MPC Club Community Board - Blogs

Way to go for content and apps!

Hi-Jack — Wed, 12 May 2010 05:57:25 GMT

Based on a POLL at MPC CLub, 76% of media enthusiasts would consider an "all you can eat" download program based on a monthly fee of �25 - �50. Only 23% would continue downloading for free... This poll shows people are often downloading due to freedom and convenience or availability and not necessarily should be classified as "pirates" and "criminals"... Examples on how this may work for games and software is showcased by "Wolfire" at the time selling their software for any price people want to pay for it, while supporting a cause... http://lnkd.in/yFYbC4

The Humble Indie Bundle (pay what you want for five awesome indie... wolfire.com
Pay what you want for five cross-platform games and donate to two non-profits. This promotion has no middleman: all of the proceeds go directly to the developers and non-profits!

Importing iPad from US: Yes but...

Hi-Jack — Wed, 12 May 2010 05:47:28 GMT

Importing the iPad from the US, it seemed such a great idea. Although the device is "awesome" and will become even better once multitasking is enabled in iPhone / iPad OS4, there are limitations like the in-app purchases failing and the iTunes store failing on the device... Belgium is behind once again... We are allowed to purchase overseas but should not expect the device working properly. It's a similar "black hole" as with region protected DVD's... Yes you can import these overseas but you can't play them on your region 2 protected DVD player...

Apple OS is not untouchable...

Hi-Jack — Wed, 12 May 2010 05:47:05 GMT

Even though it may seem so, Apple is not untouchable... In the USA "Android" OS (26%) has surpassed Apple OS (21%). Obviously these numbers can be explained by more mobiles using Android and there's only few Apple devices (iPhone and iPad).

Inventions... Where are they?

Hi-Jack — Wed, 12 May 2010 05:46:37 GMT

What was the latest thing that really changed our daily life? Can current inventions still compete with the old ones like the guy who saw a cow and thought... let's press those thingies down there on his belly and drink whatever comes out of it...? :-)

To ISF or not to ISF

Malignant — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:17:47 GMT

I thought it was time for some information from the sideline here.
The last year HD mediaplayers have become a common fact and more and more people are using them these days.

There is a lot of discussion going on about the Picture Quality (PQ) for each diffent chipset. And more and more people are playing back FullHD media on FullHD panels or beamers etc.

What most people do not realize and that the PQ is hugely dependant on the settings of their display device. I think it�s even more dependant on the display than the source of the signal.

Most of us think they have set they display to the correct settings and that the picture is optimal. So why the heck should we pay around �250,- for a calibration if the display is fine. I must admit that I myself was skeptical about this as well at first, but after taking the leap I must say I�m amazed.

Let�s just start off by a small explanation of what ISF calibration really is.

Basically it�s just a tech guy coming into your house with some strange equipment that he sticks on the TV. This equipment measures the color temperature, gamma & contrast & grayscale of the display. These measurements are not doable with the naked eye, but the end result is more than visible.

So why is this color temperature thing so important and what is it ?

Color temperature is a characteristic of visible light that has important applications in lighting, photography, videography, publishing, manufacturing, astrophysics, and other fields. The color temperature of a light source is the temperature of an ideal black-body radiator that radiates light of comparable hue to that light source. The temperature is conventionally stated in units of absolute temperature, kelvin (K). Color temperature is related to Planck's law and to Wien's displacement law.
Higher color temperatures (5,000 K or more) are cool (blueish white) colors; lower color temperatures (2,700�3,000 K) are warm (yellowish white through red) colors.

Source : Wikipedia

Color temperature defines the balance between the primary colors of your display.
If these aren�t correctly set up you will get a picture that was not intended to be viewed. Pretty much all material, be it DVD, BluRay etc, is mastered for optimal color settings. If you have your display calibrated correctly you will be able to view the material the way the director wanted you to view it.

The grayscale & gamma being measured defines how your display handles all the value�s between �absolute� black and �absolute� white. An incorrectly calibrated display cannot define the difference between certain forms of black and certain forms of white. This process goes really close together with the set gamma curve in your display. Having this properly calibrated will give you a lot more detail in the picture and it will contribute to a better sense of depth as well.

Last but not least is the contrast calibration. This defines the ratio of luminosity between black and white. Now this is a very important one as well to get right. If you have the contrast on to high, you will loose the darker area�s of the picture. And if you have an LCD like me ( I know, I�m ashamed of myself writing an ISF piece while I own an LCD ) you will only get gray�s and not a single black on your display ( even worse that with a calibrated LCD ). Also you will have white�s popping out of your screen in the contrast is to high, which pretty much throws all other colors out of whack. The same goes the other was around if it�s to low. Then you will have virtually no detail in the black levels in the picture, just one slab of �nothing� and the overall white�s will be more grey than white.

The level of detail, clarity and contrast is just so much better with a properly calibrated display. If all these settings are done correctly you will even get an awesome sense of depth coming out of you display. No more washed out colors, image�s that are to blue or red, shades of white or black that you cannot perceive. The level of detail in darker scene�s is amazing. And best of all, your LCD can produce a color that actually resembles black.
Now I can keep blabbering on about this, because I really think it�s worth every cent. Just look on the Internet for other reports from people who were skeptical at once but now are convinced. Let�s stop all waisting out time and finally look at digital media the way it was intended. Get your display calibrated and post your reaction here. I bet you won�t know what hit you.

I found this nice clip on youtube as well giving an short explanation of the ISF process, way better than i just did but i like to talk. Note that it says part one, part 2 was never made as far as i know :)

Also I suggest taking a look at this video, it�s a very informative video giving some explanation of all the terms used and what the influence of these settings are,

And finally, just take a look over at our friends from AVSforum for some really nice tutorials, guides and experiences on display calibration.

AVSForum.com

Holographic Sound System

Malignant — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:22:04 GMT

During my daily routine of browsing the web i stubled upon some really nice info.

Audiophile's like me are always looking for a better sound, we are never satisfied.
Luckily there are a lot more people on the same quest.

And that is pretty much the introduction needed and that is the reason why people started experimenting with Holographic sound roughly 30 years ago.

The basic idea is pretty simple here, normally audio is recorded with 2 mic's ( assuming that stereo is still the basics ). This does not represent the way we percieve audio tho. This is because the human ear has all kinds of shapes wich causes alterations in the frequency and fase of the audio signal. A mic just has a direct pick up of the audio.
Mic's don't pick up things as height etc.

This is what lead to to development of holographic mics. These mic's simulate the behavior of the human ear. So the audio that is recorded is pretty much the way you would percieve it when you were there. Note that i say pretty much, because each ear is different it will NEVER be a 100% representation of what you would hear when present.

Never the less, these recording technique's have produced some really impressing results so far. And these results are now available to the public on this nice site i found.

Follow the link at the bottom of this page. Download the uncompressed wave files and either burn them to a CD or stream them with your mediaplayer and be amazed by the result. Please keep in mind that you MUST have decent equipment for this to work properly and not some $100,- audio kit. But assuming that you are an audiophile like me i don't think that's a problem.

For the best experience just load up the files at night, close the curtains, dim the lights and assume your favorite listening position with your eye's closed and be amazed by the results.

I was smashed by this, let me get your thoughts on this as well.

Download links & source : http://www.indenop.nl/Holographic%20Sound%20System.html

Abigs t6 & d7 wireless media players jump into the hd fray

Malignant — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:17:32 GMT

Just a copy / paste of this article i came across and wanted to share with you all.
Looks like a nice player.
Personally i don't like the form factor but i do like the 5cm full color display.
Haven't been able to figure out the chipset is these players tho.
I suspect it's an RTK based player but i can't seem to confirm this.
My korean isn't that good, maybe somebody can translate this all :)

Hot off the heels of the CES show, the market is flush with countless set-top media player boxes � my personal favorite being the upcoming Boxee Box. But even the Boxee Box doesn�t have tons of local storage. The Sarotech abigs T6 & D7 media players have room for an internal 3.5-inch SATA hard drive, you�ll never fear for lack of storage. And the top-of-the line D7 can even record analog media and encode it in real time.

The compact abigs T6 box features a clean and attractive modern design with a nice LCD screen for navigation of content on the front. The player can handle a wide variety of video formats including MPEG 1/2/4, XviD, WMV9/9HD, H.264, MKV, WMV, AVI, ISO, VOB, MPG, ASF, and DAT among others. And it can play video at full 1080p resolution. There�s also support for MP3, WMA, OGG, AC3, PCM and DTS audio formats. (Sorry, no AAC).

You�ll also find a wide variety of A/V outputs, including component video, HDMI, S-Video, and optical, coax and analog audio outputs. You can also plug in a pair of USB flash drives, or an external e-SATA drive. It�s also got built-in wireless networking (802.1b/g, but no n) for streaming files from your computer.

And if the T6 isn�t enough for you, keep your eyes peeled for the even newer abigs D7, which adds full Dolby Digital Plus and DTS surround sound processing, 802.11n networking, as well as the ability to record analog video (composite only) into digital formats in real time. Make note, the D7 does away with the coax audio output if you have a need for that.

These media players are made primarily for the Korean market, but Sarotech is including menus
in English and many other language as well. I was able to find the abigs T6 over on eBay for $279 (no hard drive) and $349 (with 1TB storage). The D7 hasn�t started to show up stateside yet, but I�d expect to see it very soon.

Source: http://technabob.com/blog/2010/01/21...#ixzz0dLI4YCPE

Product website : http://www.sarotech.com/product/prod...=&item_idx=240

Blu-ray 3D specification is final

Malignant — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:13:23 GMT

THE SPECIFICATION for 3D Blu-ray has been finalised by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) so it shouldn't be long until we can all fork out another wodge of cash for new kit if we want to buy into 3D.

Jumping on the 3D bandwagon, the BDA has decided we need our headaches to be created in full 1080p high definition and is attempting to thwart the traditional format war by coming out with a standardised spec as quickly as possible.

"Throughout this year, movie goers have shown an overwhelming preference for 3D when presented with the option to see a theatrical release in either 3D or 2D," said Victor Matsuda, chairman of the BDA global promotions committee.

"We believe this demand for 3D content will carry over into the home now that we have, in Blu-ray Disc, a medium that can deliver a quality Full HD 3D experience to the living room."

The specification uses the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50 per cent overhead compared to equivalent 2D content. It also provides details on other features such as 3D menu navigation and subtitles.

According to the BDA the specification will ensure 'uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software' and you'll be happy to know that your 2D Blu-ray discs will work in your 3D player, so can safely trade in your current brand new player for pittance in order to upgrade.

Furthermore the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display [surely that's the definition of 'compatible', innit? - Ed].

"From a technological perspective, it is simply the best available platform for bringing 3D into the home," said Benn Carr, chairman of the BDA 3D Task Force.

"The disc capacity and bit rates Blu-ray Disc provides enable us to deliver 3D in Full HD 1080p high definition resolution."

Fortunately it appears that some Blu-ray players, including the PS3, will be upgradeable to support 3D. If you're one of the unwashed masses unfortunate enough to be stuck on 2D, the 3D discs will have a 2D mode for your existing player while you wait for the second mortgage on your house to be approved.

According to Matsuda in 2009 Blu-ray was the "most rapidly adopted packaged media format ever introduced," but no details were given about how such a conclusion was reached.

"We think the broad and rapid acceptance Blu-ray Disc already enjoys with consumers will be a factor in accelerating the uptake of 3D in the home," he said.

"In the meantime, existing players and libraries can continue to be fully enjoyed as consumers consider extending into 3D home entertainment."

The completed specification will be available shortly so manufacturers and content providers will be able to get into making Blu-ray 3D devices and discs in the New Year.

Source : http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/...fication-final

Just wondering what the fallout off this will be for the sigma based players.
Will the PCH & HDI players be upgradable as well ?

Broadcom Announces Single-die Blu-ray Chip, 3-D Support

Malignant — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:57:02 GMT

Found this interesting article while browsing the web.
Seems that the people at Broadcom managed to slap everything onto one chip as well.
Exact specs i could find, but it looks like the guys from Sigma might get some competition in the SoC market. Seeing that pretty much everything is integrated into the new chip i suspect it to handle streaming as well. Just a matter of wich codecs are supported.

Original message :

Semiconductor maker Broadcom Corporation announced today the first "true single-die" Blu-ray Disc chip: The BCM7630 combines optical front-end and back-end video decoding and display technologies in a single-die solution. It also supports Netflix 2.0, Pandora Internet Radio, Vudu and CinemaNow movie services and other streaming applications, as well as Wi-Fi and BlueTooth. Also announced today is the BCM7632, which adds support for the playback of 3-D Blu-ray movies in stereoscopic full 1080p.

Although the 3-D Blu-ray standard is not yet finalized, it is anticipated that the BCM7632 will comply with the final specification.

The BCM7630 and BCM7632 support Broadcom's market-leading Wi-Fi and Bluetooth solutions providing manufacturers with a system solution that features integrated wireless support. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth solutions can also be used for remote controls.

The BCM7630 is in production now. The BCM7632 is sampling to early access customers.

Dan Eiref, Vice President & General Manager, Broadcom Consumer Electronics Line of Business, said: "Blu-ray Disc players are poised for continued growth in the coming year, and our next generation Blu-ray solutions will help bring to market a new line of players for 2010 that meet consumer demand for connected applications such as Netflix 2.0, Pandora Internet Radio, Vudu and CinemaNow."

Source : Blu-ray.com

More HDMI confusion to come

Malignant — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:45:37 GMT

Just when you thought you understood what HDMI v1.3 or v1.4 meant, in terms of cable and equipment specifications, HDMI Licensing has ruled that companies using its standard can no longer refer to Version 1.4 whatsoever, and have a year to remove all other version numbers from their products.

In place of the familiar version numbers, companies will now have to refer to cables as being one of the following five types:
- Standard HDMI Cable
- Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet
- Standard Automotive HDMI Cable
- High Speed Cable
- High Speed Cable with Ethernet

In addition, the new ruling defines specific features, and sets minimum technical requirements to be met, before a manufacturer can say their product supports them. These are:
- HDMI Ethernet Channel
- Audio Return Channel (for example, to let a connected TV send sound back to an AV receiver)
- 3D
- 4K (the super-HD TV format)
- Content Type
- HDMI Micro Connector
- HDMI Automotive Connection System

Still with us? For products other than cables, version numbers are also to be phased out by the start of 2012, meaning that the likes of switchboxes can no longer be described as supporting v1.3, for example, or TVs be said to have v1.3 inputs.

Until January 1, 2012, the HDMI version number can still be used, but "only when the Adopter clearly specifies the feature or features associated with that HDMI version number."

So a product currently claimed to be 'HDMI V1.4 compliant' will now have to be described as featuring, for example, 'HDMI v.1.4 with Audio Return Channel and HDMI Ethernet Channel.'

As already mentioned, there is a one-year grace period for the implementation of most of these changes, and we'll be amending our technical specifications accordingly over the coming months.

Source : WhatHiFi.com

Original press release : HDMI.org

Logitech wins 7 CES 2010 Awards

Malignant — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:01:15 GMT

Logitech announced today that it won 7 CES 2010 Innovation awards for their input in the field of �excellence in design and engineering�.

Logitech is proud to announce that they yet again received some of the prestigious CES Innovations awards. The chief executive officer from Logitech stated that they are very pleased to see their products being awarded and that they fit into a very small group of revolutionairy products being developed world wide.

Logitech received the awards in the following categories with the following products :

- Audio components - Squeezebox Radio
- Audio components - Squeezebox Touch
- Home theater accessory's - Harmony 900
- Headphones - Ultimate Ears 700
- Computer components - Anywhere Mouse MX
- Electronic Gaming - Flight system G940
- Electronic Gaming - Wireless Guitar Controller

More info : Logitech Press Release

Rozetkus 3D power socket

Malignant — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:22:16 GMT

Okay guys,

I know this is a little out of place here, but i found this this morning when browsing the net and it just has a really nice WOW factor to it i want to share with you.

The renowned russian desingn studio Art.Lebedev came up with something new again.

After giving us the vaporware oled keyboard (wich looked awesome but was just way way overpriced and not really functional ) they came up with something new.

It looks equally awesome and for a change is really functional.
The took the ugly apperance of the extention cord and turned it into a work of art.
I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Rozetkus sitting neatly in it's socket.

And when u need extra sockets you just let the beast out.

The Rozetkus in it's full glory.

The guys over at Art.Lebedev weren't finished after this and they make another work of art of a normal extentioncord.

Just take a look at this one.

The Rozetkus strip.

The strip in use.

These things look so awesome and i for one won't be afraid to show my sockets if i got some of these at home :)

For now they are just prototype's, nothing know about a possible release or price.
And like we all now with the OLED keyboard, it'll be a long time before these hit the market.
Or are they going to do it right this time ?

Source & more information and pictures :

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/rozetkus/
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/rozetkus-3d/

Bluray Players not yet ready to offer backups for Blu-ray discs

Malignant — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:50:25 GMT

Come December, studios and anyone else releasing movies on Blu-ray Disc will be required to offer consumers a backup copy of every Blu-ray disc they buy.

But, because no Blu-ray players in the market yet have the capability to make the backups, it�ll be meaningless for consumers in the immediate future. So, the group that administers the provision is delaying some requirements for studios until the second quarter of next year.

The long-planned managed copy requirement goes into effect Dec. 4, as part of the final licensing agreement for AACS, the copy protection used on Blu-ray discs. The final agreement was approved in June by the Advanced Access Content System License Administrator, a consortium of studios, hardware manufacturers and technology companies that licenses the AACS copy protection used on BD. Up to now, studios and Blu-ray companies have been operating under an interim agreement.

Studios and other Blu-ray licensees must sign the final agreement to keep using Blu-ray. So far, 600 companies worldwide have done so, AACS-LA chair Michael Ayers said. Once content holders sign, they must make all discs ready for managed copy, essentially including a link on the disc directing the Blu-ray player to an authentication server.

The way managed copy is expected to work is that a consumer would insert their disc in a Blu-ray player or drive and the disc�s menu would include an option to make a managed copy or the consumer might have to press some buttons on their Blu-ray device to make a copy. Once they choose the option to make a copy, the Blu-ray player connects online to an authorization server, run by a studio, supplier or the AACS-LA. Discs are serialized, and the authentication server will determine if a copy is allowed.

However, until Blu-ray player manufacturers begin offering players with the ability to make full-resolution back-up copies, the managed copy addition on discs will be unnoticeable to consumers.

Manufacturers aren�t ever required to make players that offer managed copy, and so far, no manufacturer has announced plans to do so. However, backers say they expect some devices in the next year, with PC drives likely to be the first products to support managed copy.

In the meantime, that means Blu-ray discs will come out managed copy-ready without any player support.

That�s why the AACS-LA has pushed back the start date for some managed copy requirements from the first quarter to the second. Studios and content holders aren�t required to promote and label discs as managed copy-ready until March 31. That�s when the AACS-LA expects to have its authentication servers up and running, Ayers said.

Ayers said he hasn�t yet heard of any manufacturers announcing plans to include managed copy support, and AACS-LA is trying to make sure that studios aren�t required to promote managed copy before managed copy-capable devices are on the market.

Once devices are out, Blu-ray owners who have purchased discs made after Dec. 4 will already have managed copy-ready movies.

The hope, Ayers said, is once devices are in the market and studios start promoting it, consumers will have a �ready-made library of movies to take advantage of managed copy.�

Studios will be able to charge for those backups and offer more than one copy. They also may choose to offer managed copy rather than a digital copy, which is more expensive to add to a disc.

Managed copies can be burned to recordable Blu-ray or DVD discs, as a download to a Windows Media DRM-compatible portable player or hard drive, on a memory stick, SD card or as a bound copy, such as a digital copy file on the disc, though AACS-LA can approve other methods going forward.

It is possible that Walt Disney Studio�s Keychest and whatever format the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem chooses as its standard could be approved as managed copy backups, Ayers said. Neither Disney nor the DECE has approached AACS-LA about that, though the group �would be interested in them taking part,� he said.

Source : Videobusiness.com

LG: OLED panels to be cheaper than LCD displays by 2016

Malignant — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:12:00 GMT

At a Japanese trade show on Thursday, an LG executive predicted that OLED panels will be cheaper than LCD ones by 2016.

Won Kim, LG's vice president of OLED sales and marketing, also indicated that the company plans to release OLED TVs of 20 inches and above in 2010, 30 inches and above in 2011, and 40 inches and above in 2012.

"Forty-inch and larger OLED panels will be fairly expensive in 2012, but they will be available in the market," said Kim. "OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016."

Given the horrendously high price of OLED TVs so far, many videophiles will feel that the only proper response to such a claim is to engage in a vigorous beard-stroking session. We can't quite suppress the small hope in our blackened hearts that the prophesy will prove true though, especially in light of the delightful LG OLED offerings we've seen so far (one on display at CES 2009 is pictured above).

Source : Cnet

Personally i can't wait to get my hands on one of these baby's.
I've been fortunate enough to see a small version in action and all i say is wow.

Look at all the pretty colors :)

LaCie Network Space 2: Simplifying The Network Storage Experience

Malignant — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:22:40 GMT

LaCie today announced the LaCie Network Space 2, design by Neil Poulton � a leading-edge Network Attached Storage (NAS) and media server. The LaCie Network Space 2 combines the performance of a full-featured NAS solution, with a unique and customized way to manage the total experience.

Easy to Use
LaCie Network Space 2 was designed to be as convenient and user-friendly as a classic USB external hard drive. With the advanced LaCie Network Assistant, you can be up and running in a few short steps. To help you manage your desired product preferences, the LaCie Network Assistant now offers new dashboard functionality. You can customize the dashboard with useful widgets to access network and drive information, administer user accounts and monitor drive capacity.

Home Entertainment
LaCie Network Space 2 makes it easy to stream photos, music and videos to computers on the local network or to any UPnP/DLNA compliant devices like PlayStation�3 or Xbox� 360. It includes iTunes� server software so Mac and PCs can see and play content from the LaCie Network Space 2 directly through the iTunes interface. It also includes Download Machine that allows multiple torrent downloads, even when your computer is turned off.

[b]High Performance and Versatility]/b]
While the LaCie Network Space 2 can perform at speeds of up to 65MB/s** over the Ethernet connection, you may choose to leverage it as an external USB hard drive � connecting it directly to your computer for off-network file transfer and accessibility.

Additionally, there is a USB 2.0 host connection in the front of the device that allows you to connect a USB flash drive, external hard drive or digital camera, and import files automatically without the need of a computer.

Eco Friendly
The LaCie Network Space 2 includes a built-in power management widget, which lets you control both the light on your drive, as well as your drive's Eco Management; placing the drive into a low power setting at scheduled time intervals or when the product is inactive. Additionally, the Network Space 2 can be awakened through its Wake-on-LAN functionality, making it a powerful, efficient and eco-friendly media server for the home.

"The LaCie Network Space 2 is a state-of-the-art solution for customers wanting to share and store media files from anywhere in the house," said Patrick Salin, LaCie Digital Home Business Unit Manager. "LaCie's new dashboard functionality makes it simple for users to enjoy the features of network storage, and further shows our commitment to enhancing the experience of our customers."

Designed exclusively for LaCie by Neil Poulton, the compact LaCie Network Space 2 has a sleek, mirror-polished black finish with a blue LED strip on its underside that creates an ambient glow.

Availability
The LaCie Network Space 2 is available in a 1TB capacity in Europe and will be available worldwide later this year. For more product information, visit www.lacie.com.
Price indication is around �150,-

Source : Lacie Press Release