Fire up iTunes and you’ll find, for the first time, TV shows from the four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) in HD. It’s still $2.99 per HD episode, and that includes a standard-def version of the TV show for your iPhone or iPod. HD shows now include hits like Lost, CSI, 30 Rock and The Office. But we all know The Shield is the best show on TV now, so whatever. → Read More
In Reggie we trust, right? Hope so, but he just killed quite the rumor in a recent interview. The president and COO of Nintendo told VentureBeat that the rumored Wii HD, “penned” for 2011, is a joke. Calling it “pure rumor and speculation,” Reggie says that Nintendo isn’t about to show developers prototype version and ask, coyly, “What do you guys think?” That’s not how Nintendo does business, we’re led to believe. And now that that rumor is dead, I predict we’ll see another one before the end of the day. → Read More
This video from Vincent Laforet.com essentially turns the value proposition of an HD video camera on its head. If a DSLR can do this amazing work, why bother picking up a camcorder? → Read More
What the hell?! I think Jim Jannard took some peyote at Photokina and brought his laptop. He’s posted on the forums saying everything’s going pineapples for Scarlet and RED Epic. We have changed everything about Scarlet because the market has changed and we have discovered a lot of things in the process. We have a new vision. Wipe you minds of the past announced Scarlet. Forget the design and forget the price. It is all different now. We think you will be surprised. Glad we didn’t take any deposits… Just like Scarlet, Epic has changed completely. Throw out everything you thought before. We’ll reset the deck at the same time we announce about Scarlet. All good here. No bad news at all. Only good surprises. Still early-mid 2009. RED ONE upgrade still in effect. And yes, it will still be called RED EPIC. Give me a break! Doesn’t he sound like he’s drugged, though? → Read More
The options for shooting hi-def video are getting more and more diverse, and this thing is a good example of that. What exactly is this shape? Well, although the design might not win any awards (well, maybe — it’s quite small), the footage should look brilliant. It records 1080p up to 60fps and 12-bit color, but it outputs as an enormous series of DNG files — essentially, RAW photo data. This is massively high-quality and also massively wasteful: their special 80GB card holds about 15 minutes of footage. I think this is a cool device, but I’m afraid it might get slammed by something like RED’s Scarlet; after all, the Scarlet (at a similar size) records at three times the resolution, twice the framerate, and also records lossless data. The benefit of the Ikonoskop is that it has a Super-16 sized sensor and will work with many excellent cinema lenses, but will that be worth the extra $7000 when Scarlet comes to town? [via DVICE, OhGizmo, and ProLost] Update: My friend tells me he got to check one of these out, and says they’re stupid small. Like way smaller than you think. Sorry, got my scales a bit muddled. → Read More
If you’ve researched LCD displays in the past, you’ll have likely come across the resolution gap between most 22- and 24-inch LCD monitors. Most 22-inch monitors seem to be at a pretty sweet price point right now, but the 1680×1050 resolution is short of most 24-inch monitors’ full HD (1920×1200) resolution. Well Buffalo has managed to cram full HD resolution into a 22-inch monitor, according to Akihabara News. Aside from the 1920×1200 goodness, there’s also a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m² brightness, 5ms response time, and a 170-degree viewing angle. The price seems a little stiff at 280 Euro (almost $400) but we’ll probably never see these here in the US anyway. However, it’s a good sign of things to come as more and more monitor manufacturers that do sell their wares here in the states will likely start pushing out higher resolution 22-inchers in the near future. → Read More
I have to say, the Wired I used to love would have covered the RED camera about two years ago when it was all buzz, phantom tech, and prototype sensors, and not now when it is essentially an established cinematic tool limited only by the small amount yet manufactured. At any rate, they’ve written a pretty comprehensive long-format history of the RED from birth to current success, and it’s worth reading whether you’re a RED head or not. It’s a bit gee-whiz and they gloss over many of the issues the RED has had (buggy drivers, supply problems), its limitations (e.g. framerate), and the actual cost of outfitting oneself with one of these amazing cameras. Still, it’s worth a read and it’s good to see my favorite camera getting this kind of mainstream attention. → Read More
My TV has two HDMI inputs but I have four HDMI-based entertainment devices I’d like to hook up to it. What’s a girl to do? Boy! I meant to say “boy” instead. Welcome to the exciting world of HDMI switchers! Today we’ll take a look at the HDS-41Rv13 HDMI switcher from RT COM. → Read More
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