C'mon, who hasn't had an inexperienced movie goer over that politely asks why black bars still show up on a widescreen HDTV? Have you ever wondered if a set would be produced to harmonize with those films shot and presented in 2.35:1? Sound & Vision sat down with a number of industry experts and asked them that very question, and while many believe that the same technology that has become commonplace in custom projector installs is feasible for TVs, it's not apt to happen anytime soon. Essentially, there's just not a large enough market for ultra widescreen displays; the hardcore among us that would spring for one are in the minority. Richard F. Doherty, research director of The Envisioneering Group on Long Island, was one fellow who seemed to have more faith than anyone else, even going so far as to suggest that we may see at least a prototype of one such set at CES 2009. Mark our words, we'll be keeping an eye out -- after all, it shouldn't be too hard to spot in the sea of 16:9 units.

If you're finished digesting all that information spewed by Samsung this morning, why not head on over to Engadget Classic and have a look at everything in the flesh? We were able to point the camera at a few of Sammy's latest wares this afternoon, and as always, we hosted up a gallery for you to gaze at. Go on, get!

It wasn't easy to find things to talk about this week, but wouldn't you know there was not stopping as once we got started. As you can expect we got a little riled up about sales people recommending LCDs over Plasmas by three to one, even though they don't know why. Then we talked some Hollywood vs the consumer as we shared our ideas and personal ethics when it comes to copyright. That brought us to some more Vista Media Center news, and our dismay with Microsoft and its OEM only updates. Finally, we talk a little Engadget as we're both sorry to see our fearless leader move on.


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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
00:42 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 093 - 07.16.2008
06:24 - DISH Network's EchoStar XI successfully reaches orbit
08:11 - Research finds that salespeople recommend LCD TVs more than plasmas
13:00 - Motorola / Cisco see Tuning Adapters certified
14:39 - Hollywood can already control what you record on your DVR
25:25 - CableLabs loosens up on PC CableCARD tuner restrictions
27:06 - Windows Media Center TV Pack was released yesterday
35:14 - FiOS TV quietly adds USA HD and CNBC HD all around the country
38:55 - CBS Evening News goes HD July 28
43:13 - Some News From the Editor's Desk


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Might want to slow down there, Samsung -- don't want to pull anything by cranking out too many new HDTVs at a time. Yep, Sammy's letting loose a few more sets today alongside the Series 7 plasmas and Series 9 LCDs: the September-bound Series 8 LCD HDTV line. The Series 8 850 (rose accents) and Series 8 860 (deep blue accents) only differ in color, while they both pack a 1080p Ultra Clear panel, Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, InfoLink RSS reader, DLNA certification, 4-millisecond response time and twin down-firing speakers with an integrated subwoofer. You'll also find a built-in NTSC / ATSC / ClearQAM TV tuner, a DNIe Pro video processor, swivel stand and four HDMI-CEC ports (among others). The pain? $2,699.99 for the LN46A850, $3,399.99 for the LN52A850, $2,799.99 for the LN46A860 and $3,499.99 for the LN52A860. Got all that?

Not a huge fan of the LCD HDTV? Is plasma more your style? Fantastic, because Samsung just took the (official) lid off of the already spotted 7 Series plasma lineup. Featuring the outfit's Touch of Color design, a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, daytime / nighttime calibration options and a DNIe Pro video processor, this trio makes no bones about which rival it's gunning for. The entire crew also features InfoLink RSS access, a USB 2.0 port (WiseLink Pro), DLNA compatibility, four HDMI-CEC jacks and 1080p panels. Read up on the full rundown of specs in the read link, and prepare to hand over $2,799.99 for the 50-inch PN50A760, $4,499.99 for the 58-inch PN58A760 or $5,499.99 for the 63-inch PN63A760 sometime next month.

Can't say we're surprised to see 'em, but Sammy has done its due diligence by pumping out the official verbiage for the 9 Series LCD HDTVs that were leaked late last week. These second-generation LED-backlit sets feature 1080p Ultra Clear panels, Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology, 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratios, the familiar Touch of Color design and a smattering of networking technologies like InfoLink (RSS access) and WiseLink Pro. Additionally, both the 46-inch LN46A950 (pictured) and 55-inch LN55A950 feature 4-millisecond response times, down-firing speakers with a built-in subbie, an integrated NTSC / ATSC / ClearQAM tuner, four HDMI-CEC ports, a PC input, Ethernet socket and a pair of component jacks. Look for each to land next month for $3,199.99 and $4,199.99, respectively.

You're probably dusting the dirt from your spectacles as we speak, but yes, the set you see above is an RPTV. You know, those not exactly wafer-thin rear-projection TVs that used to be all the rage? This 61-inch set provides an awful lot of screen space for not a lot of dough (comparatively speaking), and as with most sets with a little junk in the trunk, picture quality was seen as "excellent" in a recent CNET review. On the downside, off-angle performance was expectedly poor and there was no 2:3 pulldown for SD sources, but the positives here far outweighed the negatives. For under $1,800 (way under in some places), you can get 61-inches of LED-backlit goodness in your den -- just have to make room for it, is all.

[Thanks, Matthew]

Just under a month ago, Pioneer finally came clean with its KURO LCD rollout in Europe. Now, we're being treated to the first hands-on pictures of the 32- and 37-inch models, both of which are set to hit shelves next month. We'll let the photos do the talking from here. (Psst... they're in the read link.)

[Thanks, Chris]

For some strange reason, we can't say we're surprised by the latest J.D. Power and Associates report. Maybe it's how LCD HDTVs seem to be highlighted in most retail locations, or maybe it's just because the negative burn-in stigma attached to earlier PDPs has yet to wear off. Whatever the case, said research firm has just produced an article claiming that "retail electronics salespersons are recommending LCD TVs instead of plasma TVs at a rate of more than three to one." The research focused on shoppers looking for sets 40-inches and up over the past six months, though it didn't specifically mention where it went undercover to source such data. Really though, it's not shocking to hear that B&M salespeople aren't totally adept at explaining pros and cons -- after all, we'd recommend doing your own independent research and ordering online -- but hopefully this will beat the message home to those who've been blindly believing anything they hear when shopping for a new set.

[Image courtesy of Exceptional Innovation]

We told you that ATI's reinvigorated All-in-Wonder would be hitting the streets in late July, and sure enough, Diamond Multimedia is first out of the gate with versions of its own. The All-In-Wonder and the All-In-Wonder Premium iterations are both slated to hit reputable e-tailers "soon," with the latter unit including a bundled remote and an input / output board with an array of easy access connections. As expected, each card will boast 512MB of DDR2 memory, a clock speed of 725MHz and a single hybrid tuner for capturing local NTSC / ATSC broadcasts and ClearQAM signals. Unfortunately, the most pressing piece (ahem, price) was omitted.

We kick things off talking about the Playstation Network's video downloads to the PS3 and PSP; it's a new service, but with pricing and terms that seem oddly familiar. Not as familiar, though, as ripping your own content -- which seems unlikely to ever go away, no matter how low the prices on recorded media gets. Our online Engadget HD community turned out in big numbers to make Amazon the favorite place to get Blu-ray discs, easily outpacing brick and mortar giant Best Buy. No tech podcast this week would be complete without mention of the iPhone, and we talk about the state of apps for the uber-gadget to automate your home, both commercial and open-source. For PCs, TotalMedia Theatre seems like a winner, even though it alienates the 64-bit crowd -- it's unfortunate, but we don't see much need for 64-bit addressing in Vista MCE, anyways. Despite losing AMC-14 earlier this year, DISH keeps rolling out HD channels, and by some counts has even pulled ahead of DirecTV. Also getting off the ground is CBS's new HD production studio, and we're waiting for the goodies that are to come after the premiere of CBS Evening News in HD. Like, for example, more Olympic coverage in HD! We all know HD sports are preferable to being at the live event, and it might be double true given the smog in China. We wrap up by giving our old pal TiVo a critical look -- the latest features are welcome, but they have a note of "what took you so long" to them.


Get the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
00:54 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 092 - 07.09.2008
07:09 - Playstation Network gets movie / TV download service, single sign-on across devices
11:38 - Study finds that one-third of consumers copy DVDs
16:39 - Warner set to lower Blu-ray Disc prices for the holidays
18:24 - Poll: Where do you buy your Blu-ray Discs?
19:49 - Microsoft adds Universal, NBC to Xbox Live Marketplace, calls #1 in HD
22:02 - iPhone App Store to host loads of home automation programs
27:25 - ArcSoft's TotalMedia Theatre gets reviewed, loved
30:37 - DISH to roll out 17 new HD channels on August 1st
33:38 - CBS News fleshes out high-def plans
35:10 - NBC lays out 2008 Beijing Olympics coverage plans
39:04 - TiVo's 9.4 update trickling out to Series 3 / TiVo HD users

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While we tend to view a built-in, non-upscaling DVD player as a bit of a waste, CNET reviewers felt otherwise. Westy's latest 40-incher, the VK-40F580D, recently hit the test bench at the aforementioned site, and while nothing seemed to drop jaws, the entire package appeared decent enough for the casual buyer. The relatively inexpensive sticker, deep blacks, accurate colors and satisfactory picture controls will likely be everything the HDTV novice is looking for, but those with loftier demands may be put off by the limited port selection (two HDMI, one component) and lackluster remote. All in all, it sounds like this one's not too bad for the price, but unless you're actually intending to pay a bit more for integrated DVD support, you could probably do better elsewhere.

AOC threw down a new trio of displays here yesterday, and we had the pleasure of stopping by to check 'em out in NYC. You've already had a chance to wade through all the specs and official verbiage surrounding the 42-inch L42H861 LCD HDTV, 22-inch 2218Ph LCD monitor and 22-inch 2230Fm do-it-all display, so how's about some good old fashioned pictures? We must say we were quite pleased with the image quality and overall design, though the anti-gloss crowd should probably look out. Also of note, the built-in media player on the 2230Fm was incapable of playing back HD clips, so yeah, kind of a bummer there. Anywho, dip on into the gallery below and have a look around.

AOC's 2230Fh LCD was fine and dandy, but if you're looking for something similar to pull triple duty as a media player and digital photo frame (its words, not ours), you'll need to refocus on the 2230Fm. Said display is apparently the first from the firm to boast HD³ technology, which alludes to its abilities to function as more than just an HDTV. The unit includes a proprietary menu and remote to play back clips loaded onto memory cards (there's a 4-in-1 reader), not to mention a 1,680 x 1,050 native resolution, 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, USB 2.0 socket, DVI / HDMI inputs, integrated speakers, 2-millisecond response time and a piano black finish. All that for $399.99. Full release posted after the jump.

Okay, so we really have no clue what's going on inside of Toshiba's labs, but one thing is for certain: it has upscaling on the brain. After hearing of an elusive super-resolution DVD player and seeing an all-too-curious new DVD logo, in flies word from Germany that the outfit is prepping an updated line of Picture Frame LCD HDTVs for release at IFA 2008. On the surface, there's not too much different about these REGZAs compared to any others, but internally, the newcomers are expected to tout Cell-based Resolution+ technology, which will upscale SD images in an attempt to make something (read: HD) out of nothing. Granted, Tosh has been talking up this stuff since CES, so it's not an entirely new concept, but we'll be interested to see if this has anything to do with those rumored DVD deck plans.

[Via Big-Screen, danke Joel]