Knoll Systems are out with two new HD projectors which they claim are ready to use, right out of the box – no need to fuss around with settings or deal with contemplated setup issues before installing. The new projectors are the HDP1100 and the HDP1200 – both models designed from the ground up by Kevin Knoll and the Knoll System’s team.

The projectors have been “pre-tweaked” at the factory to Kevin Knoll’s specifications for “colorimetry, accuracy, grey scale performance, etc” so they’re “out-of-the-box beautiful”.

Features of the HDP1100 and the HDP1200 include:

• Knoll 2-D lens shift makes installation easy as projector does not need to be mounted in just the right spot
• Dynamic Black automatic iris provides over 4 times improvement over mechanical native contrast.
• 2.35:1 aspect ratio ability with built in firmware for anamorphic lenses.
• Digital Light Processing (DLP) 16:9 MaxPlay DMD
• Nikon all-glass lenses give a sharp distortion free image.
• HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color support and Brilliant Color
• Factory calibrated to 6500° (D65) and color balance for a true cinema experience.
• Native resolution of 1920 X 1080
• 950 ANSI lumens
• 4400:1 contrast ratio

The HDP1100 has a short throw lens and has an MSRP of $5999.00 while the HDP1200 has a long-throw lens with an MSRP of $6799.00

Technorati Tags: Knoll Systems, HDP1100, HDP1200, HD Projectors

Black Box Corporation announces their new Video and Audio over Ethernet Extender System (VAoE) solution providing a simple and convenient method to distribute high definition audio/video over an existing Ethernet network. All you’ll need is a CAT5, CAT5e, or CAT6 network infrastructure and you’ll be able to transmit HD content to one or more displays as far as 300 feet away – great for applications such as displaying video remotely, digital signage, live TV, etc.

The system works with any brand of single-link DVI or HDTV displays and supports 480p, 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1080i, and 1080p resolutions. The VAoE system consists of three products – a standalone transmitter for $1395, a PCI/PCI-e Card Transmitter for $1255 and a standalone receiver for $975. The receiver also works as a Gigabit Ethernet switch.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Black Box Corpration, Video and Audio over Ethernet Extender

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

• 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

• 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

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

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

The STR-DG920 features:

• 110 watts of power per channel
• Support for 1080/60p and 1080/24p True Cinema video signal pass-through
• 4 HDMI inputs
• Support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, dts High Resolution Audio and dts HD Master Audio
• Supports x.v.Color™ technology (xvYCC)
• Supports Deep Color
• Video upscales to 1080p via HDMI
• Icon driven menu system
• Sony Digital Media Port
• Upgraded Portable Audio Enhancer technology
• XM Connect-and-Play ready with 5.1 Neural Surround Sound
• Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC)
• Available in June for $600 dollars

The STR-DG820 features:

• 110 watts of power per channel
• Support for 1080/60p and 1080/24p True Cinema video signal pass-through
• 4 HDMI inputs
• Support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, dts High Resolution Audio and dts HD Master Audio
• Supports x.v.Color™ technology (xvYCC)
• Video upscales to 1080p via HDMI
• Icon driven menu system
• Sony Digital Media Port
• Upgraded Portable Audio Enhancer technology
• XM Connect-and-Play ready with 5.1 Neural Surround Sound
• Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC)
• Available in May for $400 dollars

The STR-DG720 features:

• 7.1 channel a/v receiver
• 105 watts of power per channel
• Three HDMI inputs
• Support 1080/60p and 1080/24p video signal pass-through
• Eight channels of uncompressed LPCM audio
• Compatible with XM Radio
• Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC)
• Digital Media Port
• Digital Cinema Sound processing
• Portable Audio Enhancer
• Available in March for $300 dollars

The STR-DG520 features:

• 5.1 channel A/V receiver
• Two HDMI inputs
• 1080/60p and 1080/24p video signal pass-through
• Digital Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC)
• Digital Media Port
• Digital Cinema Sound processing
• Portable Audio Enhancer
• Available in March for $200 dollars

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, A/V Receiver, HDMI, STR-DG920, STR-DG820, STR-DG720, STR-DG520

Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation had this to say in the official press release from Toshiba:

“We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop.”

“While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.”

So what’s the road ahead for Toshiba? First off, shipments for HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels will be ending by around the end of March. Toshiba also plans on ending volume production of HD DVD disk drives for PCs and games during the same timeframe. The company will still evaluate the business for integrated HD DVD drives within notebook PCs but you have to believe that particular business will eventually subside as well.

While the end of the HD DVD format is certainly a disappointment for the million plus individuals out there who purchased HD DVD players, it does finally offer clarity to the high definition video business. Don’t expect Blu-ray to take off necessarily though. With the only competitor now out of the picture, you can expect prices to stabilize on the Blu-ray front. One has to wonder whether you will see as many movie offers as you had been seeing in the past now.

[Check it out via News.com]

Technorati Tags: HD DVD, Toshiba,

Ah yes.. HD DVD.. we hardly knew ya. This news is certainly unfortunate for the 1+ million people who bought into the HD DVD platform (myself included).

Here’s a random thought however – wouldn’t it be nice if the studios offered free trade-in programs for owners of HD DVD discs? What a thought huh? Trade your HD DVD copy of King Kong for a Blu-ray version. I know..I’m definitely dreaming but it’s a nice dream isn’t it?

In any event, congrats to Blu-ray and let’s not forget to attend the funeral services for HD DVD ok?

