Hasta La Gadget!

Much like Lenovo’s ThinkPad W700ds, we get the feeling that EVGA’s newly launched InterView Dual-Display will only cater to a select niche, but that’s not to say it can’t be a winner to at least a few individuals. The crew over at HotHardware took an in-depth look at the new rotatable, twin-LCD device, and while they certainly appreciated the 34-inch desktop in screen spanning mode, the auto re-orientation and the stunning build quality, a few minor issues held it back from greatness. For starters, the machine requires dual VGA or DVI inputs in order to run both panels from a single machine, and the fact that each LCD is only 17-inches could also turn some folks off. The most egregious choice, however, was to equip each display with just a 1,440 x 900 resolution, which isn’t even enough to showcase 1080p material. At $650, the InterView is tough to recommend to all but those who are certain they’ll take advantage of the nuances, but you can hit the read link for a few more looks and a complete video walk-through before making up your mind either way.

Filed under: Displays

EVGA’s quirky InterView dual-LCD display reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting a free DVD or Blu-ray player with an HDTV purchase is nothing new, but Mitsubishi’s taking things to the next level: starting July 16th, authorized retailers will throw in a free Vudu box and $50 service credit with every Mitsu TV. Right, we know it’s only a $150 box, but remember Vudu is really the only player out there offering 1080p HDX video rentals right now, and it also supports Pandora, Flickr, YouTube and local streaming, so bundling the box is a pretty easy way for Mitsubishi to jump into the connected TV market without having to reinvent the wheel. Well played, we’d say — it’s just too bad the last Mitsu TV we played with was less than impressive. LaserVue, anyone?

[Via High-Def Digest]

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Mitsubishi TVs to come with free Vudu boxes as of July 16th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes, it’s yet another a digital photo frame, but HP’s next entrant looks like it could be something special, making a stop by the FCC and taking its full manual with it, thus opening all of its mysteries and functions to the wild. Available in two sizes, 10.2- and 13.3-inches at 800 x 480 and 1,280 x 800 resolutions (respectively), the DreamScreen will sport your typical selection of features, including 2GB of internal storage, wired and wireless connectivity, a remote control, and support for memory cards like CF, SD, and Memory Stick. Where things get interesting is online integration; the frame will be able to pull pictures directly from Facebook and Snapfish while streaming tunes from Pandora, meaning re-living vacation pics while discovering new artists just became a curious possibility. No word on whether you can give friends’ poorly composed holiday snaps and that new Moby album a thumbs down at the same time, but we can hope.

Update: Is that the 10.2-inch DreamScreen 100 in the FCC as well? Why yes, it is.

Filed under: Displays

HP’s DreamScreen 130 digiframe puts on a Facebook and Pandora show for the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We just crashed Sharp’s AQUOS launch party and got a nice look at the new AQUOS panels, along with a bit of a peek at the LEDs behind the curtain. In a lot of senses, Sharp’s new panels are a collection of last generation technologies: the LEDs aren’t locally dimmed, the 120Hz refresh rate falls short of the 240Hz that’s been bandied about of late, and the internet services don’t offer video playback or WiFi connectivity. That said, the picture is looking pretty great. Sharp credits its specialized LEDs for increasing the color gamut, and new LCD tech for improved blacks and improved brightness due to better controls and less electronics getting in the way. As for 120Hz, Sharp says that its engineers found that 240Hz introduced noise, and on a personal note we don’t think we need many more Hz in our lives. There aren’t really any excuses for the shortage of internet services, but we should be seeing some new stuff at CES next year. Localized dimming is also due for the next generation, but Sharp sees the next big step for LCD tech being the RGB backlight available in its XS1 top-of-the-line set. In practice the blacks look great and the colors look great, but we’ll have to sit these new sets down next to competing TVs to really get a good idea of where Sharp’s at with this gen.

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sharp’s new AQUOS lineup eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re not at all clear what, if any difference, exists between Samsung’s new XL2370 monitor and the $399 P2370L announced back in January. Both are 23-inch LED backlit members from Samsung’s “Touch of Color” lineup sporting a 2ms response and 1080p resolution. The XL2370 claims an ambiguous “finger-slim” design sounding very much like the 0.65-inch depth of the P2370L. The only hard difference is the stated increase in dynamic contrast ratio from 2M:1 (P2370L) to 5M:1 — a pointless distinction most likely rooted in competitive hyperbole rather than any visible distinction you’d see in your home office. Regardless, the XL2370 will carry the title of Samsung’s “highest performance monitor” (which is saying something) when it ships to Korea in mid-July on the way to its European and “other parts of the world” debut in August.

Filed under: Displays

Samsung’s XL2370 ‘highest performance’ 1080p monitor goes global in August originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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