November 22, 2006, 10:53 AM PSTSpecs aside, Nvidia sent us this box to take a look at PureVideo HD, the decoding software that helps complete the PC's end of the HDCP chain. Having a "secure" system won't be an issue until roughly 2010, when Hollywood may or may not kick in the copy-protection technology that will "down-res" HD movies when you play them on unapproved hardware, but it's nice to have that box checked early. Perhaps more importantly, when you play a Blu-ray or HD-DVD movie, PureVideo HD will help the graphics card, Windows, and your HD movie player software to communicate, ideally ensuring an optimal HD movie-watching experience.
To get an idea of what this experience looks like, we plugged Nvidia's test box via an HDMI cable into the highly rated Sony KDS-R60XBR2 60-inch television. Coming fresh off of its November 11 review, we chose that TV because it was handy, but also because it'll do HD resolutions up to 1080p, and we already had its image-quality settings set. Even after eliminating the television as a source of any trouble, we still found mixed results.
We were happy to see that Nvidia's drivers recognized our television and autoset the screen to 1080p resolution. Nvidia's software includes a few easy-to-use tools for calibrating RGB color accuracy and brightness. It took some tweaking, but eventually we were happy with the color temperature and other settings. One drawback we found is that any changes you make to the video don't show up on the fly. You have to close whatever you're watching and restart it for any adjustments to kick in, making the process overly cumbersome. This lack of real-time feedback has always been an issue with PC video, though, so it's nothing new.
In terms of actual movie playback, we were generally pleased with 1080p and 720p. We used Swordfish and The Last Samurai as our test discs, and we compared them against output from a standard HD-DVD player. On the Nvidia system, we noticed some false contouring (distinct lines appear where gradients of color should transition smoothly), fewer fine details in shadowy areas, and some noticeably choppy frames during some more difficult pans, but at no time did we feel like were we utterly disappointed in the quality. We still saw much of what we've come to expect from HD video, things such as individual stubble hair and crisp background details, and the frame rates generally kept up.
The 1080i output was a different story. For some reason, Nvidia's test system wouldn't stay at 1080i on the Sony 60-incher. When we set that resolution in the drivers, it kept bouncing back up to 1080p. To eliminate the problem, we connected the PC to our Sony KD-34XBR960, an older, Editors' Choice-winning, 34-inch direct-view CRT that will only go as high as 1080i. When we finally got 1080i output to stick, all of the issues we noticed at 1080p were magnified: The contouring was terrible, diagonal lines were covered in shimmery moire effects, jagged edges marred both the foreground and the background, and the slight stutter we saw during certain scenes became much more pronounced. We're not sure whether the video card or PureVideoHD itself is to blame, but the result is that 1080i looks significantly worse than either 720p or 1080p. Early adopters who want an HD television and can't wait for 1080p to become more prevalent will feel this problem the most.
For progressive output, at least, we're mostly happy with PureVideo HD and the system that Nvidia sent us. We haven't had the opportunity to test an HD drive-equipped PC that has AMD/ATI's Avivo video-decoding technology, so we can't say what the PC competition is like. What we can say is that while a living room PC remains inferior to standard home theater components in terms of movie-image quality and general ease of use, Nvidia's PureVideo HD gets the quality part rather close on progressive content.
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October 11, 2006, 1:44 PM PDTWell, using our Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray review unit, we watched the first 15 minutes of the film on a couple of different 1080p-capable LCD TVs, and the long and short of it is Click looks better than most Blu-ray movies currently on the market. Twice as good, no, but it's a welcome improvement, and it's good to finally see that the extra featurettes were actually shot in high-def video. (The movie itself was also shot in high-def video and this is a MPEG-2 transfer for those interested in video-compression formats.)
High-def Digest has posted a full review of the disc, but suffice it to say, before you start loading up on Blu-ray discs (come on, you know you're champing at the bit), it's probably a good idea to hold out for some BD-50 action.
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October 11, 2006, 11:21 AM PDTDon't get me wrong: we love the Harmony line, and we've recommended just about every recent model they've released. But it's becoming harder and harder to distinguish among them, especially because many of the years-old models are still available for sale. Moreover, the street prices of Logitech products tend to be below--often far below--the suggested retail price, so many mid- and high-end Harmony models can be had for about the same price, if not less. For instance, the three 500-series Harmony models can all be purchased for less than $150 (and even less than $100), and the Harmony 720 and Harman Kardon TC 30--which is essentially a Harmony clone--are available for under $200. (And we're not even mentioning the higher-end 880, 890, and 1000 models.)
For what it's worth, the 670 is a throwback to the peanut-style design found on earlier 600-series Harmony models--all of which remain available online for $80 to $150. That said, the 670 looks to have a sleeker appearance than those older models. For instance, Logitech is touting its DVR-optimized button layout and improved directional pad.
We haven't reviewed the 670 yet, but the odds are that comparing it to its siblings will be an exercise in personal ergonomic preference. If you prefer the TiVo-style peanut design, the 670 may be right up your alley. Personally, I'd splurge for the Harmony 720 or Harman Kardon TC 30. Aside from their flatter design (which I like), both of them have color screens and recharging docks--two features that are well worth the extra $50.
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October 10, 2006, 10:46 AM PDTWe were working to verify that the TiVo delivered the full spectrum of video and audio features via its HDMI output. Video capabilities seemed fine: the Series3 includes a full panoply of user-selectable resolutions and a decent selection of aspect-ratio controls too; it also passed audio to several HDTVs when connected. But anyone who's invested in an $800 digital video recorder is likely to have an HDMI-switching A/V receiver as well, so that compatibility was high on the agenda. We used the JVC RX-D702--it's an older but still current HDMI receiver, and a CNET Editors' Choice for delivering a full range of HDMI features at a very reasonable price. Things seemed fine: we noted that the receiver passed HD video and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio without a problem. Our final test was to verify parallel video output--that the TiVo's standard-definition analog video outputs (composite, S-Video) remained up and running while the box was delivering a high-def picture via HDMI.
Why is that a big deal? Simple: The Series3 box ships with no TiVo To Go features, so you can't transfer your recorded programs to a PC or portable device as you can with earlier Series2 models. As usual, the culprit for this feature step-down is overzealous digital rights management (DRM). The underlying politics notwithstanding--and I recommend everybody check out the excellent Who killed TiVo To Go? feature at the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Web site for a complete overview of the issue--the fact remains that the only way to archive your TiVo Series3 recordings is the old-fashioned way: dump them to a video recorder in real time. Thus the importance of parallel video output. You want your VCR or DVD recorder to have access to a steady composite/S-Video source, regardless of what resolution you're watching over component or HDMI. The issue becomes doubly important if you're using a place-shifting device such as a Slingbox, a Hava, or a LocationFree TV to watch your DVR recordings from a remote location. (For instance, the older DirecTV HD TiVo switches off the composite and S-Video outputs when you watch video at HD resolutions--meaning you constantly have to throttle the resolutions down when archiving or place-shifting--a huge pain. Those outputs on current DirecTV HR20 and Dish ViP622, on the other hand, are always active.)
Our initial test was smooth: we got high-def HDMI output to the JVC receiver and the attached HDTV, and a simultaneous standard-def signal from the TiVo's S-Video and composite outputs (which we were watching on separate monitors). But when we moved onto another program--Revenge of the Sith, recorded off of HBO-HD--the screen suddenly went gray, with a TiVo warning emblazoned across the bottom: "Viewing is not permitted using the TiVo Digital Media Recorder. Try another TV input." Several other programs--Empire of the Sun (HDNet Movies), Simone (HBO-HD), and episodes of Battlestar Galactica (Universal HD) all yielded the same result. Further investigation revealed the culprit: hitting the Info button from the program listing page (TiVo's Now Playing screen) on these programs included a section called "restrictions": "Due to the policy set by the copyright holder, this recording: Cannot be transferred to VCR, DVD, or any other media device. To learn more, visit www.tivo.com/copyprotection."
Visiting that link will reveal apparent culprit: TiVo's Macrovision copy protection. Apparently, these programs were flagged as "copy never," so the box was dutifully following orders, and allowing video only via the copy-protected HDMI output (which is, to date, impossible to record). This isn't new: as far back as 2005, there were reports of TiVo boxes imposing restrictions on the viewing of certain TV shows. At the time, TiVo blamed the restrictions on "false positives"--saying the viewing restriction technology, ostensibly designed for pay-per-view and video-on-demand programming, was being turned on (by the cable companies) to cover a wider array of programming.
When we contacted TiVo about the issues we were having, a company engineer was stumped: he reiterated the same claim from last year, that the content flags should be appearing only on PPV and VOD programs. He suggested that the problem was twofold: our local cable company was "overflagging" its content, and/or the JVC receiver was not properly interpreting the copy-protection flag.
Indeed, when we took the JVC receiver out of the mix, things seemed fine: we couldn't get the gray screen to appear when using the Onkyo TX-SR674, the Belkin PureAV 3-in-1 HDMI Switch, or the Gefen 2:8 HDMI Distribution Amplifier (the only other HDMI-equipped switchers we had on hand), nor could we see it when running the TiVo directly to any of several HDTVs currently in our inventory. Likewise, returning to the JVC RX-D702B yielded the same problem. Perhaps more instructively, the newer JVC RX-D411S (which had just arrived in the CNET Labs) had the same problem when linked to the TiVo as well.
Bottom line: For whatever reason, the JVC receivers and the TiVo Series3 don't seem to be a perfect match. Otherwise, we've found the HDMI capabilities of the JVC receivers to perform admirably--the RX-D702 has been chugging away for months without any problems (and we'll have a full review of the RX-D411 soon). For that reason, we're not docking the JVC's rating (though we've added an Editors' Note explaining the apparent TiVo incompatibility). For its part, JVC wasn't aware of the TiVo incompatibility until we notified them; the company is actively investigating the issue, and we'll follow up when and if JVC issues a statement or a possible fix. In the meantime, if you own both products (and your cable company is flagging your shows), we'd recommend you opt for component video plus optical digital audio connections between the two, rather than deal with the dodgy HDMI issues.
Once again, though, overzealous copy protection has taken something simple and turned it into a Sisyphean ordeal. All we wanted to do was watch TV, and connect our gear with a minimum of cables and wires. Thanks to DRM, that simple task becomes more difficult all the time.
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October 04, 2006, 9:47 PM PDTLike Slingbox (and Sony's LocationFree TV products), Hava lets you digitize your home TV signals and stream them to any broadband-connected PC. But the Hava includes a few noteworthy features you won't find on the Slingbox. First and foremost, it has a built-in 802.11g wireless capability, so it should be able to interface with any existing wireless or Ethernet network (Slingbox is Ethernet only). Secondly, it can be tightly integrated with a PC running Windows XP Media Center Edition, which enables the ability to record live streaming video directly to the PC (a standalone PC viewing application is provided for non-MCE machines). And finally, the Hava allows multicasting--multiple clients can view the stream within a home network while a single remote client simultaneously views over the Internet (Slingbox allows only a single viewer at a time). The Hava box includes component (HD), S-Video, composite, and RF inputs and can control set-top boxes with an IR blaster--by comparison, the Slingbox Pro requires a $50 component-video dongle to accept HD video.
You can buy the Hava Wireless box right now at the snappymultimedia.com Web site for $249, but Monsoon is planning on expanding the line to include a Hava Pro model for $199 (with the same overall feature set, but with no wireless capability), and a Hava Pro Compact (composite and S-Video only) for just $99. Moreover, the company is looking to license its technology to OEM partners, so it's possible you'll be seeing Hava-powered boxes from a variety of third-party manufacturers.
The current hardware and software iterations on the Hava Wireless box certainly didn't have the refined polish that we've come to expect from Slingbox products. But given the comparatively rich feature set as well as the low prices of the Hava products, we suspect a lot of prospective placeshifters would say, "So what?" While the built-in wireless and multicasting capabilities were enticing, it's the Media Center functionality that was particularly impressive. Essentially, the Hava lets Windows think that it is the PC's built-in TV tuner--whether it's two rooms or two continents away. That leaves you with all of the great Media Center functionality--including DVR-style controls (pause, play, rewind, fast forward) and recording abilities--without the need to be tethered to your cable or satellite box.
We're looking forward to putting the Hava to the test in the near future. Our review sample is on the way, and we'll be following up with a full, hands-on review soon. Stay tuned.
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October 04, 2006, 8:47 AM PDTWhen second-generation Slingbox products began hitting stores last week, it didn't take long for astute observers to notice the presence of logos for Symbian and--concealed under a black sticker--Palm on the side of the box. We've since confirmed with Sling Media that the company is "working with partners to deliver clients for other mobile platforms including the two mentioned [Symbian and Palm]." However, the same Sling spokesman threw a bit of cold water on an Engadget report pegging the Symbian release by the end of October and the Palm version by the end of the year. Instead, his e-mail specified that he wanted to "reiterate the fact that we have not communicated a release date for these clients."
What does it all mean? I think Sling is just trying to manage expectations. Delays happen (the logos on the boxes certainly indicate that the company expected those clients to be ready by the time the hardware launched), and withholding an "official" announcement gives the company a degree of plausible deniability when the inevitable consumer frustration mounts. Just ask Mac users, who've been waiting for the Mac SlingPlayer client for months. They're the ones who've been the most vocal detractors of the new Slingbox products, and rightfully so: despite the Mac OS logo (right next to Palm and Symbian) on the Slingbox packaging, the Mac client remains in a closed beta.
Of course, we've seen the Mac client in action (Sling execs demoed it for us a few weeks ago), so I'd guess that will be the first non-Windows one to become available. And we hope Sling is just being overly conservative by not officially announcing release dates for the Symbian and Palm versions, both of which would bolster the products' potential usefulness (and audience) immensely.
For all we know, there are even more potential SlingPlayer versions on the agenda. Interestingly, in a recent interview, Sling execs went out of their way to point out the Nintendo DS would be a "better platform" for remote TV viewing than Sony's PSP, and were noncommittal on the possibility of a Zune client. Hmmm...
Photo credit: Zatznotfunny
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September 27, 2006, 12:15 AM PDTShould you suddenly find your HD-DVDs downconverted, at least there'll be plenty of great titles to enjoy on your 360. Here are the biggest gaming announcements of X06:
Source: GameSpot
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September 26, 2006, 10:27 AM PDTColor us skeptical--if only because we've been hearing that Moxi will be the savior of TV viewing for almost half a decade now. Digeo has owned the Moxi technology since the companies merged in 2002, just months after Moxi's much-hyped debut at the Consumer Electronics Show. But the Digeo/Moxi products have remained a niche technology, largely because they've never been available to the public. Instead, they're available only to a comparatively small number of Charter, BendBroadband, and Sunflower cable operators scattered throughout the country. (That's the same reason that CNET's never done a hands-on review of the Digeo/Moxi hardware.)
What's different now is CableCard technology. As TiVo has demonstrated with its new Series3 Digital Media Recorder, it is possible to nationally market a cable box replacement to the consumer. And, unlike the TiVo, the Digeo product is said to accept the next-generation multistream/two-way CableCards, which should also enable access to video-on-demand, pay-per-view, and other two-way services that are unavailable on the TiVo.
To be sure, there looks to be a lot to like about the Moxi system (demos and videos are available on the company's Web site.) But with CableCard set-top boxes such as the TiVo Series3 still the rare exception rather than the rule, we'll believe Digeo's a serious option when we see it on the shelf at the local Best Buy. That's not expected until fall 2007, when it will cost you a cool $1,000. In the meantime, don't be surprised if your local cable company begins offering set-top boxes from more established competitors such as Scientific Atlanta and Motorola that boast similar multiroom features and DVD options.
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September 21, 2006, 4:35 PM PDTThe most interesting of all these is the Slingbox Pro, which seems like a perfect fit for those with an HD DVR. But the big limiting factor, right off the bat, seems to be upstream speeds. As we mentioned in our review of the original Slingbox, even when we maxed out our bitrate at around 350Kbps, the original Slingbox wasn't able to deliver all the quality of standard-def programming--although it was definitely still watchable. Since most DSL and cable users probably have similar real-world upstream bandwidth, we're a little skeptical that the alleged high-def inputs on the rumored Slingbox Pro would translate to a notable increase in video quality when watching video streamed across the Internet--even if that remains a shortcoming of ISPs more than a fault of the Slingbox. Of course, the better video quality offered by an HD input could very well be notable for those with good upstream speeds (for instance, FIOS) as well as those who are viewing within a home network (watching the living room cable box on the bedroom PC, for instance). We're hoping the Slingbox Pro has some new compression technology to make the most of those bandwidth constraints.
Sources: Sling Community via Engadget
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September 20, 2006, 8:30 AM PDTMicrosoft's 1080p plans may be more flash than substance, however. Because the 360 lacks an HDMI output, the only way to get the improved HD resolution will be via the system's default component outputs or (presumably) by adding a VGA cable (sold separately). The problem: almost no HDTVs actually accept 1080p video signals via their component inputs. VGA/RGB inputs tend to fare better in this regard, but they're not as prevalent on HDTVs as the ubiquitous component inputs are. Also, movie studios have the option of adding a so-called Image Constraint Token to their HD-DVD and Blu-ray movies, a copy-protection option that delivers less-than-optimal resolution through all outputs but HDMI. They have yet to do so, but if they reverse course, watching HD-DVDs on the 360 would deliver a movie-watching experience that's little better than that of standard DVDs. Similarly, while the software update may enable the 360 to upscale games and videos to 1080p resolution, most games will still be optimized for a native resolution of 720p. (For more info on HDTV resolutions, check out CNET's HDTV resolutions explained.)
HDMI issues notwithstanding, the Microsoft Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive represents an excellent value--if the price point for the States stays reasonably close, one could pick up a state-of-the-art video game system and a high-def movie player for less than $600.
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