AVREPORTER.NET Your Audio/Video Electronics Insider

Harman Kardon unveils Cinespecial 29

2007-08-31T00:38:00.000-04:00

Harman Kardon has just unveiled their brand new Cinespecial 29, bringing the high end 29 DVD player and the uber powerful AVR 350 A/V receiver in a totally new industrial design. Let’s sit back and see what the AVR 350 has to offer for consumers. For starters, the 7.1 channel AVR 350 receiver comes with a couple of HDMI 1.2a inputs that offer the ability to send and receive video signals in full HD (1080p) - you really can’t get anything better than that these days in your home. Not only that, you also benefit from the processing of associated audio signals along with upscaling of analog S-video or composite video signals to 720p (HDTV) thanks to Faroudja technology.

Other features include the EzSet/EQ automatic-calibration system, A/V Sync Delay for synchronizing audio and video signals, as well as the integration of The Bridge interface with expanded iPod audio and video playback, docking station, and remote control capability - all possible through the system remote. You can even configure the AVR 350 for multiroom operation, with the ability to configure back surround output levels in order to pipe audio to other rooms without the help of additional amplifiers courtesy of the A-BUS Ready system.

Components used by the AVR 350 include a Cirrus Logic CS49510 DSP processor, a high-resolution 192kHz/24-bit digital audio analog converter, a comprehensive bass manager and proprietary Harman Kardon Logic 7 processing, ensure realistic, detailed and pristine sound. As for the 29 DVD player, the extremely flat form factor might not look like much, but it does house a bunch of functions. Features include DVD Audio playback, all current video and audio formats, an integrated scaler for video upscaling, pixel-by-pixel image processing in progressive scan mode, and DivX technology for compressed video file support and playback. If you are not one who settles for less, the Harman Kardon Cinespecial 29 system will retail for €1,299 when it is released in October.

Source: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com

BURMESTER INTRODUCES NEW CLASSIC LINE CD PLAYER

2007-08-31T00:35:00.000-04:00

CEDIA EXPO, DENVER, Sept. 6, 2007 — Burmester US, a division of Burmester Audiosysteme, Germany’s leading manufacturer of high-performance electronics and speakers, introduces the 061 Classic Line CD Player, combining a warm, natural musicality with a classically elegant design, at CEDIA EXPO ‘07, beginning here today.

The newest member of Burmester’s Classic Line, the 061 CD Player is a dedicated top-loading CD Playback system, refined for demanding audiophiles who recognize sophisticated product design and demand uncompromised sound quality equally matched with superior build quality. Completing an overhaul of the Classic Line, the 061 CD player features a Phillips CD 2 Pro direct drive with a modified servo board that guarantees high-resolution audio as well as an intensely musical sound. Further contributing to its superb performance are advanced converter technology with switchable upsampling rates of 96 and 192 kHz, and top-of-the-line analog output stages.

The precision top loader is made of milled aluminum with a 10-millimeter thick tray that opens and closes as softly as butter on Teflon rails, making it a pleasure to insert a CD.

The 061 CD Player is also strongly protected against early obsolescence. Its built-in D/A converters are mounted on a separate D/A converter module that can be upgraded or retrofitted as needed for future developments. A multimedia Interface slot for future applications is also included, further enabling the 061 CD Player to accommodate new digital enhancements.

The 061 CD Player’s connection panel includes two digital RCA inputs and outputs, one Toslink optical digital input and output, a balanced XLR stereo output, and two unbalanced stereo RCA stereo outputs. All incoming digital signals are upsampled to the sample rate selected by the sample rate converter, and the D/A converter can also be used externally through the CD Player’s digital inputs. A remote control and Burmester Power 1.5 Cable are supplied as standard.

The 061 CD Player also features a unique security measure. Its serial number is indelibly stored in its control chips, and can be displayed by the user on the front-panel’s dot-matrix display. Any unauthorized change of the number will shut down the player, to be revived exclusively by Burmester.

The 061 CD Player can be optionally equipped with the newest version of Burmester’s BurLinkTM interface, which features RS-232 and USB2.0 ports. It’s ideal for integration with home automation systems, such as those from CrestronTM, AMXTM and other manufacturers.

Burmester’s new 061 Classic Line CD Player is available now in silver housing with a chrome front panel at a suggested price of $11,995. It can be seen with the company’s other outstanding products at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown, 1400 Welton Street (2 blocks from the Colorado Convention Center), during CEDIA EXPO.

About Burmester US
Burmester US is a wholly owned operation of Burmester Audiosysteme GMBH, Germany’s leader in high-end audio and one of the most respected names among manufacturers of high-quality stereo systems worldwide. Burmester’s product line goes back 30 years. Today, product lines include the moderately priced Rondo Line, the ambitious Classic Line, the Top Line (suiting listeners’ highest needs), and the no-compromise Reference Line. These lines include pre amplifiers and power amplifiers, multichannel amplifiers, integrated amplifiers, CD and DVD players, surround sound processors, FM tuners, power conditioners, speakers, and accessories for both two-channel and multichannel systems. Burmester offerings vary in price but never in their dedication to quality and musical performance at the highest level. All Burmester components fulfill the most stringent demands with respect to sound quality, reliability and ease of use, and all are beautifully, elegantly finished.

Burmester is also the appointed, exclusive partner for Bugatti to supply the sound systems for the Veyron 16.4.

For further technical information, visit www.burmester.de, or call Burmester US at 877-287-6310.

source: http://www.hometoys.com

Toshiba GigaBeat U Review

2007-08-29T14:31:00.000-04:00

Toshiba has continually improved its gigabeat line of MP3 players since the release of its F series, but apparently last year’s S series was the peak. The latest in the line is the gigabeat U, a tiny flash-based player with Toshiba’s signature crossbar controls. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have its big brother’s sweet Windows Mobile interface, making it feel pretty much like the rest of the also-ran flash players. For some reason, Toshiba is playing up the line-in MP3 recording feature, but we’re more impressed with the fact that you get a decent-sounding 2GB music player for under 100 bucks.

If cheaper is better, the gigabeat U ranks up near the top. But other than the aggressive price, there’s not a whole to differentiate it from the rest of the pack. The player is very compact at 3 by 1.4 by 0.5 inches, and it has a squint-worthy 1.1-inch OLED screen. The four-way cross-shaped controls surround a center select button, and just beneath the screen are Back and contextual menu buttons marked with an arrow and an odd-looking squiggle, respectively.

On top there’s a power/hold switch, and on the bottom there’s a standard mini-USB 2.0 connector and an eighth-inch headphone/line-in jack. The player’s metallic textured finish isn’t nearly as attractive as the glossy finish on the larger S series, but it still manages to look cute.

The gigabeat U is exclusively a Media Transfer Protocol device, meaning it only syncs with Windows-based music management software like Windows Media Player and Yahoo Music Jukebox. Once again, Mac users and Audible audiobook fans are left out in the cold. It supports WMA, protected WMA (download and subscription), WAV, and MP3 files, and it’s one of the only players out there to support WMA Lossless, though that’s not particularly useful on a 2GB player given the size of lossless files.

Navigating the gigabeat’s simple but unpolished interface isn’t difficult, but it’s definitely no Windows Mobile; I wouldn’t mind the boring menus if my expectations hadn’t been set by previous gigabeat models. There’s a slight lag when browsing your music, but it’s not frustratingly slow.

You can see six lines of text plus the header line, but scrolling through long lists (at least, as long as you’re going to get with only 2GB of storage) isn’t painful. It’s not very precise either; when you scroll extensively, lists keep scrolling for a couple lines after you release the up or down button. One thing I like is that when you get to the end of a list, you’re automatically brought back to the top of the list.

Every time you make a selection, there’s an audible high-pitched sound that’s not annoying enough to make me stop using the player, but one does wonder why Toshiba didn’t catch this before release.

You can create playlists on the fly via the misnamed bookmarking feature, but you can’t actually make bookmarks (automatic go-to spots within a file). Musicians and language learners will be glad to know there’s an A-B repeat feature for looping parts of a track.

The system noise is limited to button presses and isn’t present during playback, thankfully. The gigabeat’s overall sound quality when paired with decent headphones (like my Shure SE 420’s) is very good across the entire audible frequency range, and I didn’t hear any significant distortion at top volume. The headphone output is powerful enough to hit moderate volumes on full-size cans from the likes of Sennheiser and Grado, and it has no problem with any of the in-ear headphones I tried.

The included earbuds suck, and I’m not impressed by any of the sound-enhancement settings (a 5-band EQ and a handful of presets), but those are par for the course. At least you get a very respectable 30 hours of audio playback time on a single charge.

The combo headphone/input jack is for lining in audio and recording in MP3 format — in real time (45 minute CD takes 45 minutes to record). Although you can’t monitor your recordings via headphones, there are left and right level monitors on the screen. I could hear the compression on recordings, but the quality is certainly passable. If you’ve got a powered mic, the gigabeat could make a good recorder in a pinch, but I’d prefer something that records uncompressed audio, or at least higher bit rate MP3s.

The gigabeat lacks a voice recorder, but it’s got an FM tuner that can pick up stations reasonably well, though fringe stations (like 88.3FM in Newark, New Jersey) aren’t particularly clear. You can also record from the radio, which I find more useful than line-in recording.

Photos look pretty lame (blocky and low-res) on the OLED screen, and the colors are oversaturated. Then again, do you really want to look at pictures on a 1.1 inch screen? I’ll pass. The only other extra is a countdown/sleep timer.

The gigabeat U clearly isn’t out to impress anyone, but it could make a decent stocking stuffer by the time the holidays roll around — if other players like the iPod nano and iRiver Clix haven’t dropped in price by then, that is. At this price, the Creative Zen V Plus is the gigabeat’s main competitor; I prefer the Zen slightly for its better radio reception, voice recorder, video support, and bigger screen.

Source: http://crunchgear.com

NordicTrack(R) Kicks Off Its Official Football Season Treadmill

2007-08-29T14:24:00.000-04:00

LOGAN, UT -- 08/29/07 -- NordicTrack's Official Football Season Treadmill combines sports entertainment and exercise with a personal flat screen TV built into the console of the NordicTrack ViewPoint 3000. Now you don't have to sacrifice your workout to watch your favorite team, and you can transform "couch potato" time by walking and watching simultaneously.
The treadmill's cable and DVD-ready TV with built-in speakers also includes a multicolor display that shows your speed, time, distance and calories burned, so you don't have to miss a minute of the game to track your workout progress. And the progress will be phenomenal... if you walk at just 3 mph the entire game, you could burn more than 1,000 calories -- enough to balance out a plateful of chips and salsa! And with the extra wide treadbelt, there's no need to worry about losing your footing due to the excitement of the game.

For stadium-like sound experience, this NordicTrack treadmill boasts high-end surround-sound speakers that amplify the excitement of the game. Two 3-inch high-fidelity equalized speakers provide an optimum range of frequencies. There is also a built-in port to allow a full-range bass speaker, as well as an audio amplifier to maximize sound. And to keep everyone in the room happy, there's a built-in headphone jack so you can enjoy the game without disturbing others in the room... you'll just have to try to keep the cheers down!

With an integrated MP3 port, you can play football audio or video podcasts. Integrated speakers and a secure shelf mean you don't have to worry about losing your headphones or dropping your MP3 player while running.

For a pro-level workout, the NordicTrack® ViewPoint 3000 treadmill also offers users the voice and intelligence of a personal trainer using iFit® technology. Each iFit® workout card contains 24 different workouts in an eight-week program that builds toward a specific goal, such as weight loss or endurance. iFit® plans a new treadmill routine three times a week, each routine more challenging than the last. iFit® also coaches the user through the workout, providing tips for breathing correctly, reminding you to maintain good posture and automatically adjusting the treadmill's incline and speed.

The NordicTrack® ViewPoint 3000 treadmill has many other innovative features including:

-- QuickSpeed(TM) Control--instantly changes the speed from 0-12 MPH with
the touch of a button.
-- QuickIncline(TM) Control--instantly changes the incline from 0-12%
with the touch of a button.
-- Carb Counter(TM)--tracks the carbohydrates burned during a workout.
-- 14 Preset Workouts--allows you to choose everything from a low-
intensity walk to a high-intensity run, while the treadmill automatically
adjusts the speed and incline for goal-specific results.
-- 2 Learn Workouts--allows you to create and save up to two customized
workouts to be used over and over again for personalized results.
-- AutoBreeze(TM) Workout Fan--cools you down with four settings: low,
medium, high or AutoBreeze(TM), which matches the fan's airflow to your
speed.
-- EKG(TM) Heart Rate Monitor--provides a quick, accurate heart rate
reading with easy-grip sensors in the handlebars.
-- 350-lb. User Capacity
-- Warranty--lifetime motor warranty
-- Space Saver--folds for easy storage

The NordicTrack® ViewPoint 3000 is available exclusively at www.nordictrack.com for $1,199.

About NordicTrack

NordicTrack has a complete line of exercise equipment for the home: treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, strength training, yoga, and Pilates products, as well as fitness apparel for men and women which can be found at www.nordictrack.com.

NordicTrack is a brand owned by ICON Health and Fitness. ICON is one of the world's largest manufacturers of fitness equipment.

Source: http://www.earthtimes.org

TVs, PCs fight for living room space at tech fair

2007-08-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

Internet TV, mobile TV and video on demand may be the talk of the technology sector. But when it comes to buying decisions at this week's IFA electronics fair, television sets are set to be bigger business than ever.

Exhibitors from around the world will descend on Berlin hoping to tempt almost a quarter of a million visitors expected at the show to upgrade to slimmer, sleeker TV sets promising sharper pictures and helped by rapidly falling prices.

"Glass, in the form of TVs, is going to be huge again," Gartner analyst Mike McGuire said. "I don't see the TV losing the space in the living room just yet."

Globally, more than 200 million TV sets are expected to be sold this year, worth about $115 billion, or more than a third of total consumer electronics sales. Of those, most will still be traditional curved-screen cathode-ray tube TVs.

Electronics manufacturers are hoping a looming cut-off of analog TV signals in the United States, Europe and parts of Japan together with slowly starting high-definition TV (HDTV) broadcasts will persuade consumers to exchange their old sets.

Thin-screen LCD or plasma versions are on average five times more expensive.

A TV from Grundig that can be watched outdoors and a Loewe HDTV that can communicate with digital cameras, MP3 players and PC networks will be among the thousands of models on display at Europe's biggest consumer electronics fair.

In time, though, televisions and other analog equipment are expected to be replaced by PC-based systems. Gartner estimates this will take another three to four years. By that time, most market researchers expect TV set sales to begin falling.

That development is being pushed not only by PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard or Fujitsu-Siemens who have been offering complete home-entertainment systems for years, but also telecom operators keen to enter a new market.

This year's IFA will include a daylong conference on IPTV, which is still being held back by limited broadband delivery capacity and content rights issues. Deutsche Telekom's stand display will focus on IPTV.

While frenzied demand for hot consumer electronics products such as MP3 portable music players has slowed this year, PC sales are reviving.

Makers of video games consoles are also vying for their devices to take a central place in the living room while the portable versions are gaining new features.

Sony, for example, is expanding a planned video download service for its PlayStation Portable and aims to start selling an accessory next year that will turn it into a satellite navigation device.

Navigation devices themselves, meantime, are becoming much more than route finders: iPublish will be showing off its Merian Scout Navigator that comes complete with audio guides that automatically play when you pass a place of interest.

Gartner's McGuire says the new generation of young adults will drive a move away from TV-centered homes.

"If you're a young adult who grew up playing on a PlayStation 3 it's easier conceptually to add on features, it's a kind of logical extension if those subsystems perform well," he says. "They're a kind of Trojan horse into the living room."

The IFA opens to the public on Friday and runs until Sept 5.

Source: http://news.com.com

Akamai Brings High Definition to the Internet

2007-08-28T09:36:00.000-04:00

Company defines key technology criteria for delivering high-definition (HD) Internet video
* Akamai's unique edge distribution architecture enables a quality HD experience by reducing latency and increasing capacity
CAMBRIDGE, MA, August 27, 2007 -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the leading global service provider for accelerating content and applications online, today announced that a consistent, high-definition video experience is now possible online via its global content distribution network. Akamai’s customers are now delivering HD quality content on Akamai’s uniquely distributed edge delivery network that is specifically tuned for optimal delivery of HD files online.

"As broadband connectivity becomes more ubiquitous, users are demanding – and frankly should expect – a high-quality, high-definition video experience on the Internet," said Mike Afergan, chief technology officer, Akamai. "Delivering premium HD content is a critical way for our customers to attract and delight their audiences in today's highly competitive media environment. We are just at the beginning of a very exciting market opportunity for delivering premium HD content. Consumer demand exists, broadband is ready, and businesses are looking for ways to maximize the value of their high-production HD content."

Technical Criteria for delivering HD
HDTV is defined by the industry to be video with significantly high pixel resolution of 1080i, 1080p or 720p. In the broadcast world, the industry is undergoing a series of transformations that are standardizing the delivery of high-definition video to the home. For the Internet, Akamai is making the HD web possible by continuing to refine the infrastructure required to bring the HDTV experience to online audiences. Additionally, Akamai will continue to lead this effort with new service launches, device integration, and partnerships with technology vendors, expected in the coming months.

Akamai has architected its platform to comply with the following technical criteria that content owners must leverage to successfully enable an HD web. Akamai believes that it is the first and only platform to meet these technical requirements which include offering:

* Technology and an operational model to operate serving devices in the largest high-throughput networks around the world (servers need to be physically in the networks, as that is where the capacity lies)
* Established relationships with the largest high throughput networks
* Support for delivery, storage, and management of files greater than 2 Gigabytes
* Support of VC-1 and MPEG-4 video standards, achieving visual parity with other broadcast video networks
* Support for files with resolutions of 720p, 1080i and 1080p
* Client-side technology that is deeply integrated into its delivery system to be deployed as appropriate

Industry studies have proven that without meeting these criteria, online audiences will become impatient, tune out, and find premium HD content that works elsewhere. By ensuring these requirements are met, content providers are able to avoid slow or delayed downloads, the inability to serve HD content in its entirety, download interruptions, limited audience reach, and overall poor end-user satisfaction, which often accompany the download of large files. In addition, multi-player compatibility is crucial to meet the needs of a diverse end user community.

The Market is Ready
"As broadband video viewership has escalated, consumers have raised the stakes by demanding better and better content experiences," said Will Richmond, president and founder of Broadband Directions LLC, a market intelligence and consulting firm specializing in broadband-delivered video. "To deliver against these requirements, media and entertainment companies need to offer higher bit rate files with enhanced online fidelity of video and audio files. Doing so in a scalable and cost-effective manner requires that the necessary infrastructure to support high definition content must be deployed."

"The capacity to deliver high throughput files already exists at the 'edge' – leveraging the massive build-outs occurring in hundreds of individual networks. The challenge comes from how you tap into that capacity. The only way to solve this problem is to deliver from within these networks," continued Akamai's Afergan. "For example, on our distributed platform, we serve more than half of all the files, 500 MB or greater, at more than 1.4 Mbps, and this is only increasing. This demonstrates that, by leveraging the right architecture, there are already a large number of end-users capable of downloading higher quality content. This technical capability coupled with the market demand is exciting for the industry."

Akamai's Unique Architecture for High Throughput Media
To realize this same vision and fidelity in the online world, a 2-hour feature-length movie would need to be encoded at a bit rate of at least 6-8 Mbps, which would result in the file being a size of 5-8 GB. This presents numerous technical challenges to deliver such a high-quality, large file. For instance, delivering a file encoded at 6 Mbps to an audience of one Nielsen ratings point (1,102,000 households) would require 6.6 Terabits of sustained bandwidth, and that doesn’t even take into account latency and network congestion.

The availability of very large, last-mile bandwidth connections does not always mean that an end user will be able to completely leverage that access. A critical factor to enable high bit rate delivery of very large HD files is the proximity of the end-user to the server sending the file. As the distance from the server becomes greater, throughput dramatically decreases. Even a seemingly small distance can result in lost throughput due to lower throughput, higher packet loss, and increased latency.

As an example, the only way to achieve 10 to 20 Mbps throughput for typical PC end-users is if the server is less than 20 milliseconds away. The more latency, the longer it takes to download the file, which interrupts the viewing experience and results in a poor end-user experience. Compared with other centralized models, the results that Akamai's network offers high quality content are unmatched on a global scale.

Broadband subscribers are guaranteed to have a faster download, and enjoy a quality HD experience, when downloading content from servers nearby the request. With servers distributed in over 750 cities, Akamai addresses these technology requirements with its unique edge delivery model that reduces latency to levels necessary for a quality HD experience. Because distance matters for high-quality large files, all content, whether it is frequently or rarely requested, must be served closest to the end user. Akamai's unique technology automatically and instantly spreads popular content on-demand for better scalability.

In addition, many large HD videos are not always watched in their entirety. It is therefore optimal to locally cache only the portion of a file that is most requested by end users, which on average is the beginning of the file or movie. This partial caching of HD video enables both popular and less popular, long-tail content to be served from the edge to guarantee optimal performance.

"Akamai's goal is to be able to support 100 Terabits per second of traffic. Our flexible and distributed architecture uniquely positions us to realize that vision and we are aggressively progressing toward that goal," said Afergan. "We are also committed to the long-term objective of building an ecosystem linking content owners, network providers and video platform players to ensure a superior HD web experience wherever last-mile infrastructure permits."

About Akamai
Akamai® is the leading global service provider for accelerating content and business processes online. Thousands of organizations have formed trusted relationships with Akamai, improving their revenue and reducing costs by maximizing the performance of their online businesses. Leveraging the Akamai EdgePlatform, these organizations gain business advantage today, and have the foundation for the emerging Web solutions of tomorrow. Akamai is "The Trusted Choice for Online Business." For more information, visit www.akamai.com.

Source: http://www.allamericanpatriots.com

Powerhouse notebook acts as HD theatre

2007-08-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

Toshiba laptop is an all in one entertainment and productivity centre
8/28/2007 8:58:00 AM
by Lee Rickwood
Today's PC aficionado is always on the lookout for ‘something more' from their computer systems, whether the hardcore gaming computer type or the established extreme professional user.

Toshiba is producing a notebook that acts as a television, digital music player, computer, HD DVD burner and HD DVD player all in one.

Toshiba's Qosmio G40, built around Intel's mobile Santa Rosa chipset - with the T7300P Core 2 Duo processor - features built-in dual 200GB hard drives, and 2GB RAM standard. Toshiba's Qosmio is built with a surplus of power, memory and storage to handle demanding HD video requirements.

Flip open the lid, and you're looking at a gorgeous 17-inch screen, delivering resolutions up to 1920 x 1200. The screen's powered by the GeForce 8600 GT graphics controller from NVIDIA, for excellent gaming and video playback performance.

The Qosmio G40 is the first notebook I have seen with a built-in HD-DVD-R drive, for recording and playback of the highest quality videos and movies. Output from the notebook to an HDTV or widescreen flat panel is easy - the latest HDMI 1.3 connection is built in, eliminating the need for multiple audio and video hook-up cables.

Control over this ultra-capable computer is just as feature-packed. It does have a remote controller, so you could just sit on your comfy couch and watch HD movies all day without getting up! Or, you could use its cool built-in joywheel, located just above the keyboard, and with one finger, spin through your DVDs or music library.

The Qosmio is available in a black and grey colour combination, so it looks as cool as it is capable. As you might expect, it is no lightweight - either in heft, over nine pounds, or in price - it starts at $2,799.

Source: http://www.itbusiness.ca

Olevia(TM) Debuts New 65'' LCoS(TM) Full-HD 1080p HDTV

2007-08-28T09:31:00.000-04:00

New LCoS(TM) HDTV Displayed Alongside 65" LCD HDTV at CEDIA Expo 2007 - Olevia(TM) Booth #822
By BusinessWire
TEMPE, Ariz., BUSINESS WIRE -- Syntax-Brillian (Nasdaq:BRLC), a manufacturer and marketer of LCD and LCoS(TM) HDTVs and digital entertainment products, today announced the debut of a new 65" LCoS(TM) HDTV, model number 665H in its popular Olevia(TM) brand of HDTVs. The Olevia(TM) 665H includes premium features and technology for the mainstream consumer and commercial markets.

The Olevia(TM) 665H features full-HD 1080p resolution. It will be on display along with the 65" Olevia(TM) 665i LCD HDTV and award-winning Olevia(TM) 747i 47" LCD HDTV in Booth #822 at the CEDIA EXPO 2007 trade show at the Denver Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, from September 6-9, 2007.

The Olevia(TM) 665H LCoS(TM) HDTV features include:

-- Utilizes the award-winning, 6-megapixel Brillian UltraContrast(TM) LCoS(TM) light engine technology with true 1920x1080p resolution and Pixelworks DNX video processing

-- High-definition native resolution 1920x1080 panels and a super fast 4ms response time ideal for fast-action viewing

-- Dynamic contrast ratio of 2000:1, a cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio, and 90% fill factor to eliminate pixelation

-- Versatile connectivity options including: 1 ATSC/NTSC combo tuners, 2 HDMI with HDCP, 2 component, VGA, 2 S-video, 2 composite, PC Input supporting HDMI, VGA-1920x1080 @ 60 Hz and RF Inputs for standard definition TV, 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p

-- RS-232 control, FutureProof(TM) user upgradeable firmware via USB, overscan minimization with Big Picture Technology(TM) and OleviaCare(TM) customer support

-- MSRP: $1,999; available through regional retailers and custom installation specialist beginning Q4 2007

"The new full-HD Olevia(TM) 665H continues Syntax-Brillian's tradition of LCoS(TM) technology innovation and is an attractive choice for anyone interested in premium performance whether in the mainstream consumer or commercial markets," said Sam Miller, Chief Product Officer for Syntax-Brillian. "In both LCD and LCoS(TM) technologies, Olevia(TM) HDTVs continue to provide consumers with an increasing array of compelling display choices that combine advanced digital-image processing technologies with engineering excellence to create products that stand out with stunning picture quality, powerful performance and elegant design."

About Syntax-Brillian Corporation

Syntax-Brillian Corporation (www.syntaxbrillian.com) is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of LCD and LCoS(TM) HDTVs, digital cameras, and microdisplay entertainment products.

The company's lead products include its Olevia(TM) brand (www.Olevia.com) high definition widescreen LCD and LCoS televisions -- one of the fastest growing global TV brands -- and Vivitar brand (www.vivitar.com) digital still and video cameras. Syntax-Brillian has built an Asian supply chain coupled with an international manufacturing and distribution network to support worldwide retail sales channels and position the company as a market leader in consumer digital entertainment products.

Olevia(TM), Brillian, LCoS and Vivitar are trademarks or registered trademarks of Syntax-Brillian Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: http://dmnnewswire.digitalmedianet.com

The end of an era: The analog switch-off nears

2007-08-28T09:28:00.000-04:00

NTSC, the analog television system standard that has brought America’s most-loved broadcasts to living rooms since 1941 — from The Honeymooners to the The Ed Sullivan Show to Seinfeld — is on its way out. Beginning February 17, 2009, all U.S. television broadcasts will be exclusively digital.

The analog switch-off will render all non-digital televisions obsolete and herald a new era of television technologies. The initiative is part of a worldwide trend toward digital-only broadcasting. Luxembourg and the Netherlands were the first countries to make the switch in 2006; Sweden and Switzerland are soon to follow.

To ease the transition, most U.S. broadcasting companies are currently beaming their signals in both analog and digital formats. As of March of this year, all newly manufactured television sets that receive over-the-air signals have been required to include digital or high definition (HDTV) tuners, by order of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The advantages of digital television include special services such as multiplexing (more than one program on the same channel), electronic program guides, and additional languages. Digital channels also take up less bandwidth, meaning that broadcasters can provide more channels in the same space. Thanks to cable and satellite services, consumers can surf through literally hundreds of channels. Voluntary standards from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a member and accredited standards developer of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), helps TV viewers take advantage of television’s countless possibilities.

Digital Transmission Standard For Cable Television, ANSI/SCTE 07 2006, describes the channel coding, modulation, and framing structure for digital, multi-service distribution for cable TV. The system can be used with satellite distribution, since many cable systems are fed directly from satellite links. ANSI/SCTE 40-2004, Digital Cable Network Interface Standard, specifies the network interface between consumer TV equipment and a cable television plant to enable multi-channel programming.

Another ANSI member and accredited standards developer the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is currently at work on standards that will help further support the thriving industry. BSR/IEEE 1632-200x, will detail methods for measuring the power level of digitally-modulated television signals, while BSR/IEEE 1631-200x will specify means of measuring the frequency spectrum. Both standards will include definitions to apply and interpret the measurement techniques.

Source: http://www.reliableplant.com

Casio's slim Exilim EX-Z77 has plenty of shooting modes and easy uploading to YouTube. Will it be our celebrity-spotting compact camera of choice?

2007-08-24T01:34:00.000-04:00

Design

One of our favorite aspects of Casio cameras in general is the body. While weighing in a bit heavier than some similarly-sized cameras, we find a bit of weight to be preferable, especially in slim-design point-and-shoot models. The camera feels solid, very well-made, and the metal body resisted minor falls and scrapes. All the buttons were responsive, and most were labeled well enough to understand without too much difficulty. The lens retracts into the body when the camera is turned off or in photo review mode, providing reasonable protection.

The 2.6" LCD screen serves as an effective viewfinder, but the low-resolution screen wasn't a good indicator of whether a picture would turn out well once it was on our computer. Still, we understand this is a problem that will be endemic to high-megapixel cameras.

Interface and Features

The Z77 has no shortage of menus. We had trouble familiarizing ourselves, but we can forgive navigational issues, thanks to the EX-Z77's myriad included features. The expansive menus can be a bit intimidating, but the Z77's impressive feature set can hardly be contained. Two of our favorite features are Best Shot and the YouTube capture mode. Best Shot (BS, they're acronym, not ours) is a group of presets for various picture-taking scenarios. It certainly isn't perfect, but makes taking shots of things like running water, twilight and landscapes a lot easier, especially for Joe Q. Pointandshoot. Still, we miss some of the BS modes we've seen on other Exilim's, especially the Panorama mode.

Even more interesting than Best Shot is the YouTube capture mode. Digital cameras have long been able to record video for the popular viral video web site, but the process for uploading was not for the uninitiated. First, you had to get the .avi file onto the computer. Second, use video-editing software to shrink it to a manageable size that met YouTube's size limit of 100MB. Finally, use the web upload tool on the web site to upload the video and enter any description.

With the YouTube capture mode on the Z77 and the included YouTube Uploader software, Casio simply took a few steps out of the equation. The uploader program pops up as soon as a camera or card is connected to the computer, and every video is listed. You select which videos you want to upload, enter a description, and click a button.

Poof! You're famous! The video is already formatted in a YouTube-friendly format, and unless you're filming a three-hour movie, it's almost guaranteed to come in under the file size limit. However, if for some reason you are shooting the sequel to Ken Burns' epic "Baseball," you can still edit the video without any complicated or expensive editing software. Basic editing functions can be performed in-camera, and while they are limited, they¹re just enough for a basic YouTube user.

The photo software Casio bundled with is relatively bare-bones. It is armed with a few options, including burn to disk, send by email, print, slideshow and order prints. However, the largest resolution possible for e-mailing photos through the program is 800x600, and you can't order prints online, but rather need a blank memory card to store photos for your local photo developer to print for you. The software isn't terrible, it just doesn't do anything you couldn't do easier somewhere else. Not to mention, it's not attractively designed. The software is simply a hub to view and store photos; the only editing option available is rotate, of which even Windows Fax and Picture Viewer is capable. Premium features may have been available for an additional cost, but when we clicked on the link within the program, we were taken to a dead page.

Storage capacity is minimal (coming in at just over 11MB), but many cameras don't pack any internal storage. We were happy to find an SD slot, as the format is currently the most ubiquitous and inexpensive, but we were even happier to find the ability to read SDHC cards, as the first 32GB cards are just starting to appear over the horizon.

Camera Quality

The 3X optical zoom lens is almost standard for compact point-and-shoot models, but it would be nice to see ISO settings a little higher than ISO 800, especially when comparable models are shipping with ISO 1600. That being said, it isn't bad for a $230 camera, and the 7.2 megapixel sensor, anti-shake and a wide range of shutter speeds (4 seconds to 1/2000 of 1 second) round out what is ultimately a decent piece of hardware.

While the auto-focus worked well enough, it certainly was not fast. We would have liked the camera to tell us which subjects in the frame were being focused on, but it generally picked the one we wanted. The anti-shake also definitely made a difference, although the video anti-shake didn't work as well as the still photo anti-shake. However, when taking self-portraits, even though our hand would shake, we were still able to get a clear image.

Startup times on the EX-Z77 were good, and the shutter also responded quickly. We were able to go from the off position to a focused, finished photo in under 3 seconds, and about half that time for the second shot. We also liked the in-camera editing functions, which included rotation, resizing and cropping, although we couldn't get color balance to work. However, for such large image files, the LCD resolution was too low to see if the editing we did was an improvement or not.

Image Quality

With the right lighting, the images taken with the EX-Z77 looked crisp, clear and focused. Nighttime shooting was more problematic, as any long-distance photos without optimal lighting looked extremely noisy. The camera captured fast moving subjects well, like a man on a bike, or a moving car or bus on the street. We had less success when we ourselves were moving, as supposed to the subject.

We were able to get great close-up shots during night or day, as well as great landscape shots during the day. Landscape night shots, however, were a bit trickier, and even well-focused shots end up with a lot of noise.

With so many Best Shot modes to play with, we decided to select four that fit the scenarios we were shooting and break them down.

High-resolution image samples

Shot taken with full automatic settings This shot, taken on fully automatic settings, shows what good lighting, no movement and good focus can produce on the EX-Z77.

Shot taken in Twilight Best Shot Mode On the night we took our images in Twilight Best Shot mode, it was cloudy and raining, and we had terrible lighting sources, yet the EX-Z77 was still able to capture a somewhat decent image. We still got a lot of noise, but our image was better than without the Best Shot mode enhancements.

Shot taken in Landscape Best Shot ModeAgain, we got wonderful results from shooting with the Landscape Best Shot mode…until we tried to take pictures at night. This sample shot (from the NY Beckham game) had lots of external light, but the players seemed to be just too far away to get a crisp image.

Shot taken in eBay Best Shot Mode This mode simply turns the megapixel count down to 2MP as well as turning face detection and anti-shake off. There isn't much to this mode, but it does keep the size of the photo within eBay's file size limitations, and recognizes you'll be taking pictures of a product, not a person.

The image quality of YouTube capture mode videos compared to non-YouTube capture mode was night and day. The YouTube preset may make things easier, but it also makes them uglier. Pixellated images and low resolutions were the name of this game. That being said, the microphone was VERY receptive, and picked up sound at an outdoor concert very well. Unfortunately, with the poor lighting and low resolution, the image wasn't captured as nicely.

Accessories

Strangely omitted from the included accessories is a dock, which we liked on other Casio Exilim models (if only for organizational purposes). Instead of having to take out the battery and charge it with the included battery charger, it would be nice to be able to just pop the camera in a dock and start charging immediately, then connect to the computer with the push of a button. Inconvenience aside, the camera comes with most everything needed to take pictures and videos and put them on your computer or play them on your TV. An included SD card would be nice, but that's a rarity in this market. I tems that were included: Lithium Ion Battery, Battery charger, AC power cord, camera strap, usb cable, AV cable and a CD-ROM with software.

Pros:

Best Shot modes are helpful. YouTube capture mode is convenient. Slim design. Good optical zoom.

Cons:

Confusing menus. Poor image quality in low light. No dock.

Conclusion:

The EX-Z77 is slim, solid and practical, a camera you might find yourself taking everywhere. The lack of a dock is disappointing, but both novice and expert point-and-shoot camera users will find themselves satisfied with the size and speed of the device. Images left us wanting better quality, especially under low-light conditions, but the anti-shake features did help a bit, and the Best Mode scenes filled in the gaps in our camera expertise. The menus are a little confusing and could use a little feng shui, but for the most part this is a nice device.

80%
Very good

Price and availability

Available in the U.S. in September 2007, the Casio Exilim EX-Z77 is priced at $230 .

Source: http://www.infosyncworld.com

Pentax S10 10-megapixel digital camera

2007-08-24T01:33:00.001-04:00

Pentax recently announced its Optio Z10 and S10 digital cameras.

The 8-megapixel Optio Z10 has a 7x optical zoom lens and face recognition technology for improved portrait shots.

The 10-megapixel S10 can take video in DivX format for playback on DivX DVD players and other devices.

Priced at US$249.95 each, both cameras will ship in September. The Pentax Optio S10 will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart Stores in the US.

The Search is Over - HDTV's Quest for the Perfect Companion Ends With TiVo(R) HD, Now Widely Available in Retail

2007-08-23T01:08:00.000-04:00

- New research confirms the qualities people seek in companions mirror the qualities embodied by the TiVo HD DVR, the perfect match for HDTV -
August 22, 2007: 08:30 AM EST

ALVISO, Calif., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TiVo Inc. , the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced consumers have widespread access to TiVo(R) HD, the new affordably priced high definition DVR, at retailers across the country. Now, fully stocked at leading retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City, TiVo HD has staked its claim as the ultimate HDTV companion since launching for pre-order in late July.

With even more consumers ready to bring HDTV into their living rooms, the question of what makes for a perfect companion to HDTV is even more relevant. A recent study* found the personality traits people seek in a companion directly reflect the qualities that TiVo HD provides for HDTVs. The lesson is clear: human attributes that make for good companions in "real life" can be parlayed to technology, a truism passionately espoused by over 4 million TiVo subscribers. Respondents chose from a list of attributes, with the top qualities selected all illustrating why TiVo HD and HDTV are perfect companions on the level of Lucy and Desi, Marge and Homer or June and Ward. The results:

-- Fun to be with 62.4%
Whether rating favorite shows with the peanut remote's Thumbs Up(TM)
and Thumbs Down(TM) buttons, the TiVo character offering a big smile
as you sail through on-screen menus, or even that classic 'be-doop'
sound, TiVo, now in HD, isn't just another pretty picture -- it's
amazingly fun to use.

-- Caring 60.5%
If caring really does mean sharing, then TiVo HD proves claim to this
category. TiVo HD learns your interests and shares them with you,
offering the best entertainment experience in broadcast TV and
broadband video programming that only the TiVo service can provide.
TiVo even scours the Web's largest selection of movie and TV
downloads from Amazon.com and delivers them straight to your TV, yet
another way TiVo shows it cares.

-- Dependable 57.7%
Go ahead -- sleep in, stay out, or both! You can trust TiVo HD to
manage your entertainment schedule each and every day, 24/7. TiVo is
always working its tail off to find and record the programs you care
about most, sometimes suggesting new shows you might also enjoy. And,
the TiVo service even adjusts recording times for programs that
suddenly change schedules, so you never have to worry.

-- Has similar interests 45.8%
Inspired by shows and movies it knows you already love, TiVo will
often surprise you with suggestions for new programs you might enjoy
-- when there's available space to record additional shows. The TiVo
service never bumps previously scheduled recordings without your
permission.

-- Intelligent 44.1%
If there was an SAT in show searching, TiVo HD would have a perfect
score. TiVo is the only DVR smart enough to help you to find and
record programs in broadcast and cable television as well as
broadband video using the coolest and easiest to use search tool on
the planet. Using the super-smart Swivel(TM) search, TiVo finds how
your favorite actors are connected to each other in new fun ways,
linking one show to another through common actors, directors or even
genre, starting with one star to find an entirely new constellation
of entertainment. Smart, huh?

-- Family-oriented 37.5%
With one-of-a-kind service features such as Home Movie Sharing and
TiVo KidZone, TiVo not only makes it easy to connect with family and
friends, sharing memorable moments and milestones through photo and
video montages sent directly to the Now Playing List of other TiVo
subscribers, but it also gives parents an easy way to find,
pre-approve, and record just the programs that match their values.
Now, mom and dad can rest assured that they never again have to worry
about what their children are watching.

"Considering all of the human qualities TiVo embodies, it's no wonder people have talked about TiVo as a family member or close friend ever since its initial introduction," said Clent Richardson, Chief Marketing Officer at TiVo. "Today, we are proud to introduce another member of the TiVo family, TiVo HD, with all of the qualities that make it the perfect companion for HDTVs, allowing consumers to maximize their high-definition television and entertainment experience."

TiVo HD's widespread retail availability comes at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking to upgrade their television experience, investing in HDTV sets at a record rate. TiVo HD, available for only $299.99, is a digital cable-ready set-top-box that works seamlessly with almost any cable provider in the U.S, enabling the latest TiVo exclusive service features such as Movie & TV Downloads from Amazon.com, Home Movie Sharing and universal Swivel(TM) search.

* Greenfield Online Omnibus (Aug 2007)

About TiVo Inc.

Founded in 1997, TiVo pioneered a brand new category of products with the development of the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). Sold through leading consumer electronic retailers, TiVo has developed a brand which resonates boldly with consumers as providing a superior television experience. Through agreements with leading satellite and cable providers, TiVo also integrates its DVR service features into the set-top boxes of mass distributors. TiVo's DVR functionality and ease of use, with such features as Season Pass(TM) recordings, WishList(R) searches, and TiVo(R) KidZone, have elevated its popularity among consumers and have created a whole new way for viewers to watch television. With a continued investment in its patented technologies, TiVo is revolutionizing the way consumers watch and access home entertainment. Rapidly becoming the focal point of the digital living room, TiVo's DVR is at the center of experiencing new forms of content on the TV, such as broadband delivered video, music and photos. With innovative features, such as TiVoToGo(TM) transfers and online scheduling, TiVo is expanding the notion of consumers experiencing "TiVo, TV your way.(R)" The TiVo(R) service is also at the forefront of providing innovative marketing solutions for the television industry, including a unique platform for advertisers and audience measurement research. The company is based in Alviso, Calif.

TiVo, Season Pass, WishList, Series2, Series3, Swivel, Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, TiVoToGo, 'TiVo, TV your way' and the TiVo Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Inc. or its subsidiaries worldwide. (C) 2007 TiVo Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: http://money.cnn.com

Panasonic Delivers World's First LIFI HDTV

2007-08-23T01:01:00.000-04:00

Newest Line of Micro Displays Features Innovative Light Source and Quick Start-Up
August 22, 2007: 08:00 AM EST

SECAUCUS, N.J., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic has started to ship a new line of High Definition LCD Rear Projection Display televisions featuring the revolutionary long-life LIFI(TM), a first-of-its kind light fidelity projection display application that ensures image brightness over an extended period of time as well as greatly reduced start-up time. The Panasonic LIFI High Definition line includes two series - the LCZ and LCX. The LCZ series, available in three large-screen screen sizes, 61-inches, 56-inches and 50- inches, feature 1080p resolution and an elegant glossy black finish with a new floating panel design. The PT-61LCX70 and PT-56LCX70 offer 720p resolution.

"The unique LIFI technology provides the consumer with a viable, affordable option for big screen, 1080p High Definition entertainment," said Dennis Eppel, Vice President of Panasonic Display Company. "The fact that the bulb will virtually never need to be replaced is a great benefit to the consumer and one of the reasons we strongly believe that LIFI will be successful. From our Plasma and LCD TVs to the LIFI HDTVs, we want Panasonic consumers to experience the absolute best in High-Definition home theater. With our breadth of High Definition choices we are confident that Panasonic can provide that experience."

By converting HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps to LIFI, the models enjoy an especially long life span with incredible brightness. When the electrodes in HID lamps deteriorate and the tungsten evaporates, it causes diminished brightness, as well as damage to the lamp itself. The light source in the Panasonic LIFI HDTV does not use electrodes, resulting in more stable performance and a considerably longer lifespan. Additionally, Panasonic's LIFI technology projects a wide variety and spectrum of light, allowing for the most radiant reds, greens and natural skin tones.

The start-up time for a Panasonic LIFI HDTV is a fraction of the time it takes for a traditional LCD projection set to start up. This is because the light source does not use electrodes and the LIFI bulb is 1/8 the size found in an HID lamp, so the temperature rises more rapidly, enabling faster start- up. The actual time from the moment the set is turned on until there is a picture is now reduced from 60 seconds or more to approximately 15 seconds.

With a longer lifetime, the LIFI HDTV series offers the same performance as an LED model, but at a lower price point. The LIFI lamp generates less scintillation noise than traditional HID lamps, and the invisible speakers marry impeccable design with high-quality sound. Using the device's remote control, users can easily enjoy EZ Sync(TM)-enabled products such as Blu-ray Disc players.

Additional features of the LCX70 Series include:
-- LIFI Light Source -- HDMI (Front 1, Rear 2)
-- New 720p LCD Panel -- PC Input
-- All Black Cosmetics -- SD Card Slot
-- 3,000:1 Contrast Ratio (Target) -- EZ Sync(TM)
-- Full Range Speaker System
(20W output)

Additional features of the LCZ70 Series include:
-- LIFI Light Source -- Full Range Speaker System
-- New 1080p LCD Panel (20W output)
-- Piano Black Cosmetic -- HDMI (Front 1, Rear 2)
-- 3,000:1 Contrast Ratio (Target) -- PC Input
-- SD Card Slot
-- EZ -- Full Range Speaker System

Additional features of the LCZ70 Series include:
-- LIFI Light Source -- Full Range Speaker System
-- New 1080p LCD Panel (20W output)
-- Piano Black Cosmetic -- HDMI (Front 1, Rear 2)
-- 3,000:1 Contrast Ratio (Target) -- PC Input
-- SD Card Slot
-- EZ Sync(TM)

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company

Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Information about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

Panasonic LIFI HD MD-PTV 2007 Models

Model Description SRP Availability

PT-56LCX70 720p LIFI HD-TV $1699.95 August, 2007

PT-61LCX70 720p LIFI HD-TV $1999.95 August, 2007

PT-50LCZ70 1080p LIFI HD-TV $1699.95 August, 2007

PT-56LCZ70 1080p LIFI HD-TV $1899.95 August, 2007

PT-61LCZ70 1080p LIFI HD-TV $2199.95 August, 2007

Source: http://money.cnn.com

Study: 53 Percent of DVR Users Own HDTVs

2007-08-22T00:46:00.000-04:00

By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (August 21, 2007) -- More than half of Digital Video Recorder users own High-Definition TVs, according to a new report from the Leichtman Research Group.

The number is significantly larger than the national average with high-def sets now in roughly 30 million U.S. homes.

Leichtman also says more than one in every five households in the U.S. now uses a DVR, up from one in every 13 households two years ago.

Bruce Leichtman, president of Leichtman Research, says the rising demand for HD DVRs, which allows viewers to record high-def programming, is helping to drive more DVR subscriptions.

"The number of U.S. households with DVRs has rapidly increased over the past few years. Fueled by a continued push from cable and (satellite) providers offering combination HD/DVR set-top boxes, (Leichtman) forecasts that the number of U.S. households with DVRs will grow to over 60 million by the end of 2011," he said.

However, Leichtman cautions that more DVR usage doesn't mean everyone will watch programs after they are recorded.

"The growth of DVRs does not mean that the era of live TV viewing has ended -- (Leichtman) estimates that 95 percent of all TV viewing in the U.S. is still of live TV," he said.

Here are the study's key findings:

* 53 percent of DVR owners say they own HDTVs
* 45 percent of DVR owners record five or fewer programs each week.
* 84 percent of DVR owners say the ability to skip commercials is "very important," but only eight percent say it's the greatest benefit of having a DVR.

The findings are based on a Leichtman survey of 1,300 households throughout the United States and are part of the company's new study, On-Demand TV 2007: A Nationwide Study on VOD and DVR.

Source: http://www.tvpredictions.com

First Review of the Sony's Next Gen XBR4 HDTV LCD

2007-08-21T04:33:00.000-04:00

Sony's XBR4, the 10-bit, , 24-frame compatible, 120Hz follow up to the XBR3, was announced a few weeks ago, but Gary Merson has the first review. He says its the best HD LCD so far, with some caveats.

The standard mode, "vivid" doesn't seem to do deinterlacing of 1080i signals correctly. (Movie and other modes work fine). He says this is the best LCD he's ever seen, but prefers Plasmas, like the TH-50PZ750U for better color accuracy and motion. (I don't like to underestimate the allure of brightness in a panel, esp during bright scenes, so am not sure I agree fully with Gary.)

Those waiting for a review of the XBR5, should note that this is technically the same set as the XBR5, but with a chassis that has detachable face plates. A 46-inch model is about $3600, retail.

Source: http://gizmodo.com

Hitachi P50S601 50 inch Full HD 1080 Ultravision Plasma HDTV Review

2007-08-21T04:31:00.000-04:00

Today we are taking a look at a 50” Plasma HDTV from Hitachi. The P50S601 HDTV has lots of features that set it apart from some of the other HDTV sets on the market.

With great image quality, multiple HD and SD component inputs and a motorized swiveling stand the P50S601 HDTV from Hitachi is one of the best HDTV sets that I have tested.

Review excerpt: “A built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner combines digital and analog channels into one tuner. Hitachi also provides three customized settings for each input that allows you to match the picture to the viewing environment. This allows for a brighter picture during the day when the viewing environment tends to be brighter and a dimmer display at night when not as much brightness is needed.”

Features & Specifications
If you aren’t familiar with Hitachi’s line of HDTV sets and you are in the market for a new HDTV, you should be familiar with Hitachi. The P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV I’m looking at today has full 1080p resolution. Hitachi uses several technologies to enhance the image quality on the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV like ClearWindow and a PictureMaster HD IV Video Processor. The PictureMaster ID IV video processor provides MPED noise reduction, dynamic contrast, dynamic histogram processing, 16-bit/281 trillion color capability, automatic 3:2 pulldown for film enhancement, four HD modes, and six SD modes.

Other features include three preset color temperatures, four-step black enhancement, a 10-bit digital 4MB 3D Y/C comb filter, and an anti-reflective high contrast screen with black-stripe filter. The audio features of the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV include MTS stereo SAP with dbx, simulated surround sound, bass boost, 20-watt speaker system, and the ability to set the TV as center input.

Hitachi also includes a trio of HDMI ports supporting 1080p. Two of the HDMI ports are on the rear of the TV and one is on the front panel. Two wideband component inputs, two S-video inputs, PC D-sub, coax connector and a pair of composite inputs rounds out the connectivity settings. An optical output is also included for digital audio out and an additional composite input set is located on the front panel. Hitachi even gave the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV a motorized table top stand that swivels the screen automatically via the remote.

A built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner combines digital and analog channels into one tuner. Hitachi also provides three customized settings for each input that allows you to match the picture to the viewing environment. This allows for a brighter picture during the day when the viewing environment tends to be brighter and a dimmer display at night when not as much brightness is needed.

Picture Quality and Use
I’ve looked at several HDTV sets of the years and the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV certainly had one of the more robust feature sets. Features aside, what really makes me happy with a TV is the picture quality and the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV was second to none. The clarity of the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV is very impressive. One of the things that I never really liked about watching SD shows on a HDTV was that the picture just didn’t look very good when stretched to fit the entire screen. Standard aspect ratio shows have never looked as good as they did on the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV.

HD programming from my local cable provided was flawless. The P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV is the next best thing to being at a live taping of your favorite shows. The dynamic day/night contrast of the screen worked very well at night it provided good image quality without being too bright and during the day when the room was brightly lit the picture was bright enough to look fantastic. The screen does a great job of reducing glare in a room from light sources.

Color reproduction on the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV was superb with deep blacks and bright vivid colors. Skin tones looked natural, you almost feel like you are in the same room as the actors. Black levels were very good and I didn’t notice any pixilation during grayscale transitions. Upscaled DVD movies looked great at 1080i on the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV and 300 on Blu-ray looked superb.

The motorized display stand Hitachi used is very cool. To be able to sit back and move the screen for your optimal viewing angle via the remote is a very nice feature. Low points for me with the P5S601 50” Ultravision plasma HDTV were few, these days I think three HDMI ports on the rear of a HDTV are a must. It’s not uncommon at all to have a minimum of three HDMI sources with your DVD player, game console and cable TV box. Putting one of the three available HDMI ports on the front isn’t the best setup for a high-end TV like this one costing right at $3500. A front panel HDMI is a good feature, but it should be a fourth not a third in my opinion.

Multiple routes to cut shutter lag

2007-08-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

Question: I use a digital camera, which I generally like. But shutter lag irritates me. Is this something I just have to accept?

Answer: Shutter lag is the pause between the time the button is pushed and the picture is taken. It is a problem with point-and-shoot digital cameras. Digital SLRs have little shutter lag. More recent point-and- shoots are improving. Part of the problem is autofocus, especially in poor light. Using manual controls, if possible, will help. Also, when possible, press the shutter button halfway to compose the picture. When ready, finish pressing. And you may be able to speed things up by using sports mode. Finally, high- speed memory cards are helpful, if your camera can use them.

Source: http://www.indystar.com

The case for LCD HDTVs

2007-08-19T12:33:00.000-04:00

A stronger picture in all light conditions
Plasmas may have the more subtle film-like pictures, but they can only be fully appreciated when the lights are turned down. And who watches TV with the lights always dimmed?

When we turned up the lights in the APC Labs, something unexpected happened: the plasmas started losing their advantage and the picture on the LCD HDTVs got better.

The strong backlighting in an LCD HDTV makes for a brighter image that cuts strongly through ambient light. If your HDTV is going to sit in a well-lit room or one with lots of light streaming through windows, an LCD HDTV will give you a stronger, more intense, sharper picture.

Toshiba put it well in their recent advertisements for their new range of Regza TVs: they call it “Pure Intensity.” Intensity is a good way of describing the LCD picture.

Picture intensity is one reason that LCD HDTVs outsell plasmas in retailers' showrooms – LCD HDTVs just look brighter and sharper in well lit environments.

If you want an all-round TV that works well in all lighting conditions, and you rarely do the home theatre thing, then an LCD HDTV is the way to go.

LCDs are overcoming poor contrasts due to lighter blacks
The way blacks are generated at pixel level gives plasmas an inherent advantage when it come to showing detail in dark scenes – but LCD HDTVs are dealing with the problem with on-board processors which analyse the picture and improve the contrasts in the dark areas.

The newest LCD HDTV reveal plasma-like detail even if the blacks aren’t as dark as those on the plasmas. In a scene in Apollo 13, in which an astronaut drags his fingers through the dark lunar soil, the plasmas consistently showed fine detail in the dark edges around the fingers.

Some of the older LCDs TVs struggled to do the same – but the newest ones such as the Toshiba 32in Regza, the Samsung 40in LCD (LA40M8), and the Philips 32inch (32PFL7532D/79) showed more of that detail, even though the surrounding blacks still weren’t as dark as on the plasmas.

The signs are that as more processing power is brought to bear on the images, LCD HDTVs will almost certainly overcome the key advantages plasmas enjoy in picture quality – and do it in a much wider variety of conditions.

LCD HDTVs pack more resolution into a smaller space
LCD HDTVs generally have more resolution than similarly sized plasma sets because they can cram more pixels into a given space. The smallest plasmas on the Australian market able to display full 1080p resolution are 50in (127cm) sets. The smallest LCD HDTVs that can do that are 37in (94cm).

LCD HDTVs come in all shapes and sizes to better suit your needs
Plasmas in the stores range from 42in to 50in –but anything above 40in is a big TV and not everyone needs one. It’s LCD that gives you far more options when it comes to selecting a TV that’s the right size.

LCD HDTVs start at 26in (66cm) and go up to 50in and beyond. On paper, a 32in (81cm) LCD HDTV may seem small compared to say a 42in (116cm) plasma, but in reality it’s a good size for many people, not to mention one that’s 37in.

When it comes to getting a second TV for the bedroom, the kitchen or even the bathroom, LCD gives you more options. Since other rooms are also more likely to be well lit compared to say a lounge room designed for home theatre, LCD will also work better in them.

LCD HDTVs also provide a lower entry price for those wanting an affordable HDTV set. You can get a quality-brand 26in 1,366 x 768p LCD TV for around $1,500-$2,000 (make sure it’s got an inbuilt HDTV tuner and speakers).

The cheapest entry-level HD plasmas with HD tuners will set you back around $2,000-$2,500.

LCD HDTVs are better for viewing computer or console games.
LCD screens were originally created to show computer graphics – so they excel when you’re displaying a computer-generated image. That’s why retailers always show animations on their demo LCD TVs.

The ultimate experience in computer gaming must the playing of a PS3 game on a Sony Bravia 52in (133cm) 1080p HDTV. In our tests, the Bravia was simply spectacular in its display of computer-generated graphics and animations.

LCD HDTVs are overcoming the motion blur issue
The very nature of LCD screens means their response times are slower than those of plasmas, but LCD makers aren’t standing still. Response times are dropping, with most LCD HDTVs now down to 8ms and even 6ms.

Even faster response times, such as 2ms, have been achieved by some LCD monitors, though these numbers are often fudged and manipulated by the manufacturers who constantly change their measurement methods.

LCD HDTV makers are throwing more processing power at the problem with each new generation of panel. One popular solution is to double the HDTV’s refresh rate. Standard PAL TV refreshes at 50Hz but HDTV makers are introducing sets with a rate of 100Hz, which allows for the addition of an extra, interpolated frame in each frame pair.

The improvement this brings was starkly highlighted by the Toshiba Regza 32in HDTV in our Labs, which handled motion blur better than most other LCD TVs, although the Philips and Samsung also come with their own motion blur attenuation technologies and weren’t that far behind.

LCD HDTVs last longer. Period.
Lifespan in TV terms means how long it takes for the screen to dim to half its brightness. So while plasmas now have a longer lifespan (at least 20 years of watching TV five hours a day) they still dim faster than LCD HDTVs, which are guaranteed to last at least 60,000 hours (or 30 years at five hours a day).

The picture you’re watching on your new LCD HDTV in ten years from now is likely to be closer to the quality of the picture when the screen was new than than the one on a plasma HDTV.

Talking of screen durability, it might take four days for a static image to burn itself into a plasma screen these days, but on an LCD HDTV it is not even an issue . LCD screens were made for showing computer graphics and static images on screen, so they have strong resistance to burn-in.

They can suffer from a problem known as imager persistence, in which the liquid crystals retain a “memory” of their position if stuck on an image for too long, but this is not considered permanent and can be reversed.

LCD HDTVs are better for the environment
While our tests show that there is little difference between the very latest LCD and plasma HDTVs when it comes to power consumption, consider that plasmas generally range in size between 42 in and 50in.

They are big sets with commensurate power consumption. On the other hand, most LCD HDTVs are smaller, ranging between 26in and 40in, which means that on average, they will consumer less power due to their smaller screen size.

Summing up the case for LCD HDTVs
If you want an all-round TV with a strong picture in all lighting conditions (and which comes in a wide range of sizes) then an LCD HDTV is your best option.

In fact, LCD HDTVs are the only option if you want something smaller than a big TV, say 40in less. LCD HDTVs are also the better choice for displaying computer-generated graphics.

Industry insiders - whether in the plasma or LCD HDTV camps - concede that LCD probably has more potential for development in it, so we think that the plasma vs LCD battle will probably be irrelevant within a couple of years.

Source: http://apcmag.com

Basics Of The Digital Camera

2007-08-18T00:42:00.000-04:00

Like most things in life when your experiencing something for the first time you are often unsure how to go about it. The same can be true when buying your first digital camera. You will undoubtedly be inundated with facts, figure and more jargon than you know what to do with. We will attempt in this article to help you along with some of the jargon and show you what to look for when buying a digital camera. Some of the feature may not interest you unless you need your camera to perform specific tasks, however its always worth knowing exactly what you are buying so you can pick a good deal when you see one.

Megapixels

The resolution of a camera is measured and advertised in megapixels. The idea behind this figure is the number of pixels that the camera has to take an image with. In this case the higher the number the better quality of picture you will be able to take. For example if you purchase a camera that has a resolution of 4 Megapixels, pictures that you take with that camera will be able to take images made up of 4 million pixels. Its obvious when you think about that a camera with a 2 megapixel resolution will not create as image as crisp or as detailed as the 4 megapixel one.

If you often print out your images on your PC or have them sent away to be printed then the megapixel rating of your camera can be very important to you. Higher megapixels on your camera will allow you to make prints larger in size while still keeping the quality. If you try to print a picture too large than what you camera was designed for then the image drastically loses quality.

The last thing to know about megapixels is the higher the resolution you take pictures in the more space on your memory card will be taken up. A picture taken on a 4 megapixel camera will need twice as much space on a memory card as a picture taken on a 2 megapixel camera. Be sure if you want quality pictures have enough memory on your camera to back it up., Either that or have spare media cards to plug in once your space has been used up.

Digital Zoom and Optical Zoom

No doubt when you are buying a camera you will want some sort of zoom function to take those in the distance shots. This is a troublesome area for some first time buyers. There are two types of zoom on the market for digital cameras. Digital Zoom and Optical Zoom. The only one that really matters is Optical zoom, this is true a true zoom function that brings the objects closer to you using the optics of the camera. Digital Zoom is like using the zoom function on an image editing software package. It enlarges a section of the image so it looks as if its closer to you.

Anything you can do with digital zoom you can do with a photo editing package so don't splash too much money on a camera with digital zoom only. Sometimes you will also so "total zoom" advertised this means the number that is quoted here is the optical zooms magnification added to the digital zooms magnification. Try to find out the magnification level of the optical zoom alone for the true value of the camera.

Aperture Size

We may be going a little further here than some of you would like to care about but bear with us as the aperture size can make a big impact on your pictures. The size of the aperture determines exactly how much light is let into the camera when your picture is taken. Think of the aperture like the iris of your eye. No big deal you may think, however having more light allows you take better pictures in a variety of lighting condition, cloudy days is a perfect example.
With a large enough aperture you would be less likely to need the flash, personally I don't like to use the flash function, the artificial flash of light does not always do justice to the picture you are trying to take. Also effects like red eye are also common.

Shutter Speed

Great effects can be made to images using a variety of shutter speeds. The thing to look for when buying a decent digital camera in terms of shutter speeds is the broadest range you can find. This will give you the best chance of manipulating the picture the way you want it. Combined with a pro-active aperture the shutter speed can make pictures come to life or freeze images in an instant.

This technique is great when you want to take moving objects exactly how they look as if they were still. Setting the shutter speed on a slower setting gives more exposure to the CCD (charge coupled device - the digital equivalent of film). The effect is that the picture almost seems to run. Moving objects are slightly blurred. You may think this is a bad thing but take an example of running water leaving the shutter speed on for longer will soften the image creating a pleasing image to the eye much like the way a waterfall appears in real life.

You can take digital photography to the extreme with a camera that has a very wide range of shutter speeds. With an incredibly slow shutter speed, you can have a long exposure of light to the CCD and hence receive like the famous traffic scenes where the headlights blend into each other into a constant stream.

Storage Media

Digital Cameras come with a slot for a variety of media cards. Check when you buy your camera what type of storage media it requires. There are several popular types including Smart Media, compact flash and xD picture cards. As long as you know what type your is you should be able to safely by the correct type. Always ask at your local store if you are unsure. If you give them your make and model they should be able to point you in the right direction.

The size of the media card you choose depends on your budget but get as much as you can afford. More memory means that you don't have to change media cards, and you will be able to take pictures in the highest quality all the time. You will soon learn the benefits of having plenty storage space when you start to use your camera regularly.

The good thing about cameras media is that its just like a film if you do run out you can simply insert another one if you have one with you. It can be a bit of a pain when downloading your pictures to your PC but much less more of a pain than having to delete some picture because you have run of space on your media card.

By: Stephen Orgill

Stephen Orgill
Editor - www.pantherproducts.co.uk

Boston Acoustics Expresses Bold New “Play Smart™” Attitude with Exciting Lineup of Innovative, “Personally Engaging” Products.

2007-08-15T01:03:00.000-04:00

Posted by Jenny Miranda on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 11:11 am:

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Peabody, MA, August 13, 2007 -- Boston Acoustics, Inc., a world-renowned manufacturer of high-performance loudspeakers and home entertainment products, today announced the upcoming introduction of a wide new range of products, expressing its bold new “Play Smart™” attitude which will animate every aspect of the branded experience, from product and product design to visual identity, tone of voice and verbal branding. The company’s new products meld elegant styling with the highest quality audio reproduction technologies and give consumers fresh solutions for expressing their personal style and tastes. The lineup includes stylish new Boston Horizon Series loudspeakers and compact 5.1-Channel speaker systems, breakthrough SoundWare indoor/outdoor speakers, the one-of-a-kind TVee Model Two Television Entertainment Enhancement System and more, plus a totally new concept in customizable loudspeaker design called the Boston Personal Options Plan (P.O.P.).

Boston Acoustics Sr. Vice-President & General Manager Eli Harary, noted: “The Boston Acoustics brand has a longstanding reputation for excellence in build quality, performance and innovation. In creating our new lineup, our engineering team took a fresh approach to product design. Rather than simply looking for ‘product solutions,’ our approach was to look at ‘real people solutions.’ This is manifested in products that provide new opportunities for personalization and customization, while maintaining our ‘best in class’ performance values. The new Boston Acoustics is equal parts performance, expression and experience – with an added touch of playfulness and fun.”

“Make It Your Own” with Boston Personal Options Plan (P.O.P.)
Boston Acoustics new Play Smart™ attitude is reflected in the company’s innovative new concept in loudspeaker design called the Boston Personal Options Plan (P.O.P.). P.O.P. gives people a new way to customize the look of their products and truly “make them their own” by expressing their personal style. Consumers who purchase any of Boston Acoustics’ new Horizon Series products as well as the new TVee Model Two, may choose from a variety of removable and replaceable cloth speaker grilles available in colors ranging from Glacier, Rosebud, Onyx, Pearl Gray, Caramel, Chocolat, Silver, and Chili Pepper. The grilles blend and complement the soft-touch painted finish and integrated color-coordinated rubber trim on Boston Acoustics’ new speaker products (all Boston Horizon speakers are available in either soft-touch painted mist with silver grilles or midnight with onyx grilles). To purchase a new grille, customers can simply visit the Boston Acoustics website (www.bostonacoustics.com/POP) and select the color of their choice or contact those dealers that will be stocking the grille color options.
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Horizon Series: Sheer Elegance Combined with Sonic Accuracy
Boston Acoustics’ Horizon Series loudspeakers combine a unique sense of “honest” design with extraordinary performance and sonic accuracy. From their soft-touch painted finish and integrated color-coordinated rubber trim to their leading-edge audio technologies, Boston Horizon speakers are designed to literally sound as good as they look. The Boston Horizon Series includes a range of ten different speaker sizes and configurations, from bookshelf and floor-standing models to powered subwoofers. Horizon Series speakers are scheduled to ship in October 2007.

Also in the Boston Horizon Series are two new high-performance 5.1-Channel Surround systems, Models MCS130 (SRP: $799.99) and MCS100 (SRP: $499.99), both designed to give consumers an easy way to add the powerful dynamics of room-filling audio to their home entertainment. In addition to their advanced sound reproduction technologies, the new systems feature a variety of design enhancements and aesthetic touches, such as gently contoured speaker cabinets and color-coordinated rubber trim, that provide a stylish alternative to traditional surround sound speaker systems. The Boston Horizon Series MCS systems are scheduled to ship in September 2007.

TVee Model Two, A Television Entertainment Enhancement System
The Boston Acoustics TVee Model Two (SRP: $399.99) is a simple TV accessory designed to enhance the enjoyment of TV watching. The innovative system consists of a slim single powered “soundbar” that can be placed either underneath or on top of a flat-panel TV, or easily mounted on the wall, along with a matching wireless woofer that can be placed anywhere in the room to deliver added dynamic bass response. Once hooked up, viewers will enjoy an overall enhanced TV experience. A single wire runs from the soundbar into their television’s line-level output, and because the woofer is wireless, it can be placed virtually anywhere, even in a corner behind the couch, and still provide added bass response. The TVee Model Two is scheduled to ship in September 2007.

Boston SoundWare, for Great Boston Sound Anywhere
Boston Acoustics’ innovative and space-saving new SoundWare loudspeaker is an all-purpose 2-way indoor/outdoor speaker. SoundWare offers an unprecedented range of easy and flexible mounting options, and makes it possible to enjoy high performance audio in new and exciting ways...and in new places. Ideal for use in restaurants, retail stores, homes, smaller apartments and even by outdoor entertainers, SoundWare speakers are a unique combination of sonic performance, space efficiency and application flexibility. SoundWare speakers are designed to literally disappear into a surrounding décor if desired. Thanks to its unique shape and one-of-a-kind internal mounting bracket, a SoundWare speaker can be placed virtually anywhere – flush in a corner, flat on a wall, flat on a table or angled up 30 or 45 degrees on a flat surface. They’re available in seven colors, including Black, White, Silver, Just Red, Bamboo, Natural and Espresso. Availability: August 2007 ($99.99 each).

About Boston Acoustics
For over 25 years, Boston Acoustics has remained at the leading-edge of audio excellence, designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative high-performance loudspeakers for use in home audio and home theater systems, as well as aftermarket, OEM automotive systems, and custom installations. Highly regarded for creating the Boston sound, the company
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commits all of its resources in design, engineering and manufacturing to create superior, competitively priced products that emphasize performance, consistency, reliability and value. For more information on the company’s full range of advanced loudspeakers, as well as its “tabletop radio” products and more, please visit www.BostonAcoustics.com.

About D&M Holdings Inc.
D&M Holdings Inc. (TSE I: 6735) is based in Kawasaki, Japan and owns the Denon, Marantz, McIntosh Laboratory, Boston Acoustics, Snell Acoustics, D&M Professional, D&M Premium Sound Solutions, Denon DJ, ReplayTVâ and Escientâ brands. Denon, Marantz, McIntosh and D&M Professional are global industry leaders in the specialist home theater, audio/video consumer electronics or professional audio markets, with a strong and long-standing heritage of manufacturing and marketing high-performance audio and video components. Boston Acoustics, with its signature The Boston Sound, is a leader in premium loudspeakers for home and automotive audio markets. Snell is a super premium speaker brand. The ReplayTV and Escient brands represent award-winning technologies in digital home entertainment. D&M Premium Sound Solutions manufactures high-quality, Hi-Fi audio products for the B2B automotive and consumer electronics markets. Additional information is available at www.dm-holdings.com.

Denon and Marantz are registered trademarks of D&M Holdings Inc.; McIntosh is a registered trademark of McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.; Boston Acoustics is a registered trademark of Boston Acoustics, Inc. and ReplayTV and Escient are registered trademarks of Digital Networks North America, Inc.

DISCLAIMER
Statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may include forward looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the company. We wish to caution you that such statements are just predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties surrounding competitive and industry conditions, market acceptance for the company's products, ability to meet targeted product release dates, risks of litigation, technological changes, developing industry standards and other factors related to the company's businesses. The Company reserves all of its rights.

Media Contact:
DBA Public Relations
Adam Weissman
212-388-1400
aweissman@dba-pr.com

Is The Plasma TV Market Goingt To Survive?

2007-08-12T09:38:00.000-04:00

By BusinessWeek Syndication | Sunday | 12/08/2007

The flat panel TV market is rapidly changing. Margins are wafer thin, the risks are high no more so than for plasma manufacturers who are now faced with the dilema of having to cough up additional investments in an effort to hold onto a declining market share. So will Plasma disapear.
It's a classic dilemma for any flat-panel TV maker do you expand or not. But for plasma TV manufacturers, the question goes beyond the usual hand-wringing about whether to spend on more super-efficient factories now to reap cost advantages later. That's because by 2009, companies like Matsushita Electric who trade as Panasonic, LG Electronics and Samsung could get hammered by falling revenues, as competition from the dominant flat-panel technology, liquid-crystal displays, drives down prices and undercuts their profits.

According to market research firm iSuppli, revenues, estimated at $7.7 billion last year, could peak at $10.2 billion in 2008 before falling back to $8.7 billion in 2011. The decline is expected to come despite rising sales of the specialized glass panels for plasma TVs, which could more than double from 10 million last year to 23.6 million in 2011.

The not-so-upbeat outlook explains why most plasma-panel makers aren't eager to ramp up production. This year only one company hasn't curtailed production: Matsushita. Says iSuppli's Riddhi Patel: "Most panel makers have cut their production utilization rates to around 70%—except for Matsushita, which remains at 100%."

Matsushita Has More at Stake
So why does Matsushita CEO Fumio Ohtsubo have his plants firing on all cylinders when everyone else is taking a wait-and-see approach? Ohtsubo has yet to offer a clear answer.

The best guess is that he's dead-set on reaching his target of selling 5 million sets this fiscal year through March, 2008—a 43% rise from 3.5 million last year—and reaching even higher levels in the next few years, and anyway it's premature to get all worked up about a contraction. It's no secret that Ohtsubo wants Matsushita to rule the market for big screens by the end of the decade.

It could also be that Matsushita simply has more riding on the success of plasma TVs than anyone else. The world's biggest plasma producer, with more than a third of the market, the company is outspending all others on state-of-the-art panel-making factories. Its $2.4 billion facility—the company's fifth and biggest to date—is scheduled to be up and running in May, 2009. That mega-plant could double the company's current annual production capacity to 11.5 million sets by early 2010.

Ohtsubo's goal is for one in four of all flat TVs with screens measuring 37 in. and larger that are sold worldwide to bear the Panasonic brand. One way he might accomplish that: expand Matsushita's small-scale LCD TV business. On Aug. 9 the company did just that, announcing plans to sell 37-in. LCD TVs in Japan for the first time and moving up in size from the 32-in. sets it had previously made.

It's still not going to be easy for Ohtsubo. The world's top LCD makers, once limited to smaller screens, have developed new technologies that allow them to crank out bigger TVs. Samsung Electronics (SSNKF), Sony (SNE), Philips (PHG), and Sharp (SHCAY) are just as eager to stake their claim in the high-margin sector of the market that plasma once had all to itself. In the first quarter of this year, LCD makers sold more big-screen TVs in sizes 40 in. and up than plasma producers, says market research firm DisplaySearch. (Plasma TVs currently make up only 15% of the global flat-screen TV market.)

With the TV pie set to grow in coming years, it would seem that there's plenty to go around. But the reality is that plasma makers are already feeling the heat from LCD's encroachment. Last year large-screens accounted for 14% of the 44.5 million LCD TVs sold worldwide. This year that figure is expected to rise to 25% of LCD sets, and in 2011 it could be as much as 40%, iSuppli predicts.

Last Year's Models
No wonder some analysts have revised down their plasma TV sales forecasts following a tough quarter for the world's top manufacturers. In the April-June quarter, Matsushita's TV sales volumes were up 31% but overall TV revenues only gained 2%. And the company's declining TV revenues in Japan and North America—where a majority of the world's big-screen TVs are sold—offers a glimpse of how the entry of LCD TVs is weighing on prices and profits in the sector.

Although rising inventories might suggest the need to curb supply, the company says the stockpile comes just before a launch of brand-new models, not because slowing demand has left old sets sitting at warehouses. Other plasma makers aren't holding up as well, with LG and Samsung chalking up sizable losses in the most recent quarter.

No Rest for the Weary
The one thing still going for Matsushita and other plasma makers is price. Displaysearch estimates that in the April-June quarter the average price for a 50-in., high-definition plasma set was $2,191 vs. $2,524 for a comparable 45- to 47-in. LCD TV. But the gap is likely to narrow.

Samsung, Sony, and Sharp have just begun production at new factories of their own where they're able to produce bigger sheets of glass from which more large-screens can be cut, and they're already plotting their next move (see BusinessWeek.com, 8/01/07, "Sharp's Mega-Wager on LCD TVs").

That suggests the best option for plasma makers is to keep innovating so they can stay a step ahead of LCD makers. Analysts note that consumers rank price among their top considerations when shopping for a flat TV, but eventually the price contest could give way to a perception game. Consumers might be less inclined to drop $1,000 on a TV if they think manufacturers will abandon the technology in a few years. Perhaps Matsushita is smart not to neglect its own tiny LCD-TV-making operation, just in case.

Hall is BusinessWeek's technology correspondent in Tokyo
Source: http://www.smarthouse.com

Hitachi Announces Two Blu-ray Disc Camcorders

2007-08-09T14:24:00.000-04:00

Late last year, it was reported that Hitachi was developing a Blu-ray Disc camcorder. It appears that Hitachi is now ready to make two Blu-ray camcorders (DZ-BD70A, DZ-BD7HA) available for consumers. The DZ-BD70A offers BD-R/RE format recording, as well as the ability to record standard resolution video on DVD-R/-RW/-RAM discs. On the other hand, the DZ-BD7HA also includes a 30 Gigabyte hard drive. This feature enables the user to record high definition or standard resolution video on the hard drive and then dub the recorded video to either Blu-ray Disc or standard DVDs. In addition, both camcorders can also take high resolution still images.

How does the availability of Blu-ray Disc camcorders relate to Home Theater? You will be able to play true high definition video recorded on a Blu-ray camcorder directly on a home Blu-ray Disc player, and view it on an HDTV in all its glory. Until standalone Blu-ray Disc recorders become available for home use, Blu-ray Disc camcorders and PCs with Blu-ray Disc writers would be the only methods available to record home video onto Blu-ray discs. Of course, no information is available on the price point for either the camcorders or blank discs. Unless the price of the blank discs approaches the price of miniDV tape or standard DVD-R discs, recording home video on Blu-ray discs may be an expensive proposition, at least in the near term.

Source: http://hometheater.about.com

Panasonic full HDTV lifespan now over 42 years.

2007-08-08T11:17:00.001-04:00

by Jan Harris

Panasonic has published impressive lifespan statistics for its latest range of 1080p plasma HDTVs. The company reckons that on average they will play for 100,000 hours before reaching half brightness. This equates to 42 years based on an average viewing time of six and a half hours a day.

Panasonic’s 720p plasmas will play for 60,000 hours, providing 25 years of viewing, before the display degrades to 50%. Even at half-brightness, the sets will still provide clear, crisp colourful high definition images, according to Dr. Paul F, Liao, Panasonic’s chief technology officer.

While the long-life of these sets will bolster Panasonic’s focus on environmental concerns, in does seems extremely unlikely that today’s owners of Panasonic full HD sets will still be watching them in 42 years time.

After all, 42 years ago we were watching live broadcasts of Z-cars, in black and white on a transistor set housed in a walnut cabinet!

Source: http://www.hdtv-news.co.uk

Denon Adds Blu-ray, HDMI 1.3, HD Radio, More..

2007-08-06T22:24:00.000-04:00

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 8/6/2007
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Denon expanded its networked audio selection, announced at its dealer/rep show last month. In other product developments, the company:

added the following features to all new A/V receivers: dedicated port for an optional iPod dock, XM-ready port and HDMI 1.3a connectivity, even if used only for switching high-definition video signals up to 1080p resolution. All three features start at a suggested $349.

offered HD Radio for the first time. The technology appears in the $5,200 and $2,499 receivers and the $699 S-52 one-piece networked music system.

brought 1080p up-scaling in receivers down to a suggested $849.

added support for more compressed audio formats in its latest networked products. Besides MP3 and protected and unprotected WMA, the new devices also stream unprotected AAC, FLAC, WMA lossless and WAV. The new networked products are the company's first to support JPEG streaming.

added compressed-music-restorer technology to its receivers for the first time.

enabled remote Internet-based diagnostics by dealers for the first time. The feature is limited to the three A/V receivers priced at $1,599, $2,499 and $5,200.

teamed with Rhapsody for the first time to enable the two one-piece network-music systems to access Rhapsody's subscription-based Rhapsody music service without a PC connection.

The brand hasn't adopted the HDMI CEC bidirectional communications protocol, which allows for the one-touch turn-on of a home theater system built from multiple brands.

For its Blu-ray debut, Denon plans a fall launch of the $1,999-suggested DVD-3800BDCI and the $1,199 DVD-2500BTCI, a model that lack internal audio decoding. Both models will be the industry's first with HDMI 1.3a outputs, which transfer all BD disc surround formats in native form via HDMI for decoding by compatible A/V receivers.

Although all of Denon's new A/V receivers feature 1.3a, only five of the receivers incorporate decoders for all standard and optional surround codecs approved for BD and HD DVD discs. The other A/V receivers incorporate Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 and 6.1 decoders and 7.1-channel PCM.

Neither BD player plays DVD-Audio or SACD discs, and they will be the industry's first Version 1, Profile 1.1 BD-ROM players, the company claimed. This Blu-ray iteration enables picture-in-picture playback of a separate audio and video program for interactivity. On this player, the separate program must be downloaded by a PC and transferred to an SD Card. The player doesn't incorporate an Ethernet port to play back the separate A/V stream directly from the Internet.

The BD players will also be the first BD players, or HD DVD players in fact, to use Silicon Optix's Realta HQV processing chip, Denon said.

As part of its product roadmap, the brand also:

plans to launch its first audio separates in years and first dedicated custom install products. The separates include a preamp-processor, and the custom devices consist of a 12-channel amp, video scaler and a multizone dual tuner. Samples of the products were on display, but details weren't announced.

displayed two 2.1-speaker home theater in a box (HTiB) systems with DVD and Dolby Virtual Surround. They are the $1,699 S-302, which features built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet port, and the $999 S-102 without built-in network connectivity.

launched its first virtual-surround-equipped sound-bar-style HTiB, the $1,199 DHT-FS3, to complement flat-panel displays.

recently introduced five DVD players, four of which play SACD and DVD-Audio discs and two of which up-scale video to 1080p. The 1080p models are priced at a suggested $849 and $1,499.

announced three stereo receivers, one of which at $599 will offer HD Radio when an upgrade is available in the fall.

More woes for Sony: 416,000 digital cameras recalled.

2007-08-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

Written by Darren Yates
Saturday, 04 August 2007

Sony DSC-T5 digital camera responsible for cuts and scratches due to case faults, free service offered.

It may have been a case of Sony executives thinking the worst is behind it after the fallout from its exploding Lithium-ion batteries but the bad news keeps on coming with the recall of 416,000 Sony DSC-T5 digital cameras.

The recall was instigated after sufficient evidence had come to light that the DSC-T5 bottom case was causing cuts and scratches to users due to the metal coating warping and peeling from the case work.

Sony claims that it has identified an “irreguality” in the initial production phase that affects the stickability of the adhesive used to glue the metal base to the camera chassis. It says that a result, damage to the camera could see the metal base peel away from the chassis.

The company says that only DSC-T5 cameras are affect with serial numbers between 3500001 and 3574100 although it has been reported by InformationWeek that a Sony spokesperson says the recall involves some 416,000 cameras sold in Japan, the US, China and Europe.

Sony has said that it will replace the part free of charge and will cover all costs associated with shipping.

Any DSC-T5 owner whose camera has a serial number in the above range and has paid for any out-of-warranty repairs for this problem will be reimbursed according to Sony’s announcement. Any repair carried out by Sony’s US facility in Laredo, Texas should automatically receive a refund cheque by September 30 this year. Those who don’t receive the automatic reimbursement can fill in a claim form downloadable from Sony’s support website.

This is Sony’s largest recall since its faulty Lithium-ion battery fiasco that affected many of the world’s major notebook computer manufacturers and resulted in the recall of millions of Lithium-ion batteries. Under certain circumstances, the faulty batteries could overheat and create a fire risk.

Source: http://techlogg.com

HDTV 1080P Resolution

2006-09-26T23:37:00.000-04:00

It is all an issue of Image Resolution

There are currently a number of different HDTV formats as adopted by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), based on 720p, 1080i, and 1080p - using refresh rates that vary between 24 Hz and 60 Hz.

The main difference between these HDTV formats is one of image resolution.

The 720p is on the lower-end of the scale with an image resolution of 1280 pixels by 720 lines. The other two formats both support 1920 pixels by 1080 lines. In other words, both support the same image resolution but there is a significant difference in the way the 1080i (interlaced) and the 1080p (progressive) formats build up the image.

Surely, image resolution in fixed-pixel displays is a very HOT topic with many HDTV buyers. For many, the obvious choice is to opt for the latest 1080p HDTV - also referred to as ultra-HD or full-HD by some manufacturers ...but there is a price to pay to get the latest in HDTV technology.

On the other hand, the way the 1080i and the 720p formats build up the image may render the lower resolution 720p format more suitable to display certain image content.

In other words, do not simply jump to conclusions as to which HD format is best. As we will see in this article, each of these different HDTV formats has got its strengths and weaknesses.

1080i: Up to a few years ago, this was considered as the reference standard in HDTV. Nearly all first-generation HDTVs were rear-projection sets that supported this standard.

This format boasts a picture resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 horizontal lines that are painted on the screen in two interlaced halves (hence the 'i' in the '1080i' format) - by first painting all 540 even-numbered lines on the screen (also referred to as the even-field), and then proceed with the painting of the odd-numbered lines (odd-field). These two fields together form a single frame of 1080 lines.

In the process, the screen is painted 60 times per second (50 times in a PAL signal) - each time painting only half of the lines per frame, with the entire screen being painted in two passes 30 times every second.

Because of the way the interlaced process paints the screen, all picture information contained in adjacent odd and even lines in an interlaced image is 1/60th of a second out-of-synch with the next or previous line. This difference between the two halves of the picture would show up in what are referred to as 'interlaced artifact'. This in itself will impact on the type of image content that is best displayed on an interlaced display.

720p and 1080p HDTV: In contrast, in all progressive-scan formats - 480p (EDTV), and 720p and the 1080p HDTV displays - all scanning lines in a single frame are displayed sequentially in a single pass. This means that a progressive scan image is complete in itself. This also explains why progressive images look better when objects in the pictures are in motion.

The Bottom Line

The 1080i format is more widely supported by manufacturers and broadcasters; broadcasters however would normally broadcast only in either 720p or 1080i but not both. This should not be much of an issue in that any HDTV set you buy should be able to display pictures in any HDTV format by up-converting or down-converting to its native format, i.e. the one in which it's designed to produce a picture.

Theoretically, from a pixel-count perspective, 1080i supports better spatial resolution than a 720p HDTV. In theory, 1080i supports a pixel count of over 2 million pixels as against the 0.92 million pixels supported by 720p HDTV, but due to limitations associated with interlacing, the actual difference in effective resolution between 720p and 1080i is almost negligible. What's more, a 720p display is capable of a better flicker-free picture when it comes to fast moving action movie scenes and sports.

The situation with 1080p HDTV is totally different than that of 1080i. 1080p supports the full 1920 x 1080 pixels (2.07 million pixels) while at the same time, enjoys the added benefit that all 1080 lines are displayed in a single pass.

In other words, 1080p HDTV combines the superior resolution of the 1080 format with the smooth stable image of a progressive scan format.

N.B: It is worth mentioning here that interlaced formats aren't really an option in fixed-pixel displays (DLP and LCD rear-projection as well as plasma and LCD flat-panel). This also explains why display manufacturers are shifting away from the 1080i and instead moving directly from 720p to 1080p HDTV.

And What about 1080p HDTV Sets?

Surely, 1080p HDTV represents the latest developments in HD Television technology. A few of these sets have already started to hit the market.

Not surprisingly, there is a premium one has to pay to get the latest and best in the HDTV world. 1080p HDTV sets do not come cheap but the price gap between a 720p and a 1080p has already fallen below the $500 mark from an average of $1,000 to $2,000 a year ago.

Should you opt for a 1080p HDTV Set, and are these sets worth the extra expense?

Well, there is no straight answer here. It all depends on what are your requirements, yet there are a few facts you should know before making any decision:

Surely, these sets are capable of producing spectacular results with ultra sharp images. But whether you will be able to see the difference in image quality between a 720p display and a 1080i signal displayed on a 1080p HDTV display depends on your TV viewing distance and screen size, more than on the screen native resolution. (It is not the scope of this article to discuss the TV viewing distance but more info in this respect is available at our site at http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/Tv-viewing-distance.html)

In reality, it would be very difficult to detect any difference in image detail between 720p and 1080i/p HDTV material on the smaller sets from 10-feet away. Sit closer and feed your 1080p HDTV set with a good quality HD source, and you will start to see the difference.

Further more, with most of today HD broadcasts, you will be hard pressed to see a difference in picture quality when you compare the image on current 720p sets versus the latest 1080p HDTV models. Surely, if you are thinking of going really big, then the extra image resolution would make the difference. But keep in mind that at present, true 1080p HDTV material is almost non-existent. What's more, none of the major networks has announced 1080p broadcasts - and it is unlikely that they will make such a move in the near future considering the bandwidth requirements.

Nevertheless, one cannot but remark that the whole equation in favor of 1080p HDTV sets has started to change. There are a number of factors that are pointing towards the latest in HDTV - and it is not just the marginal difference in price between 720p and 1080p HDTV sets. In particular, there is the advent of high definition movie players; these will be taking a dominate role in the distribution of off-air HDTV content. It is true that present day first generation HD-DVD do not output in 1080p but first generation Blu-ray will offer it, so HD-DVD will surely have to follow suit at some point in the near future. Meanwhile, 1080p is quickly becoming the new de-facto gold standard for HDTVs, and while - ironically - most pre-2006 1080p HDTV sets did not support a 1080p connection, 1080p inputs are set to become among the basic common supported features in nearly all 2006 HDTVs.

(c) 2004/2005 www.practical-home-theater-guide.com. All rights reserved.

Andrew Ghigo – A Telecoms/Electronics engineer by profession, with specialization in digital switching and telecoms fraud management systems.

Editor and publisher of http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com - a site dedicated to all home theater enthusiasts with the scope of serving as a comprehensive home theater guide to home theater systems, product reviews and home theater design.

This article is an excerpt from a series of guides appearing under the Rear Projection TV Reviews section of the site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Ghigo

SAMSUNG Offers First 7TH Generation Line Of LCD HDTVs.

2006-06-28T02:30:00.000-04:00

State-of-The-Art 92 and 96 Series LCD HDTVs Set Technology and Style Standards with MP3 Player Connectivity and Hidden Speaker Design.

New York, NY - Samsung's new 92 and 96 Series LCD HDTVs take LCD HDTV design, technology and enjoyment to the next level, offering consumers a truly unique high definition experience. Available in 46", 40" and 32" screen sizes, the latest additions to Samsung's award-winning LCD HDTV family offer a host of new features for the multi-media consumer in an aesthetically-progressive package that complements any home décor.

"Samsung is committed to expanding consumers' choices of LCD home theater through technology innovation," said Dave Das, Senior Marketing Manager for LCD, Samsung Electronics America. "Utilizing advanced production techniques at the world's most advanced Generation 7 LCD fabrication facility Samsung has once again raised the bar for technology achievement with our 2006 LCD models. The new LCD models offer not only phenomenal picture quality, superior design and connectivity, but also provide a high performance, large format LCD solution which discriminating consumers are actively seeking.

Samsung's 92 Series and 96 Series LCD HDTVs include breakthrough technologies with S-PVA (Super Patterned Vertical Alignment) panel technology to provide a wider viewing angle, wide color gamut CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlight for a brighter picture and increased color accuracy, and 1080p resolution for the 96 series, 40" and above.

A special Game Mode feature reduces lag and provides improved graphics and sound for a truly immersive video gaming experience. A built-in RS232 port in the 92 series allows users to connect Samsung MP3 player models and other portable audio players and navigate music files on-screen via LCD remote control. Samsung's unique DACS (Dual Audio Chamber Speaker) System features dual dedicated acoustic chambers for expanded low-range, and separate mid/high-range speakers, and SRS Tru Surround XT provide the ultimate in cinematic sound.

92 Series
The 92 series offers 46", 40" or 32" screen sizes, all with the same luxurious styling, so consumers can maintain a consistent design balance when placing sets in additional rooms. Samsung's unique design places the speaker at the bottom of the set to create a clean, hidden effect. The LCD models offer 1366 x 768 progressive resolution and a 92% wide color gamut. With a dynamic contrast ratio of 5000:1, the 92 series LCDs display video in rich, vibrant color for a picture that is more realistic and inspiring than ever. A wide 178 H/V viewing angle allows consumers to enjoy the screen with perfect clarity from almost any vantage point. Two HDMI, PC, Composite, S-Video and side AV connections ensure that users can hook up peripheral devices with ease.

The 46" LN-S4692D has a $3,999 MSRP while the 40" LN-S4092D has an MSRP of $3,299; and the 32" LN-S3292D comes in at a $2,199 MSRP. All are currently available.

96 Series
The step-up 96 series ups the HDTV ante even further, as all models are digital cable ready for added flexibility in tuning terrestrial and cable digital signals. The 40" and 46" models feature 1080p resolution for the best available high definition experience. Both models also feature USB 1.1 and IEEE1394 ports for easy connections to PCs and other digital devices. All of the 96 Series HDTVs feature an expanded 6,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for stunningly deep blacks, and bright, clear whites. The 178 viewing angle provides consumers with a high quality image from almost anywhere in the room.

The 46" LN-S4696D ($4,799 MSRP) and the 40" LN-S4096D ($4,099 MSRP) will be available in August 2006. The 32" LN-S3296D is available in July at $2,299 MSRP.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, advanced digital consumer electronics, information systems and home appliance products. The SEA organization oversees the North American operations of Samsung including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2005 parent company sales of US$56.7 billion and net income of US$7.5 billion. Employing approximately 128,000 people in over 90 offices in 51 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones, and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com

SAMSUNG LED Light Sourced DLP Rear Projection HDTV Is The World's First.

2006-06-28T02:28:00.000-04:00

Improved Longevity and Increased Color Reproduction
Among 56” Model Features.

New York, NY - Samsung's LED light sourced DLP rear projection HDTV-the first ever introduced to the world-offers consumers a host of benefits, including significantly improved longevity, increased color gamut reproduction, quicker turn-on time and greater environmental friendliness.
The HL-S5679W operates longer and quieter than previously designed light engine based rear projection TV sets. This model also replaces the current UHP bulb with a high-powered LED light source, called PhlatLight™ that has a single chip DLP® light engine, which doesn't require a color wheel and provides improved longevity. Red, green and blue high-powered LEDs sequentially fire to produce smooth, stable color. The LED light engine also ensures a longer lamp life (20,000 hours without brightness degradation) and a shorter turn-on time (seven seconds). The engine is also mercury-free making it more environmentally friendly.

"The LED Light Sourced DLP RPTV once again demonstrates Samsung's commitment to advancing the boundaries of technology innovation and design excellence," said Dan Schinasi, Senior Marketing Manager for Projection TV for Samsung Electronics America. "With improvements in lamp life, picture stability, turn-on time and now a mercury-free engine, the HL-S5679W launches a new era for DLP HDTVs."

The LED light sourced DLP RPTV provides natural color, with an improved color gamut versus traditional CRT televisions. Featuring true high definition 1920 x 1080p resolution and Samsung's Cinema Smooth™ light engine with Texas Instruments™ DLP technology, the HL-S5679W delivers breathtaking on-screen clarity and vividness. Two 1080p HDMI inputs, which are compatible with the latest 1080p source content, provide plug and play connectivity for digital devices, while the Cable Card feature allows the TV to be used without a cable box. And the black glossy finish and integrated ATSC and NTSC tuner ensure that the HL-S5679W will be an elegant addition to any living room. The HL-S5679W is shipping in September at a $4,199 MSRP.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, advanced digital consumer electronics, information systems and home appliance products. The SEA organization oversees the North American operations of Samsung including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2005 parent company sales of US$56.7 billion and net income of US$7.5 billion. Employing approximately 128,000 people in over 90 offices in 51 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones, and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com

SAMSUNG Adds Filterbright Technology To New Line Of Plasma HDTVS.

2006-06-28T02:24:00.000-04:00

63”, 50” and 42” Plasma Models Delight the Senses
With Superb Picture Quality and Impressive Aesthetic Design.

Offering sharper image details and drastically-reduced reflection, Samsung's new family of plasma TVs sets the pace for explosive growth in the high definition plasma market by delivering to consumers an aesthetically-pleasing, high-performance solution for every home. Samsung's patented FilterBright technology has allowed the world's fastest-growing consumer electronics brand to offer the ultimate in screen quality and technological innovation while satisfying consumer demand for large screens.

FilterBright is a powerful anti-reflective film that absorbs external light and transmits internal light, thereby increasing the contrast levels and preventing unwanted reflection. In bright daylight, FilterBright creates high contrast with pure black to show clearer image details and generate superb industry-leading dark area representation.

"Samsung is in a unique position to leverage its exclusive FilterBright technology with industry-leading color, contrast and brightness, placing us at the cutting edge of HDTV research and development," said Bill Dickey, Senior Marketing Manager for Plasma Display Panels for Samsung Electronics America. "Samsung's plasma screens represent the pinnacle of manufacturing and design expertise. This technology advantage puts Samsung plasmas at the forefront of the flat-panel revolution with superior picture and style in high demand screen sizes to accommodate almost any home environment."

73 Series Available in 50" and 42" models, Samsung's 73 Series plasmas incorporate the newest innovations in multi-media convergence technology in an elegant "invisible speaker" cabinet design and a consumer-friendly swivel stand which allows convenient repositioning for a flexible viewing angle increasing the flexibility of the TV's possible placement without compromising picture viewing quality.

Two HDMI and component connections offer superior and seamless connectivity with peripheral entertainment devices, such as gaming consoles and DVD players. The 16:9 screen aspect ratio and 175 viewing angle provide users with a true cinematic picture from anywhere in the room, and the ATSC digital cable-ready tuner gives consumers access to the latest HD content without the need to add a set-top box.

The 73 plasma series also offers a 9-in-2 multi-card interface slot located on the side panel, allowing consumers to access digital photos and other information from portable digital storage devices. This impressive feature is compatible with all Secure Digital, Multi-Media Card, Memory Stick, Smart-Media, Extreme Digital, Compact Flash, Micro-Drive, Magicstor and Memory Stick Pro memory cards.

The 50" HP-S5073 and 42" HP-S4273 will both be available in July 2006 at $4,299 MSRP and $3,299 MSRP, respectively.

53 Series
The 53 Series plasmas place Samsung's outstanding picture quality front and center in a TrueWide elegant "invisible speaker" cabinet design. The 16:9 screen aspect ratio, combined with Samsung's detailed color, contrast and brightness provide an unforgettable HD screen experience. With a built-in ATSC/NTSC tuner, PC Input, and two HDMI ports, the 53 Series plasmas let consumers expand their entertainment horizons with convenient connections to HD content sources.

The 50" HP-S5053 and 42" HP-S4253 are currently available at $3,999 MSRP and $2,999 MSRP, respectively.

63" Plasma
The 63" HP-R6372 packs a host of high-performance features into a slim "bezel-less" model that is less than 4" deep. Utilizing the picture-quality advances that have put Samsung plasmas at the top of consumer wish lists, the 63" plasma delivers one of the clearest, most-detailed high definition images available. A built-in HD tuner and digital cable-ready CableCARD compatible technology let consumers watch the latest digital broadcasts with ease. Samsung's patented DNIe image enhancer ensures superior picture from almost any source, securing the HP-S6372's status as the plasma display of choice for the true home theater aficionado. The 63" HP-S6372 is currently available at $9,999 MSRP.

Samsung's plasmas display the future of television with stunning depth and clarity. All of the 2006 plasma TVs feature an impressive 13-bit signal processing power for an astounding 549 billion displayable colors, in addition to high contrast ratio (10,000:1) and brightness (1300-1500 cd/m2). Consumers will enjoy a theatre screen experience, as the 16:9 wide display has an unobtrusively-integrated speaker at the bottom of the unit. With a minimum of three HD connections the fifth-generation plasma models provide convenient connectivity for all of today's digital devices. The latest plasmas also feature auto-pixel shift for burn-in resistance and PC picture-in-picture. And with Samsung's elegant new designs, the 2006 PDPs also double as the showpiece of any room, even when the set is off.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, advanced digital consumer electronics, information systems and home appliance products. The SEA organization oversees the North American operations of Samsung including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2005 parent company sales of US$56.7 billion and net income of US$7.5 billion. Employing approximately 128,000 people in over 90 offices in 51 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones, and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com

Xbox 360 with HD-DVD to be priced below PS3.

2006-05-16T13:23:00.000-04:00

By Rob Fahey
New information raises prospect of high-definition video Xbox 360 bundles

Retail sources in the UK have told GamesIndustry.biz that Microsoft has intimated to them that the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 will be priced such that console and peripheral combined are cheaper than Sony's PS3.

At E3 last week, Microsoft once again discussed its plans to launch a HD-DVD component for the Xbox 360 later this year, but did not reveal any further information regarding the pricing of the unit.

Currently, the Xbox 360 retails at GBP 279 in the UK, with the Core System version selling for GBP 209, while the 60GB model of the PlayStation 3 is expected to cost between GBP 399 and GBP 419 when it arrives in late November.

Microsoft's alleged comments to UK retailers seem to suggest that the HD-DVD peripheral, which allows playback of high definition movies using Toshiba's next-generation DVD standard, will be priced below GBP 130, making an Xbox 360 and HD-DVD player bundle into a potentially attractive option at Christmas.

Sony's PlayStation 3 features a built-in Blu-Ray drive, which also offers playback of high definition movies, but in this case using Sony's competing next-generation DVD standard - which many industry commentators are tipping as the likely winner of this standards war, due to strong support from many movie studios and other content creators.

Some analysts, including respected videogames industry analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities, have suggested that the success or failure of Blu-Ray could directly lead to the success or failure of the PlayStation 3 - with the system being seen as good value despite its high price point if Blu-Ray is widely adopted, but Sony faced with being lumbered with an expensive and unappealing component for the console's five year lifespan if Blu-Ray is a failure.

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz

High Speed & High Sensitivity Are Matched for Seamless Live Cell Research.

2006-05-16T13:19:00.000-04:00

Nikon Instruments Inc., a leader in the development of advanced optical microscopy, today unveiled the Nikon EMCCD Monochrome Digital Camera (DQC-FS). The new camera is an ultra high-quality digital camera specifically designed for low-level fluorescence and is an excellent choice for high speed and high sensitivity
applications such as single molecule fluorescence, high speed calcium
imaging and live cell fluorescent protein imaging. The camera can also be
used with the LiveScan SFC confocal system and for micro spectroscopy.

The DQC-FS continues Nikon tradition of imaging innovation by
amplifying low-light-level signals above the CCD read noise by employing
unique electron multiplying CCD technology.

The camera offers researchers extremely high sensitivity through its
on- chip multiplication gain. By incorporating this technology, the DQC-FS
achieves, in an all solid-state sensor, the single-photon detection
sensitivity typical of intensified or electron-bombarded CCDs at much lower
cost and at a higher resolution than is characteristic of conventional
intensified CCDs.

"Nikon's DQC-FS is another example of Nikon's continuing focus on
advanced imaging through innovation," said Stan Schwartz, vice president,
Nikon Instruments. "Capturing images in low light situations has become a
priority in microscopy, and the demand for quality combined with multiple
functions increases every day. The DQC-FS provides microscopists with the
most sophisticated and light sensitive technology available for demanding
digital imaging applications."

Recent imaging applications in widefield fluorescence and confocal
microscopy have increasingly centered on the demanding requirements of
recording rapid transient dynamic processes that may be associated with a
very small photon signal and which often can only be studied in living
cells or tissues.

Technological advances in producing highly specific fluorescent labels
and antibodies, as well as dramatic improvements in camera, laser, and
computer hardware have contributed to many breakthrough research
accomplishments. Nikon's DQC-FS is capable of capturing even relatively
weak signals at very high rates. Incorporating a back-illuminated, frame
transferred CCD, the camera produces a frame rate of 30 full frames per
second at 10MHz to deliver an outstanding ability to record specimen data
at high temporal frequency and high dynamic range using a 16-bit digitizer.

Nikon has bundled NIS-ELEMENTS F software with the new DQC-FS. NIS-
Elements incorporates advanced acquisition control of the DQC-FS, including
changing the digitalization rate, full binning control, and full gain
controls that allow users to utilize all of the camera's features. The
software also features basic image capture capability for every Nikon
Instruments digital camera, automated microscope, and numerous third-party
devices. Optional NIS- Elements AR software extends the quantitative
analysis virtues of the DQC-FS camera.

About Nikon Instruments Inc.

Nikon Instruments Inc. is a global leader in the development of
advanced optical technology. Its product line includes microscopy
equipment, digital imaging, precision measuring and semiconductor
wafer-handling equipment. Nikon is committed to providing technologically
advanced instruments that offer optimal versatility, performance and
productivity. Nikon combines state-of- the-art capabilities with innovative
designs to produce optically superior, ergonomically friendly products for
cutting-edge scientific research, medical and industrial applications. For
more information visit the Nikon website at http://www.nikonusa.com.
Product related inquiries can be directed to Nikon Instruments at
800-52-NIKON

SOURCE: http://www.prnewswire.com
Nikon Instruments Inc.
Web Site: http://www.nikonusa.com/

The Many Benefits of an Upconverting DVD Player

2006-04-26T00:34:00.000-04:00

Squeeze the best image quality out of your DVDs

Let's face it. On the eve of the HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray deathmatch—surely the bloodiest format war since the VHS-vs.-Betamax debacle—any self-respecting technophile is going to watch and wait. A costly, obsolete paperweight is the last thing any of us wants to get stuck with. While you're waiting, I have a few things for you to ponder. Because you're reading Connected Home Express, as opposed to, say, Home & Garden, you probably have an HDTV—likely a big one—and have sunk thousands of dollars into an expansive DVD collection. (Remember when bookshelves were used for books?) Sure, you'll catch the odd first-run movie at the theater, but as you're being bumped and annoyed by strangers in the dark, you're probably thinking about how much better the movie will be on DVD, with you nestled comfortably in your home theater.

The joys of the home theater are multifaceted. A home theater should assault the senses with glorious sights and sounds. But if you still have a formerly cutting-edge progressive-scan DVD player, the sights might not be quite as glorious as the sounds anymore. Thankfully, there's a great way to squeeze every last pixel of fidelity out of those hundreds of DVDs lining your shelves. An upconverting DVD player, for the uninitiated, is like a supercharger for home theaters. The player takes the DVD's meager 720x480 (480i) resolution and jacks it up to 720p or 1080i. This jump doesn't rival the one you experienced when you upgraded from VHS to DVD, but on a big HD display, the results can be stunning.

The reasons to buy an upconverting DVD player are compelling. Consider cost and performance. Are you really in a hurry to start a new HD-DVD or Blu-ray library at $30 to $40 a pop? Also, remember that you're facing a minimum $500 price tag for Toshiba’s entry-level player and a Blu-ray price of twice that amount. You can buy excellent upconverting players for $200 and breathe new life into your existing DVDs. The most crucial factor in the upconverting player’s favor is proven performance. HD players will have backward compatibility with standard DVDs, but who knows how well they’ll upscale? The best upconverting players have been fine-tuned and fulfill their specific role exceptionally well. But are all upconverting players created equal? What are the essential features you need to look for when you're deciding on one of the dozens of players on the market? Read on—we’ve got you covered.

Deinterlacing: Transforming Interlaced to Progressive Scan
Mom used to say, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” Upscalers are no exception. The single most crucial component (i.e., the “brain” of the player) is the video-processing chip. The task of ensuring that what you see on the HDTV screen accurately depicts the source material of what’s on the DVD is incredibly complex. Lesser chips need not apply.

The two main duties of the video chip are deinterlacing and scaling. But first, how about a crash refresher course in video resolution? Video on DVD is in 480i resolution, in which 30 still frames are displayed on a TV in two fields of 240 horizontal lines, every second. The “i” stands for “interlaced,” which means the entire frame of video is composed of the two passes of alternating horizontal lines of resolution interlaced together. A resolution of 480i was sufficient on smaller TVs, but the flaws in the interlaced, lower-resolution video become more apparent on larger displays. Increased space between the alternating scan lines can produce a flicker, and details suffer.

HDTVs can display higher-resolution video such as 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Once again, the numbers stand for the horizontal lines of resolution and the “i” and “p” refer to the method by which the scan lines are displayed. Progressive scanning (signified by the "p") displays every horizontal line of video in one pass instead of interlacing alternating lines in two passes. A progressive-scan picture is a huge jump in video fidelity, flicker-free with enhanced clarity and stability.

Deinterlacing is necessary any time interlaced video—the humble DVD, for example—is displayed as progressive-scan video. In theory, the task of repeating scan lines to form the progressive-scan image is simple enough. But, in practice, there are variables that can seriously mess with video quality.

Consider the source of the video stored on the DVD: The material was created on either film or video. Films are typically shot at 24 frames per second (fps). To store and output the material on a DVD, at about 60fps, a repeat pattern, or cadence, for the film frames (called 3-2 pulldown) is used. The PAL format uses 2-2 pulldown.) To further complicate matters, material shot on video is already at 60fps. And film and video sources often appear together in one movie—for example, filmed scenes with digital-video special effects.

A video processor must be able to automatically detect the correct source for a DVD (with film or video mode), correct the cadence when it’s interrupted by a bad edit made during the DVD production, and deinterlace moving and still onscreen objects differently. Telltale signs of substandard deinterlacing are jagged diagonal edges (“jaggies”), softened details, and juddering during slow camera pans.

Scaling: Low-res to Hi-res
Unless you have a CRT—or picture tube—HDTV, that LCD, plasma, or DLP rear-projection beauty that sits at the center of your home theater is a fixed-pixel display. It has a native resolution, be it 1024x768, 1366x768, 1920x1080, or a variation thereof. This pixel-per-scan-line by horizontal-scan-line count is what every moving image appearing on the TV is displayed at. Unfortunately, video signals come in all shapes and sizes, from the DVD’s 720x480 to 1080i HDTV’s 1980x1080 pixels.

The myriad video signals all have to be converted or scaled to fit the native resolution of an HDTV display. Thus, the upconverting DVD player’s video processor goes to work adding pixels to the DVD’s native resolution to fill up the HDTV's screen. To do so, algorithms copy parts of the surrounding pixels and interpolate what the DVD’s video should look like at a higher resolution.

The process of converting a DVD’s 480i signal to 480p, 720p, or 1080i is incredibly complex and, if done poorly, can wreak havoc on picture quality. Factors such as fast on-screen motion, rapid scene transitions, and video noise from the source material can produce the aforementioned jaggies, visible pixilation (i.e., the “screen door effect”), and color shifting. A powerful, well-integrated video processor will eliminate, or at least minimize, these eyesores.

The Educated Buyer vs. the Electronic Superstore Know-It-All
Deinterlacing and scaling are all well and good, but what are you looking for when it comes time to lay down some hard-earned cash for an upconverting DVD player? First and foremost, just in case I haven't made this abundantly clear, the DVD player must have a well-integrated, quality video processor. A good rule of thumb is that the more deinterlacing and scaling the upconverting DVD player handles, the better the picture will be. HDTVs all have some sort of built-in video processor, but these processors usually pale in comparison with the performance of the chip in a good upconverting player. Let the DVD player do what it does best—optimizing the video—and leave the displaying of the video to the HDTV set.

Several companies make stellar video-processing chipsets with proprietary features above and beyond deinterlacing and scaling.

Faroudja is the maker of the best known and most revered chipset among videophiles. The venerable Genesis FLI2310 chip, found in many high-end, expensive players and a few affordable players such as the OPPO OPDV971H, has a battery of video-enhancement technologies. Faroudja pioneered 3-2 pulldown (or film mode) detection. Cross Color Suppression compensates for artifacts caused by composite video mastering and smoothes out the edges of saturated color fields. TrueLife Enhancement bumps up details in things like skin texture and hair. Directional Correlational De-interlacing (DCDi) tackles the jaggies with impressive results.

Silicon Image chipsets are often mentioned in the same breath as those of Faroudja, and either one has exceptional deinterlacing, scaling, and image-enhancement performance. Its SiI504 chip has a sublime, motion-adaptive deinterlacer in video mode and features a buffer that predicts upcoming breaks in cadence to avoid hits to the resolution that occur while switching from film to video mode. Unfortunately, the buffer sometimes contributes to audio synch troubles.

DVDO’s iScan and the Silicon Optix Realta with Hollywood Quality Video are two other leading video-processing chipsets. Most consumer electronics companies worth their salt offer receivers, upconverting DVD players, HDTVs, and projectors with top-quality video processors. Said companies include Denon, JVC, NEC, OPPO, Runco, Sony, Syntax Olevia, Toshiba, and Westinghouse Digital.

Before you scoop up the first upconverting DVD player with “DCDi by Faroudja” on the box, be advised that the implementation of any chip in a product is at least as important as the chip itself. The aforementioned Genesis FLI2310, for example, has about 2000 registers that control its functions. Changing one register to solve a known issue might affect another register, and house-of-cards-style chaos can ensue. Engineers need to know the chip they program inside and out to maximize its performance. Needless to say, that's not always the case.

Companies don’t exactly advertise the ways they fall short in implementing a chipset. So, how do you know whether an upconverting DVD player with a solid video processor is the one for you? It might sound obvious, but try watching some DVDs on it. If the Best Buy clerk rolls his eyes when you bring in a stack of DVDs, go somewhere else. Superbit editions of action-packed films (Black Hawk Down, The Fifth Element, and Underworld are all fine choices) will separate the pretenders from the real thing. Fast on-screen action is some of the most difficult material to render without errors. Likewise, animation—with its super-saturated color palettes—pushes a DVD player to its limits. Whatever DVDs you choose, pick several that you know intimately; flaws and unintended artifacts in the video are much easier to spot that way.

Try to find a store that has the upconverting DVD player you want, along with either your HDTV or a similar model. Be sure to switch from 480p to 720p and 1080i. Only a consumer with nerves of steel, or money to burn, should buy an unauditioned upconverting player. You can always go back to the Web site with those amazing details after you see the machine in action.

Media Compatibility, Connections, and Firmware Updates
You’ve almost made up your mind. Maybe you've narrowed your choice down to two or three perfectly fine players. The good news is that the hardest part is over. Now, you can look at the details. When it comes to media compatibility, more is definitely better. Even if you don’t currently need support for DivX, multiregion playback, SACD and DVD-Audio, and the multitude of recordable DVD formats, you might want some or all of them in the future.

Because upconverting DVD players are all recent products, just about any model will have either a DVI or the newer HDMI output. Both connections facilitate a pure, digital-video signal from the player to the receiver (if equipped with DVI/HDMI input/output) or HDTV. HDMI gives you a digital video and digital multi-channel audio connection through a single cable. Unless you have a costly receiver with HDMI switching, you’re going to be running the video signal directly to the TV and the audio to the receiver. In this case, either a DVI or HDMI output on the DVD player will suffice. If your HDTV has only an HDMI input—and most of the latest models do—a DVI-to-HDMI converter cable is available.

Keeping the video signal in the digital domain during its trip from the DVD player to the HDTV will produce the highest-quality images. If you forgo DVI or HDMI in favor of even a good quality analog connection via component cables, the video signal goes through conversions from digital (DVD) to analog (component) and back to digital again (HDTV). Such conversions can produce signal noise and image degradation.

Another feature to keep an eye out for is DIY firmware updates. Firmware is the software that instructs the processing chip and determines the functionality of the DVD player. Companies such as OPPO and Philips offer online firmware updates for their products; some other companies offer updates at their service centers or just pretend their products are perfect. Updating the firmware yourself is a simple matter of downloading the file from a Web site onto a recordable DVD and running the program on the DVD player. It sure beats having to buy a new player every year.

A Few Words about Video Fine-Tuning
After you get that shiny new DVD player home, there’s one thing left to do to fully enjoy your DVDs in all their upscaled beauty. If you haven’t had your HDTV professionally calibrated (and at $300, who could blame you?), it’s well worth the time and money to run a test disc yourself. The test batteries go from the quick and dirty THX Optimizer (free on some THX-certified DVDs) to more thorough calibration tools such as the Avia Guide to Home Theater and Digital Video Essentials DVDs. Be forewarned that the Avia and DVE discs are in-depth and time-consuming. A faster, more user-friendly experience can be had with the HDTV Calibration Wizard, developed by the Imaging Science Foundation. Now, sit back and start rediscovering your favorite DVDs.

Source: http://www.connectedhomemag.com

Lasers Point the Way to Better HDTVs.

2006-04-10T03:07:00.000-04:00

Despite the fact that the laser was invented in 1958 - or so claim Bell Labs and Mssrs. Schawlow and Townes - "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation" devices can still wow even the most jaded technophile (especially when they're used to burn holes in things or otherwise cause spectacular, glowing destruction). Now Mitsubishi wants to harness the power of lasers for less destructive but still highly entertaining purposes.

At its 2006 National Dealer Line Show in Las Vegas, Mitsubishi demonstrated what the company claims is the world's first laser-based HDTV. Mitsubishi's laser-based projection system uses separate red, green, and blue semiconductor lasers aimed at a Texas Instruments 1080p DLP HDTV chip.

Why use lasers in a high-definition projection TV (other than the obvious super-cool I-got-to-have-it marketing aspects)?

Mitsubishi says their laser technology offers "an expanded color depth and the widest color gamut possible from any display source, including LED-lighted displays." The color gamut is said to be 1.8 times greater than that of normal LCD televisions.

Mitsubishi also claims that laser-based HDTVs will require a much smaller footprint than large-size flat-panel plasma and LCD HDTVs - which it says require stand depths of up to 15 inches (for sets with screen sizes of 50 inches) due to the fact they're heavy and have a relatively high center of gravity. Laser technology can result in an HDTV that's lighter with a much lower center of gravity so a smaller footprint table-top stand can be used. A further advantage of laser technology is its scalability which means Mitsubishi should be able to provide thin display devices with larger screen sizes that are easier to produce and less expensive than current flat-panel sets.

No word yet on when Mitsubishi expects to bring commercially available sets using the new laser-based display technology to market - or what the anticipated price points might be.

We're hoping the remote controls that come with the new HDTVs will have built-in laser pointers so we can annoy anyone else in the room while we're watching TV...

Source: http://www.hometheatermag.com

Bluetooth Wireless speakers can redefine the living space.

2006-04-10T03:00:00.000-04:00

First we got wired, and now we’re getting unwired. Bluetooth took a long time to build momentum, but is now beginning to fulfil its promise with Paris-based Bluetooth specialist Parrot creating an ingenious pair of 60W stereo wireless speakers. Based on the premise people are increasingly carrying their music collection with them, and Bluetooth functionality will become ubiquitous across all handheld devices, the speakers can transform your iPod, mobile phone or handheld into a full blown 2 x 60W stereo system. There’s also a flexibility of room configuration available with the speakers that just wasn’t there before too – frequent furniture rearrangers will love the concept.

Bluetooth is likely to become ubiquitous - Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sanyo, NEC et al are launching mobile phones with music via Bluetooth support this year, Windows Mobile supports A2DP (audio streaming by Bluetooth) and Bluetooth dongles are available for iPods, and moist MP3 players. When that happens, Bluetooth speakers will be everywhere.

The Parrot system is very clever in its design. Each speaker is independent with its own built-in amplifier. The first speaker to detect a Bluetooth source becomes the master speaker and reproduces stereo channel 1. The second speaker pairs up with the master speaker and reproduces stereo channel 2.

The speakers are only available as a white hand-lacquered cabinet but the magnetic black speaker cover can be snapped on or off, and between the two configurations, suits most home or office décor. That’s it – nothing more to know – just keep the communication distance between the source and the speakers to less than 10 m / 33 feet.

Based in Paris and founded in 1994 by Henri Seydoux, its Chairman and CEO, Parrot S.A. is one of the profitable, fast-growing companies that emerged from the "start-up" generation. Parrot's core competence has been the technologies for embedded noise, robust voice recognition and signal processing, with applications in mobile computing and mobile communications.

The company also has a complete range of Bluetooth LCD picture frames which can be used in conjunction with your Bluetooth camera, mobile phone or Bluetooth computer to play slideshows of your photographic handiwork.

Source: http://www.gizmag.co.uk

Toshiba launches HD DVD player.

2006-03-31T12:02:00.000-05:00

by Ben Tanner

Toshiba today launched the world's first HD DVD player in Japan. The HD-XA1 is the first playe to support the next-generation HD DVD format, officially beginning the next-generation DVD format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, set to launch this summer.

The HD DVD standard provides high definition (HD) picture quality and enhanced sound, providing support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD sound formats. The player also allows user to play current DVDs scaled to their HDTVs.

The player also supports the HD DVD formats added features, such as support for advanced navigation and interactive features. For example, the player has a 'pop-up menu' that displays movie chapters with thumbnails while the movie plays, allowing users to navigate menus without stopping the movie. The player also supports 'picture in picture', so users can watch commentary or other featurettes superimposed on the actual feature.

The Toshiba HD-XA1 player is the first next-generation DVD player. Sony plans to launch its own next-generation DVD player based on the Blu-ray standard this summer. After both are launched, there is expected to be a period where the incompatible standards vie for control over the market, similarly to the VHS vs. Beta VCR standard wars nearly thirty years ago.

The two standards are intensifying competition on several fronts. In addition to heating up the rivalry between Toshiba and Sony in the consumer electronics market, Sony and Microsoft are also on opposing sides. Sony will include a Blu-ray player with its Playstation 3 next-generation video game console. With Microsoft supporting HD DVD, it will likely offer a version of its Xbox 360 next-generation console with an HD DVSource:D drive. Various movie studios have sided with one standard or another as well.

Source: http://www.digitalmediaasia.com

200cm3 HDTV Camcorder to Dominate Market?

2006-03-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

Many people in the industry have said that digital camera video is just sort of a freebie that enables the shooting of SDTV imagery. But finally resolution has reached high-definition television (HDTV) levels. In February 2006, Sanyo Electric Co Ltd of Japan announced its DMX-HD1 digital camera, capable of shooting 720p HDTV video and still images with 5.04 million pixels (Fig 1).

Until now there have only been three consumer camcorders capable of shooting HDTV video, and Sanyo is clearly determined to grab itself a share of the market in the initial stages, while it is still developing. The major sales point is the small volume of the product, only 200cm3. This is about half the volume of the HDR-HC1 manufactured by Sony Corp of Japan, the competing compact HDTV-capable camcorder that is proving such a hit.

While the new design is ultra-compact, the specs of the optical system are on a par with those of a standard camcorder.

Another interesting point is that the viewfinder uses an active matrix organic electroluminescent (EL) display panel. Because it is self-emitting it neatly avoids some key problems faced by existing liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, such as response delay and a narrow viewing angle.

While panel life had been feared to be too short, the firm has assured 20,000 hours, which is significantly higher than the 10,000-hour threshold generally used as a guideline for volume production in mobile gear applications. The extended service life was accomplished by creating white subpixels to joint the exiting red, green and blue ones, cutting power consumption.

Can it Escape Niche?

Even so, it seems unlikely that the new product will have any immediate effect on existing camcorder manufacturers. One of the reasons is the short recording time, due to Sanyo's decision to emphasize the small size and use a memory card as the storage media. A single 2-Gbyte SD memory card can only hold a maximum of 43 minutes of 720p video imagery. For common usage, such as at school athletic events, admission ceremonies and the like, the same one-hour storage medium as today's tape-based systems offer would be preferable.

Another problem is that the systems are not yet in place to play back recorded HDTV imagery. HDTV video files can be stored on personal computers (PC), but in most cases they will have to be transferred to an SD memory card and then played back from the camera to view. This is because only the latest high-performance PCs can avoid dropping frames in decoding. The same procedure is required to play back imagery stored to a digital videodisc (DVD) recorder, because existing models cannot decode 720p Moving Picture Coding Experts Group Phase 4 (MPEG-4) files. Sanyo Electric recognizes the problems with viewing, and commented that it is working out how to best resolve them in the next-generation model.

This problem will likely be resolved by adopting an integrated circuit (IC) supporting H.264 encoding and decoding in the successor to the DMX-HD1. And as one engineer at a camera manufacturer pointed out, "One semiconductor manufacturer is already ramping up for volume production of the chip for HDTV-capable camcorders, in 2008."
Once the maturity of the Codec IC is known, other manufacturers will no doubt move ahead with their own plans for memory card-based HDTV cameras. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd, for example, is one such company. It is even possible that the camcorder manufacturer might develop an H.264 Codec IC before a semiconductor manufacturer gets to it. Victor Co of Japan and other firms are developing HDTV-capable camcorders using 1.8-inch hard disks. It seems that HDTV camcorders will be offering a range of competing recording media for some time to come yet, including Sony's mini-DV tape.

Source: http://neasia.nikkeibp.com

Sparkling HDTV reception can be yours for free.

2006-03-21T00:54:00.000-05:00

By Bill Husted,

ATLANTA — I get great HDTV reception — better than from my HDTV cable box, better than from satellite. And unlike the other choices, it's free. The technology I use isn't secret or new. In fact, it's older than the most ancient TV set in your basement. Yet the picture is likely crisper than any you've seen before. It puts HDTV from cable and satellite in the shade. I'll tell you about it in a moment.

Today we'll talk about several ways to get more enjoyment from your HDTV set. We'll start with my recipe for free, crisp pictures. I don't want to keep you in suspense unless it is absolutely necessary. The best possible HDTV pictures — no exceptions, no quibbles — come from those you get using an antenna.

Here's why: When cable or satellite companies broadcast HDTV programming, they use compression techniques to get all that data into their comparatively narrow pipeline. Compressing the data is good for the folks who deliver the signal — it lets them cram more programming into the bandwidth available. It's bad for you. Hey, condensed milk tastes different from fresh milk, and condensed TV looks different from what you get if you didn't tamper with the signal.

Broadcast TV doesn't compress the signal. I live in town, so I can get away with a simple indoor antenna I picked up at Radio Shack. If you want an even better setup, or if you live a long distance from a broadcaster, you may need an antenna in your attic or even on your roof. You won't have any trouble finding old-fashioned antennas — anything from rabbit ears to the big roof-mounted jobs. In fact, HDTV has created a resurgence for the antenna.

Here's a quick way to find out the specifics of what you need to do from your own home: The Web site http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx will tell you which stations are broadcasting in your area and what kind of an antenna you'll need.

In my own case, there's an added bonus besides the great picture — my cable company doesn't carry the HDTV feed for at least one station in my area. But the HDTV version is available using my home antenna. Truth is, as great as the pictures are, I won't be giving up my HDTV cable service. It offers premium movies and other programming that isn't available over the airwaves.

So let's talk about some ways to get better pictures when you're using a satellite receiver or an HDTV cable box.

The cable you use to connect your satellite receiver or cable box to the TV is really important. Don't scrimp when you buy the cable. The cheap stuff produces a cheap signal. There's a simple rule that holds true: The larger in diameter the wire, the more capacity for the signal.

And the type of connector is a big deal, too. If your HDTV offers a connection type called HDMI, use it. HDMI will give you the best possible way to transfer the signal from the receiver to your set. HDMI was once an upscale option found only on top-of-the-line HDTV sets. But it's common now. Use it if you can, instead of component connection. And avoid S-video connections, since that technology just doesn't do a good job compared to what is available now.

The next thing to consider is a tune-up for your HDTV.

Even brand-new HDTV sets, fresh from the box, need some adjusting to get the best picture. There are two ways to do this. You can simply spend some time with the set and adjust it to best suit your eyes, or you can use a DVD made for that purpose.

If you decide to go the DVD route, look for the Avia Guide to Home Theater or Digital Video Essentials: Optimize Your Home Entertainment System. These are the two discs that are most commonly used. But there's another called the Ultimate DVD — Home Theater Fine Tuning Made Simple that is a little newer. All three of these DVDs are available at Amazon.com. Or, if you live near a large consumer electronics store, you will be able to find them there.

The experts universally recommend using some sort of a disc like this, or even an outside consultant who comes to your home and adjusts the set in a much more precise manner than you could do with a DVD.

In my case, after trying a DVD, I decided to do the adjusting to suit my own preferences. Hey, you're the one who will be watching the set, so even if you favor a picture with warmer or cooler colors than are accurate, go for it. The whole notion of HDTV is to get a picture with quality that rivals what you'd see out a window. My tips will help you get there.

These aren't radical changes. But they make a difference. So the next time you feel like blowing up your TV, try my tips instead.

— Bill Husted writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.E-mail: bhusted@ajc.com

Source: http://www.venturacountystar.com

Get a clear picture on HDTV terminology.

2006-03-21T00:52:00.000-05:00

By Don Lindich,

Q: I have a Toshiba HDTV with a 1080p display. Does it convert the 480p signal from my progressive-scan DVD player to 1080p? Do I gain anything from an up-converting a DVD player (such as the Oppo 971) if my Toshiba is already outputting a 1080p display? In any event, I'm very happy with the picture.
Bob Kuhn, Minneapolis
A: Any signal going into your TV will be converted to 1080p for display. More on this later, but first, some background for the rest of our readers.
Numbers such as 1080p, 1080i and 480p refer to screen resolution. The number is the lines of resolution; the higher the number, the better the picture quality. Resolutions of 480 are standard definition television, the format we have been watching for many years. Figures of 720 and 1080 are HDTV quality.
The i and p refer to scanning, either interlaced and progressive. Interlaced scan draws the picture in two separate, interlaced fields. This happens very quickly, so to the viewer it looks like a single image. Progressive scan draws the entire picture in a single pass, producing superior picture quality than interlaced, especially with fast-moving subjects such as sports. This is one reason ABC and ESPN (daughter company of ABC) chose 720p for their HDTV broadcast format.
The most common figures you will see given for TV and DVD players are 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and, lately, 1080p. The 720p, 1080i and 1080p were specified when the new HDTV format was developed.
The 1080p specification of your Toshiba is tops. It combines the highest lines of resolution with progressive scanning. Standard-definition TV only has a 480i specification; the 480p came later with the advent of HDTV. When HDTVs were introduced, they supported higher scan rates that allowed them to reproduce a 480p image.
Realizing the potential for better image quality, electronics manufacturers developed progressive-scan DVD players. These players take the picture information from the DVD and digitally convert it into a progressive-scan image before sending it to the TV, yielding a better picture.
Whatever signal is fed to your TV will have to be converted to 1080p for display, its native display rate. If you feed it an analog 480p signal from a DVD player, it will be upconverted by the TV to 1080p. It will still look great, but some picture quality may be lost. It is usually better to do up-conversion in the player instead of the TV.
An upconverting DVD player takes the progressive-scan DVD player a step further. Instead of simply assembling the 480-line picture progressively, it converts it to an HDTV resolution such as 720p or 1080i before sending it to the TV. It does not create an HDTV image, but if the upconversion is done well, you will get a better picture than you would with a 480p DVD player. If this upconversion is not done well, it will have picture defects and may look much worse than a standard 480p image. Not all players do upconversion well, and some have been noticeably bad, one of several reasons I recommend the Oppo so strongly. It's only $200, has proven to be a top-grade performer, and is very well supported by the manufacturer. Though it outputs 1080i and not 1080p, I do think it will yield a better image than your 480p progressive scan player and is worth the investment. You can see it at www.oppodigital.com.
Now for your 1080p Toshiba. As I noted before, the 1080p specification is the best available. However, no 1080p video sources exist to feed it a 1080p signal, so everything coming in will be converted to 1080p. As you have noted, it looks great and you are happy. Fact is, most people are happy with their HDTV picture, be it 720p, 1080i, or 1080p. Well-done HDTV in any form looks magnificent, and more variations in picture quality will be seen between different models of TVs than the display resolution.
I think we get obsessed with number crunching sometimes. When shopping, don't choose a HDTV based on numbers, but by looking at the picture it produces.
Don Lindich is the creator of the "Digital Made Easy" series of books. Submit your audio, video and digital photography questions to donlindich@ yahoo.com.

Source: http://www.centredaily.com

Digital Camera strategy: Launch more, sell more.

2006-03-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

(The Jakarta Post Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)from THE JAKARTA POST -- MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2006 -- PAGE 19. How do industry leaders maintain their leading position? In the consumer product segment, it seems that one effective strategy is to keep bombarding the consumers with new products. Take Nokia, for example. Trying to keep up with its new handset products is like running a marathon. It demands a lot of stamina. But the result is outstanding. The company has been by far the leading handset producer in the world, controlling more than 30 percent of market share worldwide
Canon may be another case in point. It is hard to keep track of the new digital cameras that it introduces to the market. Just last week, Datascrip-Canon's distributor for Indonesia held yet another press conference in which no less than eight new digital cameras and a two photo printers were introduced. Apparently, this level of aggressiveness has enabled the Japanese company to stay on top

Because they have just been launched, I have not yet had the opportunity to borrow a demo unit. However, there are a number of interesting new features that we can talk about

Let us start with the most affordable models, the PowerShot A420 and A430. Their main attractiveness is, well, their affordability. The 4MP (megapixel) with 3.2x optical zoom A420 carries a price tag of US$155, while the 4MP A430 with 4x optical zoom A430 costs $180. The latter comes in four different colors to match our mood or the color of our clothes

A more important new feature is My Colors. It allows us to customize the colors in the picture that we have taken. It can be used, for instance, to enhance skin tone or add brightness to an object's face. Or, if you want a bluer sea or greener grass in your picture, you can choose the Vivid Blue or Vivid Green setting in My Colors. Both of these affordable models already have this function

In the midrange, Canon introduced the PowerShot A530 and A540. The A530 is a 5 MP camera, while PowerShot A540 is one MP higher. Both also include the My Colors feature, which is part of the Picture Effect functions

Still images can be captured with a 16:9 aspect ratio and they can be displayed on a wide-screen or a standard 4:3 TV set. Furthermore, if we insert a 1GB memory card into one of these cameras, we will be able to record video for up to 60 minutes. Camcorder makers have to work hard to keep their products competitive against these small digital cameras

The high end of this group is definitely the PowerShot A700 ($ 320). It has the large 2.5-inch LCD monitor, which is getting increasingly popular today. More importantly is the ability to capture images at ISO 800 equivalent sensitivity rating. Canon claims that this rating has passed the industry tests for accuracy

Those who prefer the credit-card size Ixus cameras are also in for a treat. The Digital Ixus Wireless, for example can send picture files over a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi supporting printer. Of course we need to set up the connection before using the wireless connection to ensure that only certain cameras can have their pictures printed

Digital Ixus 60 ($ 355) does not have the Wi-Fi support, but it has a larger, 2.5-inch LCD monitor. Both of them have a Night Display and Grid Line monitor, which makes aiming easier during the dark night

Canon PowerShot S3 IS is another irresistible camera for professional and consumer (prosumer) segment. The IS stands for Image Stabilizer, which ensures that pictures will not be blurred even if you have rather unsteady hands. At 12x, the zoom capability is very impressive, too. This model uses a 36-432 mm lens, which is great for capturing the architectural magnificence of the old buildings in Barcelona. All the nifty features of the other cameras are available in this one. I wish I had this camera during my trip last month

The true professional will certainly choose the 8.2 MP EOS 30D, the latest SLR camera from Canon. There are so many features in this model that only true professional photographers can understand them

Incidentally, Canon is reportedly the current leader in professional digital camera segment. But, for now, let us hope that I can get a chance to review one of the consumer models before they get updated again

Zatni Arbi, Contributor, Jakarta Copyright 2006 The Jakarta Post
Source: http://www.tmcnet.com

The CALIBUG HDTV - It's Time to Calibrate Your HD Display.

2006-03-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

A properly calibrated display is like sleeping in clean sheets. You get a better nights sleep and it just feels right. In the past, you’d need to get a DVD calibration disc, like Digital Video Essentials or The AVIA Guide to Home Theate, but now, with HD displays, calibrating with DVD quality test patterns is just silly. Just plug the CALIBUG to your USB port and you instantly have access to hundreds of HD quality test patterns. The only way you could get all these test patterns in the past was via a dedicated Test Pattern Generators/Sync Generators which cost thousands of Dollars. Your computer has VGA/DVI output, which is how you will get these HD patterns on your screen. The CALIBUG HDTV comes in a standard keyfob version ($129) and a Swiss Army Knife ($149) version. This is a great stocking stuffer for a Videophile!

Source: http://www.ehomeupgrade.com

Developer of digital entertainment systems launches a new home entertainment focused PC with offers 1-1/2TB of storage space and runs Windows XP Media

2006-03-10T11:33:00.000-05:00

Media Made Easy, a developer of digital entertainment systems, last week unveiled a new system powered by Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition. The new Media Made Easy HDTV Server is available now for a price of $4,199.

The Media Made Easy HDTV Server, the company said, comes ready to join home entertainment systems with a variety of features, including one and a half Terabytes disc space, Intel’s Pentium D hyper-threaded processor, two high definition tuners, two standard definition tuners, Asus’ GeForce 7800 GTX video, 8 channel 7.1 surround sound and cordless operation by finger-mouse, keyboard and remote control.

"Our customers were asking for a high-end, multi-tuner entertainment server,” said Ronald Schwab, CEO of Media Made Easy, in a statement. “They wanted to see movies, recorded television and music delivered using the latest video and audio technology available. We’ve engineered the server using Intel’s most powerful media motherboard and the latest technology from nVidia to power high-definition video for today’s HD displays and surround sound systems."

Source: http://news.designtechnica.com

Exploiting HDMI - a versatile standard?

2006-03-03T23:49:00.000-05:00

Launched at CES in 2003 and included in over 70 products at CES 2004, it's undeniable that HDMI has achieved early market acceptance Tim Parker, product specialist - interconnect at Micromark, takes a closer look at this developing market.HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface has achieved early market acceptance. This year's CES gave an insight into the application of HDMI connectors in alternative consumer products. The potential is there to exploit HDMI in broadcast, production and recording studios, as well as virtual classrooms, video conferencing and medical imaging.

In fact, any industrial application dealing with audio and video data can benefit from this technology.

HDMI

Backed by the industry heavyweights - Sony, Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips and Toshiba to name but a few - HDMI is a fast, uncompressed digital link for audio and video data. It was developed as a superior alternative to DVI to connect high definition video sources to digital displays in consumer electronics equipment such as dvd players, set-top boxes and a/v monitors, as well as handheld devices running Windows CE.

Capable of transmitting up to 5Gbps uncompressed digital video and audio over a single cable, HDMI is a derivative of DVI. It also replaces the maze of cabling usually associated with home cinema products. In addition, it enables the transmission of high-definition content along with 8-channel digital audio with bandwidth to spare.

The bulk of products now benefiting from HDMI, unsurprisingly, come from the home cinema and traditional a/v markets and include digital tvs, plasma displays, LCDs, dvd players and recorders, a/v receivers and set-top boxes.

Essentially, applications traditionally requiring several separate audio and visual leads.

On one level, HDMI is eliminating the cost and complexity of multiple cables used to connect current a/v systems, but HDMI also offers a number of advantages over DVI.

Connectors

HDMI uses a compact, reliable and user-friendly connector, similar to a USB connector, and offers a number of advantages over the bulky SCART socket and connector.

SCART leads and sockets are used to provide stereo sound from a stereo vcr, set-top box or satellite receiver to a tv or display. In addition, it can also provide rgb signals for connecting video game consoles or digital tv set-top boxes. SCART connectors, however, are not very sturdy, and in practice tend to give a fair few problems.

In vcrs, for example, the socket is often mounted solely by its soldered connections, and frequent use can make these become loose, creating intermittent problems. If the lead isn't sufficiently well screened this can give rise to picture problems, as can excessive cable length, and many users have experienced the disabling of teletext functions.

In contrast, HDMI connectors are much smaller and save about 40 percent of the pcb space. Surface mount sockets are available with a panel mounting flange, which sits flush within the unit like other consumer i/o components, and has springs on the side and bottom for grounding and mating retention.

The smt connectors are fully shielded for esd protection, gold-plated for reliability and produced with 100 percent lead-free processing. An easy-to-use friction lock design blends in well with home entertainment equipment while providing secure electrical contact with smooth cable insertion and extraction.

Cables

HDMI has been designed to use standard copper cable construction at long lengths. In order to allow cable manufacturers to improve their products through the use of new technologies, HDMI specifies the required performance of a cable, but does not specify a maximum cable length.

Cable manufacturers are keen to tap into the expanding HDMI market and suitable connectors and cable assemblies are now widely available. Most manufacturers offer HDMI-to-HDMI cables in lengths of 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 15m. Lengths in excess of 20m have been tested and are regarded as reliable, and as semiconductor technology improves, lengths over 100m can be reached with fibre optic cables and active cable technologies such as amplifiers or repeaters.

Cable assemblies are available in HDMI-to-HDMI styles for true digital connectivity and HDMI-to-DVI versions to accommodate the transition of equipment still using DVI connectors.

In summary

The uptake of HDMI by the CE industry in just the first year has shown that there is a requirement for an alternative to existing standards, especially in relation to HDTV and digital equipment. Although in its infancy, HDMI is still capable of greater things and we are likely to see its implementation in a growing number of handheld a/v devices and wider industrial applications.

Micromark C&CD

Source: http://www.cieonline.co.uk

HDTV gets the glamour, but surround-sound makes a home theater go 'round.

2006-03-03T23:47:00.000-05:00

If you're investing in a 5.1 surround system - two front speakers, a center-channel speaker, two rear-channel speakers and a subwoofer - use your ears as a guide.

Alan Lofft, former senior editor of Audio magazine in New York and for 13 years editor of Sound & Vision magazine in Canada, has a simple five-point formula for buying a surround system.

1.) Don't buy speakers in a rush, even if you're only buying two for a stereo setup. Listen to them with your favorite recordings.

"Vocals are a good test," says Lofft, now resident expert for Axiom, an online-only loudspeaker company in Dwight, Ontario.

Guidelines For Choosing Home-Theater Speakers

Visit several retail stores, using the same recordings. Stores may favor recordings of their own that have enhanced bass, an unrealistic test of speakers.

2.) Beware of "home-theater-a-box" systems that include speakers and a DVD receiver. "The electronics," says Lofft, "are usually fine - the DVD player and receiver - but more often than not the speakers are really mediocre to poor."

Instead, look for recognizable brand names, companies that specialize in building speakers. For a home-theater receiver, Lofft recommends these brands: Pioneer, Denon, Harman/Kardon and Yamaha.

3.) Be realistic about matching loudspeakers to your room. "Tiny cubes are décor-friendly," says Lofft, "but if you try to put them in a big room and want to get any impact, forget it."

Lofft says bookshelf speakers suit a room smaller than 2,400 cubic feet (that would be 20 feet long by 15 feet wide with an 8-foot ceiling). Larger rooms demand floor-standing speakers.

4.) Want to hear the deep-bass sound effects on DVD soundtracks? A subwoofer is a home-theater essential. In a smaller room, get one with a 10-inch driver. A larger room requires a 12-inch driver.

5.) Budget the same amount of money for an HDTV and surround system. You'll get sound quality that matches the high-definition, high-resolution image from your HDTV.

- Kevin Hunt (hunt@courant.com)
Source: http://www.courant.com

Consumer Reports Advice On Buying HDTV, Plasma TV, LCD TV Sets.

2006-02-28T23:45:00.000-05:00

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

TI to bring HD video capability to digital still cameras.

2006-02-25T00:46:00.000-05:00

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

Samsung Digimax S500, S600 and S800 Digital Cameras.

2006-02-25T00:44:00.000-05:00

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

Samsung, Pentax debut new digital SLR cameras.

2006-02-25T00:43:00.000-05:00

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

Canon SD700 IS, SD630 and SD600 Digital ELPH Cameras Announced.

2006-02-24T00:05:00.000-05:00

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

New cameras add on fancy features.

2006-02-24T00:02:00.000-05:00

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

The Next Generation of HDTV: SED.

2006-02-23T23:49:00.000-05:00

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

Nikon unveils seven new Coolpix digital cameras.

2006-02-22T00:36:00.000-05:00

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

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.

2006-02-20T00:38:00.000-05:00

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

Plasma TV's and Home Entertainment Centers.

2006-02-19T08:39:00.000-05:00

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

12 Million HDTV Owners Could Be Screwed.

2006-02-18T00:48:00.000-05:00

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.

Mitsubishi makes world's 1st laser-based rear projection TV.

2006-02-18T00:46:00.000-05:00

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

Sharp Readies 65-Inch LCD Monitor.

2006-02-18T00:45:00.000-05:00

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.

AHT unveils P2POD HDTV media player.

2006-02-18T00:43:00.000-05:00

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

A tiny camera, a big step toward high-definition.

2006-02-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

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

Penax's Waterproof and Feature Rich New Camera!

2006-02-16T14:49:00.000-05:00

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

Getting the boxes to interplay.

2006-02-16T01:01:00.000-05:00

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

NEC Brings UWB One Step Closer to Mainstream Use.

2006-02-13T08:59:00.000-05:00

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

Consumer Reports Advice on Buying HDTV, Plasma TV, LCD TV Sets; March Issue Has Latest Ratings.

2006-02-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

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

Huge Government HDTV Rebates Available to Entrepreneurs.

2006-02-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

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

Snell & Wilcox Adds Multifunction Decoding and HDTV Conversion to IQ Modular Range.

2006-02-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

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

SanDisk Becomes No. 2 Seller of MP3 Players. Flash Memory Chip Makes Device Cheaper Than IPOD.

2006-02-10T00:39:00.000-05:00

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

Marantz ZR6001SP Home Entertainment Solution.

2006-02-08T23:06:00.000-05:00

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

Anchor Bay Technologies Announces Availability of Their Proprietary Chip and System Level Video Processing Solutions For OEM.

2006-02-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

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

Is HDTV Complex Enough?

2006-02-07T23:48:00.000-05:00

Some people like to know the HDTV subject in detail before making their purchase; they research an overwhelming volume of technical background and specifications, they feel as earning a PhD in HDTV. However, if you are among the majority of people that want a modern TV and are confused when trying to understand HDTV, you could always apply the simple approach of going to the corner store, amaze your eyes, and sign the check. Is it worth to know well what are you buying? Let us look at both approaches.

The Traditional Approach for Selecting a TV Set

For about 50 years buying a television set was mainly a matter of deciding what size of CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) was good for your family room. If you were looking for a screen size larger than 35 inches, it was a matter of finding a rear projection set (RPTV) rather than a direct-view tube. Some people were interested in CRT front-projectors with a big white screen to project the image from far away in a large room, a theater style approach, but the approach was not cheap. The mass market of TV buyers was mostly into the direct-view and rear projection equipment, all in one box solution.

People usually invested good time in comparing and viewing images before buying, because for many "that TV" was "the TV" for the next 10/15 years. Image quality became very important when screen sizes grew with the arrival of RPTV. The larger image of RPTV was not as crispy as direct-view tubes, and over the last decade cable and satellite service providers started to get interested in over-compressing channels to make space for more channels, that affected image quality; their business model was, and still is, quantity not quality.

On those days the task of comparing sets was much less complicated than with today's different technologies of microchip display implementations, panels, levels of DTV resolution (SDTV, EDTV, HDTV), etc. Although price was important, selecting a set was a relatively straightforward process; people did not have to think beyond the issues of size and image. When you think about it, why not? The purpose of a TV was ultimately to view video images, the more realistic the better.

The H/DTV Approach

First, a Widescreen View

On past issues of this magazine I provided recommendations and tips to help you deal with individual subjects, such as how to buy an HDTV, how tuner-integration may affect the pocket of an uninformed buyer, especially a subscriber to satellite or other bi-directional cable STB services (like video on demand), how copy protection and connectivity could affect your selection of products and your ability to record and view HD. Each subject was targeted to people dealing with the particular needs.

On this article, I am looking at a wider perspective, a forest rather than the trees of each of those issues. I analyze how the multi-level complexity could affect the level of confusion about HDTV, especially if wanting to know sufficiently before purchasing.

Complexity and confusion have the potential to affect the timeliness of the transition to H/DTV, a) because confused people are usually reluctant to buy a relatively expensive product that might become restricted in its abilities of viewing and recording HD content, when the primary purpose is exactly that, and for which people paid premium prices for the hardware and the content, and b) because people that actually bought could start finding things that stop working or do not work properly and could bring to the surface a lot of negative feedback, enough to discourage others.

In other words, you can do a great effort at informing yourself sufficiently, read all the material, do the homework, and, as I said before, get your PhD in HDTV. But then brick walls start to appear in between the components of your newly purchased HD system, and they do not interoperate anymore as you thought they would (downrez of paid premium content over analog connections, to mention one).

Therefore, and here it is the second reason for this article, no matter how informed your purchase was there are areas out of your control that could potentially limit the functionality and capability of your HD system, and you start to have doubts about what actually works, what does not, and what might not work any more, for legacy adopters and for new adopters as well.

Now that you are eager to graduate with your PhD in HDTV, get ready and gain enough strength to deal with the next levels of complexity, as follows:

1998, the Starting of the Complexity

In 1998, buying the first HDTV or HD-STB was quite a challenge; those were the real days of early adoption. Even when knowing what you were doing, there was a high risk of ownership just to experiment with this groundbreaking technology. Knowledge and expert advice at the video retailer was almost non-existent, which continued to be the case for several years after that. Only a small selection of a few HDTVs and a handful of HD-STBs were available.

However, the incredible beauty of HDTV images, not seen before in a consumer product, and the trill and experience of making it work, was worth the investment to the few that took the first step into the technology. It was common to hear from those adopters that the beauty of the image made them watch programs they never though they would, and is still happening today.

Six years ago, very little information was available about the technology, equipment, connectivity, etc. Gradually, thanks to the Internet and magazines, a lot of information became available, although it required quite a bit of good research to avoid getting confused with the contradictions and errors of certain sources.

Today

Since its implementation in 1998, HDTV has experienced an incredible growth in the variety and number of technologies and products, with hundreds of TV models, dozens of manufacturers, even those that never were into TV before, like computer companies that are now associated to HDTV's software or hardware in way or another, such as Microsoft, Dell, HP, and Gateway, to mention a few. There is a remarkable increase of consumer options, and that requires a broader and deeper knowledge from sales personnel, and from consumers wanting to make an intelligent purchase.

We are now in the stage of consumer awareness and interest about HDTV, a stage where every business also sees an opportunity to profit from it. However, like with other technologies, HDTV is taking time to settle in, but some technologies never do and pass away, some catch-on with incredible acceptance like DVD, others settle within a big cloud of dust of heavy competition of some software or hardware innovation: "our format/product is better, cheaper", this is not new in consumer electronics. Some people say that HDTV is taking too long to implement and broadcasters are dragging their feet, some other say that having now a large selection of HD programming from cable, satellite, and over the air DTV, there is enough incentive to buy a set, regardless of the complexity and the confusion.

First Level of Complexity

Today, selecting a TV based on size and image could still be simpler as the traditional way. Regardless if the technology is analog or digital, the purpose of a TV continues to be "to view video images the more realistic the better". However, it could be more beneficial for you to know a bit more about how the image is created by the TV you like, because it could help you anticipate the video imperfections you could detect at the store (is it slow? is it with poor blacks? etc.).

It might be disappointing at home when a friend of yours makes you aware that your new TV is known to produce grayish blacks or has a screen-door effect; from that moment on you would concentrate on those imperfections rather than enjoying the program, and you might feel guilty of not having investigated enough about the subject before visiting the store.

DTV is a positive evolution of television captivated with the "digital everything" world of today, and "in theory" the image should be better, but that is not always the case. A beautiful HD picture could be ruined by over-compression; regular channels would be worst on a larger screen, their lower resolution becomes more obvious if the image is expanded to fit the screen; this is a concern of most people, they expect that image quality in a digital TV would be better not worst, and end up watching just the handful of HD channels ignoring the rest.

No matter how much you manage to be informed to select your DTV, there are many elements outside your set that could affect negatively the image you view, and is good to know about those elements as well. I will not cover these here; this is a subject for a full article, unfortunately.

Many people discover after their purchase that "some things do not work as we thought", and "no one told us of this and that, otherwise we would not have bought this particular set". They wish they could have spent more time informing and educating themselves before the TV arrives at home. Actually, in most cases, they realize that what was more important was to "find a knowledgeable person" that expertly and impartially help them look across the market and explain in simple terms what needs to be known for their application, rather than getting the biased advice of the store sales person that wants to sell "that" TV because they have too many of those in the storage.

Since most people are casual buyers they probably are getting the advice from a store that sells X and Y products only. Things start to get more complicated when rationalizing the setup and connectivity conditions to view, record, distribute, and connect digital TV signals, in other words "a HD system", not just a HDTV. If you follow the traditional TV selection approach, you will soon realize that the many technologies and types of displays would make your selection process much more complex and time consuming.

For example, you could view at the store display technologies such as Digital Light Processing (DLP), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal on Silicone (LCoS), and the proprietary versions of if like Sony's SXRD and JVC's D-ILA, and Plasma panels (PDP). Each of them has generic and proprietary characteristics (and imperfections) that create and affect the image differently: the rendering of color, depth of black, washed/strong whites, visible pixel structure, speed of reaction to fast images, etc. You will begin to notice that is not as simple as comparing the images of the old CRT sets, you are not comparing apples to apples; and that is only one group of variables.

Additionally, the same technology can produce the image as rear projection (RPTV), but also as front projection (FPTV), and as a direct-view panel, and they will look differently, a RPTV set could be appealing while the FPTV set be unattractive, which makes the understanding of the alternatives more difficult. For example, an LCD rear projection set could not show the same quality of image as an LCD TV panel of the same size; a 40 inches rear projection CRT set will not show an image as crisp as a 40 inches direct-view CRT tube.

Combine all those factors across technologies, and you are in for a few weeks of viewing, questioning, reading, and understanding why a set could be the wrong choice, or could be unsuitable to your application due to your lighting environment, the distance between viewer and image considering your space, etc. Some of them double up in price but not giving in return a double up of the image quality or screen size, but they might be very enchanting because they hang from the wall. Some people might find very disenchanting to know that their new "HDTV" that is already hanging on the wall is just an EDTV (enhanced definition, progressive DVD quality); no one mentioned a word at the store, and the specs were very misleading; too late now.

Interestingly enough the old CRT is still the best bang for the buck, however, the large cabinet of a CRT rear projection set might not impress your wife/husband as much as its image impresses your eyes. However, if you want one of those anyway, you might be out of luck if you wait for too long, Pioneer already announced in January of this year at CES 2004 their shift to plasma only, discontinuing their beautiful CRT Elite RPTVs, and Panasonic announced in November 2004 their abandonment of CRT RPTVs manufacturing as well. Other manufacturers continue their production of new CRT sets, but are gradually moving their resources to alternate technologies, such as DLP, LCD, and plasma.

Second Level of Complexity

Although the above is already complex enough, it is a "less intellectually involving" way to select a set, and most consumers still purchase that way, but a growing group of consumers want to know much more before spending thousands of dollars on a TV, because they feel that an HDTV is not just another TV for the house. The knowledge they gather facilitates their decision, specially when finding that the information from some retailers contradicts other retailers, or mismatches their researched material, or find in some Internet forums that a large number of owners are disappointed with X technology or piece of equipment, the one the retailer was recommending.

On the other hand, people might find information that sometimes produces more harm when misinterpreted or let it become focal points of concern. While reading about a TV, they might become too worry with X and Y artifacts, even when they cannot notice them in the actual viewing with the help of an expert. One example is the rainbow effect of the color-wheel in one-chip DLP implementations; the artifact might bother some people that are sensitive to it, but not others.

Valuable knowledge should be used when making the HDTV decision, but every technology will always have some kind of weakness, imperfection, and lower performance factor. It would be almost impossible to find "the" set that is the absolute perfection for all the lighting and viewing conditions, resolutions, scaling, etc.

Likewise, there will always be some factor that makes any technology better when compared to another technology "on that factor", like the rendering of black for example, but that other technology that is poor in blacks could be perfect in another factor, like great whites, or fast response time. What is important to you? You need to assign some weight to the factors that are important to you, and guide your decision by your common sense, not the pressure from the sales person.

People find the difference between the DTV levels (standard, enhanced, and H(igh)DTV), and then they start counting pixels, and measuring resolution vertically and horizontally. Then they learn about the properties of interlaced and progressive scanning, what that means for their HDTV images and DVDs, and how the interlaced format affects fast images, and how movies transferred from films are shown in video.

They move on to a higher complexity when they learn that an HDTV was designed to display an image at a native rate (i.e. 720p or 1080i). They learn that it is better to show the image at its original rate, but there are HD channels in 720p (ESPN, ABC), while the rest are in 1080i. They learn that it is very unusual to find sets capable to sync to both 720p and 1080i scan rates, and conclude that some channels would need to be converted/scaled down or up to been able to be matched and displayed at the native rate of the set; they also learn that unnecessary conversions/scaling should be avoided because they generally degrade the quality of the image and add artifacts.

While researching information about the eternal battle of 720p vs. 1080i, people learn that a fast basketball match recorded in progressive 720p (well suited to fast action) could end up showing interlaced artifacts when converted to a 1080i interlaced set. On the other hand, a fixed pixel display such as DLP, LCD and plasma, should show the 720p basketball match very well, but another image with beautiful scenery captured in detail with the higher horizontal resolution of 1080i, would have to be scaled down to map the pixel count of at type of display.

Some fixed pixel displays are now starting to appear with the full horizontal resolution of 1080x1920, but this is not the case with the vast majority of that market. Additionally, they learn that TVs that are not fixed pixel displays, like CRT, are not actually capable to show the full 1920 pixels of a 1080i HD image (except for some expensive projectors).

Then people learn that the format conversion is most probably done by a HD set-top-box (or an integrated tuner within a TV), and that box is one of the mentioned on Internet forums, where owners report that it freezes, needs to be rebooted more often than Windows 3.1, produces blurry images of regular non-HD material, its digital outputs are disabled, the CableCARD has taken several months of cable-engineers visits to make it work and still does not, etc.

Then they try to rationalize: all these conversions, limitations, complexity, and confusion, and we are still not viewing HD at its full potential?

Some people say "is OK, I bought the HDTV primarily to watch my widescreen DVDs". Then find to their surprise that their "widescreen" DVDs still appear with black bars when shown on their new "widescreen" HDTV (the DVD movie image is more panoramic than the 16:9 aspect ratio of HDTV). Actually, they are watching "all of the image" of the movie, in the cinematic aspect ratio intended by the director, regardless how large the black bars might be.

Although the black bars are thinner than on their previous 4:3 set, they still feel cheated because they bought their "widescreen" HDTV so they could finally get rid of all the black bars. Their first reaction is to doubt the merit of switching from the old 4:3 TV, especially when most of the hundreds of cable and satellite channels still are (and would be for long) in 4:3, and they will now show on the new HDTV with side pillars unless they are expanded to fit the 16:9 frame of the TV. Some people would never accept it, adding one more factor to the their confusion, the aspect ratio adaptation.

Unfortunately, many people learn about these things after they made their selection, and find the confusion more painful. As you see, some things could not be solved 100% by choosing another DTV. Well-informed consumers could do something to help the confusion, share their knowledge to train the sales person; hopefully another consumer would get the benefit indirectly.

DTV was intended to improve image quality and to provide a digital future of interactivity and convergence with digital computing and networking. It takes time to understand how to put together the necessary components to view and record HD depending how you receive DTV signals (satellite, cable, antenna).

So it is very typical for people to cut the hassle short and ask very simply: "tell me what to buy". They are confused with the many variables of the "modern DTV technology", it is hard for them to rationalize the choices, and even if they do, they find unreasonable that they have to learn so much to get a digital TV, D-VHS, HD-DVR, HD-STB, etc. to replace their familiar TV, VHS, and Tivo that most find so easy to select, connect, and use; although there will always be people with a blinking twelve on their VCRs.

Imagine when they find out that they have to install one terrestrial UHF/VHF antenna to connect to this modern HDTV for them to have a better chance to receive the free broadcast networks with a better image than their over-compressed HD "paid services". For some people a small indoor or attic antenna could work well, but others might have to install the retro mast / outdoor antenna, at that point they freak out.

Most of the early adopters were motivated to watch DVD movies in 480p from their progressive DVD players (enhanced definition DTV level, but very good image indeed). Some new DVD players can now upconvert to HD 720p or 1080i thru their digital outputs (DVI and HDMI). I must note at this point that although upconversion has the objective of improving an image by adding more pixels, those pixels cannot increase the "original resolution" stored in the DVD. So another confusion is that people think they are watching their regular DVDs in Hi def DVD quality when they are not.

Many people are confused and concern about new themes, such as lamp cost, life span of the lamp, or panel life, etc.

Does it matter that the life span of a lamp is a few thousand hours if by replacing it for $200 the $5,000 TV is renewed to a brand new condition of light intensity? Would it be better to replace the $5,000 TV instead? Do they have any idea of how much is the comparative cost of doing something similar with a CRT RPTV, replacing the tubes for a visual renewal? Some are worried that plasmas are quoted to last "just" 60,000 hours, three hours of prime time HDTV every day translates to 20,000 days, or over 50 years of life. Do they expect their CRTs to last 50 years as well? One can argue that some concerns might be valid, others unnecessarily alarming, but unfortunately, they contribute to further levels of complexity.

