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Building a Home Theater: The Official RevealAfter much too long of a delay, our HD Advisor Josh Zyber is finally ready to unveil the results of his (mostly) completed home theater construction project. Head on over to the blog to take the tour!Posted Mon Sep 9, 2013 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
LG Reduces OLED and 4K TV Prices in U.S.[teaser]The company's 55-inch OLED and 55-inch UHD displays have both received price cuts. [/teaser] After weeks of speculation, LG has finally confirmed a price reduction for its 55EA9800 OLED TV. The 55-inch curved screen display will now retail for $10,000, a full $5,000 less than its debut price of $15,000. The price cut comes in response to Samsung's competing 55-inch OLED display, the KN55S9C, which currently retails for $9,000. In addition, LG's 55-inch 4K TV, the 55LA9700, has also received another price reduction, bringing it down from $4,999 to $4,449. This is now in line with Samsung's similar UN55F9000, but is still more expensive than Sony's XBR-55X900A which retails for a slightly more affordable $3,998. The larger 65LA9700 has not received any further price cuts at this time, and is still set at its previous price of $6,499. The 55LA9700 is currently available at major retailers and the 55EA9800 continues to be a Best Buy Magnolia store exclusive. Source: TwicePosted Mon Sep 9, 2013 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Panasonic Details 4K Tablet[teaser]A 20-inch Ultra HD tablet is in the works for the European market. [/teaser] Panasonic has revealed plans to release an impressive 20-inch 4K tablet. The large-screen UHD device is being targeted toward professional artists, designers, architects, healthcare workers, museums, and other businesses. With a resolution of 3,840 x 2,560, the Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 has about four times the pixels of a standard 1080p tablet. The 20-inch IPS Alpha Panel also boasts an aspect ratio of 15:10 with 230 ppi and approximately 16.77 million colors. The device will run Windows 8 Pro 64 bit and is powered by an Intel Core i5 3427U vPro 1.80 GHz processor with NVIDIA GeForce Graphics and up to 16GB of ram. A 720p camera is also embedded into the tablet along with an SD card slot, HDMI out, and three USB 3.0 inputs. In addition, a 128GB SSD is featured as well (though a heavier and more expensive 256GB option has been announced too). The tablet's interface offers a 10-finger multi-touch panel and will make use of an Anoto Live high resolution digital pen. A prototype for the Toughpad 4K UT-MB5 was on display at last week's IFA trade show and the full retail model is expected to launch in Europe in November for a suggested price of 4,500 euros (about $5,937). A U.S. release date and price have not been announced yet. Sources: Panasonic, EngadgetPosted Mon Sep 9, 2013 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
LG Shows off World's Largest Ultra HD OLED TV[teaser]The 77-inch curved-screen 4K display is making its debut at IFA 2013. [/teaser] Joining its currently available 55-inch curved OLED and its upcoming 55-inch flat OLED, LG has unveiled an even larger 77-inch OLED. And perhaps even more impressive than its massive size, unlike those previous models, this new set features an Ultra HD display. The curved-screen 4K OLED is said to be the world's largest and is now being demoed at the IFA trade show in Berlin. With a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, the TV has about four times the pixels of a traditional 1080p display. Likewise, the set combines the benefits of Ultra HD with the superior contrast of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology and LG's proprietary WRGB four-color pixel system. "LG was proud to be the first company to commercially launch an OLED TV and we are once again setting our sights high with the ULTRA HD CURVED OLED TV," said Havis Kwon, president and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company. "This 77-inch TV is proof that we will never stop pushing the boundaries and exploring new possibilities." While this is an exciting development, much like Samsung's smaller 55-inch 4K OLED TV which is also on display at IFA, LG's new set is assumed to be a prototype, and there is no word yet on actual availability or price. Source:Posted Fri Sep 6, 2013 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Philips Details its 9000 Series Ultra HD Displays[teaser]The company's award winning 4K televisions have been officially revealed. [/teaser] Philips has fully unveiled its 9000 series of UHD displays at the IFA electronics trade show in Berlin this week. The new lineup of 4K LEDs consists of the 65-inch 65PFL9708 and the 84-inch 84PFL9708. Despite just being announced to the public, the 65PFL9708 has actually already won the EISA award for best Ultra HD display of the year. Each model features a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, giving them about four times the pixels of a traditional 1080p HDTV. In addition, the televisions offer Smart TV functions, sensor controlled local dimming capabilities, and Philips' proprietary Ultra Pixel HD Engine for upscaling SD and HD content to 4K. Both the 65PFL9708 and the 84PFL9708 are available now in Europe and Russia for a suggested retail price of 4,999 euros (about $6,566) and 14,999 euros (about $19,692) respectively. A U.S. release date has not been announced. Source:Posted Fri Sep 6, 2013 at 05:00 AM PDT by: -
