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Free ESPN Live HD Streaming Comes to the Xbox – Hulu Doesn't[teaser]The partnership with ESPN brings over 3,500 events, streaming and on demand. [/teaser] Well how's that for a surprise? We were all geared up and ready for the big Hulu announcement. It wasn't going to be a surprise either, we just plain expected it. But it was a no show. And that would have been a big hit for Microsoft, but they brought something forward that just might be better, depending on your viewing habits anyway. ESPN 3 will be coming to the Xbox 360, likely in the fall update. This means you'll have access to 3,500 different sporting events throughout the year including games from the NBA, MLB, Champions League Soccer and more. And it's all free if you're an Xbox Live Gold member. It sounds like most of the events will be available in HD, but there may still be some standard definition streams. Source: 1UPPosted Wed Jun 16, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
LG Takes 3D to School - Literally[teaser]LG's new passive 3D displays and projectors are aimed at businesses and schools. [/teaser] "Beyond the living room," says Dr. Nandhu Nandhakumar, the senior vice president of advanced technology at LF, "the immersive experience of 3D video will help transform commercial display applications in the years ahead." Advances in technology are fun, but in the long run there's usually some sort of practical application too. So while the main focus of 3D is on entertainment, LG is looking towards education, or possibly edutainment. "As businesses explore how to leverage this technology to engage consumers and drive business, LG is creating products with the versatility to entertain and educate." Among the new commercial displays on the way from LG is the CF3D – a single lens 3D projector. It boasts 2,500 ANSI-lumens and a 7,000:1 contrast ratio. It's got calibration technologies to help with that whole 3D thing and even TruMotion 120Hz, which is normally only seen on televisions. Source: PR NewswirePosted Tue Jun 15, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Boxee Box Pushed Back to November[teaser]The official Boxee blog cites both hardware and software issues, while stressing that the experience will be as good as or better than Boxee on PC. [/teaser] Oh Boxee Box, how you disappoint us. We've been talking about you for so long now and we were really looking forward to that Q2 release. But we're nearing the end of the second quarter now and you never showed up. We don't like being stood up Boxee, but we understand that sometimes things do happen. We know you're trying to get Flash 10.1 running smoothly and make 1080p streaming simple. Point is – the Boxee Box is gonna be a little while yet. It's still slated for a 2010 release, and according to the official blog, it's still coming in at under $200. There's a lot to get working on the device, and it's understandable that there would be a delay. But with all of the new connected devices coming out, like the PopBox slated for July 4th and the upcoming Google and Apple sets, the delay could end up getting the company lost in the shuffle. Then again, November is usually a pretty good month for sales, so proper promotion could make the Boxee Box huge. Source: Boxee BlogPosted Tue Jun 15, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Cablevision Expands West – Acquires Bresnan Communications[teaser]The New York based cable provider is looking for a foothold in the west. [/teaser] If you live in the Northeast, chances are you're familiar with Cablevision. It's one of many providers servicing the area, and well, that's the problem. There are a lot of options in places like New York when it comes to television service. So Cablevision has decided to expand outward, going against what most analysts and stockholders expected. In an effort to get something going outside of its normal area of operations, Cablevision has picked up Bresnan Communications. Bresnan provides cable and internet to Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, where it faces little to no competition in most areas. There's no word yet on just how this will affect current Bresnan customers, but they may be time to start getting used to Cablevision branding. Source: The New York TimesPosted Tue Jun 15, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Mitsubishi Debuts a 65 Inch Commercial LCD Monitor[teaser]The MDT651S sports both front and rear ambient light sensors. [/teaser] Do you need the Mitsubishi MDT651S in your home? Probably not. And more to the point, since it's a commercial grade product, it probably costs more than you're willing to shell out for a 65 inch screen. But it's got some very cool features. Take the built-in CAT5 receiver for instance. If you're running a high definition signal more than 50 feet or so, that's an essential. You can grab an HDMI to CAT5 converter and then go the rest of the way with CAT5, not even needing to convert back. The coolest feature of the MDT651S, and one that may or may not be useful in the home, is the pair of ambient light sensors. Most TVs only have sensors on the front, but the MDT651S adds one to the back, to adjust for lighting conditions on both sides. It's available now through select dealers at prices starting around $8,000. Source: MitsubishiPosted Mon Jun 14, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Sonic is Bringing DTS 5.1 to RoxioNow[teaser]Both Blockbuster and Best Buy's services will see the benefit. [/teaser] Now that we've got the basics of internet delivery down, it's time to do some upgrading, and that's exactly what Sonic's doing. If the name's not familiar, they're the people behind CinemaNow, now known as RoxioNow, the service that both Best Buy and Blockbuster use for online video sales and rentals. Later this year, Sonic will be enabling DTS 5.1 sound on their service, allowing customers to take advantage of their home theater systems. From the sound of things, that'll be right around the same time that Netflix will be debuting 5.1 on for its customers. 5.1 channel audio is a great step, but there's been no information from Sonic about how this will affect the size of video files. If adding 5.1 slows downloads too much, it may be a problem for some customers. Source: DTSPosted Mon Jun 14, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Where Were You in '62, HD Advisor?Editor'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 Receiver vs. Separates Q: Recently, I learned about the possibility of using a separate audio processor in a home theater system, rather than an audio/video receiver. I've even heard that this is much better. For people who are just movie watchers, not necessarily audiophiles, is it worth using a processor instead of a receiver? What consequences will this have, in terms of other equipment and cabling? Are the claims about the superiority of processors exaggerated? A: Those readers who've followed this column for any length of time will probably recognize that I've never claimed to be an audiophile. In fact, I often approach many audiophile beliefs and practices with skepticism. I try to take a practical view of home theater matters. If the alleged superiority of one method of doing things can't be explained rationally or measured scientifically, I don't put much stock in it. The audio data on a DVD or Blu-ray disc must go through three steps before you hear the movie's soundtrack through your speakers. First, the Dolby or DTS codec must be decoded to PCM format. Then that PCM must be converted to analog. Finally, the analog signal must be amplified out to the speakers. (Obviously, if a disc is authored with a PCM soundtrack, you will skip the first step.) An A/V receiver combines all three of these steps into one piece of equipment. Many audiophile listeners prefer to separate these functions into dedicated processor and amplifier components. The processor will do the decoding and Digital-to-Analog conversion. The amplifier's name explains itself. The reasoning here is that dedicated, high-end components are more likely to do each individual job better than a combination unit. There's actually merit in this line of thought. I won't argue against it. Any sort of all-in-one device will by nature introduce compromises somewhere along the way. However, I think that most home theater users, even most fussy listeners, will be perfectly well served by an A/V receiver. Separates are mainly for the die-hard audiophile crowd. I certainly won't begrudge anyone who goes this route, but I personally find that a receiver suits my needs just fine. If you were to use separates, you'd of course need to connect the processor to the amplifier. Because the processor converts the audio signal to multi-channel analog format, you will have to connect the two devices by 5.1 (or 7.1) analog cabling. That means between 6 to 8 additional cables that you would otherwise avoid by using a combined A/V receiver. Should that in itself be a deal-breaker for an interested viewer? No, but it's something to take into consideration for those on the fence. Dolby Digital on HD Broadcast Q: I have always wondered how the quality of the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio on HDTV is when compared with the Dolby track on DVDs? Is the TV sound more or less compressed? Is there any hope we could have Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio on broadcast TV? A: Most HD broadcast networks use Dolby Digital 5.1 audio at a bit rate of 384 kb/s. A few may go up to 448 kb/s, comparable to the version of Dolby Digital most studios use on DVD, but that's rare for television. The sound quality of broadcast programs may vary by network and show. (I think 'Glee' sounds pretty great on Fox, but was never much impressed with the audio for '24' on the same network.) Some cable and satellite providers have discussed upgrading to the Dolby Digital Plus format, which still isn't lossless quality but does offer more transparency than standard Dolby Digital. However, there hasn't been much movement toward actually implementing that, at least not here in the United States. In France, the TNT HD platform broadcasts a few channels in Dolby Digital Plus. Positive vs. Negative Volume Numbers Q: I'd think this would be a no-brainer for the column. Who hasn't wondered why the number displayed on the receiver goes down when the volume goes up? A: Actually, different receiver brands handle this differently. Some brands (such as Onkyo, I believe) consider "0" to be the very bottom of the volume range. In other words, muted. When you turn the volume up, the numbers go up. Although that would seem to make the most logical sense, this is a minority approach. Most receivers consider 0 to be "reference level" volume. While this isn't necessarily the highest volume the receiver can achieve, it's most likely the loudest that you'd ever want to listen to anything. In fact, you probably rarely want to crank the volume that high in a home environment. Depending on the size of the listening space, typically somewhere between 10 to 20 dB below reference (numbers in the negative range) will be very audibly loud. This is assuming that you've calibrated your speaker levels at the receiver against reference level, of course. (Which is what any calibration disc will instruct you to do.) Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor The HD Advisor knows many things, but he doesn't know everything. Some questions are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too! Entry-Level HD Audio Receivers Q: I am looking for an entry-level HD Audio solution. My current receiver handles Dolby Digital and DTS via TosLink, but I'm possibly looking to upgrade. I'm hoping to keep the price tag under $500 (under $300 would be awesome). Basically, I am looking for something that will process HD audio from my PS3 and my HD DVD player. And I really want at least 800 watts. My current 800 watt system is comfortable with my volume near the max of the system. I am thinking that I might be able to go receiver only, and reuse my speakers from my Sony HTiB until I can get decent replacements. Also, one of the things I loved about my Sony was the mic, which would allow me to hold it at my listening position and it would set my speaker levels for me. Are these options even possible in my price range? Can I use my Sony speakers with another system? They are just regular speakers, right? 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 Jun 11, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Sony Releases the 3D Firmware Update for Capable Blu-ray Players[teaser]Of course, you won't have anything to watch on them until 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' hits later this month. [/teaser] If you picked up a 3D capable Sony Blu-ray player then today is the day that it finally does what it was meant to do. Thanks to the latest firmware update from Sony, you'll be able to drop the word "capable" and just call it a 3D Blu-ray player. The update is free, of course, and applies to both the BDP-S470 and BDP-S570 players. If you picked up the BDV-E570 or BDV-E770W home theater systems, you'll be able to update today as well. There's nothing to watch on those players quite yet, but 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' is coming on June 22nd, with 'Monster House' and 'Open Season' following close behind. PS3 owners will still have to wait a bit for compatibility. A 3D update for games is out now, but 3D Blu-rays are still somewhere in the future. Source: SonyPosted Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Samsung adds Facebook and Google Maps to Samsung Apps[teaser]Sure, social networking isn't the most practical use of your HDTV but a 50 inch map could come in handy! [/teaser] Samsung announced today that they've added both Google Maps and Facebook to their Samsung Apps lineup. It's a very cool setup, and it's great to see companies increasing the value of products we already own. Google Maps is the more practical of the two applications, letting you plan out a route or map out a location right on your television. Imagine gathering a group of friends together to travel to one place while getting to show directions on your TV. Not a bad way to go. Facebook is a little less practical, but social networking isn't about being useful, it's about being fun – or at least distracting. One way it could be incredibly cool is for displaying pictures. Again, it's about gathering folks together, but this time to look at pictures. Perhaps from the trip you all took together in the Google Maps example. If you've got a Samsung Blu-ray player, Blu-ray home theater system or HDTV that's capable of running Samsung Apps, you can download Facebook and Google Maps now. Source: SamsungPosted Fri Jun 11, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Netflix Isn't Worried About Hulu's Expansion[teaser]In a recent conference call, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says the Hulu expansion shouldn't be a problem. [/teaser] The news surrounding Hulu is potentially very exciting. The idea of getting recent episodes of television shows on an iPad, Xbox 360, or whatever other devices Hulu has planned is a cool one. It gets a little less exciting when you start thinking about a 480p video streaming to your TV, but if the price is right, poor quality can be ignored. It's big news, and it would put Hulu in competition with Netflix on some content. Generally the two co-exist quite well, with Netflix handling back content and Hulu offering up the new stuff. But Hulu's plans to start offering older shows for a fee means consumers will have a choice between the two. Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, isn't too worried about it. "There's the potential emergence of direct competitors (like) Hulu," he says. "We'll see what they do, and potentially others over time ... but the upside is it's a very big market." Source: ReutersPosted Thu Jun 10, 2010 at 01:00 PM PDT by:
