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Blu-ray releases on August 24th 2010

By Ben Drawbaugh

posted Aug 23rd 2010 at 9:32PM

The picture above says it all, but we'll say it anyways; this week marks the release of the greatest TV show of all time on Blu-ray. Of course that is just an opinion, but one thing that can't be argued is that Lost was very popular and it would have to be for ABC to believe that someone would pay $200 for all six seasons and some toys. We can't wait to relive it all over again on Blu-ray ourselves, but at that price we'll have to wait for it to show up on Amazon's bargain collection.

Lost: The Complete Collection (ABC)
Lost: The Complete Sixth Season (ABC)
$5 a Day (Image)
2:22 (Inception)
Abandoned (Anchor Bay)
Ajami (Kino)
The Back-up Plan (Sony)
The Square (Sony)
City Island (Anchor Bay)
Death Note Collection (Viz)
Dorian Gray (E1)
The Great Rift (BBC)
The Long Good Friday (Image)
Time Bandits (Image)
Mona Lisa (Image)
Withnail and I (Image)
Machine Gun McCain (Blue)
Nature: Extraordinary Animals: Africa (Questar)
Nature: Extraordinary Animals: Bears & Wolves (Questar)
Scenic National Parks: Alaska & Hawaii (Questar)
Scenic National Parks: Great Train Rides (Questar)
Shogun Assassin (E1)
The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season (Fox)
Survival of the Dead (Magnolia)
The Universe: Our Solar System (A&E)

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HDTV Listings for August 23, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 23rd 2010 at 4:57PM

What we're watching tonight:

ESPN (720p) has Cardinals/Titans preseason Monday Night Football at 8 p.m.
NBC (1080i) airs Minute to Win It at 8 p.m. and the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant at 9 p.m.
ABC Family (720p) has The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8 p.m. and Huge at 9 p.m.
TNT (1080i) has The Closer at 9 p.m. and Rizzoli & Isles at 10 p.m.
ABC (720p) airs Bachelor Pad at 8 p.m.
Fox (720p) has Lie to Me at 9 p.m.
MTV (1080i) airs the season finale of The Hard Times of RJ Berger at 10 p.m. and Warren the Ape at 10:30 p.m.
HBO (1080i) presents If God is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise, Part 1 at 9 p.m.
Discovery (1080i) has Ultimate Car Build Off at 9 p.m.
Showtime (1080i) has Weeds at 10 p.m. and The Big C at 10:30 p.m.
ESPn (720p) has Little League World Series at 8 p.m. and Red/Giants baseball at 10 p.m.

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DirecTV to offer Sunday Ticket online, in HD to non-subscribers -- but there's a catch

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 23rd 2010 at 4:36PM

If you've been waiting for a way to get Sunday Ticket at home without signing up for DirecTV, congratulations because today is your day. The USA Today reports DirecTV is expanding access to its online streams from New York to the rest of the country this season. $350 buys a full slate of games available on PC or cellphone in up to 720p, however the only people allowed to sign up will be those who can verify they aren't able to access DirecTV, possibly because they aren't allowed to post a satellite dish or can't get a clear view to the south. Ordering for non-subscribers should start the week before the season, so keep an eye out until then.

New York Daily News, USA Today

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Join the Engadget HD podcast live on Ustream at 5:30 PM

By Ben Drawbaugh

posted Aug 23rd 2010 at 3:43PM

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 5:30 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.

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MSG Varsity launch in HD & ESPN RISE football kickoff ensure future Uncle Rico's moment in HD

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 23rd 2010 at 11:57AM

Now that pro and college football are broadcast almost exclusively in high definition, framed for 16x9 and even 3D, no wonder it's even trickled down to high school sport coverage. Instead of just a few games here and there, Cablevision's launching MSG Varsity HD to cover games in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersy, Connecticut,) with a live HD broadcast of the game of the week every Friday night. For the rest of the nation trying to scout some prospects, ESPN RISE is bringing a number of high school games to ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU in high definition all weekend, check after the break for a full schedule.

