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VIA's VX855 Media System Processor handles the 1080p

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 13th 2009 at 11:48AM


Big news, folks -- 1008p is about to hit the minuscule PC market, and VIA's making darn sure it doesn't miss the boat. Hot on the heels of HABEY's BIS-6550HD announcement, VIA has stepped in to formally introduce its VX855 Media System Processor, which aims to bring hardware-based 1080p decoding to VIA-based rigs. The highly integrated single chip package sucks down just 2.3 watts and provides hardware H.264 video acceleration when snapped in alongside a VIA Nano, C7 or Eden processor. Other specs include a 400 to 800MHz FSB speed, support for up to DDR2 800 memory (4GB maximum), six USB 2.0 ports and the company's own Chrome9 graphics set. There's no mention of when this bugger will find its way into shelf-bound rigs, but we're hoping Computex sheds some light on the situation.

[Via HotHardware]

Panasonic bigwig talks up Blu-ray archival potential

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 13th 2009 at 10:11AM


We're chalking up the lack of Blu-ray archival talk to the ridiculous price of BD-R media, but now that prices are slowly but surely beginning to sink somewhat, it seems that Panasonic is taking advantage of the situation. Hiroyuki Hasegawa of Panasonic's AVC Networks Company recently stated that "from an environmental perspective, Blu-ray and other optical discs are promising for archival purposes." He delivered that quote while giving a seminar on the current state of digital archives, and he also made mention that Blu-ray Discs were superior to other media including HDDs and magnetic tapes in terms of "non-contact recording and playback, removability, random accessibility and long product life." Quite honestly, we have serious doubts that BDs are superior to HDDs in most situations, but Mr. Hasegawa pointed out that discs were better suited for "long-term storage of fixed data." Call us crazy, but we're totally waiting for the rebuttal here.

CableCARD diagnostic tool gets previewed at Media Center University

by Richard Lawler, posted Mar 13th 2009 at 8:00AM


Say hello to some of the first screens from the Digital Cable Tuner Diagnostics (DCTD) tool, courtesy of CE Pro, who got a peek as it was shown off during the Media Center University currently underway at EHX Spring. It can check individual channel strength, whether you're properly paired and provisioned with the cable company and that you've been set up with all the channels you're paying for. The bad news is you probably won't be doing any of this, unless the software leaks or something changes, since it's only going to be available for the ($500 membership fee required) Media Center Integrator Alliance. For those who've dropped coin on a high end custom media center installation, it should cut the time and heartache installed significantly, but detailed help for the rest of us is in another castle.

ComponexX throws its wires into the ring, hopes to link up your home cinema

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 13th 2009 at 5:16AM

At this point, you're probably already locked into a certain cable manufacturer, but if you're open to changes in life, why not have a look at ComponexX? The wiring newcomer is aiming at the highly competitive low-end, bargain-priced market, with the X Series, Pro Series and Xtreme Series comprising the company's new offerings. Within those families, you'll find all sorts of cables including HDMI, S-Video, component, Toslink, DVI, FireWire, USB 2.0, coaxial, subwoofer, etc. From what we've seen, the prices really are pretty good, but it'll probably take stickers beyond comprehension to get you to stop surfing over to Monoprice.

Gefen's latest DVI extenders take things two whole kilometers

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 9:40PM


And to think -- we were gettin' all hot and bothered over the extension of signals to 1,000 feet. Gefen's latest DVI extenders aim to take things far longer than 99.5 percent of Earthlings will ever need, as both the DVI-3500HD and DVI-2500HD (dual-link DVI) can take DVI, USB, RS-232 and analog audio up to 6,600 feet (two whole kilometers) without any dropouts or distortion. Of course, you'll need four fiber optic cables to make it all come together, not to mention $2,679 / $1,599 (respectively) to bring those capabilities home. But hey, you can pipe the big game to your pal's house without actually having to step foot in his less-than-inviting abode.

