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The 67% increase in Xbox 360 sales did not save the company from reporting the 10.9% drop in net profits this last quarter, to only $4.3bn. The net revenue it self didn’t grow much either, less than 1% to $14.45bn. So the drop can’t only be blamed on the $1.42bn EU anti-trust fine.

That said, add to it the very slow growth Microsoft is getting in the online business, and to add insult to the injury, Gartner analyst have recently reported on the danger of Microsoft Windows collapsing due to it’s lack of competitiveness with the fast growing market. Come to think of it, really, for the leader in OS business, Microsoft haven’t been shaking things up at all. So maybe few years from know, Microsoft will receive door knocks by Yahoo for a buyout!

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 Upon request from macaholiQ8, I am reviewing this LCD 46″ V-Series screen from Sony. I should note that I’m not the expert in this field, but it’s mostly an end user opinion of it. Below are the specs, and my opinion along with it.
Product Name:  Sony LCD Bravia KLV-46V200A

SIZE: 46″

Supported Resolutions: 480p, 720p, 1080i - This is the drawback for HD Gamers who mostly would want to go with 1080p. Even though for me, when I tried the 1080i, I did not see huge improvement over 720p in the picture quality, and neither I noticed any problems with motion in video games. For more information about the two types, read the post 1080i & 1080p.

Input & Output Slots: The device comes with the widest range of possible options you may think of for connecting external equipments.

• Side Slots: S VHS/Hi8/DVC camcoder & Headphones. So you can easily connet your camera to play videos, or your normal definition gaming device, e.g. Wii or PS2.
• Back Slots: Loads of slots are there. Most important are PC IN, Digital Satellite Receiver, Digital Terrestrial Receiver, HDMI-IN (1 only),  video game equipment, VCR, DVD Recorder, Hi-Fi audio equipment. Mostly, you won’t miss a thing. But the problem is, this LCD screen best fits on walls rather than TV stand, and once you do so, you will have to take the screen down every time you want to put or remove a new cable. And for that, it really takes two strong men to do. Your house mate won’t help much, I had to call my brother over to the house to get it down. The other option is, if you are so skinny, and lubricate your hand with oil, you might be able to slid your hand in the back and just get the cable in. I somehow managed to do that when I couldn’t wait any longer to play PS3 using the HDMI cable :). Point being is, I guess they could’ve made the wall hanger a bit adjustable to move back and forth when wanting to connect new equipments.

Viewing Angle: 178 Degrees. I’ve heard that others in numbers outdo this one, or that Plasma has a better viewing angle. Regardless of why you may want to watch the TV from such an angle, I have my TV in the living room, lay down in my bedroom and am able to watch it crystal clear though the door. I can’t wish for more than that.

Ghosting effect: Nothing yet.

Fast motion response: This one is usually a take against LCDs, but I’ve seen movies like Blood Diamond and Flags of our Father, watch soccer games, and played hard-core PS3 games with not a single problem yet thank God. Is this where the brand comes in handy? Maybe.

Additional Equipments: Alongside the LCD screen, I got the Sony DVD Home Theater System. It’s not cheap at all, but the great thing about it is, it includes 5 DVD-Exchanger with embedded sound amplifier. Also, the rear speakers are connected to the front ones via infrared. So no wiring all across the room is needed. If you notice the small deive on top left of the image, that’s the transmitter for infrared signal.

Why did I choose it?

Going through lots of reviews and comparisons between LCD and Plasma, while numbers in general favored Plasma, I still  inclined towards the LCD. First, it does not have the Burn-In effect, and it’s much more suitable for gamers. Even though I didn’t have any plans for games at the time, I knew I won’t be able to resist for long. Second is LOVE. That’s right. You move inside the showroom, browsing tens of different screens, not even knowing the size, type, or brand of it. And you find your self suddenly standing infont of one only, staring at it. Saying, this is the one I want. I kept doing this for maybe 8 months. Everytime I enter Sony shop I stand infront of the same one. I went then to public showrooms showing different brands. I somehow found my self staring at the very same screen. It got on the nerve of all people around me. I kept saying I want it, and didn’t get it. They just shouted back, just get it “Theba7tna!”. Eventually I did.

Isn’t it so romantic? Let’s make a hollywood movie. Better than the Titanic. Point I want to make is, browse through all kinds, and see the one that you really like. The one that really catches your eyes (and fits your budget!).

Hope this little was a bit of help for some, at least MacaholiQ8. If you have specific question, please fire away.

Useful Links:

Sony Bravia KLV-46V200A Cnet Review: 9/10 on Cnet. Not bad.

LCD and Plasma Pros & Cons: Pros & Cons of both LCD and Plasma.

LCD Vs CRT:  Even though I don’t see the need to compare it to CRT, the LCD points them selves are useful.

How LCDs Work

How Plasma Displays Work

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A question that confuses many when going out to buy an HDTV, be it LCD or Plasma, and is not accounted for by others who don’t know about it, like me at the time. So what the hell is 1080p and 1080i? Well, the 1080 is a display resolution (1,920×1080 pixels) in both. OK, so what’s with the p and i then? the p stands for progressive-scan, while the i stands for interlaced or non-progressive scan.

So, for now it should be clear that in terms of resolution, both types are of same image quality, i.e. they have the same resolution. And in most cases, when watching movies, you will not be able to tell the difference. But if you are a gamer, you may see some difference then. Why is that? Well, this is where the p and i come to picture. The thread over here gives good links and explains it in most easiest way for all to swallow. Basically, the progressive-scan p refreshes the whole screen once every 1/60 seconds, while the i refreshes the whole screen once every 2/60 seconds (half refreshed once every 1/60 seconds).

Since movies and TV shows are mostly shot at 24 frames per second only, the i and p usually will not make notable difference. For video games however, and this is where it hurts me, the frame rate could be 60/second, and thus the non-progressive scan will be 1/60 second behind, half screen updated only. This is what I didn’t know when I bought my Sony LCD, which I will review separately as promised, but this is like a preliminary post. Having played some games with the 1080i option, such as Assassin’s Creed, I did not really notice anything. But it’s just the bad feeling that the game could be played better elsewhere.

Some argue that the interlaced is a fallback, and a 720p screen is better than 1080i because of the frames per second refresh rate. Technically his argument is valid, but practically, I tried PS3 on 720p and 1080i, my friend told me the same, we both didn’t feel big difference.

Hope that was helpful, and for more information and sources used for this post, please visit the below links:

1080p Brief (Wikipedia)

1080i Brief (Wikipedia)

Progressive Vs Interlaced

720p Vs 1080i (Forum discussion on the topic)

1080i Vs 1080p (Cnet- You should not care so much)

1080i Vs 1080p (Home Theater Mag - Technical explanation)

1080i Vs 1080p (About.com - Similarities and Differences)

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I’ve posted before about the Brain-control headset and how it could revolutionize the way of gaming. Well, now we read about an adapted Harry Potter version of the game where you lift boulders and throw lightning bolts using only your mind. That would be something right? But is it fun to just use your brain while playing? I don’t really know, but I think about it and feel, I must do some action during the game, and brain signals are not the physical actions you may wanna have. Would it be too tiring to play for long, since it’s purely focusing on your brain rather than your acts?

A Nintendo Wii fan made this clip to show how he wants the Wii technology to be applied to the new Star Wars game. I’m not sure if the current Wii controller can handle all it requires, but it’s an amazing concept he should be paid for doing it :)

To be frank, except that mind-control is something more techy and new, I feel the Star Wars Wii concept appeals to me more. Would the mind-control turn out to be just a fancy way of gaming that would be used for showoff for a while and then just die? Or would it really be a replacement to Wii and traditional controls? What do you think?

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To be honest I didn’t know about such Blu-Ray 2.0 stuff up till today, and first thing I thought to my self “Ohh God, not again!”. But it turns out, if you have a PS3, you’re already there. As it turns out from this post, the new thing about Blu-Ray 2.0 is that it will require in addition to two secondary decoders for audio and video, a 1 GB of local storage for content and updates (checked), and an internet connection (Ummm… yeah, that’s checked also!). What does that mean?

“The 2.0 profile actually changes the minimum requirements for full compatibility. In other words, there is only one player currently on the market that will be 2.0 compatible: the PlayStation 3, which, with its upgradeable hard drive, Ethernet port, and powerful graphics capabilities, will be able to adapt to any and all future updates. This is quite the slap in the face to consumers who paid several hundred dollars for players that won’t able to be updated to take advantage of the 1.1 profile, much less the upcoming 2.0″

That’s pretty great news for PS3 owners, and new potential buyers. Really really bad one for people who got separate Blu-Ray players. And do you know how much these stand-alone Blu-Ray players cost? I’ve been to Virgin and saw one, I think it was Panasonic. I had to call the seller to double check the “499 KD” price tag. That’s over $1400! I was waiting for long list of features that will blow me away, but he just said “It’s Blu-ray, DVD”. That’s it, I asked again!. “Yeah, he said”. He didn’t argue to the point that PS3 is a much better deal, only that the player is meant for long hours unlike PS3, which doesn’t really convince me at all. A Panasonic Blu-Ray player at Amazon is worth $799, that does not even seem to have a hard disk with it, and is not Blu-Ray 1.1 compatible, let alone Blu-Ray 2.0. This is opposed to the new upcoming bundled PS3 80 GB + MGS 4 + new Dual Shock 3 Controller, all for $499. Only bad thing is the controller for the console. So, you choose :).

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While Wii keeps promising the awaited Wii Fit that will launch in May, that some say would let you cancel your gym membership, others are making things more easy and lazy-proof with their Brain Control headset that would allow users wearing the $299 headset (cheap.. I’m buying one) to move objects by only thinking of their actions! The headset can also detect more than 30 different emotions and actions, and can also use your facial expressions as avatars to the game character.

While this technology is not new, it’s newly brought to end user and in the gaming industry. This headset is expected to be out in the market later this year, so it’s pretty soon. You can see the Brain Control headset link for snapshot and video of it, and also enjoy the other video from YouTub here.

One thing that comes to my mind is, how does outside interference affect the game? Say there is someone talking to you, a baby jumping over your lap, your hear a joke, or see an eye-catchy thing, or even sneeze. And this happens before you give the final boss his mortal combo attack. OUCH!!!

Anyways, you can find all those news story links and more on Buzz Out Load.

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So I wake up today to find an email from my in-law, Toshiba seems to be ready to raise the white flag, and hit the last nail into HD-DVD coffen, as CNET Buzz Out Loud like to refer to it. From their side also, rumors are spreading that Microsoft will be introducing a Blu-Ray player add-on to their Xbox 360! Just think how bad it must feel for Microsoft. But what I really feel sorry for is the HD-DVD users who have to buy add-ons or replace their DVD Player, and  I have to say, when I bought the PS3 I didn’t really think Blu-Ray will outdo the HD-DVD, even though I was strongly supporting it, enough being anti-Microsoft. Luckily, it did win.

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