A combination of holiday deals on high definition TVs, hoopla surrounding HD television broadcasts of the Super Bowl and Olympics, and the arrival of sets with bigger screens and lower prices will find many consumers pumped up about buying an HDTV. And the March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports magazine suggests that there's no reason tohold off that purchase but also offers consumers some must-have advice when shopping for a new HDTV set. The March issue also contains CR's latest expert and unbiased Ratings on LCD TV, plasma TV, rear-projection and picture-tube TVs.
New brands: Be open to some new names but wary of others. Some off-brands cost much less than major brands and consumers may expect them to be mediocre, as was the result in many cases. But several of the low-priced LCD television sets that CR tested did surprisingly well.
Time a purchase to take advantage of expected price drops. While lesser-known television brands are playing the price card, consumers also will find that major brands are becoming less expensive. The price erosion is likely to continue especially for the biggest, priciest sets. By summer, prices of 50-inch plasma TVs and LCD TV flat panels larger than 40 inches could fall by $500. But little change is likely for picture-tube TVs and CRT-based rear-projection TV sets. The magazine notes that consumers could save money on the biggest-screen TVs if they are willing to wait a few months. But CR also advises that there's little reason to wait to buy a smaller LCD television or plasma TV set, or a tube-based set.
Buy a big screen TV to see the best HD broadcasts. Consumer Reports' survey of 500 HDTV owners showed that viewing enjoyment increased with screen size, and many wished they'd purchased a bigger set. The magazine recommends opting for a 16:9 wide screen, which is better suited to viewing HD TV programming. And for optimal viewing, sit at least 4 feet from a 37-inch or smaller HDTV set and 5 to 9 feet from a 40-65-inch screen. Images may appear coarse to viewers sitting any closer.
Consider the digital-tuner setup. HD-ready TVs require an external digital tuner such as a cable or satellite box to receive high-definition broadcasts. Integrated HDTV sets have built-in digital tuners that enable them to receive free broadcast digital signals, including HD, via VHF/UHF antenna. But they need a cable or satellite box to receive HD programs and premium channels via those subscription services. Some integrated TV sets also have QAM tuners. Besides getting digital signals by antenna, they can receive unscrambled digital-cable signals - including the local HD channels in cable packages - via a cable into the set, without a box. Digital-cable-ready (DCR) televisions can tune in HD TV programming and premium channels with a CableCard (rented from the cable company for a few dollars a month) that goes into a slot on the TV. But CR notes that DCR TV is one-way, so there is no access to interactive program guides, video on demand, or pay-per-view ordering via the remote. Second-generation DCR-TVs aren't due for a while.
Decide whether to pay top dollar for a state-of-the-art 1080p TV. In Consumer Reports initial tests of 1080p sets (the first with the potential to display all the detail in 1080i signals, the most common HD TV format) some showed very fine detail but others didn't make the most of the high resolution. Improved detail related to 1080p resolution alone doesn't guarantee excellent images. If consumers want the best possible quality and cost is no issue, CR recommends shoppers buy a 1080p set. But if excellent picture quality is top priority, consumers can save by buying one of the best non-1080p TV sets instead.
Consider differences in reliability. Consumer Reports notes that it's too soon to know about the long-term reliability of many of these TV sets and advises that consumers not rule out an extended warranty for LCD television and plasma television sets, especially for off-brands and expensive models. But the magazine also warns that consumers should pay no more than 15 to 20 percent of the TV's cost. Microdisplays using LCD TV, DLP, or LCoS TV technology have been the most repair-prone type during their first year of use according to CR survey data. Toshiba DLP TVs have been less repair-prone than most.
The full report on CR's must-have advice for HDTV shoppers and the latest Ratings of LCD television, Plasma television, Rear-projection television and picture-tube TVs appears in the March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports on sale wherever magazines are sold. The report will also be available online to subscribers of ConsumerReports.org at www.ConsumerReports.org.
Source: http://www.infozine.com
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Saturday, February 25, 2006
TI to bring HD video capability to digital still cameras.
Texas Instruments (TI) has developed a processor for digital still cameras (DSCs), which promises not only to accelerate the processing speed of digital shots, but also to provide enough horsepower for the creation of HD quality videos.
TI's new processor is a member of the DaVinci DM644 chip family which is positioned by the company for implementation in a range of consumer electronics. The company claims that the processor delivers roughly three times the performance of current DSC processors and therefore will be enable new applications for digital cameras.
Among those new features envisioned by TI is a higher image quality for digital pictures with resolutions pf up to 16 megapixels. Processing of images can be done in real time without requiring a memory buffer. Images are written immediately to the memory, which should cut the storage time of digital images about in half, TI claims. DaVinci chips will also be able to apply red-eye removal while a picture is taken, improve image stabilization features, support image editing functions integrated into a camera and allow users to take low-light pictures with ISO settings up to ISO 3200.
The processor, however, also addresses the recording of video in DSCs, which is still not taken seriously by video enthusiasts. High-Definition is just beginning to become popular in high-end consumer camcorders, but TI claims that the DaVinci chip can actually bring HD recording to the DSC market. According to the chips specifications, 720p resolutions are supported for encoding and decoding MPEG2 formats, as well as for decoding WMV9 and MPEG4. The company also lists a DaVinci processor on its website that is described at "1080i+" capable. The maximum processing speed offered by the chip is 75 megapixels per second, TI said.
TI's processor design is based on the ARM926EJ-S, a 32-bit RISC processor blueprint provided by ARM. The specifications of the chip indicate that the basic 130nm design is developed for a clock speed of up to 266 MHz. However, TI is running its DaVinci chips at 300 MHz. Besides an increased frequency, TI added to the ARM design a DSP and video processing subsystem, support for on-screen displays and video encoding, as well as peripheral interfaces for example for USB 2.0, audio output and memory (DDR and Flash).
The question with such new designs is generally, when they can be implemented by system builders. TI claims that its DaVinci technology is a "flexible" processor that enables OEMS to "quickly, easily and cost-effectively differentiate their products." It may help that "manufacturers using DaVinci technology can implement their own intellectual property in their digital cameras designs" to increase the time to market, but rather lengthy product cycles of digital cameras tell us that DaVinci cameras are still two product generations away.
Source: http://www.tgdaily.com
TI's new processor is a member of the DaVinci DM644 chip family which is positioned by the company for implementation in a range of consumer electronics. The company claims that the processor delivers roughly three times the performance of current DSC processors and therefore will be enable new applications for digital cameras.
Among those new features envisioned by TI is a higher image quality for digital pictures with resolutions pf up to 16 megapixels. Processing of images can be done in real time without requiring a memory buffer. Images are written immediately to the memory, which should cut the storage time of digital images about in half, TI claims. DaVinci chips will also be able to apply red-eye removal while a picture is taken, improve image stabilization features, support image editing functions integrated into a camera and allow users to take low-light pictures with ISO settings up to ISO 3200.
The processor, however, also addresses the recording of video in DSCs, which is still not taken seriously by video enthusiasts. High-Definition is just beginning to become popular in high-end consumer camcorders, but TI claims that the DaVinci chip can actually bring HD recording to the DSC market. According to the chips specifications, 720p resolutions are supported for encoding and decoding MPEG2 formats, as well as for decoding WMV9 and MPEG4. The company also lists a DaVinci processor on its website that is described at "1080i+" capable. The maximum processing speed offered by the chip is 75 megapixels per second, TI said.
TI's processor design is based on the ARM926EJ-S, a 32-bit RISC processor blueprint provided by ARM. The specifications of the chip indicate that the basic 130nm design is developed for a clock speed of up to 266 MHz. However, TI is running its DaVinci chips at 300 MHz. Besides an increased frequency, TI added to the ARM design a DSP and video processing subsystem, support for on-screen displays and video encoding, as well as peripheral interfaces for example for USB 2.0, audio output and memory (DDR and Flash).
The question with such new designs is generally, when they can be implemented by system builders. TI claims that its DaVinci technology is a "flexible" processor that enables OEMS to "quickly, easily and cost-effectively differentiate their products." It may help that "manufacturers using DaVinci technology can implement their own intellectual property in their digital cameras designs" to increase the time to market, but rather lengthy product cycles of digital cameras tell us that DaVinci cameras are still two product generations away.
Source: http://www.tgdaily.com
Samsung Digimax S500, S600 and S800 Digital Cameras.
At PMA 2006 Samsung Electronics will be displaying three models within its Premium line of Digimax Series. The 5MP Samsung Digimax S500, The 6MP Samsung Digimax S600 And the 8MP Samsung Digimax S800 promise performance style and at a great price. All three models feature a bright 2.4-inch LCD, with 3x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom both in still and movie mode. The 3x and 5x zoom provide an impressive total zoom of 15x in conjunction.
When talking about video recording the Samsung Digimax S800 records high-quality and high compression MPEG-4 video format while models Samsung Digimax S600 and S500 support MJPEG vide recording. The Samsung Digimax S800 being a high end camera can record more than one-hour of high quality VGA (640X480) video at 30 fps when using a 256 MB memory card. It also has a built in movie stabilization which detects and corrects minor lateral and vertical camera movement. Users can take full advantage of the 3x optical zoom when recording movie which is present in all three models. Users for better creative control can take advantage of features like in built trimming and editing tools. There is also the successive video function that allows shooters to pause and resume video recording. The S series has a 32 MB built in memory and Copy to Card function which transfer images from the internal memory to external memory
The S Series models have seven scene modes including: Landscape, Close-Up, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks and Beach & Snow and has a Special Effects Hot Key where users can access different special effects by just one button. All the models have a great Macro Mode where the Auto Macro function automatically adjusts shooting distance and focus between 5cm to infinity. Another unique feature present in all the S models is the Composite Shot that allows the user to take two-to-four, and save them into a single file.
Other functions include voice recording, voice memo and One-touch Playback" for instant playback. All are available now and the prices are the folowing.
Digimax S500 $179.99
Digimax S600 $229.99
Digimax S800 $299.99
Source: http://www.mobilewhack.com
When talking about video recording the Samsung Digimax S800 records high-quality and high compression MPEG-4 video format while models Samsung Digimax S600 and S500 support MJPEG vide recording. The Samsung Digimax S800 being a high end camera can record more than one-hour of high quality VGA (640X480) video at 30 fps when using a 256 MB memory card. It also has a built in movie stabilization which detects and corrects minor lateral and vertical camera movement. Users can take full advantage of the 3x optical zoom when recording movie which is present in all three models. Users for better creative control can take advantage of features like in built trimming and editing tools. There is also the successive video function that allows shooters to pause and resume video recording. The S series has a 32 MB built in memory and Copy to Card function which transfer images from the internal memory to external memory
The S Series models have seven scene modes including: Landscape, Close-Up, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks and Beach & Snow and has a Special Effects Hot Key where users can access different special effects by just one button. All the models have a great Macro Mode where the Auto Macro function automatically adjusts shooting distance and focus between 5cm to infinity. Another unique feature present in all the S models is the Composite Shot that allows the user to take two-to-four, and save them into a single file.
Other functions include voice recording, voice memo and One-touch Playback" for instant playback. All are available now and the prices are the folowing.
Digimax S500 $179.99
Digimax S600 $229.99
Digimax S800 $299.99
Source: http://www.mobilewhack.com
Samsung, Pentax debut new digital SLR cameras.
By Stephen Shankland,
Camera partners Samsung and Pentax announced several new digital SLR camera models Thursday in advance of a photography trade show that begins this weekend.
Digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras are higher-end models that feature interchangeable lenses, and major established competitors in the digital SLR market include Canon and Nikon. Samsung announced its first digital SLR in January, the GX-1s, and now has announced an entry-level model called the GX-1L.
Both models feature 6-megapixel resolution. But the GX-1L has less-sophisticated focusing technology; automatically sets exposure, light sensitivity and other details; and has settings tuned for shooting pictures of children, pets, museums, sunsets and other common types of scenes.
The company unveiled the camera shortly before the Photo Marketing Association International's PMA 2006 convention in Orlando, Fla.
One of Pentax's new digital SLRs is an as-yet-unnamed 10-megapixel model scheduled to launch in the fall. The other is the Pentax 645, a higher-end medium-format camera with an 18-megapixel resolution and an extra-large Kodak image sensor.
Pentax also introduced three compact digital cameras, including the Optio T10 with a 3X zoom, scheduled for release in March at a price of $350. Arriving at the same time will be the Optio W10, a $300, 6-megapixel model that's waterproof. The least expensive of the new models is the M10, costing $230 and also due in March.
Kodak announced new models before the show, including the 6.1-megapixel, $229 Easyshare C643 and the 5.1-megapixel, $179 Easyshare C533. Both use AA batteries and have 3X zoom lenses.
Digital cameras, a fast-growing market, have all but supplanted film models. In January, Nikon announced it was discontinuing production of all but two high-end film cameras.
Samsung and Pentax announced a partnership in October to use the Pentax lens-mounting technology so that both companies can use existing lenses for Pentax cameras.
Source: http://news.zdnet.com
Camera partners Samsung and Pentax announced several new digital SLR camera models Thursday in advance of a photography trade show that begins this weekend.
Digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras are higher-end models that feature interchangeable lenses, and major established competitors in the digital SLR market include Canon and Nikon. Samsung announced its first digital SLR in January, the GX-1s, and now has announced an entry-level model called the GX-1L.
Both models feature 6-megapixel resolution. But the GX-1L has less-sophisticated focusing technology; automatically sets exposure, light sensitivity and other details; and has settings tuned for shooting pictures of children, pets, museums, sunsets and other common types of scenes.
The company unveiled the camera shortly before the Photo Marketing Association International's PMA 2006 convention in Orlando, Fla.
One of Pentax's new digital SLRs is an as-yet-unnamed 10-megapixel model scheduled to launch in the fall. The other is the Pentax 645, a higher-end medium-format camera with an 18-megapixel resolution and an extra-large Kodak image sensor.
Pentax also introduced three compact digital cameras, including the Optio T10 with a 3X zoom, scheduled for release in March at a price of $350. Arriving at the same time will be the Optio W10, a $300, 6-megapixel model that's waterproof. The least expensive of the new models is the M10, costing $230 and also due in March.
Kodak announced new models before the show, including the 6.1-megapixel, $229 Easyshare C643 and the 5.1-megapixel, $179 Easyshare C533. Both use AA batteries and have 3X zoom lenses.
Digital cameras, a fast-growing market, have all but supplanted film models. In January, Nikon announced it was discontinuing production of all but two high-end film cameras.
Samsung and Pentax announced a partnership in October to use the Pentax lens-mounting technology so that both companies can use existing lenses for Pentax cameras.
Source: http://news.zdnet.com
Friday, February 24, 2006
Canon SD700 IS, SD630 and SD600 Digital ELPH Cameras Announced.
With these new Digital ELPH cameras, we once again confirm the adage that great things come in small packages, and from these great things come great pictures. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving," stated Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. "We recognize that if we continue to make digital cameras easy to use, easy to take along, and attractive enough to fit in wherever one goes, people will carry them as a matter of course and chronicle their daily lives for fun, whim, and whimsy and not simply for the momentous occasions that occur."
Featured enhancements on all three of these new Digital ELPH cameras include Canon's newly designed six-megapixel image sensor that together with Canon's proprietary DIGIC II image processor helps to dramatically reduce "noise" for better image quality and achieves ISO equivalent speed ratings ranging from 80 to 800. This increased sensitivity allows the use of faster shutter speeds, thereby reducing the effects of camera shake and subject blur during hand-held photography in low light.
Light weight and feature packed, these three fashionable Digital ELPH models are easily slipped into a pocket or nestled in a purse making them the quintessential go-anywhere cameras. Despite their diminutive dimensions1, these new Digital ELPH models all feature large, easy-to-read 173,000-pixel LCD screens ranging in size from 2.5 inches to three inches.
The PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH Camera.
Adding to the unshakeable quality that is the benchmark of Canon cameras is the PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera's new Optical Image Stabilization. Unlike electronic image stabilizer systems that typically cause degradation of image quality, Canon's Lens Shift Optical IS system is based on the advancements made in the development and refinement of Canon's EF and video lenses. Reduced in size to fit ELPH scale, this Image Stabilizer provides up to three stops of camera shake correction in shutter speed equivalent. What's more, when combined with these ELPH models' top ISO rating equivalent of 800, its new six-megapixel image sensor that further reduces image noise and the model's fast f/2.8-5.5 4X optical zoom lens (35-140mm equivalent), the odds of taking a shaken or blurred image are dramatically reduced. Both the Image Stabilizer and the 4X optical zoom are firsts for the Digital ELPH series.
The SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera sustains and surpasses the elegant lines and "perpetual curve design" first introduced on the PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH model. The body shaping method reduces unevenness and fits the hand more comfortably. Like its predecessor, Canon sculpted the PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera with a gradual bulge from the grip side of the camera towards the flash side, achieving a visually slim appearance from the front, while the still trim side panels add to the camera's ultra-thin appearance. Indeed the dimensions of this Digital ELPH camera make the large and vibrant 2.5-inch LCD screen seem larger still. The camera's tricolor finish--ice metal silver, moonlight silver, and ebony black--add designer elegance to what is already an impressive photo experience.
The PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera will be available in April for an estimated selling price of $499.992.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH Camera.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera maintains the classic trim, thin, linear design aesthetic that is the line's hallmark. Despite a body thickness of less than an inch, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera accommodates a retractable 3x optical zoom with an equivalent 35mm focal length of 35-105mm.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera features an ultra large 3.0-inch wide viewing angle type
173,000-pixel LCD screen with adjustments for 15 levels of brightness. What's more, the camera also features an innovative new touch control dial--similar to those found on many popular MP3 players--that allows users to easily scroll through captured images or change the camera's menu settings. In order to accommodate the larger LCD screen, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera does not include a real-image optical viewfinder, which Canon offers on most other Digital ELPH models.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera will be available in April for an estimated selling price of $399.99.
The PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH Camera.
True to tradition, the PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH camera packs some heavyweight digital photo technology into a lightweight and pocket-sized package. Like the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH model, this digital dynamo features six-megapixel resolution, ISO equivalent speed settings from 80 to 800 and a retractable 3x optical zoom with an equivalent 35mm focal length of 35-105mm. Its bright and large 2.5-inch, 173,000-pixel wide viewing angle type LCD screen offers 15 brightness adjustments and, like the SD700 IS model, still leaves room for a real-image optical viewfinder.
The PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH will be available in March for an estimated selling price of $349.99.
