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FLO TV Customers Get a Full Refund[teaser]Even better - you don't even have to send your FLO TV back. [/teaser] When it launched, FLO TV seemed like an idea with a lot of potential. The idea was sound, but just a year or two too late. With smartphones increasing in capabilities quickly, FLO TV started to look a bit less futuristic. Sadly, adoption rates were slow and FLO TV had to close its doors. The folks at FLO TV said they'd be doing something for the people that bought the device and service, but we didn't expect anything like this. There's no gift voucher, partial refund or credit towards the purchase of something else - customers are getting a full refund. If you bought a FLO TV, you'll get a refund no matter where you got it. If you bought an accessory for your FLO TV, you'll get a refund on that too, if you bought it directly from FLO TV. The only caveat to the whole thing is that your device must have been activated on a FLO TV account - that basically means you can't go grabbing new FLO TVs on clearance and turning them in for the rebate. Source: FLO TVPosted Wed Dec 15, 2010 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Avatar' 3D Blu-ray May Be Panasonic Exclusive Until 2012[teaser]The bundle deal runs until February of 2012, exclusivity is the big question. [/teaser] "Just wait 'til after Christmas, they'll have to release it then." That's the advice commonly doled out to people considering a new TV purchase to grab a copy of the biggest 3D movie ever, or trying to get their James Cameron fix by doling out a few hundred bucks on eBay. As it turns out, those advisors may be dead wrong. Die hard fans may decide they want to pick it up sooner. According to the site AVZombie - down at the moment because of excessive traffic - Panasonic has the rights to the 'Avatar' bundle until February of 2012. That's a considerably longer window of opportunity than anyone had anticipated. There's no official word on whether the deal is actually exclusive until 2012, and we're certainly hoping that's not the case. Whether you're a fan of 'Avatar' or not, a year and a half exclusivity window is a precedent we don't want to see set. In the meantime, if you choose the right shipping, you can still get the bundle at a considerable discount. Source: AV Zombie (via Engadget)Posted Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 10:50 AM PST by: -
Kaleidescape's Blu-ray Movie Server Now Shipping[teaser]The server eliminates load times, and can give you Blu-ray access from any room in the house. [/teaser] "Blu-ray offers the highest fidelity for my discerning clients, but if you thought watching a DVD was frustrating, just try a Blu-ray Disc." These are the sentiments of Jeff Cherun, owner of Teatro Custom Installation. He's not bagging on the high definition picture and he's not downplaying the importance of great audio - he's talking about load times. "With the Kaleidescape System," he says, "you're enjoying any of your Blu-ray movies in seconds instead of minutes. My customers will never go back to an ordinary Blu-ray player." That system, which has been unveiled piece by piece over the last year or so, is finally shipping in full. With the Kaleidescape system, you're able to back up your Blu-rays onto a server and play them back at your leisure in any room with a Kaleidescape player. The Modular Disc Vault is the final piece of the puzzle. It allows you to import and store up to 100 discs at once. That's essential, since you'll still need the disc in the vault to play it - an anti piracy measure. Source:Posted Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
The New Roku Firmware Update Includes 1080p for XR owners.[teaser]Roku's latest firmware release brings plenty into the mix, but 1080p capabilities for older players is at the top of the list. [/teaser] If you're using a Roku player, you're probably used to getting excited about firmware updates. The company has a strong history of updates that not only fix problems but add functionality to their devices. The latest patch is no different. The biggest piece of news comes for owners of the Roku XR since the unit was updated to enable 1080p output. That means you're getting even better picture quality without having to buy a new piece of gear. Every Roku device will take advantage of new optimizations to the Hulu Plus program that allow quicker navigation, playback and better performance on slow networks. There is also a variety of bug fixes and small tweaks to the user interface. Roku (via EngadgetPosted Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Get $75 Amazon Credit with Purchase of PS3[teaser]Amazon has a great deal for those in the market for a PlayStation 3! [/teaser] The online retailer is currently selling a 160GB PlayStation 3 for $299, and with the purchase customers will also receive $75 credit to use towards items shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Some restrictions apply and full details can be viewed here! This offer is available only for a limited time and one per household, so if you're interested be sure to take advantage of the savings as quick as you can.Posted Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Sony, IMAX and Discovery Announce New 3D Programming[teaser]Along with a few expected shows, three new original series will be hitting the 3D channel. [/teaser] In October we got a glimpse of the upcoming programming for the new joint effort between Sony, Discovery and IMAX. Now we're seeing more, but just a bit more. A few more existing properties will be heading to 3D, including 'Ghost Lab,' 'Open Season,' and 'Space Station,' an IMAX exploration of the titular space station. More exciting is the trio of new shows coming to the channel. It all kicks off with 'Bullproof,' a show focusing on bull riding and delivering an up close and personal 3D version of the experience. 'Making the Brand' is a behind-the-scenes look at how the products we use every day are made, and 'High Octane' brings 3D to extreme sports like motocross, jet skiing, rock-climbing and more. "We continue to move forward aggressively to both create and acquire the most immersive and entertaining 3D programming for television audiences available anywhere," says the venture's president, Tom Cosgrove. "The broad range of series and programs announced today further underscores our ongoing commitment to providing consumers with the highest quality 3D content across a wide variety of genres." Source: DiscoveryPosted Tue Dec 14, 2010 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Yamaha Debuts a 3D Compatible Digital Sound Projector[teaser]It's a slick soundbar, but the $1,000 price makes us think twice. [/teaser] The YSP-2000 is the latest soundbar from Yamaha, who prefers to call it a Digital Sound Projector. Whatever you call it, the YSP-2000 is an impressive setup. Yamaha's new soundbar boasts 16 speaker beam drivers, each with its own digital amplifier. The combination of drivers and internal technology allows the YSP-2000 to simulate 7.1 channel surround sound. The soundbar includes a 100 watt subwoofer that's compact enough for a shelf and can be positioned either horizontally or vertically. You'll get four HDMI 1.4 inputs and a dock port for adding accessories like iPhone docks and Bluetooth receivers. The YSP-2000 comes in at a price of $999.95. Source: EngadgetPosted Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
LaCie Ships a New Slim External Blu-ray Burner[teaser]The USB 2.0 toting player comes in at $265. [/teaser] Blu-ray burners just haven't taken off the way CD and DVD burners did. There's still a crop of people who love their disc backups and burns, and those other folks that put them to less legitimate purposes. Whatever your reason for owning it, LaCie's new external burner is available now. It's not the fastest thing in the world, burning Blu-rays at 6X speeds and dual-layer disc at 4X, but it does the trick. It uses USB 2.0 technology, so you won't have to worry about having the latest and greatest computer to use it - your laptop or netbook should work just fine. Source: EngadgetPosted Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
So-Cal Store Offers Cash for TV Clunkers[teaser]They're giving customers as much as $1,000 trade-in for their old electronics. [/teaser] Are you one of those people who still has a big-screen 4:3 television sitting in the garage? How about some CRT computer monitors or even a crappy old laptop? If you've got it, home theater retailer Diamond Case Designs will take it. Not only will they get that junk off of your hands, they'll give you money for it too, in the form of a discount of up to $1,000 towards the purchase of a new TV that's Energystar 4.0 compliant. If you live within 30 miles of Diamond Case and you've got one of those sets that's just too big to transport yourself, they'll even send a truck to pick up the old one and deliver the new one. It doesn't get much easier than that. The company has partnered with All Green Electronics Recycling to take care of the waste, ensuring that everything is disposed of properly. Source: Home Entertainment OnlinePosted Mon Dec 13, 2010 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
HD Advisor Agent 86Editor's Note: Each Friday, High-Def Digest's own HD Advisor will answer a new round of questions from our readers. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to [email protected]. If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient as we work our way through them. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page. Answers by Joshua Zyber Blu-ray Audio Decoding & PS3 Settings Q: My AV Receiver (Sony STR-DH510) only does LPCM for Blu-ray discs. Is this inferior to a receiver that decodes DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD? Or is LPCM the same thing, just decoded – the only difference being that I don't see the Dolby or DTS logos light up on my receiver? For this specific receiver, does it matter at all what the PS3 setting – BD/DVD Audio Output Format (HDMI) is – Linear PCM or Bitstream? A: Uncompressed PCM is the native format of the digital audio masters for movie soundtracks. Dolby and DTS are merely compression formats that reduce the size of those original files. Standard Dolby Digital and DTS are "lossy" compression formats, meaning that they throw away parts of the original data in order to shrink the file size. By design, they do this by removing portions of the signal that human ears are less sensitive to first. However, with careful listening, you can often tell that something is missing. Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are both "lossless" compression formats. Once decoded, they will restore the original files without any loss of data. Think of them like ZIP folders that store the original PCM soundtrack. When you play a Blu-ray with either Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio, those formats must first be decoded to PCM (like un-Zipping the folder). The resulting PCM file will be bit-for-bit identical to the original master. That PCM must then be converted to analog and amplified out to your speakers. Decoding of lossless audio formats can occur in either the disc player (in your case, the PS3) or the A/V receiver. When you do it in the PS3, you can transmit the resulting PCM file to your receiver by HDMI. In theory, it should not make much difference whether you decode the TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in the player or the receiver. They all wind up as PCM anyway. Some audiophiles may argue that transmitting PCM from a disc player to a receiver can introduce jitter, but the severity of this problem (if it is really a problem) are highly debatable. All versions of the PS3 have the ability to decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio internally. You should set all audio output options to Linear PCM for this, and connect the console to your receiver by HDMI. Only the PS3 Slim can transmit Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in native bitstream format, so that the receiver will do the decoding. For that, set the PS3 Slim's output options to Bitstream. The original ("fat") PS3 does not have this ability. If you set that one to Bitstream, it will downcovert the TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio tracks to standard lossy Dolby Digital or DTS quality first. To avoid this, you must use the Linear PCM output setting. 7.1 Soundtracks in a 5.1 System Q: My home theatre setup is 5.1, but with so many Blu-ray discs now sporting 7.1 audio tracks, is it best to switch over to the 5.1 track on the disc versus just going with the default 7.1? Would it make a difference? If not, what happens to those other two channels if I just leave it on the default 7.1? A: Off the top of my head, the only Blu-ray disc I can think of that offers separate mixes of the same soundtrack, both in lossless quality (and both of the same original language without dubbing), is 'Top Gun'. That disc includes both an older 5.1 mix in Dolby TrueHD format and a newer 6.1 remix in DTS-HD Master Audio format. I admit that there may be others out there that I'm not aware of, however. In most cases, when a Blu-ray offers a 6.1 or 7.1 soundtrack, that's the only main lossless option on the disc. You might get a dub in 5.1, or possibly a lossy Dolby Digital or DTS version of the 5.1 mix. But generally, you won't be offered separate lossless tracks in the same language just for the difference between 5.1 and 7.1. The reason for this is that there would be little point to it. When a 6.1 or 7.1 soundtrack is played in a 5.1 system, any audio cues intended for the surround back channels are simply folded over to the main left and right surrounds. You will not lose any audio. The only thing you might lose is the added directionality that the extra speakers would provide. So, have no fear. Select that 7.1 soundtrack from the disc menu and let your equipment take care of converting it to 5.1 for you. Why Do Studios Favor DTS-HD Master Audio over Dolby TrueHD? Q: I had a question regarding HD Audio. I know that lossless is lossless, but if that is the case, why have almost all the Hollywood Studios publishing Blu-ray discs chosen DTS over Dolby for lossless? Even those who have been loyal to Dolby (Sony, Warner, Paramount) have begun publishing all movies with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks recently. Is this because of the disc space savings DTS allows with their "Core+Extension" format over the separate Dolby Digital and TrueHD tracks? What is the future for Dolby TrueHD since most studios have seemed to abandon the format? A: When a similar question was asked about twenty columns ago, I mentioned that DTS-HD Master Audio's "core + extension" format offers greater convenience for backwards compatibility purposes than Dolby TrueHD, which requires that a separate Dolby Digital 5.1 track be authored onto the disc as well – and speculated that this might be a major selling point that was winning over some studios. However, I recently had the chance to sit down with some Dolby executives, and I asked them this exact question. What they told me (and keep in mind that this is of course filtered through the Dolby perspective) is that DTS's encoders had faster run-times than Dolby's. In Hollywood, time is money. Because of this difference in encoding times, studios were finding it less expensive to author their discs with DTS-HD Master Audio. The Dolby executives claim that the company has recently made improvements to the efficiency of its encoders, and has sped up the processing times. They indicated that this should result in an upswing of titles authored with Dolby TrueHD in the future. They also pointed to 'How to Train Your Dragon' as a major title to recently use Dolby TrueHD. Homework Assignment This week's Homework question comes from the Advisor himself. If you have suggestions on this topic, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Questions for Dolby JZ: As mentioned in the last question, I was recently given the opportunity to talk to some Dolby executives. I'll be speaking with one of them again next week, and wondered what questions about the company's products or services would our readers like to see answered. Would you like some info or clarification about Dolby TrueHD, ProLogic IIz, Dolby Headphone, theatrical 7.1 sound, Dolby 3D, Dolby Volume, or Dialogue Normalization, etc.? Post your questions in the forum thread for this article, and I'll see if I can get you some answers. Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming. Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.Posted Fri Dec 10, 2010 at 11:00 AM PST by:
