I’ll admit there’s not much in terms of features that makes this new portable DVD player from Plezo really stand out. But if you’re looking for a player that does everything, the PPD-1920S seems fairly robust when it comes to functionality. The 9.2 inch screen is relatively large for a portable player, and it’s able to swivel up to 270 degrees, allowing it to be flipped around and used as a tablet player. If you’re wondering how big 9.2 inches really is, just use the round DVD tray lid on the player as a size reference.
It also supports Divx, which is a must-have feature for any video capable media device these days. And it can presumably play those videos off an MMC or SD card thanks to a dedicated slot, or a flash drive since it also includes a USB port. From what I can tell the player even includes AV in and out connections for watching the videos on a larger display, or using the PPD-1920s itself as a display for another external device.
It’s currently available in the Korean and Japanese markets for about $362.
This is a great little device for ‘that friend of yours’ who’s always copying DVDs or CDs. The DVD Coach from EZ-Dupe looks to be about as large as the first personal CD players to hit the market, but includes 2 drive trays allowing you to copy DVDs or CDs without the need for a computer.
However it will work just like any other external burner when connected to a PC, and will even allow you to use the drive as a Lightscribe labeler with the proper media. Those who still use audio CDs can even use the DVD Coach’s track editing feature to create a custom audio disc from their own playlist. Unfortunately I have no idea where the name ‘DVD Coach’ comes from, unless it was inspired by the Craig T. Nelson sitcom.
You can find the DVD Coach online and it looks to range in price from about $340 to $460.
Video projectors are a great way for a group of people to ‘enjoy’ a PowerPoint presentation, but what about those times when you don’t have access to a large space? The NEC WT615 uses a unique mirror projection technology to achieve a 100 inch diagonal screen at a throw distance of just 65cm!
While the max resolution of just 1024×768 isn’t exactly impressive by today’s standards, it should be more than adequate for anything besides watching hi-def video. Because it can be setup and used in spaces not necessarily designed for it, the projector includes advanced ‘Digital 3D Reform’ picture correction technology as well as the ability to correct the image based on the color of the wall it’s being projected on. It even has optional support for connecting to a PC or PDA via a wired or wireless network.
Finally the WT615 also has a whiteboard function where you can write live onto the projected images using an electronic pen, and even capture those notations back to your PC or PDA. All that for about $3,500.
I don’t claim to entirely understand the following video, which does a remarkably good job of explaining how to try to wrap your mind around the 10 dimensions in which our universe (according to some people) exists. I will say that I could comfortably get though dimension number 5 (if only because it was already explained in nearly the same way in Donnie Darko)… After that, it started getting weird. But, you know, cool. Enjoy:
If you’re a birdwatcher with a particular fondness for owls or simply pursue other ‘hobbies’ that require the cover of night then a set of night vision goggles can be a useful accessory. But if those head mounted versions are either too cumbersome or too obvious to local law enforcement you might want to pick up this slightly more compact version from iGen.
The NV2020 is only about 9 inches long but apparently has twice the sensitivity of older generation ‘intensifier tube technology.’ What that basically means is that it can amplify the ambient light of whatever you’re looking at up to 650 times the original level. And if things are still too dark it also includes an invisible infrared light source to boost the light levels without scaring off whatever you’re staring at. The NV2020 also allows for multiple color output options instead of just the traditional green and even has a composite video connection allowing the image to be recorded via a camcorder.
It’s currently available from SkyMall for $699.95.
Usually if you want to take underwater movies or even photos you have 2 options. 1) You can simply dunk your digital camera or camcorder under the water and hope that it grabs one or two frames before water gets in and shorts everything out. And 2) You can buy an expensive and incredibly bulky underwater housing for your camera that while protecting it will also limit its functionality. But there’s now a third option with the Sanyo Xacti CA65 waterproof camcorder that works underwater while still keeping a sleek profile.
It comes in the form of one of those ultracompact camcorders that rely on SD cards for storage but it’s still capable of capturing 6 megapixel digital images or recording VGA size video at 30 frames per second. The video is stored as either MPEG-4 AVC or H.264 clips making it easy to view on your computer and email to friends. Of course the waterproof nature of the camera does have its limitations. It’s only rated to a depth of 1.5 meters and they really only recommend using it underwater for about 60 minutes. In addition the waterproof seals that are used should be replaced every year to ensure they keep doing their job properly.
But at just under $470 from Amazon it could be a good choice for you adventurous types looking to capture some extreme memories.
While the battle over high-def disc formats wages on in the home Toshiba appears to be making a preemptive strike at the automobile market. At the ‘Automotive Engineering Exposition 2007′ the company showed off a prototype in-dash HD DVD player they’ve been co-developing with Alpine Electronics.
I’m not sure if the unit included a pop-up HD LCD screen but without one it seems kind of pointless to use an HD DVD disc in the first place. But I guess with newer movies being released to the HD DVD format people are starting to amass collections they will eventually want to use on the road.
Toshiba is hoping to actually release the player sometime in 2008 and is no doubt also hoping the HD DVD format is still a contender in a years time.
Like most independent filmmakers Dan Vance had a limited budget when he set out to shoot his movie The Shivering Earth. Of particular concern to him was the cost of shooting on film and the expensive rental rates for high-end video cameras. Since he also didn’t want to settle for the relatively small 1/3 inch CCDs used on cheaper prosumer cameras he figured he’d just build his own instead.
The final version now known as the VC25P was built around PAL video technology since it records footage at 25 fps which is very close to the 24 fps that film uses. (NTSC on the other hand records at 30 fps.) In addition the PAL frame size is about 20% larger than NTSC which helps when the final product is being transferred back to film. As for hardware specifics the component video signal coming from the camera is sent through an analog to firewire convertor which then feeds a DV signal directly to a hard disk recorder. An audio preamp was also constructed to allow a microphone to interface with with the A to D converter’s line-level input. The final product doesn’t exactly look high-tech but the fact that it works is impressive enough.
And I have to admit Dan is a brave guy. I usually worry about cameras from Panasonic and Sony breaking down on set and causing delays in a production. And those are from companies who’ve been making these devices for years. I’m pretty sure if I had to shoot an entire movie with a homebrew camera I would end up with an ulcer.
For auto-enthusiasts it’s pretty heart-breaking to see when a rare sports car like a Ferrari Enzo gets totaled in a crash. But many people forget that before these vehicles can be sold to the public they need to undergo safety testing. And unfortunately these tests usually leave the vehicles in a write-off condition.
Here’s a rare video of a McLaren F1 undergoing a crash test at the Motor Industry Research Association facility in England. Even though it’s being driven into a concrete wall at 40 mph fans of the car will be pleased to see how well the carbon fiber chassis actually holds up. In fact reading up on the test it seems that had it not been for a dummy engine being used the car would have actually been drivable after the crash. I guess when you drop a million dollars on a ride you get what you pay for.
The actual crash test video is available after the jump but be forewarned - it’s not easy to watch a car of this caliber being destroyed.
Related Tags: Portable Media Players, Video
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By Andrew Liszewski
