 | National Instruments Announces Its Fastest Data Acquisition Device (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance, 9/27/2005 2:01pm) |
| Engineers now can use the National Instruments PXI-5114 dual-channel, 8-bit digitizer -- also known as a PC-based oscilloscope -- for a broad range of high-speed validation and manufacturing test applications such as consumer electronics test and semiconductor component test. ... (Read Full Article) |
 | MOSAID Announces New Memory Test System at ITC (CommsDesign, 11/09/2005 6:36pm) |
| OTTAWA, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - MOSAID Technologies Incorporated's Systems Division , today announced the availability of its latest memory test system, the MS5205, at the International Test Conference (ITC) in Austin, Texas. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Benchmark test Blu-ray helps you set up your TV like a boss (CNET Blogs, 5/20/2013 3:55pm) |
| We go hands on with the second edition of the "Spears and Munsil HD Benchmark" test Blu-ray. (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | 3 ISF Test Patterns for Ultra HD 4K Display Calibration (CE Pro, 1/15/2013 9:00pm) |
| Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) shares three test patterns for integrators to use when calibrating new Ultra HD 4K [...] (Read Full Article) |
 | Sky's HDTV to launch at city Test (ic Birmingham, 5/22/2006 10:51am) |
| BSkyB is set to use the Birmingham Test Match this week to help spearhead the launch of its high definition TV service in the UK. The satellite broadcaster launches its eight channel package today - but experts believe many consumers remain unsure about the new technology. ... (Read Full Article) |
| TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies' HDMI 1.3a Compliance Test and Characterization Selected by Silicon Image ATC (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance, 1/24/2007 4:00pm) |
| SANTA CLARA, Calif.----Agilent Technologies Inc. today announced that Silicon Image Inc., a leader in the secure distribution, presentation and storage of high-definition content, selected Agilent equipment for High-Definition Multimedia Interface Compliance Test Specification 1.3a source and sink compliance testing and characterization in its HMDI Authorized Test Center. ... (Read Full Article) |
| Teradyne UltraFLEX Selected for Next-Generation Video Graphics Device Test by Micronas (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance, 9/20/2005 10:00pm) |
| Teradyne, Inc. announced Micronas, a German-based leader in integrated circuits and sensors for consumer and automotive electronics, has purchased multiple Teradyne UltraFLEX test systems. ... (Read Full Article) |
| WIRED Magazine Releases Second Annual 'Test' Issue; The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for the Latest and Greatest Gadgets (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance, 10/25/2005 12:00pm) |
| Hitting newsstands today is WIRED Magazine's second annual consumer product buying guide, WIRED TEST. ... (Read Full Article) |
 | Blu-ray trumps iTunes in consumer quality test (HDTV UK, 7/13/2009 7:11am) |
| In news that is hardly likely to surprise anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of the difference in quality of a Blu-ray disc compared to a high definition download, a recent test carried out by CEDIA found that nine out of ten participants favoured disc over download. Albeit a small survey of just 25 people, it required participants to view the same film on two identically set-up non-calibrat ... (Read Full Article) |
| Test Drive Unlimited ( First Impressions ) (EuroGamer, 11/02/2005 2:56pm) |
| Preview parameters comfortably telegraphed then, let us launch into the "why it's not". Test Drive Unlimited is not just a pretty driving game on the Xbox 360 given lots of publicity because it's a pretty driving game on the Xbox 360. Not here anyway. It's actually ambitious. ... (Read Full Article) |
| New Test Generators and Upgrades Enable HDMI(TM) v1.3 36-bit Deep Color Display Development and Manufacturing (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance, 11/29/2006 2:00pm) |
| Quantum Data, a worldwide provider of video test equipment, today announced the release of new video signal generators and upgrades supporting High-Definition Multimedia Interface version 1.3, enabling display manufacturers to design and manufacture 36-bit deep color displays. ... (Read Full Article) |