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: HD DVD, Blu-ray, Toshiba,

Still can’t decide between HD DVD and Blu-ray? (though the answer seems a bit more clear to me than ever before!) That’s where the LG BH200 Super Blu Player comes into play. This second generation high definition player supports both HD DVD and Blu-ray (as well as DVD playback) media formats and might be the best choice for those who really can’t decide on a single format. Key features of the BH200 include the following:

• 1080p output
• Qdeo Advanced Video Processing
• DVD 1080p video upconversion
• HDMI 1.3 (deep color support)
• LG SimpLink Control – Control other LG SimpLink products via HDMI
• Advanced Interactivity
• USB Media Host

The downside to the BH200? It’s still fairly pricey – especially when you consider you can get a standalone Blu-ray player AND a standalone HD DVD player for less. PC Magazine recently reviewed the BH200 and found the following:

The BH200 may cost an arm and a leg, but it solves the Blu-ray/HD DVD dilemma by playing both formats. That said, sluggish HD DVD menu navigation and a bevy of quirks give the player an unfinished feel.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LG, BH200 Super Blu Player, Blu-ray, HD DVD

More interesting news from the high-definition wars. This time, it’s news from Toshiba where they have announced price cuts on all three of their current HD DVD players out on the market. The new prices are as follows:

• HD-A3 now sells for $149.99
• HD-A30 now sells for $199.99
• HD-A35 now sells for $299.99

These new price cuts come barely a 10 days after Warner Brothers announced that they would be dropping support for HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray. According to Paul Erickson, director of DVD and HD market research of The NPD Group, “For them [Toshiba] to drop MSRPs now couldn’t come at a better time.. It was a gap Blu-ray was able to close down upon holiday sales.”

Although the price cuts are certainly a boon for consumers, one has to wonder if this will seriously help the HD DVD front. Up until now, HD DVD has held a price advantage over Blu-ray which has helped drive sales for HD DVD. Yet, Blu-ray continues to push forward – especially in light of the lower prices for the Sony PlayStation 3 console and the various deals that retailers have conjured up over the holiday season. Finally, one has to wonder how low these prices can eventually go. Let’s face it – hardware prices can only go so low and at some point, Blu-ray hardware manufacturers will catch up (or rather lower their prices to be on par with HD DVD). If we do reach price parity in the near future, content will likely drive the winner of this battle and it does appear from a glance that Blu-ray is the leader at this point.

I’ve been a fan of HD DVD from the get go – simply because it was rather inexpensive to get an HD DVD player for the Xbox 360 platform and the qualities of the released titles have been rather good thus far. (OK.. having Battlestar Galactica on HD DVD helps if you ask me!) Am I going to stick with HD DVD? No. As a consumer, I will go with what makes sense from a financial standpoint since there really is no picture quality difference between the two platforms. Heck – I’ll even consider getting a PS3 just for the sole purpose of getting Blu-ray if need be!

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Toshiba, HD DVD player, price cut, Blu-ray,

SE2 Labs had a smooth booth at CES 2008 showcasing their ITC One – their personalized all-in-one home entertainment solution. With each ITC One, custom installers or end users can design a personalized system from the SE2 Labs website. According to SE2 Labs, every ITC One is then built and shipped within two weeks. You can choose from the following components for the ITC One:

• Microsoft Xbox 360 console
• Xbox 360 HD DVD player
• Nintendo Wii
• DirecTV
• High Definition TiVo
• Dish Network DVR
• National Cable Providers DVR including Comcast, Time Warner, Cox Cable etc
• AMX Netlinx Control System
• High End Digital Surround Processor
• Bryston Pre-Amp Processor with full digital outputs
• IcePower High End D Class Amplifers
• High End Video Processor
• Front Touchpanel Screen
• Apple Video iPod with Dock
• Proprietary Remote Control
• Power Conditioning
• Super Quiet Cooling System
• Super Easy 2 Connect Rear Panel
• Transparent Cabling and Cable Harness
• Anti-Noise and Vibration System

The idea is simple enough – do you want to build a complex home theater system yourself or do you want to purchase an all inclusive system that’s put together by a system integrator? I just wish the box was a bit more.. attractive looking??

What’s even better – once you’ve designed the ITC One on the website, installing it is a cinch – simply connect the power, video source, and speakers, and then turn it on. There’s no cabling to deal with – no racks to install, and no integration issues to deal with.

Starting prices for the ITC One is $24,995.

Here’s the side profile of the ITC One:

Here’s the back panel

Here are some official press images:

Finally, SE2 Labs won the “Best of Innovations 2008″ for the Integrated Home Systems category.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: SE2 Labs, ITC One, CES 2008

You just got yourself a beautiful new flat panel HDTV set and you want to put it up on your wall. One small problem – there’s no convenient way for you to hide those unsightly wires connecting your home theater system to your television set. That’s where the promise of Belkin’s upcoming FlyWire device comes in. It’s a 5GHz wireless transmitter/receiver solution designed to transmit uncompressed 1080p True Cinema signals from your video source straight to display. You can connect your HD source (whether it’s an HD DVD player, a Blu-ray player, an HD cable set top box – whatever) to your television set via a wireless transmission. The end result? No unsightly wires to deal with. The FlyWire includes both a transmitter and receiver and will be coming out this summer. The estimated MSRP is between $499 to $599.

Technorati Tags: Belkin, FlyWire, HDTV, Wireless HD, CES 2008

Warner Brothers Entertainment announced today that the company would be releasing high definition content only in the Blu-ray format. Up until now, the company had been releasing movies in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. Warner decided to go with Blu-ray over HD DVD because “consumers have shown a stronger preference for that format than HD DVD.”

This change will take place this year although Warner will continue to release HD DVDs until the end of May. Warner Brothers now joins Disney, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and MGM as backers of Blu-ray. Paramount, Dreamworks (owned by Paramount) and Universal Pictures supports HD DVD.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Warner Brothers Entertainment, Blu-ray, HD DVD