Most people feel overwhelmed by the complexity and prefer to know only the basics; it is common for most to make their decisions based on a few questions at the local store, be pressured by the availability of a red tag sale item from a discontinued inventory, and using the typical routine of selecting the old TV comparing price and image, but not quite understanding what they are comparing.

Third Level of Complexity - Content Protection Layer of Confusion

Since 1998, it was discussed that copy protection might force changes to equipment when resolved. At that time, the general recommendation was to be on the safe side and split the HD tuner from the monitor, one typical statement was: " Buy a TV monitor and later get a separate HD-STB when you are ready, eventually, when the issues are resolved, hopefully you would just need to replace the HD-STB tuner".

Even in today's era of integrated HDTVs, the recommendation of a separate STB still holds true for a large group of HDTV owners that want flexibility and do not want to pay for expensive tuners within their TV monitors if they do not need them. The approach of monitor and STB made sense at that time because a) early generations of STBs had a number of technical problems that anyone should want out of the TV cabinet, and b) the issues of copy protection and connectivity that everyone though "would get ironed out probably in a year or so".

We are now six years after the DTV implementation, and the content protection issues are still evolving and causing implementation problems and delays, even to sister technologies like Hi-def DVD for example (more on it later). They also had an effect on the connectivity and operability of legacy and new equipment.

All these issues should have been addressed while DTV was in development for over 20 years, not wait until DTV is implemented to start looking into it, and definitely unthinkable is to keep addressing them six years after that. The parties involved (government and otherwise) were not capable enough to resolve the matter properly, while in comparison, the most complex part, the engineering of the HDTV technology itself, was implemented successfully.

The detail issues of content protection are combined with some connectivity issues on the following section.

Fourth Level of Complexity - Connectivity

An HD video connection should not be difficult to implement, is a matter of a good quality wire with standardized plugs at each end. The problem of connectivity is not the wire, is what you can do with it, or more exactly, what content providers do not want you to do with the connection. A number of self-replacing connecting standards have been introduced over the years, such as component analog YPbPr, and digital DVI, HDMI, and IEEE1394, and a number of copy protection methods were developed for the digital connections, such as HDCP, DTCP, and more recently, the Broadcast Flag with the blessing of the FCC.

Even when having all of those connections on your equipment, and even when you complied with all the "evolving" rules of connectivity, their practical implementation might not work as you expect. People will find that, for example, some digital connections are not working correctly, some might produce lower quality results in the HD video than the analog connections they eagerly "upgrade", some connectors are installed in equipment but are intentionally rendered non-operational until further notice, some equipment is found incompatible with other equipment that uses the same type of standard connection because they were implemented with different proprietary characteristics, component analog connections that worked since 1998 are suddenly impacted by lowering their resolution for HD images.

The connectivity subject is still "evolving" because it is linked to the ever-evolving copy protection issues. The DVI and HDMI connections for uncompressed digital HDTV signals were not necessarily pushed forward because a direct digital connection to a digital display would 'theoretically' provide a better image, or because HDMI would simplify the wiring in one cable when adding multi-channel digital audio to the video connection, or because IEEE1394 Firewire ™ was unable to handle HD video quality. Those are nice features if/when they work, but let us be honest.

DVI or HDMI (together with HDCP copy protection) was "supported" because the MPAA wanted a sturdier solution to the risk of HD digital content being distributed and recorded with a quality similar to the original by people with the wrong motive and the available means to do it. Certainly, they forgot about a minor factor, they would affect the very same consumers that buy tons of their content in DVDs everyday. Additionally, under the fear that the Internet could be used as a channel for distribution of HD digital video, the FCC added another layer of complexity: the "Broadcast Flag", for which so far the FCC has approved 13 different digital output technologies and recordings methods. And this is not over.

In November 2004, several newspapers reported that those involved in the downloading of movies are now targeted by the lawsuits filed in federal courts across the country by Disney, Warner Bros., MGM, Universal, Fox, Paramount and Sony. MPAA's representative Rich Taylor declined to say exactly how many suits the studios filed or where they filed them, while Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a Washington, D.C.-based civil liberties group, declared, "I wish they would think more about how they're going to sell movies than how they're going to sue people". The group wants the entertainment industry to develop alternate business models to suit the needs of 21st-century technology.

Some organizations are still brainwashed in the middle of the content protection gridlock, slowing the process of migrating from analog to digital, making more complicated the design of products with multiple connectivity to be competitive. Products end up over-suited with analog component YPbPr, analog RGB BNC or VGA 15 pin D-sub, DVI, HDMI, and if integrated with a DTV tuner it better have two-way IEEE1394, and of course with DTCP and HDCP copy protection; all that in addition to regular S-Video and composite connections, and of course now the "Broadcast Flag" circuitry.

Audio video receivers already suffered a five-year video connectivity transformation when they were forced to support DVD and later HD bandwidths. Receivers and pre/pros were built with multiple 3-wire YPbPr component analog connections to accommodate and switch the video devices connected to them, and in many applications, there were not enough inputs, so people needed to buy external switches. After doing all that effort, those manufacturers were forced to rethink the strategy with the arrival of DVI, and later again with HDMI. Just imagine how busy the back of a receiver or pre/pro would have to be in order to be competitive and support enough video jacks for several analog-component and digital DVI/HDMI cables coming from legacy and new equipment such as D-VHS, HD-STB, DVD players/recorders, HD-DVRs, HDTVs, etc.

Not to mention the case of protecting DVD-Audio and Super-Audio digital multi-channel CDs by having the player converting the digital signal to analog and send it to the audio system using six separate analog wires, which requires at least six analog jacks at the back of the receiver, all in the name of content protection.

If the issues of digital connectivity and copy protection would have been addressed and resolved properly and timely, it could have facilitated a faster and simpler implementation, be less confusing, and be cost-efficient to consumers and manufacturers. It could have benefited everyone by capitalizing from economies of scale that should have been fully matured by now. Unfortunately, manufacturers and consumers were put in a bind.

The parties that deal with standards and decisions that affect consumer electronics, including our government and the content provider organizations, should be more sensitive and aware of the toll everyone pays for the many years of unplanned transformations and the delays caused by the endless lobbies and gridlock negotiations. Some technologies are technically ready and are on hold for years because these organizations cannot make their minds and agree on something.

An Analogy to Help Us Focus

Imagine this situation from the world we live everyday:

You buy a new car (HDTV); you find at the gas station that the car only works properly when you use X gasoline (MPAA content over digital connections), but if the gas pump of the car detects (using HDCP, DTCP, Broadcast flag content protection) that you are using another brand of gasoline, you can not drive in the highway anymore, because the car speed is limited to a maximum of 15 miles an hour (HDTV down-rezed to a SDTV level of resolution using the analog component connections).

The new car (HDTV) was certainly designed to travel to any place at any speed, but the oil company (MPAA) designed the gas pump of the car so they can control it responding to their command, and "teach you how to drive your car". Sometimes you might not even be able to move the car from the parking lot (blank screen on the HDTV), so you have to walk.

The irony is that you bought your new car (like a Ferrari HDTV) without knowing that the oil company (MPAA) would have such control over your driving, and it costs several times the cost of your old car (analog NTSC TV), which no longer be manufactured.

The gurus say that you can always continue driving your old car (NTSC TV), but there is a catch, it will only work if you buy a converter gas pump (HD-set top box to down-convert digital DTV to analog NTSC), which today is as expensive as the car itself (analog NTSC TV). If you do not buy the converter gas pump, your car will stop functioning for what it was created.

How is that for consumer satisfaction?

Although it affects everyone, it does less harm to the high-end Porsche type of owner than to the large group of people that owns the 10 year old used car and struggle every day to survive without health insurance and without loosing the job.

This group of the TV viewing community would love to have an HDTV but they would be happy enough by just been able to turn on their TV after their long day of work and watch the content they viewed before; they are not counting the lines of resolution or pixels on a plasma panel they can not afford, they just want their TV to continue working until "they" are ready to replace it, not the government.

Is Hi-Def DVD Also Affected by the Complexity?

The design and implementation of a solution to HD content protection had taken too long, causing the movie studios to be reluctant in releasing their content in HD quality, unless is properly protected. This in turn caused delays to the introduction of Hi-Def DVD players/recorders/discs, which could have been released already (Japan released Blu-ray almost two years ago).

Since the DVD introduction in 1996, people are buying a record number of DVDs even with the piracy market of DVDs; people obviously like to buy and collect their own movies. If the Hi-Def DVD hardware and software could debut at a price as attractive as DVD, the HD format could experience the same overwhelming success.

In the other hand, some negative thinkers believe that introducing Hi-Def DVD could represent a menace to the DVD profitable market, so they have no incentive to release it now; in other words, they send us back to square one.

Several companies join in partnerships to develop and promote competing formats such as HD DVD and Blu-ray in addition to VMD, WM9, and EVD, all implementing a variety of competing video compression technologies. Computer companies are also taking sides on those partnerships. All formats are looking for the commitment of content providers so their equipment can have interesting media to play, and as mentioned earlier the content providers are reluctant to rush in releasing their media due to copy protection issues.

Is this complex enough? This is worst than Disney vs. Sony and Beta vs. VHS combined. It is disappointing that the consumer electronics industry, the content providers, and our government have not learned enough from past mistakes.

Some Light of Help at the End of the Tunnel

Where do you stand on this panoramic view? Are you ready to be part of it?

If you say: Yes, today. Congratulations enjoy your purchase. Inform yourself sufficiently to make an intelligent selection with the features you need for your "HD system" to work, not just the TV.

If you say: Could be, but I prefer to buy later. If it is because you rather wait until the issues are resolved, this could take long; remember the "the issues will be ironed out" statement is being commented since 1998. If you can afford the purchase at current prices, you could start enjoying incredible HD images.

If you say: No, too risky now. Wait until you feel that the issues of your concern have been resolved for a safe purchase of all the components you need. Perhaps even wait until Hi-Def DVD players/recorders are implemented in the US, hopefully in 2005/6, and see how the connectivity/copy protection is implemented on them. However, the promise of "next year" has been expressed for 3 years already by manufacturers that demo Hi-Def DVD products at CES every year.

If you say: No, I cannot afford HDTV now. Equipment prices are lower each week. You do not need to budget for an expensive set, the RPTV CRT solution is still the best bang for the buck, and if you have enough floor space for their larger cabinet, you can buy large screens for between $1000 and $2000.

If you say: No, I want to continue with my current set. Some proposals were discussed by government to help over-the-air TV viewers by subsidizing the cost of a digital STB tuner to view DTV down converted to the resolution of their analog TV (480i). Another alternative is to get that STB yourself, if you are a cable or satellite subscriber, you might have it already. If you use an over-the-air antenna, the STB cost about $350, but prices are expected to come down faster now.

Over 70% of TV viewers are cable subscribers; there is another proposal that would have many of those cable subscribers recognized and counted as DTV recipients (this is a simplified statement). If both proposals are approved, the government could accelerate considerably the completion of the DTV transition, which requires that at least 85% of the population receive DTV to stop NTSC analog broadcasting, which would permit the auction (billions of dollars) of the airwave spectrum returned by the broadcasters upon releasing the analog channels.

Does Anyone Care if there is Confusion?

What is better for the consumer? Is it better for YOU to know?

Maybe the consumer does not feel confused, or does not care, if so, why making the effort of working on a cure? Who needs to have HDTV knowledge to invest in HDTV? Perhaps your kids have already obtained some of that knowledge from their daily Instant Messenger while doing their homework in front of the computer; remember they grew up on a digital world.

If it is better to know, there is a large task ahead to quickly educate the public to reduce the confusion. Do the situation require only an education effort? Perhaps a simplification of HDTV is needed before the education effort. Perhaps we should continue with the current complexity and wait for more years of constant exposure to the technology.

There is Always a Positive Side

We have to admit that we could be worst without having this new digital future, and without the current availability of so many incredible DTV products, thanks to 20 years of wonderful engineering effort and 6 years of early adopters. We could have had an "analog" HDTV, as some proposals originally recommended, and we could have been without the efforts of the ATSC and the Grand-Alliance.

We could have had Cable HD still dragging their feet, rather than the fast support experienced over the last year, which opens their 70% TV market to the world of DTV, and help reach most of the 85% threshold required to complete the migration to DTV. We could have continued with a market focused in CRT RPTVs other than the variety of display technologies of today (CRT, plasma, LCD RP and TV, DLP, LCoS, XRD, D-ILA, etc).

Even though complexity and confusion make difficult the DTV transition, let us recognize and be thankful of the growth, maturity, variety of H/DTV technologies, sizes, and styles of products that makes us today much, much better than when we started in 1998. In fact, it is a miracle that we experienced that growth considering all the other pending issues that are haunting the effort for so many years.

Build from it and Move on

The industry and the related organizations should a) capitalize from the errors, the delays, and failed negotiations, and should move forward fast and steady to simplify and help adopt HDTV sooner, and b) reconcile all the issues of connectivity and copy protection, while protecting backward compatibility and respecting the investment of millions of HDTV early adopters since 1998.

The standards and rules should not continue to duplicate/self-replace/overlay themselves in a trial an error approach, they should be simplified and implemented following a well-planned path, and protecting the consumer rights of HD viewing, networking, and recording, as the rights of content providers regarding their media.

This article and others can be found at: at: http://www.hdtvmagazine.com

Runco International Brings "Crystal" Clarity to its All-New Flat-Panel Lineup.

2006-02-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

Home Theater Pioneer Introduces New High-Definition LCD Video Displays, Loaded with Extravagant Features and Styled for Custom Home Theaters

Starting in April, custom home theater installers will be able to satisfy the refined tastes of their customers with an unprecedented variety of high-definition video displays. Runco International, the world-leading producer of home theater imaging technology, is adding an entirely new lineup of flat-panel LCD displays to its family of digital video products. The Crystal Series of liquid crystal display panels includes three new models that offer home theater enthusiasts the immersive movie experience and integration versatility that is Runco International's signature, as well as all of the benefits of today's most advanced LCD technology.

"We gave the first look at our Crystal Series LCD displays at CES 2005, and the positive response from our dealers and reps has been absolutely overwhelming," said Bob Hana, president of Runco International. "Since then, each member of Runco has put in tremendous effort toward perfecting the balance between power and style that make our products the sought-after luxury standard. We are also offering the same great support program that backs all of our quality products. With the addition of the Crystal Series, Runco dealers now have palette of video products at their fingertips representing the highest quality and broadest variety available today."

Runco International's new Crystal Series of LCD flat panels includes three models: the CR-26HD, CR-32HD, and CR-40HD. Each features a 16:9 screen (1366 x 768 native resolution) in diagonal sizes of 26" (660mm), 32" (813mm), and 40" (1016mm), respectively, and specifically addresses the needs of custom home theater installers.

The new panels ensure seamless integration in nearly any setting by utilizing Runco's upscale industrial design, as well as including a wide array of connections that allow function with today's advanced signal sources. Runco has incorporated the Imaging Science Foundation's (ISF) calibration standards to ensure an outstanding picture in any viewing environment, as well as its own benchmark ViViX(tm) image processing technology, which enhances even standard video programming to virtual high-definition.

Runco International's Crystal Series breaks new ground in application flexibility as it is the company's first series of displays to include built-in two-way stereo speakers. Each LCD is also capable of switching between picture-in-picture (PIP) and picture-out of--picture (POP) modes. This wealth of features combined with a slim depth of 3-1/4" (83mm) (CR-26HD) and 4-1/2" (114mm) (CR-32HD & CR-40HD) make Runco International's Crystal Series of LCDs the ideal choice for the uncompromising home theater sophisticate.

www.runco.com

http://hiddenwires.co.uk

Will A New Law Make Your TV Obsolete?

2006-02-06T15:05:00.000-05:00

The United States government is requiring TV stations to cease broadcasting analog channels. April 7th, 2009 is the current date the FCC is requiring U.S. stations to broadcast using digital signals instead of existing analog signals. With a conversion date slightly over three years from now and little publicity on the topic, what is an American consumer to do?
First, let’s take a look at what is driving these changes and then we’ll look at what options American consumers have regarding their home television sets.

Why convert to digital TV?

There are three main factors driving the industry change from analog signals to digital. Standardized digital conversion will create a common and effective way for TV broadcasters to encrypt their content and protect against piracy. Digital content not only provides better content for viewers, but perfect reproduction for content piracy. No longer is there a “copy of a copy” effect. Every reproduction of digital content is as clear as the original. Existing laws and standards don’t allow broadcasters to protect their content because they have to provide analog versions. The conversion to digital broadcast will allow encryption to be employed.

The second reason for digital TV conversion is to raise money through the sale of frequency spectrums. VHF (Very high frequency) channels are currently used for TV stations 2-13, but that frequency range is also used for FM radio, navigation systems, aircraft communications and two-way radios for police, taxis and marine communications. UHF (Ultra high frequency) channels are used for all other TV stations that are not digital. This frequency range is also used currently for cell phones, cordless phones, wireless networking, ham radio and other licensed two-way communications (GMRS, FRS) and microwave ovens.

During the mid 90’s the FCC auctioned PCS spectrum frequencies, which current digital cellular phones operate on and generated over $7.7 billion in revenue for the A and B blocks alone. When TV stations convert to digital frequencies, the FCC plans to auction the newly available spectrum to the highest bidder. Revenues from this auction are expected to exceed $10 billion with $5 billion legislated to pay down the federal deficit.

The final reason driving the conversion to digital broadcast comes from providers themselves. In addition to being able to protect their content, TV stations will be able to provide better content. Digital TV will be broadcast in higher resolution, meaning your picture will be clearer and sharper. The aspect ratio, the way the picture is displayed, will be different…more like the way movies in theaters are displayed. Think rectangle instead of square. Digital TV will also supply Dolby digital surround sound. Most importantly though is the ability to broadcast more than one channel at a time. For instance, HBO currently broadcasts eight channels on digital cable and digital satellite. Subscribers who have analog cable only receive one HBO channel.

Is a new TV required?

So what does all this information mean to American TV watchers? First of all, you won’t necessarily have to buy a new TV. If you’re one of the less than 30% who still watches TV using only an antenna, your TV will go blank on April 7th, 2009, but you’ll be able to fix that situation using a digital converter box instead of buying a new TV. The consumer electronics industry is hoping the price point of that device will be less than $70. For the remaining 70% of American TV watchers who subscribe to cable or digital satellite services, your current set top box will act as the converter for your TV. However, some features that only a new digital TV will have is the ability to display the full digital resolution and the wide screen aspect ratio.

Another benefit to a digital TV is you won’t need a separate cable or satellite receiver. Digital TVs have those tuners built in, but you may need a decoder card to receive subscription based programming. Cable and digital satellite providers plan on providing video on demand using these cards instead of a set top box.

Digital TVs are already on the market and you may have one without even knowing it! All large screen TVs, 36” and above, were required to be digital ready July 1, 2005. Intermediate sized TVs, 25” to 36” are scheduled to be digital ready by July 1, 2006 and all TVs above 13” should be digital ready by March 1, 2007. This should be in plenty of time to meet the 2009 legislation. Manufacturers are hoping the deadline will be moved up as are certain members of Congress like Senator John McCain of Arizona.

Will consumers know the difference?

The adoption of HDTV is a good measure of how consumers will respond to digital TV. Purchases of HDTVs have been strong, especially with prices dropping, but there is still a lot of confusion between the different types of TVs available and the required HDTV services. A December survey by Forrester Research showed that while 16 million Americans have purchased HDTV sets, less than half of them have registered for services that will allow them to view it.

Some HDTV programming is provided “in the clear,” but cable or satellite customers need to have a special set top box or decoder (CableCard) to view programming in HD. The biggest reason consumers gave for not obtaining the proper programming options to receive HDTV was they felt the picture quality was already improved just by the purchase of the HDTV set.

Cable and satellite providers will be providing consumer education over the coming year to educate them about the additional requirements for viewing HDTV. Hopefully, this education programming will help raise awareness for the Digital TV conversion of 2009 as well.

Digital television – the bottom line.

The 2009 digital TV conversion should benefit consumers in ways they can’t even imagine. It won’t require everybody to purchase a new television set. Manufacturers and retailers will continue to provide analog TVs as the law allows over the next 24 months and new VCRs and DVD players will be made with both analog and digital tuners. TV content providers will be able to provide better and more interactive content for viewers because of a defined digital TV standard. And other consumer electronic communication devices will be made better because of expanded frequency availability for things like cordless phones, cell phones and walkie-talkies of all varieties. Digital TV should be a very good thing indeed.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_high_frequency

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,123440,00.asp
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/digitaltv.html
http://www.idishnetwork.com/?id=sync

http://webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?SESSIONID=&aId=6521

Max Stein, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Max Stein is a freelance writer who writes about a variety of
contemporary topics.

http://www.dailyindia.com

An end to cable clutter? IBM to unveil new wireless standard It's able to handle even HDTV signals.

2006-02-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

By JOHN MARKOFF,

A team of IBM researchers plans to report tomorrow that they have used standard chip making materials to develop a high-speed wireless technology that could do away with the bulky cables that now connect electronic devices in the living room.

In the past, high-frequency wireless technology has generally required exotic semiconductor materials like gallium arsenide that are costly to work with and difficult to miniaturize.

At an annual semiconductor industry design meeting to begin here tomorrow, the researchers are expected to describe a design that is capable of transmitting more than 10 times the data of today's Wi-Fi using lower-cost silicon germanium material.

The researchers said the new technology would be ideal for moving HDTV video signals around the home wirelessly in the unlicensed 60-gigahertz portion of the radio frequency spectrum.

This is referred to as the "millimetre wave band," and it has long held out the promise of carrying far more data than other portions of the spectrum.

Moreover, because the high-frequency portion of the radio spectrum generally does not penetrate walls, it may be more palatable to Hollywood and the cable and DSL telecommunications firms, which have been concerned about the risks of piracy posed by some wireless technologies, said Richard Doherty, a computer industry consultant at Envisioneering Inc., based in Seaford, N.Y.

"It might appease Hollywood, but Monster Cable would lose out,'' he said.

The use of silicon germanium is significant because it exploits standard equipment that is readily available in IBM chip-making plants, according to Modest Oprysko, a manager in communication technology at IBM's Yorktown Heights research laboratories.

That means that there is potentially a relatively quick path from research to commercialization.

"This is Bluetooth on steroids," he said, referring to the current industry standard that has been used as a wireless cable replacement.

http://www.thestar.com

Want HDTV? Be Careful.

2006-02-04T23:30:00.000-05:00

By Paul Greeley

If you haven’t shopped for HDTV yet, the first thing you’ll encounter is confusion. You want LCD or DLP? Or LcoS? Flat-screen or rear-projection? Get ready to hear about pixels and resolution—”Sir, would you prefer 1,080 lines drawn on-screen in an odd/even or interlaced pattern, or 720p, 720 lines scanned in one sweep, or progressively? Plasma or cathode-ray tubes?”

There is so much to know about HDTV. A co-worker told me the story of his friend, who had just bought a big-screen HDTV and invited everyone over to watch the game. They stood around oooohing and aaaahing.

But my co-worker, who owns an HDTV, thought something was amiss. Turns out that, while the friend owned an HDTV, he didn’t know that he also needed to upgrade his cable box to HDTV. (Research shows as many as half the consumers with HDTV sets aren’t actually receiving it.)

I contacted a friend who had just bought an HDTV and had used Consumer Reports as his guide to help me sift through all the confusion. I determined that a 36-inch screen fit my family’s needs perfectly. For that size, Consumer Reports says sets with cathode-ray tubes, although bulky and heavy, still offer the best picture quality and value.

The magazine recommended a Sony model selling for about $1,100. Circuit City had a floor model for sale for around $900. We were in the process of buying it when the salesman mentioned that the set he had in his house was better. (I bet he says that to all his customers.)

It was a Polaroid—yes, a Polaroid. He showed me a lightweight, plasma Polaroid. It was beautiful—just an inch or so deep, and I could lift it with one hand. Impulsively, I changed my mind. I took it home and turned on the football game. My son saw it and proclaimed, “Dad, it’s all blurry.” He was right. So I boxed it up, took it back and got the Sony.

The Sony picture was clear and clean, even before I had it hooked up to HDTV. Now I thought it would be a good time to try something really new. Rather than get my HDTV set-top box from a cable or satellite provider, I could use Verizon Fios. (We happen to live in Keller, Texas, the first area in the country to offer Verizon’s new fiber-optic connection.)

We watched our first NFL playoff game in HDTV, and it was beautiful. When we watched an HDTV underwater special on the Discovery channel, we thought the fish would jump through the screen. Everything is beautiful. Letterman and Leno somehow seem funnier in HDTV.

As my son remarked, “Life should be in HDTV, Dad.”

Indeed, son, indeed.

Paul Greeley is VP of marketing and promotions for Nexstar Broadcasting

http://www.broadcastingcable.com

HDTV tax deduction: why not?

2006-02-04T23:24:00.000-05:00

All the brouhaha over the DTV transition date legislation and good commentary over "should the government help those financially challenged" with subsidies has us thinking. Did the government ever consider implementing a tax incentive to move folks from analog to digital? Should they have? Without getting into the politics and economics of it too much, it's a known fact that the government uses the tax structure to sway the public's decisions.

Not that I needed the incentive from the government, but with the high gas prices last summer, I traded in a gas-guzzling V8 for a hybrid vehicle for example. What's the incentive, aside from less trips to the pump? How about a tax deduction of up to $2,000 in 2005; even more in 2006. I'll be insulating my garage this year too. I've lived with the cold for some time, but in 2006, the government will provide a tax credit of up to $500 for energy-saving purchases; 10% of your qualified expenses.

This isn't meant to be story on the history of how tax incentives influence your decisions; let the above serve as simple examples of how the tax framework and influence purchase decisions. So why don't we have the same for DTV? It's probably cheaper for everyone involved to have the $80 subsidies for analog to DTV converters, and that's likely the answer for why there are no tax incentives for DTV purchases. This is a missed opportunity, however, to help folks make the transition. A sliding scale could have been used to provide the maximum tax benefit for those in lower income brackets, while the incentive phases out for those who can more easily afford a new TV set.
http://www.hdbeat.com

Phase One adjusts production capacity of P-series camera backs.

2006-02-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

Phase One®, the world leader in digital imaging solutions, increases production capacity of its new P-series digital camera backs in response to high demand.

Orders for both the P 30 and P 45 have exceeded Phase One’s initial projections. The new backs only became available in December and already over 1000 have been shipped.

Increasing production will fulfill all existing order commitments by the end of April. It will also ensure the market is well supplied for future expected demand.

Why the demand?
The P 45 and P 30 are the superior choice of available digital camera backs for professional digital photographers.

The P 45 is the ultimate digital camera back and intended primarily for commercial photographers in the advertising and marketing fields. It offers unsurpassed image quality with its 39 mega pixel sensor and 117 MB per file size capabilities.

