Measuring just 2.95″ (w) x 2.5″ (d) x .59″ (h), Crystal Acoustics’ PicoHD5.1 portable media player is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but it can play full HD video files through its built-in HDMI port. It surpports video files in a variety of formats including MKV, DivX, XVID, AVI, M2TS, WMV9, MPG 1/2/4, FLV, RM, TS and VOB files. Audio support is available for FLAC, MP3, OGG, WMA and WAV formats.

Files are played of of an SD, SDHC and MMC memory card, or via a USB data source such as a flash drive or external hard drives using FAT, FAT32, or NTFS extended file systems. It also offers multichannel 5.1 digital coax audio, and down-mix Dolby Digital and DTS to stereo. Each player also includes a wireless IR remote, which means you can program it to work with your universal remotes too. I also like how it’s not made from cheap plastic. This little dynamo is built from durable black anodized aluminum.

It looks like the PicoHD5.1 will be shipping soon in three different versions – one for the UK, one for the US, and another model which I assume to be for other markets. They should retail for about £49.99 (appx. $83 USD) over at the Crystal Acoustics website.

[via Pocket-lint]

The Sony Bloggie series offers two new compact digital camcorders, each capable of grabbing gorgeous 1080p video at 30fps, and can also shoot 5-megapixel stills. The MHS-CM5 (MSRP $200 USD) features a 5x optical zoom lens and a pistol grip body with a flip out 2.5″ LCD viewfinder.

The MHS-PM5 (MSRP $170) forgoes the optical zoom, and instead provides 4x digital zoom and a fixed 2.4″ viewfinder. Personall, I’d spend the extra 30 bucks for the real zoom lens. However, the cheaper model sports a funky 270-degree reversable lens that lets you shoot yourself, as well as a $189 version which includes a lens add-on that lets you shoot 360-degree panoramic videos and bundles a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card.

Both Bloggie cams are available now over at the Sony Store, with the MHS-CM5 shipping now, and the MHS-PM5 models shipping early in February.

JTT’s WACAHD8GB wristwatch looks like an ordinary analog sports watch, but hiding beneath its inconspicuous cover is a digital camera, spec’d to shoot 1280 x 960 resolution at 30fps, somewhere between 720p and 1080i resolution. That’s 4-times the resolution of most of the crummy VGA video cameras crammed into watches so far. Unfortunately from the looks of these sample videos (here and here), I’m not bullish on those resolution claims.

In addition to theoretically shooting HD video, the watch is supposed to capture still images at 3264 x 2448 resolution, which works out to be just under 8 megapixels.

But from the looks of these terribly blurry sample images (1, 2, 3) I’d say the resolution is about as good as the first webcam I ever owned. It’s almost like the JPEG compression is dialed down to the minimum quality, or more likely they’re just interpolating “HD” resolution from a lower res, like 640 x 480 or worse.

While the stats surely sound impressive, I’m none too impressed with the sample pics and vids. If you really want to take a gamble on one of these, you can find the WACAHD8GB over at the JTT Online Shop for ¥15,800 (appx. $150 USD). And if you’re really adventurous, check out their PENCAHD8GB HD pen camera…

No thanks.
[via Le Journal du Geek]

This cheery pink digital camcorder is perfect for girls (and very confident men) who want to shoot video and are sick of the same old, same old. Just like the big boys, the pink HD cam can shoot 720p high-definition video at up to 30 fps in H.264 format. See, these girls are definitely stoked about those stats…

Girl on right: “Hey, did you know my HD digi-cam can shoot digital video at 1280×720 resolution with a frame rate of 30 frames-per-second and encodes its data using a Quicktime H.264 codec?” Girl on left: “Shut up and take my picture already! Can’t you see I was busy listening to some tunes in Ogg Vorbis format!”

The pink cam has even got a pair of SD slots, each of which can hold 16GB of memory, so you can store up to 32GB of digital video if you load up both slots. In addition to shooting video, the pink cam will take still photos at up to 5-megapixel resolution. Video is displayed on the camera’s large 3-inch touchscreen display. And it’s pink – with ruby-colored sparklies!

Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but you can check back over on Chinavasion for more information. Think pink!

The Satio has a gorgeous widescreen (16:9) 3.5-inch touchscreen interface, with a super-sharp, auto-rotating 640×360 display. It also runs on the Symbian OS platform, which means there are tons of applications you can download and run on the handset. And if you’re into mobile photography, you’ll really love this. The Satio has an astounding 12.1-megapixel digital camera with 12x digital zoom. The camera offers face and smile recognition (I want a camera with frown recognition!), touch-screen focus capability, and a bright Xenon flash. It even can Geo-tag your photos and upload them directly to Picasa. This is definitely way more camera than you’re used to finding in a phone.

Did I happen to mention that the Satio is a full 3G phone, with support for GSM GPRS/EDGE and UMTS HSDPA networks? Plus it’s got built-in WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS too. Yep, just like the iPhone, the Satio comes with Google Maps – connected to the phone’s A-GPS module. Oh yea, there’s also an FM Radio with RDS track information. This jack-of-all-trades can even play Java games and ships with mobile versions of Facebook and (correction, no Facebook app) YouTube too. Sweet.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The Satio comes silver and “bordeaux” case colors, and will start to ship on October 13 in the UK. No word yet on a North American release. UK readers can order the Saito from the Sony Ericsson Store.

[Full Satio Specifications]

A rotating 3″ display folds flat onto the side of the camcorder when not in use, and all video is stored on an SDHC card to keep things really down to size. The Camileo S20 offers a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, and while it doesn’t have any optical zoom, its 4x digital zoom should get the job done for basic home video needs. The camera also sports an HDMI output, and a YouTube quick key for one-touch uploads to the ubiquitous video site.

No word yet on a release date, but the MSRP for the S20 is £119.99 (about $195 USD), which makes it just a comparable in price to the 720p Flip Mino HD.

[Toshiba UK via gdgt]

The compact box can play full high-def (1920 x 1080) files in popular formats such as MP4, H.264, DivX HD, MOV, VC-1, FLV, VOB, WMV and AVI as well as less common formats like MKV, AVC-HD, RMVB and Minus VR. Of course, it can also play a variety of audio formats like AAC, WMA, OGG, MP3, and M4A with aplomb.There’s even support for subtitle formats including Advance Substation Alpha – which has the best file extension ever – .ASS . (There’s a full list of supported formats and codecs here).

In addition, the Ultio can connect to the Internet via a built-in Ethernet port or through a Wi-Fi network (if you plug in an optional USB networking dongle). Once connected, you can download media files using the system’s built-in BitTorrent client. Since it has an integrated Samba server and UPnP, you can use services like PlayOn or Tversity to stream video from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and other web-based video services.

The Ultio has a nice array of video outputs, including HDMI 1.3, component video, optical audio, analog audio (yuck) and composite video (double yuck).

Keep in mind that the Ultio doesn’t come with any built-in storage. For best performance, you’ll need to drop in a 3.5-inch SATA hard drive (up to 1.5 TB). Otherwise, you can play files from a USB 2.0 hard drive or a flash drive. You can also stream media stored on your PC if you’d rather store files there. And the guys over at Mvix are even encouraging users to download all of the system’s open source and GPL sourcecode to see what else they can do with this little box.

You can find the Mvix Ultio over at ThinkGeek for just $169.99 (USD). The 802.11N Wi-fi dongle will set you back another $39.99. BYO hard drive.

With today’s announcements by Best Buy recommending Blu-ray as the “format of choice” and Netflix stating that they would no longer stock the format, it’s just too much for the infant HD DVD platform to take. The rats are leaving the sinking ship, and it’s every man, woman and child for themselves.

As recently as the 2007 holiday season, it looked like both formats still had a decent shot at dominating the market. But back in January, Warner announced it was going exclusively Blu, and I think that was truly the beginning of the end for HD DVD. Since that time, retailers started to aggressively cut the price of HD DVD players, in a desperate maneuver to keep the format alive (or at least recoup their inventory investments).

I really think we reached the tipping point today, and the momentum has shifted so far away from the HD DVD format, that we’ve gone past the point of no return. And while I generally don’t think that any decrease in competition is good for consumers, the speedy demise of the HD DVD format is likely to produce an increase in the production of high definition content (since studios won’t have to worry about which format will survive), as well as less risk for buyers going forward.

As for current HD DVD owners, there are still titles out there, and they’re likely to be produced for quite some time. Toshiba and Microsoft haven’t officially pulled the plug here, but the format is no longer a viable choice for new buyers. Without the support of most major movie studios, major retailers and rental outlets, you might as well consider it six feet under.

Despite its name, Cargo’s Blu-ray makeup isn’t what the Blue Man Group puts on before a show. The collection was actually created because, according to its maker, “life happens in high definition”. It’s perfect for those performers who don’t want every pore, wrinkle and zit to show up larger than life on all those new 70-inch LCD Full HD screens.

I’m not sure if Sony sanctioned the makeup’s naming convention, but it surely can’t be too upset — after all, they could have named it after HD DVD. Hollywood has spoken, and I think we have a winner.

[via NOTCOT]

While the game has been resurrected numerous times on everything from CD-ROM to DVD to PC, this is the first time it’s making its way to true high-definition disc formats.

Bucking the recent industry trend of Blu-ray only releases, the classic title will be hitting both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats, and will support widescreen Full HD (1080p) resolution. The game has been lovingly restored and remastered from the original film footage, and pumps up the volume with an enhanced 5.1 surround soundtrack.

Expect the title to include interactive gameplay using your video player’s remote control (or your PS3 controller), as well as picture-in-picture commentary by the games original creators Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and Rick Dyer.

Space Ace should hit stores on April 8th for a rather pricey $49.95. Digital Leisure has started to accept pre-orders now. While you’re there sure to check out Bluth’s other classic, Dragon’s Lair in high def if you haven’t already.

[via Punch Jump]

The Alienware HD Media Server (HDMS) comes in a dramatic brushed aluminum, rack-mountable enclosure, and provides a powerful HTPC under the hood. Powered by a smokin’ fast Intel Core 2 Quad core processor, the HDMS provides plenty of storage using a hot-swappable RAID 5 array with up to 4-terabytes of disk.

In addition to a standard slot-loading DVD/CD writer, there’s a dual-layer Blu-Ray/DVD±R/W/CD-RW burner available as an option. The HDMS comes with a complete set of tools for managing your media files and offers high-definition DVR capabilities for recording and playing back content at up to 1080p resolution.

There are a plethora of audio and video outputs including Component video, VGA, DVI/HDMI, digital audio and 7.1 surround pre-amp connections. The beast has two built-in CableCard compatible tuners, and can support a set of external tuners for recording up to four simultaneous video streams. Network connectivity is achieved using a pair of Gigabit Ethernet LAN connections, or via an optional 802.11N high-speed wireless connection.

The system is available only from custom installers at this point, so be prepared to drop some serious dough if you want one.

[via SlashGear]

The player includes CyberLink’s PowerDVD BD Edition, providing playback of Blu-ray discs on your computer screen. In addition to store-bought Blu-ray movies, the player supports discs burned in MPEG-2 or H.264 format, and standard DVD discs or recorded DVDs encoded with MPEG-2 or AVCHD formats.

The $199.95 BDU-X10S is available for pre-order now and should start shipping later this month.

After dropping the price on Toshiba’s HD-A2 HD DVD player to $199, there’s now an ad that shows an unbelievable price of $98.87. I’m sure this is a loss-leader for Wally World, but it’s still but it’s a clear sign that the HD DVD camp means business. As far as I know, the sale is a one-day only deal for this Friday (November 2, 2007 starting at 8am), but I wouldn’t doubt that the regular retail price for these players drops close to this level as the holidays approach.

With the cheapest Blu-Ray players running around $400 (on sale), these kind of aggressive discounts will help HD DVD gain ground on what was a losing battle up until now.

[Wal-Mart via Engadget HD]

New Medium Enterprises’ (NME) proprietary HD VMD (Versatile Multilayer Disc) format uses standard red lasers, but crams in 4 layers per disc to handle the data needs of full high-definition content. VMD’s cost advantage comes from the fact that discs and players can be produced using much of the already existing infrastructure that’s set up to produce standard DVDs. First generation VMD will store up to 24GB, but there are already plans in the works to expand this capacity further using more layers, and potentially thinner wavelength blue lasers as prices come down.

The manufacturer claims the format supports full 1080i and 1080p resolutions, as well as bit rates up to 40 Mbps (about half way between the two competing HD formats). The players support video compressed in MPEG- 2, MPEG-1, VC-1, H-264(AVC) formats. As an added bonus, HD VMD is region free, so you don’t have to worry about where you bought your discs. Audio support includes Dolby Digital and DTS, but none of the more advanced audio formats you might find on Blu-Ray and HD DVD players. Even the least expensive HD VMD players offer HDMI and component outputs, and will scale old-school DVDs up to 1080p over the HDMI connection.

The most obvious downside to the budding format is the current lack of available content. NME has only scored distribution rights to a a handful of movies that I’ve ever heard of. Launch titles include: Hostage, Apocalypto, Pulp Fiction, Babel, Saw II and Saw III. Most of the other movies are either lesser-known independents, older films or Bollywood features from India. It’s doubtful that the company will be able to garner support from most major studios, given their already significant investments in the other HD formats. With HD DVD and Blu-ray prices on the decline, HD VMD will face a serious uphill fight.

The top-of-the-line Shuttle D’VO SG33G5M Deluxe features 1080p high-definition video output via an HDMI output. 7.1-channel surround sound includes Dolby Digital Live! and DTS Connect capabilities. The system has a full home theater-centric front panel display which includes just about everything you’re used to seeing on a home-theater-in-a-box receiver.

In addition to its multimedia prowess, its got built in 802.11b+g as well as Bluetooth wireless connectivity. You can even view photos and media stored on your mobile devices via wireless sync. External interfaces include USB 2.0, Firewire 400 Gigabit Ethernet and eSATA connectors. It’s even got a fingerprint reader built into the front if you want to keep prying eyes off of your media content.

The system’s Intel G33 Express chipset is designed to handle CPUs as powerful as a Core 2 Quad, with bus speeds up to 1333MHz. The D’VO series is sold in a bare-bones configuration for around $459 USD, so you’ll need to add your own CPU, memory, operating system, hard drive and disc reader (Shuttle plans on offering a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo drive as an option).

The initial 21 channels are available immediately if you’re signed up for the HD package and have the SD version of the channel in your current programming plan. Here’s the list of what’s live today:

1. A&E (Channel 265)
2. Animal Planet (Channel 282)
3. Big Ten Network (Channel 220)
4. CNN (Channel 202)
5. The Discovery Channel (Channel 278)
6. The History Channel (Channel 269)
7. The Movie Channel East (Channel 544)
8. NFL Network (Channel 212)
9. Showtime West (Channel 540)
10. Showtime too (Channel 538)
11. The Smithsonian Channel (Channel 267)
12. The Science Channel (Channel 284)
13. Starz Comedy (Channel 519)
14. Starz East (Channel 522)
15. Starz West (Channel 540)
16. Starz Edge (Channel 520)
17. Starz Kids and Family (Channel 518)
18. TBS (Channel 247)
19. TLC (Channel 280)
20. Versus / The Golf Channel (Channel 604)
21. The Weather Channel (Channel 362)

To get all the new channels, you’ll need to have an MPEG-4 compatible receiver (such as the H20 or HR20-700 DVR), as well as a 5-LNB dish and the free B-band converters that DirecTV should have told you about by now. If you don’t have this hardware, no worries. You should be able to get them from DirecTV for cheap (if not free with a little negotiation).

If you’re like me, you probably have a custom channel list set up on your receiver. If that’s the case you’ll need to go in and edit your list to add the new channels. Otherwise, you won’t see them. Also, they have the exact same numbers as their standard def counterparts, so you might want to remove the SD ones from your channel list to reduce confusion.

In addition to these 21 HD channels, tons of additional channels are expected to roll out over the next couple of months.

[via Engadget HD]

At the heart of the compact box is a 120GB 2.5-inch hard drive, capable of storing many hours of HD content in MPEG 2, WMV9HD, or DiVX formats. The tiny box has outputs for component video and coax digital audio, but doesn’t offer HDMI at this point. Regardless, those outputs should satisfy most of us with a high-def craving.

It’s even got AC3 and DTS audio processing circuitry, so you can have full surround sound if you hook it up your amplifier’s digital input. In addition to its video playback capabilities, it’s also a full-fledged audio server, with playback of MP3, WMA and OGG format sound files.

As is typically the case with these cool Korean gadgets, you’ll probably have a tough time finding one outside of the region. If you’re willing to deal with the overseas shipping you can find these for about 219,900 KRW (about $235 USD.)

TI plans on demonstrating the improved image quality at this week’s CEDIA home theater expo on a 3-chip 1080p projector capable of a 15,000 to 1 native contrast ratio. They also will be showing a demonstration of an LED-illuminated television that can crank out contrast as high as 100,000 to 1.

Expect DarkChip4 to start hitting projectors in 2008.

The Bravia VPL-VW200 is the top-of-the-line successor to Sony’s flagship VPL-VW100 projector. The new model improves upon the old by new 1080p SXRD panels that can run at twice the refresh rate of the prior generation, pretty much eliminating any motion blur that you might see. They’ve also added a system that lets you tweak the positioning of the panels so precisely that you can get red, green and blue pixels perfectly aligned.

The projector has a bright 275W Xenon lamp that can kick out up to 4000 lumens (most sane people will use it in low power mode to save lamp life, and keep fan noise down). Sony claims a 35,000 to 1 contrast ratio thanks to their well respected dynamic iris system as well as improvements in the SXRD panel design. The VW200 also adds wide gamut (xvYCC) color support via dual HDMI 1.3a inputs.

On the downside, the VPL-VW200 costs nearly twice what the VW100 costs, at an MSRP of $15,000. It’s expected to ship this October. For those with slightly smaller bank balances, Sony has also announced a new, moderately priced model, the VPL-VW60, which loses the Xenon lamp, 120 fps and wide color support, but otherwise is quite similar. That model hits stores this month, and lists for $5000.

[Press Release]

At this week’s IFA show in Berlin, JVC revealed their latest entry into the LCOS arena (JVC uses the brand name “D-ILA), the DLA-HD100. The new projector replaces the popular DLA-HD1 model which came before it. The HD100 significantly improves upon the contrast of the prior model, with JVC claiming a 30,000 to 1 ratio. They’ve also added motorized zoom and focus capabilities, which the HD1 didn’t have.

JVC also has improved the color rendition of the projector over prior models and added HDMI 1.3 Deep Color support too. As was the case with the HD1 before it, the HD100 features Full HD 1920×1080 (1080p) native resolution, for the sharpest images possible.

The DLA-HD100 will be released worldwide this November. Pricing hasn’t yet been finalized, but if you’re thinking about buying a front projector, you might want to wait a couple of months.

[via AV Watch]