Microsoft Corp. just announced the availability of Microsoft® Mediaroom™, the latest update to its Internet Protocol television (IPTV) software platform, featuring several new multimedia capabilities, including in-home personal music and photo sharing, dynamic MultiView (multiple picture-in-picture) capabilities, Multimedia Application Environment for development of interactive services and advanced applications, and digital terrestrial television (DTT) support. Microsoft also introduced the Microsoft Mediaroom Application Development toolkit, which provides service providers and third-party developers with tools to create compelling, revenue-generating TV-based applications that run on the platform.

With this latest release, Microsoft is renaming its IPTV platform Microsoft Mediaroom to better reflect the broader set of new connected entertainment experiences made possible today and the types of experiences anticipated in the future. In addition, the Microsoft Mediaroom name and identity are designed to be used by service providers as an ingredient brand to create a powerful competitive differentiator to support their consumer marketing activities.

... continue reading Microsoft Mediaroom introduction

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Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has introduced the largest (70 inch) commercially available full high-definition LCD TV in Korea. The new TV boasts Samsung’s very best image enhancement technologies and employs a light-emitting diode (LED) backlight instead of the conventional cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) version. Moreover, Samsung’s unique local dimming technology enables the LED backlight to be turned off in dark image areas, delivering a dynamic contrast ratio of 500,000:1. At the same time, power consumption is lowered by as much as fifty percent.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s LED scanning eliminates the flicker and ghosting problems associated with large-screen LCD TVs.

“I am pleased to introduce the 70″ Full-HD LCD TV with innovative Local Dimming Technology,” said JongWoo Park, President of the Digital Media Business, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to strengthen its LCD TV leadership, enhancing Full-HD and large screen LCD TV line-up.”

A high-gloss, “piano black” bezel and titanium chrome trim accentuate the elegance and sophistication of Samsung’s new 70″ full-HD LCD TV. The dual hidden speakers and rear woofer deliver the rich sound quality to match the larger-than-life on-screen images.

... continue reading Samsung 70 inch LED LCD HDTV introduction

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Projectiondesign sets a benchmark for the residential home theater market with the new Projectiondesign Action! M25 1080p DLP™ projector. The compact 1080p single-chip model comes complete with full HD 1080 resolution, high-quality 10-bit video processing and HDMI 1.3 compatibility. At just 3.7 inches high, 9.2 inches deep and 10.8 inches wide, the M25 1080p is the smallest full HD projector available on the market today.

The Action! M25’s innovative attributes and superior DLP-based technology, built upon the company’s proven professional projectors, offers true, cinema-quality image reproduction for home theatres and home entertainment. “The M25 is terrific. It’s compact, easy to use and delivers a picture that’s as close to real life as any you’ve ever seen,” says Gary Plavin, projectiondesign LLC president.

The projectiondesign Action! M25 uses Texas Instruments® 0.95″ 1080p DMD™ with BrilliantColor technology for the best possible image quality. BrilliantColor adds a new dimension to colors by reproducing a wider color spectrum and by increasing saturation in the difficult secondary colors. It dramatically increases the visible color gamut. The Action! M25 includes a seven-segment, 5x color wheel and brightness of up to 1,000 lumens.

... continue reading Projectiondesign Action! M25 beamer introduction

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Toshiba Corporation today announced two high-end additions to its VARDIA digital video recorders (DVR) that add the capabilities of HD DVD recordable drives to a wide range of advanced functions. The new DVR introduce the ability to record two digital HD television programs simultaneously, and also integrate Toshiba’s new “VARDIA engine”, which supports significant enhancements to ease of use and performance, including faster drawing of the graphic user interface (GUI) and improved HD DVD disc operation. The HD DVD VARDIA RD-A600 and HD DVD VARDIA RD-A300 will be rolled out in the Japanese market from the end of June.

The new models offer consumers a choice of hard disk drive capacities. The 600-gigabyte (GB) RD-A600 can record about 78 hours*1 of digital HD broadcasts to its hard drive in HD picture quality, while 300GB RD-A300 can record about 39 hours*1. Both integrate an HD DVD recordable drive that can directly record HD television programs to an HD DVD-R disc or transfer HD images stored in HDD to an HD DVD-R disc. Like standard DVR, the new recorders allow users to build libraries of their favorite content, whether dramas, movies or sport, but add the ability to do so in vibrant, high definition detail, by storing HD content to HD DVD-R discs.

