Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player

In recent years, Philips has strayed somewhat from introducing products catering to the North American marketplace. We’re thrilled to say that this year’s spate of CES announcements signifies a stark turn from that approach. The most interesting release from the company during this year’s blowout is probably the PS725 (shown above), a 7-inch portable DVD player that doubles as a mobile TV viewer. Before you bust out the yawn collector, you should know that Philips managed to stuff both an ATSC and an ATSC M/H tuner within, the latter of which just announced a major push into 20 major metropolitan markets back in November. The unit has an 800 x 480 resolution display, three hours of nonstop playback via a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery pack, a screen that swivels 180 degrees and a $299 price point. It’ll ship in March, just as your FLO TV service keels over. In related news, the outfit is also outing a PB9013 portable Blu-ray player, which touts a 9-inch display, a battery good for three hours of enjoyment, a bundled mounting kit and an HDMI output. You’ll also see this one ship in March, but with a $399 retail sticker.

Outside of those two, we’re told that the GeGear Muse MP4 player is now on track to ship in March, with the 8GB model going for $149, the 16GB edition for $179 and the high-end 32GB model for $229. For those out of the loop, it’ll deliver a 3.2-inch HVGA touchpanel, an FM radio tuner, 720p movie support and compatibility with FLAC and APE lossless files. Closing things up, we’ve got the Fidelio DS8550 and DS9010 speaker docks. The former handles your iPod, iPhone and / or iPad, streams tunes over Bluetooth and touts a built-in, rechargeable battery; this guy’s on sale now for $299. As for the latter? That one’s expected to ship at the tail-end of March for $599, with the price premium netting you an aircraft quality aluminum enclosure, improved audio drivers and a proximity sensor to activate a backlit control panel. Bullet points after the break, per usual.

Continue reading Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player

Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars Blu-ray to get a ‘most impressive’ announcement at CES from Vader, Fox & Panasonic

Seeing that Lucas & Co. already announced that the Star Wars series would be coming to Blu-ray we’re not exactly sure what will be announced on Thursday at Panasonic’s CES booth — please, please, please don’t say it’s another Avatar-style two year pack-in exclusive — but the invite promises it will be most impressive. Darth Vader and a number of Stormtroopers will be on hand and you know we’ll be ready to pass all information revealed onto you (given the parties involved we’re leaning towards some news about a home release of the 3D converted flicks), even if it’s just that ol’ George has decided to release the prequels ahead of the original trilogy.

Star Wars Blu-ray to get a ‘most impressive’ announcement at CES from Vader, Fox & Panasonic originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney commits to ‘at least 15’ Blu-ray 3D releases for 2011 including Tron: Legacy

Even though Blu-ray 3D officially hit the streets in 2010, actually finding any discs available at retail was easier said than done, but that may be turning around this year starting with Disney announcing it plans “at least 15” releases this year. Recent 3D hits like Tron: Legacy and Tangled will be available at retail in 3D day-and-date with the 2D DVD & Blu-ray releases, with conversions of classics like The Lion King and Beauty in the Beast also in the works. Like it or not, the consistent box office success means there is more 3D than ever on the way, and it won’t be any different at home. Check the press release after the break for a few more details about which movie will find their way out of the Disney vault in 2011.

Continue reading Disney commits to ‘at least 15’ Blu-ray 3D releases for 2011 including Tron: Legacy

Disney commits to ‘at least 15’ Blu-ray 3D releases for 2011 including Tron: Legacy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to connect and set up your new HDTV: all the cables, content, and calibration you need

Whether you’re taking the wraps off of your first HDTV or your fifth there’s a few easily avoidable hurdles that can prevent you from enjoying that brand new display at its best. Now, with new internet connected TVs and 3DTVs in the mix, there’s even more to consider, but we’ll walk you through the minefield of figuring out how to hook that new TV up, what to connect it to and even throw in a few suggestions on where to find the stuff you like to watch most.

Continue reading How to connect and set up your new HDTV: all the cables, content, and calibration you need

How to connect and set up your new HDTV: all the cables, content, and calibration you need originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung readies 23mm-thick 3D Blu-ray player for CES unveiling

Samsung’s obsession with making the world’s thinnest Blu-ray player hasn’t abated and the company’s now announced plans to slim things down even further with a 23mm-thick unit to be unveiled at CES 2011. What we know of it so far is that it’ll be able to both play back native 3D content and convert 2D to “quasi-3D,” it’ll come encased in a metallic, wall-mountable chassis, and it’ll feature the now familiar trimmings of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter integration. Pricing and availability are obviously still under wraps, but CES is next week, you can wait that long, can’t you?

Samsung readies 23mm-thick 3D Blu-ray player for CES unveiling originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pioneer’s 3D Blu-ray compatible, Netflix streaming player triumvirate now shipping

After debuting quietly at CEDIA Pioneer’s 2010 line of Blu-ray players is finally available for purchase, including the low end BDP-430 and its two Elite cousins, the BDP-41FD and BDP-43FD. Other than the obvious addition of Blu-ray 3D compatibility, key upgrades from 2009 include WiFi readiness with optional dongle, streaming from YouTube (after a firmware update), Netflix and Pandora, an expanded continue mode to make sure you start The Twilight Saga: Eclipse right where you left it and the return of Pioneer’s iControlAV remote app for iOS devices. Starting price? $299 for the BDP-430, $399 for the BDP-41FD and its home automation-friendly RS-232 port, while $499 is required to bring home the “armored chassis” of the BDP-43FD

Continue reading Pioneer’s 3D Blu-ray compatible, Netflix streaming player triumvirate now shipping

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Pioneer’s 3D Blu-ray compatible, Netflix streaming player triumvirate now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Does it Cost $300 to Buy Avatar on 3D Blu-ray? [Rant]

Who’s buying 3DTVs and 3D Blu-ray players? People who watched 3D movies in theaters, then want to re-live the experience at home. So why are the top movies, like Avatar and Coraline only available as bundles with hardware? What’s the deal? More »

Pioneer ships $200 BDR-206MBK BDXL writer, dares you to afford related media

Two months from introduction to shipping? Not bad, Pioneer… not bad at all. The world’s first BDXL PC writer is now on sale at your local Fry’s Electronics, bringing support for toasting 128GB quad-layer discs (if you can find / afford ’em) as well as speedy writing on typical BD-R, DVD-R and CD-R discs. Pioneer’s also throwing in a CyberLink software suite, and if you buy in early, you’ll get a single piece of 100GB BR-R XL media for free. Makes that $199 asking price seem entirely more attractive, doesn’t it? In other news, the first Blu-ray format still isn’t supported by Apple, not even on a $10,000 Mac Pro. Spectacular.

Continue reading Pioneer ships $200 BDR-206MBK BDXL writer, dares you to afford related media

Pioneer ships $200 BDR-206MBK BDXL writer, dares you to afford related media originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: HDTVs and home theater

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today’s bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.

A brand new HDTV is a gift that can get plenty of use throughout the year, but it’s also one of the more expensive items on Santa’s list. If you’re shopping for the home theater enthusiast who has everything, there’s always room in the cabinet for another streamer or demo disc. From 3DTV to network connected to throwback disc-based media, there’s a lot of new options on deck for the 2010 holiday season – let’s see if we can narrow the list a bit and make sure your gift scores a ten out of ten even if your budget is more like a two.

Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: HDTVs and home theater

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: HDTVs and home theater originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s Avatar 3D monopoly runs into 2012, no 3D Blu-ray release until Mayan calendar ends?

Panasonic's Avatar monopoly extends into 2012, no 3D Blu-ray release until the Mayan calendar ends?

When Panasonic announced it was including copies of Avatar in 3D with its 3DTVs and Blu-ray players, it simply seemed like a great marketing move. Now it’s looking like more of a coup, with Panasonic UK confirming that the company’s bundle deal runs until February of 2012. That deal is said to be exclusive, likely meaning that will be the only 3D version of Avatar pressed to disc until it runs out, leaving you with two somewhat less than desirable choices for getting a copy: spring for Panasonic hardware or pay a hefty premium on eBay. How hefty? Copies of the 3D Blu-ray version look to be going for $150 and up, and we’re guessing things won’t be getting much better in the near future.

Panasonic’s Avatar 3D monopoly runs into 2012, no 3D Blu-ray release until Mayan calendar ends? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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