HDTV Magazine

HDTV Almanac - Movie Gallery Files for Bankruptcy

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:51 +0000

Last week, another bit of evidence appeared that supports the position that DVDs (and Blu-ray discs) should be put on the endangered list. Movie Gallery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it tries to find a way to deal with its growing debt. The company has more than 2,600 stores in the U.S. in ...

HDTV Almanac - $68 Blu-ray Player

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:31 +0000

Okay. That’s more like it. Walmart is offering the Magnavox NB500MG1F Blu-ray player for $68. Yes, there are lots of features that you don’t get with this basic model, but it does have an HDMI connection and an SD card slot. And it’s not even Black Friday! This brings Blu-ray into range for the average buyer. ...

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #411: Aperion Audio Home Audio Link (HAL)

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:14:42 +0000

Pretty much since we have been doing the HDTV and Home Theater Podcast we have had listeners ask us about wireless solutions. We have been pretty happy with products from Rocketfish™ and AudioEngine. Today we take a look at the Aperion Audio Home Audio Link (HAL) which will transmit high quality uncompressed audio up to 100 feet....

SANYO Debuts New Dual Cameras That Look as Good as They Perform

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:57:03 +0000

SANYO North America Corporation (SANYO) introduces three new Dual Cameras, the VPC-GH2, VPC-CG102, and VPC-CG20, featuring Full High Definition 1080 60i (1920x1080) video and up to 14 MP photo capability. Offering style, performance and value, these new additions provide a convenient way to capture both videos and photos in daily life or for special events. Available nationwide starting in March, 2010, the VPC-GH2 and VPC-CG102 will have an MSRP of......

HDTV Almanac - Rather Switch than Pay?

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:00:51 +0000

Brand loyalty remains an important part of many consumer markets in the U.S., but according to a new report by Strategy Analytics, subscription television service is not one of them. A recent survey found that more than 2 out of 3 cable subscribers would change providers if they were offered a 20% discount. For the ...

HDTV Almanac - Will Toshiba Call It Quits on LCD?

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:12 +0000

A report last week in Tech-On speculates on the possibility that Toshiba might exit the LCD business. The article quotes a senior executive vice president as saying “”Our LCD display business has been worsening, and we are in very difficult circumstances.” He was referring to the LCD business of Toshiba Mobile Display Co Ltd (TMD). ...

Canon Announces MPEG-2 Full HD (4:2:2) File-Based Recording Codec for Upcoming Professional Video Camera

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:57:38 +0000

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, announced today the Company has adopted an MPEG-2 Full HD (4:2:2) file-based recording codec for a new file-based professional video camera currently under development. The new Canon MPEG-2 codec will enable high-quality imaging and audio performance with up to 50 Mbps data recording and twice the color data of the HDV*1 profile format. File-based recording helps video operations realize greater efficiencies during post-production, making it an id...

HDTV Almanac - Another HD Cell Phone Video Camera

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:00:08 +0000

Last fall, I wrote about the Samsung Instinct HD cell phone that could capture HD video. Now comes news that SonyEricsson is following suit. The new Vivaz is a 3G touchscreen phone that can record 720p video using the 8.1-megapixel camera. (The phone originally was known as the “Kurara”.) Apparently, the press release announcing the ...

Panasonic First Out of the Gate with Blu-ray 3D Authoring Facility

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:03:06 +0000

Following on the announcement of a broad range of Full HD 3D TV products, from VIERA consumer 3D TVs to a Prosumer Full HD 3D camcorder, at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic is now unveiling its fully operational Blu-ray 3D™ Advanced Authoring Center located at Panasonic's R&D facility, Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory. The Advanced Authoring Center was recently upgraded and equipped with......

HDTV Almanac - Turn Down the Sound!

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:00:05 +0000

I have reported previously on the “Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act”, or CALM, which has been passed by the House of Representatives and now is in the hands of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. However, we don’t have to wait for federal legislation to do something about the large variations in sound ...