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TI sticks to its DLP guns, fires off 4k pro gear

by Steven Kim, posted Jun 20th 2009 at 11:21AM

Christie DLP projectorYou just knew that Texas Instruments wasn't going to leave the 4k cinema projector market to SXRD, right? Sure enough, TI unveiled its DLP Cinema 4k technology and announced that Barco, Christie and NEC will be sprinkling the new tech across more than a dozen new projectors. Now, if TI would get serious about 3-chip DLP consumer solutions -- not even 4k -- we'd be out of our seats (or maybe the movie house's). Until then, we'll have to settle for the possibility that the lowered costs of the next generation of the DLP Cinema platform will allow for more screens to go digital. One thing's for sure -- those IMAX DLP setups need all the pixels they can get.

NEC upgrades DLP projectors for higher res 3D in time for the premiere of Up

by Richard Lawler, posted May 30th 2009 at 10:03AM


If you roll out this weekend to check out Disney Pixar's latest addition to the 3D film movement Up, you might be seeing it broadcast by one of NEC's new NC2500S-A projectors or an older model that has been upgraded, sending out 3D in 2K res courtesy of Texas Instruments' DLP chips. The kids might not notice a 33% improvement in resolution and brightness over previous generations that let it put the show on bigger screens than ever before, but we're sure you will. Word is Clearview's Ziegfeld Theatre is one of the first with the upgrade, so if you're close by, we all know how important choosing a theater carefully can be these days.

ISB Corp assimilates Android into STB

by Ross Miller, posted May 18th 2009 at 7:47PM

Netbooks and digital picture frames aren't the only new territory Google's Android can be found exploring. ISB Corp is tinkering with the platform as a way of powering a set-top box. A reference board powered by TI's OMAP 3530 processor was on display last week, strutting its video playback and web browsing capabilities at the 12th Embedded Systems Expo in Tokyo, and there the company said it was in the process of optimizing the software for a smooth HD video experience. It's also reportedly demonstrating support for wireless keyboards and Bluetooth. Frankly, we haven't been 100 percent sold on a lot of these Android implementations, but there's definitely potential here. Hopefully we can get some more glimpses of it in the not too distant future.

Samsung's Joe Kane-designed SP-A900 due later this month

by Richard Lawler, posted May 11th 2009 at 10:56PM


Been waiting for something to top the well-received Samsung SP-A800B? How about the next in the line, the SP-A900, ready to ship later this month but now improved with Texas Instruments' DarkChip 4 DLP chipset for an even higher contrast ratio (now up to 12,000:1), similarly higher price, 1080p res at an MSRP of $12,999. CNET lets it be known this should bring the Joe Kane approved design home via specialty retailers as is its custom, but we're sure fans of quality projectors know where it can be found.

Next-gen DLP Cinema platform makes room for live 3D broadcasting

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 2nd 2009 at 12:23AM

Surely you knew that you'd eventually hear "DLP" and "3D" in the same sentence, right? Over at ShoWest this week, Texas Instruments is announcing plans for its next-generation DLP Cinema electronics platform. Generally speaking, this wouldn't be all that exciting, but this one's different. Aside from letting us know that DLP Cinema projectors will be deployed by Christie, Barco and NEC at commercial theaters around the world starting in 2010, we're also told that it will feature "increased bandwidth to integrate alternative content to incorporate live 3D broadcasting." Yep, that NAB demonstration and this year's NBA All-Star weekend were just the beginning.

TI's OMAP 4 bringing 1080p support to smartphones and MIDs

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 17th 2009 at 1:59PM

Right around this time last year, Texas Instruments was busy showing off its OMAP 3 platform, which enabled 720p playback from a mobile phone. At this year's MWC, we've got a real live handset recording 720p, and TI upping the ante once more with a chip that handles 1080p. For those still with us after being blasted with resolutions, the predictably titled OMAP 4 aims to bring 1080p support, 20 megapixel imaging and "approximately a week of audio play time" to mobiles and MIDs that house it. Granted, TI also calls this stuff "future-proof," so don't believe it's totally incapable of uttering some pretty outlandish stuff. At the heart of the platform is a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 chip, a programmable multimedia engine based on TI's C64x DSP and a POWERVR SGX540 graphics engine. We're told that it'll play nice with Linux variants such as Android and LiMo, Symbian and Windows Mobile, though it'll have to be mighty impressive to outgun NVIDIA's Tegra. Battle on, we say.

[Via Linux Devices]

SIM2 aims high with $58,000 Grand Cinema HT5000E DLP projector

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 9th 2009 at 3:54PM


SIM2 never fails to stun, and it's proving yet again that it couldn't care less about the global economic situation (or that it just aims at a class of people that are simply unaffected) with the Grand Cinema HT5000E. Said device was actually outed yesterday courtesy of an HDGiants pair-up, but today we're being gifted with the official details. The three-chip DLP beamer includes a trio of 0.95-inch DarkChip4 DMDs, a 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, six lens options, Ethernet jack for remote control and world-class color uniformity / edge-to-edge focus capabilities. Yeah, it'll cost you more than most vehicles and even some diminutive homes at $57,995, but at least the white glove delivery service is included. A true bargain, let us tell you. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading SIM2 aims high with $58,000 Grand Cinema HT5000E DLP projector

Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 8:01AM

Hillcrest Labs and TI RF4CENothing is more frsutrating than when your IR remote "misses" a piece of gear -- your whole carefully synchronized setup goes out of whack, especially if you've got macros programmed on that remote. Hillcrest Labs is hoping to save you some headaches by joining up with Texas Instruments to produce RF remotes that comply with the RF4CE standard that came out last summer. They'll be showing some of these new wares off at CES, and we expect RF technology is pretty much essential for use with Hillcrest's Freespace motion control where the whole point of the device is to wave it about with reckless disregard for a chicklet-sized IR sensor. Press release past the break.

