Extreme sport enthusiasts have had moments they’ve wished to capture on film whether it was the amazing ski-run or the the scene from a paraglider. Holding a normal camcorder is bulky, ties up one hand, and makes it harder to balance. Not to mention the dangers of damaging the camcorder or getting hurt. VholdR hopes to solve those issues with their new wearable ContourHD 1080p camcorder that can survive through the harshest of conditions.

A quick look at the VholdR’s website reveals recordings of the camera in action during base jumps, mountain biking, and backcountry ski trips. The ContourHD 1080p camera mounts onto just about anything: bike handlebars, ski helmets, goggles, or even cars. It is clear that this camcorder can go places that other 1080p camcorders can not. It sports a dual laser for alignment with a 180 degree rotating lens. This ensures a calibrated shot even if it’s mounted sideways. Unlike competitors such as the Go Pro Camera, the ContourHD does not look like a boxy point and shoot camera shoved in a waterproof case. Instead, it packed in a sleek and stylish black anodized aluminum body that’s shock resistant. VholdR claims that it can hold its own through snow and all types of debris. Plus, its not bulky either, it weighs just 4.3oz. To stay compact, the camcorder uses a microSD (16GB max) for storing recordings. One charge is expected to last for capturing 3 hours of content. The ContourHD is ready out of the box since it comes packed with a 2GB microSD card.

Removing gloves to fiddle with a tiny record button on a camcorder is always a hassle. Fortunately, the CountourHD camcorder has a large sliding switch on top to begin recording. This feature should come in handy to initiate recordings while moving. It allows sport enthusiasts to focus on what they do best and less about getting their camcorder to work. Other features include a fairly accessible switch to toggle between HD and SD mode to save space. VholdR’s included video editing software offers the ability to edit recordings too. It’s a complete package, all the tools to needed to record, save, and share videos online are included.

Even if you are not jumping off cliffs or doing backflips on your bike, the camcorder can still be used as handheld device due to its compact form factor. It is not limited to any one sport or situation. The ContourHD is available in 2 models; the standard ContourHD 720p and the ContourHD 1080p. They cost $250 and $330 respectively. Keep an eye out for Skatter Tech’s in-depth review in the coming weeks.

Buy: ContourHD for $250 | ContourHD 1080p for $330
Links: VholdR.com ContourHD

Things To Consider When Buying HDTV:

• Browse for TVs online using Amazon.com and NewEgg.com.
  Use the filters they offer to narrow down by price and size.
• Bigger isn’t necessarily better.
  Consider viewing distances when purchasing a TV.
• Which resolution? 720p vs 1080p?
  If it’s over 50 inches, get 1080p for sure. If under, consider 720p.
• What kind? Plasma, LCD, or LED?
  Skip to the bottom for more details!

Samsung PN42B450 Plasma HDTV 42-inch 720p

I am a student, so when I bought this TV for only $625, I was ecstatic. Now, this Samsung is once again around that price on Amazon, so I advise you to buy it! I love the quality when watching anything on this plasma. It does not have any internet connectivity such as the other two models listed below, but I can connect it to my laptop easily through either a VGA or HDMI cable and stream HD fine. If on a budget, pick up this TV!

Buy: Samsung PN42B450

Sony BRAVIA Z Series KDL-46Z5100 LCD HDTV 46-Inch 1080p (240Hz)

The quality of this Sony impressed me from the start. In addition to its great quality, this TV features several HD inputs, internet connectivity, as well as online widgets to make your entertainment experience better. You can also connect your camera, USB storage device, or a mp3 player to the TV via USB ports.

Buy: Sony BRAVIA 46Z5100

Samsung UN46B8000 LED HDTV 46-Inch 1080p (240Hz)

Although this TV comes with a hefty price tag, no one can debate its quality. At Fry’s, when I saw this LED, the picture I saw amazed me. Even though I knew that the salesmen purposely set its settings to their best, it was beautiful. It includes everything the Sony features and more. Also, the 1.2″ depth and light weight definitely impressed me.

Buy: Samsung UN46B8000

My piece of advice:
Articles from different sources concerning the differences between 720p vs. 1080p sometimes give contrasting advice. Here are my 2-cents on the issue: after going into several stores and researching online, I found that unless I sat two to three feet away from the screen, I found little to no differences between 720p and 1080p on screens smaller than 50 inches. I bought the first Samsung on the list below, and the quality, when watching HD satellite, looks almost the same when comparing it to my other 46 inch 1080p Sony Bravia back at home. But again, go into stores and see for yourself.

