We've been playing around with Kodak's new Theatre HD Player for the past few days, and our feelings are mixed. Kodak is doing a lot of interesting and innovative things here, especially with the gyroscopic Pointer Remote it has included for interfacing with the box, but we're not convinced this thing is polished or helpful enough to justify the $299 asking price. Check out our full impressions after the break.
Hardware
This is where Kodak really shines. The box is small, sexy, and ridiculously easy to set up -- with your choice of component or HDMI in the back, optical or RCA audio, and not even a silly "power button" to mess with.
But, of course, most of these set-top boxes are pretty simple. What really gets us is the gyro-based "Pointer Remote" (Update: built by Hillcrest Labs, thanks macclient!). To say the thing Just Works is an understatement, we really never expected to have a wireless (RF, no line of sight required), surfaceless mousing experience this effortless. There's no need to sync the mouse to the box, you just pop in the batteries and go. There's no calibration needed either, you pretty much just bend your wrist in the way you think you ought to, and the cursor goes exactly where you want it to go -- if it gets off track a bit of jiggling, leaning it to one side, or clicking the "hide cursor" button makes everything right again.
You would think the Wiimote, with its sensor bar-based frame of reference would be better at operating an onscreen pointer, but the Power Remote blows it away -- we were able to type on the onscreen keyboard at about two or three times the speed with the Pointer Remote, pretty dang great for what at the end of the day is a fairly basic set-top box.
There's Ethernet and WiFi, and we went with the latter, which hooked up without a problem, though Kodak recommends you go the wired route for serious usage -- we're rebels like that.
Software
Kodak has a lot of really good and interesting (and attractive) stuff on the software side, but unfortunately they don't seem to have quite sealed the deal -- there are enough annoyances, hang-ups and missing features to make the box, which at the end of the day is built to turn your TV into a glorified digital picture frame, hard to recommend at its $299 pricepoint.
Set-up is a breeze, with desktop side Kodak EasyShare digital display software (also used to manage Kodak wireless picture frames) that automagically seeks out media. Unfortunately it's rather indiscriminate. For instance, it was happy to tell the Theatre HD box all about our iTunes Movie Store purchases, which the box failed miserably at playing -- after taking ages to load, buffer and then actually play a black screen with occasional "glitchy" noises. Also, it builds previews for certain file types, but not for others -- it's a bit of a crap shoot. Overall we'd say we're very pleased with how easy it is to track down our computer's media, but at the end of the day the software and / or the set-top box need to do a better job of making sense of all that data.
(Codec support is super extensive, other than the aforementioned lack of iTunes Movies and a failure to track down our Zune tracks. Most everything else on our hard drive played without a hitch, including full HD 1080p 30fps video).
Online set-up is similarly easy, but with better results: we put in our YouTube and Flickr logins and we were looking at our respective contacts and subscriptions in no time, and they seem to be logically presented. Flickr surfing was much more responsive than YouTube, however, which seemed to have trouble buffering videos and even just pulling up various menus and pages. The interfaces for both are super slick, but we're not sure where the speed bottleneck is coming from.
There's also what we would call "non-native" support for a myriad of services like Facebook, RSS feeds and Weather through Kodak's FrameChannel partnership. FrameChannel works with lazy photoframe manufacturers to package RSS feeds and the like as images that can then be streamed to the device, complete with oversized and incredibly annoying advertisements. Given the fact that coding an RSS app is practically a "Hello World" exercise these days, it's extremely disappointing that Kodak didn't do that itself.
Actually using all this stuff in the living room, Pointer Remote in hand, is a combination of incredible intuitiveness and occasional frustration. Kodak has a fairly simple menu structure, with a lot of sub categories underneath, and persistent shortcuts to music, help, settings and home. The animations to drill through the menus are smooth, but every action seems to bring with it a slightly annoying delay -- you can't blaze through anything. The good news is that you never feel like you're thumbing through an unending list of options, thanks to the quick, precise pointer movements and the familiar scroll wheel. The back button on the Remote quickly gets us out of our rabbit trails, but we still found the deep folder structures a bit overwhelming at times. The player also had a nasty habit of not showing a picture on the first try. We'd click a pic, get a buffering icon, and then get blackness. We had to back out and click again before we actually saw the image -- this happened both online and on locally-stored images.
The most basic functionality of the box -- popping in a memory card, skimming through the pictures, and building slideshows out of it -- works as effortlessly as you would think, but unfortunately the only online upload option the entire device offers is Kodak Gallery. Newsflash: we don't use Kodak Gallery, and we don't know anyone that does. We're sure that these strange creatures exist, but until they represent a majority of the population, we'd really appreciate being able to upload content to Flickr, YouTube, Facebook and so forth.
Wrap-up
We'd say the main problem here is that Kodak hasn't quite managed to make a product easy enough to use that we could recommend to the people who would actually get the most use out of it: our parents. There were enough breaks in the usability and layers of complication to make it too frustrating to the basic user -- for instance, the box found our PC automatically, but once that PC feel asleep and was reawoken, Theatre HD couldn't find the PC's content until we manually re-added it in the settings menu. On the flip side, there's not enough power or capability here to appeal to the power user -- especially with devices like media extenders and the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii offering most of these features (or more) for less cost. Add in some Netflix, Flickr and YouTube uploads and patch up some of these usability problems and then maybe we'll talk.
The good news is that Kodak has a wonderful box and a wonderful input mechanism on its hands, and if it's willing to put in the work and capital to build a truly great piece of 2.0 software for it, we might have something here that's worth the $299 asking price. Oh, and let use the Pointer Remote with our computers... pretty please?
[Via: Engadget ]
Kodak's Theatre HD Player with gyro-based Pointer Remote unboxed and reviewed
Digital TV transition postponement all but certain
We're actually having a hard time believing this ourselves, but word on the street has it that the Senate is "on the verge of passing a bill that would delay until June the date when tv stations must broadcast in all-digital format." Without Congressional action, all tv stations will switch off their analog signals on February 17th -- a date that has been blasted out to the general populace for years now. The issue is that millions of Americans are currently on a waiting list for one of those $40 vouchers, and evidently it'll take a few more months to get additional funding and clear the backlog. It's expected that the new switchover date will soon become June 12th, and you can find all the fine print just down there in the read link.
[Via: TVWeek ]
Sony to shutter Japanese TV plant as part of restructuring efforts
Hey sony -- we know that experiencing your first annual operating loss in 14 years calls for drastic measures, but this is bordering on downright rash. Barely a month after announcing that 16,000 employees would be axed, sony has now revealed plans to close one of its two television plants in Japan and rid itself of 2,000 domestic full-time jobs as it attempts to "revive its electronics business." Of note, it's stated that those 2,000 -- which seem to be a part of the previously mentioned 16,000 figure -- will be shed via "early retirement and other programs." Just think what a 40-inch XEL-1 would do for business. No, seriously Sony, just think.
[Via: Engadget ]
Sony boosts capacity of its mountable, high-def, BRX-series DVRs
Those used to recording dozens of hours worth of SD video on DVRs with just a few gigs of storage often have a bit of a surprise when they move into the hd realm; a couple episodes of Pushing Daisies and Lost leave no room for any other prime-time drama. While not matching TiVo's capacious 1TB hd XL, Sony is doing its part with a larger, 320GB version of its BRAVIA BRX-series DVR, the BRX-320. It can tackle about 90 hours of HD content yet is small and light enough to be mountable directly on the back of many Sony displays. No word on what price tag will be affixed when this releases in about a month, but the 250GB model is going for about $300, so you can make your own guesses. Oh, and since that earlier version hasn't made it to US shores yet, don't hold your breath on this one.
[Via: AV Watch ]
Sling Media loses most of its top brass
[Via: Engadget ]
SIM2 aims high with $58,000 Grand Cinema HT5000E DLP projector
SIM2 never fails to stun, and it's proving yet again that it couldn't care less about the global economic situation (or that it just aims at a class of people that are simply unaffected) with the Grand Cinema HT5000E. Said device was actually outed yesterday courtesy of an HDGiants pair-up, but today we're being gifted with the official details. The three-chip DLP beamer includes a trio of 0.95-inch DarkChip4 DMDs, a 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, six lens options, Ethernet jack for remote control and world-class color uniformity / edge-to-edge focus capabilities. Yeah, it'll cost you more than most vehicles and even some diminutive homes at $57,995, but at least the white glove delivery service is included. A true bargain, let us tell you. Full release is after the break.
SIM2 Delivers the Next Evolution of Its Flagship Projector
CES 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada-January 9, 2009-SIM2, the Italian manufacturer whose striking high-performance projectors are known worldwide for their pristine video quality, has been involved in making high definition projectors since the introduction of the original analog HDMAC format called EUREKA 95 in 1990. Now SIM2 is proud to introduce the next evolution of its flagship Grand Cinema HT5000E, an ultra-high end, high light output projector, designed for the screening rooms of the most discerning home theater enthusiasts.
