Business News Holding

Category: hdtv

  • SUN Direct Launches HD DTH Service In India


    Sun Direct has announced the launch of India’s first HD broadcast on the direct-to-home (DTH) platform.

    The service provider has built up a subscriber base of three million since its launch in December 2007, making it India’s second largest DTH provider.

    Tony D’Silva, COO of Sun Direct, said that to keep viewers engaged it was necessary to constantly change offer new and exciting options.

    "In the coming fiscal year we look forward to occupy the pole position," he said.

    "We have added more customers than any other DTH player in the last one year and in the coming days we will be adding more innovative features, services and channels in our offerings."

  • Torrent Offers Magnetic Solution To HDMI Connector Problems


    Torrent     has released a magnetic connector that aims to overcome the frustrating problem of loose HDMI cable connections.

    The start-up says that with the help of a sliding sleeve its MagLoc connector gives a five-fold improvement in the HDMI connection strength.

    It suggests this will ensure optimal connectivity – while sparing users the headache of trouble shooting for the source of HDMI connector disconnection problems.

    No release date has yet been given, although Torrent’s initial product lines are slated for availability this Spring.

  • Meru Unveils Video-Over-Wireless Infrastructure


    Meru Networks has introduced what it says is the first wireless LAN solution optimised for delivering high-quality video over the new generation of IEEE 802.11n networks.

    The company’s Video Services Module (ViSM) is designed to address video-delivery issues specific to 802.11n networks – which are susceptible to unpredictable loss rates that can negatively impact video quality.

    The module applies application-aware optimisation techniques to web streaming and real-time multicast video, underlying technologies that enable a broad array of video applications, from wireless projection, IPTV and event simulcast to videoconferencing, telepresence and video surveillance.

    Vaduvur Bharghavan, Meru’s chief technology officer, said video-based applications are becoming pervasive in schools, health-care institutions and other enterprises because they boost productivity significantly for a relatively low cost.

    But he said high-definition video delivery over wireless is especially challenging because it combines the high bandwidth requirements of heavy data traffic with the delay sensitivity and loss characteristics of voice traffic.

    Vaduvur Bharghavan, Meru’s chief technology officer

    "And while 802.11n dramatically increases available bandwidth, it also increases per-transmission error rates," he said.

    "For multicast applications this translates to lost portions of video; for web video streaming it can mean stalled video or the loss of voice-video synchronization."

    Bharghavan said the power of the ViSM lies in its unique virtualized WLAN architecture, which gives every client device its own dedicated wireless ‘port’.

    "With Meru’s Virtual Port, each client gets its own copy of the multicast application traffic, delivered at the highest possible data rate and unaffected by the transmission or power-save behaviour of other clients," he said.

    "In other vendors’ legacy micro-cell solutions, which force all clients to share the same wireless resource, some clients will always suffer in terms of the timely delivery of multicast frames when other clients require buffering of traffic, thus causing multicast video delays for every client."

    The ViSModule works by using several mechanisms to deliver video traffic based on application and user characteristics.
    The company says this allows scaling to large numbers of concurrent video sessions without appreciably degrading user experience.

    • Application-aware prioritization: synchronises the voice and video components of a video stream, adapting the delivery of each frame based on its importance to the application. Higher-priority MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 marked frames are transmitted with greater assurance of reliability and timeliness.
    • User- and role-based policy enforcement: provides granular control over application behaviour (e.g., a teacher can be assigned higher priority than a student).
    • Seamless video-optimised handoff: proactively reroutes the multicast delivery tree to prevent lost video frames during a transition between access points, and ensures zero-loss for mobile video.
    • Multicast group management: optimises delivery to only those virtual ports whose clients are members of the multicast group, reducing network waste both wirelessly and on the wired network.
    • Graphical visualisation: reveals which clients are running which applications (data, voice, video) to aid in monitoring network-wide application performance.

    ViSM is available in June as an add-on module to Meru’s System Director software. For a network with 100 wireless access points, the module is priced at USD $7,995.

  • LG Launches First Eyestrain-Minimising HD Monitors


    LG Electronics’ HD widescreen LCD monitors – the W53 series – will be available in the UK from next month, the company announced today.

    The monitors are the first with automatic brightness control technology specially designed to reduce eyestrain during extended use, according to LG.

    This feature apparently automatically optimises the picture settings and the brightness of the screen based on the light in the room and the content being viewed.

    The company says that by lowering the intensity of the backlight, it also reduces the W53’s power consumption, making it a more energy efficient option.

    Another little innovation aimed at further avoiding eyestrain is a timer that reminds users to take a break from their work at predetermined intervals.

    Soyeon Shin, marketing manager, LG Electronics Business Solutions Company, said LG conducted extensive research around monitor usage in Europe and found one of the main complaints people had was eyestrain, caused by the screen being either too bright or too dark.

    "To address this, LG has incorporated the world’s first full suite of features that optimises the brightness of the screen in its new W53 series, ultimately reducing eyestrain," he said.

    The W53 series’ Cinema Mode feature enables users to eliminate distractions often found when watching online videos, such as pop up adverts, by blacking out everything except for the video clip.

    There is also a proximity sensor under the monitor’s bezel which detects when a hand approaches the screen and activates lights to make buttons easy to find. When not in use, the lights disappear.

    Screen sizes for the W53 series range from 18.5" to 27" and all monitors larger than 21.5" offer a 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

  • Samsung Announces Next Generation LED HDTVs

    Samsung revealed prices and market availability for its new species of flat-panel TVs, LED HDTV Series 8000, 7000 and 6000.

    The new portfolio of LED HDTVs use edge-mounted LEDs as their primary light source rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL).

    All three of Samsung’s LED HDTV Series have Full HD panels, 2ms to 4ms response time, 120 to 240Hz frame interpolation with separate blur and judder adjustments, SRS TruSurround HD, 4 HDMI (HDMI-CEC) version 1.3 inputs and feature USB 2.0 Movie with MPEG4, DivX, MP3, JPEG decoders.

    Product Availability and Pricing (for the U.S. market)

    6000 Series

    • 32-inch class: $1,599.99, June 2009
    • 40-inch class: $2,299.99, March 2009
    • 46-inch class: $2,799.99, March 2009
    • 55-inch class: $3,599.99, March 2009

    7000 Series

    • 40-inch class: $2,499.99, April 2009
    • 46-inch class: $2,999.99, March 2009
    • 55-inch class: $3,799.99, March 2009

    8000 Series

    • 46-inch class: $3,299.99, May 2009
    • 55-inch class: $3,999.99, May 2009

  • Eizo Announces 8 Megapixel Monitor For Surgery Rooms

    Japanese Eizo Nanao Corporation announced the new RadiForce LS560W 56-inch LCD monitor with 3,840 x 2,160 pixels resolution to be released July 1, 2009. It is intended for use in surgery rooms for showing medical images.

    LS560W features 450cd/m2 brightness, 1200:1 contrast ratio and 176-degree viewing angle and includes the Digital Uniformity Equalizer for adjusting brightness automatically.

    The RadiForce LX560W is a digital video distribution system which bundles the RadiForce LS560W with EIZO’s new LMM 56800, a “Large Monitor Manager.”

    The LMM 56800 collects input signals from up to 27 different video sources, arranges this information according to customer demands, and then transmits this new combined picture to the 8 MP monitor.

    The workflow of surgeons is optimizes by the flexibility in arranging and changing the size of the windows. Important pictures can be scaled to the desired size and less important information can be moved out from visible area. Different workflow scenarios can be predefined and recalled on demand.

    There is no suggested retail price.

    Nanao regards the medical market as an important market in its "Third Midterm Business Plan."

  • ArcSoft Plug-in Upscales Standard DVDs to HD-Like Quality on the PC


    ArcSoft today announced a plug-in for its universal high-definition multimedia player which it says brings most standard-definition video to near HD quality.

    Called SimHD, ArcSoft’s in-house upscaling technology uses NVIDIA CUDA parallel computing architecture to upscale standard DVD movies to up to 1,920 x 1,080.

    The company says it also sharpens and enhances the picture with vivid colours.

    To use the plug-in a copy of ArcSoft’s TotalMedia Theatre software and a sufficiently powerful CUDA-compatible GPU.

    Michael Steele, general manager of visual consumer solutions at NVIDIA, said the solution was a great way to upgrade an existing collection of DVDs into near-HD quality.

  • AnySource Media: Simple UI is Key To Internet-enabled HDTV

    INTERVIEW: Mike Harris, CEO of AnySource Media, talks to hdtv.biz-news about his company’s Internet-enabled TV platform that will start appearing in HDTV sets in the second half of 2009.

    Offering consumers dozens of "virtual channels" that can be viewed on their HDTVs alongside traditional TV networks – without requiring a separate box or complicated wiring – seems like a great idea.

    As does the ability to easily navigate the Internet content using a standard remote, and the fact that all of this isn’t going to bump up the price of a new wide-screen set.

    So where’s the catch?

    Well, if you listen to Mike Harris, CEO of AnySource Media (ASM), there isn’t one.

    His company provides a turnkey Internet-enabled TV platform, called the Internet Video Navigator (IVN), to silicon companies and HDTV manufacturers.

    He told hdtv.biz-news that ASM is currently working with the makers of some high-volume, mass market HDTV brands to integrate the IVN client software directly into their sets.

    While he couldn’t name names, the first ASM-equipped products will launch in the US in the second half of 2009 and will then be rolled out in Europe and Asia in 2010.

    No-Cost Embedded Software

    ASM’s embedded IVN software allows TV viewers to navigate Internet video, selecting sites and jumping to specific videos, or sit back and watch videos like a traditional broadcast experience.

    Mike Harris, CEO
    AnySource Media

    Where ASM scores highly is that its software is simply layered on top of chip technology already in HDTV sets.

    Harris said this gives it a big cost advantage – while providing manufacturers with a great opportunity to differentiate their sets in a competitive market.

    Since the intention is to get the platform into the market in "high volume, very quickly", ASM is offering set manufacturers the software licence for free.

    He said with no additional cost for the HDTV makers, the price of the television sets isn’t affected.

    Content Providers

    ASM’s full list of content providers is not yet available, however the company showed 80 different partner channels at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

    Harris said the idea is to provide complementary content rather than trying to be an alternative to satellite or cable providers.

    "What we are offering is a high quality experience at no additional cost, which is very easy to use with a standard remote and is very scaleable," he said.
    "The TV continues to grow even as you own it."

    Key to this is the idea that it is "TV on TV" not "Internet on TV". For this reason, ASM has focused on major features such as video quality and channel change speed – which Harris said is almost as quick as a TV experience.

    "It’s about sitting back and relaxing, watching content on a big screen when you have more time to spend surfing for content and discovering new things," he said.

    To make all this possible on low-cost embedded hardware much of the processing burden has been moved to the IVN Data Center.

    The back-end data center aggregates and streams content from providers to the IVN user interface on the television.

    Tailored Content

    Harris said the mix of channels and content depends on the set manufacturer – and on where the user lives.

    So when consumers buy an HDTV a certain list of channels will be available immediately.

    "That list can be modified by the consumer, so if they like sports channels they can put them at the top of the list – or they can remove channels altogether," he said.

    "New channels can appear all the time, without any change to the device being required.

    "We have taken a very scaleable approach."

    Harris said the result was that a particular HDTV, in a particular region would have its own unique look and feel.

    How that was arranged was all taken care of in the backend.

    "An HDTV in Germany will have a different list of channels to one, say, in the US," he said.

    As well as issues such as language and cultural preferences, the fact some content sites are geo-targeted will also influence channel listings.

    Targeted Advertising

    For ASM to make its money the IVN platform includes a targeted advertising and user management system, managed at the IVN Data Center.

    Harris said that AnySource’s method of monetizing content depended on the given market.

    "We have approached advertising in a way that makes it work for the content providers," he said.

    "The service is free for consumers."

    So AnySource doesn’t interfere with content providers’ existing business models, which means if they are ad-supported they keep all the revenues.

    "What we have, through our user interface, is additional ad inventory," said Harris. "There are spaces for ads during the browsing period. That’s where we generate our ad revenue."

    In addition, AnySource also receives commission for any paid content transmissions.

    HDTV And Beyond

    In March, ASM announced it had secured USD $3.2 million in additional funding.

    As well as being used to bring the platform to commercialization and increase the number of content providers, it will fund the development of new technologies that will provide long-term flexibility for viewing online video on HDTVs.

    While ASM is concentrating on HDTVs at present, Harris said the platform had been built for a wide range of devices.

    He said they had had discussions with Blu-ray, MID and mobile makers about future possible applications for the software.

    "What we have built on the cloud doesn’t know whether it’s dealing with a TV or whatever," he said.

    "It just looks at the devices capability and the back-end makes available whatever it needs."

    There’s no doubt that content quality will be a key determing factor in the race to bring the Internet to the TV.

    But it also has to be content that is easy to access. ASM would appear to have that issue firmly in hand.

  • Is Netflix Price Rise A Set-Back For Blu-ray?


    The price for Netflix’s Blu-ray subscribers is going up again on April 27th.

    The increase translates into an extra USD $4 a month for BD users opting for standard three-at-a-time plans.

    While Netflix is arguably justified in charging more to finance its rapidly expanded – and more costly to buy – Blu-ray stock of over 1,300 titles, it doesn’t help the high-def format’s image.

    Already seen as an expensive option compared to DVDs and other media, its goal of mainstream adoption is still bumping along.

    Around 10 per cent of Netflix’s renters currently opt for Blu-ray, so the appetite is there.

    Whether those consumers – and future ones too – will be put off by the price rises of around 20 per cent by the movies-by-mail company remains to be seen.

  • HD-Capable Device Shipments To Triple by 2012


    As HD becomes the global video standard shipments of high-definition set-top boxes (STBs), camcorders, DVD players and video-game consoles are expected to triple from 2008 to 2012, according to iSuppli.

    Shipments of HD-capable equipment in these categories will rise to 202 million units by 2012, up from 68.9 million in 2008.

    The researchers forecast that by 2012, 52.9 per cent of STBs, camcorders, DVD players and game consoles shipped will be HD-capable, up from 21.6 per cent in 2008.

    Randy Lawson, senior analyst for DTV and display electronics at iSuppli, said that for the last 20 years, HD video has been the holy grail for consumer electronics OEMs, as well as for avid home theater fans around the world.

    "The high-tech industry’s efforts to provide HD service to every home now are finally coming to fruition," he said.

    "This has resulted in an explosion of shipments of consumer-electronics devices that support HD video, from new Blu-ray DVD players to ultra-thin LCD HDTVs, and even some portable media players."

    This is reflected in a surge in the availability of HD content.

    In some mature television markets this has reached the stage where hundreds of high-definition channels now are being offered by the entire spectrum of television service providers – from cable, to satellite, to terrestrial and to even to telecom – due to the rollout of Internet protocol television (IPTV) services.

    iSuppli points to the rapidly growing list of HD content suppliers, along with the fast-rising adoption rates seen for HDTVs and STBs, as a clear indication that HD video transmission and delivery are becoming major motivators for consumer adoption of newer technology television displays and playback/recording equipment.

    Added to this is the fact that the broadcast TV market is rapidly shifting to all-digital television formats, further raising the incentive for the inclusion of HD support in consumer-electronics devices.