| China Academy of Broadcasting Science Standardizes on Tektronix Video Test Instruments for Digital TV Standards ... (SYS-CON Media, 5/16/2007 5:10pm) |
| Tektronix, Inc. , a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, announced that the China Academy of Broadcasting Science (ABS) has chosen new Tektronix instruments for its Digital TV (DTV) and high definition (HDTV) standards development, compliance testing and certification. ABS is the broadcasting R&D institution of the Chinese government that defines and ... ... (Read Full Article) |
| Canon XH G1 HD camcorder for HDTV test in outer space (HDTV origin, 11/12/2007 11:31pm) |
| Canon XH G1 HD camcorder for HDTV test in outer space A Canon XH G1 HD video camcorder traveled into space for use in testing involving the capture of digital high-definition television (HDTV ... a.m. EDT, and used in HDTV testing jointly carried out on the International Space Station ... (Read Full Article) |
 | WHBF-TV To Test HDTV (WHBF-TV Quad Cities, 8/26/2005 9:57pm) |
| Some viewers will say 'It's about time!', others will say 'What does it have to do with me?', and some won't even know what we're talking about. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Princeton researchers create 'bionic ear' (USATODAY, 7/03/2013 12:26pm) |
| It was designed to test what can be done with 3-D printing technology in [...] (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Deadspin Dirk Nowitzki Gives Conan O'Brien A "Texas Citizenship Test" | Gizmodo Join the Debate: 3D (Kotaku, 4/01/2014 10:09pm) |
| Deadspin Dirk Nowitzki Gives Conan O'Brien A "Texas Citizenship Test" | Gizmodo Join the Debate: 3D Printed Guns [...] (Read Full Article) |
| Truth Patrol: Screen Sizes (HDTV Almanac: Your source for independent HDTV information from an industry expert you can trust., 8/30/2006 7:22am) |
| According to a story on chinapost.com.tw, the German consumer magazine Test advises that you should sit no closer to an HDTV than three times the... ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | NASA's 3D-printed rocket part handles 20,000 pounds of thrust in test (video) (Engadget, 8/29/2013 10:58am) |
| (Read Full Article) |
| Video Media Formats Tested (Connected Home Media, 8/17/2005 2:03pm) |
| Technology site ExtremeTech has put the leading video codecs to the test, and the results might surprise you. Burn a DVD in minutes! ... (Read Full Article) |
| Trading freedom for security (Guardian Unlimited, 7/27/2005 11:17pm) |
| Microsoft disappointed many geeks last week by announcing the name of its next version of Windows, while preparing to ship the first beta test version next Wednesday. ... (Read Full Article) |
| Tube TV gets put to test (BizJournals, 7/24/2006 5:07am) |
| Les Garland, who co-founded MTV at a time when cable television was in its infancy, is prepping his latest brainchild - the high-definition Tube Music Network - for a trial by fire. ... (Read Full Article) |
| News NBA Shoots For 3D HD The league will test the technology at this month's All-Star game. By Phillip Swann (TVPredictions.com, 2/12/2007 5:03pm) |
| Washington, D.C. (February 12, 2007) -- The National Basketball Association is considering showing live games in 3D HDTV in movie theaters and stadiums. ... (Read Full Article) |
| Sony HD set puts on a really good show (Rocky Mountain News, 1/22/2007 8:25am) |
| Choosing a new high-definition television can be a dizzying experience. Of course, there's nothing like actually taking a set for a test drive, watching it in a home environment - and also side by side with another set - to make an informed decision. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Staples Now Selling 3-D Printers Online, First Fully 3-D Printed Gun Tested (DailyTech, 5/06/2013 1:41pm) |
| First fully 3-D printed gun test [...] (Read Full Article) |
| Tech test: Can HD projectors conquer the home? (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/11/2006 5:09am) |
| So you just got a 42-inch high-definition TV set and you think you've caught up with the Joneses. Well, I was just watching a 90-inch image at home, with equipment that cost about the same as a plasma TV. Any buyer's remorse? ... (Read Full Article) |
| Terrestrial HDTV trial planned for summer (Digital Spy, 4/06/2006 3:42pm) |
| The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five have confirmed plans to test a terrestrial HDTV service in the capital. The trials will utilise a frequency not available to commercial broadcasters, and the signal will be transmitted at low power. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | NASA's Next 3D Printing Frontier Is... Pizza? (Gizmodo, 5/21/2013 11:58am) |
| Forget guns, here’s a (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | BBC To End 3D Broadcasts - For Now (About.com, 7/06/2013 4:00am) |
| In a move that seems like another setback for 3D TV, the BBC has announced it is will be suspending its 3D TV test broadcasts after the The Doctor Who 50th [...] (Read Full Article) |
| LG Electronics 42PC1DA (Washington Post, 7/20/2006 9:13am) |
| We're not going to lie to you: You could very nearly buy two identically sized bargain plasmas for the price of one LG 42PC1DA plasma HDTV. Its price of $3000 (as of 6/6/06) is nearly twice that of some 42-inchers we've seen in the PC World Test Center. But plasma enthusiasts would do well at least... ... (Read Full Article) |
| Oppo Kicks Off Early Adoption for Blu-ray Player (Electronic House, 2/25/2009 7:15pm) |
| Oppo Digital is picking 50 early adopters to test out its $499 BDP-83 Blu-ray player before the official release. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | German police to begin making 3D-printed guns to test effectiveness (CNET Blogs, 7/24/2013 7:40pm) |
| Driven by both a justified concern over home-produced plastic firearms and a desire to explore the potential for cheaper police weapons, German law enforcement picks up a 3D printer. (Read Full Article) |
| HDTV sets put to the test: tube-type, wide-screen (Seattle Times, 4/17/2005 7:16am) |
| LCDs, plasma screens and rear-projection sets may be winning over more television buyers, but the tubby and dependable picture-tube television... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Google unveils price for 'gigabit' Internet service (USATODAY, 7/26/2012 6:44pm) |
Kansas City was selected by Google to test a fast new fiber-optic Internet service.
(Read Full Article) |
| First Blu-ray Test Center Opens in China (Format War Central, 7/09/2008 10:51am) |
| Engadget reports that the first Blu-ray disc testing facility has just opened up in China, a month after rumors spread that the BDA had granted 11 licenses to Chinese based companies.
CESI Technology has received the first license to open up a plant in China. What does this mean for you the consumer? It means your [...] ... (Read Full Article) |
| Tested: Toshiba's HD DVD Firmware Version 2.7 (High-Def Digest, 11/20/2007 9:00pm) |
| Is Toshiba’s latest firmware update for its second-gen HD DVD players ready for prime time? We asked Joshua Zyber to take it for a test drive on his HD-XA2 player. Released early last week, the documentation...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/highdefdigestallnews/~4/187838152" height="1" width="1"/> ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Renegade Kid's lost Crash Bandicoot DS prototype revealed (Joystiq, 1/11/2013 9:15pm) |
Prolific DS/3DS developer Renegade Kid made a demo for a Crash Bandicoot DS game years ago. The test for Crash Landed was done in 2008 or 2009 for publisher Activision, according to (Read Full Article) |
| InFocus Aims Big with 61-inch HDTV (ExtremeTech, 3/15/2005 7:20pm) |
| InFocus offers a thin DLP rear projection HDTV that's less than seven inches deep. Can a pricey, thin DLP rear projector keep up with the competition? We put it to the test. (Read Full Article) |
| Samsung delays Blu-ray Disc player (Addict 3D, 4/04/2006 5:59am) |
| In breaking news out of Japan today (April 3, 2006), Samsung is rescheduling its initial U.S. Blu-Ray player launch from May 23 to June 25 in order to complete compatibility testing with several Blu-Ray test discs that will become available in late April from product manufacturers and content providers. ... (Read Full Article) |
| Singapore to start trial service of HDTV by mid 2006 (Channel NewsAsia via Yahoo! Singapore News, 11/30/2005 10:17am) |
| Singapore will begin a trial service to test high definition TV services or HDTV by the middle of next year. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Oh Crap, the World’s First Entirely 3D-Printed Gun Has Been Successfully Test-Fired (Gizmodo, 5/06/2013 9:19am) |
| Just days after revealing that he was working on a 100-per-cent 3D-printed weapon, Cody Wilson appears to [...] (Read Full Article) |
| Like High-Def? Here Comes the Next Level - New York Times (New York Times, 9/26/2005 5:06am) |
| Like High-Def? SAN DIEGO, Sept. 25 - Scientists and engineers in the United States and Japan plan to test the world's highest-resolution videoconferencing system on Monday evening over a 9,000-mile optical network linking the University of California, San Diego, with Keio University in Tokyo. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Sky will broadcast final preseason F1 tests in 3D to UK viewers (Engadget, 2/06/2013 10:05am) |
| In a move it's calling a world's first, Sky Sports has announced that parts of Formula 1's final preseason tests [...] (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Newest 3DMark Released and Ready to Benchmark Windows 7 & 8 Systems (High-Def Digest, 2/05/2013 5:30pm) |
| Fire Storm Test specifically designed for high-end DirectX 11 systems. The newest version of 3DMark, simply entitled "3DMark," succeeds the popular 3DMark 11. The advanced version is currently [...] (Read Full Article) |
| Samsung gains CableLabs certification on 2-way DTV (Electronic Engineering Times Asia, 8/28/2005 9:04pm) |
| In a major milestone for cable's interactive digital evolution, Samsung Electronics has achieved certification status for an OCAP-enabled interactive digital TV (DTV) set in a recently concluded test wave held at CableLabs. ... (Read Full Article) |
| Neterion Launches a 10 Gigabit Ethernet Evaluation Program for Data Centers (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance, 6/27/2005 12:00pm) |
| Today Neterion Inc., the industry leader in the 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter market, announced that it is launching an evaluation program to allow IT managers to "test drive" its Xframe technology at their own locations. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | The Liberator, the first completely 3D-printed gun, gets test-fired (video) (Engadget, 5/06/2013 8:21am) |
|
The [...] (Read Full Article) |
| NHK Working To Make HDTV Obsolete (Slashdot, 11/05/2005 1:11am) |
| An anonymous reader writes "According to an article at EEtimes.com Japanese company NHK has successfully demonstrated a live relay of 'Super Hi-Vision' television, which is 16x 1080i resolution -- 7680 x 4320!" From the article: "NHK developed a Super Hi-Vision camera equipped with 8 megapixel CCD image sensors that can take 4k x 8k images. In the field test, it sent the two cameras to a sea ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Leap Motion Controller Launch Delayed Until July 22 (eCoustics, 4/26/2013 1:19am) |
| Leap Motion today announced that it will delay initial shipments of its 3D motion controller from May until July 22. In a note to customers, CEO Michael Buckwald said Leap decided to push back the rollout to have more time to test the device. [...] (Read Full Article) |
| Canon XH G1 HD Video Camcorder Supports HDTV Test in Outer Space (Business Wire, 11/12/2007 9:22pm) |
| TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A Canon XH G1 HD video camcorder traveled into space for use in testing involving the capture of digital high-definition television (HDTV) images on the latest space ... (Read Full Article) |
| Sony Opens 20th Sony Style Retail Store (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance, 9/28/2005 2:20pm) |
| With purchasing power among women rapidly increasing, a new Sony Style® retail store is opening at the fashion oriented Roosevelt Field shopping mall in Garden City, N.Y., encouraging consumers -- especially women -- to test-drive a variety of electronic devices. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | LG Starts Streaming 3D Disney Movies to Smart TVs (Big Picture Big Sound, 10/06/2012 6:36am) |
| LG is streaming new 3D options and offering a promotional coupon so new users can test out some of the [...] (Read Full Article) |
| DTS Master Audio - Titles to Test on Your Playstation 3 (Format War Central, 4/16/2008 4:56pm) |
| With the recent release of an internal DTS Master Audio decoder included in the latest Playstation 3 firmware release, you might be wondering what titles are around that feature this lossless codec.
