Hasta La Gadget!

As LG continues its slew of CES pre-announcements, it’s revealed details about the new HDTVs it will be showing off in Las Vegas next week. Predictably, they include three lines of plasma models (fewer than previous years, but still kicking) in 42- to 60-inch sizes, and new LCD HDTVs in various levels of trim and sizes from 22-inches up to 60-inches. Most notably, this year all of its new LCDs are LED, as it’s kicked the old CCFL tech to the curb. LG has already detailed upcoming changes for its voice/gesture Magic Remote control and a couple of Google TV models, however other new features for 2013 include an “On Now” recommendation system that learns what you watch and offers relevant selections from live TV and video on-demand services. Expect new tie-ins to be announced with both streaming and local TV providers to help fill out the selection around the world.

Hardware-wise, new feature boxes checked this year include NFC, thanks to a new “Tag On” sticker smartphones and other devices can easily pair with. Getting content from mobile devices to the display will also be easier thanks to Miracast and WiDi support, and MHL ports will be readily available as well. LG’s FPR 3D tech isn’t going anywhere, and Smart TV features should be speedier than ever thanks to CPUs with a promised 120 percent speed boost, and 300 percent faster GPUs. As seen in the pics, the design has also been altered slightly with a new stand that both swivels and rolls, plus a reduced bezel size.

If you’re looking for the latest and greatest however, LG will be showing off the 84-inch Ultra HD 4K set it just started shipping and the 55-inch OLED display we’re waiting for. No word yet on shipping dates or price for any of the new models, but as we surmised from LG Display’s plans, we should see a couple of 55- and 65-inch Ultra HD TVs appear before the year is out. There’s a couple more pictures of the new HDTVs in the gallery plus a press release with all the details after the break. Beyond that, HD Guru has a model-by-model breakdown of the available information — we’ll check back with our in-person impressions in a few days.

Continue reading LG details LCD, plasma HDTV lineup for 2013: 4K, Miracast, NFC, WiDi and more

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, LG

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Source: LG

Recently Sony invited us to check out its forthcoming 84-inch XBR 4K LED TV and we couldn’t resist an opportunity to get an idea of how well the company’s $25,000 flagship stacked up against the competition. Perhaps trying to simulate an in-home viewing experience, Sony packed its gargantuan TV into a family room setting and allowed us to give it a spin. While we didn’t get to channel surf freely, the provided stock media did a great job of highlighting the display’s capabilities. Images were crisp but fluid, while colors remained strong and organic. One of our biggest concerns was that things would look too good and possibly appear unnatural.

But the XBR-84X900 managed to produce an excellent picture with stellar viewing angles. As for the content itself, we were treated to a collection of pre-loaded clips running off of Sony’s recently announced 4K media server controlled by the system’s included Xperia Tablet S. It should be noted that The Amazing Spider-Man was listed as a 56.4GB file — compared to its Blu-ray counterpart, which comes in at an almost modest 36GB. Check after the break for more of our impressions, and a look at the tablet (loaded with a remote control app) that’s included.

Continue reading Sony’s $25,000 XBR 4K LED Ultra HDTV and tablet remote control hands-on

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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Kaz Hirai has promised a “One Sony” that aligns its various capabilities in entertainment and electronics to work better together, and it seems we’ll have one of the first examples in its launch of the 84-inch XBR-84X900 LED TV. We spoke to Sony Electronics COO Phil Molyneux about the 4K Ultra HD Video Player that’s coming with each purchase of its (MSRP: $24,999.99) beast and why, as he says, it’s something “only Sony can do.” First, we finally have the confirmed details of this first ever 4K player for the home: it’s a hard-disc server, available exclusively on no-additional cost lease to purchasers that’s preloaded with 10 full-length feature films (including The Amazing Spider-Man, Total Recall (2012), Taxi Driver, Bridge Over the River Kwai — see the press release for a full list), a number of short concert / action sports clips from Red Bull, and an Xperia Tablet S packing a special remote control app that’s similar to its Movies Unlimited service.

This is the first time home viewers will be able to experience 4K video of this caliber at home, and from the cameras, to its Colorworks digital facility opened in 2009, to the special white glove service charged with periodically updating the hard-disc’s content for well-heeled buyers, Sony plans on pushing more soon. Check after the break for more details on how that will happen.

Continue reading Sony’s 4K Ultra HD Video Player revealed, COO Phil Molyneux tells us what ‘only Sony can do’

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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3net, the joint venture from Sony, Discovery and IMAX that’s a 3D channel and more recently a production studio, is ready to announce its first slate of content. While so far the channel has mainly sourced content from the three partners, the new slate of projects, with one that it says is the world’s first native 4K project for TV. Called Space, it combines 3D and Ultra HD footage to explore the universe. Of course, at $20k~ a pop for Ultra HD TV sets and a lack of anyone broadcasting in the format so far it may be a bit early, but it will probably air in standard HD/3D at first and when the tech catches up, it will be ready. Other shows in the works include Marksmen, a 3D motion comic, documentary Frozen In Time: Our History in 3D, Wingsuit Warrior: Jeb Corliss vs. The World and travelogue series Daydream. Anyone that scrounged for HD in the early 2000s is probably familiar with this type of demo-ready content, and if you’re one of the first with a 4K set, it will probably be in your library for a while before Hollywood is ready to sell you the same movies again, just in higher resolution.

Continue reading Initial projects from 3net Studios include the world’s first native 4K TV show

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Initial projects from 3net Studios include the world’s first native 4K TV show originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 07:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung announced on Monday that it won 27 CES Innovation Awards for several of its products, but nested within a list of familiar honorees was a wildcard: an 85-inch ultra high definition TV. Bringing earlier prototypes (pictured above) to fruition, this massive up and comer cranks out resolutions of over 8 million pixels. Sammy is billing this titanic television as “the world’s largest commercialized UHD LED TV,” a claim that will likely be challenged soon. Thin on pricing and release details, the company did confirm that it will be on display at CES 2013. So, if you’re currently denying yourself luxuries such as hot water and warm meals in hopes of saving up to snag a certain 84-inch UHD set, you might want to pump your brakes until you see what Samsung has up its sleeve in the months to come.

Continue reading Samsung bringing 85-inch ultra high definition TV to CES

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

Samsung bringing 85-inch ultra high definition TV to CES originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 02:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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