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Spending Increases For Subscription Based Entertainment[teaser]A recent survey from the NPD group reports that consumer spending on cable, internet, online gaming and satellite radio is up from last year. [/teaser] The recession is a strong concern across all industries, but where entertainment is concerned, spending appears to be increasing during the economic downturn. Subscription based entertainment especially has seen a strong increase in the last year. All in all, subscription based entertainment spending is up seven percent over 2008. According to the survey, 81 percent of US households subscribe to a television service such as cable or satellite, and 76 percent pay for internet subscriptions. Not surprisingly, home video subscription services, such as Netflix, increased in popularity as well. While only 12 percent of households subscribed to one of these services last year, 13 percent reported that they subscribe this year. Russ Crupnick, a senior analyst for the NPD, says that the recession may actually be the reason these services are faring so well. “Consumers are clearly looking to the value offered by entertainment subscriptions and like what they get for their money” he said. “New technologies and products have helped bolster data plans and other newer kinds of subscription-based service.” When it comes down to paying $10 a month for Netflix or renting movies from Blockbuster, there’s no comparison, especially when taking streaming video into account. Crupnick says that it’s exactly that kind of mentality that’s making the subscription model so popular. Source: NPDPosted Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
Roku Adds Ten New Free Channels[teaser]A free update will be hitting Roku players in the next two weeks that adds support for Pandora, Revision3, blip.tv and more. [/teaser] In an update that Roku says is just the beginning of the offerings to come to their streaming device, a total of ten new channels will be added to all lines of Roku players. Along with familiar services like Pandora, Facebook Photos, and Flickr, a few less well known additions bring a great deal of variety to Roku players. Revision3 and blip.tv – both part of the new update – offer some very cool web exclusive content to the player. Revision3 features shows including Tekzilla, Diggnation, and CO-OP, which are great for the more tech savvy viewer. blip.tv has much broader offerings, including several internet television series. Mediafly is another new addition, and acts like more of a podcast/vodcast aggregator. It includes the usual assortment of podcasts as well as a few audiobooks and network specific casts. ESPN, Comedy Central, The Discovery Channel and of course NPR all have featured channels. Social networking hits Roku as well with Mobile Tribe. While Mobile Tribe started as an application specific to cell phones, it makes perfect sense as an addition to Roku. Mobile Tribe is a simple program that allows access to Facebook, Myspace, Gmail and a variety of other sites, as well as enabling YouTube and orb support. Roku devices will be updated automatically in the next few weeks, though a download is available now for those who want to update manually. Source: Press ReleasePosted Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Ben's Bargains Preparing Black Friday Giveaway Event[teaser]In addition to its Black Friday Tracker, Ben's Bargains, the go to site for holiday shopping deals, is about to launch a BIG giveaway event.[/teaser] It's the thought that counts, but nowadays, in addition to the perfect gift, we're all looking for the best price as well. That's where Ben's Bargains has stepped in, first with its Black Friday Tracker to help us all stay up to date on the best deals at some of the nation's biggest retailers, and now with its Black Friday Giveaway Event. There are a number of items sure to appeal to fans of top notch home theater, including the Nintendo Wii from sponsor eForCity, the Vegas Pro Software Bundle for Blu-ray creation from sponsor Sony, and the Microsoft Zune HD from sponsor NewEgg. Check out the full list of prizes here. And be sure to bookmark the Black Friday Tracker to make sure you get the best deals on everything for everyone on your list.Posted Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 10:55 AM PST by: -
AVRev Spotlights the Best Blu-ray Players for Giving and Getting[teaser]Audio Video Revolution (AVRev.com), High-Def Digest's sister site, has posted a holiday gift guide to Blu-ray players.[/teaser] For those of you interested in jumping into the world of Blu-ray, or more likely, those looking to induct your friends and family into the world of High-Def home theater, AVRev's writers have assembled a handy guide to the best players on the market. As the article states, "With the holiday season rapidly approaching, there will be an astounding number of cheap Blu-ray players targeted at consumers finally ready to start replacing their DVD collections." The Playstation 3 once again tops the list, but for those looking to dig a little deeper, the guide covers an extensive number of players, from units you can hang on the wall below your TV, to ultra high-end component systems, to the always popular mega disc changers. Check out the full list of players here. When you're done, be sure to check out the HDD Holiday Gift Guide to HD Gear to learn what other equipment you'll need to get your system suped up for the New Year!Posted Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 10:25 AM PST by: -
HDMI Drops Version Numbers – Adds 1080i Only Cables[teaser]Starting with what we now call HDMI 1.4, manufacturers will have to drop the version numbers from their products and adopt a new naming system. [/teaser] On the surface it seems like a pretty solid idea. Dropping the number system and replacing it with an easy to understand naming system seems like a nice way to let those with less technical minds get a grasp on what these cables are doing. The new HDMI naming scheme seems to take it a bit too far. Five different versions of HDMI 1.4 will be available initially. Starting things off, HDMI Standard and HDMI Standard with Ethernet are the base versions of the new HDMI cables. They’re self explanatory, (if lengthy to type). HDMI Standard Automotive is the third, marking the last of the HDMI Standard series. The final two cable types are HDMI High Speed and HDMI High Speed with Ethernet. The need to add a second tier of cables to the lineup is a bit baffling, and the technical difference between Standard and High Speed HDMI cables is equally strange. HDMI Standard cables, according to the HDMI Licensing LLC, are designed and tested to transmit 720p and 1080i. The website states the reason being that “the HD resolutions that are commonly associated with cable and satellite television, digital broadcast HD, and upscaling DVD players.” High Speed HDMI cables on the other hand, are “designed and tested to handle video resolutions of 1080p and beyond, including advanced display technologies such as 4K, 3D, and Deep Color.” Both offer the same Ethernet speeds – a full duplex 100 Mb/sec. Since 1080p resolution capability is not included in the lower end cables, customers who purchase new HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and game consoles will almost certainly need to purchase the High Speed cables. Already excessive cable prices from many manufacturers can be expected to jump for the new standard. Source: HDMI.orgPosted Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 04:15 PM PST by: -
Verizon CEO Downplays Hulu – Talks FiOS[teaser]Verizon’s CEO Ivan Seidenberg, in a speech given at the Paley Center, talked about the future of Hulu, calling it no more than a phase. New technology, he says, will make it all irrelevant. [/teaser] There are definitely fair criticisms of the Hulu streaming service from a corporate and consumer standpoint alike. From the corporate side, Hulu’s ability to turn viewers into dollars has been disheartening. From the consumer side, the lack of high definition content and limited viewing windows make Hulu a supplemental service at best, rather than a primary mode of viewing. Verizon’s CEO Ivan Seidenberg doesn’t cite any of this as the problem with Hulu, instead implying that the fickle public will simply tire of the service when new technology presents itself. “When you think of the change, look at Hulu and the dialogue and debate, and you say, O.K. this is in for the next eight to twelve months,” he says, downplaying the services ability to stay relevant. “In two years it won't matter because the world will have moved on." As an example of just how fast technology moves, he made reference to Sixth Sense, a mini projector for cellular phones. Seidenberg also talked about the expansion of FiOS television, saying that paying retransmission fees are all part of the cost of entry. “You don't enter an industry and not play by the rules,” he noted. When the issue of Comcast’s acquisition of NBC Universal was brought up, he simply said “The only issue is do they treat us fairly and consistently. I assume our lawyers will work that out.” Source: Broadcasting & CablePosted Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 04:00 PM PST by: -
Sony Confirms 3D Gaming Firmware Update for PS3[teaser]In a recent Sony meeting, it was confirmed that the PlayStation 3 would be receiving a firmware update to enable 3D gaming. [/teaser] Sony’s recent presentation to their investors featured a wide scope of topics, from imaging technologies to home theater and from cinema to gaming. While a diverse group of specialties, one thread held the entire conference together: three dimensional viewing. 3D was mentioned numerous times, but perhaps most interesting was the announcement regarding the PlayStation 3. While titles like the upcoming James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game will offer a full 3D experience for the PS3, Sony has not yet set a standard for 3D gaming. That will all change in 2010 when Sony is expected to roll out firmware to their gaming system that will enable 3D gaming without the need for special programming on the game disc. The 3D experience won’t be available without a capable television and the glasses to match, but the announcement certainly speaks to the strength of the PlayStation 3 as an entertainment device. With a firmware update, Sony will be enabling a completely new technology on a now three year old piece of hardware. Whether or not the PS3 will be able to play 3D Blu-ray movies went curiously unmentioned. The company has – in the past – been unofficially quoted as stating that the viewing of 3D films on the PS3 could be available as soon as 2009, but Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai didn’t mention it in his presentation. This information all comes from a presentation to investors, but we can expect to see more details on 3D gaming and 3D films from Sony in the near future. Source: Sony (PDF)Posted Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 02:30 PM PST by: -
California Energy Commission Approves New HDTV Restrictions[teaser]Despite much protest from the consumer electronics industry, the California Energy Commission voted unanimously to adopt new regulations to cut down on high energy television sets. [/teaser] The first tier of regulations – which bans the sale of televisions not meeting the standards – hits on January 1st of 2011. First, all televisions must use no more than one watt of power while in standby mode. This is a decrease from the currently allotted three watts. The second part of the regulation gets a bit tricky. All televisions sold in California under 1,400 square inches will be required to use power (in watts) less than or equal to their area in square inches divided by five plus thirty two. The formula itself isn’t vital, but what is important to note is that this number comes out to just slightly above Energy Star 4.0 compliance. Similarly, the second tier of regulation which hits in 2013 creates a power standard that’s just slightly more lax than Energy Star 5.0 requirements which hit in mid 2012. The controversy over this program mainly rests in the notion that while Energy Star compliance is completely optional, the CEC’s new standards are mandatory to sell within the state of California. Businesses objected strongly to the new ruling, as many consumers have expressed their willingness to purchase out of state or online if local shops are unable to carry the televisions they want. The Consumer Electronics Association also spoke out against the ruling, stating that the measure is unnecessary and that not only is it limiting consumer choice, but that the CEC is limiting technological innovation as well. The CEA has stated that a legal challenge is not out of the question. Source: California Energy Commission (PDFPosted Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
HD Advisor 36Editor'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 Spielberg Movies on Blu-ray Q: Is Paramount ever going to release 'War of the Worlds' (the Tom Cruise version) on Blu-ray? A: 'War of the Worlds' certainly seems like it would make great home theater demo material on Blu-ray. I can only imagine the piercing sound of the aliens' energy weapons in lossless audio quality. The reason this hasn't been released on Blu-ray is much the same reason that 'Jurassic Park', 'Schindler's List', and 'E.T.' haven't. Steven Spielberg both directed and produced these movies, and ultimately has the final say on whether they get released. 'War of the Worlds' was produced through his Amblin Entertainment company and Dreamworks SKG studio (of which Spielberg is the "S" in SKG). Paramount only serves as distributor, but does not own the movie. In fact, Dreamworks is in the process of leaving Paramount, and will be taking their catalog with them. Of course, many other Dreamworks movies have already been released on Blu-ray. But you'll notice the conspicuous absence of those directed by Spielberg.* Essentially, Steven Spielberg and his friend George Lucas are both of the feeling that the movies they've directed are too important to be released on Blu-ray yet. Both have stated that they're waiting for the format to attain a certain market share. They want their movies to make big splashes when they debut, and not fizzle out like many other catalog titles. They both took a similar approach toward DVD, which is why 'Jurassic Park' wasn't released on DVD until 2000 and the original 'Star Wars' trilogy until 2004. Personally, I think that both men are overestimating the power of their older movies to still affect the market. Catalog titles, even big name releases, have traditionally been poor sellers on Blu-ray. The high-def format simply doesn't operate by all the same rules that DVD has. Although movies may have once been for sale on VHS, Laserdisc, or other older video formats in the past, DVD was the first movie-collecting medium for most consumers. Thus, they were eager to buy both new releases and their favorite older movies. However, now that they already own many of their favorite movies on DVD, most people feel less compelled to buy new copies, not even for the upgrade to high definition video. They tend instead to focus their buying only on newly-released movies that they don't already own. Certainly, I expect 'Jurassic Park' and 'Star Wars' (and even 'War of the Worlds') to sell well by catalog title standards. But there is really little chance that any of them would hit the same levels that day-and-date releases do. And that will continue to be the case no matter how long these directors wait for the market to grow. *Currently, only two movies that Spielberg directed are available on Blu-ray. 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' was released by Sony Pictures. This is one of the director's older movies, which he doesn't have any ownership control over. The studio made a decision to release it regardless of Spielberg's feelings. Sadly, it sold very poorly on Blu-ray, a result that only strengthens the director's position. Spielberg did consent to the release of 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' on Blu-ray. This was a new, high-profile day-and-date release at the time, and I suspect that Paramount may have pressured (or begged) him into allowing it. I believe that one sold pretty well, as most big day-and-date titles do. Going forward, I expect that we will see other new Spielberg films (like the upcoming 'The Adventures of Tintin') released on Blu-ray in the normal home video cycle. But he'll probably continue to hold back his older movies until such time as he either changes his mind on this whole strategy, or the Blu-ray format hits that magic market saturation number that he's waiting for. Analog Audio Outputs vs. HDMI Q: I would like to know which option is the best for my home theater set up. I have a Denon DVD-A1UDCI Blu-ray player and a Denon AVR-5805CI receiver. To enjoy Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, would it be better to use the HDMI connection for audio as well as video, or just use HDMI for video and use the 5.1 analog outputs for audio? In which device should I set the bass management? What about the DSP options in the receiver? A: Audio must go through three steps to get from the disc to your speakers: The codec on the disc must be decoded to PCM format, the PCM must be converted to analog, and the analog signal must be amplified out to your speakers. That last step is always going to happen in your A/V receiver or amp. Your question really amounts to where you should do the first two steps. This will boil down to the following three options: Connect by HDMI, set all audio to "bitstream" in the Blu-ray player. In this case, both the decoding and conversion to analog will be performed in the receiver. You should set your bass management controls in the receiver. (They will be non-functional in the Blu-ray player end.) Connect by HDMI, set Blu-ray player to decode internally. This way, the receiver only does the Digital-to-Analog step (and of course amplification). Set bass management in the receiver again. Connect by multi-channel analog. Now you're relying on the Blu-ray player to both decode and convert to analog. Set bass management at the player, not the receiver. The decoding step really should be equal regardless of whether you do it in the player or the receiver. However, the conversion from digital to analog can have a significant impact on your final sound quality. The quality of the DAC components in each device should determine whether you use the HDMI or analog connections. If you believe that the receiver has better DACs, you should connect by HDMI. If you believe that the player has better DACs, you should connect by multi-channel analog. For most consumers, I recommend using HDMI if they have the option. The DAC components in most Blu-ray players are generally inferior to those in A/V receivers. I feel that you should do the audio processing in the device dedicated to that task, which will usually be better suited for it. However, in your case, you have a Blu-ray player that has specifically been marketed towards audiophiles, and was designed with very high quality DACs. If, for example, you had the DVD-A1UDCI and an entry-level to mid-range A/V receiver, I would definitely advise you to use the analog connections and let the player do everything. But that doesn't describe you either. You also have a very nice A/V receiver from the same company that makes the Blu-ray player. I believe that the DAC components in your Blu-ray player and your receiver are also equivalent in quality to one another. Realistically, you're probably going to wind up with very similar-sounding results no matter which of the three options outlined above you choose. Even so, I'm going to advise that you use HDMI and Option #1. This will have the advantage of convenience, in that you'll have fewer cables to connect and manage. More importantly, sending a digital bitstream signal to your receiver will allow you to use processing functions such as Audyssey calibration, Cinema EQ, or Dolby ProLogic IIx that your Blu-ray player probably doesn't offer internally. These can be a tremendous benefit. Update: Since posting this article, I have been reminded that the Denon AVR-5805CI receiver is an older model only equipped with an HDMI 1.1 connection, and cannot decode the lossless Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio formats. As such, you will need to do that decoding within the Blu-ray player. Option #2 above will be the most appropriate set-up. Speaker Icon in Disc Menus Q: What does the little speaker icon in some Blu-ray menus do? I have switched it on and off and cannot figure out what it does. A: Many Blu-ray discs are programmed to have beeping noises or other sound effects whenever you choose an option in the menu. Personally, I find them very annoying, especially the really gimmicky effects like gunshots or animal sounds. Some studios (like Sony) display a speaker icon over the menu that will allow you to turn these noises off. Other studios (like Universal) have a "Menu Sounds" command somewhere in the disc's Setup menu. Many studios don't give you any option in the matter. Keep in mind that, if you've set your Blu-ray player to transmit its audio in "bitstream" fashion, you may have never heard these noises at all. That's because the noises must be live-mixed into the audio stream, which can only occur when the player does the audio decoding internally. Bitstreaming prevents these noises from being mixed in to the audio signal. In that case, clicking on the speaker icon doesn't have any effect at all. To my mind, that's one more big advantage to using the bitstream option. 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! Silly HD Advisor Column Titles Q: The more of these columns he writes, the harder it's getting for the HD Advisor to come up with silly titles that fit the numerical theme. If you've read the column for any length of time, you should know how it works by now. The title must have the words "HD Advisor" and the appropriate sequential number. The title should preferably be a pun based on the name of a movie. Song titles will probably work in a pinch too, but something somehow related to a movie is always preferred. Worst case, just make it funny. As you can see, this week I just gave up looking for something with the number 36. The best I found was a French movie called '36 Quai des Orfèvres', and that just seemed far too obscure. So, have at it. Spit out some suggestions for my next several column titles. I'm especially stuck on #s 38, 41, 43, 44, and pretty much anything over 50. What have you got? Winning entries will receive the smug satisfaction of knowing that you are more clever than the HD Advisor. Really, that's pretty invaluable, isn't it? 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 Nov 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
The Week That Was: A High-Def Digest Recap[teaser]High-Def Digest had quite a week, with a few bumps, and a TON of great stories and reviews. We want to make sure you didn't miss a thing![/teaser] As we do every year, we started rolling out our holiday shopping guides. The first of these took a look at HD Gear and the fuel you'll need to run it at top capacity. Our second installment in the 2009 shopping guide series took a look at gift ideas for the relatives that keep us on our toes. We'll have more guides in the coming weeks! Finally, as we do every week, we ran a bunch of movie reviews. Some of the biggest titles included: 'Star Trek (2009)' 'Angels & Demons 'Forrest Gump' 'Four Christmases' and the 'Mamma Mia! Gift Set But we also covered some an assortment of other titles, from the classic to the magic to the tragic, including: 'Seventh Moon' 'Hulk Vs.' 'Silverado' 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' 'Audition' 'The National Parks: America's Best Idea' 'Miracle on 34th Street (1947)' 'Miracle on 34th Street (1994)' 'Aliens in the Attic' 'I Love You, Beth Cooper' 'Monsoon Wedding' 'Two Girls and a Guy' 'Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season' 'Godzilla (1998)' 'Franklyn' 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)' And don't forget HDD's own HD Advisor at noon! Thanks as always for checking in with us throughout the week! We'll be back here with more news and reviews on Sunday night!Posted Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:15 AM PST by:
