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Netflix Hits the Sony Dash[teaser]Sony’s personal internet viewer gets kicked up a notch with a dash of Netflix. [/teaser] There’s been a surprising lack of love for Sony’s Dash since it was announced. The reason isn’t versatility or ability – it’s based on the Chumby OS which has thousands of apps already available – but portability. The Sony Dash is a tablet without a battery. It’s not a bad device, the idea of a 7” tablet that has to stay in one place is a bummer. With the addition of Netflix though, the Dash got a whole lot more appealing. The Dash itself runs only $199, which isn’t too bad for a small and moveable Netflix player. If you want to watch movies in the kitchen, in the bath, or as you’re going to bed, it’s a handy device. It’s also got an alarm feature that will allow you to wake up to your favorite app, which could theoretically be set up to start a movie streaming. Sure, the WVGA touch screen isn’t going to blow any minds. 800 x 480 isn’t amazing, but for a 7” screen it probably won’t be too bad. Source: SonyPosted Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 01:40 PM PST by: -
Redbox/Warner Brothers Deal Means 28 Day Wait[teaser]They're sticking it to the man! Unfortunately, the man is you. On the plus side, they’re getting Blu-rays[/teaser] It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Warner Brothers or Redbox. The dollar-a-day rental service has been battling some pretty steep odds in its attempt to stock movies from all companies, many of which aren’t happy with the $1 rental fees. Whether the deal that Redbox made with Warner on Tuesday counts as good news or bad news depends entirely on whether you rent new releases or not. On the plus side for consumers, Redbox is getting Warner Brothers Blu-ray discs. They’ll be testing in certain markets first, before switching to wide distribution, but Blu-ray will be coming. Of course, there is a downside. Redbox has given in to Warner Brothers' on one big point. Though you’ll be able to get Warner Bros DVDs and Blu-rays from Redbox kiosks, you’ll have to wait four weeks to get them. The twenty-eight day window will hit in March with the release of 'The Blind Side' (We thought they'd start with Sandra Bullock's '28 Days,' but no dice!). From that point on, Redbox will get Warner Bros films almost a month after their DVD release, but at a significant discount. Additionally, Redbox has agreed to destroy Warner content after it’s taken out of the machines, so don’t expect to see used discs cropping up. Source: Redbox Press RoomPosted Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 01:10 PM PST by: -
Epix Ready for Cell Phone Integration[teaser]There hasn’t been a lot of talk about Epix recently, but making their service available across the mobile platform may strengthen their position significantly. [/teaser] Netflix is everywhere. Blu-ray players, game systems, televisions, computers and streaming devices are all the domain of the incredibly successful service. There’s one market they haven’t tapped yet, which seems to be primarily linked to the use of Silverlight. There’s demand for movies on the go, but Netflix just can’t do it yet. Epix, on the other hand, is ready, willing, and able. Thanks to a partnership with Adobe and the use of Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Epix streaming videos are able to be viewed on cellular telephones. “We are committed to providing viewers with the best entertainment experience anytime, anywhere,” says VP Thomas Carpenter. Though Epix has announced that their streaming service is capable of running on cell phones, there’s been no announcement of partnerships with carriers. There’s no mention of an additional fee, which implies that this will be free to existing Epix subscribers. Source: EpixPosted Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Sony Pulls the Plug on OLED Production[teaser]Company blames lagging sales. Turns out people don’t want to pay $2,500 for an 11” screen. [/teaser] “I want this world's first OLED TV to be the symbol of the revival of Sony's technological prowess,” said Sony president Ryoji Chubachi back in 2007. “I want this to be the flag under which we charge forwards to turn the fortunes around.” Just three years ago Sony was excited about its fancy new technology. Sadly, it turns out that waving the OLED flag hasn’t done much good. While it appears that sluggish sales and a fairly lacking product were the main reasons behind the halt, Sony puts a bit more of a positive spin on it. They were ahead of their time, they say. OLED is still a few years off; LED backlighting and 3D Televisions are the near future. Sony didn’t comment on OLED sales, but estimates from DisplaySearch put the number at around 2,000 worldwide. Spokesman Shigenori Yoshida says that this halt in production is in no way an indicator of Sony’s OLED plans. “We will continue to consider new products and applications,” he said, “including OLED TVs.” Source: ReutersPosted Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Panasonic Unveils 25.5 Inch 3D Production Monitor[teaser]If you’re planning on picking up Panasonic’s 3D camera, you’re sure going to need something to monitor your video on. Thus, the debut of the nearly $10,000 BT-3DL2550. [/teaser] This is clearly not a television set aimed at the average consumer. The BT-3DL2550 is expensive, small, and extremely capable. The screen’s a mere 25.5 inches, but it sports a 1920 x 1200 resolution. It’s a 3D display that works with polarized glasses, rather than the active glasses that will be used with consumer televisions. It takes HD-SDI imputs, which are used by Panasonic’s 3D camera, as well as DVI-D. It’s also an incredibly durable monitor, designed for use instead of for looks. It’s got a lightweight aluminum frame and an aluminum back panel, rather than the consumer standard of plastic. “With professional connectivity, including dual HD-SDI and DVI interfaces, exceptional color performance and a ruggedized frame, the BT-3DL2550 provides everything a production team would need for 3D monitoring in the field,” says VP of Sales Joe Facchini. This kind of set won’t end up in your home, but it’s likely to see a lot of use in the filming of 3D movies when it comes out at $9,900 this September. Source: PanasonicPosted Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Kateeva Says They Can Do OLED Cheaper and Better[teaser]According