HDTV
New Toshiba LCDs can process standard definition content into HD
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September 2, 2008 HDTV equipment is selling furiously across the world; it seems every second lounge room now boasts a massive high-def LCD or plasma screen - that, as often as not, is displaying standard-definition video, because there's still a lot of standard-def DVDs floating about the place and a lot of broadcast content is still standard-def too. Toshiba has decided to work within the limitations of the media by introducing instant image upscaling technology on its new ZF575D monitors, which take standard-definition feeds and convert them to near-HD resolution while sharpening edges and details to produce a much clearer picture. Read More
Engadget HD on Vampire Energy - don't shoot the plasma
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July 31, 2008 Yesterday we showed you GOOD Magazine's data on Vampire Energy, but Ben Drawbaugh from Engadget HD didn't like the look of it. Using a Kill A Watt, he measured the standby draw of a 60-inch Pioneer Kuro plasma to be 20 Watts - that's an annual cost of $20 (based on a price of $0.11 per kilowatt-hour) - far from the $159 figure that GOOD Magazine claimed. Read More
Apple Core release aTV Flash hack for the Apple TV
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July 29, 2008 Apple Core have released an updated version of their Apple TV hack, dubbed aTV Flash. The unofficial update addresses many of the Apple TV's shortcomings including underwhelming format support, turning it into the device it should have been from the start. Read More
Protect your HDTV with TV Armor
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July 29, 2008 While shelling out for a big-screen HDTV gives you a nice big picture, it also provides a nice big target for common hazards like the infamous flying Wii controller. TV Armor screen protectors are clear plastic screens that come in a range of sizes to fit TVs from 30-52 inches, protecting them from scratches, fingerprints, marks, splashes and household projectiles. Read More
Kodak’s Theatre HD Player with gyroscopic remote
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Kodak’s new Theatre HD Player is a Wi-Fi-enabled set top box that connects to your HDTV. Kodak describes the unit as, "An interactive device displaying personal content - pictures, video, podcasts, music - and Web-based content on a HDTV, while wirelessly connecting to a household's private Wi-Fi network.” The Wi-Fi connection allows the unit to connect to websites such as Kodak Gallery and Flickr for photos, YouTube for video content, and RadioTime for streaming audio. Jumping on the Wii bandwagon the Theatre HD Player also includes a gyroscopic remote, which allows users to navigate the on screen menus with a wave of the hand. Read More
Yet another flat panel display technology from Sony
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July 14, 2008 Sony’s XEL-1 OLED television hasn’t yet had its first birthday and the company is already planning a successor. Digital World Tokyo is reporting Sony affiliate Field Emission Technologies (FET), which Sony currently owns just under 40 percent of after spinning the company off at the end of 2006, is planning to begin mass production of Field Emission Display (FED) panels by the end of 2009. Read More
Panasonic launches new Blu-ray/DVD range
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The DMR-BW500i can record up to 72 hours of Full High Definition 1080p recording onto the built in 500GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or 6 hours 40 min on a 50GB double layer Blu-ray Disc. In addition to video, it can record 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound broadcasts and Blu-ray movies are played in studio-master quality at a frame rate of 24 frames per second. Read More
82-inch, ultra-HD display heads Samsung's SID line-up
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May 20, 2008 Samsung has showcased an ultra-high definition, (3,840 x 2,160 pixels), 82-inch LCD panel for 120Hz television sets at the Society for Information Display (SID) 2008 International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition which is running from May 18 to 23 in Las Vegas. The world’s largest LCD panel supplier said the panel uses a red/green/blue LED backlight, which has been added to raise true color saturation to 150 percent, based on the NISC standard of 100 percent. It displays ultra-definition (UD) resolution at 120 frames per second, minimizing the blurring that is sometimes experienced at 60Hz. Read More
Pioneer’s 2008 KURO plasma displays
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Pioneer's new 2008 line of KURO plasma displays feature black levels five times deeper than the previous award-winning KURO, plus SRS WOW HD technology incorporating SRS Definition and Optimum Mode, which adjusts the picture based on video and room light conditions. Read More
Each frame a 35-megapixel photo: JVC develops next-gen Super Hi-Vision
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May 9, 2008 1080p high definition might be well and good for your average lounge room TV screen, but cinema projectors need to offer something vastly more impressive if the movies are going to continue to offer a bigger, clearer and more impressive viewing experience than your average cashed-up punter can now get at home. The new ultra-high res standard would now appear to be set with Super Hi-Vision: 7,680 pixels across by 4,320 pixels high (approximately 32-megapixel images) - and JVC have now released a display device capable of showing 35 megapixels at once. The 8K4K JVC D-ILA (Direct-Drive Image Light Amplifier) has a resolution more than 17 times the level of standard HDTV, and is now the highest-resolution projection display device on the planet. Read More
Pioneer releases BonusView Blu-Ray Disc Player and Elite A/V receiver
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May 8, 2008 Pioneer has announced the Elite BDP-05FD and Pioneer BDP-51FD Blu-Ray Disc players and Elite SC-07, SC-05, VSX-03TXH and VSX-01TXH A/V receivers designed to give users that true theater experience in their own homes. The Elite BDP-05FD and Pioneer BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray Disc players support next generation high resolution audio and video formats, feature picture-in-picture interactivity and a redesigned platform. The new players work in tandem with Pioneer’s KURO displays and new Elite A/V receivers. Read More
Television 2.0 offering from Sezmi promises personalized, on-demand viewing
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May 2, 2008 The way people watch, and indeed interact with their televisions is undergoing a fundamental shift - a shift from mass entertainment to a personalized, targeted, interactive entertainment (and advertising) platform. Sezmi Corporation (formerly known as Building B, Inc.) has seen the writing on the wall and is hoping to be a major player in what has been dubbed Television 2.0. The company has announced that it is commencing trials in pilot markets in preparation for commercial launch with broadband service providers and national retailers later this year. Read More
Sunbrite's 46 inch 1080p full-HD outdoor TV
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April 22, 2008 This isn’t the first outdoor TV we’ve covered – and it's unlikely to be the last. The new 4610HD from SunBrite is a 46-inch all-weather LCD television which, like previous models, is designed with a corrosion resistant, powder-coated aluminum exterior that protects the internal TV components from rain, dirt, insects, and extreme temperature ranges. Now hammock potatoes can enjoy their outdoor viewing in full HD as the 4610HD is SunBrite’s first full 1080p full-HD model. It also features a baffled and filtered dual-fan airflow system to quietly keep the unit cool in temperatures up to 122 degrees F while, in extremely cold climates, the internal thermostatically-controlled heater activates automatically when the TV’s internal temperature dips to 32 degrees F, allowing the TV to safely remain outdoors in temperatures as low as -24 degrees F. Read More
Acer unveils Aspire 8920G HD home-theater laptop
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March 14, 2008 Acer is aiming to bring laptop users closer to the full HDTV experience with its new Aspire Gemstone blue range. The top-of-the-line Aspire 8920G crams in a 1920x1080 resolution, 18.4-inch Full HD LCD screen, six integrated speakers backed by Dolby Home Theater technology, an optional digital TV Tuner and an on-board Blu-Ray disc drive in a striking design that incorporates a blue, black and silver color scheme with interior and exterior lighting effects and a Holographic 3D cover. Read More
HDTV, digital cookbook and digital photo frame kitchen combo
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March 14, 2008 As the popularity of digital photo frames grows, so does the shapes, sizes and specific applications of the products on offer. The latest example comes from Pandigital, which has taken things to a new level with a frame that incorporates HDTV and a digital cookbook for the ultimate kitchen companion. Read More
Sony’s TP2 - the living room PC
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March 6, 2008 The Sony VAIO is a fully functioning PC that integrates HDMI connectivity, a bundled HD TV tuner and Blu-ray playback capability to turn a HD TV into a high definition PC monitor and form the hub of digital entertainment in the home. Read More
Slingbox PRO-HD streams HD content around the home and over the Internet
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January 11, 2008 People who can’t bear to leave the lounge room because it means leaving their HD entertainment behind can now venture forth thanks to Sling Media, Inc., which has announced the next generation Slingbox PRO-HD. The unit is capable of streaming HD content from a home television source, including over the air HD digital signals, HDTV cable or satellite receivers, or HD DVR’s, to a laptop or desktop computer in and around the house. When paired with Sling Media’s new SlingCatcher - a set-top box that delivers broadcast TV, Internet-based content and personal media to the TV - the Slingbox PRO-HD will also transmit the HD signal to another TV in the house. Read More
Hitachi's 1.5 inch Ultra Thin HDTVs debut at CES
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January 9, 2008 More TV news from the CES where Hitachi is introducing its 1.5 inch Ultra Thin LCD HDTVs to the U.S. market. The models will be available to consumers early this year in three sizes: 32”, 37” and 42”. Read More
Sharp adds a touch of gold to AQUOS range with D83X models
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November 30, 2007 Joining Sharp’s AQUOS family is the new D83X range of LCD TV’s featuring styling similar to their PD5 and PD7 stablemates with the familiar piano black finish, but adding a champagne gold colored line inset and new blade boundaried edge. It is not just the aesthetics of the TV that have received a makeover with the entire D83X range featuring full HD next generation Advanced Super View (ASV) LCD panels from Sharp’s Kameyama plant in Japan. Read More
Helios Labs takes the PC out of network media centers
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October 23, 2007 Looking to improve the usability of networking media hubs while retaining their flexibility and functionality, Helios Labs have taken the PC out and kept the media center with the announcement of the Odyssey. The Odyssey is a networking media hub capable of streaming content to multiple network media players, such as Helios Labs X-Line players, as well as any UPnP-enabled devices. The Odyssey supports up to 1TB storage capacity, features a fan-less, passive cooling design and will be the centerpiece of the company's focus on a PC-free home entertainment solution. Read More
Kodak update EASYSHARE range
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September 4, 2007 Despite the myriad of benefits offered by the era of digital photography, one downside is that images can remain locked away on memory cards or buried within computer hard drives and never see the light of day. Kodak’s latest releases are designed to address this issue by facilitating simple capture and display options for viewing high-definition pictures on wide-screen HDTVs and digital picture frames. Read More
46 inch all-weather outdoor LCD TV
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August 30, 2007 Lovers of big screen viewing need not worry about missing the game whilst soaking up the outside ambience with options like this SunBriteTV 46”high definition LCD television built for the great outdoors. The super-sized 4600HD model comes complete with water-resistant speakers and universal remote control. Read More
Sony's all-in-one High-Def PC/TV with Blu-Ray
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August 29, 2007 Sony has introduced a new high-definition PC/TV model with Blu-Ray Disc Technology. Featuring a floating glass design, the VAIO LT HD PC/TV is designed as a complete computer entertainment center where you can watch and record analog, digital and cable television programming, including premium HD channels. Read More
AMD’s TV Wonder turns your laptop or PC into a feature-rich HDTV DVR home theater
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July 10, 2007 AMD today introduced two new TV Wonder products that could really accelerate the blurring of the digital and analogue worlds – both are thumb-sized devices that plug into your desktop or notebook and offer high-definition television (HDTV) viewing and digital video recording (DVR) capabilities. The rangetopping ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe is a combo-tuner DVR with ClearQAM tuning, allowing PC users to receive unencrypted digital content available from their local cable television provider, and switch between analog and digital TV to watch and record a digital TV program while simultaneously watching/recording an analog TV channel. Read More
Lifemedia, the high-end digital home media server
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May 23, 2007 Digital home entertainment servers seem to be heading high-end as Exceptional Innovation announces the release of its new Lifemedia server. Ready to integrate with home networks and EI's Lifeware home automation software, the Lifemedia units feature multi-core Intel processors, up to 4.5 Terabytes of storage, and high-end optical audio with Dolby Master Studio decoding. Most importantly, they look extremely sexy in an AV rack system. Read More
Sharp showcases World’s largest LCD TV - 108 inches
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January 9, 2007 With global demand for LCD televisions expected to grow by more than 50% this year, it was opportune timing for Sharp to roll out the world’s largest LCD TV, the 108-inch AQUOS. to promote its expertise at CES 2007. Not surprisingly, the 108-incher was the drawcard, extending its LCD offerings to four distinct ranges and 50 models ranging from 13- to 108-inches in screen size. The prototype 108-inch Full HD 1080p LCD TV is the world’s largest, measures 93.9-inches (w) by 52.9-inches (h) in size, and is expected to become available by mid-year. Perhaps the most important announcement was that some of the screens due in showrooms prior to the end of the year will feature refresh rates of 120 Hz, double the current 60 Hz standard. Read More
Samsung releases innovative LED LCD TV
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September 6, 2006 Samsung used the backdrop of the IFA show to announced a 40" LCD TV with high powered LED Backlight technology. The new technology has already received the prestigious "Innovation Award" from the EISA (European Image and Sound Association) for its superb features including LED light source, 146% wide colour gamut and industry leading contrast ratio (10,000:1). The new 40" with LED light source realises far richer colour reproduction, based on a wide colour gamut that is 46% improved from previous models and enables unprecedented sound volume. High Dynamic Contrast Ratio, Samsung's proprietary technology, provides deeper and more refined images with the highest contrast in the industry. Read More
LCD TV with 120Hz Refresh Rate
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June 30, 2006 Competition imporoves the breed and the LCD screen continues to improve in both size and picture quality. One of the traditional weaknesses in LCD television performance is in the area of delivering crisp, fast action imagery, which can be significantly improved with higher refresh rates. JVC introduced the world's first 120Hz LCD TV last year (Q3, 2005) in Japan, and earlier this week announced plans to offer the technology in the US market. JVC's Clear Motion Drive technology produces images at 120 frames per second (120Hz), double the typical rate, and inserts an interpolated image. The result is a significant reduction in blurring or ghost images. JVC will offer Clear Motion Drive in the 37-inch LT-37X987, to be available in August, and the 32-inch LT-32X987, to be available in October. Both sets offer 1366 x 768p native resolution and JVC's fifth generation D.I.S.T. (Digital Image Scaling Technology) Genessa 32-bit CPU video processing, which seamlessly upscales any video source to display at 768p. Read More
32-Inch HD-Ready All-Weather Outdoor LCD TV
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June 13, 2006 We understand ruggedised laptops, mobile phones and digital cameras, but didn’t realise the trend had taken hold to this extent … the ruggedised teev! Homeowners can now enjoy their favorite TV show or DVD in the comfort of their own backyard, with the new SunBriteTV 32-inch HD-ready all-weather LCD television that is designed for outdoor installation. Read More
Panasonic to sell 103-inch plasma display
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April 23, 2006 Worldwide demand for plasma TV screens is expected to top 25 million units in 2010 – plasma displays are just that much bigger for the price. Accordingly, we have a market shaping up as a wonderful contest between the world’s largest plasma manufacturers. Prior to 2006, LG and Samsung had both displayed 102 inch not-for sale plasmas, but in January at CES, Panasonic unveiled a 103 inch and claimed the heavyweight championship. Now, Panasonic has decided to put the 103-inch screen into production. Yes folks, you’ll actually be able to buy one before the end of the year though no price has been mentioned just yet. We think this will signal a declaration of war in the very large display market as the highly competitive Korean companies LG and Samsung love to play “mine’s bigger than yours” and can be expected to focus attention on the area. Read More
LG announces retail availability of World's largest (71-Inch) production plasma display
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April 7, 2006 The ever-changing digital display landscape received a seismic tremor yesterday when LG announced the U.S. availability of its 71-inch Plasma High-Definition Monitor (MW-71PY10), the largest production plasma display in the world. The mammoth MW-71PY10 boasts 1920x1080p display resolution, making it among the first plasma displays to offer the full HD specification, about twice the resolution of conventional plasma displays. The unit also incorporates LG's proprietary XD Engine technology, which takes the low resolution of analog signals to near high-definition levels, providing consumers with better overall picture quality and viewing experience. This offering can be broken down into six distinct processes that help to improve brightness, enhance detail, and apply more accurate color and noise reduction with film-like high-resolution. Read More
The world’s most advanced LCD TV - 56-inch and 3840 x 2160 pixels
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February 24, 2006 Taiwanese Chi Mei Optoelectronics is a name you may not know, despite the company being the third largest LCD TV panel supplier in the world. At CEBIT in Hannover in mid-March, the company will display the world’s first 56-inch LCD TV panel. Perhaps more startling than the size of the mega-telly is the definition which is known as Quad Full High Definition (QFHD) with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and an astonishing 8.29 million pixels. The new panel features resolution that is four times that of currently available products (1920 x 1080), and the highest ever achieved. The new panel consists of over 24.8 million units of transistors, with a data transmission speed of over 1.4 gigabytes per second. To achieve this breakthrough result, the Chi Mei Optoelectronics research and development team overcame a number of significant technical challenges, including the development of special new driver methods and scanning procedures and solving massive heat generation problems caused by the alignment of so many transistors. Read More
World's largest plasma display: Panasonic 103-inch 1080p
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January 5, 2006 Panasonic will begin showing a super-large-size prototype 103-inch plasma display panel (PDP) at its booth at the 2006 International CES later today. The 103-inch PDP has 1080p (progressive) HDTV resolution and can deliver more than two million pixels (1,920 x 1,080) of performance – not surprisingly, it’s world’s largest plasma display, edging narrowly ahead of the 102-inch Samsung shown at CES last year. Given Samsung’s penchant for having the largest and mostest of everything, we suspect it won’t take long for the Korean giant to leapfrog back into the lead, but for now the record goes to Japan and Panasonic (and ultimately to Matsushita, Panasonic’s parent company). Read More
Philips LCD and plasma screens win blind comparison test
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June 9, 2005 There isn't a big screen manufacturer on the planet without a team of fast-talking, jargon-wielding product managers and technical experts who are all incredibly good at convincing you their brand is the most technologically advanced in existence. Which made it a refreshing change when Philips invited us to a blind comparison test – over 400 retailers and journalists were invited to go along and see its 42-inch Plasma and 32-inch LCD televisions placed alongside several other comparable brands and models in a ‘masked’ study. We were there – we participated – from a blind survey of 400 industry people 74% ranked Philips Plasma first, and over 60% ranked the Philips LCD first based on overall picture quality. The products tested were 42 inch plasma screens from Philips, Panasonic, Pioneer and LG and the 32 inch LCD screens from Philips, Panasonic, JVC, Samsung and Sharp. Read More
Sharp to produce World's largest LCD television at 65 inches
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June 5, 2005 Sharp has announced it will begin selling a 65’ LCD television in Japan in August, and in so doing will claim the title of the world’s largest “production” LCD television. The announcement is a major coup for Sharp in the public relations cut-and-thrust with its fellow television manufacturers Matsushita (aka Panasonic), Samsung and LG and pushes the Japanese company into screen real estate territory previously inhabited only by plasma screens. Further embarrassment will caused by the pricing and specifications of the Sharp 65 incher which will sell for 1.68 million yen and have a screen resolution of 1920 x 1,080 pixels both considerably better than equivalent plasma screens in the Japanese domestic market. Read More
