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Neuros OSD 3 in development, makers want your input

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 29th 2009 at 11:13AM


Neuros has earned significant kudos with techies for its hackable OSD media player / recorder and its commitment to open source software. It's no surprise then to see the company reaching out to its loyal community for input on what should be found in the third generation of the device. Yes, technically the OSD 2 isn't even out of the developer kit stage yet, but Neuros is planning well ahead of time, with the 3.0 model unlikely to be seen for another 18 months. Founder Joe Born has confirmed a continuing partnership with Texas Instruments on an ARM-based unit, which should be able to play and record at 1080p / 60 with support for all the relevant formats and containers. There'll be a minimum of 2GB DDR3 RAM, as well as a HTML5- and Flash-compliant browser, but the rest of the specs are up to you -- if there's some killer feature you simply must have, hit the read link and let Neuros know.

[Via Slashgear]

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.

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]

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.

Carl Zeiss' powerdomeVELVET planetarium projector: 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2008 at 7:41PM

We've seen dynamic contrast ratios on HDTVs climb as high as 2,000,000:1, but an in-house design from the famed Carl Zeiss blows that right out of the water. The powerdomeVELVET planetarium projector was obviously not designed with home cinema in mind, though the specifications are no less impressive. We've got a 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio, DLP / BrilliantColor technologies, a 1,200p native resolution and a DVI input. Not like you're actually considering one for your own domed theater, but it'll be available for a small fortune in Q1 2009.

[Via DVICE]

Neuros ships HD-capable OSD 2.0 set-top-box

by Darren Murph posted Sep 17th 2008 at 8:29AM


Was it really 2006 when Linux lovers were sinking their gums into Neuros Technology's OSD? Two years later, we're finally seeing shipment of the OSD 2.0, which diverts quite significantly from the original in terms of design and ups the ante by adding support for encoding high-definition video at 720p in MPEG-4 and D1 resolution in the H.264 format. It's built around a Texas Instruments Davinci-based CPU module and a mini-ITX motherboard / enclosure, but rather than just being a very hackable consumer product, this one is described as a "super-reference design" by CEO Joe Born. You'll likely remember the WhereverTV, which is of course based on the OSD 2.0, and the firm has already landed another partner for the box in Hupla. For the individuals who just want an undisturbed unit, you can latch on now for $250.

Leica reveals Pradovit D-1200 DLP HD projector

by Darren Murph posted Sep 15th 2008 at 9:30AM


Whoa, Leica -- what got into you of late? Introducing three new cameras at once just not good enough? Evidently not, as the outfit better known for its retro-styled snappers has just produced an all new high-def projector, the 7.5-pound Pradovit D-1200. Taking a hint from projectiondesign's, um, design cues, this DLP beamer boasts a native 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, 1,400 ANSI lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio and a VARIO-ELMARIT-P f/2.8-3.1/33-42 mm high-speed lens. You'll also find a 220-watt FusionPlus VIDI UHP lamp from Philips which is said to be good for around 3,000 hours, and as for ports, there's component, HDMI 1.3, DVI, composite, S-Video, VGA and Ethernet jacks. Mum's the word on a price, but it'll be available for those with thick wallets this November.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

World's first "no lamp replacement, liquid-cooled" 1080p projector lands at CEDIA

by Darren Murph posted Sep 3rd 2008 at 7:40PM


If your friends ever cracked a single joke on you for having a liquid-cooled gaming rig, watch real close and see if they don't end up swooning over this one. Taiwanese OEM / ODM supplier Chilin Technology has introduced the planet's first "lamp-free 1080p projector with liquid cooling" at this year's CEDIA Expo. The firm has partnered with Luminus Devices (for its PhlatLight LED) and Texas Instruments (for its 1080p DMD tech) in order to produce the device, which will boast 600 ANSI lumens, a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, 128% NTSC color gamut and a lamp good for around 50,000 hours (or, in Chillin's view, forever). As for a release date, we know it'll be demonstrated here in Denver, but there's no word on how quickly it'll begin shipping out to customers.

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

Vivitek introduces its very first projectors, forgets to make 'em memorable

by Darren Murph posted Aug 20th 2008 at 10:18AM


Just what the world needs -- another pair of perfectly average projectors to choose from. Vivitek has boldly gone where so many others have gone before by introducing the D326MX (XGA) and D326WX (WXGA) projectors, both of which rely on Texas Instruments' DLP engine and boast rapid start-up / instant shutdown features, HDMI / component connectors, 2,600 ANSI lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 5-segment color wheel and a 1-watt speaker for mind-blowing monaural sound. The units weigh in at just 3.2-pounds apiece, and both should be available now for $999 / $1,199 should you remember to look within the next 15 seconds. Full release after the break.

Continue reading Vivitek introduces its very first projectors, forgets to make 'em memorable

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.




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