When HDTV is not HDTV
Why many people are not watching high-definition TV on their HDTV sets
A man walks into a store and heads for the TV displays. He stops in front of a high-definition television with a 42-inch plasma screen and lets out a low whistle. The picture is stunning, better than he’s ever seen from a TV, and the sound is terrific, almost as though he’s in a theatre.
The man, whom we’ll call Mike, knows he’s got to have one. He calls the salesperson over, confirms the price and asks about delivery. He can’t wait.
The salesperson explains that, although this is a high-definition television, Mike will have to buy an HD package from his cable or satellite company to get a similar picture. As for the sound, Mike will need a Dolby Digital surround-sound system to get that.
But Mike isn’t really listening; he thinks the salesman is just trying to get him to spend more. The $3,500 plus tax for the TV is already enough.
Two days later, the TV arrives. Mike sets it up and switches it on. Something is wrong, very wrong.
The picture is a square on a wide screen and the quality of that picture is, well, not much better than his old set.
“Happens a lot,” says Brian Ripchensky, a TV sales expert at Future Shop’s Laird Ave. store.
“Some people think they’re going to get an HD picture by tuning into the channels they’ve always used. They don’t realize they have to rent or buy a high-definition terminal from their cable or satellite company and then tune to specific high-definition channels to get the HD picture.”
As a result, there are a lot of owners of HD sets still watching standard programming.
“Buying an expensive big-screen television is not a good investment unless you’re going to get high-definition service now or in the near future,” says Ripchensky.
Mark Stoakes, the general manager of Kromer Radio, on Bathurst St. in Toronto, also stresses the need for a good surround-sound system.
“Some people spend thousands on the new television and then look for the cheapest audio system. You cannot get great sound from a $500 receiver-and-speakers package.”
He advises spending at least $1,500 for a good sound system.
Prices of HDTVs vary dramatically, from a low of $1,200 for a 32-inch LCD set from a maker you’ve never heard of, to more than $3,000 for a superior set from a major manufacturer.
Source: TheStar.Com
Panasonic TH-42PX500U Review
The TH-PX500U series is the step up from the Panasonic TH-PX50U series. While we haven’t reviewed the PX500U series, we have reviewed the TH-42PX50U, which should deliver very similar performance to both of these models. In addition to slightly different cosmetics, the PX500U series offers some distinguishing refinements not found in the baseline models, including picture-in-picture, a VGA-style PC input, a front-panel A/V input, a built-in TV Guide On-Screen EPG, and an SD memory card slot. The 42-inch TH-42PX500U ($3,500) and the 50-inch TH-50PX500U ($4,500) are currently available.
Specifications:
General
* Product type
* - Color
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Panasonic TH-42PX50U Review
The good: Deep blacks; clean video processing with 2:3 pull-down; independent memory per input when using different picture modes.
The bad: Less than ideal color decoding; no PC input; lacks picture-in-picture; can’t change aspect ratio with HD sources.
The bottom line: The only bang-for-the-buck competition facing the Panasonic TH-42PX50U plasma comes from the same company’s industrial model.
Panasonic has proven itself to be the hardest-punching heavyweight among plasma-TV makers, and this year it fights its title bout against itself. In one corner there’s the industrial lineup, typified by the TH-PD7UY series and our favorite 42-inch model, the TH-42PHD7UY. In the other corner there’s the consumer lineup, represented in 2005 by the TH-PX50U series and the model under review here, the TH-42PX50U ($3,000 MSRP). In a nutshell, the industrial models are all picture, and the consumer models make you pay a few hundred extra bucks for features such as, say, speakers, a tuner, and all the inputs you need. After evaluating the TH-42PX50U, we still recommend the industrial models if you’re just looking for the best picture you can get for the least amount of money, but the bout does go down to the wire. The TH-42PX50U is a solid performer in just about every performance aspect, and while it lacks some of the features and the connections found on more expensive models such as the TH-42PX500U and Pioneer’s PDP-4350HD, it’s a great bargain if you want speakers to go with your picture.
Design
The look of the Panasonic TH-42PX50U is reasonably attractive and unobtrusive. With the speakers mounted below the screen rather than on the left and right sides, this panel’s footprint is smaller than most. A black bezel surrounds the screen–something we’re happy to see a lot more of, since black around the screen adds to the perceived contrast ratio of the picture and aids in improving real-world performance. The legs and the speaker grille below the screen are finished in silver.
Measuring roughly 42 by 28 by 4 inches without the included 12.5-inch-deep stand, the Panasonic TH-42PX50U is ideal for wall mounting if you want to install it on an optional bracket. It weighs 76 pounds, however, so we recommend you consult a professional installer for help.
Panasonic’s remote is a little different from last year’s models. It’s fully backlit in glowing red, which makes it much easier to use in a darkened home-theater environment. Unfortunately, it lacks direct-access keys for input selection. We found the internal menu system well implemented and fairly intuitive to navigate.
Features
The 42-inch-diagonal screen of the Panasonic TH-42PX50U offers a native resolution of 1,024×768, which qualifies it as a high-resolution model by comparison with EDTV models such as the TH-42PD50U. That means you’ll see more detail with high-def sources, although you still won’t see all the detail inherent in 1080i and 720p HDTV broadcasts (more info). The TH-42PX50U scales all incoming material, including 1080i and 720p HDTV, DVD, and standard-def, to fit the available pixels. Note that unlike 2004’s TH-42PX25U, this year’s model can accept 720p sources.
Epson EMP-TW520 projector
This may be the cheapest beamer around but it still holds its own against its posher rivals.
Images from a Hi-Def Jarhead trailer look extremely rich and cinematic with strong blacks and bright, vivid colours – not quite in the same league as the Sanyo and Panasonic in the same price range, but still impressive. Fed with DVDs and lower quality TV it also produces some solid-looking pictures.
Set-up is good thanks to the user-friendly lens shift controls, and although the fan is a bit noisier than its rivals when running in the high lamp mode, this is balanced by the fact that it produces noticeably brighter pictures.
While the Epson’s image quality doesn’t quite reach the dizzy heights of the Sanyo PLV-Z4 or Panasonic PT-AE900, it still puts in a very passable performance considering its relatively low price.
PBS-HD & Sony expand high definition production
Expect to see even more HDTV content coming from PBS due to their new program in conjunction with Sony, three of their stations (Chicago, Pittsburgh & Washington) have moved forward with installing Sony high definition cameras, switches, displays etc.
One of the first beneficiaries of this is The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, set to become PBS’ first daily high definition show sometime in 2007 when upgrades in Washington are completed. The Chicago station that produced the Legends of Jazz series we recently mentioned is building a brand new educational facility where area residents will be able to learn television production on the new equipment. The Pittsburgh station is hoping to make more HD movies like their recent The War That Made America, now that they don’t have to rent space and equipment to do it.
Frame Thrower HD-SDI Playback for Film, HDTV and Digital Cinema announced by Digital Ordnance
Digital Ordnance has chosen the 2006 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference to release the latest addition to the Company’s Frame Throwerâ„¢ line of reliable, real-time uncompressed 2K/4K HD playback systems: Frame Throwerâ„¢ HD-SDI.
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) April 25, 2006 — Digital Ordnance has chosen the 2006 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference to release the latest addition to the Company’s Frame Throwerâ„¢ line of reliable, real-time uncompressed 2K/4K HD playback systems: Frame Throwerâ„¢ HD-SDI.
Used in the production of over 100 films including Chronicles of Narnia, Underworld, Van Helsing, Flight Plan, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Frame Throwerâ„¢ has quickly established itself as the scalable, cost effective high-performance playback system for film, HDTV and HD projection systems. Frame Throwerâ„¢ HD-SDI delivers the most accurate results possible using completely uncompressed images and preserving at least 10 bits per color component from source material to screen, at 2048×1080. Beyond production workflows, Frame Throwerâ„¢ HD-SDI fully supports high-performance playback of content destined for digital cinema and multi-screen venues.
Frame Throwerâ„¢ software features a browser based user interface and supports multi-user, collaborative production workflows. “Customers have requested HD SDI (High Definition Serial Digital Interface) for the last few months and we’re excited to take the Frame Throwerâ„¢ line to the next level of performance†said Daryll Strauss, President, Digital Ordnance.
