image stabilisation, and Pogue found both features quite effective. The HV10 also includes a built-in light, and better light sensitivity than Sony’s HC3, but Sony does manage an accessory shoe, night shot mode and a quite notable HDMI port that are all lacking on the Canon. Both cameras suffer from a weak wide-angle view, and neither include microphone jacks or much else for the prosumer set, but with the HV10′s list price of $1,300, and the $1,500 list-priced HC3 currently hitting $1,200 online, both cameras are quite the bargain for a tape-based HDV cam.

[Via HD Beat]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Deets are a bit slim, but Runco seems set on having something for pretty much everyone (everyone with money, that is) with their new line of high-end 1080p projectors. They’re starting things off with their new RS-1100 Ultra, a DLP unit that will be released for around $20,000 once it’s done with quality assurance testing, but they’ll also have models ranging from $12,000 for single chip models to $100,000 for three-chip action. Runco also plans to have CineWide versions of most models, which boosts the aspect ratio to “true widescreen” at 2.35:1 for a cinema-style experience. Other options include CineWide AutoScope, which can switch between 16:9 and 2.35:1, but bumps the price substantially. They’ll be showing off these models at the upcoming CEDIA tradeshow in September, and if prior quality is any indication, they should be some pretty hot stuff — so you might want to start saving those pennies.

[Via AboutProjectors]

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Filed under: Gaming, HDTV, Home Entertainment

For Microsoft to demo their forthcoming Xbox 360 HD DVD isn’t that surprising; to see them show off some UI mockups, ok, maybe a teensy bit surprising; to hear them give a price? Pretty shocking — but they didn’t, they gave a price range, and a nebulous one at that. HD Beat has it that during Microsoft’s presentation at the North America DVD Forum Conference, the 360′s HD DVD drive was said to “be the cheapest HD DVD player on the market for consumers who already own an Xbox 360 console.” In other words, means it’ll cost you less than a half a grand — which is even less encouraging than what we heard before. Gee, thanks; playing this one close to the chest, are you Microsoft? Don’t make us consult inside sources, because you know what happens when we do.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Both high definition optical disc formats have already seen their share of setbacks in the form of delays and hardware problems, and now they may be facing some nasty anti-trust allegations pending the results of a recently-launched EU probe. Having already flexed its authoritative muscle against Microsoft, the European Commission has now moved on to investigating the terms that the major backers of Blu-ray and HD DVD are exerting upon their respective licensees. Since the investigation is still “unofficial” at this point, the Commission refused to specify the particular companies being probed, although Sony publicly confirmed that it has received one of the letters in question and that it’s cooperating with regulators. If these same regulators decide that nothing fishy is going on, then the matter will be dropped; but if they’re displeased with the responses they get, a full anti-trust probe is likely. Best case scenario: only one of the camps ends up being subjected to further scrutiny, leaving the other as clear-cut victor in the format war and saving us all the hassle of choosing sides.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Prepare yourselves for a slew of new LCD sets from Syntax-Brillian that will be released in the coming months, as the newly-merged company has announced three new series of TVs under the Olevia brand that each consist of numerous different models. Out of the 3-series, 5-series, and 7-series lineups, the most is known about the fives, as these four units -- the 27-inch 527V, 32-inch 532H, 37-inch 537H, and 42-inch 542i -- are shipping immediately. Like the as-yet-unannounced members of the 3-series, these models all sport a 1,366 x 768 resolution, and also feature 8-millisecond response times, 1600:1 contrast ratios, built-in digital ATSC tuners, and HDMI, VGA, and HD component inputs. All that's known about the 7-series, on the other hand, is the fact that its constituent models will all offer full 1,080p resolution and RS232C control capability, along with what's being touted as "Hollywood Quality Video," which either means that picture quality is very good or stifled by DRM restrictions. No pricing or release details are available for any of the 3- or 7-series models -- they're scheduled "to be introduced to the market incrementally through September" is all we can say for sure -- and out of all the 5-series models that are supposedly shipping right now, we could only find a price for the 527V, which you can pick up for $800 or less.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

