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Samsung flip-flops, says mainstream OLED TVs still 5 years out

by Darren Murph posted Mar 27th 2009 at 5:53PM


Hey, wait just a cotton-pickin' minute here! Last April, we caught Samsung asserting that it figured affordable medium-to-large size OLED TVs would be available in 2009 / 2010. Now, we've got Samsung Europe's new President and CEO telling us that "mainstream" OLED sets are still five years out. Believe it or not, said bigwig was quoted as saying that "when it comes to OLED, we have several issues to overcome in terms of technology and production cost," and that it would be "at least four to five years before we see OLED in the market place." Of course, such a quip is to be expected given the quantity of dollars Sammy has poured into LCD, but we're still a bit dismayed by the news. Hear that, entrepreneurs of the world? The time's about right for an OLED-only startup to beat every last one of these traditional powerhouses to the punch.

Net Insight holds live 3D telepresence demonstration, shows it on video

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2008 at 6:30PM


While this wasn't the only live 3D broadcast going on at IBC2008, we couldn't resist passing along a video of this one in action. Net Insight was at the show demonstrating a live 3D telepresence setup using a 1.5Gbps connection. From Stockholm (the show floor is in Amsterdam), a company employee was able to wave and communicate in real-time in stunning 3D. The kicker? No funky goggles were required to see him, and while you needed to stand pretty much directly in front of the display in order to get the full effect, we can't help but be wowed at what went on here. Seriously, check out the video in the read link and imagine watching a movie in this manner in your own home. It's good stuff, we promise.

[Thanks, Tommie]

DreamWorks CEO participates in live transatlantic 3D broadcast

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2008 at 5:59PM

While it's not quite a hologram interview, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg still managed to wow onlookers in Amsterdam by being the subject of a live 3D broadcast originating in Los Angeles. This isn't the first of its kind, mind you, but those involved are still patting themselves on the back and dubbing it the "first transatlantic HD stereoscopic 3D broadcast." Part of the demonstration was to showcase the bigwig's belief that 3D is the future of cinema, as he stated that it was "the most exciting thing to happen to the visual experience in 70 years." Over at IBC2008, 3D HD was being pumped up by firms such as 3Ality and Quantel, and as much as we doubted that this stuff could ever catch on, we can't say the marketing teams aren't doing their darnedest to make it so.

[Image courtesy of PhotoBucket]

Matsushita talks about future plasma developments

by Darren Murph posted Mar 28th 2008 at 10:48AM


Given that Matsushita (Panasonic's parent company) is slated to start pumping out plasma panels for Pioneer, it's no surprise to hear that the company is getting serious about some seriously impressive developments. During a recent seminar full of TV geeks and gurus, the company talked of the "Fifth Wave" arriving, presumably alluding to its fifth PDP plant in Amagasaki, which is set to open up in May 2009. Generally speaking, we're told that future sets will likely be more interactive, include more "professional digital technologies" that have typically been reserved for professional models, and of course, TVs that are thinner and lighter. All in all, nothing too surprising here, but considering the expectations that come along with the Kuro name, we wouldn't be shocked to see some noticeable upgrades / innovations emerge over the next year and change.

High dynamic range gets trumpeted once more

by Darren Murph posted Dec 18th 2007 at 8:39AM


Much like SED, OLED and Laser TV technologies, high dynamic range has been lingering in the background for what seems like ages, but a new writeup over at Sound & Vision is bringing it back (at least partially) into the spotlight. Reportedly, Dolby -- which purchased BrightSide Technologies earlier this year -- will be making some sort of announcement about the tech at CES, but judging by current estimates, we won't see sets based on HDR for "two or three years." For those who've forgotten what the fuss is all about, high dynamic range is purportedly able to offer whites whiter than white and blacks darker than anything else out there, but such luxuries aren't apt to come cheap for early adopters. Dolby refused to cough up an estimated price range for the first retail models, but who knows, maybe we'll learn a touch more about all of this in just a few weeks.

Samsung exec hints at 4000 x 2000 resolution LCD panels

by Darren Murph posted Dec 18th 2007 at 6:21AM

It's not like we haven't seen 4k x 2k displays hung around on fancy show floors before, but catching one in the average home isn't something you'd expect anytime soon. That could soon be changing, however, so long as Samsung has a say in things. Reportedly, the firm's vice president for LCD sales in the Americas, Scott Birnbaum, was quoted as saying that "LCD sets are getting bigger, and increasing in resolution and quality, leading to a market similar to computers." He continued by stating that "the next wave of resolution will be 8-times the resolution of HD," suggesting that his company expects to start cranking out units that are "roughly" 4,000 x 2,000 pixels. It was also noted that Samsung has yet to lay the groundwork for a next-generation plant that could handle the feat, but it is "starting to talk about the idea with potential customers." Big screen OLED TVs? 4k x 2k displays for the home? Bring it on, Sammy.

[Thanks, gamedude420]

Mitsubishi, Hitachi talk LED / laser technology

by Darren Murph posted Apr 9th 2007 at 9:03AM


Trust us, we know when these mega-corps put their heads together to create a buzz-eliciting presentation about the "future of HDTV," things don't always materialize as planned, but Mitsubishi and Hitachi each had a few interesting things to say at a recent pep talk about their hopes and dreams. Aside from alerting us all to the painfully obvious tidbit that HDTV prices are "unlikely to be stable" in the years ahead, Mitsubishi also talked up how 1080p will become an integral part of its forthcoming sets, and more interestingly, spoke about integrating "LED and laser technologies" into HDTVs. Also, it was stated that bigger screens would likely garner more attention as prices fell, and that x.v. Color would also play a role in 2007 / 2008 strategies. On the Hitachi front, it focused more on marketing its "well built flat panels" as "accessible luxuries," but also mentioned an expansion in its HDTV lineup, a boost in 1080p-capable sets, and a 60-inch flagship plasma that would "be sold only through A/V specialists." Now, who's betting it all comes true?




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