We're not at all pleased by Epson's refusal to reveal the native resolution of its MovieMate 55, but judging by the $699 estimated street price, we'd bet it's no better than 1,024 x 768. At any rate, the 8.4-pound unit is designed more for sleepovers and summer camps than home cinema applications, as it boasts a built-in DVD player rather than a Blu-ray unit (and the resolution to match). You'll also find a pair of 8-watt speakers, 1,200 ANSI lumens, E-TORL lamp and a built-in handle for good measure. Snag one for the youngin' this October at resellers all across the land.

Coaxial cabling has long since been viewed as a premiere option for passing along high-def content within the home. After all, in most places it's already neatly installed within the walls. The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) has announced its intentions to release a HANA Entertainment Box reference design based on the new (UWB-based) 1394 Over Coax standard; products based on said design will enable consumers to "download HD content from any broadband connection or HD cable set-top-box and watch it in any room in their home with a coax jack and a remote control." HANA is hoping to have the reference design and initial prototypes out the door in Q4, though we wouldn't hold our breath.

No matter how you slice it, there will come a day when you'll be forced (or coaxed) into watching a Blu-ray flick with just two speakers or a set of cans. For those using ArcSoft's TotalMedia Theater, however, the audio playback should be pretty darn close to 5.1. Said Blu-ray playback application has just become the first in the software industry to grab DTS Surround Sensation certification, which promises to bring 5.1(ish) surround sound to listeners "using just two speakers or stereo headphones." A tad gimmicky, sure, but it's a feature we'd rather have at our disposal than not at all.

Realtek's found some additional horsepower for the next generation of DivX hardware, as its RTD1262/RTD1282 is the first to support 1080p DivX decoding as opposed from the 720p limitations on the previous solutions like the D-Link DSM-330. Designed for Networked Media Box and DVR STB applications, we're sure someone will find a box to wrap around this chip before long, although there's no word on exactly when it will be available to manufacturers. 1080p DivX DVR with support for streaming or local HDDs and USB devices? Yes, please.

It may be gettin' better, but it ain't getting any prettier. As the proper successor to Sony's DVDirect VRD-MC5, the all-black VRD-MC10 only looks marginally better than the original, but still has way too much 80s flair for our tastes. Sporting a 2.7-inch LCD, HDMI / component / composite outputs, a multicard reader, audio / video inputs, USB connectivity and support for just about every writable DVD still on the market, this unit was designed to burn your precious Handycam footage straight to DVD without any fuss (or formal editing procedures). Additionally, it could serve as your primary DVD player in a pinch, though the lack of BD functionality makes this a lot less attractive overall. We'll see if Sony keeps its "coming soon" promise; it's listed at a shockingly high ¥44,800 ($410).

[Via SonyInsider]

Update: Sony pinged us to say that this model will not be replacing the MC5, and it will only play back DVDs that it creates.

Now that Fuze has gone OEM, we should probably expect a lot of similar announcements from the firm. In a somewhat confusing twist, Fuze Media has just signed an OEM deal that will place its tightly integrated software into an HTPC built by Velocity Micro. If you'll recall, Velocity Micro was actually responsible for the original FuzeBox, though this one will start out "much cheaper" at $1,995. Presumably, the box will feature Fuze's FuzeOne platform, which will reportedly play nice with any machine out there (that's good, since it went OEM and all), utilize its own homegrown media player and simplify DVD ripping / library management. Hit the read link for a blowout of the new architecture and machine, and expect to see more when CEDIA cranks up in about two weeks.

We're not sure who let Yahoo! into Intel's party in San Francisco, but the two sure are getting along great. Much to the chagrin of Mark Cuban, these two actually believe that there's a future in internet TV, particularly if you force it down people's throats. Intel spent the bulk of its time talking up the Media Processor CE 3100 (formerly known as Canmore), which would theoretically be installed within HDTVs and enable users to access internet-based content without the need for an additional set-top-box ('course, the STB is still optional). That's where Yahoo! comes in -- it's hoping that its Widget Channel will encourage users to utilize its services when watching re-runs or other lackluster material in order to get news, weather and other related information right on the living room set. Not that this is a totally new concept, but these two surely have the power to push it one step further. Lots more information and pictures in the links below.

Update: It's official... surprise!

