Looks like YouTube's having quite the day. The site has officially rolled out Leanback, its television-friendly interface first espied during Google TV's big unveiling. The interface works via keyboard arrow keys -- sorry, no option to use the mouse -- letting you scroll through your feeds / recommendations, categories, playback options, and search bar. Videos encompass the entire browser menu and will crank up the HD when available. So far, we're seeing snappy response with navigation, and some utter embarrassment at the (unfortunately accurate) suggestions YouTube is throwing our way.

Meanwhile on the handheld front, YouTube's also pushed live a new mobile site. New touted features include a more touch-friendly UI, further incorporation of the main site's elements such as favorites and ratings, and a generally speedier existence. YouTube also promises to work at bringing update parity across its desktop and portable kin, "unlike native apps which are not updated as frequently" (come on, tell us how you really feel, guys). Since the TV season is in a bit of a lull anyway, might as well grab your iPhone, Android device, HTPC remote, laptop, or whatever other screen you have and play catchup with your viral videos. Promotional footage after the break.

What we're watching tonight:

• Comedy Central (1080i) has Tosh.0 at 10:30 p.m.
• NBC (1080i) airs Minute to Win It at 8 p.m. and America's Got Talent at 9 p.m.
• USA (1080i) has In Plain Sight at 10 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant at 9 p.m. and Toddlers & Tiaras at 10 p.m.
• Travel (1080i) has Man v. Food at 9 & 9:30 p.m. and Bert the Conqueror at 10 p.m.
• Spike (1080i) has the season finale of Half-Pint Brawlers at 11 p.m.
• TBS (1080i) has Meet the Browns at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• Showtime (1080i) has Inside NASCAR at 10 p.m.
• MTV (1080i) has The Real World at 10 p.m.
• Food (1080i) has the season finale of Diner: Impossible at 10 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) has Mythbusters at 9 p.m.

Looks like AMX isn't eager to be next in line for a battle after Kaleidescape and Real Networks, as it's chosen to kill the MAX line of multimedia servers, aimed at storing and streaming ripped discs, primarily in digital signage environments. CEPro notes several other similar servers that chose to fade out rather than fight the DVD Copy Control Association, while Kaleidescape is apparently still tied up in the courts, we're still wondering if legit disc ripping will arrive before Managed Copy.

We're pretty used to wondering about what kind of computer is best suited for connecting to your HDTV, but what if it also has to pull double duty as an on the go workhorse? That's the dilemma of our friend Scott:

"'I've been looking to buy a nettop PC with an Atom/ION to use as my HTPC, like the Acer Aspire Revo R3610, and hook it up to my home network, but I would also like to have a laptop for portability. I can't afford both so I need to make the best choice. I mainly watch recorded TV from my Windows 7 Media Center PC, DVDs, surf the internet and play an occasional 3D game. I'll be hooking this up to my 60" LG plasma TV. I don't need Blu-ray playback as I use my PS3 for this. Are there any laptops that aren't too bulky/heavy, have enough power to handle 1080p playback through HDMI output and have a large enough screen to watch movies when in the go? I was looking at the HP dv4-2165dx. What would you recommend?

A few of you must have similar requirements for your mobile computing, so we're wondering what you've found to fit your needs. Moving beyond even Scott's situation, is Blu-ray playback a major issue in laptop purchasing these days, or are you comfortable with portable copies and rips when you leave the house? Feel free to drop all advice and notes in the comments below.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Audio glitches pushed this episode back a day, but you had to know we'd come through with the HD news. Hulu Plus and Netflix's industry shakeup continues and puts them at the top new position, followed by discussion of Comcast's multiroom DVR offering and how it compares to the competition. Later we move to Media Center talk and whether or not switching is a good idea for everyone and why (or why not), along with an in depth breakdown of the responses submitted to the FCC about CableCARD, and what will happen next. A new version of VLC is news for Macs and PCs, before we get to our poll question of the week. DirecTV and Sony top 3D related news this week, before we wrap things up with the state of control technology today, and a look towards the future possibilities of HDBaseT.

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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@Rjcc)


Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
00:02:15 - Hands-on with Hulu Plus via Samsung HDTV, iPhone and iPad
00:15:00 - Hulu CEO: we're 'complementary' to cable
00:18:25 - Netflix adds Relativity Media to its Instant queue, takes on HBO and Showtime
00:22:30 - Comcast starts offering multiroom features, 500GB hard drives with AnyRoom DVR
00:31:45 - Ask Engadget HD: Should I switch to Windows Media Center?
00:35:00 - A war of good and bad is raging before the FCC over CableCARD rules
00:43:50 - VLC 1.1 released, adds hardware acceleration and new codec support
00:47:33 - Poll: Are you still watching the World Cup?
00:53:33 - DirecTV's new n3D channel is the first to bring home all 3D, all the time
00:55:16 - Sony's active shutter glasses now on sale, $150 buys your eyes a third dimension
01:00:28 - Sony's 2010 ES line includes 3D and excludes online retailers; Android remote app on the way
01:04:15 - HD 101: IR blasters, HDMI-CEC, RS-232 and IP control
01:17:10 - HDBaseT 1.0 finalized; LG, Samsung & Sony ally behind one do-everything cable

LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)

What we're watching tonight:

• ABC (720p) has Wipeout at 8 p.m., Downfall at 9 p.m. and Primetime: Family Secrets at 10 p.m.
• FX (720p) has Rescue Me at 10 p.m. and Louie at 10 p.m.
• NBC (1080i) has Losing It with Jillian at 8 p.m. and America's Got Talent at 9 p.m.
• TNT (1080i) has the Hawthorne at 9 p.m. and Memphis Beat at 10 p.m.
• Syfy (1080i) has the season premiere of Warehouse 13 at 9 p.m. and WWE: NXT at 10 p.m.
• ABC Family (720p) has Pretty Little Liars at 8 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) has Deadliest Catch at 9 p.m.
• USA (1080i) has the season finale of Law & Order: CI at 9 p.m.
• Food (1080i) has Cupcake Wars at 9 p.m. and Chopped at 10 p.m.
• Spike (1080i) has Deadliest Warrior at 10 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has Table for 12 at 10 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has World Cup Primetime at 8 p.m.
• ESPN2 (720p) has a WNBA doubleheader with Sun/Silver Stars at 8 p.m. and Mercury/Sparks at 10 p.m.

Get ready for a few more movie channels to hit your guide listing, as the L.A. Times reports it's heard Sony is planning to launch two new channels later this year. The first is the familiar FEARNet, currently existing as a video on-demand only provider that it hopes to get in more homes by adding a traditional channel, and the other would be an all new Sony Pictures Movies HD venture. So far Sony Pictures hasn't pursued its own movie network in the US but it does have channels overseas, and this would be a high definition channel along the lines (and pricing) of MGM HD. It doesn't have the three screen flair of EPIX HD, but if we can get some OAR movies with proper surround sound, that would be something to look forward to.

Voddler, the year old video-on-demand service that's wowing them in Western Europe (much like Sandra Kim did when she won Eurovision for Belgium in 1986) has just announced that as of today it is offering open enrollment to users in Sweden. The company is already boasting over 600,000 registered users (up until now, invitations were required), contracts with five of America's major movie studios, and Scandinavia's biggest assortment of free movies and TV shows. Sadly, if you're a displaced Norwegian living in the states, this will all do you no good at all: the service is not available in the US of A. We suppose this is all payback for Hulu's restrictions from international fans of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Either way, the situation is pretty "wackadoo." We've heard on the street that the service, which features a ten foot interface for living room friendly viewing and utilizes a P2PTV overlay network (similar to Vudu) for streaming should eventually hit the states, although there doesn't seem to be a timeline on that. PR after the break.

[Thanks, Karl]

After a bit of back and forth, Transformers 3 has been confirmed as yet another action flick jumping on the 3D train. The good news (unless you were really happy to hear that Megan Fox would no longer be a part of the franchise) is that they're filming in 3D as opposed to converting it in post production (like Clash of the Titans, Alice in Wonderland and The Last Airbender) as revealed by master of the 3D camera himself, Vince Pace. Apparently nothing would do for Michael Bay but Jimmy C's best, requiring the cameras used in Avatar and the upcoming Resident Evil flick. Just in case you were wondering, our friends at Cinematical have put together an impromptu list of recent/upcoming 3D movies that will be using a 2D to 3D conversion process (Harry Potter, Narnia, Piranha 3D) and those originally shot in 3D (Tron Legacy, Saw VII 3D) -- so you know what to expect before you put your cash down for a ticket.

Though it originally seemed like you'd need to drop an additional $50 annually to get your on-demand TV fix via PlayStation 3, it turns out that the PlayStation Plus is not technically needed for Hulu Plus functionality. Concerned console owners emailing support@hulu.com are being told Sony's premium service is "only a requirement during the preview period," after which point "you should be able to download the Hulu Plus app," which will still require Hulu's own $10 monthly subscription, of course. We reached out to a Hulu representative and confirmed the above for ourselves -- so the only question is how long you'll have to wait without shelling out.

Given the company's focus on 3D this year, it's not at all a surprise to see Sony's 2010 line of ES receivers (and lone Blu-ray player) touched up with a dash of 3D support and HDMI 1.4-compatible features, but it may be a shocker to see their sale restricted to "specialty AV retailers and custom installers." That means no Amazon.com or other online retailers, but wherever one finds the STR-DA5600ES, STRA-DA4600ES, and STR-DA 3600ES, they'll include IP, RS-232 and IR control support for easy home automation integration, iPhone remote control (Android -- and of course we'd expect Google TV -- version coming soon) as well as working as an Ethernet hub and DLNA streaming device. At the top of the line the STR-DA5600ES ships in September for $2,000 and is able to automatically calibrate audio for speaker types (like last year's), plus locations and angles, function as a DLNA Live Audio server itself and stream audio and video to other rooms via HDMI (six in, two out) or CAT5e. While the remaining models do a bit less, for a bit less when they all ship in August, the STR-DN2010 is a new model for 2010 at just $800. As for the Blu-ray player, the BDP-S1700ES ships with 3D movie play back, BRAVIA Internet video and Qriocity streaming WiFi and Gracenote database browser for $400 this August, check for a picture and specs on all after the break.

