Engadget HD

• Sony sets Guinness World Record with BRAVIA-drome
  

  Filed under: Misc, Sony, Advertising

  
  
  Sony was smelling a world record when it constructed this beast, and sure enough, that's exactly what it set. The BRAVIA-drome was originally constructed to showcase its 240Hz Motionflow technology, and it has ended up being a continual source of interest even after the commercial shoot. This week, a Guinness World Records adjudicator affirmed that the structure was indeed the "World's Largest Zoetrope." We're not exactly sure that this proves / disproves the awesomeness / lameness of its 240Hz tech, but congrats anyway, Sony.

  Sony sets Guinness World Record with BRAVIA-drome originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun,...
  




• Panasonic launches online community for Living in HD program
  

  Filed under: Misc, Panasonic, Advertising

  At least initially, Panasonic's Living in HD program seemed like a one-off promotion to hook a few crews up with some pretty sweet swag. Now, it has morphed into a running R&D experiment of sorts, with some 44 families having participated in order to give the outfit feedback on how its HD-related gear works / doesn't work in real life. In fact, applications are still being accepted for the next wave of winners, and in case you're interested, the company is also launching a new online community in conjunction with the initiative. The site contains a number of videos to get beginners...
  



• 'American Idol' is most timeshifted show of 2008
  

  Filed under: Industry, DVRs, Advertising

  Well, would you let your brain simmer on this a bit. American Idol, the famed singing competition that airs live numerous times per week when it's in full swing, was found to be the most timeshifted program in the USA in 2008. Granted, it's also the most watched show in the nation, but we digress. The significance here is that this tidbit, which was dug up by The Nielsen Company, goes to show that live competitions and so-called "topical" programming aren't as immune to DVRs as networks would love to believe. The data found that "an extra four million viewers watched Fox's American Idol...
  



• Super Bowl XLIII to boast interactive commercials
  

  Filed under: Industry, Advertising, Sports

  
  
  For years now, companies have sought to produce the most engaging advertisement on the eve of the Super Bowl here in America. In just a few months, however, they'll be vying for something else -- your clicks. Canadian sportscaster Le Réseau des Sports has confirmed that both SD and HD broadcasts of Super Bowl XLIII will feature commercials that are "enabled with interactive functionality permitting viewers to opt-in and hyperlink directly from the RDS network to long-form video content." Additionally, viewers will be able to bookmark that content for future viewing. Details of how the links and on-demand material will work are...
  



• Sony builds massive BRAVIA-drome in Italy to showcase 240Hz Motionflow tech
  

  Filed under: Misc, Sony, Advertising

  
  
  As the race to infinityHz continues, Sony is busting out the advertisingcheckbook to showcase its utterly mesmerizing 240Hz Motionflow technology. The BRAVIA-drome installation, which is modeled after a 19th century zoetrope, measures 10-meters across, spins at over 40kph and is the centerpiece in a new commercial designed to display soccer action in the sleekest, smoothest, silkiest way imaginable (or so it says). Have a quick glimpse at the filming of the spot just after the break.
  
  [Via Geek]
  

  Gallery: Sony builds massive BRAVIA-drome in Italy to showcase 240Hz Motionflow tech

  



• Denon rewards buyers of its pricey Blu-ray decks with free Batman BDs
  

  Filed under: Misc, Blu-ray, Players, Advertising

  
  
  It's one thing for Amazon to toss a few free Blu-ray Discs in with the purchase of a PlayStation 3, but we'd expect a little something extra from Denon. After all, when the least expensive Blu-ray deck you make rings up at $749 (MSRP), we'd say a free universal remote or weekend at the lake would be a more appropriate gift. At any rate, Denon and Warner Home Video have linked up to provide buyers of Denon Blu-ray players (the DVD-1800BD, DVD-3800BDCI and DVD-2500BTCI) with a BD copy of The Dark Knight and Batman Begins....
  



• Pioneer rechristens Black Friday "KURO Friday," won't lower prices
  

  Filed under: Industry, Misc, Blu-ray, Displays, Pioneer, LCD, Plasma, Advertising

  
  
  Talk about a marketing catastrophe. Apparently no one told Pioneer's promotional firm what Black Friday is (hint: it's a day for unprecedented price cuts to get consumers to camp out in the cold for a deeply discounted blender), as it has inexplicably decided to re-coin the holiday "KURO Friday." Why do such a thing? To quote Pioneer, it's to "celebrate the creative visionaries" who helped bring KURO to life. In other words, KURO Friday is not being established to announce sweet, sweet price drops on all



• Windows commercial gets wrong message across on 4:3 sets
  

  Filed under: Misc, NBC, Advertising, Primetime

  
  
  We can't say we spotted this one in person (sorry, Chuck lost its luster after about six episodes), but we'll still join in the chorus of laughter. The image spotted above was an advertisement for Microsoft's little 'ole operating system, known around the underground as Windows Vista. What you're supposed to see there is "Windows: Life Without Walls," but instead, you're missing the final "s." In fact, Michael Smith points out that most 4:3 set owners actually saw even less than that (think "Windows: Life Without"). The capture was taken from a locally broadcast 4:3 NTSC feed of the...
  



• IBM survey finds consumers kosher with select kinds of advertising
  

  Filed under: Misc, Advertising

  
  
  We've heard for years that the DVR was killing marketers' ability to inform and persuade, but a recent survey from IBM points out that advertisers would do alright if they'd simply keep with the times. The research revealed that more and more individuals are turning to their PCs and mobiles for content ingestion, and out of the 2,800 individuals surveyed around the globe, over 70% said they preferred "advertising-supported models as opposed to consumer-paid models." In fact, the majority of respondents admitted to preferring ads shown before of after a clip versus the "interruption" method currently used in TV broadcasts. Researchers also found that some...
  



• Studios, CE firms bankroll $25 million Tru Blu ad campaign
  

  Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, Advertising

  
  
  The stakes are high for Blu-ray this holiday season. As we've stated before, it's the first such season where it's not competing directly with HD DVD, and coincidentally enough, also the first in which it is competing (at least to a small degree) with HD streaming. To that end, a number of studios and consumer electronics outfits have agreed to fund a $25 million marketing campaign dubbed Tru Blu, which involves airing persuasive commercials on channels that "attract heavily male audiences." With Blu-ray deck prices expected to reach the $150 area come Black Friday, we'd say BD still has a good chance...