24-Jan-07 19:57:28
We got the LG BH100 in the mail yesterday. It does what claims to do -- be the very first high definition disc player that is compatible with both Blu-ray and HD-DVD. But don't waive the white flag in the format war quite yet. Our first grope reveals a few flaws that keep me from recommending this player as the ultimate peace keeper in the HD format war.
Right off the bat, I'll tell you that the rumors that the HD-DVD compatibility is half-assed are absolutely true. One of HD-DVD's strongest points is its interactive menus and video features, like the ones we wrote about in our Fast and the Furious HD-DVD review. This player didn't support the menus on this movie, and some of the special features, like being able to repaint a race car in the movie, were only found when I manually skipped to the chapter. Even then, the only thing you can depend on is that the movie will play. Which may be enough for many, but not enough for those who want the most from both formats.
Secondly...
Right off the bat, I'll tell you that the rumors that the HD-DVD compatibility is half-assed are absolutely true. One of HD-DVD's strongest points is its interactive menus and video features, like the ones we wrote about in our Fast and the Furious HD-DVD review. This player didn't support the menus on this movie, and some of the special features, like being able to repaint a race car in the movie, were only found when I manually skipped to the chapter. Even then, the only thing you can depend on is that the movie will play. Which may be enough for many, but not enough for those who want the most from both formats.
Secondly...
Source: Gizmodo
24-Jan-07 19:36:00
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
We knew that once AACS was compromised on HD DVD, Blu-ray wouldn't be too far behind -- and sure enough, now that they've figured out how to extract the keys for Blu-ray, an appropriate utility called BackupBluray is chillin in the wild. With Usenet and Torrents bringing HD DVD and now Blu-ray movies to movie lovers everywhere, we have to sit back and wonder what the AACS will do. There is little doubt that they planned for keys to be exposed -- but not this quickly -- and now that they have, how they respond could influence the outcome of either format. According to Kevin Collins of Microsoft, it is simply a matter of revoking the exploited software player keys. But how will that affect the law abiding early adopters? Is it even worth it for them to worry, considering those titles are already readily available. Maybe BD+ wasn't such a bad idea after all.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A ne...
We knew that once AACS was compromised on HD DVD, Blu-ray wouldn't be too far behind -- and sure enough, now that they've figured out how to extract the keys for Blu-ray, an appropriate utility called BackupBluray is chillin in the wild. With Usenet and Torrents bringing HD DVD and now Blu-ray movies to movie lovers everywhere, we have to sit back and wonder what the AACS will do. There is little doubt that they planned for keys to be exposed -- but not this quickly -- and now that they have, how they respond could influence the outcome of either format. According to Kevin Collins of Microsoft, it is simply a matter of revoking the exploited software player keys. But how will that affect the law abiding early adopters? Is it even worth it for them to worry, considering those titles are already readily available. Maybe BD+ wasn't such a bad idea after all.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A ne...
Source: Engadget
24-Jan-07 19:30:16
CES is so hungover, and all that's left for journalists to do during this tech lull is to sit around and write up their "best of" lists for CES. But since our Frankenreview is about collecting product reviews and sifting through the opinions for consensus, what better to review than the best of what was reviewed at CES 2007?
While Laptop Mag, Popular Science, Shiny Shiny, Infosync, Reg Hardware, Maxim, and Pocket Lint have taken lemons and made lemonade, we are taking lemonade and making...super lemonade. Hit the jump to see the absolute cream of the crop products, the one list to catch you up on all the lists: The Best Of, The Best Of CES 2007.
Media Player
LG Super Multi Blue
"We love the quality of Blu-ray, we love the quality of HD DVD, but we don't want to get involved in a format war and back the wrong one. Seems LG doesn't either with the launch of a dual player." (pocketlint)
Portable Media
Sansa ...
While Laptop Mag, Popular Science, Shiny Shiny, Infosync, Reg Hardware, Maxim, and Pocket Lint have taken lemons and made lemonade, we are taking lemonade and making...super lemonade. Hit the jump to see the absolute cream of the crop products, the one list to catch you up on all the lists: The Best Of, The Best Of CES 2007.
Media Player
LG Super Multi Blue
"We love the quality of Blu-ray, we love the quality of HD DVD, but we don't want to get involved in a format war and back the wrong one. Seems LG doesn't either with the launch of a dual player." (pocketlint)
Portable Media
Sansa ...
Source: Gizmodo
24-Jan-07 16:48:08
We're all painfully aware of the high-def war going on between Blu-ray and HD DVD, but AVS Forum's Jason Unger brings the frontline a little closer to home as he talks with reps from both sides of the camp.
