Partnership Breathes Life into HD DVD

By Nick Mokey Updated October 5, 2007

Partnership Breathes Life into HD DVD

HD DVD is far from dead. Despite early calls predicting its demise in the Hi-Def format wars, the battle is still rages on. Toshiba and Microsoft attempted to tip the odds in HD DVD’s favor on Friday with the creation of the Advanced Interactivity Consortium, a forum that will promote enhanced interactivity for the discs.

Features the organization hopes to push include advanced in-movie navigation, bookmarking on discs, picture-in-picture, Web-enabled communities, content downloads and more.

“Creating attractive consumer experiences with advanced interactivity is critical to bringing digital home entertainment to the next level,” said Hisatsugu Nonaka, corporate executive vice president at Toshiba, in a statement. “In order to create these ecosystems, we wanted to bring together a group of companies committed to extending these scenarios across a wide variety of platforms.”

Besides its tech-based founding fathers, the AIC will also get support from major movie studios, including DreamWorks Animation SKG, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Warner Bros.

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Audio / Video

Bowers & Wilkins’ wireless earbuds get better battery life and longer range

Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2.

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has released new versions of its two models of noise-canceling earbuds: the Pi5 S2 ($299) and Pi7 S2 ($399). They're available starting January 25 and feature small but welcome improvements to their predecessors, the PI5 and PI7, which launched in 2021. The company says both new models have improved battery life and better Bluetooth connectivity.

The earbuds now come in new color options. The Pi7 S2 are available in Satin Black, Canvas White, and Midnight Blue. The Pi5 S2, which has seen a $50 price increase from the PI5, come in three new color options at launch: Cloud Gray, Storm Gray, and Spring Lilac, with a fourth color -- Sage Green -- coming later this spring.

Audio / Video

AptX Adaptive vs. aptX HD vs. LDAC: Which Bluetooth codec is the best?

Man wearing KEF Mu7 wireless noise-canceling headphones.

When it comes to Bluetooth codecs, most wireless earbuds and headphones will support AAC and/or aptX (in addition to the standard SBC codec that all devices support). These three codecs differ in how they compress the audio that travels from your phone to your headphones, but they all have one thing in common: They only support a bit depth of 16 bits. That's enough resolution for most kinds of audio, and many experts believe it's enough, period.

Not everyone is convinced that hi-res audio actually sounds better, but if you've got access to a source of lossless, 24-bit music, whether from your own personal files or from a streaming music service, you may want to consider buying a set of buds or headphones that can support a Bluetooth codec designed to deliver that extra level of detail. The three most common 24-bit compatible codecs are aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and LDAC.

Deals

This top-rated 180-inch Full HD projector is $50 for Cyber Monday

A boy and girl play video games on the Apeman LC350 Full HD projector.

Cyber Monday deals are in full swing, with plenty of discounts for the home theater to pounce on. One of the best Cyber Monday projector deals is on the Apeman LC350 Full HD projector, which is just $50 today at Walmart. It’s not every day you find something for the home theater at this price point. The projector offers a savings of $20, as it would regularly be priced at $70 if not for this Cyber Monday savings. Free shipping is included with your purchase, as are free 90-day returns.

Why you should buy the Apeman LC350 Full HD projector
Whatever your favorite thing to watch in your home theater may be, the Apeman LC350 Full HD projector makes a great centerpiece for family, friends, and even colleagues to gather around. It has a 2000:1 contrast ratio and is able to display in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. This makes it perfect for taking in both movies and TV shows. It’s extremely light at just 2.2 pounds and moves around easily should you ever want to reposition it or move it to another room for parties or other gatherings. With the proper cables, it’s compatible with an Android phone, an iPad or iPhone, and even a laptop, which means you can watch just about anything on the Apeman LC350 Full HD projector.