Hasta La Gadget!

If you were wondering what was next for webOS now that it’s gone all open source on us, webOS Nation chimes in with word that Gram is working with LG to bring it to connected HDTVs. Several names from the HP / Gram team are dropped as being involved in the effort, which reportedly was under way even before HP revealed it would spin the project off as an independent. Of course, when we actually saw Open webOS 1.0 it was already stretching to fill the space of an HP TouchSmart computer screen (project architect Steve Winston specifically mentioned hotel kiosks as a possibility, a market LG is all over) so it makes sense that larger displays have been a target. With LG supposedly both looking to replace its existing NetCast smart TV platform and unhappy with Google TV based on its rate of adoption and Google’s terms, engineers have been working to port the software to its dual-core L9 chipset. In the past LG has pursued voice and motion control, the aforementioned Google TV integration and even Plex support to make its smart TVs more appealing, and has founded the Smart TV Alliance for cross platform apps. We only have to wait until CES 2013 to see if webOS is next up to power its efforts, stay tuned.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD

Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from… LG? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The CinemaCon crowd may not have been keen on 48fps footage of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but we defy anyone to say they don’t want the best sound possible. A select few will get just that, as Dolby and Peter Jackson’s own Park Road Post Production have announced the film will be mixed for the speaker-packed Atmos technology. If you’re lucky enough to live near one of the select establishments it’s installed in, we doubt you’ll be grumbling about the immersive audio, even if the frame rate makes those orcs look unsettlingly real.

Update: That link of “select establishments” is somewhat out of date and, although the official list of locations you’ll be able to see The Hobbit in Atmos has yet to be released, Dolby says there should be between 80 and 100 screens capable of delivering the over-the-top audio experience by the film’s debut.

Continue reading The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While baseball’s postseason moves on to its final round, football is just hitting its stride and NBA preseason action is just beginning to get interesting. This week Blade Runner gets yet another HD home release, there’s one more presidential debate, and on Friday the maker of Pushing Daisies returns for a one-off / backdoor pilot attempt called Mockingbird Lane — check out a teaser after the break. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

I, Robot (3D)
A 3D Blu-ray release isn’t uncommon these days, however I, Robot has a fresh twist: it wasn’t in 3D in theaters, ever. Fox has made the interesting decision of converting the flick in post and releasing a 3D version exclusively for the home. Fans of the 2004 Will Smith flick can snag a $24.99 Blu-ray 3D set, but if you pre-ordered at Comic-Con, it comes with a bust of the robot character, Sonny. We’ll have to wait and see if this trend takes off (Fox says it has more titles in the pipeline), or if people prefer the standard original releases.
($24.99 on Amazon)

Forza Horizon
The Forza series has brought its brand of sim racing to Xbox consoles for several generations, but this latest version takes all of its underlying technology on a trip to the arcade side of town. You won’t be doing so much tweaking under the hood this time, but there’s still a healthy selection of cars plus options for night and off road racing to keep you interested. Joystiq was impressed enough by its “massive toy chest of hyper-accurate Hot Wheels” to give it four out of five stars, racing fans can check out a demo on Xbox Live now.
($59.99 on Amazon)

World Series
Baseball fans, it all comes down to this. For the championship in 2012 the Detroit Tigers will face TBD in an epic battle that kicks off Wednesday night. Either St. Louis or San Francisco will be representing the National League in the World Series, but we’ll have to wait until tonight’s game to know which one. The days for the games are already locked in however, so clear your schedule as needed.

Continue reading Must See HDTV (October 22nd – 28th)

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Must See HDTV (October 22nd – 28th) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network customers have been without AMC and its family of channels since July 1st, but thanks to a settlement between the satellite company and Cablevision’s former Voom HD unit, AMC will be back on the air starting tonight. The possibility of a settlement leaked out late last week via a court filing, and it looks like Dish CEO Charlie Ergen will avoid taking the stand Monday after all. According to the terms, Dish will hand over $700 million in cash plus its 20 percent stake in Voom, and receive 500MHz of video and data spectrum licenses in 45 areas. In a separate deal, Dish and Cablevision spinoff AMC Networks have a new multiyear deal that should bring back AMC (on channel 131) in time for The Walking Dead to air tonight, and all of its other channels (IFC, WE tv, Sundance and for the first time, Fuse) starting November 1st. While Dish had previously claimed the channel deal was being held up by AMC’s distribution of its shows via iTunes, Netflix and Amazon, now that lawsuit is over those concerns seem to have faded away.

Continue reading Dish Network settles Voom HD lawsuit, AMC comes back on the air tonight

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Dish Network settles Voom HD lawsuit, AMC comes back on the air tonight originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Oct 2012 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re waiting for a sign that shows like The Walking Dead are coming back to Dish Network, a court document filed Thursday might be it. According to Reuters, the document was originally filed with the title “poss. settlement” (later changed to “adj. for briefing”) and set a date for October 22nd. Additionally, the New York Post reports that on Wednesday the Judge adjourned proceedings for the week. As you’ll recall, Cablevision sued the satellite company over its Voom HD channels being dropped back in 2008, and is asking for $2.4 billion in damages. If the two have found a resolution, the next question would be whether this affects Dish’s negotiations with Cablevision spinoff AMC Networks, which the latter claims were derailed because of its connection to Voom. If the case proceeds, Bloomberg reports Dish CEO Charlie Ergen is set to take the stand Monday — we’ll see if this can get wrapped up before Mad Men and Breaking Bad return in 2013.

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Dish vs. Cablevision court filing hints at a settlement, could lead to AMC’s return originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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