Incoherent anti-1080p rant

One of those limey bastards at The Inquirer grumbles this gem:

So, let's be absolutely clear: purchasers of 1080p HDTV systems will not be able to view 1080p content for many years to come. So, if you know someone outside of professional film production who owns a 1080p system, then you know a cretin.

If you'd like more insight into why video iPods are stupid, why you should move from England to Canada, and the advantages of homemade strawberry milkshakes, read on, cretins.

Why you should get a Playstation 3

"Xbox 360 does not support 1080p at this time. It's an incremental improvement at an astronomical expense, and we don't see consumers clamoring for 1080p TVs yet."

-- Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft Corporation

DirecTV set-top boxes with 1080p H.264

Yowza!

DirecTV is finally manufacturing its upcoming MPEG-4 set-top decoders running Linux -- and they're pumping out full 1080p MPEG-4 H.264, according to Shane Buettner at Ultimate AV.

Along with the new video iPod using H.264 pretty much exclusively, it looks like the H.264 bandwagon is picking up steam. How will Microsoft stop it?

Freakish 102-inch LG

Like those specimens in the Guiness Book of World Records afflicted with gigantism, the new LG 102-inch 1080p plasma set (MSRP: $1.1 million) inspires more revulsion than awe.

Will look cool in Ahmed Chalabi's Dubai safe house.

HD Beat goes gaga over Sony 1080p RPTV

The HD Beatniks have the dirt on the SXRD rear-projection FireWire-enabled Sony KDS-R50XBR1.

Denon 1080p DVD upconverter

1080p over HDMI sounds nice, but there aren't many (if any) TVs that can accept it. But when you find one, you might want to spring for the new $4000 Denon DVD-A1XVA DVD player, which features "Denon Pixel Image Correction technology and Advanced AL24 Processing" (see figure below), which better be some fucking good software interpolation.

BTW, the NeuNeo HVD2085 also upconverts DVDs to 1080p, and with a vaporware firmware upgrade promised any day now, will also be able to output 1080p over HDMI. For $3800 less than the Denon.

1080p QuickTime trailers!

FINALLY, the geniuses at Apple decided to redesign their ass-ugly movie trailers page for the first time since 1998. (I think it was last updated when "iTools" was announced. Remember that, kids?)

Anyway, the new site is looking spiffy -- with an appreciated new emphasis on.... 1080p HD downloads!

Now if only they'd release a 1920x1080 resolution-screen iPod.

When will Apple video podloads be 1080P?

Apple shook up the digital TV market yesterday with its new Front Row media center client, thin new video iPod and related h.264 iTunes video "podloads" from Disney. Good for them. (Although why you'd get your TV shows from an application called "iTunes" is beyond me. Maybe Apple should create a new videocentric client for the iPod video that also offers music capabilities.)

Anyway, the hoped-for HD resolutions didn't materialize. Instead, we're stuck with paltry 320x240 res. Ecccch. Although apparently it looks quite good on an iPod.

Why, then, is Apple tempting us with its 1080p QuickTime HD downloads page? All we want to do is hook up a Front Row-enabled Mac Mini to a 1080p LCD from a nameless Chinese manufacturer and move on with our lives.

The HDTV I personally own

I only buy the very best in 1080p technology.

Cheaper 1080p Aquos

Engadget has the dirt on Sharp's new 45-inch LC-45GX6U, the new, more reasonably-priced Aquos set. Is it possible that 1080p will be, gasp, affordable one day?

Whatcha'll think about the Westinghouse LVM-37W1?

The cheapest 1080p HD "TV" I can think of is the 37-inch Westinghouse LVM-37W1 monitor, which costs about $1800. It doesn't have HDMI inputs or built-in tuning. Here's 1080p Whip's first reader poll: what are the pros and cons of this HD monitor? How would you integrate it into a home theater?