Toshiba lights up massive LED HDTV in Times Square

Next time you take a stroll through Times Square, look up, as Toshiba's posted a brand new high definition display at the top of One Times Square Building. The 51.2-foot by 52.5-foot consists of 1280x1248 LEDs controlled by Toshiba's Technovirtual pixel-sharing technology to create "virtual pixels". Whether or not we can figure out how that works, the LEDs display over one billion colors and help cut power consumption, so the display isn't just better looking than the one it replaces but also more energy efficient. We've seen LEDs in other video boards before, but Toshiba claims it's the first to offer modular HDTV screens to the outdoor rental market, and starting today they've got the best product placement possible.

[Ignatius @ Jul 15th 2008 9:59PM]

I think that's bigger than my living room... jeez.

[andres @ Jul 15th 2008 10:28PM]

thats what she said

[tiredAndAlone @ Jul 15th 2008 10:54PM]

but it prolly sucks to play wii sports on. i mean where would you put the motion sensor bar (sadness)

[teej @ Jul 16th 2008 5:38PM]

you should know that this is bigger than your living room, not think it is. this display has way more square footage than an entire floor of the average single family home.

[andres @ Jul 15th 2008 10:10PM]

"52.5-foot consists if 1280x1248 LEDs"
if?

[nanobis @ Jul 15th 2008 10:15PM]

i want one

[neofolklore @ Jul 16th 2008 9:35AM]

Is this the GTA dlc? Nice what they did with the textures.

[michas_pi @ Jul 15th 2008 10:15PM]

Time to plug a 360 into it :)

[nanobis @ Jul 15th 2008 10:15PM]

does it have hdmi support?

[Inugami @ Jul 15th 2008 10:21PM]

Wouldn't it be a bitch if it broke lmao.

[andres @ Jul 15th 2008 10:27PM]

nah, a whore maybe, but not a bitch

[TokenFag @ Jul 15th 2008 10:57PM]

They've ruined Times Square with LED lighting. I understand the point about conserving power, but frankly, the older animated Neon and incandescent lighting from the past was a *lot* easier on the eyes. They have to use such high-power LED lighting to be visible in the daylight for all the crappy animation and video they use now, it's just a shame. There isn't much "art" to LED lighting, so I'm glad I had experienced Neon lighting in Times Square.

[KillaChaos @ Jul 15th 2008 11:26PM]

I could not agree more.

[basroil @ Jul 15th 2008 10:59PM]

Virtual pixels are a pretty good idea there. Basically a backwards bayer system (think your point and shoot emitting light rather than capturing it). May create some soft spots, but if it's already 52', it can't get much softer anyway...

[Daniel Cheung @ Jul 16th 2008 12:39AM]

exactly what I was thinking too. Sounds like some sort of interpolation system.

[portwineboy @ Jul 15th 2008 11:08PM]

Has anyone ever seen real TV projected from these things? In the movies whenever aliens invade, they announce it here. Is that what it takes?

[scott @ Jul 15th 2008 11:18PM]

superbowl i think

[Irfan @ Jul 15th 2008 11:32PM]

i preferred the Nissin Cup Noodle sign.

[Brandon @ Jul 16th 2008 12:13AM]

No more cup noodle!?!?!?!?!?!!

[Doogles @ Jul 16th 2008 12:01AM]

If you look at outdoor rental hdtv displays, Toshiba should check out Daktronics. They are in nearly every pro sports stadium whenever anyone installs new video boards.

[BB Sting @ Jul 16th 2008 1:04AM]

It's to bad that human eyes can't perceive one billion colors.

[BB Sting @ Jul 16th 2008 1:07AM]

It's to bad that human eyes can't perceive one billion colors.

[ryan @ Jul 16th 2008 3:40AM]

yet they can perceive double posts, unfortunately.

[Zrataza @ Jul 16th 2008 1:15AM]

876" TV...wow!

[SonyPS3Sucks @ Jul 16th 2008 1:52AM]

I should connect a HD-DVD to it :)

[thef1re @ Jul 16th 2008 2:12AM]

wow, consumerism to the max... cant believe some of you guys walk that street everyday.

[Cal @ Jul 16th 2008 2:51AM]

wait you're telling me this displays 1 billion colors but yet all they display is a red toshiba logo? what a waste lol

[andres @ Jul 16th 2008 11:46PM]

its actually one billion shades of red and white
/joke

[Phoenix @ Jul 16th 2008 3:44AM]

I'm surprised nobody's made a crysis (or however it's spelled) comment about this yet... at least, not that I've read.

Damn... I'd love to play HALO on that... O_O

[Virtual Reader @ Jul 16th 2008 4:05AM]

HOW VIRTUAL PIXELS "WORK"
Virtual pixels are like virtual reality, they're not real. It's a process to share LEDs within each pixel to make extra "virtual pixels."

Each LED pixel comprises of a cluster of red, green, and blue pixels. Example LED pixel configuration:

RG
BR

There are two red, one green, and one blue in this pixel example.
If two LED pixels are side by side you'd get and LED configuration of:

RG RG
BR BR

Still with me?
Here's where the "virtual" comes in. If you look at the 4 LEDs in the center you get the necessary combination of 2 red, 1 green, and 1 blue LEDs used to make one LED pixel:

r GR g
b RB r

So now there are 3 pixels instead of 2? Nope! If you think that, like Toshiba (and many other LED display companies) want you to think, you are mistaken. In order for the combination of R,G,B LEDs to produce an individual pixel color they have to be a specific intensity to collectively create a specific color similar to the RGB slider in Photoshop. So how can the shared LEDs be two different intensities at once? They can't. In fact, in Toshiba's virtual world, each LED has to be part of 4 different pixels at the same time. How you say? Try this. Circle all the combinations of 2 red, 1 green, and 1 blue diodes within these 4 "actual" pixels:

RG RG
BR BR
RG RG
BR BR

Did you get 9 circles?

This might help. Take out a dollar bill. There is a "1" in each corner. Imagine each is a diode. You need a "1" from each corner to make a one dollar bill or "pixel." If you put a second dollar bill next to it, you have two dollars. If you rip each in half, the middle two pieces could make a new 1 dollar bill, but that doesn't mean you have $3. The middle pieces can only be used once. Like the 9 circles in the previous example, if you put 4 dollars in a square, you can't get $9, no matter how many times you cut it up, you can only have $4.

What's all that mean? Virtual gets you more virtual pixels on paper, but not "actual" HD pixels. Toshiba's "Virtual HD" 1280x1248 is probably closer to an "Actual SD" 640x624. I hope they're including a $40 converter box coupon with this display.

[Igor @ Jul 16th 2008 9:32AM]

Excellant explanation. This makes their 12.5mm "virtual" pixel pitch actually 25mm.

[gunboatdiplomacy @ Jul 16th 2008 9:00AM]

yeah, this is sad. i want the cup noodle sign back NOW. it had steam and a forced perspective that you cant replicate with a TV screen. bullshit.

[gshb @ Jul 16th 2008 12:26PM]

toshiba sucks. probably worse than sony.