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Sony adds cheaper 4K TVs to its lineup
Sony started 2016 by showing off some high-end 4K TVs with HDR, and with the arrival of summer it's time to see cheaper versions pop up on store shelves. The company says the new 800D, 750D and 700D are entry-level models for its premium XBR line, however only the 800D TVs will ship with HDR-10 support that offers enhanced colors and contrast on things like Ultra HD Blu-ray, Netflix/Amazon streaming and even some games -- the other two versions will get it in a firmware upgrade later this year. They're all Android TVs just like their higher-end cousins, with support for Google Cast and even Logitech's Harmony Hub app.
The first 4K Roku TVs hit Best Buy for $400 and up
Roku TVs afford you all the same features and apps the dinky set-top boxes do without cluttering up your entertainment center. Last year, Roku caught up with the times by launching the Ultra HD-ready Roku 4, also setting the stage for its TV partners to build 4K sets with the platform baked-in. Chinese manufacturer TCL was expected to be the first to market, but it's been beaten to the punch by Best Buy today with the launch of the first 4K Roku TVs under the retailer's Insignia brand.
Vizio's cheapest 4K TVs are on sale starting at just $600
Worried that Vizio's $130,000 120-inch Reference Series TV is a bit out of your price range? For the budget-constrained buyers among us, Vizio has recently launched a new series of 4K TVs that are cheaper than any it's ever offered before: the D-Series. The smallest one is a 50-inch television (D50u-D1) that slices an extra $30 from its M-Series counterpart to sell for under $600. The largest 4K version is a 65-incher (D65u-D2) that costs just $1,300, $100 less than the step-up M model. Of course, to meet those price requirements something had to give, and I think those compromises mean the M-Series is still a better option.
1TB My Passport Cinema drive puts 4K Ultra HD movies in your pocket
New super high-res televisions are already here, but with Ultra HD Blu-ray still yet to debut, the best available way to get 4K video on that screen is with streaming and, now, downloading. Western Digital has a Vidity hard drive ready that is ready for storing Hollywood's movies in the highest quality available, and playing them back on compatible screens. Right now the list of compatible devices is limited to Samsung's UHD TVs (2014 or 2015) with the M-Go app, and Fox is the first studio out of the gate with compatible movies. WD's $90 1TB, USB 3.0-connected My Passport Cinema drive meets the spec, is being packed in free with new Samsung TVs, and comes preloaded with The Maze Runner, Exodus: Gods and Kings, X-Men: Days of the Future Past, The Wolverine, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Fault in Our Stars, Let's Be Cops and The Other Woman -- two of them are free off the bat.
4K for £4k: Samsung's latest Ultra HDTVs arriving in the UK
If you're in the mood for more pixels and have the pounds sterling to back it up, there's good news: you'll be able to grab Samsung's 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs later this month in the UK. The smaller UE55F9000 model is going for £4,000 and the UE65F9000 will set you back a cool £6,000. While that's a lot, it's a far cry from Samsung's first UHD TV, the 85-inch S9 model that ran a Fortune 500-level $40 grand (about £26,000). On top of the extra resolution, the new models will give you Samsung's latest goodies like quad-core processing, Micro Dimming LED tech, 3D, built-in WiFi, and an embedded camera. You'll also get an Evolution Kit that'll let you upgrade to future UltraHD standards, if and when they come -- though at that sum, we hope you won't be left wanting for a long, long time.
LG's 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs go on sale in the US for $5,999 and $7,999
Thought Samsung had the US market for 65-inch Ultra HD televisions cornered? Think again. Hot on the heels of its competitor, LG has announced that its 55- and 65-inch UHD sets will sell for $5,999 and $7,999, respectively. They also pack a new feature -- a powered 4.1 channel speaker bar that appears / disappears beneath the front lip of the TV. The prices aren't chump change by any stretch of the imagination, but they're certainly more affordable than LG's last UHD TV: an 84-inch monster that sold for a staggering $19,999. Still, getting your hands on one isn't easy -- like its 84-inch set, LG's latest screens are making their debut exclusively in southern California, and will eventually roll out to stores nationwide. Sure, driving out to Santa Monica to pick up a new TV might not be convenient, but at least it's closer than South Korea -- if you're not in the US, the company expects to roll them out in the UK, Russia and Australia soon. Check out the company's official announcement after the break.
