Epson announced that it has developed the world's first 4K-compatible high-temperature polysilicon (HTPS) TFT liquid crystal panel for 3LCD projectors.

Measuring 1.64 inches diagonally, the new panel supports displays with resolutions up to 4096 × 2160 pixels.

INTERVIEW. The emergence of Over the Top Television (OTT) technologies is not widely viewed as a threat to the existence of telcos in their quest to transform IPTV services, an official has said.

Victor Dominguez, vice president of DS2, a leading provider of semiconductors for high-speed communications over existing wires, said fears doing the rounds in the information communication technology sector had no substance at the moment.

Atlona has released a new range of HDMI and DVI to HDMI cables that feature a swivel connector end which allows them to bend at 90 degrees in either direction.
This connector design enables users to nearly flush mount their HDTVs - avoiding the problems posed when connecting standard HDMI cables to rear-facing HDMI ports.

Vivitek has signalled its intention to penetrate the US home-theater projector market with the unveiling of its latest FullHD 1080p home-theater projector.
The H1080FD FullHD model, which is based on Texas Instruments' S450 chip/light-engine design, will go on sale in August for a price of USD $999.

Wireless HD chipmaker Amimon has raised USD $10 million in its latest round of funding.
The Israeli company's announcement comes as demand for HDTVs capable of wirelessly transferring HD video from one device in the home continues to grow.

The executive who helped Panasonic develop its Blu-ray discs and 3D FullHD TV technologies has been named as the new chief technology officer of Panasonic Consumer Electronics North America.
Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Panasonic’s Hollywood Laboratory managing director, is replacing Paul Liao who is leaving the company to be the new CEO of Cable Television Laboratories.

Filed under: Misc, Cables

Latest mini-HDMI connectors get shown off in prototype form originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 08 May 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High-definition Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) set top boxes (STBs) offer semiconductor makers a short term spike in opportunity.
However, standard definition (SD) DTT STBs will be a more sustainable market for manufacturers, according to In-Stat.

Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Fiber

Verizon has been expanding its FiOS TV footprint at a pretty regular clip, but that's not all the telco has up its sleeve for the future. In a recent interview with Telephony, the outfit's CTO, Mark Wegleitner, explained that Verizon was looking to add more SD and HD channels as the transition to digital TV continued. Granted, that's no different than most every other programming provider out there, but it's good to know Verizon has additional HD on the brain. Speaking about IPTV migration, he explained that the company was "moving toward IPTV in the interactive VOD world and digital QAM in the broadcast world." Sure, the subject matter here is pretty technical, but if you're geeked out by what you've already heard, hit the read link for lots more where this came from.

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SIM2 has teamed up with the US's Entertainment Experience, LLC to offer just-released movie blockbusters as part of a better-than-blu high-def home-cinema package.
hdtv.biz-news.com spoke to the high-performance HD projector specialists to find out why they've launched what appears to be yet another HD format when the public is still wavering about Blu-ray.

Filed under: Displays, Others, Projector

As the pre-CEDIA releases continue to roll, we've got yet another projector from Sanyo. The PLV-Z60 offers up a native 720p resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,200 ANSI lumens, 3D color management system, 12-bit processing IC for video decoding, scaling and gamma curve generation and a 2x optical zoom. You'll also find VGA, HDMI (x2), component (x2) and S-Video connections, and you can find the PJ itself next month for $1,295. [Warning: PDF read link]

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Filed under: Displays, Others, DLP, Projector

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Filed under: Other hardware, LCD, Plasma

We didn't expect it, but TV Snob put the TV Armor screen protector to the test. We chortled a bit when we first saw the product, but the good folks at TV Snob gave it a thumbs up, so a mea culpa is in order. The matte finish on the acrylic shield effectively cut down the light output of the LCD by about 5-percent, but also minimized glare effects, so the overall effect on picture quality was negligible. That pretty much stifles our concerns, so we'll let you hit that link if you're interested to know how TV Armor fared on the aesthetic and protective fronts; well worth the read if your display is subject to things that go "bump."

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Filed under: Displays, Samsung, Projector

We had a chance to see Samsung's not-exactly-diminutive SP-P400 projector at CES this year, but it seems the time has finally come for Sammy to release it into the wild. Reportedly, this portable beamer is now available in South Korea (alongside the SP-D300 business projector) for around $800, which it would totally be worth if it fit easily within the confines of a front pocket. At 145- x 145- x 64-millimeters, we'd have to think about it. Heavily.

[Via AboutProjectors]

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Emmerdale has become the British network ITV’s first soap production to be recorded in high def.
It joins Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and the BBC’s Doctors, while the long-running Coronation Street is expected to make the change from SD shortly.
The show’s stars were reportedly concerned about the transition, worried that the new HD video would draw attention to facial wrinkles.

Delta Electronics will soon begin volume shipments of full HD projectors, according to company CEO Yancey Hai.
He expects its business outlook for the second half of 2008 to remain “guided positive”.
Hai said orders for Delta’s power supply products from segments such as desktops, notebooks and LCD TVs have remained strong, with order visibility extending at least three months.
The CEO said Delta had recently begun production of full HD projectors and the company is now in talks with a number of brand vendors for ODM orders.
Delta’s projector will deliver a full HP 1080P resolution and brightness of 6,000 lumens.

Filed under: Other hardware, LCD, Plasma

It's a crazy world out there, and you need to protect the important things in your life -- like your TV. It's a given that a TV's screen size is directly proportional to the amount of joy it produces; but it's a cruel joke that it's also directly proportional to the amount of danger your TV faces from the big, bad world. There are more risks than airborne Wiimotes and console controllers thrown in frustration. But even non-gamers aren't safe, as the hyper-realism of HD ups the risk of hooligan-like bottle throwing at your next sporting event (once you remove the sofa covers, that is). Enter TV Armor -- acrylic protection for your plasma or LCD set, available in a range of sizes for $129 (30-32 inches) to $169 (50-52 inches). Anyone getting this probably should complain more about the company they're keeping than the increased glare, though.

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Filed under: ABC, Discovery-HD, ESPN-HD, NBC, Listings

What we're watching tonight:

• NBC (1080i) has Stanley Cup action with Red Wings/Penguins at 8 p.m.
• ESPN HD (720p) presents Celtics/Pistons at 8:30 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) premieres Factory Made (promising a behind the scenes look as the world's largest hi-def video screen is built) at 8 p.m.
• ABC (720p) brings back Men in Trees at 10 p.m.
• History (1080i) brings the season premiere of MonsterQuest at 9 p.m.

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Scientists have moved a step closer to producing electrically-powered plastic laser diodes that could be used in Blu-ray players.
Currently the laser diodes in such consumer optical storage devices are made out of inorganic semiconductors like gallium arsenide, gallium nitride and other semiconductor alloys related to them.
Now, researchers at Imperial College in London have demonstrated a class of plastic semiconductor materials that may allow the low-cost manufacture of electrically-powered plastic laser diodes.
As well as reducing the cost of devices such as Blu-ray players the development could allow plastic laser diodes to operate across a much more substantial wavelength range.