Here's a look at some of the mud-slinging that took place during his sit downs.
HD DVD on Blu-ray Support for Blu-ray isn't as rock solid as they would like. Samsung for instance has released a laptop (the M55) with an HD DVD drive. Sure, they got 50GB discs, but there's no movie out there that requires that space. As for the PS3, they're buying it for the games, not for the movies. In 2007 we'll have 600 HD DVD titles.
Meow! Here's what the Blu-ray folks had to say in response.
Blu-ray on HD DVD The only support HD DVD has is coming from Universal, Warner Bros, and the porn industry [amen to porn--Ed]. We have the content. Their players are cheap for a reason. In the end it's a numbers game and we have the numbers. As for LG's BH100, that a...
Here's a look at some of the mud-slinging that took place during his sit downs.
HD DVD on Blu-ray Support for Blu-ray isn't as rock solid as they would like. Samsung for instance has released a laptop (the M55) with an HD DVD drive. Sure, they got 50GB discs, but there's no movie out there that requires that space. As for the PS3, they're buying it for the games, not for the movies. In 2007 we'll have 600 HD DVD titles.
Meow! Here's what the Blu-ray folks had to say in response.
Blu-ray on HD DVD The only support HD DVD has is coming from Universal, Warner Bros, and the porn industry [amen to porn--Ed]. We have the content. Their players are cheap for a reason. In the end it's a numbers game and we have the numbers. As for LG's BH100, that a...
Source: Gizmodo
24-Jan-07 09:43:00
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Storage
While you might color us impressed if JVC's latest player / dubber handled recordable HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs, the SR-DVM700 really isn't much more than a brushed up version of its DR-DX5S from back in the day. Sure, it can offload content from Mini DV tapes, DVD-R/RWs, DVD-RAM, and basically any other analog device, but you still won't be compiling your data on any of the newest high capacity optical discs. Nevertheless, JVC's latest touts "six-way dubbing", provides on-deck / remote controls, an MPEG2 image processor, and a 250GB internal hard drive. It also provides a foolproof UI to handle your dubbing needs, component outputs, front / rear AV inputs, rack-mountability, simple editing and authoring features, and a simultaneous video recording function to dub to multiple sources at once. Although pricing and availability details haven't been divulged, we suspect this triple-duty device will be hitting Japanese DV stores soon.
...
While you might color us impressed if JVC's latest player / dubber handled recordable HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs, the SR-DVM700 really isn't much more than a brushed up version of its DR-DX5S from back in the day. Sure, it can offload content from Mini DV tapes, DVD-R/RWs, DVD-RAM, and basically any other analog device, but you still won't be compiling your data on any of the newest high capacity optical discs. Nevertheless, JVC's latest touts "six-way dubbing", provides on-deck / remote controls, an MPEG2 image processor, and a 250GB internal hard drive. It also provides a foolproof UI to handle your dubbing needs, component outputs, front / rear AV inputs, rack-mountability, simple editing and authoring features, and a simultaneous video recording function to dub to multiple sources at once. Although pricing and availability details haven't been divulged, we suspect this triple-duty device will be hitting Japanese DV stores soon.
...
Source: Engadget
23-Jan-07 18:00:00
Movie studios, start your attorneys, because muslix64, the guy who cracked HD DVD with his BackupHDDVD utility has done it again. His next Pandora's box is called BackupBluray. It's not perfect yet, because the first iteration can only crack backup Blu-ray discs whose CPS unit key is known, but sources say full decryption will be added soon.
Of course, all of this unraveling of Blu-ray and HD DVD's bulletproof security is for backup purposes only. Certainly those who have bought these discs should be allowed to store away a backup for safekeeping, you know, in case the disc gets scratched? But we thought these encryption schemes were impossible to crack. Perhaps "impossible" is a relative term. – Charlie White
BackupBluray rip utility released [WesleyTech]
Of course, all of this unraveling of Blu-ray and HD DVD's bulletproof security is for backup purposes only. Certainly those who have bought these discs should be allowed to store away a backup for safekeeping, you know, in case the disc gets scratched? But we thought these encryption schemes were impossible to crack. Perhaps "impossible" is a relative term. – Charlie White
BackupBluray rip utility released [WesleyTech]
Source: Gizmodo
23-Jan-07 13:43:00
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs
Like your home rolled media center do ya? Well tell us this, can yours throw down against dual integrated CableCARDs, Blu-ray, HD DVD and more than 3TB of RAID-5 protected storage? Definitely not since you haven't managed to skirt the CableLabs certification process... have you? Well, VidaBox's latest all-in-ones can, at least they will once they begin shipping in March 2007. Each new media center system will be engineered to record two HD shows while playing back your choice of a pre-recorded show from disk, Blu-ray or HD DVD media, high fidelity music, upscaled DVD, or digital picture slideshow. Not sure if those optical drives will be writers or read-only devices but we'll guess the latter -- just like their MAX and LUX dual-drive systems. While pricing or specific models were announced, you can expect 'em to drop for more than $5k as their new, top-o-the-line systems.
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BOLD ...
Like your home rolled media center do ya? Well tell us this, can yours throw down against dual integrated CableCARDs, Blu-ray, HD DVD and more than 3TB of RAID-5 protected storage? Definitely not since you haven't managed to skirt the CableLabs certification process... have you? Well, VidaBox's latest all-in-ones can, at least they will once they begin shipping in March 2007. Each new media center system will be engineered to record two HD shows while playing back your choice of a pre-recorded show from disk, Blu-ray or HD DVD media, high fidelity music, upscaled DVD, or digital picture slideshow. Not sure if those optical drives will be writers or read-only devices but we'll guess the latter -- just like their MAX and LUX dual-drive systems. While pricing or specific models were announced, you can expect 'em to drop for more than $5k as their new, top-o-the-line systems.
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BOLD ...
Source: Engadget
23-Jan-07 12:59:03
We've covered these feature-packed VidaBox media center PCs before, but none like this: in addition to having both Blu-ray and HD DVD players on board, now VidaBox is offering CableCARD compatibility on its line of media center PCs. So now you'll be able to watch and record HBO, Showtime (if you subscribe to them) and anything else from digital cable, plus play back Blu-ray and HD DVD in 1080p.
While the system records two HD shows at the same time, it can play back a third prerecorded show or HD DVD, Blu-ray or anything else. And you can pack 3.75TB of storage in there, too. This sounds like the home theater convergence machine we've been waiting for.
The only catch?
These monsters cost in excess of $4399, and that's before you pile on that extra storage and the HD disc players.
Since these CableCARD-equipped units will ship in March, we're thinking they'll be loaded with Microsoft Windows Vista.
While the VidaBox Max and Lux units appe...
While the system records two HD shows at the same time, it can play back a third prerecorded show or HD DVD, Blu-ray or anything else. And you can pack 3.75TB of storage in there, too. This sounds like the home theater convergence machine we've been waiting for.
The only catch?
These monsters cost in excess of $4399, and that's before you pile on that extra storage and the HD disc players.
Since these CableCARD-equipped units will ship in March, we're thinking they'll be loaded with Microsoft Windows Vista.
While the VidaBox Max and Lux units appe...
Source: Gizmodo
23-Jan-07 00:51:44
Despite all the controversy, it appears LG's dual-format DVD player has safely made its way into Gadgetaholic's headquarters, and lucky for us, they were nice enough to give the BH100 the ritual unboxing it deserves. The unit appears to have both the Blu-ray and the HD DVD logos, so all that earlier talk about it not getting HD DVD's stamp of approval proved to be false. The player itself looks pretty slick, our only nitpick is the remote, which looks a little low end for such a pricey piece of machinery. – Louis Ramirez
Unboxing of the LG BH100 Hybrid Player [Gadgetaholic]
Unboxing of the LG BH100 Hybrid Player [Gadgetaholic]
Source: Gizmodo
22-Jan-07 21:10:46
Amidst all the will it and won't it about Blu-ray/HD DVD supporting porn, we totally lost sight of another question: should it? The grey lady investigates.
Thanks to their crack team of xxxperts, the NYT has discovered that not all porn actresses are for HD. Stormy Daniels says "I'm not 100 percent sure why anyone would want to see their porn in HD." In fact, just like Hollywood, the porn industry has to go and get cosmetic surgery to hide their "newly visible" imperfections.
What do you think? Do you really need to see these starlets in all their 1080p glory?
Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.
– Jason Chen
In Raw World of Sex Movies, High Definition Could Be a View Too Real [NYTimes via Fleshbot]
Thanks to their crack team of xxxperts, the NYT has discovered that not all porn actresses are for HD. Stormy Daniels says "I'm not 100 percent sure why anyone would want to see their porn in HD." In fact, just like Hollywood, the porn industry has to go and get cosmetic surgery to hide their "newly visible" imperfections.
What do you think? Do you really need to see these starlets in all their 1080p glory?
Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.
– Jason Chen
In Raw World of Sex Movies, High Definition Could Be a View Too Real [NYTimes via Fleshbot]
Source: Gizmodo
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