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ESPN 3D review: college football kickoff

Engadget HD - 1 hour 2 min ago

The 2009 BCS National Championship game showed us the potential of 3D sports broadcasts but now it's 2010 so while Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow have taken their game to the NFL, ESPN 3D has made it a reality for viewers at home. Last night's Boise St./Virginia Tech matchup was the first of 13 the network plans to air including the next BCS Championship game so we didn't waste any time plugging in a 3DTV and taking a look. Check after the break for our impressions and a bit more explanation on 3D technology (Still not up to speed? Check out our post-CES breakdown of 3D tech for the home right here.)

Continue reading ESPN 3D review: college football kickoff

ESPN 3D review: college football kickoff originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chuck: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray review

Engadget HD - 1 hour 9 min ago

Among Warner's slew of TV show releases this week is Chuck: The Complete Third Season, and we took a quick look at the boxed set before it hit shelves. In case you're still unfamiliar with the NBC show, Chuck Bartowski was a regular employee at the Buy More electronics store before accidentally downloading a computer database into his head and becoming a secret agent -- all without telling his family, friends and co-workers. In the third season, Chuck makes steps towards becoming a full-fledged agent on his own and the show has a lot more action, but it still retains the comedy elements that have kept it going so far.

In the Blu-ray box set the four discs contain all 19 episodes, plus a deleted scene or two from most of the episodes. The other extras available are a 20 minute behind the scenes featurette that's thankfully in HD and should be very entertaining for fans of the series, plus an incredibly detailed (and also HD) 10 minute Behind the Music-style documentary focusing on the band formed by two of Chuck's coworkers, Jefster. Otherwise, there's some lower-res gag reel footage and Warner's standard BD-Live hooks on the fourth disc, that allow users to mark the disc in their collection and view trailers and extras from upcoming releases like The Big Bang Theory. Unfortunately, there's no commentaries to be found here and there doesn't appear to be any extra downloads or streaming on the way, and while the audio and video here are of good quality, some will be disappointed by the lack of a lossless audio soundtrack. It just crosses the line of fulfilling the standard expectations for a boxed set, but it doesn't go far beyond that. While we can probably just be glad the show is returning later this month for a fourth season it'd be nice to see more of Blu-ray's technology put to use to bring the fans into the show -- Chuck community screening anyone?

Continue reading Chuck: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray review

Chuck: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray review originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips Home Control's Dual is a QWERTY remote for attractive people

Engadget HD - 5 hours 34 min ago

There are plenty of QWERTY remotes out there, trying to be all fancy and make operating your TV more like operating a computer. They think they're so clever, but they've all overlooked one important point: you're dead sexy. Do they really expect you to rock a remote that any old ugly person could buy at Sears and point at their more-than-an-inch-thick LCD? Philips understands, and its Home Control division is launching the Dual remote just for you. It's a pretty simple execution, with a minimal remote on one side and the full QWERTY on the flip. It's a little hard to tell from the presser, but it sounds like there's an optical track pad hidden somewhere on here as well. We also don't have any mention of release date or price, but do details like that really matter? No, they don't. Because this remote's sexy. And you're sexy. Problem = solved.

Continue reading Philips Home Control's Dual is a QWERTY remote for attractive people

Philips Home Control's Dual is a QWERTY remote for attractive people originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google TV set to launch this year, Samsung considering Android for its TVs

Engadget HD - 5 hours 56 min ago

As you're probably well aware, the Wintermute-like intelligence known as Google has designs on your television. Not only is Samsung contemplating Android for its sets, but Eric Schmidt has stated that its Google TV service is on track for launch this autumn (as a beta, undoubtedly). Finally, Maps on your plasma! Unfortunately Samsung's plans are far less certain, with company President Yoon Boo Keun offering little more than a "[w]e will have to see, but we are reviewing," when asked whether the OS will make a suitable platform for couch potatoes the world o'er. According to Yoon, about half of the company's 3-D TVs rock web browsers, a figure that will only increase over the next couple years. We only hope that if they do go with Android, the implementation is better than that of some of their handsets.

Google TV set to launch this year, Samsung considering Android for its TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you've been looking for

Engadget HD - 6 hours 54 min ago

Our eyes were drawn to an FCC filing this morning from a California start-up by the name of Zelfy; a quick glance at Zelfy's site reveals that they're in "stealth mode," but the picture of a woman using an iPhone to control her TV should give you an idea of what these guys are up to. Indeed, digging through the filing shows a product called "Peel" whose central component, the "Peel Fruit," is a small, battery-powered sphere of an IR blaster that connects to your home network router. Next, you download the Peel app onto the iPhone (or iPod touch) of your choice and control the Fruit over WiFi. The filing reveals little in the way of UI or functionality, but the product's tagline is "every remote and TV guide now on your phone," so we would assume that you'll have access to your cable provider's lineup and schedule from the app. More on this one just as soon as Zelfy decides to emerge from stealth mode, we suppose.

Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you've been looking for originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amino launches Freedom over-the-top video set-top box, challenges Google TV to arm wrestle

Engadget HD - 9 hours 46 min ago

If the AppleTV announcement didn't satiate your need for a Google TV set-top box battle royal, then new details about Amino's Freedom box might do the trick. Yes it still packs the same hardware announced back in 2009 such as an Intel CE4100m Atom Processor, 500 GB of internal storage, SD card support, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11n and 1 GB of RAM. We've now discovered however that it'll also run its own Amino branded version of Nokia's MeeGo OS, adding apps and gaming support to its list of capabilities that already included 1080p playback, VOD streaming, and DVR recording. In other words there's going to be a new Google TV competitor on the block sometime before the end of this year looking for a fight. Whether it'll provide a Lincoln Hawk-worthy performance though is something we'll let the bookies squabble over until we can go hands on with both.

[Thanks, Hary]

Amino launches Freedom over-the-top video set-top box, challenges Google TV to arm wrestle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blu-ray releases on September 7th 2010

Engadget HD - Mon, 09/06/2010 - 22:40

Not many day and date new movies in a sea of Warner TV shows -- who knew Warner made so many TV shows even though the company doesn't own a TV network? -- bu Michael Douglas' Solitary Man looks like a solid choice. There are also a few classic sci-fi titles like THX 1138, Forbidden Planet and Lost in Space. Finally the BCC has a docu' that looks interesting with Wonder of the Solar System.

Solitary Man (Anchor Bay)
Blood Into Wine (Dreamy Draw)
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (Disney)
Chuck: The Complete Third Season (Warner)
Forbidden Planet (Warner)
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Warner)
Mars Attacks! (Warner)
The Matrix Reloaded (Warner)
Poltergeist (Warner)
Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season (Warner)
Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season (Warner)
THX 1138 (Warner)
The Black Dahlia (Universal)
The Office: Season Six (Universal)
The Skeleton Key (Universal)
In Cold Blood (Sony)
Tommy (Sony)
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (Screen Media)
Lost in Space (New Line)
The Player (New Line)
The Phantom (2009) (Genius)
Stardust (Paramount)
That Evening Sun (Image)
Wonders of the Solar System (BBC)

Blu-ray releases on September 7th 2010 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDTV Listings for September 6, 2010

Engadget HD - Mon, 09/06/2010 - 17:34

What we're watching tonight:

• ABC (720p) airs Bachelor Pad at 8 p.m.
• ABC Family (720p) has the summer finale of The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has the season premiere of Little People, Big World at 8 & 8:30 p.m., Kate Plus 8 at 9 p.m. and Quints by Surprise at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• TNT (1080i) has The Closer at 9 p.m. and Rizzoli & Isles at 10 p.m.
• USA (1080i) has WWE Raw at 9 p.m.
• A&E (720p) has the season premiere of Hoarders at 9 & 10 p.m.
• History (720p) has Pawn $tars at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• Travel (1080i) has Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10 p.m.
• ESPN & ESPN3D (720p) has Boise St/Virginia Tech college football at 8 p.m.
• ESPN2 (720p) has Federer/Melzer US Open action at 7 p.m.

HDTV Listings for September 6, 2010 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redbox crosses a billion rentals and celebrates with a giveaway

Engadget HD - Mon, 09/06/2010 - 14:43

Someone (we're looking at you, Ben) notched Redbox's billionth rental recently in Tampa, Florida recently, and to celebrate the company's launched a "Thanks a Billion" giveaway. Renting a disc during the promotion (or sending a letter through the mail, no e-) nets a free rental, while the real prizes start with "Golden Ticket" rentals -- 50 codes placed on DVDs across America that are worth a $500 gift card -- plus a grand prize of a Sony 52-inch HDTV, surround sound system, Blu-ray player and some movies...or a trip to the People's Choice Awards. We know that's not really a choice for you, so all that's left is to check out the details and map of areas where Golden Ticket are located on the official website.

Continue reading Redbox crosses a billion rentals and celebrates with a giveaway

Redbox crosses a billion rentals and celebrates with a giveaway originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carl Zeiss Cinemizer 3D Plus glasses get OLED infusion, still no attention

Engadget HD - Mon, 09/06/2010 - 10:44

Carl Zeiss keeps on making minor improvements to its Cinemizer head-mounted display, announced way back in 2008 and intended to be the most amazing way to watch stuff on your iPod. They didn't exactly catch on then, and two years later we're not entirely sure that the latest revision will either. The tiny screens that sit a fraction of an inch from your eyeballs have been upgraded to OLED, which should make them bright and lovely as they pummel your rods and cones, but sadly they're still stuck in VGA land -- 640 x 480 is not a lot of pixels these days. This version also pledges greater compatibility with non-Apple devices, a welcome change, and even more welcome is the new visual styling, which makes you look a little less walleyed than the last model. Despite this the price hasn't changed much, estimated to be around €400 ($515), but that's still a lot to pay just to have the coolest Frozone costume ever.

