Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

This is an unboxing and first impressions video of the rugged and waterproof Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 [Affiliate]. This camera has a 4.6x optical zoom, a 12.1 megapixel CCD sensor, and can shoot 720p video in AVCHD Lite format. It's dustproof, can be dropped from five feet, and is waterproof to 10 feet. It also features optical image stabilization, a 2.7-inch 230,000-dot LCD display, and all the usual features such as face recognition and smart presets. It comes in orange, green, or silver. I purchased the orange one, largely because I thought a bright orange camera would be harder to lose on a beach or under water. The full specs can be found here. Read more...

"More than 81 percent of all online video viewers click away if they encounter a clip rebuffering, according to a new study by Tubemogul. The Emeryville-based video distribution and analytics startup took a close look at 192 million video streams over the course of 14 days to figure out how much rebuffers matter. The result: 6.81 percent of all streams rebuffer at some point, and around 2.5 percent rebuffer twice"

People are not very patient with re-buffering video streams. It appears that online video streaming will not be viable until the end to end solution is a lot more reliable. Viewers are not willing to accept videos that pause almost seven percent of the time. It seems like an odd phenomenon. People will wait through commercials (or at least until they can fast forward their DVR past the commercials) to watch TV, but if an online video re-buffers for a couple seconds they will quit watching. Maybe people who watch videos online are used to instant access to everything on the Internet. Alternatively, maybe they are more willing to wait for commercials to watch Grey's Anatomy than to watch a video of some strangers cat running into a window on YouTube.

"Source R&D, a premier technology provider, announced today the availability of the Warpia Wireless USB Audio/Video (A/V) Display Adapter based on Wireless USB technology from Wisair, a leading provider of single-chip based Wireless USB solutions. The A/V Set enables users to enjoy watching and sharing any PC and Internet content wirelessly on a Flat Screen TV, projector or monitor, including HD movies and streaming Internet video."

This is a computer-to-display wireless kit that uses an USB adapter / transmitter at the computer, and a receiver / adapter at your display. It seems like primarily a business presentation product, but most computers have DVD, or even Blu-ray players, so home use is also possible. Note that Warpia sells two similar products, available either direct or from select resellers: one is video only, while the other provides both audio and video. User feedback, on Amazon, is very good for the A/V version, but mixed for the video only version, albeit with only a handful of users for either. In any event, be certain to select the model that fits your needs should you decide to purchase! Would this, or a similar product, have any appeal to you for home use?

If you haven't already watched my unboxing video of the HP dm3, be sure to check that out first.

This is my two-part review video of the HP dm3 [affiliate]; the dm3 is a new laptop from HP that's an evolution of the dv2 - it's thin, light, and not very expensive. It uses the AMD Athlon Neo X2 dual-core processor, a semi-low power processor that uses 18 watts of power, but delivers better performance than the Intel Atom processors found in netbooks. This particular model has 4 GB of RAM, uses a 320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, has a memory card reader, ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, four USB ports, and HDMI out. The 13.3 inch wide-screen display is 1366 x 768 pixels in resolution (driven by an ATI Radeon 3200 GPU), and it has a built-in Webcam and microphone. The keyboard is full-sized, and the laptop features Altec Lansing speakers.

The 6-cell battery is rated for up to six hours of battery life, though in my initial battery test playing back a ripped copy of the Lord of the Rings extended edition, at 100% screen brightness with WiFi off, it was down to 5% battery life after finishing the movie at 2 hours and 51 minutes. That's not a small feat though - many other notebooks I test can't finish that movie. Dropping the brightness down to the lowest setting - which makes it so dim you'd have to be in a dark room to have the screen be viewable - allows the dm3 to have 20% battery life after the LOTR test. I discuss my other battery tests in the first video, but even with my most basic of tests - the "Surf 'n Type" test at 50% brightness - I could only eek 3 hours 55 minutes from the battery. I don't know where HP is getting the six hours of battery life - my guess is minimum brightness, WiFi off, and the laptop is doing nothing - but they're not alone in an industry rife with the over-quoting the battery life. Can't the industry come up with some sort of reasonable test that they'd all use as a benchmark? Read more...

This is my unboxing and first impressions video of the HP dm3 [Affiliate]; the dm3 is a new laptop from HP that's an evolution of the dv2 - it's thin, light, and not very expensive. In fact, I never did my review video of the dv2 - just an unboxing video - because HP discontinued the dv2 about five months after they launched it. Bizarre, no? It's probably for the best though. There was a lot to like about the dv2, but the fact that the hot air vent was at the front of the left side, right where your hand would typically rest, was a real problem. Read more...

Vincent Laforet is at it again: Canon gave him their new 1D Mark IV to shoot some video with, and he create a great video short that shows off the low-light performance of this new camera. As usual, he makes it look easy - but DSLR video is anything but...

"The HP Pavilion dm3 is a great looking notebook PC that starts at just $549. Its premium metallic finish makes it stand out from the crowd of notebooks with plastic finishes and I'm sure this will be a hot seller this holiday season. The dm3 is a thin and light notebook with a 13′ display. It weighs in at just over four pounds, making it light enough to carry around all day long. It utilizes mild processors that are relatively affordable and that increase battery life."