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI

TI talks up dual view processing technology for single HDTVs

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 6th 2008 at 8:40AM

No, that feeling of déjà vu isn't without merit -- Texas Instruments has been touting this technology since CES 2008, but it's good to see the company still pressing on. For those in need of a refresher, the dual view 3D technology will essentially enable two people to watch two different things on the same television. Tim Simerly, video systems architect at TI, noted that each viewer would wear their own set of glasses which would correspond with the image they were supposed to see, and of course, separate headsets would be necessary in most scenarios. Unfortunately, no one would comment on the possibility of brain implosion should someone put both sets of goggles on at the same time, but we'd expect further demonstrations at CES 2009.

TI promises Dual View DLP demos at year end

by Richard Lawler, posted Oct 31st 2008 at 2:47PM

Initially teased at CES, Texas Instruments promises the future of DLP could include two people sitting on a couch wearing odd glasses, watching the same television but seeing two entirely different things while actively ignoring and disregarding the other's presence (at least one will have to wear headphones.) While passive aggressive Fridays at the Engadget lounge are always interesting, whether Dual View can catch on with the rest of the world or find a better use, like hiding Madden playcalls, remains to be seen, but should be soon since the company announced Thursday that it plans to show off the tech by year end.

Delta calls "first" on LED-based DLP projector with a little help from Luminus

by Steven Kim, posted Aug 30th 2008 at 12:32AM

TI, Delta, Luminus logosEven though the product doesn't have any availability, pricing, or even a name yet, Delta Electronics is claiming to have the first full HD LED-based DLP projector, and is showing a demo unit at IFA and CEDIA. Using tech developed by TI and Luminus Devices, Delta says it's ready to go with a full-size 1080p projector with "PhlatLight" LEDs pumping out the lumens, which of course means an end to futzing around with burnt-out projector bulbs right in the middle of your feature presentation. No doubt, we're seeing LEDs show up in all manner of display devices, and if LED-lamped projector prices follow a trajectory like LED-backlit LCDs, we'd be happy campers indeed.

[Via About Projectors]

Read - Delta Electronics first LED HD projector
Read - Luminus and TI develop lamp-free tech

InFocus Play Big IN80 projector gets reviewed; it's a keeper

by Steven Kim, posted Aug 19th 2008 at 2:05PM

InFocus Play Big IN80 projector
The crew at Trusted Reviews didn't waste any time getting their hands on the just-announced InFocus Play Big IN80 projector. Better still, they liked what they saw. Despite initial trepidations about how the IN80 would fare compared to the £400 cheaper X10, they found performance significantly better in the bigger brother. Better contrast (with an emphasis on deeper black levels) and higher brightness earned points, and overall the review pegged the IN80 as the "knee" in the price-to-performance curve. The only niggles that turned up were fan noise and DLP rainbow effects, perhaps more noticeable due to the IN80's brighter lamp. Sounds like a worthy competitor to the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080, but take our advice -- don't go looking for those rainbows; see them once and you're ruined!

[Via AboutProjectors]

InFocus minds the budget with its Play Big IN80 projector

by Steven Kim, posted Aug 13th 2008 at 2:04PM

InFocus Play Big IN80 DLP projector
While we won't complain about the performance or styling of InFocus' Play Big IN83 projector, the $6,000 price tag is a little steep. Sure, it's got that 1080p DarkChip4 DLP and styling that doesn't look like you "borrowed" it from the boardroom, but that $6,000 price tag gives us pause. InFocus is adding the Play Big IN80 model to the lineup to fill the gap, though. The specs put the IN80 above the company's X10 model -- it packs a 1080p DarkChip with BrilliantColor, can pump out 1300 lumens in the snow scenes and shares the design with its IN83 big brother, so you won't be tempted to try out your PowerPoints at home. Best of all, though is the MSRP £1,299 ($2500) when it ships in September.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Texas Instruments extends projector-based DLP chip warranty to 5 years

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 5th 2008 at 7:11AM


In a bid to assure you, the prospective customer, that Texas Instruments' DLP chip is "bullet-proof" (its word, not ours), said outfit is stretching the warranty on any single-chip DLP module to five full years. Of note, this announcement covers chips within education, business, and home theater projectors only, and each manufacturer will be responsible for "providing details regarding their warranty programs, taking into consideration this new five year extension." Curiously enough, we can't decipher whether units that have already been purchased will be covered under the extension or if only new units purchased post-July 1, 2008 will be affected. If we owned one such device, we'd sure be on the phone with our manufacturer with this press release (in the read link) in hand.

Sharp launches XG-P560W .65-inch 3-chip DLP professional projector

by Darren Murph, posted May 28th 2008 at 2:39PM

We should probably preface this by reiterating that when Sharp says "professional," it means precisely that. The firm's latest beamer -- the June-bound XG-P560W (or XG-P560WN sans lens) -- features a modest WXGA (1,280 x 800) resolution, but includes Texas Instruments' .65-inch 3-chip DLP technology along with Sharp's own CV-IC II System for smoothing jaggies and minimizing image noise. Additionally, it features a 1,800:1 contrast ratio, seven interchangeable lenses, a dual-lamp lighting system, DVI / HDMI inputs and a built-in Ethernet port for remote access and control. Remember that whole spill we made at the onset? Yeah, here's proof: $16,995 for the XG-P560W, $15,995 for the XG-P560WN.




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