Other features of the LCD include an S-Video connection, VGA/DVI display, and four USB ports. The only other factor of importance is the cost: it’ll run you about $874. A US version has not yet been announced, but we all know Dell, and the US release cannot be too far off.

Now, the question to be asked is, will Blu-ray win the battle? The showdown is very similar to the old VCR versus Betamax. We all know why the VCR won the battle, so the next question to be asked is, will a certain film industry decide to support Blu-ray? If that happens, I can already hear the church bells tolling the death of HD DVDs. Not to mention, that those of you who actually spent the obscene amount of money on a PS3 just got a little reassurance that your investment may not have been too badly wasted.

Obviously it’s too early to see a clear-cut winner, but the ramifications of Blockbuster deciding on Blu-ray may quell the rise of HD DVD and propel Blu-ray into the future.

Via [Arstechnica]

If you’re looking for a more-advanced home theater experience, but you don’t want to spend thousands and hire a German engineer to set it up, you might want to check out the two new receivers Pioneer dropped today.

Dubbed the AX1AH and 1017AV respectively, the receivers plow up to 180 watts through a 7.1-channel surround sound system with the help of full Dolby TrueHD support or DTS HD Master Audio.  Even better, the devices feature HDMI 1.3 for video and upscales TV and movie players.

If that’s not enough, the system includes a USB port so you can plug your favorite digital music player into the device, as well as optical audio input, and Advanced MCACC support.

The more-powerful AX1AH will drop in June for $1,149, while the $772 1017AV will hit stores in July.

Via [Electronista]

Usher in the war of words. The HD DVD Promotional Group ramped up the rhetoric today by claiming the format controls 60 percent of the high-def media market. The Group claims its format is not only in the lead, but is growing ever so quickly with a new record of 75,000 discs sold in the last week of May.

According to reports, the spike in HD DVD growth is a result of significant price cuts on the HD-A2 player that saw the price reduced to $399. Even better the company claims, there is no slowdown in sales after the reduction.

Ironically, the Group chose to exclude any talk of video game platforms from the study, which could indicate two things: (1) the Xbox HD DVD players are not selling as well as expected and/or (2) Sony’s Playstation 3 was left out of the study to inflate HD DVD’s market share.

Either way, this sounds a bit fishy to me.

Via [Electronista]

As a way to have a thorough discussion on piracy, I’ve decided to take excerpts from the very source of the anti-piracy movement, and examine the RIAA’s beliefs about what piracy is, and what it is not. I am not here to say that piracy is a fine practice, and I support any and all attempts that are made against large piracy organizations that cost artists the money they rightfully deserve. With that said, I am strictly against the practices of the RIAA, and believe that their scare tactics of little old ladies in middle-class USA, or little Johnny Boy who doesn’t know any better is simply despicable. So, without any further adieu, let’s examine the RIAA’s arguments.

“Today’s pirates operate not on the high seas but on the Internet, in illegal CD factories, distribution centers, and on the
street. The pirate’s credo is still the same–why pay for it when it’s so easy to steal? The credo is as wrong as it ever was. Stealing is still illegal, unethical, and all too frequent in today’s digital age. That is why RIAA continues to fight music piracy.”

I chose this excerpt because it runs directly against the practices of the RIAA. I agree that CD factories, distribution centers and street dealers are the true pirates of the world. In fact, it’s easily documented that the vast majority of pirates that cost the record industry millions of dollars each year come from these kinds of place. Unfortunately for the suits, more times than not, the people who run these illegal facilities have machine guns strapped to their backs. But if that is true: namely that the fight is against the aforementioned facilities, why did the RIAA bust a handful of college students back in 2003 and charge them $150,000 per illegally downloaded song? Were they running an illegal CD factory, distribution center or street dealing enterprise? Nope. They were regular college kids (you know, the ones who don’t have any money yet) who wanted some songs. Or what about the 83-year old deceased women the RIAA sued for 700 song violations? Was she a ring leader and we weren’t told about it?

Unfortunately the RIAA is attempting to attack the people who do not deserve the punishment. They tell us what the pirate’s credo is, but what is the RIAA credo? They will surely claim that it is stamping out the major distributors of copyrighted material, but judging by their history, one would be hard-pressed to prove it. The RIAA is not out to take down the Song Stealing Mafia, it’s out to take down the little people. After all, they are easier to pick on.

“Pirate recordings are the unauthorized duplication of only the sound of legitimate recordings, as opposed to all the packaging, i.e. the original art, label, title, sequencing, combination of titles etc. This includes mixed tapes and compilation CDs featuring one or more artists.”

Did you make a CD for mommy last night? If so, you better throw it out now. According to the RIAA, a mixed CD featuring one or more artists is strictly prohibited. But why? What if I purchased five CDs from five different artists. From there, I ripped them onto my computer and put my favorite songs from each disc onto one CD. Why is that such a crime? Based on the broad definition, that is in fact, a crime. I paid for the disc, and wouldn’t you think I should own it as well? Nope. Sorry folks, believe what you want, but the sad fact is when it comes to music, you don’t own a thing.

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Now the great idea created by that guy is to market the code minus one line on black T-Shirts; as if this is going to be a way to go against the developers. Honestly, I think someone has too much time on their hands to create such a ridiculous idea. Obviously it won’t be too ridiculous if they make a lot of money, but still I believe that there must be something else that these geeks can do with their time other than think it’s cool to wear a black T-shirt with six lines of hexadecimal coding on the front. C’Mon.

Via [I4U]

If you’re the type who enjoys walking around town capturing video of everything that moves, you might want to check out the HD Camcorder from Aiptek.

Dubbed the GO-HD, the camcorder is truly one of a kind.  With its ability to capture video in 720p at 30fps, the camera is a must-see for any video enthusiast.  Even better, if you decide to encode video in H.264, you’ll be able to cram four hours of video on an 8GB SDHC card.  And if you want to take stills while you’re at it, the camera takes a 5-megapixel shot with the help of its 3x optical zoom.

But perhaps the most impressive aspect of this phone is its price.  For just under $300, you can have this tiny bad boy sitting in your hands while you capture any kind of video you want.  Just try to keep it clean please.

Via [Slashgear]

How many times do I have to say it?  HD Radio is one of those ideas that, although worthy, will never quite gain the traction it needs to become the hot shot everyone thinks it will be.  Well, with the first Sony entrant into the market, that idea may have gone a bit awry.

The XDR-S3HD is a tabletop HD radio that offers great sound at a pretty affordable price — $200.  The radio will feature a remote, alarm clock in case you sleep in, and a cable jack so you can plug in your favorite digital music player.

Although Sony claims there are over 1300 stations nationwide that offer HD radio content, the simple fact is most of it stinks.  With poor reception and the crappy quality of radio, these systems have me wondering if it’s even worth spending the cash that can be used on something much nicer.

Oh, and in case you’re worried: this cherry-wood finished radio does offer your oh-so-last-century AM and FM frequencies.

Via [Gizmodo]

The Ad Suite is comprised of the 3D Video Cube, 3D Product Configurators, and 3D Advergames to name a few. These products are aimed at enhancing visual experience for online advertising pretty similar to the way HD has enhanced television. As a result, an intriguing advertising scheme is being developed.

How many times have you seen an ad, but have not truly “seen” the ad. We see banners and ads on every website we visit. It has gotten to the point where I may see an ad, but I never click just because I know it will be the same ol’ same ol’. Unicasts’ Ad Suite has been developed to combat that lackadaisical attitude, as stated by Jason McKay, Vice-President of Unicast: “3D is a very rich and engaging element that can be integrated into any ad format to create an extraordinary experience for users.” Marketers are trying to capture the viewers attention to lure them to their product, much how like a bug flies towards a light.

I’m actually interested in seeing just what a 3D ad looks like. So the next time I’m surfing the web I will be looking for these interactive HD3D advertisements and might actually just click on one to see how they work. Looks like the marketing scheme is working already.

Via [HDTV Magazine]

To be honest with you, this is just a waste of time. Yet, we all know someone is going to think this is the next big thing and actually support Toshiba and buy the HD system for their Minivan. Now little Suzie can watch Snow White in HD on a 10″ screen; like she will be able to tell the difference.

Via [I4U]