The Neuros OSD is the successor to the popular Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 we reviewed a while ago. With a  higher recording resolution, Ethernet support and a USB host, the Neuros OSD allows you to digitize you favorite video content (DVD, VHS tapes, TV shows, …) in the MP4 format for playback on your TV or your portable devices.

What do you have to do to win? Just comment on this post, yeah that is it, no work required on your part. Hit the jump for more details!

Tech-savvy Brits seem to enjoy HD content more than everyone else in the world. That's according to the latest statements dropped by the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) Europe. The tracking group says that the adaption rate of HD technology and media is rising fast and  the UK has been a key catalyst along with the rest of Europe. See the details in the full article up next.

For all intents and purposes, Blu-ray has won the battle against HD-DVD, but has Blu-ray won the format war? Toshiba Australia's Mark Whittard says that Blu-ray could still lose the war, if it isn't careful.

What else does Blu-ray have to stand up against? Learn more about it after the jump!

We've all heard debates about the feasibility and value of a "One Console Future"  where all gaming takes place on a single platform. Silicon Knights President Dennis Dyack and EA executive Gerhard Florin were the last two big names to express support for the idea, and this blogger wants to share some thoughts. I love Fight Night Round 3 and I'm excited about Too Human, but I'd have to disagree with the two bosses on this one.

 We've just gotten word that Genki Rockets' "Heavenly Star", a popular song from the Lumines series of games will be making a cameo appearance in Grasshopper Manufacture's No More Heroes.

According to Japanese gaming website Game Watch, a music video for Heavenly Star will be made available for viewing if your character manages to find the hidden VHS tape for it. There's no word on whether or not other videos will be made available in the game this way, but it's a nice surprise for gamers if they do manage to find a tape or two.

Screenshots of the music video at the full article!

The Washington Post recently posted an article on its site called "Sizing Up Blu-ray and HD DVD" which some of you may be interested in. You can check it out by clicking on the read link below, though those of you closely monitoring the new format war will probably not find anything new there.

One interesting part of the article, though, was a quote from PC Magazine editor Lance Ulanoff. "My advice now: If you can hold out for a better-performing, lower-cost multiformat [HD DVD and Blu-ray] player, do so," he says.

There's been talk but little evidence that such a player is even in the works, but it's an interesting concept worth exploring. It will probably come a few years from now, but the question begging to be answered is "can we wait?"

Companies on both sides of the format border are doing everything to make everyone who's still using old-fangled DVD players to make a choice and join their cause. Sony, as everyone knows, has taken the bold step of equipping the PlayStation 3 with a Blu-ray drive. The gambit raised the price tag on the gaming console, but has resulted in an early lead for Blu-ray. The HD-DVD camp, on the other hand, will tell you that their format is the more preferred one judging by stand-alone player sales. It's a rivalry reminiscent of Betamax versus VHS and Netscape versus Internet Explorer.

At this point, it would be really tough to say which line of players will eventually own the market and which one will become novelty gadgets. How this cookie crumbles is ultimately your choice as gaming is seen as a major determining factor here. Have you made the choice, or are you still happy on the outside looking in?

The HD-DVD group has earlier announced positive signs coming from the European front of the high-definition format war where it says that its stand-alone HD-DVD players are outselling Sony's Blu-ray players on a three-to-one scale.

The data, the group says, comes from research firm GfK and covers countries Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Germany. The numbers included all current HD-DVD players stacked up against players outside of the Sony PlayStation 3 console which is also capable of playing Blu-ray movies.

The group, however, made it clear that Blu-ray discs are still outselling HD-DVDs in the same region and declined to comment on whether or not the format is losing money in the United States and other markets around the world.

Comparisons have already been drawn between this format war and the rivalry between the Betamax and the VHS formats from about three decades ago. Others have likened it to Netscape versus the Internet Explorer from back in the mid-90's.

The HD-DVD format has been in Europe significantly longer than Blu-ray. Its technology was developed by Toshiba and is capable of storing more data than its predecessor, the DVD format. It can also play videos at a higher resolution and is touted to have better audio output than recent storage media.

The Blu-ray camp is led by Sony and is backed by other biggies such as Apple and Samsung. It also plays HD videos but can store information on a bigger level and is said to sport more features. The price point for Blu-ray, however, is steeper than that of its sole rival.

Everything fares well towards Sony when talking about high-def format wars. Most of us already know about Blockbuster's stance on selling Blu-rays exclusively, or Blu-ray outselling HD-DVD five to one. It's almost a perfect stage for Sony to dominate this generation like what VHS did to Betamax. European antitrust regulators, however, have their eyes on what could be happening behind the curtains.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Walt Disney Co., Twentieth Century Fox, Lions Gate Entertainment, and MGM offer full exclusive support to Sony's format. Pretty much every major studio except Universal Pictures have their money on the leading horse. Universal Pictures gives love only to HD-DVD, while Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. aren't taking sides.

"The commission is investigating whether improper tactics were used to suppress competition and persuade the studios to back their format," reports the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd testified that they have been sending letters to Hollywood studios in an attempt to gather evidence.

According to WSJ, "The HD DVD camp has been lobbying the commission to draw attention to Blu-ray's tactics in the movie capital in a bid to force more studios to put their product on HD DVD, according to people familiar with the situation."

More on the investigation should come up as competition heats up, with holiday season coming and sales expected to skyrocket. We'll keep you posted on any new discoveries and revelations, so watch this space.

It seems that the always booming adult entertainment industry is slowly warming up to the Blu-Ray format. Well, some of you may not find this important but it should be remembered that many industry experts believe that during the format war between Betamax and VHS, the latter won because the skin flick business chose it over the former.

Anyway, adult industry big names held its annual conference back in January (that coincided with CES, if we may add), and it was noted that most film studios still prefer producing on HD-DVD format as well as on regular DVDs.

Despite that, a movie called "Debbie Does Dallas" was released on Blu-Ray back in March 28. This time, LFP Video Group announced its partnership with New Media Adult Entertainment and CDGirls.com to distribute "Jenna Haze Oil O*gy" in retail stores across the country.

If you really want to know, the movie features adult star Jenna Haze and used to be only available online and through catalog. LFP Video Group President Michael Klein noted,

LFP leads the way in adult entertainment and it is only fitting that we are the first to market with an adult film in this exciting new format. This release expands the Hustler tradition of breaking new ground with our video titles not only in content, but also by utilizing the latest technology available, so our customers can enjoy superior picture quality.

Lastly, it is also worth mentioning that the movie will also be available in other formats HD-DVD and DVD-WMV.

In the aftermath of GDC 2007, Sony Worldwide Studios chief Phil Harrison called for PlayStation 3 owners in PAL regions to calm down regarding the issue of backwards compatibility and expressed his confidence that the PS3 will dominate once more.

Harrison reminded everyone that backwards compatibility has always been important to Sony and that it will always be part of their strategy. He reiterated earlier statements that even if the Emotion Engine is removed from PAL PS3's, software emulation combined with hardware methods will enable a growing number of PS2 games to be played on their next gen console.

"it's important to remember that the PS1 catalogue remains unchanged, and definitely, March 23, we expect over 1000 titles to be playable for PlayStation 2. Within that list is the vast majority of games you would want to play," says the Sony stalwart.

He also expressed faith in the Blu-ray disc technology, saying that what happened when DVD's took over is quite likely to have a similar effect in the case of the PS3. He noted that the innovations that Sony is making will help the medium grow and as it proliferates, consumers will see the true value of the PS3.

Harrison adds "I only have to remind myself of what it was like in the HMV store near my office in London when we launched the PS2. There were 16 aisles of VHS, and one aisle of DVD. Within a few weeks that had almost completely inverted, and I imagine it will be the same with Blu-ray disc."

However, he did concede that all the major players in this console war have their goals and niches. Confronted with predictions of analysts that the market shares of the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 will be more evenly distributed this time, Harrison said "yes. I think that there have always been different market shares depending on the region, and I think we've always seen that in the history of PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2."

The Sony boss was quick to put the spotlight back on his turf, however, as he concluded "certainly, in parts of the world where PlayStation is most successful, to a certain extent it defines the videogame market - and that will continue."