July, 2009 | HD TV PROFESSOR

Month: July 2009

Swivel-Head Cables

July 31, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Okay, flat panel HDTVs are getting thinner and thinner, and the newest wall mounts let you hang them just about flush with the wall. But here's a question; what are you going to do about the HDMI cable? If the connector on the TV is facing the back, then the cable will stick straight out, which puts a limit on how close the set can be to the wall (or...

Only Two Days Left!

July 30, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

According to the latest Nielsen numbers, only 1.1% of the U.S. homes with televisions remain totally unprepared for the end of analog broadcasts by the full-power stations in this country that happened last June. That tiny fraction still translates into more than 1 million households, but it's a major improvement over where we stood at the start of the year. And now it's time for the Feds to roll up...

Runco Still Offers Plasma

July 29, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Many videophiles lament the departure of Pioneer from the plasma HDTV market, citing their products for excellent image quality (provided that you can keep the ambient lighting in the room to low levels). But you have not seen the end of high-end plasma HDTV offerings. Runco is arguably the top brand for luxury home theater products, and the company has just announced a new batch of 50" and 65" CinemaWall...

Toshiba Matches Your Refrigerator

July 28, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Toshiba has been one of the few companies to champion the combo LCD TV design, which builds a DVD player into the screen. It's convenient and space-saving, and makes a lot of sense in settings where countertop real estate is at a premium, such as most kitchens. And now, the new 19LV612U 19" model comes with a case designed to match the stainless steel decor favored for refrigerators and other...

CinemaNow in the News

July 27, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

CinemaNow is (primarily) an online service where you can view movies for a fee. Part of Sonic Solutions, the site offers both purchase and rental options. With its ties to the Sonic Solutions software business, you can even purchase a movie and burn it to a DVD. CinemaNow offers a library of more than 14,000 TV and movie titles from more than 250 sources including major producers such as Fox,...

Four Digits: The 1,000th Post

July 24, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

I made it. This is the 1,000th post for the HDTV Almanac. Over the past few years, I've probably written enough to fill a few books. A few of my past entries remain high on Google search positions for topics such as contrast ratio and 120 Hz refresh rates. I expect that hundreds of thousands of people have seen at least one post from the Almanac to this point. And...

We Want Broadband TV

July 23, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

A report from The Diffusion Group (TDG) summarizes the results the company got from a survey that asked 2,000 broadband users about whether they are interested in getting video content over the Internet. If you're a frequent reader of the HDTV Almanac, you know that I'm bullish on the subject, and believe in the appeal of watching what you want, when you want, where you want. This will lead to...

Where Is Microsoft?

July 22, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

An announcement last week that Macrovision has changed it's name to "Rovi" (which was cleverly extracted from the middle of its old name) got me to thinking. According to a story in TWICE, the company is focusing on "a new multi-faceted integrated graphical user interface" that lets users find and view content from a variety of sources, including local storage, the Internet, and traditional broadcast services such as cable or...

Rumor: Amazon to Buy Netflix?

July 21, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

In a fascinating article in the LA Times last week, the writer speculates on rumors that Amazon might be looking to buy Netflix. Whether there's a smidgen of truth to the gossip or not is hardly important; would this deal make sense? It sounds like a match made in heaven to me. Netflix established and dominated the DVD-rental-by-mail industry, creating hard times for brick-and-mortar DVD rentals both large and small....

OLED HDTV: LG says 2012 for 3o”

July 20, 2009 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

According to a report from AsiaPulse last Friday, LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo is quoted as saying "We plan to produce 30-inch OLED panels for TVs in 2012." This is one of the first credible announcements on the subject that I've heard, and is in keeping with the timelines I've heard from various sources. Some analysts claim that LG will start selling a 15" OLED TV by the end of...