Power-Hungry Television sets to be banned in California

It has been reported that power-hungry television sets are to be banned in California, following a recent state legislation which aims to cut down on energy consumption. Read more

Recession antidote: Sabrent TV-DGUSB USB 2.0 Digital HDTV Tuner

It does not matter if we are in a recession as we are or if the economy is fine, we love the word free, so how would you like free-to-air Digital TV, well you can with the Sabrent TV-DGUSB USB 2.0 Digital HDTV Tuner ATSC/QAM. This cool device offers unencrypted Digital Cable TV. Read more

AT-HDPiX USB-to-HDMI adapter by Atlona

Atlona Technologies are to release a new Universal HDMI adaptor; the AT-HDPiX will be capable of adding an HD Audio Video output to your computer through the USB port. This new device will essentially add an HDMI port to any PC, laptop or MAC. Read more

Westinghouse LVM-37W3SE 37 inch 1080p HDTV Ready LCD Monitor

Just a few short years ago we used to have a bulky and cumbersome gadget in the corner of our living rooms; yes I am talking about a CRT TV. Well times have changed and it is all about LCD TV’s these days, so what do you buy. Read more

Dvico FusionHDTV7: World’s first dual HDTV (digital or QAM) tuner PCIe card

This is the Dvico FusionHDTV7 and it makes a claim to be the World’s first dual HDTV (digital or QAM) tuner PCIe card, basically it’s the first PCIe card capable of recording two HDTV channels at once. The FusionHDTV7 can tune into analog NTSC or digital ATSC, this is like many other HDTV tuner cards, but these other cards cannot record two high definition shows at once, so that may include you watching a live program, while it records another channel.

You may say “I can get all these features with two cards”, but with the FusionHDTV costing around $140, I am sure it’s a cheaper solution and also one that says you PCI space. The main features on the FusionHDTV card include a multi functional MCE remote control, true HD time-shifting with FF/REW/Positioning, low heat emission design for PC eco-system, simultaneous 2 Channel recording Picture-in-Picture, automatic Power-On Recording with Real-Time-Clock, supports Vista 32bit & 64bit certified drivers, and the device also supports Digital cable (64QAM/256QAM) and ATSC terrestrial reception.

If you want to record more than one program you can do it in these combinations, one HD and one analogue reception/display simultaneously or two HD channels (ATSC or QAM) reception/display/recording simultaneously.

Its hard not to think this is a better solution than having two separate cards, unless you are happy with watching and recording one channel at a time.

The Dvico FusionHDTV7 is priced at $139 on CybereStore

Blue Jeans Cable gets cease-and-desist from Monster Cable

What happens when a Big company like Monster Cable sends a cease-and-desist to a small company, well in most cases the small company does as they are told or they fight back and again most times they lose because the big company has more money and better lawyers. In the case of Monster Cable sending Tartan Cable (a subsidiary of Blue Jeans Cable) a cease-and-desist might have been the wrong thing to-do because the owner of Blue Jeans Cable (Kurt Denke) was a lawyer for over 20 years and with experience in intellectual property litigation.

Its been reported that Monster Cable likes to push around the small business and some people call them a “legal bully”, they even went on the attack against a clothing company called Monster Vintage and yes I said clothing not cables.

Blue Jeans Cable takes pride in thinking of the consumer by aiming to be like jeans, funny as it sounds there is good cause to be like jeans as they say “a good pair of denims are perfect in form and function, eminently practical, affordable, and unpretentious”. Blue Jeans Cable received the Monster Cable Correspondence of letters and exhibits, and now Kurt will be sending them a letter which will basically say Monster Cable should let this one go and that their patents are “non-patentable and non-enforceable”. You can read the details of why that is on the via link below, but simply put “if Monster Cable were to lose in court, we may see this case cause a precedence for future cease and desist requests’.

What do you think of big companies pushing around the little guy?

You can read the letter and exhibits in PDF form on bluejeanscable.com

Via AudioJunkies

Toshiba launch 4 New High-End HDTV’s: ZH500 and ZV500 series

Toshiba have launched 4 new high end HDTV’s. These are the ZH and ZV series. The ZV allows you to add a HDD via a USB input and the HH has a built in 300GB Hard Drive, as well as a USB input, if you run out of storage space.

Both the ZH and ZV TV’s have a 120Hz LCD Panel as well as the REGZA video image processor. In the ZH500 series you get the choice of a 46 and 52 Inch, and with the ZV500 you get the choice of a 42 or 37 Inch.

Source – Akihabara News

Sky HD vs Freeview HD: Ofcom confirms final plans for high definition

The day that Sky HD was released I got the service as I wanted the best for my large HDTV, but after one year and the contact had ended, I left Sky HD, as there was not enough HD channels. Today we are hearing that Ofcom has published its plans that will overhaul digital terrestrial television in the UK, this includes information on the planned launch of Freeview HD in 2008. Ofcom wants all multiplex operators to use the QAM-64 digital transmission mode, this will allow for a greater number of channels to be broadcast per multiplex and also multiplex B will end up carrying high definition channels.

Sky HD charges an extra £10 for its HD channels which are just the same channels you get in standard definition, really they should be giving this as a free offer but that would be too good for the customer I guess. To that happens, the only free HD channels we are going to see will be Freeview HD. Hit the read link below for more information on Ofcom’s final plan for Freeview HD.

Source: Read

Sony Blu-ray Disc Format: Do you know what it is? 60% of US does

Now that HD-DVD is well and truly dead, who knows what Sony Blu-ray is and about it’s disc format? Media research firm Interpret have released the results of a new study which shows that 60% of the US knows what the Blu-ray disc format is, this is much better than it has been and even higher than France (30%), Japan (45%), Germany (49%) and the UK at (56%).

The survey was taken in mid-January with consumers aged 18-54, and now homes in the United States with BD-disc players is over 10 million (not sure if that includes Sony PS3’s).

Do you know what Blu-ray disc is?

Source: Read | Via Pocket Lint

CRT Televisions vs. HDTV: high definition better from distance

CRT televisions might be the past and old technology, but when standing very close to a CRT and HDTV, the CRT wins hands down. Now does this mean they have much better picture quality?

Although CRT’s look great close up, compare them to a high definition TV from a distance with a HD broadcast, the HDTV wins hands down. How many of us sit close to TV’s, not many I am sure and if you do not have a HD broadcast like Sky HD or Blu-ray with your HDTV then you have not seen how fantastic the picture can be.

CRT Televisions vs. HDTV, what’s your opinion?

HDTV Connection Kit: for Plasma & LCD TV’s, DLP, DVD Players and Satellite Receivers

This is the HDTV Connection Kit from Cables Unlimited, it provides a top quality, hassle free, all-in-one solution that contains all the cables necessary to connect your HDTV to your Audio/Video system.

This economical kit is the perfect alternative to purchasing multiple cables individually and allows you to get maximum performance from your new Plasma, LCD, DLP, DVD Player or HDTV Cable box by using these high performance cables Read more

VPL-VW40 Projector from Sony

A home theatre projector called the Sony VPL-VW40 which is capable of 1080p full HD and will use the Sony SXRD technology, to create the original cinematic viewing experience.

The VPL-VW40 has True Cinema with the ability to handle Read more

Toshiba and Panasonic double OLED TV life: Much better than LCD

Everyone knows that the lower the power consumption the better we feel, and even the ultra high contrast achieved by OLEDs, but what we do hate is the Read more