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Netflix charging $1 per month premium for Blu-ray

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Internet, Movies,

Netflix has been charging new members a $1 monthly fee, in addition to the price of their standard monthly rate, for the pleasure of renting Blu-ray discs, while those who have been members of the service for a long while have had no such increase to deal with. Well, as of November 5th, Netflix will make the $1 fee mandatory for all members. If you don’t want to rent Blu-ray discs, you are fine, no change in price - but if you, like us, are all about the 1080p, lossless surround sound goodness, then I think you’ll find that paying one extra dollar isn’t really so bad. Seriously, it could have been a lot worse.

iTunes 8.01 released, addresses App Store updates, HD TV downloads, Genius

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software,

We thought we were the only ones with issues with some of these smaller iTunes 8 issues, but obviously enough people were complaining that Apple has pushed out a new version, iTunes 8.0.1, to address these things. We are happy that Genius is getting fixed, along with App Store update checking. Here’s the full list:

Seamlessly plays the current song when creating a new Genius playlist.
Improves syncing spoken menus to iPod nano.
Addresses an issue of deleting HD TV episodes when downloading.
Improves checking for updates from the App Store
Improves accessibility with VoiceOver.
Addresses problems syncing Genius results to iPod.

Let us know how it goes for you.

Vudu HDX 1080p movie downloads are “insanely sharp”

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies,

Yesterday, VUDU went live with their new HDX 1080p movie downloads, and word on the street (or, at least, from Pogue at the Times) is that they are the best thing available as it pertains to the digital download movie game. Now, VUDU promised “Blu-ray quality” movies, and I don’t think that’s what we are seeing here. After all, that would mean some people would have to spend the better part of a day downloading a flick - that would make for an awkward evening when inviting the girl over. However, the quality is decidedly sharper than DVD, and looks better than high definition downloads from other services, like iTunes through Apple TV. So, how do they achieve this goodness? Well, the bit rate for the videos hovers around 9Mbps, and goes as high as 20Mbps during fast-moving action scenes. Nothing else touches that, including your cable company with their On Demand, seriously.

VUDU currently has 65 movies available to rent in their HDX format, and all new releases will be available in HDX as well. A VUDU box will run you $299, but if you buy it before the end of the year, you get a $200 movie credit, which seems to make it worth the price of admission - especially since those who own HDTVs have such a hard time finding great content to take advantage of their screens on a consistent basis. You can get one online, or at your local Best Buy.

Sharp AQUOS XS1 Series LCDs

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment,

When we see a product like this, it makes us want to scream, “Gimmee!” Sharp’s new LCD TVs, the AQUOS XS1 Series, made their debut at CEATEC 2008 and feature an incredible 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Each HDTV is only 2.28cm thick and has 150% color representation with 450 cd/m2 brightness. Expected in Japan October 15, the 52-inch model will sell for ¥980,000 ($9,256.00,) while the 65-inch TV carries a ¥1,280,000 (~$12,092.00) price.

Slingbox PRO-HD shipping

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment,

Sling Media announced this morning that they’ve started shipping their much-anticipated Slingbox PRO-HD uber placeshifter, which turns out to be the first with the ability to to deliver content in high definition (up to 1080i) over a network, or locally. The PRO-HD can accept signals from cable boxes, DVRs, and anything else that can plug into its coaxial, component, S-video, RCA, and composite inputs. It can take advantage of up to four difference sources, and can then transmit it to just about anything. The best part here, though, is that the Slingbox PRO-HD can transmit HD video, so if you are running the SlingPlayer 2.0 software (only available on Windows at the moment - boo!) you can view live and recorded video, right up 1080i HDTV. You can pick one up for $300. If HD isn’t y our thing, you can pick up the Slingbox PRO for $230.

Read More | Slingbox PRO-HD product page

Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 High-Speed Digital Camera Review

Posted by Nate True Categories: Cameras, Features, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews, Videos,

We’ve all marveled at super slow-motion footage on shows like MythBusters or on sites like CSU’s slow-motion archive, and longed to shoot slow-motion footage of our own. Until earlier this year, however, the equipment to do so was horrendously expensive. Fortunately, Casio announced a revolutionary new consumer camera at the 2008 CES in January called the Exilim Pro EX-F1. It boasts video capture of up to 1200 frames per second (where normal video is around 30 frames per second) and at resolutions up to 1080i HD (though not at the same time).

We recently got our hands on an EX-F1 and we must say, we are impressed. Read on for the full in-depth review, including sample pictures and videos.

Click to continue reading Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 High-Speed Digital Camera Review

Sony VaioTT Series Notebooks

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Movies, PC / Laptop,

Sony’s VaioTT Series Notebooks are wrapped in carbon fiber, less than an inch thick, and weigh only 2.87 lbs. With a 11.1-inch wide screens, they will play Blu-ray in full HDTV as well as one recording, storing, and playing personal content with BD media. Another has an a dual channel 256GB SSD with RAID. The basic TT is priced at $2,000.00, the BD version is $2,700.00, and the SSD is $2,750.00. Choose between gold, red, and two shades of black

ViewSonic N2201w LCD Wtih Built-in DVD Player

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Misc. Tech, Movies, Peripherals,

ViewSonic’s N2201w LCD has PC monitor capabilities and a built-in DVD player. With 1080i HD and a resolution of 1680x1050, the 22-inch screen has a response time of 5ms and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio. Compatible with ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital TV, it has HDMI 1.3 and composite inputs. The N2201w is available for $429.00. While we like the idea of combining components, we know from experience that if you buy something that combines them, half of it will break down before the other and getting it fixed will be expensive and a pain.

Verizon FiOS vs. Comcast: Feature-by-feature

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Internet,

Ten days ago, Verizon FiOS TV officially launched here in Washington state. I was actually invited to speak at the launch event that took place that day, alongside Verizon representatives, and local government officials. I was specifically chosen as a case study of just how good FiOS is, since I literally moved specifically because Comcast was way too slow for the things we expected out of our Internet connection here at Gear Live HQ. It was an event meant to talk up the advantages of FiOS over cable (specifically, Comcast, in this area). Obviously, with FiOS looming over their territory, Comcast went into damage control mode to combat Verizon’s claims that they were the best option for Internet and television services. We were sent both the FiOS press release and the Comcast press release, and we figured we would respond to the claims of each, point-by-point.

For some background, we’ve been Comcast customers for over six years, for both Internet and television services. When we moved for FiOS 15 months ago, Comcast was still our cable television provider. As of today, I am a FiOS customer for both Internet and television, and as of 10 days ago, am no longer a Comcast customer. Now, on with the comparisons.

Click to continue reading Verizon FiOS vs. Comcast: Feature-by-feature

iTunes 8 now available, HD TV shows, NBC is back, Genius recommendations

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Movies, Music, PC / Laptop, Software,

iTunes 8 was announced this morning as part of the whole Let’s Rock Apple announcement festivities, and there were a few nice pieces of news. First, NBC is back on iTunes with shows like The Office, 30 Rock, and Ballestar Galactics. What’s more, though, is that iTunes will now be selling TV shows in high definition. Aside from the feeling that I know my wallet is about to be drained, this is a very welcome addition. My only hope is that they allow those of us who have purchased shows in SD to “upgrade” to the HD versions at a discount. It’s only fair, right?

In other news, Apple has added “Genius” to iTunes - that being a recommendation engine that looks at the track you are listening to, and recommends other tracks in the iTunes store that it believes you would like. In addition, Genius can also create truly customized playlists on the fly, again, just by sampling what you are listening to. It will pull other songs from your iTunes library that it believes would complement your selection, without any work to be done on your part. We must admit, it looks slick. Speaking of which, they’ve also included a new visualizer, which is just off the hook. You’ve gotta see it to believe it.

iTunes 8 is available now.

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