So it looks like TiVo is finally getting ready to roll out the long-awaited Series 3 DVR Digital Media Recorder, and just in the nick of time, it would seem; from what we can tell, consumers are chomping at the bit to start capturing the growing variety of high definition broadcasts available to them, making HTPCs a more attractive alternative as the days, weeks, and months pass with no HD TiVo. Zatz Not Funny is reporting that the DVR giant recently sent letters to both the FCC and major cable operators stating that Series 3 boxes are already being beta tested around the country and will be available "soon," though no actual release date is given. According to the letters, the CableLabs-certified device will sport two separate UDCP CableCARD slots, and TiVo is concerned about reports that certain cable installers have been refusing to provide beta testers with the necessary support -- no big surprise, as the industry has never shown much love for CableCARDs in the first place. Now, of course, we all want to know how TiVo defines the word "soon" -- previous speculation has centered around a September or early October release -- but we've been covering this beat long enough to know that hazarding a guess is pretty much useless, and that we won't find out any more info until the company is good and ready to reveal its launch plans. [Warning: PDF link]

[Via Zatz Not Funny]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Wireless

Home theaters in a box are not for everyone -- most people we know prefer to assemble their entertainment systems piecemeal -- but if you're in the market for such a product, then Philips is offering a fairly stylish new HDMI-equipped system with convenient wireless rear speakers that may be right up your alley. The Cineos HTS9800W is a 6.1-channel package (three 125-watt fronts, three rears, and a 150-watt subwoofer) with a slimline, upscaling DVD player that supports DVD+/-R discs, DivX-encoded video, and MP3 CDs, along with all those Super Audio CDs that we're sure you've been collecting over the years. Not a bad setup, especially for your bedroom or guest house, and it's available now for around $650.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Being an early-adopter is risky business -- especially when the product in question costs $1,000 and is embroiled in a so-called format war -- so the opinions of experienced reviewers are key in helping folks to decide whether or not to take the Blu-ray plunge, and whether Samsung's BD-P1000 is the machine to do it with. Luckily PCMag has a thorough write-up which not only discusses the merits and detriments of the player itself, but looks at the format as a whole to determine what type of consumer would actually benefit from next-gen optical devices in the first place. The review basically boils down to this: if you have a high definition TV larger than 42-inches, then you'll definitely notice a difference between Blu-ray and standard or upscaled DVDs, and the Samsung does a good job delivering the picture quality that Blu-ray is capable of. However, this particular reviewer also feels that Toshiba's HD-A1 HD DVD player -- at half the price -- has a slight edge in the picture department, although the P1000's uncompressed audio and ease-of-setup are judged to be superior. Ultimately the decision comes down to personal preferences, so you'll probably want to give both devices a thorough going-over at the store (even if you're buying online); as for us, we're just hoping that Ricoh gets that dual format laser out the door poste haste, so we never have to make a choice at all.

[Via Digital Media Thoughts]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

If you like to watch high definition video-- and we mean really, really like to watch it-- then Pioneer has a new 50-inch plasma on the market that promises unrivaled picture quality and realism -- for a pretty steep price. We first heard of the Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1 back at CES in January, where we instantly knew from the specs that this was a pretty special model: it delivers full 1080p resolution using over two million pixels that are just .576 millimeters across, features a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,000cd/m2 peak brightness, and sports two HDMI, one DVI, and one component input. What you're not getting here, though, are any built-in tuners; not only does this display lack a digital ATSC tuner, but it's also missing even a regular NTSC version -- which actually isn't that big of a deal for consumers with a set-top cable or satellite box. Apparently you can run right out and pick up your very own FHD1 as of today, but some of you may need to bring along several methods of payment, just in case you don't have any credit cards that are $10,000 under the limit.

[Via HDBeat]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Lately it's been the Blu-ray camp cruelly torturing us with product delays, but in a refreshing change of pace, today it's rival format HD DVD's main proponent Toshiba announcing that a next-gen optical disc device won't be shipping as scheduled. Unlike Sony's procrastination in releasing the PS3 and BDP-S1, though, Toshiba claims that it only needs two more weeks to get its RD-A1 HD DVD recorder out the door, citing inadequate inventory stemming from component shortages as the reason for putting off tomorrow's scheduled launch. Since this model, with its 1TB storage capacity and OTA digital tuner, is only headed for Japan anyway, the delay probably doesn't concern the vast majority of our American readers -- nor most Japanese, for that matter, as the $3,500 pricetag will likely dissuade all but the most fervent early-adopters.

[Via HDBeat]

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Panasonic will be adding two models to its Viera line of HDTV LCDs in the coming weeks with BS/110 CS digital tuners. Both the 26-inch TH-26LX65 and the 32-inch TH-32LX65 are high definition LCDs with 1,366 x 768 (720p native) resolution. They also come with all the right inputs to make your HDTV watching experience a pleasurable one, including the new kid on the block, HDMI. (There’s also a D4 input, which is found mainly in Japanese TVs, as well as S-Video and composite, among others.) The built-in speakers supposedly deliver fine-sounding stereo sound, but you’d have to be a dope to purchase an HDTV and not opt for a proper audio setup. Panasonic even threw in an SD card slot, presumably to display your slideshows shown on the big screen. Won’t Grandma be happy.

The 26-inch TH-26LX65 will retail for about $1,820 and the 32-inch TH-32LX65 for about $2,170. Both are due this September in Japan. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Specs (in Japanese) [Panasonic via Fareastgizmos.com]

Filed under: Desktops, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Media PCs

With all of the time and money that Hollywood and the consumer electronics industry have poured into copy-protecting high definition content, we were amused to learn that both formats can already be duplicated by the simplest of means: the trusty Print Screen button on your keyboard. UK-based Heise Security is reporting that the special OEM version of Intervideo's WinDVD software bundled with both Sony's first Blu-ray Vaio and Toshiba's first HD DVD Qosmio contains a security hole that allows users to capture video frames at their full resolution by simply triggering that Print Screen option -- which in and of itself is little more than a curiosity, but opens up the possibility of running a script that advances a given film one frame at a time and automates the whole screencap process, which would allow pirates to create high def copies by compiling the pictures and dubbing in the audio. Toshiba is already aware of the "problem" and claims that an impending software update will provide the fix, but as one HDBeat commenter astutely pointed out, as long as you can see a picture on your monitor or hear sound through your speakers, there will always be a way to capture that data.

[Via HDBeat]

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Filed under: Desktops, HDTV, Peripherals, Storage

Watch out BenQ, because your fellow countrymen over at LG also have a 3-in-1 Blu-ray burner poised for release, and not only does it write to BD-R discs at a blistering 4x speed, it’s coming to market several weeks before you’re getting your BW1000 out the door. In fact, LG’s Taiwanese subsidiary is claiming that the GBW-H10N internal drive will hit Chinese shores in the next few days, and at only $923, it’s something of a steal compared to dedicated players going for $1000 and up. Of course the BenQ model still holds a few key advantages over this unit, most significantly its ability to burn 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray discs as well as its faster write speeds for most recordable DVD and CD formats. So for now it looks like you’ll have to decide whether speed or capacity is the more important attribute, but as HDBeat alludes to, more competition in the market means that at least a few next-generation devices will probably have all the features you’re looking for.

[Via HDBeat]

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Filed under: Desktops, HDTV, Peripherals, Storage

So we finally got some solid release deets on BenQ's anticipated BW1000 3-in-1 Blu-ray burner (also known as the "Trio): it'll be coming out in late August, and set you back 799 euros, or a little over $1,000. As you'll recall, that grand is buying you an internal drive that writes to BD-R discs at 2x speed, to DVDs between 4x and 12x, and to CDs at 32x speed, while obviously playing back Blu-ray content at full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution as well. You're also getting the usual suite of features designed to dampen vibration and ensure data integrity, which will come in especially handy for folks who can't afford to be wasting those initially-expensive next-gen discs. Keep in mind, though, that this model won't be the only option available to you by the time it hits stores, so make sure to check out the supported formats and features on competing units from Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic and Philips before you lay down all that cash.

[Via Yahoo]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Those good sports over at PC World subjected themselves to the tough job of spending time with that 58-inch DLP HDTV from HP we first heard about at CES, and the verdict is overwhelmingly positive. The 118-pound wobulator takes up its fair share of living room space, but with a wide array of features, like built-in 2.1 sound, 1080p resolution, a menu system that’s “just about perfect,” and an extensive array of picture tweaking options, the trade-off is easily justified. The inputs, which are conveniently located in the front of the TV, include two HDMIs, two component-videos, a VGA, CableCard and two RF inputs, as well as a USB port for firmware upgrades. At $3,500, it’s a lot cheaper than most other, flatter alternatives, so you might even have enough money left over to keep your PS3 fund alive.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

In what may turn out to be a small, final boost for the HD DVD camp prior to the impending arrival of Samsung’s BD-P1000 Blu-ray player that’s definitely NOT been delayed, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that it will eventually knock five bucks off of each HD DVD disc that it sells. That’s right, if you were holding out on buying that Toshiba HD-A1 until movies dropped below $30, now may be your time to strike, as titles that were formerly $34.95 will soon retail for $29.95 (though you’ll probably be able to find them cheaper), with hybrid HD DVDs from the studio going for $35. Unfortunately (for HD DVD proponents, at least), the price drops won’t go into effect until August 8th, at which point this format war will have already spilled over into the marketplace.

[Via Digital Media Thoughts]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

We're not sure how business savvy it is for a company to announce in a press release that two of the 16:10 LCDs it's just unveiled -- in the same release -- will be made obsolete by key spec bumps in just a few months, but that didn't stop Acer from revealing that both the new 22-inch AL2216W and 26-inch AL2616W will be replaced by HDCP-capable versions during the fourth quarter. Reason being,  the current iterations of these models -- both members of the company's Value Line -- lack the necessary digital inputs to support the HD copy protection standard, although that's not the case with the the third display released today, the DVI-sporting, 24-inch AL2434WR. Like the AL2616W, the 24-incher -- part of the Office Line -- features a 1,920 x 1,200 WUXGA display, 6-millisecond gray-to-gray response time, and a 1000:1 contrast ratio, while the AL2216W is slightly quicker (5 milliseconds) than both, but offers less pixels (1,680 x 1,050) and a lower contrast ratio (700:1). As of this writing, pricing has not been revealed for any of these new units, but if you're interested in the Value lineup, we're thinking that maybe you should just save your pennies anyway and hold out for HDCP.

[Via BIOS]

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Filed under: Gaming, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Media PCs

Although home theater PCs are great for watching and listening to your digital content from the comfort of your couch, most lack the graphics horsepower for playing your favorite games on your 60-inch plasma and eight speaker setup. Not so with Okoro‘s new OMS-GX300, which besides sporting a dual-core Athlon64 FX-60 processor from AMD, also packs in that tasty SLI goodness in the form of nVidia’s GeForce 7950 GX2 card featuring a full gig of video RAM. As if that weren’t enough to get you excited, the GX300 also comes with 1TB of storage standard — upgradable to a whopping 3TB thanks to four open SATA bays — three TV tuners (2 analog and one OTA digital), an HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 sound card, and just about every input and output that you could ask for — except, curiously, HDMI. Best of all, this model features a 7-inch front panel touchscreen for displaying tons of infoswag, at a price that’s at least four hundred bucks less than the $5,000-and-up screen-less Denali series from Niveus.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Features, Misc. Gadgets, Handhelds, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Portable Video

With the FIFA World Cup set for kickoff at 11:55AM EST today, most of us Americans are still sitting around scratching our heads trying to figure out how to pronounce Pelé, and whether we'd be offending anybody if we just called football "soccer" so things are less confusing. Turns out we are very alone in this predicament, since in 2002 the World Cup nabbed a total TV viewership of 29 billion, with 1.1 billion people viewing Brazil's defeat of Germany in the finale. The tournament takes place among 32 teams over the course of a month, and is being hosted by Germany this time around -- who have built or retrofitted 12 stadiums to host the 64 matches. Suffice it to say that this is the biggest sporting event in the world, making our American football's Super Bowl look quite minuscule by comparison. And what better way to celebrate this month of sporting excess than to round up all the tech it entails? If you need a bit more convincing, we recommend Larry Dobrow's "The Ignorant American's Guide to the World Cup," and if that doesn't help, might we remind you of the decent chance of celebratory and/or irate crazed-fan rioting -- brought to you live in HD?

While there are a myriad of ways to actually receive live TV of the matches all over the world, the main source for all this video is a team-up of HBS and Deutsche Telekom's T-Systems Media&Broadcast. HBS (Host Broadcast Services) is a dedicated organization set specifically to produce TV and radio coverage of the tournament, and they're all set with a staff of 2,000 to produce live 16:9, SD, PAL, and HDTV coverage from all 12 stadiums. The 1080i/50 MPEG-2 signals alone run at 1,485Mbps, with a minimum of 20 HDTV cameras running for each match. That's where T-Systems Media&Broadcast steps in: pumping out all that data. They'll be on the scene with ISDN, Ethernet, WiFi, DSL, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA to shoot HBS signals to the International Broadcast Centre master control in Munich, and to manage all the other data from the 15,000 or so press people on the scene. From the IBC, the video and audio "pool feed" gets shipped off to more than 180 broadcasters worldwide. You think we're done? Not a chance, click on!

