TechRadar: Home cinema news

Google's Nexus Q might be making a comeback

Jay McGregor — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The Nexus Q was a bit of an embarrassment for Google, and quickly disappeared into the ether. But a new FCC application, which has been leaked online, could mean the media streaming device is about to make a return.

The mystery project has been named the "H840" with a product name "H2G2 – 24", which seems to be a Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy reference.

Little other information appears on the FCC application image other than the matter-of-fact description - "the device functions as a media player". It also offers Wi-Fi connectivity and hosts a USB port.

Haven't seen you round here in a while

The Nexus Q, which was unveiled at Google's I/O last year, sold out quickly on the Play store but it was soon removed by Google, which felt it could offer a better device.

Those who received the device were never actually charged and it appears that the new version of Google Play Music does not support it.

It's worth noting that the device is mains powered, which means it's not mobile and therefore more than likely a revamped Nexus Q...or something we haven't even thought of yet.

Sony announces exciting prices for 4K TVs in the UK

James Rivington — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:30:00 GMT

Sony has finally announced UK prices for its Bravia X9 range of 4K TVs and it's good news. The 55-inch X9000A Ultra HD telly is set to cost just £4,000, while the 65-inch model is 50 per cent more expensive at £6,000.

While these prices are clearly not cheap, they are still the first full-blown 4K TVs to hit the UK market in sizes under 84-inches and at prices below £20,000. The prices compare relatively favourably to the US prices which were announced last month - $5,000 and $7,000.

While Sony is calling these TVs 4K, they're actually Ultra HD which has a resolution just under the 4K res of 4096 x 2160. This is to allow for the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio of livingroom screens.

Ultra HD TVs have a resolution of 3840 x 2160, four times higher than full HD 1080p, allowing you to sit closer to the TV and gawp at the super-detailed picture. While there's no 4K content currently available, the TVs upscale HD beautifully, streaming services are literally in the pipeline, 4K broadcasts are on the way and a Blu-ray disc ratification is imminent.

Pre-order today

The X9 TVs will hit UK shops from mid-June, but if you're committed to getting one of these things in your house as soon as possible, you can pre-order from today.

The X9 TVs are exciting for more than just the ultra high definition, too. Firstly, both models come with Sony's fantastic magnetic fluid speakers which means that not only does the picture look stunning, the sound is brilliant too.

The speakers use magnetic fluid instead of traditional dampers, which improves sound quality by eliminating distortion, cuts energy consumption by 35 per cent and also allows the speakers to be squeezed into much tighter spaces. We've tested them out and can confirm they're probably the best flatscreen TV speakers we've ever encountered.

The TVs also come with Sony's Triluminos colour tech which we've already seen in the impressive new W9 range. And the remote control is NFC-enabled too, which makes it easier than ever to pair your TV with a mobile device and use that as your remote.

Right then, get saving and stay tuned for a review on TechRadar because these TVs have us very excited indeed.

In depth: 8 reasons why you should be excited about Ultra HD

James Rivington — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Like it or not, 2013 is the year of 4K and Ultra HD. The movies are already here, the TVs are coming and the disc format is on its way.

There's more reason to be excited about all this than most advances in display tech, too, even if you were unimpressed by the so-called 3D revolution.

This year, the sizes and the prices of 4K TVs are entering the realms of us mere mortals, and we reckon that Ultra HD will sooner or later persuade you to buy a new TV. Here's why...

1. It looks amazing

Believe us - 4K is not the new 3D. 3D didn't take off for many reasons: the glasses are uncomfortable, it's headache-tastic, the experience just isn't relaxing for the majority. It's also just an extra feature which you either do or (mostly) don't use depending on the content. But 4K is different - the step from HD to Ultra HD is just like the step was from SD to HD.

It's a permanent feature of the screen that gets used every time you watch it. Sharper images, more detail. Amazing eye candy, essentially, offering a more pleasant watching experience. Upscaling on some (but not all) of the Ultra HD TVs we've seen so far has been very impressive, with HD movies looking amazing on big 4K TVs from trusted brands. Native 4K movies are simply mesmerising.

2. You can sit closer to the screen

With a full HD picture, conventional wisdom says that you need to sit three screen heights (3H) away from the display in order to enjoy optimum picture quality: any closer and you'll be able to see the individual pixels, you'll get a headache, and your eyeballs will dissolve.

However, with a far sharper picture, 4K videos can be enjoyed optimally from just 1.5H. This makes large screen sizes far more sensible than they were in the past, you can sit a lot closer which doubles your field of view from just 30 degrees to 60 – giving you a far more cinematic, immersive experience.

3. It makes passive 3D more tolerable

In many ways, passive 3D offers a more comfortable way of watching a 3D picture compared to active 3D. But because the light is split, 3D Blu-rays effectively have their resolution halved. It's much worse when watching a boradcasted 720p sports match - the picture ends up not even being HD.

But with a 4K TV, the resolution is four times higher than full HD which means passive 3D still looks nice and sharp. It's not as sharp as native 4K pictures (just wait, 4K 3D is the next feature on the production line), but still far better than what we've become used to. Of course, you might still hate 3D. But for anyone who really wants to like it but has yet to be convinced, this might be a reason to get involved.

4. 4K OLED is coming

One exciting thing for consumers thinking about upgrading is that 4K and OLED tech is arriving at roughly the same time. LG predicts OLED prices will be at current high-end LED prices in the next two years. What's more, Panasonic and Sony are both completely ignoring HD OLED tech and going straight to 4K OLED.

So for many people, waiting for a 4K OLED 3D TV might be a good option - they're not far away. If you can't wait, of course, Sony's 55 and 65-inch 4K LED TVs are already around here somewhere (reviews coming soon!) and there'll be lots more from other brands launching at IFA in August/September.

5. There are already hundreds of movies out there

If you think there will only be a few 4K movies available to watch at home, you're mistaken. There isn't yet an agreed format or standard for 4K movies on disc, but it's not far off. And when the players start coming out, there will be literally hundreds of movies and TV shows available from the off. Many have been filmed natively in 4K (or above) over the last few years, but even films shot on 35mm film 50 years ago can be rescanned and remastered in 4K.

Sony Pictures alone has already remastered over 100 movies in this way. It's worthwhile, too - the 4K remaster of classics such as Laurence of Arabia will be the first versions of the movie to use and display all of the picture information captured on the original film. So in some respect, 4K remasters will be the definitive editions.

6. TV shows are now shot in 4K by default

It's not just movies that are getting the 4K love, either. If you want to make a new TV show at Sony Pictures, 4K is now the default format. It's the same elsewhere. It's a little more expensive to make shows this way, but the increased value when it comes to syndication later down the line makes it a no brainer for many of the leading US studios. And of course, older shows shot on film can be remastered in 4K just like older movies. Below you can see Breaking Bad being remastered in 4K, one painstaking frame at a time.

7. 4K TV broadcasts aren't far away

A compressed 4K movie stored on a server at a cinema takes up around 200GB of storage space. Sony's market-leading F65 8K camera (Sony shoots in 8K and downsamples to 4K or 2K) can squeeze only around 1 hour of footage onto a 1TB Sony SR memory card. So you'd be forgiven for assuming that 4K TV broadcasts are a long way off, but that's not actually true thanks to advances in compression technology.

The newly ratified HEVC compression format for 4K can deliver a brilliant Ultra HD broadcast picture with a bitrate of just 20Mbit/s. When compared to the 12Mbit/s currently employed for HD, that's not such a huge leap. FIFA will be filming the World Cup in 4K in 2016, and as we found out recently, the BBC is planning to trial 4K broadcasting at Wimbledon this very year. As an aside, YouTube is already serving up 4K video, and Netflix says it's not far behind.

8. Glasses-free 3D is coming

The final reason to be enthusiastic about higher resolution TVs is that they are opening the door for the definitive form of 3D - glasses free - to become a reality. Current glasses-free tech, which is already impressive but not quite ready yet, uses a lenticular-style lens over the screen to separate the light from the panel into two channels - one for each eye. This division of the light effectively halves the resolution which is why glasses free 3D requires at least a 4K panel to be effective.

Blip: Netflix sunsetting nearly 2,000 titles May 1

Michelle Fitzsimmons — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:10:00 GMT

Netflix is preparing for some spring-cleaning as it readies to clear out 1,794 titles from its catalogue as the clock strikes May 1.

Granted most of the titles aren't cinema, but if you had plans on streaming "Goldfinger," "Big Daddy," "The Black Stallion," and "Cruel Intentions," the next few hours are all you have left.

Initial reports pegged the purge on a licensing situation with the Warner Archive Instant service, but Joris Evers, director of global corporate communications at Netflix, sent a statement to Mashable that this is part of the "ebb and flow" of the service as titles, particularly lesser watched ones, come and go.

Five hundred are to be added as the old titles ride off into the sunset, he added, but that may not take the sting away for some Adam Sandler fans.

More blips!

Don't worry, our news nugget blips aren't leaving you.

Sony sending slender Xperia Tablet Z to customers by May 24

JR Bookwalter — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:55:00 GMT

If you fancy a super-thin, 10.1-inch Android tablet bearing the Sony brand, the company's online store is now serving up pre-orders for its latest and greatest.

On Monday, Sony's online store began accepting pre-orders for its latest 10.1-inch Xperia Tablet Z, available in 16GB or 32GB configurations with a promised ship date of May 24.

Starting at $499.99 for the 16GB model (available in black only), Sony bills the Xperia Tablet Z as the "world's thinnest tablet" at a mere 0.27 inches thick and weighs a little more than a pound (1.09 lbs. to be exact).

Powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 Cortex-A9 quad-core processor, the Xperia Tablet Z includes Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a full HD 1920 x 1200 "Reality Display" the manufacturer says is capable of sharper, more vivid images than previous models.

Exclusive bundle available

Users who need extra space have the option of spending an additional $100 for a 32GB Sony Xperia Tablet Z, which comes in your choice of black or white.

The Sony Store is also offering an exclusive bundle for the 32GB white model including a free charging cradle, a $44.99 value (also available separately).

Sony has built a couple of bonuses into the latest Xperia tablet, including universal infrared remote functionality and the ability to withstand dust or even being submerged in as much as three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

Thinner than a pencil, preorders for the Sony Xperia Tablet Z are now available from the Sony Store for an estimated May 24 ship date with free two-day delivery.

Quickflix bundles post and streaming services in pricing revamp

Joe Hanlon — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:04:00 GMT

Australian entertainment service Quickflix is combining the old with the new, introducing a single pricing scheme that offers customers movies both by post and by streaming over the web.

There is only 3 pricing plans in the new model: $14.99, $24.99 and $34.99. Each plan gives unlimited access to movies and TV shows either on disc, delivered in the mail, or via the Quickflix streaming service.

The tiered pricing indicates how many discs you can have delivered at one time -- between 1 and 3 discs depending on how much you pay.

In total, this gives Quickflix customers access to a collection of 55,000 movies and TV shows, with the vast majority of these titles being on physical media.

This price does not include Pay Per View rental titles, which cost about $5.99 per title. HBO's popular sword and sandal drama Game of Thrones will soon be part of the pay-per-view catalogue.

Digital pioneer

Quickflix is still enjoying a period in the Australian entertainment landscape where it is the one of the only company offering a subscription-based streaming. Competitors like iTunes and BigPond movies offer an on-demand rental service, but not an all-you-can-eat style back catalogue.

Fetch TV is the only other service with a subscription payment model, but is different in that it offers a collection of 30 on-demand titles which rotate out seven old for new movies each week.

It is also unique for not being available directly to the public, but by selling its service through a dedicated set-top box via internet service providers, like Optus and iiNet.

In Depth: Ultra HD and 4K: Everything you need to know

James Rivington — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:35:00 GMT

Today's 1920 x 1080 resolution Full HD TVs present us with an image of around 2 megapixels, but a new generation of screens are coming that deliver an 8 megapixel image from hi-res cameras.

With new Ultra HD TVs arriving this year from the big TV brands, it could soon become a format for both broadcast TV and Blu-ray.

What is 4K?

Technically speaking, 4K denotes a very specific display resolution of 4096 x 2160. This is the resolution of all 4K recordings, though many people use 4K to refer to any display resolution that has roughly 4000 horizontal pixels.

Ultra HD TVs have a resolution slightly lower than that - 3840 x 2160. That's exactly four times higher than the full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080.

Many current movie cameras already film above 4K resolutions, for example the RED Epic which can film at a 5K resolution of 5120 x 2700 and the Sony F65 8K which films at 8192 x 4320.

How big is an Ultra HD TV?

So far it's been monster Ultra HD TVs all the way, with Sony's 84-inch 84X9005 and LG's 84-inch 84LM960V leading the way alongside the now-a-bit-old Toshiba 55ZL2, a 55-inch TV whose real claim is glasses-free 3D TV (though there's more where that came from, this time from Philips).

Don't forget the Panasonic TH-152UX1W, a 152-inch plasma that was the first television to boast Ultra HD resolution. Expect 2013 to see a flurry of new Ultra HD TVs at almost acceptable prices, though some will remain monster-sized - like the 84-inch Toshiba 84L9300.

Smaller Ultra HD TVs in 2013

Thankfully, they're getting smaller - and slightly more affordable. The first half of 2013 will see the launch of the 58-inch Toshiba 58L9300, 65-inch Toshiba 65L9300, 55-inch Sony KD-55X9000A and 65-inch Sony KD-65X9000A.

Samsung's delectable 55-inch S9 Ultra HD LED TV - rumoured to cost US$37,900 - will follow later, but are we jumping the gun? After all, OLED TVs are just coming through from LG, and CES 2013 was awash with stunning combinations of both Ultra HD and OLED in prototype form - check out these 56-inch Ultra HD OLED TVs from Sony and Panasonic. These TVs are both fruits of a joint R&D effort by the two Japanese corporations, though we've a soft spot for Samsung's luscious Curved OLED screen, too.

Do I need an Ultra HD TV?

High definition comes in two flavours: 720p (HD ready) and 1080p (Full HD), both of which offer more picture information than the standard definition formats. The more pixels that make up an image, the more detail you see - and the smoother the appearance of curved and diagonal lines. Ultra HD just takes that on to the next level.

A high pixel count also enables images to go larger before they break up, which suits the trend to bigger TVs. Ultra HD is already making big inroads into the world of digital cinema; almost all major Hollywood movies and TV shows are filmed in 4K - or even 5K.

Of course, perceived picture resolution is as much about viewing distance as resolution. What's the real difference between 720p and 1080p? The answer is about two metres. Increase the pixel density and you can sit closer without the pixel grid becoming obvious; a 2160p image - or Ultra HD - enables you to sit 1.6m from the screen.

Some engineers dispute that you can see a difference between 2K and 4K on any screen less than 100-inches; go larger and the subtle nuances that make up a 4K picture certainly become easier to appreciate.

Can I buy an Ultra HD home cinema projector?

Yes. The first genuine Ultra HD consumer product to hit the streets was the Sony VPL-VW1000ES in 2012, a home cinema projector that borrows technologies originally developed for the brand's commercial digital cinema projectors. Indeed, the VPL-VW1000ES conforms to the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) specification, which uses a slightly different resolution (4096 x 2160 pixels) than Ultra HD TVs.

Not to be confused with JVC's DLA-X95R, DLA-X75R and DLA-X55R '4K branded' projectors, which actually deliver a Full HD picture but use pixel-shifting panel technology (called e-shift2) to produce a more textured and detailed image, the Sony VPL-VW1000ES has a native UHD 8.8 million pixel SXRD panel, to deliver true Ultra HD resolution.

The Sony VPL-VW1000ES can accept Ultra HD content over HDMI and display it natively, as well as up-convert any incoming source.

What is Super Hi-Vision?

There's another spanner in the works in the shape of Super Hi-Vision, an 8K format created by Japan's national broadcaster NHK. It was trialled extensively at the London 2012 Olympics by the BBC, but doesn't appear to have much chance of becoming a bona fide format just yet. It's certainly one to watch; at double the frame rate of HD (at 120fps) and with a 7680 x 4320 pixel resolution (that's around 32 megapixels), Super Hi-Vision demos have featured stunning 22.2 surround sound, too, thanks to twin subwoofers each the size of a small car.

Technically Super Hi-Vision also comes under the umbrella of the Ultra HD specification, which could store-up problems for future; how will anyone be able to explain the difference? Super-Ultra HD, anyone? Mega HD?

Will Ultra HD ever be broadcast on TV?

Technically it already is; Eutelsat Communications launched the first Ultra HD demo channel in Europe in January 2013, on its EUTELSAT 10A satellite. In the UK, the BBC has plans to film some documentaries with 4K equipment in 2013, though it's actually trialled Super Hi-Vision - or 8K - broadcasting as recently as the London Olympics.

Just as Planet Earth was one of the first programmes to be shown in HD, the BBC's Natural History Unit have been handed the task of filming Survival in Ultra HD.

South Korea currently leads the way in Ultra HD broadcasting; its KBS Kwanak Transmitter uses DVB-T2 architecture (the tech behind Freeview HD in the UK) to send an Ultra HD signal compressed using HEVC encoding.

A six-month trial of the same tech in the US is scheduled for 2013 that will attempt the broadcast of Ultra HD TV signals in the Baltimore area, while at Mobile World Congress 2013 a Spanish telecoms company, Abertis, conducted an experiment to broadcast Ultra HD TV pictures using DVB-T2 and an 84-inch Ultra HD TV.

Meanwhile, the 2014 World Cup Final from Brazil will be shown in Ultra HD to satellite viewers in Japan, though that country may attempt Super Hi-Vision broadcasts as early as 2016 or 2018.

Will Blu-ray support Ultra HD discs?

Probably, yes, thanks to that new compression codec called HEVC, though the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has yet to ratify anything.

The good news is that there is Ultra HD content already available in the vaults of the Hollywood majors. Increasingly movies are mastered at 4K resolution, both for commercial distribution and restoration projects. Hollywood has also begun shooting movies in Ultra HD and beyond.

Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was shot on RED Epic digital cameras that are capable of 5K resolution, while Sony's 4K-capable F65 camera is commonly used in film and TV, too. Many US TV dramas are already filmed with one of these cameras, including Made In Jersey, Justified, Save Me and Masters of Sex, according to The Hollywood Reporter, as well as ER, Criminal Minds and Justified.

Quite whether studio bosses actually want this level of picture quality in the hands of consumers remains to be seen. Naturally Ultra HD Blu-ray discs would also require a new generation of BD hardware; so-called 4K-ready Blu-ray players including the new Sony S5100 and Samsung BD-F7500 machines - due for launch in spring 2013 - are only able to upscale regular Blu-ray into Ultra HD-quality, and almost certainly won't play the yet-to-be-invented new Ultra HD discs.

How can I get Ultra HD films onto my Ultra HD TV?

In the absence of shiny discs, the first generation of Ultra HD TV owners will have to rely on 'content delivery systems'. Sony will supply with its new 4K TVs a server containing seven native 4K movies - titles TBC - though heavily compressed downloads from Sony (in summer 2013) and others looks to be the next step.

Destined to be the first 4K player to go on sale, the Redray 4K Cinema Player will cost US$1,450 when it launches in spring 2013. Equipped with a 1TB hard disk, this machine can play 4K content stored on an SD card or USB slot, too - such is the file compression on offer - though it's networked and can stream 4K video from a central server, Lovefilm Instant/Netflix-style.

These two innovations aside, the Ultra HD YB market will be mostly about upscaling for some time to come, and the savvy buyer will carefully consider how good a particular Ultra HD TV is at taking a standard or high definition signal and blowing it up onto a big screen. From the demos we've seen of Blu-ray being upscaled to Ultra HD, the big brands seem to have put a lot of work into this; they all look amazing.

When will Ultra HD become standard?

The floors of CES 2013 were packed with them, but it could be a difficult birth. With arguments and a lack of industry standards on displays, broadcast and playback of Ultra HD material, the introduction of these cutting-edge TVs will prove complex in the extreme.

Introducing an Ultra HD TV isn't like adding LED backlighting to an LCD screen. It's about orchestrating a seismic shift in the broadcast and entertainment infrastructure, not to mention rewriting the consumer electronics handbook.

Currently the only devices to offer Ultra HD play-out are ultra high resolution PC graphics cards, which typically use a quartet of SDI or HDMI outputs to deliver 8MP of video.

There are also myriad disagreements about what exactly Ultra HD displays and equipment should offer in terms of the exact colour standards, frame rate, compression codec and broadcast technology.

In fact, Ultra HD doesn't yet exist - it's a logo-free collection of guidelines that manufacturers should adhere to. Once they're signed, sealed and agreed and a delivery mechanism - 4K Blu-ray, or 4K downloading - along with a tweaked version of HDMI, is all in place, it's possible that existing Ultra HD TVs won't be up to the task. Who'd be an early adopter?

What about Ultra HD for photographers?

The picture's brighter for digital photographers. The PlayStation3 now displays digital still images at 4K resolution over HDMI (how about a PS4K, anyone?), while Panasonic has been busy prepping prototype displays aimed at image-makers. As well as its 4K resolution 20-inch TV, Panasonic recently presented an identically-sized 4K tablet aimed at designers, photographers and architects.

So despite the excitement in the world of TV, a lack of agreement throughout the industry means that the first enthusiasts to benefit from Ultra HD technology could be photographers, and not cinema enthusiasts.

However, manufacturers have already shown that they think the sweet-spot for Ultra HD TV sits between 55 and 65 inches; isn't that the size you'd like your next TV to be? With a couple of games consoles, some Blu-ray players capable of spitting out Ultra HD resolution images, and a BBC UHD trial channel, we're convinced that within a few years most TV buyers won't be able to resist the temptation of making sure their purchase is at least future-proofed to Ultra HD.

And today's future-proofed TV is tomorrow's cut-price commodity... though is that what they said about 3D TV?

In Depth: Six marvels of the 4K revolution at Sony Pictures Studios in LA

James Rivington — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:20:00 GMT

To say Sony is serious about 4K is a bit like saying Canon seems to kinda like making cameras.

4K is at the heart of Sony's entire operation, and that's not surprising given the fact that it's the only company that can tell an on-brand end-to-end 4K story. It makes the movies and TV shows, it produces the cameras to shoot the content, it makes the projectors to display it in cinemas, it publishes the movies on disc, and it delivers 4K it to the home in the form of TVs, games consoles and media servers. Sony has already shipped over 15,000 4K projectors worldwide.

To mark the forthcoming launch of Sony's new 4K TV range, Sony invited us to Sony Pictures Studios in LA to take a closer look at its 4K ecosystem. We've seen 4K movie sets, we've seen Breaking Bad being remastered in 4K and we've compared Sony's 4K TVs against every other brand.

Here are the six coolest techno-marvels we've seen this week...

1. Sony F65 8K camera

The F65 is the pride and joy of Sony's 4K operation. Worth upwards of US$50,000 (about AU$48,500, £32,650), this is the Ultra HD camera that Sony Pictures is using to shoot all its movies and TV shows. It actually shoots at a native resolution of 7680 × 4320. That's 8K, or 33.2 megapixels - four times the resolution of 4K, which in turn is four times the resolution of Full HD. So take the number of pixels in a Blu-ray picture and multiply by 16. What's more, it can do it at any framerate up to 120fps. This allows film crews to downsample after shooting so they can be sure they're working with the very best pictures.

2. 4K film scanners

Even Laurence Olivier classics from 60 years ago can be watched in 4K. But first the original film must be rescanned. This isn't such a bad idea, either - film typically captures a lot more data than ever makes it onto the screen, and our Sony guides tell us that 4K is finally the right resolution to capture and present all that picture information on screen for the first time. These machines scan original film in 4K resolution at around 1.5fps, but that's just the start of the process…

3. Colorworks remastering suite

The big problem with film is that it degrades over time, so the older it is, the more work is needed to get it into shape - a task made ever more complicated by the sheer amount of detail and data captured by 4K images. Sony's Colorworks remastering suite is where movie directors come to master their movies, frame by painstaking frame. Some artefacts like noise and white spots can be removed by an algorithm but most defects require an engineer to polish up every frame individually.

Sony is constantly remastering classic movie and TV titles, and currently has over 100 4K movies in its library, new and old. While some movies can take just a few months to remaster, Lawrence of Arabia has taken nearly three years to get into a condition where the studio was happy with it. We can tell you it looks absolutely stunning.

4. Remastering facility with 11PB local storage

Of course, with hundreds of movies being scanned and edited digitally in 4K, that data needs to be stored somewhere. Sony Pictures Studios has networked servers with 11PB - that's 11 petabytes, or 11,000 terabytes - of local storage. All of this is also backed up locally and elsewhere on tape. Every green light in the image below represents a separate drive, and contained on these drives are forthcoming native 4K movies like The Amazing Spiderman 2 and After Earth, so in a way, you can now say you've seen those titles before your friends. In a way. Sort of.

5. High quality sets

With every generation of picture improvements comes higher production values. Long gone are the days of the Fawlty Towers sets that nearly fall down whenever a door slams shut, or Dallas window backdrops that were clearly painted by school children.

Check out the window on a 4K TV set. Even standing on the set, the window is convincing.

Looking up close, only the set furniture gives the game away.

To pull off this look requires extremely high resolution photography.

It also takes superpowered backlighting which can be dimmed and coloured to give the illusion of daylight or dusk.

We had a walk around one of the sets for the forthcoming Showtime cable drama Masters of Sex starring Michael Sheen. It was the nicest house we've ever been in, yet it's built on the same soundstage where Wizard of Oz was filmed in back in 1939. Sadly, we weren't allowed to take pictures on that set, so you'll just have to watch the show.

6. Sony's professional OLED monitor

Sony's 4K sets make use of the company's super-awesome professional grade OLED monitors for displaying footage in all its natural splendour. The F86 camera can output several different video channels so that different members of the crew can tune into different feeds. The cinematographer needs to be able to see the natural lighting, whereas the camera operators might want to view the footage with different contrast setting so they can see exactly how much detail is being captured in the dark areas of the picture.

And a few other cool thing we spotted at Sony Pictures...

Amazon eager to ape Apple with set-top box of its own?

Lbrown — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:13:00 GMT

First, there was the race to capitalize on the growing tablet market with devices like the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD.

Then there were rumblings Amazon may soon be entering the rapidly expanding smartphone arena with a branded device all its own.

Now, reports indicate Amazon is about to make a foray into the living room, right beneath your HD television.

According to sources close to the project speaking with Business Week, Amazon is no longer content to just have its instant video service appear as an app on other products, and is developing a proprietary set-top box.

It's a jungle out there

Supposedly on track to arrive this fall, Amazon's streaming media box will provide access to the online retail giant's library of instant video and video on-demand options.

Amazon Instant Video is already available on a wide variety of similar devices, including gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3.

With this new set-top box though, Amazon hopes to differentiate itself from competitors like Apple TV and Roku with the easy instant access having an Amazon Prime membership would provide.

The device is purportedly being developed by Amazon's Lab126 in Cupertino, Calif., which has apparently worked on similar devices before, though those never saw the light of day.

It will be interesting to see if Amazon allows other services like Netflix and Hulu to appear on its streaming system, as those apps are readily available on the Kindle devices.

Competitive devices like Apple TV do allow for secondary apps like Netflix to exist in the same ecosystem, so it may not be to Amazon's advantage to shut out those services.

TechRadar has reached out to Amazon for comment, though we're not holding our breath for a response with any concrete details about the company's plans.

In depth: LG vs Samsung: the story behind the biggest rivalry in tech

James Rivington — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:11:00 GMT

The rivalry between Korean tech giants LG and Samsung is well known, but it took a visit to LG's headquarters in South Korea this week for the true nature of the conflict to become clear to us.

Both Seoul-based, the two companies have been in competition for nearly 50 years, and they're somewhat obsessed with one another. We've all read the stories about the skullduggery between them: secrets have allegedly been stolen, accusations have been made, court cases have dragged on. Even in the last few weeks, the companies have re-locked horns in patent disputes over their OLED technologies.

Police recently raided some Samsung facilities in order to secure evidence after LG accused its neighbour of spying. It's a familiar story in these parts.

The upshot of the situation is that passing through buildings owned by these companies is like getting through security at an airport. Bags are scanned. Cameras are confiscated. Lenses on phones are taped over. USB storage devices are not allowed. Security cameras are everywhere.

The entrance lobbies are full of metal detectors and bag scanners just like departure lounges, but unlike an airport, you don't have to worry about this on the way in - it's on the way back out again that the stringent security measures are deployed. They want to make sure you're not trying to steal any secrets. As a visitor, it's a fascinating curiosity. For the people who work here, it's just everyday routine.

We're currently travelling on a bus heading north towards the border with North Korea. This is where LG's enormous LCD plant is based. We're due to take a tour and we've already been told to expect even more stringent security measures when we get there.

It's not hugely surprising - both companies are leading innovation in display technology and seem to be zigging and zagging in unison. Both are bringing out similar products at the same time. Which Korean brand brought the "world's first curved OLED TV" to CES this year? Both of them, naturally.

Why you'd want one is up for debate, especially given that only 200 standard OLED TVs have been sold by LG total in Korea - but LG says the curved version will hit the shelves later this year regardless.

They'll be available first at the LG Best Shop megastore in downtown Seoul, which appropriately looms ominously right across the road from the equally sized Samsung superstore

More than tech

But LG or Samsung is far more than a technology choice for many people in South Korea. It's a lifestyle - a way of life. And for many of the 200,000 or so people employed by these companies, it's an allegiance that will last their entire working life.

Unlike many conglomerates in Europe or America, big businesses in South Korea feel a responsibility to the viability of the nation's economy. As part of that, they take on many graduates every year as a matter of course and the vast majority of these young men and women will then never work for another company from that day until the day they retire. Careers are made and broken within. People simply don't leave.

