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THX Says Properly Calibrated TVs Save Money[teaser]A study conducted by THX recently discovered a secondary benefit to high def display calibration. When comparing professionally calibrated pictures to the Vivid or Dynamic settings commonly used by consumers, the energy savings was as high as $50, or 50 percent.[/teaser] In all cases, a properly calibrated viewing mode saved at least 15% in energy costs. Older plasma TVs, those manufactured before 2008, saw the most benefit from calibration with newer models generally seeing less. "Newer HDTV models are using less energy than ever before as a result of advances in panel manufacturing,” stated THX Director of Education John Dahl. "While the U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR standard is driving manufacturers to reduce on-mode energy consumption, both new and older plasma and LCD HDTVs can experience additional energy savings as a result of professional video calibration."Posted Wed Sep 2, 2009 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
New Production Method Could Make OLEDs Cheaper Than Newspapers[teaser]But don’t expect them any time soon...[/teaser] Using a new double solvent approach, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Intellectual Property Strategies are able to create a better and less expensive OLED screen. Rather than using spin coated films as before, the dual-solvent concept makes electrospray-deposited films smoother than before. What does this all mean? The folks over at Riken Research have all the technical details, but simply put it means that OLED production could soon become quicker, better, and cheaper. According to researcher Yutaka Yamagata, this method could change the future of OLED production significantly. “Using this technology these devices could be manufactured as inexpensively as printing newspapers.”Posted Wed Sep 2, 2009 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Disney Acquires Marvel in Four Billion Dollar Deal[teaser]In the biggest media deal this year, Walt Disney Co agreed to purchase Marvel Entertainment for the princely sum of $4 billion.[/teaser] While it was a higher price than many might have expected -- 37 times Marvel’s estimated earnings in 2009 -- Disney sees the addition as an important step. Industry analyst David Joyce suggests that Disney is attempting to woo back boys and young men who have been a demographic missing from the company. “This helps give Disney more important exposure to the young male demographic that they have sort of lost some ground with in recent years,” said Joyce. No word is out yet on how this will affect current Marvel properties or upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases, but Disney says they have no interest in changing Marvel, and wish to keep the brand intact. The change in ownership could certainly be beneficial for both, with Marvel making up for Disney’s lost boys, and Disney promoting and utilizing Marvel’s lineup of over 5,000 characters like Marvel was never able to.Posted Wed Sep 2, 2009 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Sigma Design and MIPS Technologies Show Android in HD[teaser]Open source set top boxes on the horizon.[/teaser] "After showing a Blu-ray reference design for Android in June, we are pleased to now show full HD video on a MIPS-Based platform from Sigma-a platform” said Sigma’s Ken Lowe regarding the upcoming demonstration of full HD video using Android. “Support for Android is a priority on Sigma's roadmap as we enable our customers to quickly, easily and cost-effectively bring exciting new functionality to their next-generation of connected devices.” The functionality he’s talking about is that of the myriad of applications able to be created using the open source platform known as Android. Though currently seen only on mobile devices, the possibility of bringing Android to set top boxes is cause for much excitement. Full source code for Android on MIPS is available on their site, as well as a reference binary and more information on possible applications.Posted Tue Sep 1, 2009 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Europe Holds 40 Percent of Connected Consumer Electronics Market[teaser]Networked electronic sales are expected to double according to the agenda released today for the European summit on consumer electronics. [/teaser] Titled “The Roadmap for Connected Consumer Electronics” and hosted by Parks Associates, an international research firm, this executive conference will stress the need for networked goods. "The sale and installation of home network-enabled consumer electronics products will more than double between 2009 and 2013 to more than 100 million units annually," accounts Kurt Sherf, the principal analyst at Parks Associates. "The European market will be particularly strong in such categories as connected TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players, network-attached storage, alternative set-top boxes, and whole-home DVRs. Sales and installations of such products in Europe will grow from 20 million units in 2009 to almost 40 million by 2013."Posted Tue Sep 1, 2009 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Is the PS3 Slim Better for watching Blu-ray discs?[teaser]Well, that all depends...[/teaser] In a recent hardware review, the folks over an Engadgetdid a great deal of studies on the PS3 Slim’s performance, and in most cases it out performed the older ‘fat’ PS3. For those buying PS3s primarily for Blu-ray though, there’s a bit of a conundrum. Over a series of tests, the PS3 Slim outperformed the older model except for one: Blu-ray load speed. Starting a Blu-ray movie took an average of five seconds longer on the PS3 Slim than on the standard model. The difference was as low as two seconds for “Air Force One” and as high as ten seconds for “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. Of course, the PS3 Slim does do one thing the standard model doesn’t that should make home theater enthusiasts think twice about it. Sony’s new system is able to bitstream lossless TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio, making it the better choice for those with higher end audio requirements.Posted Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 03:25 PM PDT by: -
Film Fresh and DivX Partner To Offer Downloads of Major Studio Films[teaser]Partnership to bring big studio content to much loved video format.[/teaser] DivX certified products are everywhere, and it’s no surprise that the much loved video format has taken off. The only problem though, is that until now, there’s been little to no legal DivX content worth playing. Film Fresh aims to change that, thanks to agreements with Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros and Paramount. The ability to legitimately download a movie in DivX means that consumers have a lot of freedom with their media. Though the service only offers a single download of your chosen film, that film can be backed up on DVD-R, USB dongle, or whatever storage device you prefer. Title prices range from $9.99 to around $15, not expensive, but not exactly cheap for digitally delivered content, especially since at the moment, Film Fresh only offers films in standard definition. High definition is a future option, according to Film Fresh, but they’re not there yet.Posted Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 02:30 PM PDT by: -
Sony Unveils Five New Blu-ray Player DVRs[teaser]Able to convert to PSP format impossibly fast. [/teaser] A quintet of Blu-ray DVRs was released by Sony last week, just on the heels of a similar product offering from Mitsubishi. The DVRs range from the fairly unimpressive BDZ-RS10, sporting a single digital tuner and 320GB hard drive, to the BDZ-RX100 which has two digital tuners, a full terabyte of hard drive space and PSP support. Blu-ray DVRs aren’t surprising coming from Sony, but what might be most interesting is the capability of many of these DVRs to convert video into a PSP compliant format. According to Akihabara News, the new PSP compatible DVRs are capable of converting an hour's worth of video in less than two minutes, an impressive speed for a fairly niche feature.Posted Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 02:20 PM PDT by: -
S1 Digital Entertainment Platform Streams HDTV[teaser]This ain’t your daddy’s media server[/teaser] Windows Media Center is the standard solution for media streaming, especially for video, but it’s not perfect. Trouble with DRM protected content and high definition sources means that Media Center is becoming increasingly less relevant in home theaters, and the speculated solution known as Softsled, is nowhere to be seen. Enter the S1 Digital Entertainment Platform. Capable of streaming 1080p video, 7.1 channel sound, Blu-ray discs and even live television, the S1 Digital Entertainment Platform seems to have an answer for everything. The system consists of one server, which handles all the streaming and cataloging of stored content, automatically downloading information and cover art. The server also handles storage, and options are available from 2TB all the way up to 32TB. Media Centers allow the content to be streamed, and are paired up with your HD displays. They can act as mini servers as well, allowing the connection of media center extenders such as the Xbox 360. The final piece of the puzzle is the controller, of which several varieties are available. These touch screen controllers are capable of controlling any room and enable browsing of album art and metadata right on the pad. The S1 Digital Entertainment Platform doesn’t come cheap, but S1 Digital’s president Paul Heitlinger stands by the product. “Integrators will realize the many benefits of selling and installing the Digital Entertainment Platform,” he says “there never has been such a powerful solution that's so simple to set up and use, yet the platform costs less than most other single-use media server solutions.”Posted Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Sanyo Releases World’s Brightest Ultra Portable Projector[teaser]At 3.4kg, the LP-XU106 is ultra light and surprisingly bright. [/teaser] This sub eight pound projector boasts an impressive 4,500 lumens, the highest in its class. The projector offers a contrast of 1,000:1 and has a few functions that make setup a bit easier. Chief among these is the aptly named “Easy Setup Function” which helps users get things going without too much hassle. Keystone Correction is also included for those times where the projector is just a bit off. Sanyo’s LP-XU106 will be available in late November according to Akihabara News, but no pricing has been announced.Posted Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 08:00 AM PDT by:
