Filed under: Gaming, Portable Video, Wireless

Apparently dishing out surveys to garner potential interest in (hopefully) forthcoming products and services is the fad of the month, as Microsoft barely received back all the results in its latest Xbox 360 questionnaire before Sony threw down a few of its own. Most recently, however, a question was posed to PSP owners that piqued our interest, and it involved the possibility of receiving TV streams on that oh-so-sexy widescreen LCD. The higher-ups at Sony HQ seemingly have streaming video on the brain, as users were asked to choose which scenario they’d prefer when kicking back and catching a show on their handheld. The choices involved a “Sony LocationFree TV box” that would stream content directly to the PSP using a local WiFi connection, or a subscription-based service that would broadcast TV shows using “always on cellular technology” for $9.99 per month. Considering Sony can hardly pay folks to take those dust-gathering UMD flicks, we don’t think that making a move in the television realm would be such a bad idea — so, what’s up Sony? Inquisitive minds (and PSP / DS Lite fence-sitters) are yearning for an answer.

[Thanks, Simon V.]

 

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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: Displays

For those who prefer to do their monitor shopping overseas — or, you know, live there — Daysis has got another option to make your decision a bit harder. The 23-inch DAY232TP packs decent, if not spectacular specs, with a 600:1 contrast ratio, 12 ms response time, 300cd/m2 brightness and, of course, that 1920 x 1200 resolution all the cool kids demand these days (not unlike that Quixun also competing for your attention today). What’s more, it’ll also double as a TV, with a built-in tuner and bundled remote, as well as picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture functions. Otherwise, you’ll get the standard DVI and VGA inputs, though you’ll have to settle for S-video or composite if you’re planning on hooking this up to something other than a computer. The superstitious among you may want to steer clear of this one though: at the current exchange rate it’ll run you an even $666.

[Via Akihabara News]

 

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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: Displays

So, you thought the 103-inch Plasma from Panasonic carried a bit of heft around the price tag, eh? Well check out this $130,000 YALOS Diamond LCD TV from Keymat. Now, just forget everything you thought was important when measuring the value of a good LCD panel — you know: brightness, contrast ratio, response, pixel resolution, and so on — those measurements are for fools, boy. As any self-righteous heiress knows, a good TV must feature a white gold plating and at least 160 diamonds totaling to a minimum of 20 carats. Think differently and you might just end up dodging Blackberries with the rest of the help.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Video

Those pranksters at Samsung are always mixing up the display sizes on us, and now they’ve thrown down a 16:9 widescreen 10-incher for your DMB viewing pleasure. The R7 features MP3 and photo playback, and can even handle an external drive for viewing video, but it seems mostly suited to lounging around the home with some up-close and personal DMB broadcasts. Samsung wants to move the TV from a “fixed, family-oriented device to a more mobile, personal gadget.” We’re not so sure that ethic would go over so hot if verbalized in the States, but it’s not like they’ll be shipping it over here anyways, so the point is moot.

[Thanks, Dan]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Humax continues to rock the all-in-one bizness with its latest 32-inch LCD TV, the LP32-TDR1, which manages to cram a 160GB PVR with twin Freeview tuners into its otherwise unassuming set. The usual specs like resolution, contrast ratio, and response time are a bit hard to come by, but it is apparently equipped with a CI slot for subscription content, component, composite , s-video, and “PC” ports, (not sure if that means VGA or DVI), two RGB SCART jacks and, most importantly, an HDMI connector, something Humax’s earlier TVs lacked. Price is £900, or about $1,700 for those of us this side of the pond.

[Via Slashgear]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Home Entertainment

If you’ve spent more than five minutes around a kid, you’re probably well aware that ripping him / her from the couch while their favorite cartoon rolls in the background isn’t much easier than trying to get any solid deets on Apple’s probably (not) impending iPhone (or similarly named product). Researchers in Italy took this seemingly well-known fact and put it to the test by drawing blood via hypodermic needle (rough way to prove a hypothesis, eh?) from a random sample of 72 children, all between the ages of 7-12. Not-so-surprisingly, little ones who were watching television while being stuck reported 50 percent less pain than kids who were being coaxed by dear old mom; the TV-watching subjects also claimed just one third the pain of those poor folks who endured the process while left alone without loving nor entertainment. Carlo Bellieni — the author of the study, father of three, and neonatologist / pediatrician at the University of Siena in Italy — claimed that such a powerful distraction was indeed beneficial in keeping the agony level in these type scenarios at a minimum, but was rather alarmed that television was a more potent painkiller than “a mother’s touch.” While it may be surprising that television won over the distracted hearts of children more effectively than their own mums, Dr. Brenda McClain of Yale University asserts that any type of “passive distraction” (like video games?) is better suited at redirecting thoughts, especially when you consider the sympathy of a parent typically leads a child to believe something awful is about to happen. In all honestly, however, it seems that television has always been an escape route from reality — and although we’re far from being doctors (of medicine), we have reason to assume that if these kids were replaced by grownups, we’d see somewhat similar results. So, any volunteers?

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Video

You know you need it: that squishy soft gaze that comes with the kind of numb only a TV can deliver at the end of a hard day. El Gato knows this too, and delivers yet another fix to Mac owners in the form of the EyeTV Hybrid. As the name implies, this USB 2.0 stick delivers both hi-definition capable digital ATSC and traditional analog NTSC tuners to record (in MPEG-2 if your Mac has the muscle), edit, and pause live TV when combined with El Gato’s bundled EyeTV 2 software. What’s more, the kit works with the Apple Remote and includes a break-out cable for connecting composite and S-Video sources like your gaming rig — for “zero latency” play on your Mac’s display — or that dusty VCR to convert the ol’ VHS collection into digital media. Inputs that owners of Apple’s stellar, but otherwise inflexible, 30-inch displays will certainly appreciate. Available now for $150 or €150 for our DVB-T signal lovin’ brethren.

[Thanks, Doug]

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Filed under: Displays, Wireless

We all know that Sony’s been doing their LocationFree wireless TV gig for years, right? Still, that little fact won’t stop Samsung from stretching for yet another world’s first by introducing the SPD-50P7HDT which they call the “world’s first large-size HD-compatible wireless PDP TV.” Yeah, whutevs Sammy, if it makes you feel better then go ahead, call it. The new 50-inch Plasma Display Panel supports an unspecified high-def resolution and touts the inclusion of a wireless AV center to float the TV upon your wall (nearly) cable-free. Apparently, the AV center is the mystery box on the shelf below the PDP in the picture above which will magically bundle the various signals from your tethered devices such as DVD, set-top box, etc. and then feed ‘em up to the TV over 802.11a WiFi. Yeah, 802.11a — at least that’s what’s being reported in the digital rags. However, we’d love to see Samsung slip in a little UWB which we’ve already seen them playing around with as a more appropriate short-haul cable replacement. Maybe the official specs will hold a surprise once released… hey, we can dream can’t we? Suggested retail is about 4,800,000 South Korean Wan or about $5,000 of the green stuff if it this kit ever ships Stateside.

[Via Akihabara News]

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Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

If you can look past the circa-1999 Cinema Display design and the 4:3 aspect ratio, OPPO Digital's new LT-2007 LCD TV/DVD Player Combo doesn't look too incredibly shabby. Beyond the obvious DVD playback provided by the display's base, there are VGA, Component and S-Video inputs for use with a general selection of 480i/p, 720p and 1080i devices. To further its stand alone properties, the unit includes built-in stereo speakers, and supports USB storage devices for a good selection of video, audio and photo formats. This actual display is a 20-inch LCD at a 800 x 600 resolution, and features a 500:1 contrast ratio. There is also a built-in NTSC tuner and a shiny remote control to round out the package. The LT-2007 goes for $600, and looks to be available now.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

We’ve been waiting on this one for a good long while, but we’re pleased to say that if your chosen flavor of TV happens to be a 1080p, LED-based DLP set with 56-inches of screen real estate and a hard to remember model number, Samsung has just the display for you. Their HL-S5679W packs in a 4000:1 contrast ratio, HDMI input, analog/digital tuner, and of course that 20,000 hour lifespan, speedy startup and heat and energy savings provided by the LED backlit pixels. It’s shipping now with a MSRP of $4,199, but the word is you can nab one for around $4,000 on a certain proverbial street.

[Via HD Beat]

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Filed under: Multimedia, Software

Perhaps looking to get a quick hit of cash before the onslaught of competing services gets into full swing, MobiTV has announced a deal with Oak Investment Partners, a venture capital firm, to provide $70 million in exchange for a board seat. No word on what kind of spending spree will ensue, but MobiTV's saying that the cash will "fuel the Company's rapid expansion in response to the overwhelming demand for its mobile television and radio service across international markets." To their credit, the numbers show that these guys are growing pretty rapidly, clocking over a million total subscribers at latest count -- not bad for a company whose domestic carrier partners have launched at least partially competitive services. Having sampled MobiRadio, though, we'll say this much: we hope a few bucks of that VC cash goes toward offering higher-bitrate streams.

