Hasta La Gadget!

In a quiet announcement that’s decidedly less exciting than last week’s 4K pricing reveal, Sony’s European arm shared news today that select W-series TVs are now available for customers to pre-order. A press release published in Europe lists several CES models, including the KDL-W905A, KDL-W805A, KDL-W650A and KDL-W600A, though only a few have made their way to the company’s online store. In the UK, for example, you can pick up the W905 in 40-, 46- and 55-inch flavors for £1,299 (about $2,000), £1,699 (about $2,600), or £2,399 (about $3,700), respectively, with an estimated ship date in early May. The other aforementioned models have appeared with pricing across the pond, albeit without a pre-order link, so HD-hungry consumers will need to hold out for a bit before reserving one of those sets. With those W950 MSRPs approaching the top end for their class, though, we’re tempted to hold out for Sony’s 4K versions, which are set to ship for $5,000 and up beginning this very weekend.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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Source: Sony Europe

Don’t look now, but Panasonic has just gone public with pricing and availability information for its inaugural line of streaming media players. Announced a few months back at CES, the 3D-capable DMP-MS10 is shipping today for $79.99, offering up VIERA Connect (for easy integration with older Panny HDTVs), inbuilt WiFi, external HDD playback and access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow, Vudu and YouTube. An extra $20 gets you the DMP-MST60, which is also shipping today while adding 2D-to-3D conversion and Miracast functionality.

Over on the BD side, the DMP-BD79 is moving out now for $79.99, while the BD89 is going for $10 more; these two are 2D-only models, with the latter being equipped with WiFi out of the box. For those still (somehow) enamored with the third dimension, the DMP-BBT01 ($269.99), BDT500 ($349.99), BDT330 ($199.99) and BDT230 ($129.999) are also hitting store shelves within the next few moments. The full releases are just past the break — you know, if you’re into such things.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Panasonic

If you were chomping at the bit to create content for the oncoming 4K revolution, Sony has just announced a couple of enhancements to its XAVC video format to help you on your way. Long GOP is a high-efficiency codec designed to meet the requirements of the professional market, while XAVC-S is aimed squarely at consumers with its MP4 wrapping. Of course, both codecs should play nice with Sony’s series of CineAlta cameras (the PMW-F5 is pictured above), which is set to reach over 2,000 units shipped by the end of the month. Sony’s not the only one making XAVC-compatible devices however; over 60 manufacturers have applied for XAVC licenses while 31 others have pledged to support it in their products. Seeing as 4K hardware is finally dipping into affordability, we can’t fault Sony for getting the ball rolling, at least from the creation side of things.

Filed under: Cameras, HD

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Via: Far East Gizmos

Source: XAVC

After months of being wrapped in black bars, Netflix has updated its Windows Phone 8 app with fullscreen support for devices wielding native 720p displays. While this update doesn’t add HD video playback, it definitely improves the app’s image quality for phones with hi-res screens. So, if you’re sporting a top-shelf WP8 device and you’re looking to take full advantage of your display’s real estate, head on over to our source link to pull down this 2MB refresh.

Filed under: Software, HD, Mobile

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Via: The Digital Lifestyle

Source: Windows Phone Store

Took a couple of months, but EPIX is finally ready to fulfill its promise of PlayStation 3 movie streaming today. The network’s launching its app for the console, giving users access to some 3,000-plus titles including the likes of The Avengers, Skyfall and The Hunger Games, plus a slew of documentaries, concerts and such. The app itself is free, but requires a premium subscription to really do its job. In fact, if you’re already a paid-up member of PlayStation Plus, you’ll get a free movie or special every week. A more handheld version of the service is set to hit the Vita in “the coming weeks,” according to the company.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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