[home-theater] Forum Topics

[ATTACH=RIGHT]16325[/ATTACH]Today, the [I]Entertainment Software Association[/I] released findings from two studies by Dr. Christopher Ferguson of Texas A&M University. In an interesting twist, Dr. Ferguson's findings suggest that not only are violent video games okay to give to children, they may actually be beneficial. Video games are often blamed for violent …

Nintendo is sitting firmly at the top of the games console tree right now, having just been 'bigged up' by the release of the US sales figures for October which show the Wii on 803,000 and the DS on 491,000. Both well ahead of nearest rival, the Xbox 360 on …

[ATTACH=RIGHT]17139[/ATTACH]NVIDIA's CUDA parallel computer architecture is picking up steam and quickly becoming one of the de-facto solution for producing high-end video content. When time is money, companies such as Industrial Light & Magic, and Adobe, cannot always cram every feature or pixel into the finished product. Most consumers might not …

The cost of an Xbox 360 is dropping like a brick, which is just as well considering [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21179/532/"]so many things can go wrong[/URL] with the Microsoft games console. In fact the whole Red Rings of Death thing has led to some frustrated users [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21290/532/"]taking Microsoft to court[/URL]. Jesse Maiman, a …

These days, video game consoles aren't just for video games anymore. There's a CD, DVD and Blu-Ray player, internet, Twitter, Facebook, chat and more. But don't you wish you could watch MOVIES? Oh, wait, you can. Think the way you watch movies on your console is good enough? One company …

VIZIO has long been the bargain shopper’s HDTV brand of choice. Peppered across shelves in Wal-Mart, Costco, and Target electronics department, the displays—albeit not the most advanced in terms of picture quality—have always been reliably, affordable, and completely viable options for people wanting to achieve the new American dream of …

I'm still here at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) 2010, and just had the chance to try out something cool. The Intel Atom processors are lightweight x86 processors for use in a whole range of small devices. And being x86-based, they can run modern desktop operating sytesms. At the beginning …

[ATTACH=right]16680[/ATTACH][URL="www.hulu.com"]Hulu[/URL] might be worth as much as $2 billion, the [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/technology/16hulu.html?partner=rss&emc=rss"]New York Times[/URL] reported today, alongside news that the site for streaming videos and TV shows might soon go public. The Times reported that the 3-year-old company has been in talks recently to begin a public stock offering potentially later …

[center][B]Ban and ye shall receive![/B][/center] “Hello, recently, your Steam account was erroneously banned from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This was our mistake, and I apologize for any frustration or angst it may have caused you. We have reversed the ban, restoring your access to the game. In addition, …

[ATTACH=LEFT]16558[/ATTACH]Netflix users becoming growingly accustomed to stagnant queues of movies can breathe a sigh of relief. It was announced earlier today (August 10) that Netflix would embark on an estimated $1 billion deal over the course of the next five years with Epix, the premium pay-TV and video on demand …

Soundgarden, one of Seattle’s seminal grunge acts, is breaking new ground in the midst of a comeback, and I’m not talking about headlining the main stage at Lollapalooza this Sunday. With the release of their first album in over 10 years on Oct. 5--[I]Telephantasm: A Retrospective[/I]--the grizzled 90s vets are …

[ATTACH=right]16339[/ATTACH]3D technology is quickly becoming a must-have feature for TVs, monitors, and cameras. It may end up being a fad, but 3D still has a long way to go before it's fate is decided. One venue that has yet to be explored from a retail standpoint is dual-2D projections from …

No doubt, by now you have heard of Microsoft’s latest addition to their Xbox 360, the Kinect controller-less …uhh controller. Instead of a standard handheld controller, the Kinect is a stationary sensor bar that sits in front of your TV. While the Kinect has been compared to the Nintendo Wii’s …

It only took Sony four years, but they’ve finally created their version of the Wii killer: a glowing magic wand lollipop known to the world as the PlayStation Move. Requiring Sony's PlayStation Eye camera to deliver the experience dubbed by some as the most advanced motion controlled gaming to date …

The TV market is entering a new stage, as Internet connected TVs shipments surge. According to the latest [URL="http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/quarterly_tv_design_features_report.asp"]DisplaySearch Quarterly TV Design and Features Report[/URL], Internet connectivity has emerged as a key feature in TVs this year. This survey of 2010 product ranges from leading brands reveals that 55% of …

The Consumerist is currently running a [URL="http://consumerist.com/5160187/identifying-yourself-as-a-lesbian-gets-you-banned-on-xbox-live"]story[/URL] about how a gamer was first harassed by other players and then booted off Xbox Live by Microsoft. Her crime? Admitting she was a lesbian in her gamer profile. According to the report she was harassed online by other gamers and when she …

Sales for the latest Tiger Woods PGA Tour titles from Electronic Arts have plummeted 68% from last years edition of the game and people have begun pointing fingers at the entitled golfer's promiscuity. It sure is easy to pass the buck when the accused is steeping in scandal, but that …

The land of maple syrup, curling, Mounties, hockey, Mexican beer's sudsy love child, free healthcare, and self-titled bacon has just obtained another claim to fame: the first Netflix stream-only endeavor. [ATTACH]15908[/ATTACH]Netflix, the world's leading movie and TV subscription service with over 13 million subscribers, is extending its services to Canada …

Big bucks, no whammies, and STARCRAFT II! At least that’s Activision Blizzard CEO’s Bobby Kotick’s take. According to a recent [I]Wall Street Journal[/I] interview with Kotick, Activision Blizzard has exceeded an already belt-busting budget of $100 million on their soon-to-be industry-leading cash cow. Released in March of 1998, the science …

At a recent Q&A session in front of investors at E3, Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime adamantly defended the Wii console’s pace to break the record-setting game sale trends of the Playstation 2, claiming that his console is at the “high watermark” of its existence, with software sales numbers …

Reports are starting to emerge online that Microsoft may have initiated a cull of Xbox Live accounts belonging to users of modified games consoles. One [URL="http://pinoycosplay.blogspot.com/2009/11/microsoft-bans-600k-xbox-live-accounts.html?zx=e10c0b0fc532dc57"]claims[/URL] that a "trusty source" working in a call centre which handles Xbox 360 accounts has had an influx of "screaming teenagers who don't don't …

File under strange but true. It would appear that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second has been presented with a specially commissioned gold-plated Nintendo Wii games console by THQ as part of a marketing campaign for some new game. The rather loose connection between British royalty and the game in …

The [URL="http://www.asa.org.uk"]Advertising Standards Authority[/URL] here in the UK has ruled against Microsoft concerning a television advert for the Xbox 360 which featured a woman with half a head watching a movie being streamed via the games console. So what could possibly be the problem with that? Maybe there should have …

Games are dangerous, corrupting, evil things. After all we have been told that playing GTA IV is more harmful to kids than [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/19975/532/"]watching porn and drinking beer[/URL], and how the Nintendo Wii can [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22425/532/"]cause serious injury[/URL] to players and observers alike. Now, it appears, the truth is emerging. A brilliantly …

Bloomberg is out with a story this week saying IBM will lay off 16,000 more employees, on top of the 15,000 the firm has already cut. Since economic recovery usually lags job losses, it’s another morbid sign that we’re still in the teeth of this economic hurricane. Note also that …

It should come as no real surprise, but Microsoft has announced that [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1710.html"]Halo 3[/URL] is the undisputed king of games when it comes Xbox Live. The Xbox Live Director of Programming, the unlikely sounding Major Nelson, has [URL="http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/01/04/the-top-20-live-games-of-2008.aspx"]revealed[/URL] that when it comes to the games that were being played online …

If you thought that gaming was all about next generation technology, HD graphics or innovative input systems think again. If the results of a survey into console usage in the US during 2008 is anything to go by, it would appear that gameplay is still in charge. The Nielsen research …

Microsoft has kept it fairly quiet, no press releases or launch trumpeting, but it now looks like the Xbox 360 has been upgraded with the new Jasper motherboard. The new Xbox 360 has been spotted in the wild by the eagle eyed [URL="http://www.xbox-scene.com"]Xbox Scene[/URL] chaps and as a result we …

I admit it, I love a good TLA. That is a Three Letter Acronym to you, guvnor. I have probably used BTW (By The Way) more than any other in close on 20 years of emailing and online discussions. BTW, did you know that today, right now, there are two …

It would appear that Japanese swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, who won gold in the men's 100m breast stroke event, [URL="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=195049"]has a Nintendo Wii to thank[/URL]. I was always told not to wee in the pool, but Kitajima had his Wii in the gym so that's OK then. Apparently, the Olympic swimmer …