Monday, January 07, 2013

Vudu and Walmart bring disc-to-digital conversions home, iOS app adds offline viewing next month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/vudu-disc-to-to-digital-at-home-ios-downloads/

Walmart Entertainment launched its in-store disc-to-digital UltraViolet conversion early last year, and now it's making the process a bit simpler by letting customers do it by themselves at home. Powered by the Vudu To Go app for Mac and Windows PCs that already lets viewers stream or download movies in up to 1080p, they can search for previously purchased movies from participating studios (DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, MGM Studios, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) and then convert them: DVD to SD or Blu-ray to HD for $2, DVD to HD for $5. Like the beta feature recently launched by Best Buy's CinemaNow, the app authorizes the copy and then you can watch it through any of the numerous Vudu / UltraViolet-ready devices and services merely by logging in.

One other new feature on the way is the ability for Vudu users on iOS to download copies to their devices for viewing offline. We first saw the feature on mobiles when its Android tablet app launched last month, and it will come to the Apple family of hardware in mid-February. One other note as Walmart attempts to expand its "Entertainment" brand is a Facebook app that will let its fans read and submit reviews and also vote on which movi! es will be offered for sale in-store and online. Still need a reason to give UltraViolet a try? Vudu is tossing new users 10 free pre-selected movies just for linking their account or signing up. Check out the full list of details in the press release after the break or hit the source link to see if it's live.

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Source: Walmart Entertainment

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ASUS Qube announced at CES: Google TV arrives with on-screen cube interface

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/asus-qube-google-tv-ces-2013/

ASUS Qube announced at CES Google TV arrives with onscreen cube interface

While the FCC may have already punctured ASUS' surprise, at least the company's now made it official. ASUS' first Google TV device is coming and will arrive with 50GB of WebStorage cloud space and access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows through Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. It'll arrive with its own "Qube interface," unsurprisingly featuring a three-dimensional tetrahedron that rotates for access to your content. There's also motion-sensing remote control support for gaming and other apps, while anyone with an Android phone will be able to download ASUS' Mobile Remote app and steer from there. No word yet on pricing or a launch date -- ASUS won't be hosting a press event this week, but we'll be pounding the CES floors for more details.

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LG's 55-inch OLED display, eyes-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/lg-s-55-inch-oled-display-eyes-on/

LG's 55inch OLED display, eyeson

Talk about distracting. While LG was discussing washing machines and other smart appliances, we couldn't take our eyes off the 55-inch OLED display sitting on the side of the stage. It's one of two new sizes being added to the family, alongside the enormous 84-inch model. The first thing you'll notice, if you've seen its bigger brother is that, all things considered, this is a fairly modest set. Well, relatively, of course. The next thing you'll pick up on is just how sharp the thing is. While playing some slow-motion video of liquid flying through the air throughout the event, it was impossible to take our eyes off the thing.

We managed to get a little closer after the end of the event, and caught a glimpse of some really great viewing angles on the set -- though those were hampered a bit by the glossy finish. If you're not watching the screen on stage at a CES press event, however, that shouldn't be much of a problem. Also apparent once you approach is just how thin the set it -- the bezel, too. The TV will run $12,000 when it starts shipping in March, so start saving those pennies now.

Myriam Joire contributed to this post.

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LG's 65-inch 4K display, eyes-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/lgs-65-inch-4k-display-eyes-on/

LG's 65inch 4K display, eyeson

With Mobile World Congress about a month away, there wasn't a peep about new smartphones at today's LG press conference. The company was all about TV -- well, TV and smart appliances, we guess. But we couldn't help but be enamored with the giant TV sets, the company showed off once the curtains were drawn back at the end of the press conference. The most eye-catching of all, clearly was the 84-inch 4K display which downright dwarfed the LG rep standing to its side. Sitting just off to the right was the newly announced 65-inch model, which, like the 55-inch OLED that spent the show on-stage, looked like a relatively modest proposal sitting next to such a behemoth. Of course, these are 4K TV sets that we're talking about here, so we use the word "modest" as loosely as humanly possible.

The set maintains the impressive life-like quality of its elder sibling (showing off massively detailed cityscapes) of course, but compared to incredibly sleek and shiny OLED sets that we saw early, the 4K seem a bit on the thicker side. Though, as with the OLED, LG's clearly focused on making the the bezel as imperceptible as possible here. The 4K models are propped up by a shiny metal stand emerging from their center.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report

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Sharp launches AQUOS Ultra HD panel for mid 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/07/sharp-launches-aquos-ultra-hd-panel/

Sharp launches AQUOS Ultra HD panel for mid 2013

Sharp announced an AQUOS Ultra HD set at CES complementing the other TV launches for this year. Set to debut mid year, the 240Hz 4K panel will feature a 4K upscaler, active 3D with Bluetooth 3D glasses, built in WiFi and a subwoofer to boot. No word on pricing but we'll get back with that as soon as we're able.

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