Watch out for salesmen being bias, they might try to mislead you! Quick story- I bought my TV at Fry’s Electronics. When I went into Fry’s, I already knew that I wanted to buy this TV, but I browsed around anyway to see other comparable TVs. I bought this TV on a budget, so I did not want to spend anymore money than what I already allocated. Anyways, as I am browsing around, I notice that my TV looked terrible when compared to the other ones in the store. I began talking to a salesman about the differences between 720p and 1080p, but he only talked about 1080p and gave me cons to 720p TVs. As I moved in closer, I noticed that my TV and the other ones in that section (all of which were 720p) looked dusty and poorly lit. In addition, unlike the other 1080p HDTVs, the ones in this section hooked up to DVD players and not Blu-ray players. I asked the clerk why they did this, to which he responded “Oh, well, uh…the building wasn’t set up properly for it.” Okay, seriously? Do you really expect me to believe that? (I did not say that, but I should have!)

When it comes to plasma versus LCD, again, check it out at a store! In the TVs I saw, plasma’s give deeper black levels and provide better viewing angles. However, LCDs can be found in larger sizes, weigh less, and do not have the “burn in” issue that some older plasma TVs have. With the newer plasmas, burn in is not really an issue. What about plasma vs. LED? LED TVs usually come with internet accessible features, a good number of HD inputs, and incredibly thin widths. LED, a relatively new technology, performs better in some respects to plasma, such as depth perception and brightness, but for the most part when comparing a 1080p plasma and 1080p LED, the difference between the quality is not worth the price paid. But then again, I am a college student, so I tend to be very frugal with my money. Don’t get me wrong- LEDs are beautiful and great for anything, whether it be movies or gaming, but I feel that the current prices are too high.

This Gift Guide is a part of our ongoing Skatter Tech Holiday Gift Guide.

Sony has launched yet another two portable Cyber-Shot cameras, just about 5 months after launching their 2007 lineup. This year’s goal for Sony seems to be placing the largest and brightest LCD display humanly possible. Both models include the new features that were implemented into their lineup earlier this including: face tracking and output to 1080p HDTV sets.

The DSC-T200 features a 8-megapixel camera, 3.5-inch LCD touch screen, and a 5x optical zoom, while the cheaper DSC-T70 sports a 8-megapixel camera, 3-inch LCD touch screen, and a 3x optical zoom. (T200 will be available in silver/black/red and the T70 in silver/black/white/pink) The set-up procedure and all options/settings are performed through the new touch screen. Other than the power and playback button, the only hard-keys remaining are the capture button and the zoom controls. Although it may seem neat to have such a large touch screen, it will for sure be very difficult to maintain as the display begins to collect dust and fingerprints.

One of the best features implemented is face tracking, which automatically track faces and focuses the lens to right distance, when snapping an image. In addition Sony has added another technology called “smile shutter,” which automatically detects and captures an image as soon as everyone in the photo smiles! Although I haven’t yet tried the smile technology, I can testify that Sony’s face detection does indeed work amazingly well especially after taking a few hundred photos all of which were clear & crisp.

These features are great for average consumers who want to quickly and easily snap photos without hassling through settings. If you do however want to take much higher quality images, you should consider purchasing a higher-end camera with manual settings. Anyways the DSC-T200 and DSC-T70 are available next month (September 07) with a price tag of $400 and $300, respectively. If you’re eager to get either camera as soon as it becomes available, Amazon is now taking pre-orders.

Pre-Order: DSC-T200 | DSC-T70
Links: SonyStyle.com | Retail
Related: Sony’s 2007 Cameras LineUp

Yesterday evening, Microsoft confirmed rumors of a new black Xbox 360, when it announced the Xbox 360 Elite. The initial details on the device further confirm the rumors that this new version of the 360 will come equipped with a 120GB hard drive and a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port. However, besides those two additions and the fact that it’s black, there appears to be little else that’s new.

The 120GB hard drive will also become available, separately, to customers of the original Xbox 360 for an estimated retail price of $179.99. The average gamer will probably have to decide whether they’d prefer three more games or more storage capacity. I’d rather take the games, but of course this all depends on what else you might use the console for. Obviously, if you’re a customer of the LIVE Marketplace video store the need for extra storage is a no-brainer, but for those of us who only use the 360 as a gaming platform the extra $180 might be better spent elsewhere.

The fact that this new version will feature a HDMI port means that is capable of providing a slightly crisper image, and a new source of digital audio output. It would also enable the 360 to play along with digital displays if Microsoft ever decides to enable HDCP, which is a protocol that would verify that the connection between the display and the console is not diverted to some sort of recording device. Contrary to popular belief, HDMI is not even necessary in order for the 360 to display 1080p “True” HD signals, the original Xbox could do that as well for its component output. So, in terms of benefit for the consumer, HDMI does little.

The 360 Elite really isn’t so “Elite” if you considers that there is still no HD-DVD support built-in, and that customers who would want this will need to purchase the external player, which only comes in white. Furthermore, getting the 360 Elite together with the HD-DVD player would costs as much, if not more than, the 60GB Playstation 3. But then again, the average consumer probably doesn’t care that much for the HD Format War and as such will only pay the $479.99 (U.S. MSRP) for the 360 console, which is still less than the $599 for the PS3. – In stores on April 29th.

Link: Microsoft Press Release | Xbox 360
Related: Upcoming Xbox 360 Games

Sony DSC-G1

Sony’s first WiFi-enabled camera allows wirelessly sharing photos with other cameras and computers. The cyber-shot features a high-res 3.5″ LCD display, 6 megapixels, 3x optical / 6x digital zoom, and a new interface. The unit accepts Memory Stick Pro Duo media, but has 2GB of memory built in. (~600 full resolution pix) The G1 will begin to Ship in April 2007 for $600.

Sony DSC-T100 / T20

The T100 features a 5x optical zoom and a 3-inch LCD while the T20 has 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD. Both cameras are 8 megapixels and support outputting the images to HDTVs via component cables. Both cameras have a new “face tracking” technology to allow detecting faces and automatically adjusting multiple settings for a “perfect” image. The T100 will be available this month for $400 and the T20 in April for $330.

Sony DSC-W200 / W90 / W80

The W200 has a whopping 12.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom, and 2.5 LCD display while remaining under an inch thick. Both the W90 and W80 have the same features except they are 8 and 7.2 megapixels, respectively. All 3 support 1080p HDTV output, face tracking, and auto focus. The “alpha” SLR technology allows photos to be taken in 1sec intervals. The W90/W80 are available now for $300/$250. The W200 will be available in May for $400.

Pre-order: DSC-G1 | DSC-T100 | DSC-W200

Only a few weeks after the previous firmware release, Sony pushed out another update, version v1.50, for the PlayStation 3. Unlike previous patches this update supposedly fixes larger issues such as the jaggedness which appears while playing certain PlayStation 2 games. Multiple patches have been released since launch which have fixed issues such as display problems with 1080i HDTVs and other minor bugs. If you plan to play ANY games on the PlayStation Network, you MUST update to this version (1.50). You will not be allowed to connect to an online game or even browse the online store unless the update is performed on your console.

Sony PS3 Firmware 1.50 Features:

• You can now select an image to use as the User icon from [Photo].
• [Key Tone] has been added as an option under [Sound Settings].
• [Delete Backup Data] has been added under [System Settings] > [Backup Utility].
• WEP 128, WPA-PSK (TKIP) and WPA-PSK (AES) have been added as security methods.
• The method for saving your password / signing in automatically under PLAYSTATION®Network has been changed. There are now 2 separate options.
• You can now enter text in Korean using the on-screen keyboard.

We updated our console with no issues what so ever. You may update your console in a variety of methods. Either download the update directly to the unit using the built-in System Update function or downloading the file from PlayStation.com and copying it to the PS3’s HDD. The update file is about 100MB so it may take a while to download.

Update: Sony has just released version 1.51 for the PS3. There is literally no changes since v1.50, but Sony’s changelog states “Support for PLAYSTATION 3 format software titles has been expanded.”

Links: PlayStation 3 Updates
Related: PSP Firmware 3.00

Skatter Tech reported a few days ago that the Sony PlayStation 3 would have a built in hard drive. This information was partially false. Our source was a Business Week article, which claimed that the PS3 was loaded with some sort of hard drive. According to the PlayStation Global webpage the hard drive is suppose to be sold separately from the unit, which means it is either extenal or somehow goes into the unit. There is no word on this from SCEA yet, but if this is true we should expect that Sony will sell a bundle (aka. value pack) that includes a hard drive.

*Storage Media (HDD, “Memory Stick”, SD Memory Card, and Compact Flash) are sold separately. [From PlayStation.com]

No one still knows the official launch date for the unit, but many speculate that it would be some time between September and October because the unit was still buggy. All of the Sony’s PlayStation sites clearly state that the PS3’s launch date will be “Spring 2006″. Another clue backing the late launch comes from GameStop, a large video game retailer. The store has already posted a list of launch titles. All 32 of the games have a release date of 10/01/06. (Each game is priced at $59.99)

Another speculation about the PS3 was whether Sony was bluffing on the fact that it can actually supports HD games in 1080p. Most were not sure for sure if Sony had reached this until a hint was given away in a survey Sony sent out to PlayStation.com members. According to this the PS3 will be using Blu-Ray technology and can encode games the quality stated. The question states:

“The PlayStation 3 will include BluRay, the high definition DVD technology, and support games in resolutions of up to 1080p, (the highest supported standard on the market.)!” This proves that the PS3 may actually live up to its expectations.

Until SCEA makes their official press release no one will know about the true specs on the unit. For now according to PlayStation Global the PS3 has a “Spring 06″ launch, a deatachable 2.5″ HDD slot, support for Memory Stick Media, bluetooth controlers, and can display content in 1080p. Anyways that’s the update on the information that’s been found so far. We will inform you if any new information is leaked or announced.

Previous Post: Will The PS3 Have a Hard Drive?
Link: PlayStation Global | GameStop List
Related: Get a Free PS3 | U.S. PlayStation