One word: wow. It blows me away that HP is able make such a thin, light, and frankly great looking computer and sell it for such a low price. Dell keeps cranking out plastic computers - other than the ultra-expensive Adamo of course - and HP is pushing the envelope with their materials and designs. One thing I wish though is that HP offered more colour choices. I'm a sucker for a coloured laptop, and HP is sadly inflexible when it comes to that. But I'll take the great looking dm3 any day!

I thought this video was quite thought-provoking, so on this Friday afternoon (where I am at least), I present this to you. Have a great weekend everyone!

"Video for all? Previously limited to our Pro members, video on Flickr is now available for all. Our free account members can now share 2 videos a month (you’ll need to install Uploadr version 3.1.4 — now available from the Flickr Tools page). So, this is a perfect time for you to check out video mode on your camera."

flickr has now updated their services so that free and Pro members alike can upload and share videos. HD Video viewing has been expanded to everyone, though flickr is apparently re-processing all HD video to make it look "more beauteous." I like flickr. It's simple, easy and great for sharing and seeing everyone else's photos. Having all your image and video content in one place has to be a big plus and may help keep people from splitting their content with other sites like YouTube.

"More and more of my friends and co-workers are getting tired of dealing with this cost, not to mention the associated taxes, and hassles the cable company puts you through. They beginning to ask, “Can I live without cable?” I have been looking into the answer to this question for some time now. If you had asked me 2 years ago, I would have said no. At least for most people. Ask me again today, and I would say Yes! Between over the air (OTA, ATSC), and online, you have some good options now that you didn’t have before."

Casey Gotcher explores the numerous options for watching tv shows online that have cropped up over the past couple of years. The result is a wide variety of ways to get your American Idol fix. However, not all options are free, and managing the different video providers may get confusing for some. The big concern for me is cost. If you're trying to save, transferring the cost from your Cable TV provider to an online site doesn't make any appreciable difference. Depending on what shows you watch, you can possibly save some money though. Another important note that isn't mentioned, is that the options listed assume you live in the US of A. Being Canadian, I find my options much more limited, and you'll find the situation similar across the globe. Still, I've found that with the few shows I do watch, I can survive with what's online and OTA. Anyone else slashed their monthly bills and getting their fix online?

This is a quick video of some of the press-only event I attended at CES 2009, Pepcom's Digital Experience show. This show was held on Wednesday night the 7th of January, 2009. I recorded short demos with Viewsonic, Lenovo, and shot footage of the amazing OLED screen on the OQO 2+.

A few days before leaving for CES 2009, I received an HP Mini 1000 for review - I'd been trying to get my hands on one of these since they were first announced, and was sadly unsuccessful. They say good things some to those who wait, and I was sent not only the HP Mini 1000 XP Edition, but also the HP Mini 1000 Vivian Tam edition. The Vivian Tam edition, which we posted some glorious photos of last year, was specifically for my wife to test out. I'll be doing another Real World Review to cover the Vivian Tam Mini 1000, but when it comes to the regular Mini 1000 I'll be doing the usual: videos!

I managed to shoot and edit this unboxing and first impressions video the night before I left for CES. The unit they sent me is the high-end configuration: Windows XP SP3, and in the configuration I was sent, costs $489 USD directly from HP. It has an Intel 1.6 Ghz Atom CPU, 1 GB of RAM, a 60 GB 4500 RPM hard drive, an SDHC card reader, two USB ports, 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 3-cell battery. The screen resolution is 1024 x 600, though HP strangely lists it was 1024 x 576 on the box. Read more...

"Just in time to snag some of that cash you're sure to have showing up right about now via greeting cards from around the world, Verismo Networks is officially launching its diminutive VuNow PoD. We've seen the device evolve quite a bit since June, but with a smorgasbord of competitors already grabbing market share left and right, we're left to wonder if this one won't be sitting on the outside looking in. The internet TV streamer hooks directly to one's TV and internet connection in order to deliver web content (YouTube, of note) to the tele. While specifics are conveniently omitted, we're told that users will have access to "a broad choice of online video content -- from movies, global Live TV channels, to user-generated content and viral videos." It's available now for $99, but can you stand yet another set-top-box beneath your flat-panel?"

I recently mentioned that this diminutive video player would be available on December 15th. Well, Verismo missed that date, but not by much. Nothing appears to have really changed upon launch, including the price at $99. While it can't record, it definitely seems to be an attractive playback device you can use if you've got multiple televisions around the house. There's no word on how easy it will be to use, but with a focus on just playback, I imagine it to be as easy as any other third party device, meaning it'll be no iTunes, but it'll get the job done. For me, I've got laptops that allow me to play anything I want to watch around my pad, but maybe some of you can find use for this over a towering media center.

"Creative introduced today the Vado HD, the successor to the Vado released back in May. It captures video in 720p and is the only pocket video cam to feature HDMI connectivity and an included HDMI cable that provides 1080i output to an HDTV. It also comes with 8GB of built-in memory that can hold up to two hours of HD video. The Vado HD also features a 2-inch LCD screen and a built-in USB connector so you can quickly connect to your PC and share your videos using YouTube or Box.net."

While I don't have a camcorder myself, the release of these tiny digital HD camcorders makes them more tempting each year. I'm sure there's still a large market for large, high quality video cameras, pocket camcorders are much easier to carry, making it that much more likely for me to have it when opportunity knocks. The big attention getter about the new Vado for me is the HDMI connectivity, which makes it easy to connect it to a TV. Unfortunately, I find the estimated two hours of recording time a little tight. Anyone who has gone on vacation knows this means you'll have to cart along your laptop to offload every day or two.

"Consumers are spending hours on their PC watching videos online. comScore recently reported that Americans viewed more than 11.4 billion videos for a total duration of 558 million hours during the month. YouTube alone had 5 billion video views in July 2008. More than 142 million U.S. Internet users watched an average of 80 videos per viewer. VuNow will enrich the online video viewing experience by bringing the videos directly on TV instead of the PC. You can enjoy movies, TV shows, sports, live events, special interests, travel and user-generated content, from content owners, content aggregators and video portals around the world! You may be surprised by what’s out there on the Internet!"

YouTube, vtap, CinemaNow, videos stored on your LAN, this lilliputian device seems to handle it all. It even downloads videos via BitTorrent. The best part? It starts at $99. It comes in Standard and High Definition models and connects to your network via Ethernet, though a WiFi module is available. If it does all that the manufacturer, Verismo Networks, claims it will do at that price, it definately looks like the video playback device to get, trouncing AppleTV, Windows Media Center and the Netflix player. Unfortunately, it doesn't record TV, but it looks like it can act your main gateway to watching movies and videos. Anyone else as excited about this wee playback box as I am?

"ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) today unveiled the KODAK Theatre HD Player, a High Definition (HD) media player that enables consumers to interact more freely and creatively with their most valuable possessions -- their memories. Harnessing Wi-Fi and HD technologies, a wide array of organizational and display features and access to online content through unique partners, the KODAK Theatre HD Player turns consumers into the directors of their own show with a wireless remote control pointer in-hand. The device will roll out in stages, with a market trial commencing in September 2008."



It looks like Kodak will be bringing their own HD media hub to your living room, the KODAK Theatre HD Player, which appears to be in competition with Windows Media Center and Apple TV. I haven't seen any pictures of the interface or actual hardware, but it will be really difficult to compete with Media Center's interface and Apple TV's hardware. Right now it looks like it will only be able to display video at 720p, why wouldn't they have this device future-proofed and give it the ability to display at 1080p??? I'm not too excited about this device, but I'll have to see the final hardware before making final judgement.

"If you're a Netflix subscriber you may have noticed that in the last year or so the company has rolled out a Watch Now option that lets you instantly watch some of the movies and TV shows in the Netflix library on your Windows PC with a broadband connection. More recently, in upgrading its digital offerings, Netflix has taken things a step further by separating out the Instant Queue from your DVD Queue. While the all-you-can-eat streaming video option is a nice perk for users (it's available to any subscriber on the $8.95 per month plan or better), the real dream for many people is that instead of watching movies on your PC's monitor, you cut out the computer completely and go right to your TV. Well, with the Netflix Player by Roku ($100) that has become a reality."



CNET reviews the NetFlix Player (made by Roku) and gives it a solid 7.7. This little box connects to your TV and the net (via wired or WiFi) and allows you to play your Netflix "Watch Now" streaming content directly on your TV (without having your PC turned on). It only streams video at 480i, but is capable of higher resolutions, although, for now available bandwidth is a limiting factor here. One cool thing is you can start a movie on your PC, then automagically resume the same movie from the same spot on your Netflix Player on your TV. One thing I didn't like is that you can't add new "Watch Now" content to the queue directly from the player, you have to do this from your PC. I guess this isn't too bad as long as you fill up your queue beforehand. What do you Netflix users out there think about this thing? How about non-Netflix users, would this be a reason to make a jump to their service?

"iriver presented a load of new players at CES this year and now another one of these has become official and available now in Korea. The iriver P.ple P10 is another technological marvel that may or may not ever see light outside of Asia. The device has a 4" 800x480 touch screen, 33GB 1.3" HDD, flash lite support, internal speaker and TV out. It supports pretty much any video format you can throw at it including Xvid at up to 720x480 (DVD resolution) so the player should do wonders for watching videos. On the music front it does mp3, wma, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Wav and APE so it should be well covered there too. There's also a pro version that features a DMB tuner, but that will definitely not make it to the US or Europe so all we can do is hope that the standard version will."


iriver officially wins the 2008 Digital Home Thoughts Award for Goofiest Named Media Player! But don't let that goofy name distract you from the SERIOUS specs that accompany this little device. I really like the fact that it supports just about every audio and video format out there. Would you choose the P.ple P10 over an iPod Touch?