Category: HDTV
iTunes UK gets a high definition boost: new TV shows arrive
iTunes stores outside the US have always lagged behind when it comes to new features, but Apple has gradually been adding new video content to the UK store.
Last week’s moderately big news was that high definition episodes of Lost series 5 have made it into the iTunes store. Now, eagle-eyed fans have discovered a range of other titles that have “suddenly hit” the store…
Panasonic rescuing the reputation of plasma TVs – thinner, more efficient models on the way
Poor old plasma TVs, which have long been tagged as the energy-sucking, gas-guzzlers of the lounge, might be about to have their reputations saved – thanks to Panasonic’s new range.
Panasonic reckons it’s managed to get the energy consumption of a standard plasma TV down by HALF – a move which it’s hoping will boost sales of its TVs by 50% over the coming year, as modern energy-aware shoppers start paying a bit more attention to the numbers on the back of boxes when they buy stuff…
SHINY PREVIEW: Philips 21:9 Cinema Super-Widescreen LCD
News of the Philips Cinema 21:9 TV splatted out onto the web about two weeks earlier than the Dutch masters would have liked, so the event yesterday afternoon was always going to be a little underwhelming. All the same, we sent Susi down to brave the canapes and bring us back what few extra details Philips were prepared to share, as well as a little footage of the sucker too.
Super-thin Sony Bravia ZX1 ready for sale – Bravia EX1 & 200Hz Z4500 on shelf too
Now that I’ve booked my flights, hotel, planned my shopping and rid myself of the anger of the £3,489 Sony XEL-1 OLED from this morning, I can tell you about their other Bravia TVs that’ll be hitting the EU shortly.
Sony Bravia ZX1
First up is the super thin 9.9mm LCD Bravia ZX1 we saw at IFA in August last year. It’s the one pictured above.
As promised it’s a 40″ panel with a frame rate of…
Sky offers Sky+HD box for under fifty quid as satellite giant pushes high definition
Sky has decided that it’s time to get really aggressive when it comes to high definition in the UK, and to that end has slashed the price of its Sky+HD box to just £49. That’s a third of the price it was early last year (£150) and is the satellite broadcaster’s hope of getting many more subscribers hooked on pay-for-HD.
In fact, thanks to a lot of enticing marketing and the lure of a variety of sports, films and other content in high definition, Sky has just had its best quarter — in the three months to the end of December, 188,000 people signed up for high-def services, taking the total number of subscribers to nearly 800,000…
EU's knee-jerk anti-plasma campaign could lead to total ban and more sensationalist tech headlines
Everyone knows that, in general, large TVs consume more electricity than small ones, but it seems that EU bureaucrats are just turning themselves on to the idea of banning plasma TVs because they’re not energy efficient.
The yawn-inducing title attributed to plasma sets is “the 4×4 of the living room” (I reported this over at HDTVUK two years ago) because it’s easy to lump them all together as electricity guzzlers.
Sweeping generalisations reported in the mainstream press include such gems as “they use up to four times as much electricity and are responsible for up to four times as much carbon dioxide as traditional cathode ray tube sets.” The clue is in those two words — “up to” — which, just as when applied to your flagging broadband connection, can cover a huge range of values…
Glacier Media Systems promising "3D porn" to revolt you in more ways than previously imaginable
Now, personally speaking, I’m quite a fan and active user of a wide and varied range of pornography – but I’m not so sure there’s a need to watch it in 3D.
I don’t like the idea of a man’s belly and scrotum protruding into my lounge as he services the needs of a dishevelled-looking East European lady. That crosses a boundary. I want to feel emotionally detached. I don’t want a starring role. I’d never be able to perform under that sort of pressure.
But that’s precisely the sort of in-your-face and in-your-living-room approach to movie-watching being taken by Glacier Media Systems, with its Glacier Iceberg 3D entertainment system promising to bring your existing movie collection into 3D somehow, should you have…
CES 2009: Samsung reveals huge range of new LCD and plasma HD tellies
I knew that not long after reeling off LG’s massive line of new HDTVs then along would come someone else with lots of TVs to brag about.
That’s Samsung.
Here we go, then, with the latest high definition TVs from the South Korean technology giant.
First on the list is the new 8000, 7000, and 6000 Series of LED HDTVs which boast better environmental credentials and over 40% less energy usage to LCD TVs of a similar size. Fortunately, Dan’s already done a sterling job reviewing these tellies so I’ll move on to Samsung’s other new displays…
CES 2009: LG unveils huge range of plasma and LCD HDTVs
LG has decided that it hasn’t released nearly enough high definition TVs already, and so is spending this year’s CES showing off a jaw-dropping eleven new series (yes series, not just models) of plasma and LCD TVs.
So that you aren’t bored witless with every detailed specification, here’s an overview of what’s on offer.
Let’s take a look at the LCD TVs first…
LG to build Netflix-enabled HDTVs, Adobe bringing Flash to HD equipment
LG should announce today that it is to manufacture high definition LCD and plasma TVs with the Netflix Internet streaming service built in for the US market.
The two companies launched a partnership to manufacture set top boxes just before CES last year. This news means that consumers will be able to buy an integrated TV rather than a dedicated STB and additional cabling…
