Hasta La Gadget!

A television with a 4K resolution is still pretty rare these days, and also still very expensive. However, that doesn’t mean there can’t be exceptions. Chinese television maker TCL just announced a new 50-inch 4K HDTV with a price tag of just a dollar shy of $1,000, which is less expensive than most other 1080p televisions on the market today.

How does a 4K HDTV cost only $1,000? Well, the biggest factor is that it’s a cheap Chinese manufacturer, compared to top-quality brands like LG or Samsung, but another big reason for the low price tag is that the TV doesn’t come with the bells and whistles like THX certifications and internet-connected Smart TV features.

TCL is the second manufacturer to provide budget 4K televisions, with Seiki being the first, thanks to their 39-inch 4Ker for only $700 and their own 50-inch model for $1,500. However, the TCL 50-incher costs $500 less, meaning that this is the cheapest 50-inch 4K TV around, and it’s probably the cheapest that big-screen 4K televisions will go — at least until a few years from now.

Other televisions in TCL’s lineup for this year include regular HDTV models at 40-, 46-, and 55-inch sizes, priced at $399, $499 and $799, respectively. TCL’s 4K variant will start shipping in September, while their traditional 1080p models will begin shipping at some point next month.

While 4K (also referred to as Ultra HD) is still in its early stages, it seems like the next progressive step in the evolution television. While we don’t see too many 4K offerings on the market just yet (and the ones we see are extremely pricey), we very well may see 4K become more ubiquitous as time goes on, with prices coming way down in the next couple of years.

TCL 50-inch 4K HDTV arrives with $1k price point is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Curious as to what’s hiding inside the Google Chromecast dongle? Thanks to the FCC, we don’t have to wonder what the Chromecast is packing anymore. There’s a Marvell DE3005 chip and an AzurWare chip to take care of Wi-Fi duties, according to Anandtech. FCC documents actually show Chromecast details in May, with pictures of its innards added today. Enjoy the guts. [FCC via @nerdtalker, Engadget]

Read more…

It would appear that Google is good and ready to enter the smart TV market from a Chrome angle this week with a device called Chromecast. This little beast is made to plug into your television’s standard HDMI port, connect to the web, and obey your every Chromebook and/or Android device’s command. Sound easy enough?

Here you’ll be working with a new “cast” button in apps like YouTube – sound familiar? – that’ll play a video that you choose from your phone or tablet (or Chrome web browser window) to your Chromecast-connected TV. This works in a manner thats exceedingly similar to the Nexus Q, a much larger device introduced by Google at Google I/O 2012 – and ditched not long after.

This device will be offered through the Google Play store the same as the Nexus device lineup and will be opening some rather interesting avenues for not just Android devices, but the whole Chrome operating system universe as well. Think about how not just televisions will be utilized, but massive computer displays as well!

We’ll be exploring this device and its abilities in greater detail once we have our hands on a unit. For now you’ll want to know this: this device connects with software, not with hardware, over a Wifi connection in your living room. It’ll work with the YouTube app on iOS, you can access this button with YouTube in a Chrome internet browser – and we’ll see what else as soon as hackers get their hands on it, too!

UPDATE: Netflix, too, of course. Expect big things from this cross-collaboration in the near future!

Chromecast: a tiny computer that connects your TV to your phone, tablet, and laptop is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The US Department of Defense values its wireless spectrum more than many government agencies, and it has been reluctant to lose those airwaves to private providers through government auctions. It just had a change of heart, however: the Pentagon tells the NTIA that it’s now willing to free up spectrum in the 1,755MHz to 1,780MHz range. The proposal would have the military shift much of its wireless use into nearby 1,780MHz to 1,850 MHz bands, while moving other tasks into frequencies between 2,025MHz and 2,110MHz. Problem solved? Not quite, unfortunately — NAB members use the 2GHz range for TV, and they’re more than a little worried about interference. The military’s suggestion should kickstart negotiations, though, and carriers are optimistic that there will eventually be a deal that gives them the bandwidth they crave.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, HD, Mobile

Comments

Source: Wall Street Journal

Both LG and Samsung seem to be doing some direct battling with their new OLED displays, which isn’t surprising at all and quite expected really. Samsung will begin selling its new curved OLED HDTV in the US starting sometime this week, with LG barely beating them out with theirs releasing today. The best part is, Samsung’s offering also has the same exact price tag.

Samsung’s OLED TV will sell for $15,000 in the US at some point this week, according to a listing on Value Electronics. The retailer says that shipments of the new curved OLED television from Samsung are on their way, and they believe they’ll be the first retailer to sell the TV, with availability coming later this week.

We caught Samsung’s curved OLED TV at CES 2013 back in January when the company began showing off the display, and it was obviously something impressive to look at. OLED technology provides a much better picture than LED and Plasma, thanks to the even darker blacks and vibrant colors, not to mention the low-power capabilities.

Samsung will offer two versions of the new OLED display, one which is curved and the other which is a flat design, the latter of which hasn’t been detailed yet as far availability is concerned, but we’re guessing that model may be a bit cheaper than its curved brethren.

No word on what other retailers will be selling the new television, but we’re guessing many of the big stores will carry the new curved display. $15,000 is a hard pill to swallow, but there’s bound to be some HDTV enthusiasts out there willing to spend that kind of money for the best picture possible.

VIA: CNET

Samsung curved OLED TV arriving in the US after Korean release is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.