... continue reading Toshiba Vardia RD-A600 and RD-A300 HD DVD recorders introduction

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With more and more people living the digital lifestyle, it’s fair to say that technology has become an integral part of much of our day-to-day lives. But while technology is often viewed as an agent of separation ”“ families isolated in different parts of the house listening to music and surfing the Internet, for example, or friends communicating only via e-mail ”“ Microsoft is creating products that do just the opposite: help people build connections.

How? By making it possible for people to connect with others in a way that’s easy, fun, and fast, whether they live in the same house, across the country or even around the world from one another.

At an event held this week in New York, Microsoft is bringing to life its vision of connected experiences. This vision ”“ evident in products on the market today ”“ is grounded in helping people connect with the information, entertainment, content and communities most important to them.

The first way of bringing this vision to life is simple: give people the tools to get the most out of their lives by offering technology that revolves around their needs and fits their lifestyle like a glove.

... continue reading Microsoft Connected Experiences introduction

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A casual LCD TV with multiple placement options, a good picture and sound performance at an attractive price. These are some of the elements of the new 26-inch TV BeoVision 8 from Bang & Olufsen.

With BeoVision 8, Designer David Lewis succeeds in bringing back the flat-screen television as a three-dimensional object in the room ”“ in a visual language that is freer than ever thanks to the compact technology of the screen and loudspeakers.

You could call it a young and street-smart concept that can easily be moved around and placed high or low, on walls, in cabinets, turned or tilted, matching any interior you may have. BeoVision 8 is a flat-screen television that appeals to the contemporary lifestyle where a switched-on television is an indispensable part of everyday life. It is a television that does not have to be placed in the living room, but also fits perfectly in the kitchen, the bedroom, or the children’s playroom. It is a television that is not too fashionable to be used anywhere at any time.

BeoVision 8 performance optimised for daily use
The BeoVision 8 has been optimized for daily and casual use. Focus is on simplicity and ease of use, and no unnecessary functions have been included. All choices in relation to the performance of the television have been evaluated against the casual user pattern. But both BeoLink functionality and extra video connections can be included with a convenient plug-and-play module.

... continue reading Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 8 LCD HDTV introduction

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The well known Volvo Ocean Race continues to push the technological boundaries with a decision to introduce high definition television ( HDTV ) feeds as part of its upgraded broadcast coverage for the 2008-09 event. The result will mean enhanced picture quality and an opportunity to engage world-wide broadcasters looking to fill their schedules with HDTV material.

The 2005-06 race attracted a cumulative global television audience of 1.8 billion. According to Harold Anderson, Executive Producer of the Volvo Ocean Race, the advent of HDTV will swell that number as HDTV broadcasters seek compelling content.

“As more and more broadcasters around the world push for more high definition product, this decision will ensure that the weekly programmes covering the race will be much sought after,” Anderson said. “We are already getting plenty of interest as a result. The pictures from the race, always dramatic and compelling, will be greatly enhanced by high definition.” “Just as the yachts in the Volvo Ocean Race represent the cutting edge of sailing technology, so the television coverage will mirror that.”

HDTV is a digital television broadcasting system with a significantly higher resolution than the traditional standard definition (SD) format, leading to enhanced picture quality. At present, a number of broadcasters in the United States, Japan and Europe carry HD programmes. The list will grow in line with the increase in consumer take-up of HD-ready television sets.

... continue reading The Volvo Ocean Race is HD-Ready

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Silicon Optix announced that the high-definition version of its HQV Benchmark DVD is now available to consumers. The test disc is available in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats for an MSRP of $20, and can be ordered from www.hqv.com. HD HQV Benchmark lets anyone objectively evaluate the picture quality of high-definition products, including HDTV displays, HD DVD and Blu-ray players, AV receivers, and projectors.

“For the first time, consumers will be able to test the high-definition performance of their products to make sure they live up to the manufacturers’ claims,” said Jordan Du Val, Silicon Optix’s VP of Marketing. “The HD HQV Benchmark is a perfect companion to our very successful standard-definition HQV Benchmark, which tests a product’s ability to upconvert standard-definition material.”

“The HD HQV Benchmark is already being used by journalists worldwide as a trusted source for product reviews. It’s a must-have for anyone considering an HD purchase, or for those who have already purchased and want to test the capabilities of their existing gear,” continued Du Val.

The HD HQV Benchmark begins with an introduction, an overview of the tests, and an explanation of how to use the included scorecard to assess any product like a pro.

... continue reading HD HQV Benchmark introduction

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