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Hulu gets serious about HD video
Today marks an important milestone in Web video. Hulu, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite online video sites, has started to add high-definition videos to its site. The most recent release of Adobe Flash Player added support for streaming HD, using H.264 encoding.
Hulu's HD Gallery is a little bit limited right now, only offering nine HD movie trailers, but we can assume that Hulu will probably be adding HD versions of other content in the future. Noticeably absent from the HD offering is the ability to embed the video in another Web page, which is a killer feature of Hulu, in my opinion.
Hulu is serving up its HD video in 1,280x720 and requires some beefy system specifications, including a 2.5 Mbps Internet connection. Hulu has a whole lot going for it right now, and it will only get better as the company signs more networks and studios. The embed feature is really great and it makes it easy (and legal!) to serve up your favorite shows on your Web site. For your viewing pleasure, I'm going to leave you with one of my personal favorites.
Review: Alpine CDA-9885
Alpine's CDA-9885 joins Sony's CDX-520 and JVC's KD-HDR1 in the category of HD Radio-compatible car stereos. The in-dash system combines attractive styling and a easy-to-use music search interface with great-sounding output and a host of expandability options, but those upgrading to HD Radio will have to deal with a clunky module and a hefty price tag.
Click on the image to read our full review.
Stop acting like Switzerland--get an HD DVD player for $250
Ready to take the high-def DVD plunge? I wouldn't. I think most HDTV owners are better off with a decent (and inexpensive) upconverting DVD player, which makes existing DVDs look a helluva lot better and saves you from having to choose sides in the ridiculous Blu-ray versus HD DVD war.
On the other hand, if you're tired of waiting and want to enjoy every pixel of your 1080p TV right now, consider the Toshiba HD-A20 HD DVD player. Circuit City has it on clearance for $249.99--not quite the sub-$200 price point the players need to … Read more
Thank you for the music: Volvo gets HD Radio
Two months after its parent company Ford said that it would be making HD Radio available on most of its models, Volvo announced that it will offer the technology as optional and standard equipment starting in fall 2008.
The Swedish auto maker said that HD Radio would be available for nearly its entire model lineup, including the S40 T5, V50 T5, C30, C70, S80, V70, XC70 and XC90 models. HD Radio (the HD stands for hybrid digital) bundles digital services with analog FM signals, providing clearer audio output, extra "multicast" (or "HD2") channels, and text information … Read more
TiVo and cable industry unveil Switched Digital Video workaround
As of the most recent software update (9.2), TiVo's added quite a few fixes to its high-def DVRs: the Series3 and the TiVo HD now offer the TiVo To Go, Multi-Room Viewing, Rhapsody, and expandable storage features that were originally promised. Now it appears that TiVo has solved the other big sticking point: compatibility with Switched Digital Video (SDV) technology. The company announced today that it's developed (with the help of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association) an add-on USB adapter that will enable its two high-def DVRs to properly tune cable channels being broadcast with SDV … Read more
Wal-Mart now giving away Blu-ray movies--with an 80GB PS3
If you thought you could escape this Blu-ray and HD DVD format back-and-forth nonsense, well, you were wrong. It's actually just beginning! This holiday season, both sides in the next-generation DVD battle are continuing to ratchet up the pressure on you lucky consumers.
Exhibit A: The folks over at Wal-Mart have followed up their boffo $98 Toshiba A2 HD DVD player with a pretty impressive overture for Blu-ray. Buying an 80GB Sony PlayStation 3 this Saturday will also get you 10 Blu-ray movies for free, as long as all the titles are below $30. (Go to the Wal-Mart holiday shopping site … Read more