Panasonic's ultra-thin 54Z1 plasma in the wild

by Paul Miller, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 6:12PM Featured Story


Now that it's official and priced, Panasonic seems much happier to show off its wireless HD-sporting, ultra-thin Z1 series, and it's quite the sight to behold. The 54Z1 we got to look at was very strikingly clad in brushed metal gray -- compared to the regular black of most of Panasonic's TV lineup -- and of course incredibly thin. The wireless HD receiver box was across the room and working flawlessly, and it was nice to see that the included remote is an RF unit, capable of non-line-of-sight channel changing -- it's starting to feel like the 21st century around here! The plasma picture was of course very good, and we're really feeling those Viera Tools icons across the bottom. $6,000 though? That's your call.

Panasonic CES 2009 Blu-ray / HTIB lineup eyes-on

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 5:03PM Featured Story


We were able to spot a few of Panasonic's latest innovations in the home theater space back at CES 2009, but we got a much more intimate look at things during a recent New York showcase. The new Blu-ray decks look nice, if not a touch plain. Not that everyone wants an Alienware-esque BD deck or anything, but we digress. The Blu-ray HTIB systems were particularly of interest, as these things are perfect for sneaking BD into homes that are currently DVD-only, and while we longed for more information on the portable DMP-B15, the on-hand reps didn't seem too anxious to gush over technical specifications with us. Their loss, totally.

Gallery: Panasonic CES 2009 Blu-ray / HTIB lineup eyes-on

HDTV Listings for March 12, 2009

by Richard Lawler, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 3:48PM

What we're watching tonight:
  • CBS (1080i) has Survivor at 8 p.m. followed by CSI and Eleventh Hour
  • ABC (720p) brings Ugly Betty at 8 p.m., Grey's Anatomy at 9 p.m. and Private Practice at 10:01 p.m.
  • NBC (1080i) lines up My Name is Earl at 8 p.m., followed by the season (and hopefully series) finale of Kath & Kim, The Office, 30 Rock and E.R.
  • Fox (720p) has Bones at 8 p.m.
  • Spike (1080i) has TNA: Impact! at 9 p.m.
  • History (720p) queues up Gangland at 9 p.m. and the season premiere of Warriors at 10 p.m.
  • Discovery (1080i) has Treasure Quest at 10 p.m.
  • A&E (720p) has The Beast at 10 p.m.
  • TLC (1080i) has Street Customs at 9 p.m. and Heli-Loggers at 10 p.m.
  • Speed (720p) has Bullrun at 10 p.m.
  • TNT (1080i) has Lakers/Spurs at 8 p.m. and Cavaliers/Suns at 10:30 p.m.
  • ESPN (720p) has college basketball with West Virginia/Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. and Syracuse/Connecticut at 9:30 p.m.
  • ESPN2 (720p) has Texas Tech/Missouri college basketball at 9:30 p.m.
  • CW(1080i) has Smaillville at 8 p.m. and Supernatural at 9 p.m. (Thanks Ivan!)

Apple patent filing details possible "remote wand" for Apple TV, again

by Donald Melanson, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 1:54PM


We've already seen some patent evidence that Apple has at least been considering a Wiimote-like controller for the Apple TV, and a newly published patent filing has now thrown yet more fuel onto the fire, although, as with all Apple patents, that's hardly a guarantee of anything. Still, this latest filing is nothing if not detailed, and it clearly shows the so-called "remote wand" being used to control just about every aspect of the Apple TV, with the wand being twisted and turned to flip through a music library, rotate pictures, and simply control a cursor on the screen -- there's even a glimpse of it being used with a paint application. So, it's certainly possible, perhaps even likely given Apple's increasing distaste for buttons, but just keep all those Apple patents for head-mounted displays in the back of your mind lest you get too excited.

Samsung's HMX-R10 HD camcorder aims for April release

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 11:32AM


Samsung's devilishly cute HMX-R10 camcorder stole the hearts of many at CES, but ever since, we've been aimlessly wandering about Sammy's website attempting to locate clues on pricing and availability. Thankfully, it seems some answers are starting to surface, and we've only got a month or so before we discover whether these whispers were laced in truth. Reportedly, this pocket-friendly high-def camcorder will be hitting UK streets next month, with early estimates pegging the price at $550. We're told that Americans may have to wait until sometime this summer before they too can indulge, but at least the Britons will be able to test it out beforehand and give you a little heart-to-heart buying advice.

