~Tech Angel~

Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2

Source: MobileTechReview

If Santa brings me a PSP for Christmas, I might consider purchasing this device (depending on how much of a hassle it is to get movies to the PSP via conventional methods).  The Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 is a recorder that creates the appropriate video file straight from the content.  It's basically a VCR without the tape since it records to your memory card.  You can connect it to your cable box, DVR, VCR, DVD, camcorder, etc. and it will record to your memory card which can then immediately work with your PSP or any other device that is compatible with a memory stick or CF card (like my Dell Axim x50).

It can record in VGA, QVGA, and WQVGA.  You can purchase it for $149.99.

Technorati Tags: MPEG4, Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2, PSP, pdas

Logitech Harmony Universal Remote for Xbox 360

Logitech has announced their new universal remote control, the Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote Control for Xbox 360.  This remote will allow gamers to control their Xbox 360 along with the other components of their entertainment system.

Pressing one button allows users to start up the Xbox 360 along with any other electronic component required for game play.  The remote features console-specific buttons that make it easy to navigate the Xbox 360 interface.  It will also control the 360 straight out of the box and can control as many as 12 individual devices.  Setup is completed via an intuitive setup wizard online.

The Harmony for Xbox 360 will be available in the U.S. later on this month for $129.99.  If you purchase it with a Xbox 360 before March 31, 2006, you'll be able to take advantage of a $30 mail-in rebate.

Technorati Tags: home theater, Logitech, Logitech Harmony, Logitech Harmony for Xbox 360, universal remote, Xbox, Xbox 360

Mustek releases 60GB Portable media player and recorder

Mustek is known for making "affordable" electronics and they've now announced another portable media player and recorder.  The PVR-H160 Portable Media Player and Recorder has a 3.6 inch TFT color screen, 60GB hard drive, supports MPEG-2, WMV, MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid, MP3, WMA, and M-JPEG.  You can directly record television programs and movies to the device with the included software converter without having to use a PC.

It should be available this month and will retail for $499.

Found via| I4U News

Technorati Tags: Mustek, Mustek PVR-H160, portable media player, PVR, television

Grab'n'Go Media Players

Conceptronic is introducing a new media player called the Grab'n'Go Media player.  There are two versons, the first a 2.5 inch pocket version with a 40GB, 60GB, or 80GB hard drive and the second a 3.5 inch version with a 160GB, 200GB, or 250GB hard drive.  Both players support a wide range of formats including XVid, JPEG, MP3, CD, VCD, AVI, and MPEG 1,2,4.  Created specifically for those who are always on the go, it can be connected to any TV or computer for playback (no integrated LCD screen).

The Grab 'n' Go Player comes with composite, SCART, and S-Video cables.  There's SPDIF cable for 5.1 audio systems, but strangely enough a component cable wasn't included.  It's also equipped with USB on the Go technology making it possible to connect a USB memory drive or mp3 player directly to the player and copy data. You can store films, music, and photos on the drives.  The 40GB 2,5-inch version can store approximately 30,000 photos, 50 films and 20,000 songs. For those wanting yet more capacity the 160GB 3,5-inch version would be a better choice: it can store approximately 120,000 photos, 200 films and 80,000 songs.

via| MobileWhack

Technorati Tags: Conceptronic, Conceptronic TV Media Players, gadgets, Grab n Go Media Players, media storage

Customizable TV design

This TV would be perfect for those households that change their decor often.  Loewe TV has announced a TV that allows you to change its look. The housing color comes in a variety of colors and is customizable with over 400 combinations.  For those of you with pocket change to spare, you can order a model with Swarovski crystals or upholstered leather.

Tags: Loewe Tvs, televisions, home theater

First ever iPod-integrated Home Entertainment System

Denon announced the first two products in the world's first home entertainment system that integrates with Apple's iPod and other mp3 players.  The Denon S-301 ($1,599) and the Denon S-101 ($999) provide simple connectivity and control of today's portable mp3 players.  The S-301 has a front-panel USB port that allows owners to easily connect their players and USB flash devices. 

"Both the Denon S-301 and S-101 systems provide optimum audio performance from Apple iPod portable digital music/photo players, as well as the industry's most convenient and complete on-screen operations menu control. Using the specially designed front-panel connector and the supplied plug-and-play "Connect iPod" cable, users enjoy full access to all features and functions of 3rd and 4th generation iPods, including the familiar iPod navigational menu displayed on their main home theater screen. The onscreen display mimics the iPod's own menu display, offering easy and familiar control capabilities."

Both units will be available in August.

Full Press Release.

Tags: Denon, Apple, iPod, mp3 players, mp3, home theater, home entertainment, entertainment, music, technology, gadgets, Denon S-301, Denon S-101

New way to watch TV - Slingbox

I first saw the Slingbox when I was checking out CNet footage of the Consumer Electronics Show this year.  What is a Sling box? It's an electronic device that "placeshifts" the signal from your TV, satellite or your DVR to any computer or laptop...at home, work, wherever, as long as you have a high-speed Internet connection.  Basically, streaming real-time TV to another computer.

CNet has done a review, along with the Wall Street Journal and PC Mag.  The reviews are very promising for this new product.

Sling Media has promised that in a couple of months it will be compatible with select PDAs, smartphones, and Macs.

Tags: Slingbox, placeshifting, DVR, television, satellite, streaming, reviews, pdas, smartphones, Apple, Macs, computers, PC, home theater, technology, entertainment, TV

Sin City fans...prepare to pay up

Were you a fan of Robert Rodriguez's Sin City? Can't wait for the DVD release?  Well, I have good news and bad news for you:

GOOD NEWS:  the DVD release date is August 16th.  This is sure to be a DVD with tons of extras (behind the scenes footage, making-of featurettes, all that good stuff). Or will it?  Apparently not.

BAD NEWS: Once again, movie fans will be have to face the decision to pay up twice for the same movie just so they can view the many extras associated with the movie.  A bare bones release of Sin City will be released on August 16th and the "deluxe" DVD promised by Robert Rodriguez won't be released until late sometime in 2005 or even in 2006.  The deluxe version is to "include the next installment of Rodriguez's 10 Minute Film School series and a programming option that will allow viewers to separate and restore each story to its original length", along with a number of other features.

via| ign.com

~Of course, consumers are not "forced" to purchase both DVDs, but for true fans of a particular movie, it does create a dilemma.  I own about 25,345 different versions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, because of these "deluxe and extended" editions, so I'm a little bitter right now.  But even though I enjoyed Sin City and will purchase it, I'll be doing one of two things:

1.  Renting the bare bones release from Netflix.com and maybe purchasing the deluxe later.
2.  Just purchasing the bare bones release in August.

Either way, I'm not buying two DVDs!!~

Tags: Sin City, Robert Rodriguez, Lord of the Rings, movies, film, home theater, DVD, entertainment, Netflix, rental, personal

3-D TV in your living room

Whenever I want to view a movie in 3-D, I have to go to an IMAX theater.  That may change in the near future and consumers will be able to watch 3-D movies in the comfort of their own homes sans those tacky 3-D glasses. Deep Lights, a company currently working on the technology, plans to introduce a HD3D screen at next year's Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas.

"Ordinary TV sets deliver 500 lines of resolution. Most high-definition screens reach 1,050. The HD3D hits 1,280 lines and counting - which means better picture quality than that of any TV available today, all in a convincing impression of the third dimension. And here's the seriously trippy part about the new screen, which Deep Light plans to introduce at next winter's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: multiple "blades" of video enable one screen to show different programs to different viewers, at the same time."

1080p HDTVs unveiled for consumers

Today, Mitsubishi unveils the first consumer HDTVs that are capable of displaying 1080p (progressive).  Up until this point, consumer have only been able to purchase HDTVs that dispayed 1080i (interlaced). 

 

"The first model available, a 52-inch wide-screen rear projection set at $3,699, will arrive in stores nationally in the next two weeks. A few specialty 1080p products have already hit the market, but this new set and Mitsubishi's other 62-inch and 73-inch models due in the coming weeks — starting at $4,200 and $5,500, respectively — are aimed at the mass market." source: USAToday

 

The DLP HDTVs provide twice the resolution of current TVs that will allow even "super-sized 73- inch TVs" to deliver sharp pictures.  The sets will convert DVD video and all current TV and HDTV signals as well. Those lucky enough to attend the retailer's unveiling event will be able to watch 1080p footage of such films as Star Wars Episode III:Revenge of the Sith, Kill Bill, and Madagascar.

Tags: Mitsubishi, HDTV, high-definition, television, HD, 1080p, 1080i, home theater, technology, films, movies, Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars, Kill Bill, Madagascar, DVD, DLP, entertainment

Xbox 360 may eventually use HD DVD Drive?

At yesterday's press conference with Toshiba, Bill Gates announced the following:

 

“The initial shipments of Xbox 360 will be based on today's DVD format,” Gates confirmed. “We are looking at whether future versions of Xbox 360 will incorporate an additional capability of an HD DVD player or something else.” source: TeamXbox

 

~Sony's PS3 will ship with a Blu-Ray drive and will most likely be an important factor in the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD "war".  Although Bill Gates has announced that Microsoft is neutral in their support of either format, aligning themselves with HD-DVD would give Toshiba a much better chance of becoming the winning format.~

Tags: Xbox, Xbox 360, HD-DVD, DVD, Blu-Ray, Microsoft, Toshiba, electronics, home theater, entertainment, technology

Problems with IPTV

What is IPTV (Internet Protocol TV)? In a nutshell, it's TV over the Internet.

 

The news has been littered with reports on problems with IPTV.  Today's latest article focuses on SBC's deployment of the technology, labeled "Project Lightspeed".  Apparently, the project is not living up to its name due to various legal, technical, and programming problems.  It's unlikely that the company will meet its goal of offering IPTV to 13 states within the next three years.  Microsoft has recently run into problems as well, with Austrialian telephone company, Telstra, canceling a field test of the product.  Swisscom, another overseas telephone company, has delayed the deployment of Microsoft's IPTV technology until 2006.

 

Many companies (and of course, Microsoft) are very hesitant to blame the problems....

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD negotiations fail

Sony Computer Entertainment boss, Ken Kutaragi has officially confirmed that talks between Sony and Toshiba have ended.  The two companies were in negotiations to hopefully unify their two standards, Blu-Ray (Sony) and HD-DVD (Toshiba).  Blu-Ray discs hold 50GB of information while HD-DVD only hold 30GB but are cheaper to manufacture. 

via|gamesindustry.biz

~This is VHS and Betamax all over again....My suggestion would be to wait and see who will prevail and remain happy with your DVDs for the next year or two or three.  Personally, I think Blu-Ray has the upperhand considering the PS3 will be shipped with a Blu-Ray drive.~

Technorati Tags : Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, Sony, Toshiba, DVD, VHS, Betamax, PS3, technology, home theater

DivX releases new, high-quality video format | CNET News.com

Link: DivX releases new, high-quality video format | CNET News.com.

DivX released a new version of its video tools yesterday, claiming it matches or surpasses the latest technologies from Apple or Microsoft.  The new version of tools will be compatible with millions of DivX Certified DVD players and other devices. 

DivX 6.0 allows for menu support, subtitling in multiple languages, addition of extra audio tracks, and quick conversion from other file formats into DivX.

Technorati Tags : DivX, Apple, Microsoft, film, DVD, video, technology, entertainment, software

Summer of Mobility Giveaway

In more Tivo news, you can enter their Summer of Mobility Giveaway for a chance to win a travel entertainment package to take along during your many summer getaways!  From June 21 through September 6, 2005, Tivo will be giving away a Windows based Mobile Creative Zen Portable Media Center and a 40-hour Tivo Series2 DVR.  One winner will be picked daily (Monday through Friday).

You can enter here.

Tags: tivo, dvr, contests, creative zen, portable media player, handheld

High Definition Simulators

Would you like to get HD quality from non-HD sources like cable, DVD, or VHS?  Of course you would!
Well, NEC has made it possible with the PlasmaSync 61XR3.

For the paltry sum of $13,995, this beauty can be yours and you can start watching reruns of Good Times in all of its HD splendor.

via|Cnet

Tags: NEC, plasma, plasma tvs, high-definition, HD, HDTV, home theater, cable, DVD, VHS

Toshiba develops recordable high-def DVD

Toshiba announced today that they have developed the technology to mass produce recordable high-definition DVDs.  This new technology will enable the manufacture of single-recording HD-DVD disks with 15-gigabyte storage capacity.

Optical disc makers Hitachi Maxell and Mitsubishi Kagaku said they would start marketing the HD-DVD-R discs next spring when Toshiba begins selling HD-DVD recorders.

This is the latest advance in the "war" between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray technology.  The Blu-Ray disc has the capability of storing 50GB compared to HD-DVDs 30GB read-only discs.  However, HD-DVD is cheaper to produce because of its similarity to current DVDs.

~It would be great if they could just finally sit down and agree on a common standard instead of introducing two new technologies.  However, it doesn't look that's happening.  Since we'll definitely be buying the PS3 (that comes equipped with Blu-Ray), you know whose corner I'm in.  I certainly can't afford to have three DVD technologies in my home, the current DVDs, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray.  I imagine that most households feel the same as well.  Most households won't even think about HD-DVD or Blu-Ray for the first couple of years of their debut into the market.~

Read more.

Tags: Toshiba, HD-DVD, high-definition, mitsubishi, blu-ray, technology, home theater, film, entertainment

New high-speed standard will enable HDTV streaming

Due to bandwidth limitations, streaming HD content over the web has been impractical.  That's all about to change due to the new high-speed standard called VDSL2 that was ratified by the International Telecommunication Union.

VDSL2 is said to reach speeds of up to 100Mbps downstream and upstream.  Currently, cable and DSL can only reach up to 3Mbps and DVDs take up 4-7Mbps and MPEG-2 HDTV content requires over 19Mbps. This new standard can operate on standard copper telephone lines with existing equipment.

BellSouth has already announced plans to use this with systems they've installed over the past 10 years.

via| Ultimate AV

Tags: HDTV, HD, high-definition, streaming, VDSL2, MPEG, DVD, movie, film, television, technology

Tonight's HBO HD lineup

For HD fans that have HBO, be sure to check out tonight's lineup:

6:15 pm - Shrek 2

8:00 pm - Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

10:30 pm - Bad Boys II

1:00 am - Identity

~All four of these movies should look great on HD.  I've already seen Shrek 2 in HD and it is truly stunning.  I believe this is the premiere of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on HD, so if I'm home I will definitely watch it or at least record it on my HD DVR.~

Tags: HD, HDTV, HBO, movies, film, technology, television, Harry Potter, Shrek, DVR, personal

BenQ offers new projector and free trip to Thailand

BenQ announced a new projector targeted towards the mobile/executive community.  The BenQ PB2250 comes with the following special features:

• DLP projection system
• Eight preset modes
• Password protection
• 3000 hours of lamp life
• Wide-angle lens
• RGB color reproduction
• Compatible with high-definition television and Macs

World's largest LCD TV launched by Sharp

Today, Sharp announced that they would begin selling the world's largest LCD TV. The 65-inch LCD will begin selling in Japan in August and should reach the States and other overseas markets by the end of the year. The LC-65GE1 Aquos will be high definition (1080i) and will take advantage of Sharp's QuickShoot technology that improves the responsiveness of moving video.

Sharp also announced a new series of TVs in the 22-45 inch range that have an advanced backlight for improved color production. They will also begin plans to start selling TVs in the 50-inch range by the end of the year.

via|Reuter.uk

Tags: Sharp, LCD TV, Aquos, technology, home theater, television, high-definition, HDTV

WMV HD

If you haven't already, check out some of the high-definition clips and trailers that Microsoft has available for download.  Their WMV HD Content showcase allows you to view and listen to their clips and trailers at resolutions up to 1080p and multichannel audio.  Each clip was encoded at 24 frames per second in order to deliver the ultra-high quality. There are a number of IMAX clips as well.

You can download thme at WMV HD.

Tags: HD, high-definition, movies, trailers, Microsoft, Windows Media, HDTV, films, technology, IMAX

Peerflix

Have some old DVDs you don't want? You may want to take a look at Peerflix. Peerflix is an online service that facilitates the trading of DVDs.  If you want to get rid of your copy of Nothing But Trouble, you could trade it with someone who owns Waterworld, if you were so inclined. 

When you first sign up, you list all your DVDs and list DVDs you want.  Peerflix sends you 4 mailers and will send more when you run low.  You earn "peerbux" which enable you to trade (you can also buy these).  Each movie is assigned a certain amount of peerbux and you receive the value when you trade the movie.  You pay just 99 cents a transaction, plus postage.  Right now the company is offering one free DVD when you fully activate your account.

Read more if you would like to see a review of the service.

Tags: Peerflix, DVD, movies, films, technology, internet, web

Worried about the hurricane season?

For $125,000 you can ride out the hurricane season in home theater luxury.  Acoustic Innovations has designed a safe room that it is pitching to residents in hurricane prone areas. The concrete room has a movie screen up to 14 feet wide, motorized leather recliners, plus $60,000 worth of electronics and other luxury comforts. 

The room's floors and walls are made of concrete and the door to the same room has to have the same strength as an outdoor one.  The walls are outfitted with acoustic coverings to absorb the sound in the room.

The idea for this type of safe room came about after the founder heard about a family that rode out a hurricane by watching TV in their safe room.

Read more.

Tags: home theater, movies, hurricanes, technology, safe room, television

HD Penetration Too Low

Here's an interesting article on the adoption of HDTV.  A couple of statistics listed:

• 12.9 million households had HD television at the end of 2004, only 3.9 million were receiving HD programming.
• It's estimated that approximately 200 million TV sets need to be fitted with converters or another system to receive digital programming.
• When the original analog-giveback bill was passed in 1997, there were 275 million  TV sets in American households.  Today there are more analog TV sets then when the original bill was passed.

~I suspect that the new date of 2008 will be pushed back as well.  Three years is not enough time to have the entire country switch over.  I'd be willing to bet my own HDTV on it.~

Tags: HD, HDTV, digital tv, home theater, technology, television, cable

PSP Home Theater

Nyko has created several new accessories that not only protect your PSP, but turn it into a home theater.

Nyko's Screen Armor ($9.99) protects the screen from scratches and fingerprints; the Charger Case ($69.99) provides storage and a way to charge the PSP and adds five hours to the battery; and the Theater Experience ($79.99), gives you the protection and extra battery life plus stereo speakers, adjustable viewing stand, and dual headphone jacks.

via|noticias.info

Tags: PSP, Playstation, home theater, video games, gaming, technology

DirecTV Customers protesting HD Pricing

Some DirecTV customers are protesting the pricing of the NFL Sunday Ticket that DirecTV offers.  About 500 customers have signed a petition notifying the company that they will cancel their NFL Sunday Ticket if the company continues to charge them an additional $99 to watch football telecasts in high-definition, a format that the country has to migrate to anyway. 

DirecTV has pointed out that the HD package does include other special features such as selecting different camera angles, calling up to eight games on the screen, and watching highlights of the game after it's over.

~Even though HD has been out for some time now, people are still suffering some of the problems that many early-adopters suffer through....a markup on the cost of the new technology.  Cable and satellite companies feel that they can charge additional prices for some of these services as long as there are different video standards.  Until HD becomes more mainstream, you can expect these type of additional costs.~

Tags: high-definition, HDTV, HD, DirecTV, NFL Sunday Ticket, satellite, television, technology, web

First Portable DVR in the U.S.

Echostar has announced that they will release the first portable DVR (a spinoff of the Archos AV700) in the U.S. later on this summer.  The product will be called the PocketDish and will store audio, photos and TV content.  It will be able to download a full-length movie from an EchoStar DVR in less than ten minutes.  With up to a 40 GB hard drive, it can store 180 hours of standard tv or 25 hours of HD content.  It will come in three different screen sizes, 2-inch, 4-inch, and 7-inch.

I don't think I would be interested in something like this unless the price was under $200.  Owning a laptop, a portable DVD player, and a PDA kind of cuts down on my need for yet another portable media player. This will probably appeal to parents and commuters.  This would definitely come in handy for the person who has to sit on a train for 60 minutes or more every morning.

Tags: echostar, pocketdish, dvr, pvr, media player

First Portable DVR in the U.S.

Echostar has announced that they will release the first portable DVR (a spinoff of the Archos AV700) in the U.S. later on this summer.  The product will be called the PocketDish and will store audio, photos and TV content.  It will be able to download a full-length movie from an EchoStar DVR in less than ten minutes.  With up to a 40 GB hard drive, it can store 180 hours of standard tv or 25 hours of HD content.  It will come in three different screen sizes, 2-inch, 4-inch, and 7-inch.

I don't think I would be interested in something like this unless the price was under $200.  Owning a laptop, a portable DVD player, and a PDA kind of cuts down on my need for yet another portable media player. This will probably appeal to parents and commuters.  This would definitely come in handy for the person who has to sit on a train for 60 minutes or more every morning.

Tags: echostar, pocketdish, dvr, pvr, media player

Will new game consoles increase HDTV sales?

With the upcoming releases of the Xbox 360 (this holiday season) and the Playstation 3 (next year), will the demand for HDTV increase?  Both game systems will have support for HD and games  will be displayed in HD and widescreen formats, along with Dolby Digital Surround.

We bought a HDTV about a year and a half ago and I am a HUGE fan of the technology.   There weren't a ton of offerings on our cable system when we first bought our TV, but it has increased quite a bit.  I just watched Shrek 2 on HBO HD this weekend and it was spectacular...unbelievable.  I can only imagine how realistic and beautiful the new Xbox and PS3 will look.  Personally, I'm hoping that the gaming systems will increase the demand for HD so that the cable companies and networks will increase the amount of channels offered.

If you don't already own a HDTV, would the ability to play games in HD convince you to invest in the technology?

Tags: hdtv, ps3, playstation 3, home theater

Will new game consoles increase HDTV sales?

With the upcoming releases of the Xbox 360 (this holiday season) and the Playstation 3 (next year), will the demand for HDTV increase?  Both game systems will have support for HD and games  will be displayed in HD and widescreen formats, along with Dolby Digital Surround.

We bought a HDTV about a year and a half ago and I am a HUGE fan of the technology.   There weren't a ton of offerings on our cable system when we first bought our TV, but it has increased quite a bit.  I just watched Shrek 2 on HBO HD this weekend and it was spectacular...unbelievable.  I can only imagine how realistic and beautiful the new Xbox and PS3 will look.  Personally, I'm hoping that the gaming systems will increase the demand for HD so that the cable companies and networks will increase the amount of channels offered.

If you don't already own a HDTV, would the ability to play games in HD convince you to invest in the technology?

Tags: hdtv, ps3, playstation 3, home theater

One of the best purchases I've made

for my home theater is this:

We own a 60-inch projection television that is in our living room.  In our bedroom, we have 32-inch widescreen HDTV.  Even though the TV in the bedroom is almost twice as small, I tend to like watching movies in there more than the living room.  This dvd player is the reason why. 

This isn't just a regular DVD player, It is a Zenith DVB-318 that upconverts.  What is upconversion?

Upconversion is the process of enlarging the movie frames to 720 or 1080 lines of resolution and then digitally sending that signal to the television.  Most DVDs have 480 lines of resolution which is anything but high-definition.  Regular DVD players convert the digital video from the DVD player to analog (over s-video, component, composite) and  then the HDTV converted it back to digital.  Of course, some of the picture quality is degraded during that process.  Upconverting DVD players appear to improve the resolution of regular DVDs.

Now, please don't believe that this player is magically turning the 480 lines of resolution into 720 or 1080 lines of resolution, because it's not.  In simple words, it just makes the picture look better.  Some people argue over how much better, but in my case, it is a very noticeable difference.  The first DVD I viewed was Lord of the Rings: Two Towers and I could immediately tell the difference. It seemed clearer, sharper, and just downright beautiful. 

I still watch the big blockbusters on our big screen, but when I view them a second time, it's in the bedroom.  This will continue to be my favorite piece of home theater equipment (after my speakers)....until HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray comes out.

If you would like to read a more thorough explanation or read consumer opinions on different upconverting dvd players, head on over to AVS Forum.  There is a ton of information on different players and EVERY thing home theater related!

Tags: dvd players, zenith, home theater

One of the best purchases I've made

for my home theater is this:

We own a 60-inch projection television that is in our living room.  In our bedroom, we have 32-inch widescreen HDTV.  Even though the TV in the bedroom is almost twice as small, I tend to like watching movies in there more than the living room.  This dvd player is the reason why. 

This isn't just a regular DVD player, It is a Zenith DVB-318 that upconverts.  What is upconversion?

Upconversion is the process of enlarging the movie frames to 720 or 1080 lines of resolution and then digitally sending that signal to the television.  Most DVDs have 480 lines of resolution which is anything but high-definition.  Regular DVD players convert the digital video from the DVD player to analog (over s-video, component, composite) and  then the HDTV converted it back to digital.  Of course, some of the picture quality is degraded during that process.  Upconverting DVD players appear to improve the resolution of regular DVDs.

Now, please don't believe that this player is magically turning the 480 lines of resolution into 720 or 1080 lines of resolution, because it's not.  In simple words, it just makes the picture look better.  Some people argue over how much better, but in my case, it is a very noticeable difference.  The first DVD I viewed was Lord of the Rings: Two Towers and I could immediately tell the difference. It seemed clearer, sharper, and just downright beautiful. 

I still watch the big blockbusters on our big screen, but when I view them a second time, it's in the bedroom.  This will continue to be my favorite piece of home theater equipment (after my speakers)....until HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray comes out.

If you would like to read a more thorough explanation or read consumer opinions on different upconverting dvd players, head on over to AVS Forum.  There is a ton of information on different players and EVERY thing home theater related!

Tags: dvd players, zenith, home theater