Home Theater/HDTV/et al...

Brother-in-law in Japan had something pretty cool. Maybe you guys know what it is....

It's a box made by Sony that has a 250GB hard disk and a DVD-Player. The satellite antenna hooks into the box. The box is then plugged into a Mitsubishi HD TV.

Now, normal DVD's look HD, some TV is HD, some TV looks HD, non-HD TV with captions looks OK but is not upsampled to HDTV.

What is this upsampling Sony machine that upsamples TV and DVD's and allows taping of tv shows?

That'd be pretty cool to get.

10 Innovative Products at CES 2009

We round up 10 innovative products unveiled at CES 2009 in Las Vegas.

http://www.cepro.com/slideshow/category/C381

From cnet:

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$1999, 55-inch Vizio goes for LED price jugular
Posted by David Katzmaier

More often than not at the January Consumer Electronics Show, manufacturers refuse to divulge pricing information until closer to the product's launch later in the year, usually citing vague competitive reasons. Not Vizio. The bargain flat-panel brand isn't shy about pricing, especially when the price is as good as this.

The Vizio VF551XVT represents a new low price point for LCD-based HDTVs with LED backlights. This 55-inch HDTV will cost a mere $1,999 when it hits store shelves in June.

Compared with current 55-inch LED models such as the Samsung LN55A950 and the Sony KDL-55XBR8, which sell for at least $3,500 and $6,500 respectively, the Vizio's price is groundbreaking. It puts LED backlight technology within the realm of affordability for big screen flat-panel shoppers. We can't wait to see how this set performs, but if it provides the same kind of picture quality improvements of current LED TVs, it will be a very good bargain.

LED backlights like the one on the Vizio VF551XVT, as well as on the Sony and Samsung models cited above, use "local dimming" technology, which turns off or dims the backlight in dark areas while leaving it turned-on in brighter areas. The result is significantly improved black-level performance, a major ingredient in picture quality.

Vizio also hit the other big feature buzzword with this model, endowing it with a 240Hz refresh rate. Compared with standard 120Hz with dejudder processing, the extra Hz supposedly improve picture smoothness. The company has said it's improved its dejudder processing over the 120Hz SV470XVT we reviewed last year. Vizio is touting the set's antiglare screen and improved viewing angles, and includes an integrated sound bar with simulated surround capability.

The set also offers a USB input that can play back MPEG-2, H.264, WMV9 Video, along with JPEG photos and MP3 music files, and the company throws in a USB thumbdrive with a preloaded 1080p video.

They made the switch to digital in Hawaii yesterday. I wondered how cori's doing? :puppydog:

gaijinmark wrote:They made the switch to digital in Hawaii yesterday. I wondered how cori's doing? :puppydog:

Losing her mind, I'll bet. :beaten:

Jeez, the government can't even make the DTV transition without drama:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Congress Closer to Delaying DTV Deadline

The deadline for the digital transition will likely be pushed back from February 17 to June.

Jan. 23, 2009 \ by Chuck McKenney

Apparently we just arenft ready for the DTV transtion. And that has Congress scrambling to delay next monthfs (Feb 17) deadline for all broadcasters to switch from analog to digital signals.

gThe shameful truth is that we are not poised to do this transition right,h says Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller, D-W.V. gWe are only weeks away from doing it dreadfully wrong \ and leaving consumers with the consequences.h

Those consequences are life without TV for anyone using antennas to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals. According to Nielsen, more than 6.5 million U.S. households are not prepared for the transition.

A Senate vote on the delay is reportedly scheduled for next week. June 12 will likely be the new deadline.

The government has spent $1.34 billion on a campaign to educate consumers about the switch and for coupons to help pay for converter boxes.

The delay will come with a cost. Television stations will have to continue broadcasting both analog and digital signals. The FCC will have to pony up more cash for new PSAs informing consumers about the new deadline. And it forces the wireless companies and public safety agencies waiting to use the old analog spectrum to further delay their plans.

Wonderful. The transition will likely be pushed to June. If people aren't ready by now, they'll never be ready by June.

They should allow stations to shut down the analog signal on February 17 and not force them to hang on until June. That would be crap.

Speaking of transition, I still find it hard to believe that 6.5 million households still do analog signals. I kinda want to know where these households are located... :headscratch:

dochira wrote:Wonderful. The transition will likely be pushed to June. If people aren't ready by now, they'll never be ready by June.

I thought Congress (or the House) nixed the delay to June....? :headscratch:

bmwracer wrote:
I thought Congress (or the House) nixed the delay to June....? :headscratch:

They did, the date is still Feb 17.

The House revoted today and it easily passed with a simple majority. The first time they needed 2/3rds but fell just short.

In any case, they should have kept the original date. It's been blasted for years now, so if they aren't ready now, I don't think they'll be ready by June.

dochira wrote:The House revoted today and it easily passed with a simple majority. The first time they needed 2/3rds but fell just short.

In any case, they should have kept the original date. It's been blasted for years now, so if they aren't ready now, I don't think they'll be ready by June.

If you don't put a date on it, it will just be pushed and pushed... and pushed on a later time... IMHO, they should have just continued with the current date and let the ones that did not convert suffer. It's not like this thing wasn't advertised to death, right?

littlemissfab wrote:It's not like this thing wasn't advertised to death, right?

From what I heard, the government spent over one billion dollars pushing the DTV thing. :sweat:

It's been posted everywhere. If they have TV, then they have seen the announcement. Those that are unaware have not been watching much TV so the change shouldn't affect them too much.

bmwracer wrote:
From what I heard, the government spent over one billion dollars pushing the DTV thing. :sweat:

That's crazy, that money could have gone to better use. I mean watching tv isn't something you would call necessary. :shakehead:

bmwracer wrote:
From what I heard, the government spent over one billion dollars pushing the DTV thing. :sweat:

Money that could have been used for waaaaaay better things... To be honest, why are they even pushing for this when there's more stuff to worry about? Is there any economic benefit for this transition?

littlemissfab wrote:Money that could have been used for waaaaaay better things... To be honest, why are they even pushing for this when there's more stuff to worry about? Is there any economic benefit for this transition?

It's an advancement in technology... The benefit is indirect, I think.

Besides, the plan to switch to DTV was in the works way before the economic crash and burn.

bmwracer wrote:the plan to switch to DTV was in the works way before the economic crash and burn.

That's what I hear, but they didn't do anything to push it. Non-digital TVs were still being sold. And the television networks seemed like they didn't care to move over to a digital signal.

Bught a nnice big plasma tv to repalce my aging rear projector...
Also got an hdmi switcher so I can switch between plasma(for day use) and front projector (for night use). It was sweet while it lasted.

That freaking hdmi switcher broke in less than a month. I've lost my receipt so I wasnt able to get it replaced. crap...

So now, so a $25 hdmi switcher at dealnews.... ordered that today. hopefully, it lasts longer than the first one...

^ Why even bother with the rear projector?

With the correct room lighting, the plasma should be good for day and night. :victory: