Samsung's CES 2009 HDTV lineup leaked?

CES 2009 is literally days away, but it seems that those looking for details on any possible new HDTVs from Samsung may not have to wait to get their fill. A few postings over at AVForums has led us to believe that the outfit will be debuting a number of new sets for a litany of markets. The 2009 lineup will reportedly consist of a few new Series 3, 4, 5 and 6 panels, with the main focus being on their LED-backlit-ness. Everything should be available for purchase during the first half of next year, with sizes ranging from around 40-inches and up. Obviously, there are far too many details linked below to cover in this space, but one mention we found particularly interesting was the promised Internet@TV feature, which should effectively replace InfoLive and instead rely on those Yahoo Widgets we've been hearing about for so long. It's about to get really interesting, folks.

[Via: Audioholics ]

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Engadget HD's Holiday Giveaway: win a VUDU movie set-top-box!

The giving souls over at Engadget HD aren't done yet, as they've got a VUDU movie set-top-box awaiting a new owner. If your unwrapping ceremony this morning wasn't all gumdrops and lollipops like you had hoped, there's hardly a better way to remedy the situation than to bring home an on-demand movie box. Head on over and drop your name in the hat -- Kris Kringle just might have a little somethin' (more) for ya.
[Via: Engadget ]

• Castrade's CV-MP01 LCoS VGA projector fits in a wine glass

DISH Network's DTVPal DVR now shipping, caught in the wild

We actually pondered aloud where all the standalone OTA DVRs were in this wild world earlier this year, and at long (long!) last, we finally have a new entrant into the all-but-dead niche. DISH Network's DTVPal DVR, which was known in a former life as the EchoStar TR-50, has finally started to ship out to anxious buyers. For those who've forgotten, this box acts as a digital-to-analog converter and an HD DVR, capturing up to 30 hours of HD OTA material or 150 hours of SD content. Check the read link for a slew of in the wild / interface shots.

[Via: Engadget ]

• iZ3D bringing 26-inch prototype 3D LCD to CES 2009

Verismo officially launches $99 VuNow PoD with YouTube support

Just in time to snag some of that cash you're sure to have showing up right about now via greeting cards from around the world, Verismo Networks is officially launching its diminutive VuNow PoD. We've seen the device evolve quite a bit since June, but with a smorgasbord of competitors already grabbing market share left and right, we're left to wonder if this one won't be sitting on the outside looking in. The internet tv streamer hooks directly to one's TV and internet connection in order to deliver web content (YouTube, of note) to the tele. While specifics are conveniently omitted, we're told that users will have access to "a broad choice of online video content -- from movies, global Live TV channels, to user-generated content and viral videos." It's available now for $99, but can you stand yet another set-top-box beneath your flat-panel?
[Via: Engadget ]

• Bag TV debuts multimedia mistake
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Morega's curious Qew may or may not eventually stream your media

Call us skeptical, but we're not so sure that Morega's Qew is anything more than a mere figment of someone's imagination. The outfit has a thing for showing up just before CES in an apparent attempt to drum up interest, but the outfit's Qew teaser site just screams vaporware. We're never actually shown what it is, though we're told that it can stream, archive, transport and share multimedia. Hmm, sounds a lot like the abilities of some other box we know of.

[Via: Engadget ]

• Polaroid files for chapter 11 bankruptcy, again
• USC develops flexible, transparent TFT prototype for high-tech temporary tattoos

Roku v1.5 firmware update brings HD Netflix streaming

Good thing Netflix / Roku got those finicky quality issues ironed out, as the latest firmware update is all about clarity. Version 1.5, which is evidently being pushed out in waves, is allowing individuals to stream high-def Netflix content. [Via: Engadget ]

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First Blu-ray Disc / DVD hybrid announced in Japan