UK based photographer Trevor Burton of BlackBlue Photographic said: "The quality of the P 45 is outstanding... One of my competitors did not believe that such a high pixel camera back existed, until I pointed out to him that I had one"

The P 30 is aimed at the world’s leading fashion, portrait and social photographers. It couples a fast capture rate of 45 frames per minute with incredible image quality using its 31.6 mega pixel sensor.

Both backs offer superior sharpness, virtually Moiré free captures, perfect skin tone shading and the smoothest transition and tonal range.

Phase One's software strategy puts the photographer first
Photographers using Phase One’s products gain a unique competitive advantage. By concentrating on the requirements of professional photographers, Phase One’s tools adjust to the needs of photographers rather than making photographers adjust to their tools. Focus is placed on the moment of capture resulting in an unrivalled end product. The combination of Phase One digital camera backs with Capture One workflow software streamlines the postproduction process making it easy for photographers to reproduce complicated looks and styles. Phase One’s strategy of industry leading, uncompromised quality has been a key driver in the demand for the P-series digital camera backs.

The new P 21 back
The demand for the P 30 and P 45 bodes well for the success of the latest addition to Phase One’s P-series digital camera backs — the P 21.

At 60 frames per minute, the P 21 offers the fastest capture rate of the three new camera backs, but still delivers high quality end results by creating 54 MB processed image files. The P 21 will begin shipping at the end of March 2006.

Espen Beck, Product Manager, Phase One said: “The demand for our new P Series digital camera backs confirms Phase One’s position as the world leader in digital imaging solutions for professional photographers. We’re confident that the P 21 will prove as successful as the P 30 and P 45 when we begin shipping it in March.”

http://www.cameratown.com

Sony VPL-HS50... Enjoy HD video on the big screen with this projector.

2006-02-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

By Anthony Dhanendran, Personal Computer World.

Most projectors on sale at the moment don't offer a high enough resolution to be able to support forthcoming high-definition TV (HDTV) broadcasts.

Nor can they support the new generation of DVD players that upscale images to HDTV levels. More worryingly for computer users, they can't support decent PC screen resolutions either.

Sony comes to the aid of those who want to watch the big picture in high definition with the VPL-HS50 LCD projector.

Although it doesn't carry the HD-Ready badge that indicates full compatibility with all the HDTV standards, it still ticks all the right boxes.

The resolution is 1,280 x 720, which equates to the widescreen 720p resolution and, although it will accept the higher 1,080i resolution signals, it has to scale these down to fit the screen.

The picture is smooth and clear, with good levels of detail and contrast – the projector boasts a very impressive 6000:1 contrast ratio, which is much higher than what's found in most of its competitors.

The VPL-HS50 uses Sony's Real Color Processing (RCP) technology which allows the user to individually adjust red, green and blue settings. This works well, but it does mean a fair amount of work is involved to get the picture looking its best.

It also suffers from a lack of brightness, which means that while the picture is fine in the dark it's not so impressive in daylight conditions to the point of being almost invisible.

However, it is exceptionally quiet for a projector. The remote control is easy to use and the buttons can be lit for use in the dark.

It also comes with HDMI (with HD content protection or HDCP), component and VGA sockets, but there's no DVI.

Although the bulb should last a long time (a life of 3,000 hours is quoted), replacements are not cheap – they currently sell upwards of £250.

Other than that, the VPL-HS50 is good value for money for an HDTV projector.

This article and more can be found at: http://www.pcw.co.uk

Westinghouse Shows 56W” 2,160p LCD TV.

2006-01-31T12:03:00.000-05:00

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 1/30/2006

LAS VEGAS — Westinghouse Digital Electronics, a leading LCD TV resource, used International CES to unveil a range of new products, highlighted by a 56W-inch LCD TV with 3,840 by 2,160 pixel resolution.

In addition, the company showed LCD TV lines with integrated ATSC tuning (some of the first for the company in the 27W-inch through 37W-inch screen sizes), a 42W-inch 1,080p model, 32W-inch and 42W-inch integrated HDTV/DVD combo units, HDTV monitors in the 15-inch through 37W-inch screen sizes, and the first Westinghouse branded digital photo frames.

The new 56W-inch ultra-high resolution HD LCD TV is said to feature 8 million pixels (3,840 by 2,160p), or “four times the highest HDTV resolution currently available.”

The panel features an 8ms response time, 600 nits of brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and advanced color gamut.

Westinghouse Digital will initially target the display, which is slated to ship in the fourth quarter at a $20,000 suggested retail, for high-end applications in the government, military, aerospace, medical and digital content creation channels. Niche market applications are also cited for custom home entertainment systems.

In 1,080p LCD TV displays, the company showed new monitors in the 42W- ($2,799 suggested retail) and 47W-inch ($3,499) screen sizes, joining the current 37W-inch model ($2,299). The 42W-inch model is slated for a first quarter delivery and the 47W-inch model was said to be shipping in May.

The 42W-inch model — LVM-42w2 (shipping in first quarter at a $2,799 suggested retail) — features two 10-watt speakers, a 10-watt subwoofer, six HD inputs and Genesis Display Perfection advanced video processing. It includes a new industrial cosmetic design in charcoal with silver trim, with a footprint designed to fit in the same space as many 37W-inch or 32W-inch displays.

A cable management system dubbed “SpineDesign” offers access from both sides of the TV “spine” for all of the video source connections.

In fully integrated HDTV sets, Westinghouse Digital showed a line of models from 27W inches to 37W inches, all including built-in ATSC tuning. All models feature 1,366 by 768 HD resolution and five HD input connectors.

The flagship of the line is the 37W-inch LTV-37w2 ($1,699 suggested retail) which features the SpineDesign cable management system, and a black chassis with silver trim design, wall-mountable frame and detachable pedestal.

In LCD/DVD combo products, the company unveiled its first front-loading models in the 32W-inch and 40W-inch screen sizes.

The combo models feature a front-loading “auto wake” slot which detects when a CD or DVD is inserted and automatically powers the TV on, switches to DVD or CD source, and plays the movie or music. An internal Pixel Direct technology delivers the DVD video signal from the source to the screen with a nearly direct path.

Both models are available now at suggested retail prices of $1,499 (model LTV-32WHDC) and $2,299 (LTV-40w1HDC).

Westinghouse Digital also showed models in its HD-Grade family of LCD TV monitors, with screen sizes ranging from 15 inches to 37W inches.

In PC monitors, the company showed new 19-inch widescreen and 20-inch high pixel density models. The 19W-inch widescreen monitor, model LCM-19w4 ($329 suggested retail), includes display solutions for TV and desktop applications, and the new 20-inch LCD monitor, model LCM-20v5 ($399), features higher pixel density for better viewing, rendering larger fonts and for computer graphics.

The 19-inch monitor offers 1,440 by 900 pixel resolution and is suited for both desktop PC and video playback, Westinghouse said.

The LCM-20v5 features 1,440 by 1,050 pixel resolution and is said to be well suited for viewing larger fonts and images. Its resolution format is also optimized for graphics, such as Adobe Photoshop.

Westinghouse also showed an expanded family of digital photo frames in the 3.5-inch, 7-inch and 8-inch screen sizes, joining its successful 5.6-inch model.

The new models — DPF-0351, DPF-0701 and DPF-0801 — are all shipping in April, and will display digital photo files individually or as part of a rotating slide show.

Estimated retail pricing for the new models is listed as $119, $199 and $279, respectively.

LG Electronics Introduces New, High-Performance LCoS HDTVs.

2006-01-31T11:57:00.000-05:00

SpatiaLight, Inc. (NASDAQ:HDTV) , a leading manufacturer of state of the art liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) microdisplays, announced today that LG Electronics has officially introduced its 2006 line of high-performance microdisplay rear projection television models -- led by a series of 1080p rear-projection HDTVs powered by SpatiaLight's LCoS microdisplay technology.

Demonstrated at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the two widescreen LCoS Digital Cable Ready HDTVs, highlighting LG's six-model microdisplay HDTV family for 2006, bring premium cable programming to the screen without the need for a separate set-top box, offering a cost-effective alternative to flat panel technology.

LG's microdisplay HDTV family includes proprietary XD Engine(TM) technology that takes low-resolution analog signals to near high-definition levels, enhancing overall picture quality and providing a more pleasant viewing experience. These products were on display from January 5th - 8th in Las Vegas at CES.

The flagship model is LG's 71-inch LCoS HDTV (71SA1D). Built around SpatiaLight's three-chip LCoS technology, this model provides powerful, high-quality HDTV viewing experiences and includes the Gemstar TV Guide Onscreen interactive program guide, allowing viewers easier program navigation. Additional features include HDMI, IEEE 1394 DTV link and 9-in-2 memory card slots. This 1080p set and LG's 62-inch 1080p LCoS Model 62SA1D are planned for first-quarter 2006 availability.

www.spatialight.com

HDTV or Giant Not-So-Portable Media Player?

2006-01-30T08:35:00.000-05:00

By Darryl Wilkinson

January 28, 2006 — After simmering on the back burner for lack of compelling performance and ease-of-use, "convergence" was once again a hot topic at the 2006 CES. Sure, it wasn't as ubiquitous as things designed to work with Apple's iPod (including a toilet paper dispenser/iPod dock combo - hey, I'm not making that up), but convergence wasn't far behind. Some items were just plain bizarre (like that iPod toilet paper thingee). Others made you think, "Hey, that's cool!" And then there were the ones that made you say, "Man, I think I'd actually use that."
Digitrex's new HD Network LCD TVs fit in that last category of product. The company says their new HD Network LCD TVs are the world's first high-definition network LCD TVs to include Microsoft Windows Media Connect capabilities. The three newly introduced models - 32, 40, and 46 inches - have built-in wireless 801.11 b/g networking components along with a built-in "mini-computer" running Microsoft Windows Media Connect software.

The combination allows a user sitting in front of the LCD TV to access and view multi-media content - including digital photos, video, music, content from PlaysForSure services, and high-definition Windows Media Files (wmv format) - from any Windows XP-based PC connected to the home network. In other words, no external media center set-top box is required.

Each LCD HDTV is controlled by an embedded interface with graphical icons and on-screen drop-down menus. The three 16:9 displays are said to have resolution of 1366 x 768 with a contrast ratio greater than 800:1.

The $1,999 32-inch (JFN-3250W) and $3,499 40-inch (JFN-4050W) models are expected to be available around the end of March, 2006. The 46-inch JFN-4650W is scheduled to arrive sometime during the second quarter of the year. The price has not yet been determined.
http://www.hometheatermag.com

Leading Consumer Electronics and PC Companies Unveil New HD DVD Hardware.

2006-01-29T00:37:00.000-05:00

Hollywood Studios Showcase Availability of HD DVD Content Starting March 2006

The HD DVD Promotion Group, a multinational organization comprised of more than 120 top consumer electronics, IT, disc replication and entertainment companies, today announced at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that next-generation, HD DVD players and leading film content will be widely available in the U.S. market beginning March 2006.

At a press conference featuring top executives from each industry, Toshiba demonstrated the unparalleled sights and sounds created by the company's first two production HD DVD player models. The players will be available in the U.S. in March 2006, with prices starting at $499.99 -- ushering in a new era of high-definition home entertainment. Today online retailers, including Amazon.com, Best Buy.com, Crutchfield.com and Tweeter.com, have started accepting pre-orders.

Microsoft also announced it will offer a new Xbox 360 external HD DVD drive in 2006. The new drive will offer millions of Xbox 360 owners the ability to easily enjoy HD DVD movies, adding more high definition choices to the popular gaming and entertainment system.

Warner Home Video, Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, HBO Video and New Line Home Entertainment were also on stage to announce that nearly 50 HD DVD titles, including "Aeon Flux," "Batman Begins," "The Bourne Supremacy," "Jarhead," "The Matrix "and "U2: Rattle & Hum," will be available this Spring to coincide with the launch of the players. The studios also outlined plans to release additional titles throughout the year. More than 150 titles are expected to be available in time for the 2006 holiday season.

"We're proud that HD DVD will be appearing in a living room near you in a matter of weeks, with affordable players and the hottest film titles," said Yoshihide Fujii, corporate senior vice president and president and CEO of Digital Media Network Company, Toshiba Corporation. "With the support of leading studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and PC industry titans, I can confidently say that HD DVD will have the time to market advantage and the breadth of content to show consumers that this is the next-generation HD format."

"We have reached a point where consumer interest in high-definition programming far outweighs availability," said Warren Lieberfarb, chairman of Lieberfarb & Associates and an American Film Institute board member. "As the first widely available high definition format to market, HD DVD will help satisfy the ever-growing consumer appetite for great movies with mind-blowing extras. Between Warner Home Video, Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures, they are responsible for more than half of the major feature films and television programs ever developed and their movies make up more than fifty percent of the American Film Institute's top 100 films of all time."

Retail Support

Retail outlets, including Best Buy, Crutchfield, Sears and Tweeter, plan to carry HD DVD players and movies beginning in March.

"High definition televisions have been extremely popular on Amazon.com, so we know our customers are eager to start enjoying more high definition programming," said Greg Hart, director of North American Music, DVD, and Computer and Video Games for Amazon.com. "With attractively priced players, numerous top-selling DVDs soon to be available in high definition and widespread industry support, we expect our customers to take advantage of the opportunity to start building their HD DVD libraries today."

Additionally, CustomFlix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, plans to provide an opportunity for small studios and filmmakers to utilize disc-on-demand technology to offer packaged high definition content much earlier, faster and more efficiently than may otherwise be possible with traditional replication methods.

Texas Instruments, which is leading the industry in maximum-HD 1080p resolution DLP HDTV technology as the number one selling 1080p television at retail, also announced strong support for HD DVD as well.

Accelerating Digital Convergence

As the first high-definition format to reach the mass market, HD DVD will provide consumers with stunning picture and sound quality, taking full advantage of high-definition televisions and home theater systems. The entertainment experience extends well beyond today's DVDs, allowing new and innovative ways to view movies and access bonus content. The format will also give consumers the opportunity to securely transfer high definition content for storage on their PC's hard disk drive, stream over a home network or even synchronize to a portable media player.

Enthusiasm for HD DVD was echoed at the press conference by prominent leaders in the IT industry. Microsoft reaffirmed that it will build the infrastructure to support HD DVD into the upcoming Windows Vista operating system coming later this year and HP was welcomed as the newest member of the HD DVD Promotion Group. Toshiba also demonstrated its AV notebook PCs, featuring slim-type HD DVD ROM drives, while NEC, a leading Japanese PC manufacturer, offered a strong commitment to enhancing the momentum for next-generation PCs with HD DVD drives.

www.hddvdprg.com

Dishing up some HDTV.

2006-01-27T23:37:00.000-05:00

By Shane C. Buettner

In a classic good news/bad news scenario, both DISH Network and DirecTV announced at CES 2006 that the two satellite giants will offer vastly expanded lineups of HD content in 2006. While more HD is always good news, the at least semi-bad news is that MPEG4 compression is being used on the new channels, and that means existing customers who want to watch the new HD channels need to invest in new equipment.

DISH currently carries 10 of the original HD channels from the now defunct VOOM satellite HD service, and in 2006 will push that number to 15. That's a lot of VOOM! In addition to those channels, DISH is adding ESPN2 HD and Universal HD to a lineup that already includes ESPN HD, HBO HD, HDNet and HDNet Movies, Showtime HD and TNT HD. But DISH's biggest coup in 2006 will be the addition of major network affiliates (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, etc.) in HD in "up to 50" local markets, including Boston, Chicago, LA, and New York, which will launch the initiative in February.

While DISH's premium channel HD lineup has been strong, CBS has been the only major network the satellite provider has offered in HD over its satellite system (customers within range have been able to pull network affiliates in over-the –air in HD). DirecTV has been offering CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox in HD via satellite for over a year.

Existing DISH customers with MPEG2 boxes will continue to enjoy the current HD channel lineup, and DISH is offering an upgrade package to existing customers wishing to step up to the new ViP series gear required to decode the new MPEG4 HD channels. Two ViP series set-top boxes will be available, the ViP211 at $49.99, and the $299.99 ViP622 MPEG4 HD DVR. The ViP6122 can record up to 25 hours of HD, and can record two HD channels at once while standard def is being watched in another room. Both the ViP211 and ViP6122 support MPEG2 and MPEG4 signals. The ViP211 is available now, while the ViP6122 is scheduled for the first quarter of this year, which means people in Boston, Chicago, LA and New York might have to decide if they want the DVR functionality badly enough to wait for it come February!

The most surprising thing to me about DirecTV's announcement that it will have local HD network affiliates carried in 36 markets by the first half of 2006 was that 12 of those markets already launched last November, and one of those markets is the one I’m in! My wife and I have been loyal DirecTV customers since 1997, and have a special preferred customer card to prove it. We have been subscribers to as much HD content as DirecTV offers for years. We get tons of little messages in our DirecTV mailbox, but not a one of them let us know that our local San Francisco bay area HD network affiliate stations have been available since last year!

To elaborate on this a little more, DirecTV customers have been offered network affiliates in HD in certain geographic areas as long as certain criteria are met. For example, where we live there is no cable operator at all, and off-air isn't possible either. So, we've been getting west coast ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates in HD, but not our "locals" from San Francisco. Now, we can get them, but there are a couple of catches.

As with DISH, current subscribers to DirecTV's MPEG2 HD channels will still get what they're paying for. Required to receive the new HD locals are an upgraded 5-LNB satellite dish, and a new MPEG4 capable receiver. DirecTV has a couple of sweet deals on the MPEG4 capable H20 receiver and satellite dish. Calling DirecTV and asking for "customer retention," I was offered the new H20 and a 5-LNB dish for the $99 install fee for the dish. Buying the receiver alone through a local retailer costs $200, but a $200 rebate makes it a freebie (excepting the tax). Requirements of the rebate are that the user must send in a DirecTV bill showing activation of DirecTV programming with HD service. It's not clear whether an existing DirecTV HD customer could buy this box and send in a current bill and complete the rebate.

While the potential of a free MPEG4 box, and an inexpensive dish/install looks good on paper the catch is that the new dish won't work with current DirecTV receivers, including the DirecTV HD TiVo I paid $650 for just last year, and am totally addicted to! DirecTV's HR20 set-top box will have HD DVR capability, but won't be available until mid-year. I want my locals in HD very badly, but I've watched more HD in the last several months than I've watched in the last several years thanks to the HD TiVo. I guess I'm going to have to wait and hope the deal for the new DVR is as sweet as those for the new MPEG4 set-top box.

Another tidbit on the DVR is that it will not be powered by TiVo, but will use the same interface technology of the currently available DirecTV Plus DVR. DISH is now claiming 12 million subscribers and DirecTV 15 million. HD's potential coverage area is expanding right along with the lineups!

http://www.guidetohometheater.com

Hitachi Technologies Spur Advancements in HDTV, HD Recorders DVD Camcorders, Storage and Personal Authentication.

2006-01-27T09:11:00.000-05:00

Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), a leading global electronics company, demonstrated its engineering innovations with a wide range of products and technologies at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

New Hitachi products on display will feature innovations in plasma HDTV technologies, including the industry's first 55-inch full specification 1080p plasma display panel; advancements in LCD display technologies, such as a compact and ergonomic 3D LCD panel; new hard disk drive recording technologies, including iVDR, Blu-ray and the world's first 1-Terabyte high-definition hard disk drive recorder; in addition to an all new DVD camcorder line up. CES 2006 show attendees will also see a multi-stream GUI TV interface, advancements in storage hardware and a personal authentication system that relies on an individual's finger vein pattern for incredibly accurate identification.

"Hitachi is very pleased to be back on the floor of CES to present its lineup of leading-edge products at the premier show for innovative consumer electronic offerings," said Hiroaki Nakanishi, Hitachi, Ltd.'s Chief Executive for North America. "We continue to produce industry advancing products through our core technologies that are unmatched in the industry today."

Television & Front Projector Technologies

Hitachi will provide a technology demonstration of the industry's first 55-inch full-specification HD 1080p plasma display panel, which combines the best advantages of plasma, including incredible color reproduction, rich black levels, rapid motion response and wide-viewing angles, with a full high-definition pixel resolution of 1920 x 1080 with progressive scanning in the most popular 55-inch screen size for today's home theater installations.

New Hitachi products for 2006 will include Plasma and LCD televisions with built-in HD recording functionality via an internal hard disk recorder. The Plasma HDTV with HDD and 37-inch LCD HDTV with HDD enable easy recording with a remote control and come with two tuners so customers can record an HD broadcast in the background while watching another. Additional features include a time shift function, slow motion playback and a one-touch scheduler to automatically set a weekly schedule with just the touch of a button while watching the program.

Additional HDTVs in the booth will include the company's stunning UltraVision Plasma 42- and 55-inch HDS52 series models with ALiS technology and the VirtualHD 1080p II Video Processor; the VF820 series of 50-, 55-, and 60-inch rear projection LCD sets with High-Contrast Dual Focus Lens System with Ultra-Compact LCD 3-Panel Light Engine; the 37HDL52 LCD flat panel with Super In-Plane Switching technology, and a high-performance 55-inch Professional Plasma Monitor with WXGA Wide-Aperture pixel technology.

The HDPJ52 HD LCD front projector, with exclusive Hitachi Hi-2 Dual Iris System and Super-Focus Quattro ELD Glass Lens and a stunning contrast ratio of 7000:1, will also be on display. This front projector features a resolution of 1280 x 720, 3:2 film processing, 1,200 lumen Light Output, HDMI-HDTV Input, a user-replaceable 150-watt lamp and a "whisper quiet" operation to reduce noise output to an industry low of just 24db.

Other Hitachi Products

Additional Hitachi products on display include:

High-Definition DVD Recorder & Blu-ray Disc HDD Recorder - Hitachi will display the world's first 1-Terabyte hard drive and dual digital recorder capable of recording two simultaneous HD broadcasts. This breakthrough device enables 128 hours of digital recording or 1,700 hours in extended play mode. The Blu-ray Disc HDD Recorder is a multi-drive supporting all Blu-ray Disc, DVD and CD formats. The recorder provides a user-friendly interface and records HD broadcasts in original quality, providing more than two hours of HD program recording onto a single Blu-ray disc.

Travelstar, Endurastar & Microdrive 3K8 Mobile Hard Drives - Hitachi's line of mobile storage products will include the rugged Travelstar line-up offering the 1.8-inch Travelstar C4K60 60GB drive, providing ultra-high capacity for the mobile digital consumer; the 2.5-inch Travelstar 5K100 100GB drive, providing outstanding non-operating shock features; and the 2.5-inch Travelstar 7K100 100GB drive, the industry's only second-generation 7200 rpm HDD for desktop-like performance. The 2.5-inch Endurastar J4K30, designed specifically to perform in extreme temperature environments and perfect for automotive and entertainment functions, is offered in both 20GB and 30GB capacities. The Microdrive 3K8 comes in removable or embedded configurations and is ideal for integration into mobile phones or ultra-miniature CE devices.

Deskstar & Ultrastar Hard Drives - Offering the world's highest-capacity drive, the 3.5-inch Deskstar 7K500 is ideal not only for standard PC systems but also for ATA entry-servers, personal video recorders and other non-PC computing requirements. Also featured will be the Ultrastar, the highest-performing hard disk drive ever at up to 15,000 rpm and an average seek time of 3.6 milliseconds - an ideal solution for mission-critical, enterprise-computing applications.

LCD Monitor & Display Products - Hitachi will demonstrate the Ergo-3 Panel, a compact 3D display that uses a method involving overlapped images to produce a 3D image. The brilliant 3D display, which significantly reduces eyestrain, is cost effective and will be targeted at automobile navigation systems. The LCD Monitor with Edge-Illuminated RGB-LED Backlight provides a slim design and vivid colors ideal for high-end multimedia applications including true-color image processing. Also on display will be the T-17SLX, a 17-inch interactive pen-driven tablet that can track 125 points per second. It offers SXGA resolution, a USB PC interface and comes bundled with StarBoard Software 6.3.

Finger Vein Authentication Technology - Also on display will be Hitachi's innovative Finger Vein Authentication technology, the most advanced personal authentication system worldwide. This revolutionary biometric technology uses near-infrared beams to scan the unique pattern of crisscrossing veins in the human finger and then match the captured image with a pre-registered vein pattern profile to verify individual identity. The system is fast, enabling highly accurate and reliable personal identification in approximately one second. Finger vein authentication technology has already been adopted by banks in Japan, in addition to applications for door access control, computer login, national and international security at present, and even automobile and cell phone access in the future.

Liquid Cooling System for AVPC - With more than 200 patents worldwide, this system provides better cooling performance for audio video PCs and other digital appliances in a very reliable, whisper-quiet package. Originally developed to accommodate mainframes and supercomputers, Hitachi's liquid cooling system remains maintenance free for over five years of operation.

www.hitachi.com

Belkin TuneTalk(TM) Stereo for iPod(R) video Nabs the iLounge 2006 ``Best of Show'' Award.

2006-01-25T10:52:00.000-05:00

At Macworld Expo, Belkin Shows Its New TuneTalk Stereo, the First Voice Recorder for iPod video, to Offer High-Quality Stereo Recording.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2006-Belkin Corporation took the iLounge "Best of Show" Award for its new TuneTalk Stereo, a new voice recorder for iPod video. iLounge made the announcement on January 11, at the 2006 Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco.

iLounge editors scoured both the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Macworld Expo for iPod accessories that not only enhanced the iPod video and nano user experience, but that also stood out from the masses. Winners ranged from docking speaker systems and iPod remotes to cases.

"Several companies have been working on microphone adapters for Apple's latest iPods," says Jeremy Horwitz, iLounge Editor-in-Chief, "but Belkin delivered the first actually working ones we've seen. We were impressed by TuneTalk Stereo's compact, double-microphone design and clean sound, which make good use of the new iPod's improved recording capabilities."

One of the many new iPod accessories to be showcased by Belkin at Macworld, TuneTalk Stereo features two directional microphones and a speaker for instant playback. A line-in jack connects an external microphone or electronic guitar for recording. The first product to record in stereo and mono, it will be offered in both black and white when it is formally released.

About iLounge

iLounge is an independent provider of information about Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod mobile digital devices, accessories, and related software, and is published online at www.ilounge.com. Based in Irvine, California, the iLounge website is owned and operated by Dennis Lloyd's company, The Media LLC, and is not affiliated with Apple Computer or the manufacturers of iPod-related products.

About Belkin Corporation

Belkin Corporation offers a diverse product mix designed to bring consumer electronics users an enhanced experience from their MP3 and iPod devices, home theaters, and networking devices. The recognized leader in USB, Belkin's award-winning CableFree USB Hub delivers the first wireless USB-device connectivity. Belkin extends its reach to the high-speed FireWire(R) and Bluetooth(TM) arenas as well as to access, power protection, and enterprise solutions. Belkin products are available through www.belkin.com as well as through a network of major distributors, resellers, and superstores.

iPod is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.