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Samsung's 55 Inch OLED is Coming Out This Year[teaser]Sadly, a price and date have not yet been announced. [/teaser] The new KNF559500 from Samsung is something that certain people have been waiting on for a long time now. It's one of the first OLED sets to be released in a reasonable size and, hopefully, a price range that's not too far out of the budget. Samsung has given their 55 inch OLED the full Smart TV treatment, equipping it with a quad-core processor, Smart Hub access, gesture controls and everything else the company's 2013 sets are getting. The big difference is, of course, the OLED tech behind it, which should provide much improved video quality. The KNF559500 also supports multi-view, which allows two users wearing 3D glasses with built-in headphones to watch two different things at the same time. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 11:15 AM PST by: -
Samsung Announces a First – a Soundbar with a Vacuum Tube[teaser]The HW-750 is designed to bring some warmth into your audio setup. [/teaser] Soundbars are traditionally thought of an option that's only to be turned to when a traditional 5.1 or 7.1 setup won't work for your space, but companies have been doing what they can to improve them and make them more attractive to potential customers. The latest bar from Samsung tries something completely new. The new HW-750 is also known as the Vacuum Tube Soundbar, and for obvious reasons. It's the first soundbar around to pack a tube amplifier to give you the kind of warmth you'd expect. That's not all it's got though – it packs a gyroscopic sensor that allows it to detect height, rotation and slope to automatically correct for positioning and optimize sound quality. Samsung's Vacuum Tube Soundbar doesn't have a release date or pricing yet. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
HiSense Debuts Transparent 3D Screen for Commercial Use[teaser]The screen allows you to clearly see through, while projecting 3D images in front. [/teaser] While this technology will probably never make it into your home theater – there just doesn't seem to be a practical reason to do it – the transparent 3D screen that HiSense is gearing towards businesses is incredibly cool. The screen will allow customers to see right through to whatever's behind the screen while also seeing a projected 3D image, which could be useful for shop displays and informational kiosks. You'll still need to wear glasses to get the 3D though. HiSense is looking at a price of $3,000 each for these when they come out towards the middle of this year. Source: Wired UK Photo Credit: BBCPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 09:30 AM PST by: -
The 110 Inch Westinghouse UHDTV Will Cost You $300,000[teaser]Each set will be built to order and custom installed. We're assuming that comes free with the purchase. [/teaser] Westinghouse is really making a run at the ultra high-end luxury home theater market this year – a change from their usual budget brand leanings. Among their various announcements of UHDTV sets, the 110 incher captured our interest the most. It's also set to capture some very high dollar amounts from some big money buyers. The price? $300,000. That's a steep increase compared to its 85 inch competitors, but after a certain point of screen size, price increases exponentially. An additional 25 diagonal inches adds up fast. Westinghouse is building these for custom installation and expects to start delivering by the end of the winter. Source: EngadgetPosted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Building a Home Theater: The Money DrainAs those of you who've been following his story in the blog already know, High-Def Digest's Josh Zyber has been building a home theater room from scratch in his new house. In today's installment of the tale, Josh tells us about the setbacks and budgetary problems that plague such a project. Read about it in the blog today. If you need to catch up on previous entries of this story, you can do that here and here.Posted Thu Jan 10, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Netflix Introduces Super HD and 3D Streaming with Certain ISPs[teaser]So far, only Cablevision and Google Fiber have been announced in the US. International streams are compatible already. [/teaser] After releasing a new tier of HD that many found disappointing, the folks at Netflix are stepping things up. They've equipped themselves with something they're calling Super HD, which will take more bandwidth, but promises a smoother and clearer picture than the current HD streaming. Super HD streaming is only available on a few ISPs – currently only Cablevision and Google Fiber. It's also limited to a few devices including game consoles, Apple TV, Roku and Blu-ray players and Smart TVs that are already able to do Netflix in HD. PC users are out of luck unless they're sporting Windows 8, which is compatible. Netflix doesn't have quite as much info out about 3D programming, but they're putting that into place too. Just like with Super HD, you'll be limited if you're not on specific internet providers. Source: NetflixPosted Wed Jan 9, 2013 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Sony is Launching "Mastered in 4K" Blu-rays for UHDTV Upscaling[teaser]Of course, the higher bitrate, video quality and audio quality will benefit those of us on 1080p sets as well. [/teaser] As cool as 4K televisions are, the lack of content for them is a bit disappointing. Sure, they upscale, but upscaling to 4K and watching native 4K are two different things. Sony has a 4K distribution network planned, but they've also created an initiative that will help things along for those that prefer physical media, or who may upgrade in the future. Sony is going to be releasing Blu-rays with higher bitrates, better audio quality and higher video quality and they're calling them Mastered in 4K. What that tag means is that movies like 'Taxi Driver,' 'The Karate Kid' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man' will all be sourced from the original 4K masters and given expanded color range to more accurately match the original source. This is going to make Blu-rays look better for those of us using 1080p sets, but also for those upscaling to 4K. Sony says that this is going to get you as close as you can get to native 4K when upscaling. Source: EngadgetPosted Wed Jan 9, 2013 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Sony Ups the Ante with a 56 Inch OLED UHDTV[teaser]Two new types of TVs are about to be battling for consumer attention, and Sony's combined them. [/teaser] There are two paths that early adopters will be able to take this year when picking out a fancy new television – OLED and 4K. Up until now, they've been separate options, but Sony has changed that with the reveal of a 56 inch OLED UHDTV. Sony says that they had to overcome several issues before they were able to make this new set, but that they were able to take them on in the creation of their prototype. The big question at this point isn't whether UHD OLEDs can be done, but how much money they're going to cost. Sony has no pricing info or release plans as of yet, as this is just a prototype. A lot changes in a year though, so we have high hopes that we'll see something released before the next CES rolls around. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Jan 8, 2013 at 12:31 PM PST by: -
Samsung Shows an 85 Inch UHDTV with a Unique New Stand[teaser]The strange TV stand may be the new shape Samsung was talking up. It's a little lame, but the TV that sits on it sure isn't. [/teaser] When we heard about Samsung bringing an "unprecedented new shape" to TVs we were skeptical, but definitely interested. The reveal of their 85 inch UHDTV may be what they were talking about, and it's pretty disappointing. The set features a unique stand that, well, someone has to like. It's definitely not the kind of thing that's going to sit well with everyone. Of course, there's more to the set than just an oddball stand. The new S9 UHDTV boasts 2.2 channel audio with 120 watt sound so you'll get a better audio experience than you would through a normal TV. We're going to go ahead and assume that if you're shelling out for this thing, you can afford some speakers, but it's nice to have. You'll also find a screen equipped with Precision Black Pro tech and a fully LED backlit screen that utilizes hundreds of blocks of LEDs. Samsung hasn't released information on pricing or timing, but they do say that they have even larger UHD sets in the works. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Jan 8, 2013 at 10:30 AM PST by: -
Netflix Gets Rights to New Shows from Warner[teaser]According to the deal, Netflix gets rights to eight different shows, including those not yet airing. [/teaser] One of the big reasons that people trend towards Netflix is the ability to catch up on shows they've missed, or to sit back and power through an entire season of a show in a day – essential when you're sick. Netflix knows where their bread is buttered and has made it a point to secure more Shows covered in the deal include the upcoming J.J. Abrahms drama "Revolution," the USA network miniseries "Political Animals," and ABC's "666 Park Avenue." It's not clear just how soon episodes will be available, but they'll definitely be coming quicker than they have in the past. From the quotes, it sounds like some may even be next-day. "SVOD has become an important window for our serialized dramas, allowing viewers a chance to discover a series that before might have been intimidating to tune into mid-run," says Warner Bros. president Bruce Rosenblum. "We continue to adapt our business models to include SVOD when it makes sense for the long-term value of each show and are thrilled to have Netflix as one of our distribution partners." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Tue Jan 8, 2013 at 09:15 AM PST by:
