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How would you like to have an 85 inch, 8K television? Yeah, I want one too.

Hardware hdtv

LG recently announced in Beijing China that they will be producing a Film-type Patterned Retarder (FPR) 3-D LCD television. This 47 inch, 1080p high-definition television will be released in 2011. Instead of active shutter glasses like many televisions now use, LG has opted to go with passive 3-D glasses. They also plan to release an 84-inch, Ultra High Definition 3840×2160 resolution 3-D panel. That is four times the resolution of current high-definition television sets. Let’s just say that I want one.

via : LG unveils 3-D FPR Display

Hardware 3d, hdtv

As I have said before, I think that a lot of the 3-D TV hype is overblown. The largest problem that 3-D TV faces is a lack of content. The second largest problem is that many people have already upgraded to high definition televisions, and do not want to upgrade yet again just for 3-D content (which is lacking). Over time these two problems will be mitigated. More 3-D content is coming out weekly, and eventually people will upgrade their televisions.

However, even while people are focused on 3-D televisions, the industry is already looking towards the next big thing: connected TVs. According to DisplaySearch, connected TVs are forecast to grow to over 118 million units in 2014.

While much of the news coverage surrounding TV features concentrates on 3D, the quiet revolution of connected TV is reaching new heights with over 40 million units expected to ship in 2010. According to the DisplaySearch Q3’10 Quarterly TV Design and Features Report, the category is forecast to grow to over 118 million in 2014. TV set makers continue to develop new service platforms to offer a variety of new formats for TV viewing, while broadcasters are also launching their own standards and portals this quarter, such as Hbb.TV and YouView.

via While 3D TV Captures Consumer Attention, the Industry Tunes Into Connected TV – DisplaySearch

Hardware 3d, hdtv

About four years ago I bought a new 37″ 720p LCD HDTV. It fits in our TV cabinet just fine, and with a coat hanger antenna, pulls in the Saints just great in high definition. (That is not my antenna; he just tells you how to build it.) I really do not have a need for 3-D content. Sure it is cool, but I do not want to go out and buy another TV just to get 3-D. Apparently, I am not alone. What do you think?

According to the international accounting and consulting firm, 83 percent of consumers say that 3D isn’t enough to make them want to buy a new television. Moreover, 60 percent of respondents said they simply aren’t willing to pay extra for a television with 3D capabilities. Just 21 percent of those surveyed said they would pay 10 percent more for a 3D television over a set that doesn’t have the technology.

via : Survey: Most won’t buy new TV just to get 3D @ CNET

Hardware 3d, hdtv

I have written before about what I think will sink 3-D movies and television shows: movies and shows with no storyline, but with an attitude of “Hey! it’s in 3-D! It is the latest coolest thing! People will come!”

The Nielsen Company has taken a different approach. They have done research that shows that once people see 3-D televisions in action, they love it. However, they also do not want to buy into the technology because they cannot multitask, the glasses are uncomfortable, the lack of programming, or the technology is not standardized yet. USATODAY picks up the story from there:

Nielsen found that the percentage of active TV shoppers who’d consider a 3D model dropped to 12% from 25% once they experienced it firsthand and considered the higher cost and scant amount of programming available. Still, Beales says, that more than half of the respondents were impressed by the quality of the 3D images, especially for nature shows, sports, movies and games. She adds that the technology will be easier to market than high-definition TV was because so many people have already seen 3D at the movies and the difference from 2D is so stark.

The study will help cable operators and programmers figure out “what to work on to make (3D) a viable product,” she says.

via Study: Glasses for 3D TV are no fun – USATODAY.com

Hardware 3d, hdtv

LG has announced today that their PX950 series of plasma HDTVs are the first to achieve 3-D Certification from THX. The PX950 will come in two model sizes, 50 inch and 60 inch. The 50″ LG PX950 is expected to be selling for $2,500. Both models are just 1.22 inches (31 mm) slim, and both support 1080p. The 60″ LG PX950 will be selling for $4,200. You can download a PX950 PDF product brief directly from the LG website.

The PX950 continues LG’s history of setting new standards in picture quality. To earn the new THX 3D Display Certification, the PX950 passed more than 400 laboratory tests evaluating left and right eye images for color accuracy, cross-talk, viewing angles and video processing performance. In addition to the first-ever THX 3D Display Certification, the PX950 had to pass THX certification for superior picture quality in 2D, which must be achieved before passing THX 3D certification.

With the push of a button, viewers can select THX 2D or 3D Cinema Modes for pristine 2D and 3D movie experiences from broadcast sources and Blu-ray Discs. The PX950 plasma HDTV recreates the cinematic viewing experience by setting optimum color temperature, luminance and gamma levels.

via : LG Electronics Introduces World’s First 3D TV to Receive 3D Certification from THX

Hardware 3d, hdtv, lg, plasma

HDGuru has posted their annual article on what to look for in high definition television sets, and where to find the best deals on HD TVs. Of course the big news this year is the 3-D models for televisions. Just remember that for 3-D models you still need the source material, that is, a 3-D signal from satellite, cable, or a 3-D Blu-Ray player.

The start of the football season traditionally marks the beginning of the TV selling season. With the economic slowdown continuing HDTV sales have not been up to set makers’ optimistic projections, resulting in swollen inventories. This is great news for consumers. Dealers are offering dramatic price drops aided by factory sponsored deals to try to get sales back on target.

Looking back at our 2009 selling season article, sale prices this year are 20%-25% lower than last year’s equivalent models, with the 2010s offering better performance (such as higher contrast ratios) and more features.

via : 2010 HDTV Selling Season Begins

Hardware hdtv

Today, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cables are a fact of life in the world of consumer electronics. But is there any difference between an Amazon Basic HDMI cable for $7 and more expensive ones? HDGURU takes a look at the differences between standard HDMI cables, high speed HDMI cables (which are those capable of supporting 3-D and 1080p signals, and HDMI cables that are labeled 240 MHz or more. Personally, I buy the Amazon HDMI cables, and I have never been disappointed.

120 Hz, 240Hz, 480 Hz HDMI cables? Maybe you have seen them in the consumer electronics stores. There is no such thing. The manufacturers label cables this way to confuse you to overspend with jargon useful in describing television refresh rates (link), but has nothing to do with HDMI cables!

via HDGURU.Com » HDMI Cable Makers and Dealers Use Misleading Labels to Push Needless Expensive Upgrades.

Hardware 3d, cable, hdmi, hdtv

Akihabara News is reporting that the Kansai International Airport has the world’s largest curved plasma display at 4 meters high by 3 meters wide. If you ask me though, it looks like it is really 9 curved plasma displays that are tiled together. Still, it looks very cool and would attract my attention if I was visiting the airport. Of course, what impresses me even more is that the airport is built on a man-made island in the middle of Osaka Bay and has survived earthquakes and a typhoon.

This gigantic display is 200-inch and measures 4m (H) x 3m (W). Inaugurated just yesterday in Japan’s Kansai International Airport Departure Area, it seems it has already become a tourist attraction. It not only serves to introduce the Kansai Airport but also traditional Japanese culture including public entertainment and the sightseeing spots of the Kansai region.

via Kansai Airport flaunts World’s Largest Curved Plasma Display @ Akihabara News.

Hardware hdtv

Toshiba Mobile Display announced today that they have developed a 21-inch autostereoscopic high-definition display. This means that the display does not need any type of glasses for the viewer to see in 3-D. Most of the time, a person needs a left eye and a right eye image in able to see in 3-D. However, Toshiba accomplishes it in a different way. They accomplish by using an imaging system with a 9-parallax design. That means that this new display creates image data viewed from nine directions. The high-definition display itself has a resolution of 1280 x 800, while the viewing angle of the display is ±15 degrees in the horizontal. From the company’s press release:

The integral imaging system offers a significant reduction in eye fatigue during long periods of viewing, and features a multi-parallax[1] design that enables motion parallax, which cannot be achieved by systems using glasses. The multi-parallax approach results in images that change depending on the viewer’s position. In addition, the viewing angle is wide, and the resulting stereoscopic image is natural and smooth.

via Toshiba Mobile Display.

Hardware 3d, hdtv, toshiba