Read - Estimated ship date
Read - Estimated pricing

Onkyo's TX-SR607 receiver stakes out the high ground with Dolby ProLogic IIz

by Steven Kim, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 10:01AM

Onkyo TX-SR607 receiver
Sure, your 7.1-channel setup does a great job of swarming Maverick, Iceman and Jester's jets all around you, but imagine how much better it would be to get vertical surround effects as well. Pick up an Onkyo TX-SR607 receiver (available next month for $599) and you can find out, thanks to its Dolby ProLogic IIz (DPL IIz) processing. Just put a couple more speakers high and tight above your front channels, hook them up and enjoy. Onkyo is kicking off the DPL IIz craze with the midrange TX-SR607, and will be rolling the feature out across its higher-spec models over the summer. If you're not so interested in more channels, even the more modest TX-SR507 ($399) and TX-SR307 ($299) models have been refreshed with a sprinkling of more HDMI inputs and support for HD audio codecs. Hit that link for the full details.

Gallery: Onkyo TX-SRx07 receivers

ZeeVee ships the $2,500 ZvPro 250

by Steven Kim, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 8:47AM

ZeeVee ZvPro 250 streamer
It seems like ages ago that we first heard about ZeeVee's range-topping ZvPro streamer for sending HD content hither and yon on across existing coax lines at up to 1080i resolution, but really it's only been a few months. The linked press release puts a commercial signage angle on this rack-mountable box, but with the RS-232 control, Toslink input and assignable pairing of the audio and video inputs, we're thinking this would fit pretty nicely in the home, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the $2,500 price that's "disruptive" for the commercial market is just "discouraging" for home users. Trickle down can't come soon enough.

Samsung BD-P3600 spied at retail

by Richard Lawler, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 6:11AM


After the BD-P1600 broke cover, it was just a matter of time until we got an in the wild look at Samsung's BD-3600 Blu-ray player, seen here hanging out at a Best Buy as some commenters had indicated. That $399 price is enough to pick up the BD-Live storage, 7.1 analog outs and 802.11b/g/n WiFi dongle missing from the BD-P1600, while super slim wall mounting bliss remains the exclusive domain of the BD-P4600. Deciding between this and the DMP-BD80 without some real hands on time may be tough, but at least until Amazon has some HD on top of their VOD, Netflix streaming is probably enough to sway our decision.

[Thanks, Eric]

Continue reading Samsung BD-P3600 spied at retail

Plenty of tru2way demos planned for The Cable Show in April

by Richard Lawler, posted Mar 12th 2009 at 1:51AM


Yes, we were disappointed by the lack of tru2way at CES. Luckily, next month's The Cable Show should give a bit of a lift, with interactive program guides, games, chat, web browsers and more on display. Samsung is the most notable hardware name we noticed on the list, but with only set-top boxes, home networking and portability apps on the menu our question of when its compatible TVs may go one sale will likely remain unanswered. Check out the release for the full listing, whether 2009 is the year of tru2way or not should certainly be more clear once the show is underway from April 1-3.

Panasonic's 2009 VIERA Cast Blu-ray players priced, shipping in April

by Richard Lawler, posted Mar 11th 2009 at 7:12PM


We first got a peek at Panasonic's DMP-BD60, DMP-BD80 and VHS-packing DMP-BD70V at CES, and now they've got official pricetags ahead of their April release. Beyond the VIERA Cast support for Amazon VOD, YouTube and other Internet content, this year's decks also include improvements in power consumption, with the BD60 drawing 16% less juice than last year's DMP-BD35. The DMP-BD60 can be had for a suggested $299, while the BD80 and BD70V are both priced at $399, depending on whether you prefer VHS or 7.1 analog outputs. Check out the CES 2009 hands on for a better look before these show up at a retailer near you.
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