to the California based startup Kateeva, the current ideas behind the production of OLED screens are keeping costs high and making things difficult on manufacturers. [/teaser] It’s time to face the facts, OLED just isn't happening. At least, not the way things are right now. Production is incredibly expensive, and no one sells a screen big enough to really care about. Sure, it’s neat to have OLED on a cell phone or MP3 player, but it’s the forty to sixty inch sets that we’re all really waiting for. A new company called Kateeva says they’ve got a way to make it happen. The current production method for OLEDs is a process called shadow-mask printing. It’s not a great way to go about it, but it’s the lesser of several evils. Ink jet printing was tossed around for a while too, and while it’s cheaper by far, it also produces inferior results. Kateeva’s solution is to mix the two. They say by combining both processes, it’s much easier to make large scale OLEDs. They also hope to demonstrate the cost efficiency of the new method. According to the company, they’ll be able to make OLEDs for sixty percent less than LCDs. California based Kateeva will be showing off this new method to all of the major players in the TV making business starting next year. Source: MIT Technology ReviewPosted Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Samsung’s C7000 Series TVs Coming in March[teaser]The newest televisions from Samsung are now available for preorder. [/teaser] Samsung had some amazing sets on display at CES this year. Their new LED backlit LCDs are slick, slim, and crystal clear. The 7000 series is at the entry level of the newest sets. It doesn’t come with – though it’s compatible with – the slick new touchscreen remote. It’s the most baseline of the new TVs, if you can call a 3D cable LED backlit set baseline. If you’re looking for a thin set, Samsung’s got you covered. Their 7000 series measures a mere inch deep when used without the stand. You’re getting a 1080p resolution of course, and a 240Hz refresh rate, making it prime for 3D entertainment. Active 3D glasses, surprisingly, will be sold separately. Of course, that only reinforces Samsung’s stance that just because these TVs are 3D capable doesn’t mean they’re only for 3D use. The 7000 series also gives you access to Samsung’s impressive lineup of web apps. Internet@TV brings Blockbuster, YouTube, Amazon and Netflix to the party, as well as social networking, internet radio and even Twitter. Though there are three models in the series, only two appear on Amazon at the moment. The 46” and 55” sets are both available for preorder now. The smaller of the two (the UN46C7000) is up for $2,599 while the UN55C7000 runs $3,299. Source: AmazonPosted Wed Feb 17, 2010 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Latest Playstation Update Causing Blu-ray Problems[teaser]The latest firmware update from Sony brings a few new features, but might be causing Blu-ray playback problems in a number of PS3s. [/teaser] Just a few months ago we ran a story about firmware update 3.0 which seemed to be causing a lot of trouble for owners. It seems that the newest firmware, 3.15, is doing much of the same. Many PS3 owners are reporting that after upgrading to 3.15, their systems won’t play Blu-ray movies or PS3 games. According to the reports, the problem will crop up during a game. The system will freeze and then when it is restarted, it will not recognize the discs. There are two patterns emerging from the reports. The first is that most people are playing Modern Warfare 2 when the freeze happens. It’s not clear whether that particular game is part of the problem though. It’s one of the most popular games for the system, so it could just be coincidental. The second is that the issue doesn’t seem to be affecting newer systems like the PS3 slim. The most common models being reported appear to be the 40GB, 60GB, and 80GB models. Sony has not yet commented on the problem. Source: Official Playsation Forums (Thanks for the tip Polux06!)Posted Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 01:45 PM PST by: -
Man Smashes $22,000 Worth of TVs at Walmart[teaser]On February 11th, a man grabbed a bat from the sporting goods section of an Atlanta Walmart and proceeded to wreak havoc on the store's HDTV display. [/teaser] Admit it. You’ve always wanted to take a bat to a TV, especially a nice flat screen. Who hasn’t? Maybe you’ve even had the opportunity to beat up an old set that you were throwing away. If 'Office Space' taught us anything, it’s that busting up expensive equipment 'Goodfellas' style is the ultimate high. Of course, you can’t just bust up a TV that’s not yours. Westley Strellis, who’s pleading the fifth on the reason for his rampage, grabbed a bat from his local Walmart’s sporting goods section and proceeded to take out twenty-nine televisions. According to Walmart’s tally, he racked up around $22,000 worth of damage in his spree. The video shows Strellis going up to the line of TVs and smashing them one by one. On the plus side, no one was hurt, and Strellis didn’t resist when the police arrived. He’s currently facing 29 counts of criminal property in the 2nd degree. Source: Associated Press (YouTube)Posted Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 12:30 PM PST by: -
Samsung BD-6500 and BD-5500 Available Now[teaser]Two of Samsung’s new Blu-ray players are now shipping, but the 3D capable BD-6900 is nowhere to be seen. [/teaser] It looks like the pricing information that Amazon leaked last week was right on the money. The BD-5500 and BD-6500 are now available for the previously revealed prices of $199 and $299 respectively. The 5500 is a fairly run of the mill player. It plays Blu-rays in 1080p, it’s BD-Live compliant and it’s got a nice slim design. The player stands only 39mm high, which is nice if you’ve got a lot of components. It can connect to Samsung’s Internet@TV via an Ethernet cord or with a WiFi dongle sold separately. The BD-6500 steps it up a touch with the addition of built-in WiFi. It’s only got one USB port, unlike the 5500 which sports two, but it shares the same 39mm high low-profile design. It’s also got that 15-second boot time Samsung’s been boasting. If you’re waiting for the BD-6900 it looks like you’ll have to wait a little longer. They’re still not available anywhere and pricing hasn’t yet been confirmed. Source: Amazon (BD-5500, BD-6500)Posted Tue Feb 16, 2010 at 11:30 AM PST by:
