Kaleidescape launched its online offering in beta late last year, and now it's officially open, becoming what it claims is the first store to provide "internet delivery of Blu-ray quality movies." The Kaleidescape Store goes beyond other 1080p services (Vudu, iTunes, Xbox and PSN come to mind) by promising the disc-equaling higher bitrates, extras and lossless audio options they don't have. There's no streaming to be had here, only downloads, with file sizes we saw ranging from 23GB (Austin Powers) to as much as 55.4GB (Inception) and everywhere in between.

While the store is only built to work with Kaleidescape's high-end disc-playback systems -- these usually start in the thousands of dollars, and you'll need M-Class hardware for HD -- it currently offers movies from Warner Bros. with an Ultraviolet copy attached, so buyers can play them back on mobile devices through apps such as Flixster and Vudu. Ultraviolet support also means $6.99 upgrades of DVD purchases to Blu-ray-quality HD, and potentially disc-to-digital type features later. Naturally, anyone interested will need an internet connection with a generous / non-existent bandwidth cap, but we imagine that's not out of the price range for these niche owners. Still, it does provide an idea of the difficulty others like Sony and Netflix will face when trying to digitally distribute feature films in 4K to a wider audience. Check out a few screens of the store in the gallery, and the Random Thoughts blog link below for firsthand impressions from a beta tester.

Gallery: Kaleidescape Store

Filed under: HD

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Source: Kaleidescape, Kaleidescape Store

via Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/02/kaleidescape-store-launches-blu-ray-quality-downloads-ultraviolet/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Richard Lawler

09:20

Roku's media streamers have carved out a notable niche for themselves, with what started out as a Netflix box, but quickly grew to include hundreds of other entertainment options. Whatever they've lacked in style, they've always made up for with an easy-to-navigate menu and remote, not to mention low prices. In fact, they've become our default recommendation for set-top boxes, thanks to that wide selection of content and appeal, and now the company is back with its third iteration.

Its approach hasn't changed: the Roku 3 is still a simple $99 box that brings internet content including video, some simple apps and even games to your TV. But this one is touted as the most powerful Roku ever, and the team behind it has even dared to tweak that boring, but simple menu system. There have always been some rough edges that needed polishing and holes to fill in its arsenal, so join us after the break as we see if the best simple media streamer available can make the leap and become the best -- period.

Gallery: Roku 3 review

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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via Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/03/dnp-roku-3-review/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fengadget+%28Engadget%29

Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Richard Lawler

07:49

A mobile-focused show like MWC 2013 seems like an odd place to show off a TV-connected box, but that's how Samsung has chosen to introduce its new HomeSync device. Powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU and running Android Jelly Bean, it's a media hub that the press release claims will let you view all your videos, photos and apps at full 1080p resolution, with streaming from local Galaxy devices. Additional specs include 1GB of RAM, 8GB Flash memory, a 1TB HDD, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n 2.4 & 5GHz, Gigabit Ethernet, plus optical audio and HDMI 1.4 outputs. It even supports up to eight individual password-protected and encrypted user accounts, with each able to individually sync content from other devices and share it with the other accounts. There's no mention of Google TV, but it has access to the Play store to get apps on its own, while also allowing remote control from a phone. Also unspecified is pricing or any support for specific streaming protocols like Miracast or WiDi, although it's supposed to launch in "select countries" starting in April.

Filed under: HD, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Samsung

via Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/samsung-homesync-android-set-top-box/

Engadget RSS Feed johalputt Richard Lawler

06:19

The odds of rising from NBA stat junkie / forum poster to Houston Rockets GM like Daryl Morey did are slim, but thanks to the new NBA.com/Stats page fans have access to more data than ever before. Until now, only league and team personnel have had access to the NBA's complete official stats -- media got access last spring -- with box scores that go as far back as its start in 1946-47, individual stats for anyone who has ever played in the league plus advanced statistical breakdowns and rankings of best lineup combinations. Fan sites like Basketball Reference have filled in the gaps in the past, but this should bring a new level of accuracy and analysis to bear.

Access to these stats means we can evaluate games at a much deeper level to know precisely why the Lakers are so bad this season, or which combinations of players are giving the Knicks their best advantage. SAP announced the project back in July as a part of its marketing deal with the league, as it gets to show off its database chops building a system that can handle such a large number of requests on so much info. Hopefully other leagues follow suit and encourage this level for interaction with fans, although we suspect it would take more than a few Moneyball-esque calculations to fix squads like the Bobcats. Hit the source link below to satisfy a jones for numerics or find the perfect angle for your LeBron vs. Kobe argument, although last night's All-Star Game may have given all the ammo necessary.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Alt

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Source: NBA.com/Stats, NBA Hang Time Blog

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/18/nba-statistics-database/

Engadget johalputt Richard Lawler

05:04

Users of the Plex media server and its suite of client apps can expect an all-new app for Android soon, rebuilt two years after its debut for a vastly improved UI and feature set. While musing about the progress of Android as a platform for users and developers alike -- a good read if you'd like a peek behind the curtain to find out more about multiplatform coding life -- a Plex blog post details everything that's added in the new version, and one major thing taken away: compatibility with any Android OS before 3.2 (retained to keep working with Google TV.) According to the devs, almost 90 percent of users are on at least Ice Cream Sandwich, and focusing on newer platforms means support for newer features like Cloud Messaging, lock screen music player controls and global search integration.

As revealed in a preview video (embedded after the break) the new "Kepler" build also lets it act as a media server, so any media stored on your Android device can be played back on other Plex clients. The company says it set out to make the "most beautiful Android app, period" -- PlexPass subscribers can get a taste of the beta when it launches in Google Play later this week, all others will need to wait until after the test period.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD, Mobile

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Source: Plex

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/12/plex-android-kepler-beta/

Engadget johalputt Richard Lawler

04:35