Three-chip DLP® is considered the pinnacle of digital projection and it is this technology which forms the basis of the HT5000E. This cinema 'statement' product uses the very latest DLP® chipsets from Texas Instruments to create the last word in picture quality from HDTV sources. Three 0.95" DarkChip4™ DMDs (Digital Micro-mirror Device) are utilized in this design to generate a picture resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080p) creating crystal-clear, uncompressed HDTV images.
SIM2 recognizes that purchasing an ultra-high end product such as the HT5000E should be accompanied by ultra-high end service, which is why the company offers VIP 'white glove' service to every HT5000E customer. Within two weeks of the projector's installation, the dealer will coordinate a site visit from a SIM2 technician, who will certify the installation and make any final technical adjustments as required to calibrate the projector precisely to the customer's own system requirements.
"The HT5000E is a true state-of-the-art product. We feel that it is absolutely necessary that every owner feels secure in the knowledge that they have not only purchased the best product, but that the performance has been personally certified for each particular application. This personal service truly separates SIM2 from the competition." said Charlie Boornazian, SIM2 USA's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "This attention to detail is unmatched in the industry, consolidating SIM2's position as the leader in large screen high quality home theater projection."
The finest quality precision glass optics are used throughout the light engine of the HT5000E. The clarity, color-uniformity and edge-to-edge focus capabilities of these specialized optical components are vital to the process of producing the breathtaking on-screen images. SIM2 offers six high quality lens options that make the HT5000E suitable for almost any home theater installation.
The HT5000E delivers reference performance, design and flexibility of installation. A dedicated 10/100 Mbit Ethernet connector is fitted as standard, allowing the product to be connected to a LAN network or to the Internet. This network connection can be used to remotely control the projector using TCP/IP commands or to feedback projector operating status information such as: serial number, working hours and firmware version to a designated e-mail address for assessment.
Grand Cinema HT5000E - the epitome of power and precision.
SIM2 will showcase the HT5000E as part of 'The SIM2 Experience' in suite 2910 LV Hilton during the 2009 CES Show in Last Vegas, Nevada.
HT5000E will be available in January 2009 for a suggested retail price of $57,995.00
Covering virtually any throw distance, the lens options range from short-throw wide-angle (0.67:1) through to long-throw (4.16-6.96:1). MSRP for lenses: $7,995.00
About SIM2 USA Inc. and SIM2 Multimedia
Since their entrance into the US home theater market in 1999, SIM2 USA, under the guidance of its parent SIM2 Multimedia (established in 1995), has dedicated its resources to marketing and servicing products that meet the demands of the US market. SIM2 Multimedia is a worldwide leading manufacturer of home theater products and leading provider of high-end performance large screen systems (for control rooms, information, communication, and simulation) and professional projection systems for E-cinema applications. Over the years, SIM2 has gained a reputation for meeting the industry's demands for new, emerging technologies, offering high-quality and reliable products that meet the customer's need in any application. Products are designed and manufactured in Italy. The marketing policies of the company are world-oriented, with a direct presence in Italy (headquarters), the USA, UK, China, Germany (sister companies), and in over 60 countries worldwide through partnerships with qualified distributors.
[Via: Engadget ]
Canon unveils REALiS SX800 LCoS projector with 3,000 lumens
Canon's REALiS SX800 LCoS projector may not have the highest resolution in the world -- it's stuck at SXGA+ (1,400 x 1,050), for those wondering -- but it sure is bright. Designed to light up board and / or living rooms with ambient light seeping in, the projector features a 3,000 lumens display and a contrast ratio of 900:1. It's also housing next-generation 0.55-inch LCoS reflective LCD panels, a Canon 1.5x zoom, Auto Input Signal, 2:3 pull down and an 11-pound chassis. If that's right down your alley, it'll be available this month for $2,499.
[Via: AboutProjectors ]
Sony brings two DVDirect Handycam-to-DVD writers to the US
While it's certainly not the most invigorating release from sony today, those stuck with too much video on their Handycams will be head over heels. The firm is expanding its DVDirect line by two, and while one of 'em (the VRD-MC10) has been released in Japan previously, this marks the first time it'll ship to American consumers. Said unit incorporates HDMI, component and composite inputs, and features the ability to transfer AVCHD-quality video to DVD; it also includes an i.LINK (FireWire 400) port as well as a USB socket for use with a wider range of devices. Moreover, the MC10 touts a 5-in-1 multicard reader for taking flash-based media straight to DVD, and the 2.7-inch LCD is just fine for previewing things beforehand. The DVDirect Express VRD-P1 DVD writer is tailor made to work quickly and easily with some of Sony's newly announced camcorders, and the lack of advanced functionality means it'll only run $150 (compared to the $300 stick on the MC10) when it ships in March.
[Via: engadget ]
Sony bites the bullet, releases Made for iPod music systems
Sony, the debatable kind of proprietary formats, has finally caved. Well, at least in this one instance, anyway. In a presumed confession that Apple's music players actually are somewhat popular, it is releasing the ipod / iPhone-friendly CMT- LX20i micro shelf system, CMT- LX20i clock radio and MHC-EC99i mini boombox (pictured above). Not a whole lot left to say other than they also play CDs, tell time and rattle windows, respectively. For pricing and release details -- including a word or two on the new Muteki systems -- hit up the read link.
[Via: Engadget ]
Samsung to launch 1.5-inch thin Blu-ray player at CES
[Via: engadget ]
- JVC 5kg 32-inch LCD to be the lightest, greenest at ces ?
Nextar hops on the bandwagon with Z10 LCoS micro projector
Just in case counting every last pico projector on or coming to the market was too easy for you, Nextar's hoping to boggle your hippocampus by adding one more to the furiously growing list. The outfit's LCoS-based Z10 is being launched alongside the equally portable PS-001 20-inch screen, and it'll check in weighing under 2.5-pounds and boasting a 640 x 480 resolution. As for additional specifications, you're looking at a brightness level between 7 and 12 lumens, a 360-degree lens shift capability with manual adjust and a 4:3 aspect ratio. To its credit, it will accept a litany of file formats and can be fed data via microSD / TF cards, a USB port and L/R audio ports. Both products are slated to hit retailers in the Spring for $299.99 and $39.99 in order of mention, and you can catch two more looks and the full release just after the break.
Nextar Projects Big Image with New Micro Projector and Screen
Affordable Duo Puts Professional Quality Presentations into the Hands of Scores More;
Items to Be Featured at 2009 CES along with Other Advanced Nextar Products
La Verne, CA – Jan 5, 2009 – Nextar™, a designer and marketer of bold and new consumer electronic products with mass appeal, is ready to introduce a LCOS micro projector (Z10), that is small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, and a 20" (diagonal) screen (PS-001). The duo makes it easier and more economical for more people to make quality, professional presentations. Nextar will feature the units at the upcoming 2009 CES in booth South 3 31753.
"With AC/DC operation, the new Nextar micro projector and screen weigh in with a combined weight of under 2.5 pounds and can be used virtually anywhere," said Eddy Zheng, Nextar founder. "They are perfect for small classroom instruction, projecting images at social functions, or in meeting applications – any of which can be indoors or out. With a combined SRP of under $350, they are very economically priced and will fit practically any budget."
The Nextar Z10 LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) front-projecting micro projector will display images with a resolution up to 640x480. LCOS technology produces much higher resolution images than many other technologies. The unit has a brightness level of between 7 and 12 lumens, a 360-degree lens shift capability with manual adjust, and displays images in 4:3 aspect ratio format.
This fit-in-the-hand projector uses an LED light source with a life expectancy of 30,000 hours. It accepts Micro SD cards and comes equipped with a built-in speaker. Projected image size is up to 20".
I/O connectors include Micro SD, TF card, L/R audio, USB, and ear jack. Video compatibility is provided for AVI, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, RM/RMVB, ASF, FLV, and WMV9/VC1. Audio compatibility includes MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, APE, ALAC, and MPEG1/2/2.5. Picture compatibility is for images in BMP, JPEG, or GIF formats.
Other features include MP4 functionality, software support for English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian, and either AC or DC low-power-consumption operation. A mini-tripod stand is included to provide stable projecting.
Provided accessories are: AC power adaptor, battery, audio cable, S-video and USB cables. It meets FCC and UL approval.
The ultra-lightweight PS-001 screen is easy-to-set up and measures 20" diagonally.
The palm-size Nextar Z10 projector measures 4.13" x 2.32" x 1.0" and weighs approximately one pound. The PS-001 screen measures 18.89" x 1.57" x 15.7" opened and 18.9" x 1.57" x 1.2" folded. It weighs approximately 1.3 pounds.
Pricing and Availability
The two new Nextar presentation units will be available in Spring 2009 at leading retailers across the country. The Z10 micro projector has an SRP of $299.99, The PS-001 portable screen has an SRP of $39.99.
[Via: Engadget ]
LG previews two new UK-bound LCDs
Stuff.tv has the heads up on two more members of LG's 2009 lineup, the LH5000 and LF7700. The LF7700 lcd should fit the bill for anyone needing an alternative to Panasonic's TX-37LZD81, with integrated FreeSat support, while a plasma version will follow later in the year. If 100Hz isn't enough and 480Hz is too much, the LH5000 drops 200Hz TruMotion tech on European heads later this year. No price or size info for either, but hopefully all this new kit will slightly make up for a Netflix-less existence suffered by our people across the Atlantic.
