Now that AMIMON is being taken seriously in the high-def arena, we're hoping to see a number of these releases in the not-too-distant future. Merely months after Sharp announced that its X-Series LCD HDTVs would arrive with wireless HD technology built right in, Mitsubishi has declared that it too will offer sets in Japan that can communicate with WHDI-enabled equipment sans cabling. The TV itself will have an AMIMON chip embedded within, though it will arrive with a separate HDTV receiver unit that connects to the LCD in wireless fashion. Model numbers, prices and all that jazz has yet to be divulged, though the Japanese will evidently be able to buy one of the elusive packages as early as "this fall." Full release after the jump.

We kick things off with a little Olympics, and based on our poll, we're not the only ones talking about the Chinese HD smorgasbord. With so much content, it's only natural that we talk about DVRs, and Verizon is looking to score a win with its DVR promotion, which would go great with the its plans to make NFL interactive via TV. Speaking of Verizon, only last week it took issue with tru2way, and the war of words spilled over to this week. We talk a little Blu-ray with the upcoming re-release of "Casino Royale" and Paramount's rebate plan to upgrade you from DVD to Blu-ray on select titles this holiday. If you're not into buying, how about rental? That's normally synonymous with Netflix, but not this past week. Mail carriers missed the daily flow of red envelopes, but everything was righted by week's end. If internet delivery is more your style, maybe Vudu can get you interested with its $0.99 rental promotion. But considering the price of entry, maybe not. We wrap up with talk about disc spinners from Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba. Two of them are blue, one not so much; guess which ones we're enthused about?


Get the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
01:46 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 097 - 08.13.2008
13:41 - Poll: Due to HD, have you tuned into the Olympics more?
16:55 - Verizon pushes HD DVRs in new FiOS TV promotion
19:34 - Verizon and the NFL get serious about interactive television
25:19 - tru2way camp reassures FCC this is the open standard they are looking for
28:40 - EchoStar lines up to make tru2way boxes too
32:42 - 007: Casino Royale Collector's Edition first Blu-ray Disc to double-dip
36:49 - Paramount to offer $10 rebate for select Blu-ray Disc upgrades
38:54 - Netflix shipping systems act a fool -- have you been delayed?
40:33 - Netflix shipping woes fixed, rentals flowing freely again
41:00 - VUDU announces $0.99 extended rentals, "99 for 99" movie channel
47:38 - Sony BDP-S350 review
50:14 - Panasonic prepping DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55 Blu-ray players?
52:50 - Toshiba stubbornly launches the un-Blu-ray, XD-E500 DVD player


LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)

Let's say you're adequately satisfied with your living room HDTV. Can you say the same about the set in your bedroom / office / guest room / etc.? Gregory can't, just check this out:

"The HDTV in my den is great, but I just can't decide on a 20- to 26-inch HDTV for my bedroom. 720p is probably good enough in a set of this size, but I'm having a hard time finding which set looks the best and offers the best value. Can I get some advice from those who have made this decision already?"

Let us speak for the readers when we say "Yes, yes you can get some advice." (Don't make us out to be liars... please?)

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

We told you that kids these days had it made, didn't we? The latest episode of college students getting more than just ample amounts of study time comes courtesy of RCN, which is delivering triple-play services to student residence rooms at 1760 Third Avenue in Manhattan, New York. The agreement with Educational Housing Services will enable the carrier to offer high-speed internet, digital phone and HD programming to over 1,100 students representing "a variety of institutions of higher learning, including LIM (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising)." U-verse in a University of Houston dorm, RCN here -- what's next, FiOS TV in Corvallis?

We can't say for certain that this is the Essence TV we heard rumored last week, but we wouldn't be shocked one iota if it were. The Philips 42PFL9803, which has actually be around in at least name since earlier this summer, has just been granted an EISA award. The LED-backlit 42-inch HDTV reportedly features a 2,000,000:1 (dynamic) contrast ratio, the company's own LUX LED technology and a jaw-dropping €2,999.99 ($4,407) price tag. We're hearing it's on track for a September release, but hopefully IFA will confirm / deny.

Barely a month after Mitsubishi launched its iSP 149 series of LCD HDTVs, the company is trotting out three new lineups over in Japan. The higher-end MZW series includes the 46-inch LCD-46MZW200 (¥400,000; $3,643) and 40-inch LCD-40MZW200 (¥300,000; $2,732), both of which pack a 1080p 10-bit Diamond panel, 120Hz technology and an October 21st release date. For those with tighter spaces (and smaller budgets), the MX / MXW series spans from 19- (¥100,000; $910) to 42-inches (¥280,000; $2,550), with the most expensive sets offering a Full HD display and the lesser ones topping out at 1,366 x 768. Oh, and it looks as if Funai won't be the only one delivering a Blu-ray / LCD combo, as Mitsu's already working up a concept. Peruse the links below for all the machine translated nitty-gritty.

[Via Impress]

Read - MZW series
Read - MX / MXW series
Read - Blu-ray / LCD combo concept

Let's be honest -- it's been quite awhile since Philips has been seen as a big-shot in the world of HDTVs. Evidently the company is aiming to change all that in just a few weeks, as a fresh rumor puts a stunning new set on display at IFA. Reportedly, the lightweight 42-inch Essence TV will boast a 38-millimeter depth and will be made for wall hanging. Regrettably, that's all the details that have seeped out thus far, but we'll be finding out just how much truth there is to all of this in a fortnight.

When Westinghouse launched its 40-inch LCD HDTV / DVD combo unit earlier this year, we really began to think of just how nice it'd be to broaden Blu-ray's appeal by shoving a drive into a new set for those looking for simplicity. Enter Funai -- the company currently responsible for the lowest priced standalone BD deck on the market -- which is reportedly aiming to loose an LCD HDTV with built-in Blu-ray player on the North American market next summer. The company typically brands its wares with names like Sylvania, Symphonic and Emerson, so we wouldn't expect the highest-end stuff here. That said, we're glad to see someone taking this very necessary step, even though you won't catch us recommending 'em to anyone but the technologically challenged. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

[Via CrunchGear]

Not much exciting news this week but plenty to talk about, as the Olympics have been occupying much of our time with all the HD goodness that's on almost 24 hours a day. The other topic that got more than its fair share of time this week was the TV Pack. We talk up the good and the bad and although we are enjoying the new features, we still don't understand why it is OEM only. Finally we really show our age as we take a walk down memory lane and tell our sad stories of college -- sans HDTVs in our dorm room of course.


Get the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
02:54 - Ready to watch the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
08:25 - Olympics viewership through the roof, HDTV / internet to thank?
10:46 - Hands-on with the Vista Media Center TV Pack
22:43 - Did Microsoft intentionally break commercial skipping in Media Center?
27:14 - DISH Network might attempt DirecTV merger again?
28:24 - SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling
37:47 - Poll: Do you still visit the store for movie rentals?
40:30 - Colleges throwing in high-def amenities to lure in millennials


LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)

If Mitsubishi's WD-65735 proved a bit too, shall we say, bulky for your needs, those loyal to the brand may be wondering how the remarkably thinner LT-52148 performed. PC Magazine was able to get a set over on the test bench, and while the 52-inch 1080p panel was stunning (as was the ultrathin bezel), the excessive sharpening artifacts, elevated greens and above average (read: more than desired) power consumption left reviewers underwhelmed. Furthermore, the speakers consistently distorted when pushed over halfway on the volume scale, and the menu navigation was deemed "sluggish" at best. Overall, the set was a perfectly mixed bag, with just enough negatives to persuade prospective customers to check other options first. Think we're bluffing? Check out the read link below and see for yourself.

Sony's BRAVIA KDL-46Z4100 was high on the list of LCD HDTV shoppers when announced earlier this year, and if you've been loosely pinching those pennies awaiting a review before pulling the trigger, here goes. CNET was able to grapple the 46-incher and spend a few days testing its performance, and overall, it seems like a solid buy. As expected in a set of this caliber, the color decoding and primary colors were deemed accurate enough, black levels were satisfactorily deep and dejudder processing was impressive as well. The occasional backlight fluctuation in dark areas and exclusion of video files in the network streaming function were the only real digs, netting the HDTV a respectable 7.6 out of 10 rating. So, is worth the $2,200+ price tag? Possibly, but it's probably worth seeing in person before buying on impulse alone.

Here's an interesting one. Zenith's 42-inch Z42LC6DF / 47-inch Z47LC6DF LCD HDTVs are already on sale at outlets like Target, yet they're just now getting around to surfacing at the FCC. We're not sure if this is just some weird way of keeping a veil on two similar sets slated to hit shortly with built-in WHDI (pretty please?), but if we're being honest with ourselves, we'd say there's probably nothing here to get excited over.

College ain't what it used to be, but in far too many instances, the dorm rooms provide an unwanted look at how it was many, many decades ago. In order to lure more students to campus (and prevent too many from parking their keisters in off-site apartments), a number of universities are revamping their housing facilities to cater to millennials. We've already seen the University of Houston hook one of its residence halls up with U-verse, and a recent writeup on the matter reports on the plans of a number of institutions to include HDTVs and other tech-related gear in order to warm the hearts of gadget-loving freshmen. We have to say, our minuscule dorm in the heart of Raleigh barely had room for a 19-inch CRT back in the day, but we may have chose to stick there longer than a single semester had a 42-inch flat-panel greeted us on move-in day.

[Image courtesy of Flickr]

Compared to competitor DISH Network, DirecTV is having The Best Week Ever. Second quarter results posted today were up to analysts estimates, adding 129,000 to its 17.2 million subscribers in the U.S. and lowering its churn rate to 1.49 percent. Average revenue per user (i.e. how much cash they get from you every month) rose 7% thanks to people signing up for high definition and DVR service, while revenue in Latin America jumped 49%. Add to that news that DISH Network wants to give things another go, and we imagine they're feeling pretty good about themselves in El Segundo, you'd think they could find the time to return our wallet one of these days.

We're closing in on the century mark, and we'd like to hear from you about what format that magical episode should take, so let us know in the comments. DISH continues to roll right along and doesn't look to be letting off the gas with 150 HD channels and 1080p VOD in the works. DirecTV isn't backing down from the challenge, however, and has been using some its ample DirecTV 11 bandwidth to simulcast MPEG2 HD channels. We talk a bit about Netflix's Blu-ray premium, and the small upcharge of one or two dollars seems like a pretty good deal to us -- doubly so in these times when consumers are having a hard time pulling the trigger on Blu-ray media purchases. The NFL pre-season is kicking off in HD, and even certain season ticket holders can get excited about that. We take a rare moment to side with Verizon on its tru2way stance -- see, we're not always hating on the big red! We wrap up with a couple of bits on the PC front -- the ZvBox and some new 720p Hulu content sure could make bringing the PC into the living room easier and more enjoyable. Again, don't forget to tell us what format you want to hear in episode 100!


Get the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
01:45 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 095 - 07.30.2008
04:57 - DISH to have 150 HD channels this year and 1080p VOD in August
05:06 - DISH Network 1080p VOD preview
07:56 - DirecTV 11 starts broadcasting HD, simulcast of MPEG2 HD channels are live
09:51 - Poll: With over 100 HD channels, are you switching to satellite?
10:53 - Details of Netflix's Blu-ray premium emerges: $1.00 per month
12:59 - Consumers delaying Blu-ray purchases, can't find value proposition
17:20 - Kicking off the NFL pre-season in HD -- of course
19:24 - Verizon to the FCC: We're not down with tru2way
22:21 - Hands-on and unboxing: ZeeVee's ZvBox
26:40 - Hulu refreshes HD Gallery with 720p TV shows


LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
LISTEN (OGG)