LG announces Korean availability for 55 and 65-inch 4K TVs
A few folks have already picked up LG's 84-inch monster Ultra HD TV, but most videophiles are looking for something that'll actually fit in their living room. Thankfully, the firm is prepared for those buyers too, and is now taking pre-orders for its 55 and 65-inch 4K Ultra HD TVs. Korean customers with money to burn can pick up the 55-inch set for 7.4 million Won (about $6,541) and the larger variant for 10.9 million ($9,635). Hardly cheap, but comparable to the competition and definitely an affordable alternative to LG's $20,000 display. Check out LG's official (machine translated) announcement at the attached source.
Seiki 50-inch 4K TV on sale for $1,299, offers Ultra HD for a regular HD price
The entry price for Ultra HDTV plunged by more than $10,000 earlier this week thanks to Sony's new 4K sets, but now it's going even lower with this model from Seiki. The brand is new to the US market and as such unfamiliar to most, but with a $1,300 listing on TigerDirect it's been lighting up AV enthusiast and deal-hunting forums alike. We haven't yet had a chance to see this display, but hope to take a look shortly. In the meantime, there are plenty of reasons not to be an early adopter -- the infamous eye charts suggest 4K's impact at this size may be reduced, it's an unknown company with unknown standards for quality and service, a new HDMI standard may be incoming and there's no content until the $699 FMP-X1 player arrives this summer -- but with a sub-$2K pricetag some would say you can't afford not to have an Ultra HD set in your possession. Those same people would also suggest inviting us over to watch the game (sports, console, but most likely a super high-res PC title if you can manage) on it, and indicate we are willing to bring refreshments. [Thanks, Eric Kotz]
The Daily Roundup for 01.12.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
UK 2012 Olympics Super Hi-Vision tickets are available, grab a seat for some Ultra HDTV
If you're a UK resident, missed out a ticket to the London 2012 Olympics and find the extensive home and mobile coverage to be lacking in pixels have no fear -- free tickets are available for Super Hi-Vision screenings at three locations. While certain days and times are already fully booked, you can still get one of the first public glimpses of NHK's 8K Ultra HDTV technology at the BBC Radio Theatre, BBC Scotland (Glasgow) and the National Media Museum in Bradford (other viewing locations are in Japan and Washington D.C.) Before the games get started, the Radio Theater is screening a London Prepares promo from July 23rd to the 28th. During the games (July 28th - August 12th) all will have highlights of the previous day's action from the Aquatic Centre, Olympic Stadium, Velodrome, and Basketball Arena plus clips of the Opening Ceremony. The lone live feed is scheduled for Sunday July 29th, from the Aquatics Centre. Sure, you could be paying a fortune for scalped passes to be in the house when Usain Bolt, Ryan Lochte or Michael Phelps are doing their thing, or you could be enjoying 33MP video and 22.2 channel surround sound in one of the custom setups TechRadar previewed in March. Your choice.
NHK lays out Olympic broadcast plans, Super Hi-Vision test viewing locations in Japan
We've already run down Olympic broadcast plans in the US and UK, and now Japanese broadcaster NHK has unveiled some information. Similar to the others there is not only the TV production including data about ongoing competition, but also an online component complete with live video access on mobile devices, but also support for the acTVila video on-demand portal. The other notable information is that it's locked down locations and details for those trial Super Hi-Vision broadcasts, listing four spots where people can get their eyes on some sweet 8K UHDTV action. While most of them will be displayed by projectors, including a 520-inch screen in Shibuya, while Akihabara's Studio Park will feature a 360-inch LCD. The details for UK and US are a bit more vague, but if we have to track where in Washington D.C. NBC is letting the 33MP resolution video and 22.2ch sound out for a trial just by its scent, then that's what we'll have to do.
