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Amazon.com Launches Amazon Video On Demand

Amazon.com has launched it's Amazon Video On Demand service for movies and TV shows. You can now choose from thousands of movies and commercial-free TV shows to watch from your PC or Mac, no downloading required! They even have new Fall TV shows that you can watch before they premier on TV!






I will give the new service a try and report back here later this week. You can check it out now as there's some great content to choose from including hours many worth of free content. Let us know what you think of Amazon's new Video On Demand service.

DIY: Calibrate your HDTV (or become a professional and make money!)

Here's your chance to learn how to calibrate your HDTV set like the pros. Better yet, if you're going to spend the money on the top 9 calibration tools, why not become a professional and charge others for the service. Read the CE Pro Article.

Where is HD? That's the question...

There's been several websites and local HD programming lists around the web but WhereisHD.com really answers the question, Where is HD in your local area, better than any other resource I've found. It's as simple as entering your zip code and then you're shown a complete listing of the available HD programming in your area listed by local over-the-air broadcasts, your local cable operator, DirecTV, Dish Network and C Band-4DTV.

Although it won't help you determine the type of OTA antenna you will need like AntennaWeb.org, it will help you choose the best HD provider based upon the content that's available or even help you decide if you made the right choice with your current HD provider.

Toshiba to drop HD DVD?

Well it certainly seems that way according to an article in the Hollywood Reporter that quotes sources from Toshiba. Jodi Sally, VP of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products, was quoted as saying "Toshiba will continue to study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, particularly in light of its recent price reductions on all HD DVD players." Another HD DVD source is quoted as saying “An announcement is coming soon, It could be a matter of weeks.”

It's unfortunate but not surprising given the hundreds of millions of dollars that Sony's Blu-ray camp has thrown at the movie studios. 

Earlier this week, Netflix and Best Buy announced their support for Blu-ray. You can also look to Amazon.com who is offering 50% off HD DVD's and other online retailers that have or will follow.

CES 2008: CES - It's a Wrap

Well, another CES has come and gone and I'm still recovering. The early numbers show the attendance was down from about 150,000 last year to about 140,000 this year. Really? I didn't notice, the show seemed more crowded and bigger than ever, covering over 8 football fields! There was so much to see and no matter how long you're there, it's still tough to see and touch everything. There really wasn't much this year that stood out and grabbed me. Yes, I laughed at Bill Gates final Keynote address, drooled over Panasonic's 150" Plasma TV that would require a crane to lift it into place, Kid Rock and the new Corvette ZR1, Comcast's new FREE VOD website Fancast, XStreamHD, Logitech's SqueezeBox Duet...actually, there was some cool stuff to see this year.

Here's some more great CES 2008 Wrap Ups:

About.com
Best of CES 2008

CNET CES 2008 Wrap Up
Home Audio Wrap Up
Home Video Wrap Up
HDTV Wrap Up
Computers Wrap Up
Emerging Technologies Wrap Up
Car Tech Wrap Up
Portable Wrap Up
Cell Phone & Smart Phone Wrap Up

DigitalCameraReview.com
CES 2008 Wrap-Up

Earth2Tech
CES Green Gadget Wrap Up

Engadget
CES 2008: Everything you must see
The Best of Crapgadget

Engadget HD
CES 2008: The Best and worst of HD
CES 2008: The Best of Set Top Boxes
CES 2008: The Best of LCD TV HDTVs
CES 2008: The Best of Plasma HDTVs
CES 2008: The Best of Blu-ray Players

GearLog
Best of CES 2008

Gizmodo
Best of CES 2008

Mahalo
Everything CES 2008
CES 2008 Videos

PC Magazine
Best of CES 2008

popgadget
CES - It's a wrap

Tech Digest
CES 2008: The 50 Hottest Products

CES 2008: CNET's Best of CES Awards

CNET has posted it's annual Best of CES Award winners. The winners range from a green eco friendly TV to DIY gadgets. Check it out...

Over 10,000 CNET members also voted on the People's Voice Award winners in each CE category.

You can also watch a video of the awards here.

CES 2008: XSTreamHD Announces Strategic Partnership with DTS and Seagate

XStreamHD, setting a new standard for the delivery and distribution of Full HD entertainment to the home, today announced strategic partnerships with two recognized pioneers of high-definition technology, DTS, Inc. (DTS) and Seagate Technology® (NYSE: STX). XStreamHD will provide the first-ever transport network to deliver high-definition movies and music directly to the home - offering up to 7.1 channels of DTS-HD Master Audio™, and featuring Seagate's purpose-built DB35 Series™ hard drives with up to an incredible one terabyte (TB) of storage, allowing consumers to use up to 2TB of storage in one solution. The XStreamHD solution will be unveiled for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 7-10.

"As our name implies, XStreamHD is about bringing the highest resolution audio and video to the home with unmatched quality and convenience. We are thrilled to offer our customers the clarity and dynamic range provided by DTS-HD Master Audio, along with the unparalleled storage capacity offered by Seagate, to advance the home theater experience," said George Gonzalez, Founder and CEO of XStreamHD.

XStreamHD will offer affordable access to HD movies, music, broadcast TV, electronic games, and more with unmatched quality and convenience - without the limitations of program schedules or physical media.

CES 2008: THX and Portrait Displays Partner to Simplify HDTV Setup and Calibration

Portrait Displays’ TV Tune, patent-pending technology, will play a significant role in the THX Media Director ecosystem, which spans the digital production chain — from the studio to the living room. THX Media Director turns movies, music, or video games into “smart content” that can communicate information about AV content directly to home entertainment products. Portrait Displays’ TV Tune decodes this information, enabling the HD display to automatically adjust color temperature, brightness, sharpness, aspect ratio, and other settings.

“THX Media Director allows filmmakers and other artists, who spend hours perfecting their content in the studio, to communicate exactly how it should look and sound when presented in the home,” said Rick Dean, Vice President of Technology Development at THX. “Partnering with Portrait Displays provides a means to communicate Media Director metadata directly to the HDTV, enabling the display to dynamically adjust key video settings specific to the content being played.”

Many consumers avoid adjusting their HDTV’s configuration out of fear of making a mistake. By simplifying operation and set-up, THX Media Director and Portrait Displays’ TV Tune encourage consumers not to fear the remote control. This simplified operation provides them the confidence to maximize the use of their HD components. In addition, THX and Portrait Displays are providing assurance to the creative community that their movies and video games can be accurately presented on HDTVs in the home.

CES 2008: Blu-ray Live Interactive Demo

Engadget live blogged the Blu-ray interactive demo at CES from the Sony booth and it's a very interesting read. Some of the features highlighted by Leonard Maltin, Dean Devlin and various studio execs were BD Live, BD-J, the ability to include a portable copy of a movie on Blu ray Disk for playback on a PSP and even the ability to chat live while watching a movie. And of course you will be able to watch movie trailers but one potentially cool feature is the ability to create custom trailers and post them to the web. Cool stuff! HD DVD better think fast...                   

[via engadget]

CES 2008: Panasonic Announces WirelessHD Transmission System

Panasonic has announced that it has developed the world-first wireless High Definition (HD) Audio/Video transmission system based on the WirelessHD standard, in partnership with SiBEAM, Inc. The system enables HD video transmission in uncompressed format between a television and other AV equipment like a Blu-ray Disc player without quality deterioration.  

 

Unlike conventional wireless transmission technologies, this system uses a 60 GHz-band millimeter wave radio to provide robust transmission connectivity, since uncompressed HD video requires a large bandwidth. The WirelessHD system consists of a Plasma television with a receiver and a movable rack housing video sources with a transmitter such as a Blu-ray Disc player and HD digital camcorder. Without the clutter of connecting cables, users can enjoy greater freedom in positioning and design of their home theater. For example, a user can hang an HD Plasma on their wall while keeping their Blu-ray Disc player apart from the Plasma, without worrying about running cables or other wires between the products.