Category: HDTV
Up close with the Sony BRAVIA range: Part 4: Sound
Sony has paid just as much attention to how their TVs reproduce audio as they have with how the picture looks.
If you’ve ever complained that actors seem to be mumbling, or that the background music or noise is louder than the dialogue, then Voice Zoom could be a boon. It allows the viewer to boost the frequencies associated with the human voice, making it much easier to follow conversation and narration.
Most BRAVIA TVs feature Dolby’s virtual surround sound technologies, with top-of-the-range sets also having Sony’s exclusive S-Force Front Surround. Both simulate 5.1 channel surround sound from just the two in-built speakers. Paired with this is the BBE VIVA system which enhances fidelity and dialogue in 3D sound, and reduces echo…
Up close with the Sony BRAVIA range: Part 3: Connections
As you’d expect from Sony, all BRAVIA TVs can be linked to a wide range of other home cinema and audio equipment, be that the latest Blu-ray players, games console, and set top boxes, or older devices such as DVD and video recorders…
AmberFin: Snell & Wilcox launches end-to-end content creation solution: good news for consumers
At first glance, the news that a well-established company which supplies services to the broadcast industry has launched a new service for handling video content may not seem particularly relevant to consumers. Yet Snell and Wilcox’s work is something that most TV viewers in Britain will have experienced even if they’ve never heard of the company.
Yesterday I spoke to Joe Zaller (VP Corporate Development) and Simon Derry (CEO) from S&W. It’s clear that broadcasters, ISPs and telecoms companies need a system like AmberFin if they’re to deliver digital video in a variety of formats to an ever more demanding consumer, in high quality, while still making money.
AmberFin should create a win-win situation for everyone…
Pioneer and Matsushita collaborate on plasma TV business
Now that Pioneer has ditched plasma panel production, they’ve partnered with Matsushita (who manufactures the Panasonic brand) to strengthen their “KURO” and “VIERA” brands…
Blockbuster developing set top box to "kill" Apple TV
Poor old Apple. Everyone wants to invent a “killer” to take out its products – and the next cold-blooded assassin is video rental chain Blockbuster.
Blockbuster is developing a video-streaming set-top-box to rival (KILL!) Apple’s Apple TV system, according to The News.
Rumoured to be announced some time this month…
Sony may create HDTV with integrated Blu-ray drive
Based on recent comments made by Sony’s president and Electronics CEO, Ryoji Chubachi, the company may soon create high definition LCD TVs with integrated Blu-ray players / burners.
It’s part of their 2008 strategy to increase global market share of all Blu-ray products from 20% (current) to 50%…
Four HD channels will arrive in time for the 2012 Olympics, says airwave police Ofcom
The slow, painful, expensive trek toward free-to-air HD TV channels took another tiny little baby step forward today, with wireless data chiefs Ofcom declaring that we’ll definitely have HD TV through our telly aerials by 2012.
Previously Ofcom and the major broadcasters signed a “non-binding memorandum of understanding” stating that they were all well up for it in principle – now it’s 100% definitely happening. No more massively expensive Sky HD subscription required!
A total of four HD…
Sony's DPP-FP95 HDMI-equipped photo printer
A slightly insane idea from Sony, this – it’s gone and put an HDMI socket on a photo printer so you can look at your photos in HD on your television.
To make that idea even less appealing, the DPP-FP95 also has its own built-in 3.6″ LCD touch screen for looking at your photos on as well. It’s a gadget for people who definitely like seeing their face…
Up close with the Sony BRAVIA range: Part 2: Display technology
Last time, we looked at how Sony’s BRAVIA range of TVs produce the optimum picture from any video source.
It doesn’t end there, though. There’s plenty more technology built in to these TVs to ensure that programmes and films look their best.
LCD Technology
Most of the BRAVIA TVs feature a state-of-the-art high performance LCD panel. These feature Advanced Contrast Enhancement, which monitors the brightness of the backlight and automatically adjusts contrast to ensure good detail levels, an ultra wide viewing angle of 178 degrees, and a non-reflective frame which helps to reduce reflections caused by artificial light sources in a room…
Men getting into interior design – so their lovely new LCD TVs match the curtains
The trend of replacing ugly old CRTs with fancy new LCDS has lead to men getting all worried about the insides of their houses.
A survey from fancy LCD maker LG found that 6/10 Brits believe their TV’s design is important to their homes, with an even higher percentage saying that the TV is “an integral part of their interior design decisions.”
Men, in fact, are now so worried about how their growing home cinema setup looks…