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2006 NBA playoff games now available in high definition on The Score HD
Basketball fans from coast-to-coast can now get up-close and personal with all the action the 2006 NBA Playoffs has to offer with The Score HD. This is The Score’s first live event high definition programming on their new HD channel, available to Rogers Digital Cable HDTV
customers on channel 507. The Score HD’s NBA Playoff schedule includes these upcoming games:
Tuesday, April 25 - 7:00 p.m. (ET) - Washington/Cleveland (TNT) -Game 2
Wednesday, April 26 - 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Memphis/Dallas (TNT) - Game 2
Friday, April 28 - 8:00 p.m. (ET) - Washington/Cleveland (ESPN) - Game 3
Saturday, April 29 - 3:00 p.m. (ET) - New Jersey/Indiana (TNT) - Game 4
“We’re thrilled to have our first HD telecasts feature the non-stop action of the NBA playoffs,” says David Errington, SVP and General Manager, The Score Television Network. “With our HD technology, viewers will feel like they’re watching the excitement in courtside seats.”
HP mp3320 Portable Projector Review
Portable, compact and lightweight projector is ideal for presentations and video
We had the chance to try out the new HP mp3320 portable projector and run it through a few tests. What we found was a well thought out, well designed presentation tool that delivers a very good image whether you’re showing PowerPoint presentations, video, or both.
The HP mp3320 is a lightweight (3.8 lbs), compact (9.9†× 8.3†× 2.7â€) portable projector designed for easy transport and quick setup. It is primarily intended for professional presentations in businesses or schools but it also does an excellent job when connected to a DVD player (or even playing games). Right out of the box you can tell that the folks at HP have been doing their homework and really tried to make this one of the easiest to use professional-quality projectors on the market.
The projector comes with a carry case, remote control, VGA cable, 10-foot power cable, USB cable, quick setup booklets, warrantee information, and manual on CD-ROM. On the front of the unit there is a built-in lens cover (a nice touch) and an IR receiver port. On the top are manual zoom and focus rings, a button to release the front elevation foot, and controls that match those on the remote control. There are also lamp and temperature warning lights. On the back of the unit are another IR receiver port, a security slot, a USB port for connecting to a computer, an audio-in port, composite video port, S-video port, and a VGA port that can also accept component or HDTV signals with an optional cable. All the ports are clearly marked and color-coded. The power cord port is located on the side of the unit and one of the feet on the underside can be raised and lowered to adjust tilt. Another nice touch is a threaded hole on the underside allowing you to mount the projector on a tripod. You can also mount the projector from a ceiling with optional mounting hardware or behind a screen for rear projection.
The remote control is about the size of a credit card and has buttons for powering the projector on and off, a hide button for blanking the screen, buttons that emulate a computer mouse as well as page up and page down buttons for when the unit is connected to a computer via the USB port. It also has a source select button, auto synchronization button, buttons for navigating the on screen display (OSD), an enter button, a back button, and a picture mode button (for switching between graphics and video modes). The slightly raised buttons are laid out nicely and easy to use even in the dark. It also has a pretty powerful IR transmitter inside and that, combined with the two IR receiver ports on both the front and back of the projector, means that you can point the remote almost anywhere and the signals will be picked up.
Setting up the projector is about as easy as it gets. Take it out of the case and put it on a table anywhere from 4 to 40 feet away from a screen (or white wall if you don’t have a screen). This creates images anywhere from 30 inches (diagonal) all the way up to 24 feet (diagonal). Connect your computer or video source (or both), optional audio source, optional USB connection to a computer’s USB port, and the power cable. Rotate open the lens cover, turn everything on and hit the power button. While the projector is powering up it displays countdown numbers and searches for any viable signals.
Before testing the mp3320 I had been using a widescreen LCD display and forgot to reset the computer’s graphics resolution before connecting to the projector. On powerup the projector politely displayed a message stating that the resolution was out of range. Without that message I could have easily believed that something was wrong with the projector and wasted a lot of time trying to figure out the problem.
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Siemens Business Services to provide technical support for UK HDTV trial
Siemens Business Services has announced that it is providing the coding, multiplexing and distribution infrastructure for the BBC’s trial HDTV system, which will be used in its HD trials later this year.
As part of the range of infrastructure and services Siemens will provide during the trial, it has also secured a contract with Red Bee Media to provide project management assistance in implementation of its HD playout solution.
The HD trials represent an important step in the play-out, distribution, multiplexing and transmission of HD content in the UK, and Siemens is heavily involved at every stage of the broadcast chain.
Key activities include:
# Providing HD connectivity from The World Cup in Germany to Television Centre in London.
# Providing HD cross site inter-connectivity in London for cable platforms.
# Providing project management services for a HD play-out system for Red Bee Media.
# Providing coding and multiplexing systems for the HD on DSAT trial.
# Providing a coding and multiplexing system for the HD on DTT trial.
# Providing the Uplink facilities for the HD on DSAT trial.
# Working with BBC, BBC Resources and BBC Research for system architecture and technical standardisation of the HD broadcast chain.
The BBC’s HD trial will launch in May and feature some of the broadcaster’s best sport, drama, events and documentaries including the BBC’s World Cup coverage and major Wimbledon matches. The trial is due to last 12 months and will show a few hours of originated programming a day.
The Many Benefits of an Upconverting DVD Player
Squeeze the best image quality out of your DVDs
Let’s face it. On the eve of the HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray deathmatch—surely the bloodiest format war since the VHS-vs.-Betamax debacle—any self-respecting technophile is going to watch and wait. A costly, obsolete paperweight is the last thing any of us wants to get stuck with. While you’re waiting, I have a few things for you to ponder. Because you’re reading Connected Home Express, as opposed to, say, Home & Garden, you probably have an HDTV—likely a big one—and have sunk thousands of dollars into an expansive DVD collection. (Remember when bookshelves were used for books?) Sure, you’ll catch the odd first-run movie at the theater, but as you’re being bumped and annoyed by strangers in the dark, you’re probably thinking about how much better the movie will be on DVD, with you nestled comfortably in your home theater.
The joys of the home theater are multifaceted. A home theater should assault the senses with glorious sights and sounds. But if you still have a formerly cutting-edge progressive-scan DVD player, the sights might not be quite as glorious as the sounds anymore. Thankfully, there’s a great way to squeeze every last pixel of fidelity out of those hundreds of DVDs lining your shelves. An upconverting DVD player, for the uninitiated, is like a supercharger for home theaters. The player takes the DVD’s meager 720×480 (480i) resolution and jacks it up to 720p or 1080i. This jump doesn’t rival the one you experienced when you upgraded from VHS to DVD, but on a big HD display, the results can be stunning.
The reasons to buy an upconverting DVD player are compelling. Consider cost and performance. Are you really in a hurry to start a new HD-DVD or Blu-ray library at $30 to $40 a pop? Also, remember that you’re facing a minimum $500 price tag for Toshiba’s entry-level player and a Blu-ray price of twice that amount. You can buy excellent upconverting players for $200 and breathe new life into your existing DVDs. The most crucial factor in the upconverting player’s favor is proven performance. HD players will have backward compatibility with standard DVDs, but who knows how well they’ll upscale? The best upconverting players have been fine-tuned and fulfill their specific role exceptionally well. But are all upconverting players created equal? What are the essential features you need to look for when you’re deciding on one of the dozens of players on the market? Read on—we’ve got you covered.
Deinterlacing: Transforming Interlaced to Progressive Scan
Mom used to say, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.†Upscalers are no exception. The single most crucial component (i.e., the “brain†of the player) is the video-processing chip. The task of ensuring that what you see on the HDTV screen accurately depicts the source material of what’s on the DVD is incredibly complex. Lesser chips need not apply.
The two main duties of the video chip are deinterlacing and scaling. But first, how about a crash refresher course in video resolution? Video on DVD is in 480i resolution, in which 30 still frames are displayed on a TV in two fields of 240 horizontal lines, every second. The “i†stands for “interlaced,†which means the entire frame of video is composed of the two passes of alternating horizontal lines of resolution interlaced together. A resolution of 480i was sufficient on smaller TVs, but the flaws in the interlaced, lower-resolution video become more apparent on larger displays. Increased space between the alternating scan lines can produce a flicker, and details suffer.
HDTVs can display higher-resolution video such as 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Once again, the numbers stand for the horizontal lines of resolution and the “i†and “p†refer to the method by which the scan lines are displayed. Progressive scanning (signified by the “p”) displays every horizontal line of video in one pass instead of interlacing alternating lines in two passes. A progressive-scan picture is a huge jump in video fidelity, flicker-free with enhanced clarity and stability.
Deinterlacing is necessary any time interlaced video—the humble DVD, for example—is displayed as progressive-scan video. In theory, the task of repeating scan lines to form the progressive-scan image is simple enough. But, in practice, there are variables that can seriously mess with video quality.
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