Miracast
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Sigma Designs' new EasyTV comes with Wireless Display
You'd be forgiven for not knowing Sigma Designs' name, but it makes reference designs for plenty of other familiar names. It's outing a reference design for a new wireless dongle that'll help you share your smartphone's display on your HDTV in seconds. Powered by Qualcomm's Atheros AR6203 with 802.11n WiFi, the company is hoping to gain Miracast certification for the unit later in the year. Assuming, of course, that you don't just pick up a TV with such fanciful technology built-in. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
LG details LCD, plasma HDTV lineup for 2013: 4K, Miracast, NFC, WiDi and more
As LG continues its slew of CES pre-announcements, it's revealed details about the new HDTVs it will be showing off in Las Vegas next week. Predictably, they include three lines of plasma models (fewer than previous years, but still kicking) in 42- to 60-inch sizes, and new LCD HDTVs in various levels of trim and sizes from 22-inches up to 60-inches. Most notably, this year all of its new LCDs are LED, as it's kicked the old CCFL tech to the curb. LG has already detailed upcoming changes for its voice/gesture Magic Remote control and a couple of Google TV models, however other new features for 2013 include an "On Now" recommendation system that learns what you watch and offers relevant selections from live TV and video on-demand services. Expect new tie-ins to be announced with both streaming and local TV providers to help fill out the selection around the world. Hardware-wise, new feature boxes checked this year include NFC, thanks to a new "Tag On" sticker smartphones and other devices can easily pair with. Getting content from mobile devices to the display will also be easier thanks to Miracast and WiDi support, and MHL ports will be readily available as well. LG's FPR 3D tech isn't going anywhere, and Smart TV features should be speedier than ever thanks to CPUs with a promised 120 percent speed boost, and 300 percent faster GPUs. As seen in the pics, the design has also been altered slightly with a new stand that both swivels and rolls, plus a reduced bezel size. If you're looking for the latest and greatest however, LG will be showing off the 84-inch Ultra HD 4K set it just started shipping and the 55-inch OLED display we're waiting for. No word yet on shipping dates or price for any of the new models, but as we surmised from LG Display's plans, we should see a couple of 55- and 65-inch Ultra HD TVs appear before the year is out. There's a couple more pictures of the new HDTVs in the gallery plus a press release with all the details after the break. Beyond that, HD Guru has a model-by-model breakdown of the available information -- we'll check back with our in-person impressions in a few days. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
LG 'Hecto' laser TV projector to debut at CES 2013, promises a 100-inch screen from 22-inches away
As LG continues its slew of CES 2013 pre-announcements, the latest is a new display technology it's bringing to the projection arena, an ultra short throw laser projector. Capable of creating a 100-inch screen from just 22 inches (56cm) away, the "Hecto" Laser TV a 1080p shooter that can change the way owners design their home theater. If you'd like to use it as an all-in-one home theater to go (the screen is included, picture after the break), it also has a digital tuner and 10w speakers built-in, with three HDMI inputs, an RS-232 port and Smart TV capabilities controlled by LG's Magic Remote. As you can see above, it follows LG's "Dynamic Arc Design" with a max height of just 5.7-inches. It carries a 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio with WiDi and Miracast compatibility and LG claims the laser system will run for up to 25,000 hours without replacement. There's no word on pricing or release date, although it likely won't be value priced. We expect to get a few more details when we see it in Las Vegas, check the press release after the break for all the information currently available.
Broadcom intros quad-combo, fast single-card wireless chipsets that put NFC at center stage
Broadcom wants NFC to flow like water, to the point where we can pair speakers and share content between phones like it's no big deal. Accordingly, it's launching two wireless chipsets that should sate both the mobile masses as well as performance lovers. The BCM43341 is reportedly the first to put official NFC support side-by-side with 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and FM radio in a single chip, taking a long stride towards smaller, cheaper phones with NFC tucked inside. We'll admit that we're drawn more to the speed demon of the pair: a new single-card design combines a separate NFC chip with a 433Mbps implementation of 802.11ac WiFi, raising the prospect of some very fast device-to-device Miracast and WiFi Direct connections in more advanced phones and tablets. Both parts should go into full production in the first quarter of 2013, which gives us enough time to prepare for Broadcom's vision of a tap-to-send future.
Xiaomi Box taps the Chinese smart TV market on the cheap, flirts with AirPlay (hands-on)
The Apple TV may not be officially available in China, but there are already plenty of cheap Android TV dongles and set-top boxes over there to keep the folks occupied. That said, many of them don't offer a satisfying multimedia experience, so even for a latecomer like Xiaomi, there's still space for competition. Having just launched the much anticipated Xiaomi Phone 2, the Chinese startup recently announced that it had acquired digital content provider Duokan for some time, and the first fruit is this conveniently named Xiaomi Box. Even with the bundled one-meter HDMI cable, the pebble's priced at a competitive ¥399 (about $64) and we've been told it'll be available in mid-December. Better yet, it claims to be compatible with AirPlay right out of the box! Read on to see if that's the case with our pre-production unit.
Sony rolls out update to Xperia T and TX for Miracast mirroring, extra-long standby
Sony Xperia T and TX owners won't have to wait until the eventual Jelly Bean update to eke some new life out of their software. From this week onwards, the Bond-blessed Android phone is getting an update that adds screen mirroring through Miracast; provided the stars align and you've got a compatible TV, the high-end Xperia gets that much larger a canvas. Upgrading also introduces an extended standby mode that temporarily shuts off data, a movie app with a small video player and a photo album that makes use of Sony's full image processing engine. We're further reminded as to how much sweeter that HD Voice calling on the T (but not TX) should sound. As much as we'd prefer a full-fledged OS update, it's a welcome dose of relevancy for a smartphone that has had fierce competition almost from the start.
Google Nexus 4 hands-on (video)
So here it is at last, the Nexus 4. After countless leaks we finally got a chance to put our dirty little paws on Google and LG's lovechild. The verdict? It's simply phenomenal. By combining the nicest elements of the Optimus G with the latest iteration of Jelly Bean (Android 4.2) the two companies have created something that's better than the sum of its parts. Like its cousin, the Nexus 4 is built around Qualcomm's speedy 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC with Adreno 320 graphics and 2GB of RAM. Storage comes in 8GB and 16GB flavors with no microSD expansion. It features the same lovely 4.7-inch 1280x768-pixel non-PenTile IPS display but sheds LTE support for an unlocked pentaband DC-HSPA+ (42Mbps) radio and wireless charging. On the camera front the Nexus 4 inherits the Optimus G's optional eight-megapixel BSI sensor and f/2.4 autofocus lens, instead of the fancier 13 MP shooter. WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, NFC and Miracast round up the spec sheet, and a sealed 2100mAh Li-polymer battery completes the package. Aesthetically, the Nexus 4 blends aspects of the Optimus G and Galaxy Nexus designs, with a glass-covered back and rounded-off top and bottom edges. This phone looks and feels great -- materials and build quality are much improved over last year's handset. At 9.1mm (0.36 inches) thin and 131g (0.31 pounds), it's also very comfortable in hand. Most of the controls are unchanged from its cousin -- you'll find a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and secondary mic on top, a volume rocker and micro-SIM tray on the left, a micro-USB port and primary mic on the bottom, and a power / lock button on the right side. The Optimus G's capacitive keys give way to on-screen buttons and the RGB notification light moves below the screen (from its former position near the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera). Overall we're really impressed with the Nexus 4, and that's just from playing with the hardware. Sadly, we spent very little time exploring the software, which includes a plethora of improvements, so keep an eye out for the details in our full review. You'll be able to purchase the Nexus 4 unlocked in the Play Store starting November 13th for $299 (8GB), $349 (16GB) or $199 with a two-year contract on T-Moble (16GB). Until then, check out the gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
Netgear announces Push2TV WiDi adapter and three new NeoTV units
Today, Netgear is unveiling three more Roku-troubling NeoTV boxes and Push2TV, a wireless display adapter letting you harness WiDi (it's also Miracast pre-standard compliant) to push content from smartphones, laptops or tablets to your TV. The trio of NeoTVs are so similar to the last generation that it's a little hard to tell the difference, except that the new flagship NeoTV MAX now comes with the long-desired addition of DLNA and a custom remote that has navigation buttons on one side and a QWERTY keyboard on the other. All four devices are available from today, the Push2Tv costing $60, while the new NeoTVs are priced at $50, $60 and $70, respectively -- and if you'd like to know more, then we've got some more info down below.
Wi-Fi Alliance announces first Miracast-certified devices, full compatibility with Intel WiDi
Take note, because there's a new standard in realm of wireless video streaming and it's known as Miracast. Since the initial announcement, some very respectable manufacturers have chosen to support the specification, which includes Broadcom, NVIDIA and Texas Instruments. Now the Wi-Fi Alliance has announced the first round of products to be certified for Miracast, and as an extremely welcome bit of news, all Intel WiDi devices are supported by the latest standard. In addition to PCs, you can expect Miracast certification to be blessed upon devices such as smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes and televisions. In the retail setting, all Miracast-certified devices will carry the more generic "WiFi Certified" badge (shown here), which also covers technologies such as WiFi Direct. You'll find the press release after the break, which includes the initial list of products and components that've already earned their credentials, along with statements of support from manufacturers such as LG, Samsung and Sony. Not to be left out, we also reached out to Qualcomm, which confirmed its support for the standard, along with its expectation to offer some of the very first products certified for Miracast. It seems that Apple's AirPlay now has some rather determined competition, indeed.
NVIDIA throws support behind Miracast as wireless display standard
TI may have blazed the trail, but today NVIDIA has announced that it'll support Miracast as an integral part of its Tegra mobile platform. If you'll recall, Miracast is a creation of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which aims to create a new standard for wireless displays by way of a reference specification and certification program. There are few concrete details to share at this point, as the Miracast spec has yet to be ratified, but NVIDIA has already engaged a number of manufacturers in an effort to drum up support for the new standard -- think it's reason enough for the WiDi and AirPlay crowds to worry?
TI cuts the cables, backs Miracast as wireless video standard for OMAP platform
It wasn't but a few days ago that the Wi-Fi Alliance announced its certification program for the Miracast wireless display specification. Now, TI has thrown its weight behind the technology with the announcement that future versions of its OMAP processor and WiLink connectivity chip will adhere to Miracast standards. As you'll recall, the Miracast certification program has yet to go into effect -- that'll happen later this summer -- which means for the time being, it's still too early to refer to TI's solution as "Wi-Fi Certified Miracast." Nonetheless, the company's already showing its compatible wares this week at Computex, which currently includes the OMAP 4470 / WiLink 7.0 combo. Naturally, TI also intends to ensure Miracast support as part of its upcoming OMAP 5 / WiLink 8.0 platform. As if you needed yet another reason to be excited for that one. To learn more, you'll find the full PR after the break.
Wi-Fi Alliance announces Miracast wireless display certification program
The ability to transmit audio-visual content over WiFi is poised to launch a bit of a cable-free revolution in the living room, but before that happens, the Wi-Fi Alliance hopes that manufacturers will rally behind its standard set of technologies known as Miracast -- in the process, burying WiDi and giving AirPlay a run for its money. While the certification program itself has yet to be finalized, it's said to launch later this year and will bless all compatible devices with the "Wi-Fi Certified Miracast" mark. Everything from televisions and set-top boxes, to notebooks, smartphones and tablets will be eligible for certification, which means that we may begin to see the seal in a hell of a lot more places. The PR itself provides scant additional details, but if you're so inclined, feel free to hop the break.
