Hasta La Gadget!

Just in case you thought the often discussed / as yet unseen Apple HDTV rumor mill was dead, you were wrong. The Wall Street Journal is reigniting things this evening, with sources claiming that instead of competing with cable providers by starting up its own IPTV offering, Apple has switched to sweet talking pay-TV providers into offering their content through its box. If you’re still looking for a Cupertino-embued display you may be in luck, since the anonymous parties also indicate the set-top box tech it’s working on could be integrated with HDTVs. That is still an less than certain path at the moment however, given pay-TV operators current preference to control every element of the experience and relationship with consumers, as well as the split of profits.

According to the Journal report, Steve Jobs was “dismissive” of attempts to build a cable box since cable operators each only have limited regional exposure and don’t own the content they license from studios. Since then however we have seen a few offerings of cable and satellite TV beyond the box as Microsoft offers Verizon and Comcast apps on its Xbox 360, Samsung has brought providers directly to its smart HDTVs and many providers offer streaming access via iPad or other mobile devices. Still, since the rumor doesn’t indicate a deal is inked or even on the way, we wouldn’t hold our breath for any or all of the listed possibilities to come true any time soon.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

WSJ: Apple’s TV focus changes to putting cable TV in its set-top box originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Glasses-free 3D may be the next logical step in TV’s evolution, but we have yet to see a convincing device make it to market that doesn’t come along with a five-figure price tag. The sets that do come within range of tickling our home theater budgets won’t blow you away, and it’s not unreasonable to expect that trend to continue through the next few product cycles. A dramatic adjustment in our approach to glasses-free 3D may be just what the industry needs, so you’ll want to pay close attention to the MIT Media Lab’s latest brew. Tensor Displays combine layered low-cost panels with some clever software that assigns and alternates the image at a rapid pace, creating depth that actually looks fairly realistic. Gordon Wetzstein, one of the project creators, explained that the solution essentially “(takes) the complexity away from the optics and (puts) it in the computation,” and since software solutions are far more easily scaled than their hardware equivalent, the Tensor Display concept could result in less expensive, yet superior 3D products.

We caught up with the project at SIGGRAPH, where the first demonstration included four fixed images, which employed a similar concept as the LCD version, but with backlit inkjet prints instead of motion-capable panels. Each displaying a slightly different static image, the transparencies were stacked to give the appearance of depth without the typical cost. The version that shows the most potential, however, consists of three stacked LCD panels, each displaying a sightly different pattern that flashes back and forth four times per frame of video, creating a three-dimensional effect that appears smooth and natural. The result was certainly more tolerable than the glasses-free 3D we’re used to seeing, though it’s surely a long way from being a viable replacement for active-glasses sets — Wetzstein said that the solution could make its way to consumers within the next five years. Currently, the technology works best in a dark room, where it’s able to present a consistent image. Unfortunately, this meant the light levels around the booth were a bit dimmer than what our camera required, resulting in the underexposed, yet very informative hands-on video you’ll see after the break.

Continue reading MIT Media Lab’s Tensor Displays stack LCDs for low-cost glasses-free 3D (hands-on video)

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

MIT Media Lab’s Tensor Displays stack LCDs for low-cost glasses-free 3D (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku has unveiled a new list of hardware partners who are working on making sure that the Roku stick works well on their HD Television. Partners include: Element Electronics, GlobalVue International LLC, Haier, Hitachi America Ltd,  Insignia, a Best Buy brand, Mitsubishi Electric (TVs), Onkyo and Integra, OPPO and TMAX Digital Inc (Apex Digital® TVs).

The reason why this is important to get the TV folks on board is because the Roku stick uses an MHL port, which looks like -and plug into- an HDMI port. While physically identical from the outside, MHL does provide power to the Roku stick and requires internal electronics to interpret the signal. It happens fairly often that consumers buy a MHL device and connect it  via HDMI only to discover that it won’t work because the TV does not support MHL.

By working with these TV manufacturers, Roku will be able to provide a compelling list of compatible devices to their customers to improve the overall user experience. The Roku streaming stick is expected to launch in the “fall of 2012″ and it should be one of the most affordable  and small video streaming device.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: NVIDIA Miracast clones mobile devices displays to HTDVs, Roku receives $45 million strategic investment,

Toshiba’s most recent fiscal results (the first of its 2012 financial year) show that while the company pulled in $16 billion in turnover, it slumped to a $154 million loss for the last three months. While its “social infrastructure” unit (power plants, LED light bulbs and radiation detectors) generated a $107 million profit, the consumer electronics and white-goods sectors continued to lose sales. The company attributes the loss to further restructuring costs as well as pointing an accusatory digit toward the European financial crisis and concerns about power generation capacity in Japan. Despite the gloom, the company says that it still expects to hit a target of $81 billion turnover and $3.8 billion profit before March 2013.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Toshiba slips into the red as latest earnings reveal $153 million loss originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week we got the chance to speak with Gene Dolgoff, known for his invention of the LCD projector, digital projection in general, and his new device that’s up on Fundable right this minute. As he’s more than ready to let you know, he’s also got an incredibly fun fact up his sleeve: he inspired Gene Roddenberry to create the holodeck in Star Trek. It’s from there you’ll find yourself a bit intrigued with the next step in our current abilities to present 3D video and images through our own devices – with help of 3-D Vision technology that Dolgoff presents here and now.

We shot a few pointed questions at Dolgoff before he jumped right in on his Reddit AMA which, we’ll vouch for, is certainly going on today right here: [Ask ]. Have a peek at what we got to know about the project as it’s being developed for the consumer world as we speak.

SlashGear: What’s your ultimate goal with 3-D Vision technology?

Gene Dolgoff: I have been involved in the effort to promote 3-D to the world since the beginning of the 1960s. Now that the world is finally catching up, but is stalled when it comes to consumer 3-D at home (for TVs, computers, projectors, and handheld devices), I want to break that logjam with our revolutionary technology and move the world to the next level so that everyone can view and make 3-D anytime and anywhere they want.

SG: Will the device being released in the Fundable program you’ve got up right now require special eyewear for the user to see 3D? Or will the output completely depend on the device it’s working with?

GD: Our Instant 3-D Converter(TM) is currently designed to use special 3-D glasses. One type is for use with any TV set and the other type is for use with computers and handheld devices. We include one pair of each type of 3-D glasses with the converter (additional glasses will also be sold separately).

SG: What are the limits of the video content 3-D Vision technology can convert successfully?

GD: Our Instant 3-D Converter can convert any video content to 3-D instantly with high quality. Our inputs are composite, component, VGA, and HDMI.

SG: Why did you choose to work with Fundable rather than seeking out funding via traditional means?

GD: We have a business plan and even a draft private placement memorandum and are starting to talk to potential investors. However, that route is typically a slow route, and we want to get this technology out as quickly as possible. Crowd funding potentially provides a faster route for initial funding if your product and company meets the right criteria (which I think ours does).

I had been talking with the founders of fundable.com since before they launched their site. We all felt that, working together, we could be beneficial to each other both in raising some initial capital in a relatively short period of time, and in demonstrating consumer interest, which can be very important in influencing potential conventional investors.

SG: What are your plans for projects beyond this one? Will you continue your work towards a real Star Trek holodeck situation?

GD: We do have other consumer-oriented as well as commercial 3-D products in the pipeline, and will intend to continue to develop them into products and large markets. If we are successful enough to produce the kind of funding needed, we will continue to also pursue the development of holodeck-like products and applications.

Stay tuned as we follow this project through to full funding and beyond! Also be sure to check out the 3-D Vision Fundable project right now and toss in some cash for early access to the device!

3-D Vision CEO Gene Dolgoff speaks on his magical 2D to 3D conversion device is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
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