Carl Zeiss Cinemizer 3D Plus glasses get OLED infusion, still no attention originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDTV Listings for September 5, 2010

Engadget HD - Sun, 09/05/2010 - 18:57

What we're watching tonight:

• TNT (1080i) has the summer finale of Leverage at 9 p.m.
• AMC (1080i) has Rubicon at 9 p.m. and Mad Men at 10 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has Hoarding: Buried Alive at 9 p.m. and the series premiere of Freaky Eaters at 10 & 10:30 p.m.
• ABC (720p) has The Gates at 10 p.m.
• TBS (1080i) has My Boys at 10 p.m.
• A&E (720p) has The Glades at 10 p.m.
• History (720p) has Ice Road Truckers at 9 p.m. and Swamp People at 10 p.m.
• Cartoon Network (1080i) has Children's Hospital at 10:30 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has NASCAR Sprint Cup Series @ Atlanta at 7:30 p.m.
• ESPN2 (720p) has Giants/Dodgers baseball at 8 p.m.

HDTV Listings for September 5, 2010 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG LEX8 'Nano LED' TV eyes-on

Engadget HD - Sun, 09/05/2010 - 08:08

While we admire the impulse to best your South Korean neighbor and build the world's thinnest X (in this case, the world's thinnest full LED LCD TV bezel), you can't help but notice the base at the bottom where all the components that used to be in the back have been crammed seems to grow ever larger with each passing tradeshow. Still, LG's LEX8 8.8mm thick LCD is impressively thin and the picture quality, thanks to that localized "Nano LED" dimming, is stellar. Hit up the gallery for a requisite thickness comparo with an iPhone -- next year we're just gonna pack some razor blades for comparison shots.

LG LEX8 'Nano LED' TV eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDTV Listings for September 4, 2010

Engadget HD - Sat, 09/04/2010 - 16:16

What we're watching tonight:

• ABC (720p) has LSU/North Carolina college football at 8 p.m.
• ESPNU (720p) has Memphis/Mississippi St college football at 7 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has TCU/Oregon St college football at 7:45 p.m.
• ESPN2 (720p) has NASCAR Nationwide Series @ Atlanta at 7 p.m. and Cincinnati/Fresno St college football at 10 p.m.
• Versus (1080i) has Wisconsin/UNLV college football at 11 p.m.

HDTV Listings for September 4, 2010 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony shows off Google TV (or a video of it, anyway) at IFA 2010

Engadget HD - Sat, 09/04/2010 - 16:14

It's not the full-on demo you're probably hoping for, but Sony devoted a section of its sprawling, city-within-a-city of a booth at IFA 2010 to diving into some of the capabilities its Google TV-enabled televisions will be offering when they launch in the US before the end of the year. The two-plus minute video loop runs through web search, Google Maps (which looks pretty awesome, we have to admit), YouTube and Picasa functionality, app favorites, and picture-in-picture, which means you don't have to miss those first few precious minutes of Iron Chef America while you look up desserts that use eggplant. Interestingly, we stopped by Logitech's booth today, who insisted there wasn't a Revue anywhere near the show -- despite the fact that beta units are in the field, the launch is coming up, and these guys are probably all looking to strike content deals with European providers right about now. In other words, we've got a sneaking suspicion there are Revues (and fully-functional Google TV sets from Sony) on the premises, they're just locked away in meetings where our press badges are... shall we say, "frowned upon." Follow the break for the full video.

Continue reading Sony shows off Google TV (or a video of it, anyway) at IFA 2010

Sony shows off Google TV (or a video of it, anyway) at IFA 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T technical support tool suggests Xbox 360 will bring IPTV to U-Verse households soon

Engadget HD - Sat, 09/04/2010 - 14:37

Originally the fevered dream of Microsoft executives circa CES 2007, the Xbox 360 IPTV box is rapidly becoming a reality, first sneaking into Canadian carrier Telus' Optik TV outlay and now reportedly in development at AT&T. Now, we wouldn't have blamed you for doubting Microsoft when it briefly mentioned U-Verse subscribers would get Mediaroom functionality in their game console later this year, but it's looking more likely now: a tipster just forwarded some legit-looking screenshots of Xbox prompts in AT&T U-Verse's technical support database. Our source claims the Xbox is presently being tested internally with friends and family of AT&T employees, and that it's likely only a couple of months away at this point. Not discussed: whether or not Xbox 360 will provide closed captioning for the "TV impaired." See what IPTV on Xbox might look like in our January eyes-on.

AT&T technical support tool suggests Xbox 360 will bring IPTV to U-Verse households soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp's 10.6-inch parallax barrier display makes us love our 3D glasses (video)

Engadget HD - Sat, 09/04/2010 - 01:54

Now that the Nintendo 3DS is announced using a parallax barrier display, we bet that many of you were hoping to see a 10-inch 3D tablet or laptop with a similar glasses-less display. Hell, we were... until we actually saw Sharp's prototype 10.6-inch parallax barrier display here at IFA in Berlin. Unfortunately, the panel at this larger size suffers from some very serious vertical shadows (check the video) unless you're right in the sweet spot and aligned with the barrier's precision slits at a distance of about 20 inches. Even then, it's very hard to maintain your position, and the 3D effect isn't all that dazzling. Fortunately, this 3D (640 x 768) panel also functions in 2D (1280 x 728) mode. Guess a 3D tablet that requires glasses isn't so crazy after all. Wait, yes it is.

Continue reading Sharp's 10.6-inch parallax barrier display makes us love our 3D glasses (video)

Sharp's 10.6-inch parallax barrier display makes us love our 3D glasses (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech Revue and Google TV get very early blurrycam impressions

Engadget HD - Fri, 09/03/2010 - 19:25

Well, what do we have here? Looks like a Logitech beta user was kind enough to (potentially break his NDA and) show off his early grab: the Google TV-infused Revue. What follows is a series of blurred photos that'd make the FCC weep, but all the same, who are we to critique news? The little unassuming box has HDMI in and out ports, a couple of USB inputs, ethernet, and SPDIF. According to the handler, installation was a "12-step process includes asking the details of your Google account, your physical location, TV, cable box, amp, and more." It works with any Harmony remote, an Android device (in this case, a Droid Incredible), or the packaged keyboard. That latter input we last heard was still in development, but it seems to be working fine right here: full QWERTY, a trackpad, all the necessary keys for GTV navigation. One more pic of the keyboard after the break, as well a video walkthrough.

[Thanks, Craig]

Continue reading Logitech Revue and Google TV get very early blurrycam impressions

Logitech Revue and Google TV get very early blurrycam impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HDTV Listings for September 3, 2010

Engadget HD - Fri, 09/03/2010 - 17:26

What we're watching tonight:

• Disney (1080i) presents Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam at 8 p.m. and the series premiere of Fish Hooks at 9:50 p.m.
• MyNetworkTV (720p) has WWE Smackdown at 8 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) has Man, Woman, Wild at 9 p.m. and Beyond Survival with Les Stroud at 10 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has Say Yes to the Dress:Atlanta at 9 p.m.
• ESPN (720p) has Arizona/Toledo college football at 8 p.m.

HDTV Listings for September 3, 2010 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inception European Limited Edition Blu-ray (w/ briefcase) listed for December 6

Engadget HD - Fri, 09/03/2010 - 16:13

After The Dark Knight, there's no doubt many Blu-ray fans can't wait to see Christopher Nolan's next blockbuster on their HDTVs, and now the Inception special edition has been listed for pre-order in the UK. Specs confirm Warner will include its Maximum Movie Mode where the director walks you through key moments of the film and two digital comics that serve as prologues to the film's events. The packaging itself is also special, with a case resembling the PASIV (Portable Automated Somnacin IntraVenous) device that controls dreams in the movie, a spinning top to remind you when things are over and of course, DVD and digital copy version. Play.com lists a December 6 release date, here's hoping the US gets a similarly full-featured treatment for one of this year's biggest movies.

Inception European Limited Edition Blu-ray (w/ briefcase) listed for December 6 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's 180-inch plasma that wasn't

Engadget HD - Fri, 09/03/2010 - 15:47

When we first caught wind of LG's "180-inch plasma" we were understandably enthused (and just a little skeptical), but our excitement was quickly ruined with word that LG was merely sticking nine 600Hz 60-inch plasmas next to each other and calling it a day. We got a glimpse at the "multi-vision display" (LG shorthand for "a bunch of screens next to each other") today, and it's still decently impressive in its own right. LG's managed to get the seams between the screens down to a mere 1.5mm, and while the lines are still noticeable, they could be a lot worse. While they lines certainly get in the way of entertainment, it actually provides an interesting effect when donning the 3D glasses -- almost highlighting the effect of depth. LG has some pretty boring plans for the screens, like digital signage and education, and we'll be sticking to projectors for our big screen needs, but we're still saying a 180-inch straight-up, no funny business plasma would be pretty stellar.

LG's 180-inch plasma that wasn't originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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