TechRadar: Television news

In Depth: How Sony is trying to save the world

James Rivington — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:37:00 GMT

How Sony is trying to save the world

Sony is famous for a lot of things.

Most recently it's been the launch of the PS Vita and some disappointing financial results that have been getting the headlines.

But one thing Sony hasn't had much coverage over is its work to reduce its impact on the environment.

Of course, any manufacturer of oil-based plastic products creates a sizeable carbon footprint but Sony has become a shining example to other electronics manufacturers by committing to completely eliminate its negative effect on the environment by 2050.

The road to zero

The story starts at Sony's 25-storey, 124,041 square metre Osaki Home Entertainment HQ in Tokyo. Unbelievably, it only took a single year to build.

It's the very first building of its kind to use a natural 'bioskin' cooling system, and TechRadar was lucky enough to be invited to visit earlier today.

The bioskin is made up of a network of porous ceramic pipes that are made using soil. Rain water is collected from the roof of the building throughout the year and during the hot Japanese summer, the water is pumped back up through the pipes on the outside of the building.

The water penetrates the ceramic and evaporates from the pipe surface, which cools the surrounding air by around 2 degrees. This shields the building from the sun's intense heat and reduces the load on the CO2-producing air conditioning systems inside the building.

It's the kind of cutting-edge green-thinking that Sony is applying to many of its consumer electronics projects.

TVs made from old DVDs

Sony has also recently developed a new material for its products which is made from 99% recycled plastic. The material is called SoRPlas and is made from recycling old products.

Discarded DVDs are blended up and the metal film from their surface is peeled away. The optical sheets from discarded LCD TVs are also shredded and the resultant shrapnel is blended with the DVD fragments. The strength and stiffness of the recycled plastic can be manipulated according to the proportions of the mix.

This mix is then added to some dye and a very small amount of flame-retardant to make the plastic fireproof, and the resulting material is a plastic that's every bit as good as more 'fresh' plastic.

Using this method, Sony is now able to build products like earphones and its packaging from 100% recycled plastic. It's also now being used to build the bezels of some of Sony's TVs, while 80% of the plastic used in the HDRTD20V 3D camcorder is made from this SoRPlas material already.

Using this material means 77.3% less CO2 is produced compared to conventional plastic, and the aim is to use SoRPlas to replace as much plastic as possible across all of Sony's many factories.

The first step in Sony's 'road to zero' is to harness the environmental benefits of SorPLas to reduce the company's resource consumption by 30 per cent and its CO2 emissions 20% by 2015.

Life cycles

But the goal extends beyond manufacturing. Sony's ultimate aim is to include product life cycles into the zero-emissions plan, which means building energy efficient, environmentally friendly products and packaging.

That means recycled materials wherever possible, eliminating the use of hazardous mercury, developing more efficient solar cells, increasing power efficiency in products, reducing the size of packaging and developing more environmentally friendly battery technologies.

Sony has already ceased production of old-style LCD TVs, with 100 per cent focus on more efficient LED tech. This also means sets can be thinner, using less materials - and has the further effect of requiring smaller boxes.

The bio batteries are also very interesting - they feed renewable glucose and oxygen to natural enzymes to generate electricity. This tech is a way off being used in your everyday smartphone, but it's being developed and looked at very optimistically.

While the zero emissions goal is still very far away, it's initiatives and innovations like these that will make future generations wonder what kind of barbaric tree-hating gas guzzlers we really were.

Aereo brings live broadcast TV over internet in NYC

Chris Smith — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:04:00 GMT

A new television service called Aereo will give viewers the opportunity to watch live broadcast television networks over the internet on devices like the iPad and laptop computers.

Aereo will begin a trial in the New York City area on March 14th and will allow live HD streaming of major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, CW and a host of local channels.

The $12 a month service aims to help people end dependence on expensive cable contracts and free network television from the 'closed circle' enforced by cable providers.

It is able to legally stream the live TV over-the-air directly to your devices thanks to tiny thumbnail-sized antennas (one per user), which are stored together in a company data center.

From there you can use the HTML5-designed Aereo.com website to view content on tablets, smartphones and even on the big screen with devices like the Apple TV and Roku set-top boxes.

Remote DVR functionality included

The service will also give users the opportunity to record 40-hours of shows from the TV guide with their own personal remote DVR that again doesn't require a set-top box or a cable subscription.

The service is primarily aimed at the casual TV viewer who has no desire to pay over-the-odds for cable channels like HBO and ESPN and is happy with the network offerings.

"If you have this and you have Netflix, you absolutely have the ability to not have a standard cable subscription," said Chet Kanojia, Aereo founder and CEO.

So, instead of paying over $100 a month for a cable TV package, viewers will soon be able to take advantage of Netflix, Hulu Plus and Aereo for around $30 a month.

One of the key backers Barry Diller told the New York Times: "Anyone will tell you, whether it's Amazon or Hulu or Apple, that they can't get enough programming that people want to see to – so to speak, 'break the chain' — because all of the programming is controlled within the circle.

"[Aereo] pries over-the-air broadcast television out of that closed system," he added.

New Yorkers can register their interest in the service at Aereo.com.

Updated: Samsung 55-inch OLED TV heading to the UK

Chris Smith — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:57:00 GMT

Samsung will bring its impressive 55-inch Super OLED TV to the UK this spring, the company has revealed.

Update: Cool your jets, people. Samsung has backtracked on the spring release date, now saying that we won't be getting our mitts on the delicious TV until the second half of the year after all.

The Korean tech giant confirmed to CNET UK that the set which caught the eye of the tech world at the recent CES expo last month, will soon be making an appearance in Blighty.

The super high-end display, fashioned from a single sheet of glass, will come loaded with Samsung's Active 3D tech and the Smart TV connected apps ecosystem.

There's also a HD webcam, which will pack motion-sensing and facial recognition tech.

Head to head with LG

A spring launch for the Samsung OLED solution would likely beat LG's similar offering to the market.

Reports last month suggested that LG's own 55-inch OLED TV, also announced at CES, would launch in the UK in the second half of 2012.

There's still no word on an exact release dates, or how much they'll cost when they do arrive, but neither the Samsung or LG sets are likely to be affordable for the majority of us.

Exclusive: Sony: brands less important to TV buyers

James Rivington — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:49:00 GMT

Sony: brands less important to TV buyers

Sony's financial problems are fairly well documented by now - the company is in a bit of trouble to say the least.

Long gone are the days when a UK customer would walk into a John Lewis and ask to see the latest Sony or Panasonic sets - in recent years the Korean giants LG and Samsung have seized a huge slice of the market, while Toshiba has been very savvy in making a niche for itself by providing value for money with its budget screens.

But at an event in at Sony HQ in Tokyo today, the company told TechRadar that it has shed some light on why it thinks its struggles in the TV market have been dragging down its overall financial results and that it knows how to turn things around.

"There has been less growth than we expected in this area, the TV market is a bit stagnant, especially in western Europe and north America" said Hiroshi Sakamoto, deputy senior general manager of Home Entertainment at Sony in Japan.

Big issues

The main problems that Sakamoto highlighted are numerous - Sony has some very big issues to overcome.

First, Sony's own research indicates that for general consumers, the importance of a brand in a purchasing decision has dropped through the floor. Indeed, it ranked just tenth on the list behind other factors such as picture quality, screen size, sound quality and price.

That immediately weakens a company like Sony, which has relied on the immense strength of its brand for several decades. Sakamoto said that the ultimate goal is to restore public faith in Sony to the extent that people will "leave the house and go buy a Sony without even thinking about other brands, like they did 10 or 20 years ago".

Second, while exchange rates against the yen have been on the wane for some time, they've deteriorated far more than Sony expected with the pound, euro and US dollar in particular now being so weak against the yen that Sony's high-end products have become prohibitively expensive in these areas.

And so with Sony's brand no longer carrying the weight it once did, TV sales in these zones have been poor.

Another factor in the 6% decline in growth in the UK is market saturation - households already have an average of one HD TV each and Sony thinks this is a major factor in our reluctance to buy more.

New approach

But it's not all doom and gloom at Sony HQ and the company is certainly not denying the position it's in. Sony is responding to these market conditions by specifically targeting our lust for dreamy picture quality - a marketing and design strategy it hopes will resonate with consumers and turn the current trends around.

Sony thinks that picture quality and design in particular have become the two overwhelming factors for consumers and it's shaping its strategy around this information for the coming years.

Indeed, Sony's new TVs come packing the X-Reality Pro engine which arrives with the tagline 'Best picture quality ever.' Bit of an obvious no brainer, that, but it's not all just smoke and mirrors - Sony does genuinely seem to be trying to live up to its own hype.

"Resolution, colour, contrast, sound, design and usability" are the areas Sony is specifically targeting, with particular attention being paid to eliminating crosstalk in its 3D TVs.

It's also spending a lot of R&D yen on improving contrast using local dimming on its LED TVs, as well as following Philips' lead by adding a filter in front of the panel to eliminate reflected light.

When ambient light is reflected from a TV screen, it drastically reduces contrast and colour saturation, radically reducing picture quality. Philips has conquered this problem using its highly effective moth eye filter and while Sony has not yet revealed whether it has a similar trick up its sleeve, we hope to find out more later in the week as the Tokyo event continues.

Sony is also planning to finally bring the Google TV platform to Europe in 2012, something it wanted to do last year.

It's hard to see Sony recovering from its current situation in 2012 - striving for excellence is all very well but those exchange rates are simply out of Sony's control - yet we can't help admire the company's impressive enthusiasm for self improvement and to imprint its brand back into the public consciousness.

Samsung unfazed by Apple iTV plans

Chris Smith — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:06:00 GMT

Apple's heavily-rumoured iTV will not be able to compete with the picture quality offered by Samsung sets, according to an AV product manager with the Koreans.

Samsung's Chris Moseley told Pocket-Link that the firm isn't overly concerned with what Apple launches if it decides to enter the TV market.

Moseley says Apple's much-touted plan to 'revolutionise' the television market can could fall flat because TV buyers will choose superior picture quality from other manufacturers over how 'smart' the device is.

Famous last words?

In a frank interview, which could one day be seen as famous last words, he says: "We've not seen what they've done but what we can say is that they don't have 10,000 people in R&D in the vision category.

"They don't have the best scaling engine in the world and they don't have world renowned picture quality that has been awarded more than anyone else.

"TVs are ultimately about picture quality. Ultimately. How smart they are...great, but let's face it that's a secondary consideration. The ultimate is about picture quality and there is no way that anyone, new or old, can come along this year or next year and beat us on picture quality.

"So, from that perspective, it's not a great concern, but it remains to be seen what they're going to come out with, if anything."

Role reversal

The Samsung man's brazen comments come as the company continues to do battle with Apple, in the courtroom and stores, for dominance over the smartphone and tablet markets.

Throughout this war, Samsung has been chasing the iPhone and iPad with devices like the Galaxy SII and Galaxy Tab series.

If Apple decided to take-on Samsung in the AV department the boot will be on the other foot as Apple enters territory where the Koreans will unquestionably have an edge.

Samsung obviously feels it has enough in the tank to hold off any offensive from Apple and with devices like this 55-inch OLED beast coming to the UK this spring, its confidence is somewhat justified.

In Depth: Is 3D technology here to stay?

Jeremy Laird — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

How 3D works

The third dimension is taking over your local cinema. It's assimilating your HDTV. It might even be popping out of your next smartphone.

And yes, it's creeping into PC gaming, too. It's the next big thing and it's 3D.

Of course, if we're talking PC gaming, then the term 3D is a little confusing. On PC Format, we've been soaking up the 3D gaming groove for nearly two decades, but that's 3D graphics painted onto a 2D screen.

When manufacturers hit the hype button regarding 3D today, what they are really referring to is stereoscopic 3D imaging. What this means is pictures popping out of the screen and poking you in the peepers, not the relentless quest for ever more photorealistic computer graphics courtesy of a games console or highend gaming rigs.

However, whatever you think about 3D (from now on, let's assume 3D means stereopscopic 3D), one thing it definitely isn't is new. 3D images have been knocking around for nearly 200 years and the technology involved in 3D movies dates back over 100 years. That's right – like so many things – the Victorians got there first.

It all started – probably - with a device known as the stereoscope, invented in 1838. It was the first gadget that keyed into the mechanics of human stereoscopic vision.

Humans, of course, have two eyes. The consequence is that each eye views the world from a slightly different angle and receives a slightly different image. The brain takes these offset images and composites them into a single mental picture with depth and perspective. You, therefore, see the world in glorious 3D.

So, that's exactly what the stereoscope does – show each eye a still image from a slightly different angle and allow the brain to work its magic. Cue endless fairground fun and a roaring trade in early 3D pornography.

Like many technologies, good old porn helped with the early cash flow. Of course, the stereoscope had some very serious applications, too. It was used by the military to view aerial photographs, for instance.

Ongoing 3D

Fast forward to the 1890s and British inventor, William Friese-Greene patented a system for capturing and displaying motion stereoscopic pictures and 3D movies were born. Friese-Greene's technology turned out to be too unwieldy for commercial use, but the seeds were sown.

Several variations on the stereoscopic 3D movie riff were tried with the first known paying audience recorded in 1922. Further dabbling followed in the next few decades. Even the Nazis made a few propaganda flicks in 3D, but the golden age of 3D cinema was probably the 1950s.

A number of revivals have since rebooted the 3D revolution only to fade into obscurity. All of which brings us to the present day.

Indeed, after that potted history you might be tempted to disregard the latest 3D resurgence as another blip on the graph before an inevitable return to the historical flatline. This time, however, things are different.

This time, 3D is about much more than cheap cinema thrills. It's spreading into a wide range of platforms courtesy of many different technologies. That includes the promise of less unwieldy, more comfortable 3D viewing. Combine that with the interactivity of games and the result might just be the most immersive leisure experience yet. This time, 3D might be for real.

So, what are the different 3D technologies available today, how do they compare and where's it all heading?

In one sense, they're all the same. Generally, it's all about exposing each eye to a different image. Exactly how that is achieved, however, is where things get interesting.

The heyday of 3D cinema was based on so-called red-green analglyph technology. This involves a single picture containing a pair of merged, colour-shifted and spatially offset images. The viewer is required to wear colour-filtered lenses which effectively allow each eye to view a different offset image. This works pretty well in terms of creating the illusion of depth perception. It's a little more problematic when it comes to colours, however.

Inevitably, each eye is viewing the scene with radically different colours. While the brain is capable of compositing the image to generate the correct colours, it's a lot of work and perhaps contributes to the eye strain many viewers of 3D movies experience.

If coloured filters tend to be less than ideal, the most obvious alternative is polarised light. Again, the viewer is presented with a single picture frame within which two images are interleaved. The most common method is to use a pair of projectors, each with an orthogonally opposed light polarising filter. The viewer then wears glasses with similarly opposed polarising filters and Bob's your spear-poking, eye-popping uncle.

3D gaming

Smoke and spectacles

Originally, polarised 3D technology relied on linear polarisation and thus required level-headed viewing. More recently, circular polarisation has been used, allowing a degree of head-tilt without losing the 3D illusion.

However, if it's perfect colours and freedom to thrash your head about like a lunatic you desire, one solution is active shutter technology. Active-shutter 3D involves a pair of glasses, the lenses of which contain liquid crystals that can be alternated between transparent and black. At the same time, the display flips between the offset images for each eye. With a sufficiently high frame rate, the result is motion 3D.

Like polarised 3D, active-shutter 3D results in a dimmer image and along with the need for a shuttered glasses, it means active shutter requires specialised display technology supporting a higher frame rate (typically at least 100 frames per second).

However, a monitor with a higher refresh rate is cheaper and simpler than running a pair of polarised projectors. So, it's active-shutter technology that is currently the weapon of choice for PC gaming, with Nvidia's 3D Vision platform perhaps the most successful to date.

That said, what Nvidia 3D Vision long with all analgyph, polarised and active-shutter 3D tech share is the need to wear glasses. This, along with a feeling of eye strain, is probably what has so far prevented 3D from becoming a properly big deal. What we really want is 3D viewing without glasses. What we want is autostereoscopic 3D.

The trick here is to create a single display surface that can somehow send a different image to each eye. There are several different types, but they ultimately split into two groups – those that use head tracking technology to make sure each eye is seeing the correct image and those that simply kick out a different image based on the viewing angle.

Glasses-free 3D

As if chucking out silly glasses wasn't enough, autostereoscopic 3D also makes possible movement parallax. For the uninitiated, that means getting a different view of a scene or object depending on your vantage point. In other words, move your head around and you'll get a different look at things, just like in real life.

However, there is one final problem that even autostereoscopic technology can't avoid. In the real world, objects at different distances have different focal points. But a simulated 3D image is generated from a uniform distance. And that confuses the hell out of your eye muscles, eye lenses and ultimately your poor brain.

It's more problematical on a big desktop display than, say, a handheld device with a puny screen. But it's something that's not going to be going away short of using true holographic 3D technology.

Opinion: Comparing 3D to arrival of colour is ridiculous

Patrick Goss — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:35:00 GMT

"Watching a movie in 3D is simply a better way to watch a movie. It's like black and white versus colour," said legendary director and producer George Lucas this week, becoming the latest person that I respect to prostrate themselves before the altar of 3D spouting nonsense.

I consider myself relatively neutral in the great 3D debate. I like it in the right circumstances - a blockbuster movie or a carefully shot documentary for instance - but if it was the World Cup final and I had to choose a format to watch it in it would be 2D (HD) all the way.

But what I absolutely will not accept is that 3D is to 2D what colour is to black and white.

Although I wasn't around at the time, I cannot for the life of me imagine that those lucky few who witnessed the birth of colour wandering out of the cinema and grumbling.

"All this colour gives me a headache!" I imagine them not saying loudly. "I preferred it when you couldn't tell that Dorothy was ginger."

The fact is that colour was clearly taking things on a step; not a gimmick, not a trick – merely the next stage in film.

3D, however, cannot lay such a claim. It's certainly increasingly impressive and directors are beginning to use it intelligently rather than merely to thrust object at us out of the screen every five minutes, but that doesn't mean that the general public are clamouring to see Coronation Street or the Superbowl in 3D even when (in the latter's case) they are given the option.

In fact, for me, claiming that 3D is the new colour is actually damaging to the process. People's expectations are built up to the point that what they experience inevitably falls well short of what the likes of Lucas bill as "a truly immersive and overpowering experience".

As I say, I enjoy 3D – but accept that it is limited and, if I'm being honest, will probably remain limited in its true scope throughout its technological life time.

That's not necessarily a terrible thing, if the success of smash hit black and white modern film The Artist has shown, there is room for multiple formats. Nobody is saying that The Artist proves black and white films are the new colour, just as nobody should expect that the brilliant and impressive Avatar sounded the death knell for 2D.

Cinemas have clearly benefited from 3D - giving it a much needed boost because it works better on bigger screens and as an event - and directors need to keep movie theatres buoyant.

Indeed, someone like Lucas will be aware that 3D also helps protect content from piracy because of bigger file sizes and cutting out the surreptitious film tapers, but neither of these reasons make the movie better to watch.

We all know that Lucas has a film to sell – JarJar, poodo and all – and that he's a man known for pushing the technological boundaries, but comparing a technology that is only just peeking outside of the realm of gimmick to the arrival of colour isn't doing anybody any favours.

3D is here to stay, and I, for one, welcome that; I just wish people who should know better would be frank about its impact rather than trying to persuade us that this is the second coming of the golden age of cinema.

That'll clearly be when holographic feelies arrive…

Lucas: 3D is a better way to watch a movie

Patrick Goss — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:42:00 GMT

Iconic director George Lucas has insisted that the best way to watch a film is in 3D, as Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace arrives in 3D cinemas.

Although the first of the prequels is a long (long) way from being the fans' favourite movie, there is still huge excitement at the prospect of seeing some of cinema's most enduring characters in a new way.

With 3D still hugely divisive, many directors have thrown their weight behind the technology including Lucas who insists that it pulls movies on in the same way as colour enhanced the viewing experience.

Revolution

"We're going through a new technological revolution that is set to change everything," he wrote in a letter to Shortlist magazine.

"Watching a movie in 3D is simply a better way to watch a movie. It's like black and white versus colour. Watching a movie in black and white is fine, however, colour makes it look more real.

"With 3D the depth brings reality to the digital characters and you notice things in the background that actually impact on the story. It becomes a truly immersive and overpowering experience."

Obviously some will point to Lucas' vested interest in making people go and watch The Phantom Menace and he has already pointed out that only success will mean that 3D versions of the much loved original Star Wars trilogy are made.

But it's still fascinating that one of the most influential of figure in Hollywood is insisting that 3D is not only good, but better than traditional 2D movie-making.

The proof of the pudding may well be in the tasting, with Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in cinemas now.

Low-end Samsung TVs to land this spring

Kate Solomon — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:41:00 GMT

After years of doom and gloom in the TV world, Samsung has reported that sales of TVs are on the up this year and it plans to make the best of this with a range of new, low-end sets.

The company says its noted that demand for cheaper flat-screens has been on the up, although it didn't give any indication of exactly where and when we'd see the cheap and cheerful range hit the shelves.

"We've been preparing to introduce cheap models and have been studying to optimise production costs and retail prices. Those models will be ready for sale in one or two months," Kim Hyun-suk, executive VP of Samsung's display division, said.

"As long as there's demand, we're open to get into that segment."

Olympic

It looks set to be a good year for TV manufacturers all 'round, given that it's an Olympic year and people tend to replace their televisions for major sporting events. Couple that with Euro 2012 and the UK alone will probably cause a spike in the sales charts.

As well as the lower-spec TVs en route to the market, Samsung has planned a global launch for the Samsung ES8000 3D-ready LED smart TV in March, which should take care of the more demanding consumer as well.

Virgin Media reveals latest TiVo subscriber numbers

Patrick Goss — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:09:00 GMT

Virgin Media's flagship TiVo-fuelled television service is edging close to the half million users mark, with the latest figures showing that 435,000 people have opted for the service.

Virgin Media's envious fibre optic network has played a big part in a positive year – with the company's revenue up to £4 billion for the year.

The headline stories for Virgin Media are the extra 273,000 people who plumped for the Virgin Media TiVo cable television service and 133,000 who opted for superfast broadband speeds of more than 30Mbps.

Encouraging

That brings a total TiVo number that is closing in on the half million mark; certainly encouraging for Virgin Media, with a big investment and steady improvement in the service paying dividends.

"Our strategy of focusing on customers who want more from the digital world is paying off," said CEO Neil Berkett.

"With the number of TiVo customers doubling in the final quarter of the year, our new TiVo service is attracting both new and existing customers.

"Since its commercial launch mid-way through the year, the number of TiVo subscribers has grown to almost half a million with a large and growing proportion now using its next generation functionality on a regular basis.

"Demand for better broadband also continues to grow fast, with around half of new customers choosing superfast speeds.

"The combination of the best TV experience and the best broadband, has enabled us to acquire more new customers in the quarter."

With television on demand on the service hitting the one billion streams mark, the company is certainly well placed as the UK's television world increasingly looks to delivery over the internet.

Virgin Media's TV on Demand service hits 1 billion views

Marc Chacksfield — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Virgin Media has announced that its catch-up television service TV on Demand has reached the 1 billion views milestone, with nearly 490 million hours of television watched in this way.

With the launch of the Virgin TiVo box last year, Virgin Media has managed to increase the number of people using its catch-up service by 14 per cent since 2010.

Virgin is putting this down to the innovations found in its set-top, including the likes of backwards EPG functionality and the amount of personalisation the TiVo service offers – that, and the addition of Sky Anytime on its platform.

Most watched

While its customers may be tech savvy having embraced on demand, their tastes leave a lot to be desired.

According to Virgin Media, the most watched boxset was emo snore-fest The Vampire Diaries.

They do earn some cool points for having Paul as their most-watched film of the year and good ol' Coronation Street topped the most-watched TV show for the second year running.

Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media explained about the numbers: "Essentially people are watching more TV; whether that's On Demand, suggestions recorded for them, or as a result of new and exciting interactive experiences.

"We know On Demand is incredibly popular as it's watched more than any channel except for BBC1 or ITV1 but we far surpassed our expectations in 2011.

"The TV world is changing, with TiVo's powerful functionality and ease of use giving people even more control over what they watch and when. The advocacy we're seeing from users is vociferous with over half telling us they're recommending the service to their friends and family."

Amazon set to tackle Netflix with standalone video service

Chris Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:25:00 GMT

Amazon is reportedly on the verge of announcing a streaming deal with Viacom, which could signal the launch of a standalone video on demand offering.

According to Reuters, Viacom which owns MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, has agreed to license its content to the Amazon and a deal will be announced soon.

That deal could be the final piece in the puzzle for Amazon to go full-steam ahead with the heavily-tipped VoD subscription service.

The company, which already has deals in place with the likes of Warner Bros, Fox, Sony, NBC and other top networks, currently offers its content library free to members of its $79-a-year home delivery service.

However, Amazon wants to offer the service to non-Prime members (probably for a monthly fee), in order to boost the Amazon Kindle Fire's content library, according to the Reuters article.

Look out, Netflix

An Amazon Prime monthly subscription service would put the company in direct competition with the current kingpin of home streaming, Netflix.

Netflix, which endured a largely forgettable 2011, is seeing more and more competitors arrive on the scene looking for a piece of the lucrative streaming pie.

Earlier this week we reported on the new alliance between Verizon and Redbox, which will see the companies launch a new service which will combine access to Redbox's disc rental kiosks and an all-new on-demand offering from Verizon.

With Apple and Google also pressing for a chunk of the action, Netflix is going to have to be on top of its game in 2012 to maintain the lion's share of the market.

Samsung voice-controlled universal remote revealed

Chris Smith — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:11:00 GMT

Samsung has produced a new universal remote control for its range of internet-connected Smart TVs.

The new accessory dispenses with a host buttons in favour of a touch-sensitive trackpad, while also adding voice control tech.

According to the Nikkei Tech-On blog the company plans to launch the remote to accompany its connected TVs in the second half of 2012.

Volume and channel change buttons are part of the touchpad, while there's a dedicated button for searching the internet and a microphone for changing channels, and more, through your voice.

You can't redefine what's already there...

The move could widely be seen as an attempt from Samsung to strike before Apple's expected entry into the HD TV arena later this year.

All signs point to Apple's flatscreen offering arriving with Siri-like voice control functionality, so is Samsung looking to tick all of the boxes before Apple has the chance to "redefine what a television can do"?

Samsung, which launched a similar remote at CES 2012 minus the touchpad, isn't the first manufacturer to bring voice control into play.

LG's Smart TV with Google TV offering brought a new version of its motion-sensing Magic Remote with a qwerty keyboard and voice control on board.

Samsung to take OLED display tech in-house?

Marc Chacksfield — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:35:00 GMT

Samsung is considering taking full control of its OLED display business by bringing Samsung Mobile Display in-house and, in turn, giving the company first dibs on any new screen technology that's in the pipeline.

As it stands, Samsung Mobile Display is owned by both Samsung Electronics (which has a 64.4 per cent share) and Samsung SDI (which has the remaining 35.6 per cent hold of the company).

Samsung SDI has been around for a good 40 years, creating a number of display innovations – including LCD, PDP and AMOLED.

This is all very well, but Samsung has hinted that its display innovation arm could be about to become part of the big Samsung house.

Considering that Samsung Mobile Display is the biggest manufacturer of OLED panels in the world, then this could mean that Samsung is about to have even more power over a technology that's all set to overtake LCD in the years to come.

Screen there, done that

Reuters quotes Samsung's filing to the South Korea stock exchange as saying: "We are considering merging the business to improve synergy, but a final decision has yet to be made."

Speaking to the Korean Times about the possible buyout, a spokesperson said: "We are moving to strengthen our capability in components and the idea of selection and concentration is in play here."

Samsung Mobile Display is in rude health at the moment, having enjoyed a 45 per cent revenue jump in 2011 to 6.6 trillion South Korean won, which equates to £3.7 billion.

The likes of HTC, Motorola and Nokia are all using the company's screen technology.

While the changing of the guard at Samsung Mobile Display would not stop any of these companies from using the technology, it may well mean that Samsung gets first dibs on new screen tech in the future.

Which means Samsung may well bring things like foldable phone screens and also tablets to the market first.

Explained: WHDI: what it is and why you should care

Gary Marshall — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:43:00 GMT

WHDI: what you need to know

The Lenovo IdeaPad S2 tablet, shown off at CES 2012, has an interesting trick up its sleeve: wireless HD streaming courtesy of integrated WHDI.

WHDI, which is short for Wireless Home Digital Interface, promises to deliver wire-free HD streaming without lag, hassle or unnecessary expense - so does it work? Will you want it?

And how does it compare to the other four hundred wireless HD standards currently competing for the hearts, minds and living rooms of the world? Let's find out.

WIRELESS WONDER? WHDI promises to cut the cables from your home entertainment kit

WHDI is designed to make your life easy

The idea behind WHDI is simple enough: HD home entertainment without the hassle of home entertainment cabling or drilling through walls when you want to stream content to other rooms.

With WHDI, you'll be able to connect your Blu-Ray player, tablet or any other device in the same way you'd add Wi-Fi kit to your home network.

The current WHDI standard is the second generation of the technology; the first generation got lots of press coverage in 2009 and 2010 but didn't really amount to much.

WHDI does HD and 3D TV

Operating in the 5GHz frequency band, WHDI can stream uncompressed HD at up to 1080p resolution, with support for 3D TV and 5.1 surround sound too.

WHDI isn't Wireless HDMI

That's a different standard altogether, from the Wireless Gigabit Alliance. Inevitably, the two technologies don't talk to one another.

WHDI isn't WIHD

Guess what? That's yet another standard!

WHDI isn't WiDi

You can probably guess where this one is going. Yep, that's different too: WiDi is Intel's short-range wireless telly tech.

WHDI range is reasonably short

WHDI isn't designed to chuck HD video over huge distances: it's a short-range technology that runs out of puff at around 100 feet (30m). It doesn't require line of sight connections, though, so you can hide any adapters behind the TV.

WHDI tablets are pretty nifty

Lenovo's WHDI tablet isn't noticeably different from other seven-inch Android devices, so adding WHDI clearly doesn't add any bulk. It's not a huge battery hog either, and the demo shown off at CES 2012 appeared to work well without any noticeable lag. Lenovo's WHDI tablet mirrored its display, so anything you did on the tablet - not just video, but games and apps too - appeared on the TV.

WHDI TVs aren't out yet

If you're waiting for us to mention dongles, wait no more: as yet there aren't any commercially available TVs with integrated second-generation WHDI - they're coming, but you can't buy them yet - so for now you'll need an adapter such as HP's Wireless TV Connect with WHDI. This $199 device uses WHDI to stream HD content from your PC to your TV.

WHDI says DEATH TO ALL CABLES

We're quite taken with Belkin's Screencast AV4 Wireless, which uses WHDI to connect four audiovisual devices to your TV without any of the usual spaghetti junction stuff.

WHDI prices are reasonably low, but they'll get lower

We've already mentioned the $199 HP kit, while the Belkin Screencast is $249.99. That's not bad for a brand new technology, and of course like all other tech you'll see prices fall the more popular and established WHDI becomes.

WHDI has lots of pals

It looks like WHDI is gathering momentum: WHDI members now include not just creator AMIMON but also LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, HP and Hitachi, and products have been announced by the likes of Belkin and Asus too.

However, it's worth pointing out that many of the same names are also supporters of Wireless HD too. With multiple technologies promising much the same thing, it might be an idea to sit back and wait for a victor - or at least, interoperability between rival standards - to emerge before committing any of your cash.

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Apple iTV on test in Canada?

Jools Whitehorn — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:08:00 GMT

Two Canadian telecommunications companies, Rogers and Bell, are rumoured to be testing out Apple iTV in their labs.

After the rather speculative Apple iTV specs offered up in a market research questionnaire by US retailer Best Buy, it's now supposedly popped up in Canada, too.

One anonymous source of Canadian paper The Globe and Mail says of Apple: "They're looking for a partner. They're looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities."

Another claims that Rogers and Bell already have Apple iTV in their labs. We would have put it in our living room, but that's just us.

But you chose last time, Siri!

Some more, hazy feature lists have come out as well, with the paper claiming that iTV will have SIri voice-recognition onboard to "help viewers make programming choices".

Apparently, viewers will also be able to use hand gestures, while an on-screen keyboard will let you get busy on the 'net. Giant hands and a very close sofa are presumably required, too.

Testing by telecoms companies suggests that the Apple iTV may be tied into a broadband provider when it finally materialises, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Redbox buys NCR Corp, takes over Blockbuster kiosks

Chris Smith — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:29:00 GMT

Redbox completed the biggest day in the company's history on Monday by announcing it has bought the rival NCR Corporation, which runs the Blockbuster Express kiosks.

The company, owned by Coinstar, has paid $100m for all of NCR's entertainment assets and takes control of the 9,000 rental kiosks owned by the company.

It now also owns all of the retail contracts and disc inventory in a move which further boosts Redbox's penetration in the cheap, nightly disc rental market.

It's a pretty safe bet that all Blockbuster Express kiosks will now be re-branded as Redbox services, following NCR's own purchase of the kiosk arm of Blockbuster's failing business last year.

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2012 and will give Redbox a monopoly on the in-store kiosk market.

Huge day for Redbox

The announcement follows confirmation that Redbox and Verizon have signed an agreement to launch a new service which combines an on-demand offering with physical disc rentals.

The partnership, which will launch in the second quarter of this year, will take on Netflix by offering subscriptions to streaming and disc packages.

Netflix begins broadcasting first original series

Chris Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:55:00 GMT

Netflix has officially made its first foray into original programming with its first series Lilyhammer now available for US streaming customers.

All eight, 45-minute episodes of season one are available to view in their entirety, which sees a change to the week-by-week format we're used to seeing in episodic TV shows.

Lilyhammer stars former The Sopranos favourite and E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt reprising his gangster persona once again.

Van Zandt plays a mob boss who is relocated to Lillehammer in Norway as part of the witness relocation programme, after he turns in his former associate.

Big in Norway

Lilyhammer, as Van Zandt's character calls it, is only available to US-based Netflix customers at the moment, but it has already been a huge success on Norwegian TV.

The show has pulled in a record 1.2m weekly viewers in the country.

UK-based mob fans will be able to watch the show on BBC Four after Netflix signed a distribution deal with the corporation.

Apple iTV specs outed by Best Buy?

Kate Solomon — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:10:00 GMT

So excited is Best Buy by the money-making possibilities of the currently-imaginary Apple TV set that it is including it in a customer survey, complete with some specs that may or may not be legit.

What Best Buy reckons Apple has up its sleeve is a 42-inch LED set with 1080p (Full HD) resolution, calling it Apple HDTV (although we're sure Apple has a catchier i-prefixed product name in mind).

The retailer supposes that the iTV will run iOS, bringing iCloud compatibility for streaming films and music from that magical realm, the cloud, as well as App Store apps into the mix.

"Can you imagine playing Angry Birds on a big screen in your living room?" it asks. Yes, that's why we'll all be shelling out thousands of pounds on an Apple television. Angry Birds.

iSkype

Best Buy also surmises that the television will include an iSight webcam and microphone "for Skype" which just goes to show that whoever wrote it knows nothing about Apple since Facetime is the video-calling application of choice for iOS.

The retailer even goes so far as to suggest a price tag for the hypothetical goggle box - $1,499 (£950) – that's a lot more than the current raft of 42-inch TVs around, but then this is an Apple TV we're talking about.

Sadly for AV fans, the survey doesn't make any mention of technical specs like whether the panel is 3D-ready, whether the TV uses edge-lit LEDs or if there's local dimming involved and it has nothing on the set's sound options.

Is this for real? Sounds like Best Buy spitting into the wind to us but we suppose there's a chance that Apple's readying an Angry Birds-toting Skype TV.

Super Bowl XLVI coverage brings new super slo-mo replays

Chris Smith — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:57:00 GMT

Americans will get a more detailed look at the Super Bowl than ever before, this Sunday, thanks to some new super slow motion cameras.

NAC is supplying four of its brand new Hi-Motion II cameras for the NBC broadcast of this weekend's showdown between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

The cameras capture 1080p video at 1,000 frames per second through a three chip CMOS sensor, so every touchdown, tackle and interception will be captured and replayed in stunning detail.

This is the first time that the cameras have been used to capture a sporting event, however its predecessor was used at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the soccer World Cup in 2010.

The original Hi-Motion brought some incredible footage, but the newcomer is capable of capturing the action at an additional 400 frames per second, so it sounds like we're in for a treat.

Overwhelmingly positive

NAC's Andy Hayford said: "We have had technical rehearsals every day since Tuesday and the response to the Hi-Motion II is overwhelmingly positive.

"Everyone from Engineering, VT and Production is 'over the moon' that the camera works straight out of the box and integrates like a normal camera – and the live and replay pictures are stunning."

Away from the super slow-mo, who do you guys have on Sunday? We're going for a trademark fourth quarter onslaught from Eli Manning to bring the Giants home 24-21.

Here's some footage shot using the original Hi-Motion camera.

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P8f_wZw8oQ

Apple iTV 'to land 2012 and to revolutionise market'

Marc Chacksfield — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:38:00 GMT

Apple has tapped up a number of component manufacturers and is all set to release its version of a connected TV by the end of 2012, according to US analyst Gene Munster.

There has been much rumour and speculation about Apple iTV for some years now, but Munster – who works for analyst firm Piper Jaffray – believes that he has concrete evidence that an Apple-branded television will launch in 2012, because he has been speaking to a number of component manufacturers that claim to have been tapped up by Cook and co.

According to CNN, Munster told clients this week that Apple iTV was going to be the next big thing for Apple and that it is set to reinvent the concept of connected TV.

"We believe that Apple only enters mature markets with the goal of revolutionizing them, as it did with the smartphone," Munster explained.

"Without a revamped TV content solution, we do not think Apple enters the TV market... Apple enters markets to reinvent them."

Reinventing the TV

He then went on to note that an Apple iTV 2012 release date was on the cards and that he has been in contact with a "major TV component supplier" about Apple iTV going into production.

When it comes to Apple reinventing the television market, Munster believes that this will be done in three ways: by offering pay-as-you-go premium content, combining regular TV channels with web-infused content and offering a unique discovery engine.

While TechRadar doesn't believe that these things are revolutionary – all of the above are already offered by Virgin and TV manufacturers through their connected setups – if there's one company which can get the major players on board for a connected TV experience it is Apple.

There is already talk the company is looking to bid for Premiership rights when its TV solution does land in the UK.

Munster has a track record of getting his Apple iTV predictions wrong – he did predict that a TV would land back in 2011 - but there have been more rumours about Apple iTV launching in 2012 than any other year, so we are pegging this one as Quite Likely.

Sony loses billions, blames TVs

Jools Whitehorn — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:25:00 GMT

Sony has published the results for the third quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, detailing significant losses.

Yesterday, Sony announced that vice president and PlayStation group leader Kazuo Hirai would be taking the reigns of company from current president and CEO Howard Stringer in April.

The headline figures in the report are an operating loss of $1.2 billion (£758 million)and a net loss of $2 billion (£1.3 billion) on revenue of $23.37 billion (£14 billion), the latter translating to a 17.4 percent year-on-year decrease.

Sony blamed the year-on-year sales decrease on external factors, saying it was, "primarily due to the impact of the floods in Thailand, deterioration in market conditions in developed countries, and unfavorable foreign exchange rates."

It also partly attributed the unfavourable figures to its decision to sell out its share of an LCD production partnership with Samsung and some tax issues related to the Sony Ericsson brand.

24 percent drop in sales

The most significant statistic to most will be that Sony's consumer product sales for the period dropped by a whopping 24 per cent compared to last year, largely due to poor TV sales. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures and Sony Music barely made a profit and Sony Ericsson posted losses.