No insanely popular sporting event would be complete these days without some beefy security, and Germany seems to have that in spades as well. Along with 2,000 active troops and 150,000 ready-to-eat meals just in case of some sort of worst-case scenario, the stadiums themselves have been rigged up with all manner of security. Siemens has done a lot of the work, implementing fire, smoke, and motion detectors in discreet ways; so as to not mar the historic look of many of the stadiums, they've embedded much of their technology in stadium roofing. Tickets are RFID embedded with name, address, birth date, etc. to prevent "black market" ticket sales, and are checked against a database as fans pass through the entrance gates. Stadiums also have cameras to record biometric facial features, and there's even technology in place to monitor and correct traffic flow leading to and from the stadiums.

Of course, most of us will end up watching these games from the comfort of our own homes, or the home of a buddy with a larger TV than us who splurged for the last Super Bowl. So the real story is how to acquire those HD feeds. Sadly, it's a bit of a mixed bag for us in the States, since the coverage is split between ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 --not all of which are available in HD in all markets. ESPN2 which will probably be getting a good chunk of games, including the first US game on June 12th (yes, we're playing in this crazy tournament as well, and we might not even be half bad!). Full domestic coverage listings can be found here.

HD coverage of the World Cup should be a bit more pervasive in places like the UK, where you can get the BBC and ITV's shared coverage through NTL Telewest's cable service, or via the new Sky HD if you were lucky enough to have it installed in time. Even better for British soccer fans is BBC's free streaming of most games live via the web. We have ESPN360 in the US, but it's only available via certain internet providers, and its game coverage will be minimal. Wired has an interesting article detailing a few slightly shadier methods to nab streaming coverage of the games -- which we neither condone nor condemn -- but are particularly intrigued by the idea of using a proxy to access the BBC site for their streams. All in all, while 2006 might not be the year of absolutely pervasive HD World Cup coverage, there shouldn't be too many moments that will require the avid football fan to be away from a live feed of the games -- especially with services like Slingbox and Orb to fill in the gaps. Hence, businesses (including our own) are predicting an incredibly unproductive month.

One method of coverage that we're surely not going to be getting much of in the States is in the form of mobile TV. While Verizon, Sprint, and Cingular are all probably due for some downloadable clips, nobody is ready for live mobile TV here. Even in Europe it'll be a bit spotty, with T-Mobile Germany as the only carrier to stream games to their 3G customers. Debitel did manage to get their T-DMB network up and running in Germany with their recent launch of the Samsung P900, but we're guessing coverage could be a bit weak this early on. Of course, South Korea has been doing this T-DMB thing for a while, so they shouldn't have many problems. Otherwise, most of the projected mobile TV "surge" will be for downloaded clips, not for live TV, at a projected revenue of $300 million during the month. Phone network capacity has been built in Germany specifically for the games, so as long as you stay near the larger cities and stadiums you should be able to hop online or call up your friends to brag about your current digs.

On the flip side of the mobile coin, Yahoo! Mobile Matchcast is being offered for Java enabled phones, and should provide solid realtime stats and match highlights to just about anybody who cares to download the free app. Yahoo is also offering coverage via free SMS alerts, so you should be able to manage keeping track of the games wherever you have a phone signal, even if all your attempts at live TV fail. There's also an app from Resco called "World Cup Mobile" for Windows Mobile, Palm OS, or Series 60 devices, which keeps track of loads of stats, images and even historical data.

We hope you're looking forward to the rampant patriotism and tasteless fandom of the coming month as much as we are. But before we sign off, we'd just like to chime in a bit of Team USA support as we prepare to settle in for 30 days of watching grown men in short shorts chase a round, slippery sphere around a large field to some unknown aim on just about every kind of device and wireless transmission system known to man. Goooooaalllll!

[Some links via dailywireless.org]

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Filed under: HDTV

Among Pioneer’s other offerings this week were their new PureVision plasmas, a trio of plasmas with dual HDMI inputs, NTSC and ATSC tuners, as well as CableCARD. They’re all XGA resolution, meaning the 1080p signal they all accept will be downscaled to native resolution on the 42-inch PDP-4270HD, 50-inch PDP-5070HD and 60-inch PDP-6070HD, which will run you $3,500 and $4,500 and $7,500, respectively, when launched.

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