17/02/2010 - PS3's Torne DVR adapter gets moved up to March in Japan

Well, look at that. After a suite of delays and a confirmed launch in May, the Torne DTV DVR adapter for the PS3 (OMG, TLA overload) is actually getting released two months ahead of schedule. It'll ship on March 18, to be exact, which just so happens to be the birthday of a certain Engadget editor -- a certain editor who certainly won't be expecting one of these as a present, as it's highly unlikely that this device, or the all-inclusive bundle with a 250GB PS3, will ever see American shores. Meanwhile those in Japan can expect to pay ¥9,980 ($110) or ¥42,800 ($466.52) for the "limited edition" bundle, which we hear makes a lovely unbirthday present.

PS3's Torne DVR adapter gets moved up to March in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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24/01/2010 - Poll: Did you buy an internet connected HDTV?

One last followup on the trends of CES '09, last time we checked about 20% of you were at least thinking about grabbing a new HDTV with internet features last year. Of course, that was before VIZIO's XVT 55-inch was delayed and we were slightly disappointed by the widget performance on Samsung's LED model and desires cooled off a bit. So, how many of you are currently watching the conference championships on screens with Ethernet or WiFi hookups embedded in them? Anyone actually tweeting or pulling in Facebook updates via their remote? According to what we saw this year, televisions acting as embedded platforms for more services is a trend that will keep growing, but how is it working out so far?

View Poll

Poll: Did you buy an internet connected HDTV? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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14/01/2010 - Japan gets Torne PS3 DTV DVR adapter in May, all is right with the world

When the PS3 was announced so many moons ago, one of the major functions that was touted about the thing would be its ability to record and process high-definition video. It's taken quite some time to get there, with the oft-delayed PlayTV tuner finally hitting Europe in late 2008, though the rest of the world still got left out in the cold. Sony's finally taking care of its home crew, announcing Torne, a DTV adapter for Japan that will enable recording of television and even video playback while surfing the web. The Torne will ship in March, priced ¥9980 ($110) on its own or ¥42,800 ($465) as part of yet another PS3 bundle. When will we in the US get a little tuner love? Probably never, at this rate.

Japan gets Torne PS3 DTV DVR adapter in May, all is right with the world originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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31/12/2009 - Trade show shocker: Sling to out some new gear at CES

Okay, you're not surprised that some companies are going to have new gear at CES, are you? Well, we''re hearing that Sling -- a company that's not had much news this year beyond the release of its iPhone app -- will definitely unleash some new stuff in Las Vegas, including "WiFi television, ultra-slim Slingboxes, and a next-generation touch screen device." Now, we don't want to get everyone overly excited this early in the day, but those all definitely sound like upgrades to us. We really don't know if Sling will let slip any more specific info between now and CES, but as you know, we'll be In Vegas when it all goes down, so sit back and be patient. It won't be long, now.

Trade show shocker: Sling to out some new gear at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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22/10/2009 - Panasonic's 1-inch thick Z1 plasma reviewed: playing with perfection

Filed under: Panasonic

The plasma may be a dying breed, but the ones that are left are undoubtedly some of the best the world has ever seen. Take Panasonic's 54-inch TC-P54Z1 for example, which wowed audiences (us included) when it was first unveiled way back at CES. The HD Guru recently had an opportunity to take this very screen into his abode for review, and after a labor-intensive (around "one hour") setup process, the gazing was officially on. Panny's engineers were able to slim the set down to an inch by requiring that a dedicated (wireless) set-top-box be used for tuning OTA channels and managing connections, and the result was nothing less than elegant. If you're wondering what north of five large really buys in an HDTV these days, wonder no more -- the set was deemed darn near perfect, with "outstanding" color, contrast and deep black levels. Potentially best of all, there were no motion artifacts to speak of, and anyone with a 120Hz / 240Hz set can testify to just how annoying those things are. Hit the read link for a detailed unboxing, setup and review, but don't even bother if you're looking for someone to talk you out of what you're about to do.

Panasonic's 1-inch thick Z1 plasma reviewed: playing with perfection originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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16/09/2009 - IFA 2009: iSuppli Analyst About HDTV Market

VIDEO INTREVIEW. This time at IFA 2009 our reporters interviewed Riddhi Patel, the iSuppli analyst. Riddhi is responsible for the television and plasma display panel (PDP) analysis. She shared with us her latest discoveries on HDTV market as well as her opinion of the nearest future of LCD technology that has dominated our living rooms.

She was visiting this year’s Berlin expo looking for some big innovations. Watch the video to check out if she has found anything that took her breath away.

02/09/2009 - VUDU's 1080p movie streaming goes live on LG Netcast HDTVs

Filed under: Displays, Media streamers, LG, LCD, Plasma

You knew good and well it was coming, and come it has. Starting today, those fortunate enough to own an LG Broadband HDTV in the LH50 LCD series and PS80 plasma range can tap into VUDU's growing library of on-demand 1080p films. If you're still skeptical, we'll invite you to surf over to your set's Netcast interface; from there, you can either update your software to gain VUDU access or begin viewing right away (depending on when you purchased your tele). Oh, and if you're thinking of just lallygagging around while the rest of the world takes advantage, you should know that your first HD or HDX movie rental is gratis for a limited time, so there's some pretty obvious motivation to hop on it. Anyone given it a go? Impressed / unimpressed?

VUDU's 1080p movie streaming goes live on LG Netcast HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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28/08/2009 - IFA 2009: The Countdown Is On!

IFA 2009 - the business event no. 1 for consumer electronics - will take place in Berlin from September 4-9.

For one week international media interest will be concentrated on IFA. Also the Biz-News journalists will be reporting directly from Berlin covering the latest in CE products.

19/08/2009 - Surround 3-D TV to Take Over the Living Rooms

For the first time, a team of researchers at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), have designed a 9-panel, 3-D visualization display from HDTV LCD flat-screens developed by JVC.

The NexCAVE's technology delivers a faithful, deep 3-D experience with great color saturation, contrast and really good stereo separation - claim the scientists.

30/07/2009 - LG Integrates Broadcom Bluetooth Technology, Enables HDTVs to Connect with Mobiles and Headsets

LG Electronics has integrated Broadcom's advanced Bluetooth technology into a new line of digital televisions (DTVs) that are now shipping.
Having Bluetooth connectivity in its LH70 TV line of digital televisions allows the sets to connect with a wide range of Bluetooth devices, such as wireless stereo headphones and cell phones.

16/07/2009 - Successful IFA Business Model Drives Markets in 2009

ADVERTORIAL: Product debuts and important industry topics such as ecology, lifestyle, HDTV & wireless communications the main features at IFA 2009
For the second time, and with an even more comprehensive show, the leading brands of the consumer electronics and electrical home appliances industries will be jointly represented on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds at IFA 2009.

15/07/2009 - ASUS Enters HDTV Monitor Market

ASUS has announced a range of HDTV monitors that it says offers the best in desktop monitor and LCD TV technology.
The TV Monitor T1 Series comes in 22- (22T1E), 24- (24T1E) and 27-inch (27T1E) sizes and offers a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) panel, a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 nits of brightness, five millisecond response time, built-in TV tuners (for the UK market) and a pair of seven-watt speakers.

07/07/2009 - Digital Vision Launches USB Flash Drive DVR

Digital Vision has launched the first USB flash drive-based digital video recorder (DVR).
The UK company says its GiGo DV-DTR1 Digital TV recorder allows users to record content and then view it on devices such as laptops.

01/07/2009 - LG introduces stylish, LED-backlit 22-inch W2286L LCD HDTV

Filed under: Displays, LG, LCD

By and large, there's nothing too incredible about LG's latest LCD HDTV. It's 22-inches, can double as a PC monitor, boasts a deceiving 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and consumes some 40 percent less power than the average Earth-hating 22-inch LCD. There's also a pair of HDMI sockets, a DVI port and a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, not to mention an automatic brightness sensor that responds to ambient light. There's no word yet on how pricey the 20 millimeter-thick set will be nor when it'll ship stateside, but hopefully it -- along with its 24-inch Full HD sibling -- will make the trip in short order.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

LG introduces stylish, LED-backlit 22-inch W2286L LCD HDTV originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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26/06/2009 - Outgoing CableLabs prez talks about the origins of HDTV as we know it

Filed under: Industry, Misc

Current CableLabs CEO & prez Richard Green is moving on later this year as Paul Liao from Panasonic takes over the reigns and the first part of Multichannel News' interview with him covers the first time he saw HDTV back in 1980 and the process that eventually gave us the standards we have today.That goes back through the first NFL game recorded in HD, and why high definition took so long to take off -- apparently not everyone wants a 1 million+ lb 40-inch CRT and broadcasters were never happy about spending all the money necessary to upgrade -- from the days of 5x3 with 1125 lines. It's not a crystal ball to the success of Blu-ray, digital downloads, 3D or anything else, but worth a read for some interesting anecdotes on how tough progress is.

Outgoing CableLabs prez talks about the origins of HDTV as we know it originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10/06/2009 - US Transition to Digital TV Alters Viewing Behavior

This Friday sees US television going 100 per cent digital, a move that has impacted on over a quarter of households which have had to invest in new TV sets and/or services to prepare for the June 12th changeover.
However, researchers say that the switch to digital has changed traditional viewing habits.

10/06/2009 - Microsoft Unveils Motion Control Technology - Project Natal

Microsoft has just unveiled what it describes as a revolutionary new way to play Xbox 360 video games on HDTVs without the need for a controller.
Called Project Natal, the sensor, which combines an RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor in one device, could have uses far beyond just gaming.

08/06/2009 - VIZIO introduces new XVT, M and E series HDTVs

Filed under: Displays, Others, LCD

It's been a hot minute since we've seen any new kit from the cats at VIZIO, but it has evidently been hoarding up sets in anticipation for today. This morning, the company has let loose details on a veritable smorgasbord of new TVs, all of which fall within the XVT, M and E series. The XVT line is getting a boost from the new TruLED VF551XVT, which packs 240Hz dejudder technology, as well as a number of other companions ranging from 32- to 55-inches in size. The M series is amongst the prettiest of the bunch, boasting a JAVA design, 1080p panels and 120Hz technology. Finally, the E series (E is for Eco, get it?) sucks down far less energy than most, with screen sizes spanning from 19- to 42-inches. Far too many new sets are being unveiled to detail here, but you can feel free to dig in after the break.

Continue reading VIZIO introduces new XVT, M and E series HDTVs

VIZIO introduces new XVT, M and E series HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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04/06/2009 - Growth in HDTVs Driving Demand for HD STBs

Shipments of set-top boxes are expected to peak this year, at least in mature markets, and then commence a gradual decline.
However the rolling series of analog TV shutoffs in countries around the world, combined with the strong uptake of HDTV sets, mean that HD STBs will form a growing fraction of the total market, according to ABI Research.

04/06/2009 - Online Video Viewing Rates "Grossly Overstated"

The amount of time US viewers spend watching online video and mobile video is growing rapidly - but still accounts for a small fraction of total video content viewing.
That's the conclusion of a study into how people spend their time consuming media, including live TV programming, time-shifted television, DVDs, video games.

24/05/2009 - Poll: Still interested in a connected HDTV?

Filed under: Polls, Displays

Oh connected HDTV, you blew away the fans at CES just a few months ago, but it seems most still don't plan on buying one immediately. Looks like that feeling of putting a purchase off may be justified, with our hands-on finding performance on the latest Samsung model a bit laggy at the moment. So let us know, are you still intrigued by widget HDTVs?

View Poll

Poll: Still interested in a connected HDTV? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sun, 24 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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22/05/2009 - US HDTV Ownership Shoots Up

A third (33.3%) of US households now have HDTVs, up from 19.3% a year ago, according to a Nielsen survey.
However, only 28.8% of all US homes received HD programming as of February 2009.

15/05/2009 - VIZIO HDTV Sales Boosted By Economic Downturn

US TV-maker VIZIO remains the largest shipper of LCD HDTVs in North America - with an increased market share as consumers turn to value products.
Shipments have increased 21.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, which is a 69 per cent increase year over year (YOY), according to iSuppli.

14/05/2009 - HDMI 1.4 brings internet sharing, dreadful tiers of quality

Filed under: Industry, Cables, Ports

Okay, so there's good news and bad news. Given that we just love to tease, we'll start you off with the positives. HDMI 1.4 was just revealed, bringing with it an HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) that enables data transfers of up to 100 Mbps between supported connected devices. Put simply, this could allow a "broadband-connected television using its HEC-enabled HDMI port to provide internet connection sharing with another HEC-enabled device such as a game console or DVR." Furthermore, the spec's Audio Return Channel (ARC) enables broadcast audio to be easily streamed back to an external amplifier, and the Automatic Content Enhancement (ACE) provides support for "future 3D video standards, increased resolution support (up to 4,096 x 2,160 pixels at up to 30Hz), and content recognition that promises to automatically optimize the TV's picture settings based on content type."

The bad news? HEC will only work with new HDMI 1.4 spec cables, and those will be graded into two separate levels of performance: low- and high-data rate. We needn't describe to you what kind of ball Monster Cable is going to have with that one, but even outside of that, we're baffled by the decision to add one more complexity to a cable that should seriously be doing everything in its power to not be overshadowed by DisplayPort. At any rate, we're told that Silicon Image is hoping to ship chip samples to manufacturers in Q2 2009, while HDMI 1.4-enabled products could arrive as early as next year. We aren't holding our breath, but we'll gladly eat crow if need be.

HDMI 1.4 brings internet sharing, dreadful tiers of quality originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 14 May 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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07/04/2009 - Samsung Announces Next Generation LED HDTVs

Samsung revealed prices and market availability for its new species of flat-panel TVs, LED HDTV Series 8000, 7000 and 6000.
The new portfolio of LED HDTVs use edge-mounted LEDs as their primary light source rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL).

01/04/2009 - AnySource Media: Simple UI is Key To Internet-enabled HDTV

INTERVIEW: Mike Harris, CEO of AnySource Media, talks to hdtv.biz-news about his company's Internet-enabled TV platform that will start appearing in HDTV sets in the second half of 2009. The Internet Video Navigator (IVN) allows users to view Internet video on their HDTVs alongside traditional TV networks - without requiring a separate box or complicated wiring.

25/03/2009 - GE Delays Launch of HDTVs

General Electric is to delay its re-entry into the television market after a 20-year gap as a result of "marketing issues".
The company announced in September that it was to offer GE-branded HDTVs in partnership with a Taiwanese company.

25/03/2009 - GE quietly delays premium HDTV line

Filed under: Displays, Others

General Electric came clean with its intentions to delve into the wide world of HDTVs last September... and then the economy, as well as GE itself, fell apart. Earlier this year, we were actually clued in on some of the details surrounding the Tatung-built sets, but now we're hearing that the company is pushing everything back by around three months. GE maintains that the setback is due to "marketing rather than operational or manufacturing issues," though we all know right about now isn't the greatest time to introduce new high-end televisions. We also get the idea that GE may use the time to better implement connected HDTV features given just how prevalent those were at CES, but again, we're really just shooting in the dark here. Oh, we forgot to even ask -- does anyone care that GE's getting back into the TV biz, let alone that its forthcoming sets are delayed?

GE quietly delays premium HDTV line originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25/03/2009 - DTV voucher waitlist gone, expired coupon holders can re-apply

Filed under: Industry, Set-top boxes

Good news for those of you going bonkers over your expired DTV converter coupons -- the voucher waitlist has been cleared out a little early and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is ready to accept new applications. No word on how many vouchers are left in the budget or how long it'll take for this last batch to clear out, but hey -- you should have had this taken care of months ago, Chico. Hop to it.

DTV voucher waitlist gone, expired coupon holders can re-apply originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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05/03/2009 - Hi-Den Launches First HDMI 1080p Photo Viewer

It seems peculiar that with the drive towards making HDTVs all-singing, all-dancing Internet-connected marvels, little had been done to improve something as simple as enjoying your photos on the big screen.
Now Hong-Kong-based Hi-Den Vision has popped up with what it claims is the world's first HDMI 1080p digital photo viewer.

05/03/2009 - Can Rising HDTV Prices Be Sustained?

After a period of steadily dropping HDTV prices the cost of sets to consumers appears to be climbing again.
The average selling price for HDTVs in the US jumped by more than 10 per cent in February, according to data from the Retrevo CE Index.

05/03/2009 - Panasonic's ultrathin TC-P54Z1 VIERA plasma priced at $5,999.95

Filed under: Displays, Panasonic, Plasma

Yeah, we know -- six large for a 54-inch HDTV seems a bit much in today's society, but the same sort of thing was said last September when Mitsubishi threw a $6,999 sticker on its mesmerizing LaserVue set. Panasonic's one-inch thick TC-P54Z1 plasma, which just might be the last of its breed barring production of the NeoPDP concept, will undoubtedly serve a shrinking niche, but for those willing to pay for the best of what's new, they'll be getting an awful lot of sexy for $5,999.95. Speaking of that MSRP, that's the good word from the HD Guru himself, though we've yet to see an official confirmation from Panny. Honestly though, that's about what we reckoned it would list at after seeing it unveiled at CES, so now would probably be a good time to start hunting for any 10 percent off coupons for your favorite B&M HDTV outlet.

[Via CNET]

Panasonic's ultrathin TC-P54Z1 VIERA plasma priced at $5,999.95 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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27/02/2009 - Celeno Technology Enables Multiple HDTV Streams Around Home

Technology that delivers multiple HDTV streams from PCs to TVs and other electronic devices around the home could be launched by the summer.
Israeli-based Celeno Communications is field-testing in-home WiFi networks with backing from Cisco.

20/02/2009 - Samsung Leading Global TV Brand, Full HDTV Sets Now Fifth of Market

Samsung has maintained its place as the world's biggest TV brand for the third year running.
With a 21.9 per cent market share, the South Korean electronics manufacturer is some way ahead of second placed Sony, according to DisplaySearch.

20/02/2009 - SiS Launches HDTV chipset For Full-HD Digital LCD TV Market

Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) is to enter the HDTV market with a ATSC HDTV SoC chipset designed to be implanted in LCD TVs.
Although it names no names, the Taiwanese company says SiS328 has already been widely adopted by major TV brand vendors for their next generation high quality Full-HD digital TVs.

11/02/2009 - LG intros power-sipping LH30FD LCD HDTVs in Korea

Filed under: Displays, LG, LCD

Not even a month after LG outed its 50PQ60D and 42PQ60D Xcanvas plasmas over in South Korea, the company has introduced a trio of LCD HDTVs in the nation as well. The LH30FD models, all part of the burgeoning Scarlet series, are all presumably equipped with 1080p panels, inbuilt speakers and other modern amenities. While LG leaves out most of the details, we are told that all three sets boast a variety of picture modes, a trio of HDMI sockets and a four-step power saving mode that can purportedly "reduce power consumption by up to 70 percent." We've no way to prove or disprove that claim, but hopefully the stipulations will be spelled out more clearly when, er, if these migrate to America. As for those in Seoul, they can grab one later this month for ?2,400,000 ($1,725; 47-inch), ?1,650,000 ($1,186; 42-inch) or ?1,200,000 ($862; 32-inch).

[Via Slashgear]

LG intros power-sipping LH30FD LCD HDTVs in Korea originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/02/2009 - Hundreds of TV Stations Switch To Digital Despite Delay Bill

An estimated 40 per cent of US TV stations plan to make the switchover to digital from 17 February.
This is despite the recent approval of a congressional bill supporting a four-month delay of the transition from analog to digital TV signals.

06/02/2009 - DTV Transition Delayed Until June

The US House of Representatives has approved a delay in the cutoff date for analog television broadcasts.
The delay is to give more time to the estimated 6.5 million people unprepared for the switchover to digital broadcasts.

26/01/2009 - 43% of US HDTV Owners Don't Watch HD Content

More than 39 million US households have an HDTV set - and the figure keeps on rising.
Yet a sizeable proportion - 43 per cent or 17 million - either don't have or don't watch HD content.

24/01/2009 - Poll: Will you buy an internet-connected HDTV?

Filed under: Polls, Displays, Internet

Outside of 3D, the hottest thing going at CES in terms of high-def was internet connectivity. When we outlined the HDTVs that are destined to ship this year, a huge chunk of 'em were spotted with Ethernet jacks and promises of widgets galore built-in. So, here's the question: are you planning to replace your perfectly good set this year with a connected HDTV? Does the concept of widgets and web content on your screen make you giddy inside? Feel free to discuss below after casting your vote.

View Poll

Poll: Will you buy an internet-connected HDTV? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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21/01/2009 - Final Chance to Nominate HDTV Person/Product Of The Year

The new year may well be firmly underway but there's still plenty of time to submit your nominations and votes for hdtv.biz-news' 2008 Man and Product of the Year awards.
With voting expected to be close in both award categories there's plenty of opportunity for latecomers to make their mark.

17/01/2009 - Pantel expands line of waterproof Mirror TVs, lowers prices

Filed under: Displays, Others

Pantel has apparently decided that three waterproof Mirror TVs simply aren't enough, so it's expanding the family to four while lowering prices across the board. As of now, users looking for an outdoor HDTV that can withstand the elements can find a 20-, 26-, 32- and 42-inch solution from Pantel, all of which posses 1080p native resolutions, twin 10-watt speakers and optional touchscreen upgrades. As for pricing, they're running $1,999.99, $2,999.99, $3,499.99 and $4,499.99 from smallest to largest, which ain't half bad for a set that you can pour soda on while your favorite team gets pummeled.

Pantel expands line of waterproof Mirror TVs, lowers prices originally appeared on Engadget HD on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12/01/2009 - Study finds interest high for connected HDTVs

Filed under: Industry, DVRs, Set-top boxes

Connected TVs are being blasted out hot and heavy here at CES, so it's a good thing that early studies are showing quite a bit of consumer interest. New research carried out by Oregan Networks has discovered that 71% of respondents would prefer a media browser to be installed within their next HDTV, and if for some reason it didn't, 45% said they'd be inclined to download one while 29% "definitely would" download one. Researchers also found that online video portals such as YouTube and Hulu were seen as value-add inclusions, and having them baked into HDTVs would enable families to spend more time together enjoying the spoils of digital video. Moreover, those polled voiced their love for being able to access networked media around the home on their sets, which makes us wonder if either technophiles were intentionally asked or if the world really is swaying to appreciate media streaming.

Study finds interest high for connected HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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05/01/2009 - Samsung Promises Thinnest Ever HDTV

Samsung is to unveil a flat-panel HDTV measuring a waif-like 6.5-millimeters at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The TV set is reported to be between 6.5mm and 7mm across its width and has an LED (light emitting diode) backlight.

05/01/2009 - LG gets official with Netflix-enabled Broadband HDTVs

Filed under: Displays, Media streamers, Other hardware, LCD, Plasma, Internet

Yup, it's official. LG will be showcasing the world's first Netflix-enabled HDTVs at CES this week. The so-called Broadband HDTVs will arrive in plasma and LCD flavors, though exact screen sizes and model names have yet to be disclosed. They'll arrive with Netflix streaming software baked right in, meaning that no external set-top-box will be required to suck down Watch Instantly material. Best of all, it sounds like HD Netflix content will also be supported, and with the accompanying remote, viewers will be able to "read synopses, rate movies and fast-forward / rewind the video stream." No word on pricing, but the family of sets should be shipping this Spring. Hop on past the break for a look at the full release.

Continue reading LG gets official with Netflix-enabled Broadband HDTVs

LG gets official with Netflix-enabled Broadband HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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05/01/2009 - LG to release first HDTVs that instantly stream movies from Netflix

Filed under: Displays, Media streamers, LG, LCD, Plasma, Internet

It was really only a matter of time, but instant streaming from Netflix is finally getting piped straight to the tele. Until now, users needed an HTPC or a set-top-box / movie player that supported Watch Instantly, but we've received word that LG will debut the world's first Netflix-enabled HDTVs this Spring. Details are pretty light, but we're told that both plasma and LCD models will be unleashed; unfortunately, it's not entirely clear if HD Netflix will be included and if the sets will / won't be WiFi-enabled. Keep it locked here for anything more, we get the feeling we haven't heard the last about these beauties.

LG to release first HDTVs that instantly stream movies from Netflix originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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30/12/2008 - Sharp's LC-52XS1U-S reviewed: "a cool science experiment gone awry"

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Sharp, LCD

We already saw the UK version of Sharp's limited edition XS1 LCD HDTV hit the review bench, but for Americans wondering if their version (that's the 52-inch LC-52XS1U-S) is any different, here's your sign. Reviewers at PC Mag were able to get the $11,999 (list price) set into the labs for testing, and while the contrast and HD detail were both lauded, the overall package just didn't warrant such a stratospheric sticker. In fact, critics asserted that the unit actually "required professional setup" in order to achieve results that were even close to desirable, and while there are a lot of details behind it, we think this all-compassing quote pretty much settles things: the flagship LC-52XS1U-S is "like a cool science experiment gone awry." Steer clear, people.

Sharp's LC-52XS1U-S reviewed: "a cool science experiment gone awry" originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25/12/2008 - Sharp's pricey 52-inch LC-52XS1E LCD HDTV gets reviewed

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Sharp, LCD

Sharp's 52-inch LC-52XS1E is absurdly expensive -- around £8,999 at last check in the UK -- but it's easily one of the most sophisticated, awe-inspiring sets that (lots of) money can buy. The critics over at TechRadar were able to give it a look, and while they were thoroughly impressed with pretty much every aspect, they couldn't justify the price for those not completely and utterly loaded. Words like "sensational," "stunning" and "superb" were littered throughout, and reviewers even stopped to notice that SD material still looked good on this expansive LCD. That said, we simply can't fathom a set looking good enough to make the price tag here understandable, so until the sticker starts to come back to down closer to reality, we'd probably wipe the drool from our lips and hold tight.

Sharp's pricey 52-inch LC-52XS1E LCD HDTV gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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24/12/2008 - Samsung's 61-inch HL61A650 RPTV HDTV reviewed

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Samsung, CRT

Let's face it: there aren't too many new RPTVs hitting the market these days, but for those looking to save a little coin at the expense of a little depth, Samsung's HL61A650 is worth a look. The reviewers over at Home Theater Mag were able to take this beast in for a sit-down, and overall, they were duly impressed. The 61-incher included a respectable amount of ports, sufficient picture controls, very accurate colors and a swell remote. The main knock (outside of the bulky size) was the lackluster black level; in fact, critics noted that it was "among the worst that it had measured." That aside (if you can overlook it), but HDTV was said to perform "well above its pay grade," meaning that it could be an "ideal set at the right price for the casual viewer who will leave it in Dynamic mode and watch a heavy dose of sports in a brightly lit room."

Samsung's 61-inch HL61A650 RPTV HDTV reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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22/12/2008 - YouTube HD Videos Now In Widescreen

After weeks of trialling its new HD capabilities YouTube has officially launched its high-def channel.
Users clicking on the newly added "watch in HD" option will automatically see the videos play in widescreen (16:9 aspect).

22/12/2008 - Panasonic's 37-inch VIERA TC-37LZ85 LCD HDTV reviewed

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Panasonic, LCD

Panasonic's first 37-inch VIERA didn't live up to the family name, or at least that's the gist of CNET's recent review of the TC-37LZ85. Sure, black levels were "relatively deep," screen uniformity was "solid" and off-angle viewing was commendable, but "being saddled with inaccurate color" caused it to fall quite sharply in the eyes of critics. More specifically, the "inaccurate grayscale" led to an evidently annoying reddish tinge, and the inability to adjust the color temperature or plug in an HTPC via VGA were just two more reasons to look elsewhere. At the end of the day, it was still deemed a "decent entry" into the smaller-screen 1080p realm, but 3 out of 5 stars just doesn't put forth the kind of satisfaction we'd like to see.

Panasonic's 37-inch VIERA TC-37LZ85 LCD HDTV reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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22/12/2008 - Nominations Open For The Outstanding HDTV Person and Product Of 2008

With 2008 fast drawing to a close biz-news.com is seeking YOUR help in choosing outstanding candidates for the titles of Man/Woman of the Year and Product/Service of the Year.
We would like you to nominate an individual and/or product/service that you feel has contributed greatly to the HDTV sector over the past 12 months.
The winner will be selected from the nominations submitted by our readers - professionals and technology enthusiasts in the industry.

15/12/2008 - Tried PC Videoconferencing - Well How About On An HDTV?

With webcams now commonplace on PCs and laptops it seems natural that they should take the next step - to HDTVs.
Videoconferencing expert Emblaze VCON says it has developed technology that allows up to six different users to interact through home TV screens.

11/12/2008 - HD Video Download Service Allows Blu-ray Recording

Japan is to get the world's first HDTV video download service that allows users to export high-def content from HDDs to Blu-ray Disc.
Tsutaya online provides video content from a server to compatible digital home appliances and allows the content to be copied on Blu-ray Disc, iVDR-S and memory cards.

05/12/2008 - NXP Chip Brings High-end HDTV Quality Into Mainstream

NXP has launched a new global single-chip LCD TV platform that it claims will give mid-range TVs an HD viewing experience previously only available on higher end sets.
Founded by Philips, the semiconductor company believes its new platform will allow manufacturers and content providers to bring a broad range of Internet and digital video content to a significantly wider audience.

03/12/2008 - Panasonic's VIERA TH-50PZ850U plasma gets reviewed

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Panasonic, Plasma

We've seen a couple of Panasonic's plasmas reviewed in recent months, but the 50-inch TH-50PZ85OU has somehow eluded us thus far. The cats over at E-Gear just got ahold of this very unit and spent the bulk of its time testing things out over the Thanksgiving holiday. Right from the top, the HDTV was praised for its image quality, with critics noting that it "soared above most of the competition, both in feature offerings and in performance." Blacks were black, Blu-ray Discs were stunning and the colors were vivid. Sure, the bundled remote left a bit to be desired, but it's not like you don't have a universal remote to handle that "on / off stuff" anyway, right? We must say, we're a bit shocked that a Panny PDP was regarded this highly, but it's good to see the current king bringing out the best in all of the rivals.

Panasonic's VIERA TH-50PZ850U plasma gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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02/12/2008 - JVC's iPod-lovin' LT-47P789 LCD HDTV gets in-depth review

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, JVC, LCD

It's nearly time for JVC to drop yet another iPod dock-infused HDTV on us at CES 2009 (just a guess, is all), but for those looking for the model first introduced in January 2008, here's a bit of introspective. If you'll recall, we already heard pretty positive things about the 42-inch version of this same set, but AV Revolution took things much, much deeper with its look at the 47-inch LT-47P789. We'll save the details for those who care, but the long and short of it is this: in the case of this particular unit, "neither the TV's performance nor the TeleDock implementation is as good as it could be." That said, the street price of around $1,500 isn't half bad, and while it won't put a smile on the face of a videophile, it should function just fine as an "everyday or second-room TV" for those who can't seem to escape their iPod.

JVC's iPod-lovin' LT-47P789 LCD HDTV gets in-depth review originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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27/11/2008 - Could Savings Ratios Give A Clue To Market Robustness?

Black Friday has arrived in the US and many retailers are hoping fears of prolonged economic difficulties will not hamper consumers' appetite for spending - not least for HDTVs.
Paul Gray, Display Search's director of European TV research, has added some intriguing analysis to the various predictions about how robust consumer demand is likely to be in key markets in the coming months.

27/11/2008 - Growth Towards 3D HDTV Gains Pace

Panasonic has submitted a proposal for a 3D Blu-ray standard to the Blu-ray Disc Association.
The submission comes as Korea's LG announces its intentions to bring 3D TVs to some markets in 2009.

26/11/2008 - Orange Brings Mobile HDTV to Hybrid Phones

Orange is to offer high definition mobile TV to users of hybrid mobile/fixed Unik handsets.
From next month, its customers in France will have access to more than 60 HD mobile TV channels, 20 of which will be with unlimited access.

21/11/2008 - Zoran's New Processors Spell Thinner HDTVs

HDTVs may seem wafer thin already but don't expect the drive for even slimmer models to stop anytime soon.
The Zoran Corporation has just announced a pair of new HDTV processors that should help set manufacturers shave a tad more off their future sets.

19/11/2008 - How will Xbox's streaming HD Fare Against PS3's Blu-ray?

For a while now, Sony's PS3 has done very well out of being the best Blu-ray player in its price range - oh, and you can play games with it too.
So it will be interesting to see how it fares now that Microsoft's Xbox is offering US users streaming HD content from Netflix.
That, and the fact that Blu-ray player prices generally are falling, may have some impact on the Sony console.

19/11/2008 - Funai Seeks To Ban US Imports Of TV Makers

A US judge has ruled that the digital television products of 14 companies, including Vizio, infringe patents held by Funai.
The Japanese company is seeking a limited exclusion order barring importation of the infringing products into the US as well as a cease and desist order to prevent sale or distribution of infringing products there.

12/11/2008 - HDTV Now In Over A Third Of US Households

HDTV penetration has doubled in the past two years with 34 per cent of US households having at least one high definition television (HDTV) set.
Representing about 40 million households, this figure is set to double again over the next two years, according to consumer research from the Leichtman Research Group.

12/11/2008 - HDTV penetration rises to 40 million, 34% of U.S. households

Filed under: Industry, Displays

The Leichtman Research Group is back again, with its sixth annual study on all things HDTV, extrapolating from a 1,302 household survey that the number of homes with an HDTV has reached 40 million. Overall, HDTV penetration has crossed a third of households, up to 34% from 20% last year, while those with an HDTV set who thought they were watching HD, but actually weren't, dropped slightly to 18%. Also less than pleasing to our eye is the finding that just a 1% increase from last year in the number of customer reporting they were told how to get high definition programming, but the percentage of homes watching HD jumped 5 points to 58%. The read link has a few more numbers for those seeking their yearly update, but we're already wondering how things will read next year.

HDTV penetration rises to 40 million, 34% of U.S. households originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/11/2008 - When Will Wii Go HD?

Nintendo's lead game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, has been making comments that suggest Wii could go HD sometime soon.
The ability to support true next-gen graphics on HDTVs is one area the Wii falls down on compared to competitors Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

11/11/2008 - Toshiba's 1080p REGZA ZV series LCD HDTVs get priced and dated

Filed under: Displays, Toshiba, LCD

Ready for some Resolution+ in your LCD HDTV? Yeah? Then get ready for Toshiba's REGZA ZV series, which is gearing up to take the UK by storm and completely change the way you see SD content. Okay, so maybe that's a touch overblown, but the upscaling sets are slated to launch in the UK on November 29th. The 42-inch 42ZV555D will sell for £899.99 ($1,419), while the 46-inch 46ZV555D will go for £1199.99 ($1,893), and both will make your collection of HD footage immensely envious.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Toshiba's 1080p REGZA ZV series LCD HDTVs get priced and dated originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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06/11/2008 - HDTV Was Too Far From HP's Core Business

Hewlett-Packard is just the latest PC OEM to learn a lesson about straying from its core business, according to Michael Wolf, Digital Home research director at ABI Research.
Citing the experiences of Dell and Gateway, he asserts that it's hard for a PC company to make a business in living room consumer electronics.

04/11/2008 - Price Deals Fuelling Surge in HDTV Sales

Sales of high definition plasma TVs have risen by 37 per cent in the third quarter compared to last year's figures.
A survey by DisplaySearch has shown that consumers are being enticed to buy plasma sets by sweeping price cuts, especially on 32-inch sets.

04/11/2008 - WD Brings Simplicity To Streaming

Storage expert Western Digital has launched a standalone media box that streams content from your USB drive.
Rather than hooking your computer to your HDTV and streaming video and other multimedia files, the WD TV HD Media Player accepts content from a separate WD portable backup drive.

03/11/2008 - Pioneer's 37-inch KRL-37V KURO LCD reviewed: other LCDs should be scared

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Pioneer, LCD

Anyone remotely familiar with the KURO brand knows that with it comes the expectation of awesomeness (and a large price tag), and the question on everyone's mind has been: will the KURO LCD line live up to the name? According to TrustedReview's critique of the 37-inch KRL-37V, the answer is a resounding "yes." The reviewers put together five long-winded pages detailing the ins and outs of this here set, but in general, they found that it produced better pictures than most other LCDs on the market today, and that's saying something. Sure, it wasn't without its flaws -- there were occurrences where odd color tones popped up in SD footage, black levels weren't astonishing and the viewing angles weren't the greatest -- but the colors in HD were simply terrific. 'Tis a shame we North Americans will have to wait until sometime next year before we can even have a look for ourselves, but those in Europe may want to give this one some serious attention.

[Via HDTV Lounge]

Pioneer's 37-inch KRL-37V KURO LCD reviewed: other LCDs should be scared originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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30/10/2008 - Mitusbishi iSP LT-52149 LCD TV with integrated soundbar hands-on

Filed under: Displays, Mitsubishi, LCD

No, it's not the hot new LaserVue set, but we've gotten to play with Mitsubishi's new LT-52149 120Hz LCD with integrated soundbar for a week or so now, and while we're impressed with the soundbar's simulated surround, the picture quality just isn't there on the $3,799 display. First off, we're not at all sold on the value of 120Hz dejuddering -- it makes everything look like it was shot on VHS on a soap opera set. We're totally unclear on who likes this, since we think it's pretty nasty. It does work well with sports programming, but for the most part we just left it off and didn't miss it. We also saw some gradient banding issues on HD content, and SD looked terrible, leading us to believe the built-in scaler isn't all that great -- an issue on a large 1080p set where almost everything has be scaled or deinterlaced in some way. That said, there's always a chance we didn't spend enough time tweaking settings, since Mitsu lets you get pretty deep -- we liked the PerfectColor adjustments, and the discrete brightness and backlight controls were much appreciated. Speaking of which, the LED backlight is one of the brightest we've ever seen, and it makes a huge impression when you first see the display -- it's incredibly vibrant. Too bad the image quality didn't hold up to harsher scrutiny -- the integrated soundbar is super easy to set up, sounds good, and would have made this set a perfect choice for rooms where traditional surround systems don't work. As it is, however, we just can't see dropping nearly four grand on a less-than-perfect picture. Check the gallery for some more hands-on shots.

Gallery: Mitsubishi iSP LT-52149 hands-on

Mitusbishi iSP LT-52149 LCD TV with integrated soundbar hands-on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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28/10/2008 - Global TV pricing sinks 22% year-over-year in September

Filed under: Industry, Displays, LCD, Plasma

Those price drops you've been noticing are more than a figment of your imagination. In fact, they're very, very real. According to hot-off-the-press research from DisplaySearch, global TV internet pricing for TVs declined 22% on average this September compared to a year ago. More specifically, plasma prices sank (on average) 27%, while CRT stickers actually rose 4%. When looking at the all-important LCD TV category, we're told that prices in Europe declined the most at 30%, while China, North America and Japan were down 20 percent, 16 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Also of note, it was the big screen sets plummeting the most, as 52-inch LCD TVs sank nearly 30% year-over-year while 20-inch LCD TVs dropped just 4%. Oh, and we'd totally expect to see things head further south exactly one month from today -- at least in America.

[Via CNET, image courtesy of DayLife]

Global TV pricing sinks 22% year-over-year in September originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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28/10/2008 - Consumers Driving Indian HDTV Market

The secret to success of the HDTV market in India depends mainly on the intense desire of the consumers. In fact, the women are keener about getting these high definition televisions just like the other consumer durable products.

16/10/2008 - First US Cities Get Tru2way Digital Cable Service

Consumers in Chicago and Denver will be the first in the US to experience Comcast's video-on-demand without a set-top box.
Panasonic and Comcast today unveiled a tru2way digital cable service for the two cities with additional cities expected to go live in the coming months.

15/10/2008 - LifeSize Launches Full-HD Telepresence System

LifeSize Communications has unveiled what it describes as the next generation in video communications - a full HD telepresence solution called Room 200.
The system provides life-size HD images and audio for as many as six participants at one time.

07/10/2008 - Solar-powered and Wireless - HDTV Doesn't Come Much Cleaner

Japan’s cutting edge electronics fair CEATEC just ended but it tossed a few interesting titbits into the mix, including a solar-powered HDTV from Sharp.
The LED-backlit 52-inch set receives up to 220kWh of power from a solar floor panel.

02/10/2008 - Hitachi Camcorder Wirelessly Streams HD

Hitachi have been showing off a prototype digital camcorder that can stream HD video on a TV via a wireless LAN, according to Tech-On.
The camcorder, which was being exhibited at CEATEC JAPAN 2008, can output video recorded on its HDD or video being shot live to a Hitachi HDTV.

01/10/2008 - JVC's iPod-friendly LT-42P789 LCD HDTV gets reviewed

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, JVC

JVC's iPod dock-infused LT-42P789 was announced way back when at CES 2008, but we're just now starting to see the flat-panel leak out onto the market. The cats over at E-Gear were able to house one for a review, and all in all, they were quite pleased. Image quality while watching Blu-ray Discs was exceptional, the iPod playback / UI navigation was satisfactory and the inbuilt speakers were actually not half bad. To be frank, we don't see many potential LCD HDTV buyers looking heavily at this one unless they're simply dead-set on having integrated iPod support -- but hey, if that's you, this one may be the next set you want consuming your den.

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30/09/2008 - Comstar Launches Stream-branded HDTV

Russian telecomms operator Comstar-UTS has fully launched Stream-branded HDTV services in Moscow in the upgraded sections of the MGTS network.
It has also introduced a package offering broadband internet access at speeds of up to 20Mbps.

23/09/2008 - TV3 stops HDTV transmissions

Catalan public broadcaster TV3 has halted its HDTV transmissions via digital terrestrial.
The broadcasts were the first of their type in Spain.

18/09/2008 - Pioneer to launch LCD HDTVs in North America next year

Filed under: Displays, Pioneer, LCD, Plasma

On the whole, we'd say KURO plasma owners are pretty stoked about their sets. Those who'd prefer a KURO-branded LCD, however, have been waiting anxiously to hear something more from ole Pioneer for months. Thankfully, the firm has finally spoken, and while it doesn't mention any brand / model names specifically, we can assume that those LCD HDTVs we saw emerge in Europe will be gracing US shores in mere months. During the first half of 2009, Pioneer LCD HDTVs will be loosed in North America and Asia, and unless plans change, the panels within will actually be supplied by Sharp. Might we be on the lookout for a sneak peek at CES '09?

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15/09/2008 - The Future is 3-D HDTV

Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of Dream Works, believes that 3-D HDTV is the future of the TV and movie industries.
Fittingly he made his comments in a speech that was beamed by satellite across the Atlantic and displayed in glorious 3D HDTV at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2008 in Amsterdam.

10/09/2008 - Set-top Box Capable of HD Content Over DVB-T2

Pace plc, a developer of digital TV technologies, has made the first set-top box capable of receiving and displaying DVB-T2 HD content.
DVB-T2 brings efficiencies of between 30-50 per cent in its use of spectrum compared to DVB-T and is expected to be a key enabler to the roll out of high definition TV in the UK over Freeview.

21/08/2008 - Samsung expands lead over global TV makers

Samsung is the leading global TV brand in revenue terms for the tenth straight quarter, expanding its market share to a record 22.8 per cent.
North America enjoyed strong Q2 TV shipments growth in Q2, helping global TV shipments to improve by 11 per cent Y/Y to 47.5M units.

19/08/2008 - Impressive growth for Asian LCD HDTVs sales

Demand for consumer electronics in the Asian market is growing strongly despite reports of a gloomy economic outlook, according to research company GfK.
Its Pan Asia Consumer Electronics Data Summary shows a retail spend of approximately US$ 11.5 Billion dollars in the first half of 2008, which is an increase of 13 per cent year on year.

12/08/2008 - Mitsubishi's 1080p LT-52148 LCD HDTV gets reviewed

Filed under: Displays, Mitsubishi, LCD

If Mitsubishi's WD-65735 proved a bit too, shall we say, bulky for your needs, those loyal to the brand may be wondering how the remarkably thinner LT-52148 performed. PC Magazine was able to get a set over on the test bench, and while the 52-inch 1080p panel was stunning (as was the ultrathin bezel), the excessive sharpening artifacts, elevated greens and above average (read: more than desired) power consumption left reviewers underwhelmed. Furthermore, the speakers consistently distorted when pushed over halfway on the volume scale, and the menu navigation was deemed "sluggish" at best. Overall, the set was a perfectly mixed bag, with just enough negatives to persuade prospective customers to check other options first. Think we're bluffing? Check out the read link below and see for yourself.

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01/08/2008 - HDTV to grow to 255m by 2013

The number of households worldwide viewing HDTV is set to rise from 45 million today to 255 million in 2013, according to a study by IMS Research.
It estimates that 45 million households worldwide received HDTV service via Direct to Home (DTH), cable, IPTV and Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) at the end of 2007, with approximately the same number of HDTV sets shipping during the year.

29/07/2008 - HDTV-enabled receivers boost Pace's STB shipments

UK set-top box specialist Pace saw box shipments rise 55 per cent in the first half of this year with HDTV-enabled receivers with built-in hard drives fuelling the growth.
Pace is now working with 17 of the world’s top 25 pay-TV operators, and reported a CAGR of its HD-PVR shipments up 49%.

26/07/2008 - Pantel readies trio of weatherproof Mirror TVs

Filed under: Displays, Others

Just because you haven't been remotely interested in seen a mirror TV in, oh, years, doesn't mean that companies aren't still interested in exploiting the niche. Take Pantel, for instance, who is totally stoked about debuting a trio of 'em at CEDIA 2008. Set to launch in 20-, 32- and 42-inch flavors, the Mirror TV line is aimed at folks looking to add a multipurpose display in their bathroom, shower or sauna. The 20- and 32-inch editions arrive with a 720p panel, while the 42-incher checks in with a full 1080p resolution. Price wise, you're looking at $1,200 for the little guy, $2,755 for the 32-inch sibling and $5,800 for the mack daddy.

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22/07/2008 - Samsung's 61-inch Samsung HL61A750 RPTV gets reviewed

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Samsung, CRT, DLP

You're probably dusting the dirt from your spectacles as we speak, but yes, the set you see above is an RPTV. You know, those not exactly wafer-thin rear-projection TVs that used to be all the rage? This 61-inch set provides an awful lot of screen space for not a lot of dough (comparatively speaking), and as with most sets with a little junk in the trunk, picture quality was seen as "excellent" in a recent CNET review. On the downside, off-angle performance was expectedly poor and there was no 2:3 pulldown for SD sources, but the positives here far outweighed the negatives. For under $1,800 (way under in some places), you can get 61-inches of LED-backlit goodness in your den -- just have to make room for it, is all.

[Thanks, Matthew]

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14/07/2008 - Westinghouse's 40-inch VK-40F580D LCD HDTV / DVD combo gets reviewed

Filed under: Reviews, Displays, Westinghouse

While we tend to view a built-in, non-upscaling DVD player as a bit of a waste, CNET reviewers felt otherwise. Westy's latest 40-incher, the VK-40F580D, recently hit the test bench at the aforementioned site, and while nothing seemed to drop jaws, the entire package appeared decent enough for the casual buyer. The relatively inexpensive sticker, deep blacks, accurate colors and satisfactory picture controls will likely be everything the HDTV novice is looking for, but those with loftier demands may be put off by the limited port selection (two HDMI, one component) and lackluster remote. All in all, it sounds like this one's not too bad for the price, but unless you're actually intending to pay a bit more for integrated DVD support, you could probably do better elsewhere.

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07/07/2008 - Pantel's 20-, 52- and 65-inch weatherproof LCD HDTVs now shipping

Filed under: Displays, Others, LCD

Unlike Sanyo, Pantel has a pretty good idea of when outdoor displays will sell: summertime. That being the case, Pantel has jubilantly announced that its 20-, 52-, and 65-inch models are all shipping. Each display boasts a "weatherproof" enclosure that keeps the panel within safe from unpredictable weather. These units were designed to withstand water, extreme heat / cold, wind and dust, and judging by a few unofficial tests, they'll hold their own against sugary beverages as well. Grab yours now for $2,999, $9,999 or $25,999 (respectively) and make your way over to the deep end.

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04/07/2008 - Commuters on London Underground to be shown adverts on giant HD screens

Passengers waiting for the tube will have no shortage of distractions now that 14-foot HDTV screens are being installed in stations.
The cross-track projection (XTP) system, which allows high-quality digital images to be projected on to the walls opposite platforms, has been installed by advertising company CBS Outdoor for London Underground.
The system, which formally went live on Monday, means that commuters waiting for trains are now faced with moving advertising images displayed on the biggest screens in Europe
Any profits London Underground receives from XTP will be reinvested to improve the Tube. Before rolling out the ads to other stations the system was tested at Euston Tube station.
Following the success of the pilot, stations at Piccadilly Circus, Euston, Bank, Liverpool Street and Bond Street have now been kitted out with 23 high definition projectors and giant soundless screens that will show trailers for new film releases and other advertising.

04/07/2008 - High definition sports schedules continue to grow as coverage of major sporting events like Wimbledon and Beijing Olympics become more commonplace

The US’s NBC network is to broadcast both the women’s Wimbledon final between the Williams sisters and the men’s match between Nadal and Federer on its HD channel.
The addition of this year’s Centre Court battles is just the latest addition to a growing selection of sporting events being shown in high def.
Sports programming is perfectly suited to high definition because of the fast motion and action in sports.
The 16:9 aspect ratio of HD provides a vastly better perspective and coverage of a game than SD.
Viewers can see, for instance, the entire ice in a hockey game or the baseball field in a baseball game.
So impressive are the results that they influenced an estimated 2.4 million high-definition television sales prior to this season’s Super Bowl in the US.

03/07/2008 - Gas released from HDTVs potentially far worse for climate change than CO2

A gas used in the production of flat-panel displays for HDTVs is 17,200 times better at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a hundred-year period than carbon dioxide, the gas most associated with global warming.
Michael Prather, of the University of California at Irvine, has completed a study into nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), which he describes as the “missing greenhouse gas”.
Yet the synthetic chemical produced in industrial quantities is not included in the Kyoto Protocol’s basket of greenhouse gases or in national reporting under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Concerns have led Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology to avoid using the gas, although Air Products, which produces it for the electronics industry, said very little NF3 is released into the atmosphere.
Prather argues that as the gas is not controlled in the same way as other greenhouse gases, companies may be careless with it.
The scientist, whose findings are reported in the latest issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is calling for NF3 emissions to be monitored.

03/07/2008 - High definition broadcast of 4th of July fireworks from US capital promises to be a spectacular affair

It’s billed as America’s biggest birthday party and one that even those not able to attend in person will be able to enjoy on HDTV.
Demand from viewers has led to coverage of this year’s Capitol Fourth celebrations from Washington DC being given extended coverage on the US public broadcast network PBS.
The Independence Day fireworks will be captured live by 18 cameras positioned around the capital as national landmarks such as the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials are silhouetted on the skyline.
An estimated 100 million homes in the US own HDTVs – around 41 per cent of TV owners.
Jerry Colbert, executive producer of Capital Concerts, said that if you couldn’t be in Washington, DC for the event, watching it on HDTV would be the next best thing.

02/07/2008 - Former backer of Toshiba's "defeated" HD DVD format to release first Blu-ray Disk player

Onkyo, the A/V manufacturer that backed the high def DVD format and sold around 2,000 players, is to launch its first BD player later this year.
The company had flagged up its intention to let bygones be bygones and join the other “side” shortly after Toshiba announced that it would concede the format war last February.
It discontinued production of its HD DVD players, while assuring existing customers they would continue to receive full product support and service.
A company statement also said it’s R&D team had “maintained a parallel development programme for the competing Blu-ray technology”.

02/07/2008 - Engadget HD Podcast 091 - 07.02.2008

Filed under: Podcasts

The summer of slow HD news continues but there is some Blu-ray buzz as things are really starting to ramp up for the holiday season. So we cover how Blu-ray is poised to take over the packaged media world, but at the same time, we still have our doubts. There's some programming news as well, as we once again go over the age old -- in the HD world anyways -- debate of satellite vs cable. Finally, we throw in a little home automation for a change and long for more MKV support in our hardware.

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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
02:30 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 090 - 06.26.2008
07:35 - Weinstein to finally go Blu in August with The Mist
09:52 - Warner includes download-only iTunes Digital Copy with 10,000 B.C. Blu-ray
13:11 - Japanese researchers devise method for cramming 42GB on a DVD
16:21 - Satellite customers more satisfied than cable customers?
19:03 - Verizon rolls out 23 new FiOS TV HD channels in Fort Wayne
21:29 - Poll: Do you tune into OTA programming?
25:03 - Orlando passes its simulated analog shutoff
28:17 - Netflix reverses decision, Profiles here to stay
30:03 - The mystery of Netflix's queue system gets tackled, throttling all but confirmed
31:58 - Control4 announces 7-inch POE wall-mounted touch panel
35:41 - DivX 7 to officially support MKV

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01/07/2008 - HDTV coverage of Beijing Olympics offers athletics action in immediate slow motion

Belgian company I-Movix is to provide its SprintCam Live 2 HDTV cameras to cover much of the action from the Olympic games in Beijing.
Able to record events at speeds up to 8,000 frames per second, a rate which is more than 260 times that of normal video.
And while the cameras produce incredible slow-motion images, there is nothing slow about replay times - clips are available for immediate re-viewing.
The HDTV cameras will be deployed with mobile units at all the major games venues.

01/07/2008 - Cable operators will continue to shoulder the cost of STBs unless testing is adopted to ensure all devices work in all cable systems.

A retail market for tru2way compliant set-top boxes (STBs) in the US will never emerge unless they are portable across cable systems.
That’s the conclusion of Steve Wilson, principal analyst with ABI Research, who expects the biggest challenge to tru2way to be interoperability.
In his research brief, “The Outlook for tru2way”, Wilson describes it as a “double-edged sword” for operators.
“On one hand, cable operators want to ‘own’ the customer’s entire user experience and they aren’t ready to allow others to start loading applications into the STB,” he said.
“On the other, an open cable standard will reduce the tremendous cost burden custom systems and STBs place on the entire cable business.”

30/06/2008 - Japan to use audience rating system to discover IPTV programme preferences

A viewer rating system developed by Oki Electric Industry is to be used in Japan to collect information on the viewing habits of IPTV users.
Existing ground-based broadcasting systems have the means to gather viewership data, such as user preference and viewer history.
Broadcasting companies say this information is important in enabling them to improve services.
However, until now there has been are no equivalent user information collection functions for IPTV services.
OKI’s IPTV Audience Rating Information System allows service providers, with the authorisation of users, to obtain information about when and which channel and programs the users watched.

30/06/2008 - Survey shows viewers shifting towards web but preference is still for television screen

Over a third of all US broadband users have watched at least one TV show on the Internet, according to a study conducted on behalf of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).
But the research found that while broadband users are increasingly turning to the web for their video content fix, 94 per cent still prefer to do their viewing on a television screen.
For cable and satellite networks concerned about the growing threat of online TV shows and movies, the survey provided some comfort.
Of those who watched online shows, 82 per cent did so because they had missed a specific programme on TV.
Based on this, the report points out the “critical importance of strong marketing for the initial TV showing".

30/06/2008 - LCD HDTV to be sold in Japan which allows simple transfer of high def content from the PC to the TV

Watching high def content downloaded from the Internet is going to get a whole lot easier for viewers in Japan.
A liquid crystal display high-definition television made by byd:sign Corporation is to be the first with DivX Certification sold in the Japanese market.
The video format will let viewers watch digital content from PCs on the HDTV – rather than on a PC monitor.
Katsumi Iizuka, chief executive officer of byd:sign Corporation, said DivX videos had enabled consumers to enjoy high-quality content through the internet.
“DivX Certification enhances our HDTV features and gives added value,” he said.

30/06/2008 - Mitsubishi's new iSP 149 series LCDs have it all in one place

Filed under: Displays, Mitsubishi, LCD

If you're a lazy ass consumer (the very best kind), bent on pulling a device out of the box, plugging it into a wall, and never messing with another bit of "setup" again, you're certainly not alone. In fact, most folks never lift a finger to calibrate their displays, plug better speakers in, or place those speakers in actually advantageous spots. To that end, Mitsubishi is debuting its new LT-46149 and LT-52149 LCDs with integrated 16-speaker sound projectors. Similar to the sound bars offered up by many home audio manufacturers, the "Integrated Sound Projector" (iSP) is designed to bounce sound off walls and around the room to give the illusion of surround sound. The perk of TV integration is an easy to use room configuration on-screen tool to specify your room's dimensions, couch placement and preferred sweet spot size. At the end of the day, your sound is all coming from one spot, so directionality isn't going to quite match a for-realsie surround sound setup, and the system we listened to was a little sharp in the high end, but it's certainly a unique and appealing offering from Mitsu to the everyman TV watcher. The TV itself is CableCard ready, can support sound over HDMI and PCM inputs, and offers Mitsu's 120Hz film dejuddering -- that rather awkwardly makes your favorite films look like they were shot by a TV news crew. The 46-inch and 52-inch LCDs will sell for $3,299 and $3,699, respectively.

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27/06/2008 - Olympics and Tour de France to be aired as Europe's public channels add to their high definition options

The UK’s BBC has begun testing the transmission of high def services over Freeview in a move that could see the introduction of full HD terrestrial by the end of 2009.
The broadcaster has started transmissions from a Guildford-based transmitter using the second-generation DVB-T specification DVB-T2.
Justin Mitchell, leader of the DVB-T2 modem development team at the BBC, said the trial could enable the introduction of HD onto Freeview by December next year.
DVB-T2 is said to offer 30 per cent more data carrying capacity as DVB-T under the same conditions.
Across the Channel, the HD version of public channel France 2 has been launched on several platforms, including CanalSat DTH and Numéricable.
As has been the case with other broadcasters across Europe, including VRT in Belgium and Nederland 1 in The Netherlands, France 2 will show sport events such as the Tour de France and the Beijing Olympics in HD.

26/06/2008 - Engadget HD Podcast 090 - 06.26.2008

Filed under: Podcasts

Although the show is a little late this week, we have plenty to go over. For starters, we once again enjoy laughing at Toshiba and Kaleidescape for trying to tell us to stop trusting our eyes and start trusting them instead. Next, we try to figure out how long it'll take for Blu-ray discs to start out selling DVDs. We talk a little Vista Media Center, some digital transition, and finally a budget HT system that evidently is well worth the cost of admission.


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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
00:44 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 088 - 06.11.2008
02:56 - Toshiba remains stubborn, looks to DVD upscaling while brushing Blu-ray off
04:05 - Kaleidescape's overpriced upscaling DVD players get reviewed
08:52 - Blu-ray Disc sales estimated to exceed DVDs in 2012
12:00 - SlySoft keeps AnyDVD HD current, circumvents latest BD+
16:21 - Ask Engadget HD: Using a HDTV to distribute audio
18:56 - Poll: Do you utilize picture-in-picture functionality?
21:27 - The Media Center Extender shootout
30:20 - Netflix to do away with Profiles
33:41 - Comcast plans to go all digital in 20% of its markets by year's end
36:04 - NFL Network to become ESPN 8, THE "OCHO"?
39:50 - Cannon PC showcases Media Center with six CableCARDs
41:22 - $50 JVC SXXSW6000 5.1 surround system gets reviewed


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25/06/2008 - Report says HDTV will not become the new "normal" television until around 2015

The uptake of HD technology in Europe is accelerating rapidly but there remains a “significant” content gap caused by the lack of HD programming on free-to-air platforms across the region.
That’s the conclusion of the latest report from media analysts Screen Digest which says that by the end of 2007, 18 per cent of the 165 million European TV households were equipped with HD displays.
But less than one per cent of these (approximately one million) were fully “HD enabled” – that is equipped with an HD set-top box and an HD subscription enabling them to watch HD broadcasts.
The report forecasts that by 2012 the situation will have improved little – only 20 per cent of the 85 per cent of European households with HD displays will actually be watching in HD.
It says that ultimately HD will become the default choice of TV viewers but in the most part they will have to wait at least until 2015 to enjoy the content for free.

24/06/2008 - DVD still dominates the movie market but Blu-ray set to overtake by 2012

The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) expects sales of Blu-ray disks in the US to exceed those of standard DVDs by 2012.
In its latest Annual Report on the Home Entertainment Industry, the EMA reports that home video continues to dominate the movie market.
This segment of the market had sales of approximately US$24 billion, making it the largest segment of consumer movie spending by far, accounting for 49% of total consumer movie spending in 2007.
In the video game market, game software sales increased 34% in 2007, to a total of US$8.6 billion.

23/06/2008 - HDTV sets will need new features for sales to continue improving

Manufacturers will have to install features currently only available as paid-for add-ons in top-of-the-range HDTV models if sales growth is to be sustained.
That is the conclusion of a report by research firm DisplaySearch which suggests that sales of HDTVs will peak in the next two or three years.
It goes on to say that sales will then fall unless manufacturers can add compelling features that consumers are willing to pay for.
Calvin Hsieh, the director of research at DisplaySearch, said internet connectivity, full 1080p resolution, PVR capabilities and upgraded HDMI port specifications need to become standard fare by next year.

23/06/2008 - Number of LCD TVs being returned rises as viewers demand better quality for HDTV

The refund rate on LCD TVs has increased to 25-30 per cent in North America despite a drop in prices by branded TV retailers.
Many vendors reduced prices for 32-inch and 40-inch LCD TVs in May in an attempt to boost sales.
However, the move has led to a rise in the number of products being returned as viewer expectations about the quality of high-definition images rises.

23/06/2008 - Savor the carnival atmosphere of Cirque Du Sole as Blu-ray brings the excitement of the big top into your living room

Sony Pictures has announced that it is bringing one of the world famous Cirque Du Soleil’s performances to Blu-ray later this year.
“Cirque Du Soleil: Corteo”, by the celebrated troupe that has thrilled audiences on five continents, is due to be released on September 2nd.
Sony said disk would capture all the magic of the performance in stunning high definition. No specs or special features have been announced at this time.
The move is the latest digital venture by the circus, which has been seen by close to 80 million spectators in over 200 cities.

23/06/2008 - Free high definition content is the future as viewers grow accustomed to the new "normal" television

The head of the UK’s Freesat digital service believes viewers will begin to resent paying for HDTV as increasing numbers regard it as the new “standard”.
Emma Scott, managing director of Freesat, which launched in May, said there were already over 10m HD ready TV sets in UK homes.
But at the time of Freesat’s launch only around 5 per cent of those HD ready homes were actually watching television programmes in high definition – and by subscription.
Addressing the Broadcast Digital Channels Conference 2008 earlier this month, she said consumers and retailers wanted HD content– but it was the broadcasters that had taken a while to catch up.
“Free HD is a long term opportunity for broadcasters and for Freesat,” she said. “HD is not a gimmick, it’s a new standard for television and one which every broadcaster I’ve met would love to deliver its content in."

23/06/2008 - DirectTV says high definition content is helping attract new subscribers

The US’s leading provider of HDTV has credited its 95 channels of HD content as one of the main reason for increasing subscribers even as the economy falters.
Paul Guyardo, DirecTV’s chief marketing officer, said the company had not been greatly affected by the US economic slowdown.
DirecTV added 275,000 subscribers in the first quarter, compared to just 35,000 for rival Dish Network.
He attributed the satcaster’s market-leading HD offering as a major factor in the increase.
“I don’t want to say that we are recession-proof, but I will say that we have not been dramatically affected by the recession,” he said.

20/06/2008 - No mention of Olympic factor as US market for flat-panel HDTVs remains strong despite economic down-turn

Sales of LCD and plasma TVs showed a 53 per cent year-on-year increase in the US for the first quarter of 2008, with more than 7.5 million units sold.
This represents a 7 per cent increase over industry projections for the period.
While analysts in Japan have attributed a 35 per cent increase in flat-panel TV sales during the first half of June to the upcoming Beijing Olympics, industry executives in the US are being more cagey.
But what those attending the DisplaySearch TV Supply Chain Conference in San Diego did agree on was that despite the state of the US economy, the North America TV market remains robust - so far.

19/06/2008 - Shift towards wireless HDTV expected to be gradual as technology evolves

The race to perfect a wireless HDTV system is being contested by three competing technologies, each one with particular advantages without offering the complete package.
But within three years one will have emerged as the dominant system, according to a study by ABI Research.
This is expected to take global installations from an estimated 100,000 this year to the milestone one million by 2012.
Steve Wilson, principal analyst on the report “Wireless Video Cable Replacement Market and Technologies”, said the wireless HDTV market was still in its “incubation” stage.
He said a “battle of technologies” was being fought by the three contending systems, loosely characterised as 5 GHz, 60 GHz, and ultra wideband (UWB).

17/06/2008 - Study says 2008 will be the year of HDTV in Asia

Seventy-five per cent of pay TV operators in Asia have, or expect to have, HDTV programming by the end of 2008.
But the lack of substantial HDTV content – both local and international – is seen as being the most important roadblock for developing the HDTV sector in the region.
These are among of the findings of a survey carried out for MEASAT Satellite Systems by Euroconsult into the development of high definition television in the Asia-Pacific region.
The study, which was conducted during May, polled the rationale, benefits, challenges and expectations of HDTV amongst the regions’ leading pay TV
operators.
A total of 25 operators in 15 markets, collectively serving more than 24 million subscribers, were interviewed.

16/06/2008 - HDTV poses challenge to crowds at live sports events as fans opt for armchairs

It used to be that fighting your way through crowds to get a close-up of sporting stars such as Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal was infinitely better than sitting at home watching the TV coverage.
But as growing numbers of sports fans upgrade to HDTVs it would appear that the lure of live events could be diminishing.
In the US, a top football club is experiencing what is likely to be a growing trend: a fall in season tickets sales as supporters decide they get a better view staying at home and watching games on their HDTVs.
Steve LaCroix, the Minnesota Vikings’ vice president of sales and marketing, said that HDTV is making his job more difficult.

15/06/2008 - Deal signed with Intelsat to provide HD transmissions from Beijing Olympic Games

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has signed a multi transponder deal with Intelsat Ltd for the video carriage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to Europe.
C-/Ku-band cross-strap capacity on the Intelsat 706 satellite, located at 50.2 degrees East, will be used to distribute the all high definition event to EBU members.
Intelsat is the only global satellite operator to have provided coverage of every Olympic Games since 1968.

15/06/2008 - The iPhone takes on new role as universal remote control

A new application is to go on sale in July that turns the iPhone into an all-purpose remote control capable of operating everything from your HDTV to audio, video and lighting.
While the iPhone is popular as an interface for home-control systems such as home automation (HAI, Savant), multiroom audio (SpeakerCraft) and media servers (Sooloos), so far there hasn’t been a low-cost solution for using the iPhone (or iPod Touch) as an ordinary universal remote control.
Now London-based integrator, Steve Moore, has launched the AirRemote application which he modestly describes as “the greatest little TV remote you’ve ever used”.

14/06/2008 - Geek Brief star calls for low-cost live streaming hardware to satisfy growing network of internet broadcasters

First there were YouTube videos and podcasts made on webcams and camcorders, now there’s a growing network of video-podcasters streaming out near-professional HDTV quality live shows.
Some – like Leo Laporte and Diggnations’s Kevin and Alex – attract many thousands of viewers to their live network-style webcasts using portable productions systems such as Tricaster.
Yet while this technology has plumetted in price it’s still out of the reach of the new generation of low-budget producers – everyone from churches and community organisations to individual bloggers.
Now the American internet podcaster Cali Lewis has launched an appeal on her popular Geek Brief show.
She is calling for someone in the industry to come up with switching hardware aimed at this emerging market.

13/06/2008 - Hispanics in the US more likely to buy HDTV in next 12 months than non-Hispanics

Twenty-eight per cent of Hispanics questioned in a US survey say they will buy a large-screen television or HDTV in the next 12 months.
They also say that TV advertising is the medium that mostly influenced their decision, according to research by Vertis Communications.
This compares to just 23 per cent of non-Hispanics planning to purchase a large-screen or HDTV in the next 12 months.
The study - Customer Focus® OPINIONES – also showed that Hispanics found inserts and circulars to be the second most influential form of advertising.
Internet marketing was the third-most selected medium.

08/06/2008 - Europe must think globally if it wants to catch up with the US and Japan in HDTV

If Europe wants to benefit from the growing HDTV market, broadcasters and production companies must take a broader view.
That is the advice of Jaume Rey, director of Professional & Broadcast IT Systems Business Unit (PBITS), part of the Panasonic group.
Urging those involved in producing TV programmes to look beyond local markets, he noted that while European consumers have embraced HD acquisition technology, many viewers are still watching television on SD sets.
“In countries such as Spain, broadcasters and production companies must show a lead in the introduction of HD," he said. "In a growing market, manufacturers need to think globally instead of locally where content production and distribution is concerned.”

08/06/2008 - Soccer fans enjoy ITV's first HD programming as Euro 2008 matches broadcast on Freesat

The UK’s ITV network has launched its HD service on Freesat by broadcasting the opening games from Euro 2008.
Freesat is a subscription-free, digital satellite TV service from ITV and the BBC.
Viewers can see all the games the BBC has rights to in high definition on Virgin Media and Sky, but ITV announced that its debut HD programmes would be matches on the opening few days of the football tournament.
The first HD offering from ITV was the Portugal v Turkey match on Saturday.

08/06/2008 - Japan's HD offerings boosted by launch of new VOD service

The growing market for high definition television in Japan has received a further boost with the start of a VOD service by the country’s largest retail chain, Tsutaya.
Users will be able to download titles from home using the acTVila portal that is popular on Japanese plasma and LCD HDTVs.
They will have 48 hours to watch the films or TV shows as many times as they want.
The new service from Tsutaya, which counts 27.2 million members at its 1,330 branches across Japan, is the latest sign of the growing popularity of HDTV in the country.

08/06/2008 - Leading HDTV manufacturers take legal action against Vizio over patents

Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sony, and Philips have filed a patent suit against low-cost HDTV maker Vizio claiming the company is violating 15 patents key to supporting MPEG-2 video in its products.
The legal action is seeking an order to prevent Vizio from using the patents, as well as financial compensation.
According to the complaint – other parties to which also include Columbia University of New York, Victor Co. of Japan, and Thompson - the individual companies have pursued Vizio about licensing the patents, but the company has refused to deal with them.
It is claimed that Vizio has also declined to discuss the matter with the MPEG Licensing Authority trade group.

08/06/2008 - Chinese firm launches USB dongle for live HDTV

European viewers can now watch live high-definition television programming on their mobile devices using a USB TV dongle developed by the Chinese company Aigo.
The dongle, first released for the Chinese market in April, is compatible with European HDTV standards.
It will enable users to watch live HDTV on their laptops, desktop computers, portable video players and portable navigation (GPS) devices.
Viewers simply plug the device into their PC or portable video player’s USB port to capture HD programming wirelessly from local TV stations.
Feng Jun, president and founder of Aigo, said: “People across China, and now also in Europe, will have access to live HDTV on their laptops and portable video players.”

03/06/2008 - Blu-ray awareness and potential rising in the US but barriers remain

High cost and a belief that standard-definition DVD is “good enough” are the main barriers to US consumers purchasing Blu-ray players.
These are the conclusions of a study by the NPD Group, which found that manufacturers still face challenges despite rising awareness of Blu-ray.
The market research company found that 45 per cent of HDTV owners in the US now claim to be familiar with Blu-ray Disc (BD), up from 35 percent in June 2007.
And, while only 6 per cent of all consumers surveyed said they plan to purchase a BD device in the next six months, NPD found purchase intent to be higher among the growing population of HDTV owners, boding well for the future of the format.

31/05/2008 - Pantel reveals 20-, 52- and 65-inch weatherproof LCD HDTVs

Filed under: Displays, Others, LCD

You've already seen what kind of chaos Pantel's weatherproof HDTVs can live through, and now it's unveiled a trio of new panel sizes to complement the 32- and 42-inch variants already available. Set to debut at InfoComm 2008, the 20-inch PAN-200, 52-inch PAN-520 and 65-inch PAN-650 really help to flesh out the lineup. Aside from shedding water, dust, snow and Play-Doh (among other foreign objects), you'll find a 1,366 x 768 (PAN-200) or 1,920 x 1,080 (PAN-520 and PAN-650) resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, an anti-glare screen and a single HDMI port. The 20-incher checks in with a 700:1 contrast ratio, while the larger two offer 2,000:1, and the whole lot boasts an 802.11a wireless video package that claims to work up to 150-feet. Looking for prices? Try these on for size: $2,999 / $9,999 / $25,999 from smallest to largest.

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29/05/2008 - Higher sales of HD devices helps TiVo report soaring Q1 profits

Digital video recorder maker TiVo has reported soaring income for the first quarter of 2008 boosted by higher sales of HD devices and reduced advertising costs.
The California-based company said it earned $3.6 million, or 4 cents per share, for the three months ending April 30.
Tom Rogers, President and CEO of TiVo, said the most significant activity being worked on to boost stand-alone sales of HD devices was relationships with third parties.
He said tests were begun last quarter with bundling with HDTV set sales.

29/05/2008 - Freesat's mix of HDTV programmes and subscription-free service is likely to appeal to "millions" of customers unhappy with the UK's digital TV providers

Dissatisfaction with the UK’s top three digital TV providers is likely to make customers consider switching to freesat’s combination of HD programmes without subscription.
That is the conclusion of Steve Weller, communications expert at uSwitch.com, which carried out a customer satisfaction study on the UK’s top three digital TV providers - who hold 95% of the market.
Almost 9 out of 10 homes in the UK have now ‘gone digital’ and spend a total of £4.2 billion on receiving the service every year.
However, the independent price comparison and switching service found that more than 1 in 4 customers are not satisfied with their digital service.

28/05/2008 - Samsung HDTV earns top slot in customer loyalty survey

Samsung Electronics has come first in a customer loyalty survey in the US for both its HDTVs and DVD players.
The company was winner in the two categories in the Loyalty Engagement Index, a nationwide survey carried out by Brand Keys Customer.
It identifies brands that are best able to engage consumers by meeting or exceeding their expectations, which creates loyal customers.
The report forecasts which products consumers are most likely to purchase over the next 12 to 18 months.

28/05/2008 - Engadget HD Podcast 086 - 05.28.2008

Filed under: Podcasts

After an almost two week hiatus, we're back to try and add some insightful commentary to all the HD news. The Cable Show was the biggest thing going down, and in retrospect there wasn't much to it. But moving forward with tru2way is kind of interesting and we can't wait to see how it all turns out. At the same time the Blu-ray news is pretty slow right now, but we are looking forward to all the releases in June. Blu-ray isn't the only way to watch movies these days as downloads are ramping up with a new player in the way of Ruku via Netflix, but we're not impressed. The other thing that doesn't impress us is the new ESPN WiFi remote, which we just don't understand, while at the same time wish the remote had a better button layout.


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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
05:01 - The Cable Show 2008 roundup
05:43 - Tuning Adapter support for Media Center imminent?
14:28 - Sony signs up to support tru2way
17:35 - Verizon's CableCARD waiver expires July 1
19:50 - Poll: Do you still watch SD programming?
22:16 - Broadcast Flag rides again, courtesy of NBC & Microsoft?
25:29 - Transformers 2-disc Blu-ray edition coming September 2?
27:53 - Amazon Unbox content going HD on TiVo
29:17 - Roku reveals first Netflix set-top-box, reviews flow in
33:37 - DirecTV HD, now with one wire!
35:36 - ESPN unveils The Ultimate Remote, is WiFi worth $300?
42:18 - All NFL games on CBS will be in HD this season, Finally!


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28/05/2008 - Sony commits to Tru2way TV

Sony has signed an agreement with the US’s six largest cable companies to produce a TV that will receive digital signals without the need for a set-top box.
The Japanese electronics company will make an LCD set based on the Tru2way cable platform introduced in January at CES by Comcast.
Kyle McSlarrow, president of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, said: “This is a landmark agreement which will provide a national, open and interactive platform resulting in more choices of services and products for consumers.”

24/05/2008 - Samsung continues re-structuring following management changes

Samsung’s home-theater, DVD and Blu-ray-player businesses will be merged with the TV section as part of moves to change the way it operates.
Samsung Electronics Co, the flagship company of South Korean conglomerate Samsung Group, said the re-organisation within the digital-media division was part of a wider re-structuring.

24/05/2008 - Blue Ray Technologies expansion includes Hollywood plant to serve new BD and HD demand

Blue Ray Technologies is planning to open multiple Blu-Ray disc production facilities across the U.S, starting with a facility near Hollywood to be close to the indie and major studios that have now all adopted Blu-ray.
The new facilities are designed to be capable of handling the next generation of movie and game discs, Blue-ray 2.0, which gives an interactive web dimension to the consumer, and offer up to “five layers of entertainment”, according to BRT founder Erick Hansen.

19/05/2008 - Young adults aged between 16-27 are driving demand for HDTV, according to Motorola study

Research by Motorola shows that young adults have a huge influence on their parents' buying decisions for HDTV sets and programming packages.
The “always-on” generation are hungry for more control over when and where they access rich content such as high-definition (HD) programming and cable TV, the study found.
The ability to time-shift with DVRs and have access to HD programming were both highly desirable features.

18/05/2008 - US cable network leads the HD revolution

18 May 2008
Innovation and focusing on the customer is ensuring the US cable network leads the digital and high-definition revolution, according to the president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA).
Speaking on the eve of the 2008 Cable Show in New Orleans, Kyle McSlarrow said that in the space of a few years US viewers had gone from having just nine HD networks to more than 75 today.
“Our entire industry is leading the digital and high definition revolution,” he said.