It sure took long enough to happen, but one of HD DVD's biggest benefits has finally made it over to the Blu-ray side. Yep, we're talking about a Blu-ray / DVD hybrid disc, with a single-layer of blu on one side and a standard DVD on the very same side (as in, not a "flipper" disc). Not surprisingly, the action's going down first in Japan, with Code blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX (yes, seriously) as the first hybrid title. There's no word on when (or if) this technology will make it to US soil, but the sooner the better -- nothing like a little inbuilt backwards compatibility to ease the mind.
[Via: CDRInfo ]

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• Pine-scented ASUS F6V laptop gets unboxed, smelled

Alioscopy's 40-inch 3DHD autostereoscopic LCD headed for CES: no glasses required

Mention 3D, and you'll get an enthusiastic shrug from most. mention three little words in conjunction, and everything changes. In case you haven't guessed that magic trio, it's "no glasses required." We've seen the technology bandied about, but we're sensing that companies are about to get serious with it at CES 2009. Case in point: Alioscopy and TCL have tag-teamed in order to showcase the former's 3DHD autostereoscopic 3D lcd display (40-inch) and content creation technology in just under a month. There are no real details on the underlying juju, but you can bet we're stoked to see what it delivers in Vegas. Maybe those plans for a 3D Olympics in 2012 aren't all that loony after all?
[Via: Engadget ]

• Apple's 24- inch LED Cinema Display gets unboxed, is sure glossy
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• ViBook looses DisplayLink USB-to-DVI adapter with support for six-screen spanning

Epson trots out tiny ST120 HTPC, finds room for Blu-ray / TV tuner

Man, talk about a much needed refreshing. last we recall, Epson was eliciting "awws" from window shoppers who just couldn't get over how delightfully cute its Endeavor ST100 micro pc was. Fast forward two years, and here we have the equally tiny (albeit entirely more useful) ST120. The all-black box comes equipped with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 80GB of hard drive space, an HDMI output, a Blu-ray writer and a digital TV tuner. Too bad the loaded configuration we just spouted off rings up at ?137,500 ($1,531), but those with less lavish lifestyles can opt for a DVD model that starts at "just" ?65,100 ($725).
[Via: Engadget Spanish ]

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• Acer ships 22-inch B223 DisplayLink USB monitor in Europe

Mvix quietly reveals media playing / recording MvixPVR

Mvix has a history of pumping out reliable, multi-faceted media streamers, but it has evidently decided to branch out a touch with its latest piece. Taking a note from the HD PVR from Hauppauge, the box packs component video inputs that will likely capture high-def video from set-top-boxes and the like. It's also an HDD-based media player (bring your own hard drive, of course), which outputs content up to 1080p via HDMI. You'll also find integrated WiFi, a USB port for streaming files on external drives and UPnP / BitTorrent functionality. Mvix hasn't stated when this puppy will go on sale nor how expensive it will be, but those looking for a multi-purpose media streamer / recorder should probably keep a check on this one.
[Via: Engadget ]

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• LCD retrofitted onto Nintendo GameCube - video

Viewsonic introduces 24-inch, 1080p VT2430 LCD TV

It may be leaving things a little late, but Viewsonic is apparently hoping that its new 24-inch VT2430 lcd TV will attract the eyes of a few holiday shoppers and, judging from the specs, it seems to stand a pretty good chance of doing just that. Leading that list is full 1080p resolution, which is certainly a nice bonus on a set this size, as is the promised 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, assuming the results actually live up to that number. Otherwise, you can expect a built-in ATSC / NTSC / QAM TV tuner, hdmi 1.3 connectivity, 250 nits brightness, and the usual VGA, component, s-video, and composite inputs to accommodate your non-HDMI devices. Best of all, it packs an MSRP or just $399, which likely means you'll find it even cheaper if you do a bit of shopping around.
[Via: Engadget ]

• Samsung shows clean lines on 1080p SyncMaster 2494HS LCD
• ASUS rolls out four new VH-series 16:9 lcd monitors
• Dell SP2309W hits for $379: your old display is marked for death
• Dell's UltraSharp 1909W does an awkward barrel roll into the realm of availability

Details flow on Netgear's EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite

We had the bare essentials when we spotted Netgear's Digital Entertainer Elite trying to waltz through the FCC unnoticed, but now we've got the hot, juicy details required to make those things called "purchasing decisions." Wired has it that the media streamer will check in during Q1 2009 at $400, which will buy you a roomy 500GB hard drive, "an updated user interface that allows users to choose content from free sources such as YouTube and Flickr," full 1080p support and the ability to swap out the HDD should the owner choose. The catch, however, is that the box is currently disconnected from most major content providers, and without a link to Netflix (or similar), users will have to either provide their own material or simply surf over to online portals such as Hulu. Four bills is a lot to ask for something in the "been there, done that" bucket -- we'll give it three months before the first substantial price cut.
[Via: Engadget ]

Microtune's in-car TV tuner snags 'Days of our Lives' at 125mph

Say you're James Bond (or similar), and for once, you're actually not the one behind the wheel. While you're being chauffeured around the elegant Italian countryside at breakneck speeds, you'll probably want a little live TV entertainment from the back seat. Enter Microtune's MicroTuner, a "first-of-its-kind tuner chip for high-speed in-car TV." Put simply, the MT2067 is built to provide "superior, stable TV reception for passengers in vehicles traveling at top speeds along the autobahn or highway," and supposedly, it can retain a clear signal whilst motoring at 125 miles-per-hour. better still, it's supports worldwide analog / digital terrestrial standards including NTSC, PAL, SECAM, DVB-T, DVB-H, ISDB-T, DTMB, ATSC and ATSC-M/H. $20 says this comes integrated into next year's TV-infused line of Bentley motorcars.
[Via: Engadget ]

• Blurry pics of T- mobile branded Samsung "Memoir" cameraphone emerge

How would you change the Slingbox Pro HD?

Sling Media's Slingbox Pro HD arrived with lofty expectations, and while the box handled its core tasks reasonably well, we found it to have some issues on the software side. The good news there is that software is modifiable, which means Sling could definitely improve matters in the near future. To that end, we're interested to see how you'd change the high-def-capable placeshifter. any bugs you want knocked out? Any particular hardware traits you aren't fond of? Is it simply too difficult for your mother-in-law to get working? Sound off below! You never know -- someone important may be listening.
[Via: Engadget ]

Sharp introduces PG-F255W 720p DLP projector for under $1,000

Nah, it's no 1080p, but if 720p will do ya, Sharp's got a new one you should consider. The PG-F255W DLP beamer packs a WXGA resolution (1,280 x 800), BrilliantColor technology, 2,500 ANSI lumens, a 2,200:1 contrast ratio, DVI / vga inputs, integrated speakers, RS-232C / USB sockets, Ethernet and a variable audio line-out. The PJ is geared for more commercial applications (think education, churches, board rooms, etc.), but we don't see any reason why it won't handle your home cinema needs just fine. It's available this month for "under $1,000," which probably means $999.99 plus applicable sales tax.
[Via: Engadget ]

• Acer's K10 pocket projector announced, projected for January

Pioneer shows off 16-layer 400GB Blu-ray Disc, affirms compatibility with current players

When Pioneer first introduced its unicorn-like 16-layer 400GB Blu-ray Disc, we weren't sure if the thing would make it beyond the drawing board, let alone be compatible with existing BD decks. Over at the IT Month Fair in Taipei, Pioneer showed up to showcase the capacious disc, and better still, a DigiTimes report asserts that these are indeed compatible with Blu-ray readers already on the market. Currently, the 400GB disc is slated to hit mass production sometime between now and 2010, while rewritable versions won't hit until 2010 to 2012. Not like it really matters though -- a 1TB disc is on track for 2013, and you know you'll be waiting for the latest and greatest.
[Via: Engadget ]

• RED's Digital still and Motion Camera System now official

Canon cleared to resume work on SED TV (now that the world doesn't care)

We're hard pressed to think of a display-related story that has lingered on longer than SED (well over four years at last count), and believe it or not, this still isn't apt to be the last you hear of it. If you'll recall, canon recently declared victory after winning a lawsuit against Applied Nanotech that was previously holding it back from making progress, and now Applied Nanotech has waved the final white flag by giving up its right to appeal. Comically enough, it may actually be too late for Canon to even salvage the win, with president Tsuneji Uchida noting that "at times like this, new display products are not introduced much because people would laugh at them." Shh... nobody tell him the world's been laughing at SED for years.

[Via: OLED-Display ]

Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite: HTPC In a Set Top Box [Htpc]

Compliments of the FCC, we're getting an early look at Netgear's beefy yet practical response to the typical home theater PC. The Netgear digital Entertainer Elite, expected to be officially announced at CES, is a set top box that may lack a tuner but happens to stream every format you could want at encoding rates up to 40Mbps (Blu-ray territory) over ethernet or its integrated Wireless-N adapter. Playing 1080P video over HDMI, plus packing component, optical and SCART outputs, the Digital Entertainer can also be expanded to move beyond streaming with any 3.5-inch internal SATA drive you like.

The catch, of course, could be the price. But we probably won't know about that point for another month. Until then, we'll admit that our interest is piqued. What would you pay for this sleek HTPC light? [Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

Renesas aims to bring 1080p playback to your next cellphone

Believe it or not, this is far from the first we've heard of bringing high-def video to cellphones, and it's not even the first application to dabble in mobile 1080p. Still, we'll take all the innovation we can get in this space, and when the real Touch HD ever arrives, we'll be ready and waiting with full HD capabilities. Announced at ISSCC 2009 in San Francisco, Renesas Technology is showing off an application processor that enables handsets to process 1,920 x 1,080 resolution video at 30 frames-per-second; the processor's core has a maximum operating frequency of 500MHz and supports MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 video formats. There's no telling when the 6.4- x 6.5-millimeter chip will be available en masse, but we need the HTCs of the world to get us a 1080p phone and a retina implant or two to read 0.2-size fonts before it even matters.
[Via: Engadget ]

TrekStor rolls out MovieStation pocket c.uc portable hard drive

Well, it looks like those that found TrekStor's MovieStation maxi t.u. hard drive a bit too bulky for their taste now have a new option to consider in the form of the company's new MovieStation pocket c.uc, which packs many of the same media-friendly features, plus a memory card slot (SD, MMC, and xD) for some added convience. As you can see above, you'll also get a remote to control the device when it's hooked up to a TV (via composite or component), and you'll get support for most of the audio and video formats you'll likely want -- yes, including DivX and Xvid. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but folks in the UK can apparently grab a 250GB version now for ?99.99 (about $150) or a 500GB drive for ?139.99 (roughly $215).
[Via: Engadget ]

SageTV launches HD Theater (HD200) media streamer

Ah, so this is a yearly treat? Almost a year to the day after SageTV's STX-HD100 HD Media Extender was revealed, in flies the unit's proper successor. The simply named HD Theater (or HD200, if you prefer), is launching for the same $199.95 and sports a slightly smaller footprint, the same remote as the HD100, usb ports on the front and rear, an Ethernet jack, hdmi / component / S-Video / composite video outputs, a S/PDIF audio port, network / local media streaming capabilities and the SageTV Media Center for Windows software bundle. Per usual, you'll find support for a cornucopia of formats (MPEG 1/2/4, H.264, WMV9, VC1, MKV, MOV, AVI, FLV, AAC, MP3, WMA, FLAC and JPEG just to name a few), and it looks as if it's ready to ship as we speak.
[Via: GeekTonic ]

• Creative's $200 Vado hd pocket camcorder ready for pre-order