Sony has also trimmed back its forecast for digital camera and PlayStation 3 sales, while it now forecasts that the company itself will see a $2.9 billion (£1.9 billion) loss for the full year.

In Depth: TVs need to be dumber and the 'EPG needs reinventing'

Marc Chacksfield — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:54:00 GMT

Former iPlayer and YouView head Anthony Rose reckons that the EPG is ready for reinvention and that social recommendations will pave the way for finding content to watch on your TV.

Speaking at the Westminster Media Forum, with TechRadar in attendance, Rose explained how his new app Zeebox was all about harnessing the power of 'social', which uses all manner of cues to link the app with the programmes you are watching on television – whether this is helping you buy the song you have just heard on a show or being the place you chat about the programme you are watching.

Rose is no stranger to trying to figure out how to meld the web and television. He was pivotal in the success of the iPlayer and up until recently was in charge of bringing the concept of YouView – essentially a broadcaster-friendly IPTV aggregator for the masses – to market.

But it is Zeebox and the whole idea of second-screen interaction that he is trying to push now and this is what he believes is key to how we will discover and interact with television content in the future.

"The EPG is going to get reinvented. The perfect way of finding content will be a blend of ideas," Rose explained.

"As we move to a world with unlimited content, it becomes more complicated. People are going to need someone to take this content and put it on a plate for them."

Rose's ideal idea of an EPG is one that doesn't just record things and offer up on-demand content but actually guides you through the myriad show options available.

This is something Virgin has tried admirably with its link-up with TiVo but Rose's vision is not focused so much on flagging content that's already been shown but reinvigorating live television.

"Live TV is not dead. When we started Zeebox, we were looking to see what we can do as a new venture and we found TV viewing is going up," Rose explained.

"85 per cent of TV is still live, but people are becoming more frustrated. It is because TV hasn't kept up with other devices.

"What we found is that people are beginning to self-provide. They are tweeting, Facebooking, buying things online. But there is a lot of friction involved, so we though it would be good to have a companion app to do this."

Although it is Virgin which seems to be closer to Rose's TV ideal, it was recently announced that Sky had taken a 10 per cent share in Zeebox – essentially meaning it can use the technology but Rose can still take the app and market it to other companies.

Not that we will see any of Zeebox's technology in Sky's physical EPG, as Rose sees Zeebox as a 'social EPG' that resides on a second screen, noting that there's nothing smart about the connected TVs out at the moment.

In a slight swipe at the current trend towards connected tellies, he explained: "We used to buy a TV and it played channels, it had no editorial input. The role of the TV manufacturer was to make a dial that changed channels.

"Manufacturers don't make money from live channels so they are trying to push you to the App Store, a hub which chooses you what to watch – now the manufacturer becomes tastemaker.

"Apple and Google are trying to get into this but I believe that the second screen is the tastemaker; you can be engaged with the recommendations of friends.

"It takes the decision away from the TV."

Zeebox is out now for iOS devices, with an Android version to be released soon.

New CEO for Sony as Hirai takes Stringer's place

Kate Solomon — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:30:00 GMT

Sony has announced that current CEO Sir Howard Stringer will be replaced by Kazuo Hirai from 1 April.

Currently acting as vice president, Hirai will also take over the role of president while Stringer keeps his hand in as chairman.

The CEO two-step comes as Sony struggles to find a footing in today's crowded tech marketplace while profits slide ever downwards.

With the PS4 not likely to land until 2013 and televisions continuing their slide down the value chain, disappointing tablet efforts and a renewed focus on smartphones after buying out Ericsson, Sony seems to be flailing around looking for its niche.

No more Stringer Bell jokes

But charismatic Hirai has done good things with Sony's PlayStation line and Sony has had him pegged as the horse to back for some time now.

"As challenging as times are for Sony now, were it not for the strong leadership of Sir Howard Stringer these past seven years, we would have been in a much more difficult position," said Hirai, going on to outline Sony's focus on digital imaging, smartphones, gaming and television.

As for Sir Howard, he went a bit Shredder on us: "It was my honour to recommend [Hirai] to the Board for the positions of President and CEO, because he is ready to lead, and the time to make this change is now."

Sony to ditch active shutter 3D TVs?

Marc Chacksfield — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:44:00 GMT

Sony is looking to make massive changes in its loss-making TV sector by introducing passive FPR (Film Patterned Retarder) panels to its television range.

This is according to a report by the Korean Times, which has it on good authority that Sony is looking to LG Display to supply it with 3D panels after its move away from a joint venture with Samsung.

If this is the case, then this is a major move by Sony which pitched its 3D future on active shutter displays, alongside Panasonic and Samsung, and would back up a rumour we heard back in March 2011 that Sony was looking to LG for a way out of its TV woes.

Passive aggressive

"Considering Sony's aggressive drive for outsourcing in flat screens, LG will likely receive more orders. It is better-positioned for product commitment, on-time delivery and pricing than Taiwanese flat-screen suppliers," explained an LG source.

LG Display already supplies panels for the likes of Philips, Toshiba and Vizio but if it were to sign up Sony then it would mark a significant blow in the push for active shutter technology becoming the de facto standard in 3D TVs – leaving just Samsung and Panasonic as the main players in this field.

Sony had recently signed up to the first-ever standardisation of Full HD 3D glasses, alongside Panasonic and Samsung which would suggest that it still feels there is life in active shutter technology – and its latest range of televisions have this technology inside – but it does need to cut its losses in this market and choosing FPR panels would certainly help towards this.

Instead of piping Full HD images to each eye, FPR passive technolgoy cuts the pixels in half so that each eye sees 540 pixels – this means the technology is cheaper but LG insists this is not to the detriment of the 3D quality.

The Korean Times is also suggesting that LG could be the supplier of OLED panels to Sony when it does release its own big-screen OLED TV.

As Sony has been at the forefront of active shutter, we think it is doubtful that the company would switch to passive 3D, so we are pegging this rumour as a tentative 'Possible'.