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Perian posts end of life notice. Mac video enthusiasts weep.
Perian has been a steadfast friend on my computer for years. With Perian, nearly any video format I throw at QuickTime simply works. Perian has been a wonder. It supports AVI. It supports DivX. It supports MKV. It's been one of the best and most useful tools I have had access to and invariably the first thing I reinstall after any upgrade. And now, according to a statement by its devs, it's reaching the end of the road. Today, the Perian dev team announced that the software will no longer be updated. They will release all the source code to Google Code or Github, but the team is moving on. We here at TUAW give them a well-deserved round of applause for the excellence of their effort, and their contribution to the OS X community. Perian will be missed. Thank you to Chris "Growl" Forsythe, Graham "Adium and Fire" Booker, Alexander "ffmpeg" Strange, and Augie "mecurial" Fackler, as well as everyone else who contributed in the past. For now, Perian continues to work with OS X Lion. From here, however, it's unsure whether it will make the leap to Mountain Lion. Check out NicePlayer, which remains in development. The dev team is no longer accepting contributions and requests that you send any money in their honor to Ronald McDonald House, Child's Play, or the EFF. Goodbye Perian. You were amazing.
Engadget comes to your TV on Boxee, Roku, Yahoo and DivX starting today
Gather round everyone, while you may have gotten used to accessing Engadget via the browser or any one of our mobile apps, starting today we're ready to come home in one more way: on your TV. Launching on Boxee, Roku, Yahoo! Widgets and DivX is a new AOL HD package which includes a channel full of our videos ready for viewing on big screens. This way, when you want to kick back and enjoy a new hands-on video, The Engadget Show or any of our other content it's only as far away as your remote control, which is probably also your phone, PC or tablet. There's plenty more to come in the future -- we'll figure out an in-app Screen Grabs submission tool somehow -- but for now we're happy to have an official outlet on some of the most widely available connected TV platforms out there. The AOL HD app will begin showing up today, check out the gallery for a few screenshots of us on each of the platforms. %Gallery-129282%
Circuit City puts DIVX patents up for sale, anyone in need of a failed disc format?
Circuit City's ill-fated video rental alternative, DIVX (not DivX), went belly up over a decade ago but just like Nortel, now that its parent company is belly-up its patents may still have some value. In case you've forgotten, the DIVX scheme offered discs similar to DVDs that were initially viewable for 48 hours, but could be activated for more time over a phone line. Now, the Circuit City Stores Inc. Liquidating Trust has entered into an agreement to sell the remaining patents to Imaging Transfer Co., but not before opening the sale to others in an auction, scheduled to take place August 16th. We're not sure what can be done with a bundle of patents covering compression, watermarking and other digital media technologies, but if you do and have more than $750k to offer, you'll want to contact Streambank LLC right away.
Samsung Galaxy Player priced on Best Buy mobile app, dares you to rate it
Look at what one curious tipster stumbled upon while thumbing through Best Buy's mobile app -- it's the five-inch version of Samsung's soon to be released Galaxy Player. The PMP is, for most intents and purposes, the Galaxy S handset devoid of that pesky 3G and calling functionality -- in fact, it's still known as the Galaxy S WiFi elsewhere in the world. Priced at $270, according to the app, the 8GB touchscreen player has two cameras (a VGA on the front and and 3.0 megapixel on the rear), a microSD slot, and an FM tuner. Back in March, we heard that the music player would be hitting our shores this spring, between this and its FCC appearance a couple of months back, we've got our fingers crossed that it will still make it in under the wire. [Thanks, Josafat]
Pantech Vega No.5 bringing sexy back to tabletphones, packs 1.5GHz dual-core chip
Yes, tabletphones are coming back! Joining the eccentric Dell Streak 5 is Pantech's conveniently named Vega No.5 (or IM-T100K), a 5-inch Android 2.3.3 smartphone powered by Qualcomm's brawny dual-core 1.5GHz MSM8660. Apart from the extra 0.7 inches of screen size, what we have here is essentially the same package as the Vega Racer: 800 x 480 LCD, 8 megapixel 1080p camera, front-facing camera, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 16GB of memory, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and 14.4Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. No word on international availability, but expect this slate to hit the shops in Korea later this month. Hands-on video after the break.
Samsung's Galaxy S WiFi 4.0 and 5.0 now rolling out to countries far away from you
While Samsung has yet to announce an actual date for its new Galaxy Players in the US, their international counterparts are already heading towards other parts of the world for a head start. The Galaxy S WiFi 4.0 is said to be debuting in Russia followed by other countries, whereas its 5.0 sibling will be launched in Switzerland. In terms of specs, not much has changed since we last saw these 1GHz, DivX-friendly Android PMPs, and yes, they'll still be shipped with Froyo "with a possibility to upgrade to 2.3 Gingerbread." As always, we'll let you folks know when we eventually find out about the US launch (if ever), though to be frank, we'd rather just go for the beefier Galaxy S II instead.
Rovi announces agreement to acquire Sonic Solutions for $720 million
Rovi Corporation has already gone though a few significant transformations -- it was once the DRM-centered company known as Macrovision -- and it's now set to undergo another big one. The company has just announced a "definitive agreement" to acquire Sonic Solutions in a deal valued at $720 million. Among other things, Sonic owns RoxioNow (the service formally known as CinemaNow), which will give Rovi access to over 10,000 movies and TV shows, and Sonic also just acquired DivX earlier this year, which Rovi points out has a presence on more than 350 million consumer electronics devices. Head on past the break for the official press release, and look for the deal to close sometime in the first quarter of next year if all goes according to plan.
LG BD690 is the first Blu-ray player certified for Wi-Fi Direct, keeps Bluetooth paranoid
The possibilities teased in 2009 by Wi-Fi Direct have probably kept Bluetooth up at night, and we're sure the commencement of device certification last month hasn't helped, either. Now the LG BD960 has emerged as the first Blu-ray player on the Wi-Fi Direct certification list, hinting direct P2P communication in our home theaters among WiFi devices (without the need for a routing middleman) could soon go from fiction to fact. Unfortunately, mum's still the word on shipping and pricing. The mere chance however that the player could stream content to any other WiFi-equipped device -- Direct certified or not -- is a big enough deal to give our dedicated media streamers Defarge-like glances already. Particularly, if the BD960 comes packed with features similar its suspected predecessor the LG-BD390, which can stream both Netflix, Vudu, and DLNA network content, as well as play DivX HD 1080p content. Until more details surface though, we'll simply have to keep reminding our poor Galaxy S that it isn't destined to be alone in this cold, cruel world forever.
DivX TV launched on LG Blu-ray players, mixes up the internet-to-TV wars a bit more
We've already lost count of all the internet TV platforms that launched this fall, but that hasn't stopped DivX (even after the company was recently purchased) from throwing its hat into the ring by officially launching as a streaming internet video front end on several LG Blu-ray players. Available in the latest BD.8.31.317.C firmware update for the BD550/BD570/BD590 line, DivX TV lets users browse internet shows (including The Engadget Show, Revision3 and others -- full list and a quick introduction video follow after the break) and create customized channels of the content they want to watch. We'll wait and see if DivX TV pops up on any other hardware, but at least LG owners can check off yet another source of videos after Netflix, VUDU, CinemaNow, YouTube and of course, Blu-ray discs. [Thanks, Nigel]
Cowon X7 debuts in home market of Korea with 4.3-inch screen, American ambitions
What was merely an indistinct outline in August is today a bona fide retail product. Cowon has made its X7 PMP official over in South Korea, letting us take a gander at the spec sheet if not necessarily buy one just yet. A 4.3-inch touchscreen takes center stage, backed by up to 160GB of hard drive storage and a battery rated to last for 103 hours of music or 10 hours of video playback. An FM radio tuner, built-in speaker, and Bluetooth chip fill out the "retro modern" body, while the software front reveals DivX-encoded video compatibility and a smattering of your usual note-taking and utility apps. The standard 160GB model is going on sale for 339,000 KRW ($304), or if you're a globetrotter and need a set of preinstalled dictionaries, it'll set you back 379,000 KRW ($340). There's no word on US availability just yet, but this thing didn't go through the chore of getting certified with the FCC for nothing.
Samsung is still down with PMP, announces YP-Q3 and YP-U6 players (video)
Lots of companies are moving their focus to more capable devices, but Samsung is still here to fulfill your simple media playback needs with a few new PMPs. First is the YP-Q3, shown above, a compact and stylish player with support for plenty of formats (H.264, WMV, Xvid, MP3, OGG, etc.) and also packing an FM receiver and voice recorder. No word on pricing or capacity, but it will be offered in a variety of colors and has a highly-customizable UI, shown in the oontzy video after the break. Then there's the rather more compact YP-U6 MP3 stick, pictured after the break with its wee display that can show either the currently playing track or, apparently, how many calories you've burned -- presumably through some accelerometer trickery. No price on this one either, but we expect to be getting some quality time with both at IFA in very short order.
Is CineXPlayer for iPad struggling to deliver on its Xvid-playing promise?
We were convinced the apocalypse was nigh earlier this month after learning Apple would allow playback of lowly video formats like Xvid on the iPad via the approved CineXPlayer app. Mobiputing's review, however, indicates that the software has trouble loading anything but Xvid and DivX files, which even then often don't play. App Store reviewers appear to have had better results with it, giving it an average of four and half stars -- though close to 32 percent or 433 reviewers did only rate it as one or two. To it's credit, though, CineXPlayer does warn users that not all Xvid files may play and requests that any problems be submitted to their support contact to address. Anyone out there having similar issues? Let us know in the comments below!
