Posts in Home AV
PlayStation Network compromised!
Philip Wong | Mar 28, 2008
Heads up, people! If you're a member of Sony's PSN online gaming community, its high time you verify the integrity of your existing account. The Japanese company has recently issued an official apology for a security breach. Apparently, hackers have gained illegal access to account information through malicious programs or worms. These were found in some PS3s, leading to reported cases of compromised passwords and PSN credits.
We have sounded out Sony's regional office and are awaiting updates on the severity of the problem. Accordingly to Akihabara news, a firmware patch is in the pipeline and should address the console and network vulnerability. Stay tuned.
Via Akihabara news | Photo credit: Sony
Bitch Blog online via BD-Live
Philip Wong | Mar 27, 2008
There seems to be increased traction on BD-Live (profile 2.0) implementations in some of the upcoming HD releases. Most notable Liongates' Saw IV with MoLog. The latter is a BD-Live-interactive Blu-ray disc movie blog function. Imaging gossiping and sharing special moments of this horror flick real-time with fellow Saw fans while catching the movie. While we're excited about this innovative concept, there is still a certain degree of skepticism. Like whether it makes sense to type long messages using a cumbersome virtual keyboard and remote.
In the final analysis, this is probably a good-to-have capability and is not a substitute for quality video and audio mastering. Until the studios sort out their high pricing, these enhanced Blu-rays are definitely not flying off the shelves en mass. Make them affordable and readily available and perhaps Blu-ray will stand a better chance against online movie download services. It's really as simple as that, people.
Via Home cinema choice | Photo credit: Lionsgate (minus the spoof)
HD-DVD blowout sales
Philip Wong | Mar 26, 2008
Yo! How's US$9.99 for a Hollywood blockbuster mastered in crystal-clear HD visuals and high-resolution surround sound? If you are transiting Dublin, California, check out the local Best Buy stores and get to stock up on some dirt-cheap HD-DVDs. Though it seems outright insane to bet your chips on a defunct technology, this is an absolute no-brainer for existing HD-DVD player owners. It sucks that my fellow enthusiasts over in the US are cashing in on these fire sales, while the Blu supporters are hopelessly dreaming about the next US Amazon buy-one-get-one-free promotion. Reality check, dudes! These promotions are probably gone for good now that the (HD-DVD) competition has been axed. Time to pay good money for your Blu-ray fix!
However, if you're one of those HD-DVD advocates stuck in Asia, not all is lost. Some Singapore video libraries are clearing their supplies at no less than 50 percent discount. Grab them while stocks last, because that's the last you're going to see of those HD-DVD titles. The clock is ticking.
Via tgdaily | Photo credit: tgdaily
Wii will shred Rock Band, starting June 22
Caroline McCarthy | Mar 26, 2008
Rumors of a Wii edition of Rock Band first started to circulate early last month. The game was originally released in November amid the soaring popularity of Activision's Guitar Hero franchise, which had a Hollywood-worthy US$115 million opening weekend for its most recent game, Guitar Hero III. MTV's Rock Band puts a spin on the concept by letting participants play bass, drums, and vocals in addition to guitar.
Despite the inherent similarities to Guitar Hero, Rock Band has been a huge hit, too.
But, just like a rerun of Behind the Music, the guitar-playing video game craze has been ridden with drama. Harmonix developed the original Guitar Hero, but MTV Networks acquired it in 2006 to create rival Rock Band and distribute it through gaming mega-publisher Electronic Arts. Meanwhile, guitar manufacturer Gibson Guitar has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of both Guitar Hero and Rock Band as well as six major retailers--according to Gibson, it's held a patent on a guitar-playing video game since 1999.
Read more »
Future-proofed speaker system rack
Philip Wong | Mar 24, 2008
It seems like Panasonic has scored an almost perfect speaker system rack, judging from the SC-HRT110's official specs. What's unique here is a 7.1-channel linear PCM support implemented via HDMI. This would allow onboard playback of studio-grade surround sounds, found on most Blu-ray titles, including externally decoded Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. There're also the optional SH-FX60-K wireless module and SB-HS500A-K surround speakers to upgrade the system to a 4.1 solution without the usual cable clutter, too.
Other notable bits range from dual optical audio inputs to 1080p-ready HDMI input/output and VieraLink one-remote consumer electronics control (HDMI-CEC). These are aside from the standard onboard Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound decoding and dual 130mm woofers to beef up bass reproduction. This is definitely one future-proofed product worth a closer look, but only if you are a resident in Japan. The SC-HTR110 is slated for launch in the land of the rising sun from April, but we seriously doubt it will be heading for the rest of Asia anytime soon.
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Via Audio Junkies | Photo credit: Panasonic
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