Category: Videos

HDBeat has received a tip from a Best Buy staffer that the long-awaited TiVo Series 3 HD DVR will be in stores very soon. According to the tipster, the device is listed now in Best Buy’s computer system with a scheduled “in stock” date of September 17th with a Best Buy SKU of 7974418 (UPC is 400079744186 and Model number is TCD648250B).

Sony’s latest attempt to combine a flat panel LCD with a PC has resulted in the svelte new VAIO LS1 TV/PC. The new system combines a reasonably powerful computer into the back of a flat-panel 19-inch WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) LCD display.

Samsung Electronics has developed the first consumer 70″ LCD HDTV panel, besting Sharp’s 65″ panel introduced late last year. The set will feature a full 1080p resolution and a 180 degree viewing angle. In addition, the refresh rate is 120Hz vs 60Hz, which should result in less visible blurring and flicker.

The Ziovia CS510 Media Streamer differentiates itself from the crowd by offering the ability to stream high definition content from your computer to your HDTV via an HDMI or component connection, and also features optical and coax digital audio outputs.

Dana Jongewaard, Managing Editor of the Official Playstation Magazine has posted a fascinating story on her blog which sums up the public (negative) sentiment surrounding the forthcoming Sony Playstation 3. She even went so far as titling the article “Why I am buying a 360 this November.”

Reception was lukewarm to last year’s release of Sony’s ChromaVue front projection screen that provided the ability for Sony front projectors to work in brightly-lit rooms. The screens did improve image contrast, but exhibited problems with hotspotting and off axis viewing.

Microsoft has just posted the product page for the forthcoming add-on HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360. No new details have been revealed at this point, but here’s hoping it’s an indication that the device is likely to be released soon.

Details in a Japanese press release give insight into a new SXRD front projector from Sony, codenamed “Pearl”. The VPL-VW50 projector will be 1080p native (1920×1080) with a contrast ratio of 5,000:1. The projector features a 200-watt mercury lamp, a low noise fan system claimed to run at just 22dB, a 1.8x zoom lens and dual HDMI inputs.

Hi-Def Digest has posted the first head-to-head reviews of three movies recently released in both Blu-Ray and HD DVD formats. While none of the three cross-platform titles is really deserving of the high-definition treatment, at least the comparison gives us some sens of the two formats in an apples-to-apples test.

For those of us who have DirecTV’s HR10-250 TiVo, it’s a bittersweet reality that a new HD DVR has been in the works for quite some time. While I personally love the TiVo UI, the current HD DVRs have been fraught with problems ranging from overheating, to HDMI connectivity bugs, to dying hard drives.

Set to ship just in time for the 2006 holidays, Panasonic has finally announced it’s pricing on its massive 103″ TH-103PZ600U Plasma TV. The set features 1080p resolution and a 4000:1 contrast ratio. With a display area of 89.3″ wide by over 50.2″ high, it’s as large as four 50″ Plasma screens.

Panasonic announced a September release date for its new Lumix DMC-LX2 digital camera (MSRP $499.95). Featuring a whopping 10.2 megapixel, 16:9 aspect ratio CCD, I can’t imagine anyone needing more resolution. The camera also features 4x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, a 300 picture battery-life and an updated ISO control unit which is said to improve light sensitivity even at the highest resolution.

Toshiba has delayed the release of the first HD DVD recorder until the end of July as a result of inventory shortages of some components. The launch was originally slated for release in Japan on July 14 and is now set for July 27.

This could be a huge breakthrough (if the manufacturers will adopt it, that is…) The Nikkei Net Interactive reported over the weekend that Ricoh is working on a single device which can play both Blu-Ray and HD DVD disks.

A report claims that members of the Blu-ray camp, including Pioneer, won’t be ready to launch products in Europe until next year. Further reports show there’s a problem producing enough laser diodes for Blu-ray burners, and consumers will have to wait till January 2007 before Blu-ray really kicks off.

Now it’s way too early to know how this Hi-Def DVD format war will play out, but the early reviews are playing out in HD-DVD’s favor. Now clearly, quality and performance don’t mean a win by any means (remember VHS vs.