High Definition Hardware

Ultra HD coming by 2012, Philips predicts

So - its not just another catchy name - it really is going to happen and its going to happen soon! Ultra HD, the next generation of high definition video and audio, which has been in development for several years, could be in production as soon as the year 2011 or 2012, according to Philips.

A senior Philips marketing director, Danny Tack, speaking in Lisbon, said that the next generation of TVs would rely on upscaled 1080p Blu-ray Discs and 4K devices, and that as soon as next year the technology could appear in Japan.

(Via HDTV UK)

Xbox 360's HD DVD drive gets update, second-hand sales strong

HD DVD might be dead, but sales of Microsoft's add-on drive for the Xbox 360 continue to swell, at least in the US and on the Amazon Marketplace.

Mind you, it's available for under $40, so if you're not one of the sellers waiting to get rid of the device, it's a steal.

Meanwhile Microsoft, who discontinued production of the drive back in February, issued what is likely to be the last firmware upgrade for the drive. Internet-connected users will be prompted to install the upgrade the next time they use it.

(Via HDTV UK)

Only 5% of European HDTV owners watching high definition channels

New research from Strategy Analytics suggests that a mere five per cent of HDTV-owning Europeans are actually watching high definition TV channels.

In Germany, two dedicated HD channels from commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat1 have closed down last month, due to poor audience figures.

The SA report "HDTV Channels Shut Down: A Sign of Things to Come?" suggests that European television providers should concentrate on building pay television in order to reach the critical mass of HD content and receivers necessary to make HDTV a self-sustaining business.

That's certainly what the likes of Sky are doing.

However, the report ends with a positive note for future growth, suggesting that by the year 2012, one in five European households will be watching high definition channels.

(Via HDTV UK)

Samsung Bordeaux

Samsung has introduced 2 new high definition "Bordeaux" HDTV sets - a 32 inch and a 40 inch model. Both feature Samsung's PVA Panel which allows for a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. A welcome sign are the 3 HDMI ports: one on the front of the set and two at the rear adding extra flexibility over earlier ranges with a single HDMI.

Other than that most of the changes seem nothing more than aesthetic.

From HDTVUK.TV

Toshiba second gen HD DVD players delayed worldwide

Not wanting Sony to hog the HD spotlight with its delays, Toshiba has pushed back the release date of its second generation HD DVD players in the US and abroad.

Despite the lack of an official statement from Toshiba US, rumors have it that due to problems with a chip from a third party supplier, the lower-end HD-A2 HD DVD player originally due out right about now will now not be available until the second week of December.

The HDMI 1.3-equipped, 1080p displaying Toshiba HD-XA2 will also be delayed in Europe where like stateside the Second Generation hardware is eagerly awaited due to issues with the existing units putting off potential buyers. Hopefully a short delay now will avoid the need to patch software later. In the meantime there's always the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on.

More EngadgetHD

PS3 Launches in the US

Sony's eagerly awaited HD capable console the Playstation 3 launched stateside on Friday to the sound of Gunfire.

Thousands had camped outside in order to ensure they were one of the first to get their hands on the PS3. One unlucky man was shot in a attempted robbery outside a Walmart. Apparantly he refused to hand over money to two armed men.

Two other Walmart stores were forced to close due to problems caused by large crowds of gamers, some of whom had been there for several days.

Investors are closely watching sales of the PS3 as a key test of Sony's grip on the gaming industry, particularly as it faces rising competition from both Microsofts XBox 360 and the Nintendo Wii.

Sony anticipates 400,000 units to be available in the United States on Friday alone, one week after the initial launch in Japan. The aim is to make 1 million PS3s available in the United States by the end of the year.

Sony is expected to lose money at first on the highly specced PS3 . The machine not only offers HD gaming but can be used to surf the internet, download video and music and play movies in High Definition with its Blu-ray disc drive.

Experts say the PS3 could be around for the next decade and go a long way toward helping Sony stay at the top of the gaming market, while aiding their efforts to make Blu-ray the next-generation DVD standard.

Does size really matter?

It would seem that the folks at Samsung believe this to be the case.

They have been working hard to produce the world's first 175cm (70in) high-definition LCD  TV panel - a whopping 12.5cm (5in) bigger than the largest LCD TV currently on the market. This monster has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 which as most of you will likely know makes it a perfect match for a HD source such as SKY HD, or a HD DVD or Blu-Ray player.

Clearly it's not just about quantity however, and subsiquently the display provides a contrast ratio of 2000:1 and a brightness of 600cdmpm². Even with such a large panel the response time is still favourable, coming in at less than 8ms.

If you happen to want one of these you will have to wait  a few months as Samsung say they will not be available until the first half of 2007. The upside of this is that it gives you plently of time to work out where the heck to put the thing!

Networking your Home

Only a few years ago, home theaters consisted of large tube-based TVs, VCRs, and stereos with two speakers. Today, home theaters consist of flat-panel HDTVs, receivers, surround sound speakers, DVD players, and more. So what components will make up the home theater of tomorrow? Audio, video, and data distribution will be key to the future home theater, which will soon morph into a home theater network.

Sanyo CE32LDY1 LCD TV

Okay so I am sure that most of us recognize the advantage of having a built in Digital tuner in a new TV. Even if you do subscribe to a satellite or cable service it makes sense to future-proof yourself as much as possible. However Sanyo has taken the next step with their new CE32LDY1. It’s one of a very few TVs to include both a Freeview receiver and hard-disk recorder. Of course it’s HD-ready so provides an HDMI port so will work perfectly well with Sky HD or similar should you be that way inclined.

Evesham DVD1000 - Upscaling DVD player

If you’re anything like me you have probably spent the last few years building an extensive DVD collection full of all your favourite movies. With all this talk of new HD formats such as Blu-ray and HD DVD it’s easy to think that those DVDs might soon end up in a box in the loft next to the Videos!

With more and more people rushing out to buy HD Ready LCDs and Plasmas it is only natural that consumers want to get the best from their new equipment. However, according to Evesham there is still plenty of life in those DVDs yet.