Hong Kong Film New Action – 4K Movie Power

"Hong Kong Film New Action – 4K Movie Power" is organised by Create Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Film Development Council, and co-organised by the Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals (AMP4) and Hong Kong Productivity Council. The event with its focus on the future of 4K Movie, consists of two workshops, A thematic symposium and an exhibition booth displaying the related technologies, will be held during Filmart. Various aspects of 4K Movie such as production, post production, cinema & global delivery will be covered.

Workshop Entrance Overview

A. 4K Digital Movie Making

• Date: 21 March (Fri) & 22 March (Sat)
• Time: 0900 –1800/ 0900-1900
• Venue: A001, HKDI  • Fee (HKD): 600 • Seats: 150

B. Professional 4K Movie DIT and DMT Workshop

• Date: 22 March (Sat) – 23 March (Sun)
• Time: 1430 –1700/ 0900-1900
• Venue: A001, HKDI

& 

• Date: 24 March (Mon)
• Time: 0800-1600
• Venue: Comix Home Base, Wan Chai • Fee (HKD): 2,400 • (Interested party who would like to join both workshops can have 50% tuition fee covered of the class '4K Digital Movie Making') • Seats: 30

Admission Requirements

1. Permanent resident of HKSAR
2. Strong interest to join the digital cinema industry
3. Basic knowledge of digital movie production and distribution

First Come First Serve ! Full detail download the pdf here. You can register online here.

Source: HKCPUG

Asus Zenbook NX500 4K ultrabook on the way

Asus is reportedly working on a new 15 inch ultrabook with a 4K, Ultra HD display. It's called the Asus Zenbook NX500 and the laptop reportedly an aluminum body, an anti-glare display, and Bang & Olufsen audio.

The Zenbook NX500 wouldn't be the first 15 inch ultrabook from Asus. It'll likely replace the aging Asus UX51 line of ultrabooks which have measly 1080p touchscreen screens and Intel Ivy Bridge processors.

Details about the new model are pretty scarce, but it seems likely the laptop will have an Intel Haswell CPU, and I wouldn't rule out a discrete graphics card to help power the Ultra HD display (Intel's integrated graphics could probably get the job done without any help, but Asus tends to charge premium prices for its 15 inch Zenbooks, so the new model will probably have the premium specs to match).

I've always been a bit wary of lumping 15 inch and large ultrathin notebooiks into the same category as smaller “ultrabooks,” when they can weigh as much as 5 pounds. But an Asus laptop that measures less than an inch thick, weighs less than 5 pounds, and has a 4K display certainly sounds like something to keep an eye out for.

Via Notebook Italia
  

Sony Xperia Z2 4K video recording from the air

As everyone knows, any story that goes a helicopter instantly improves. And it is not the same stroll through Barcelona to test the latest camera or mobile to portray and save the city from the sky.

Aware of this, Sony Mobile chose to celebrate in style-pun intended-the arrival of your Xperia Z2 at the Mobile World Congress and took the helicopter ride press. A good opportunity to premiere the video recording mode with 4K counts based on Android and this is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding new smartphone.

It is true that, from a strictly technical point of view, are not the best circumstances for this test: a crystal interposed between the camera and the landscape, the harsh light of midday, it was three in the afternoon-the constant shake a helicopter ... But the truth is that it was one of those proposals that is hard to resist.

Half an hour of flight and travel back and forth between Barcelona and Montserrat-record we try to best-in 4K. Are We Ranked footage? Not as much as one might fear a priori, with a rate of about 400 MB per minute of recording. Something that logically implies that it has a rather high compression applied with corresponding effects on the fine details of the image.

This first test gives a fairly predictable results. The quality is good, at the height of the best Full HD video that can be obtained with a smartphone, but four times larger (3840 x 2160 points). After all, for that matter.

Video recorded with Sony Xperia Z2 in 4K resolution. To see it in this resolution, select "2160p 4K" option in YouTube quality settings.
 
That 4K is here to stay is evident. Take more or less sneak into homes, but so far as the recording devices are doing their homework.

But it is a mobile, of course, so you are also limitations there. For example, there are obvious problems with the dynamic range and the rolling shutter effect, clearly seen especially in the higher levels of jitter. The new image stabilizer does its job, but it is true that in such extreme conditions can not expect miracles.

But does it make sense to record 4K video with a mobile? Is the obvious question whenever a device with this functionality hits the market, and the new Xperia Z2 is no exception. While it is true that without some resolution of this TV can do, the good news is that YouTube already allows us to store the videos on this pending resolution have a display conditions. 

In any case, there is only 4K. Record clips with this resolution can also be an advantage when performing post production and full HD video mount leveraging that excess pixels to improve the bottom line.

Actually this is the same debate at the time lived around high resolution. That 4K is here to stay is evident. Take more or less sneak into homes, but so far as the recording devices are doing their homework. Sure like to have some advance too.

LG G Flex Android 4.4 update to add 4K video support

We have a very promising indicator for owners of the LG G Flex smartphone today, as it appears that the Android 4.4 update will add 4K video support. The phone famed for its curvaceous and flexible design arrived last November and launched on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, so this will be welcome news.

 

Although the addition of 4K video hasn’t been confirmed by LG, a reliable source according to Phone Arena, has tipped this information. This is reinforced by a User Agent profile that indicates the G Flex as offering 2160p video.

The same source also says that 120fps slow motion video will NOT be supported with the Android 4.4 update. An XDA member has already come up with a mod enabling an LG G2 with stock Android 4.4 to shoot 4K video as well as 120fps slow mo.

However, owners of the LG G Flex will only have to update it to Android KitKat to receive 4K video capabilities. It’s not yet clear exactly when the Android 4.4 update will roll out to the phone, but we’ll be following developments on this and will keep readers in the loop.

In the meantime it would be interesting to hear what owners of the LG G Flex think about 4K video on the way with the Android KitKat update? Do send us your comments to let us know.

4K & 4G LTE Rockchip RK2388 Tablet Processor Due In April

Rockchip is launching a new generation of processors for tablets this year and the new R3288 is coming in April it appears. The CPU is supposed to integrate 4G LTE network support and we’re expecting it on affordable tablets.

This is actually one of the first quad core Cortex A12 SoC product on the market and the CPU relies on a powerful quad core Mali T76X GPU. This allows for H.265 decoding, 4K video and as we said, 4G LTE. We’ve been hearing rumors about 4K display tablets for a while now, but we haven’t even seen the 2K models yet.

Since theoretically even lower end CPUs have 4K support, it would be high time for device makers to release such slates. Traditionally Rockchip has rivals like Allwinner, MediaTek and such, so expect similar processing solutions from them, or even better.

Source: Tabletnews

News: 4K House Of Cards Won't Be Gentle On Usage Caps

We've already noted how bandwidth caps likely won't fare very well with the arrival of 4K video, even with the help of next-generation compression codecs. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is already on record stating their upcoming 4K streams will need at least 15 Mbps and would be most optimal with 50 Mbps. Sony's upcoming 4K film service will similarly plow through gigabytes like a hot knife through butter. 

With everybody currently binge watching Netflix's "House of Cards," Gizmodo quite correctly points out that binge-watching the series in 4K will be anything but gentle on your bandwidth cap:

quote:

Streaming in 1080p on Netflix takes up 4.7GB/hour. So a regular one-hour episode of something debiting less than 5GB from your allotment is no big deal. However, with 4K, you've got quadruple the pixel count, so you're burning through 18.8GB/hour. Even if you're streaming with the new h.265 codec—which cuts the bit rate by about half, but still hasn't found its way into many consumer products—you're still looking at 7GB/hour. 

But you're not watching just one episode, are you? Of course not! You're binging on House of Cards, watching the whole series if not in one weekend then certainly in one month. That's 639 minutes of top-quality TV, which in 4K tallies up to 75GB if you're using the latest and greatest codec, and nearly 200GB if not. That means, best case scenario, a quarter of your cap—a third, if you're a U-Verse customer with a 250GB cap—spent on one television show. Throw in a normal month's internet usage, and you're toast.

It's even worse for many DSL users, whose caps are as low as 150 GB. And a few scattered ISPs (not even mentioning satellite broadband) take the cap limbo lower than that. Broadband ISPs have always insisted that their usage-caps would scale with necessity (instead of being tightened like a noose to hamper video competitors), and 4K video appears to be something that could test that claim.

Avatar trilogy of sequels to be shot in 4K, 48 fps high frame rate

James Cameron will shoot the three upcoming Avatar films in 4K resolution, and partially using the 48fps high frame rate format.



James Cameron has made a career out of pushing the boundaries of technology in his movies, and once again the director is planning on using the most cutting edge tech to film the three upcoming Avatar sequels. The trilogy of sequels will be shot back-to-back-to-back in 4K, and will at least partially use the 48fps high frame rate format recently seen in The Hobbit films, the director told the French outlet RTL.fr (which was then translated by TechRadar).

Films are typically shot in 2048 x 1080, but Cameron is proposing moving to 4096 x 2160. The director's move to Ultra HD isn't really that surprising given his love for using new technology. Cameron's choice to shoot the original Avatar in 3D led to a major windfall, as the film went on to earn close to $2.8 billion worldwide. Avatar certainly wasn't the first 3D film, but it remains the most successful. That helped to spur the current 3D film trend, where for a while it seemed like Hollywood's new passion would help to usher in the age of the 3D TV. That hasn't quite been the case, but with 4K TVs hitting the market, Cameron could once again help to push the new tech into the public consciousness.

"You know we'll be shooting at a native resolution probably of 4K and so there should be a lot of true 4K theaters by then as well," the director said.

The frame rate may be a bit of a tougher sell though. When The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey debuted its 48fps HFR version, it was divisive. Some loved the realistic look, while others derided it as "too-realistic," criticizing it for supplanting the textured cinematography audiences expect. It also highlighted what some saw as other technical failings that were unique to HFR, including lighting made for 24fps that was almost fluorescent in the new format. That didn't seem to hurt the box office though, as the first two films of the trilogy have earned nearly $2 billion worldwide.

While Cameron has embraced the Ultra HD wholeheartedly, he is still studying the HRF format. It will be used in the coming Avatar films to some degree, the question is how much.

"Well we're looking at high frame rate: I'm studying that," said Cameron. "I haven't made a final decision yet, whether the entire film will be made at a high frame rate or only parts of it."

Filming on the planned trilogy is set to begin in 2015, with all three films combined expected to cost upwards of $1 billion. Filming them together will help to speed up the process though, and the films are tentatively set for December releases in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Do you really need a 4K smartphone screen?

 
See those two screens up there? Pretty soon the smartphone will have the same resolution as the much bigger panel (a 27-inch Dell U2711 monitor with 2,560 x 1,440 pixels). While the snappiest CPUs, more RAM, better cameras and other frills are a must for the latest handsets, the current marketing pièce de résistance is a higher-resolution screen. In four years, we've passed from a norm of 800 x 480 to 960 x 540 and up to 720p, 1080p and soon -- likely on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S5 -- 2,560 x 1,440 Quad HD (QHD). That works out to a borderline-insane 500-plus pixels per inch (depending on screen size) and manufacturers aren't stopping there. But is more resolution worth the extra expense if you can't even see the difference? Well, it's complicated.



The first smartphone with Quad HD, the 6-inch Vivo Xplay 3S (pictured above), has already been announced. Others that could have that pixel count, like Samsung's Galaxy S5 and the Oppo Find 7 are rumored to be launching at Mobile World Congress next week. As a reality check, that's the maximum supported by most 27-inch and larger pro monitors, apart from several recently announced 4K models. While such screens pack a pixel density of about 110 ppi, the Vivo Xplay 3S handset clocks in at a whopping 490 ppi, more than four times as much. Most people (according to Apple) hold their phones about 10 inches from their eyes, but sit only a touch more than twice that distance from their monitor -- around 24 inches on average.

Are higher pixel counts worth the manufacturing cost and effort? In justifying the Retina display on the original iPhone 4, Apple famously said that the human eye could only resolve about 300 ppi from 10 inches. That seems to have merit considering that most glossy magazines are (effectively) printed at 300 ppi, and no one complains about the resolution of magazines. Others have said that it's possible to distinguish pixels up to about 480 ppi or even more, but that requires closer viewing distances and perfect, youthful eyesight. Most of us fall somewhere between those extremes, depending on our age and the state of our orbs.

If you're willing to allow that 480 ppi or so is the maximum resolution the best of us can see, then guess what? We're already there, pretty much. LG's Nexus 5 (above) for example, has 1,920 x 1,080 pixels jammed into its relatively petite 4.95-inch screen. That works out to 445 ppi, far in excess of Apple's first Retina display and, for this editor, completely artifact-free at eight to 10 inches, even on fine fonts. You could make the case that Vivo's much larger 6-inch phone is deserving of its 490-ppi Quad HD screen. But then again, six inches is pushing into tablet territory, and you'd probably hold such a phone farther from your eyes -- Apple figures on 15 inches for an 8-inch iPad mini with Retina, for example. From that distance your eyes will resolve less (again, assuming you can even see that close), negating the need for more pixels.

At about 3.7 megapixels, a Quad HD screen has nearly twice the resolution of a 1080p model (2.1 megapixels). Those extra pixels aren't going to push themselves around, meaning you'll need beefier graphics if you want to keep the whole "butter" thing going. Of course, Samsung's upcoming flagship will likely be powered by a state-of-the-art Snapdragon 805 or Exynos 6 CPU if the rumors pan out. However, with the extra resolution, you may not get a corresponding performance boost. On top of that, unless the Korean company's pulled off some coup, battery life may be the same or worse than the current Galaxy S4. All that means you might be sacrificing a lot of your smartphone's other capabilities in exchange for pixels that are (arguably) imperceptible.



Despite our reservations, pixel progress marches on. Japan Display announced 5.4- and 6.2-inch Quad HD panels; LG has at least a 5.5-inch screen incoming (above); and Qualcomm showed off a 5.1-inch 2,560 x 1,440 model. Along with Vivo's 6-inch display, that covers a wide gamut of screen sizes, most of which are bound to show up in new models this year. And if the rumors are true about Samsung's Galaxy S5, it'll be QHD with a 5.2-inch screen size -- that's 560 ppi, if you're keeping score at home.

It seems that's not enough, because Samsung has already said that it'll have 3,840 x 2,160 (4K) screens out by 2015 with 700 to 800 ppi, depending on screen size. Even the most ardent pixel-lovers would have to agree that's crazy, passing the limits of human acuity and matching 110-inch 4K home theater panels pixel-for-pixel. Naturally, we want our tech dripping from the bleeding edge and we love us some 4K. But after Quad HD becomes the gold standard later this year, manufacturers should focus on more important things like battery life, user experience and design. Don't hold your breath, though, because smartphone marketers love bigger numbers -- even if, like the emperor's clothes, you can't actually see the extra pixels.

This article originally published at Engadget

4 Things to Know About 4K

 

The term "4K" has become a big trend in display technology, with product announcements and demonstrations from the world’s leading suppliers.  What do these resolutions actually mean? In this eBook, learn the benefits and challenges surrounding the latest trend in video: 4K or Ultra HD resolution. This eBook also covers the stunning realism of 4K, the 4K content ecosystem, what's needed to drive 4K and how interactivity and 3D extend the 4K experience.





Proven High Resolution Experience

Planar has been operating in very high resolution environments for years. From desktop monitors to tiled video walls to LCD displays, Planar delivers displays options to suit applications requiring the highest resolutions and pixel density including:


QHD Monitors
The Planar PXL2790MW is a 27" QHD monitor that delivers breathtaking 2560 x 1440 resolution, four times the resolution of a 720p desktop monitor and 77% more resolution than a full HD desktop monitor. The Planar PXL2790MW is ideal for applications including video or photo editing, CAD/CAM and other mechanical design, and big data visualization.

Large Format 4K LCD Displays
Planar® UltraRes™ Series is a family of 84" Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) professional LCD displays that produce resolution and picture quality not before seen in large format LCD displays. With a native 4K resolution, Planar UltraRes Series has four times the resolution and pixel density of comparably-sized full HD displays. When displaying ultra HD content, Planar UltraRes Series delivers clarity and detail that appears sharp even at close viewing distances - no detail is missed. 