LG intros two new 600Hz 3D PDP TVs, as well as streamer boxes
Nipping at the heels of announcements by Panasonic and Samsung, LG has just revealed that its first batch of 600Hz active-shutter 3D Plasmas, the 50" 50PX950 and 60" 60PX950, will soon be available in Korea for the price of $2500 and $4200, respectively. Measuring a svelte 1.2 inches wide, these sets will feature DLNA support, an USB port, and access web content from sources like YouTube and Picasa. Of course for those who can't stomach the agony of needing a physical ethernet or USB cable to access media, the Art Cinema DP1 WiFi multimedia player also announced in tandem by LG should spare you. Likened to a set-top DivX box minus the wires -- though it looks more like a blade in our opinion, the device will stream online content from the usual suspects as well as a laundry list of video files formats stored on your network, even in 1080p. Pricing and release details on this accessory, however, are still anyone's guess, and by the stern look on that model's face, mum's the word. Check out more images of the gear below. %Gallery-98328% %Gallery-98327%
Sonic acquires DivX to expand online movie delivery options, share of Kazaa downloads
Just because Sonic shifted its CinemaNow name into the care of Best Buy, don't think it's taking a break from working digital movie delivery options into every device it can. To that end it's purchased DivX, formerly a name you knew only as an illegal download enabling codec, but is now a legitimate enterprise that has agreements with major movie studios and more than 150 consumer electronics manufacturers. The cash and stock transaction should cause the two to get together and make the whole world believe them, with RoxioNow ending up in the millions of devices currently ready for DivX while increasing possibilities for DivX encoded movies going on sale in the United States. The DivX TV internet video frontend for set-top boxes and connected televisions should also get a boost from the deal, we'll see how it competes with widgets, TiVo and Google. There's a DivX TV trailer after the break for those interested plus the press release while related financial details, projections and promises can be found in the linked PDF.
Samsung MP3 player goes 60 hours on a charge
Once upon a time, it meant something to have a digital audio player that went upwards of two full days without needing a charge. Since then, we've seen many, many examples, and it's just not that exciting anymore. But you know what? It's still not that often we see a DAP with 60 hours of battery life and a 3-inch, QVGA TFT LCD that plays ten hours of DivX, Xvid, WMV and H.264 video to boot, so we think Samsung's YP-RB might deserve an honorable mention. The player was recently spotted in a Korean distributor catalog in 4, 8 and 16GB varieties, and we hope (but doubt, given tricky patent licensing issues) that we'll see one stateside sometime soon.
Sharp squeezes DivX HD playback into new Quattron HDTVs
Apparently there was still a HDTV or two without the DivX stamp, but that should be mostly resolved now after a new deal with Sharp. The new AQUOS LE820 LCDs -- featuring the apparently astonishing Quattron quad-pixel technology -- are able to play 1080p DivX HD files from a connected USB drive. Not quite the embedded content service we saw at CES, but as previous announcements have revealed, DivX has been very effective at squeezing a toe in the door and eventually widening it to include more devices and compatibility. The best part? We don't have to re-rip all those DVDs prepared for the upcoming Galaxy S smartphone.
Pasen MID5 packs Android, cures insomnia
What do we have here? Pasen, a company who's been boring us to death for years with its MP4 players (and at least one full-on KIRF) has finally come out with something we could conceivably see ourselves wanting to own. Crazy, huh? It's called the MID5 and as a device its about as revolutionary and original as its name, featuring a 5-inch (800 x 480) LTPS LCD display, WiFi, HDMI out, and support for 720p H.264 video as well as many of your fave formats (including DivX / XviD, RMVB, and MKV. Additionally, the company is boasting up to 10 hours of music or 4.5 hours of video playback. The OS is, predictably these days, Android. No word on a release date yet but when it is available it should go for around $200.
Samsung Wave is world's first DivX HD phone, Galaxy S in a hurry to be world's second
Want some DivX-encoded 720p goodness on your fancy new superphone? Samsung will be the way to go, at least in the short term. The Korean company has announced that its Bada-infused Wave handset will be the first phone with certified support for DivX HD playback, with the freshly announced, Android-driven, Galaxy S following up at an unspecified point in time. Guess we're finally going to get the content to do justice to those spectacular Super AMOLED displays. Hit up Engadget Spanish for the full PR while we get to work on transcoding our entire DVD collection.
Philips BDP5010 Blu-ray / Divx player drops below $70 at Target
Believe it: $70 at Target takes home a new Philips (eh hem, Funai) BDP5010 Blu-ray player that once sold for as much as $250. Hell, it's listed for $139.99 right now on Target's online storefront. If you do manage to track one down in a real life Target store then you'll be getting DivX support, a SDHC card reader, BD Live, and HDMI CEC convenience. While a quick search returns a bevy of mixed reviews (image quality is only so-so), really, for $69.98 you really can't complain if you're looking to finally make the jump to 1080p physical media. [Thanks, Keith B.]
Sony files patent for game demos that lose features over time
A patent dug up by Siliconera details a new system conceived by Sony for limiting the content found in game demos. "Degradable" game demos, as described in a patent filed by SCEA, would initially include either a full game or a large amount of content, but that content would gradually disappear over playtime, to unlock again once the full game is purchased. Examples in the patent document include a weapon that becomes less effective over time, and race tracks that become unavailable one at a time. Essentially, it's the DIVX rental system, but downloadable and for games. You know, DIVX, the system in which you "bought" a cheap disc that would only work for a short time unless you paid a fee to "unlock" it. That lasted less than a year because it was too popular, right?
