Archive for April, 2009
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Sony Pictures movies & TV shows pop up on YouTube
Posted on April 16, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Media streamers, Sony, Internet, New content
Filling a hole for premium quality content, Sony and YouTube have worked out a deal, with full length movies and TV shows popping up on the Crackle channel today. Right now Cliffhanger has top billing, and we're not seeing anything in HD yet, but hey, it's all free and unlike, for example, Hulu, will play on about a billion different platforms. Don't expect this to be the end either, word is the streaming service has signed up other studios as well but no word on which ones.Sony Pictures movies & TV shows pop up on YouTube originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Torrent’s SureConnect HDMI cables stay put with magnets, blink with madness
Posted on April 15, 2009 | No CommentsWhile we love the transmission capabilities of HDMI, we loath the fact that the HDMI standard doesn't specify a locking mechanism. If you've ever wall mounted a flat screen TV or tried to stuff your receiver into too tight a rack then you're probably familiar with HDMI's weak-azz connector. Now we have what appears to be a first of its kind, magnetic HDMI connector from Torrent, Inc. -- at least its the first to pass ATC compliance testing. Called MagLoc, the magnetic connector with sliding sleeve for optimal fit is said to be 5x stronger than your typical HDMI cable connector. Of course, anyone who's familiar with the magnetic "locks" on some laptop power cords can assure you that the technology is nowhere near as strong as mechanical fasteners. Still, it's a start.
Torrent's higher spec'd SureConnect Advanced and Elite cables also feature the totally over-the-top "VeriFYI" (ugh) indicator lights to confirm the end-to-end connection. VeriFYI blinks to confirm the HDMI cable you just inserted is in fact inserted -- something you should be able to confirm with the same pair of eyes looking at the jack. Insert the other side of the cable and VeriFYI will glow steady for one minute after testing the end-to-end connection. It then repeats this semi-useful (assuming your cables are easily visible) test each time you power up your system. While MagLoc sounds promising, it appears that the cables have yet to reach retail channels. We'll let you know as soon as that changes.
[Via The Inquirer and HDMI.org]Torrent's SureConnect HDMI cables stay put with magnets, blink with madness originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Funai wins order blocking Vizio imports, Vizio maintains business as usual
Posted on April 10, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Industry, Displays, Others
Just when it looked like the long-running patent dispute was tipping Vizio's way, the U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled in favor of Funai, issuing an order to block imports of Vizio HDTVs. According to Bloomberg the ban is still eligible to be reviewed by President Obama while the patent case itself is still being reviewed by an appeals court, but if Vizio wants to keep its shipments flowing it will have to post a bond of $2.50 per television. We've put a call in to Vizio to find out what this means for its immediate future -- and that sweet LED backlit display from CES -- and confirmed that while this order goes into effect immediately, you should still be able to find sets on shelves and they will continue to do business as usual during the presidential review period, but feel free to read its press release in response after the break for more details.Continue reading Funai wins order blocking Vizio imports, Vizio maintains business as usual
Funai wins order blocking Vizio imports, Vizio maintains business as usual originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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DirecTV’s free iPhone app manages 100k downloads in its first week
Posted on April 7, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: DVRs, Satellite, Apple
Shockingly enough, people seem to be interested in the possibility of easily browsing TV schedules and programming their DirecTV DVR from the iPhone / iPod Touch, for free. Available for just one week so far, it's already ticked over 100,000 downloads so yeah, it's popular, our only question is what's next? You've probably checked it out by now, let us know what features need to be changed or added, or just tee off on the fact that your TV or cellphone provider hasn't unveiled a similar setup yet, we're listening.
DirecTV's free iPhone app manages 100k downloads in its first week originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Snow White’s Blu-ray debut is October 6
Posted on April 3, 2009 | No CommentsFiled under: Blu-ray
Announced during CES as the third title (after Sleeping Beauty and Pinnochio) to get Disney's Platinum Edition treatment, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will appear for the first time in high definition October 6 --well ahead of the standard DVD November 24 -- and Disney prez Bob Chapek is already bragging that it will be a reference point for home entertainment libraries. Expect a major push from Disney to upsell its family customers to the HDTV edition, with the staggered release scheduling and meticulous attention paid to this release, there's no question this as much a part of the company's Blu-ray driving strategy as its Magical Tour last year. USA Today also says several Blu-ray exclusive extras will be included, but your guess is as good as ours what they are, other than the now standard for Disney $40 combo pack that includes a DVD and Pinnochio's Disney View picture frame.
Snow White's Blu-ray debut is October 6 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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