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Poll: How did Black Friday treat you?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 29th 2008 at 12:00PM


Now that Black Friday is behind us and Cyber Monday is but hours away, we're curious to know what kind of deals you snagged yesterday. Find anything particularly noteworthy? Were you disappointed with the "sales?" Feel free to chime in below with how you contributed to stimulating the economy while jazzing up your home theater.

How did Black Friday treat you?

Poll: How are you enjoying HD Netflix streaming on the Xbox 360?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 22nd 2008 at 12:00PM


Now that HD Netflix streaming has finally arrived on the Xbox 360, we have no doubts whatsoever that legions of you have already given it a spin. We've heard mixed impressions right out of the gate, but we're hoping some of the first day glitches have worked themselves out by now. At any rate, how has your experience been so far? Are you impressed with the quality? Are there any aspects that could be improved upon? Break off a paragraph or three in comments below.

How are you enjoying HD Netflix streaming on the Xbox 360?

Poll: What are you snagging on Black Friday?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 15th 2008 at 12:00PM


Believe it or not, Black Friday 2008 is under two weeks away. And with the economy like it is, we suspect a whole gaggle of you are going to be scouring the flyers like never before in an attempt to grab only the most supreme of deals. We've already begun to see what certain big box retailers are offering, so we're curious as to what items have caught your eye thus far? Is the Day-After-Thanksgiving 2008 the day you finally buy into Blu-ray? Will you be snagging a bedroom HDTV? Replacing the set in your den? C'mon, let us know what you'll be after -- chances are we'll spot each other in a line somewhere.

[Image courtesy of Don't Look Now]

What are you snagging on Black Friday?

Poll: Has "the economy" shaken your HD purchase plans?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 8th 2008 at 12:00PM


With all this talk about how the current economic situation is hindering / helping at-home entertainment sales, we figured we'd pose the question to our dear readers. Are you currently feeling the squeeze? So much so that you're scaling back your HD-related purchases? With Black Friday just around the bend, we know it'll be mighty hard to keep the plastic holstered, so we're eager to see if you'll be taking advantage of the downturn to snag a good deal or sitting pretty on the sidelines waiting for brighter days.

[Image courtesy of GreenLantern]

Has "the economy" shaken your HD purchase plans?

Poll: Which election night broadcast impressed you most?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 5th 2008 at 1:16AM


Election Night 2008 brought about an unprecedented amount of HD coverage, and while we're all in absolute agreement that CNN's "holographic" interviews were the comedy for the evening, we're interested on your take on how networks as a whole did with their high-def presentation. Was CBS' polished graphics set enough to overcome those embarrassing audio gaffes? Did ABC / FOX have the edge? Where did you find yourself tuned to most of the night? Drop your vote (hey, there's a concept!) below.

Which election night broadcast impressed you most?

Poll: Are your new James Bond Blu-ray Discs acting up?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 3rd 2008 at 3:37PM


We've been hearing of complications surrounding playback of the new suite of 007 Blu-ray classics since last week, but we suspected the issues were contained. Apparently we were badly mistaken. A week later, we're still hearing reports that players from nearly every manufacturer are having one issue or another, with no real rhyme / reason as to what's going on. It seems as though deck manufacturers are aware of the issues and are working towards a solution, but we're just curious to see how many of you are experiencing problems. Are your new Bond discs causing headaches, or is everything humming along nicely?

[Via CDFreaks, thanks Anthony]

Are your new James Bond Blu-ray Discs acting up?

Poll: What's your preference -- digital downloads or discs?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 1st 2008 at 12:00PM


Make no mistake -- the digital downloads versus physical media debate has been raging quietly for years now, but for whatever reason, lighter fluid found the smoldering fire just this week. Granted, the HD Netflix streaming for the Xbox 360 announcement probably helped things along, but we digress. We already gave you our take on the whole ordeal, and overall, we just think streams have too many strings attached to truly eradicate optical discs. Time restrictions (both watch and wait times), overly heavy DRM limitations, possible quality issues, thin catalogs, etc. all detract from the allure that instantly gratifying digital downloads have at first glance. But who knows, maybe you're willing to overlook all of that. Drop your vote in the poll below and sound off in comments. It's Decision 2008, folks -- make it count!

What's your preference -- digital downloads or discs?

Poll: Have you switched carriers due to lack of HD?

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 25th 2008 at 12:00PM


We've asked you before whether it was "worth it" to switch from cable to satellite in search of a wider selection of high-def material, but now we're looking to see if any of you walked the talk. Have any of you readers actually ditched your programming provider in order to find another with more HD content? And if so, where did you leave and where did you go? Any regrets? Is life really that much better with more HD than one could ever watch in a single day? Brag / sulk away in comments below.

Have you switched carriers due to lack of HD?

Poll: Are you planning to get tru2way?

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 18th 2008 at 12:00PM


It's official, folks. tru2way is live -- in Denver and Chicago, at least. As is the first official tru2way-compatible HDTV. Now, the only question remaining is this: are you planning to buy in? Be it a tru2way set or just a set-top-box of your own with tru2way support, we're curious to find out how many of you are really planning on ditching that cable company-provided set-top once this technology really starts to take off. Converse below -- after all, that's what comments are for.

Are you planning to get tru2way?

Poll: Which HD download service do you prefer?

by Ben Drawbaugh, posted Oct 13th 2008 at 6:00PM

Digi Downlaods
Now that Vudu has stepped up the bit-rates of its HD downloadable movies, have you been drawn away from Apple TV's gigantic selection of movies, or the Xbox 360's impressive array of Hi-Def TV shows? Although it seems like not one box offers everything anyone could want, we still want to know: which HD download service do you prefer?

Which HD download service do you prefer?

Poll: Which Blu-ray studio is your favorite?

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 11th 2008 at 12:00PM


You've already seen how Sound & Vision graded the biggest Blu-ray studios, but now we're interested in getting your take. Now that you've had a number of months to check out each studio on a level playing field (read: everyone on team Blu), which studio(s) have impressed you the most? Feel free to include pros / cons from image quality, soundtrack fidelity, extras, BonusView / BD-Live support, etc. Let us know which of the Blu-ray studios has made you smile the most in 2008, and make sure you voice your opinion on which one(s) could stand to improve.

Which Blu-ray studio is your favorite?

Poll: Are you intrigued by in-home 3D technology?

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 4th 2008 at 12:00PM


Yet again, this week has delivered two more impressive innovations in the in-home 3D space, and yet again, we're left to wonder if this stuff actually has teeth. We know at least some studios are putting a great deal of cash and effort into 3D technology, but are existing HDTV owners (and to an even greater extent, non-HDTV owners) ready to give this stuff a go? We suppose no-glasses-necessary 3D isn't so annoying, but having to sit almost directly in front of the set to get the experience is hardly more convenient. We know -- anything can succeed with enough marketing, but are you personally intrigued by 3D in the home? Are you champing at the bit to grab hold of more 3D material? Vent away in comments below.

Are you intrigued by in-home 3D technology?

Poll: Are $200 Blu-ray players cheap enough for you?

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 27th 2008 at 12:00PM


We won't go so far as to say that this week has been monumental or anything, but we're starting to see Blu-ray player prices (on the whole) inching downward. For starters, two aged BD decks broke the $200 mark this week, and even a few new players are getting MSRPs far lower than what we're accustomed to seeing. We've big hopes for player prices on Black Friday, and even bigger dreams for the run-up to the end of 2008, but given the current market scenario, is $200 low enough for you to finally buy in? How does that compare to your buy-in price for DVD / VHS? Do players still need to drop even lower before the population at large starts sinking their cash into the Blu? Sound off in comments below.

[Image courtesy of Electronic House]

Are $200 Blu-ray players cheap enough for you?

The age of the HD digital camera: are you in?

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 25th 2008 at 12:00PM


It's a crazy world we live in, and as of Q3 2008, it's a world where HD video capturing can now be accomplished on a digital SLR. Just think -- earlier this decade live view LCDs and 1080p capture modes weren't even mentioned in the same sentence as "DSLR," and now, here we are gawking at Nikon's D90 and Canon's even newer EOS 5D Mark II. With 720p and 1080p video modes (respectively), we're beginning to wonder if there's really, honestly a need for handheld camcorders. Granted, the amount of specialized video features you're apt to find on a consumer camcorder will best those found on either of the aforementioned DSLRs, but if you're not looking to shoot seriously, does it even matter? We're putting it to you, fine readers -- will an HD-capable DSLR be good enough, or will you still want a separate camcorder?

The age of the HD digital camera: are you in?


Poll: What's the most you'd pay for the ultimate HTPC?

by Ben Drawbaugh, posted Sep 23rd 2008 at 12:21PM

Niveus HTPC
The wide range of computers that can pull duty as a HTPC varies wildly from $500 all the way up to $25,000, but at what point are you getting the best money can buy, or just throwing money away? Many in these parts like to role there own, while others spend the big bucks on the latest Nievus system. So we're asking, what's the most you'd pay for the ultimate HTPC? We're not talking about the whole setup here, just the main unit, so digital cable tuners would be included, but not media streamers like Microsoft's Extenders. What we really want to know is, assuming these high dollar systems do actually offer the best possible solution, are they even worth it at their high price?

What's the most you'd pay for the ultimate HTPC?



[Thanks, Derek]




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