CES Sights and Sounds, Vol. 4

I’ll skip the witty preamble today and get right to the good stuff – more tech news from CES 2008. Here we go:

Echostar

Fans of off-air HDTV reception, rejoice! The folks at Echostar have cooked up what promises to be a very popular machine for anyone fed up with overpriced cable and satellite programming. Echostar’s new TR-50 is an HD DVR with dual ATSC tuners, a TV Guide-powered channel guide and both USB and Ethernet ports. Dual ATSC tuners means you’ll be able to record one high def show while watching another, a rarity in terrestrial reception-only STBs (set-top boxes). Although the unit’s built-in hard disk size has not yet been specified, the USB port is a huge deal. The USB port will allow users to connect any off-the-shelf external drive – such as those snazzy new units from Fabrik – and instantly add hours of potential high def storage capacity. Finally, and this is another huge deal, the TR-50 features an Ethernet port which can be used to download a seven day programming lineup from TV Guide. Internet delivery of this data brings with it improved reliability and improves your ability to schedule regular/future recordings. I’ve already requested a sample unit of this baby so watch E-GEAR for my review in the months ahead.

VUDU

How do you do that VUDU that you do? If you went shopping for a Sharp flat panel during the month of December, you might have heard about their VUDU box promotion (Buy a Sharp, get a VUDU.) So what exactly is VUDU? Well, it’s a little black box that does some very magical things. VUDU is a small, hard drive-based STB which allows owners to rent or purchase movies instantly via VUDU’s internet-based, peer-to-peer(ish) network. Although we’ve seen offerings like this come and go in the past, I get the feeling that VUDU has what it takes to stick around for a while. One the primary reasons for this is the fact that VUDU has signed content agreements with every one of the major Hollywood studios. VUDU currently offers more than 5,000 titles – some of which, such as The Bourne Ultimatum, are available for download in high def – and that list is growing all the time. At CES, VUDU took the wraps off its new VUDU XL box which contains, among other things, a whopping one TERABYTE of storage capacity. This movie lover’s dream will cost $999 when it goes on sale next month at various high-end retailers. Just prior to CES, I received a sample of the original Vudu box which I’ll be reviewing in the next issue of E-Gear, so stay tuned for more on this exciting product. Based on the few hours I’ve logged thus far, I can tell you that the VUDU user interface is good – very good. Like Tivo and iTunes good.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi threw a big party to show off its latest HDTV. Only this isn’t your average TV. No, Mitsubishi has created an entirely new category of televisions. Now, in your best Dr. Evil voice – complete with air quotes – I’d like you to say hello to “Laser Television.” Although information is still sketchy on exactly what’s going on inside the box, Mitsubishi claims the laser light source in these new microdisplays effectively doubles the visible color gamut when compared to current HDTV technologies. Mitsubishi had three 65-inch units on display and they ran through an impressive barrage of clips to show off the laser-lit possibilities. Based on my initial impressions, laser television is for real and picture quality appeared to be excellent. Mitsubishi will be shipping these babies later this year so we’ll have to see if we can get our hands on one when they arrive. With a cabinet depth that appeared to measure about ten inches, one question remains: will today’s flat panel shoppers be able to look past the Mitsubishi’s comparatively-chunky size? Time will tell, but one thing is certain: I love saying “laser.”