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HDTV Listings for March 13, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 13th 2010 at 7:24PM

What we're watching tonight:

Fox (720p) has Cops at 8 p.m.
Syfy (1080i) presents Dinoshark at 9 p.m.
Ion (1080i) has the series premiere of The Guard at 9 & 10 p.m.
NBC (1080i) has Saturday Night Live with Jude Law at 11:29 p.m.
ESPN (720p) has the Big East Championship with Georgetown/West Virginia at 9 p.m.
HBO PPV (1080i) presents Pacquiao/Clottey boxing at 9 p.m.

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CableLabs officially defines tru2way set-back box

By Ben Drawbaugh

posted Mar 13th 2010 at 4:44PM

The technology arm of the cable industry has come forward with an official specification for the tru2way set-back box. We first heard of these when Panasonic was requesting a waiver from the FCC to exclude an analog tuner, but we did find one of the floor of CES -- although it wasn't a functional demo. Basically this makes the box one step closer to reality, and if the cable industry has its way, tru2way with it. The idea of an inexpensive HDTV companion might be the perfect low cost, easy to support, solution that consumer electronic manufactures are looking for. And although we're not fans of tru2way in general, we do think it is an acceptable solution for those who don't want a DVR but do want an HDTV mounted on the wall without a set-top box to be found.

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First 3D showdown pits Samsung vs Panasonic

By Ben Drawbaugh

posted Mar 13th 2010 at 1:42PM

Both Samsung and Panasonic started selling 3DTVs with great fanfare this week, but only Consumer Reports bought both and started testing them head to head. This is hardly a full review, but initial impressions seem to confirm what we saw at CES which is that Panasonic's 3D has the edge. To be more specific "in the 3D mode, its (Panasonic's 50-inch VT-20 series) lack of crosstalk and great black levels really made three-dimensional images pop." Of course some will always prefer LCD over plasma, but the initial reviews seem to indicate that plasma's great contrast and super fast response time go a long way in delivering a great 3D experience.

Consumer Reports Blog

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Ceton's quad CableCARD tuner for Media Center available for pre-order

By Ben Drawbaugh

posted Mar 13th 2010 at 10:23AM

That's right, you can now reserve your place in line to be the first to record four HD cable shows at once on your Windows 7 Media Center. The bad news is that ship date for the InfiniTV 4 is now May 31st. Ceton wasn't willing to share a specific reason for the 60 day delay, but we suspect CableLabs is to blame -- Ceton refuted this and insisted CableLabs has been very helpful, but we don't buy it. The other big news -- for those that were concerned with noise or fitment options -- is that the latest version of the PCI-E card pictured above no longer includes a fan. The InfiniTV name was the result of over 1000 submissions to Ceton's naming contest, of which Gary Petro came up with winner -- the name is not to be confused with Comcast's XFINITY. Future tuners in the line will share a variation of the name, so the dual external tuner would be the InfiniTV ex2 -- for example. But Gary isn't the only one receiving a free tuner, as two more submitters were deemed worthy. Rus Sanchez submitted 94 different product names, while Charles Fraser earned his free card with the funniest submission; Wicked Super, Super Duper, and Super Duper Alleyoopder. The last bit of news out of the Kirkland startup is a littler clarification in regards to the network capabilities of the card. Although you can share the tuners with a small form factor PC on the network, the bad news is that it gets paired per CableCARD, so all four tuners have to go to the same PC. Ohh we almost forgot, the best news of all is that we received our review sample, so stay tunned for a full run down.

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Packard Bell Studio ST media playback drive invades Europe

By Nilay Patel

posted Mar 13th 2010 at 7:52AM

It's not much more than a hard drive with HD media playback abilities, but the Packard Bell Studio ST certainly looks nice, doesn't it? It's Europe-only for now, but we're hoping parent company Acer brings over a US-branded version of this box, which holds up to a 2TB hard drive and can do 1080p out over HDMI with Dolby Digital. Codec support is described as "all main formats," which is a little shady, but we'll be forgiving if it's cheaper than the Western Digital WD TV Live HD.

