Big Time: LG shows off OLED 31″ Prototype, blows minds

We all love OLED and its potential, but so far, its expensive and not even close to mainstream really. OLED’s failure to do anything in the mainstream isn’t a big deal, as LCD has gotten slim enough that it hardly matters in terms of reduced size. Picture quality will improve no doubt, and its nice to see some companies stepping forward with early support for the technology. LG is just such a company.

So in a twist of oddness, LG has stolen its own OLED thunder on the TV circuit lately. In line with earlier rumors we reported, it will be showing off a 0.11-inch thick 31-inch 3D OLED display prototype at the IFA get-together this week, but that poor little OLED demo will be sharing a booth with a ready for retail 0.35-inch thick LCD that comes in big time sizes above 30″, so it may not be the darling of the show many thought it might be.

Still, here’s to hoping this OLED breakthrough speeds along the transition to retail all the more quickly.

Update Glitch: Samsung Blu-Ray players having update troubles

In a seemingly small (but very annoying) issue with the frequent updates that HD Blu-Ray players need to operate properly, Samsung has had to have users roll back their recent firmware update to allow the playback of certain movies. Apparently its happened before, as well. More details here:

As annoying as continuous Blu-ray player updates are, usually having the latest one is the best way to play more movies. Unfortunately the opposite was the case for Samsung (again) with the v2.09 update posted recently for its 2009 BD-Px600 line of players. Forum posters on CNET and AVSForum report the upgrade blocked them from playing Universal and Warner Bros. movies, which conveniently lock up after displaying the title image. Samsung’s rolled back to an older firmware version (v2.07) on its support site that should fix things for now, but with some users still having problems downgrading, all they can do is wait for the next update, whenever that arrives. Some help line reps have said the new version should arrive “in a couple of weeks,” but it’s not like you really wanted to watch Clash of the Titans or Book of Eli right now anyway, right?

This could be the only holdup to having BR HD take over the home media market; consumers don’t like to play musical updates just to watch a movie. Let’s hope they all get their act together soon so that this can all progress the way it was intended to.

Hi-Def News: LG showing off 31″ OLED HDTV at IFA 2010

It seems LG is doing some very cool stuff with OLED these days, if a recent exhibition at IFA 2010 is to be believed. Pictures are worth a thousand words as they say, and here’s the proof, as you can see. Read on, via Engadget HD coverage:

We’ve been tracking LG OLED TV production rumors for nearly as long as Bieber’s been alive, and recently got wind that their ultra-thin 7mm LED TV would be appearing at IFA this year, but now more news has materialized. According to OLED-Display, the company plans to show a new 31-inch OLED television prototype in addition to confidence-compensating 72-inch 3D LED TV. Sadly, other critical details like resolution and pricing are nowhere to be found, but considering the company’s 15-inch EL9500 OLED — which we’re still waiting for stateside — is selling for close to $2,400 in the UK, it’s fair to assume a model double in size will be a Kanye-level extravagance. Seeing a larger OLED example before 2011 though will be a step in the right direction for LG, and appears to fall in line with the company’s own rollout predictions.

We’ll keep an eye on these developments as they are released. The possibility of larger OLEDs sets us to dreaming, indeed.

View: Do stores and businesses care about 3D HDTV?

If recent trends and reports are to be believed, 3D HDTV as a medium could be in real trouble. It seems according to data and blog writing across the web, 3D sets aren’t really being given much consideration by stores like Best Buy and related venues, where fortunes are made and lost concerning technology like this.

A write-up by blogger TVPredictions.com presents a rather alarming situation (or one manufacturers should be alarmed about anyhow) where salespeople don’t seem to really be pushing 3D units at the moment, and  it just reinforces our own doubts about the future of HD and 3D as a combined threat.

Here’s a rather interesting quote right here:

According to Home Media Magazine, the J.D. Power study found that only one in 10 Best Buy salespeople actually pitched a 3D set to their customers.
The study discovered that Sears salesmen were equally unmotivated about the new 3D sets, with only one in 10 Sears staffers pitching them.

That in itself isn’t a good sign, though the article points out a few high-end shops point them out more often, that only makes it a fringe item, which isn’t any more encouraging really for its future.

Bad News: LCD HDTV prices on the rise?

According to numbers from industry suppliers and rumors flying around the web, LCD and HDTV prices could be going up slightly in the near future. It’s bad news for a time when many parts of the world are struggling financially, and people are using discretionary income less than ever.

Also: HD is just starting to gain momentum to becoming a mainstream household medium, and now due to a variety of factors (one of which is reportedly more circuits being used for 3D HDTV units, driving up the price of parts). Prices rose over 7% in July compared to June, according to iSuppli, a nationwide reporter on wholesale parts and electronic equipment.

The average price for a LCD HDTV was $1,136, but was $1,060 in June, the group said. In contrast, iSuppli said that the price of a LCD set rose only 2.8 percent in July 2009 compared to July 2008. This is considered ‘unusual’, according to them, and could signal a trend of increasing prices for awhile.

If you’ve been looking for a unit, now might be the time to strike before they rise even more.

Movie Update: Blu-Ray version of Star Wars to appear in 2011

The long-awaited, frequently rumored Star Wars Blu-Ray set will be debuting in 2011, based on a big-time conference announcement that recently took place. In attendance was Lucas himself, who also said some other things that purists may not like. Read on:

As rumored, all six Star Wars movies will be released together on Blu-ray in 2011 for the 35th anniversary of the release of A New Hope. George Lucas personally announced the set on stage at the Celebration V event, and showed off a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi that will be included (embedded after the break.) While the “highest picture and audio quality” and extensive special features are promised, what won’t make it to Blu-ray are the original versions of the movies; Lucas told the New York Times that only the special editions will be included, since restoring the original versions in high enough quality would cost too much.

Lucasfilms has deep pockets, so its more like ‘we can’t be bothered to do it’ as the reason the originals won’t be included. No exact release date has been set yet, but we’re guessing early 2011 as the approximate date.

Opinion: Are 720p resolution HDTVs worth it?

There’s an ongoing debate in some circles about the benefits of 1080p vs. 720p HDTV units, and which is worth considering. Is the extra cost (although not very much these days) for a 1080p worth it, or will many even be able to tell the difference?

Some say those with average or poor eyesight can’t tell the difference between the two reses, and small surveys and such seem to support this idea. Also important is how far you plan to sit away from the TV; if you’re 8′ or further from the set, you may not be able to tell any difference. If you’re 6′ or closer, you’ll probably see it even if your vision isn’t great.

So how about all of you? Is 1080p an important feature for you these days (especially with the lowering of Blu-Ray prices), or does it not really matter?

Samsung Day: Contest rewards app HDTV widget developers

Samsung must have a lock on today’s news, or maybe it just seems that way. Another fascinating item we got ahold of: It appears their HDTV app widget library has grown, but not fast enough for Sammy’s standards.

So now they’re offering a contest to rewards app developers who develop apps or widgets for the TV. Prizes include cash and entertainment systems as well, so it sounds good for any prospective app maker to get prizes for their toil and sweat.

For those acquainted with Java, XML and Flash Lite who are interested in getting their app up on TVs and Blu-ray players next to various popular apps, the contest runs from today to November 11, and requires a working app submission and video description as well.

By the end, 14 developers will walk away with between $1,000 and $200,000 each, plus a 3DTV, Blu-ray player and starter kit. Nice move, Samsung.

3D Gambit: Samsung unveils line of new 3D HDTVs

New product announcements are always fun, and this time is no exception. Samsung announced some new 3D HDTV product releases today, and the news spread quickly among the video elite. They also introduced the first portable Blu-Ray player too, which should spur further acceptance of the media in the mainstream. More data (and pic) courtesy of Engadget:

Earlier today, Samsung pulled the curtain off (quite literally, might we add) its newest 3DTVs and the world’s first portable 3D Blu-ray player at its New York City press conference. We were able to slap on a pair of the 3D specs and spend a bit of time staring at the (admittedly amazing) 65-inch LED 3DTV, the fairly mediocre sub-$1,000 720p 3DTV as well as form some early impressions of the Blu-ray player.

Their impressions: 3D is still expensive if you want it good, and the portable BR player is nice but overpriced. About what we expected.

Bigger HD: Washington’s new big screens – and no punter interference

It seems newer football stadiums are now competing to see how big their HD screens can get, and now we have a new contender in Washington for Dallas stadium’s huge screens. And they aren’t even smack dab in the field of play:

After seeing the HD scoreboards in the new Cowboys Stadium we didn’t think it could get any better, but Dan Snyder would disagree. This season Washington fans can enjoy two new 100 foot long high definition scoreboards installed at either end of FedEx Field, which Snyder claims are sharper than anything you’ll see down in Jerry Jones’ palace despite being slightly smaller, with the added benefit of a “secure” (read: no blocked kicks) location visible to all in the stadium.

We appreciate both ‘big’ and visible to all without worrying about a good punter knocking out some pixels. Keep it going football owners!

List of 50 Movies improved by Blu-Ray/HD

We all know watching certain movies and content in HD can improve the overall experience in general, but particular films can really heighten the experience by watching them on your On-Demand provider or Blu-Ray disc vs. standard def viewing.

We finally have a very fine list compiled by the folks at TVPredictions.com of movies where BR can greatly increase the viewing pleasure quotient of the respective cinematic pieces (now that’s a mouthful).

Feel free to check it out here: Link

Blade Runner and The Dark Knight are highlights of this list on HD in our opinion. The dark details of each world are really highlighted with the extra clarity and sharpness of the HD picture. Check out all the films on this list (well, maybe not the dreary and tepid ‘Max Payne’) and you’ll have plenty of entertainment for many weeks and months to come.

More HD: Comcast adds up to 80 HD channels in many markets

We reported Comcast was scheduled to add up to 80 HD channels in many markets as of August, and indeed that did happen. What’s interesting is the way it was done: in two ‘pieces’, and the way it was done was awkward to say the least.

In mid-June the first ‘wave’ came of 60 HD channels, but they were spread around the 700’s and 900’s in very confusing fashion in many markets, and it made for a sloppy transition to say the least. We like the idea of more HD channels, but implementation can sometimes make or break a newer format, and the rollout of this was stinky, to put it nicely.

Now in August the channels were finally placed together and the remaining 20 channels were added, making for a very nice (if overdue in many markets) influx of HD content the likes of which many paying high Comcast bills had not seen previously. More HD is always good, we say. Hopefully future expansions and changes are done in a more organized manner.

Super High-Def: 2K monitor from Dell ready to drop soon

It appears Dell is moving into the super hi-def 2K monitor race, with the recent announcement of their newest model in China to jump into the 2K display market. More details from Engadget here:

As one company moves out of the 30-inch display race, another looks set to step back into it. Dell’s unannounced, but seemingly all too real UltraSharp U3011 has been snapped over in China, and we’re being told it’ll offer a formidable 2,560 x 1,600 resolution while maintaining the styling of the smaller U2711. TFT Central reports it’ll be a 10-bit H-IPS panel from LG Display, bearing a 7ms response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 370 nits of brightness (ahem, overkill), and 178-degree viewing angles on both the horizontal and vertical axis. HDMI and DVI connections come in packs of two, accompanied by a lone DisplayPort.

It seems these displays are on the rise with many expert graphic designers, and should be seeing more shores within the year or so.

Update: Samsung releases new dual purpose HDTV

Samsung is known for updating its offerings pretty quickly much of the time, and now they’ve done it again with their latest release:

Samsung’s updating its SyncMaster monitors today with the new premium LED backlit 90 series. Most notable is the 24-inch FX2490HD model with integrated TV tuner and inputs in the form of 2x HDMI, D-Sub, and even SCART for Europe — sorry, no mention of DVI or DisplayPort that we can find. The panel itself sports a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, 5ms response, 1,000:1 contrast, and 250 nits of brightness. Akihabara News adds a few details such as PiP support, a jack for viewing media direct from USB sticks, and support for 7.1 channel Dolby Digital and DTS audio.

It should arrive in the US and Europe as early as this month for around $540 or so.

Unbreakable: Gorilla Glass coming to HDTVs soon?

Based on recent reports, the newly (old-ly?) discovered ‘Gorilla Glass’ has been offered as a scratch-proof glass for HDTV usage, but no manufacturers have scurried to the Corning corner to take them up on the glass. That may be changing soon if reports are to be believed. Your favorite HD channels may be viewable on this new super-strong glass quite soon.

Corning has recently announced plans to expand its production capacity by double or triple, and is predicting it’ll secure its first deal with a HDTV maker later this fall.

The benefits of Gorilla Glass are increased durability, strength and scratch resistance as well, but there’s a small catch: the cost may rise up to $60 more for a panel with GG present. Worth it? The market will dictate that, we assume, as always.

Opinion: Sports in HD – or not?

It’s a well-regarded opinion that sports are better enjoyed in HD and on HDTV sets, but we know some people out there aren’t that into it, or can watch their sports in SD with no qualms at all (those people aren’t really our primary readership, admittedly). We personally think it would be a waste, but then that’s just us.

Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, you name it – HD grabs you and brings you into the action like little else does (besides being there in person).

So let us know – are you particular about how you watch your favorite sports, and does HD truly add a new dimension to sports not experienced prior to it being introduced into your home?

Pre-Season HD: NFL to stream 50 NFL games in HD

Even the NFL sees the value of HD, and they have released details of a planned pre-season streaming HD plan for all 50 NFL games in the exhibition season, bringing full HD clarity to the NFL experience for those who can’t get enough of the gridiron. More details:

Don’t have the NFL Network but still want to catch every single pre-season NFL game in HD? Well you finally have an option with NFL Preseason Live. It’ll cost you $40 for the over 50 live broadcasts, as well as on demand access, but what is particularly cool is access to either team’s radio broadcast (we assume it is synced up to the video) as well as enhancements like Big Play Markers — whatever that is. If you click through you can get a taste of what it’s like by watching last year’s Super Bowl, looks good up to 3Mbps. Now before you get all excited about the idea that this is a prelude to regular season games coming to the internet, just hold on there. The pre-season games are night and day when compared to regular season when you’re talking licensing rights. While the regular season rights are part of some of the biggest TV deals ever, the pre-season rights are usually sold to local affiliates; which always makes it fun to see the quality of the broadcast with considerably smaller budgets.

We like the move, exposing more fans to the wonders of HD in any medium is something we can always appreciate.

Going HD: Redbox adding $1.50 Blu-Ray rentals this fall

It seems even a big portal like Redbox cannot resist the siren song of BR HD discs, as they have announced plans to add the high-def media to most outlets as of a few weeks or so, and nationwide by Fall or so. More details via Engadget:

It’s really no surprise that Redbox is going nationwide with its $1.50 Blu-ray rentals, at every step along the way of its Hollwood dealmaking, the company has pointed out its aim towards procuring a supply of high definition movies, and now the day is finally here. The high definition disc packing kiosks currently number 13,300, and the plan is to have Blu-ray in all 26,000 locations by the fall. While we spotted plenty of Blu-ray enabled locations with a San Francisco zip code, other areas in the Midwest and East Coast weren’t so lucky.

We applaud Redbox for getting with the HD media revolution, and hopefully this will make the format more palatable for mainstream consumption down the road.

HD Bites: Shark Week arrives with more HD than ever

It’s almost August, which means a man’s annual rite of (TV) passage, Shark Week, on Discovery channel will be chomping at the bit to get onto your HDTV panel.  Check our Engadget’s quick and dirty summary:

Do you really have to check the calendar to know what time of year it is? That’s right baby, it’s Shark Week, and as usual, Discovery’s taking a midsummer break to bring everything shark related to its prime time lineup. This year, Discovery follows up on one of the most-watched Shark Week specials of all time, Air Jaws, with Ultimate Air Jaws August 1 at 9 p.m., with 2,000 fps HD footage of great white sharks leaping out of the water to attack seals. Even if that’s not enough details (and time, with one second of footage expanded to an entire minute) to count every tooth in the shark’s mouth as the press release breathlessly claims, then check out Into the Shark Bite, where they inserted high speed HD cameras — where else — directly into a shark’s jaws.

If you’re a fan of big nasty sea animals (in HD not 3D, mind you), then you have to tune in this week to bite into your favorite species of shark.

Blu-Ray News: BR versions of Disney films coming next year

It seems Disney has a real affection for the Blu-Ray HD platform, as they now have plans to re-release two of its 14 classics every year exclusive to BR. Upcoming trailers on the Blu-ray edition of James & the Giant Peach show that The Lion King (Diamond Edition) and Alice in Wonderland (Special 60th Anniversary Edition) will be coming to stores in BR high-def early next year.

No precise specs yet, but we’d expect to see the same TLC taken in remastering and restoring the audio and video to eye-popping quality that’s been seen on previous releases.

We’re seeing a real surge in companies remastering classic films for Blu-Ray high-def, and we love the trend, we have to say. We’re looking forward to these releases, as (closet) lovers of old-fashioned animated films.

Look at the difference in this preview pic here…amazing.

Next Page »