What, is this some sort of sick joke or something? The host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa, will be unable to watch the action happening in its own backyard in high-definition. According to a recent report from Johannesburg, the SABC "has no plans to broadcast the 2010 FIFA World Cup in high-definition for South Africans." Instead, Switzerland-based Host Broadcasting Services (HBS) will film the games in HD for other countries. The trouble is that an overwhelming amount of South African citizens would need to procure a digital set-top-box in order to view the content in high-def, and considering that HD adoption in the nation is already low, it's simply not a high enough priority to bother with. Of course, political pressures could lead to change in all of this, and for the sake of the locals yearning for more high-def (and technological progress in general), we certainly hope so.

Time flies when you're having fun, but not when you're waiting anxiously for a new piece of kit -- particularly one that has been delayed numerous times. For Europeans waiting on pins and needles for the release of the PlayTV DVR for PlayStation 3, your time has arrived. Before rushing out to get one, however, might we interest you a short unboxing and a brief overview? No pressure whatsoever, though.

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]

Let's say you're adequately satisfied with your living room HDTV. Can you say the same about the set in your bedroom / office / guest room / etc.? Gregory can't, just check this out:

"The HDTV in my den is great, but I just can't decide on a 20- to 26-inch HDTV for my bedroom. 720p is probably good enough in a set of this size, but I'm having a hard time finding which set looks the best and offers the best value. Can I get some advice from those who have made this decision already?"

Let us speak for the readers when we say "Yes, yes you can get some advice." (Don't make us out to be liars... please?)

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.

Just what the world needs -- another pair of perfectly average projectors to choose from. Vivitek has boldly gone where so many others have gone before by introducing the D326MX (XGA) and D326WX (WXGA) projectors, both of which rely on Texas Instruments' DLP engine and boast rapid start-up / instant shutdown features, HDMI / component connectors, 2,600 ANSI lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 5-segment color wheel and a 1-watt speaker for mind-blowing monaural sound. The units weigh in at just 3.2-pounds apiece, and both should be available now for $999 / $1,199 should you remember to look within the next 15 seconds. Full release after the break.

We're obviously biased, but we'd argue that HDTV was game-changing long before 2008. Nevertheless, we have all ideas the technology will happily accept any and all praise bestowed upon it, including the most recent pat on the rump from Knowledge Networks. Said outfit has just named HDTV the game-changing media technology of 2008 after it noticed that HDTV set ownership has doubled every two years since 2000. According to its figures, 28% of households are now equipped with at least one HDTV, and it's predicting that number to rise to 39% in 2009. HDTV will be hanging at your local big box retailer taking requests and signing autographs for the foreseeable future.

[Image courtesy of NASA]

Make no mistake about it, Panasonic's SC-BT100 is pretty intriguing for those looking to dive head first into the Blu-ray / surround sound game simultaneously. Boasting a 5.1 speaker system along with the DMP-BD50 standalone Blu-ray player, Panny's BD HTIB has a lot going for it on paper. Design wise, reviewers found lots to love, and they also admired the plethora of connection options and simplicity of use. Unsurprisingly, the picture quality was coined "phenomenal," but we wouldn't expect anything less from the BD50. The only real digs on the entire system are the steep price and the lackluster audio quality; highs were said to be "too harsh," and the overall quality was so far below par that it prevented critics at Pocket-lint from offering up a wholehearted recommendation. Maybe your ears will feel differently, though.

We've seriously stopped trying to understand what differentiates one DXG camcorder from the next. Every release reads something like "blah, blah, 1080p," followed by a price that's simply too good to be true. The DXG-595V claims to capture 1080p (imagine that!) video onto your SDHC card for a mere $200, and the ability to snag stills / connect to your SDTV via composite or S-Video is thrown in for free. Thanks, DXG -- can't wait for you to slap a new model number on some leftover inventory and treat us again next month.

[Via Gearlog]

We told you that kids these days had it made, didn't we? The latest episode of college students getting more than just ample amounts of study time comes courtesy of RCN, which is delivering triple-play services to student residence rooms at 1760 Third Avenue in Manhattan, New York. The agreement with Educational Housing Services will enable the carrier to offer high-speed internet, digital phone and HD programming to over 1,100 students representing "a variety of institutions of higher learning, including LIM (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising)." U-verse in a University of Houston dorm, RCN here -- what's next, FiOS TV in Corvallis?

We can't say for certain that this is the Essence TV we heard rumored last week, but we wouldn't be shocked one iota if it were. The Philips 42PFL9803, which has actually be around in at least name since earlier this summer, has just been granted an EISA award. The LED-backlit 42-inch HDTV reportedly features a 2,000,000:1 (dynamic) contrast ratio, the company's own LUX LED technology and a jaw-dropping €2,999.99 ($4,407) price tag. We're hearing it's on track for a September release, but hopefully IFA will confirm / deny.

There's nothing here that wasn't apparent already, but SES ASTRA is just now getting around to boasting about a dozen HD channels that it's hosting to broadcast the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ready for an exhaustive list? The channels broadcasting the Olympics in HD include for the UK, BBC HD, for France, France 2 HD and CANAL+ HD, for Germany, ANIXE HD, for Poland, TVP HD, for the Slovak Republic, STV3, for the Netherlands, 1 HD, for Belgium een HD, for Spain, TELEDEPORTE HD, for Sweden, Viasat HD and SVT HD and for Austria, ORF HD. So yeah, if you somehow missed this for the first week of the Games, at least you're clued in now.

[Image courtesy of Beijing 2008]

Loyal All-in-Wonder users from years past have probably been watching the progression of AMD's revised version of the card with extreme interest. After such an absence, however, we understand the need to be cautious before snapping this up for your upcoming HTPC. HotHardware recently received one of these units for testing, and while it was only deemed "entry level" in the gaming department, the multimedia performance was smiled upon. To quote, "the [card] did an excellent job presenting digital video content in a quality manner without creating excessive power consumption in order to do so." As expected, the unit wasn't recommend for everyone (read: non-TV buffs), but those who'd utilize the built-in ClearQAM support probably can't go wrong for $199. Hit the read link for a whole gaggle of test results.

Barely a month after Mitsubishi launched its iSP 149 series of LCD HDTVs, the company is trotting out three new lineups over in Japan. The higher-end MZW series includes the 46-inch LCD-46MZW200 (¥400,000; $3,643) and 40-inch LCD-40MZW200 (¥300,000; $2,732), both of which pack a 1080p 10-bit Diamond panel, 120Hz technology and an October 21st release date. For those with tighter spaces (and smaller budgets), the MX / MXW series spans from 19- (¥100,000; $910) to 42-inches (¥280,000; $2,550), with the most expensive sets offering a Full HD display and the lesser ones topping out at 1,366 x 768. Oh, and it looks as if Funai won't be the only one delivering a Blu-ray / LCD combo, as Mitsu's already working up a concept. Peruse the links below for all the machine translated nitty-gritty.

[Via Impress]

Read - MZW series
Read - MX / MXW series
Read - Blu-ray / LCD combo concept

Universal Remote briefly mentioned the Complete Control MX-880 in its release of the MX-450, but now we're being treated to a whole heap of new information. URC's PC-programmable remote is unsurprisingly aimed at the custom install sector and boasts a two-inch color LCD along with the ability to be used as an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) remote. The $499 unit is essentially a color-screen version of the popular MX-900, and thankfully, the company included interoperability between files built for the latter to work on the new model. Oh, and it's available right now. Full release after the break.

Warner Bros. isn't content with just loosing The Polar Express on 3D Blu-ray -- oh no, it's got another pair of titles set for a holiday launch. Famed classic Casablanca will finally be getting the Blu-ray treatment it deserves this December 2nd when it arrives in Ultimate Collector's Edition form. The $64.99 package ($59.98 on DVD) is reportedly "elegantly boxed in an intricate laser-cut Moroccan design and will include such collectibles as replicas of actual props (Victor Laszlo's "Letter of Transit") as well as a number of Warner studio documents. Going from one of the greatest love stories of all time to one of the raunchiest comedies of the past, oh, score, Austin Powers Collection: Shagadelic Edition, Loaded With Extra Mojo will be uncomfortably landing alongside the aforementioned gem on the same day. The collection-only package will include the entire trilogy in Blu-ray high-def for $74.98.

[Image courtesy of ValleyArts]

Read - Casablanca release
Read - Austin Powers release