I must admit - I’ve been eyeing this device for some time now. It’s the Hauppauge HD DVR and it was just reviewed by ExtremeTech here on their website. Before I get into their review, let me just quickly go over what the HD DVR is exactly. It’s basically an external video capture device that allows you to record video via component video inputs at resolutions up to 1080i. Video is encoded in H.264 using a hardware-based encoder and audio is recorded in either AAC or Dolby Digital. The unit comes with an IR blaster that allows it to control external set-top boxes. It’s also important to note that the HD DVR requires a PC to work. The PC is used to run the HD PVR application and is also used to store the resulting recordings since the HD DVR does not come with any storage itself.  Sounds like a bit of a pain eh? Yeah.. sure seems it. This basically means you’ll need a PC near your cable box to use the Hauppauge HD DVR.

Now on the plus side - this device captures HD video (granted it’s 1080i/720p video) via component signals. This means you’ll be able to hook this device up to your cable/dish box and record HD premium channels via the component outputs. Now granted this is not necessarily the highest quality video but let’s be real here - cable video is only at most 720p these days anyhow. You do get slightly lower video quality since the device captures via an analog signal as opposed to digital - but it’s still much much better than say recording from an S-Video or Composite input.

So, what did ExtremeTech think of the unit? Here’s their verdict:

If you’ve been looking to record high def video on your PC from set top boxes, then the HD DVR works fine as a time shifting device. But expect conversion to other formats to be problematic.

Yeah.. apparently ExtremeTech found the included conversion utility to be rather buggy.. but if you have the time and patience you can probably find other workarounds for that. Another interesting notion mentioned in the article - don’t forget that you can now record HD content from other types of devices via component outputs. This means attaching say an Xbox 360 and recording your game play onto your PC for others to view.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Hauppauge HD DVR, ExtremeTech, Review

Now here’s a truly interesting new product from Kodak. It’s the new Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera which is Kodak’s first dedicated pocket digital video camera. This unit is designed to make video capture fun and simple to perform as it captures 720p 16:9 video at 60 fps. According to PluggedIn Kodak blog site, the Zi6 features:

• 2.4 inch TFT LCD screen
• Comes with dedicated ARCSOFT video software
• Built-in USB connector
• SD/SDHC card slot
• Cables for viewing videos on an HDTV
• Pre-charged AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries and battery charger
• Play back video in slow motion

The ARCSOFT video software allows users to quickly edit, personalize, and share videos as well as easily upload videos to YouTube. It’s due out in September although no word on pricing.

If the price and the video quality is right, this can truly be a compelling product for the average consumer.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera

Do you have a need to record A LOT of content? You might be interested in this video clip by Cannon PC that shows off a Windows Media Center PC recording from six CableCard-enabled HD tuners. The video clip is of course a bit promotional because it shows one of their own systems handling the recording of six HD channels simultaneously while also playing back a high definition video clip. Keep in mind of course - this is NOT an incredibly hard task to accomplish. The video clip shows that the system is built around a quad core processor - that’s plenty of horsepower for Windows Media Center.

But what about the six HD tuners recording at the same time you say? Well one would assume that the six HD tuners had hardware based encoders thus relieving the CPU of any encoding duties. So.. the only left to do is to have a wickedly fast storage system which means you’ll want a nice RAID storage array with lots of fast disks. Finally.. playing back HD - well again - you’ll want a nice graphics card with hardware based decoding.

Now what is cool is how these guys have managed to get six tuners working under Windows Media Center. If you poke around on Google, you’ll figure out ways to get Media Center to see more than the normal 2 analog and 2 digital tuner limitation (hint - check out MCE Tuner Extender as an easy way to get this working).

While it’s certainly plausible for you to create a system like the demoed Cannon system - there won’t be an easy way for you to get a hold of six CableCard capable tuners. In fact, CableCard tuner cards are not sold directly to the consumer - you’ll have to buy it as part of a new system unfortunately. In any case, kudos to Cannon PC for pushing the envelope on MCE systems.

[Check it out via Ian Dixon's Blog and eHomeUpgrade]

Technorati Tags: Cannon PC, Windows Media Center, HTPC, CableCard TV tuner HD Tuner

For those of you interested in the Blu-ray high def front, there’s some interesting research data from Harris Interactive. While Sony and others may have prevailed in the Blu-ray vs HD DVD war, consumers are still sitting on the sidelines when it comes to the new high definition format. In a Harris Poll of 2529 U.S. adults conducted between April 7th and April 15th of this year, Harris found the following (quoted from the report):

• Ownership of standard DVD players is practically ubiquitous (87%);
• Few report owning Blu-ray disc players (4%), Sony PlayStation 3 (5%), HD DVD players (6%) and the HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 (1% have external drive while 9% have an Xbox 360);
• Only nine percent of non-Blu-ray player owners report being likely to purchase a Blu-ray disc player within the next year, even when made fully aware that Blu-ray is considered to be the definitive technology for high definition DVD players going forward;
• Two-thirds of consumers are familiar with the recently resolved high-definition format war (67%) and seven in ten of them have heard that Blu-ray is the unofficial winner (69%);
• Nearly a quarter (23%) of those aware of the format war report that they had been waiting for the rivalry to play itself out before purchasing a high definition player, but by April they had yet to do so;
• Although one-third of consumers report owning a high definition television set (HDTV; 35%), with incidence higher among males (41%) versus females (28%) and rising decidedly with household income (15% for those with less than $35K vs. 53% among those with $75K+), the percentage of HDTV owners likely to purchase a Blu-ray disc player is only 14 percent;
• Current ownership of Blu-ray disc players among HDTV owners stands at 10 percent.

There’s also some interesting data points about Blu-ray’s Internet connectivity support. Interest in this feature is apparently lacking among the surveyed consumers. Here’s a quote from the report:

• U.S. adults are more likely to purchase a Sony PlayStation 3 that plays Blu-ray discs and has Internet access for $399 (11%) or an original Blu-ray disc player without connectivity for the same price (10%) versus a new Blu-ray disc player with Internet for $500-$650 (4%);
• Not surprisingly, the under 40 crowd is most likely to opt for the PlayStation 3 as their Blu-ray capable device of choice – fully 23 percent of those in the 30-39 age group are likely to purchase this device in the next year (compared to 14% likely to buy an original Blu-ray disc player or the new Blu-ray disc player with Internet connectivity 5%)).

Finally.. what about all of those HD DVD players?

• Like the BetaMax loyalists of yore, almost half (45%) of those who currently own an HD DVD player say that they will just continue to use it and continue purchasing HD DVD’s as long as they are available;
• Another 14 percent of those who currently own an HD DVD player will continue to use it with the HD DVD’s they have already purchased, but do not plan on buying any new ones;
• An equal proportion of HD DVD player owners (15%) will continue to use it but also plan to invest in a Blu-ray disc player in the future.

As for myself - I was in the third bullet category until I decided to sell my Xbox 360 HD DVD player add-on. Yup.. I’m Blu-ray only now.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, Harris Interactive, Survey

PC Magazine has published a review of the Panasonic DMP-BD30 standalone Blu-ray player here on their website. Key features of the DMP-BD30 include the following:

• Supports Final Standard Profile which includes four Picture-in-Picture modes
• PHL Reference Chroma Processor and P⁴HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing) image technology
• UniPhier - Precise Digital Video processor
• Upconverts content to 1080p
• SD card slot
• EZ Sync HDAVI Control
• 16 level motion detection with pixel based motion adaptive
• Digital Noise Reduction
• 192kHz/24 bit Audio D/A Converter
• Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Plus Decoder
• Dolby True HD Decoder
• DTS/DTS-HD High Resolution/Master Audio Decoder
• HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color support

PC Magazine’s verdict was as follows:

The Panasonic DMP-BD30 loads discs faster than other standalone BD players while delivering impressive picture quality.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Panasonic DMP-BD30, PC Magazine, Review

Panasonic on Tuesday introduced their third generation standalone Blu-ray player - the DMP-BD50. The DMP-BD50 incorporates BD-Live and will become available this spring for a suggested price of $699.95.

Features of the new Panasonic DMP-BD50 include:

• BD-Live support - uses the Internet for additional content
• VIERA Link technology allows consumers to operate VIERA Link components with a single remote
• Uniphier digital video processor made up of PHL Reference Chroma processor and P4HD i/p conversion processor
• Audio Re-master and integrated decoders for Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats
• SD Memory Card slot

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Panasonic, DMP-BD50, Blu-ray player

HDMI is good.. but let’s face it.. wouldn’t it be awesome if we could just simply eradicate any wires at all in our home theater systems? Well that dream is pretty much a reality folks thanks to companies like AMIMON who are working on wireless high definition technologies. AMIMON’s technology is called WHDI and they recently partnered up with Sharp to include their technology in Sharp’s X-Series of LCD TVs.

AMIMON WHDI technology is capable of delivering wireless uncompressed HDTV at ranges of over 100 feet and through multiple walls. Sharp’s implementation of WHDI technology allows their X-Series to separate the tuner from the display. The tuner can now be connected to the display either via a traditional cable or via a wireless video transmitter. The new sets will go on sale first in Japan. The only downside thus far? The added expensive in having WHDI - about 800 dollars on top of the cost of the Sharp HDTV set. Ouch.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sharp, AMIMON, WHDI, X-series, Wireless HD

Wondering when Universal Studios will launch it’s Blu-ray lineup? Well, wonder no more. The studio will announce later today that it will officially enter the Blu-ray market on July 22nd. Going forward, the company plans on releasing all of its new videos in both Blu-ray and DVD formats. Universal plans on releasing 40 Blu-ray titles during the second half of 2008. Some of new titles include summer flicks such as:

• Doomsday
• The Incredible Hulk
• Wanted
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• Mamma Mia
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Universal will officially launch their Blu-ray lineup on July 22nd with the Mummy movies which includes The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and The Scorpion King. Other "older" titles coming out include:

• American Gangster
• Knocked Up
• The 40 Year Old Virgin
• Miami Vice
• End of Days
• U-571
• Land of the Dead

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Universal Studios, Blu-ray, July 22nd

Sony is taking high definition camcorders to new heights.. or rather.. to new (and smaller) sizes with the Sony High Definition Handycam Camcorder HDR-TG1. The HDR-TG1 comes in a ultra compact titanium-bodied chassis and is capable of recording in full HD (1920 x 1080). You can also capture 4 megapixel digital stills with all data stored on a Memory Stick PRO Duo card. The sheer small size of this camcorder means you’ll be able to take the HDR-TG1 to nearly any occasion.

Key features of the Sony HDR-TG1 include:

• Weight of 8 oz without the battery
• Chassis made out of pure titanium with premium hard coating applied on the surface (except for hinge and lens ring area)
• BIONZ image processing engine provides face detection technology. Recognizes up to 8 faces
• 2.3 megapixel (effective) ClearVid CMOS sensor
• 1920 x 1080 Full HD recording
• 4 megapixel stills
• 2.7 inch 16:9 Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo LCD Plus Display
• Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization System
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens
• 10x optical/20x digital zoom lens
• Built-in zoom microphone with 5.1 channel recording - features Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator
• Smooth Slow Recording
• x.v.Color technology
• Dual recording mode - capture video and capture still images
• Quick On feature
• HDMI output
• Face Index indexes video footage according to the faces detected
• Film Roll Index
• Supplied Handycam Station
• Built-in Intelligent Flash
• USB 2.0
• Manual Focus
• Fader and Picture Effects
• Scene Selection Modes
• Records in MPEG4 AVC/H.264 for HD and MPEG2 for SD

You can preorder the Sony HDR-TG1 on the SonyStyle website here for $899.99. The camcorder will be available around May 17th.

[Check it out via AVING]

Technorati Tags: Sony, High Definition Handycam Camcorder, HDR-TG1

Canon introduced two new shoulder mount high definition camcorders yesterday - the Canon XL H1S and XL H1A.

Here’s the XL H1S:

Here’s the XL H1A:

These new HD camcorders feature:

• Updated Canon 20x HD Video Zoom Lens with three independent manual adjustment rings
• Enhanced manual focus, and zoom control
• Expanded array of controls for customizing the image, display and operation of the camcorder
• Utilizes HDV tapes
• Utilizes Canon XL interchangeable lens system
• Three 1/3 inch, 1.67 Megapixel CCD Image Sensors
• DIGIC DVII HD Image Processor
• Six-pin IEEE 1394 terminal

According to Canon’s press release here, the XL H1S also features expanded connectivity via HD-SDI/SD-SDI output with embedded audio and time code. This provides a raw, uncompressed 1.485 Gbps signal for "demanding live production environments." The XL H1S also features SMPTE Time Code input and output terminals, and a Genlock output terminal for multi-camera shooting situations.

I’ll spare all of you the low level details and features of these two new HD camcorders but if you are curious, check out the product links for the XL H1A and the XL H1S.

The Canon XL H1S is scheduled to come out in early June for $8999 while the Canon XL H1A is scheduled for mid-July for $5999.

Technorati Tags: Canon, XL H1A, XL H1S, HD Camcorder