Westinghouse takes a different spin on the 4K screen revolution

Westinghouse takes a different spin on the 4K screen revolution - Westinghouse brought big, impressive 4K displays to CES 2014, but even better were its massive interactive whiteboards. Buying advice from the leading technology site.

Want a 4K TV? Try interactive whiteboards

Westinghouse may not be the biggest name in the TV biz right now, but the company did bring some eye-catching products to this year's CES.

See Also: TV trends at CES: 4K, curves and smart TVs

It's playing the 4K game like just about every other TV maker, but unlike its competitors, Westinghouse is also thinking beyond the living room.

Need an example? Try the company's 85-inch 4K "interactive whiteboard" designed for business and classroom use, one that costs a 4K TV-esque price of $13,999 (£8,542, AU$15,515).

It also comes in 55-, 65- and 70-inch varieties with 1080p displays, but the Ultra HD 85-inch version was the star of the show.

Westinghouse envisions the giant touchscreens being used in business settings, for presentations and meetings, as well as in classrooms. Interestingly, they can come with an optional "PC module" that mounts on the back and runs Windows 8; alternately users can plug in their own Windows 7 or Windows 8 computers.

You can use your fingers to draw and tap on the interactive whiteboards, but they also come with a fat "touch pen" stylus.

Class in session

The whiteboards come with special software, called WScribe, that provides handwriting recognition, drawing tools, special interface features, and more that should be perfect for education and business settings.

This interface software also provides various templates, like a football diagram that can be used to map out and discuss plays.


Not for your living room

With the provided touch pen stylus, we wrote "TechRadar" on the screen over a video playing in the background. The whiteboard failed to recognize our admittedly imperfect cursive, though when we switched to normal writing it had no trouble translating it to typeface.

Westinghouse Marketing Communications Manager Brett Hunt said it will learn users' handwriting over time, so your chicken scratch should be legible after some quality sessions with the boards.


The interactive whiteboards can come with an optional computer module on the back

Aside from failing to pick up our script, these whiteboards looked gorgeous and felt great and responsive to use, whether with fingers or with the stylus (Westinghouse likes to brag about its (6-point Touch system with Intuitive Rapid Response").

The 55-, 65- and 70-inch whiteboards go for $2,999 (£1,830, AU$3,324), $4,999 (£3,050, AU$5,541) and $5,999 (£3,660, AU$6,650), respectively, and all come in 1080p. They're available now. The 85-inch 4K version, on the other hand, will cost $13,999 when it launches in the first quarter of 2014.

'Like The Jetsons and The Flintstones combined'

Westinghouse also had numerous TVs on display, including full HD and Ultra HD sets ranging in size from 39- to 85-inches. But its two other televisions, a Smart TV and an adorable retro-style unit, were more interesting by far.

Unfortunately, both are just prototypes for now. Westinghouse doesn't currently offer any Smart TVs because the company believes most consumers already have game consoles, set-top boxes, and other devices capable of running apps like Netflix, Hunt told TechRadar.


Westinghouse's 4K TVs look impressive

And the company has no plans to develop a Smart TV for market on its own, though "we might partner with somebody else to develop [a Smart TV] with us," Hunt said. "We don't have a set date for that yet."

More interesting was the 22-inch 1080p "retro" TV also present in the company's suite. The set looks like what people in the 60s thought the future would be like - it's anachronistic, both old and futuristic at the same time.


But not as impressive as this little fella

"If you had an extra room that's a retro room that would be kind of cool," Hunt said of the set. "It's like The Jetsons and The Flintstones combined."

The picture looked great - despite all the 4K hoopla, full HD is far from outdated - and the design was utterly charming. All it needs is some fake bunny ears, and it could easily sit on the shelves in Urban Outfitters next to coffee table books about marijuana, novelty camera lenses, and slinkies.

Unfortunately that may never occur, as Hunt said the company brought the retro TV to CES simply to gauge people's response to it. The ironic thing is that it was easily the most striking thing Westinghouse has produced in some time - so here's hoping they follow through.

This article originally published at TechRadar here.

Related Posts:

• 4K TV Not Quite Ready for Prime Time
• Computer users, not couch potatoes, will lead the way on 4K high-definition TV
• Akamai CEO on streaming 4K TV into your home (podcast)
• The hottest gadgets of CES 3-D printers to 4K TVs
• CES 2014: Sony's superb new 4K UHD TVs prove there’s more to image quality than just resolution

Screen Resolution Beyond 4K? Your Eyes May Not Notice

With 3D fading into oblivion, the big news in televisions these days is ultra-high definition, TV-makers' quest to quadruple the resolution of the average high-def flat panel found in most U.S. homes. Called 4K resolution, it can be stunning, with deeper colors and a picture that many people often equate to "real life." The new higher-resolution is expected to expand slowly in 2014. Netflix plans to stream some content at 4K resolution this year, and Amazon announced it will shoot all of its original series in 4K ultra-HD starting this year.

Gorgeous image or not, the question arises: At what point do the capabilities of the technology outpace those of our eyes? Farhad Manjoo, writing in the Wall Street Journal, declared that we're almost there: "Nobody's eyes are good enough to appreciate resolution above 4K."

Videophiles and display experts say that's not the point, that higher resolution is only one aspect of the effort to design and build better television displays. Color depth, brightness, and contrast ratio, for example, are all important for picture quality and will accompany higher resolutions. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month, Sharp and Samsung both presented prototypes of 8K displays. "Better is better, you know?" says Hans Baumgartner, director of product management for Rovi, which makes video compression products. "We went through this same argument with regular HD."

He and others in the industry say most TV shoppers will immediately discern the difference between the current field of high-def models and the new crop that's slowly filtering into showrooms. Prices remain steep— $3,500 and up— but are falling quickly.

Still, it's a safe bet that display technology will at some point surpass our eyesight. Apple, for example, all but laid down a visual marker with its Retina Display in 2010, when Steve Jobs posited that a standard 300 pixels per inch is the "magic number" for reading print, at a typical 12-inch distance. As it is, a 1080p television has higher resolution than an iPad 2.

Sara Dawson, a Manhattan optometrist, says most consumers can't see much beyond the threshold of the current iPads with a Retina Display, but that viewing distance is critical to how much resolution one detects. Dawson says she hasn't examined the new ultra-HD models— although "my husband wants one."

Someday, when we all have massive, wall-size screens that we use not only for watching television and films, but for surfing the Internet, writing the grocery list, playing video games, video-chatting, and other things we haven't even thought of yet, then we may want super-ultra-high definition, although how many K that requires is anybody's guess.

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This article originally published at Businessweek here.
 

4K TV Not Quite Ready for Prime Time

Everywhere you went at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, you saw ultra-high-definition TVs (UHD). Also known as "4K," these sets can display content at about four times the resolution as today's top-of-the-line 1080p high-definition sets.

As I walked around the show looking at the screens, I wondered three things: Will people be able to perceive and appreciate the difference between these and today's sets? Will there be content available to watch at this higher resolution? Will people be willing to pay a premium for UHD sets?

The price issue is the easiest to solve. Right now 4K sets are considerably more expensive than the 1080p high-definition sets many of us bought in the past few years, but that will get better over time. A better version of the set I bought for $1,800 five years ago now costs about $800. Ten years ago it would have cost $5,000

The issue of perception and value is a tougher one. When I first saw an HD set playing HD content, I was blown away by how good it was compared to standard definition TVs. My question at the time wasn't whether I wanted one but when they'd be affordable. But the difference between HDTV and UHD isn't nearly as dramatic.

Regarding content, it took until 2008 for the industry to standardize on a high-resolution format for DVD. It also took a while for broadcasters to start offering HDTV content.

But once HD content became ubiquitous and the sets became affordable, the public flocked to HDTV, which was a boon for TV manufacturers. But now the TV industry has a problem. With market saturation, demand has tapered off just as lower prices are squeezing profits. For a while, the industry's response was to push 3-D TVs, but that didn't pan out. Consumers weren't inclined to pay a premium for 3-D sets, and without big consumer demand, content companies weren't inclined to invest in 3-D programming. Four years ago, 3-D was all the rage at CES; now hardly anyone is talking about it.

Now that it's clear that 3-D isn't the industry's savior, companies are pushing UHD, promising a far more immersive experience without really answering the question as to when enough programs will be available to convince customers that they really want to have one.

As a tech journalist, it's my job to be skeptical about bleeding-edge technology, and I have plenty of hesitation when it comes to recommending UHD. I don't to want count it out, but I can't buy into the hype just because the industry is heavily invested in it. However, if they can solve the content issue, there could very well be a demand for these sets.

But solving the content issue won't be easy. TV networks will have to make an enormous investment in cameras and control room technology, and cable and satellite providers will have to figure out how to upgrade their networks to carry the signals. For now, the best hope comes from delivering the content online. At the LG news conference at CES, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced that his company will start streaming UHD content this year. Comcast and Samsung also announced a partnership to stream UHD programs to Samsung TVs.

These partnerships are a good start, but there is one more issue. UHD takes up a lot more bandwidth than high-definition content, which will put a lot more strain on the Internet infrastructure required to deliver all the data necessary to watch these shows.

Cambridge, Mass.-based Akamai, which specializes in delivering high-speed Internet content, is working on the problem. In an interview, Akamai CEO Tom Leighton said that the Internet can support limited 4K today, but it "takes a lot more gigabytes to show a 4K video." He said that the capacity at the local level -- the "last mile," so to speak -- is less of a problem than at the data centers.

Akamai's solution is to bring the content closer to the consumer. "We want to get that video into the neighborhood once only, even if a thousand people are watching it," he said. By way of an analogy, imagine if you were buying a potato grown in Idaho. The grower could dispatch a vehicle to deliver a single potato at great cost in time and resources, or the grower could send a truckload of potatoes to your local grocery store, which could get them quickly and cheaply to your house.

And to stretch the analogy, you could buy a bag of potatoes and store them in your kitchen. To that end, Akamai has teamed up with Qualcomm to develop technology to store ultra-high-definition in your home. When possible, instead of streaming it live on demand, it can anticipate your interest in watching the show and stream it ahead of time -- perhaps in the middle of the night -- so it's on your device when you want to watch it.

News Source: HUFF POST

Computer users, not couch potatoes, will lead the way on 4K high-definition TV

From Yahoo Finance: Is the new high definition TV standard known as 4K dead on arrival, headed for the same fate as 3D TV? Not at all. It's just going to start out as a hit with computer users, not couch potatoes. Adding pixels to computer screens makes pictures looks sharper and text crisper, reducing eyestrain. And the added screen real estate that comes from higher definition screens enhances productivity.

Lenovo is dipping its toes into the 4K monitor pool with the competitively priced ThinkVision Pro2840m display.

The television industry swamped last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with dozens of new super high-definition sets, but got in return a collective yawn from journalists, analysts and the buying public.

So is the new standard, known generally as "4K," dead on arrival, headed for the same fate as 3D TV? Not at all. It's just going to start out as a hit with computer users, not couch potatoes.

Adding pixels to computer screens makes pictures looks sharper and text crisper, reducing eyestrain. And the added real estate that comes from higher-definition screens enhances productivity.

That's why Brian Hauer bought two dozen new TV sets for his Web and mobile software development firm, TechEmpower in El Segundo, California. No, he didn't buy the Seiki 39" ultra-high definition televisions so his programmers could watch their favorite movies and sports. Instead, he's connecting the $500 screens to his programmers' computers.

More room for work

The Seiki TVs cost less than fancy 30" monitors made for computers and have double the number of pixels. And replacing pairs of 19" screens gives the programmers more room to work with on screen while taking up less desk space.

"Seiki is missing a golden opportunity to dominate the desktop display market by removing the television tuner, speakers and remote," Hauer says on his blog.

Technically, the TV sets Hauer bought are just short of 4K resolution, which is 4,096 pixels across by 2,160 pixels tall. The Seiki sets, designated as Ultra HD, have a screen ratio of 3840 x 2160, though they are often lumped into the 4K category. Today's common high-definition TV sets have a resolution of 1920 x 1080.

At CES, giant 4K sets from Sony (SNE), Samsung (005930.KS) and others crowded the aisles. But other companies are making 4K monitors sans tuners especially for computer users. Apple (AAPL) suggests buyers of its new high-end desktop system, the black cylinder known as the 2013 Mac Pro, buy a 32" Sharp 4K monitor for $3,595. It's just a matter of time before Apple starts selling its own 4K monitor, and Dell and Lenovo are among making cheaper 4K computer monitors, too.

It's fitting that Apple would be a pioneer with 4K computer monitors, since it introduced the phrase "retina screen" back in 2010, with the increased pixel count of its iPhone 4. Other phone makers quickly started putting high-definition screens on their phones as well. Apple then added "retina" to its iPad and MacBook Pro laptop lines. Other computer makers followed suit.

The 'ah-ha' moment

The big "ah-ha" moment could arrive later this year when Apple is expected to update its popular consumer-oriented iMac line. Selling "retina" iMacs will ignite a legion of copycats, no doubt.

Then, the proliferation of 4K computer monitors will help the entertainment industry get over its usual chicken and egg problem with new formats. Because without counting computer screens, there aren't going to be many 4K ready viewers out there in TV land. The industry sold only about 2 million 4K and U-HD sets last year, according to market tracker NPD. And even with prices falling, only about 13 million will be sold this year out of a total market of 229 million, NPD says.

So far, entertainment companies haven't seen much to get excited about with 4K. Unlike computers users adding 4K monitors for immediate benefits, TV watchers have to scrounge to find anything to watch in 4K. Netflix (NFLX) has promised to start streaming a few shows in 4K this year, but the vast majority of programming won't make that step up for at least a few years. Sony was even giving away free copies of 10 movies with its 4K media player to entice buyers last year. The player stores 4K movies on a hard drive since there's no disc standard for the format yet.

To be sure, 4K will likely catch on among television viewers eventually, if for no other reason than the prices on 4K sets are dropping so rapidly that soon there won't be much of a premium to buy one. And if people start watching 4K content on their computer monitors, where much Netflix viewing already occurs, Hollywood will get the message sooner and start producing more 4K content.

Netflix was nearly the only company that got a positive response to its 4K efforts at CES. But 4K streaming content requires massive bandwidth, even with data compression -- more than many customers receive from their Internet service provider. And Netflix's 4K push comes just as some leading ISPs, such as AT&T (T) and Comcast (CMCSA), have made moves to curb data hogs. AT&T's recent "Sponsored Data" initiative to charge Internet content providers fees could be a premeditated strike aimed at Netflix's 4K shows.

But computer users don't need more bandwidth to enjoy the benefits of 4K on their desktops. They'll be the real 4K pioneers.

News Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/computer-users--not-couch-potatoes--will-lead-the-way-on-4k-high-definition-tv-170513628.html

Akamai CEO on streaming 4K TV into your home (podcast)

There were 4K TVs all over CES, but there is still a lack of 4K content available. Considerably more bandwidth is required to stream 4K video online, which is a challenge Akamai says it's working to solve.

Larry Magid speaks with Akamai CEO Tom Leighton (left) at CES.
(Credit: Larry Magid)

Just about every TV maker at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was showing off 4K TVs. But to fully appreciate these Ultra High Definition (UHD) TVs, you'll need content that's recorded in 4K.

As far as I know, a 4K standard for broadcast, cable, and satellite isn't on the immediate horizon, nor is a standardized way to deliver the content via disc. So, the solution lies in Internet delivery. But that too raises a challenge because the amount of bandwidth required for 4K is considerably more than today's HD video.

Akamai, which has long specialized in improving performance of online video for high trafficked sites, has a couple of solutions. One is to bring the content close to the "edge," but storing the video feed nearer to the user.

Having the content cached on servers close to the user's home can greatly improve performance, said Akamai CEO Tom Leighton at CES last week. He added that even if customers have a "big pipe" from their Internet service provider (ISP), the "bottlenecks are in the Internet infrastructure." (Scroll down to listen to the full interview).

In addition to caching the content in the neighborhood, Leighton said Akamai is working with Qualcomm on a new class of home gateway that would cache content within the home for faster access. It can also be used to download software once for multiple devices, such as a new version of iOS that the user might want to install on several devices. Instead of downloading it to each device, you could download it to the gateway and install it on each device from there.

Find out what else Leighton had to say about 4K in the full 17 minute interview.

News Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30977_3-57617220-10347072/akamai-ceo-on-streaming-4k-tv-into-your-home-podcast/
  

4K Blu-ray confirmed by BDA as 4K porn gets the nod

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced that it will release 4K Blu-ray discs, while pornography company Naughty America has confirmed 4K porn is inbound.



4K was a huge part of CES 2014 this year with a wide range of 4K TV announcements and the news Netflix will steam its original content and Breaking Bad in 4K at some point this year.

Although 4K Ultra HD content streaming may be the future, you can guarantee you'll be able to get 4K disc-based content from Blu-ray. 

However, despite the BDA's announcement, it could be some time before the 4K Blu-rays will be released.

"The BDA recently approved the addition of 4K/UHD to the Blu-ray Disc specifications, and the effort to get this done is moving forward in earnest", said Andy Parsons, BDA spokesperson to Twice. "It's too soon to know any of the details yet, as this all needs to be sorted out by the BDA technical groups. But we are excited to have a decision in hand, and are looking forward to sharing more news about it once the specification process has been completed."

"[It's] not just looking at delivering the requisite number of pixels, but at the range of features that contribute to the overall consumer experience – factors such as high dynamic range, bit depth, colour gamut, content protection and mobility and digital bridge opportunities," added Victor Matsuda, the BDA's Global Promotions Committee Chairman.

Elsewhere, those who fancy a bit of saucier 4K content will be pretty pleased to hear of Naughty America's commitment to shooting 4K porn content.

If you sign up to Naughty America 4K's website you'll get access to a wide range of naughty 4K content including (and I quote) "full cinematic 4K videos". 

There's also a 4K Naughty America trailer to view, if you so wish. Naughty America recommends you hook your PC to a 4K UHD TV to watch its range of 4K content.

New Source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/4k-blu-ray-confirmed-by-bda-as-4k-porn-gets-the-nod

The hottest gadgets of CES 3-D printers to 4K TVs

Here are the hot trends, from wearable tech to 3d sugar printers to driverless cars, that emerged from the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Juergen Boyny of Germany watches a video clip with a personal viewing device at the Sony booth at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — The biggest gadget trade show in the Americas wrapped up on Friday in Las Vegas after swamping the city with 150,000 attendees. This year, "wearable" computing was big, along with various 3-D technologies, especially 3-D printing.

Wearable devices in the shape of smartwatches and head-mounted displays have been a staple of the show for a long time, but manufacturers were excited this year because the field is finally gaining traction with consumers. Fitness bands were a breakout hit last year. The 3-D printing section bustled with activity, and it was clear that even though most people won't be buying a printer any time soon, they may be enjoying 3-D printed products, such as jewelry, wedding cakes and dental braces, in the near future. Meanwhile, TV makers were heartened by the support they received for their new ultra-high-definition TV sets.

Here are some of the most notable products and services revealed at the show:

DRIVERLESS CARS — The state of the art in car electronics is in systems that eliminate or ease the task of driving. French company Induct demonstrated its Navia driverless shuttle, which putts along at 12.5 miles per hour on a pre-programmed route. It's intended for university campuses, airports and other locales with enclosed roads.

Related: Electronics show flashy but evolutionary

What about road safety? When a staffer walked slowly in front of the Navia, the vehicle slowed down, rather than coming to a full stop, because it recognized that the pedestrian ahead was moving, too.

Then there was Audi's automated parking demonstration. With a press of a button on a smartphone app, the German automaker's computer-equipped car squeezed into a tight space between two other cars, a situation that would give many drivers pause. The car has multiple cameras and ultrasonic sensors, giving it a 360-degree view. It puts rubber-necking and looking through the side-view mirror to shame. The car executed a three-point turn flawlessly —and the driver didn't have to worry about dinging other cars' doors, because he had already exited the car.

UV-SENSING WRISTBAND — The wearable computing trend has unleashed a lot of creativity. One example is a wristband with a "gemstone" that measures exposure to ultraviolet light, the kind that causes tanning and skin cancers. Using Bluetooth wireless technology, the Netatmo June sends readings to the owners' smartphones, warning, for instance, when they're approaching their daily limit of UV exposure. The battery lasts for six weeks. Netatmo, a French company, hopes to sell the device in the U.S. for $99, starting in the second quarter of this year.

CES visitors examine confections made with a ChefJet Pro 3D food printer. The candies are made with sugar, food coloring and a single flavor.

ULTRA-HIGH-DEF NETFLIX — Netflix demonstrated ultra-high-definition, or 4K, video streaming. The company will offer relatively easy access to shows that take full advantage of the 4K TVs set to go on sale later this year. (The 4K TVs on the market today don't have the chips necessary to decode the picture.) Netflix's 4K content will stream at 15.6 megabits per second, so viewers will need a relatively fast Internet connection.

ENVELOPING PHOTO BOOTH — At the Nikon exhibit, Los Angeles-based photographer Alexx Henry set up a small tent with 68 inward-facing, off-the-shelf Nikon cameras. When a subject steps inside the xxArray photo booth, an operator triggers the cameras simultaneously, yielding an image of the subject from all angles. Computers then process the images and create a 3-D rendition of the subject, which can then be posed in the computer as if it were an action figure. The 3-D model can also be imported into a game. So instead of playing with a generic game avatar, you may someday see yourself running around, blasting bad guys.

Industry-watchers expect setups like the xxArray to become more common and coupled to 3-D printers. In a few years, when you go to a photo studio, you might come home with a statue of yourself.

SUGAR PRINTER — A company called 3D Systems showed off the ChefJet, the first restaurant-approved food printer. The device uses water to melt sugar into shapes as complicated as the mind can imagine. The company's booth featured a wedding cake held up by an edible lattice-work tower that would have been nearly impossible to create by other means. The ChefJet can print complex works in chocolate, too. Unfortunately, the samples the company handed out didn't taste very good, but party planners and restaurateurs will likely be excited about the possibilities culinary 3-D printing opens up.

SONY'S HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY — Sony's head-mounted display looks like an enormous pair of glasses. When you strap it on, you take on the perspective of a motorcycle driver racing through the English countryside. Looking down shows the pavement speeding by, looking up shows the clouds. When you swivel your head to the right or left, you may feel like waving to the crowds along the road. All this is enabled by a sensor attached to a strap that tracks your head movements and adjusts the wide-angle picture accordingly.

Related: Gadgets galore at the Consumer Electronics Show

Although there were a few kinks that marred the illusion, the demonstration gave a taste of what's possible when "wearable" displays and computers combine with movement sensors.

HEAT SENSING IPHONE — FLIR Systems Inc., the leading maker of professional imagers that "see" heat, is bringing out its first consumer-level product: a jacket for the iPhone that contains a heat camera. Temperature differences show up in different colors on the screen of the phone. For instance, you can set it to show hotter things in yellow, medium-hot in red and cold in purple. It can discern temperature differences as small as one tenth of a degree. The FLIR One will cost $349, which compares with $995 and up for FLIR's professional thermal imagers. Practical applications for the camera include identifying leaky insulation and moisture. Fun applications include spotting wildlife, high-tech hide-and-seek, and crazy party pictures. ("Everyone was so hot!")

ANKI DRIVE RACING GAME — In this very high-tech update to Scalextric slot racers, your iPhone doubles as a controller for cars that zip around on a track painted with an infrared pattern the cars see with small cameras on their undersides.

Somehow, the cars fly around without rails, unless you do something really crazy. You can shoot imaginary weapons with rapid-fire tapping on your screen, disabling cars in front of you so you can race ahead. For kids, the game is a mind-blower that could inspire them to create their own gadgets, the way Erector Sets once did.

News Source: http://news.msn.com/science-technology/the-hottest-gadgets-of-ces-3-d-printers-to-4k-tvs
  

Forget 4K, it's an 8K TV you want

4K has been the talk of CES and looks likely to go big in 2014, but is it needed?

A few years ago the BBC invited me to go and see a screening of the Olympic opening ceremony in 8K. At the time, very few 8K TVs existed in the world and the number of cameras capable of recording in the format were even fewer.

As such, there were only two different camera angles used for the entirety of the opening ceremony footage. However, this didn't matter as it would've been stunning if there was only one camera used.

Viewed on a cinema-sized screen, the amount of detail available in 8K is incredible. You could watch the cinema screen from just a metre away and not spot a single pixel. Given the amount of time it took HD to get into the home (the 1984 LA Olympic Games were shot in experimental HD), we thought 8K would be a long way off.


Sharp 8K TV

Not so. Tucked into nearly every TV manufacturer's stand at CES has been some sort of 8K television. Acting like a bit of a kick in the teeth for the audio visual obsessed, these 8K TVs are a reminder of all the saving you will need to do when you re-purchase everything in the new even higher resolution format.

Invest in 4K now and you can be sure that it'll only be a few years before a more expensive 8K set, with 8K movies, seems necessary. Such is the rate at which formats evolve now that HD TV is pretty much still a teenager by TV standards.

The first HD TVs went on sale in 1996, but it wasn't until ten years later that major broadcasters like Sky started to support the format. Now that might still seem like a fairly lengthy process, but when you think the first color TVs emerged in the 1950s, you start to realize just how new HD is.

4K then, despite all of Netflix's talk of embedding the format into Smart TVs, clearly still has a long way to go before it's ubiquitous enough for the BBC to pick it up.

The average consumer also clearly has a long wait before they can enjoy conventional television in 4K. The manufacturers, on the other hand, seem only a few years off being able to release affordable commercial 8K televisions, which is perhaps even more irritating.

Given the rapid rate of evolution, not only in broadband speeds but display technology itself, coupled with the rate at which the price of Ultra HD TVs is dropping, 8K seems like it will be genuinely affordable within the next decade.


Netflix

The problem is, will the broadcasters support it? It took years for the major UK services to get on board with HD, so expect 4K to be just the same. 8K, that seems like a bit more of an ask.

This is a problem, because the image quality and viewing experience is so drastically improved over HD, and even 4K, that we almost wish they would just ditch the format altogether and start chasing the highest resolution possible. It would save plenty of TV fans money at least.

Don't let us put you off 4K, as if you are yet to see it, the difference between it and HD is still definitely exciting. Expect it to be another three to four years before prices start to match today's HD TVs, however, and perhaps even longer for the format to be picked up by the likes of Freeview and Sky.

In the meantime, make sure you get saving, as for 4K to be properly impressive, you need a big TV.

News Source: http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a543255/forget-4k-its-an-8k-tv-you-want.html

  

Dell's new display is the most affordable 4K monitor yet

Editor's note: This article was originally published on 1/8/14 but was updated on 1/9/14 with details about the monitor's refresh rate.

Dell's making good on its promise to deliver a sub-$1,000 4K PC monitor during CES 2014—and amazingly, "sub-$1,000" didn't mean "999." Dell's new 28-inch UltraHD monitor is priced at $699 and is going on sale worldwide on January 23. The new monitor features the same resolution (3840-by-2160) as Dell's UltraSharp 24-inch and 32-inch monitors announced in December.

With a $700 price tag, the consumer-focused 28-inch P2815Q won't gouge your pocket book quite as much as its pro market predecessors. Those two monitors are currently priced at $3,500 for the 32-inch UP3214Q and $1,300 for the 24-inch UP2414Q.

Just how Dell was able to get the price of the P2815Q down to almost half of the UP2414Q is unknown, as Dell hasn't announced detailed specs for the new 28-inch monitor yet. But we'll do our best to find out what this monitor is packing and what corners Dell had to cut when we talk to the company at CES this week.

Dell is promising the same "screen performance" in the P2815Q as in the UltraSharp models that preceded it. And just like the other 4K models, the P2815Q also comes with Dell's Premium Panel Guarantee that promises a straight-up exchange if you find even a single pixel misbehaving during the warranty period.Porting to 4K

When Dell introduced the UltraSharp models in December they both came with an impressive array of ports, including HDMI, DisplayPort, mini-DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 ports, and a 6-in-1 media card reader.

Is this where the "budget" 4K model will take a downgrade? Perhaps. Then again, when Dell first teased the P2815Q in early December, the company said the monitor would offer "multiple input ports…to display content from smartphones and…connect laptops, PCs and essential accessories." We're also intrigued to see the monitor's refresh rate.

(Update: And the catch is known: The monitor has a refresh rate of just 30Hz at full 4K resolution, which isn't good if you're into gaming. The refresh rate jumps to 60Hz if you downgrade the monitor to 1080p resolution, but why would you buy a 4K display to use it at 1080p?)

Even if the P2815Q turns out to be the 4K monitor of our dreams, a 28-inch monster is still awfully large for most of us who stand or sit little more than a foot away from our computer screens. It's not as overwhelming as a 31.5-inch flat panel, mind you, but it's certainly not as comfortable as a 24-inch model would be.

At $699, Dell's UltraHD monitor is the cheapest 4K panel to show up at CES this week, although Lenovo and Asus aren't far behind with separate 28-inch UltraHD monitors priced at $799 and rolling out in the spring. Whether 4K enthusiasts should drop their dough on Dell's monitor or wait for Asus or Lenovo's models to arrive should become clearer as CES winds on.

Source: PC World
  

Hisense announces Android-powered H8 and H9 UHD (4k) Smart TVs

Yesterday we reported on the Hisense VIDAA series of Android-powered smart TVs, all with a resolution of 1080p. Like what you saw with Hisense but looking for something with a bit more oomph? Don't worry, Hisense has you covered.

Hisense is launching two ultra high definition television (3840×2160) lines at CES 2014, the H9 and the H8. The H9 will debut in 85-inch and 75-inch models and will feature 3D technology that will work using Bluetooth glasses. Then there's the H8c, a UHD lineup that includes 50, 55 and 65-inch models. Last but not least, the H8s is a variant of the H8c with a 65-inch curved display.

 

All of these ultra high-def television models are powered by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with pre-loaded apps including Netflix, Vudu HD Movies, Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, Chrome and Youtube. Better yet, you can add just about any extra app you want thanks to Google Play certification.

The H8 and H9 lines also have the same customized VIDAA user interface as found in the VIDAA TV series. There's also three full USB ports and 4x HDMI and the television models can all be controlled via an included air mouse. There are certain voice-driven commands present as well.

No word on pricing or exact release details just yet, though Hisense does state that the non-curved H8 and H9 models will arrive in Q3 of 2014. For the H8s, Hisense simply says it will arrive in the second half of 2014, which seems to point towards a release closer to the very end of the year.

If Hisense can significantly undercut the pricing on its more premium-branded 4K competitors (which we have a feeling it will), these new Android-powered UHD televisions could certainly be worth looking out for.

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/hisense-h8-h9-332142/

TV trends at CES: 4K, curves and smart TVs

Las Vegas, Nevada (CNN) -- Remember 3D televisions? WebTV? Television have been a core CES category for many years. The devices got a bump a decade ago with flat-screen technology, but in recent years manufacturers have struggled to bring excitement back to the living room staple.

Grasping for flashy features, companies tried for three years to sell 3D as the "next big thing," but consumers didn't bite. This year they've switched tactics and are trying to revitalize sales with a list of new features meant to inspire consumers to upgrade their old dusty TVs.

Which of the new features will catch on and help boost the TV industry, and which will go the way of 3D? Here are some of this year's TV trends.

Packing in the pixels

TV manufacturers are still pushing hard for 4k, the ultra high-definition screens that pack in four times the resolution of current HD TVs. High prices (sets typically start at $2,000) and limited amounts of 4K content have slowed adoption of the sets. Ultra HD also only looks noticeably different on larger sets, 50-inches and up. This year the companies have rolled out some big names to give 4K a marketing boost.

First came Google. The amount of bandwidth necessary to stream or download 4K content has been a concern, and ahead of CES Google announced a new 4K streaming format, VP9, that would cut in half the bandwidth necessary to stream 4k from sites like YouTube.

LG also addressed the streaming angle and brought out Netflix CEO Reed Hastings at its CES press conference. Hastings talked up future 4K content that will be available on Netflix, like the next season of "House of Cards."

Six odd and crazy technologies at CES

Samsung's plans to make a splash at its press conference went awry when guest Michael Bay, director of the Transformers movies, walked off the stage after his teleprompter went off script. (He later apologized in a blog post saying, "I guess live shows aren't my thing.") Bay is promoting 4k footage from Transformers 4.

According to research firm NPD DisplaySearch, the marketing is working, at least in China. It expects shipments of 4k televisions to jump from 1.9 million in 2013 to 12.7 million in 2014, with early adoption in China leading the way, making up 78 percent of those sales in the coming year.

More content is also starting to trickle in for 4K. Major movie studios are working with Amazon to stock up on 4K content, and Comcast is working with Samsung to up its 4K streaming offerings for people who have Samsung 4K TVs and Xfinity TV.

Bends and curves and wedges

The flat screen has been embraced as the default TV form factor. It's sleek, it can hang on walls, it occupies a minimal amount of space. Now manufacturers are working on a new feature to save us from all that dull flatness: curved screens.

Television companies claim a slightly curved screen offers a better viewing experience by reducing glare and improving visibility for people sitting to the sides of a TV set, say, at a crowded Super Bowl party. The effect also is supposed to be more immersive, similar to IMAX screens. There's still no consensus about whether or not that's true, but it's a flashy way for some companies to set their screens apart.

5 trends to watch at CES

Both Samsung and LG announced new curved 105-inch 4K televisions. Samsung has an 85-inch prototype that's bendable, meaning it can transform from flat screen to curved, and four other curved models.

Sony is also toying with a different shape it calls the wedge. The company announced its new 1080p television with a tapered wedge design on the edges, meant to take up minimal space but incorporate good front-facing speakers.

Smarter but still catching up to smartphones

Like 3D, smart TVs have been featured heavily at CES in the past. Attempts to bring Internet connections, apps and streaming to traditional televisions have been clumsy and inconsistent. Third-party offerings like Roku, Apple TV and Chromecast have done a far better job at creating TV-friendly user interfaces than the TV companies themselves. And of course, people can just fire up their Android or iOS tablet for the best streaming interfaces.

While smart TVs are taking a backseat to the big 4K and curved pushes, they're still an important feature at this year's show. Now some manufacturers are doing something actually smart and turning to the experts.

Hisense and TCL are teaming up with Roku to include the service in televisions automatically, without the need for the separate box. Roku's new TV platform will roll out on select sets in the fall, but could expand to other companies.

LG announced plans to bring webOS (the old Palm mobile software) to its televisions, and FIrefox is working with Panasonic to bring a version of the Firefox OS to televisions.

The variety of platforms does make things harder for the popular streaming services like Amazon and Netflix, which have to create a version of their streaming apps for each new platform that pops up.

When in doubt, go big

The super high-end sets get attention, but aren't meant for mass adoption. Still, if you're in the market for big and price isn't a barrier, there are a few new options that make 4K look its best.

In addition to the two 105-inch curved sets from LG and Samsung, Vizio announced a 120-inch 4K television, but didn't share a shipping date or price. At the end of last year, Samsung announced its own 110-inch set that costs just $152,000

News from http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/tech/gaming-gadgets/ces-television-trends/