Toshiba showcases 2013 AV range and updated Cloud TV platform (eyes-on)

Posted on 20/03/2013 by Jamie Rigg

Toshiba isn't the first name you'd associate with exciting products, but recently we were invited to check out its 2013 selection of AV gear in the hope we'd be dazzled by pixel counts and the IQ of its revamped smart TV platform. We revisited a few products we had flings with at CES, were introduced to some new panels, and taken through the ins-and-outs of the company's fresh Cloud TV interface. Was there anything to get excited about? Head past the break for the full tour.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD

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LG has found 300 homes for its $20K, 84-inch, 4K TV in Korea so far

Posted on 17/01/2013 by Steve Dent

Throwing a $20k Ultra HD TV set onto the market when there's no 4K content of any kind in sight is quite the leap of faith, but LG told ChosunBiz (and confirmed to us) that it's already found 300 deep-pocketed videophiles in Korea for its 84-inch 84LM9600 since it went on sale. Judging by CES 2013 the industry is all-in on the tech, so that news hopefully bodes well for the near future of UHDTV. It's safe to say that consumer interest has been piqued by the pixel-rich screens, but whether that'll translate into the kind of numbers we've seen recently for run-of-the-mill HDTV will likely depend on the all-important sticker price -- which will have to be much, much lower than recent models.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG

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Via: The Verge

Source: ChosunBiz (translated)

CES 2013: HDTV and connected devices roundup

Posted on 14/01/2013 by Steve Dent

As you may have guessed by scanning our CES 2013 coverage, HDTV -- particularly of the Ultra HD variety -- was kind of a big deal at this year's show. In fact, UHDTV's omnipresence fanned so much reader interest this year that we penned a feature article to put the whole phenomenon into perspective. While that makes for a lively discussion, none of the 4K sets announced at the show are shipping yet, and the few from last year that are available might cost as much as a new car -- or two. To that end, let's head after the break to see all the new TVs, set-top devices, Blu-ray players and the like presented at CES -- including a few you may actually be able to afford.

Continue reading CES 2013: HDTV and connected devices roundup

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung, Sony, Google, LG

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Sharp’s next-gen concept displays and 60-inch ICC 4K LCD (eyes-on)

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Jamie Rigg

The majority of Sharp's area on the CES show floor is taken up by its 2013 consumer AQUOS range, but hidden in dark corners are tech demos, concept panels, and ridiculously priced displays. One demonstration set is split into two sections, comparing the company's next-gen Quattron yellow sub-pixel technology with the current generation. Did the color's look great? For sure. Did it look like the current-gen Quattron had been made intentionally low quality? Definitely. The two-faced demo TV also had the glare-reducing Moth-Eye technology on board, as did a 70-inch UHDTV concept model which a Sharp rep called "just an exercise in engineering." It wasn't exactly gasp-inducing, but the anti-reflective tech was certainly working. Finally, hidden behind a curtain and crammed into a small pitch-black room (literally) were a bunch of Sharp's "Integrated Cognitive Creation" (ICC) 60-inch 4K LCDs. The hook of the ICC PURIOS is that it upscales 1080p to 4K, and will do so for only $25,000 - $30,000 when it launches in the US this summer. We couldn't really tell the difference between the HD and 4K pictures, but maybe we should've brought a microscope for a more thorough analysis.

Gallery: Sharp's next-gen Quattro tech and Moth-Eye panels

Gallery: Sharp 'Integrated Cognitive Creation' 60-inch 4K LCD

Filed under: Displays, HD

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Stream TV glasses-free 4K 3D eyes-on (video)

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Steve Dent

It wouldn't be CES without Stream TV showing off more interesting glasses-free 3D technology and then launching, um, nothing into the wide market. Hopefully that won't happen this time, now that the company has paired with OEM panel-makers Pegatron and Hisense, and is now showing off its technology in UltraHD 4k. It has a proprietary system for encoding 2D and 3D video using occlusion, which is delivered to standard panels that have been retrofitted with its optical glass sandwich to bring the spec-less 3D illusion to viewers. This year, it added all-new algorithms that can handle native UHDTV content or up-res HD to 4k, both in non-realtime for quality, or realtime to convert standard 2D TV to 3D on-the-fly.

The 3D viewing experience seems better than previous iterations to our eyes, and Stream TV explained that the improved resolution was due to the company's software filling in pixels on standard HD content to make up the deficit to 4k. The stereoscopic level (which can be adjusted) also seemed decent even if you move around the room, though still not nearly as good as passive or active 3D with glasses. It does trump passive tech in one area though, as there's no drop in the screen's brightness that normally happens when you don specs. All the content we viewed was HD that had been converted to 4k, unfortunately, so we couldn't judge how higher resolution, glasses-free 3D images would look at that res. As far as the real-time encoded live TV content, the resolution looked fine but the stereoscopic illusion was a little, well, flat -- as if layers of 2D objects were placed at varying distances.

Though Stream TV has created some neat technology, we've heard this entire song and dance before -- a few times -- and have yet to see products actually arrive in any volume to the marketplace. The company expects panels with its technology to start shipping sometime this year with comparable prices to other glasses-free 3D tech, but until it actually happens, don't hold your breath. Check the gallery below and video after the break, in plain old 2D, of course.

Gallery: Stream TV 4K glass-free 3D

Continue reading Stream TV glasses-free 4K 3D eyes-on (video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment

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Panasonic 4K OLED TV eyes-on (video)

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Steve Dent

Panasonic wasn't about to let Sony one-up it in the 4K OLED arena, and announced its own 56-inch UltraHD prototype the day after its competitor outed a very similar panel here at CES 2013. We'd never tire of the luscious combination of 4k and OLED, so we couldn't wait to high-tail it to the Panasonic booth to gaze at new screen in its full glory. As with the Sony model, it sucks you into the screen with the level of detail, brightness, ultra-dark blacks and vivid colors -- which looked accurate to our eyes, an area in which OLED can fall down. Other than that impression, there were no other technical details or specs for the prototype display, and none of the Panasonic types we spoke to had any idea either. We're not likely to see such a model on sale anytime before 2014, and when it does arrive, you'll probably need all the digits on one hand for the number of figures in the price. Check the gallery below for images, or head after the break for a short video -- which doesn't remotely do the panel justice, natch.

Gallery: Panasonic 4k OLED TV

Continue reading Panasonic 4K OLED TV eyes-on (video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment

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Panasonic has plans for a 4k OLED too

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Ben Drawbaugh

Panasonic has plans for a 4k OLED too

Sony upstaged most during its press event last night by announcing a Ultra HD 56-inch OLED, but if you thought there wouldn't be competitors, you're mistaken. At the CES day one opening Keynote, Panasonic showed off its very thin (about a half inch thick) 56-inch Ultra HDTV OLED. Like Sony's there's no price or availability, but we suspect it'll still fall into the, if-you-have-to-ask category.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

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Eyes-on Sony’s 56-inch OLED Ultra HDTV

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Ben Drawbaugh

Eyeson Sony's 56inch OLED Ultra HDTV

If you've ever seen an OLED TV, you'd you'd remember it. Same can be said about 4k. Combine the two together and you truly have a sight to see -- which is exactly what Sony has done. Of course it is very difficult to judge picture quality when a TV is on a stage vs in your living room. That doesn't mean we aren't impressed and it doesn't mean we won't be looking forward to the day we can see our favorite content on it in the comfort of our own home -- assuming of course, that one is affordable in our lifetime.

Gallery: Eyes-on Sony's 56-inch OLED Ultra HDTV

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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Samsung unveils 85-inch S9 UHD TV, 110-inch model to follow later this year

Posted on 07/01/2013 by Richard Lawler

Samsung unveils 85inch S9 UHD TV, 110inch model to follow later this year

At CES 2013, it is apparently a must for mainstream HDTV manufacturers to bring a 4K television and as a market leader, Samsung is no different. So what does the mighty S9 UHD TV bring to the table? At 85-inches, it claims a size that's one inch beyond the competition, and features a crazy "Timeless Gallery" frame design that Samsung says "showcases the juxtaposition of a minimalist concept with such a large display." Even after getting a firsthand look at it we're still not sure how to interpret its odd stance, but after promising an "unprecedented new shape" we guess this... had to be it?

No matter how it's propped up, it's still high end all the way, with "Precision Black Pro" display tech for an extremely high contrast ratio, 2.2 channel audio and integrated scaler to make your 1080p videos viewable at the higher res. Naturally, you can also count on all of Samsung's 2013 smart TV features with quad-core processor, voice and gesture control and apps making an appearance. There's no word on pricing or ship date, but Samsung is promising 95- and even 110-inch sizes before the year is out -- check below for more pics in the gallery and details from the press release.

Gallery: Samsung S9 Ultra HD 4K TV

Continue reading Samsung unveils 85-inch S9 UHD TV, 110-inch model to follow later this year

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

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Vizio unveils 2013 HDTV lineup, upcoming XVT Ultra HDTVs promise 4K for the mainstream

Posted on 07/01/2013 by Richard Lawler

Just as we expected, 4K TVs are all the rage here at CES 2013 and naturally Vizio won't be left out. Among its 2013 lineup of LCD HDTVs is a new top of the line XVT-Series of Ultra HDTVs at 55-, 65- and 70-inches. The XVT551d, 651d and 701D don't have much in the way of prices or release dates, but the company claims it will "bring the expensive new technology to mainstream consumers." In the more accessible realm however are its M-Series displays, which will for the first time this year offer a universal backlit remote connected by WiFi Direct. Thanks to its connected remote, Vizio claims it will be able to control the entire home theater without the usual nagging setup process.

There are two M-Series lineups, the one with Theater 3D ranges in size from 50-inches to 80-inches, and in price from $849 to $4,499, while the models without max out at 47-inches and $699. Check below for a press release with all of the prices and specs plus a shot of that remote, although all we know about a release is that they'll be arriving "later this year."

Gallery: Vizio 2013 HDTVs