Engadget HD Podcast 091 - 07.02.2008
By Trent Wolbe 
posted Jul 2nd 2008 11:13AM
posted Jul 2nd 2008 11:13AM
The summer of slow HD news continues but there is some Blu-ray buzz as things are really starting to ramp up for the holiday season. So we cover how Blu-ray is poised to take over the packaged media world, but at the same time, we still have our doubts. There's some programming news as well, as we once again go over the age old -- in the HD world anyways -- debate of satellite vs cable. Finally, we throw in a little home automation for a change and long for more MKV support in our hardware.Get the podcast
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim
Producer: Trent Wolbe
02:30 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 090 - 06.26.2008
07:35 - Weinstein to finally go Blu in August with The Mist
09:52 - Warner includes download-only iTunes Digital Copy with 10,000 B.C. Blu-ray
13:11 - Japanese researchers devise method for cramming 42GB on a DVD
16:21 - Satellite customers more satisfied than cable customers?
19:03 - Verizon rolls out 23 new FiOS TV HD channels in Fort Wayne
21:29 - Poll: Do you tune into OTA programming?
25:03 - Orlando passes its simulated analog shutoff
28:17 - Netflix reverses decision, Profiles here to stay
30:03 - The mystery of Netflix's queue system gets tackled, throttling all but confirmed
31:58 - Control4 announces 7-inch POE wall-mounted touch panel
35:41 - DivX 7 to officially support MKV
LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)
There will be blood was crap. Don't let anyone push you around!
Agreed.
The movie was good, but it was just a biography with no real ending. Didn't feel any real enjoyment from watching it.
Really enjoying the podcast guys, keep it up
Just wanted to say great show as usual!!! I just signed up for netflix 3 movie unlimited. Got a gift certificate for 3 montths free, but so far I know I'm going to keep it going after the 3 months.
Ok, three months of listening to this podcast, and come to the conclusion that you are pro-blu ray disc..
that's not really fair to say, since 3 months ago the format war was over by 2 months. however they both have said that they believed blu-ray was going to win.
What is TimeWarner's problem? Why don't they carry scifiHD?
MKV is not the only container option for making H.264 video with multichannel audio. Nero recode can make MP4 files with H.264 and AC3 multichannel audio.
More 360/VMCE comments...
Sound:
With my 360 Elite, I find that the fan sound is not bad at all. The REAL problem is the friggin DVD drive. When playing games, the drive sounds like a jet engine. Although, I tend to forget about the sound after playing games for a while. When watching content already on the box, sound is not bad at all. I don't watch DVDs on it, so I'm not sure how the sound is when the DVD drive is running at 1x. I _have_ noticed that when watching an DH-DVD movie, if there so happens to be a game disc in the DVD drive, for some inexplicable reason, the DVD drive is spinning (and making quite a racket), so I have to actually eject the game disc (which you can't do without having to get up and walk to the box).
Media:
I understand the need for the multiple ways of viewing media: dashboard vs MCE. I just with that they would figure out a way to let the MCE interface play media that was actually on the box! I know it's probably an architecture (and security/DRM) issue of MCE and 360, but buy wouldn't that be nice! Also, I guess for the rest of the (UPnP) media accessible from the dashboard, I guess you just need a VMC plugin so that the actual VMC will make it accessible to the extender. (but why is the dashboard limited to the "special flavor" of UPnP that WMP serves up?!?!?!?!?!).
Sorry for the too-long post.
Love the podcasts. They make my commute go by quickly, and in fact, sometimes I wish my commute was a little longer so I could keep listening. But then I'm always anxious to get the next week's edition. Luckily I have Major Nelson and OXM to tide me over :-)
Jeff
No DirecTV or H.264 in Fiji....Ben, come on over :-)
-Sage Fan Boy
I'm a former longtime cable customer who finally made the switch to satellite last fall. The extra HD channels and NFL Network made it irresistible. DirecTVs DVR may not be that great, but its far better than Time Warner's. And since I kept cable modem service I can still record QAM channels to my Media Center PC (via HDHomerun) to give my extra backup tuners.
My brother and his fiance' love the Netflix profiles. He was very happy that they decided to keep them.