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LG's 105-inch UHDTV isn't coming to CES alone: flat 65-, 79-, 84- and 98-inchers on the way
Possibly concerned that merely showing off a giant 105-inch curved, ultrawidescreen (with a resolution of 5,120 x 2,160 it's being marketed as 5K) Ultra HD television wasn't enough, LG just announced a few more super high-res displays it's bringing this week. Alongside the 105UC9, the UB9800 4K Ultra HD series includes flat LCD televisions in 65-, 79-, 84- and 98-inch sizes. Other than their 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, the calling card of this line is its "Tru-ULTRA HD Engine Pro" chip that handles any upscaling from SD, HD, or "True HD" (1080p) sources, and has "4K Motion Estimation Motion Compensation (MEMC)" for 4K source content. The 105-inch Curved Ultra HD TV also sports one other unique feature, that massive speaker along the bottom is something LG calls the "Ultra Surround" concept. It contains 7.2-channel forward facing speakers designed with Harmon Kardon. LG says its new TVs can play Ultra HD content from almost any source thanks to HDMI 2.0, USB and LAN inputs, plus support for h.264 and the new HEVC format. Not enough new displays for you? LG will also have new Ultra HD OLEDs, and just for giggles, probably a few more affordable options at its press conference Monday and CES booth later this week.
LG's bringing Ultra HD OLED TVs in more sizes to CES, ramping up production
Last year LG and Samsung did battle with their first few commercially released OLED HDTVs, and now at CES 2014 we're moving on to round two. The curved 77-inch Ultra HD OLED shown as a concept late last year will return, this time rocking a model number (77EC9800) and focus on specs (3D, upscaling, apps and processing of 4K video) that makes it seem due for release very soon, along with 55- and 65-inch sizes. It's also showing off a second gen 55-inch curved OLED HDTV (no ultra) that it claims has "more recyclable materials and considerably fewer parts" than its predecessor. While being green is nice, we're most interested in knowing if the 55EB9600 can ship for a price well below $10,000. Flat TV fans will have to live with the same 55-inch "Gallery OLED" from a few months ago (and possibly US release information?), however the most important news will probably not be seen on the show floor. LG closes its press release with word that it's expanding production in a number of countries outside Korea, with plants in Brazil, Poland, China and Thailand already built. Of particular interest to us is a facility in Mexico opening later this year specifically meant to serve the North American market. Now that OLED TVs are a reality the race has moved to who can produce an affordable version, and these new plants will go a long way towards helping LG do that.
YouTube to show off lower-bandwidth 4K streaming at CES
For ultra-HD to truly take off, there needs to be a wealth of native content available -- not just displays -- and according to a GigaOM report, that could happen sooner than expected. Next week at CES, YouTube is demoing new 4K streaming-tech at a handful of major hardware manufacturers' booths, and the first TVs supporting Google's video format should ship by 2015. Don't worry about bandwidth overages though, these streams will run on YouTube's VP9 codec, which uses substantially less data than current formats. The outfit's Francisco Varela said that this royalty-free codec will have benefits outside of his company, as other video providers can use it too. There's even an upside if you don't have a 4K display: The jump to VP9 should drop the amount of data for plain-Jane HD streams by around 50 percent. If you want a peek at VP9 before next year though, Varela expects hardware decoding for it will come to PCs and mobile devices first.
Samsung's 110-inch Ultra HDTV is the world's largest, and it goes on sale Monday
Samsung promised at CES last January that it would deliver a 110-inch UHDTV this year, and with just a couple of days left to spare here it is. Apparently rolling out in China, the Middle East and a few European countries first, there's no word on price (the 85-inch version that launched earlier this year had a $40K pricetag attached when it launched), but can you really put a price on a TV that's bigger than a king-size bed? That's right, at 2.6-meters by 1.8-meters there's more than enough room for well-heeled VIPs or employees of large companies and government agencies (the target market for the S9110) to catch some z's on it -- and bring a few friends. It's available for custom orders just before we see the new generation of Ultra HD (including a 105-inch curved model) at CES 2014 next week, although most of us will be looking for TVs that actually fit inside our living room. Update: Even though the set is custom order only, Samsung has confirmed to us that the basic edition costs 15 million Korean won ($142,000~) -- but who sticks with just the basics?
Samsung has its own 105-inch, ultrawidescreen UHD TV to show at CES
Samsung couldn't possibly let its Korean rival LG jump ahead in the race to produce astoundingly large super high res televisions we can't afford, and as such has unveiled its own 105-inch, ultrawide, ultra high definition TV. It will be at CES, just like the model LG announced earlier tonight, and while it's unlikely to fit in our living rooms -- or budgets -- we're planning on taking a closer look as soon as possible. After apparently fading out late last year, it appears the ultrawidescreen 21:9 format is also suddenly hot again, at least for these demo models, matching the IMAX-style curvature of these screens. The pixel count is a stunning 5,120 x 2,160, and Samsung is already claiming this one is "the world's most curved." While LG and Samsung have gone head to head in recent years with Ultra HD, OLED and curved OLED TVs, the extreme sizes seen here remind us mostly of CES 2007's battle between a Sharp 108-inch LCD and Samsung's 102-inch plasma.
Netflix teases 4K streaming straight to UHD TVs, expect details at CES next month
Netflix has been talking up its ability to stream Ultra HD resolution video (demonstrated at the last CES with a local video feed, as seen above), and CPO Neil Hunt reiterated those "next year" promises to Stuff.tv. Specifically, he indicated the streamer has deals to offer 4K video via embedded players on UHD TVs from several manufacturers that will be announcing them at CES. What you won't hear about -- at least immediately -- is any 4K support from set-top boxes, including the two next-generation consoles, as Netflix is apparently waiting for standards (read: DRM) and HDMI 2.0 to mature first. Gigaom spotted a few test 4K videos on Netflix early in November, however they won't play in that resolution on current hardware either. Content-wise, early adopters can expect House of Cards season two and... probably not a lot else, but that should keep everyone busy for one Kevin Spacey-filled week or so.
LG's 105-inch, 21:9 curved UHD TV is wide enough to be a tanning bed
LG already has a big 77-inch curved Ultra HD OLED TV, but why stop there? The Korean company has just announced that it will be unveiling a 105-inch version at CES next month, but with a twist: this one uses LCD instead of the more expensive OLED, courtesy of improved TFT technology for an even backlighting across the curved surface. Furthermore, this 105UB9 model has a wider-than-usual 21:9 "CinemaScope" aspect ratio, thus providing a 5,120 x 2,160 UHD resolution (but technically not 5K). While we likely won't find out about the pricing of this monstrosity until CES, this milestone for LG Display's LCD technology could signify a wave of more affordable curved TVs next year -- much like what Sony's attempting with its S990A. Stay tuned for our eyes-on report once we hit the show floor.
MediaTek launches world's first true octa-core mobile chip, first devices due end of year
Qualcomm's nightmare has finally come true. Earlier today, MediaTek officially introduced the world's first true octa-core mobile processor, MT6592, and the first devices to feature it are expected to arrive as soon as end of year. This 28nm chip packs eight low-power Cortex-A7 cores, and courtesy of the Heterogeneous Multi-Processing use model on top of ARM's big.LITTLE architecture (though it's actually "LITTLE.LITTLE" in this case), all eight cores can operate simultaneously -- at up to between 1.7GHz and 2GHz, depending on the bin. MediaTek pointed that Chrome can already make use of all eight cores, and likewise with some map apps, video players plus multi-window function. According to the company's figures, the MT6592 manages to beat what appears to be the quad-core Snapdragon 800 in benchmarks, power consumption (as low as 40 percent) and temperature. You can see the full detail in this article's gallery.
Sony's Phil Molyneux talks 4K strategy, with Spike Lee as exhibit 'A'
Sony's consumer electronics COO Phil Molyneux has a story to tell about his company's deep plunge into 4K, so who better to help than veteran auteur Spike Lee? The filmmaker's foray into crowdfunded cinema production is well-known, and it turns out that he's using the company's 4K CineAlta PMW-F55 digital cinema cameras on the project, entitled Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. The pair spoke at our Expand event in New York, where Molyneux said he had to drag 50 people together from across Sony's divisions to make 4K content distribution happen. Meanwhile, Lee, a moderate technophobe, detailed his first crowdfunding experience and how Kickstarter told him that there would be a "backlash." Sony's level of commitment to 4K with its production and consumer cameras, projectors, players and TVs begged the inevitable question: What about Ultra HD content? Surprisingly, Phil acknowledged the silo-like nature of the sprawling electronics giant, saying that it often "hasn't worked well together for the greater benefit of the consumer experience." Because of that, he said he brought about a group of people from the company's various divisions together to figure out how to create a 4K consumer distribution network, first announced at CES this year. Having brashly committed to launching the service by the end of the summer, the team managed to get it up just before Labor Day with 70 films (all produced, unsurprisingly, by Sony Entertainment), a feat he described in retrospect as "tremendous."
Seiki launching its 65-inch 4K TV in December for $3,000
Not one to rest on its 39- and 50-inch Ultra HDTV options, Seiki has announced that its promised 65-inch model is going to arrive this December, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Seiki's newly minted, well-sized Ultra HD set, which is formally known as the SE65UY04, features a refresh rate of 120Hz on 1080p and 30Hz on 4K resolution. This means the outfit's 65-incher won't have HDMI 2.0 onboard, and thus potential buyers will have to be content with HDMI 1.4 technology. Now, given the not-too-shabby $3,000 MSRP, we have a hunch some folks won't mind that too much once it becomes available in "early December." More importantly, do you plan to snag one?
Toshiba's concept REGZA 40V and 50V 4K HDTVs double as pro-grade reference monitors
Toshiba's overall TV division may be ailing, but it's innovations like this that'll keep it from completely decaying. Displayed at the company's CEATEC booth here in Japan are two new 4K HDTV displays -- the 40-inch 40V and 50-inch 50V. Outside of devilishly-thin bezels and native 4K resolutions, the company's not talking specifications. What it's focusing on instead is the concept: it's dreaming of an Ultra HD range of displays that can operate as televisions and as pro-grade reference monitors. After all, budding editors who are being tasked with cutting together 4K footage certainly deserve a monitor that won't cut corners, right? A company representative informed us that while the displays weren't perfectly color accurate, they were far superior to rivals. Plus, the ability to easily toggle between reference mode and various other living room-accepted modes will enable a level of A/B testing that's pretty tough to get right now. Naturally, both monitors looked stunning up close, and if we're being candid, we're fallen in love with Photoshop all over again after seeing it displayed on these guys. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
LG's cheapest Ultra HDTV starts at $3,500, OLED TV drops to $10,000
LG had its own Ultra HD news to reveal here at CEDIA 2013, and first up are two new edge LED lit LCD TVs joining the family. The cheaper models the company announced in Korea last month are coming to the US this month, with the 65-inch LA9650 (shown above) rocking a $5,000 price tag, and the 55-inch coming home for just $3,500 -- even less than we'd expected. Coming along with the new TVs is an LG "Sound Plate" it first showed off at IFA (pictured after the break). There's no price or release date yet, but expect it to hit in Q4. Beyond the new TVs, LG is also slashing prices on its existing lineup, with the higher end LA9700 models in the same sizes dropping to $6,500 and $4,500. Concerned about needing HDMI 2.0 in the future? We don't have firm answers yet, but LG says it's working on a solution for existing models. Even its 55-inch curved OLED TV is getting a price break, dropping down to $10,000 at retail from its previous launch price of $14,000.
Sharp's 70-inch, THX-certified Aquos Ultra 4K TV goes on sale in the US for $7,500
We are well past mid-August, which is when Sharp initially estimated its new 70-inch Aquos 4K Ultra HD LED TV would begin hitting shelves. Despite the late arrival, however, something tells us folks will still be glad to have yet another choice when shopping for their next 4K television set. To make things better, Sharp's super high-res, THX-certified Smart TV is set to be carrying a $7,499.99 MSRP here in the States, making it about $500 cheaper than when it was originally announced. Those of you interested shouldn't have trouble finding one, as Sharp says it'll be available at many regional and major retailers across the country.
