cec
Latest
HDMI 2.0 officially announced: 18Gbps bandwidth, 60fps 4K, 32 channel audio
Only just after it leaked out, the folks at HDMI Licensing are announcing HDMI 2.0 officially. Arriving just in time for the wide rollout of a new generation of Ultra HDTVs, it adds a few key capabilities to the connection standard. With a bandwidth capacity of up to 18Gbps, it has enough room to carry 3,840 x 2,160 resolution video at up to 60fps. It also has support for up to 32 audio channels, "dynamic auto lipsync" and additional CEC extensions. The connector itself is unchanged, which is good for backwards compatibility but may disappoint anyone hoping for something sturdier to support all of those suddenly-popular dongles. The cables won't change either, as the group claims current high-speed Category 2 wires can handle the increased bandwidth. Some companies have suggested upgrade paths for their UHDTVs already on the market -- hopefully we'll find out more about those plans this week at IFA 2013. Update: The HDMI Forum has listed a few more specs in its FAQ, including that HDMI 2.0 is spec'd to handle up to 1536kHz audio sample frequency, dual video streams for multiple users on a single screen, multi-stream audio to as many as 4 users at once and support for 21:9 widescreen displays. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Tesla gets $10 million grant from California to help with Model X production
Tesla's outspoken CEO, Elon Musk, said last week that he expects his company's financials to be somewhat satisfactory in the very near future, but that's not to say a $10 million grant wouldn't be welcomed with open arms. Thanks to the California Energy Commission, Tesla will have some extra cash to work with during the production phase of its upcoming electric SUV, otherwise more formally known as the Model X. According to Forbes, Tesla will match California's gesture with $50 million of its own -- the total, naturally, will be used to ramp up production at its Fremont plant and to snag the necessary machinery and components to build that sleek Model X. There's still a good amount of time before this EV hits the masses, so it looks like watching those select demos will have to suffice for now.
Raspberry Pi lands MPEG-2 and VC-1 decoding through personal licenses, H.264 encoding and CEC tag along
Making the Raspberry Pi affordable involved some tough calls, including the omission of MPEG-2 decoding. Licensing fees alone for the video software would have boosted the board's price by approximately 10 percent. Now, after many have made media centers with the hardware, the foundation behind the project has whipped up a solution to add the missing codec. For $3.16, users can purchase an individual MPEG-2 license for each of their boards on the organization's online store. Partial to Microsoft's VC-1 standard? Rights to using Redmond's codec can be purchased for $1.58. H.264 encoding is also in the cards since OpenMax components needed to develop applications with the functionality are now enabled by default in the device's latest firmware. With CEC support thrown into the Raspbmc, XBian and OpenELEC operating systems, a single IR remote can control a Raspberry Pi, a TV and other connected gadgets. If you're ready to load up your Pi with its newfound abilities, hit the source link below. Update: The Raspberry Pi Foundation let us know that US customers won't have to pay sales tax, which means patrons will only be set back $3.16 for MPEG-2 and $1.58 for VC-1 support, not $3.79 and $1.90 for the respective licenses. We've updated the post accordingly.
Samsung Galaxy S II first with MHL port for dual-purpose USB or HDMI out (video)
There's a small but important fact about Samsung's newest Android flagship that slipped under our radar last week at Mobile World Congress. The Galaxy S II is the first smartphone to feature an MHL port. MHL, as you'll recall, was first announced in 2008 as the Mobile High-Definition video Link "standard" for mobile devices promoted by a consortium that includes Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, and Silicon Image. So yeah, another mobile interconnect standard just like DisplayPort, mini-HDMI, or Light Peak. Essentially, the micro-USB shaped MHL jack at the base of the Galaxy S II features internal circuitry that recognizes USB or MHL impedance and then automatically switches the phone into USB data / charging or MHL audio / video / charging modes. A special 5-wire micro-USB to HDMI cable lets you send video and audio to existing HDMI-equipped displays. Unfortunately, the TV won't charge the Galaxy S II during playback unless you insert a phone charger adapter between the GSII and TV or wait for MHL-enabled TVs to begin shipping later this year. Once connected, you can then use your TV's HDMI-CEC compatible remote to navigate and control the Galaxy S II's media interface. The GSII is just the first MHL device with a half-dozen phones, at least one tablet, and a few TVs coming this summer. More details are available in the video interview after the break.
Olympus SZ-10 and 3D VR-330 superzooms announced alongside entry-level VG-110
What's your preference for getting up close to the action? 18x wide 28-504mm or 12.5x super-wide 24-300mm optical zoom? If it's the former then Olympus just announced its $249.99 (ships in March) SZ-10 ultra-zoomer pictured above, with 14 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, 3-inch LCD, TruPic III+ image processing, and Eye-Fi Card support. Otherwise, Oly's new £159.99 3D VR-330 for Europe dials back the zoom to 12.5x and forgoes the newer image processing of the SZ-10 while boasting the same 14 megapixel sensor. Both cameras pack dual-image stabilization, 720p video capture, HDMI-out (with CEC support so that it works with your TV's existing remote control), and a dynamic "3D mode" that instructs you to pan and shoot a second image that will be combined into a .MPO file suitable for playback on a 3D display. The VR-330 is also available without the 3D mode as the $199.99 VR-320 which ships Stateside in February. Bringing up the rear is an entry-level $89.99 VG-110 with 12 megapixel sensor, 2.7-inch LCD, 4x zoom, and VGA video. Look for it sometime later this month. Update: Press releases for all three are after the break. %Gallery-115911%
Sharp, CEC partner up for cheap LCDs in China
Sharp and Sony are planning to dazzle and amaze us with the latest and greatest 10G LCDs rolling off the production lines of their shared facility in 2011, but there will still be plenty of money to made on older tech. With an eye on the bottom line, Sharp has partnered up with the generically-named China Electronics Corp. (CEC) in Nanjing. Not only will Sharp be selling 6G equipment for smaller displays to the Panda group of CEC, but the two will also be firing up an 8G LCD plant in Nanjing in March of 2011. Thanks in part to government stimulus action, China's developed a voracious appetite for affordable LCDs, and the Nanjing plant will aim to serve up 80,000 cheap panels to the market. So far, this collaboration is all about LCDs, so don't expect any CHBD-infused toys from Sharp any time soon.
Chrontel chip eases HDMI-CEC integration
Universal and centralized remote control of HT gear has long been the promise of HDMI-CEC, but the efforts of some CE manufacturers aside, all the flavors of HDMI-CEC have spoiled the party for everyone. Between talk of a unified HDMI-CEC standard and off-the-shelf solutions like Chrontel's CH7323 chip, we're hoping for a more standard, um, standard. The chip is a HDMI 1.3a-compliant, single-component solution that manufacturers can use alongside HDMI transmitter silicon to bring HDMI-CEC (even vendor-specific commands) to devices, whether the device operates as a "master" or "slave" in the control chain. We're not expecting full HDMI-CEC to explode on the scene overnight, but we'll take these baby steps for now.
HDMI founders to finally rally around single CEC standard
Back in March, we called for HDMI members to put aside their differences and unify around a single HDMI-CEC standard. According to Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC, that movement is about to begin. While speaking to CE Pro at CEDIA, the bigwig confessed that the HDMI founders (Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson and Toshiba) have finally agreed to team up on a "unified CEC plan." If executed, the result would mean that HDMI-CEC-enabled VIERA plasmas could be controlled in unison with HDMI-CEC-enabled Sony receivers, and the whole VIERA Link / BRAVIA Sync / Anynet+ / AQUOS Link garbage could finally be disposed of. Mr. Venuti also claimed that there would "probably be an announcement at CES 2009," so we'll be keeping an ear out in around 100 days.[Image courtesy of AVReview, thanks Lindsay]
Onkyo's TX-SA606X receiver handles AQUOS, Viera and REGZA HDMI control schemes
Here at Engadget HD, we have a special place in our hearts for HDMI-CEC, but things can get sticky when buying components from different manufacturers. Fret not, as Onkyo's latest AV receiver manages to play nice with Panasonic's Viera Link, Toshiba's REGZA Link and Sharp's AQUOS Link all the same. The TX-SA606X, which is available in silver or a Mr. T-approved gold finish, also boasts HDMI 1.3 connectors, Dolby TrueHD / DTS-MA decoders, a 185-watt x 7 internal amplifier, optical / coaxial audio inputs and a smorgasbord of other video ports. Unsurprisingly, such a multifaceted unit won't run you cheap, as interested consumers will be asked to hand over ¥84,000 ($839) when it lands on April 29th.[Via AkihabaraNews] %Gallery-19153%
Philips handsets reborn in Europe with Philips 192, we're underwhelmed
Philips handsets have melted away in Europe in recent years and while the Chinese owners of the brand -- with market rights until 2011 -- have carried on with Xenium in Asia, Euro types have seen nothing. All that is changing with the release of the Philips 192, a completely lackluster dual-band GSM effort with a 65k color display, 10-day standby life, and an expected retail price of €40 -- roughly $60 -- when it lands in Portugal. Way to go Philips, nothing like blowing the barn doors off with mad tech to get people excited.
HDMI execs clear the air on various topics
Executives from HDMI Licensing took some pre-CES time to clear up some questions about the HDMI. Click on through for details from the interview, but a couple of topics stood out to us. First, we've seen CEC customized by various hardware manufacturers, with no guarantees of interoperation between branded implementations. HDMI is working on a unified CEC branding scheme and guaranteed core functionality. Second up, field-terminated cables are a no-go. As much as we'd love to make our own custom length HDMI cables, the connector density combined with the high bandwidth makes this "just impossible." Leave cable construction to the pros, folks.
Philips launches BDP7200 BonusView-enabled Blu-ray player
Philips has announced the second generation in its line of Blu-ray players with the BDP7200, sporting 1080p/24 and Deep Color support, and BonusView (aka Profile 1.1) picture-in-picture capability. The player can also upscale DVDs to 1080p, and control connected devices using the EasyLink HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocols. Philips will release the BDP7200 in April for a $349 price, putting it towards the low end on the Blu-ray player price list, but the one thing we wish Philips had let us know was the level of audio codec support, with no mention at all of DTS or Dolby's high-end audio formats.[Update: Also see our hands-on with the BDP7200.]Click on for a couple more photos
Philips pulls a Siemens, sells phone biz to Asian firm
Offloading unprofitable mobile phone businesses seems to be all the rage in Europe as of late, with Philips now announcing that they'll be transferring their operations to a firm going by "CEC" -- or China Electronics Corporation, if you're into longhand. Philips isn't exactly a household name for cellphones here in the States, but they take in about €400 million (about a half billion USD) annually across the globe, so the deal is no small one. Similar to Siemens' agreement with BenQ, CEC will be given a license to use the Philips name on its phones for the next five years, at which point they'll have to go it alone (if they make it that long). Assuming all the usual regulatory stuff pans out, the money is expected to change hands before the year's out.[Via Geekzone]
