More details emerge of supposed PSP2 with backside touch controls, HD screen, hot personality

More details emerge of supposed PSP2 with backside touch controls, HD screen, hot personality

About a month before this year’s Tokyo Game Show we started hearing new reports of the PSP2, a device that’s been rumored since roughly the dawn of time (which could explain the prehistoric creatures on the concept render above). These rumors, however, were different, specifically the mention of a touchpad on the back of the device. Alas that device didn’t make an appearance to the press at TGS, but supposedly Sony was showing it off to some developers. Kotaku has learned a few more things, most notable being a display an inch larger than the current PSP’s and having a high-def resolution — a detail that should surprise none. According to the report Sony is still tweaking the internal hardware, trying to mitigate overheating issues ahead of a release sometime in the fall of 2011. That would likely mean an unveiling at the 2011 E3, the same place the original unit was first shown in the flesh eight whole years earlier.

More details emerge of supposed PSP2 with backside touch controls, HD screen, hot personality originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Netflix Channel For Wii: No More Disc, Still No HD

The Wii joins its Xbox and Playstation 3 game console rivals in ditching the disc. Users can now download a Netflix Watch Instantly channel through the Wii Shop, meaning you don’t have to fumble around to find the disc when you want to watch a movie on the biggest screen in your house.

“Wii is a consummate home entertainment platform and has quickly become one of the best and most popular ways to enjoy movies streamed from Netflix,” said Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix. “The availability of Netflix right on the Wii Menu adds significantly to the ease and convenience that attracts our members to the Netflix streaming experience and is an important step in our efforts to continuously improve the service.”

It’s hard to believe that the Netflix has only been available on the Wii since April 12, 2010. Since then, discless streaming video from Netflix has come to the iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Google TV, PS3 and other devices, joining Xbox, the Roku Player and TiVo. But the Wii doesn’t have the HD video output many of those other devices have — for Netflix or anything else.

Netflix Now Available As A Download From The Wii Shop Channel [Nintendo Press Room]

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Samsung unveils new 55-inch LCD with ultraslim bezel, invites DIY video walls

Remember the world’s thinnest bezel separation touted by Sharp just this past June? Forget about it. Samsung has bested its Japanese competitor with the unveiling of a new 55-inch Digital Information Display panel that features bezels of 3.8mm on the top and left edges and 1.9mm on the bottom and right, leading to a positively svelte 5.7mm distance between the content of neighboring displays. That good stuff is augmented with Full HD resolution and a blinding 700 nits of brightness. There’ll also be a 46-inch model that offers a 7.6mm separation (hint: that’s still pretty damn thin), though we’ve yet to learn on when and where aspiring home cinema nuts might be able to obtain either screen.

Continue reading Samsung unveils new 55-inch LCD with ultraslim bezel, invites DIY video walls

Samsung unveils new 55-inch LCD with ultraslim bezel, invites DIY video walls originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 03:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink OLED-Display  |  sourceSamsung Korea  | Email this | Comments

Zoom Q3HD Handy Video Recorder boasts 1080p and stereo microphones

Zoom has just outed a new little camcorder, the Q3HD Handy Video Recorder. This little guy, in addition to boasting 1080p capabilities (at 30 frames per second) and 720p at 60 frames per second, also packs 4x digital zoom, a 2.4-inch color LCD, NTSC/PAL TV and HDMI outputs, and USB 2.0. Most interestingly, of course, the Q3HD Handy has built-in stereo microphones, so the camera should provide much better audio than your standard affair. There’s no word on availability or pricing yet.

Zoom Q3HD Handy Video Recorder boasts 1080p and stereo microphones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech’s Google TV offering to also handle HD video conferencing, challenge Cisco’s upcoming solution?

Logitech's Google TV offering to also handle HD video conferencing, challenge Cisco's upcoming solution?

We’re just days away from Logitech unveiling its Google TV hardware lineup, but now VP Eric Kintz is saying that’s not all the company will have to show. You may remember that Logitech acquired LifeSize Communications late last year, a company specializing in corporate HD video conferencing, and now that technology will be coming to the living room. Logi isn’t unveiling details yet, but whatever solution it offers will be compatible with Google TV and, given that Logitech’s C910 webcam was recently granted SkypeHD compatibility, we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some sort of tie-in there. Hardware cost is unknown but no monthly fee will be charged, contrasting with Cisco’s rumored solution — coincidentally also said to be unveiled on Weds. According to The Wall Street Journal Cisco’s HD conferencing option will cost a whopping $600 and, on top of that, will require a $30 monthly fee. That seems somewhat outrageously priced for a one trick pony, so here’s to hoping there’s more to it than that.

Logitech’s Google TV offering to also handle HD video conferencing, challenge Cisco’s upcoming solution? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Apple TV vs Roku HD… fight!

Two tiny black 720p boxes, two interesting choices. The $59 Roku HD will put Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand and Roku’s 75 other content channels on your TV quickly and easily, while the $99 Apple TV offers up iTunes rentals, Netflix, and eventually AirPlay streaming from your iPad or iPhone. (You could step up to the Roku XDS with 1080p support for $99, but we don’t think the extra money will be really worth it until the USB playback channel is released and / or there’s more useful 1080p content available.) It’s a tough decision, so check out our Apple TV review, our Roku XDS review, and our in-depth comparison chart to just try to make up your mind. Then again, you could grab ’em both and still not break the bank.

Apple TV vs Roku HD… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Super Hi-Vision broadcast from UK to Japan is one for the geeklopedia

Super Hi-Vision is still very experimental, but the BBC and NHK’s first UK-to-Tokyo SHV broadcast trial of a live musical set by the The Charlatans hints it is inching closer to commercial viability. A NHK-developed camera — one of three in existence — made it all possible, and featured a specialized lens and optical data transmitter to handle the retina-confounding 7680 x 4320 pixel signal. This SHV trial was also the first to use a blazingly fast 24Gb/s internet connection to broadcast in lieu of more expensive satellite transmissions used in previous tests. As if the brouhaha wasn’t bleeding-edge enough, a lucky few at the BBC could even view the show on a prototype 103-inch plasma television developed by NHK to see a mere quarter of the signal’s massive resolution. Sure, this may not be the kind of event kids will learn about in class someday, but it certainly makes us feel like giddy little school boys. To learn more, watch a behind the scenes BBC video on the event embedded after the break.

[Thanks, Matt]

Continue reading First Super Hi-Vision broadcast from UK to Japan is one for the geeklopedia

First Super Hi-Vision broadcast from UK to Japan is one for the geeklopedia originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple TV review (2010)

You’ve been waiting, and it’s finally here: the Apple TV review. Months before Steve Jobs announced the new set top box at Apple’s annual fall event, we had been reporting on news that the company would strike out again into the TV market, offering a small, low-cost box that had more in common with the iPhone than the iMac. When those rumors came to fruition, we were presented with the completely revamped Apple TV — a tiny black puck of a device priced at a staggering $99, and centered around a handful of completely new ideas (for the folks in Cupertino at least) about getting content onto your TV screen. The first is a new rental system which allows you to nab brand new TV shows at $0.99 a rental, and HD movies for $4.99 a go (or $3.99 for older titles). And that includes new releases the same day DVDs hit shelves (or Netflix distribution centers). Speaking of Netflix, the new Apple TV also features the rental service’s “Watch Instantly” as a wholly integrated component of its offerings, alongside a new function the company calls AirPlay which will allow you to “push” video and audio content from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch with the tap of a button. On top of that, the new ATV streamlines sharing from your home computers or laptops, making getting content you own onto your TV dead simple. So, has Apple finally solved the “second box” problem, or are they still struggling to turn this hobby into a real business? Follow along after the break for those answers (and more) in our full review of the Apple TV!


Continue reading Apple TV review (2010)

Apple TV review (2010) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cisco to announce high-def consumer telepresence device next week?

Cisco to announce high-def consumer telepresence device next week?

Cisco is certainly no stranger to the telepresence world, offering a high-end system catering to your high-paid CEO and his high-def boardroom. However, that doesn’t do Ma and Pa Internet User much good when they want to dial up their offspring and see how the grandkids are faring. This, it seems, is Cisco’s next step, with the company launching an “inexpensive home telepresence product for personal use” according to All Things Digital. At a press conference scheduled one week from today, a device and service are expected to be unveiled with a cost between $200 and $500 (depending on carrier subsidies) that will enable easy high-def video calling — something SkypeHD and others do today, but supporting devices have been slow to find success. What will this device look like? Well, Cisco Senior VP Marthin De Beer said earlier this year: “We didn’t buy Flip to have it be only a video recorder.” He also said: “We would absolutely love to integrate with FaceTime.” That latter bit sounds a little optimistic, but high-def telepresence that’s as simple to use as a Flip HD? It could be good — or it could be another FlipShare TV.

Cisco to announce high-def consumer telepresence device next week? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 07:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAllThingsDigital  | Email this | Comments

Nexus Announces New Hotel HDTV

gI_0_new32031anglecopy.jpgThe next time you check into a hotel, you might be checking out the NX32H60 in your room. CTL’s Nexus division has just announced the release of the NX32H60, a 32-inch HDTV designed just for the hospitality industry. What makes a TV a hotel TV, you ask? Well, this one comes with a Hotel Feature Pack, designed for the unique requirements of hotel use.

The pack includes a swivel stand, RS232 terminals, and USB clone. USB clone allows for quick and easy custom setup. Hotels can transfer TV settings including minimum and maximum volume, start up channel, and channel mapping from a master Nexus TV to an unlimited number of identical models, saving hours of programming time. The set and Hotel Feature Pack are currently available, although the price hasn’t been given.