[Via: Engadget ]
- lg 's super slim LED backlit LCD packing wireless HD, DivX HD
JVC 5kg 32-inch LCD to be the lightest, greenest at CES?
While Samsung's latest may be slightly narrower, JVC swears its ces prototype will be the lightest 32-inch LCD out, weighing a mere 5kg its perfect for ceiling mounted installations. At 7mm thick they've managed to squeeze 1080p resolution and LED backlighting out of 50% of the materials and less mercury used to produce current designs. A hands on should settle the battle of the thin, expect iPhone comparison pics and contentious weigh ins usually reserved for heavyweight bouts this week in Las Vegas.
[Via: AV Watch ]
LG to release first HDTVs that instantly stream movies from Netflix
It was really only a matter of time, but instant streaming from Netflix is finally getting piped straight to the tele. Until now, users needed an HTPC or a set-top-box / movie player that supported Watch Instantly, but we've received word that LG will debut the world's first Netflix-enabled HDTVs this Spring. Details are pretty light, but we're told that both plasma and lcd models will be unleashed; unfortunately, it's not entirely clear if HD Netflix will be included and if the sets will / won't be WiFi-enabled. Keep it locked here for anything more, we get the feeling we haven't heard the last about these beauties.
[Via: Engadget ]
Latest CE Pro Magazine reveals the ZeeVee ZvPro
Well looky here, the wonders that is print media isn't useless just yet -- thanks to very long lead times and an ambitious postal worker, the latest edition of CE Pro Magazine reveals the evidently soon to be announced ZvPro. The ad doesn't offer up enough details for us, but it does look like some of our biggest gripes about the original ZeVee box are addressed. For example, now we have component and Toslink input as well as RS-232 control and an IR port -- no indication if that is an input or an output. The rack mountable device is obviously geared towards the prosumer so it isn't too much of a stretch to assume this little baby will demand a premium price -- if we were the betting type, we'd have our money on over $800. But even at that price, we're sure this box will find at least a few homes as there are plenty of people trying to figure out how to send HD over the existing coax in their home without mounting a STB on the wall below the
[Via: Engadget ]
Toshiba introducing SD-friendly players for flash card movies that no one buys
We hate to harsh on Toshiba here, we honestly do, but what in the world is it thinking? As if its clearly unimpressive Super Resolution Technology wasn't embarrassing enough, we're now hearing that the outfit is expected to release a line of prototype players at ces next week that tout sd card slots. Why, you ask? To accept the flash card movies that -- you guessed it -- no one on the entire planet is interested in. Okay, so maybe a handful of people (you know, the same characters who thought slotMusic was a solid idea) will buy in, but seriously, this has failure written all over it. The move comes hot on the heels of a Toshiba / Mod Systems tie-up to establish kiosks that sell films on SD cards, though we're still curious as to whether these SD card players will be of the standalone variety or integrated into upscaling DVD decks. We'll keep an open mind 'til we see the final product(s) at CES, but it'll take a belated Christmas miracle for this to be even halfway awesome.
[Via: Video Business ]
ezGear gets in the Blu-ray game with the BluCobra Blu-ray Disc Player
If you were hoping that another no-name company would release a $400 Blu-ray player, then today is your lucky day as ezGear is very proud to share the details of its BluCobra Blu-ray Disc Player. The BluCobra -- love the name btw -- features 7.1 analog outputs, SACD, TrueHD, DTS-HD HR&MA and the cutting edge profile 1.1, otherwise known as Bonus View. Luckily Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic can rest easy until at least March when this beast is scheduled hits the streets. Oh, and just a little prediction, no way the BluCobra will sell for its MSRP.
[Via: Engadget ]
- samsung 's CES 2009 HDTV lineup leaked?
Sonoro Eklipse iPod / CD sound system hits the FCC
Sonoro's Eklipse iPod / CD sound system has been available in Europe for a few months now, but it hasn't exactly made much of a ripple 'round these parts. That looks like it could well be changing, however, as the device has just recently landed in the hands of the folks at the FCC, who unsurprisingly seem to be particularly interested in the system's remote control. As for the rest of the system, you can expect to get an always welcome OLED display, along with 7.5W of power output, a headset jack, a standard 3.5mm input to accomodate your non-iPod devices, and support for MP3 and WMA-loaded CDs in addition to plain old audio CDs. Of course, an FCC appearance doesn't always assure a US release, but if there is one, you can probably expect to pay about the same €499 (or $690) that it currently demands in Europe.
[Via: Engadget ]
