HDTV Reviews

SmartCam HDTV and MicroHDTV are two new cameras of very compact size. Embedded-imaging technologies make it possible to realize these stand-alone camera systems for different HD-formats. The cameras represent a complete imaging systems including operating software, web interface and user interfaces and allow the camera to operate without any further external software, no matter what kind of computer is used.

The SmartCam HDTV can be administrated and configurated via web interface.
www.iis.fraunhofer.de

EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network and DirecTV Inc. are ramping up their local-HD offerings.

Dish launched local-HD channels in 11 cities Wednesday: Dallas; Houston; Miami; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif.; San Antonio; and Seattle and Spokane, Wash.

EchoStar said Dish now offers local-HD services in 24 cities.

And DirecTV added local HDTV channels in Milwaukee, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and St. Louis Wednesday.

The nation’s largest direct-broadcast satellite provider is engaged in a nationwide expansion of HDTV programming — one that will give it the ability to deliver more than 1,500 local HDTV channels and more than 150 national HDTV networks by 2007.

DirecTV now offers local HDTV broadcast channels in 24 cities, with plans to launch in an additional 26 cities later this year.

PcMag.Com writes the following useful article:I’m trying to get my laptop (an IBM ThinkPad T43) screen to display on my HDTV (Philips), which has an HDMI input. My laptop has only a VGA output. Is there any way to use the analog VGA-out from the ThinkPad to the HDMI digital input on my HDTV?

Theoretically, you can do this. The catch is that you have to convert the VGA analog signal to digital, then pipe it to the HDMI input on your HDTV. The NYECO VGA/Component to DVI converter, available from Digital Connection ($189 direct; www.digitalconnection.com), exists to fill that gap if you don’t need audio. You will, however, need an additional DVI-to-HDMI dongle. I haven’t personally tried this, so I can’t vouch for its quality.

Another solution is the StarTech VGAHD2-HDMI format converter ($220 direct; www.startech.com), which also converts audio, so you can transmit both audio and video. A better solution may be to go analog-to-analog. Your HDTV probably has component video inputs. Products like the Audio Authority 9A60 VGA-to-component-video converter ($129 direct; www.audioauthority.com) may be a more cost-effective solution.

In either case, you may run into a problem with overscan—a situation in which the outer edges of a TV image don’t appear on the screen. Unfortunately, overscan also occurs when you send a PC signal to the HDTV; as a result, the outer edges of your Windows desktop may not be visible. Tools like PowerStrip ($29.95 after a free trial; www.entechtaiwan.com) help manage these issues on your PC. The most current video drivers from ATI and nVidia have tools to correct this problem, but they may not be available for your ThinkPad.

The Avanti Screenmedia Group PLC (Avanti) have announced 120 million Euro deal with the European Space Agency (ESA) and EADS Astrium Limited for the construction and launch of the HYLAS (Highly Flexible Satellite) communication satellite.

Set to be launched in late 2008, the spacecraft will aim to complete full HDTV and broadband internet coverage for outstanding areas of Europe.

The hybrid Ka Band/Ku Band satellite is expected to be launched alongside another payload on an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle in around October 2008 - with ESA picking up 34 million Euros of the total cost, covering ‘development of the most innovative elements of this new system’ - although the agency’s contribution nearly matches the cost of the actual launch.

‘HYLAS will play an important role in demonstrating the advanced technological capabilities of European space companies which are truly competitive on a global scale,’ said Giuseppe Viriglio, Director of European Union and Industry Programmes for ESA.

‘It also makes significant progress in solving the social problem of poor broadband coverage in many parts of Europe and serves as a template for future large scale projects ‘.

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Onkyo, a brand that has continuously demonstrated its commitment to high quality affordable home theater electronics, has enhanced its popular entry-level home theater receiver line with the new TX-SR504. The 504 improves on its predecessor (the TX-SR503) with the addition of XM’s new Neural Surroundâ„¢ support plus an adjustable lip-synch delay feature that allows users to compensate for the mis-match of audio and video components in some digital display systems.

The 504 also adds options for more precise control over a subwoofer in a home theater system. And all this comes without a price increase - the list price of the TX-SR504 is just $299, available in black or silver finishes.

As we initially reported in our CES coverage earlier this year, XM Satellite Radio’s new Neural Surround technology (also known as “XM HD Surround”) offers a unique discrete 5.1-channel surround sound option for XM satellite radio subscribers - a first in the satellite radio market. It’s great news to see this feature included in a product that anyone can afford, not just early adopters with deep pockets.

The new receiver also includes a wide array of features for home theater, including the latest in 7.1 channel processing, HDTV-capable component video switching for up to three component inputs, and enhanced compatibility with the company’s RI (Remote Interactive) iPod dock.
Source: http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com

ky’s HD service - due to launch on 22 May, with a package of high-definition channels – will be unavailable to most World Cup fans…

Live coverage of the World Cup in HD on BBC channels is one of the new service’s biggest attractions, along with other HD channels like Sky One and Discovery.

But many football fans buying HD TVs to watch the World Cup will be disappointed because Sky admits it can’t cope with demand for the (£299) HD set top boxes.

Sky spokesman Robert Fraser, says: ‘Because of the strong demand, we are no longer able to offer installation dates before the World Cup. Earliest installation would be July.

‘We have been taking advance orders since April. We have had a very strong response with more than 40,000 orders in the first three weeks.’

As a result, anyone ordering Sky’s HD satellite service now will not get it installed until after the tournament is over.

There are alternatives, such as buying new HD set-top boxes suitable to pick up the Freeview digital satellite channels, which includes the BBC’s World Cup coverage.

However, these boxes are extremely scarce, with high street retailers Dixons and Currys not stocking them.

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Philips’ 42PF9631D new 42” plasma HD-Ready TV. As usual it has been christened with a catchy code name – the 42PF9631D – but it makes its distinction from other Philips TVs by being its first 1080i resolution plasma.

As we’re rapidly learning though, it isn’t so much the screen size and resolution that counts when it comes to top quality High Definition but the image processing. Philips is trusting its Pixel Plus 2 HD engine to do it proud – here’s what it says: “Through interpolation, the Pixel Plus 2 HD matches the input source to the display’s resolution and then adjusts the values of the interpolated pixels to ‘fuse’ more accurately with surrounding ones, drastically boosting sharpness and detail clarity.”

Other features of the Pixel Plus 2 HD engine includes noise reduction mechanism for MPEG video and Philips boasts to be the TV manufacturer to successfully combine resolution enhancement with motion compensation, ensuring the video retains a smooth 24 frames per second.

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The HDCI2000 is a satellite receiver for free to air HD channels. Although there’s not much around right now, you’ll be able to impress the neighbours with the World Cup matches in glorious HD, not to mention other BBC shows, like Bleak House and Natural World. But if you want the Sky channels, well, you’ll have to pick up Sky HD.

The box can receive and decrypt the latest MPEG4 HD transmissions, as well as displaying both MPEG2 HD and standard definition, free-to-air satellite signals. There’s also an optical output for Dolby Digital sound, two scart connectors, a data port for software updates and HDMI video output.

You can pick up the Humax HDCI2000 now for around £300.
Source: http://www.techdigest.tv

Pacific Media Associates (PMA), the large-screen display watchdogs, reported today that unit sales for rear-projection televisions in North America rose a surprising 10% last month. Their March 2006 RPTV Sell-Through Tracking Service also shows that sales revenues increased a scant 6%, as average street price dropped 4%.

“DLP models continued to sell well,” according to Rosemary Abowd, Vice President with PMA. “They accounted for 64% of the unit market share, up from 59% in February, and up from 51% in March 2005. As for resolution another surprise came when seeing that the 720p models gained three points to take the majority of the unit market share with 52%. This gain was at the expense of 1080p models, which dropped three points to 45%.”

Strong sales of 46-, 50-, and 56-inch models catapulted Samsung past Sony to the number one position based on unit sales. The company’s 46-inch HLR4667W was the top-selling model for March, boosted by many close-out sales. Sony was a close second in overall unit sales, with four of the seven best-selling models for the month.
Source: http://www.hdtvmagazine.com

It seems that in this confused era of HD Compatible, HD Ready and HD all over the shop, the only people who will tell you the bad news about your new TV not actually being able to display all high-def content are the ones trying to sell you adapters to ensure that they can.

One such vendor is Gefen, who tells us straight that the various audio/video interfaces on most of today’s HDTV sources and displays do not always connect easily to each another. DVI, for example, doesn’t transmit audio with its high definition resolutions up to 1920×1080 progressive (1080p) though HDMI does.

So, they’ve offered up an adapter to solve your woes, which allows you to send HD video to your display with digital audio in TOSlink and S/PDIF formats. The adapter comes equipped with one DVI, one TOSlink and one S/PDIF input, and the HDMI display and audio receiver connect to the unit’s digital outputs. Installation is, we’re assured, a simple plug and play affair, and the unit runs on its own 5v power supply.

With many having invested in HD TVs that aren’t quite as high-def compatible as they had thought we can doubtlessly expect to see more companies like Gefen riding heroically to the rescue.

The DVI audio adapter is priced at $300, while the component audio to HDMI adapter runs for $200.
Source: http://www.tgdaily.com