Filed under: CES, HDTV, Home Entertainment

We’ll be honest, there’s really not a ton to say about the Slingbox PRO HD unit we played with — it was just an empty device shell, absolutely no guts inside. So we kind of have to take it on Sling’s word that the 1080i video it’s capable of streaming over your network (or internet connection, if you’re so lucky) is, in fact, as efficiently hardware-compressed as they claim — not that we’ve any reason to believe it won’t be. Of course, for many a BlackBerry toting suit and an increasing number of casual RIM users, the new SlingPlayer client is a godsend. While the build we played with wasn’t entirely bug-free (scrolling with the Pearl’s pearl seemed a bit wonky), the streaming worked pretty well over EDGE on that low res screen, and that’s the important part. Check out the hands-on shots below.

Gallery: Slingbox […]

Original post by Ryan Block

Filed under: Cellphones, CES, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Sling Media’s starting up this year’s CES blitz early (like just about everybody else this year) with the announcement of the Slingbox PRO HD box and SlingPlayer client for BlackBerry cellphones. The PRO HD has the full complement of built-in HD inputs, but will actually pass through and stream out video in HD (1080i, to be specific) in real time, unlike the Solo and PRO (which lack the PRO HD’s more advanced hardware-accelerated encoding, and stream closer to VGA res). And, of course, the BlackBerry client does as it says — you can finally use your strictly-business handheld to watch mobile video on the go. The PRO HD will run you $400 when launched in Q3; BlackBerry will be $30 when it comes out “this year,” if that’s not vague enough for you. Get in line, Sling fans.

Gallery: Sling Media’s Slingbox PRO HD, SlingPlayer […]

Original post by Ryan Block

Okay, hackers with Cheez Whiz in their veins apparently aren’t behind the Xbox Live outages. We are. Record signups and numbers of people are online, so “as a result of this massive increase in usage,” the service got all wonky, sez Live’s General Manager Marc Whitten. But they’re super sorry, and to make up for it they’re “offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge.”
Specific details on the deal are coming in a few weeks, though fingers crossed we’ll have some choice in the game that’ll occupy space on our hard drives, ’cause a lot of the games are crap I’d never play, and getting one of those would weirdly annoy me more than just receiving a nicely worded apology. Which, coincidentally, is reproduced below. [Major Nelson]
Dear Xbox LIVE Members: […]

Original post by Matt Buchanan

Filed under: Gaming

Looks like Microsoft is going to do the right thing: as anticipated, Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten states in a letter to customers that, as recompense for nearly two weeks of outages, the group is offering up a full, free Xbox Live Arcade title free of charge. Sounds like it won’t be until the next couple of weeks before the offer is active, but it will indeed apply to “all” Xbox Live members, and assuming it’s for games worth more than 200 Microsoft points, it will be net positive for Gold users who lost about $1.64 worth of Live service over the last twelve days. Well done Microsoft, we think most will consider the stinging pain eased. Memo posted after the break.
Update: Confirmed by our pal Major Nelson — it’s Gold AND Silver members. If you have an Xbox Live account, Microsoft just gave you a free […]

Original post by Ryan Block

The last of the major smartphone operating systems, RIM’s BlackBerry, has finally received support for SlingPlayer Mobile. Not only can stock brokers, businessmen, bankers, analysts and other jerks email their co-workers at their lunch meetings, they now can catch the game at the same time. We demoed this earlier in the week for ourselves, and saw that the quality was actually very good, even over EDGE.
SlingPlayer for BB is only available and certified for one particular European BlackBerry Pearl version with Wi-Fi that’s not even available in the US right now, but you can try loading it onto other phones and see if it clicks. Sling is adding more models soon, as they’ve been known to do, so it won’t be long until you’re hopping onto the can to sneak 5 minutes with Judge Judy in the afternoon.

Original post by Jason Chen

The Slingbox Pro HD takes the previous year’s Slingbox Pro and Pro HD Connect and takes it to the next level, allowing you to watch full HD video anywhere inside the house.
galleryPost(\’slingboxprohd\’, 6, \’Slingbox Pro HD\’);
It supports 16:9 widescreen video, as well as four input-output sets (ATSC, S-video, composite video and component video, along with analog or digital audio out). If you’ve got a fast enough Ethernet network (most should be unless you’re throwing files around concurrently) or a fast enough Wi-Fi network, you can view the full 1080i video on your laptop or a spare TV.
We got to put our hands on it earlier in the week, and the unit itself looked and felt nice (the black looks a bit nicer than the earlier units’ designs). We didn’t get to see it in motion just yet, but we’ll give it a whiz at CES. This’ll be available […]

Original post by Jason Chen

Filed under: CES, Displays, Wearables

Just as expected, Lumus-Optical is all set to showcase its microdisplay-packin’ spectacles at CES, and while it doesn’t seem that the technology has changed since we first heard of them, we’ve now got a slew of photographs to go by. Apparently, the glasses will boast twin microdisplays and an ultra-thin LOE lens, which can purportedly immerse the wearer by creating the effect of viewing a 60-inch screen from ten feet away. Also of note, the company claims that unlike gaudy alternatives, these won’t make you look like a complete tool, but judging by the image above, we aren’t so sure that’s entirely accurate.
Read - Press release [PDF]Read - Photos
Continue reading Lumus-Optical’s LOE-based glasses get pictured
 
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Original post by Darren Murph

Hey, guess what? Xbox Live is sorta puking again (maybe due to Windows Live Data Authentication says the Pirate King) after briefly recovering from its holiday cold. Nasty weather to blame for the long illness? Nope, rumor has it greasy hackers are the reason I’ve had problems getting online to snipe your face off in Team Fortress 2 lately.
Primotech says that according to a “source close to Microsoft,” Live was brought to its sputtering, coughing state by some assface(s) launching a systematic denial-of-service attack. Of course, no confirmation from Microsoft—or any details about the cause of the outage—but the whole ignorance-is-bliss-for-users approach is apparently funneling some flames into Major Nelson’s earbox, so hopefully they’ll give us some real info soon.
We’ve got other entertainment options, like Rock Band all by our lonesome, so we’re not too cheesed, but that late stocking stuffer should smooth over any lingering resentment. [Primotech […]

Original post by Matt Buchanan

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Don’t act surprised — you knew good and well this thing was a-comin’, and it seems launch day has finally arrived. Highlighted now on the firm’s website, the TV+ DVR still rocks that WiFi goodness we knew would be included, with options for an 80GB or 250GB hard drive and the ability to schedule, record and stream content at will. Additionally, you can sync your recorded shows with your Archos PMP, flip through songs / photos and even view PDFs. You know by now if this one is still lingering on your must-have list, and if so, you can snag one for $229 (80GB) or $349 (250GB).

Gallery: Archos TV+ WiFi-enabled DVR gets official

 
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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: CES, HDTV, Peripherals

We’ve seen Gefen get all riled up and unleash a barrage of new kit all at once, and sure enough, the outfit is doing just that once more. For starters, we’ve got the TV Switcher, which enables consumers to connect and access four HDMI sources from a single HDTV. Next up is the TV Splitter, which allows users to channel a single HDMI source to four displays — and yeah, both of the aforementioned units play nice with HDMI v1.3a. Moving right along, we’ve got a pair of updates to the PVR lineup; the HD PVR records in MPEG4 and can store material on the 80GB HDD or an SD card, while the SD PVR records content onto USB storage devices. Over on the sound side, the Gefen TV Audio Processor takes a single HDMI source and delivers it to a display and an external audio […]

Original post by Darren Murph