-
The Smaller, More Functional Roku 2 is Available Now[teaser]It also plays games. Well, it plays one game. [/teaser] Roku has long been at the forefront when it comes to media streamers. They're not as fully functional as some higher end devices, but they're cheap, easy, and Roku is always updating with new channels and features. One of the big things that Roku 2 brings to the table is gaming, though you'll have to be happy with eating white rice for an appetizer, white rice for an entree and white rice for dessert. It's not a very diverse table, is the point. Roku expects to have plenty of games available soon, but at launch you'll get to pick from 'Angry Birds,' 'Angry Birds Rio,' and 'Angry Birds Seasons.' Pricing for the three different tiers of players is the same as it's ever been. The HD is the cheapest model and offers the full Roku 2 experience at 720p and a price of $59. Stepping up to the XD gets you a 1080p resolution for $79. At $99, the Roku 2 XS comes with a gaming remote, a copy of 'Angry Birds' and an ethernet port for those that aren't down with the Wi-Fi provided by all three models. One more thing that the XS brings to the table is a USB port for playing your own files. Playback options are fairly limited - you're stuck with WMV, MP3, AAC, JPG and PNG - but it's a step in the right direction for sure. Source: RokuPosted Wed Jul 20, 2011 at 01:30 PM PDT by: -
NAD Intros a New Receiver[teaser]The T 575 features a modular design and features designed at getting the best possible audio. [/teaser] When looking at low and mid-range receivers, you'll find a lot of features like streaming PC audio, internet radio, iPhone control and other bonuses. Once you get into the high end, some of those things start to disappear. The NAD T 575 doesn't do any of that, but it does promise pristine, high quality audio. It handles the latest audio formats and decodes with the help of a high-speed DSP. It offers a second zone output, EARS technology that turns stereo sound into surround and Music First Audio sound quality. NAD's T 575 is built around Modular Design Construction (MDC) which ensures that you'll be able to upgrade the receiver should the need arise. The T 575 can be had for a price of $1,599. Source: eCousticsPosted Wed Jul 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
DLNA Boasts Inclusion on 1,000 Different TVs in Q1 2011[teaser]That's 1,000 sets worldwide - more than the first four years of DLNA's inclusion. [/teaser] If you're not familiar with it, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is a group that aims to allow the sharing of video, audio and pictures across a range of devices like game systems, Blu-ray players and TVs. A DLNA certified product will play nice with the files that the DLNA supports without issue. While DLNA is limited in its abilities, the ease of use is certainly attractive. It's so attractive, in fact, that DLNA capabilities have been included on 1,000 new television sets in the first quarter of this year. That puts the number to over 4,000 worldwide. "In just the first three months of this year, we saw an exponential increase in new television model certifications," says DLNA chairman Nidish Parikh. "Consumers are demanding connectivity amongst all of their home entertainment products and require the flexibility to share content between products developed by a variety of manufacturers." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Wed Jul 20, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Yamaha Launches Four New Aventage Receivers[teaser]Streaming, iPhone connectivity, and front USB ports are among the new additions. [/teaser] The Aventage receiver line is an important one for Yamaha. It's a new design and a different way of looking at receivers for the company. They've just announced the second generation of those receivers and there's plenty new to love. Yamaha brought plenty of features to the line, and introduced what used to be high-end features to all of the receivers in the series. Every one of them can stream music from a PC, bring up internet radio and they all feature front USB ports for iPhone and iPod connections. The two high-end receivers in the line offer something new to the Aventage line - 9.2 channel audio. The rest of the receivers push out either 7.1 or 7.2 audio channels. Yamaha's new receivers will be available in August and September at prices starting at $649. Source: TWICEPosted Tue Jul 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Best Buy's New Insignia TV Boasts Built-In TiVo[teaser]There's no DVR functionality, but the set does boast Wi-Fi connectivity. [/teaser] There's been a trend in electronics for a long time - Japan gets cool stuff first. In the case of the TV with a built in DVR, the US still hasn't gotten any, but the newest set from Insignia takes us a step closer. The latest set from Best Buy's house brand Insignia packs the TiVo user interface along with all the streaming services that go along with it, like CinemaNow and Netflix. Dubbed the cTV, it will be available in 32 and 42 inch sizes, both of which offer Wi-Fi connectivity. Best Buy's new TV doesn't include DVR functionality, which would make this product launch far more interesting. Details are still fuzzy on multi-room access and whether or not DVR capabilities can be unlocked with the addition of an external hard drive. We're guessing no to both. The TVs are set to launch on July 31st. Pricing is unavailable at this time. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Jul 19, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Circuit City is Selling DIVX - No, Not DivX[teaser]Remember that awful technology that got shut down hard by DVDs? It can be yours for the right price. [/teaser] Think way back to the days when DVD first came on the market and try to remember DIVX. Not the computer format, but that strange video rental style scheme that Circuit City came up with. The way DIVX worked was that you'd purchase a disc for four dollars or so and then take it home and watch it. You could watch it as many times as you wanted for 48 hours and then it would be disabled. After that, you could activate the disc again by paying more. Sort of like a crappy version of VODs. That technology and others are being sold at auction on August 16th for a starting price of $750,000. If there are no bidders, Imaging Transfer Co. will pick it all up at the starting price. "Although Circuit City was not able to capitalize on its inventions, the video distribution model it envisioned has become the mainstream," says Gabe Fried of Streambank - the company assisting in the sale of the tech. DIVX may have helped to pave the way for video on demand, but how much is a failed technology that showed everyone what not to do really worth? Apparently $750 grand. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Jul 19, 2011 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Spotify Music Streaming Service Launches in the US[teaser]The unlimited music streaming service has finally made its way across the Atlantic. [/teaser] When it comes to streaming music, there really hasn't been that one perfect option yet. Pandora is fine, but it won't let you play any specific tracks. Qriocity and Zune are slick, but suffer from the Netflix issue of limited content. Spotify is the answer. The streaming service that's been blowing Europeans away is finally here in the states and it's no less impressive. The free version of the service gives you instant access to millions of songs, though you'll have to listen to ads occasionally. The Unlimited version takes away the ads for five bucks a month and the Premium version gives you the ability to play music on your cell, allows an offline mode and gives you access to exclusive content. The music selection seems absolutely limitless. Looking for a hard to find track by British synth-pop artist Baxendale? They've got it. Whether you're looking to listen to the entire catalog of video game rapper Mega Ran or an album from little known punk band Apocalypse Hoboken, you can find it on Spotify. The only question now is how long it will take to get Spotify baked into Blu-ray players, receivers and TVs. Source: SpotifyPosted Fri Jul 15, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Watch Dolby's Surrounded: 7.1 Cinema & Beyond in its Entirety[teaser]The invitation went out last week, but if you missed the chance to watch Dolby's Livestreaming event, "Surrounded: 7.1 Cinema & Beyond", we've got the video for you right here in its entirety.[/teaser] Running at an hour and fifteen minutes, the panel of filmmakers and sound designers included Erik Aadahl (the supervising sound editor on 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' 'Kung Fu Panda 2,' and 'Megamind'), Eric Brevig, Michael Semanick (the re-recording mixer of 'Cars 2 and 'Toy Story 3), Rohan Sippy (the director of 'Dum Maaro Dum'), and Kinson Tsang (the supervising sound designer on 'Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen' and 'The Lost Bladesman'). Topics ranged from first experiences with surround sound (with many, of course, citing 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Star Wars') to what 7.1 cinema brings to both 2D and 3D movies. With two filmmakers working primarily in Asia, Rohan Sippy and Kinson Tsang were not only able to talk about the differences in constructing surround sound tracks for their audiences, but the challenges in quality they face. If you thought American theater owners and projections were crap, we haven't seen anything. Sippy and Tsang talked about, sometimes, having to reign in their sound design to account for the fact that many theaters in their collective regions are in disrepair or improperly set up. Another big challenge they face is not unlike the current 'Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition' Blu-ray controversy (926 comments and growing!). Meaning, what's rumored to be an possible-error on The Fellowship's color timing actually happens all the time with Asian Blu-ray audio – they produce a wonderful, full bodied surround mix, and then someone comes in a mucks it all up. If you love surround sound, you'll want to check out this panel. Enjoy! Having trouble watching it embedded, head on over to Dolby's Livestream Channel.Posted Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 12:30 PM PDT by: -
Netflix Comes to the 3DS Today[teaser]Before you get too excited, no, there won't be any 3D movies at launch. [/teaser] Sure, it isn't exactly an impressive title to hold considering the ridiculous lack of competition on the market, but the 3DS is the first handheld gaming system to integrate Netflix video streaming. The free app is available to download now for 3DS users. There isn't anything about the Netflix service for the 3DS that will come as a surprise. You can stream movies and TV shows just like you would on a PC or any other device. You'll need to pay a subscription fee and you'll only be able to access the videos when you have an internet connection. Though the system is 3D capable, Netflix is not. That means you'll be enjoying 2D video up until Netflix starts adding some 3D content. Source: NintendoPosted Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Blockbuster Offers Subscription Free Rent-By-Mail[teaser]Expect to see a lot of changes from Netflix competitors in the wake of the new price structure fiasco. [/teaser] Netflix has changed its pricing pretty significantly and a great many customers have seen this as a perfect time to cancel their accounts, while others are beginning to explore other options. Blockbuster wants to be that option for those favoring discs over streaming. Their latest addition to the service might be the very thing that gets them back into the minds of movie enthusiasts. Instead of requiring a subscription to rent DVDs and Blu-rays, Blockbuster is now offering week long rentals by mail at the price of $4.99. While that's not entirely appealing when it comes to DVDs, keep in mind that Blockbuster charges the same amount for Blu-rays. That means that those new release Blu-rays that Redbox and Netflix don't have can be delivered to your door for five bucks. It's definitely going to be enough to tempt some away from Netflix disc service. Source: BlockbusterPosted Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 11:30 AM PDT by:
