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Latest Gear Live Videos
Netflix to Go Blu-ray
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment,
Netflix has announced that it will only buy Blu-ray discs and phase out HD by the end of the year. We suspect that is because four of the six major studios have gone the same way. While this looks to be the end of the war, we are just not ready to go out and purchase a new player right away. We hope that Sony finally feels karma for their failed Betamax. We also discovered that Netflix will be only sending out standard DVDs by the end of this month.
Read More 
| Reuters
Gallery: Netflix to Go Blu-ray
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Apple TV Take 2 finally released!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Broadband, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies, Software,
If you are like me, you’ve been waiting for Apple TV Take 2 to hit for just about a month now. When it was delayed two weeks ago, I stared at my Apple TV in disgust. In it’s current form, it was nothing more than a YouTube viewer, and sometimes, a nice picture screensaver. However, the wait is no more. As part of today’s Tuesday updates, Apple has finally released the Apple TV Take 2 software, and it is available now for download. Aside from a freatly enhanced UI, here are some of the features:
- Movie rentals in both high definition and standard definition
- Flickr photo browsing and slideshows
- .Mac photo gallery browsing and slideshows
- Purchasing of items from iTunes Store from Apple TV
- Browse and view podcasts in iTunes Podcast directory on Apple TV
If you have an Apple TV, fire up Software Update on the device to get the new hotness, and let us know what you think.
Read More | Apple TV Take 2 Guided Tour
Gallery: Apple TV Take 2 finally released!
Amazon’s Top Selling HDTVs
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Internet,
Now that we have given you PC Mag’s suggestions for Superbowl Sunday, which HDTVs are actually the public’s choice? According to Amazon, these are their top sellers (with prices):
- Samsung’s 2007 model LNT5265F ($2,199)
- Sharp AQUOS LC32D62U 32 and 42-inch ($889) ($1,349)
- Samsung model LNT4665F ($1,674)
- Toshiba 42HL167 42-inch Regza LCD HDTV ($1,299)
- Sony 32-inch Class BRAVIA S-Series LCD HDTV ($899)
- Sharp AQUOS LC32D62U 46-inch ($1,799)
- Sony KDL-40XBR2 40-inch Bravia XBR LCD HDTV ($1,499)
- Samsung LNT4661F 46-inch LCD HDTV ($1,549)
- Samsung LNT5271F 52-inch LCD HDTV($2,652)
We dig that the prices get lower all the time, but not that the choices will now be twice as extensive.
Read More | Gearlog
Gallery: Amazon’s Top Selling HDTVs
While we were pondering the thought of purchasing our own HDTV for Superbowl Sunday plant, we found that PC mag had given their top choices, giving us a suggestion list that was at least a start. Here are their choices:
42-inch JVC LT-42X898
60-inch Pioneer Elite KUROPRO-150FD LG 47 LBX plasma
Panasonic 42-inch TH-42PZ700U
Mitsubishi 62-inch WD-65833 rear-projection TV
Westinghouse 47-inch TX-47F430S
37-inch Toshiba 37HL67 LCD
Perhaps this will help you decide if you are pre-football game shopping. The sales people might think you are more knowledgeable if you call them by their formal numbers.
Read More | PC Magazine
Gallery: PC Mag Suggests HDTVs
Superbowl to Boost Technology Sales
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Smart Home, PC / Laptop,
It’s almost Superbowl time again, and CEA predicts that before the big game on Feb. 3, 2.4 million hi-def TVs will be purchased. Tim Herbet, Senior Market Research Director said that other technologies are also influenced, i.e. PC to check stats, IM with friends, and bet on the game. The survey also came to the conclusion that 13% of those who watch SB XLII will also use their cell phone for stats and IMs. Personally, some of us just dig the commercials.
Read More | Electronic House
Gallery: Superbowl to Boost Technology Sales
Sharp Reveals AQUOS X Series
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment,
If you have never seen a Sharp AQUOS then you don’t know the meaning of the word “covet.” The company has just released their new X series of LCD TVs. The panels come in 37, 42, and 47-inches with a thickness of merely 3.44 cm. With full 1920 x 1080 HD, the TVs have a doublespeed LCD of 120 Hz, a contrast ratio of 15000:1, 12-bit BDE color, a 3 1.3a HDMI input, and a 1 bit digital amplifier. Check Akihabara’s site for a gallery’s worth of coveting.
Read More | Akihabara News
Gallery: Sharp Reveals AQUOS X Series
Toshiba Slashes Prices, Again
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Movies,
Toshiba, never admitting defeat, has once again cut its prices up to 50% to promote its HD DVD players. Their entry level players now carry an MSRP of ~$150.00. Expect an onslaught of various media-type commercials within the next few weeks. While we continue to hear rumors concerning the HD/Blu-ray War, we think we will just bide our time and revel in the news that now almost anyone can afford a player. Toshiba is still offering 5 free DVDs with purchase.
Read More | USA Today
Gallery: Toshiba Slashes Prices, Again
MacWorld 2008: Apple announces iTunes movie rentals, including HD rentals
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, HDTV, Movies, Portable Audio / Video, Software,
Apple has finally made iTunes movie rentals official, as Steve Jobs made the announcement in his MacWorld 2008 keynote address. The studios taking part in the festivities include Disney, MGM, Touchstone, Miramax, Lions Gate, Warner Brothers, Fox, Paramount, Universal, and Sony. Rentals will be available starting today alongside an iTunes 7.6 update, and you can expect 1,000 movies to be available be the end of February. Rentals will cost $2.99 USD for a standard movie, $3.99 for new releases. If you want the HD version, it will cost you $1.00 more. You have 30 days to begin watching the movie, and once you’ve started, you get 24 hours to watch it as many times as you like. Rented movies can be transferred to a video-capable iPod or iPhone, and can also be viewed on Apple TV.
Read More | iTunes Movies
Gallery: MacWorld 2008: Apple announces iTunes movie rentals, including HD rentals
Matsushita Undergoes Name Change
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cameras, Corporate News, GPS, HDTV, Smart Home,
Matsushita has finally decided to become known by what it mostly was all along, Panasonic. The name change will become final this October 1 if the shareholders agree in June. The Osaka company was founded 90 years ago by Konosuke Matsushita, and even current President Fumio Ohtsubo feels a bit sad but commented, “We must create more than what we are giving up.”
Matsushita/Panasonic will also be dropping its local brand name National for large and small appliances by March 2010 to avoid confusion. Our only comment: It’s about time.
Read More | Post-Bulletin
Gallery: Matsushita Undergoes Name Change
HD DVD vs. Blu-ray Paramount Denies Rumors of Defection from HD DVD
Posted by Chris Cardinal Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment,
Some channels were reporting earlier that Paramount was looking to bail from the HD boat, enabled by a clause in their contract that cited Warner Bros. departure as grounds to themselves switch. Paramount is now denying these claims, their spokesperson saying “Paramount’s current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format.” Warner’s switch resulted in a full 70% of movies now produced by Blu-Ray studios and Blu-Ray booth folk were yesterday claiming that they’ve clearly won. But the HD people we’ve spoken to seem resolute for now, though it wouldn’t be the first time someone failed epicly even as they denied it outright
.Read More 
| Bloomberg News
