Hasta La Gadget!

Now that HDTV is “the new normal” according to Nielsen (its most recent stats say more than 75 percent of US households have one) then naturally, it’s time to upgrade to 4K. This week the Consumer Electronics Association officially dubbed such screens — with characteristics including at least eight million active pixels, and 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, among other things — Ultra High-Definition, or Ultra HD in order to help educate consumers about the new tech. The ITU already laid down its spec recommendations for Ultra High Definition TV so the industry should be able to move forward in unison pushing super high-res displays across the land. Of course we did say “should,” and Sony is already informing media outlets that it plans to market its 4K products as “4K UHD.” Whatever it’s called, we saw 84-inch screens from multiple manufacturers announced recently, and with the CEA’s announcement we’re penciling in a few more pixel-dense models for the big Las Vegas show in January.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

CEA officially brands 4K as Ultra HD, gets ready for a flood of new displays at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 12:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At CEDIA 2012 JVC showed off its 2012 line of home theater projectors, most which feature its e-Shift2 technology, a new version of the “4K precision” upconversion it introduced last year. While they are not capable of accepting a 4K source (not that you have any 4K Blu-ray discs lying around anyway), they work by creating two 1080p frames from the HD source, shifting one down and to the right. e-Shift2 promises higher native contrast and improved processing over its predecessor thanks to a new polarizing wire grid engine and updated algorithms. All of the new projectors are 3D capable with RF-connected active shutter glasses, and there’s a new smartphone app available for controlling settings without interrupting viewing. Of course, a 130,000:1 native contrast ratio doesn’t come cheap and the top of the line DLA-X95R/DLA-RS66 models sporting the spec have a pricetag of $11,999. Of course, if you’re looking for the 4K upscaling for a (relative) bargain, the DLA-X55R/DLA-RS48 can be had for just a hair under $5,000.

That’s not all JVC had to display however, as it also brought along one “early pre-production model” of an 84-inch UHDTV it plans to release in the first quarter of 2013. Like its projectors, it will come in both home theater and professional trim branded the RS-840UD and PS-840UD. It may be a price beater as well since JVC is targeting a sub-$20k price tag for both models, which would be well shy of the $25k set Sony just announced. Unlike some of the other 4K screens we’ve seen it does not include any 3D support, which may be a part of the lower cost. We got a quick peek at the display and the picture looked as sharp and punchy as we’ve come to expect, and even had less glare than other displays we’ve seen. Check out all of the prices and specs after the break, and bring your wallet.

Continue reading JVC reveals e-Shift2 4K scaling projectors, promises true 4K LCDs for under $20k

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

JVC reveals e-Shift2 4K scaling projectors, promises true 4K LCDs for under $20k originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d heard that the International Telecommunication Union was close to approving Super Hi-Vision as an Ultra High Definition TV standard, and the UN agency hasn’t waited long to confirm the rumors. The recommendation to use NHK’s 7,680 x 4,320 format has gone unopposed and should define the parameters for incredibly detailed 8K video worldwide. This shouldn’t lead anyone to return that 4K TV just yet — once again, it’s important to remember that NHK still won’t start any kind of wider testing until 2020. That’s also assuming that the first 8K sets are down to Earth instead of the incredibly expensive 145-inch variety.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

ITU approves NHK’s Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 05:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in time to completely blow away that puny flat screen you nabbed for your dorm room, LG has announced its 84-inch ultra high definition LCD TV is ready to ship in South Korea. The company put its first UHDTV up for pre-ordering last month, at a price of 25 million won, which currently converts to about $22,105 US. The 84LM9600 does 3D with LG’s Cinema 3D passive glasses technology, however its ultra high pixel count means you’re still watching in 1080p even with the resolution loss since it starts at 3,840 x 2,160, and also features “3D sound” with integrated 2.2 channel speakers.

The bad news of course is that finding actual 4K res content is practically impossible, despite recent work on standards and even some testing by broadcasters. Still, plug this into a BDP-S790 Blu-ray player, certain PS3 apps or just output the latest video you’ve shot and it should be worth the price of admission, assuming you’re one of the (presumably) well-heeled Korean VIP customers that managed to snag one so far. If you’re not then don’t worry — the press release (included after the break) reveals you’ll have your chance once they start shipping worldwide in September, we plan to get our eyes on a production model at IFA 2012 in Germany.

Continue reading 4K, 84-inch ‘ultra’ HDTV from LG is ready to start shipping now in Korea, worldwide next month

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

4K, 84-inch ‘ultra’ HDTV from LG is ready to start shipping now in Korea, worldwide next month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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