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Dish Network launching DishOnline.com this week, streaming 'several cable networks' to subscribers

By Tim Stevens

posted Aug 23rd 2010 at 10:57AM

Dish Network launching DishOnline.com this week, streaming 'several cable networks' to subscribers

Dish Network subscribers, get ready to join the 21st century. Your content provider of choice is said to be peeling the "beta" stickers from its DishOnline.com service this week, opening up online and on-demand streaming of content to its subscribers. At least 15 channels will be streaming live over the internets, including all the major networks and extras like Syfy and Comedy Central, though selection appears to be somewhat limited at this time. The site will also provide remote DVR scheduling and let SlingLoaded users stream recorded content straight from their device -- which, of course, they could already do. The service goes live sometime within the next few days, and of course will only be available to Dish subscribers, you lucky people you.

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HDTV Listings for August 22, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 22nd 2010 at 6:33PM

What we're watching tonight:

NBC (1080i) has Vikings/49ers Sunday Night Football at 8 p.m.
TNT (1080i) has Leverage at 9 p.m.
TBS (1080i) has My Boys at 10 p.m.
HBO (1080i) has True Blood at 9 p.m., Hung at 10 p.m. and Entourage at 10:30 p.m.
AMC (1080i) has Rubicon at 9 p.m. and Mad Men at 10 p.m.
History (720p) has the series premiere of Swamp People at 10 p.m.
ESPN (720p) has Angels/Twins baseball at 8 p.m.

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Samsung Blu-ray players won't play Warner, Universal movies after firmware update, require a rollback

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 22nd 2010 at 3:34PM

As annoying as continuous Blu-ray player updates are, usually having the latest one is the best way to play more movies. Unfortunately the opposite was the case for Samsung (again) with the v2.09 update posted recently for its 2009 BD-Px600 line of players. Forum posters on CNET and AVSForum report the upgrade blocked them from playing Universal and Warner Bros. movies, which conveniently lock up after displaying the title image. Samsung's rolled back to an older firmware version (v2.07) on its support site that should fix things for now, but with some users still having problems downgrading, all they can do is wait for the next update, whenever that arrives. Some help line reps have said the new version should arrive "in a couple of weeks," but it's not like you really wanted to watch Clash of the Titans or Book of Eli right now anyway, right?

[Thanks, CJ Robinson]

CNET Forums, AVSForum

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BDP-3600 Support, BDP-1600 Support

Back to the Future Blu-ray trailer revealed

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 22nd 2010 at 3:12PM

Get an early peek at the Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Edition restored footage in this trailer (embedded after the break.) Not that a YouTube stream can hope to match Blu-ray, but you can click the 1080p switch and pretend it's October 26 already. Where we're going, we don't need (to wait for) discs.

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Poll: Are you using TV Everywhere, anywhere?

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 22nd 2010 at 2:15PM

We've seen various providers from Comcast to U-Verse to Verizon roll out / refresh their online portals with loads of streaming TV content, bringing the cable video on demand experience to the PC, but is anyone taking advantage of TV Everywhere? Other options like Slingbox and of course, pirated streams and downloads have been around and will remain, plus newer unaffiliated sources like Hulu and Netflix, so we'll see if there's any room left for these initiatives, and if they're enough to keep you paying that ever-expanding TV bill each month.

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NFL Network, Redzone Channel could be coming to more cable companies

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 21st 2010 at 7:58PM

If your cable company hasn't offered NFL Network so far, keep an eye out, as the league's station and the National Cable Television Cooperative are opening it and NFL Redzone up to the co-op's members. The group claims 17 of the 20 largest cable companies in the country as it's members (including Suddenlink, Cablevision, Cox, GCI and more -- but not Time Warner), so while it's not a straight shot to seeing this channel in your guide, the option is out there so call your provider if you're interested.

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HDTV Listings for August 21, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 21st 2010 at 5:57PM

What we're watching tonight:

NBC (1080i) has Persons Unknown at 9 p.m.
Syfy (1080i) presents Lake Placid 3 at 9 p.m.
ABC (720p) has NASCAR Sprint Cup Series @ Bristol at 7:30 p.m.
BBC America (1080i) has Being Human at 9 p.m.
Comedy Central (1080i) presents Whitney Cummings: Money Shot at 11:30 p.m.
Fox Soccer Channel (720p) has FC Dallas/Chivas USA at 8 p.m.
NFL Network (1080i) has preseason football with Steelers/Giants at 7 p.m. and Packers/Seahawks at 10 p.m.

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Dish Network has AMC HD now, casually points out DirecTV still doesn't

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 20th 2010 at 7:28PM

Congratulations Dish Network on announcing yourself as "the first and only satellite TV provider in America to offer this channel." Though DirecTV still has NFL Sunday ticket, if your taste run more towards Don Draper than Adrian Peterson, you won't get Mad Men in HD there, yet. Check for the new network on channel 130 in the America's Top 200 package of channels and higher, and let us know if Rubicon is worth watching -- going into these conspiracy stories blind can be tiring.

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A first hand look at NVIDIA 3DTV Play and PowerDVD 3D

By Ben Drawbaugh

posted Aug 20th 2010 at 5:29PM

Home theater PC fans will tell you that one of the reasons they do what they do is because of the flexibility that comes along with a roll your own home theater PC. And so of course the latest HTPCs need to be able to play 3D movies, games and broadcast content. Now NVIDIA has been bringing 3D to PCs for years but the latest 3DTVs don't share as much in common with 3D PC displays as you might think. Some think this is as simple as getting a video card with an HDMI 1.4 port, but in regards to 3D it is just a spec and your existing video card you've had for years might just work. In fact what HDMI 1.4 means to 3D is simply that a device is capable of outputting specific 3D formats (all common 3D formats used less bandwidth than 1080p60 2D). Sure the hardware must be physically capable of transmitting the signal, but what we're really talking about here is software, not hardware. That's where NVIDIA 3DTV Play comes in. This little piece of magic will be free for those who already own an NVIDIA 3D Vision kit, but for the rest of us with NVIDIA video cards, it'll be $40. What's interesting is that 3DTV Play doesn't really help those with the 3D Vision kits, because it is specifically for 3DTVs; which require their own 3D glasses. Now if you really want to know exactly what 3DTV Play does help with, and how well it works, well you'll just have to click on through for that part.

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HDTV Listings for August 20, 2010

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 20th 2010 at 4:12PM

What we're watching tonight:

CBS (1080i) has Flashpoint at 10 p.m.
Fox (720p) has Eagles/Bengals preseason football at 8 p.m.
Discovery (1080i) has Man, Woman, Wild at 9 p.m. and the season finale of Dual Survival at 10 p.m.
Syfy (1080i) has Eureka at 9 p.m. and Haven at 10 p.m.
History (720p) has Modern Marvels at 9 & 9:30 p.m. and Gangland at 10 p.m.
Starz (1080i) has The Pillars of the Earth at 10 p.m.
MyNetworkTV (720p) has WWE Smackdown at 8 p.m.
TLC (1080i) has Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta at 9 & 9:30 p.m. and Left at the Altar at 10 p.m.
NFL Network (1080i) has the 2010 Arena Bowl with Storm/Shock at 8 p.m.
ESPN (720p) has NASCAR Nationwide Series @ Bristol at 8 p.m.
ESPN2 (720p) has 2010 Little League World Series baseball at 8 p.m.

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Is your local Redbox hiding a touch of Blu?

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 20th 2010 at 3:02PM

If you're like some of us, and Redbox's Blu-ray availability search came up empty even after the company announced it's expanding high definition rentals to all locations, it may be time to look again. At several locations in Michigan, and also experienced by our friends at HighDefDiscNews, even though the official search page still says there's no BluBoxes to be found, checking the Blu-ray category of local Redbox kiosks online (as seen above) reveals they've already added a few movies as recently as this week. It's like the state motto says "If you seek $1.50 Blu-ray rentals, look about you," or something like that.