DIGIC II Image Processing Technology--Hi-Speed USB 2.0
True to the PowerShot tradition, the new Digital ELPH cameras have many of the latest advances in Canon technology including the proprietary DIGIC II imaging processor. The processor enhances picture definition, vibrancy, and quality, while helping increase the speed of the cameras' startup, autofocus, shutter response, playback, and image processing speed while reducing power consumption by 35 percent compared to the original DIGIC chip. Consumers benefit from accelerated image transfer speed (when used with a USB 2.0 compatible computer, printer, or other peripheral), thanks to the inclusion of a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. The USB 2.0 port is backwards compatible (at no increased speed) with computers featuring standard USB 1.1 connections.
New Features and Special Effects
All of the new models offer a new widescreen 16:9 ratio resolution setting that facilitates creating panoramic-style prints. Additionally, all new PowerShot models support 23 languages (now including Thai and Arabic). The new cameras have an improved direct printing function that permits greater flexibility in print settings, including a face brightener setting for backlit photos.
Canon also enhanced the "My Colors" mode found in the new PowerShot line. Where previously, users could only enable "My Colors" while shooting, the current iteration permits captured images to be retouched as well, without the need for special software applications or tools. Available "My Color" playback modes include Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, and Vivid Red; lighter and darker skin tones, as well as options for creating black and white, sepia, neutral and positive film effects. A color accent setting turns all colors but the one selected by the user to monochrome and the color swap mode enables users to alter specific colors in an image by sampling another color from the same image or any other image on the camera's memory card. So, "My Colors" provides PowerShot users with an incredible range of creative photo effects that can be accessed directly in the camera with no need for post-processing in a computer.
Underwater Adventures ELPH-Style
For those who consider the ocean depths part of the Digital Elph camera line's go-anywhere promise, Canon offers individual optional waterproof housing systems. With a depth rating of 40m/130 feet for the PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH and the PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH cameras, these models are a natural choice for underwater photo enthusiasts, SCUBA divers and even snorkelers.
Direct Print
Like all PowerShot digital cameras, these new Digital ELPHs work seamlessly with Canon's petite SELPHY Compact Photo Printers--an essential PowerShot accessory. Consumers simply connect their PowerShot digital camera to a SELPHY printer--such as the SELPHY CP510 and CP710 models. Press the lighted Print/Share button, and within seconds3, images emerge. Presto! It is that simple. Canon's SELPHY Compact Photo Printers are PictBridge compatible. They work with PictBridge enabled digital cameras and offer excellent image quality and ease-of-use, especially when paired with a Canon digital camera. At 28 cents per print4, printing photos directly from a digital camera is both easy and affordable.
Canon will debut the new line up of PowerShot Digital ELPH cameras in its booth (#3509) during the Photo Marketers Association (PMA) exhibit in Orlando, Fla., from February 26-March 1, 2006.
Source: http://news.ecoustics.com
Featured enhancements on all three of these new Digital ELPH cameras include Canon's newly designed six-megapixel image sensor that together with Canon's proprietary DIGIC II image processor helps to dramatically reduce "noise" for better image quality and achieves ISO equivalent speed ratings ranging from 80 to 800. This increased sensitivity allows the use of faster shutter speeds, thereby reducing the effects of camera shake and subject blur during hand-held photography in low light.
Light weight and feature packed, these three fashionable Digital ELPH models are easily slipped into a pocket or nestled in a purse making them the quintessential go-anywhere cameras. Despite their diminutive dimensions1, these new Digital ELPH models all feature large, easy-to-read 173,000-pixel LCD screens ranging in size from 2.5 inches to three inches.
The PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH Camera.
Adding to the unshakeable quality that is the benchmark of Canon cameras is the PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera's new Optical Image Stabilization. Unlike electronic image stabilizer systems that typically cause degradation of image quality, Canon's Lens Shift Optical IS system is based on the advancements made in the development and refinement of Canon's EF and video lenses. Reduced in size to fit ELPH scale, this Image Stabilizer provides up to three stops of camera shake correction in shutter speed equivalent. What's more, when combined with these ELPH models' top ISO rating equivalent of 800, its new six-megapixel image sensor that further reduces image noise and the model's fast f/2.8-5.5 4X optical zoom lens (35-140mm equivalent), the odds of taking a shaken or blurred image are dramatically reduced. Both the Image Stabilizer and the 4X optical zoom are firsts for the Digital ELPH series.
The SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera sustains and surpasses the elegant lines and "perpetual curve design" first introduced on the PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH model. The body shaping method reduces unevenness and fits the hand more comfortably. Like its predecessor, Canon sculpted the PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera with a gradual bulge from the grip side of the camera towards the flash side, achieving a visually slim appearance from the front, while the still trim side panels add to the camera's ultra-thin appearance. Indeed the dimensions of this Digital ELPH camera make the large and vibrant 2.5-inch LCD screen seem larger still. The camera's tricolor finish--ice metal silver, moonlight silver, and ebony black--add designer elegance to what is already an impressive photo experience.
The PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH camera will be available in April for an estimated selling price of $499.992.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH Camera.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera maintains the classic trim, thin, linear design aesthetic that is the line's hallmark. Despite a body thickness of less than an inch, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera accommodates a retractable 3x optical zoom with an equivalent 35mm focal length of 35-105mm.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera features an ultra large 3.0-inch wide viewing angle type
173,000-pixel LCD screen with adjustments for 15 levels of brightness. What's more, the camera also features an innovative new touch control dial--similar to those found on many popular MP3 players--that allows users to easily scroll through captured images or change the camera's menu settings. In order to accommodate the larger LCD screen, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera does not include a real-image optical viewfinder, which Canon offers on most other Digital ELPH models.
The PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH camera will be available in April for an estimated selling price of $399.99.
The PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH Camera.
True to tradition, the PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH camera packs some heavyweight digital photo technology into a lightweight and pocket-sized package. Like the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH model, this digital dynamo features six-megapixel resolution, ISO equivalent speed settings from 80 to 800 and a retractable 3x optical zoom with an equivalent 35mm focal length of 35-105mm. Its bright and large 2.5-inch, 173,000-pixel wide viewing angle type LCD screen offers 15 brightness adjustments and, like the SD700 IS model, still leaves room for a real-image optical viewfinder.
The PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH will be available in March for an estimated selling price of $349.99.
DIGIC II Image Processing Technology--Hi-Speed USB 2.0
True to the PowerShot tradition, the new Digital ELPH cameras have many of the latest advances in Canon technology including the proprietary DIGIC II imaging processor. The processor enhances picture definition, vibrancy, and quality, while helping increase the speed of the cameras' startup, autofocus, shutter response, playback, and image processing speed while reducing power consumption by 35 percent compared to the original DIGIC chip. Consumers benefit from accelerated image transfer speed (when used with a USB 2.0 compatible computer, printer, or other peripheral), thanks to the inclusion of a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. The USB 2.0 port is backwards compatible (at no increased speed) with computers featuring standard USB 1.1 connections.
New Features and Special Effects
All of the new models offer a new widescreen 16:9 ratio resolution setting that facilitates creating panoramic-style prints. Additionally, all new PowerShot models support 23 languages (now including Thai and Arabic). The new cameras have an improved direct printing function that permits greater flexibility in print settings, including a face brightener setting for backlit photos.
Canon also enhanced the "My Colors" mode found in the new PowerShot line. Where previously, users could only enable "My Colors" while shooting, the current iteration permits captured images to be retouched as well, without the need for special software applications or tools. Available "My Color" playback modes include Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, and Vivid Red; lighter and darker skin tones, as well as options for creating black and white, sepia, neutral and positive film effects. A color accent setting turns all colors but the one selected by the user to monochrome and the color swap mode enables users to alter specific colors in an image by sampling another color from the same image or any other image on the camera's memory card. So, "My Colors" provides PowerShot users with an incredible range of creative photo effects that can be accessed directly in the camera with no need for post-processing in a computer.
Underwater Adventures ELPH-Style
For those who consider the ocean depths part of the Digital Elph camera line's go-anywhere promise, Canon offers individual optional waterproof housing systems. With a depth rating of 40m/130 feet for the PowerShot SD700 IS Digital ELPH, the PowerShot SD630 Digital ELPH and the PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH cameras, these models are a natural choice for underwater photo enthusiasts, SCUBA divers and even snorkelers.
Direct Print
Like all PowerShot digital cameras, these new Digital ELPHs work seamlessly with Canon's petite SELPHY Compact Photo Printers--an essential PowerShot accessory. Consumers simply connect their PowerShot digital camera to a SELPHY printer--such as the SELPHY CP510 and CP710 models. Press the lighted Print/Share button, and within seconds3, images emerge. Presto! It is that simple. Canon's SELPHY Compact Photo Printers are PictBridge compatible. They work with PictBridge enabled digital cameras and offer excellent image quality and ease-of-use, especially when paired with a Canon digital camera. At 28 cents per print4, printing photos directly from a digital camera is both easy and affordable.
Canon will debut the new line up of PowerShot Digital ELPH cameras in its booth (#3509) during the Photo Marketers Association (PMA) exhibit in Orlando, Fla., from February 26-March 1, 2006.
Source: http://news.ecoustics.com
New cameras add on fancy features.
By Jefferson Graham
Don't expect any major price drops in cameras this year.
This year's crop of digital cameras are more full-featured and have better resolution but haven't followed the basic rule of technology (think DVD players and iPods) that makes newer models less expensive, smaller and lighter.
New digital cameras get introduced to retailers at this weekend's Photo Marketing Association International show in Orlando. "The price range hasn't shifted, but the consumer still wins, because they get more camera than ever before," says Chris Chute, an analyst at market research firm IDC.
Kodak, Canon, Sony, Nikon and Olympus all will be showing 5- or 6-megapixel models (a megapixel is a measurement of a camera's resolution) with zoom lenses for $199 or less. A year ago, those cameras would have had 4 megapixels, some with no zoom.
The coolest new cameras this year offer features not found on the entry-level models.
•Image stabilization. Tired of blurry images because you can't hold your camera still? Many top manufacturers — including Sony, Canon, Kodak, Fuji and Nikon — have models with a built-in stabilizer. And some have dramatically increased light sensitivity, so you can shoot more often without a flash in low-light situations. "The results are less blur overall, and better shooting," says Ron Gazzola of Fujifilm.
Because many compact cameras no longer have traditional viewfinders, shutterbugs must compose images on their preview screens, which can make "camera shake" even more of a problem, says Chuck Westfall of Canon: "Image stabilization is a big help for any kind of shooting."
•Bigger preview screens. Look for many 2.5-inch and 3-inch screens on the more expensive models this year. You'll pay for them, too. Nikon's $349 Coolpix S5 has a 2.5-inch screen; a 3-inch screen on the step-up S6 adds $100. Meanwhile, anyone who buys a new digital camera will get an image that can be more easily cropped. That's the upshot of the extra resolution.
In the past, consumers were told that a 3-megapixel camera was all they needed for regular-size blow-ups. But with a 6-megapixel camera, you can crop out a quarter of the picture without much loss in quality.
Camera makers also have plenty of new professional-like single-lens reflex (SLR) models, as well. Consumers love SLRs because they're great for stopping action in sports shots, using interchangeable lenses and providing the best image quality in digital.
Canon is set to replace its $1,399 EOS 20D with the $1,499 30D, notable for a slightly smaller body. Olympus adds another Evolt model to the lineup, the $1,000 E-330. It has an LCD preview screen that swivels and tilts — for those who like to hold cameras over their heads at rock concerts.
Pentax has lowered its *istDL SLR to $599, making it by far the cheapest digital SLR on the market.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com
Don't expect any major price drops in cameras this year.
This year's crop of digital cameras are more full-featured and have better resolution but haven't followed the basic rule of technology (think DVD players and iPods) that makes newer models less expensive, smaller and lighter.
New digital cameras get introduced to retailers at this weekend's Photo Marketing Association International show in Orlando. "The price range hasn't shifted, but the consumer still wins, because they get more camera than ever before," says Chris Chute, an analyst at market research firm IDC.
Kodak, Canon, Sony, Nikon and Olympus all will be showing 5- or 6-megapixel models (a megapixel is a measurement of a camera's resolution) with zoom lenses for $199 or less. A year ago, those cameras would have had 4 megapixels, some with no zoom.
The coolest new cameras this year offer features not found on the entry-level models.
•Image stabilization. Tired of blurry images because you can't hold your camera still? Many top manufacturers — including Sony, Canon, Kodak, Fuji and Nikon — have models with a built-in stabilizer. And some have dramatically increased light sensitivity, so you can shoot more often without a flash in low-light situations. "The results are less blur overall, and better shooting," says Ron Gazzola of Fujifilm.
Because many compact cameras no longer have traditional viewfinders, shutterbugs must compose images on their preview screens, which can make "camera shake" even more of a problem, says Chuck Westfall of Canon: "Image stabilization is a big help for any kind of shooting."
•Bigger preview screens. Look for many 2.5-inch and 3-inch screens on the more expensive models this year. You'll pay for them, too. Nikon's $349 Coolpix S5 has a 2.5-inch screen; a 3-inch screen on the step-up S6 adds $100. Meanwhile, anyone who buys a new digital camera will get an image that can be more easily cropped. That's the upshot of the extra resolution.
In the past, consumers were told that a 3-megapixel camera was all they needed for regular-size blow-ups. But with a 6-megapixel camera, you can crop out a quarter of the picture without much loss in quality.
Camera makers also have plenty of new professional-like single-lens reflex (SLR) models, as well. Consumers love SLRs because they're great for stopping action in sports shots, using interchangeable lenses and providing the best image quality in digital.
Canon is set to replace its $1,399 EOS 20D with the $1,499 30D, notable for a slightly smaller body. Olympus adds another Evolt model to the lineup, the $1,000 E-330. It has an LCD preview screen that swivels and tilts — for those who like to hold cameras over their heads at rock concerts.
Pentax has lowered its *istDL SLR to $599, making it by far the cheapest digital SLR on the market.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com
Thursday, February 23, 2006
The Next Generation of HDTV: SED.
In October 2004, Canon and Toshiba established a new company called SED that began operation in January 2005 with the intent on exploiting a next generation HDTV technology called SED.
SED (Super conduction Electron emitter Display) is a new HDTV technology, expected to arrive in late 2006 or early 2007, that proponents say combines the superior picture quality of CRT televisions along with the slim form factor of flat screen televisions.
CRT and Flat Panel
The conventional cathode-ray tube(CRT) used in televisions is popular around the world because it has the advantage of using the properties of a self-luminous display to ensure a high luminance, clear colors and wide viewing angle. When this technology is applied to a large screen display, however, the television becomes excessively heavy and requires a much deeper unit. This means that despite CRT’s superior picture quality, it is not practical to produce 50” CRT televisions because they would be about four feet deep and weight five or six hundred pounds!
Despite the tremendous advancements in flat panel technology in the last few years, discerning HDTV buyers still complain that many large flat panels and even Microdisplay rear projection televisions (DLP and LCD Projection) still cannot match the sharp image, wide viewing angle and fast response times that is characteristic of even relatively inexpensive CRT televisions.
If SED can deliver CRT image quality and a flat panel form factor at a competitive price then it has the potential of making all other HDTV technologies obsolete.
The specifications for SED are impressive: 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution for sharper more realistic images; 1 millisecond refresh rates which should eliminate trails or shadow effects as something moves quickly across the screen; improved viewing angles so you won’t have to fight to be in the middle of the couch; and extremely high contrast ratios which will provide consumers with more accurate and vivid colour reproduction.
In addition to a sharper more colourful image free of shadows and trails, SED also promises greater energy efficiency. SEDs convert electrical energy into light with higher emission efficiency than other display types, resulting in power consumption that is two-thirds that of plasma display panels (PDP), and also surpasses CRTs and Liquid Crystal displays (LCD).
SED technology can produce CRT like picture quality because it is based on the same technology used in cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs.
CRT and SED technology are based on the targeted emission of electrons against a phosphor-based fluorescent layer in a glass surface. The difference is, that instead of emitting electrons from the back of a large tube, SED uses 6,220,800 electron emitters (one for each pixel for each colour) that are placed just a few inches behind the phosphor coating.
Availability and Pricing
From a technological standpoint, the pundits all agree that SED has the potential to gobble up a huge portion of the HDTV market. Whether SED comes close to realizing that potential will depend on pricing and availability.
During the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, Toshiba and Canon showed working prototypes of SED displays to attendees Toshiba indicated expected availability in late 2006, however, Canon officials pointed to early 2007.
Despite the different time frames posited by both companies, they did agree that, at this point, no pricing details are known. When asked to speculate, representatives from both companies declined any comment.
Like many new technologies, SED holds tremendous promise, however, as of February 2006, availability and pricing are unknown. Digital Home expects that SED HDTV’s won’t make it to retailer’s shelves until 2007 and when they do consumers can expect to pay a premium price.
Source: http://www.digitalhomecanada.com
SED (Super conduction Electron emitter Display) is a new HDTV technology, expected to arrive in late 2006 or early 2007, that proponents say combines the superior picture quality of CRT televisions along with the slim form factor of flat screen televisions.
CRT and Flat Panel
The conventional cathode-ray tube(CRT) used in televisions is popular around the world because it has the advantage of using the properties of a self-luminous display to ensure a high luminance, clear colors and wide viewing angle. When this technology is applied to a large screen display, however, the television becomes excessively heavy and requires a much deeper unit. This means that despite CRT’s superior picture quality, it is not practical to produce 50” CRT televisions because they would be about four feet deep and weight five or six hundred pounds!
Despite the tremendous advancements in flat panel technology in the last few years, discerning HDTV buyers still complain that many large flat panels and even Microdisplay rear projection televisions (DLP and LCD Projection) still cannot match the sharp image, wide viewing angle and fast response times that is characteristic of even relatively inexpensive CRT televisions.
If SED can deliver CRT image quality and a flat panel form factor at a competitive price then it has the potential of making all other HDTV technologies obsolete.
The specifications for SED are impressive: 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution for sharper more realistic images; 1 millisecond refresh rates which should eliminate trails or shadow effects as something moves quickly across the screen; improved viewing angles so you won’t have to fight to be in the middle of the couch; and extremely high contrast ratios which will provide consumers with more accurate and vivid colour reproduction.
In addition to a sharper more colourful image free of shadows and trails, SED also promises greater energy efficiency. SEDs convert electrical energy into light with higher emission efficiency than other display types, resulting in power consumption that is two-thirds that of plasma display panels (PDP), and also surpasses CRTs and Liquid Crystal displays (LCD).
SED technology can produce CRT like picture quality because it is based on the same technology used in cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs.
CRT and SED technology are based on the targeted emission of electrons against a phosphor-based fluorescent layer in a glass surface. The difference is, that instead of emitting electrons from the back of a large tube, SED uses 6,220,800 electron emitters (one for each pixel for each colour) that are placed just a few inches behind the phosphor coating.
Availability and Pricing
From a technological standpoint, the pundits all agree that SED has the potential to gobble up a huge portion of the HDTV market. Whether SED comes close to realizing that potential will depend on pricing and availability.