Read - Intel / Yahoo preview plans for Widget Channel
Read - Images of the tech in action
Read - Gigabyte Intel box (first product to use the CE 3100)

Hey, Futuresource Consulting -- tell us something we didn't already know, why don'tcha? All jesting aside, said firm has become the second this year to find that Blu-ray Disc sales will likely outpace DVD sales in around four years. Granted, the report also asserts that a $250 BD player will be on shelves by the end of this year, so we can't help but drink whatever Kool-Aid it's sippin'. If you're interested in boring yourself with the same assumptions we've already heard, check out the PDF in the read link below.

[Via US News]

Oh Toshiba, has it really come to this? After a humiliating loss to Blu-ray, Tosh just unveiled its new $150 XD-E500 DVD player. It's no run o' the mill DVD player mind you, this unit touts Toshiba's new eXtended Detail Enhancement (XDE) technology -- that super-duper resolution upconverting tech meant to fill the void between ubiquitous upconverting players and Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the player demonstrated offered just "subtle but noticeable sharpening of the image" when compared side-by-side (in a controlled demonstration) with an unnamed $70 upscaler -- to its credit, Tosh did not try to compare its new player with an HD-capable Blu-ray machine. Still, more than twice the price for "subtle" hardly sounds like a compelling purchase to us.

Update: Official press release is now out which, oddly enough, helped us upconvert our 480i/p cynicism to full-blown 1080p/24fps skepticism.

Stellar news, Netflix users -- those shipping issues that have been plaguing certain customers for a few days now are finally fixed. Currently, the company is still investigating the root cause as it attempts to ensure such a problem doesn't crop up again, but for those who've been adversely affected this week, you can look forward to a bit of compensation. No, we're talking a personalized "I'm sorry" letter in the mail, but existing users will get 15% off their next bill and folks within their trial period will get another week on the house. Party on, dudes and dudettes!

[Image courtesy of Homotron]

Who knows, maybe this holiday season will be a decent time to stock up on Blu-ray Discs. Exactly one month after hearing that Warner would be lowering the BD price bar this winter on a slew of its titles, in comes word that Paramount Home Video is preparing a promotion of its own. Reportedly, the studio will be offering movie collectors a $10 rebate when they upgrade select DreamWorks and Paramount DVDs to Blu-ray Discs. Blu-ray copies of Transformers, The Godfather, Old School, Stardust, Sweeney Todd and Zodiac will be eligible for the rebate, with the purchase having to be made by December 31st, 2009. For all the fine print (there's not too much), the read link has you covered.

[Via CDFreaks]

We fully understand that we're a few days late in posting this up, but seriously, we figured Netflix would fix whatever's been ailing its shipping system well before now. Days after we heard the first reports of users getting an atypical warning when viewing their queue alerting them of possible shipment delays, tips are still flowing in from frustrated users. The message asserts that the company is "still experiencing issues with its shipping systems," though it gives no estimated time for a fix to be implemented. Have you been bitten by the Netflix delay bug? Have your titles continued without so much as a hiccup? Let us know in comments below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Here lately, we've seen a number of questions flow in regarding TV tuners, so it makes sense that folks taking the plunge and building their own HTPC would want to know what flavor of software to mix in with it.

"I recently pieced together a pretty simple HTPC with an OTA TV tuner and I'm looking for the best PVR software to pair up with it. I'm currently running Windows XP MCE, but I could make the swap to Vista or Linux if the applications are good enough for either of those two. What would readers recommend for each operating system? Which one gives the least amount of hassle and works smoothly the majority of the time? Thanks!"

A pretty open-ended request, you see, but a valid one nonetheless. What's your favorite PVR software? Does Beyond TV have your heart? MythTV / SageTV the one(s) for you? Feel free to list the pros and cons of applications you've tried -- wouldn't want anyone to miss anything!

[Image courtesy of Parker1]

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Shortly after picking up its very own adult channel, VUDU is announcing a more, shall we say, family friendly bit today. Effective immediately, VUDU users will be able to renew any SD rental for $0.99 within seven days of first viewing the film, while renewals of HD rentals will cost $1.99. Additionally, VUDU has launched a new "99 for 99" movie channel which contains a rotating list of 99 films that can be rented for -- you guessed it -- just south of a Washington. Interestingly, VUDU calls the deals "summer blockbuster specials," though there's no sign of an end date for either. Can't say this totally changes the way we see the movie set-top-box, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. Full release after the jump.