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BD-Live lets The Office Season Six Blu-ray set stream next season's episodes in HD

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 20th 2010 at 2:34PM

Universal's list of special features for The Office: Season Six Blu-ray boxed set is pretty standard for its releases -- iPhone remote control, digital shorts, blooper reel etc. -- with the exception of one all-new feature. This time around, when season 7 episodes air on NBC, afterwards users with these discs can stream them, in HD, through their Blu-players via BD-Live. According to the press release users will have access to "the latest five episodes" but no word on exactly how long the window between them airing on TV and showing up online will be. We'll keep our DVR queue, but if these episodes are truly high quality and commercial free, it's at least a convenient bonus. Perhaps if they bumped it up to allow viewing before the episodes air, then Universal could be onto something, press release and trailer follow after the break.

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VIZIO XVT HDTVs with LEDs, WiFi, apps & Bluetooth ready to ship

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 20th 2010 at 8:00AM

This year's iteration of VIZIO's top of the line XVT LCDs (at least until the XVT3D -- née XVT Pro -- series hits in Q4) are finally ready to ship and, as we've come to expect, pack a long list of features to go along with their price tags. The 240Hz 42-, 47-, and 55-inch versions all feature LED backlighting, which may be ready to beat criticisms of light black levels with a claimed 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Whether or not you believe any TV manufacturer's contrast measurements, an increased 120 zones of backlighting (up from 80 last year, up to 160 from 120 on the 47-inch) and a profile that's 2 inches slimmer (down to just 3 inches deep) this time around should be easily noticeable. The 37- and 32-inch XVT models rely on the company's edge lit Razor LED lighting tech and are less than 2 inches this, with stated 1,000,000:1 contrast ratios.

Other than arbitrary and easily fudged specs, VIZIO's fighting the competition with its VIA suite of features -- widget based app platform with Netflix, Pandora & others, built-in WiFi and QWERTY Bluetooth remote -- and they're all here, along with plenty of HDMI inputs and SRS audio technology. The 32-inch isn't the cheapest model that size you'll find at $699 and neither is the top of the line XVT553SV with its $2,199 MSRP, but after perusing the list of specs in the press release after the break, it's hard to imagine finding many with a similar resumé at those prices.

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Google TV demo shows off Dish Network integration, universal search (video)

By Richard Lawler

posted Aug 20th 2010 at 6:59AM

For those still wavering over the possibility of dropping a few Ben Franklins on something rocking the Google TV logo this fall, maybe the best idea is to get to know this new flavor of Android a bit better. StuffWeLike grabbed video of a Comic-Con 2010 demo that showed off its universal search in a level of detail we hadn't previously seen. Our earlier hands-on with Google TV partner Logitech (also included after the break) focused mostly on its ability to control other devices, but this has a decided emphasis on the user interface and what Google brings to HDTVs, particularly when fully tied in to Dish Network's DVR, and its ability to shift seamlessly from internet to live or recorded TV and back. The second half of the video shifts the focus to the Google Queue, a single menu for DVR recordings and podcasts (video or audio.) The camera's a bit jerky, but there's plenty of info in those menus flashing by including icons for previously announced apps from Netflix and Pandora and an inadvertent cameo from vlogger RayWJ about two and a half minutes in.

GTVHub, SimplyGoogleTV

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LG parading 31-inch OLED TV among other sets at IFA 2010

By Ben Bowers

posted Aug 19th 2010 at 11:47PM

We've been tracking LG OLED TV production rumors for nearly as long as Bieber's been alive, and recently got wind that their ultra-thin 7mm LED TV would be appearing at IFA this year, but now more news has materialized. According to OLED-Display, the company plans to show a new 31-inch OLED television prototype in addition to confidence-compensating 72-inch 3D LED TV. Sadly, other critical details like resolution and pricing are nowhere to be found, but considering the company's 15-inch EL9500 OLED -- which we're still waiting for stateside -- is selling for close to $2,400 in the UK, it's fair to assume a model double in size will be a Kanye-level extravagance. Seeing a larger OLED example before 2011 though will be a step in the right direction for LG, and appears to fall in line with the company's own rollout predictions.

OLED-Display.net

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