Video Walls
Planar offers LCD and rear projection video wall displays at full HD resolution that when tiled into 2x2 arrays can deliver stunning 4k resolution. Planar video wall solutions include Planar's award-winning Clarity™ Matrix LCD video walls and Clarity™ LED3 Series rear projection video walls.

This article originally published at PLANAR

NTT, NEC Launch Real-time 4K/60p Video Compression Unit

First 4K HEVC video compression unit could help spread of content for Ultra-HD screens

IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau) — NTT and NEC have launched a compression unit for 4K/60p high-resolution video that can compress video in real time using the HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) format.

Commercialization of the technology is a world first, the telecommunications and electronics titans said.

A real-time encoding unit using the technology, the VC-8150, went on sale Wednesday in Japan, with shipping to begin in April.

The unit complies with the latest international standards on HEVC, a compression format for video that is the successor to the popular AVC (Advanced Video Coding), also known as MPEG-4 part 10.

The companies said the development was based in part on an analysis of an HEVC algorithm.

"Previously, 1.5 GB of terrestrial digital broadcast data could be compressed to 15 MB, but with this newly developed technology, 12 GB can be compressed to 30 MB," an NEC spokesman said. "We realized a four-fold improvement in the compression rate."

"With this technology, stations can begin 4K broadcasts," the spokesman said, adding the unit would be priced in the range of tens of millions of yen (hundreds of thousands of US dollars).

In addition to the VC-8150, a VD-8100 companion decoder will also ship in April.
The manufacturers said the technology will contribute to the spread of video and broadcasting in 4K, a type of ultra high definition (UHD) with a minimum resolution of 2160p. 4K images have nearly 8.3 million pixels, four times as many as a 1080p image, which is the full HD resolution produced by Blu-rays.

While 4K has yet to make significant inroads into mainstream broadcasting, it has featured in Olympics coverage and other sports broadcasts.

Last October, Oregon-based Elemental Technologies and Japanese telecommunications carrier K-Opticom carried out real-time streaming of the Osaka Marathon with a 4K HEVC transmission. It was billed as the first such transmission of its kind.

This article originally published at CIO
  

Build a 4K-ready PC

Summary: Want a PC that's capable of 4K gaming and be a total powerhouse no matter what task you throw at it? Read on ... but I warn you, the price tag will bring tears to your eyes!

 
Want a PC that's capable of 4K gaming and be a total powerhouse no matter what task you throw at it? Read on.

Ever since a raft of affordable 4K displays – that is, panels that have a native resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels – were announced at CES earlier this year, there's been a spike in interest in PCs that are ready to take screen resolution to the next level. But 4K gaming is going to stress a PC like almost nothing else, and to be able to pump out this torrent of pixels, the PC is going to have to be built from top quality parts.



Let's take a look at what we need.

Processor

Right off the bat we're thrust into making a tough choice – do we go with Intel or AMD?

Here I'm going to go with the underdog and pick AMD silicon for the job. The processor I'm going for here is the AMD FX-9590 Black Edition. This is an 4.7GHz, 8-core CPU that's fully unlocked so you can overclock it to squeeze out even more power.

This is an amazing processor that you can pick up for $299.

Motherboard

We need an 990FX compatible motherboard to go with the processor, and while there are a few you can choose from, here I've gone for the ASRock 990FX Extreme9. Why? Well, there's a lot to like about this board.

• 64GB RAM support
• 8 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
• 4 x USB 2.0, 4 x USB 3.0
• Premium quality components
• Support for NVIDIA 3-Way SLI and AMD 3-Way CrossFireX

It also looks great!

This board comes at a compelling price – only $170.

Graphics card

Here's where I start a war – Nvidia or AMD?

I've thought about this long and hard, weighted up a number of pros and cons and gone with an AMD GPU in the form of ASUS R9290X-DC2OC-4GD5 Radeon R9 290X. Why AMD? While there's benchmark evidence to suggest that Nvidia has faster GPUs, overall I prefer the stability and cooling offered by AMD's newer R9 cards.

We're also keeping the CPU and GPU matched.

A single card will set you back $750, but remember that you have the option of putting three of these inside this machine, which gives you an insane level of performance. But this does come with a price tag that will bring tears to your eyes.

Display

A 4K system needs a 4K display. I'm going to give you two options – jam today, and jam tomorrow.

If you want a 4K display today then go for the Dell UltraSharp 24-inch Ultra HD display. An absoutely stunning display that will set you back $1,299.
However, if you are willing to wait until April, then you can pick up the Lenovo ThinkVision Pro 2840m that only costs $799.

RAM

Two things you want from the RAM:

• You need at least 8GB of the stuff
• You want it to be DDR3 1866

I don't like my RAM to come with too much fanfare (or crazy coolers and the like) so I'd go for something conservative such as Kingston HyperX, which will set you, back around $100.

Storage

Only you know how much storage you need (and I bet you don't know how much you really need, which is why I recommend taking what you think you need and doubling it), but I'd recommend going with the following layout:

• SSD boot drive – Something like the Samsung 840 EVO for $90
• HDD storage drive – Like the Western Digital WD Black 2TB for $155

Power supply

We need something beefy here, especially if you think you might go as far as adding three Radeon R9 graphics cards.

I've chosen to go for the Zalman 1250 Platinum 1250W, which is not only a great PSU, but it is 80 PLUS Platinum certified, so you're getting an ultra-high power efficiency part, which reduces your power bills and doesn't harm the planet as much as an inefficient PSU.

This sort of output doesn't come cheap, and this unit will set you back $280.

Ancilliary

A few other bits:

• Chassis – Budget $100
• Windows 8.1 – That'll be another $100

Total cost

The total cost of this system comes in at $3,340, plus change. This is for a rig with a single Radeon R9 290X card and the Dell 4K display. Waiting until April and the price of this rig falls to $2,840 based on the change of display alone. The Lenovo display is nowhere near as good as the Dell display, but it does give you an extra $500 in your pocket. 

Source: ZDNet
  

Sony 2014 4K UHDTV Prices Leaked

Sony introduced its 2014 line of 4K televisions at the CES. It consists of 3 series (up from 2 last year) with 9 models. Screen sizes are available from 49-inches all the way up to 85. There are a number of improvements over the 2013s. They include HEVC decoding (for upcoming Netflix 4K streaming) and HDCP 2.2 as well as HDMI 2.0, according to Sony spokesperson.

  

The big new picture quality features include the return to LED backlights with true local dimming on the XBR 950 series, and the extended dynamic range capabilities of the 900 and 950 series (the latter being up to 3 times the brightness range).

More information and all the prices after the break.

Sony has created a wedge shape to increase the internal volume of its 900 series 4K TVs for better bass and audio dynamic range.

In pricing, we found the 79-inch for under $9000 intriguing. This is the first 4K TV with this screen size and it represents a huge price drop when compared to the 85-inch class X950 ($25K). Could 78+ inch UHDTVs lead to a new TV segment we are calling "Luxury Televisions"? The 4K experience on this size screen really brings out the detail. It is something to experience first-hand.

The 2014 Sony 4K TV will start shipping to dealers by June.

XBR-49X850B 49-inch $2199.99

XBR-55X850B 55-inch $2999.99

XBR-65X850B 65-inch $4499.99

XBR-70X850B 70-inch $5999.99

4K Ultra HD, HD content upscaled to 4K, Triluminous for wider color gamut, Latest HDMI support for next gen 4K players & services, and stream HD entertainment wirelessly with built-in Wi-Fi, 3D

XBR-55X900B 55-inch $3999.99

XBR-65X900B 65-inch $5499.99

XBR-79X900B 79-inch $8999.99

Wedge TV design with front-facing speakers, X-tended Dynamic Range for up to 2x brightness range, Triluminous for wider color gamut, 3D, latest HDMI support for next gen 4K players and services, and stream HD entertainment wirelessly with built-in Wi-Fi

XBR-65X950B 65-inch $7999.99

XBR-95X950B 85-inch $24,999.99

Extended Dynamic Range PRO with up to 3x brightness range, Triluminous for wider color gamut, 3D, latest HDMI support for next gen 4K players and services, and stream HD entertainment wirelessly with built-in Wi-Fi.

Source: HD Guru