Samsung Reveals New 4K Lineup and Demos its First UHD OLED TV[teaser]A curved screen 4K set and an Ultra HD OLED are among the company's new innovations on display at the IFA trade show. [/teaser] Samsung has unveiled several new Ultra HD televisions this week, offering larger sizes and updated designs. Joining its already available UN55F9000 and UN65F9000 55-inch and 65-inch sets, and its massive UN85S9 85-inch display, the company is adding even larger 4K options to its lineup with new 98-inch and 110-inch Ultra HD televisions. In addition, Samsung has also revealed the world's first curved screen Ultra HD display. Available in 55-inch and 65-inch models, the TVs promise to offer a more immersive experience, though this benefit does come at the cost of wall mounting capabilities. While they share a similar design, unlike the recently released curved-screen KN55S9C, these new models will likely be LCD displays, not OLED. With that said, the company is also demoing a proof of concept Ultra HD OLED TV that combines the benefits of 4K resolution with the superior contrast and color of an OLED. Both flat and curved screen 55-inch models are on display. Sony and Panasonic have demoed similar UHD OLED prototypes in the past, and like those previous sets, this new Samsung display is not planned for the consumer market at this time. There's no word yet on release dates or pricing for the new large screen and curved screen 4K sets, but Samsung has said that they will base availability on the evolving demands of the growing Ultra HD market. Source:Posted Thu Sep 5, 2013 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
UK Television Channel Sky Broadcasts First Live 4K Content[teaser]The British television network has become the first English broadcaster to transmit a live Ultra HD feed. [/teaser] After conducting initial experiments with the technology back in October of last year, Sky has now become the first UK network to successfully broadcast live 4K video. The transmission in question featured Saturday's Premier League soccer game between West Ham and Stoke. Multiple cameras were used for the shoot and the full outside broadcast was entirely live using the network's usual chain of transmission. Up until now, previous 4K sports feeds in the UK have been prerecorded or played back on closed circuit channels. Despite the milestone, Sky doesn't have any current plans for full-fledged Ultra HD broadcast support. Instead, the network will wait to see how the 4K market evolves, and will continue with similar tests and research. Sources: Sky via EngadgetPosted Thu Sep 5, 2013 at 05:00 AM PDT by: -
LG Officially Details its New G Pad 8.3-inch Tablet[teaser]After weeks of speculation, the company has finally unveiled its latest premium tablet. [/teaser] Set to debut at this week's IFA trade show in Berlin, LG's newest tablet has officially been revealed. The G Pad features the first full HD display on an 8-inch class tablet, and comes complete with a 1920x1200 WUXGA 8.3-inch screen with 273 ppi. The tablet is powered by a 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Processor and a 4,600mAh battery running Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2. The device also features 2GB of ram, 16GB of storage space, a 5MP rear camera, and a 1.3MP front camera. LG's QPair app is included as well, allowing users to receive calls and messages from their smartphone on the tablet. Likewise, the device comes with enhancements for multitasking, including LG's Slide Aside for easily sliding open apps off the screen, and QSlide which enables support for control of up to three different apps at once on the same window. The LG G Pad will launch in North America, Europe, Asia, and other markets in the fourth quarter of 2013. Exact pricing will be announced then. Source: LGPosted Wed Sep 4, 2013 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
HDMI 2.0 Is Finalized at Long last[teaser]New features and backwards compatibility detailed by the HDMI forum. [/teaser] Better late than never, HDMI 2.0 has been finalized and announced. Not unlike its DisplayPort competitor, the new standard supports 2160p at 50 or 60 frames. (Signal Peter Jackson/James Cameron high five.) In addition to the necessary bandwidth uptick, there are some other new features, but more importantly there is a note on compatibility. HDMI 2.0 in backwards compatible with previous HDMI standards. Going from a HDMI 2.0 device to a HDMI 1.4 device will cost the user the HDMI 2.0 features, but will still work. Likewise, even HDMI 2.0 to 2.0 connections can use existing High Speed cables, meaning that no new cables or connectors are necessary to support the features. From the HDMI forum, "This latest HDMI Specification, the first to be developed by the HDMI Forum, offers a significant increase in bandwidth (up to 18Gbps) to support new features such as 4K@50/60 (2160p), which is 4 times the clarity of 1080p/60 video resolution; 32 audio channels; as well as dynamic auto lip-sync and extensions to CEC. The complete Version 2.0 of the HDMI Specification is available to Adopters on the HDMI Adopter Extranet." The HDMI forum has promised to elaborate on the new features in a discussion this Friday. As for the end consumer, the HDMI Forum has promised that the HDMI 2.0 Compliance Test Specification (CTS) is expected to be released before the end of the year. This new standard is a crucial component in the introduction of UHD, as it enables HDMI 4K playback at higher than frames per second, albeit with all new devices still to be introduced. Source: HDMI Author: Brian HossPosted Wed Sep 4, 2013 at 08:30 AM PDT by: -
Acer Liquid S2 Smartphone will Support 4K Video Recording[teaser]The upcoming mobile device will be one of the first phones capable of shooting 4K video. [/teaser] Acer has detailed its new Liquid S2 smartphone and claims that it will be the first phone to support 4K Ultra HD video recording. The device also comes complete with a large 6-inch 1080p IPS display at 368 ppi along with a 13MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. The Liquid S2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2GHz processor, 2GB of ram, and a 3300 mAh battery. The android phone also features 16GB of storage space, two stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus, Gorilla Glass 3.0, and support for the 802.11 ac Wi-Fi standard. Both red and black options will be available in Europe in October, but a specific release date and price are still forthcoming. The smartphone will also be on display at the IFA electronics trade show in Berlin later this week. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Sep 3, 2013 at 11:00 AM PDT by:
