Hasta La Gadget!

No surprise here, but Sony‘s making darn sure it’s not left behind in the connected HDTV arena by introducing seven new sets that all look to the Yahoo! Widget Engine to pull down Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Slacker and other web-based content right on one’s HDTV. Proudly dubbed Bravia Internet Widgets, the functionality will come bundled in with the firm’s ZBR9 lineup (comprised of the 52-inch KDL-52XBR9, 46-inch KDL-46XBR, 40-inch KDL-40XBR90 and 32-inch KDL-32XBR9) as well as the 52-inch KDL-52Z5100, 46-inch KDL-46Z5100, and 40-inch KDL-40Z5100. All seven sets tout 1080p panels, BRAVIA Sync, four HDMI inputs, an Ethernet jack and a cute Energy Star 3.0 sticker to boot. Gear up for TV 2.0 (or are we up to 3.0?) to land this Spring.

Continue reading Sony brings Yahoo! widgets to 1080p ZBR9 / Z-Series HDTVs

Filed under: CES, Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sony brings Yahoo! widgets to 1080p ZBR9 / Z-Series HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix streaming is one thing, but Vizio seems to be taking its new status as a premium HDTV manufacturer very well, with the new Connected HDTV platform featuring support for Yahoo! Widgets, Flash, Blockbuster OnDemand (!), Flickr, Pandora, Rhapsody and Accedo Broadband. Due Fall 2009, owners can feel free to go wired or 802.11n style to connect to any of these services in HD, if supported. Clearly missing? Yahoo!, Media Center Extender, but the 2H 2009 fight of Internet-ready televisions is on – set-top boxes better watch their back.

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Networking

Vizio takes the cover off Connected HDTV: Netflix, Blockbuster, Amazon, Yahoo! and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We didn’t have high hopes going into Panny’s press conference today, but the company still managed to unveil a few surprises here in Vegas. One of those shockers was the world’s first portable Blu-ray player, the DMP-. Said device supposedly includes the ability to pump out 1080p content, and while we’re not terribly enthused about the design, we suppose we’ll give it a pass being that’s a world first.

Filed under: CES, Home Entertainment, Portable Video

Hands-on with Panasonic’s DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player at CES 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We just snuck a quick look at the new Linksys home media gear, the Wireless Home Audio system and Media Hub NAS, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect. For all of Cisco’s talk of platform and back-end and consumer love, the end product is actually pretty humdrum. We can’t speak to the actual setup and content integration — which will naturally be Cisco’s strong suit — but the actual hardware doesn’t seem to scream consumer love. The interface on the Touchscreen Remote is pretty slow and a far cry from the polish of the Sonos system — the unit’s natural competitor — especially compared to the iPod touch control App, and everything looks and feels bulky and gray. We do have to hand it to Cisco for working in the iPod dock, a CD player, iTunes server and Rhapsody all into one cohesive centrally-controlled system, but we’ll see how much traction this gathers in the market… Cisco’s talking like a uniter, but right now this just looks like more fragmentation.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

Linksys Wireless Home Audio and Media Hub NAS hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Has your $2,500 XEL-1 display already started to show a case of the dimming blues? If so, and if you can go without seeing Cookie Monster in his natural hue for a few more months, you may have another OLED replacement option after this summer. LG is indicating it will begin producing a 15-inch panel in June of this year. No word on whether it’ll match the Sony’s 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, but it will offer a higher resolution of 1,366 x 768, and LG is pledging a 30,000 hour shelf life. We’ll see about that.

Filed under: CES, Displays

LG to produce 15-inch OLED panel this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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