Filed under: Displays, HDTV

After slipping past their original spring release date, Panasonic’s PZ850 series of plasmas are no longer the only ones with YouTube support, but those desiring internet features, high contrast ratios and easy-access calibration settings can expect them on shelves this summer. The 46-, 50- and 58-inch versions should all be available in mid-June, with the 65-incher rolling out in August. Other than the IP features (Picasa access is also part of the package) the THX-certified PZ850s support h.264 playback from the SD card slot, RS-232C, 24p native playback, and a variety of display modes and settings to get the picture just the way the director intended, the way you like it, or anywhere in between. Check after the break for a list of prices, and our video hands on from CES 2008.

Continue reading Panasonic VIERACast internet-enabled plasmas due this summer

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Though not nearly as sexy (or well-spec’d, for that matter) as Sony’s recently-unveiled HDR-TG1, AgfaPhoto’s DV-5000Z still manages to hold its own on paper. Measuring in at 4.7- x 2.75-inches (12- x 7-centimeters) and weighing just over 7-ounces (200-grams), this HD camcorder features a 5-megapixel Micron CMOS sensor, 2.5-inch flip-out LCD, 3x optical zoom and an SD / SDHC slot to store everything on. As for shooting capabilities, it’ll capture clips at 1,280 x 720 (using H.264 compression) and snag 16-bit stereo sound all the while. You’ll also find USB connectivity, a rechargeable Li-ion and video out, natch. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of this €249 ($393) device ever coming Stateside, but it’ll be ready to roll in Russia later this month.

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Filed under: Cellphones, HDTV

On the same day that Texas Instruments chose to showcase a new chip that would enable HD recording capabilities on cellphones, On2 Technologies is taking a moment from its hectic day in Barcelona to trumpet an all new 1080p hardware RTL video decoder. The Hantro 8190 reportedly supports Adobe Flash along with H.263, H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark and VP6 video formats, and it can even handle JPEG images up to 16-megapixels. According to On2, the device was created to be easily integrated with ARM, MIPS and “other embedded CPU and DSP cores,” and can supposedly decode 1080p H.264 video at 30 frames-per-second using a clock frequency of just 165MHz. As it stands, the Hantro 8190 is currently available for licensing, but only time will tell who’s going to bite.

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