[Thanks, Matt]

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Okoro Media Systems upgrades HTPC range with Core i3 / i5 CPUs, bitstreaming and USB 3.0

By Darren Murph

posted Mar 12th 2010 at 8:01PM

You picked up an Okoro media PC last month, didn't you? If you're nodding up and down in a worried fashion, you're probably better off ignoring everything else we'll say in this post. For the rest of you HTPC hounds, the boutique outfit has something that's very likely to pique your interest (and kick that upgrade itch into high gear). Announced today, the company is adding Core i3 and Core i5 processors to its 2010 media center PC lineup, and as if the extra horsepower weren't enough, users will also find native bitstreaming of TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio on every system save for the Q100. You'll also get a 64-bit copy of Windows 7, up to 8TB of internal storage space, optional Blu-ray playback, quad CableCARD support and the new holy grail of transfers, USB 3.0. You can hit up the outfit's webstore now to configure your dream machine, and if you so desire, you can check out its dedicated trade-up program that'll last through May 31st.

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HDTV Listings for March 12, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 12th 2010 at 7:49PM

What we're watching tonight:

NBC (1080i) has Who Do You Think You Are? at 8 p.m.
MyNetworkTV (720p) has WWE SmackDown at 8 p.m.
Syfy (1080i) has Caprica at 9 p.m.
CBS (1080i) brings Ghost Whisperer at 8 p.m., Medium at 9 p.m. and Numb3rs at 10 p.m.
TLC (1080i) airs What Not to Wear at 9 p.m. and Four Weddings at 10 p.m.
Starz (1080i) has Spartacus: Blood & Sand at 10 p.m
HBO (1080i) has The Ricky Gervais Show at 9 p.m., The Life and Times of Tim at 9:30 p.m., Real Time with Bill Maher at 10 p.m. and Funny or Die Presents at 11:59 p.m.
Discovery (1080i) brings American Loggers at 10 p.m.

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Ceton CableCARD tuner briefly appears on Amazon flying the InfiniTV flag

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 12th 2010 at 2:34PM

It's gone now, but for at least a moment there was an opportunity to pre-order Ceton's quad-tuning CableCARD solution for Media Center PCs on Amazon, a sure sign that it is moving even closer to reality. Branded the Ceton InfiniTV (not to be confused with XFinity) 4 digital cable tuner card, the read link is the now-busted address for your F5ing pleasure -- do it too much and you'll go blind.

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DBSTalk goes hands-on with DirecTV's new 24 series receivers

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 12th 2010 at 1:51PM

Eagerly awaiting DirecTV's new multiroom tandem of set-top boxes? A group of DBSTalk posters got an early preview of the H24, and now have also posted their impressions of the HR24 DVR unit. Somewhat cheesy YouTube trailers aside, there's a lot of info here if you're considering a new DVR setup. Just like the recent NFL combine, we know that speed kills -- and has been killing DirecTV recently -- but they reveal the HR24 is much improved in that area. There's also detailed descriptions of the new scheme for programming the remote to control other devices, and the units overall slimmer and quieter stature, all awaiting just beyond the read link.

[Thanks, Barry]

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HDI headquarters walkthrough: details galore on the new face of in-home 3D

By Darren Murph

posted Mar 12th 2010 at 12:57PM

Call it an inexplicable fascination, or call it all-out geek lust over a screen with three digits in the "diagonal screen size" specification field -- either way, we had little choice but to shuttle over to HDI's nondescript Los Gatos, California headquarters in order to check out what even Steve Wozniak has been quoted as saying is the best 3D solution out there. While stationed on the west coast this week for GDC, we grabbed a camera and bolted down the 280 in order to get a sneak peek at the aforesaid firm, a tight-knit startup that currently has prototype displays in production and plans for far more. We've heard plenty through the grapevine, but we set out to get our questions answered directly, and possibly even provide some insight that has yet to be made available to the public thus far.

For those unaware, HDI's flagship product is a planned 103-inch 3D HDTV that uses a proprietary technology in order to showcase content in the third dimension (or 2D, if you'd like). We sat down with Chris Stuart (Director of Technology) and Edmund Sandberg (Chief Technology Officer) in order to get an overview of the tech, set the story straight in regard to pricing and availability, and dig in a little deeper on its plans for distribution and expansion. We also plopped down in front of the company's prototype 97-inch set and a 46-inch 3D LCD that has remained mostly a myth up until now, and we've certainly got plenty to share in terms of impressions. If you're eager to learn more (and take a behind-the-scenes look at a television R&D lab), give that 'Read More' link a gentle press.

HDI 3D prototype HDTVs

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NBC-Comcast deal comes under Justice Department, FCC scrutiny

By Joseph L. Flatley

posted Mar 12th 2010 at 10:24AM

We can't say we didn't warn you. Looks like the kids at Comcast have to answer some questions over at the Justice Department -- and the FCC -- before they get their hands on NBC. Both agencies have pledged to "examine the transaction closely," says AP, being ever-vigilant as they are to protect consumers and competition in this free market society of ours. The review could last upwards of a year, but if that means that 2011 could see the debut of NBC-Universal's "Comcastic!" theme parks, it will all have been worth it.

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First Panasonic 3DTV review in, great blacks and the best 3D anywhere

By Ben Drawbaugh

posted Mar 11th 2010 at 7:56PM

While the rest of us wait to try out the latest 3DTVs that went on sale this week for ourselves, Gary Merson took a trip with his test equipment to Panasonic's NJ headquarters. The good news is that the 2D picture quality was better than last year's model and in fact the black level reading was one-half of the V10's out of the box performance. So as if getting a better HD picture for less money wasn't enough, Gary says the "the 3D image (is) outstanding with considerably more brightness and pop than the motion picture theater 3D movie experience." So yeah it is the best 3D experience you can get anywhere.

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Caption Contest: 3D is a mind blow, everyone can agree on that

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 11th 2010 at 7:21PM

What do b-boys, random celebrities like Mark Sanchez, Andy Samberg and Hillary Duff, and the Black Eyed Peas have to do with 3DTV? We're not sure either, but that didn't stop Samsung from mixing them up during its "worldwide launch event" yesterday in NYC. Check the video (embedded after the break) for the above revelation about 3D from the JIMP troubador himself, but what was going through the heads of our friend Jimmy C and the BEP when this picture was taken?

Chris: "And see, just by turning this knob to the right, we can give Avatar a plot."
Richard Lawler: "If everyone starts wearing these, we're going to need new outfits."
Nilay: "Fascinating. You say this is called a 'lady lump?'"
Joe: "What? Bono beat us to it?"
Joanna: "That Neytiri, she's a handful..."
Paul: "I've gotta feeling that nothing of intellectual importance is happening here."

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Switched On: Thumbs up, thumbs down at TiVo Premiere

By Ross Rubin

posted Mar 11th 2010 at 5:30PM

Columns

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

TiVo's announcement of TiVo Premiere represents the most significant user interface overhaul for the device in years. Based on Adobe Flash and optimized for the high-definition screens that are likely to be paired with CableCARD programming, the new user interface blends together live, recorded, and broadband content. That presentation is more akin to what we've seen from Windows Media Center, and less like TiVo's Series3 that segmented programming sources by type. TiVo has also beefed up its search capability, bringing it up to par with that of its only significant retail DVR competitor, Digeo's Moxi.

The new interaction widens the user experience gap between TiVo and your average cable or satellite DVR, and TiVo has two other features that set it apart. First, no doubt reacting to the Moxi competition, TiVo long ago reinstated its lifetime service option that was so popular in the product's early years. However, those who have opted for this plan through TiVo's major platform upgrades over the years have endured more lifetime sentences than many a felon.

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HDTV Listings for March 11, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 11th 2010 at 4:58PM

What we're watching tonight:

NBC (1080i) has Community at 8 p.m., Parks & Recreation at 8:30 p.m., The Office at 9 p.m. and 30 Rock at 9:30 p.m.
CBS (1080i) has Survivor 8 p.m., CSI at 9 p.m. and The Mentalist at 10 p.m.
ABC (720p) has Grey's Anatomy at 9 p.m. and Private Practice at 10 p.m.
FX (720p) has Archer at 10 p.m.
WGN (1080i) has WWE Superstars at 8 p.m
Food (1080i) airs Ace of Cakes at 10 p.m.
TLC (1080i) has Police Women of Maricopa at 9 p.m. and L.A. Ink at 10 p.m.
Spike (1080i) has TNA: Impact! at 9 p.m.
TNT (1080i) has an NBA doubleheader with Bulls/Magic at 8 p.m. and Trail Blazers/Warriors at 10:30 p.m.
EPSN (720p) has a college basketball doubleheader with Notre Dame/Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. and Cincinnati/West Virginia at 9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 (720p) has a college basketball doubleheader with North Carolina/Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. and Texas/Baylor at 9:30 p.m.

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Imagion AG hits 500 BD-Live movies authored, plans more U.S. Blu-ray releases

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 11th 2010 at 4:25PM

It's been an under the radar race to 500, but that's how many Blu-ray discs Imagion AG has put together using its dynamicHD BD-Live platform. Many of those are international releases, although their work on CSI and Star Trek:TOS hits closer to home, and now the company is partnering with Giant Interactive to work on more BD-Live discs in the U.S under the BD-Connect name. We're still holding out hope BD-Live lives up to its promise and brings many worthwhile new experiences to Blu-ray discs, are we the only ones? Hello? Anyone?

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TiVo returning to the UK thanks to partnership with Virgin Media

By Vladislav Savov

posted Mar 11th 2010 at 9:01AM

It looks like TiVo's freshly minted Premiere hardware will soon be setting sail eastwards as The Daily Telegraph is reporting Virgin Media's next generation set-top box will be built around it. Loyal readers of Engadget HD will already be aware that TiVo and Virgin hooked up last November and this latest news relates to the first hardware to be spawned from that relationship. According to TiVo CEO Tom Rogers, the Premiere will "heavily inspire the development work" going into Virgin's next TV appendage, which may or may not mean that the cable company will simply rebadge the well-received new boxes. What's assured though is much greater integration with online content, with search linking you out to Amazon, BBC's iPlayer, YouTube or good old standard broadcast channels. The whole thing's about unlimited choice, apparently, and should be showing up on the Queen's isles by the end of this year. We can wait, but we'd rather we didn't have to.

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HDTV Listings for March 10, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Mar 10th 2010 at 4:58PM

What we're watching tonight:

Fox (720p) has Human Target at 8 p.m. and American Idol at 9 p.m.
ABC (720p) lines up Scrubs at 8 p.m., The Middle at 8:30 p.m., Modern Family at 9 p.m., Cougar Town at 9:30 p.m. and Ugly Betty at 10 p.m.
CBS (1080i) lines up The New Adventures of Old Christine at 8 p.m., Gary Unmarried at 8:30 p.m., Criminal Minds at 9 p.m. and CSI: NY at 10 p.m.
USA (1080i) has the season finale of Psych at 10 p.m.
CW (1080i) has the series premiere of High Society at 9:30 p.m.
NBC (1080i) has Mercy at 8 p.m. and Law & Order: SVU at 10 p.m.
History (720p) has MonsterQuest at 9 p.m.
Showtime (1080i) has Inside NASCAR at 10 p.m.
DirecTV (1080i) has Underbelly at 10 p.m.
Brave (1080i) has Shear Genius at 10 p.m.
TBS (1080i) brings House of Payne at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
ESPN (720p) has Seton Hall/Notre Dame college basketball at 7 p.m. and Cincinnati/Louisville at 9:30 p.m.

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Panasonic 3D home entertainment system goes on sale to a country in mourning

By Joseph L. Flatley

posted Mar 10th 2010 at 12:37PM

Beginning today, customers at Best Buy's Magnolia stores can pick up that Panasonic full HD 3D Home Entertainment System the kids in Japan have been going crazy over for the last month or so. Consisting of a 50-inch Viera VT20 HDTV, a BDT300 Blu-ray Disc Player, and but one pair of Panasonic 3D Active Shutter glasses, the total price is $2900 -- but if you plan on having company over you'll need to pick up additional pairs of 3D eyewear for $150 each. As you well know, Panny is due to start sponsoring free 3D programming to DirecTV HD customers starting in June, so if you're not set up with the service you might as well add that to your shopping list. PC Magazine braved the stampede to check out the scene in Manhattan, so hit the source link to see the pics. As for us, we're going back to watching Snowboard Academy on VHS, as we do every time one of its stars has fallen. PR after the break.

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HP MediaSmart add-in adds TiVo compatibility, enables video transfers to and fro

By Tim Stevens

posted Mar 10th 2010 at 7:59AM

HP MediaSmart add-in adds TiVo compatibility, enables video transfers to and fro

For those enjoying media bliss thanks to a little MediaSmart box humming away somewhere in the corner, life just got a even more lovely. HP has announced a partnership with TiVo that allows MediaSmart users to install a Windows Home Server add-in, enabling the two devices to talk sweet nothings to each other. From within the WHS console you'll be able to suck recorded content from the TiVo onto the MediaSmart's expansive storage array and, from there, play it on any of your compatible devices (PC, Mac, Xbox, PS3, etc.). Or, when you start to miss those happy TiVo sounds, you can send that content back over to DVR to view from there. The WHS extension is available right now to MediaSmart owners, so get on with the downloading already.

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by Ross Miller Posted Nov 25th 2009

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Posted Jul 2008

1.84
million tons

The amount of electronics thrown away rather than recycled in 2007.

The EPA reports that 82% of electronics disposal in 2007 ended up in the garbage (mostly landfills) rather than a recycling center. (source: EPA, July 2008)

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