After what seems like ages, the deadlock between HD DVD and Blu-ray has finally been broken, and as you undoubtedly know, high-definition film lovers everywhere are now scrambling to figure out which BD player would suit them best. 'Course, the easy answer is Sony's Profile 2.0-capable PlayStation 3, but if you've got a higher-end home theater, things aren't necessarily that simple -- there are some pretty big audio codec issues to keep in mind. Either way, now that it's safe to commit to one format, why not check out what everybody else is doing and toss in your own vote at Engadget HD's poll?

[Image courtesy of AV Revolution]

Scouting a 1U, rackmountable two-channel audio recorder? What about a solid state version? If you just so happened to answer yes to the previous questions, Teac's got you covered. The outfit's HD-R1 Recorder relies on CompactFlash cards to store up to 24-bit / 48kHz PCM or MP3 files and can be controlled remotely via LAN or RS-232C. Additionally, the unit touts a USB port, mic preamps, phantom power, RCA, XLR, Euroblock and S/PDIF inputs, and the blue-backlit display is a nice touch, too. Teac has apparently been busy showing its new toy off at Inter BEE 2007, but those tempted by the above specs can secure their own for around $1,100.

[Image courtesy of Sweetwater]

Straight from IFA 2007 in Berlin comes Daewoo's surprise entry into the Blu-ray camp with the company's first player, the DBP-1000. Interestingly, even though Daewoo is probably more well-known for their Trutech ODM devices -- or even their autos -- this player supposedly supports the full 2.0 Profile for Blu-ray Disc, including BD Live internet functionality, picture-in-picture, and local storage. Pricing and availability are nowhere to be found, but it won't be soon enough for Blu-ray fans to see players with that interactive functionality built-in like competing HD DVD players have. Another picture after the jump.

At this point, WiFi-equipped DAPs aren't completely novel, but they're still novel enough to command a good deal of attention -- especially when they're coming from companies like Sandisk through collaborations with Zing. In fact, the $249 Sansa Connect bears a truly striking resemblance (both physically and in user experience) to the reference device Zing was showing off last year -- much more so than its distant cousin from the same Zing drafting board, Sirius' Stiletto. Though the Sansa Connect obiviously loses the Stiletto's satellite radio capabilites, it dominates the Stiletto (and the Zune, for that matter) in its effective use of 802.11 airwaves. Why most manufacturers have yet to pick up on the WiFi formula for this class of devices, we don't understand, but hey folks, it's easy: give us streaming, easy PC-free downloading, and firmware updates over the air. We're all awash in hotspots at this point, so let's take full advantage, yeah? The Connect is tied to Yahoo! Music Unlimited for its subscription download model and streaming radio, and we've gotta say, a WiFi DAP really brings the model into its own. It almost trivializes the need for serious storage in the device -- this one makes do with 4GB plus microSD expansion -- because you can get literally any music in Yahoo's catalog whenever you have a data connection handy. All of Yahoo's features carry over, too: ratings can be saved from the Connect, album art is downloaded in real time, and you've even got Messenger on here. All of LAUNCHcast's stations are available to stream, and of course, you can build your own station based on personal tastes. And for users of other services that employ secure WMA, rest easy: you'll be able to pull your songs into Yahoo Music Jukebox (or, if you subscribe to Unlimited, just grab the song again if you're so inclined). We tested this with URGE and it worked like a champ.

While you might color us impressed if JVC's latest player / dubber handled recordable HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs, the SR-DVM700 really isn't much more than a brushed up version of its DR-DX5S from back in the day. Sure, it can offload content from Mini DV tapes, DVD-R/RWs, DVD-RAM, and basically any other analog device, but you still won't be compiling your data on any of the newest high capacity optical discs. Nevertheless, JVC's latest touts "six-way dubbing", provides on-deck / remote controls, an MPEG2 image processor, and a 250GB internal hard drive. It also provides a foolproof UI to handle your dubbing needs, component outputs, front / rear AV inputs, rack-mountability, simple editing and authoring features, and a simultaneous video recording function to dub to multiple sources at once. Although pricing and availability details haven't been divulged, we suspect this triple-duty device will be hitting Japanese DV stores soon.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Whoa, that was quick. The story of LG's BH100 has moved from myth to reality quicker than some companies can even craft a marketing campaign, and astoundingly enough, the hybrid HD DVD / Blu-ray player has not only been captured on camera, but it's available for sale. You read right, LG's $1,199 harmony machine is apparently already leaking into a few CompUSA locations, and although we didn't know how its inability to play back HDi would effect the release status, we're now seeing that it beat the February 4th presumptions by a solid two weeks, and although it clearly lacks an "official" HD DVD logo, it seemed to handle The Hulk just fine. So if you just can't hold back your desire for a two-faced player any longer, and can track down a stocked CompUSA location, you can pick up your very own BH100 starting today. Click on through for a few more sneak peeks, and be sure to hit the read link for the full skinny.

[Via CNET]

After a relatively brief delay, the cheaper of Toshiba's two second-generation HD DVD players for the U.S. is now available. Shipping in limited quantities to some dealers already, a few AVSForum members were able to pick them up at Best Buy yesterday and today. Priced at $499, in exchange for a new slim design and faster loading times (around 30 seconds from power on to movie play according to initial reports), this revision loses the 5.1 analog audio outputs of the HD-A1. Still, if you've been waiting for that bug free (don't bet on it) second revision hardware with HDMI (1080p coming on the HD-XA2) output not available on the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on, this is it.

[Thanks, Ken F.]

A media rep for the Blu-ray Disc Association recently sent us an email mentioning the Philips BDP9000/37 in it, and we couldn't find any retailers selling it at the time. Well today we're getting reports on the availability of the player at Wal-mart for only $898, apparently already shipping. Most other major big box and online retailers -- we checked Best Buy, Circuit City, Amazon, Target, Buy.com, and Newegg -- either don't have it listed at all, or have it for pre-order only. A post at AVS Forum notes that some Wal-mart stores may simply be selling the player before its potential release date of November 1st, so potential buyers should move quickly in case this was a mistake. There's also some confusion as to whether the box is just a rebranded Samsung BD-P1000, or if it has different parts inside; the consensus so far seems to be that it uses the same reference design but with different video DAC (digital-to-analog converter) components (216MHz vs 192MHz for the Samsung). The Philips model features a Faroudja scaler for upscaling standard-def DVDs up to 1080p (progressive) on HDMI or 1080i (interlaced) on component, HD playback of WMV HD (VC-1) video, HDMI and multi-channel audio outputs, a multiformat card reader, and support for BD-ROM / BD-R / BD-RE / BD9, DVD+/-R,+/-RW, CD-R / RW, MP3, JPEG, and HD JPEG. Another thing to note is the reduced price when compared to the $1000 - $1300 pricetags of the Samsung and Panasonic players. Are we starting to see the effects of competition in the next-generation player market? And will the availability of multiple vendors for Blu-ray products push the price down (think economies of scale) faster or further than the effectively one-manufacturer HD DVD format?

[Thanks, Frédéric B.]

The Panasonic DMP-BD10 is the second standalone Blu-ray player to become available, not quite making its expected September launch but sneaking onto store shelves near you this month. Was it worth the wait and/or the $1,300 price tag? Compared to the Samsung BD-P1000 player, reviewers note a slightly better picture quality and load times, plus excellent audio output. It doesn't support next-gen lossless audio codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD out of the box but, those are promised for a future firmware update. Negatives include a clunky remote and lack of BD-Live connectivity that will be present in the PlayStation 3. This player appears to do the same 1080p to 1080i to 1080p conversion present in the Samsung, so if 1080p/24 output is a must, it's a pass. Still, with EZ-SYNC HDMI control to matching SA-XR700 receiver and flat panel HDTV, if you must have the best Blu-ray hardware available -- at least until Sony and Pioneer's offerings hit the street -- the DMP-BD10 is ready to give it to you.

