Hasta La Gadget!

Never wasting an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition, LG has launched a brand new ultra-definition television. The massive 4K HDTV comes it at at 84-inches, which means it isn’t the biggest television we’ve seen, but it is the biggest set capable of 4k technology. LG says that this television offers a whopping 8 million pixels per frame, which delivers “four times the resolution (3840×2160) of existing Full HD TV panels.”

That’s quite a boost to resolution, but if you want one, you better be ready to hand over some serious cash, because this ultra-definition television comes in at $22,000. At that price, LG is going to have a difficult time netting a significant number of buyers. The television has already launched in South Korea, and it’s scheduled to release in other regions next month.

Obviously, the idea behind this launch isn’t to get one in every living room around the world, but rather for LG to get a foot in early on. While 4K HDTVs are ridiculously expensive at the moment, as their price comes down throughout the next decade or so, the market will begin to adopt 4K HDTVs as the new standard. Analyst Daniel Simmons from IHS Screen Digest tells BBC that this is another “evolutionary step” in televisions, and that 4K HDTVs, as expensive as they are, offer users “cinema-quality resolution in the home.”

It may not be the inclusion of 4K that moves televisions like this one however, as Simmons suggests that it’s may actually be a bigger screen that gets consumers to upgrade. This television certainly has a big screen, but it isn’t the first 4K HDTV we’ve seen. Other companies like Toshiba and Panasonic offer 4K HDTVs (although their televisions are quite a bit smaller than LG’s), and some others like Samsung are working on bringing one to market. LG will be bringing this new ultra-definition TV with it to IFA at the end of the month, so we’ll probably be hearing more about it then. Stay tuned.

[via LG Newsroom]

LG launches ridiculously big ultra-definition television is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the world’s first 84-inch Ultra Definition (UD) 3D TV in South Korea. The LG UD 3D TV is powered by the company’s advanced Triple XD Engine, offering a superb picture quality with 8 million pixels per frame. It is four times the resolution (3840×2160) of existing Full HD TV panels. The LG UD 3D TV also provides a 2.2 Speaker System that comprises of two 10W speakers and two 15W woofers. LG will release the 84-inch UD 3D TV in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America next month. [Press Release]

This week I bought a Roku. Late to the party? Yes, but not as late as you might suppose. Roku has sold about 2.5 million streaming media boxes since the product launched in 2008. Approximately 1.5 million of those units moved in 2011, indicating an acceleration of demand. Coincidentally, those numbers roughly represent the cord-cutting movement: Reportedly, 2.65 million cable subscribers ditched their service between 2008 and 2011, with about 1.5 million of those defections happening in 2011.

While cable cord-cutting is a trend, the movement is occurring in the context of customer inertia. About 100 million customers subscribe to cable, satellite, and other pay-TV providers (e.g. AT&T’s U-Verse). The problematic value proposition of cutting the cord will probably keep massive inaction in place for the short term, but cannot, I believe, withstand long-term marketplace demands.

Continue reading Editorial: Cutting the cable cord is a young trend going in the right direction

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Editorial: Cutting the cable cord is a young trend going in the right direction originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s no secret that Apple has been talking to content providers in the past, presumably for the mythical Apple Television, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the company is currently in talks with US cable providers to allow consumers to use a set-top-box manufactured by Cupertino. The box will reportedly allow consumers to access live television as well as other content, according to people familiar with the matter.

Instead of licensing content directly, Apple will go through the cable providers, offering a set-top-box that offers a mix of live television and custom apps. According to the report, the box that Apple is planning to build could cost “hundreds of dollars”, not unlike the current devices offered by Motorola, among others. Rather than building an actual television, Apple could slowly but surely makes its way into the industry, building up credibility with partners before moving ahead with its own plans. The Wall Street Journal does note, however, that Apple has built prototype televisions in the past.

According to the WSJ, Apple hasn’t yet reached a deal with any cable operators, as the companies may be reluctant to let Apple participate in the TV game. It’s not the first time Apple has approached content providers with the prospect of some sort of device based around the television. Steve Jobs reportedly approached the CEO of CBS last year about providing content for a new Apple television subscription-based service, an offer that was met with rejection.

Rumors have popped up for years suggesting that Apple is working on a television, but things have been quiet on that front as of late. The last time we heard about the fabled Apple television it was said to resemble a Cinema Display, with voice recognition powered by Siri allowing users to control the TV with only their voice. Sharp is said to be providing IGZO panels for the TV, but if this new report from the Wall Street Journal is to be believed, Apple may be trying a different route instead.

[via The Next Web]

Apple tipped for live TV set-top box is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

For all the stuff that you’ve heard about Apple TV (the box) and the nearly mythical iTV, this is really the most important rumor. Never mind Siri on the TV, and other user interface chatter. Although very important, the user interface is only useful if there is actually something to watch on the big screen. And that’s exactly the first thing that Apple is trying to solve by negotiating with cable operators to let people use an Apple device as a cable set top box.

This is not unheard of: Tivo has done that for years, but Tivo’s problem is that it has much less option than Apple has to monetize its box. In short, there is no Tivo app store or eco-system that is comparable to what Apple has, or could have. On the surface, it doesn’t sound too bad for the cable folks, but things aren’t simple. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: GoPago equips local merchants with 4G tablets, for free, HTC Q2 profit down 60%,