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Panasonic Preps Ultra HD Blu-ray Player & Ultra HD Premium LED Display for 2016[teaser]The company has announced its latest 4K products. [/teaser] Panasonic has announced plans to release their first Ultra HD Blu-ray player. In addition, the manufacturer is also spotlighting new Ultra HD LED and OLED TVs. During their CES 2016 press conference, Panasonic officially revealed plans to launch an Ultra HD Blu-ray player in the US later this year. Likewise, the company highlighted its TX-65CZ950 OLED Ultra HD TV. First revealed at IFA back in September, the new OLED display features a specially modified version of the powerful professional-level 4K Studio Master Processor, a True Cinema picture preset fine-tuned by leading Hollywood colorist Mike Sowa, THX certification, and HDR support. Finally, Panasonic also announced the brand new TX-65DX900 LED Ultra HD TV -- which the company states is the first 65-inch LCD display to support the new Ultra HD Premium spec. Unfortunately, no details on exact release dates and pricing have been revealed so far, but the Panasonic Ultra HD Blu-ray player is due out in the US this year and the TX-65DX900 is due to be released in Europe in 2016. The TX-65CZ950 OLED Ultra HD TV is currently available in Europe. Source: PanasonicPosted Tue Jan 5, 2016 at 10:45 AM PST by: -
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LG Partners with Dolby, Netflix, Amazon, and More to Bring 4K HDR Content to LG Displays[teaser]Several HDR services will be supported on LG TVs. [/teaser] LG has announced several partnerships with various content providers, film studios and TV technology companies to deliver HDR content to its displays. The new content and TVs will be demoed at CES this week. LG's new SUPER UHD TV series and new OLED Ultra HD TV series with webOS 3.0 will both include support for the HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR standards. LG has teamed up with Dolby and Netflix to bring a high-quality library of DolbyVision HDR content to its supported displays, including the second season of Marvel's 'Daredevil.' In addition, LG is also working with Amazon to offer Amazon original series like 'The Man in the High Castle' and 'Transparent' in HDR. Likewise, LG will also support HDR content from YouTube which has been mastered to meet Google’s VP9-Profile 2 HDR standards. YouTube plans to add an HDR playback option to its website in 2016. Meanwhile, the company will demo 20th Century Fox’s 'The Martian' on its HDR-enabled OLED TVs as well, using the Vidity video player from Western Digital. Finally, LG receivers based on ATSC 3.0 Candidate Standards will receive 4K Ultra HD HDR content from a Las Vegas broadcast television station during the show, demonstrating several delivery options for HDR content. LG's new lineup of HDR capable OLED and SUPER UHD TVs will be on display at CES in Las Vegas from January 6-9. Source: LGPosted Tue Jan 5, 2016 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
LG Announces New 4K Ultra HD OLED TV Lineup with Dolby Vision HDR Support[teaser]Eight new OLED models have been revealed. [/teaser] LG has announced the latest additions to its OLED Ultra HD TV lineup. The new collection includes the flagship flat-screen 77-inch and 65-inch class G6 and 65-inch and 55-inch class E6. "Our 2016 OLED TV lineup features a long list of innovations, such as Picture-on-Glass design and HDR Pro, which are featured prominently in the G6 and E6 models," said Brian Kwon, President and CEO at LG’s Home Entertainment Company. "By upping our OLED TV game every year, we are driving innovation in the TV space so that more consumers will see and hear about the benefits of owning an OLED TV. We think 2016 will be a game changing year for this category." LG's new OLED TVs all feature Pixel Dimming and HDR Pro technology, offering superior contrast ratio, color range, and perfect blacks. Likewise, the TVs include support for both the HDR10 and Dolby Vision standards. In addition, LG’s OLED line is expected to be among the industry’s first display line to receive the "Ultra HD Premium" designation. The G6 and E6 series both use an ultra-thin 2.57 mm Picture-On-Glass design with a forward-facing sound bar speaker system. Each display also features a 10-bit panel and 10-bit processing power with LG’s Color Prime Pro technology for a wider color gamut (99% DCI). The flagship G6 and E6 series will also be joined by the curved panel C6 and flat-panel B6 series to be available in 65-inch and 55-inch sizes. Pricing has not been announced yet, but LG's new OLED Ultra HD TV lineup is expected to start shipping in the first quarter of 2016. The new models will be on display at LG's booth at CES in Las Vegas from January 6-9. Source: LGPosted Tue Jan 5, 2016 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Ultra HD Premium Is Revealed as the Full-Featured UHD Standard, Which Includes the UHD Blu-rays That Will Launch This Spring[teaser]A bevvy of UHD standard and Blu-ray information coming out of CES.