philips

Philips unleashes wireless HDMI solution

Philips is taking another shot at the wireless HDMI market with its stylish Wireless HDTV Link kit (PDF). Announced at IFA 2009 in Berlin, the 599 euros ($854) package includes a transmitter and receiver pair capable of processing up to 1080p signals at 30 frames per second (fps) within a 20m range. Connectivity-wise, the Wireless HDTV Link offers two HDMI inputs and dual component-video sockets for all your HD needs.

There may be a potential bottleneck, though. While the above frame rate is sufficient for 24fps Blu-ray Discs, other programs such as console games are encoded at a much higher … Read more

TV makers pushing 3D at home

BERLIN--Without a doubt, 3D has garnered the most buzz here at IFA this year.

Many of the biggest names in consumer technology are pushing not only 3D cinema, but watching 3D movies and playing 3D games at home.

Earlier this week, Sony CEO Howard Stringer promised Blu-ray players, PlayStation 3, and laptops that will be "3D compatible" next year. Panasonic used the upcoming James Cameron flick "Avatar" to push its "Full HD 3D" idea, and Nvidia and JVC are also showing off monitors and TVs that will make even PC video game playing three-dimensional.

Despite their obvious enthusiasm for the idea, so far there isn't much evidence that consumers actually want 3D in their homes. Most people are still getting used to paying extra to watch it in the theaters while sporting a pair of plastic spectacles, and some still complain that it's hard on the eyes to watch anything in 3D longer than 10 minutes. So why are gadget makers so excited about it?

Because of two factors: First, people are watching 3D films. The box office totals of recent hits like "Up," "Monsters vs. Aliens," and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," show that there is indeed interest in the format.

But most of all, the companies that make consumer electronics see it as something else to sell that will distinguish their brand from the rest of the pack and from what they currently have at home. Blu-ray prices are coming down and the format is now solidly successful. And HDTVs, which became a must-have item, are becoming a commodity as well. Manufacturers are always on the lookout for some new twist that will compel users to upgrade, and for now, that appears to be 3D in the home.

Some trepidations And while there is a race to be first to have a hit product for 3D at home, not everyone is onboard. Both Philips and Toshiba say they have tested the waters of 3D at home, but say it doesn't feel very inviting just yet.

In their massive booth here at IFA, Philips is showing prototypes of their 21:9 ultrawidescreen TV and a Blu-ray player, both of which are 3D-capable. Yet, interestingly, they have "no immediate plans to launch any commercial 3D TV products in the short term," the company said during their press conference Thursday. The technology, they are freely admitting, "isn't quite there."

Toshiba executives are voicing the same concern.… Read more

Philips: Don't get too excited about 3D

BERLIN--Shelled out several thousands for a Philips Cinema 21:9 television? You'll be pleased to hear it's obsolete.

Philips has bumped the firmware and added a micro polarizing lens to the screen, to create a prototype 3D TV.

The TV gets its tri-dimensional input from a prototype 3D Blu-ray player. Philips said Thursday at IFA 2009 that it's "actively participating in the 3D specification work of the Blu-ray Disc Association."

But hold it right there. Amid the 3D arms race--which has all the major manufacturers at IFA insisting that 3D is the next big thing--Philips … Read more

Jaycee's alleged kidnapper on Google Street View?

Few could imagine a more chilling tale of depravity than the story that has emerged over the last few days concerning the kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard.

While her alleged kidnapper, Phillip Garrido, has now been revealed to have penned a disturbing blog, some commenters on Boing Boing have uncovered visuals from Google Street View that they believe show him in pursuit of a Google car.

Boing Boing co-editor Xeni Jardin has posted a series of Street View shots in which a van is seen progressing from Garrido's address in Antioch, Calif., toward a Street View car.

At Boing Boing, … Read more

Amazon.com has the Philips HTS8100 AmbiSound Home Theater Sound Bar for $361.20, after $438.79 savings.

Save $438.79 on the Philips HTS8100 AmbiSound Home Theater Sound Bar from Amazon.com >> Regular price is $799.99 >> Sale price is $361.20 >> Savings $438.79 (54.85%) >> Click here for deal

Sleek Philips TV light on adjustments, black levels

Having the option to input the correct settings can go a long way toward improving the picture on an HDTV. Some TVs, such as the Philips PFL6704D series, have fewer settings than others, and despite relatively accurate picture quality after choosing the right presets, this TV could really use more manual settings.

Meanwhile, automatic settings on the Philips abound, and while they don't improve picture quality--quite the opposite--they do have a major impact on energy consumption, and are largely responsible for its energy efficiency in default mode.

But regardless of how much power it consumes, the PFL6704D's middling … Read more

Flexible e-reader, the Readius, is dead

Polymer Vision's dream of an all-in-one e-book reader and portable media device has reportedly faded.

The Netherlands-based maker of the Readius folded recently, according to a report in England's Hampshire Chronicle. The company was a spinoff of Philips and had offices in Southampton in the U.K. The local paper says 50 jobs at the Southampton location were lost when the company went bankrupt on July 7.

The Readius was a strange-looking, if ambitious device. Part portable media device, part e-reader, the Readius was innovative in that it used a flexible E-Ink display so it could be folded … Read more

Next up in body protection: Cement armor

Engineers in England have come up with a product to save a few bob for those who work in semi-dangerous occupations--cement body armor.

The vests combine "super strong" cement with recycled carbon fiber, making the vests tough enough to withstand most bullet calibers, according to researchers at the University of Leeds' School of Civil Engineering.

Currently, top-of-the-line bulletproof vests are made with alumina plates--the raw material used to make aluminum--through a costly process called sintering, which involves heating the material for up to two weeks at 1600 degrees Celsius to harden it.

The cement vest, on the other hand, would offer a cost-effective level of protection for people in semi-risky occupations short of full-on combat.

"By using cement instead of alumina we are confident we can deliver a cost-effective level of protection for many people at risk," said research team leader Philip Purnell. "It should be good enough for people like security guards, reporters, and aid workers who are worried about the odd pot shot being taken at them." … Read more

MP3 Insider 143: Vinyl junkies and cheapskates

On this week's episode, Donald and Jasmine discuss at length whether brick-and-mortar record shops are worth saving...or at least, Donald does, while Jasmine wonders whether he will ever get sick of talking about it. Also, Jasmine expounds upon the virtues of subscription music, or more specifically, Rhapsody. Plus, find out the deets on an excellent audiobook player for the visual impaired and the latest blah MP3 player to come out of Philips' warehouse.

Listen now: Download today's podcast |  Subscribe in iTunes |  Subscribe in RSS… Read more