Keep HDMI connection secure with locking cable

I've never believed in the so-called "high-quality" HDMI cables that cost hundreds of dollars. It's just electrical engineering, and as long as the cables are made of standardized conductor material, which most, if not all, of them are, they should work the same in regard to picture quality when plugged in securely.

There's no proof that the US$100 Monster Cable HDMI cable would make your hi-def movie look better than a generic US$20 one. If you actually see the difference, maybe you should check with your optometrist, or find a shrink. It's all mental.
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LG unveils its new LED TV

It looks like the LED TV competition is starting to heat up as LG announces its LH90-series HDTV following Samsung recent releases. A head-to-head match against the rumored Samsung B9000-series, this LG panel has a 200/240Hz refresh rate, finer local dimming LED backlights and an ultra-high 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast. As the LH90-series is also THX display-certified, you can expect strong out-of-the-box color accuracy and video-processing capabilities. These are on top of the factory-calibrated THX Movie modes optimized for Blu-ray and DVD playback.

LG has not revealed any pricing and availability details, but the LH90-series will launch in three screen sizes: 42-, 47- and 55-inch.

Via Engadget

PURE Digital to launch MP3 store via DAB radio systems

Buying MP3s through your DAB digital radio will soon be possible, as British DAB manufacturer PURE Digital has announced it's developing an extremely interesting take on the music download store model.

We spent several hours this week with Imagination Technologies--PURE's parent company, and manufacturer of the graphics chips in the upcoming Samsung Omnia HD and Apple's iPhone 3G. During the trip we got a look at a very early version of the company's as-yet unnamed music store.

It'll work on some existing PURE Digital Internet-capable devices (we saw it running on an Evoke Flow, which incorporates Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet) and similar future radios, by looking at what song is currently playing on a given DAB music station. You'll then be given the option to purchase that track with a button on the radio set.
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Samsung B9000-series LED TV details surfaced

I'm still catching my breath covering today's Samsung massive HDTV onslaught when I caught wind of its upcoming flagship LED TV. According to Web site Flatpanelshd, the Korean company's B9000-series is the successor model to our Editors' Choice LA46A950 with the elusive local dimming function. This enables clustered backlighting that yields deeper black-levels compared with the edge-lit B6000-, B7000- and B8000-series just announced in Singapore.

To maintain the same ultraslim side profile, the LED-backlit B9000 will have a two-box design, featuring a separate panel and wireless A/V media box. You can also expect all the icings found in its lower-end counterparts, ranging from DLNA networking and Yahoo widgets under its Medi@2.0 suite to built-in digital TV tuners. We're still chasing Samsung for more details, so watch this space for updates.

Via Flatpanelshd

Trade HD-DVDs for Blu-rays with Warner's Red2Blu program

If you aligned yourself with the red team during the HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray format war, we wouldn't blame you if you felt a little turned off to the whole idea of high-def discs. Warner's new Red2Blu program is trying to relieve some of the sting for the losers of the format war, giving owners of Warner HD-DVD movies the option to trade in their movies for Blu-ray versions of the same movie. The program isn't free--you send in the cover art from your HD-DVDs along with US$4.95 per movie, plus a US$6.95 shipping and handling fee for your entire order--but it's definitely better than having to shell out another US$30 bucks for a new Blu-ray. There are some minor restrictions, such as you can only trade in 25 movies per household and only one copy of an individual title, but the biggest restriction is that the offer is only good for Warner titles.

All the home theater editors at CNET already jettisoned their HD-DVD collections on eBay, but we're interested in hearing whether any of the HD-DVD faithful plan on using this program. Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Via CNET.com

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