Ever wonder why premium movie channels (your HBOs and the like) get top-shelf Hollywood movies not long after their DVD release but yet you're still stuck streaming Mystery Science Theater 3000's greatest hits on Netflix? That situation could be changing thanks to a deal with Relativity Media, who you may not have heard of before but has had a hand in the production and distribution of big Hollywood flicks like 300 and A Serious Man. The deal with Netflix will bring some of the company's movies to Watch Instantly within months of their DVD release, avoiding the usual multi-year exclusivity window that pay networks usually require. Right now only a few movies are mentioned, including The Fighter, Skyline, Movie 43, and Season of the Witch, but this deal establishes Netflix as a player in this market, pitting itself against HBO and Showtime for first distribution of premium content to the small (but ever growing) screen. If things go well, your Instant queue could be getting a bit more plump over the next year or so.

More PS3 news from Sony. What was already known to be a fall release has just narrowed to September 30th for Sony's $199 PS3 Surround Sound System -- at least in Japan. As you might recall, this budget Sony soundbar with integrated sub-woofer and S-Force PRO Front Surround technology tethers up snuggly with your PS3 over optical digital supporting Dolby digital, DTS, MPEG-2 AAC and Linear PCM audio formats. Model CECH-ZVS1 then bounces the surround sound off the walls when placed in front of your television. It's not Sony's best soundbar but it's the only one with a matching PlayStation logo. And for some gamers, that's likely all they'll need to know.

What we're watching tonight:

• NBC (1080i) has Persons Unknown at 8 p.m. and Last Comic Standing at 9 p.m.
• USA (1080i) presents WWE: Raw at 9 p.m.
• ABC (720p) has The Bachelorette at 8 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) has Ultimate Car Build Off at 9 p.m. and Heartland Thunder at 10 p.m.
• ABC Family (720p) has The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8 p.m. and Huge at 9 p.m.
• A&E (720p) has Intervention at 9 p.m. and Obsessed at 10 p.m.
• History (720p) has American Pickers at 9 p.m. and Pawn $tars at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has Cake Boss at 9 p.m. and Inedible to Incredible at 10 p.m
• HBO (1080i) brings No One Dies in Lily Dale at 9 p.m.
• MTV (1080i) airs The Hard Times of RJ Berger at 10 p.m. and Warren the Ape at 10:30 p.m.
• TBS (1080i) has Neighbors from Hell at 10 p.m.
• Travel (1080i) has the season premiere of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10 p.m.

It's Monday, and we know that getting the week started can be tough. We're here to help by letting you peek into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to tape at 4:30 pm. Think of it as a kind of time machine that will help you power through your day by reviewing what happened in the week HD-wise. Embedded Ustream tools and a list of topics after the break.

In case you missed it at E3, all three of the Sly Cooper games from PlayStation 2 are being remastered in high definition (and in the case of the third game, 3D), and as you can see we've got a few comparison pictures from the Playstation Blog. Since original developer Sucker Punch has moved on to other thing like inFAMOUS, the conversion is being handled by Sanzaru Games (with some help from the original high res texture maps and art assets), and from the looks of things the transition to higher res and widescreen is going well. Head over to the blog for a better look or check out Joystiq for their hands on -- everyone else has to wait for the updated games to be released in November.

VLC 1.1 was just released, adding hardware acceleration on Windows Vista, 7, and Linux (no mention of the Mac just yet), along with a general 40 percent speed boost from a massive code cleanup. A new add-on and script framework now enables extensions, which should lead to some interesting additions, and the VP8 and MEPG-4 lossless codecs have been added, along with container support for MKV HD and Google's open-source WebM format. We just gave it a quick try and things certainly do seem to perform as advertised -- hit the source link for the download.

What we're watching tonight:

• Fox (720p) has Sons of Tucson at 7 p.m.
• PBS (1080i) airs A Capitol Fourth at 8 p.m.
• NBC (1080i) has Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular at 9 p.m.
• CBS (1080i) has Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at 10 p.m.
• Food (1080i) has Iron Chef America at 10 p.m.
• Showtime (1080i) bring The Real L Word at 10 p.m.
• Cartoon Network (1080i) has The Boondocks at 11:30 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has Royals/Angels baseball at 8 p.m.

Another day, another company pleading guilty to their role in a massive global price-fixing conspiracy surrounding the MSRP of LCDs. The Taiwan-based HannStar Display agreed (grudgingly, we surmise) this week to cough up a whopping $30 million for its role in the scheme, marking the seventh company to "plead or agree to plead guilty as a result of the department's investigation into the LCD industry." All told, the US Department of Justice has seen some $890 million paid out and 17 executives charged, with HannStar in particular being pegged for violating the Sherman Act during its participation in the conspiracy from September 2001 to January 2006. So, anyone up for being lucky number eight?