Look no further! After some tweaking of the Audio field filtering on the Blu-ray Statistics page, you can now easily get a list of [...] ... (Read Full Article) |
| Samsung delays Blu-ray Disc player launch (Digit Magazine, 4/04/2006 11:16am) |
| Samsung will delay the US launch of its Blu-ray Disc player by one month, the company has announced. The delay has been called to allow completion of compatibility testing with Blu-ray Disc test media that is due available in April, Samsung said in a statement. ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | NASA's 3D-Printed Rocket Injector Test: A Beautiful Inferno (Gizmodo, 7/11/2013 7:59pm) |
| NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne tested their first 3D-printed rocket engine injector today. What you see above is the little guy (Read Full Article) |
| Think the Internet will replace TV ? Thing again (Blog Maverick, 3/18/2006 4:41pm) |
|
Craig Moffet of Bernstein Research was asked to
testify before the Senate Commerce Committee on the subject of Net
Neutrality. His comments were of course right on the money.
The interesting conclusions that can be drawn from his test ... (Read Full Article) |
| SnapStream announces Beyond TV 4; upgrade to include HDTV, DivX, FM (Engadget, 7/28/2005 7:06pm) |
| If you’re looking for a PC-based DVR and want to go above and beyond MCE’s onboard functionality, SnapStream’s recently announced upgrade to Beyond TV may be the answer. Beyond TV 4 will include support for recording FM radio, DivX encoding, and HDTV. Of course, to get HD, you’ll need a compatible tuner card, but the SnapStream boys are working hard to test this with as many tuners as th ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | The UPS Store Makes 3D Printing Accessible to Start-Ups and Small Business Owners (Business Wire, 8/03/2013 2:00pm) |
| SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The UPS Store® today announced it is the first nationwide retailer to test 3D printing services in-store. Select UPS Store locations will be offering the services to start-ups, small businesses and retail customers, [...] (Read Full Article) |
| Sony unveil the Vaio TT - the world's lightest laptop with Blu-ray (Tech Digest, 9/24/2008 12:10pm) |
| This is the 11.1" Sony Vaio TT notebook PC. Nice, isn't it? Sony reckons it's the world's lightest notebook PC that has a Blu-ray option. I'm not going to test them on that - I'll just take them at their word. You're not lying to me, are you Sony...? ... (Read Full Article) |
| SCEA exec: PS3 is going to 'stand the test of time' (Joystiq, 3/20/2009 1:20am) |
| In a recent interview with GameDaily, SCEA Senior Vice President of Marketing Peter Dille responded to the multitude of rumors claiming the PS3 will see a price drop in the coming months. Simply put, Dille explained that Sony's profit strategy for the PlayStation brand "limits the playbook when it comes to pricing and promotion." Rather than talk about price cuts, SCEA is attempting to "commun ... (Read Full Article) |
| Xbox 360 sees huge sales spike in UK (AfterDawn, 3/18/2008 6:46pm) |
| According to Chart-Track, the Microsoft Xbox 360 saw a 40 percent sales jump in the UK following the Europe-wide price cut last week.
Says Chart-Track director Dorian Bloch, "Xbox 360 is up 35-40 percent - that's from Friday, when the price cut came into effect, up to midnight Saturday."
"Now it's a question of Easter," he noted. "The real litmus test will be over the next three to fo ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Cypress’s EZ-USB® FX3™ Controller Enables Net Vision’s Image Recorder To Test High-Definition Image Sensor Applications (Business Wire, 2/18/2013 2:00pm) |
| SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cypress today announced its FX3 USB 3.0 device controller gives Net Vision's SVI-06 Image Recorder the ability to connect with two image sensors at once, enabling advanced 3D inspection [...] (Read Full Article) |
| LCoS Shoot-Out Results (Slashdot, 2/16/2006 8:43pm) |
| mikemuch writes "DisplayMate founder Ray Soniera has revealed the results of his LCoS HDTV Shoot-Out. He puts five HDTV's through a slew of test pattern measurements, and then lets 34 real people, including home-theater lay people and experts, conduct jury tests and make comments. There was one case where the experts gave low marks to a display that the lay people loved. From the article: 'We ... (Read Full Article) |
| Marvell Redefines Video Quality - Introducing Qdeo HD Video Evaluation Blu-ray Disk (HDTV Magazine, 8/12/2009 4:11am) |
Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) , a leader in storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions, today introduced a new high definition (HD) test disk that enables objective evaluation of the quality of video processing in HD audio-video products like Blu-ray players, AV receivers and HDTVs. The HD test disk has been designed to provide...
(Read Full Article) |
| Program offers compatibility test for high-definition consumer electronics (Embedded Systems Programming Magazine, 1/11/2006 6:54pm) |
| Sunnyvale, Calif.—Media IC maker Silicon Image, Inc ., providing secure distribution, presentation, and storage of high-definition content, announces the launch of Simplay Labs and the Simplay HD Testing Program . The program provides compatibility testing for HD (high definition) consumer electronics devices. ... (Read Full Article) |
| Simplay Labs Previews New Testing Services and Expands Global Presence by Opening the First Lab in Europe (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance, 1/08/2007 12:15pm) |
| Simplay Labs, LLC, the leading provider of testing technologies, tools and services for the high-definition consumer electronics industry, at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show today announced the opening of its first European test center in London, providing manufacturers a state-of-the-art compatibility testing facility to ensure they are delivering industry-compatible ... ... (Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Archimedia unveils software reference player for viewing, testing files on HDTV (Broadcast Engineering, 7/01/2013 3:18pm) |
| The Archimedia Reference Player allows users to view, test and measure master files on a standard HDMI HDTV.
(Read Full Article) |
| (Unranked) | Dark Souls 2 North, South American PS3 beta delayed (Joystiq, 10/27/2013 10:10pm) |
|
Dark Souls 2's beta test for North and South American PS3 users will be rescheduled after [...] (Read Full Article) |
| New Ratings: Blu-ray players now on CRO (Consumer Reports, 8/05/2009 3:30pm) |
| We’ve just posted our latest high-def Blu-ray Ratings (available to subscribers), and we’re happy to report that almost all the models tested can provide excellent HD and DVD picture quality. In fact, all the models in our Ratings offered excellent high-definition performance, though we did see some differences in how well players handled upconverted film-based programs from standard DVDs. In addition to models from familiar brands, such as LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony (whose products we’ve previously reviewed), our latest Ratings include the first Blu-ray players from JVC, Sherwood, and Oppo (pictured), a smaller company whose upconverting DVD players earned strong word-of-mouth among the A/V enthusiast community. Check our Ratings to see how well these newcomers did compared to second- and third-generation models from other brands. With satisfying HD picture quality now almost a given, it’s primarily features that differentiate one player from another. For example, while almost all the new models in our Ratings are BD-Live (or BD-Live-ready) players—meaning they can connect to the Internet to access extra content, such as outtakes, additional directors', or actors' commentaries, or even video games, from a movie studio’s servers—some older models lack this feature. All the players in our test have BonusView, a picture-in-picture feature that lets you view additional content in a smaller window while the movie is playing. We’re also seeing more Internet-connected players that can now directly access instantly streaming movies from services such as Netflix or Amazon Video on Demand, or music from streaming Internet radio services such as Pandora. Some models offer wireless access to a home network so you don’t need to have a wired Ethernet jack near the player. Although we have seen Blu-ray prices fall since our last test, the addition of these new features has tempered the types of price drops we initially envisioned. As a result, you can still expect to pay $350 to $500 for a top-rated, BD-Live model from a major brand. A less expensive option is to choose a “BD-Live-ready†model; prices typically start at about $250. These players come with an Ethernet connection, but require you to purchase additional memory (typically a 1GB USB flash drive, which costs $10 to $15) to activate the BD-Live feature. But if you can live without BD-Live, you can save money by choosing one of the BonusView-only players, which typically sell for $200 or less. But we do anticipate prices dropping this fall, even on full-featured models from major brands, as manufacturing efficiencies come into play and brands compete for market share. We’ll be tracking Blu-ray prices over the next several months, especially during November’s Black Friday shopping period, when rumors suggest we’ll see the first $100 model. So keep checking back here for updates. Also, we recently changed our Blu-ray testing protocol, adding scores for Blu-ray disc load times and remote control operations. With so many players offering excellent picture quality, we’ll continue to adapt our Ratings to include new features or attributes that will help buyers differentiate among the choices.—James... (Read Full Article) |
| New Blu-ray player Ratings: Lower prices, more features (Consumer Reports, 10/09/2009 4:03pm) |
| In our largest test of Blu-ray players so far, we found that satisfying picture quality has become almost a given, while features and price vary considerably. You can pay as little as $160 for a recommended model or as much as $500, depending on the capabilities, bells and whistles you’re willing to pay for. Portability commands top dollar. The first portable Blu-ray player we’ve tested, the Panasonic DMP-B15, is priced at $700. Our latest Blu-ray player Ratings (available to subscribers) include 27 models that have a few features in common. All have BonusView, a picture-in-picture feature that lets you view additional content in a smaller window while a movie is playing, and all can upconvert standard DVDs to quasi-HD resolutions. Only a handful of the players, mostly priced at $300 and up, have BD-Live, a feature that allows the player to access directors’ commentaries, deleted scenes, games, and more from the movie studio’s servers. Other models are BD-Live-ready. These players, all priced at $200 and up, have the required Ethernet connection, but need additional memory (typically a 1GB USB flash drive, which costs $10 to $15) for the BD-Live feature to work. Another feature showing up on some of the higher-priced models is the ability to stream movies from online services such as Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand, or receive music streams from Internet radio stations such as Pandora. And more players now have USB ports or SD card slots, so you can play digital photos, music and even videos on your TV. One model, a Panasonic, has a built-in VHS player, a space-saving option for those who still watch tapes. Again, you’re not likely to find these features on the lowest-priced players. We expect prices to drop over the next several months, especially during November’s Black Friday shopping period. Rumors suggest we’ll see the first $100 model. So keep checking back here for updates. —James K. Willcox (Read Full Article) |
| Does the Samsung Instinct HD really shoot HD video? (Consumer Reports, 10/08/2009 7:02pm) |
| The Samsung Instinct HD. [PHOTO courtesy of Samsung] The Samsung Instinct HD, available from Sprint for $250 with a two-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate, is the first cell phone we've seen that claims to make high-definition video recordings. It also boasts a 5-megapixel still camera with flash. That camera is a step up from the flashless, 2-megapixel camera found on previous Instincts, also from Sprint, including the S30 version now in our Ratings, available to subscribers. We’re evaluating the Instinct HD now, and will post full test results on it to our Ratings later this month. Meantime, our initial results on its imaging are promising, albeit with a few quibbles. The new Instinct’s camera is easy to access, thanks to a dedicated camera button, conveniently located on the lower right side of the phone. Pushing the button activates the camera’s still mode. Tapping a camera icon on the upper left of the largish (1.78 x 2.66 in.) display switches the camera to video mode. Tapping again summons controls for auto-focus, exposure, and other camera functions. The Instinct HD claims it can record video resolution of 1280 x 720p, which is a true HD format—although, as we often point out, HD format alone does not assure images of pristine, high-definition quality. To assess quality, we shot a series of videos on the Instinct and hooked it up to a 50-inch Panasonic plasma television using the optional ($30) HDMI cable. Our findings: Color was good in the MPEG4 videos, though they lacked fine detail and texture. They blurred even more when we panned the camera to the left or right. In short, they couldn’t rival the image quality you’d enjoy from full-sized HD camcorders in our Ratings, available to subscribers. But such camcorders are much bigger and pricier than the Instinct HD, and do nothing except