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!

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.

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.

Well, despite efforts to reconcile the two opposing formats, it looks like a winner may be declared after all - by the adult movie industry nonetheless.

In any case, the adult entertainment industry holds an annual get-together of its own which coincides with the CES. Now, if one is to recall the old war between Betamax and VHS, it has to be noted that the VHS won because the adult industry preferred it over its competitor.

When asked why they preferred the HD DVD better than the Blu-Ray, companies such as Pink Visual and Bangbros have pointed out that Blu-Ray is just too expensive. According to the spokesperson of Bangbros,

Blu-ray has superior quality, yes, but HD DVD is easier to produce, cheaper to produce and there are more HD DVD players in homes than there are Blu-ray players, for example in the Xbox 360.

Meanwhile, Pink Visual's complaint was that "Blu-ray discs cannot be replicated", and other companies also agreed that the sheer cost of producing their movies on Blu-Ray does not make it a good candidate as a possible HD solution for their line of work.

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. They're at the core of the console feud between the Xbox 360 and the PS3, and while we're usually arguing from the standpoint of a gamer, we'll take a very brief look at the picture quality each delivers for movie fans - shots taken from "The Last Samurai". People might remember a similar incident in the Betamax/VHS conflict from way back.

And from the looks of the comparison above (Blu-Ray left, HD-DVD right), trained eyes might be looking to the left as the slightly superior winner. And while the HD-DVD did seem to be pricey as a separate upgrade, the color contrasts and clarity, as subtle as they are, will stand out for the serious movie buffs wondering which format to bank on. And if you're wondering what setup was used for the viewing, here's Tek Jansen's hardware list:

• Sharp Aquos 1080i capable display
• Sony PS3 Blu Ray player outputting over HDMI
• Microsoft Xbox 360 with add-on HD DVD drive outputting over component
• Samsung Upconversion DVD player outputting over HDMI

Given that it's only been more than a month since the PS3's launch, we'll just have to sit back and see how this develops. Let's just hope Sony learned from their Betamax blunder. For the full details on the video comparison, click on the read link.

Has this ever happened to you? You've been playing games on your Xbox 360 for 15 straight hours inside a humid and closed room. You don't feel the pangs of hunger, but instead you're more motivated now to finish this game. Then you smell something funny. It smells like somebody's burning toast. You jump up from your seat and take a look at the the console. Whew! Good thing it wasn't the Xbox 360 burning. Overusing any kind of electrical machinery, under certain conditions, will cause it to overheat and flame on.

Paranoia really gets to gamers sometimes, even in real life. Placing it in front of the freezer or window won't help- it just may damage your console. To take care of such concerns you need a cooler. It's a device that cools down the machine while you're using it. In this case, you need a cooler for your Xbox 360. Somebody pointed us to a site that will be selling one soon. The device is called the Gamexpert Xbox 360 Cooler King.

It's supposed to be more than just a cooler so don't tag it as a XCM 360 Air Cooler copycat. The Gamexpert product has an internal fan that reduces the heat produced by your console ensuring that you can play longer and safer. It also gives you the option to connect VGA and S-VHS cables for HD gaming and digital surround sound. Lastly, use other controllers and upload files to the Hard Drive as well through the USB hub. It's easy to install eventhough you're not a technical person. It's a "plug in and go" kind of device. It seems nice, but we'll have to wait until this comes out to know if it really works well.

It's available online for £29.99 or roughly $56 US bucks.