[/teaser] On the Monday evening of CES 2016, the UHD Alliance gathered together to publically reveal the logo and specs for a new standard, Ultra HD Premium. This new standard and branding includes more than just the 4K/3840x2160 spec, and via licensing and certification, the Ultra HD Premium standard will enable end users to match "full-featured" displays with "full-featured" content. From the UHD Alliance, The UHDA's ULTRA HD PREMIUM logo is reserved for products and services that comply with performance metrics for resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), peak luminance, black levels and wide color gamut among others. The specifications also make recommendations for immersive audio and other features. These advances in resolution, contrast, brightness, color and audio will enable certified displays and content to replicate the richness of life's sights and sounds and allow in-home viewers to more fully and accurately experience the content creator's vision. The UHD Alliance is made-up of 35 member companies including studios, manufacturers, distributors and related technology companies. The UHDA board members alone represent a who's who in the sector. The Ultra HD Premium standard will be crucial for both digital and physical 4K content going forward. Indeed, studio representatives from Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. confirmed that their all of their planned new 4K discs and digital offerings will meet the Ultra HD Premium standard, and that the logo would figure prominently. The certification will be very important for new displays; however, these new discs will still be playable in 4K on many existing 4K TVs, albeit without features like HDR. While the standard is quite detailed in terms of visual specifications, the standard handles peak brightness and black level by way of range yielded through combination. Here is the full rundown on the new standard: Devices The UHD Alliance supports various display technologies and consequently, have defined combinations of parameters to ensure a premium experience across a wide range of devices. In order to receive the UHD Alliance Premium Logo, the device must meet or exceed the following specifications: Image Resolution: 3840x2160 Color Bit Depth: 10-bit signal Color Palette (Wide Color Gamut) Signal Input: BT.2020 color representation Display Reproduction: More than 90% of P3 colors High Dynamic Range SMPTE ST2084 EOTF A combination of peak brightness and black level either: More than 1000 nits peak brightness and less than 0.05 nits black level OR More than 540 nits peak brightness and less than 0.0005 nits black level Distribution Any distribution channel delivering the UHD Alliance content must support Image Resolution: 3840x2160 Color Bit Depth: Minimum 10-bit signal Color: BT.2020 color representation High Dynamic Range: SMPTE ST2084 EOTF Content Master The UHD Alliance Content Master must meet the following requirements: Image Resolution: 3840x2160 Color Bit Depth: Minimum 10-bit signal Color: BT.2020 color representation High Dynamic Range: SMPTE ST2084 EOTF The UHD Alliance recommends the following mastering display specifications: Display Reproduction: Minimum 100% of P3 colors Peak Brightness: More than 1000 nits Black Level: Less than 0.03 nits The UHD Alliance technical specifications prioritize image quality and recommend support for next-generation audio. With the Ultra HD Premium standard now public, LG has announced that their key 2016 4K OLED TVs have already passed the certification testing phase and will not only be certified as Ultra HD Premium, but have even been designed to exceed technical specifications set forth by the UHDA. As for the Ultra HD Premium Blu-rays, Samsung will announce a specific launch date for the UBD-K8500 during their CES press conference. That date will also see the launch of the Ultra HD Premium Blu-rays. At the UHDA Announcement, the timeframe was given as Spring/Summer, with a rough number of the combined studios promising over 100 titles by the end of the year. High-Def Digest has learned that within that Spring/Summer timeframe lays the target month of March, a mere two months or so away. With March being so close, it's no wonder that the UHDA has touted its inter-industry efforts to pull together and get these specs hammered out. The aim in part is to avoid not only the format war that plagued the launch of Blu-ray but also the confusion as well. These Ultra HD Premium Blu-rays will come bundled with a conventional Blu-ray (for both Twentieth Century Fox & Warner Bros.), which should incentivize both early adopters and those who are expecting to eventually take the plunge. Digital copy bundling is also expected, and it's expected to follow the same sporadic support that frequents current Blu-ray and Digital copy bundles. The studios will still offer a conventional Blu-ray sku alongside the Ultra HD Premium Blu-ray and Blu-ray pairings, which suggests a higher echelon in terms of pricing. Twentieth Century Fox will debut its support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with their Ultra HD Premium Blu-rays. There are no current plans to offer those sound formats on any conventional Blu-rays, and that includes the normal Blu-rays that will come bundled with the new format. Given the company's history, Warner Bros. is actively considering a new trade-in program; however, the logistics of disc exchange remain a large obstacle. Another option under consideration is a purchase discount tied with a user's Amazon account history. (And that may extend to past digital purchases as well.) Nothing firm along these lines is expected this year. At the onset, certified displays and Ultra HD Premium Blu-rays will bear the Ultra HD Premium logo, but not the disc players. (Expect that to change for 2017.) Specific digital content that passes the standard will bear the logo, but whether users can expect to see the logo in a video on-demand service like Netlfix remains a question. For example, something like 'Mad Max: Fury Road.' Of course, even in that case, Netflix can pursue certification for its own content. Expect further information on Ultra HD Premium content and devices as CES unfolds. Source: UHDAPosted Tue Jan 5, 2016 at 12:00 AM PST by: -
Onkyo Readies New Digital Audio Player & Network Stereo Receiver for CES[teaser]Two new audio products will be on display at the show. [/teaser] Onkyo has detailed two additions to its home audio lineup. The DP-X1 Digital Audio Player and the TX-8140 Network Stereo Receiver will both be highlighted at CES this week. The DP-X1 Digital Audio Player features dual ESS Technology Sabre ES9018K2M DACs and two SABRE9601K amps with a balanced headphone output. In addition, the player uses two types of balanced drives, ACG and BTL. Likewise, it offers support for the new MQA format which "captures and preserves the original studio recording and delivers it in a package small enough to stream." Storage is expandable to 432GBs and playback is rated for up to 16 hours. Meanwhile, the TX-8140 Network Stereo Receiver features 80 W/Ch of high-current power from a fully discrete low-impedance amplification system. Coaxial/optical inputs, Wi-Fi connectivity, USB, and Bluetooth support are integrated as well. Onkyo's DP-X1 Digital Audio Player ($900) will be available in April, and the TX-8140 Network Stereo Receiver ($400) will be available in early February. Source: OnkyoPosted Mon Jan 4, 2016 at 12:15 PM PST by: -
Samsung Unveils Updated Smart TV User Experience with Samsung Smart Control Remote[teaser]New improvements have been made to the company's smart TV platform. [/teaser] Samsung has announced details on its latest smart TV innovations. The features include an upgraded Smart Hub interface and a new Samsung Smart Control Remote. "The world of TV is constantly changing, with more choices and more connected devices than ever before, so we have made it easier for people to discover and watch the content they want, when they want" said Won Jin Lee, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "In 2016, Samsung’s Smart Hub and Smart Control remote are providing the most streamlined, convenient and intuitive TV user experience. Together, they offer the choices and performance consumers expect from today's home entertainment technology." The updated Smart Hub allows customers to use one integrated content and services platform, providing switchable access to linear content, OTT content as well as other connected devices, including videogame consoles and Blu-ray players. A search feature and a customizable interface are offered as well, letting users find popular content and arrange selections on their home screen. Meanwhile, the new Samsung Smart Control Remote can act as a single control for nearly all devices connected to a Samsung smart TV. The remote is designed using the Tizen platform and includes an automatic source recognition feature that can recognize set-top-boxes, OTT boxes, Blu-ray players, game consoles and other connected devices. Source: SamsungPosted Mon Jan 4, 2016 at 09:30 AM PST by: -
TCL Preps First Roku 4K Ultra HD TV, Dolby Vision HDR Models Also Planned[teaser]The first 4K Roku TVs will arrive in the spring. [/teaser] Roku and TCL have announced their first Ultra HD TV models. The TCL 4K Roku TVs will offer UHD resolution along with the full Roku smart TV experience. "The introduction of 4K UHD TCL Roku TV models is a significant step in our partnership with Roku," said Chris Larson, vice president of sales and marketing, TCL. "We're confident we'll deliver one of the richest experiences available on a 4K smart TV, and that consumers will love the complete 4K entertainment package these TVs deliver. TCL is also thrilled to be one of the first partners using the new Roku TV HDR reference design to enhance the great picture quality of TCL Roku TVs." The Roku 4K TVs will use the company's Roku OS and offer access to a growing collection of 4K UHD streaming channels and unique features like Roku’s 4K Spotlight Channel. TCL Roku Ultra HD TVs will launch in two series, the US5800 and the UP130. Sizes will range from 43-inches to 65-inches. In addition, Roku has also announced the release of the Roku TV HDR reference design, allowing TV partners to incorporate HDR technology into future 4K UHD Roku TV models. The company is also working with Dolby to include support for Dolby Vision into the design, as well as the HDR 10 standard. Pricing has not been detailed yet, but TCL's first Roku 4K Ultra HD TVs will launch in the spring. Roku 4K TVs from other manufacturers are also expected to arrive later this year. The TCL Roku 4K UHD TVs will be on display at CES this week in Las Vegas. Sources: BusinessWire, CNETPosted Mon Jan 4, 2016 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Questyle Audio Reveals New Premium Audio Systems for CES 2016[teaser]The company has detailed its latest premium audio products. [/teaser] Questyle Audio has announced its CES lineup of audiophile gear. The award winning QP1R portable music server/digital audio player, new Gold-finish Reference Editions of their desktop components, the 600i DAC-headphone amplifier combo, and a new 7.1 channel 5GHz Wireless Amplifier system will be showcased at CES this week. "The response to our current desktop systems and QP1R DAP has exceeded our expectations," says Bruce Ball, Vice President of Questyle North America, Inc. "Our CMA-800R desktop amplifier has earned rave reviews for superior audio performance this last year and the QP1R has won numerous awards, including several Product of the Year award." "In addition, we are going even further with new, gold-finished Reference Edition separates. With the recent release of so many lossless audio albums, great new headphones and our portable or desktop systems, music lovers no longer have to sacrifice performance" added Ball. As part of the lineup, the company has created newly refined Reference Editions of their desktop systems with premium gold-colored designs. The new versions of the CAS-192D DAC ($3,000), CMA-800P headphone preamplifier ($3,500) and CMA-800R headphone amplifier ($3,000) use Rogers ceramic printed circuit boards and hand-picked system components. In addition, Questyle will also showcase the MA600i Desktop DAC with Headphone Amplifier ($1,300) which uses the company's patented Current Mode headphone amplification technology. Likewise, the new T8 8-Channel Wireless transmitter for 7.1 home theaters (Price TBA) will also be highlighted, offering support for 8-channel 5G wireless audio transmissions without any compression and with only an 8ms delay time. Similarly, the R200i 5GHz Wireless 200W Mono amplifier (Price TBA) will be on hand as well. Questyle's new audio lineup will be on display at the Venetian Hotel suite 29-317 for CES from January 6-9 in Las Vegas. The new products are expected to start shipping in spring and early summer. Source: Questyle AudioPosted Mon Jan 4, 2016 at 07:30 AM PST by: -
Samsung Details New Audio Lineup, Including Dolby Atmos Soundbar[teaser]The company's CES audio lineup has been revealed. [/teaser] Samsung has announced the latest additions to its home audio offerings. The collection includes a new Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar model. "Our 2016 lineup of audio products offers the most immersive sound ever experienced in the home," said John JY Kim, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "Samsung's new Soundbar with Dolby Atmos® technology, delivers the ultimate in cinematic home entertainment, especially when paired with Samsung’s new SUHD TVs." The HW-K950 Soundbar features integrated Dolby Atmos technology. In addition, the system includes a subwoofer and a pair of Dolby Atmos-enabled wireless rear speakers, offering a full 5.1.4 immersive audio experience. The soundbar uses three forward-facing and two upwards-facing speakers to create ear-level and overhead sound. Meanwhile, Samsung has also revealed new colors and patterns for its Wireless Audio 360 speaker series along with an improved multi-room app and new Smart Home functionality. Pricing and availability for the HW-K950 Dolby Atmos Soundbar have not been announced yet, but the speaker system will be on hand at Samsung's booth at CES in Las Vegas from January 6-9. Source: SamsungPosted Sun Jan 3, 2016 at 07:15 PM PST by: -
LG Announces SUPER UHD TV Lineup with HDR Plus Support, Debut Set for CES 2016[teaser]The new premium TV line offers enhanced picture quality features. [/teaser] LG has revealed the latest additions to its 4K Ultra HD TV collection. The upcoming SUPER UHD TV lineup will include three primary series that will range in size from 49-inches to 86-inches. "We're confident our 2016 HDR-enabled SUPER UHD TV will generate much excitement not only in the industry, but also with consumers in general," said Brian Kwon, President and CEO at LG's Home Entertainment Company. "We are the only company with a dual strategy focused on both OLED and UHD TV technologies and this is proof that we’re committing to delivering the most advanced picture quality and home entertainment innovations to consumers around the world." The UH9500, UH8500 and UH7700 LCD/LED SUPER UHD TVs feature IPS screens with advanced picture quality features like True Black Panel and Contrast Maximizer for enhanced contrast and limited reflections. The company's new webOS 3.0 smart TV platform is integrated as well. In addition, the displays have been classified as HDR Plus, which combines LG’s ULTRA Luminance technology, improved black level performance, and Color Prime technology to support 4K high dynamic range content with heightened performance over regular HDR compatible models. Likewise, an SDR-to-HDR conversion option is included as well, allowing customers to watch near-HDR content from any standard source. The UH9500 and UH8500 series also add Color Prime Plus tech, offering support for about 90 percent of the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) color space. Finally, LG has also announced plans to show off the first production-ready 98-inch 8K SUPER UHD TV (model UH9800). LG's new SUPER UHD TV lineup will be on display at the company's booth during CES in Las Vegas from January 6-9. Source: LGPosted Sat Jan 2, 2016 at 08:00 PM PST by:
