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Category: hdtv

  • SES ASTRA and Samsung to Promote 3D TV

    SES ASTRA and Samsung announced today that they will jointly promote 3D television to the market. Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung will support SES ASTRA with 3D television content for its new 3D demo channel to be launched on 4 May 2010.

    The demo channel will be broadcast free-to-air via ASTRA’s orbital position 23.5 degrees East, and is intended to help retailers promote 3D television to end-consumers at the point of sale.

    Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA, said: “The new ASTRA 3D demo channel demonstrates the huge advantages of satellite for the transmission of high quality 3D TV signals, and the leading role of SES ASTRA in driving innovations in broadcasting technology. We are proud to partner with Samsung, and we are confident that 3D television will become the next driver for the home entertainment market.”

    SH Shin, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe, added: “As the first manufacturer to bring 3D television to the consumer market, Samsung is at the forefront of 3D innovation. By partnering with SES ASTRA, Samsung will be the first manufacturer to demonstrate live streamed 3D content through this free promotional channel, and can showcase the full capability of its innovation in 3D technology. The content we provide to ASTRA’s 3D channel will help consumers to realise the true potential of the 3D television experience.”

    The launch of ASTRA’s 3D channel will take place on 4 May at the ANGA Cable trade show in Cologne, Germany. The transmission details for the channel will be communicated shortly.

  • Toshiba Develops 21-inch Autostereoscopic HD Display

    Toshiba has developed a 21-inch autostereoscopic high-definition display for use in next-generation 3D monitors that enables the user to enjoy three-dimensional images without the need for special glasses.

    In recent years, a combination of increasing demands for more realistic images and evolving display technology has been the catalyst for advancements in the development of 3D images and pictures for various applications, and has enabled 3D technology to be put to practical use in the cinema and television industries.

    To date most 3D products have used special glasses to separate a picture into two images: one for the left eye and the other for the right eye. But the market has strongly desired a more versatile and glasses-free approach that could be used anywhere. This new product employs an integral imaging system (a “light field” display) to reproduce a real object as a 3D image that can be viewed without glasses over a wide range of viewing angles. Therefore, the display is suitable for 3D monitors used for advertisements and entertainment appliances.

    The integral imaging system offers a significant reduction in eye fatigue during long periods of viewing, and features a multi-parallax design that enables motion parallax, which cannot be achieved by systems using glasses. The multi-parallax approach results in images that change depending on the viewer’s position. In addition, the viewing angle is wide, and the resulting stereoscopic image is natural and smooth. In some previous integral imaging implementations, there have been issues raised relating to the loss of effective image resolution.

    In previous implementations, if the number of pixels in the display is kept constant and not increased, then the multi-parallax approach will reduce the effective resolution of the 3D display in an inverse proportion to the number of parallax positions. We have addressed this problem by applying LTPS (low-temperature poly-silicon) technology to develop an ultra-high-definition LCD module for this newly-introduced high-definition and large-screen 3D display.

    This 21-inch auto-stereoscopic high-definition display adopts a lens sheet to control reduction in surface luminance intensity, resulting in brightness comparable to standard 2D displays. The power consumption of the display is relatively low. The new 21-inch display is considered to be environmentally friendly with low power usage.

    Furthermore, the display can be used in a vertical or horizontal position. When used in the vertical position, the user faces the upright screen from the front as a person would usually use a 2D monitor. However, when used in the horizontal position, the user overlooks the stereoscopic image formed by the display lying face-up, as one would overlook a relief model. Compared with the front view, the 3D images seen face-up from the bird’s eye view are more stereoscopic and realistic.

    Toshiba  will showcase this display in booth #631 at SID 2010 International Symposium, Seminar, and Exhibition, from May 25 to May 27, 2010, in Seattle, WA, USA.

  • Contemporary Research’s Releases QMOD-HDSC

    Contemporary Research will demonstrate the QMOD-HDSC, the AV industry’s first digital signage-centric HDTV modulator, in Booth 6210 at InfoComm2010 in Las Vegas June 9 to 11.

    “The QMOD-HDSC HDTV Scaler/Modulator shows that digital signage isn’t just for Ethernet anymore,” says Scott Hetzler, president of Contemporary Research.

    “Now you can broadcast signage over an existing broadband network as easily as a digital cable channel. In fact, many are already doing just that, employing the popular QMOD-HD modulator with an HD scaler. Signage PCs always need treatment with a scaler because VGA doesn’t exactly match 16:9 HDTV standards.

    “With the new QMOD-HDSC, the HD video scaler is already inside the modulator. And not just any scaler – QMOD-HDSC features a powerful in-stream scaler with less loss in analog-to-digital conversion, and a wide range of options,” Hetzler stated.

    The new modulator can ingest VGA resolutions, upscale SD-quality signage, adjust positioning, and zoom, shrink, and precisely correct overscanning at displays. By using dedicated processors for scaling, encoding and modulation, the QMOD-HDSC delivers superb image control and broadcast-quality motion graphics and video.

    The versatile integrated HDTV modulator accepts VGA, Component, S-Video and composite video, plus digital and analog audio. GPI inputs trigger EAS from the composite video/stereo ports. Front-panel buttons and LCD display simplify setup, and the QMOD-HDSC mounts two-across in a one rack space.

    Doug Engstrom, CR director for technical communications says, “We’ve partnered with many HDTV digital signage applications over the past year. The input from integrators was that using a scaler in concert with the QMOD-HD delivers the best results. Integrating in-stream scaling within the QMOD greatly simplifies installation, saves rack space, and improves performance. We listen to our integrators, and the QMOD-HDSC is the result.”

    About Contemporary Research
    Contemporary Research designs and creates solutions for an HDTV world, offering cutting-edge products, HDTV display control, digital signage and tuning. CR also supports a proven line of analog TV tuners, closed-captioning tools and commercial and educational media systems. For more information about Contemporary Research products, visit us on the web at www.crwww.com or call (888) 972-2728.

  • IPTV Set-Top Boxes to Gain Increasing Foothold

    Set-Top Boxes sold into the up-and-coming Internet Protocol TV segment will ramp up in terms of shipments and revenue in the years to come, offering increasing competition to legacy products in the STB market, according to iSuppli.

    In the recent report iSuppli says STB equipment sold into the IPTV market is projected to grow to 58 million units in 2014, up from 19.4 million in 2009. Revenue will rise to $6.2 billion, up from $2.9 billion in 2009.

    For these IPTV STBs, which allow the delivery of television services over a high-speed digital network and provide guaranteed quality of service, the numbers translate into a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25 percent for unit shipments and 16 percent for revenue.

    All told, IPTV STBs accounted for 14.7 percent of total set-top box unit shipments in 2009, and are expected to make up 29.1 percent of shipments in 2014.

    In order to fulfill the promise of exciting interactive applications held forth initially by the IPTV industry, iSuppli believes further innovation is needed to differentiate IPTV services from those offered by the cable and satellite providers.

    In comparison, the legacy STB market consisting of the cable, satellite and terrestrial segments will end 2009 with unit shipments of 132 million. Unit shipments for this market are projected to reach 199 million in 2014, rising at a CAGR of 8.6 percent for the forecast period.

    IPTV Players and their Crowded Playground
    According to iSuppli, the principal difference between legacy STBs and their IPTV counterparts lies in the way the boxes receive information: IP STB equipment receives video content over a broadband pipe via Internet Protocol data packets, while legacy boxes receive an RF-modulated signal. Furthermore, IP boxes do not require a tuner and demodulator, which are requirements for legacy boxes.

    With more than 60 vendors claiming to have an IPTV STB product, the IPTV equipment market remains highly fragmented. However, just 15 vendors supplied 92 percent of the market in 2009. Motorola Inc. was No. 1 with 32 percent market share, followed by Cisco Systems Inc. with a 14 percent share.

    Among companies involved in supplying the platform software for IPTV boxes, Microsoft Corp. held sway with its Mediaroom middleware, accounting for 25 percent of the market with 4.8 million STBs in 2009. Microsoft had three times the share of its closest rival—French-based Thomson SA with its SmartVision software.

    As in the PC industry, Microsoft is driving the technical requirements that will shape product offerings from silicon vendors and makers of STBs alike, iSuppli believes.

    Next-generation media processors will also ramp up in 2010. Newcomer Broadcom Corp. is expected to lay siege to Sigma Designs with its BCM7405 processor—recently certified for Mediaroom deployments—ending the advantageous position of Sigma Designs as sole provider of Mediaroom-certified processors.

    Nonetheless, Sigma Designs is expected to fire back, and its next-generation SMP8650 family of processors will benefit from the company’s incumbent position in many existing IP STB sockets.

  • Sony Unveils First OLED Professional Field Monitor

    Sony is bringing the stunning technology that revolutionized consumer displays to its line of professional monitors. The new PVM-740 is the first field display to use an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display panel with Sony’s unique Super Top Emission™ technology to efficiently deliver superb high contrast, high color images, even in ambient light.

    The 7.4-inch high-resolution (960 x 540 pixels) portable monitor can fit a range of professional monitoring applications, including studio editing, ENG and EFT production, OB trucks, and even research and development. The versatile new monitor is also ideal for use in 3D camera rigs with its flip mode.

    The display panel creates smooth gradation from the dark to the bright portions of scenes such as a sunrise or a sunset. The PVM-740 offers outstanding high-contrast images – for example, the deep black of a night scene can be accurately displayed and the black portion of an image is not raised even in a low-illumination edit suite. Its blur-free, quick response to fast motion is perfect for sports or camera monitoring during panning and text scrolling.

    The monitor can flip a picture horizontally or vertically without frame delay. This feature is useful during 3D image acquisition using a 3D rig camera with a pair of 2D monitors. The monitor can be connected to the camera systems directly without need for an external signal converter, making system integration simpler.

    Its picture contrast is greater than a CRT display, is less affected by ambient light, allowing clear images to be viewed even in strong sunlight. For further protection, the optional VF-510 ENG kit provides a viewing hood, carrying handle, and connector protector.

    An AR coating provides protection from scratches and enables a high transmission rate of the internal light source to keep the picture as bright as possible, while keeping reflection from ambient light to a minimum. As a result, when used in bright lighting conditions, high contrast is still maintained even in dark areas of the picture.

    Sony’s unique 10-bit panel driver and ChromaTRU™ technologies work effectively to emulate colors and gammas of CRT monitors, and to support broadcast standards (SMPTE-C, EBU, and ITU-R BT.709).

    The new monitor also adds DC/AC operations, a convenient control panel with luminous and assignable buttons, a camera focus function, a wave form monitor, 8-channel audio level meter, a variety marker setting, and native scanning capabilities.

    The PVM-740 monitor is also equipped with a Sony’s unique feed-back circuit system. This system works to monitor the emitted lights all the time, and feed the monitor-result back and adjust the white balance. It also ensures color and gamma stability.

    The PVM-740 is 3.8U high and half-rack wide. Using the optional MB-531 mounting bracket with a 10-degree-forward and 10-degree-backward nonstop-tilt capability, two units can be installed side by side in a 19-inch EIA standard rack. With 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch screw holes on its base, the PVM-740 can be installed in a camera system on a pedestal, for example.

    The PVM-740 can display a center marker and aspect markers, and the brightness of these markers can be selected from either gray or dark gray levels. Users can also select a gray matte to fill the outer area of the aspect markers.

