The ANDI-ONE can interact with devices via Wi-Fi, IR or RF. It also remembers the last 20 actions that you made, so you can quickly search the list and repeat them, although frankly I don’t know exactly how this works, or what it counts as an action. You can also set up macros and organize devices by room. Downloading channel guides is also an option.

But more than that, the Android 2.1 remote is also a portable media player. It can have up to 8GB of internal memory and supports microSD cards up to 64GB. You can watch videos on its 3.5″ touchscreen, connect a 3.5mm jack or just use its built-in speakers and play tracks on it, and you can even download and use over 10,000 Android apps. You can even make VOIP calls on it. And what about its charging cradle? In addition to having a couple of 3W speakers, an HDMI port and an Ethernet port, you can also dock an iPhone or iPad on it.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I wonder why the remote in the video has a different layout than the one on Conspin’s website; must be a prototype or something. Anyway, now that you know what the ANDI-ONE is capable of, you’d be a fool to think that this remote is cheap. Its suggested retail price is $350 (USD), but Krex already has it listed at about $290. They’re out of stock right now though. If you’re looking to replace your your remote and your Android media player, keep an eye out for the ANDI-ONE.

[via Conspin & Talk Android via Gadgetell]

As I said, GenosTV users can create their own channel free of charge. They can make it public, or accessible only to select people. If a user’s channel gets a lot of views, it will be moved to a subscription channel, “offered for sales for $1.00 per month per subscriber. At such time the user will get 50% of the gross revenues.” Aside from letting GenosTV subscribers set up their own channel, there are also paid categories for TVme, one for business owners  and for celebrities.

There seems to be no demo yet of TVme, or of GenosTV for that matter, so I can’t really say whether this idea will take off or not. I’m sure about one thing though: with this much promised content, GenosTV had better have a Google-caliber search engine, or else users will be left channel-surfing “cable, network and other media content from every geography and in every language across the world”, plus the TVme content. Read the press release for more details.

The kit consists of a pair of adapters – one plugs into your router or gateway, while the other sticks close to your media devices, be it a computer, gaming console or Ethernet/WiFi-compatible TV. The adapters make use of the 5 GHz band to transmit data to avoid interference that may be caused by other wireless gear in the vicinity.

The kit is modular too, i.e. you can add additional adapters if the second one can’t serve all of your gadgets. No word on the price yet, but they’ll be available this fall. Check out Netgear’s website for more details.

[via Technology Review]

The GT720′s input/output connections are: HDMI, VGA-In, S-Video, Composite Video, Stereo RCA Audio-In, Stereo Audio-Out and RS-232. It’s compatible with UXGA, SXGA+, WXGA, SXGA,VGA, SVGA, and VESA and video signals up to 1080p. You can also enjoy stereoscopic 3D on it, so it’s like having your personal IMAX (assuming you have the glasses.) But it only has a couple of 5-watt speakers, so you’ll have to hook it up to an home theater system or good speakers to match the awesome visuals.

No word when the Game Time series will be released, but we do know that the GT720 is priced at $800 (USD). Check out Optoma’s website for more info.

[via TV Snob]

The 6.4 lbs. HD20 has two HDMI inputs, as well as VGA, component and composite video inputs, and it supports a boatload of video and computer formats. It has 1,700 ANSI lumens of brightness,  with an estimated lamp life of  4,000 hours in standby mode and 3,000 hours in bright mode.

The HD20 ships early this Fall and is available for pre-order over on Amazon now.

[via Twice via CrunchGear]

Vizio has already confirmed the support of several content and service providers aside from Facebook and Twitter, such as eBay, Flickr, Netflix and Vudu. Currently, the only XVT series on sale is the 55″ VF550XVT LCD HDTV. You can order one at Amazon for $1899 (USD), or at Vizio’s online store for $2000.

The 42″ SV421XVT and 47″ SV471XVT HDTVs will be available in July for $1,200 and $1,500 respectively. If you were hoping for relatively cheaper XVTs, you’re in luck: The 32″ SV320XVT will be available in September, featuring a thin profile and full 1080p goodness for “only” $750. The 37″ SV370XVT ($850) will also be on sale in September, along with the LED-backlit 55″ VF551XVT ($2,200). Check out Vizio’s press release for more info as well as the complete roster of XVT series. Whew. Typing is exhausting.

[via Engadget]

Mr. Smiling Caucasian must be listening to some R. Kelly. Feelin’ on yo booty. Yeah, that’ll massage him all right. All night. Anyway the MUR-01 has an analog input, analog output as well as a headphone output.

The speakers on either side of the chair have an output of 2-watts each; the 4.5-watt subwoofer and amplifier are mounted inside. The system plugs in to an AC power supply for power. TheMUR-01 will be available in Japan by mid-July for ¥19,800 ($207 USD). It also comes in black. Smiling Caucasian not included.

[AVWatch via Fareastgizmos]

The main selling point of the BD-P4600 is obviously its unusual looks. CNET summarized Samsung’s design philosophy into three main principles: “rounded corners, translucent red highlights, and a glossy black finish”. It’s a bit too fancy for my tastes, especially if I take into account that all that gloss translates into a more expensive, but not necessarily better, media player. In fact, CNET mentioned that the BD-P4600 uses the exact same video processing chip as its cheaper yet uglier sibling, the BD-P1600.

Like a lot of sexy and modern home entertainment equipment today, the BD-P4600 is thin, wall-mountable, and expensive. How expensive? Try $500 USD. That’s right: the BD-P4600 makes the PS3 look cheap. On the other hand, you can’t mount your PS3 to a wall, can you? The BD-P4600 also comes with a stand for those who aren’t bent on putting stuff on walls. Touch-sensitive controls and a slot-loading design round out the player’s fancy aura.

On the geekier side of things, CNET says that the BD-P4600 did very well both on their benchmark tests (Video Resolution, Film Resolution, and jaggies test) and in actual use; I think it made Ghost Rider almost watchable. Almost. The BD-P4600 also impressed CNET with its loading times: “…it’s the first one we’ve used that feels just as responsive as the PS3, and in some cases it also loads discs faster.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as good when the reviewers played DVDs on it, failing a couple of jaggies tests and overall had less crisp and clean playback compared to a Panasonic DMP-BD60, another cheaper yet uglier Blu-ray player.

As you can see the BD-P4600 has a standard composite output, an HDMI output and an optical digital audio output, but no composite video output. It also has 2 USB ports. The BD-P4600 is capable of streaming Netflix and Pandora via Ethernet, but it also comes with a Wi-Fi USB dongle for wireless connectivity. It can also stream media from a connected PC. MP3, JPEG and DivX formats are supported, but AAC is not. The player also has 1GB of on-board memory, perfect for downloading and playing BD Live content.

Overall, I think the BD-P4600 has an awkward name for a sexy device. Oh and it’s for people who want more than something that works. You rich fools can get your own BD-P4600 at Best Buy for $500 USD.

[via tv snob]

Seriously though, XStreamHD’s got a lot on their hands, and I’m not just talking about their patent-pending technologies. One, the company claims that they will be able to provide their customers with movies even before DVD-copies become available. (Sorta like torrenting, but in a legal & paid manner). Two, the service claims to work its HD magic by pre-fetching content at resolutions up to 1080p with DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio tracks.

Three, XStreamHD claims that their software can “learn” user preferences so that it can predict and select future content for the user. Four- and this is where I need some enlightenment that XStream’s introductory video unfortunately did not provide – XStreamHD claims that they will stream games. What kind of games? Will these be tied to current consoles or *gasp* standalone games?

What we do know right now (pdf brochure) is that the basic XStreamHD set-up requires a satellite and server (up to 2 TB internal storage; expansion via eSATA available) for receiving and archiving the media that customers select and a media receiver connected to a TV to access the downloaded content. But if you own a DLNA-compatible device such as an HDTV, Blu-ray player, a PS3 or Xbox 360,  then those can be used in place of the Media Receiver to watch or listen to the downloaded stuff.

It’s still too early to tell if XStreamHD can pull this off or not, but I think we can all of this – hardware, software, & streaming service – to be anything but cheap. What do you guys think? Is it possible? Guess I’ll have to be content with my XtremelyPlainSD 21″ TV and its XtremelyAnalog Indoor Antenna for now.

My ever-reliable imaginary sources shared with me a few sample scenarios that you and Neon may have: “Want to have washboard abs for just 5 seconds a day? It can’t be done, I’m sorry!”, “I see that you like Homer Simpson. May I recommend Odyssey on the Hallmark Channel?” and “No, don’t connect that Xbox 360. I resent that. Plug the Foreman Grill back in.”

Seriously though, Sony also says that the service can adapt its suggestions if  alerted that a child has joined the viewer. Neon may also be able to get content from a plugged-in PS3. Sony is also looking to get viewers to share recommendations with friends, although they don’t say how exactly that would happen. If anything, all of this points to two things: Sony is looking to integrate the PS3 and the Internet into their high-end TVs.

As for Neon itself, I honestly don’t see this service as being awfully helpful. It’ll come in handy when you’re bored, sure, but I think it’s actually risky when it comes to servicing kids. If children figure out that the service depends on input from them then they can actually discover more adult-oriented shows via your TV. Eeeeeexcellent. I mean bad. Bad & wrong. Bad-ong.

Now I’m sure you’ve all seen this remote control interface floating around the net, but let’s have a look at it once more to compare it with the Xsight Touch. This is “Everyone’s Remote”:

Haha. Funny. But when you think about it… It works. So how does the Xsight Touch compete with it’s cardboard covered cousin? By using a touchscreen interface. Universal Electronics claims that the Xsight doesn’t need a manual to set it up. To pair it with your devices, all you have to do is access a menu on the touchscreen.

Simple so far. Then you choose the brand of the chosen device. Supposedly the Xsight Touch can be used with all widely available home A/V devices.

After picking a brand, the Xsight Touch will then flash a picture of a tiger on your screen to scare you into agreeing that yes, it works. Kidding. Just test if the thing works.

Real simple right? Awesome. If you think that’s advanced, the Xsight can do more than that. It can actually be used to control more than one device with a single-click of a button. It’s useful for people who have quite an elaborate home entertainment setup. Say you have an HDTV, a DVD player, and then a separate home theater. You can lump the controls for turning these things on and setting them up under a single Activity, so that when you want to watch a DVD, all you have to do is click a single button.

Simplicity at its finest, right? Unfortunately, no. You have to use a computer to program the Activity. And that is where the Epic Fail is. The Xsight is a remote that requires people to have computer skills – and a computer -  in order to be fully utilized.

Same with the Xsight’s other great feature. In the ‘Users’ menu you can personalize the touchscreen by assigning the logos of your favorite channels for touch-channel switching. No more memorizing numbers, which means it’s a really helpful feature for very old, very young people or very lazy people.

However, it again requires you to go use a computer to program this option. The Xsight’s product page doesn’t go into details about setting up the remote control on a computer. They do mention that the setup is done over the internet, but the point is that the Xsight Touch isn’t really that simple to use. If you want to maximize it’s functions you’ll have to know a bit of other stuff aside from button-pushing.

But is it useful and versatile? Of course it is. But is it available to people outside the UK? Of course not. Not right now anyway. So if you live in the UK and you’re interested, you can go to Universal Electronics’ site to find a store near your area where you can buy the Xsight Touch, or you can get it at Amazon UK for £147.10 ($202.70 USD). Semi-simple ain’t cheap.

[via Shiny Shiny]

It’s elegantly designed by Lee McCormack and beautifully engineered by McLaren Applied Technologies. Which makes me wonder why there are no images of the ovei’s interior on the product website. Dammit. I want to see! At least they have video:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

What the hell’s a multimeedyer? I guess it’s something that only rich techies would know: the base price of the Ovei is £50,000 ($70, 855). People won’t be paying for the 5.1 Surround Sound, 26″ screen, climate control and all that tech: it’s the suave side of the Ovei that demands that joke of a price. I hope they release a shabbier but cheaper version.

If you’re rich enough to buy an Ovei, give me some money. Also, you can email the Oculas Group at sales@oculas.com or call them at +44–(0)20–7613–4293. Everyone else just drool over the brochure.

[via Web Urbanist]