[Via BusinessWeek]

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Filed under: Household

The British government is fed up with standby mode; according to a recent energy review, devices left in standby account for 8% of their annual energy usage. In an attempt to curb waste, combat rising energy costs, and apparently annoy citizens, the government is set to outlaw switches that allow TVs, DVD players, and who knows what else to go on hiatus — mandatory redesigns to remove sleep functions from numerous devices are supposedly on the docket. Whatever comes of this, keep a close eye on the next Windows Update: you might just reboot to find your precious “Stand By” option MIA.

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Filed under: HDTV

Panasonic just slipped a couple more LCD panels into their Viera line-up of televisions. Both the 32-inch TH-32LX65 and 26-inch TH-26LX65 feature a 1366×768 pixel resolution, 178-degree visibility, and a single HDMI-in on top of a slathering of Japanese D4, composite, S-Video, digital optical and Ethernet connections. And yeah, it integrates seamlessly with Panny’s Viera Link HDMI remote for universal control over your HDMI-equipped home entertainment center. Both the 32 and 26-inchers will begin shipping in Japan on September 1st for ¥250,000 (about $2,193) and ¥210,000 (about $1,843), respectively.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, Networking

It’s been over a year since we first spotted Metalink’s draft-802.11n components designed for networked home theater gear, and now it seems that the company has finally found a partner willing to include the technology in a slew of next-generation products. Known as WLANPlus, the chipset family is poised for integration into TVs, DVRs, and DVD players from Chinese manufacturing giant Haier — perhaps best know around here for the pen-like P7 cellphone — which will allow consumers to broadcast multiple high definition streams around the house thanks to draft-n transfer speeds in excess of 200Mbps. The two companies revealed their partnership at this year’s SINOCES, where Haier had several WiFi-equipped TVs on display in a multi-room setup meant to simulate simultaneous streaming in a household environment. GigaOM points out, however, that it may be awhile before we see actual products stemming from this deal hit the marketplace — if we ever see them at all — as Metalink doesn’t seem to be in the best financial shape, having already lost $4.1 million in the first quarter of this year alone.

[Via GigaOM]

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Filed under: Portable Video

Twas only yesterday the lads in the Engadget mansion were lamenting about giving Skype a try if only it streamed some of that hot analog TV we've been hearing so much about. Little did we know that in some back alley of Akihabaraville, a team of hucksters from Novac in Japan were putting the finishing touches on their TV for Skype Anywhere (or something like that) product. Just load-up Skype and Novac's software onto your home PC, slip in their USB stick with integrated analog tuner, and voila, you're ready to stream the sweet, sweet TV out the Internet to any of the newer Skype clients capable of video calls. The TV will even call you and then allow you to change channels via a chat window if we're reading the machine translation correctly -- enter "the ##12#" to switch to channel 12, for example. Not likely to give Slingboxers any competition in terms of functionality or quality, but for ¥9,800 or about $85, you're not likely to find a cheaper solution boxed up so neatly. Oh Skype, come 'er and give us a cuddle.

[Via Impress]

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Filed under: Portable Video

Here ya go kids, another tiny DMB TV from Korea. Like the iRiver B10, this QT-9 from Qrio appears to be a dedicated player which goes pink, black and large with a 3.5-inch display packed into an ultra-slim, 9.8-millimeter slice of mobile TV goodness. Huh, Qrio!? Damn them for taking our dearly departed humanoid's name in vain... attack QRIOs of the world, attack!

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Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

She ain’t the prettiest girl on the block but she sure is fast! JVC just announced their intent to bring their previously Japanese-only, 120Hz Clear Motion Drive LCD TVs to these United States. That’s 120 frames per second, son — the original frame plus a new, interpolated frame — which is about double the rate of your typical, god-fearin’ LCD panel. The result? Less blurring, flicker, and a brighter picture with fewer ghost images to boot. The $2,700, 37-inch LT-37X987 and $2,000, 32-inch LT-32X987 bring ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuning, a 1366 x 768 native resolution, JVC’s fifth-gen D.I.S.T upscaling tech, 6-millisecond response time, and plenty of the ol’ in-and-outs including 2 x HDMI inputs, 2 x component inputs, 2 x S-Video inputs, a 15 pin D-Sub PC input, optical digital audio out and audio output. Expect the 37-incher to drop in August with the 32-incher set to roll in October.

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Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

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