Read - Panasonic DMP-BD10 Blu-ray Disc Player - Canada Hifi
Read - Panasonic DMP-BD10 Blu-Ray Player - Home Theater Forum

These days, you can find a digital music player in just about every shape and size imaginable, but we should have known the Europeans would find a way to incorporate a favorite pastime into a modern day music maker. The Naf Naf Hyp joins the ranks of odd, yet refreshing, digital audio players that offer the standard fare we've come to know and love, but this keg features an unexpected extra that sadly we have little use for. While this little barrel can playback MP3s, display ID3 tags on the circular LED display, spin standard or MP3-loaded CDs, and pump out the jams through the 2 watt stereo speakers, the oddball here is the built-in cassette player -- yes, cassette, also known as a tape. Aside from that little dash of history, it rocks a graphic EQ, AM / FM tuner, aux-input, alarm clock, multifunction remote, and even a "foldaway carrying handle" to take it back for a refill. Although the quality here is really anybody's guess, it's still going to be mighty hard to resist such a fitting party ornament, and with these available now in red or black for 759,00 DKK (about $130), you can keep your MP3 collection (or 1985 mix tape) on tap.

[Via Red Ferret]

We can add another iNotch on the iBedpole to the list as Memorex has annouced its forthcoming portable video (and audio) player for Apple's iPod. The iFlip claims to only support the 5th generation variety (what about 6th gen?), and sports an 8.4-inch LCD with 480 x 234 native resolution, built-in speakers, tilting dock, and an integrated battery to provide "up to" 5 hours of excitement, which we assume drops substantially when using the device to play back video rather than just audio. While the fold-up unit has S-video out, line out, dual headphone jacks, and an on-screen menu to adjust color / brightness-related aspects, there appears to be no way to mirror your iPod's display on the iFlip (i.e. for showing album art while a playlist spins). But if the small screen on your iPod has you bumming, you can grab an iFlip in September for $200 and make life on the road -- at least for a few hours -- a bit more enjoyable.

Napster isn't so shy about their new DAPs after all. We just got to spend a little time with Napster's new 1GB PlaysForSure promotional player, and we liked what we saw for the most part. The tiny device probably won't be seen outside of its current role of attracting 1-year subscriptions, but it manages a nice look, decent user interface and a commendable 40 hour battery life -- not bad for $50. Of course, the player's first role is to support DRM10 PlaysForSure files from Napster To Go, but regular old WMA files and MP3s are supported as well, and it doesn't seem that Napster has made an effort to lock down the player from other services. You can also play back MPEG-4 video on the tiny, but nice, 128 x 160 LCD, but you'll be on your own for content since Napster doesn't currently offer any vids. There's also JPEG and FM playback, and everything is accessible via a convenient and fast iPod-like menu system. We'd estimate the player is 10-12mm thick, but while it's shorter than the iPod nano, the player felt comfortable in our large hands, and the buttons were plenty easy to use. It might all come down to your preference of music service, but we can't see this little OEM player standing in your way. Keep reading for some more pics.

Oppo's just announced a new upconverting DVD player, the DV-970HD, featuring HDMI and a very reasonable $149 price tag. The player will convert standard DVDs up to 720p/1080i and can output a native 480i/576i resolution over HDMI. Sure, it's no match for HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, but we're guessing most of you aren't ready to trade in your DVD collections just yet. In fact, the player should play just about anything short of HD or Blu-Ray, including DVD-Audio, SACD, DivX, and XviD -- we remember when all that format support used to cost you a grip. It's also both PAL and NTSC compatible to boot, and includes a 4-in-1 flash memory reader and a USB interface. And did we mention it's only $150?

[Thx, Dustin]