Latest Gear Live Videos
Sony bringing 3D to Bravia, PS3, PSP
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Video Games,
IFA 2009 is one of the biggest consumer electronics shows in the world. This is where Sony president Sir Howard Stringer has formally declared 3D programming for Bravia and Blu-ray disc players with content by next year.
We are aggressively running our business in a new and changed reality. The 3D train is on track and Sony is ready to drive it home.
In other words, it’s on. With Sony pushing toward 3D content, coupled with reports of other TV manufacturers doing the same, we are easily looking at a 3D future.
Read More 
| Crave
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Panasonic readying 85-inch 1080p plasma for $30,000
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment,
If bigger is truly always better, we know a lot of you would upgrade your television before anything else. The 85-inch Panasonic TH-85PF12U is the next big thing in the HDTV realm. It’s a 1080p set that’s 3.9 inches deep. Oh, and it costs $30,000. Sure that may be equivalent to your annual salary, but isn’t this 260-pound bad-boy worth it?
By the way, a 42-inch 720p monitor was priced at $30,000 ten years ago. You could fit four 42-inch monitors in the space that this 85-inch screen covers. Wow. The times, the are a-changin’.
Read More | CNet
LG working on 15-inch OLED HDTV
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Displays, HDTV,
I first saw Sony’s 11-inch OLED XEL-1 at CES almost two years ago. I couldn’t see myself paying so much ($2500) for such a tiny screen, even though it had, at the time, the best picture that I had ever seen for something only millimeters thin.
It would appear that LG is readying their own OLED HDTV, this one being a 15-incher. It will only be on sale in Korea, sometime in November. As of now, there are no pricing details, so just take solace in the fact that it’ll fall into the OMGExpensive category.
Read More | Reuters
James Cameron’s Avatar: New ways for the current 3D fad to bloom?
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies,
In case you were asleep on the Internet last week, James Cameron’s long awaited film Avatar just launched its first teaser trailer. All I can say is “it’s about time,” because I’ve been hearing about Avatar for years. Word is that James Cameron, who hasn’t given us a decent blockbuster since that one with the big sinking ocean liner, had to reinvent cinema technology to give us this 3D science-fiction epic.
It would appear that Panasonic is getting behind Cameron by helping to promote it by bringing their huge 103-inch screens to locations everywhere to show people the 3D effects. I got a chance to see Panasonic’s 3D television at CES, and it was quite something.
All I can say is that Avatar had better be worth this kind of promotion. If it is the Titanic hit that people believe it will be, than I have no doubt that 3D will soon become the new standard of big blockbuster movies.
In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer below:
Canon Vixia HF S11 records 24 hours of HD video
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Cameras, Handhelds, HDTV,
Canon has got a new camcorder ready to hit the market in the Vixia HF S11. The Vixia HF S11 comes with 64 GB worth of internal memory, alongside an SDHC slot, and can record 24 hours worth of video in high definition. It also has an 8.59 Full HD CMOS image sensor, a Digic DV II image processor, and also takes 8 megapixel photos. You can choose between shooting in 24p cinema mode as well as 30p progressive mode. The Canon VIXIA HF S11 retails for $1,600, but you can pre-order it on Amazon for $200 less.
Read More | Amazon
Amazon $5 season sale: 30 Rock, The Office, BSG, and more
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals,
Whoa - Amazon‘s got a killer sale going on for downloadable HD television content. They currently have a bunch of full high definition TV seasons for sale for just $5 per season. Shows include The Office (Seasons 1 and 4,) 30 Rock Season 1, House Season 4, Battlestar Galactica Season 1, Heroes Volume 2, and more. Again, that is the entire season, which in some cases includes more then 20 episodes, for $5. You can’t beat that. Head on over to the Amazon $5 Season Specials to check it out.
[Thanks, Frank!]
Read More | Amazon $5 Season Specials
Bleeding Edge TV 315: Zune HD hands-on Interface Preview
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Features, Handhelds, HDTV, Microsoft, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts, Videos, Wireless / WiFi,
We were able to spend some quality time with the Zune HD a couple of days ago, and we put together this video walkthrough of the interface on the device. Unfortunately, we weren’t connected to Wi-Fi, so we weren;t able to show web browsing, downloading from the Marketplace, or Social, but this gives you a really good idea of what to expect when you get pick up your Zune HD (available for pre-order now) come September 15th.
Our favorite feature? I’ll probably be using the pinned items on the side quite a bit, especially for the recently synched stuff. Quick access to things like that have been much needed on touch devices. A runner up would have to be the quick scroll in the music browser. Again, it saves you on just quickly swiping a bunch of times, hoping to get to the right spot.
All in all, we’re impressed. Of course, we will have a full Zune HD review when we get our own device. For now, be sure to read up on everything we know about the Zune HD.
Sharp’s 13 new LCD TVs with built-in Blu-ray Recorders
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment,
I can’t help but wonder if Sharp has set a record for the most TVs announced in one day as they are putting out 13 LCD TVs with built-in Blu-ray recorders. These AQUOS DX2 series sets come in the sizes that you see here, with the 40, 46, and 52-inchers hitting you with a contrast ratio of 15,000:1 at 1080p, while all the other smaller models come in at a 7000:1 contrast ratio. The prices will vary as the 26-inch model costs $1,700, while the 52-inch models retail at $4,800. So far, this line of Blu-ray recording Sharp AQUOS TVs are slated for a Japan-only release.
Read More | Sharp Press Release
Kodak Zi8 HD pocket camcorder: External mic jack, 1080p, $179
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Cameras, Handhelds, HDTV, Portable Audio / Video,
I had a chance to use the Kodak Zi6 to cover CES, and I thought it was a great little HD video recorder. Good things can always get better, and Kodak has improved the Zi6 in many ways, and the end result is the Kodak Zi8. The Kodak Zi8 still has:
- A swing out USB arm, but now it’s flexible
- Removable batteries, now a lithium-ion battery that can be charged in or out of the camera
- SD card slot - so you can bring extra cards and keep on shooting
- 2.5-inch color LCD
Now, tack on these new Zi8 features, and you’ll see what all the fuss is about:
- External Microphone Jack
- Full HD 1080p video capture
- Built-in electronic image stabilization
- 5MP still capture
- Improved low light performance
- Smart face-tracking technology
Yeah, that external mic jack caught us by surprise as well. Very nice. The Kodak Zi8 will be available in September in red, blue, and black, and you can pre-order it on Amazon for $179.
Read More | Kodak
A 98-inch Screen on the Ceiling? Thanks, Mom
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment,
I don’t know about you, but there are some nights where I have trouble sleeping, and I could really just stare up at giant 98-inch video screen to help get me to sleep.
Well, this isn’t why Patti Deni installed a display with a NEC NP4001 projector in her kid’s room, but I definitely applaud her if she was trying to spoil her kid. Apparently, her son spends a lot of time editing and watching videos, so she wanted to help his hobby.
Apparently, the entire ceiling had to be rebuilt to accommodate this expensive remodel, but if this kid grows up to be the next Steven Spielberg or Peter Jackson, then it is a small price to pay. Personally, I think that all bedrooms should have TVs on the ceiling.
Read More | Electronic House
