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Westinghouse Will Reveal a 110-Inch 4K LED LCD at CES 2013[teaser]The manufacturer is planning on making a big name for itself at this year's show, thanks to a TV that's absolutely gigantic. [/teaser] What fun is a Consumer Electronics Show without some one-upmanship? We expect to see TV makers announcing bigger and better sets as the show approaches, but we didn't necessarily expect it from Westinghouse, which generally seems comfortable in the entry-level TV spot. Westinghouse took a break from making affordable TVs to work on an absolutely massive 110 inch 4K display – bigger than any we've seen so far. Details outside of that are scarce, but we'll find out much more about the new set in just about a month. Westinghouse says that there are more surprises in store as well, but we'll have to wait and see. Source: EngadgetPosted Wed Dec 5, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Samsung, LG, Philips and More Fined for Price Fixing in Europe[teaser]The total of the fines comes to just under two billion dollars spread out among the companies. [/teaser] The European Commission announced a ruling today that fines six different companies for price-fixing and are fining them a total of $1.92 billion. According to the commission, between 1996 and 2006 executives from Samsung, LG, Philips, Panasonic, Toshiba, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and Technicolor would meet to fix prices and divide up the markets for their TVs. The biggest fines go to Philips and LG, both of who are paying around double what Panasonic is paying. Philips has some legitimate beef here since they sold off that part of the company in 2001, but they intend to make a payment on the fine this year. Panasonic is pretty unhappy about this as well. "Panasonic believes the EU decision is factually and legally erroneous," says a statement released by the company. They also say that they "will carefully review the decision and consider our options for appeal to the European courts." Source: ReutersPosted Wed Dec 5, 2012 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
HDD's First Look at 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' in HFR 48fps 3Dby Michael S. Palmer [teaser]There will be plenty of full reviews in the coming days before 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' opens in US cinemas on December 14th, so I won't bore you with too many thoughts about the film itself, but I was fortunate enough to attend a High Frame Rate 48fps 3D (RealD) screening last night. Here are all the details...[/teaser] Moments before the lights darkened, a theater employee confirmed we were going to see HFR. I was pretty excited, not having seen any of the early controversial footage. So, how does it look? Does it ruin the movie or blow all projection formats out of the water? Will it drive people away, or call them back to cinemas? Tragedy or triumph? Neither, actually. But before I explain my reaction in detail, it's worth noting the movie's visual effects are nothing short of astounding. Everything that impressed in 'LOTR' -- from orcs to monstrous wargs to "bigature" underworld sets to Gollum to extended vistas -- has been upgraded visually. More detail, more texture, and more color. Even the places we've been before, like Rivendale, have never looked this jaw-droppingly stunning. Granted, these improvements may have more to do with technical and visual advancements made over the last decade than the shooting format, but I bring this up because some early reviews reported HFR made things appear cheap. That you could see makeup on the actors' faces. That the magic had somehow been sucked out of this cinematic universe. And perhaps it was true. I didn't see the test footage, which may have lacked any of the world-extending visual effects and color correction. Having seen 'The Hobbit' in HFR, I say it's still the same 'LOTR' world we know and love. It doesn't feel cheap or fake, and it doesn't make the effects stick out. On the contrary, I'd argue 'An Unexpected Journey' looks ultra-real. How so? Well, oddly enough, many of you already know exactly what it's like to watch HFR. I forget which exact forum thread it was, but I remember everyone arguing about this over and over again, and here's the truth: Native 48fps looks very much like "TrueMotion" or any of those LCD technologies that create new frames and reduce motion blur. While you certainly settle into it after a few minutes, HFR has that kinda-slow-motion-but-kinda-fast-motion look. Not all the time, of course, I felt it most in close to medium shots (an actor from the waist to head) where the performer would sit down or turn around or cross the frame. In the wider, epic shots, that "plastic" feeling wasn't as prevalent. Before anyone flips out, remember I said "very much like," not "exactly like." It's simply the best analogy; something many of our readers have seen. And while there can be some "unnatural smoothness" in HFR, detail and color were astoundingly vivid, much more so than what a TV algorythm produces. Swooping through action shots above and underground, or as hordes of digital warriors clashed on battlefields, I could see everything. In a word: breathtaking. Another technology of which HFR reminded me was watching Blu-ray 3D on my Panasonic VT50 series plasma, which uses active shutter technology. If I set my TV to 96hz, a multiple of 24p, it's very juddery with tons of flicker. In 60hz, the motion is much smoother, but there can be a little bit of that exceedingly-smooth feeling to it all, while remaining more natural than what was described above. Watching HFR was very much like seeing 'Up - 3D' or 'Finding Nemo - - 3D' last week on my plasma in 60hz mode. As I haven't seen the 24fps version of 'The Hobbit', I don't want to make any declarations or pronounce one a winner. I know my wife wasn't as impressed as I was, but generally speaking, the film looks terrific in HFR. Is it the best-new-thing-EVER? Nope. Will it change the way we watch movies? Of course not. Does it ruin movies forever? Not even close. Could much of what I liked about the movie's appearance owe more thanks to technological advancements than frame rates? I'm not sure yet; I'd just wanted to give you an honest impression with as little hyperbole as possible. It's probably also important to mention that, while the 3D itself is very good, it's not nearly as striking or beautifully immersive as 'Life of Pi'. Everything stays "behind" the screen and, actually, you forget about the 3D after a while, but perhaps that's the point. It's just a story, regardless of the format. Which leaves us with one final question: should you see HFR or not? If you enjoy ultra-sharp HD -- that infinite depth, those crisp textures from something like super-slow-motion cinematography -- and aren't the biggest fan of natural motion blur or noise or grain, you'll probably enjoy HFR. However, if you despise the way your TV can smooth things out via TruMotion type settings -- that odd motion it gives performers in motion -- you probably won't be the biggest HFR fan. Regardless, it's a decision every film fan or HD junkie will have to make him or herself. So go see 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' however you like, but I would encourage at least checking out the new format. You might love it; you might hate it; you might not care. But it's certainly different. As for the film itself, I'll leave it to my esteemed HDD Blog partners to debate the film's ultimate merits. I would say, if you're the type of person who speaks Elvish and alternates between reading J.R.R. Tolkien's tomes and watching the Blu-ray LOTR extended cuts over and over, you'll likely love this movie too (especially all the references to the previous trilogy). For me, one third of the way through the trilogy, it doesn't quite feel as personal as the LOTR and, since the film looks exactly like what we've seen before, it feels somewhat less fresh. However, my guess is, like a miniseries or TV show, the more time we spend in Middle Earth, the more we'll love these characters and, by series' end, the entire story will be better than its individual parts. I really enjoyed it, though. Tons of action and spectacle, and the music is great (listen to it at RollingStone.com), a mix of familiar and new themes! I hope to go check it out one more time in ATMOS, which, along with HFR 48fps, is apparently Peter Jackson's preferred method for seeing/hearing 'The Hobbit' as intended. What's amazing, though, is how many different ways you can see 'An Unexpected Journey': IMAX HFR 3D, HFR 3D, IMAX 3D, 3D, and 2D in either 5.1, 7.1, or ATMOS depending on your cinema's configuration. Crazy, right? First world problems.Posted Tue Dec 4, 2012 at 04:25 PM PST by: -
RED's Redray 4K Cinema Player is up for Preorder[teaser]The player handles 4K files, upscales the resolution of your other files and is even compatible with the HFR 3D that you'll see in 'The Hobbit.'[/teaser] UHDTVs are hitting the market and the folks that own them are going to need something to watch. RED is responding to that need by offering up the Redray Cinema Player – a device capable of playing back UHD video files at the same resolution as your TV. RED isn't stopping there though. They know you're still going to need something to watch on your fancy new set and will be launching the Odemax distribution system to go with it. Odemax will presumably allow you to both rent and buy movies in 4K though the specifics are fairly limited at the moment. We do know it comes out for consumers in March of 2013. The Redray player is available for preorder now with shipments starting at the end of this month. The price is set at $1,450. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Dec 4, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Mitsuibishi Announces the End of its TV Business[teaser]And since Mitsubishi was the only company making them, this is also the end of consumer DLPs. [/teaser] Mitsubishi has, for years now, been the one holdout when it comes to DLP sets. Long after other manufacturers began to focus on LCD and plasma, Mitsubishi was making DLP sets, some of which still have no size match from any display. They also beat LCD and plasma sets significantly on the price front. It gave folks the choice between, say, a 55 inch LCD and an 80 inch DLP. Mitsubishi has announced that it will be leaving the TV market to focus on more profitable but less outwardly visible venues. The company will still be making home theater projectors as well as commercial displays. The Mitsubishi TVs available now in stores and online may be the last you ever see – if you're a DLP fan, now's the time to drop some cash. Source: Electronic HousePosted Mon Dec 3, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
High-Def Digest-Digest - November 2012by Dick Ward [teaser]It shouldn't be a surprise because it happens every year about this time, but November is over and a lot has happened. New gear was announced, new Blu-rays came out, and that Black Friday thing happened too. That kind of news avalanche is almost too much to keep up with, which is why we put out the High-Def Digest-Digest, a collection of the biggest stories that happened over the last several weeks.[/teaser] Blu-ray 'Skyfall' Blu-ray Pre-Orders Go Live, Cover Art Revealed Yes, I know it's just cover art. Yes, I know it could be placeholder art and not even indicative of the final product. I don't care. 'Skyfall' was insanely good and I'm prepared to get excited about it now. I've already ordered my copy. 'Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed! The second season of 'Game of Thrones' comes to Blu-ray on February 19th, just in time to give a pre-order as a Valentine's day gift. Pre-orders are something people give for Valentine's Day, right? 'On the Waterfront' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed Criterion will be releasing a Blu-ray version of 'On the Waterfront,' a classic film starring Marlon Brando and directed by Elia Kazan. You can pick this one up February 19th as well. Six Cult Classics Coming from Scream Factory in 2013 'The Fog,' 'The Burning,' 'The Howling,' 'Night of the Comet,' 'Day of the Dead' and the definite article free 'Lifeforce' will all be hitting shelves in 2013 courtesy of Scream Factory. 'Star Trek: Enterprise' Planned for Blu-ray in 2013! It's not the most loved 'Star Trek' series, but it's still 'Star Trek,' and the first season is coming to Blu-ray sometime in the spring of next year. Click through to the full story for info on how fans can vote for box art. Gear and Industry News Sony’s UHDTV Comes with 4K Content Packed In There's been a lot of Ultra High Definition news this month, but the coolest for early adopters is that Sony will actually be packing worthwhile content into their sets so you can enjoy native resolution programming on day one. 3net Will Launch the First 4K TV Series The channel that made a point of pushing 3D is also going to be providing 4K programming for those that buy the new sets. It's also worth noting that Sony is a part of this company, which means they've got a strong investment in 4K. Vudu Finally Brings HD Streaming to Computers Why it took this long we have no idea. Vudu has finally made HDX available on computers, which gives a whole new option to those who prefer an HTPC to a set-top. Boston Acoustics is Returning Focus to Component Speakers Boston Acoustics has been doing great on the soundbar front, but in doing so they've lost focus on the kinds of speakers that got them where they are today. They're refocusing their efforts moving forward, starting with the new M series. 'The Hobbit' Atmos and HFR Theaters Revealed There are 450 theaters showing 'The Hobbit' at 48fps and a decent chunk of those are using Dolby Atmos sound technology. Make sure you're getting both, if you can. Videogame News Rumored Xbox TV Device To Be The Entry-Level Xbox for Microsoft's Next Console Generation The set-top would be similar to Apple TV but with more of a gaming lean, and of course, more options of content providers. 'Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn' Must be Retain Subscription Model, Eschew Free-To-Play Option Director Naoki Yoshida says that free-to-play is a quick path to debt, and that the Final Fantasy MMO isn't going free any time soon. Deus Ex Movie To Be "Smart, Ballsy," and "One Hell of a Movie." 'Exorcism of Emily Rose,' writer Scott Derrickson says that we're in for something great out of the Deus Ex movie. We've seen enough videogame movies that we're just hoping it doesn't suck.Posted Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 10:45 AM PST by: -
Sony's 4K TV Ships With a Store Display-Like Hard Disk Server[teaser]Ten films will be preloaded, including 'Bridge on the River Kwai,' 'Taxi Driver,' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man.'[/teaser] When Sony first announced that their upcoming UHDTV was going to come with native 4K content, we naturally assumed that it would be built right in to the set. Instead, folks that pick up the XBR-84X900 will be getting a hard disk server to go with their TV, a bit like the way stores are set up with demo material. You'll be getting more than just clips though. Ten movies will be loaded on to the hard drive, including those listed above, the new 'Total Recall,' 'Bad Teacher,' 'The Other Guys' and, regrettably, the Adam Sandler film 'That's My Boy.' Sony says that more titles and clips will be added to the server as time goes on, which could be a very cool setup for owners. Source: TWICEPosted Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Tougher Than the Average Bluetooth Speaker[teaser]BOOM Movement introduces the shock proof, water-resistant Urchin.[/teaser] According to Gizmodo, the Urchin, a new entry in the competitive portable Bluetooth speaker market, will retail for $150 when it comes out on February. Its colorful outer casing is made of silicone, with additional covers to be sold for $20. Gizmodo relates Boom Movement as an offshoot of Polk Audio's parent company. A quick glance at BOOM Movement's shop reveals only ear buds and mid size over the ear headphones, none of which approach even half of the Urchin's price point. Source: GizmodoPosted Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 08:30 AM PST by: -
Leaked Support Pages Give us a Peek at Redbox Instant Pricing Details[teaser]The service will run $6 a month with a $2 upcharge for four DVD rentals. Sadly, no details involving Blu-rays came up. [/teaser] We've finally gotten a better look at some details of the much anticipated Redbox streaming service and things are pretty close to what you'd imagine. Redbox Instant doesn't have quite the selection of Netflix and the $6/mo price reflects that. Adding on DVDs will cost you $2/mo, and that gets you four DVDs. We're going to take a wild guess and say that you'll be able to get two Blu-rays instead of four DVDs, but that information has not yet been revealed. What's disappointing about what we're seeing based solely on the support pages is that there don't seem to be any newer movies. 'Thor' and 'Iron Man 2' are both shown, but both of those movies are streaming on Netflix right now, so there's not much to be thrilled about there. Take this all with a grain of salt of course. This is far from an official release and things could change before the service goes live. Source: EngadgetPosted Fri Nov 30, 2012 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Pioneer Receivers Get HTC Connect Functionality in New Firmware Update[teaser]The addition of HTC Connect makes things just a bit easier for owners of HTC phones. [/teaser] If you have an HTC phone and a Pioneer AVR you're in for a bit of good news. A new firmware update for 2012 Pioneer receivers adds HTC Connect functionality. HTC Connect makes things easier for those using HTC products. Rather than going through a number of steps to stream music from your phone to your receiver, you'll simply be able to select the receiver from the phone and then start streaming. You can find more details including audio formats, models supported and more directly from Pioneer Source: TWICEPosted Thu Nov 29, 2012 at 11:00 AM PST by:
