For most people shopping for an HDTV the question is usually LCD vs Plasma.  However many don’t realize just how affordable front projection systems have become.  In fact many projectors are actually cheaper than flat panel counterparts and will give you an immersive movie experience that you just can’t get with a 50″ or even 60″ plasma or LCD.

So instead of shelling out $2300 for that 55″ super thin LED display here’s another idea.  Consider a combination flat panel/projector setup.  Use an  LCD/Plasma during the day or when ambient light is an issue, then use the projector in the evening for the ultimate movie watching experience.  Think you can’t afford it?  Think again.  We break it down for you.

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In case you missed it Apple unveiled OS4 and by far the biggest feature is it’s ability to “multi task”. Unfortunately my definition of multi-tasking is different than Apples.  I define this feature as being able to completely move a running application into the background.  RIM has done this with Blackberries for years, and competitors like Palm and Android do this seamlessly. This is crucial for apps like instant message clients and internet streaming which need to run at all times.  Ironically the original iPhone was capable of MT, as the iPod application would happily run in the background but 3rd party developers were not allowed such features mainly for reliability and battery life sake.  Well things are different with OS4 right?  Wrong.  Make no mistake.  Apple is not introducing real multi-tasking here.  Instead they’re allowing only a certain types of background processes to run.  In other words, say you’re streaming Pandora and you close the app.  The app actually closes but Apple is allowing only the internet stream process to continue.  Sounds like a good compromise right?  Sort of. The only problem is Apple is allowing only specific types of background processes to run and those do not include IM client data, which means you’ll have  to use workarounds, such as third party servers that keep you logged in even when the app is closed .  Why is Apple doing this?  Because Steve Jobs is obsessed with maintaining a level of user experience, and that means keeping the already mediocre battery life decent.

So the next time you see a demo of the “revolutionary” task switcher in OS4 make sure you realize its nothing more than a glorified quick launch bar.

Looks like the movie streaming market is getting serious.  The NYT is reporting Walmart has acquired Vudu, arguably the highest quality streaming service available today.  This is big news because Walmart has tremendous buying power as they sell more packaged media than just about everyone.  Maybe it takes a company like Walmart to kick some of these studios in the butt and give us quality content at a good price. Whether or not Walmart decides to change the pricing structure of Vudu movies remains to be seen.  Stay tuned!

Read the article here –>

This just dropped from Home Media Magazine.  Redbox has been testing blu-ray rentals in several markets and is now ready for a full scale roll out sometime during summer of this year.  No indications of price just yet but we’d guess it’ll land in the $1.75 per day range.

Read the article here –>

6ave has the THX Panasonic 46″ G15 1080p Plasma + BD60 Bluray player for only $1079 shipped when coupon code “BONUSBUY” is applied. Free shipping too! In case you’re wondering what the difference is between the G10 and G15, they’re pretty much identical, except the g15 has a slightly slimmer case thanks to a revised back panel, and lacks the silver stripe that runs across the front.  Picture performance is identical which is incredible in our view.

See the Deal Here –>

ecost is selling this hot player on eBay for under $100 after bing cashback.  This is by far the speediest player under $200 and a great deal.  Hurry before they all run out!  The orders are up to 200 and counting. I just bought one for myself.

EDIT: Deal is done with 800 sold!  Hope you got yours.

We sure got a kick out of this one

Snitch & Langford – Geek Squad from brianhogg on Vimeo.

I’ve heard about this mandate months ago and brushed it off thinking it would never pass.  Well guess what it did.  If you dont know what I’m talking about, CA just passed new energy guidelines for HDTV’s starting in 2011.  Any new set sold after this date must draw  fewer than 1 watt when turned off, and 2 watts per square inch plus an arbitrary number of 32 when powered on.  As of right now, the only sets that would pass are smaller LCD’s display.  Virtually all plasma and sets larger than 50″ or so would fail.

What are the implications here?  Well it really depends how other states react.  If they jump on the bandwagon and adopt similar standards then manufacturers are forced to make larger sets more energy efficient .  On the flip side, if CA acts alone then Californians are the one who really lose.  Consumers lose because larger sets won’t be on sale at their local TV store.  Local retailers lose because they can’t sell them, and the state misses out on sales tax.  The real winners here are retailers outside of CA such as Amazon.com because their warehouses are not in CA and therefore not subject to the regulation.  You have to ask yourself, how is this helping CA?  The regulation commission states this saves consumers money in energy bills, but we’re only talking about $20-30 per year.  Thats right per year.  I’m not the only one scratching my head.

Read all about the regulation here –>

By now you’ve picked up your copy of Fight Club on Blu-ray, and by now you’ve noticed how wonderful the sound and picture is.  Oh and we forgot to mention the practical joke in the home menu.  I bet you didn’t know Drew Barrymore is in fight club, well at least in the home screen.  :)

Read the article here –>

Bad movie.  Badass demo material.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the fallen released on Blu-ray this week and features one of the best experiences the format has to offer.  Exclusive to Walmart is a “theater” edition that features full screen IMAX like clips similar to those found on The Dark Knight. Lets be honest, this is not the best movie in terms of story and acting, but T2 makes a reference quality disc particularly when it comes to audio. Paramount includes a wonderful hi-bit rate DTS-HD MA soundtrack that will keep your surrounds and subwoofer busy for 2.5 hours.  The picture quality is excellent if not quite reference, and is comparable to the first movie featuring Michael Bay’s signature boosted contrast look.

When your friends come over and want to see what your system can do.  This is the one to pop in.

Video: 9/10

Audio: 10/10