This hiring process is fierce in itself: both LG and Samsung want to hire the best people, but there's a talent shortage in Korea, so there aren't enough skills to go around. If you're a gifted software engineer and you speak Korean, there's a well-paid job waiting for you in Seoul.

Surf and turf wars

The relationship between these brands goes deeper than mere rivalry, too. The companies are both obsessed and repulsed by each other in equal measure. Samsung has been mentioned a lot by our LG guides this week, and not disparagingly - LG clearly has huge amount of respect for what Samsung has achieved in the last few years. But at the same time, there is no love lost when it comes to the workforce.

Both brands have their own social territories locally and internationally. Restaurants, hotels and bars are divied up between them. Samsung employees know not to go to certain places and it's the same the other way around - they don't like to mix socially.

It's very similar to the way sports fans in the West know which pubs they should go to for a match, and which they should avoid.

This even plays out at the big tech shows around the world - there are unwritten rules about which Korean restaurants it's OK to go to during CES in Las Vegas or IFA in Berlin, depending on which company you work for. Both look over at the other's turf with envious eyes.

Appropriately, both LG and Samsung own their own self-titled Baseball and Soccer teams in Korea – sports clubs run at a loss to promote the brands and fly the flags. Employees of both companies can apply for tickets to watch the games - the local derbies being the hottest ticket in town.

Next time you're in Seoul, perhaps you'd like to head down to the Jamsil Baseball Stadium to watch the LG Twins hit all the homeruns, or to the Suwon World Cup Stadium to see the Samsung Bluewings play soccer.

Of course, the majority of Koreans have no affiliation to either brand - this is a nation of over 50 million people, while LG employs 80,000 people total. But most people still seem to have a preference. We asked random Seoul citizens the question: LG or Samsung? Most people smiled. Some laughed. But they all still gave an answer.

Samsung's 2013 TVs out from next week, including $40,000 UHD TV

Joe Hanlon — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:37:00 GMT

Samsung Australia celebrated the launch of its 2013 TV line-up in Sydney last night, showcasing a range of new flat panels including its new $40,000 UHD TV.

There is 15 new models hitting Australian stores next week, running the gamut of sizes, features and display technologies.

All shapes and sizes

Samsung's Series 8 TVs will be the flagship models for the year, and will range in screen sizes from 55- to 75-inches. These TVs including quad-core processors, Samsung's latest software, a touch-sensitive remote control and gesture recognition.

These top-end TVs will also sport Samsung's Evolution Kit processors, that can be hotswapped with newer hardware down the track. Samsung is planning yearly updates of the Evolution Kit to keep older TVs up to date wit the latest features. The latest Kit is compatible with last year's TVs and will cost $299, including a new touch remote.

Aussie innovation

Most impressive is the new voice recognition software developed in Australia, in conjunction with Macquarie University. Striving for natural language recognition, Samsung has recorded "thousands" of sentences so that the TV can respond to requests in a natural-seeming way.

Beyond basic commands, the TV is capable of understanding questions regarding personal preferences, such as search requests relating to genres or performers. Samsung believes the TV has "been trained to have a personality and character".

The showstopper at the event is Samsung's S9; an ultra-definition TV with a $40,000 price tag. The TV will be on display at a limited number of stores and built to order. It comes with complimentary installation by Samsung staff and hardware upgrades for the next five years.

Full recommended pricing for the 2013 Samsung range is as follows:

Samsung Series 8 Smart LED TV 75 - $9,999, available in July
Samsung Series 8 Smart LED TV 65 - $5,999 available in June
Samsung Series 8 Smart LED TV 60 - $4,999 available in June
Samsung Series 8 Smart LED TV 55 - $4,199 available in April
Samsung Series 7 Smart LED TV 60 - V RRP $3,999 available in June
Samsung Series 7 Smart LED TV 55 - V RRP $3,299 available in May
Samsung Series 7 LED TV 46 - $2,399 available in May
Samsung Series 6 LED TV 75 - $6,999 available in June
Samsung Series 6 LED TV 65 - $3,999 available in June
Samsung Series 6 LED 60 - $2,999 available in May
Samsung Series 6 LED 55 - $2,349 available in April
Samsung Series 8 Plasma 64 - $4,299 available in April
Samsung Series 8 Plasma 60 - $3,399 available in April

Blip: Ironman 3 to be smelt and felt by Japanese fans

Joe Hanlon — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:56:00 GMT

Marvel's latest cinema extravaganza will be explored in new ways ways by cinema-goers in Japan, with smell-o-vision and wind effects to be incorporated into special sessions of Ironman 3.

But you won't be able to walk into any old Japanese cinema and smell the rocket fuel burning from the hero's feet. According to The Hollywood Reporter, specially fitted 4DX cinemas will screen the film with equipment producing wind, fog and bubble effects, tilting seats that move with the action and, the all-important odor projectors.

A Korean company called CJ Group is behind the 4DX fit-outs, and is responsible for programming when the various smells and effects take place during the movie. The company has created over 1,000 different smells including burnt rubber, gun powder, perfume, sea water and coffee.

While there are only a few compatible cinemas with the equipment installed, there has been whispers of the technology spreading into more cinemas in more countries. The LA Times reported last year that CJ was working on 200 cinemas in the US and that it has already installed 4DX in Mexico. It may only be a matter of time before your local picture house is blasting you with cold air and an assortment of perfumes.

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Buying Guide: 8 best soundbar speakers for your HD TV

Jamie Carter — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:44:00 GMT

With TVs getting super-slim, as many as a quarter of TV buyers now snap-up a soundbar on the spot. At the other end of the scale, those with home cinema speaker cable snaked around the living room or den have doubtless been told to get rid of it by now.

A box full of speakers that sits under the TV, an all-in-one soundbar is a clean solution, but there are myriad options.

As usual, it comes down to price, but as a rule of ear the bigger – and deeper – the soundbar, the better it is, especially at the lower end of the market. So don't fall for the sales patter about 'super slim' soundbars – you know what happened last time you fell for that one.

Designs and ambitions differ, from full 'virtual' surround ambitions to Bluetooth streaming, but before you buy think about how you want to wire-up your TV, set-top box, games console and soundbar.

A soundbar with a few HDMI ins and outs is handy and allows a one-cable connection to a TV, while some soundbars use only optical digital audio cables – though not all TVs have a corresponding optical digital output. However, the most important question is this: are you trying to recreate a full-blown surround sound experience for immersive movies and gaming, or just trying to give Dancing with the Stars a leg-up?

1. Sonos Playbar, $699

A wireless soundbar with built-in subwoofer (though an optional, wireless subwoofer is available for a further $1,000), the Playbar is all about convenience. Aimed at 37-inch+ screens and comprising nine separate speakers, Playbar sounds stunning and can integrate nicely into an existing Sonos audio system – or be the first thing you add to your home from which a rich, easy to use multi-room audio system can organically grow. With just an optical digital audio input, it's not the most adaptable soundbar around and nor is it the best-sounding, but it's nonetheless an assured and very desirable product. If you've already used Sonos multi-room products, good luck resisting this one.

Read: Sonos Playbar review

2. Bose Cinemate 1SR, $1,499

Ever wanted an Acoustimass? Bose-speak for a subwoofer, it wirelessly connects – and effortlessly so – to its mothership and adds some valuable low-frequency frolics to the impressive, though very expensive Cinemate 1SR soundbar system. It's relatively slim and its five speaker drivers add some definite welly to a telly, but it won't act as a hub for a home ents set-up since there are no HDMI inputs, just digital and analogue audio jacks. Some clever construction Bose calls Fleximount allows the 1SR to be turned on its axis and thus wall-mounted, which is a neat trick. However, convenience and the easiest set-up we've ever seen is what you're really paying for. One for the technophobe, not the bargain-hunter.

3. GoldenEar Technology SC3DA, $999

Another high-end attempt at a soundbar comes from the superbly-named Golden Ear, whose gloss black aluminium SC3DA – which stands for SuperCinema 3D Array – is all about precision engineering and exacting sound quality. Designed to excel with stereo music as well as TV and Blu-ray, the SC3DA's main unit houses left, centre and right-channel speakers, but there's more to it. It might look like it comes with a second set of separate left and right speakers, but they're actually cancellation drivers that help address phase issues from the main soundbar. That's the 3D Array Technology at play, that is, and it's there to create a wall-to-wall-to-ceiling soundstage – though you'll need to drive it from a separate amplifier. In terms of ambition at replacing a home cinema, put Golden Ear in the same category as Yamaha.

4. Panasonic SC-HTB770, $399

If only Optimus Prime and co. could do something this useful. Due out shortly from Panasonic is this, the first 'transformer' soundbar that's aimed at those that really want to put together a home cinema, but haven't got round to it yet. In position one the oversized SC-HTB770's stainless mesh design is a traditional soundbar, and clearly built to suit 55-65-inch screens, but it can also break apart into a 3.1 system. The centre speaker remains in place while its two flanks split and rotate to the vertical position, with a gyroscope sensor detecting the vertical position they're then placed in.

Elsewhere the 300W-toting SC-HTB770 houses Bluetooth for streaming music from a phone, three HDMI inputs, and two optical audio inputs – crucial inclusions that pushes convenience still further – while a subwoofer sits alongside. Expect a price north of $750.

5. Samsung HW-F750, $799

Samsung has been playing around with vale amplification for a few years, so the appearance for 2013 of the first valve-amplified soundbar is no surprise. It's used primarily to add some warmth to digital audio, though the Samsung HW-F750 connects to a TV over Bluetooth something that's a hallmark of convenience-focused products rather than those vying for ultimate sound quality. Using SoundShare, which is embedded in Samsung's Smart TVs, the HW-F750 has its own built-in gyroscope to gauge its position in a room, and adjusts sound accordingly. A feature called AirtrackON wakes-up the HW-F750 when the TV is switched-on as well as allowing the TV's remote control to operate its volume.

6. Yamaha YSP-4300, $1,799

It was Yamaha that invented the soundbar several years ago with its first-gen Digital Sound Projectors, and it's still going strong. Perhaps the ultimate upgrade to a flat TV available without plumping for a full surround sound system, the YSP-4300 uses Yamaha's tried-and-tested beam tech that uses 22 separate speakers to bounce soundwaves off walls and ceilings to create an enveloping surround sound effect. If that wasn't serious enough for you, the YSP-4300 comes with two wireless subwoofers; this is home cinema in all but shape.

7. Orbitsound M12, $600

Comprising eight separate speakers inside a one-box soundbar, the key claim of the Orbitsound M12 is one of 'spatial' sound', which we've heard before with the Orbitsound T9; it's genuinely capable of creating a moving sweetspot and a balanced stereo sound. British-designed and hand-painted, the powered M12 adds a ninth speaker in its downward-firing wireless subwoofer, and also includes Bluetooth streaming from phones and tablets. A nice touch is its one-touch 'grab' feature, which automatically plays the last song it played from a paired device.

If Bluetooth adds some convenience, the M12 doesn't have HDMI inputs, instead connecting to a TV via an optical audio cable, 3.5mm jack or left/right stereo phonos.

8. Roth SubZero, $250

British-designed and with a subwoofer built-in (the clue's in the name), the SubZero is a thoroughly affordable way to increase sound quality, though it's not the 'AV hub' that some soundbars promise. Best used with relatively small TVs – say, 32-40-inch in size – the SubZero is another that lacks HDMI switching, though it does cater for three different types of audio connection; left and right stereo audio (phono), optical digital and a 3.5mm stereo mini jack. At around 89mm in depth, there's an option to wall-mount, too. Great value for those looking for a simple boost to a TV's slim speakers.

Buying Guide: 8 best soundbar speakers for your HD TV

Jamie Carter — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:44:00 GMT

With TVs getting shiveringly slim, as many as a quarter of TV buyers now snap-up a soundbar on the spot. At the other end of the scale, those with home cinema speaker cable spidered around the skirting board have doubtless been told to get rid of it by now.

A box full of speakers that sits under the TV, an all-in-one soundbar is a clean solution, but there are myriad options.

Designs and ambitions differ, from full 'virtual' surround ambitions to Bluetooth streaming, but before you buy think about how you want to wire-up your TV, set-top box, games console and soundbar.

Best TV 2013: what TV should you buy this year?

1. Sonos Playbar, £599

A wireless soundbar with built-in subwoofer (though an optional, wireless subwoofer is available for a further £599), the Playbar is all about convenience. Aimed at 37-inch+ screens and comprising nine separate speakers, Playbar sounds stunning and can integrate nicely into an existing Sonos audio system – or be the first thing you add to your home from which a rich, easy to use multi-room audio system can organically grow. With just an optical digital audio input, it's not the most adaptable soundbar around and nor is it the best-sounding, but it's nonetheless an assured and very desirable product. If you've already used Sonos multi-room products, good luck resisting this one.

Read: Sonos Playbar review

2. Bose Cinemate 1SR, £1,299

3. GoldenEar Technology SC3DA, £995

4. Panasonic SC-HTB770, £TBC

5. Samsung HW-F750, £TBC

6. Yamaha YSP-4300, £1,299

7. Orbitsound M12, £399

If Bluetooth adds some convenience, the M12 doesn't have HDMI inputs, instead connecting to a TV via an optical audio cable, 3.5mm jack or left/right stereo phonos.

8. Roth SubZero, £99

Blip: Elysium trailer is techtastically thrilling

Patrick Goss — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:27:00 GMT

From cancer scanners to spaceships, via a privileged nirvana orbital and a funky robo-suit, Elysium is shaping up to showcase a whole heap of awesome future tech.

The first trailer for the film - directed by District 9 director Niell Blomkamp - has arrived and it certainly doesn't lack for post-production budget.

In the year 2154 the rich live on Elysium, in orbit around the earth and Matt Damon lives on the hell that is future Earth. Seems fair enough to us...

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaA69IXELsg

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The Hobbit will be the first film in Australia with an UltraViolet digital copy included

Joe Hanlon — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 01:46:00 GMT

Warner Bros will be the first cab off the rank with Ultraviolet in Australia, pairing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Blu-Ray and DVD with a code to redeem the digital license for the film and access to download or stream it.

Customers picking up The Hobbit will be able to log into Ultraviolet through Flixster: an app for PC, Mac, iOS and Android that currently marries movie reviews with showtimes. From May 1, the app will expand to include Ultraviolet content in a "My Movies" tab.

Warner Bros says that while it can't control pricing in individual stores, it is not charging extra for the digital license for The Hobbit, and that it expects its retail partners to follow suit.

Once the digital license is redeemed, films can be streamed to compatible devices, or downloaded and watched offline. The file downloaded is targeted to a particular device. For example, The Hobbit downloaded to a PC is just over 2GB in size, while on a smartphone it is 1GB.

Users can nominate 12 devices to a single UltraViolet account and can stream up to three movies simultaneously.

An expected digital journey

Despite being a milestone in Australian multimedia, this is not the global introduction of Ultraviolet. The platform launched in the US in 2011, and now counts over 9,000 titles within its system.

Ultraviolet is a service is borne out of the collective interests of some of the biggest names in cinema and technology. Facing a need to digitise content, movie studios like Warner Bros, Paramount, Sony and 20th Century Fox (among 74 collaborating companies) have created Ultraviolet as a common platform for rights management that all parties can use to offer digital versions of their content to the public.

As such, The Hobbit will be the first of many release in 2013 featuring an Ultraviolet digital copy in the box with a physical disc. Warner Bros intends to use Ultraviolet throughout the year, with films like Man of Steel and Pacific Rim, and TV shows including Fringe and The Big Bang Theory.

Though none of the other studios have announced UltraViolet content yet, it is expected that all will begin including redemption codes with physical discs in the coming months.

Looking for a Sony 4K TV for your living room? You'll need a few grand

JR Bookwalter — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:21:00 GMT

Have a spare five grand laying around? Starting April 21, you can use that cash to invest in one of Sony's 4K Ultra HD televisions, which will be joined this summer by a media player capable of streaming content to them.

Sony announced pricing and availability for its upcoming 4K (3840 x 2160) Ultra HD products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show Sunday, which is now underway in Las Vegas.

The 4K Ultra High Definition TV sets will be available in two sizes: A 55-inch model XBR-55X900A for $4,999.99 and a 65-inch model XBR-65X900A for $6,999.99. There's no word on international pricing or the fate of the 56-inch prototype the company showed off at CES 2013.

As part of the same announcement, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment also introduced a new line of "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray discs, optimized for 4K but also compatible with existing Blu-ray players and HDTVs.

Summer of 4K

A Sony press release confirmed availability for the FMP-X1, a $699 4K Media Player that will hit stores this summer bundled with 10 feature films and video shorts presented in "true 4K resolution."

As previously announced, Sony will introduce a paid video-on-demand service this fall dedicated to serving up 4K titles from the parent company's vast library, as well as other "notable production houses."

Sony's 4K television sets will be available to order online and at retail starting April 21, bundled with three "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray discs (while supplies last). Those titles are Spider-Man (2002), Ghostbusters and Angels & Demons.

Curious what the fuss is about? Starting today, six Sony Store locations - three in California, as well as Houston, Las Vegas and New York - will begin in-store demoes of both true 4K as well as upscaled video from other sources.

Blip: Avatar sequels will use underwater motion capture

Patrick Goss — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:45:00 GMT

It's hard not to feel a little excited about the Avatar sequels despite the justified criticism of the original's storyline - and, according to producer Jon Landau, we're going to see a new tech first with 'performance capture in water'.

James Cameron is a movie tech trailblazer, and the NAB technology summit was told by Landau that the filmmakers are exploring how to record actors getting their mo-cap on in liquid. We assume the rats in Abyss were the original testers.

Blips are TechRadar's new news nuggets that you'll find percolating through the homepage - or you can see them all by hitting the blip keyword below.

Danny Boyle: '3D is a phase'

Kate Solomon — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:36:00 GMT

Danny Boyle, who you may remember from such filmic hits as Trainspotting and such iconic cultural performances as the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, has confessed that he thinks 3D is a phase.

Boringly, he does concede that some filmmakers are doing some "extraordinary work" in the field, name-checking Life of Pi in the process, but his main beef is with the glasses.

Prat pack

"I don't use 3D," he told the Guardian. "I'm a spectacle wearer so I hate going to 3D movies because you have to wear two pairs of spectacles, which makes you feel like even more of a prat.

"You know how everybody feels a bit of a prat wearing 3D spectacles. You as a spectacle wearer feel a double prat."

To clarify for our international readers, "prat" is a wonderfully British term for an idiot. Hugh Grant probably says it a lot.

After bigging up Life of Pi for its visual effects, Boyle went on to talk about how audio is the next exciting tech frontier:

"There are sound innovations coming actually, particularly Dolby Atmos, which are going to do something very equivalent to what 3D does.

"So I don't know if 3D will survive to be honest. I think it may be a phase."

George R. R. Martin calls out Australian TV pirates

Joe Hanlon — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:38:00 GMT

HBO's Game of Thrones has won many plaudits and awards, including earning the dubious honour of being the most downloaded TV show in 2012. The book's author, George R. R. Martin, is calling out Australia for its part in the illegal distribution.

Speaking at a promotional screening of the show's third season, Martin spoke to his perspective of changing delivery streams for books and movies.

"We have to contend with the fact that [Game of Thrones] is the most pirated show in the world, a lot of it coming from Australia,"

This comment got a laugh from the audience at the event, and the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg chiming in with "Oh, those Aussies." Martin puts it down to the negotiations between the content owners and broadcasters.

"They delay it six months there, and the people won't wait so they download it." explains Martin.

Guilty as charged

Sadly, what Martin is not aware of is that the second season of Game of Thrones was broadcast and available on iTunes to rent within a week of its US air date. This didn't stop 400,000 Australians downloading episodes (by TorrentFreak's estimates).

In 2013, the third season will air in Australia within hours of it being seen first in the US, but only time will tell if that will keep Aussie fingers from clicking the 'download' button in their browsers.

Head over to AllThingsD to watch the full interview.

Ouya chief teases streaming video content through console

JR Bookwalter — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:39:00 GMT

Gamers are anxious to get their hands on the crowdfunded, Android-based Ouya gaming console this June - and now movie and TV show fans can get equally excited as well.

Gizmag.com reported Wednesday that Ouya founder Julie Uhrman recently gave a keynote interview at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas where she teased the availability of streaming video apps for the Kickstarter-financed game console.

Without naming specific services, Uhrman said she "feels pretty confident" that the US$99 product will arrive with native apps from at least a few major content providers.

The most likely contenders are Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube, which has yet to gain traction with many set-top boxes outside of Google TV and Apple TV.

Talking to everyone

Ouya set a Kickstarter record last summer after raising more than $US8 million (roughly UK£5.2 million, AU$7.8 million), with units shipping this month to those early supporters.

The company is currently accepting website pre-orders expected to ship in June, which is when the console will also be expected to roll out to Amazon, Best Buy and Target locations across the U.S.

In the meantime, the Ouya team continues to refine the software user interface, which already integrates third parties like OnLive, TuneIn and XBMC.

Uhrman also confirmed the company is "talking to everyone" when it comes to potential partnerships for Ouya, including manufacturers of HDTVs and Blu-ray players.

Cameron still beavering away on scripts for Avatar sequels

Patrick Goss — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:41:00 GMT

For those desperate to stare into Pandora's 3D box once more, iconic director James Cameron has offered a word of caution on the Avatar 2 release date.

Although the director is not too worried about the pressure mounting on him to follow up the biggest 3D hit of all time, he is still worrying about getting the script done.

"It's a little daunting because sequels are always tricky," he told Play Goes Strong. "You have to be surprising and stay ahead of audience anticipation. At the same time, you have to massage their feet with things that they know and love about the first film."

Walk the line

"I've walked that line in the past, so I'm not too worried about it. At the same time, I definitely have to deliver the goods," he added.

"As for a release date that will be determined by when I get the script out. No pressure!"

The original Avatar was seen as the beginning of the 3D era but, despite Cameron championing the technology, it's perhaps not had the impact some might have expected.

That's not to say we're not already chewing the legs of our 3D glasses in anticipation for Avatar's sequels though...