    A unique native scan function reproduces images without changing the input signal’s pixel count – mapping the pixel of the input signal on the panel pixel-to-pixel. For example, when an SD signal is input, the monitor reproduces the image at picture sizes of 646 x 487 pixels in 480i and 480p, and 768 x 540 pixels in 575i and 576p. When an HD signal is input, the PVM-740 displays a center portion of the HD image.

    The PVM-740 is equipped with standard interface connectors: a composite video, a 3G/HD/SD-SDI, and an HDMI interface.
    It accepts most SD or HD video formats. For extra mobility, it incorporates various video interfaces as standard, including composite, SDI interface for SD-SDI, HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, and HDMI interface.

    With the 3G-SDI interface, it accepts 1080/50p and 1080/60p formats, which is compliant with the SMPTE 425 standard, transmitting up to 4:2:2/10-bit 1080/60p and 1080/50p video data using one SDI cable. As sports and live production move toward a 1080p system, this single-link 3G-SDI system can be an ideal solution.

    HDMI connectivity further expands the monitor’s potential applications. For example, the PVM-740 monitor can connect with professional video systems such as Sony’s XDCAM HD®, XDCAM EX™, NXCAM™, and HDV™ series. Consumer video products such as Blu-ray Disc™ and digital cameras can also be connected, ideal for Blu-ray video authoring or digital photo image previews.

    The new monitor is planned to be available in April, at a suggested list price of $3,850.

  • Winner of the Biz-News.com "Product of the Year Award 2009” Announced

    Our polls for the Biz-News.com “Product of the Year Award 2009” closed on the 15th of February. The winner is a result of the amount of votes they were awarded by readers, all readers where invited to vote for their favourite products or service in the Smartphone, HDTV, Storage and VoIP categories.

    This is the second year that Biz-News.com runs this Award, prized with a company profile and interview with our Editor.

    In 2008 the winners were MyGlobalTalk by i2Telecom and IPsmarx in the VoIP category, Restore Point by Tadasoft in the Storage category and AmAze in the Smartphone category.

    This year the participation has been amazing and we want to thank readers for their support and interest in this Award. Without your participation it would not have been possible to announce this year’s reader’s choice awards.

    Without further delay we will below list the absolute winners for 2009.

    Winners for the Biz-News.com “Product of the Year Award 2009”

    Smartphone Category
    Privus Mobile

    HDTV Category
    HD-PVR by Hauppauge Computer Works

    VoIP Category
    IPsmarx SIP Based Calling Card Platform by IPsmarx Technology

    Storage Category
    Compellent Storage Center by Compellent

    It is also worth mentioning other strong candidates like Fonolo and Free Switch for the VoIP Category, and Data Robotics, Pivot3, Starwind Software and Xiotech for the Storage Category.

    We congratulate our winners and thank our readers for expressing their opinion and voting for their favourites.

  • HDTV.Biz-News.com Wins the PostRank Award “Biggest Mover & Shaker 2009”

    PostRank has announced its Top Blogs for 2009. Catalogued topics where awarded in three categories: Most Engagement, Most Influential, and Biggest Mover & Shaker.

    HDTV.Biz-News.com is a winner in the 2009 Category for “Mover & Shakers” and has ranked second in the “Most Engagement” Category for HDTV.

    We are honoured to receive such a PostRank award that evaluates the best blogs on the web. This award would not be possible without our unconditional followers who use HDTV.Biz-News.com as a news reference for the sector.

    The PostRank philosophy is best described as follows “it is a scoring system developed by AideRSS to rank any kind of online content, such as RSS feed items, blog posts, articles, or news stories. PostRank is based on social engagement, which refers to how interesting or relevant people have found an item or category to be. Examples of engagement include writing a blog post in response to someone else, bookmarking an article, leaving a comment on a blog, or clicking a link to read a news item.”

    This is a true reader’s choice award and we owe it to you! Thank you!

    We will keep bringing great news and hope for yet another successful year in 2010.

  • Tight Competition for Biz-News.com Product of the Year Awards

    Contenders for the Biz-News.com Product of the Year Award are on a tight struggle to obtain the leading amount of votes for the 2009 Awards.

    The awards are people’s choice; users are being called upon to express their consumer experiences during 2009.

    What HDTV device or complement worked for you best? Which would you recommend to your friends and colleagues?

    Let us know and award them a vote by filling this form.

    Currently the top contender is:

    • HD-PVR by Hauppauge

    You can vote for it or nominate your personal favourite.

    If you have more than one nomination for "Best Product" you can make multiple submissions – but you can only vote once for any product.

    Voting closes on the 15th of February!

    May the best be rewarded.

  • Panasonic Develops World's Largest 152-Inch Full HD 3D Plasma

    Panasonic annonced that it has developed the world’s largest 152-inch 4K x 2K (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) definition Full HD 3D plasma display. The display features a new plasma display panel (PDP) Panasonic developed with its new quadruple luminous efficiency technology.

    According to Panasonic, self-illuminating plasma panels offer "excellent" response to moving images with full motion picture resolution, making them suitable for rapid 3D image display.

    The company claims the new panel achieves a higher illuminating speed, about one fourth the speed of conventional Full HD panels.

    The panel also incorporates a crosstalk reduction technology, essential for producing clear 3D images. Compared to other display technologies that use line-at-a-time driving method, PDPs use frame-at-a-time driving method that gives PDP TVs an advantage in crosstalk reduction in principle.

    Panasonic has developed this technology to minimize double-image that occurs when left- and right-eye images are switched alternately. The development has resulted in the 3D compatible plasma display that can render clear and smooth high-quality pictures by accurately reproducing video sources.

    (photo Gizmodo)

    “The new 152-inch panel also uses a new technology that enables even and stable discharge,” as the company states.

    “Thanks to this discharge technology, the new panel can provide full HD images for left and right eyes formed with twice the volume of information as regular full HD images across the vast expanse of the screen equivalent to nine 50-inch panels with super high resolution (4,096 x 2,160) – four times the full HD (1,920 x 1,080) specification – while maintaining the brightness.”

    Because 3D plasma displays can reproduce highly realistic images, they are considered ideal not only for home theater use but also for a wide variety of uses such as business, medical, education and commercial applications.

  • Discovery, Sony and IMAX to Launch 24/7 3D Television Network in the U.S.

    Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX announced a joint venture to be established to develop the first 24/7 dedicated 3D television network in the U.S.

    Discovery, Sony, through its U.S. affiliate, Sony Corporation of America, and IMAX each will be equal partners in the joint venture. According to the companies, it will be launched in the U.S., with a goal of “driving consumer adoption of 3D televisions and giving the network long-term leadership in the 3D home marketplace.” In the future, the companies also will explore international distribution opportunities in selected markets.

    The new 3D network will feature content from genres that are “most appealing” in 3D, including natural history, space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science and technology, motion pictures and children’s programming from Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment, IMAX and other third-party providers.

    Discovery will provide network services, including affiliate sales and technical support functions, as well as 3D television rights to Discovery content and cross-promotion across its portfolio of 13 U.S. television networks.

    Sony will provide advertising/sponsorship sales support, and will seek to license television rights to current and future 3D feature films, music-related 3D content and game-related 3D content, while providing cross-promotion at retail stores.

    IMAX also will license television rights to future 3D films, promotion through its owned-and-operated movie theaters across the U.S., and a suite of proprietary and patented image enhancement and 3D technologies.

    Governance for the joint venture will be handled by a board of directors comprised of members from each of the three companies, with the day-to-day operations run by a separate staff and management team that will report to the board.

    The parties informed they have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent. Specific financial terms of the venture were not disclosed.

    “It is clear to us that consumers will always migrate to a better and richer entertainment experience, and together [with Discovery and IMAX] we are determined to be the leader in providing that around the world,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President of Sony.