shoot video and stills. The high-def video quality of the Instinct was comparable to what you’d get from a standard-definition pocket camcorder, such as the Flip. And that's still way ahead of the video we've seen any other camera phone. A few details and quibbles: The HDMI cable has a proprietary connector that works only with the Samsung HD, so you may have trouble finding a replacement if it's lost while you're on vacation. You can't use the cable for showing stills on your TV. If your TV has an SD memory-card slot, you can play photos and videos off of the phone's 4GB microSD memory card (the phone comes with an SD memory card adaptor). Unfortunately, accessing the card is a pain. You have to open the phone's back cover and remove the battery, which shuts off the phone. And the still-image performance of the Instinct? Pictures were sharp and well-defined, with good color overall on the TV screen, though shots taken in low light still looked dark—even with the flash. Camera controls were fairly responsive for a phone, with an acceptable next-shot delay. Our photo engineers are currently giving the Instinct HD's... (Read Full Article) |
| In the CR Test Labs: New LCD, plasma HDTVs (Consumer Reports, 8/04/2009 2:55pm) |
| The latest batch of televisions in the CR TV lab includes the new 46-inch Sony Bravia LCD. While many of us are gearing up for summer vacations, CR’s TV engineers are still hard at work testing more LCD and plasma TVs. Among this latest group are models with full-array LED backlights, and several 240Hz sets that take aim at reducing motion blur. We’re also looking at some new Toshiba models that will be the first to include Dolby Volume, a volume-leveling technology that attempts to minimize differences in loudness when you switch channels or when commercials come on. Here are the models currently being tested in our TV labs: LCD TVs Hitachi L26D103: This 26-inch 720p (1366x768) set is a TV/DVD combo with an integrated standard DVD player, headphone jack, and a built-in sleep timer. Hitachi L32A403: This 32-inch 720p (1366x768) set from Hitachi has four HDMI inputs, and comes with a swivel stand. JVC LT-46J300: This 46-inch 1080p LCD from JVC has the company’s TeleDock integrated iPod dock. LG 55LH90: This 55-inch 1080p LCD TV from LG is a high-featured model that has full-array LED backlights with local dimming, and the company’s TruMotion 240Hz technology, which combines a 120Hz refresh rate with a scanning backlight. It’s also a THX-certified set. Oddly for a higher-priced set, it doesn’t include access to LG’s NetCast Internet service. Magnavox 42MF439B/F7: Earlier this year Philips handed over the manufacturing and marketing of its Philips- and Magnavox-brand TVs in the U.S. to Funai, which also controls the Sylvania brand. This Magnavox, among the first TVs we've seen as part of the deal, is a lower-priced 42-inch 1080p LCD model that can play back digital photos and music stored on a USB flash drive. Philips 32PFL3504D: This 32-inch 720p (1366x768) set, available at mass merchants, warehouse clubs, regional dealers, and online retailers, is fairly low-priced for a major brand and includes a set-up assistant that uses an onscreen wizard to personalize settings. RCA L46FHD37R: A lower-cost 46-inch 1080p LCD, sold at Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Clubs, and other retailers, that include a light sensor that automatically adjusts contrast to room light conditions. Samsung LN52B750: This 52-inch 1080p LCD from Samsung has new Touch of Color cosmetics (charcoal gray) and the company's Auto Motion Plus 240Hz technology that actually quadruples the TV’s frame rate. It also includes the company’s [email protected] Internet service, which uses Yahoo widgets to access online content, which will soon include instant movies from Blockbuster. Also comes with some preloaded content, such as recipes and games. It can wirelessly connect to a home network via an optional USB wireless dongle. Sharp Aquos LC-52E77UN: This 52-inch 1080p LCD from Sharp features a new design, 120Hz technology and has five HDMI inputs, the most we’ve seen. Sharp Aquos LC-C4067UN: This value-priced Aquos is a 40-inch 1080p LCD sold via the warehouse clubs. Sony Bravia KDL-46Z5100: This pricey 46-inch Sony LCD has Sony’s Motionflow 240Hz technology, which actually quadruples the TVs frame rate, plus the Bravia’s widget-based... (Read Full Article) |
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