Richard Lawler
Apple TV vs. the competition — how does it stack up?

Although it’s only just been revealed and won’t actually go on sale for four long weeks, Apple’s new hockey puck is far from the only media streamer on the market — and with Sony’s Netbox and the Boxee Box on the way, the sub-$200 set-top box market is exploding with options. So let’s line up the revised Apple TV against the (post-price cut) Roku HD-XR, Popbox, and even an LG Blu-ray player in the same price range and see what you’re actually getting — and more importantly, getting access to — on each device. Oh, and there’s some choice words from Roku after the break.
| Device: | AppleTV | Roku XR | Pop Box | LG BD550 |
| Price: | $99 | $99 | $129 | $130 - $150 |
| Form Factor/Size: | 3.9 x 0.9 x 3.9 | 5 x 5 x 1.75 | 8 x 1.4 x 6 inches | 16.9 x 1.8 x 7.9 |
| Available Content: | HD TV shows from ABC & Fox ($0.99), HD Movie rentals ($4.99/$3.99), Netflix, iTunes, YouTube | Netflix, Amazon VOD (now with $0.99 HD TV show purchases from Fox & ABC), MLB.tv, UFC, NBA GameTime, YouTube, Pandora | YouTube, Revision3, Blip.tv, h.264 / XviD / MPEG-4, MKV / AVI / WMV | Blu-ray discs, VUDU, Netflix, CinemaNow, YouTube, Pandora, Napster |
| Apps / SDK: | N/A | Roku Channel / SDK available | Popapps Store / SDK available | NetCast widgets |
| Connectivity: | WiFi N, Ethernet | WiFi N, Ethernet | Ethernet, optional WiFi adapter | Ethernet, Disc |
| Video Quality: | 720p, 5.1 audio | 720p (1080p upgrade coming soon), 5.1 audio | 1080p, 5.1 audio | 1080p, 7.1 audio, DTS-HD MA / Dolby TrueHD audio |
Continue reading Apple TV vs. the competition — how does it stack up?
Apple TV vs. the competition — how does it stack up? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony: PlayStation 3 Blu-ray 3D update due in October
Despite what we’d heard before, Sony announced today at IFA that the firmware update bringing 3D Blu-ray playback to the PlayStation 3 will not arrive this month, instead pushed back to October which, we are told, is an entire 30 days away. until then we’ll have to live with the recent MotorStorm 3D game that recently popped up on PSN and a slightly-lower res version of Wipeout. Unfortunately, there still aren’t many movies to watch for the time being, and even the most ardent early adopters may want to wait until Sony rolls out the Michael Jackson’s This Is It - 3D Enhanced Edition and Alice in Wonderland 3D bundles it also announced. For the rest of us, we’ll probably still be firmly planted on the fence by the time the Green Hornet and Spiderman movies mentioned on stage come to disc.
Sony: PlayStation 3 Blu-ray 3D update due in October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget’s back to school guide: Televisions
Welcome to Engadget’s Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we’re here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we have HDTVs in our sights — and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month.
All those small screen devices in our back to school guide so far are nice, but lets face it, when it comes to watching TV or taking a quick Call of duty study break, you’re going to need something more sizable. Higher end features like 1080p resolution, 120Hz and LED lighting have trickled down to more affordable price ranges so there’s really no excuse for lugging a CRT as old as you are into any dorm room this fall. Whether you’re looking something that pulls double duty as a computer monitor for work and HDTV for play (at the same time) or just the biggest screen for the buck there’s plenty to choose from, so let’s select a few winners from the crowd.
Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide: Televisions
Engadget’s back to school guide: Televisions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LG to unveil LEX8 3DTV at IFA featuring ‘Nano LED’ backlighting

Now that LED backlighting has trickled down to nearly every HDTV lineup, it appears the big manufacturers will have to find new ways to differentiate their products, like LG’s upcoming LEX8 television. Set to debut at IFA in Berlin before going on sale in Germany and Korea next month (no word on the US), LG claims that thanks to a ‘thin film of miniscule dots positioned in front of a full array of LEDs’ its Nano Lighting technology — perhaps of the Nanosys variety it licensed earlier this year — makes for a clearer, smoother picture, with the slimmest and narrowest outline of any LED TV, ever, at just .88cm thick with a 1.25cm bezel. Of course LG’s NetCast widgets and Magic Motion remote are along for the ride as well, while we’ll have to wait until the show opens later this week to get our eyes on this beauty, check after the break for a few more pictures.
Continue reading LG to unveil LEX8 3DTV at IFA featuring ‘Nano LED’ backlighting
LG to unveil LEX8 3DTV at IFA featuring ‘Nano LED’ backlighting originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Logitech’s ‘Lonely TV Part 3′ Google TV ad pulled, Part 4 steps up to the plate
After Part 3 of Logitech’s Lonely TV ad campaign (pictured above) didn’t get quite the reception the company probably intended, GTVHub points out the video has disappeared from YouTube and quickly been replaced by Part 4 in the series. Both are embedded after the break so you can judge for yourself, but Part 4 (along with Parts 1 & 2) seems to do a better job of representing an Aaahh!!! Real Monsters mischievous entity than the Grape You In The Mouth! feel of Part 3. Of course, we’d just like to get out of the ad critic business and get some more Revue with Google TV hands-on time — anyone who remembers Nilay’s tale of woe from podcast 197 knows that IR blasters are an even scarier prospect than anthropomorphized HDTVs suddenly appearing in our bed.
Continue reading Logitech’s ‘Lonely TV Part 3′ Google TV ad pulled, Part 4 steps up to the plate
Logitech’s ‘Lonely TV Part 3′ Google TV ad pulled, Part 4 steps up to the plate originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Logitech’s ‘Lonely TV’ Revue with Google TV ad may be sending the wrong message
Logitech’s promoting its Revue with Google TV box in a new “Lonely TV” series of advertisements, but while they’re suggesting the relationship between internet, TV and you should be closer this latest spot only makes us want to search for a restraining order. In light of concerns some have about online privacy and exactly how much information Google is revealing about our habits, maybe a giant screen with an eyeball on it sending a teenaged girl into a panic (and not the Bieber fever) is the wrong mascot. Check out the full ad after the break and see if we’re wrong — remember, being weird worked out great for Palm.
Continue reading Logitech’s ‘Lonely TV’ Revue with Google TV ad may be sending the wrong message
Logitech’s ‘Lonely TV’ Revue with Google TV ad may be sending the wrong message originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony delivers a new midrange 3DTV line with the NX810 series
Sony’s finally taken the wraps off its latest televisions for the US market, carrying the NX810 model number. Available in 60-, 55- and 46-inch sizes next month, these give a 3D spec bump (and around a $200 premium on the MSRP) to the existing NX800 series of Edge LED lit HDTVs that came out earlier this year. Like the NX800, these feature a slick monolith design, built-in WiFi, widgets and an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the picture in changing room conditions, but other than the 3D-readiness (and coupons for free Blu-ray 3D movies and PSN games, though it looks like you’ll have to pay for the glasses on your own) it’s hard to find any differences on paper. Football fans looking for a new 3D set may be tempted to jump on one and can check the specs and prices after the break, but we’ll probably wait around to see what a Google TV might bring to the table — and at what price.
Continue reading Sony delivers a new midrange 3DTV line with the NX810 series
Sony delivers a new midrange 3DTV line with the NX810 series originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Get Him to the Greek Blu-ray includes a free streaming copy — of a different movie
Universal’s added a new wrinkle to persuade people to buy Get Him to the Greek on Blu-ray — throw in a copy of an entirely different movie. Sure, during the MTV Video Music Awards we imagined not having to watch Russell Brand was a feature that should be included more often, but we didn’t expect to see it tucked in among these other Blu-ray exclusive extras — karaoke, the Pocket BLU iPhone remote control app, social BLU access, Mobile-To-Go support for taking bonus content with you and keyboard support. Anyone who buys the flick between September 28 and March 31, 2011 can also gain access to one of the following movies streamed to the player over BD-Live or directly to their mobile phone: Uncle Buck, Dazed & Confused or Life (Eddie Murphy & Martin Lawrence, not David Attenborough.) The flicks are notable not only because they appear to have been randomly chosen, but also since they’re not available on Blu-ray yet. Unlike The Office, there’s no promise of HD resolution here so the quality is still in question, but really, what Blu-ray release couldn’t use an extra dose of John Candy? Check out all the details and extras in the press release after the break.
Continue reading Get Him to the Greek Blu-ray includes a free streaming copy — of a different movie
Get Him to the Greek Blu-ray includes a free streaming copy — of a different movie originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.









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