Hoyts Stream: everything we know so far

Joe Hanlon — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 01:04:00 GMT

Venerable Australian cinema chain Hoyts is leaping into the 21-century this year, will plans to take its core business online and launch a streaming movie service. But with some many movie services around already, how does Hoyts hope to set itself apart?

Details of how the Hoyts Stream service will work, where it will work and for how much are limited at this time. Hoyts is keeping its cards close to its chest, though it does sounds like it will be a pay-per-view rather than a subscription service, building on the success of the Hoyts DVD rental kiosks found in shopping centres across Australia -- though this has not yet been confirmed.

According to Hoyts' Chief Marketing Marketing Officer Crispin Tristram, there will be a strong emphasis on a cross-platform rewards program. Until recently, there was no connection between customers visiting Hoyts cinemas and renting from Hoyts kiosks, but this will soon change.

"A Hoyts customer in the cinema can be given rewards that can be redeemed at home. [Movies watched] at home can be rewarded on a Saturday when I'm out with my wife or my friends, on food and beverages or discounted tickets."

This will expand again when the streaming movie service is launched.

"Now, with the rebrand, we've pulled together [the systems in the back-end] so that we can view each member as one single customer, so we can really drive home the convenience [of the combined services]."

Apps essential

Convenience in rewards in one thing, but convenience in accessibility is arguably more important. Tristram agrees that the service needs to be readily available across a number of devices, but it reluctant to reveal where exactly Hoyts will stream to, though he did suggest they were in discussions with manufacturing partners on "exclusive deals".

Hoyts did reveal last week that it has signed on with video content management firm Viocorp, a company who has Channel 7 and YouTube on its books. We're hopeful we'll find the platform across a range of home cinema devices and mobile platforms based on this relationship.

This is bound to be a difficult launch for Hoyts, with at least eight movie-on-demand services in Australia already. It is backing its considerable brand recognition in this space to make the difference, though.

"The research that we've done...places highly the ability for a cinema brand to transpose the cinema-going experience from exhibition in the home," Tristram explains. "[People think] yep, I know you as a movie brand, I trust that you know about movies in the home as well."

It would seem many in Australia might think this way, with 18-million tickets sold in Hoyts cinemas last year, and roughly 7 million DVD rentals at Hoyts Kiosks.

Hoyts Stream is set for a national launch in the second half of the year.

Interview: Behind the scenes of The Hobbit: the special effects masters

Steve May — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:11:00 GMT

With its ceaseless tide of wizards, Wargs, Orcs, Stone-Giants, Skin-changers, Goblins, and, of course, Gollum, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - available on Blu-ray from April 8 - is a feast for fans of fantasy filmdom.

But it proved a challenge of Silmarillion proportions for the visual effects team at Weta Digital charged with bringing Tolkien's fantastical romp to life. The first blockbuster to combine the dimensional hurdles of 3D and pioneering 48fps HFR technology, it's arguably the most daunting special effects movie ever attempted.

"Yes, there was a lot of work involved," says senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri, with alarming understatement. "We did around 22,000 FX shots for The Hobbit. That compares to 18,000 for LOTR: Return of the King. The scale of these films has evolved considerably..."

At least Weta's Herculean efforts have been appreciated. Not only was the movie a box office smash, it received award nominations from both Bafta (Letteri's reason for visiting the UK) and the Academy Awards (plus numerous genre trophy nods). The Hobbit may have been cruelly beaten at both by Life of Pi, but Letteri is sanguine: "Awards aren't what drive us," he smiles. "The number one thing on your mind is just getting the movie finished on time!"

Moving Middle-earth into the 3rd dimension

Letteri tells TechRadar that the decision to shoot The Hobbit in stereo significantly added to the complexity of the project, requiring a fresh approach after the original trilogy. "A lot of the things we got away with on Rings, such as the miniatures, proved a lot more difficult to do in 3D," he confides. "It's possible to use miniatures but the scale, mood and lighting is tougher to pull off. In 2D, it's easy to manipulate individual elements, but in 3D the perspective tends to break."

The most challenging sequence to create in 3D proved to be the opening skit in Bag End. "In the original trilogy, we did the perspective gag very traditionally," says Letteri.

"We brought Ian McKellen's Gandalf closer to the camera and pushed Elijah Wood's Frodo further back to make him small. But in 3D that doesn't work. (Director) Peter (Jackson) wanted to do a shot similar to that in Fellowship, but this time with Gandalf walking around Bilbo and 13 dwarves – it's all very crowded and they're walking through each other.

"The only way we could shoot this in stereo was to use two cameras slaved to each other across two sets, the Bag End set with the dwarves, who were all choreographed and knew their marks and lines, and Ian McKellen on a green screen stage right next door. He had C-stands representing the other actors.

"The camera operators were on the Bag End set following the action, and this was driving a motion controlled camera on the green screen set following Ian. Peter could see both combined together in his monitor." Letteri reveals that the minute long scene took just four takes to shoot, but needed a year to knit it together.

The benefits of HFR 48fps

3D aside, the most contentious and innovative film technology used to make The Hobbit was HFR, which doubles the number of frames (from 24 to 48) to give a clearer, smoother picture.

Not only did HFR fundamentally change the look of the film, Letteri says it also transformed what Weta could achieve with CG animation. "It really helped us creatively," he explains. "For very fast motion, and Gollum's rapid fire dialogue, we found we could really sharpen up movement.

"If you look at that cave scene with Gollum, that's the biggest pay off for us creatively, that's where it all came together. Because there's less blur you perceive detail all the way though - you really pay attention to the nuances of Gollum's facial animation."

Letteri says that it's this realisation of digital acting that stands out as The Hobbit's crowning FX achievement. "Gollum was our one speaking character in the original LOTR; sure we also had Trolls, Uruk-hai and Orcs fighting battles but they really didn't have to deliver lines. In The Hobbit, in addition to Gollum, we have five other speaking digital characters.

"We've brought creatures off the page as Tolkien described them, in a way that ten or twelve years ago would have been almost impossible. The fact that Peter Jackson can write a nine minute scene with an actor and a digital actor together (the Riddles in the Dark scene) to me is a great testament to what you can do with the art form these days."

If you want to learn more, pick up The Hobbit Blu-ray says Letteri. "We go into deep detail about the visual effects," he enthuses, "really breaking down how the characters were created. Fans will get to follow the thought process that goes into the overall design through to how we created the final shots for the movie."

And what of the future? Joe Letteri doesn't believe the evolution in film making technologies is going to slow down any time soon. 'There's always going to be more we can put into the image," he says. He almost seems to be relishing the long nights ahead.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is released on Blu-ray April 8.

ABC launch TV Companion app, invite you to play along

Joe Hanlon — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 04:01:00 GMT

Proving again it is on the forefront of Australian app development, the ABC today launched ABC TV Companion, an iPad app to enhance the experience of watching ABC TV.

Primarily, the app is designed to make sitting in front of the TV a more interactive experience. When shows have quizzes or polls, the app will display these elements and allow viewers to play-along from home.

You can also log in to Facebook and Twitter and chat with people about what you are watching. Each show has its own hashtag, and the page for that show keeps track of all the conversation about it. You can check-in to shows too, so that your friends know what you're watching.

Play along

The Companion app also includes planner-like features, with a built-in program guide and the ability to tag shows and receive reminders on the iPad before they air.

ABC's iView catch-up service is also integrated, with most shows bearing an iView logo for quick access to episodes from the previous two weeks.

The ABC has been developing apps since the launch of the Apple App Store, and now has nearly 30 apps for iPhones and iPads. It's iView app is one of the most successful and widely used catch-up TV services in Australia, with access now available from numerous devices including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Samsung, Sony and Panasonic TVs.