These days, the recommendations of important companies and groups can carry a lot of weight in the technology industry. It should stand as good news, then, that the reference Blu-ray player of the Criterion Collection happens to be the PS3.

Modding consoles is quite the risky business. After all, whenever you take apart a console by yourself, you're voiding the warranty and it may not work after you put it back together. Ben Heckendorn (or Ben Heck, as he is more commonly known) is not that kind of modder. He is the modder that modders all aspire to be. Check out why and what he just did to a backwards-compatible Sony PS3 in the full article.

Looking for a display that'll  bring out the best of your growing stock of Blu-Ray flicks? We're letting you know that Green-House making plans to launch a new LCD monitor that'll promise a generously-sized screen alongside support for HDMI cables. Details on this are in the full article.

Did you hear that? Jaws from just about every part of the globe dropped in unison. But we suppose the chins slammed to floors first in Taiwan, where the first images and initial specifications of the long-rumored NVIDIA GeForce 9800 card erupted. Need to know more? Head on over to full story, but if you've just spent your last savings on a GeForce 8xxx series card last Christmas, the experience may be tear-inducing.

A new weatherproof display has been announced by Planar Systems, Inc. The WP-42HD is designed specifically for the outdoors and will be distributed under the company's Runco custom home theater brand.

WP-42HD is a 42-inch weatherproof display that features 1366 x 768 native resolution, Runco's exclusive Vivix internal video processing and artifact-free scaling. It also has support for 480p, 720p and 1080i native film and video formats. Inputs include DVI with HDCP as well as multimedia RGB/computer input for gaming and other computer activities.

It uses advanced LCD technology and glass with special element-proof bonding to keep the high-def widescreen flat-panel monitor safe from the elements. It also has a specially-designed internal ventilation system to provide adequate cooling. Users can just install it and leave it without worry, other than getting it stolen of course.

The Runco Climate Portfolio WP-42HD will be available in November exclusively through Runco dealers. Minimum suggested retail price is US$ 8,995.

 

Taking a step sideways to the techie world of the gizmo-laden geek, Samsung has recently launched its "Swan" line of LCD monitors aimed at the PC enthusiast in Korea. The 20-inch CX2032GW/CX2032BW and the 22-inch CX2232GW/CX2232BW Swan monitors earned their name through the familiar tilt mechanisms.

The tilting neck uses an elastomer at the hinge, allowing the monitor to be angled ergonomically for the viewers comfort instead of having to rely on various mechanical parts. Sporting the same sleek, black and rounded look as its HD LCD TV counterparts (which are most popular in Asia at the moment), the two monitors also boast a maximum resolution of 1680x1050 at a 16:9 aspect ratio.

No refresh rate has been given at the highest resolution, but the response time has been pegged at 5ms and DVI input is expected as bare minimum. The prices go for US$ 399 for the 20-inches, while the 22-inches can be had for a pricier US$ 474. The monitor has yet to launch in the U.S., yet as of press time no details on when that will be has been said.

According to Computer Supermarket UK, they've got the cheapest 20.1-inch, widescreen LCD TV/Monitor in the world, and its sporting an attractive GB£ 129.95 (US$ 250) price tag, although that doesn't include shipping and handling or VAT. So if you were always hoping to replace that bulky CRT or break the 17-inch barrier for your PC's LCD monitor, here's your chance.

Computer Supermarket's NQ211 is primarily an LCD TV, complete with a built-in TV tuner and interfaces for all applicable home entertainment systems. While still using rather dated, but trusty Active Matrix technology, the LCD does sport a widescreen profile (16:9 aspect), allowing viewers to enjoy widescreen-formatted movies and games.

Along with S-Video, component and RF connections, the LCD TV will also accept DVI and VGA input, allowing it to interface with PCs and consoles. It also boasts a 1200:1 contrast ratio and an 8ms response time for vivid color and performance.

As of press time, Computer Supermarket's got 192 of these black beauties in stock, so interested parties better hover their cursor over the read link below before stocks run out.

The Advanced Access Content System (AACS) Licensing Authority 'fesses up. As BBC has reported, the megagroup responsible for the walls of security on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs has just admitted that the encryption on HD-DVD discs has been bypassed, as claimed by muslix64b earlier. The AACS aren't too worried, though, as they note that "It does not represent an attack on the AACS system itself."

The spokesperson further commented that the large size of the files and the high cost of writable hi-def discs made widespread copying of the movies impractical. From that perspective, they might be looking at the early (and high-cost economics) of high-def movies to deter potential pirates - hence their complacent attitude towards the hack.

Here's an interesting bit, though: Why did muslix64b go as far as to break the walls of copy protection on HD-DVD, then, if the economics aren't suited for it right now? BBC gets the answer straight from the hacker himself: because he was so peeved at the fact that he couldn't play his HD-DVD movie, simply because he lacked the required compliant connector (HDMI cable or compliant DVI). According to him, "Not being able to play a movie that I have paid for, because some executive in Hollywood decided I cannot, made me mad."

So... for want of a cable, what got lost again?

It seems that Sony's Blu-ray (BWU-100A) drive for PCs won't be able to play commercial movies in Blu-ray format. Not yet, at least.

According to Vincent Bautista, product manager for Sony's data storage, while you can play movies from your own digital camcorder on the BWU-100A, movies in Blu-ray format are something else entirely. You see, BD movies are encrypted with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) and could only be decrypted with an "HDCP-compliant graphics card that offers DVI or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connections".

Unfortunately, those graphic cards aren't available for PCs yet. Bautista says that BD playback software actually exists, but isn't out in the market at the moment. However, if you really, really can't wait to watch your BD movies, you could get a Sony VAIO VGN-AR18GP, which has an HDCP-compliant HDMI connector.

Bautista assures us that the issues will be addressed "soon". If you're the creative type who wants to distribute indie projects in BD format, you might want to check out the BWU 100-A. It'll be available this month, and it'll go for $1,072.52 - not cheap by any means, but hey, if you really must have one now...