JVC's Picsio pocket camcorder does fake 1080p for a real $200

JVC's Picsio pocket camcorder does fake 1080p for a real $200

We already saw the Picsio GC-FM1's splashy debut for Japan, but now JVC is announcing the camera for a Stateside release. Its advertised "1080p" resolution is actually 1440 x 1080 at 30 fps, while the 1280 x 720 mode at 60 fps sounds much more enticing to us, and it's all recorded to SD card (none is included) as H.264 .MOV files. There's really not a lot to set the camera apart in a sea of pocket cams, but you can always watch the incredible all-dancing, all-crazy promo video again after the break to pique your interest. The GC-FM1 is available now for $200.

Samsung's new SH-B083 drive doesn't write Blu-ray, but it kin reed gud

Samsung's new SH-B083 drive doesn't write Blu-ray, but it kin reed gud

Say hello to Samsung's first internal Blu-ray combo drive for PCs, while the SH-B083 isn't a super fast writer like some of its classmates, it does feature 8x BD-R and BD-ROM read speeds. Also a capable 40x / 16x CD / DVD burner, if all you want to do is watch movies, this should be a considerably cheaper option to the Pioneer BDR-205 12x burner or other 8x recordable drives when it hits shelves (specifically Amazon and Newegg) in November, though exact date and price remain unspecified. Plus, it has that "chic mirror front door design" we can't believe we've lived without for so long, making the 350ms access speed a mere afterthought. This could fit nicely inside that new C-200, right?

Timeframe for the 3D infiltration? 3 - 4 years, says Panasonic president

Timeframe for the 3D infiltration? 3 - 4 years, says Panasonic president

Apparently even one of the main proponents of the 3D at home movement is still able to see its shortcomings, as detailed in this Wall Street Journal article. Prez Fumio Ohtsubo sees a 3-4 year time period before 3D gains wider acceptance, while the company continues to work on implementing it in smaller televisions, portable devices and glasses-free 3D. Combine that with the still miniscule amount of 3D content and the extra expense for compatible hardware, and we can see why Panasonic is unwilling to put all its eggs into one glasses-filled basket. All that aside, this time next year, expect to see 3D highest among the list of features on high end, large HDTVs where contrast ratio, Hz, widgets and other bullet pointed items currently reside.

WirelessHD second generation hardware promises "mass adoption" pricing

WirelessHD second generation hardware promises "mass adoption" pricing

Two years after assembling a team to fight the tyranny of wires with 60GHz beaming and less than a year after entering mass production, SiBEAM has unveiled its second generation of WirelessHD chips, this time with the promise of low cost, mass adoption price points with an eye towards reducing overall costs and improving video quality. The new 65nm chips don't require active cooling, use less power and take up less space, plus integrate HDMI, HDCP and DTCP support and surround sound capability. Last year the premium was too steep for us to consider wireless HDTV as a serious option, but as costs come down and manufacturer support comes up it may be time to take another look at WirelessHD.

LG's 5.1 HB954SP Blu-ray HTIB system makes room for your iPod or iPhone

LG's 5.1 HB954SP Blu-ray HTIB system makes room for your iPod or iPhone

If you've somehow managed to hold out from joining into the HTIB revolution, the time for caving is upon you. LG has just tapped Sir Mark Levinson to engineer the acoustics behind its latest bundle, the HB954SP. Packing a 5.1-channel sound system that includes 1,000 total watts of power, a quintet of oval drivers and a ported subwoofer, the system gets direction from a BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray player that's actually a fair bit more stylish than the tried-and-true black rectangle. You'll also find a pair of HDMI inputs, an iDock function for charging and controlling your iPod / iPhone right from the BD deck, 1080p upscaling of traditional DVDs, touch sensitive controls, a USB port for loading up external media and an optical audio input. There's nary a mention of price, but it should splash down this November for a hefty premium.