During the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, Toshiba and Canon showed working prototypes of SED displays to attendees Toshiba indicated expected availability in late 2006, however, Canon officials pointed to early 2007.
Despite the different time frames posited by both companies, they did agree that, at this point, no pricing details are known. When asked to speculate, representatives from both companies declined any comment.
Like many new technologies, SED holds tremendous promise, however, as of February 2006, availability and pricing are unknown. Digital Home expects that SED HDTV’s won’t make it to retailer’s shelves until 2007 and when they do consumers can expect to pay a premium price.
Source: http://www.digitalhomecanada.com
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Nikon unveils seven new Coolpix digital cameras.
By Peter Cohen
Nikon on Tuesday introduced its 2006 Coolpix digital camera line. The company’s Coolpix cameras are point-and-shoot models aimed at consumers. The seven new cameras range in price from $149.95 to $449.95 depending on features.
All of the new cameras feature Nikon’s in-camera red eye fix, “Face-Priority” autofocus, D-Lighting, which can compensate for excessive backlight and insufficient flash, blur warning and Best Shot Selector, which can automatically identify and save the sharpest of ten sequential shots.
All the new cameras feature “TV Quality Movie Mode” — movie recording at up to 30 frames per second with sound, noise reduction to improve shots made in low light conditions, help button and choice of white balance selection.
L Series
The Coolpix L Series cameras are new low end cameras aimed at beginning digital camera users. The L2, L3 and L4 cost $249.95, $199.95 and $149.95 respectively, and are coming in February and March. The cameras use 3x optical zoom lenses, 2.0-inch LCD viewfinders and are less than one inch thick. They’re powered by AA batteries and use SD memory cards.
The L2 has a 6.0 megapixel sensor; the L3 has a 5.1 megapixel sensor and the L4 has a 4.0 megapixel sensor. They also feature 15 scene modes, single and continuous auto focus and other features.
S Series
The new Coolpix S5 and S6 feature 6.0 megapixel sensors and 3x optical zoom ED glass lens. They also feature “Pictmotion,” which combines images and music (Windows users can upload their own digital music; Mac users are left out of this capability, apparently).
The S5 touts a 2.5-inch LCD and the S6 a 3.0-inch LCD. They also have “Rotary Multi Selectors” that let you scroll through a new menu system; a standalone one-touch portrait button and more. The S6 also features built-in WiFi connectivity, which you can use to transfer files to a computer or to a PictBridge-compatible printer.
Both cameras are coming in March. The S5 will cost $349.95, the S6 $449.95.
P Series
The Coolpix P3 and P4 cameras have 8.1 megapixel sensors and incorporate vibration reduction technology originally developed for Nikon’s Single Lens Reflex (SLR) lenses. Two modes help compensate for normal movements associated with handheld moving, or more pronounced movements associated with moving vehicles.
Both cameras include 11 wide-area autofocus and broader exposure control settings, 16 shooting modes, including nine advanced scene modes, continuous shooting at up to 1.8 frames per second with a five-shot buffer and more. The P3 features WiFi, as well.
The P3 and P4 are coming in March 2006 for $449.95 and $399.95 respectively.
Source: http://www.macworld.com
Nikon on Tuesday introduced its 2006 Coolpix digital camera line. The company’s Coolpix cameras are point-and-shoot models aimed at consumers. The seven new cameras range in price from $149.95 to $449.95 depending on features.
All of the new cameras feature Nikon’s in-camera red eye fix, “Face-Priority” autofocus, D-Lighting, which can compensate for excessive backlight and insufficient flash, blur warning and Best Shot Selector, which can automatically identify and save the sharpest of ten sequential shots.
All the new cameras feature “TV Quality Movie Mode” — movie recording at up to 30 frames per second with sound, noise reduction to improve shots made in low light conditions, help button and choice of white balance selection.
L Series
The Coolpix L Series cameras are new low end cameras aimed at beginning digital camera users. The L2, L3 and L4 cost $249.95, $199.95 and $149.95 respectively, and are coming in February and March. The cameras use 3x optical zoom lenses, 2.0-inch LCD viewfinders and are less than one inch thick. They’re powered by AA batteries and use SD memory cards.
The L2 has a 6.0 megapixel sensor; the L3 has a 5.1 megapixel sensor and the L4 has a 4.0 megapixel sensor. They also feature 15 scene modes, single and continuous auto focus and other features.
S Series
The new Coolpix S5 and S6 feature 6.0 megapixel sensors and 3x optical zoom ED glass lens. They also feature “Pictmotion,” which combines images and music (Windows users can upload their own digital music; Mac users are left out of this capability, apparently).
The S5 touts a 2.5-inch LCD and the S6 a 3.0-inch LCD. They also have “Rotary Multi Selectors” that let you scroll through a new menu system; a standalone one-touch portrait button and more. The S6 also features built-in WiFi connectivity, which you can use to transfer files to a computer or to a PictBridge-compatible printer.
Both cameras are coming in March. The S5 will cost $349.95, the S6 $449.95.
P Series
The Coolpix P3 and P4 cameras have 8.1 megapixel sensors and incorporate vibration reduction technology originally developed for Nikon’s Single Lens Reflex (SLR) lenses. Two modes help compensate for normal movements associated with handheld moving, or more pronounced movements associated with moving vehicles.
Both cameras include 11 wide-area autofocus and broader exposure control settings, 16 shooting modes, including nine advanced scene modes, continuous shooting at up to 1.8 frames per second with a five-shot buffer and more. The P3 features WiFi, as well.
The P3 and P4 are coming in March 2006 for $449.95 and $399.95 respectively.
Source: http://www.macworld.com
Monday, February 20, 2006
New on the hi-def horizon. We found the best and the brightest in 1080p, plasma, LCD and DLP TVs that will be headed for stores in 2006.
By Kevin Hunt
Tribune Newspapers: The Hartford Courant
Just as tax refunds begin trickling through the postal system or soft-landing into direct-deposit accounts, the year's sparkling new HDTVs start showing up in local electronics stores.
Conspiracy, coincidence or harmonic convergence?
As the new year in high-definition dawns, a new type of HDTV tempts consumers: big-screen sets with 1080p resolution. It sounds more like a new tax form, but 1080p -- the highest HDTV resolution available to broadcasters -- offers twice the resolution of today's 720p sets.
At least that's the plan. Or maybe it's just a lot of big-screen hype.
"TVs, just like anything else in America, are sold by mostly spec comparisons, and if the number is bigger it must be better," says Michael Amkreutz, vice president of product marketing at Hannspree, a recent entrant in the U.S. television market via China.
It won't be much better, at least this year. Because of the extra bandwidth required, broadcasters haven't started delivering 1080p programming. And TV manufacturers jumped in too soon. Most of the 1080p sets introduced in 2005 couldn't even accept 1080p broadcast signals -- if any were available.
But the 1080p TVs displayed last month by Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba and JVC, among others, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas are better equipped for the ultra-high-resolution future. More sets will accept a 1080p signal, when those signals arrive from broadcasters or the coming high-definition DVD formats, Bluray and HD DVD.
Prices on 1080p sets have quickly moved closer to other HDTV sets too: JVC introduced a 56-inch 1080p set that, at $3,500, costs $300 more than its 720p set.
Will a 1080p set make a difference? On a big screen, at least 56 inches, with pristine 1080p programming viewed from a few feet away, almost certainly. Meanwhile, these new sets convert today's 1080i (see LCD, at right, for definition of 1080i) broadcasts to 1080p, which could improve picture quality slightly over 720p sets.
Otherwise, it may be hard to tell the hi-def pictures apart.
Plenty of new HDTVs are on the way.
4 NEW FAVES FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE
1080p
Pioneer Electronics turns 1080p into a luxury item with the 50-inch Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1 plasma, due in June for $10,000.
A 1080p set has 1920x1080 resolution, or 2,073,600 total pixels displayed progressively (that's the "p" in 1080p) in a full frame. A 720p set has 1280x720 resolution or 921,600 total pixels.
With more than double the pixels, a 1080p image should look smoother.
LCD
The Olevia Signature LT42HVi, a 42-inch set from Syntax-Brillian Corp., arrives in spring with 1080p resolution and high-end video processing from Silicon Optix. Cost: $3,500.
A 1080i signal -- favored by CBS, NBC and PBS -- has the same 1920x1080 resolution as 1080p but uses an interlaced (the "i" in 1080i) format. But because interlaced images take twice as long to display, 1080i often doesn't look as sharp as 720p with fast-moving action like sports.
DLP
The Samsung HL-S5679W has a 56-inch screen with 1080p resolu-tion. When it reaches stores in May ($4,200), it will be the first DLP set using an LED, or light-emitting diode, light source. The LEDs will last 20,000 hours, or about 10 times longer than projection lamps typically costing about $300 in current DLP sets.
Plasma
Vizio's 42-inch P42HDTV promises high-definition plasma at a bargain-basement price ($1,799) when it goes on sale next month.
The P42HDTV displays every picture in 1024x768, called its "native resolution." Plasma televisions, like LCD and DLP sets, are known as fixed-pixel displays because their native resolution is the only way they can create a picture.
Thinking about the big picture?
We've found the big, small and notable in the hi-def world
1080p
The revolution in high-resolution.
Big-time: Pioneer's 1080p debut, the 50-inch Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1 plasma, arrives in June for $10,000. If 50 inches (or $10,000) isn't enough, Panasonic's 65-inch TH-65PX600U will reach stores this summer, price unannounced. And Sony showed a hulking 82-inch LCD prototype, a potential wall-buster.
Small-time: Sharp's 37-inch Aquos LCD, with titanium finish and detachable bottom speakers, will cost $3,500 when it arrives in May.
Budget: Akai promises a 46-inch set this summer that uses new DLP technology (see DLP). The PT46DV27L will cost $2,300.
Others to watch: Two Olevia Signature LCD sets from Syntax-Brillian Corp. arrive in the spring packaged with the superb Silicon Optix Realta video processor. Expect great clarity and brilliant colors from the 42-inch LT42HVi ($3,500) and the 47-inch LT47HVi ($4,000).
Plasma
A plasma television uses red, green and blue phosphors that absorb ultraviolet light generated by inert gas mixtures. Most plasma sets have screens 42 inches, measured diagonally, or larger.
Big-time: Panasonic's 103-inch prototype with 1080p resolution is now the world's biggest plasma. "Wow, that's a big screen" said former Olympic skier Picabo Street, apparently unscripted, appearing at a Panasonic news conference at the Las Vegas show.
Samsung's HP-R8082, at 80 inches, will be the largest available when it arrives this month at $150,000. Wow, that's a big price.
Small-time: Panasonic's 37-inch TH-37PX60U, due in spring at $2,200.
Budget: Vizio's P42HDTV, a 42-inch plasma with 1024x768 resolution, arrives this month for $1,799 at Costco and directly from the company at www.vinc.com. (The price drops to $1,499 for one week starting March 20 during college basketball's March Madness.)
Plasma TV manufacturers get their sets' glass panels from the same few sources -- so if a no-name company does things like video processing right, then the consumer gets big-name quality at a steep discount.
Others to watch: LG introduced four plasma sets with built-in 160-gigabyte high-definition digital video recorders that store up to 15 hours of HD programming or 66 hours of non-HD. The series includes two 50-inch models, the 50PC1DR (finished in black-silver gloss) and the 50PC1DRA (black gloss). They're expected in March, $6,100 each. LG also showed a wireless plasma that receives signals via Wi-Fi (802.11a). But don't expect to see it anytime soon.
LCD
An LCD television projects light through liquid-crystal panels. Most popular screen sizes are smaller than 37 inches.
Big-time: Westinghouse Digital Electronics demonstrated a 56-inch LCD with a staggering 3840x2160 pixel count -- four times the resolution of 1080p sets.
Small-time: Panasonic's 23-inch wide-screen TC-23LX60, with 1366x768 resolution and HDMI connection, is due in May at $1,000.
Budget: Vizio's L32HDTV adds a digital tuner to last year's L32 model and remains $1,000 for a 32-inch screen with 1366x768 hi-def resolution, picture-in-picture and HDMI connections. It's due in March.
Others to watch: Philips' MiraVision monitors combine an LCD television and a mirror. Fuss with your hair while watching the Weather Channel in picture-in-mirror each morning, then flex in front of it at night while watching "Six Week Body Makeover."
Celebrity cachet: Demi Moore owns one of the older, smaller MiraVision sets.
Beauty secret: The standard frame pops off and can be replaced with a standard-size, feng shui-approved frame from your local frame shop.
Sharp showed off a 45-inch "Two Way Viewing Angle" prototype LCD that displayed two programs at once. Look straight at the screen and you'd see one image, then look at a mirror held by an attendant off to the side and you'd see another.
What? So maybe someday parents will watch "Reservoir Dogs" while the kids marvel at "Nanny McPhee" while gathered around the same TV.
A more likely scenario: Sharp also showed a 7-inch version used in cars in Japan that simultaneously shows a navigation map to the driver and a DVD movie to the front-seat passenger.
DLP
Digital Light Processing, a projection-TV technology from Texas Instruments, uses thousands of tiny pivoting mirrors and a spinning color wheel illuminated by a projection lamp to create a picture. This year, however, a DLP variant drops the lamp and color wheel, eliminating lamp-replacement costs and improving picture quality.
Big-time: The Samsung HL-S5679W, a 56-inch screen with 1080p resolution due in May ($4,200), will be the first available DLP set to use an LED light source -- a significant upgrade in Digital Light Processing technology.
Until now, all DLP sets used a spinning color wheel and a projection lamp to produce color. Some viewers were sensitive to trails called the "rainbow effect" created when the wheel's speed couldn't keep up with some moving images. The lamps lasted only about 2,000 hours -- for some people, about two years. Replacements cost $200 to $300. Red, green and blue LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, replace both the color wheel and projection lamp in this Samsung set.
The LEDs should last at least 20,000 hours, eliminate the rainbow effect and generate richer colors. The Samsung set accepts a 1080p signal, which will become an attractive feature when new high-resolution DVD technology (HD DVD, Blu-ray) and broadcasters catch up and start delivering 1080p video.
Small-time: A Mitsubishi PocketProjector that fits in your palm (or pocket), weighs only 14 ounces and uses the new LED light technology. And, with 800x600 resolution, it's at least DVD quality. It's due in July for $799.
Budget: The RCA M50WH185 offers a 50-inch screen -- and old-style color wheel with projection lamp (no 1080p) -- for $1,799 in June.
Others to watch: Akai's 52-inch PT52DL27L ($2,699), with 1080p resolution and an LED light source, coming later this year.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com
Tribune Newspapers: The Hartford Courant
Just as tax refunds begin trickling through the postal system or soft-landing into direct-deposit accounts, the year's sparkling new HDTVs start showing up in local electronics stores.
Conspiracy, coincidence or harmonic convergence?
As the new year in high-definition dawns, a new type of HDTV tempts consumers: big-screen sets with 1080p resolution. It sounds more like a new tax form, but 1080p -- the highest HDTV resolution available to broadcasters -- offers twice the resolution of today's 720p sets.
At least that's the plan. Or maybe it's just a lot of big-screen hype.
"TVs, just like anything else in America, are sold by mostly spec comparisons, and if the number is bigger it must be better," says Michael Amkreutz, vice president of product marketing at Hannspree, a recent entrant in the U.S. television market via China.
It won't be much better, at least this year. Because of the extra bandwidth required, broadcasters haven't started delivering 1080p programming. And TV manufacturers jumped in too soon. Most of the 1080p sets introduced in 2005 couldn't even accept 1080p broadcast signals -- if any were available.
But the 1080p TVs displayed last month by Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba and JVC, among others, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas are better equipped for the ultra-high-resolution future. More sets will accept a 1080p signal, when those signals arrive from broadcasters or the coming high-definition DVD formats, Bluray and HD DVD.
Prices on 1080p sets have quickly moved closer to other HDTV sets too: JVC introduced a 56-inch 1080p set that, at $3,500, costs $300 more than its 720p set.
Will a 1080p set make a difference? On a big screen, at least 56 inches, with pristine 1080p programming viewed from a few feet away, almost certainly. Meanwhile, these new sets convert today's 1080i (see LCD, at right, for definition of 1080i) broadcasts to 1080p, which could improve picture quality slightly over 720p sets.
Otherwise, it may be hard to tell the hi-def pictures apart.
Plenty of new HDTVs are on the way.
4 NEW FAVES FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE
1080p
Pioneer Electronics turns 1080p into a luxury item with the 50-inch Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1 plasma, due in June for $10,000.
A 1080p set has 1920x1080 resolution, or 2,073,600 total pixels displayed progressively (that's the "p" in 1080p) in a full frame. A 720p set has 1280x720 resolution or 921,600 total pixels.
With more than double the pixels, a 1080p image should look smoother.
LCD
The Olevia Signature LT42HVi, a 42-inch set from Syntax-Brillian Corp., arrives in spring with 1080p resolution and high-end video processing from Silicon Optix. Cost: $3,500.
A 1080i signal -- favored by CBS, NBC and PBS -- has the same 1920x1080 resolution as 1080p but uses an interlaced (the "i" in 1080i) format. But because interlaced images take twice as long to display, 1080i often doesn't look as sharp as 720p with fast-moving action like sports.
DLP
The Samsung HL-S5679W has a 56-inch screen with 1080p resolu-tion. When it reaches stores in May ($4,200), it will be the first DLP set using an LED, or light-emitting diode, light source. The LEDs will last 20,000 hours, or about 10 times longer than projection lamps typically costing about $300 in current DLP sets.
Plasma
Vizio's 42-inch P42HDTV promises high-definition plasma at a bargain-basement price ($1,799) when it goes on sale next month.
The P42HDTV displays every picture in 1024x768, called its "native resolution." Plasma televisions, like LCD and DLP sets, are known as fixed-pixel displays because their native resolution is the only way they can create a picture.
Thinking about the big picture?
We've found the big, small and notable in the hi-def world
1080p
The revolution in high-resolution.
Big-time: Pioneer's 1080p debut, the 50-inch Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1 plasma, arrives in June for $10,000. If 50 inches (or $10,000) isn't enough, Panasonic's 65-inch TH-65PX600U will reach stores this summer, price unannounced. And Sony showed a hulking 82-inch LCD prototype, a potential wall-buster.
Small-time: Sharp's 37-inch Aquos LCD, with titanium finish and detachable bottom speakers, will cost $3,500 when it arrives in May.
Budget: Akai promises a 46-inch set this summer that uses new DLP technology (see DLP). The PT46DV27L will cost $2,300.
Others to watch: Two Olevia Signature LCD sets from Syntax-Brillian Corp. arrive in the spring packaged with the superb Silicon Optix Realta video processor. Expect great clarity and brilliant colors from the 42-inch LT42HVi ($3,500) and the 47-inch LT47HVi ($4,000).
Plasma
A plasma television uses red, green and blue phosphors that absorb ultraviolet light generated by inert gas mixtures. Most plasma sets have screens 42 inches, measured diagonally, or larger.
Big-time: Panasonic's 103-inch prototype with 1080p resolution is now the world's biggest plasma. "Wow, that's a big screen" said former Olympic skier Picabo Street, apparently unscripted, appearing at a Panasonic news conference at the Las Vegas show.
Samsung's HP-R8082, at 80 inches, will be the largest available when it arrives this month at $150,000. Wow, that's a big price.
Small-time: Panasonic's 37-inch TH-37PX60U, due in spring at $2,200.
Budget: Vizio's P42HDTV, a 42-inch plasma with 1024x768 resolution, arrives this month for $1,799 at Costco and directly from the company at www.vinc.com. (The price drops to $1,499 for one week starting March 20 during college basketball's March Madness.)
Plasma TV manufacturers get their sets' glass panels from the same few sources -- so if a no-name company does things like video processing right, then the consumer gets big-name quality at a steep discount.
Others to watch: LG introduced four plasma sets with built-in 160-gigabyte high-definition digital video recorders that store up to 15 hours of HD programming or 66 hours of non-HD. The series includes two 50-inch models, the 50PC1DR (finished in black-silver gloss) and the 50PC1DRA (black gloss). They're expected in March, $6,100 each. LG also showed a wireless plasma that receives signals via Wi-Fi (802.11a). But don't expect to see it anytime soon.
LCD
An LCD television projects light through liquid-crystal panels. Most popular screen sizes are smaller than 37 inches.
Big-time: Westinghouse Digital Electronics demonstrated a 56-inch LCD with a staggering 3840x2160 pixel count -- four times the resolution of 1080p sets.
Small-time: Panasonic's 23-inch wide-screen TC-23LX60, with 1366x768 resolution and HDMI connection, is due in May at $1,000.
Budget: Vizio's L32HDTV adds a digital tuner to last year's L32 model and remains $1,000 for a 32-inch screen with 1366x768 hi-def resolution, picture-in-picture and HDMI connections. It's due in March.
Others to watch: Philips' MiraVision monitors combine an LCD television and a mirror. Fuss with your hair while watching the Weather Channel in picture-in-mirror each morning, then flex in front of it at night while watching "Six Week Body Makeover."
Celebrity cachet: Demi Moore owns one of the older, smaller MiraVision sets.
Beauty secret: The standard frame pops off and can be replaced with a standard-size, feng shui-approved frame from your local frame shop.
Sharp showed off a 45-inch "Two Way Viewing Angle" prototype LCD that displayed two programs at once. Look straight at the screen and you'd see one image, then look at a mirror held by an attendant off to the side and you'd see another.
What? So maybe someday parents will watch "Reservoir Dogs" while the kids marvel at "Nanny McPhee" while gathered around the same TV.
A more likely scenario: Sharp also showed a 7-inch version used in cars in Japan that simultaneously shows a navigation map to the driver and a DVD movie to the front-seat passenger.
DLP
Digital Light Processing, a projection-TV technology from Texas Instruments, uses thousands of tiny pivoting mirrors and a spinning color wheel illuminated by a projection lamp to create a picture. This year, however, a DLP variant drops the lamp and color wheel, eliminating lamp-replacement costs and improving picture quality.
Big-time: The Samsung HL-S5679W, a 56-inch screen with 1080p resolution due in May ($4,200), will be the first available DLP set to use an LED light source -- a significant upgrade in Digital Light Processing technology.
Until now, all DLP sets used a spinning color wheel and a projection lamp to produce color. Some viewers were sensitive to trails called the "rainbow effect" created when the wheel's speed couldn't keep up with some moving images. The lamps lasted only about 2,000 hours -- for some people, about two years. Replacements cost $200 to $300. Red, green and blue LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, replace both the color wheel and projection lamp in this Samsung set.
The LEDs should last at least 20,000 hours, eliminate the rainbow effect and generate richer colors. The Samsung set accepts a 1080p signal, which will become an attractive feature when new high-resolution DVD technology (HD DVD, Blu-ray) and broadcasters catch up and start delivering 1080p video.
Small-time: A Mitsubishi PocketProjector that fits in your palm (or pocket), weighs only 14 ounces and uses the new LED light technology. And, with 800x600 resolution, it's at least DVD quality. It's due in July for $799.
Budget: The RCA M50WH185 offers a 50-inch screen -- and old-style color wheel with projection lamp (no 1080p) -- for $1,799 in June.
Others to watch: Akai's 52-inch PT52DL27L ($2,699), with 1080p resolution and an LED light source, coming later this year.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Plasma TV's and Home Entertainment Centers.
It seems as if everyone these days is showing off their expensive flashy new home entertainment centers. They’re linked wirelessly to computers, have more speakers than a Rolling Stone’s concert, and cost more than a midsize luxury sedan. They feature DVD players, DVR or Tivo, CD players, MP3 players, and anything else you can imagine. The centerpiece, though, still remains the same: the television.
Plasma TVs have recently been introduced to the market. They are extremely flat television panels which make them very easy to mount on either a wall, in a cabinet or on other specially designed furniture. Plasma TVs are known for their wonderful quality and almost all plasma TVs come already equipped with an HDTV (high definition television) tuner which will allow you to watch all the HDTV channels that have been so widely discussed lately. The quality is amazingly realistic.
As mentioned before, the plasma TV is completely flat. It much more easily manipulated than conventional CRT TVs and won’t burn out like rear projection TVs and LCD TVs. Mounting the plasma TV on the wall and adding rows of seats to a home theater will surly add a commercial theater feel to any room. Along with some of the high end sound systems available on the market today, the difference between a well equipped home theater with a quality plasma TV and a commercial theater is hard to distinguish.
If mounting the plasma TV on the wall isn’t an option, try commissioning a carpenter to create a custom made cabinet. This may be a better option as it would allow for built in compartments for cords, DVDs, VHS tapes, DVD player storage, and more. Inside the cabinet, a custom mount could be created for the plasma TV. Add to this some remote control doors on the cabinet and one could have oneself a pretty Godfather-esque setup.
In conclusion, if you wish to become the talk of the neighborhood with your brand new home theater or home entertainment center, be sure to have the finest centerpiece available with a large, high quality plasma television.
John Rivers is the owner of TV Home Center. His website offers LCD TV Reviews and Flat Screen TV Buying Advice. http://www.tvhomecenter.com.
Source: http://www.dailyindia.com
Plasma TVs have recently been introduced to the market. They are extremely flat television panels which make them very easy to mount on either a wall, in a cabinet or on other specially designed furniture. Plasma TVs are known for their wonderful quality and almost all plasma TVs come already equipped with an HDTV (high definition television) tuner which will allow you to watch all the HDTV channels that have been so widely discussed lately. The quality is amazingly realistic.
As mentioned before, the plasma TV is completely flat. It much more easily manipulated than conventional CRT TVs and won’t burn out like rear projection TVs and LCD TVs. Mounting the plasma TV on the wall and adding rows of seats to a home theater will surly add a commercial theater feel to any room. Along with some of the high end sound systems available on the market today, the difference between a well equipped home theater with a quality plasma TV and a commercial theater is hard to distinguish.
If mounting the plasma TV on the wall isn’t an option, try commissioning a carpenter to create a custom made cabinet. This may be a better option as it would allow for built in compartments for cords, DVDs, VHS tapes, DVD player storage, and more. Inside the cabinet, a custom mount could be created for the plasma TV. Add to this some remote control doors on the cabinet and one could have oneself a pretty Godfather-esque setup.
In conclusion, if you wish to become the talk of the neighborhood with your brand new home theater or home entertainment center, be sure to have the finest centerpiece available with a large, high quality plasma television.
John Rivers is the owner of TV Home Center. His website offers LCD TV Reviews and Flat Screen TV Buying Advice. http://www.tvhomecenter.com.
Source: http://www.dailyindia.com
Saturday, February 18, 2006
12 Million HDTV Owners Could Be Screwed.
Anti-copying software in new high-def DVDs could water down the picture for 60 percent of the HDTV audience.
By Phillip Swann
HDTV owners, you have to read this story.
In yesterday's "Swanni Sez," the TVPredictions.com newsletter, I commented on the anti-piracy software likely to be added to the new high-def DVDs. Sony and Toshiba are scheduled to release the new high-def DVD players later this spring.
I noted that CNET's News.com had just published an article suggesting sales of the new players could be hurt because PC owners might have trouble playing the new discs due to copyright protection software. (The anti-copying software would not be compatible with analog plugs used to connect most PCs to monitors.) At the very least, the picture quality of the DVD would suffer.
I commented that it was an absurd notion that DVD players sales would be significantly hurt because few people will actually want to watch the high-def DVDs on their PCs.
News.com wrote in the February 16th article that HDTV set owners should "mostly" be unconcerned by the copyright restrictions. Here's a quote from the article:
"For people who buy standalone (HDTV) DVD players and HDTVs, this mostly won't be a concern, as the right plugs will generally already be built in."
However, Ben Keen of the UK research firm, Screen Digest, pointed out to me that early-generation HDTVs with analog inputs (plugs) could have a problem with picture quality as well.
And how many HDTV homes are we talking about?
12 million!
Long story short, it will be up to the individual studios whether to include the copying restrictions in their movies. (They're not revealing their intentions at this time.) But if they do, 12 million HDTV owners might not get true HD if they play a high-def DVD. The picture quality would be squeezed to guard against piracy. (Apparently, the picture quality would be about 25 percent of full HD resolution and just slightly better than the picture from a current DVD.)
The 12 million HDTV homes represent approximately 60 percent of the audience. Sixty percent of the current HDTV market could be short-changed.
If the studios include the anti-copying restrictions and the word gets out -- and I will do everything in my power to ensure that it does -- the new DVD could be DOA.
This issue is far from over. But I thought you would want to know that the industry is at it again -- making HDTV far more complicated than it should ever be.
Yesterday, I asked a spokeswoman for Blu-ray to comment but she passed the buck to another office, which did not return my message. But I will stay with the issue and file an update in the next few weeks.
Until then, to read a Video Business article on how the copyright restrictions might affect HDTV owners, click: Here
Source: http://www.tvpredictions.com.
By Phillip Swann
HDTV owners, you have to read this story.
In yesterday's "Swanni Sez," the TVPredictions.com newsletter, I commented on the anti-piracy software likely to be added to the new high-def DVDs. Sony and Toshiba are scheduled to release the new high-def DVD players later this spring.
I noted that CNET's News.com had just published an article suggesting sales of the new players could be hurt because PC owners might have trouble playing the new discs due to copyright protection software. (The anti-copying software would not be compatible with analog plugs used to connect most PCs to monitors.) At the very least, the picture quality of the DVD would suffer.
I commented that it was an absurd notion that DVD players sales would be significantly hurt because few people will actually want to watch the high-def DVDs on their PCs.
News.com wrote in the February 16th article that HDTV set owners should "mostly" be unconcerned by the copyright restrictions. Here's a quote from the article:
"For people who buy standalone (HDTV) DVD players and HDTVs, this mostly won't be a concern, as the right plugs will generally already be built in."
However, Ben Keen of the UK research firm, Screen Digest, pointed out to me that early-generation HDTVs with analog inputs (plugs) could have a problem with picture quality as well.
And how many HDTV homes are we talking about?
12 million!
Long story short, it will be up to the individual studios whether to include the copying restrictions in their movies. (They're not revealing their intentions at this time.) But if they do, 12 million HDTV owners might not get true HD if they play a high-def DVD. The picture quality would be squeezed to guard against piracy. (Apparently, the picture quality would be about 25 percent of full HD resolution and just slightly better than the picture from a current DVD.)
The 12 million HDTV homes represent approximately 60 percent of the audience. Sixty percent of the current HDTV market could be short-changed.
If the studios include the anti-copying restrictions and the word gets out -- and I will do everything in my power to ensure that it does -- the new DVD could be DOA.
This issue is far from over. But I thought you would want to know that the industry is at it again -- making HDTV far more complicated than it should ever be.
Yesterday, I asked a spokeswoman for Blu-ray to comment but she passed the buck to another office, which did not return my message. But I will stay with the issue and file an update in the next few weeks.
Until then, to read a Video Business article on how the copyright restrictions might affect HDTV owners, click: Here
Source: http://www.tvpredictions.com.
Mitsubishi makes world's 1st laser-based rear projection TV.
Mitsubishi Electric Corp said Wednesday it has developed what it says is the world's first rear projection television that uses a laser as its light source instead of a mercury lamp as with current rear projection TVs.
The laser-based rear projection TV provides a higher picture quality than liquid crystal display and plasma display panel televisions, according to the home electronics equipment maker. Light from a semiconductor laser is divided into red, blue and green, making it possible to represent images with a color variety 1.8 times greater than that of LCD TVs and thereby improving image quality.
Source: http://www.engadget.com
The laser-based rear projection TV provides a higher picture quality than liquid crystal display and plasma display panel televisions, according to the home electronics equipment maker. Light from a semiconductor laser is divided into red, blue and green, making it possible to represent images with a color variety 1.8 times greater than that of LCD TVs and thereby improving image quality.
Source: http://www.engadget.com
Sharp Readies 65-Inch LCD Monitor.
Display offers several features typically found on televisions, but lacks a tuner.
Martyn Williams
Sharp plans to begin selling in Japan, in March, a computer monitor with a 65-inch wide-screen LCD display, it said this week.
The PN-655 monitor is closely based on one of Sharp's Aquos LCD televisions and offers several features typically found in television sets, although there is no tuner.
The monitor has a DVI and a Mini D-Sub socket for hooking up to a computer, as well as a composite video and D4 analog HDTV input. Sharp's TV also has the DVI-D socket, but the Mini D-Sub connector is found only on the monitor.
There are also several connectors missing from the monitor that are on the TV, such as an S-Video socket and HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) for digital HDTV. The monitor has a stereo audio input.
Higher Definition
The screen offers 1920-pixel-by-1080-pixel resolution, which is the same as high-definition television and less than that offered by some competing, but smaller, monitors. Another feature from Sharp's TVs that is available on the monitor is a picture-in-picture function that can mix the computer input with a video signal.
The unit measures 62 inches by 5 inches by 36 inches and weighs 143 pounds, which makes its slightly thinner and lighter than the equivalent television.
The monitor will go on sale in Japan on March 24 and will cost around $16,963, the company said.
Sharp is considering offering it overseas but has yet to make any definite plans.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com.
Martyn Williams
Sharp plans to begin selling in Japan, in March, a computer monitor with a 65-inch wide-screen LCD display, it said this week.
The PN-655 monitor is closely based on one of Sharp's Aquos LCD televisions and offers several features typically found in television sets, although there is no tuner.
The monitor has a DVI and a Mini D-Sub socket for hooking up to a computer, as well as a composite video and D4 analog HDTV input. Sharp's TV also has the DVI-D socket, but the Mini D-Sub connector is found only on the monitor.
There are also several connectors missing from the monitor that are on the TV, such as an S-Video socket and HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) for digital HDTV. The monitor has a stereo audio input.
Higher Definition
The screen offers 1920-pixel-by-1080-pixel resolution, which is the same as high-definition television and less than that offered by some competing, but smaller, monitors. Another feature from Sharp's TVs that is available on the monitor is a picture-in-picture function that can mix the computer input with a video signal.
The unit measures 62 inches by 5 inches by 36 inches and weighs 143 pounds, which makes its slightly thinner and lighter than the equivalent television.
The monitor will go on sale in Japan on March 24 and will cost around $16,963, the company said.
Sharp is considering offering it overseas but has yet to make any definite plans.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com.
AHT unveils P2POD HDTV media player.
AHT International has just released a revolutionary device that lets users exploit almost all entertainment media and services available on the Internet.
The P2POD operates on a program made by the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. Their peer-to-peer method allows content deployment functions. It also permits real time video streaming on peer-to-peer systems. Speed could be improved by adding more P2PODs or P2POD program clients.
The P2POD is a delight for the visually-inclined. The device is capable of broadcasting over a thousand digital TV channels available on the Internet directly to the television and at HDTV grade (1920x1080). Plans are also underway for the creation of a premium service which would offer the latest movies and shows.
Navigating through the control panels of the device is also easy. The user interface allows the user to make selections and adjustments with ease. It also features an automatic channel management and updating system.
The P2POD could also receive and transmit over 6,000 radio Internet broadcasts directly to the stereos.
For those who are looking for specific music, film or show, the virtual audio and video store allows the user to download titles of choice to the AHT box. The user may also download the data directly to his media player through USB 2.0.
Live data and video feeds from one P2POD unit to another are also possible. The device also allows Web browsing through the TV.
Unit price is expected to be below US $150. Its debut is slated on the third quarter of this year.
Source: http://www.mobilemag.com
The P2POD operates on a program made by the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. Their peer-to-peer method allows content deployment functions. It also permits real time video streaming on peer-to-peer systems. Speed could be improved by adding more P2PODs or P2POD program clients.
The P2POD is a delight for the visually-inclined. The device is capable of broadcasting over a thousand digital TV channels available on the Internet directly to the television and at HDTV grade (1920x1080). Plans are also underway for the creation of a premium service which would offer the latest movies and shows.
Navigating through the control panels of the device is also easy. The user interface allows the user to make selections and adjustments with ease. It also features an automatic channel management and updating system.
The P2POD could also receive and transmit over 6,000 radio Internet broadcasts directly to the stereos.
For those who are looking for specific music, film or show, the virtual audio and video store allows the user to download titles of choice to the AHT box. The user may also download the data directly to his media player through USB 2.0.
Live data and video feeds from one P2POD unit to another are also possible. The device also allows Web browsing through the TV.
Unit price is expected to be below US $150. Its debut is slated on the third quarter of this year.
Source: http://www.mobilemag.com
Thursday, February 16, 2006
A tiny camera, a big step toward high-definition.
By David Pogue
As our appreciation of technology blossoms, so, unfortunately, does our cynicism. We've learned the hard way that those "five-mile" walkie-talkies don't even cover the backyard, that no version of Windows "just works" and that when you call for tech support, your call is not important to them.
Thousands of people have also learned that those pocket-size camera-camcorders are generally rip-offs. Instead of tapes, they record onto expensive memory cards that hold only about 20 minutes of video. Zoom power and battery life are terrible. As for the photo and video quality, only camera phones do a worse job. You're forgiven for being skeptical, therefore, on learning of a new pocketcorder - the Sanyo Xacti HD1, arriving in March - that purports to record high-definition video.
HDTV? From a camera the size of a bar of soap? In a world that's slowly but surely moving toward a high-def future, that would indeed be something. It would make the HD1 the world's smallest HDTV camera - and at $800, by far the least expensive. Until now, the smallest, least expensive HDTV camcorder was Sony's spectacular HC1, about $1,340 online.
Could the Xacti HD1 be as good as it sounds? The answer is no. But it comes much closer than you might expect.
The HD1's 2.2-inch rotating screen uses technology known as OLED, for organic light-emitting diode, and offers brighter, more colorful images with much greater contrast than traditional LCD screens. In theory, OLED is also supposed to require much less power than LCD screens. But it doesn't seem to help the HD1 much; its battery lasts only an hour. The screen doesn't do well in bright sunlight, either.
Opening the screen turns on the camcorder. On paper, that's a sweet, natural feature that cuts down on the preparing-to-shoot checklist. In practice, though, it means the screen must be open to record anything, which eats up battery power and looks silly when you're just recording audio.
(The HD1 does make a superb, high-capacity tapeless tape recorder. Not only is the built-in mike crisp and clear, but Sanyo had the good sense to include a jack for an external microphone.)
When you're gripping the HD1 in shooting position - which is slightly uncomfortable, with the camera's sharp metal edges - two big buttons face you. One takes a picture. The other starts or stops video recording.
The five-megapixel stills are surprisingly good (samples are at www.nytimes.com/circuits). There is a full array of manual controls over factors like ISO (light sensitivity), shutter speed, aperture and white balance, plus an easy-to-work joystick that allows quick exposure adjustments when needed for conditions like backlighting or snow and beach scenes. But still shots of moving subjects often come out blurry, and in low light, the photos are grainy.
But what the world really wants to know is, how does the high-definition video look? As a Sanyo rep puts it, "Amazing quality can be seen from the HD1, especially in controlled lighting and when the camera is stabilized." He should have said "only," not "especially." Lighting and stabilization are big problems with this camcorder. Yes, it's true: park it on a tripod on a sunny day at the beach, and your home movies will be the talk of the family. You'll come home, plug it into your HDTV set (component and S-video cables are included), hit Play on the remote and blow people away with the clarity and beauty of the wide-screen, 1,280-by-720-pixel picture, what the geeks call 720p high-def video. (The HD1 also records standard-definition video with the press of one button.)
The video can't touch the quality of commercial HDTV, or even the results from that $1,340 Sony HC1. Even so, the HD1 can look miles better than any other pocketcorder's video. At its best, it humbles even most tape camcorders.
Without good light and a tripod, though, the HD1 comes up short. Indoor shots and low-light scenes are marred by dancing pixels and compression "artifacts," or blotchy pixel clusters. And when it comes to image stability, the HD1 represents a perfect storm of problems. First, you have to hold this camcorder vertically, with one hand, a recipe for jiggles. Second, because it lacks an eyepiece viewfinder, you have to hold the HD1 at arm's length, further reducing stability. Finally, the wide-screen, horizontal orientation of high-definition video tends to exaggerate hand-held jitters.
The HD1 does have an image stabilizer, but it doesn't do much (see the sample video online). And it sacrifices the outer margins of the video frame. It is already weak in the wide-angle department - to fit a six-foot adult in the frame, you must back up about 15 feet, or 5 meters - and the stabilizer makes the situation even worse.
Finally, it's worth noting that the HD1's autofocus is excruciatingly slow.
So no, the HD1 is not likely to become the independent filmmaker's camera of choice. But the fact that you can carry this gadget in a pants pocket is surely worth something. The fact that it's turned on and ready to record in two seconds is valuable, too. Even when there's a "real" camcorder sitting on the same shelf, a typical family videographer may often be tempted to grab the HD1 when something adorable is going on in the living room; the HD1's simplicity and immediacy earn it big points for trust and convenience.
As our appreciation of technology blossoms, so, unfortunately, does our cynicism. We've learned the hard way that those "five-mile" walkie-talkies don't even cover the backyard, that no version of Windows "just works" and that when you call for tech support, your call is not important to them.
Thousands of people have also learned that those pocket-size camera-camcorders are generally rip-offs. Instead of tapes, they record onto expensive memory cards that hold only about 20 minutes of video. Zoom power and battery life are terrible. As for the photo and video quality, only camera phones do a worse job. You're forgiven for being skeptical, therefore, on learning of a new pocketcorder - the Sanyo Xacti HD1, arriving in March - that purports to record high-definition video.
HDTV? From a camera the size of a bar of soap? In a world that's slowly but surely moving toward a high-def future, that would indeed be something. It would make the HD1 the world's smallest HDTV camera - and at $800, by far the least expensive. Until now, the smallest, least expensive HDTV camcorder was Sony's spectacular HC1, about $1,340 online.
Could the Xacti HD1 be as good as it sounds? The answer is no. But it comes much closer than you might expect.
The HD1's 2.2-inch rotating screen uses technology known as OLED, for organic light-emitting diode, and offers brighter, more colorful images with much greater contrast than traditional LCD screens. In theory, OLED is also supposed to require much less power than LCD screens. But it doesn't seem to help the HD1 much; its battery lasts only an hour. The screen doesn't do well in bright sunlight, either.
Opening the screen turns on the camcorder. On paper, that's a sweet, natural feature that cuts down on the preparing-to-shoot checklist. In practice, though, it means the screen must be open to record anything, which eats up battery power and looks silly when you're just recording audio.
(The HD1 does make a superb, high-capacity tapeless tape recorder. Not only is the built-in mike crisp and clear, but Sanyo had the good sense to include a jack for an external microphone.)
When you're gripping the HD1 in shooting position - which is slightly uncomfortable, with the camera's sharp metal edges - two big buttons face you. One takes a picture. The other starts or stops video recording.
The five-megapixel stills are surprisingly good (samples are at www.nytimes.com/circuits). There is a full array of manual controls over factors like ISO (light sensitivity), shutter speed, aperture and white balance, plus an easy-to-work joystick that allows quick exposure adjustments when needed for conditions like backlighting or snow and beach scenes. But still shots of moving subjects often come out blurry, and in low light, the photos are grainy.
But what the world really wants to know is, how does the high-definition video look? As a Sanyo rep puts it, "Amazing quality can be seen from the HD1, especially in controlled lighting and when the camera is stabilized." He should have said "only," not "especially." Lighting and stabilization are big problems with this camcorder. Yes, it's true: park it on a tripod on a sunny day at the beach, and your home movies will be the talk of the family. You'll come home, plug it into your HDTV set (component and S-video cables are included), hit Play on the remote and blow people away with the clarity and beauty of the wide-screen, 1,280-by-720-pixel picture, what the geeks call 720p high-def video. (The HD1 also records standard-definition video with the press of one button.)
The video can't touch the quality of commercial HDTV, or even the results from that $1,340 Sony HC1. Even so, the HD1 can look miles better than any other pocketcorder's video. At its best, it humbles even most tape camcorders.
Without good light and a tripod, though, the HD1 comes up short. Indoor shots and low-light scenes are marred by dancing pixels and compression "artifacts," or blotchy pixel clusters. And when it comes to image stability, the HD1 represents a perfect storm of problems. First, you have to hold this camcorder vertically, with one hand, a recipe for jiggles. Second, because it lacks an eyepiece viewfinder, you have to hold the HD1 at arm's length, further reducing stability. Finally, the wide-screen, horizontal orientation of high-definition video tends to exaggerate hand-held jitters.
The HD1 does have an image stabilizer, but it doesn't do much (see the sample video online). And it sacrifices the outer margins of the video frame. It is already weak in the wide-angle department - to fit a six-foot adult in the frame, you must back up about 15 feet, or 5 meters - and the stabilizer makes the situation even worse.
Finally, it's worth noting that the HD1's autofocus is excruciatingly slow.
So no, the HD1 is not likely to become the independent filmmaker's camera of choice. But the fact that you can carry this gadget in a pants pocket is surely worth something. The fact that it's turned on and ready to record in two seconds is valuable, too. Even when there's a "real" camcorder sitting on the same shelf, a typical family videographer may often be tempted to grab the HD1 when something adorable is going on in the living room; the HD1's simplicity and immediacy earn it big points for trust and convenience.
Source: http://www.iht.com
As our appreciation of technology blossoms, so, unfortunately, does our cynicism. We've learned the hard way that those "five-mile" walkie-talkies don't even cover the backyard, that no version of Windows "just works" and that when you call for tech support, your call is not important to them.
Thousands of people have also learned that those pocket-size camera-camcorders are generally rip-offs. Instead of tapes, they record onto expensive memory cards that hold only about 20 minutes of video. Zoom power and battery life are terrible. As for the photo and video quality, only camera phones do a worse job. You're forgiven for being skeptical, therefore, on learning of a new pocketcorder - the Sanyo Xacti HD1, arriving in March - that purports to record high-definition video.
HDTV? From a camera the size of a bar of soap? In a world that's slowly but surely moving toward a high-def future, that would indeed be something. It would make the HD1 the world's smallest HDTV camera - and at $800, by far the least expensive. Until now, the smallest, least expensive HDTV camcorder was Sony's spectacular HC1, about $1,340 online.
Could the Xacti HD1 be as good as it sounds? The answer is no. But it comes much closer than you might expect.
The HD1's 2.2-inch rotating screen uses technology known as OLED, for organic light-emitting diode, and offers brighter, more colorful images with much greater contrast than traditional LCD screens. In theory, OLED is also supposed to require much less power than LCD screens. But it doesn't seem to help the HD1 much; its battery lasts only an hour. The screen doesn't do well in bright sunlight, either.
Opening the screen turns on the camcorder. On paper, that's a sweet, natural feature that cuts down on the preparing-to-shoot checklist. In practice, though, it means the screen must be open to record anything, which eats up battery power and looks silly when you're just recording audio.
(The HD1 does make a superb, high-capacity tapeless tape recorder. Not only is the built-in mike crisp and clear, but Sanyo had the good sense to include a jack for an external microphone.)
When you're gripping the HD1 in shooting position - which is slightly uncomfortable, with the camera's sharp metal edges - two big buttons face you. One takes a picture. The other starts or stops video recording.
The five-megapixel stills are surprisingly good (samples are at www.nytimes.com/circuits). There is a full array of manual controls over factors like ISO (light sensitivity), shutter speed, aperture and white balance, plus an easy-to-work joystick that allows quick exposure adjustments when needed for conditions like backlighting or snow and beach scenes. But still shots of moving subjects often come out blurry, and in low light, the photos are grainy.
But what the world really wants to know is, how does the high-definition video look? As a Sanyo rep puts it, "Amazing quality can be seen from the HD1, especially in controlled lighting and when the camera is stabilized." He should have said "only," not "especially." Lighting and stabilization are big problems with this camcorder. Yes, it's true: park it on a tripod on a sunny day at the beach, and your home movies will be the talk of the family. You'll come home, plug it into your HDTV set (component and S-video cables are included), hit Play on the remote and blow people away with the clarity and beauty of the wide-screen, 1,280-by-720-pixel picture, what the geeks call 720p high-def video. (The HD1 also records standard-definition video with the press of one button.)
The video can't touch the quality of commercial HDTV, or even the results from that $1,340 Sony HC1. Even so, the HD1 can look miles better than any other pocketcorder's video. At its best, it humbles even most tape camcorders.
Without good light and a tripod, though, the HD1 comes up short. Indoor shots and low-light scenes are marred by dancing pixels and compression "artifacts," or blotchy pixel clusters. And when it comes to image stability, the HD1 represents a perfect storm of problems. First, you have to hold this camcorder vertically, with one hand, a recipe for jiggles. Second, because it lacks an eyepiece viewfinder, you have to hold the HD1 at arm's length, further reducing stability. Finally, the wide-screen, horizontal orientation of high-definition video tends to exaggerate hand-held jitters.
The HD1 does have an image stabilizer, but it doesn't do much (see the sample video online). And it sacrifices the outer margins of the video frame. It is already weak in the wide-angle department - to fit a six-foot adult in the frame, you must back up about 15 feet, or 5 meters - and the stabilizer makes the situation even worse.
Finally, it's worth noting that the HD1's autofocus is excruciatingly slow.
So no, the HD1 is not likely to become the independent filmmaker's camera of choice. But the fact that you can carry this gadget in a pants pocket is surely worth something. The fact that it's turned on and ready to record in two seconds is valuable, too. Even when there's a "real" camcorder sitting on the same shelf, a typical family videographer may often be tempted to grab the HD1 when something adorable is going on in the living room; the HD1's simplicity and immediacy earn it big points for trust and convenience.
As our appreciation of technology blossoms, so, unfortunately, does our cynicism. We've learned the hard way that those "five-mile" walkie-talkies don't even cover the backyard, that no version of Windows "just works" and that when you call for tech support, your call is not important to them.
Thousands of people have also learned that those pocket-size camera-camcorders are generally rip-offs. Instead of tapes, they record onto expensive memory cards that hold only about 20 minutes of video. Zoom power and battery life are terrible. As for the photo and video quality, only camera phones do a worse job. You're forgiven for being skeptical, therefore, on learning of a new pocketcorder - the Sanyo Xacti HD1, arriving in March - that purports to record high-definition video.
HDTV? From a camera the size of a bar of soap? In a world that's slowly but surely moving toward a high-def future, that would indeed be something. It would make the HD1 the world's smallest HDTV camera - and at $800, by far the least expensive. Until now, the smallest, least expensive HDTV camcorder was Sony's spectacular HC1, about $1,340 online.
Could the Xacti HD1 be as good as it sounds? The answer is no. But it comes much closer than you might expect.
The HD1's 2.2-inch rotating screen uses technology known as OLED, for organic light-emitting diode, and offers brighter, more colorful images with much greater contrast than traditional LCD screens. In theory, OLED is also supposed to require much less power than LCD screens. But it doesn't seem to help the HD1 much; its battery lasts only an hour. The screen doesn't do well in bright sunlight, either.
Opening the screen turns on the camcorder. On paper, that's a sweet, natural feature that cuts down on the preparing-to-shoot checklist. In practice, though, it means the screen must be open to record anything, which eats up battery power and looks silly when you're just recording audio.
(The HD1 does make a superb, high-capacity tapeless tape recorder. Not only is the built-in mike crisp and clear, but Sanyo had the good sense to include a jack for an external microphone.)
When you're gripping the HD1 in shooting position - which is slightly uncomfortable, with the camera's sharp metal edges - two big buttons face you. One takes a picture. The other starts or stops video recording.
The five-megapixel stills are surprisingly good (samples are at www.nytimes.com/circuits). There is a full array of manual controls over factors like ISO (light sensitivity), shutter speed, aperture and white balance, plus an easy-to-work joystick that allows quick exposure adjustments when needed for conditions like backlighting or snow and beach scenes. But still shots of moving subjects often come out blurry, and in low light, the photos are grainy.
But what the world really wants to know is, how does the high-definition video look? As a Sanyo rep puts it, "Amazing quality can be seen from the HD1, especially in controlled lighting and when the camera is stabilized." He should have said "only," not "especially." Lighting and stabilization are big problems with this camcorder. Yes, it's true: park it on a tripod on a sunny day at the beach, and your home movies will be the talk of the family. You'll come home, plug it into your HDTV set (component and S-video cables are included), hit Play on the remote and blow people away with the clarity and beauty of the wide-screen, 1,280-by-720-pixel picture, what the geeks call 720p high-def video. (The HD1 also records standard-definition video with the press of one button.)
The video can't touch the quality of commercial HDTV, or even the results from that $1,340 Sony HC1. Even so, the HD1 can look miles better than any other pocketcorder's video. At its best, it humbles even most tape camcorders.
Without good light and a tripod, though, the HD1 comes up short. Indoor shots and low-light scenes are marred by dancing pixels and compression "artifacts," or blotchy pixel clusters. And when it comes to image stability, the HD1 represents a perfect storm of problems. First, you have to hold this camcorder vertically, with one hand, a recipe for jiggles. Second, because it lacks an eyepiece viewfinder, you have to hold the HD1 at arm's length, further reducing stability. Finally, the wide-screen, horizontal orientation of high-definition video tends to exaggerate hand-held jitters.
The HD1 does have an image stabilizer, but it doesn't do much (see the sample video online). And it sacrifices the outer margins of the video frame. It is already weak in the wide-angle department - to fit a six-foot adult in the frame, you must back up about 15 feet, or 5 meters - and the stabilizer makes the situation even worse.
Finally, it's worth noting that the HD1's autofocus is excruciatingly slow.
So no, the HD1 is not likely to become the independent filmmaker's camera of choice. But the fact that you can carry this gadget in a pants pocket is surely worth something. The fact that it's turned on and ready to record in two seconds is valuable, too. Even when there's a "real" camcorder sitting on the same shelf, a typical family videographer may often be tempted to grab the HD1 when something adorable is going on in the living room; the HD1's simplicity and immediacy earn it big points for trust and convenience.
Source: http://www.iht.com
Penax's Waterproof and Feature Rich New Camera!
Deciding to buy a digital camera can be a very difficult task. Digital camcorders can often take still shots, and most cellphones have a built in camera. It seems that there is little place in today’s society, for the traditional digital camera. Pentax refuses to accept this trend, and fights back with the Optio W10, an incredible new addition to its line of cameras. Pentax has listened to the average consumer, and figured out the perfect combination, for the perfect product: high functionality, with a low price tag. You can judge the result for yourself.
One of the most important features in a digital camera is the amount of megapixels that it offers, and Pentax doesn’t disappoint; the Optio W10 has 6 of them! Besides this, the Optio W10 is also waterproof, so don’t worry about having soaking the camera on your vacation in Hawaii. The LCD screen that shows a preview of the shot is an impressive 15,000 pixel 2.5” screen, so your pictures will look as beautiful as ever. The camera can also take video, at a very decent 30 frames per second, and it will saved in Quicktime format. It features a bunch of standard shot adjustments, such as color balancing, and sensitivity. The camera comes with 10 MB’s worth of built in memory, but this is obviously not enough for ANYONE. The SD slot offers you the opportunity to upgrade to as much memory as you want, so don’t worry. The whole package is around $300, which is more than fair, to say the least.
This is one of the best deals on a digital camera that I have ever seen. Many cameras use the waterproof feature as a gimmick, and sell the camera for a lot of money just because of it. Pentax offers this, and so much more for a very competitively low price. I particularly nice feature is that videos are automatically in Quicktime format. Since so many applications use this format, there’s less screwing around and converting to another format. All in all, an extremely well designed and priced product. Very recommended!
Source: http://www.dlmag.com
One of the most important features in a digital camera is the amount of megapixels that it offers, and Pentax doesn’t disappoint; the Optio W10 has 6 of them! Besides this, the Optio W10 is also waterproof, so don’t worry about having soaking the camera on your vacation in Hawaii. The LCD screen that shows a preview of the shot is an impressive 15,000 pixel 2.5” screen, so your pictures will look as beautiful as ever. The camera can also take video, at a very decent 30 frames per second, and it will saved in Quicktime format. It features a bunch of standard shot adjustments, such as color balancing, and sensitivity. The camera comes with 10 MB’s worth of built in memory, but this is obviously not enough for ANYONE. The SD slot offers you the opportunity to upgrade to as much memory as you want, so don’t worry. The whole package is around $300, which is more than fair, to say the least.
This is one of the best deals on a digital camera that I have ever seen. Many cameras use the waterproof feature as a gimmick, and sell the camera for a lot of money just because of it. Pentax offers this, and so much more for a very competitively low price. I particularly nice feature is that videos are automatically in Quicktime format. Since so many applications use this format, there’s less screwing around and converting to another format. All in all, an extremely well designed and priced product. Very recommended!
Source: http://www.dlmag.com
Getting the boxes to interplay.
At the recent International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the industry wowed visitors with gadgets designed to seduce the senses. But beneath the flashy veneer of the electronics lies a tangled mass of interoperability problems and related concerns.
Digital rights management (DRM) remains foremost on the minds of many, as content providers and others dig in their heels to protect their IP. Also unresolved is the struggle between the HD-DVD and Blu-ray camps for control of the next-generation optical-disk format.
Interoperability is the Gordian knot that links the various concerns. "There are issues across the board," said Mark Kirstein, VP of multimedia content and services for iSuppli Corp. "Interoperability is an enormous issue. It has legs in all directions."
There has been some positive movement on that front. The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance is hacking away at the rat's nest of wiring required to connect high-definition A/V equipment, working toward a protocol to allow single-cable connections. The Universal Display Interfaces Special Interest Group, meanwhile, is working on a video standard usable with both next-generation PCs and HDTVs.
There are also signs of progress on the DRM front. The Coral Consortium, a group of about 40 companies, claims it will release a final specification by June for a standard way to let diverse DRM systems share protected content. But the consortium is not sure when it will finish its next job: defining and implementing tests to verify that systems comply with the specs.
Roles, interfaces defined
Coral's first draft spec has been available since March under non-disclosure terms. It creates a model or template of the rights for using content acquired on one device and its associated DRM scheme, so that those rights can be transferred in a trusted manner to another device and DRM. The spec defines roles, interfaces and a trusted messaging mechanism.
A second draft spec will be released soon that "tightens up definitions of some of the roles and messaging infrastructure" and layers on definitions of usage models, said Jack Lacy, president of Coral and VP of standards for DRM developer Intertrust Technologies Corp.
Coral's approach will not require new hardware or any particular rights-expression language, Lacy said. But the group must define a set of conformance requirements and test procedures to ensure that devices adhere to the spec. Whether Coral should set up a service agency to manage testing and act as a rights clearinghouse "is being debated," said Lacy.
The good news is that "it's possible to start working on commercial products now, based on the draft specifications," said Scott Smyers, a VP of Sony Electronics Inc. and a Coral member.
Smyers is also president of the 150-plus-member Digital Living Network Alliance. DLNA runs a product logo program based on its interoperability guidelines, which reference open standards. By April, the alliance will put its weight behind one or more link-level copy-protection schemes, probably including Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP) over Internet Protocol. The group, which claims that 11 systems conform to its basic 1.0 guidelines for consumer interoperability, is at work on a next-generation spec that may ultimately reference the Coral group's work on DRM.
Industry efforts
In November, Europe's Digital Video Broadcast Project announced its first steps toward defining a comprehensive copy-protection scheme under its standard. The group launched three specs and is expected to release two more soon. Those will be followed by an effort to define the royalty terms under which the project's technology can be used.
Smyers said the DVB work is encouraging, but may be limited to systems using the DVB standard, while the Coral work deals with any digital consumer system. Nevertheless, because many of the same companies sit on Coral, DVB and DLNA, he sees cross-fertilization among the efforts.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) joined all three groups last year "to make sure there is some consistency" among them, said Brad Hunt, CTO of the MPAA. Hunt noted that a number of networked DVD players are about to emerge using DTCP-over-IP copy protection.
But others expressed skepticism about the various industry efforts. "We don't see much light at the end of this tunnel. There are efforts out there, but they aren't making much progress," said Van Baker, a consumer analyst for market watcher Gartner Dataquest. "Vendors are determined to monetize their own assets through proprietary technologies." He criticized Coral specifically because the group does not include the top two industry players—Apple Computer Inc., whose FairPlay DRM is used in the iPod, and Microsoft Corp., with its Windows Media DRM.
But Coral's Lacy countered that "you have to start somewhere." Even without Microsoft's participation, he said, Coral's work could be applied at the service level because service providers using Windows Media have the power to change and issue users' DRM licenses as needed.
The ultimate solution could require a realignment of the consumer industry from vertically oriented companies to a more horizontal structure in which different companies handle different pieces of the problem. That would make the consumer sector look more like the computer industry, said Mike Buckley, a director at Intel Capital, which manages a $200 million consumer fund.
In the meantime, "we are seeing a daily stream of ad hoc announcements between content providers and device makers," said Michael Gaumond, general manager of Motorola Inc.'s Connected Home Solutions group. He pointed to Apple's deals with Disney and NBC for licensing TV shows for viewing on the Video iPod, as well as Apple's deals to make the digital version of Madonna's catalog exclusive to Apple's iPod and FairPlay DRM.
Another bugaboo for the digital living room is the home network itself. Today, the industry has a host of open and proprietary nets for phone lines, coaxial cables, power lines and wireless. None can be automatically configured for technophobes.
"The glue that holds all this together is home networking and it stinks," said Gartner's Baker. "If home networking stays like it is, it will stall at 30 percent penetration."
The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance hopes to change that. Comprising media content providers, consumer electronics suppliers and IT companies, HANA is creating a high-level design protocol to connect HDTVs, A/V hard drives, personal video recorders and other gear via a single IEEE 1394 cable.
"We've all dealt with that rat's nest of wire behind our home entertainment centers," said Bruce Watkins, president and COO of HANA member Pulse-Link Inc. The alliance's concept would let consumers use one remote control per room to regulate all A/V functions. Customers could share personal content between IT and A/V networks, but commercial HD content would be protected. HANA is working with the Consumer Electronics Association, 1394 Trade Association, CableLabs, MPAA and others to safeguard DRM.
Also emerging is the Unified Display Interface, developed by a consortium of companies, including principal members Apple, Intel Corp., LG Electronics, National Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics and Silicon Image Inc. UDI will be compatible with the High-Definition Multimedia Interface, the standard digital interface for HDTVs and advanced consumer electronics displays.
"We're talking about a PC with a single connector that can hook up HDTVs," said Joe Lee, director of product marketing for PC/display products at Silicon Image, which helped develop the interface. "It is a just a matter a time before people replace set-top boxes with PCs capable of playing TV signals."
- Rick Merritt and Spencer Chin
EE Times
http://www.eetasia.com
Digital rights management (DRM) remains foremost on the minds of many, as content providers and others dig in their heels to protect their IP. Also unresolved is the struggle between the HD-DVD and Blu-ray camps for control of the next-generation optical-disk format.
Interoperability is the Gordian knot that links the various concerns. "There are issues across the board," said Mark Kirstein, VP of multimedia content and services for iSuppli Corp. "Interoperability is an enormous issue. It has legs in all directions."
There has been some positive movement on that front. The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance is hacking away at the rat's nest of wiring required to connect high-definition A/V equipment, working toward a protocol to allow single-cable connections. The Universal Display Interfaces Special Interest Group, meanwhile, is working on a video standard usable with both next-generation PCs and HDTVs.
There are also signs of progress on the DRM front. The Coral Consortium, a group of about 40 companies, claims it will release a final specification by June for a standard way to let diverse DRM systems share protected content. But the consortium is not sure when it will finish its next job: defining and implementing tests to verify that systems comply with the specs.
Roles, interfaces defined
Coral's first draft spec has been available since March under non-disclosure terms. It creates a model or template of the rights for using content acquired on one device and its associated DRM scheme, so that those rights can be transferred in a trusted manner to another device and DRM. The spec defines roles, interfaces and a trusted messaging mechanism.
A second draft spec will be released soon that "tightens up definitions of some of the roles and messaging infrastructure" and layers on definitions of usage models, said Jack Lacy, president of Coral and VP of standards for DRM developer Intertrust Technologies Corp.
Coral's approach will not require new hardware or any particular rights-expression language, Lacy said. But the group must define a set of conformance requirements and test procedures to ensure that devices adhere to the spec. Whether Coral should set up a service agency to manage testing and act as a rights clearinghouse "is being debated," said Lacy.
The good news is that "it's possible to start working on commercial products now, based on the draft specifications," said Scott Smyers, a VP of Sony Electronics Inc. and a Coral member.
Smyers is also president of the 150-plus-member Digital Living Network Alliance. DLNA runs a product logo program based on its interoperability guidelines, which reference open standards. By April, the alliance will put its weight behind one or more link-level copy-protection schemes, probably including Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP) over Internet Protocol. The group, which claims that 11 systems conform to its basic 1.0 guidelines for consumer interoperability, is at work on a next-generation spec that may ultimately reference the Coral group's work on DRM.
Industry efforts
In November, Europe's Digital Video Broadcast Project announced its first steps toward defining a comprehensive copy-protection scheme under its standard. The group launched three specs and is expected to release two more soon. Those will be followed by an effort to define the royalty terms under which the project's technology can be used.
Smyers said the DVB work is encouraging, but may be limited to systems using the DVB standard, while the Coral work deals with any digital consumer system. Nevertheless, because many of the same companies sit on Coral, DVB and DLNA, he sees cross-fertilization among the efforts.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) joined all three groups last year "to make sure there is some consistency" among them, said Brad Hunt, CTO of the MPAA. Hunt noted that a number of networked DVD players are about to emerge using DTCP-over-IP copy protection.
But others expressed skepticism about the various industry efforts. "We don't see much light at the end of this tunnel. There are efforts out there, but they aren't making much progress," said Van Baker, a consumer analyst for market watcher Gartner Dataquest. "Vendors are determined to monetize their own assets through proprietary technologies." He criticized Coral specifically because the group does not include the top two industry players—Apple Computer Inc., whose FairPlay DRM is used in the iPod, and Microsoft Corp., with its Windows Media DRM.
But Coral's Lacy countered that "you have to start somewhere." Even without Microsoft's participation, he said, Coral's work could be applied at the service level because service providers using Windows Media have the power to change and issue users' DRM licenses as needed.
The ultimate solution could require a realignment of the consumer industry from vertically oriented companies to a more horizontal structure in which different companies handle different pieces of the problem. That would make the consumer sector look more like the computer industry, said Mike Buckley, a director at Intel Capital, which manages a $200 million consumer fund.
In the meantime, "we are seeing a daily stream of ad hoc announcements between content providers and device makers," said Michael Gaumond, general manager of Motorola Inc.'s Connected Home Solutions group. He pointed to Apple's deals with Disney and NBC for licensing TV shows for viewing on the Video iPod, as well as Apple's deals to make the digital version of Madonna's catalog exclusive to Apple's iPod and FairPlay DRM.
Another bugaboo for the digital living room is the home network itself. Today, the industry has a host of open and proprietary nets for phone lines, coaxial cables, power lines and wireless. None can be automatically configured for technophobes.
"The glue that holds all this together is home networking and it stinks," said Gartner's Baker. "If home networking stays like it is, it will stall at 30 percent penetration."
The High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance hopes to change that. Comprising media content providers, consumer electronics suppliers and IT companies, HANA is creating a high-level design protocol to connect HDTVs, A/V hard drives, personal video recorders and other gear via a single IEEE 1394 cable.
"We've all dealt with that rat's nest of wire behind our home entertainment centers," said Bruce Watkins, president and COO of HANA member Pulse-Link Inc. The alliance's concept would let consumers use one remote control per room to regulate all A/V functions. Customers could share personal content between IT and A/V networks, but commercial HD content would be protected. HANA is working with the Consumer Electronics Association, 1394 Trade Association, CableLabs, MPAA and others to safeguard DRM.
Also emerging is the Unified Display Interface, developed by a consortium of companies, including principal members Apple, Intel Corp., LG Electronics, National Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics and Silicon Image Inc. UDI will be compatible with the High-Definition Multimedia Interface, the standard digital interface for HDTVs and advanced consumer electronics displays.
"We're talking about a PC with a single connector that can hook up HDTVs," said Joe Lee, director of product marketing for PC/display products at Silicon Image, which helped develop the interface. "It is a just a matter a time before people replace set-top boxes with PCs capable of playing TV signals."
- Rick Merritt and Spencer Chin
EE Times
http://www.eetasia.com
Monday, February 13, 2006
NEC Brings UWB One Step Closer to Mainstream Use.
NEC announced that it has succeeded in developing the first reliable signal creation and processing technology in the wireless 3- to 9-gigahertz (GHz) wide bandwidth range, enabling high-speed wireless transmission of data from computers and digital home appliances.
Features of the ultra wideband (UWB) transceiver technology:
Development of ultra-wide range compensation circuit technology, which is capable of stable signal creation and processing across a wide spectrum of frequencies (3-9 GHz)
Development of ultra low-power supply voltage amplifier technology
Development of new technology to compensate for characteristic variation in transistors that use low power
Use of a 90-nanometer (nm) advanced CMOS process for high-frequency operation
To realize the wide spectrum of frequencies, NEC developed an oscillator that can generate signals in the 3-9 GHz range. In addition, an ultra-high- speed gain amplifier and band-pass filter have been added into the oscillator to change the gain in accordance with fast band hopping, achieving a flat characteristic output in the 3-9 GHz band. Low-supply voltage amp requires especially high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. This new development introduces a new amp that achieves high performance for both large amplitude and noise rejection simultaneously. To date, variation-compensation circuits have had a voltage-adjustment circuit to compensate for distortion in each individual circuit. This new development instead places one voltage-adjustment circuit on a chip and uses a bus to distribute compensation voltages, drastically reducing the amount of power needed for variation correction.
UWB is capable of wireless transmission at speeds faster than that of fiber-optic transmission by achieving a maximum speed of 480 megabits per second (Mbps). Due to this ability to send and receive large volumes of information at high speeds, UWB is expected to play a role in the wireless connection of DVD recorders and TVs, transmission of downloaded music to audio players and connection of computers to nearby wireless appliances. By eliminating the need for cumbersome cables, UWB will guarantee ease of use in all kinds of situations and allow freedom of connectivity and interaction among a wide variety of devices.
Recently, with an increase in the number of offices and homes that are using wireless LAN, users are looking to further increase the speed of their wireless connections. However, present wireless LAN connections can only achieve a maximum of 54 Mbps, creating the need for even faster communication speeds to enable the transmission of large volumes of data such as images and music. UWB is expected to improve wireless transmission speeds up to 480 Mbps; however, existing UWB transceivers are only capable of being used in the 3-5 GHz spectrum, which causes performance degradation of actual speed if many UWB appliances operate simultaneously. In response to these needs, NEC has developed a UWB transceiver that can operate at higher frequencies to bring UWB into mainstream use and accommodate a future increase in users.
NEC is certain that its technology will significantly contribute to the realization of high speed wireless networks at home and in the office, and plans to strengthen its research toward the early commercialization of UWB products.
Source: NEC
http://www.d-silence.com
Features of the ultra wideband (UWB) transceiver technology:
Development of ultra-wide range compensation circuit technology, which is capable of stable signal creation and processing across a wide spectrum of frequencies (3-9 GHz)
Development of ultra low-power supply voltage amplifier technology
Development of new technology to compensate for characteristic variation in transistors that use low power
Use of a 90-nanometer (nm) advanced CMOS process for high-frequency operation
To realize the wide spectrum of frequencies, NEC developed an oscillator that can generate signals in the 3-9 GHz range. In addition, an ultra-high- speed gain amplifier and band-pass filter have been added into the oscillator to change the gain in accordance with fast band hopping, achieving a flat characteristic output in the 3-9 GHz band. Low-supply voltage amp requires especially high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. This new development introduces a new amp that achieves high performance for both large amplitude and noise rejection simultaneously. To date, variation-compensation circuits have had a voltage-adjustment circuit to compensate for distortion in each individual circuit. This new development instead places one voltage-adjustment circuit on a chip and uses a bus to distribute compensation voltages, drastically reducing the amount of power needed for variation correction.
UWB is capable of wireless transmission at speeds faster than that of fiber-optic transmission by achieving a maximum speed of 480 megabits per second (Mbps). Due to this ability to send and receive large volumes of information at high speeds, UWB is expected to play a role in the wireless connection of DVD recorders and TVs, transmission of downloaded music to audio players and connection of computers to nearby wireless appliances. By eliminating the need for cumbersome cables, UWB will guarantee ease of use in all kinds of situations and allow freedom of connectivity and interaction among a wide variety of devices.
Recently, with an increase in the number of offices and homes that are using wireless LAN, users are looking to further increase the speed of their wireless connections. However, present wireless LAN connections can only achieve a maximum of 54 Mbps, creating the need for even faster communication speeds to enable the transmission of large volumes of data such as images and music. UWB is expected to improve wireless transmission speeds up to 480 Mbps; however, existing UWB transceivers are only capable of being used in the 3-5 GHz spectrum, which causes performance degradation of actual speed if many UWB appliances operate simultaneously. In response to these needs, NEC has developed a UWB transceiver that can operate at higher frequencies to bring UWB into mainstream use and accommodate a future increase in users.
NEC is certain that its technology will significantly contribute to the realization of high speed wireless networks at home and in the office, and plans to strengthen its research toward the early commercialization of UWB products.
Source: NEC
http://www.d-silence.com
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Consumer Reports Advice on Buying HDTV, Plasma TV, LCD TV Sets; March Issue Has Latest Ratings.
A combination of holiday deals on high definition TVs, hoopla surrounding HD television broadcasts of the Super Bowl and Olympics, and the arrival of sets with bigger screens and lower prices will find many consumers pumped up about buying an HDTV. And the March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports magazine suggests that there's no reason to hold off that purchase but also offers consumers some must-have advice when shopping for a new HDTV set. The March issue also contains CR's latest expert and unbiased Ratings on LCD TV, plasma TV, rear-projection and picture-tube TVs.
- New brands: Be open to some new names but wary of others. Some off-brands cost much less than major brands and consumers may expect them to be mediocre, as was the result in many cases. But several of the low-priced LCD television sets that CR tested did surprisingly well.
- Time a purchase to take advantage of expected price drops. While lesser-known television brands are playing the price card, consumers also will find that major brands are becoming less expensive. The price erosion is likely to continue especially for the biggest, priciest sets. By summer, prices of 50-inch plasma TVs and LCD TV flat panels larger than 40 inches could fall by $500. But little change is likely for picture-tube TVs and CRT-based rear-projection TV sets. The magazine notes that consumers could save money on the biggest-screen TVs if they are willing to wait a few months. But CR also advises that there's little reason to wait to buy a smaller LCD television or plasma TV set, or a tube-based set.
- Buy a big screen TV to see the best HD broadcasts. Consumer Reports' survey of 500 HDTV owners showed that viewing enjoyment increased with screen size, and many wished they'd purchased a bigger set. The magazine recommends opting for a 16:9 wide screen, which is better suited to viewing HD TV programming. And for optimal viewing, sit at least 4 feet from a 37-inch or smaller HDTV set and 5 to 9 feet from a 40-65-inch screen. Images may appear coarse to viewers sitting any closer.
- Consider the digital-tuner setup. HD-ready TVs require an external digital tuner such as a cable or satellite box to receive high-definition broadcasts. Integrated HDTV sets have built-in digital tuners that enable them to receive free broadcast digital signals, including HD, via VHF/UHF antenna. But they need a cable or satellite box to receive HD programs and premium channels via those subscription services. Some integrated TV sets also have QAM tuners. Besides getting digital signals by antenna, they can receive unscrambled digital-cable signals - including the local HD channels in cable packages - via a cable into the set, without a box. Digital-cable-ready (DCR) televisions can tune in HD TV programming and premium channels with a CableCard (rented from the cable company for a few dollars a month) that goes into a slot on the TV. But CR notes that DCR TV is one-way, so there is no access to interactive program guides, video on demand, or pay-per-view ordering via the remote. Second-generation DCR-TVs aren't due for a while.
- Decide whether to pay top dollar for a state-of-the-art 1080p TV. In Consumer Reports initial tests of 1080p sets (the first with the potential to display all the detail in 1080i signals, the most common HD TV format) some showed very fine detail but others didn't make the most of the high resolution. Improved detail related to 1080p resolution alone doesn't guarantee excellent images. If consumers want the best possible quality and cost is no issue, CR recommends shoppers buy a 1080p set. But if excellent picture quality is top priority, consumers can save by buying one of the best non-1080p TV sets instead.
- Consider differences in reliability. Consumer Reports notes that it's too soon to know about the long-term reliability of many of these TV sets and advises that consumers not rule out an extended warranty for LCD television and plasma television sets, especially for off-brands and expensive models. But the magazine also warns that consumers should pay no more than 15 to 20 percent of the TV's cost. Microdisplays using LCD TV, DLP, or LCoS TV technology have been the most repair-prone type during their first year of use according to CR survey data. Toshiba DLP TVs have been less repair-prone than most.
The full report on CR's must-have advice for HDTV shoppers and the latest Ratings of LCD television, Plasma television, Rear-projection television and picture-tube TVs appears in the March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports which goes on sale February 7, 2006 wherever magazines are sold. The report will also be available online to subscribers of ConsumerReports.org at http://www.ConsumerReports.org?source=CR66 .
- - - -
CONTACT: Consumers Union Media Relations - Lauren Hackett, 914-378-2561, lhackett@consumer.org; or Alberto G. Rojas, 914-378-2434, arojas@consumer.org
ABOUT: Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants.
Media Contact: Lauren Hackett, 914-378-2561, lhackett@consumer.org; or Alberto G. Rojas, 914-378-2434, arojas@consumer.org
http://newswire.ascribe.org
- New brands: Be open to some new names but wary of others. Some off-brands cost much less than major brands and consumers may expect them to be mediocre, as was the result in many cases. But several of the low-priced LCD television sets that CR tested did surprisingly well.
- Time a purchase to take advantage of expected price drops. While lesser-known television brands are playing the price card, consumers also will find that major brands are becoming less expensive. The price erosion is likely to continue especially for the biggest, priciest sets. By summer, prices of 50-inch plasma TVs and LCD TV flat panels larger than 40 inches could fall by $500. But little change is likely for picture-tube TVs and CRT-based rear-projection TV sets. The magazine notes that consumers could save money on the biggest-screen TVs if they are willing to wait a few months. But CR also advises that there's little reason to wait to buy a smaller LCD television or plasma TV set, or a tube-based set.
- Buy a big screen TV to see the best HD broadcasts. Consumer Reports' survey of 500 HDTV owners showed that viewing enjoyment increased with screen size, and many wished they'd purchased a bigger set. The magazine recommends opting for a 16:9 wide screen, which is better suited to viewing HD TV programming. And for optimal viewing, sit at least 4 feet from a 37-inch or smaller HDTV set and 5 to 9 feet from a 40-65-inch screen. Images may appear coarse to viewers sitting any closer.
- Consider the digital-tuner setup. HD-ready TVs require an external digital tuner such as a cable or satellite box to receive high-definition broadcasts. Integrated HDTV sets have built-in digital tuners that enable them to receive free broadcast digital signals, including HD, via VHF/UHF antenna. But they need a cable or satellite box to receive HD programs and premium channels via those subscription services. Some integrated TV sets also have QAM tuners. Besides getting digital signals by antenna, they can receive unscrambled digital-cable signals - including the local HD channels in cable packages - via a cable into the set, without a box. Digital-cable-ready (DCR) televisions can tune in HD TV programming and premium channels with a CableCard (rented from the cable company for a few dollars a month) that goes into a slot on the TV. But CR notes that DCR TV is one-way, so there is no access to interactive program guides, video on demand, or pay-per-view ordering via the remote. Second-generation DCR-TVs aren't due for a while.
- Decide whether to pay top dollar for a state-of-the-art 1080p TV. In Consumer Reports initial tests of 1080p sets (the first with the potential to display all the detail in 1080i signals, the most common HD TV format) some showed very fine detail but others didn't make the most of the high resolution. Improved detail related to 1080p resolution alone doesn't guarantee excellent images. If consumers want the best possible quality and cost is no issue, CR recommends shoppers buy a 1080p set. But if excellent picture quality is top priority, consumers can save by buying one of the best non-1080p TV sets instead.
- Consider differences in reliability. Consumer Reports notes that it's too soon to know about the long-term reliability of many of these TV sets and advises that consumers not rule out an extended warranty for LCD television and plasma television sets, especially for off-brands and expensive models. But the magazine also warns that consumers should pay no more than 15 to 20 percent of the TV's cost. Microdisplays using LCD TV, DLP, or LCoS TV technology have been the most repair-prone type during their first year of use according to CR survey data. Toshiba DLP TVs have been less repair-prone than most.
The full report on CR's must-have advice for HDTV shoppers and the latest Ratings of LCD television, Plasma television, Rear-projection television and picture-tube TVs appears in the March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports which goes on sale February 7, 2006 wherever magazines are sold. The report will also be available online to subscribers of ConsumerReports.org at http://www.ConsumerReports.org?source=CR66 .
- - - -
CONTACT: Consumers Union Media Relations - Lauren Hackett, 914-378-2561, lhackett@consumer.org; or Alberto G. Rojas, 914-378-2434, arojas@consumer.org
ABOUT: Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants.
Media Contact: Lauren Hackett, 914-378-2561, lhackett@consumer.org; or Alberto G. Rojas, 914-378-2434, arojas@consumer.org
http://newswire.ascribe.org
Friday, February 10, 2006
Huge Government HDTV Rebates Available to Entrepreneurs.
San Diego, CA - Congress has approved billions of dollars in tax breaks in the past decade, all with the goal of getting more money into the pockets of its citizens. Unfortunately, millions of taxpayers routinely overlook these new tax laws. Savvy taxpayers - the ones who realize that small business owners are entitled to a myriad of tax deductions that the average person isn't qualified for - have begun to access these additional deductions by simply starting a business.
Sandy Botkin, former IRS attorney turned tax strategist and Brightbox™ WealthYOUniversity faculty member, stated: “We have two tax systems in this country. One for employees, which is designed to take your wealth on dollar one - and - one for self-employed individuals, who are taxed on their net after all deductions have been taken, which is designed to create economic growth.” ( www.BrightboxUniversity.info )
Taking advantage of these huge tax savings is easy - simply covert personal expenditures into deductible business expenses. Many business expenses are readily apparent: phones, faxes and automobiles. Yet some, like a high definition television (HDTV), are easily overlooked.
Before reaching for a credit card, make sure the HDTV purchase can be justified as a business need - a businesses plan is the simplest way of providing this justification. Also, record keeping is an integral part of proving that a High Definition TV is being used appropriately - maintain a usage log to document that the HDTV is a necessary and integral part of generating business income.
With Brightbox™:
· Any business that uses an Internet web site for marketing can use a Brightbox™ to display a business presentation in the comfort of a living room on a - very impressive - HDTV.
· Individuals can qualify by simply marketing the set-top box.
Lee Matthews, President of IncomeHarvest, stated: “Brightbox™ has strong partnerships, $47,000 in unique business & personal development content, a growing community and a business model that takes advantage of the natural actions of consumers and the rapidly growing direct sales model.”
About Brightbox ( www.bbb-corporate.info )
Brightbox, Inc. delivers both hardware and content for Internet TV and home entertainment. It also offers a marketing referral program.
About IncomeHarvest ( www.ultimateTVdevice.info )
IncomeHarvest, established in 2005, develops a global network of home-based businesses to market Brightbox™ - a TiVo-like “convergence” device which functions as both a Personal Video Recorder (PVR / PDR / DVR) and Media Center. Brightbox™ supports video conferencing, Karaoke and The Learning Network™. IncomeHarvest also introduces personal and business development programming to Television and the Internet by matching content providers with businesses seeking an expanded Internet-TV presence.
For further information, contact:
Lee Matthews
President, IncomeHarvest
www.ultimateTVdevice.com
(888) 841-2254
Sandy Botkin, former IRS attorney turned tax strategist and Brightbox™ WealthYOUniversity faculty member, stated: “We have two tax systems in this country. One for employees, which is designed to take your wealth on dollar one - and - one for self-employed individuals, who are taxed on their net after all deductions have been taken, which is designed to create economic growth.” ( www.BrightboxUniversity.info )
Taking advantage of these huge tax savings is easy - simply covert personal expenditures into deductible business expenses. Many business expenses are readily apparent: phones, faxes and automobiles. Yet some, like a high definition television (HDTV), are easily overlooked.
Before reaching for a credit card, make sure the HDTV purchase can be justified as a business need - a businesses plan is the simplest way of providing this justification. Also, record keeping is an integral part of proving that a High Definition TV is being used appropriately - maintain a usage log to document that the HDTV is a necessary and integral part of generating business income.
With Brightbox™:
· Any business that uses an Internet web site for marketing can use a Brightbox™ to display a business presentation in the comfort of a living room on a - very impressive - HDTV.
· Individuals can qualify by simply marketing the set-top box.
Lee Matthews, President of IncomeHarvest, stated: “Brightbox™ has strong partnerships, $47,000 in unique business & personal development content, a growing community and a business model that takes advantage of the natural actions of consumers and the rapidly growing direct sales model.”
About Brightbox ( www.bbb-corporate.info )
Brightbox, Inc. delivers both hardware and content for Internet TV and home entertainment. It also offers a marketing referral program.
About IncomeHarvest ( www.ultimateTVdevice.info )
IncomeHarvest, established in 2005, develops a global network of home-based businesses to market Brightbox™ - a TiVo-like “convergence” device which functions as both a Personal Video Recorder (PVR / PDR / DVR) and Media Center. Brightbox™ supports video conferencing, Karaoke and The Learning Network™. IncomeHarvest also introduces personal and business development programming to Television and the Internet by matching content providers with businesses seeking an expanded Internet-TV presence.
For further information, contact:
Lee Matthews
President, IncomeHarvest
www.ultimateTVdevice.com
(888) 841-2254
Snell & Wilcox Adds Multifunction Decoding and HDTV Conversion to IQ Modular Range.
Best-in-class decoding and complete HD conversion solutions join broadcast industryâs most comprehensive infrastructure range
Snell & Wilcox is putting its industry-leading technologies into a series of new IQ Modular products that raise the quality bar for video decoding and HDTV conversion in the broadcast infrastructure domain. Providing a must-have capability for facilities that want to transition to digital and HDTV operations at a controlled and cost-effective pace, these new additions to the companyâs IQ Modular portfolio bring unrivaled performance in a compact package.
IQDEC Series Synchronizer/Decoder
Snell & Wilcox is well-known for its excellence in video decoding, and the introduction of the IQDEC series of modular decoder/synchronizers takes this technology to the next level. Offering higher quality, stability, and functionality than any other product in its class, the IQDEC range is the ultimate front-end processor for any type of input coming into a broadcast facility. Powerful, flexible, and robust, these modules offer features such as video decoding, frame synchronization, and powerful noise reduction. For example, the new IQDEC04 decoder and synchronizer provides premium 12-bit Golden Gate decoding technology and powerful compression-friendly noise reduction to deliver maximum picture quality while minimizing MPEG bit usage. The IQDECâs advanced 3D decoding algorithms, powered by Golden Gate technology, extract more information from analog picture sources than other decoders, making IQDEC the ideal bridge from analog to digital or from analog direct to HD. A full-frame synchronizer with horizontal and vertical phasing controls allows the output to be timed to a facilityâs master clock. Proc. amp controls and a powerful, built-in noise reducer provide a complete signal conditioning solution in a single-width module.
IQUDC Series HDTV Up/Down/Crossconverters
The new IQUDC synchronizing HD/SD-SDI up-, down-, and crossconverters complete the transition between standard and high definition formats. Offering set-it-and-forget-it operation for multirate broadcast operations or variable input/output environments, IQUDC devices convert SD-SDI signals to HD-SDI and vice versa and crossconvert HD-SDI signals of the same frame rate (1080i and 720p). Features include a fixed-mode aspect ratio converter and closed caption support for analog line 21 formats.
With full proc. amp and synchronization built in, the IQUDC has the versatility to serve as an incoming lines module on the front end, as an HD-to-SD (or SD-to-HD) converter on the back end, or as a stand-alone aspect ratio converter, with or without conversion. Moreover, the IQUDC seamlessly handles both embedded PCM and non-PCM audio and is capable of processing up to 16 channels of embedded audio alongside the video.
"Our IQ Modular products deliver major benefits for broadcasters at every stage of the transition to digital and HD," said Joe Zaller, vice president of marketing at Snell & Wilcox. "For example, they give smaller broadcasters the ability to upgrade to digital operations without needing to replace completely all analog studio cameras, whereas a larger facility already equipped with an SDI plant can use IT-aware IQ Modular products to bridge HD and file-based technologies."
www.snellwilcox.com
http://syphaonline.com
Snell & Wilcox is putting its industry-leading technologies into a series of new IQ Modular products that raise the quality bar for video decoding and HDTV conversion in the broadcast infrastructure domain. Providing a must-have capability for facilities that want to transition to digital and HDTV operations at a controlled and cost-effective pace, these new additions to the companyâs IQ Modular portfolio bring unrivaled performance in a compact package.
IQDEC Series Synchronizer/Decoder
Snell & Wilcox is well-known for its excellence in video decoding, and the introduction of the IQDEC series of modular decoder/synchronizers takes this technology to the next level. Offering higher quality, stability, and functionality than any other product in its class, the IQDEC range is the ultimate front-end processor for any type of input coming into a broadcast facility. Powerful, flexible, and robust, these modules offer features such as video decoding, frame synchronization, and powerful noise reduction. For example, the new IQDEC04 decoder and synchronizer provides premium 12-bit Golden Gate decoding technology and powerful compression-friendly noise reduction to deliver maximum picture quality while minimizing MPEG bit usage. The IQDECâs advanced 3D decoding algorithms, powered by Golden Gate technology, extract more information from analog picture sources than other decoders, making IQDEC the ideal bridge from analog to digital or from analog direct to HD. A full-frame synchronizer with horizontal and vertical phasing controls allows the output to be timed to a facilityâs master clock. Proc. amp controls and a powerful, built-in noise reducer provide a complete signal conditioning solution in a single-width module.
IQUDC Series HDTV Up/Down/Crossconverters
The new IQUDC synchronizing HD/SD-SDI up-, down-, and crossconverters complete the transition between standard and high definition formats. Offering set-it-and-forget-it operation for multirate broadcast operations or variable input/output environments, IQUDC devices convert SD-SDI signals to HD-SDI and vice versa and crossconvert HD-SDI signals of the same frame rate (1080i and 720p). Features include a fixed-mode aspect ratio converter and closed caption support for analog line 21 formats.
With full proc. amp and synchronization built in, the IQUDC has the versatility to serve as an incoming lines module on the front end, as an HD-to-SD (or SD-to-HD) converter on the back end, or as a stand-alone aspect ratio converter, with or without conversion. Moreover, the IQUDC seamlessly handles both embedded PCM and non-PCM audio and is capable of processing up to 16 channels of embedded audio alongside the video.
"Our IQ Modular products deliver major benefits for broadcasters at every stage of the transition to digital and HD," said Joe Zaller, vice president of marketing at Snell & Wilcox. "For example, they give smaller broadcasters the ability to upgrade to digital operations without needing to replace completely all analog studio cameras, whereas a larger facility already equipped with an SDI plant can use IT-aware IQ Modular products to bridge HD and file-based technologies."
www.snellwilcox.com
http://syphaonline.com
SanDisk Becomes No. 2 Seller of MP3 Players. Flash Memory Chip Makes Device Cheaper Than IPOD.
By John Boudreau,
Mercury NewsOne does not usually think of flash-memory card maker SanDisk as a leader in fashion technology. But the Sunnyvale-based company has quietly become the No. 2 seller in the United States of the hottest tech trend -- digital music players.
They are creators of the un-iPods.
SanDisk won't be rolling out big TV campaigns featuring silhouetted dancers. And the company's digital music players, while sleek, have yet to inspire breathless prose from reviewers. ``We want to be a strong No. 2 in the MP3 space,'' said Eric Bone, SanDisk's director of consumer product marketing.
The SanDisk devices are aimed at people looking for an alternative to the Apple Computer models and who want to load their devices up with songs sold through services other than iTunes. But SanDisk, a leader in the market of USB flash drives -- those little storage devices small enough to hook onto your key chain -- and flash memory cards, has a strong presence in retailers across the country.
The company reported a record $2.3 billion in revenues for 2005, and sold a million digital music players during the recent holiday quarter. Apple, on the other hand, registered a whopping 14 million iPod sales during the holiday period. Still, SanDisk's sales were an impressive showing for the company, which entered the digital music player market in November 2004.
``We already have the channels. We have the brand,'' SanDisk Chief Executive Eli Harari said. ``We are not Apple. We are not an iPod. But we have a highly respected brand.''
A key to its success has been the sudden embrace of flash memory chips, which are replacing small disk drives in the devices. Flash memory chips are used in small handheld devices, such as cell phones, digital music players and digital cameras, because they can store large amounts of data even when the power is turned off. Technology, Harari said, has reduced the price of producing flash memory, which is more durable and enables manufacturers to create thinner products than devices with hard disk drives. Apple unveiled its flash-based devices, the wafer-like iPod nano that weighs 1.5 ounces, last September.
Though not nano-thin, SanDisk's new Sansa line of digital music players, which will hit stores next month, resembles the iPod. ``If you had asked anyone in the industry just a year ago where would the MP3 market be today, no one could have predicted this,'' the SanDisk chief and co-founder said. ``It has really come on like a tornado. It has definitely been accelerated by the iPod nano.''
SanDisk was an early innovator in the use of NAND flash memory chips as hard disk drive replacements -- NAND and NOR are two types of flash memory. Because of that, the company has key patents and draws royalties from other flash memory manufacturers, such as Samsung.
Now, it's also manufacturing flash memory as a result of a joint venture with Toshiba. That means it can get its own source of flash chips at wholesale prices, giving it a cost advantage over competitors who must buy their chips from either SanDisk or one of its licensees. SanDisk can always undercut the makers of the MP3 flash players on price. That, in part, explains its quick rise in the market: The most expensive component of a digital music player is the memory.
``MP3 players really aren't complicated to make, and it's a higher-margin way to sell flash memory,'' said ThinkEquity Partners analyst Eric Ross.
SanDisk's strategy is to offer digital music devices to those ``beyond the middle class,'' Harari said. ``Our passion is to bring the cost of these devices down. It's basically about creating new markets in which people can afford a product.''
SanDisk has also used its strong U.S. retail presence, built on the popularity of its USB flash memory drives and memory disks, to gain market share in digital music players, said Stephen Baker, director of industry analysis for the researcher NPD Group.
``They use their flash and USB products to help get good distribution for the MP3 players,'' he said. That includes grouping various product promotions, holiday sales promotions and campaigns that also benefit retailers. And SanDisk established a niche that is just outside Apple's powerful marketing reach.
``When people are looking for something that is functional and relatively low cost, they have a great solution,'' Baker said. ``They have a price advantage. They own the memory.''
SanDisk's current Sansa music players range in price from $79 to $149 with a disk capacity from 256 megabytes to 2 gigabytes, though promotions can cut the price of its most basic model to as low as $40. Apple announced Tuesday a new 1 GB iPod nano that will cost $149, and said it is lowering the price of its iPod shuffle to $69 for the 512-megabyte model and $99 for the 1 GB version.
Next month, SanDisk is launching a higher-end line that will come with iPod-like prices, from $120 to $300.
The SanDisk devices come equipped with FM tuners, voice recording and software that allows people to play purchased digital songs and music downloads from services such as Rhapsody, Napster and Yahoo Music. The new Sansa devices have color screens and allow users to view photos. The Sansa e200 series comes with video viewing capabilities.
But Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research, thinks being a solid No. 2 in the digital music player business will be hard to sustain. ``Apple walloped everybody last quarter,'' Wu said. And the new, lower-priced iPods ``will make life harder for non-Apple vendors. If I were the competitors, I would be worried.''
SanDisk is realistic: It knows that, at least for now, the digital music world sways to Apple's beat. ``There are people who, no matter what, will buy an iPod,'' Bone said. ``All I want is for people to think there is an alternative.''
http://www.mercurynews.com
Mercury NewsOne does not usually think of flash-memory card maker SanDisk as a leader in fashion technology. But the Sunnyvale-based company has quietly become the No. 2 seller in the United States of the hottest tech trend -- digital music players.
They are creators of the un-iPods.
SanDisk won't be rolling out big TV campaigns featuring silhouetted dancers. And the company's digital music players, while sleek, have yet to inspire breathless prose from reviewers. ``We want to be a strong No. 2 in the MP3 space,'' said Eric Bone, SanDisk's director of consumer product marketing.
The SanDisk devices are aimed at people looking for an alternative to the Apple Computer models and who want to load their devices up with songs sold through services other than iTunes. But SanDisk, a leader in the market of USB flash drives -- those little storage devices small enough to hook onto your key chain -- and flash memory cards, has a strong presence in retailers across the country.
The company reported a record $2.3 billion in revenues for 2005, and sold a million digital music players during the recent holiday quarter. Apple, on the other hand, registered a whopping 14 million iPod sales during the holiday period. Still, SanDisk's sales were an impressive showing for the company, which entered the digital music player market in November 2004.
``We already have the channels. We have the brand,'' SanDisk Chief Executive Eli Harari said. ``We are not Apple. We are not an iPod. But we have a highly respected brand.''
A key to its success has been the sudden embrace of flash memory chips, which are replacing small disk drives in the devices. Flash memory chips are used in small handheld devices, such as cell phones, digital music players and digital cameras, because they can store large amounts of data even when the power is turned off. Technology, Harari said, has reduced the price of producing flash memory, which is more durable and enables manufacturers to create thinner products than devices with hard disk drives. Apple unveiled its flash-based devices, the wafer-like iPod nano that weighs 1.5 ounces, last September.
Though not nano-thin, SanDisk's new Sansa line of digital music players, which will hit stores next month, resembles the iPod. ``If you had asked anyone in the industry just a year ago where would the MP3 market be today, no one could have predicted this,'' the SanDisk chief and co-founder said. ``It has really come on like a tornado. It has definitely been accelerated by the iPod nano.''
SanDisk was an early innovator in the use of NAND flash memory chips as hard disk drive replacements -- NAND and NOR are two types of flash memory. Because of that, the company has key patents and draws royalties from other flash memory manufacturers, such as Samsung.
Now, it's also manufacturing flash memory as a result of a joint venture with Toshiba. That means it can get its own source of flash chips at wholesale prices, giving it a cost advantage over competitors who must buy their chips from either SanDisk or one of its licensees. SanDisk can always undercut the makers of the MP3 flash players on price. That, in part, explains its quick rise in the market: The most expensive component of a digital music player is the memory.
``MP3 players really aren't complicated to make, and it's a higher-margin way to sell flash memory,'' said ThinkEquity Partners analyst Eric Ross.
SanDisk's strategy is to offer digital music devices to those ``beyond the middle class,'' Harari said. ``Our passion is to bring the cost of these devices down. It's basically about creating new markets in which people can afford a product.''
SanDisk has also used its strong U.S. retail presence, built on the popularity of its USB flash memory drives and memory disks, to gain market share in digital music players, said Stephen Baker, director of industry analysis for the researcher NPD Group.
``They use their flash and USB products to help get good distribution for the MP3 players,'' he said. That includes grouping various product promotions, holiday sales promotions and campaigns that also benefit retailers. And SanDisk established a niche that is just outside Apple's powerful marketing reach.
``When people are looking for something that is functional and relatively low cost, they have a great solution,'' Baker said. ``They have a price advantage. They own the memory.''
SanDisk's current Sansa music players range in price from $79 to $149 with a disk capacity from 256 megabytes to 2 gigabytes, though promotions can cut the price of its most basic model to as low as $40. Apple announced Tuesday a new 1 GB iPod nano that will cost $149, and said it is lowering the price of its iPod shuffle to $69 for the 512-megabyte model and $99 for the 1 GB version.
Next month, SanDisk is launching a higher-end line that will come with iPod-like prices, from $120 to $300.
The SanDisk devices come equipped with FM tuners, voice recording and software that allows people to play purchased digital songs and music downloads from services such as Rhapsody, Napster and Yahoo Music. The new Sansa devices have color screens and allow users to view photos. The Sansa e200 series comes with video viewing capabilities.
But Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research, thinks being a solid No. 2 in the digital music player business will be hard to sustain. ``Apple walloped everybody last quarter,'' Wu said. And the new, lower-priced iPods ``will make life harder for non-Apple vendors. If I were the competitors, I would be worried.''
SanDisk is realistic: It knows that, at least for now, the digital music world sways to Apple's beat. ``There are people who, no matter what, will buy an iPod,'' Bone said. ``All I want is for people to think there is an alternative.''
http://www.mercurynews.com
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Marantz ZR6001SP Home Entertainment Solution.
Marantz, a household name in advanced high-quality home theatre systems, has announced the launch of its new home entertainment solution, the ZR6001SP. The ZR6001SP marks the debut of Marantz's DAvED multi-zone audio distribution technology. Now DAvED stands for Digital Audio via Electrical Distribution - a mechanism through which digital audio signals can be transmitted over existing AC power lines! Awesome!
The Marantz ZR6001SP includes the ZR6001 Audio/Video receiver and the ZC4001 Client. Using these three components consumers can very easily set up a multiple room digital audio distribution system at their homes (using DAvED of course).
The Marantz ZR6001 is a high-performance home theater receiver that features:
7 channels of discrete amplification
HD component video switching
Component or S-video up-conversion
32-bit DSP processing
192kHz/24-bit digital/audio converters for all channels
It delivers 90 watts of power into each of its seven main channels. In addition, Marantz’s new DAvED technology means owners of the ZR6001 can not only use their receiver as the centerpiece of their main home entertainment system, but they can also enjoy virtual wireless audio transmission to any room in the house by just plugging it into any wall socket and having the audio signals transmitted directly to one or more ZC4001 Clients.
With the Marantz ZC4001 Client you can enjoy CD-quality audio in any room inside your house. You can connect up to six such units to the main ZR6001 receiver. It has two high-performance loudspeakers and a built-in amplifier for some great sound. It's finished in light silver cosmetic with an elegant brown trim. It's quite portable too. The remote control provides bi-directional communication, allowing users to control tuners, CD players and other components connected to the ZR6001.
The Marantz ZR6001SP system, including both the ZR6001 receiver and ZC4001 Client, will be available in Spring 2006 at a suggested retail price of US$1,299.99. Additional ZC4001 units will be available at US$329.99 each.
http://www.mobilewhack.com
The Marantz ZR6001SP includes the ZR6001 Audio/Video receiver and the ZC4001 Client. Using these three components consumers can very easily set up a multiple room digital audio distribution system at their homes (using DAvED of course).
The Marantz ZR6001 is a high-performance home theater receiver that features:
7 channels of discrete amplification
HD component video switching
Component or S-video up-conversion
32-bit DSP processing
192kHz/24-bit digital/audio converters for all channels
It delivers 90 watts of power into each of its seven main channels. In addition, Marantz’s new DAvED technology means owners of the ZR6001 can not only use their receiver as the centerpiece of their main home entertainment system, but they can also enjoy virtual wireless audio transmission to any room in the house by just plugging it into any wall socket and having the audio signals transmitted directly to one or more ZC4001 Clients.
With the Marantz ZC4001 Client you can enjoy CD-quality audio in any room inside your house. You can connect up to six such units to the main ZR6001 receiver. It has two high-performance loudspeakers and a built-in amplifier for some great sound. It's finished in light silver cosmetic with an elegant brown trim. It's quite portable too. The remote control provides bi-directional communication, allowing users to control tuners, CD players and other components connected to the ZR6001.
The Marantz ZR6001SP system, including both the ZR6001 receiver and ZC4001 Client, will be available in Spring 2006 at a suggested retail price of US$1,299.99. Additional ZC4001 units will be available at US$329.99 each.
http://www.mobilewhack.com
Anchor Bay Technologies Announces Availability of Their Proprietary Chip and System Level Video Processing Solutions For OEM.
Anchor Bay Technologies, Inc. (ABT), creator of the award-winning DVDO® video processing technologies announced today the official launch of their Powered by ABT brand to the commercial market. Anchor Bay Technologies provides both chip and system level video processing solutions to equipment manufacturers and end customers. ABT is engaged in the sale of its semiconductor technology to OEMs for design into new video products, and also maintains a global distribution and sales network for its system-level product line.
Anchor Bay Technologies Vice President of Marketing, Mr. C. H. Chee stated, "ABT’s Precision Video Scaling technology was first deployed in ABT's DVDO iScan HD. It has recently been designed into Marantz’s DV9600 DVD player as well as Denon's flagship DVD player, the DVD-5910. All of our technologies are now available to manufacturers that demand exceptional video scaling performance.”
Anchor Bay Technologies is the original creator of the award winning line of DVDO® iScan™ video processor products and the first single chip video de-interlacer that incorporated 3:2 and 2:2 pull-down. Other trademarked technologies that will be marketed under Powered by ABT include: Precision Video Scaling™, RightRate™, AutoCUE-C™, and Precision AV LipSync™. Precision Video Scaling is the first of ABT's technologies being offered to OEMs. In the coming months new leading edge technologies that support the requirements of today's high definition displays will also be made available.
Available Powered by ABT Technologies:
ABT’s Precision Video Scaling™ technology is based on ABT's proprietary video scaling engine that can independently scale an image horizontally and vertically to achieve an outstanding picture quality for today's high resolution video displays. The scaling engine is completely flexible, accepting standard definition (480p, 576p) and high definition (720p and 1080i) inputs and outputting any resolution from VGA (640x480) to 1080p (1920x1080) with multiple standard and custom aspect ratios. Since the scaling engine is completely flexible, other image manipulation features are also supported including zoom, pan and border controls.
ABT's RightRate™ technology converts the input frame rate to the optimal display frame rate without causing 'tearing' in the output frame. ABT's high performance frame rate conversion also supports converting film sources from 24 frames per second to 48, 60 or 72 frames per second for NTSC format and from 25 frames per second to 50 or 75 frames per second for PAL/SECAM format. The higher frame rates eliminate flicker in high-end displays such as CRT front projectors. In addition, driving displays at 48 or 72 frames per second (NTSC) and 75 frames per second (PAL) often results in smoother motion in panning scenes. ABT's RightRate technology is extremely flexible, allowing the output frame rate of the video source to be changed to precisely match the frame rate requirement of today's high resolution displays.
ABT's AutoCUE-C™ technology automatically detects and removes chroma artifacts caused by incorrect up-sampling of the chroma (color) signals by MPEG decoders in DVD players and satellite receivers. These artifacts are especially noticeable as horizontal streaks in images with highly saturated colors. When these artifacts are removed, the picture quality of the images is significantly improved.
ABT's Precision AV LipSync™ technology automatically delays the audio signal to match the video processing delay in DVDO products. As a result, the AV lip-sync problem that is caused by video processing delay is eliminated. The audio delay can also be further adjusted to correct the AV lip-sync problem that may be already be present in the AV source.
“Anchor Bay Technologies has a history of creating innovative technologies for the home theater market. In 1997, ABT’s design team founded DVDO Inc., and launched a product that revolutionized the home theater video line doubler market. Powered by ABT is the future of the conversion process to HD resolution video for equipment manufacturers. Because of our success with Denon and various other CE manufacturers, we believe it is time to open up ABT’s chips and system level video processing solutions to a wider audience,” concluded Anchor Bay Technologies CEO Doug Fealtman.
About Anchor Bay Technologies, Inc.
Anchor Bay Technologies Inc. (ABT) designs, manufactures, and markets semiconductor and system-level solutions for the next generation of Digital Television and Digital Video electronic products. Headquartered in Campbell, California, ABT is the parent to DVDO® Home Theater Products and the creator of the proprietary DVDO iScan™ line of video processing systems. Anchor Bay Technologies’ Precision Video Scaling technology is based on ABT’s proprietary video scaling engine that can independently scale an image horizontally and vertically to achieve an outstanding picture quality for today’s high resolution video displays.
http://www.advancedimagingpro.com
Anchor Bay Technologies Vice President of Marketing, Mr. C. H. Chee stated, "ABT’s Precision Video Scaling technology was first deployed in ABT's DVDO iScan HD. It has recently been designed into Marantz’s DV9600 DVD player as well as Denon's flagship DVD player, the DVD-5910. All of our technologies are now available to manufacturers that demand exceptional video scaling performance.”
Anchor Bay Technologies is the original creator of the award winning line of DVDO® iScan™ video processor products and the first single chip video de-interlacer that incorporated 3:2 and 2:2 pull-down. Other trademarked technologies that will be marketed under Powered by ABT include: Precision Video Scaling™, RightRate™, AutoCUE-C™, and Precision AV LipSync™. Precision Video Scaling is the first of ABT's technologies being offered to OEMs. In the coming months new leading edge technologies that support the requirements of today's high definition displays will also be made available.
Available Powered by ABT Technologies:
ABT’s Precision Video Scaling™ technology is based on ABT's proprietary video scaling engine that can independently scale an image horizontally and vertically to achieve an outstanding picture quality for today's high resolution video displays. The scaling engine is completely flexible, accepting standard definition (480p, 576p) and high definition (720p and 1080i) inputs and outputting any resolution from VGA (640x480) to 1080p (1920x1080) with multiple standard and custom aspect ratios. Since the scaling engine is completely flexible, other image manipulation features are also supported including zoom, pan and border controls.
ABT's RightRate™ technology converts the input frame rate to the optimal display frame rate without causing 'tearing' in the output frame. ABT's high performance frame rate conversion also supports converting film sources from 24 frames per second to 48, 60 or 72 frames per second for NTSC format and from 25 frames per second to 50 or 75 frames per second for PAL/SECAM format. The higher frame rates eliminate flicker in high-end displays such as CRT front projectors. In addition, driving displays at 48 or 72 frames per second (NTSC) and 75 frames per second (PAL) often results in smoother motion in panning scenes. ABT's RightRate technology is extremely flexible, allowing the output frame rate of the video source to be changed to precisely match the frame rate requirement of today's high resolution displays.
ABT's AutoCUE-C™ technology automatically detects and removes chroma artifacts caused by incorrect up-sampling of the chroma (color) signals by MPEG decoders in DVD players and satellite receivers. These artifacts are especially noticeable as horizontal streaks in images with highly saturated colors. When these artifacts are removed, the picture quality of the images is significantly improved.
ABT's Precision AV LipSync™ technology automatically delays the audio signal to match the video processing delay in DVDO products. As a result, the AV lip-sync problem that is caused by video processing delay is eliminated. The audio delay can also be further adjusted to correct the AV lip-sync problem that may be already be present in the AV source.
“Anchor Bay Technologies has a history of creating innovative technologies for the home theater market. In 1997, ABT’s design team founded DVDO Inc., and launched a product that revolutionized the home theater video line doubler market. Powered by ABT is the future of the conversion process to HD resolution video for equipment manufacturers. Because of our success with Denon and various other CE manufacturers, we believe it is time to open up ABT’s chips and system level video processing solutions to a wider audience,” concluded Anchor Bay Technologies CEO Doug Fealtman.
About Anchor Bay Technologies, Inc.
Anchor Bay Technologies Inc. (ABT) designs, manufactures, and markets semiconductor and system-level solutions for the next generation of Digital Television and Digital Video electronic products. Headquartered in Campbell, California, ABT is the parent to DVDO® Home Theater Products and the creator of the proprietary DVDO iScan™ line of video processing systems. Anchor Bay Technologies’ Precision Video Scaling technology is based on ABT’s proprietary video scaling engine that can independently scale an image horizontally and vertically to achieve an outstanding picture quality for today’s high resolution video displays.
http://www.advancedimagingpro.com
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