Hasta La Gadget!

Now that everything Zune HD is official and available for pre-order, Microsoft has seen fit to loose official specs, putting to rest — at least until we can do a full hands on — questions about what to expect from the OLED touchscreen packing device. From dimensions (52.7 mm x 102.1 mm x 8.9 mm, 2.6 oz) to battery life (24 hours for music with wireless off, up to 4 hours of video) and charge time (3 hours, 2 hours to 90%.) While the offical site (incorrectly) currently lists max video res at barely-better-than-DVD 720 x 480, we contacted Microsoft and received the official specs on video support, and if for some reason you needed to hear it again: the Tegra chip is a beast. Ready for HDTV playback when it’s plugged into the AV dock, the Zune software supports up to 1280 x 720, 30 frames per second at a max 14 Mbps bitrate for WMV HD and h.264 sources. Confirmed still a bummer? No wireless video streaming from the Zune Video Marketplace, though the specs do indicate that purchases and rentals will work across all three screens, PC, Zune and Xbox 360. Check the corrected specs after the break, now all that’s left is getting some alone time with one.

Update: Microsoft has hit us with the corrected & updated spec list with a slight change to battery and charge specs: 33 hours of life playing music with no wireless, up to 8.5 hours of video. 3 hours to charge from PC, 2 hours via AC adapter. Hopefully that’s long enough to cover your one man rave in the woods far away from A/C outlets. Check the PDF for yourself, but beware, as Microsoft has informed us one typo remains, as the Zune HD can hold up to 22 / 48 hours (16GB / 32GB) of video optimized for the device, no matter what the official sheet says.

Continue reading Zune HD specs fill in the blanks on video format support, battery life and more – Update: now with more, better!

Filed under: Handhelds, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Zune HD specs fill in the blanks on video format support, battery life and more – Update: now with more, better! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh sure, outfits have claimed to ship kitchen-friendly TV sets before, but Toshiba just made ’em all look silly with the introduction of the 19LV612U. Less formally known as the first member of the Stainless Style TV series, this 18.5-inch set packs a built-in slot-loading DVD player, integrated ATSC / NTSC / QAM TV tuner and a 1,366 x 768 native resolution. Oh, and then there’s the seductive stainless steel coating, which makes it fit in impeccably well with your modern day dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave oven. Other specs include 300 nits of brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, five millisecond response time, HDMI / VGA inputs, a headphone jack and VESA mount support. It’s expected to ruin meals regularly starting this September for $349.99

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, Household

Toshiba’s Stainless Style 720p HDTV redefines kitchenware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve been toying with a VholdR ContourHD helmet cam for a few weeks now, seeing how well it blends in with our adrenaline-fueled lifestyle. We’ve mounted it on various helmets, tried it with some moderately extreme endeavors, and, now that we’ve had a chance to refill our asthma inhalers, we thought we’d share a few of those adventures and give our impressions of this helmet-mounted HD shooter.

Continue reading VholdR ContourHD wearable HD camcorder hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Digital Cameras

VholdR ContourHD wearable HD camcorder hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in case our comparatively brief overview of the D5000 wasn’t enough to sway you either way, why not have a gander at DPReview‘s astonishing 33 page critique of Nikon’s first-ever DSLR with an articulating display? Within, you’ll find oodles of sample shots, comparison to rival cameras and enough analysis to make you feel like a bona fide expert upon leaving. If you’re looking for the long and short of it, however, you’ll find a conclusion that essentially matches up word-for-word with our own summary: the articulating display is a bit of a personal preference, but every other aspect is rock solid. If you’re not down with ponying up for the marginally more expensive D90 and you can’t bear the thought of buying Canon glass, there’s hardly a better option on the market right now. Dig in below if you still need more proof.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon’s D5000 gets reviewed in staggering detail originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While it won’t be the first handset to capture 720p video (hello, OmniaHD!), Hitachi‘s Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Woo is still apt to garner quite a bit of attention. As the leaked images hosted down below show, this clever flip phone packs 1,280 x 720 video recording, a 5 megapixel sensor, HDMI interface and a microSDHC slot for good measure. A generous tipster has informed us that said phone is slated to launch this coming Monday on KDDI, though we fully expect that envious North Americans won’t ever get to toy with one on their home turf. For shame.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones

Hitachi’s Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo cellphone does 720p video recording originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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