CES 2007

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Developments in the Blu-ray/HD DVD format war kicked into high gear in the past couple of months. November and December saw the bulk of the long-delayed HD product lines finally hitting store shelves: Blu-ray players from Sony, Panasonic, and Philips; the PlayStation 3; the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on; and the second-generation Toshiba HD DVD players. In the new year, both camps came out swinging at CES 2007. With so much news to process, we've taken the opportunity to collect all the major developments into one easily digestible chunk.

Enter the combo player: LG officially unveiled the BH100, the first device to play both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. Despite the caveats--it's $1,200, and the HD DVD functionality lacks that format's HDi interactivity features--this breakthrough player is the first model that's essentially future-proof. High-definition cinephiles will be able to buy movies on either format without fear of backing the wrong horse. The best news? The BH100 is already on store shelves.

...and the combo discs: LG offered hardware détente, while Warner took the software angle. Warner's new Total HD format (THD) puts an HD DVD and a Blu-ray version of the same movie on a single disc, which Warner pledges will sell for the same price as its single-format counterpart. Like the LG, it's a great hedge against the uncertain HD future.

51GB triple-layer HD DVD disc: Size matters, and Blu-ray has long been trumpeting its 50GB dual-layer disc capacity over HD DVD's 30GB. The underdog struck back with news of a 51GB triple-layer prototype. That puts HD DVDs ahead by a nose--at least until Blu-ray's rumored quad-layer 100GB discs hit the streets.

New HD DVD players: To date, only Toshiba's been producing set-top HD DVD players, albeit sometimes relabeled under the RCA brand. Toshiba expanded its second-generation lineup by one--adding the HD-A20, a $600 player that offers 1080p output)--but the company will finally be getting some company. Chinese manufacturers Shinco, Alco, and Lite-On are set to offer more affordable players later in the year, and the more familiar Onkyo and luxury Meridian lines will also be joining the camp.

New Blu-ray players: Samsung announced that its second-generation Blu-ray player, the BD-P1200, will sport cutting-edge HDMI 1.3 output despite costing $800 when it debuts in March; that's a 20 percent discount from the first-generation BD-P1000, which hit stores just a few months ago. Sharp also pledged to release its first Blu-ray player in 2007, while Panasonic, Pioneer, and Philips continued to highlight their recently released first-generation models. Sony, meanwhile, showed off two "Sapphire" Blu-ray prototypes, follow-ups to its brand-new BDP-S1. Of course, the PlayStation 3 remains the most affordable Blu-ray player on the market, with none of the players announced at CES 2007 beating the $500 and $600 price points of the two PS3 models.

Sales figures--who's winning? Both HD DVD and Blu-ray are fledgling formats, but that doesn't stop each camp from bragging that they've already left the other in the dust. While the numbers should be taken with a huge grain of salt, it appears that the two game consoles seem to be leading the charge for HD movies: Microsoft is said to have sold about 100,000 Xbox 360 HD DVD peripherals. Meanwhile, almost 700,000 U.S. consumers have picked up Sony's Blu-ray-capable PlayStation 3. HD DVDs total install base stands at just 175,000 (including, presumably, those Xbox 360 drives), though the camp has pledged to ship 2.5 million players by the end of the year (1.8 million of them from Toshiba).

It's all about the content: Hardware's all fine and good, but these formats will live and die based on the available content. To that end, Team Blu-ray looks to be ramping up in 2007 after a slow start. Disney, Fox, and Sony Pictures announced a slew of titles that won't be available on HD DVD, while Paramount and Warner will be releasing HD versions of fan favorites--including Blade Runner and the Matrix and Harry Potter films--in both formats. Universal remains the lone major studio that's exclusively publishing on HD DVD. It's little surprise, then, that the total number of Blu-ray titles (currently around 150) will soon begin to surpass the available HD DVD catalog. In other words, the burden is on HD DVD to continue to offer compelling content in light of the forthcoming deluge of Blu-ray movies.

The porn factor: There was a lot of ink on the fact that the adult industry has chosen HD DVD over Blu-ray. It turns out that Blu-ray isn't totally giving porn the cold shoulder, but the industry does appear to be backing the easier-to-produce HD DVD format instead. As Bill Hunt points out at The Digital Bits, the analogy with VHS and Beta isn't likely to hold up here (the appearance of adult movies on VHS was said to be a key factor in that format's eventual victory over porn-free Beta): With digitized smut readily available online, the adult industry's apparent preference for HD DVD isn't the slam dunk that some are painting it to be.

Cracked security: HD DVD and Blu-ray were both supposed to include military-grade encryption that would keep the HD content safe from pirates. Apparently, however, it's taken hackers less than a year to crack open the AACS protection found on both formats, resulting in HD copies of Serenity appearing on BitTorrent within days. Now come rumors that Blu-ray--despite having an extra level of copy-protection--is ripe for the plundering as well. If true, it could mean that both formats could amp up their guard, activating heretofore dormant security measures such as the image constraint token (lower resolution via component video).

A plague on both their houses? Perhaps the biggest issue still facing HD DVD and Blu-ray is the fact that neither could win. After years of false promises, so-called digital delivery is finally becoming a reality. Industry heavy hitters Microsoft (Xbox 360 Video Marketplace) and Apple (iTunes Store) are already offering movies and TV shows in DVD and true HD quality, and the online options will only multiply as broadband bandwidth continues to expand. While they face a variety of their own challenges and shortfalls (restrictive digital rights management, rental versus "ownership" pricing models), such services seem to be the wave of the future, especially with devices like the Xbox 360 and the forthcoming Apple TV making it easy to watch the content on the big screen instead of a computer.

And that, in a nutshell, is the status of the Great HD Format War--just 17 days into 2007.

Toshiba's Qosmio line may soon sport an HD-DVD burner.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

In the maddening crush of gadgets and humanity that is CES, we walked right past the Qosmio sitting in Toshiba's booth--after all, we'd seen that laptop before, and R2-D2 was in the house. But there was something different about that Qosmio; Toshiba was using it to show off its laptop-size HD-DVD-R optical drive, which reportedly will let users burn as much as 30GB of data on a single HD-DVD disc. The company's been mum on other key deets, such as release date and price, though they have promised more info by the end of this quarter. If the previous Qosmio was any indication, though, it's safe to say that the addition of the new technology will price the laptop far beyond the means of the average home consumer--not that the average home consumer has much interest in burning high-def discs, anyway.

Philips' 1080p plasma will cost $5,500, not $3,500.

(Credit: Philips)

Sometimes when things seem too good to be true, they're indeed too good to be true. Alas, such is the case for Philips' new 63PFP7422D 63-inch 1080p plasma TV, which was announced at CES with a price tag of $3,500. Turns out $3,500 is the price for the company's current 63-inch plasma model, which features 768p or 1,366x768 resolution. (Really, that makes it your basic 720p HDTV). The new price for the new set is actually $5,500. Oops.

For the record, I did have sneaking suspicion that the price was perhaps overly aggressive, but Philips reps at CES assured me that the only mistake in the initial press release was that the new plasma model did not include a motorized stand. I told them I could live without the motorized stand for $3,500.

Of course, with flat-panel TV prices falling the way they are, by the time Philips 63-inch 1080p plasma comes out around the middle of this year, its street price may dip below $4,000. But for now, it's $5,500. No word yet on if the pricier version of the new model includes a motorized stand. For five grand, it should, right?

(Credit: Mitek)

With the home becoming ever-more digital, we've seen a steady increase of instances where technologies converge with traditional furnishings. The early stages of this domestic evolution have often involved chairs and cabinets, but we may be on the cusp of a new phase with lamps. Yes, lamps.

At CES this week Soundolier showed off its "Duo," a combination speaker-lamp that can be purchased as a single fixture or as a pair for full stereo (and better lighting) for $280 each. Another $80 will get you the "Maestro," a wireless transmitter that pipes in music from your receiver, iPod or CD player.

And then there's this bonus feature: "A foot-controlled power and dimmer offer convenient control of the lamp for room lighting, theater-style dimming or anywhere in between." Bring on the Andre--it would make The Ladies Man proud.

(Credit: Slashgear)

Some of us at Crave have managed to resist our adolescent urges to collect toy robots, in a rare example of self-restraint. Our willpower met its match, however, when we saw photos of WowWee's "Roboboa."

It had been mentioned earlier along with the FlyTech Dragonfly and other bots at CES, but actually seeing a robotic snake in action is something to behold. In a video clip, it's reminiscent of Pixar's seminal "Luxo Jr." lamp.

The bionic serpent's 40 movements can be controlled by its remote, according to Slashgear, or it can just be left to boogie to the beat of your music. Not just a plaything, the Roboboa reportedly serves as an alarm clock, an iPod speaker and even a "room sentry that can track motion." If the rumored $119 price turns out to be true, we'll be the first in line.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

For those of you who want TV on the move, but who are unwilling to splash out on the new mobile service from Verizon, there is an alternative. On display here at CES, this International 7300 CXT pickup truck has flat-panel TVs installed in its two rear wheel arches, and one tacked onto the bottom of the tailgate for good measure.

The CXT is hooked up to DirecTV via KVH's Tracvision A7 satellite receiver, meaning that other drivers get to watch cable and local network TV when stuck in traffic beside or behind it. Just synchronize your commute with this mobile-media monster and you can catch up on episodes of Law and Order on your way to the office.

Coby's 20GB MP-C951 MP3/video player

If you buy one of Coby's new MP3 video players when they become available this spring, you'll also get a coupon good for 50 songs from eMusic.

The flagships of Coby's new models are the 20GB MP-C951 ($249) and the 30GB MP-C961 ($279 to $289), both stylish players with red-backlit, touch-sensitive buttons arrayed on a handsome black plastic case below a bright, 2-inch LCD. Both units can handle a variety of A/V formats--MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, and Xvid--and include an FM radio with recording capabilities and a voice recorder.

Also eligible for an eMusic coupon are the smaller (1.66-inch LCD) but similarly styled and featured MP-7055 (512MB, $69.95), the -7085 (1GB, $79.95), and the -7095 (2GB, $89.95) flash players, as well as the white mini MP-C7052 (512MB, $59.95), the -7082 (1GB, $69.95), and the -7092 (2GB, $79.95), which sport a 1.8-inch LCD and the same set of features and format support.

All of these players come with an installation CD, stereo earbuds, and a USB 2.0 cable, and all are compatible with Windows and Mac OS X.

Philips DCP850 with iPod and 8.5-inch swivel screen

Instead of having to choose between a portable DVD player and an iPod, now you can tote both using one of two Philips portable DVD players. Both the DCP750 ($149), equipped with a 7-inch screen, and the 8.5-inch DCP850 ($199) have a well that accommodates a remote control that, when ejected, can now handle an iPod.

In addition to playing from an iPod, you can bring media in via the players' SD card slots. Both decks can translate a variety of MPEG-4 video formats including DivX, and most CD and DVD rewritable formats including SVCD. The players' most distinctive feature is the swivel screen, which can be rotated a full 360 degrees and laid flat and flush with the screen up.

The remote is a bit confusing--there's no volume control that we could find--and we had trouble getting the iPod video to show up on the screen. But the floor samples were preproduction models, and we were assured that these hiccups would be solved when the units hit stores sometime in the next couple of months.

Seamless Internet's S-XGen ultramobile PC

In what seems to be the Swiss Army knife of portables, the S-XGen ultramobile personal computer (UMPC) from Seamless Internet includes an Intel PXA270 Xscale 520MHz processor running Windows CE 5.0 operating system, Microsoft Office Mobile, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, Wi-Fi (802.11b), Bluetooth and tri-band GSM/EDGE/CDMA EV-DO network access, Ethernet and USB ports, a 4-inch TFT LCD touch screen, a 280 pixel Web video camera, and a fold-out QWERTY keyboard, all of which collapse into a package measuring 6.5x3.8x1.25 inches and weighing 14 ounces.

Eight hours of battery life accommodates a full day of computing as well as MP3 and video playback. Considering this exhaustive list of attributes and its price--$1,395--the S-XGen is clearly targeted toward the serious mobile warrior.

Harman Kardon unleashed its nifty Drive+Play 2 for gadget-loving drivers everywhere. With an impressively simple setup (you can hook it up in a couple minutes sans tools), you can have a single interface for everything from your iPod or Zune to your phone or satellite radio. The 3.5-inch color display is easily mountable on your dash with screws or adhesive, and a 2.4GHz wireless control knob lets you navigate the very iPod-like skinnable menu system for "distraction-free browsing."

The system is powered by a cigarette-lighter module that doubles as an FM transmitter, line output, and charging hub. If you don't want to use the FM transmitter, you can just wire the Drive+Play 2 directly to your car stereo. There's also a Harman Net expansion port for adding more stuff, such as a Bluetooth hands-free system.

The software interface is pretty cool too: it automatically creates music channels based on what's on your music player, so you don't have to browse too much while trying to rack up points for running down pedestrians. It drops this spring for $399.95.