Dave’s Dilemma: New HDTV

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Since moving about two years ago, I haven’t bothered replacing my projector. However, we just gave away our last SDTV (32″ JVC) and moved the 30″ CRT HDTV into the bedroom. So we’re looking at 40″ – 46″ LCDs for the living area. (New projector or larger higher-end set is on hold until the next move.) And I’ve got to say despite the bulk, I much prefer the picture quality of tube televisions. But they’re a dying breed (“microdisplay” projection sets will soon follow) and no one makes larger HDTV tubes anymore. LCDs just don’t handle fast motion (or black levels) like a CRT… and given our usage patterns (potential burn-in issues) a plasma is out of the question. The new Sony XBR4/5 and the Samsung 71/81 LCDs offer double the refresh rate (120Hz, versus 60), but it’s yet to be seen it this is a hack or a genuine improvement. Regardless, I can’t justify $3k on a 40″ screen. I’m most seriously looking at the 42/53 (720p) and 61/65/66 (1080p) Samsungs at the moment, but can’t say I feel great about watching sports on any of them. LCD quality just isn’t there yet. At least not at prices I’m comfortable with.

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Retargeting Images


I don’t often have the patience to sit through embedded videos in blogs (a personal weakness of mine), but sometimes the video is too good to ignore. TechCrunch posted one this morning illustrating a new way to resize or retarget images. The technique is very simply explained and involves eliminating the paths of pixels that are least important to the content of an image. The process also works in reverse where you can add paths of pixels to extend the size of an image without substantially altering the content.

I clipped out screenshots, which you can see below, but if you have the time, I highly recommend watching the whole video. The end also shows how to preserve or remove specific content elements in pictures. Talk about serious potential to alter forensic evidence!

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Google Makes Amends

After taking heat for insufficient reparations in killing paid video downloads, Google’s reconsidered: We’re giving a full refund — as a credit card refund — to everyone who ever bought a video. You can still keep the Google Checkout credit that you’ve received already. We’re going to continue to support playing your videos for another … Read more

SDV Keeps On Rollin’

In the next month, Cox will deploy SDV in neighboring Fairfax (VA) county. Multichannel News writes: In Northern Virginia, where Cox has about 240,000 subscribers, the SDV system will go live systemwide in about 30 days, according to Kelso. Later this year, Cox plans to roll out the system in its Phoenix and Orange County, … Read more

Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… Dave missed while vacationing. DVB-T tuners, DVR functionality, and placeshifting coming to European PS3: Sony Logitech Harmony 1000 reviewed: PC Mag Paramount and Dreamworks sell out to HD DVD: TiVo Lovers YouTube video advertising arrives: Yahoo

New TiVo HD Hits Retail

If you’ve been waiting to buy the new TiVo “lite”, now’s your chance. Purportedly, TiVo’s retail partners are fully stocked – including Best Buy, Circuit City and (as seen below) online at Amazon. We’ll have to wait and see if sales of this lower cost HD DVR have any impact on TiVo’s profit outlook.

DivX Goes Shopping: Buys Fine Art And Search Technology

Last week DivX released their 10-Q and while I was able to find the time to tune into their conference call, I didn’t get a chance to read through the actual document until this past weekend.

In the filing I didn’t find any bombshells or new lawsuits, but there were a few details on some of DivX’s recent acquisitions that did reward my curiosity. According to the filing, DivX made two purchases over the last quarter.

In May 2007, the Company made an equity investment in a private corporation that aggregates and distributes art via its web community and facilitates an open forum where artists can exhibit their artwork and build community around that art in an effort to drive commerce. The Company’s investment consisted of $3.5 million cash for which it received certain shares of the private corporation’s Series A Preferred Stock and entered into an advertising and marketing agreement. The Company has preliminarily allocated approximately $650,000 of the investment to the advertising and marketing agreement, based on its estimated fair value, and the remaining $2.9 million will be carried as an investment.

DivX doesn’t name the actual artwork site in their filing, but since I already knew that they had purchased a piece of DeviantArt, this one wasn’t hard to figure out. Originally, I had thought that they were only partially behind the $3.5 million investment, but according to the filing, it looks like they put in all of the cash. DivX doesn’t disclose how much of a stake they got for their money, but they do disclose that it is less than 20%.

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…And a DVR in Every Home

I remember when Motorola (yes, my employer) rolled out its first HD DVR years after TiVo and ReplayTV first hit the market. There was some general concern about Motorola being late to the game, but the truth was that DVRs hadn’t really made a splash yet, at least in terms of mass adoption. Today, Leightman … Read more