Samsung brings its first OLED 4K TV to IFA, we go eyes-on
Sony outed the very first 4K OLED television at CES last January, and now Samsung is catching up with its very own. We swooped by the firm's slice of show floor at IFA to lay eyes on its latest TV, and walked away quite impressed. The 55-inch Ultra HD set packs a powerful visual punch, delivering sharp visuals and incredibly vivid colors. So vivid, in fact, we were suspicious that the sample footage was HDR video -- it may very well be, but that doesn't take away from the hardware's color reproduction prowess. Big blue's panel far and away outpaces non-OLED 4K displays when it comes to bright and lively color. Viewing angles on the screen are remarkable too, as glancing at the screen just a few degrees askance won't blur or mute picture quality. As for form factor, Samsung's set is contained into a sleek and extremely thin shell. No pricing or release window is on the docket, but you can check out the gallery below to ogle at the TV for yourself. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
LG's 77-inch Ultra HD curved OLED TV is the biggest, with the most buzzwords (update: eyes-on)
The never ending battle between Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG has moved to its inevitable next level, as LG has introduced an even larger super high-res OLED than its competitor's 55-inch models. The new high water mark is this 77-inch Ultra HD curved OLED it's showing off at IFA 2013, which is a step up in pretty much every way possible and even makes us recall the LCD size wars of the mid '00s. Whether or not we asked for it, it's bringing new display technology, a rare shape and of course, that truly outstanding size. It's only a concept now, but so was the $15,000 55-inch version at one point so we'd suggest keeping your black card handy. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Philips 9000 series 4K TVs eyes-on (Update: now with video)
We heard about that 65-inch, award-winning Philips 4K set a while back, and earlier today, we finally got to see the thing trotted out on stage in all of its ultra high-def glory. Turns out it's also got a bigger sibling, an 84-incher. We managed to get up close and personal with both of the sets on the floor, sitting side by side in Philips' booth. The bezels on the 9000s are reasonably thin, though not nearly as svelte as we've seen on the sort of sets that Samsung and Sony like to trot out. Same goes for the profile -- if you're really interested in the thinnest 4K sets on the market, you're going to want to look elsewhere -- not shocking, of course, as the company is positioning these as budget sets. Ultra high-definition for the people. The sets are available today in the UK and Russia, priced at €4,999 ($6,588)and and €14,999 ($19,768), respectively. You can get a bit of a closer look at them in the gallery below. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Philips intros 65- and 84-inch 4K TVs priced at €4,999 and €14,999
New 4K TVs from Philips? We can't say we didn't see 'em coming. Heck, Philips even won an award for one of them. The company was waiting for the main event here at IFA to make the thing officially official, however. Philips took to the stage today to show off two entries in its 9000 series -- 65- and 84-inch models. The company's promising an "attractive price point here" -- that means €4,999 ($6,588) for the smaller 65PFL9708 and €14,999 ($19,768) for the 84PFL9708. Both sets feature Ultra Pixel HD Engine technology for upscaling, given the still somewhat limited selection of 4K content. The 65 and 84 are both available now in the UK and Russia. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Sony starts delivering 4K downloads with Video Unlimited 4K service
Sony's betting big on 4K, with its movie studios shooting movies and television in 4K using its pro cameras. And now, to get that content to all those Ultra HD TVs, the company is rolling out its long-awaited Video Unlimited 4K download service. As of today, there are 70 native 4K movies and shows available -- Sony's aiming to have over 100 by the end of the year -- and users can rent or buy content through the service. Of course, you'll need one of Sony's FMP-X1 media players and an appropriately rezzed Sony screen to actually consume said video. Single show episodes are $3.99, with movie rentals starting at $7.99 for a 24-hour viewing window. Looking to buy? $29.99 gets you any film for good.
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!
Samsung to show off 98-inch Ultra HD video wall, 31.5-inch 4K monitor at IFA 2013
As surely as there will be another round of tradeshows this fall and winter, companies like Samsung will be there with bigger and better tech to show off, which consists of new 4K displays this time around. At IFA 2013, Samsung plans to show off this 98-inch commercial Ultra HD "video wall", as well as a 31.5-inch Ultra HD monitor. Samsung unveiled its 85-inch UHDTV at CES earlier this year it promised sizes would grow so we're not surprised it's combining slim-bezeled versions to create this massive screen headed to storefronts near you. There's no picture yet for the 31.5-inch monitor and few details, but Samsung is ready to battle with competition from the likes of ASUS and Sharp with detailed color calibration adjustments and support for 99 percent of Adobe's RGB space.