NHK shrinks its 8K Super Hi-Vision-ready camcorder to the size of HD cameras
We may still be years away from watching the sweet, sweet 33MP resolution video promised by Super Hi-Vision in our own homes, but over in Japan, NHK engineers are slowly working out the various kinks keeping it from us. Their latest development is this camera seen above on the left, capable of recording 8K in a camera head that is smaller and lighter than the previous unit (the new one weighs 4kg, about 1/5th the weight) shown on the right, and is more comparable to the size of a standard HDTV camera. According to the NHK the savings were achieved by developing a new single plate color imaging mechanism and eliminating the need for a prism to separate the colors beforehand, so it's small enough to be used with standard SLR camera lenses. Sure, it's not quite ready to go on your next vacation, but if you're in Japan you can get a peek at it (and that 145-inch 8K Panasonic plasma) at the broadcaster's open house later this month.
2012 London Olympics Super Hi-Vision broadcast coming to select US, Japan, UK locations
While Super Hi-Vision isn't expected to bring its 7,680 x 4,320 resolution (16x more detail than your 1080p display, for those keeping count) home for several years, the NHK and BBC have confirmed it will be available for public screenings next year during the 2012 London Olympics. Screening dates have been arranged for three countries (Japan, UK, and US), and it appears domestic viewers will want to plan on visiting the Washington D.C. area next July / August to get a taste of the 33 megapixel video and 22.2 channel surround sound for themselves. Next year's Games have already put extensive 3D coverage on the schedule and NBC has promised every event will be available for viewing live as it happens for the first time, so there's plenty for everyone to look forward to. The only question now? Whether or not that silly false start rule can be changed so we don't face the prospect of a men's 100m dash final without Usain Bolt in it.
Ultra HDTV technical standards agreed on, more pixels is a good thing
The high-definition pride of your living room may not want to hear it, but it looks like ultra high-definition TV (or UHDTV) has now taken another step towards reality. While shop-floor products remain years away, experts in the ITU Study Group on Broadcasting Service have made several agreements on technical standards for your (next?) next TV purchase. Increasing pixel count in future sets is also expected to improve viewing angles on glasses-free 3D, which needs more dots to work its lenticular magic. 33 megapixels sounds like it should be enough to work with.
Eizo industrial monitor does 4K resolution at 36-inches, start saving now
Looking for a display that can do justice to all that 4K footage you've been shooting on your Red One or Arri Alexa lately? Okay, perhaps not. But if you were, then the DuraVision FDH3601 from Eizo Nanao could handle it easily with 4096 x 2160 pixels spread over 36.4-inches of LED-backlit real estate. It comes with another big number too: a price tag of ¥2.88 million ($36,000), which gently hints at the fact that this beast is primarily aimed at specialist industrial applications. Eizo claims it's perfect for air traffic control, where staff can make full use of specs like "Digital Uniformity Correction" circuitry to compensate for uneven color or brightness, motion sensors to power the monitor on or off as needed, and a stand that can be minutely adjusted to get the perfect angle. Suddenly, despite the heavy burden of responsibility and the fact that you have to keep your phone switched off all the time, that career choice seems almost worth it.
Sharp shows off the world's first Super Hi-Vision 85-inch LCD with 16x more detail than 1080p
While Japan's NHK has been working on the successor to HDTV, Super Hi-Vision, for years, there haven't been any direct-view HDTVs capable of showing its full 7,680 x 4,320 pixel resolution until this prototype unveiled today by Sharp. Its 103 pixels per inch may be just a fraction of those found in some of the pocket displays we've seen at SID this week, but that's still far more than the 36ppi of a 60-inch 1080p HDTV. If estimates are correct, we'll still be waiting until around 2020 for that 33MP video and 22.2 channel sound to actually be broadcast, although there's a possibility of some demonstrations happening during the 2012 Olympics. Skip past the break for the available specs and a video demonstration, or just head over to the NHK's Science & Technology Research Laboratories in Tokyo between the 26th and 29th of this month.
Forget HDTV and 3D, when is Ultra HDTV / Super Hi-vision coming home?
Not willing to make predictions about the future of HDTV with all the other analysts, In-Stat has jumped ahead with its latest report, a peek at the future of Ultra High Definition (though the kids are calling it Super Hi-Vision these days.) We'd heard the 8K / 4K broadcasts could flip on as early as 2015, but this report pegs 2017 - 2022 as a more likely time period, with the expectation that 28.2% of European households will be sporting the 22.2-channel audio spec by 2025. Of course, if you must be first on the block with it, there's always JVC's $175k DLA-RS4000 available right now.
