Samsung once again showed off their monster D9500 LED 3DTV at IFA 2011, touting an incredible 75-inch screen with active 3D technology.
The world's largest consumer LED TV according to Samsung, it completely dwarfed nearby 55-inch models, which themselves are big enough to flatten a person should they take a tumble. Screens this size can get a little blurry when it comes to fast moving scenes, but Samsung have popped in 240Hz refresh rate tech to keep things silky smooth.
Fully loaded with Smart TV funcitonality including a 3D VOD app and all manner of social networking capabilities, the D9500 also has Skype support built in, making the "Video Call Wall" of Back To The Future 2 very much a reality now.
Big screens inevitably come with big price tags, and the D9500 is no exception. You're looking at around $17,600 in the USA, or almost £11,000 when converted to UK pricing.
Hit the video above to see the impressive display in action.
Sharp's stand at IFA 2011 was a fairly quiet affair, but also arguably held the show's most impressive bit of kit. In a world first, Sharp have revealed a prototype 8K4K screen.
It's the most detailed display we've ever seen. To put it in perspective, a Full HD TV running at 1080p uses 2,073,600 pixels. Sharps monster uses an astounding 32,000,000 pixels.
It basically means that whether you're you're ten feet away or ten inches from the screen, you're still viewing an image with unparalleled clarity.
If you're interested in grabbing one, you'll have plenty of time to start saving; Japanese broadcasters NHK (the first to experiment with shooting 8K4K footage) aren't expecting to make this sort of super high-def broadcast mainstream until the year 2025. Still, after seeing this screen, every other TV looks very average indeed.
The old style Teletext Holiday pages were a mean old thing. With the rain lashing down outside and you at your lowest ebb, Teletext Holidays was the perfect (and at the time, practically only) place to browse cheap holiday packages and imagine yourself in distant, exotic climes. The irony was, in stormy weather your analogue TV reception would usually go up the wall, and the rainbow coloured blocky text of Teletext would become a garbled mess.
It's a completely different story with the Teletext Holidays App for Samsung's range of Smart TVs. Slick and web connected, they're hoping arm-chair day dreamers will once again turn to their TVs for travel inspiration.
The TV app will help users pick a cut-price trip by offering video guides, destination photos and a booking portal in what its makers are describing as "a glimpse of what the future of choosing holidays will look like".
"Searching for holidays on the television is what our brand is famous for so the partnership with Samsung Smart TV is an exciting new direction for us," said Victoria Sanders, Teletext Holidays managing director.
"This is a first for the travel industry and I believe it has the potential to transform the holiday search process. We've invested in creating an App which is simple, inspiring and practical to use."
The app is live now on Samsung Smart TVs and Samsung's range of connected home theatre products.
Looking to go big-screen for your Blu-ray collection without breaking the bank? Then ASDA's latest budget friendly TV could be just what you're looking for.
The 40-inch Luxor TV costs £299, and while it doesn't boast cutting edge motion processing tech, is practically pocket money for a Full HD 1080p screen of this size.
Connections are pretty standard (two HDMI, two scart), while sound is provided by stereo Nicam speakers. A Freeview digital TV tuner is a welcome built-in addition however.
It isn't nearly as eye-catching or feature rich as some of the latest televisions from larger brands, but if you're on a tight budget and are looking for size over any over defining spec, it's definitely worth a look.
We're all familiar with the Apple TV box, the little unit that sits under your HDTV and pumps premium movie content into your living room. But what of an actual Apple Television set? That's the rumour coming out of Daily Tech this morning, wh are claiming that an Apple branded TV is in the works, due to touch down this fall.
Speaking to an anonymous former Apple executive who says the set will "blow Netflix and all those other guys away", the source claims that Apple will outsource the manufacturing of the TV toa "major OEM" with no problem teaming with Apple as "if you have to be competing with somebody, you want to be competing with yourself."
This last bit we find hard to believe. Apart from the poorly received Motorola ROKR, Apple usually source multiple components from multiple manufacturers before eventually putting the parts together through their own Far Eastern factories such as FOXCONN. It seems unlikely that they would dream of partnering with Samsung, as the Daily Tech source claims they would.
That's not to say an Apple TV wont eventually arrive; an app-based TV using the App Store and the massive iTunes catalgoue would be mightily impressive. Just dont expect to see it by this Fal.
Samsung TVs are leading the charge when it comes to web connected and 3D features. Our recent test of their UE55D8000 model saw us award the TV a coveted top-marks award. We caught up with Guy Kinnell, Samsung UK's Marketing Director for TV, to see what the company has in store for the future of their Smart and 3D TVs, and what it takes to keep a platform like Smart TV at the top of its game.
Many people are only just getting used to the concept of apps on a mobile phone. Is it too soon to expect Joe Bloggs to feel comfortable with them on his television too?
Due to the popularity of smartphones and tablets, we know people are comfortable with smart devices. Smart TV is the next step in the evolution of smart devices and Samsung Smart TVs do everything that other smart devices do and more.
The Samsung Smart TV hub is one of the most user friendly interfaces on the market and viewers are quickly mastering how to make the most of their Smart TV. For instance, Apps such as LOVEFiLM, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are all common place in people's lives and are also all available on Samsung Smart TVs.
Some rural areas of the UK, and many wider areas around the globe, still lack decent broadband connections. Does this affect the sort of content you allow onto the Smart TV platform? And do you also think it has in any way affected the uptake of connected TVs as a whole?
Smart TV is different to a connected TV. The Smart TV experience integrates a multitude of content sources and provides many features designed to make the viewing experience more enjoyable (design, user interface, content discovery and search).
With respect to apps, the Samsung Smart TV operates effectively with a connection of 1.5 mbps or above. However, the more bandwidth an application requires e.g. 3D, the more consumers will need a stronger broadband package.
Traditional connected TVs may find their appeal more limited as they are often designed with an entire focus on specific apps rather than a more holistic Smart experience - this could impact their demand.
What do you feel makes Samsung's Smart TV platform better than similar offerings from rival manufacturers?
As the UK's most awarded TV brand1 Samsung is also leading the Smart TV market. Our strong reputation in functionality and design has continued with the Smart TV range and all our 2011 TVs feature our ONE DESIGN ultra-thin bezel which gives a virtually edge-less experience. This enables people to forget they are watching TV and feel like they are really there. Furthermore, the striking design of our TVs is complemented by the unmatchable picture quality, which has long been the benchmark of the market.
From a content point of view, Samsung is dominating the Smart TV sector by increasingly adding more content to the Smart TVs giving viewers a huge choice for their television. Recent announcements have included the development of the Five on Demand App onto the Samsung App Store as well as our 3D Video-on-Demand service, which offers consumers 3D content free and on-demand from Samsung Smart TVs.
While, Samsung's connectivity to other devices makes it easy for users to enjoy the benefits of the Smart Hub on items such as smartphones, laptops or tablets. We have recently announced the Smart View app for the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone, which allows viewers to watch Smart TV content, and access other Smart TV apps on their mobile phone as well as and Blu-ray content.
But perhaps one of the features which we are most proud of is Your Video, a bespoke Video-on-Demand service, which recommends movie clips and TV shows that reflect the individual tastes and is further proof that Smart TV is not only an entertainment hub within the home but a device that thinks for you.
Technology changes so quickly; how do you assure customers and developers alike that their apps will continue to be supported, even if the TV itself has aged a few years down the line?
Samsung is continually building on the current Samsung Apps store to ensure viewers have the widest range of content to enjoy on their TV such as gaming, 3D videos and social networking and whether they still have a 2011 model in two years or five years time, these Apps will still provide as an important viewer experience as ever before.
In addition, with Samsung Apps recently passing the 5 million download mark worldwide, we know there is a great appetitive for Apps. Whether it is to support an App that is refreshed or a firm favourite, Samsung will also nurture its strong relationship with developers to ensure the uptake for Apps is continued.
Do you have a favourite Smart TV app?
Currently, I'm enjoying Samsung's ''Explore 3D App'' which for the first time in the UK, enables consumers to access 3D content free and on-demand from Samsung Smart TVs.
We've already seen that 3D services are headed to the Smart TV platform. Can you divulge any info on what you have planned in the future for this area of Smart TVs?
Until now, 3D content has only been available through paid subscription and Blu-ray, but over the next year Samsung will lead the TV market by providing more options for consumers to watch 3D content. We've recently launched the new 3D Video on-demand service, allowing viewers to stream free 3D content through a specially designed App for the Samsung Smart TV platform and by the end of 2011- 70 free 3D videos will be available through the 'Explore 3D' App. We anticipate this area will continue to grow with pace and expect to see some big and exciting app announcement in future weeks and months.
If you had to convince my technophobic granddad to do away with his CRT set and purchase a Samsung Smart TV, how would you do so?
For those customers who wish to upgrade or are afraid of the latest technologies, an in-store demo is a great way to familiarise themselves with Smart TV. Here they can see the features and benefits of the flagship 3D 2011 Smart TV range firsthand but also have 'a play' with the TVs themselves.
The cutting-edge design and enhanced picture quality of our Smart TVs are just some of the many attractors that are encouraging customers to make the switch.
Samsung Smart TVs are a device that thinks for you. Your grandparent could receive recommended content via Your Video based on their viewing habits or should they be a fan of BBC News or Eurosport they can access the latest news or match just by clicking on the App on their Smart Hub.
Furthermore, our next generation remote, Smart View Touch Control TV remote, which will soon be available as a separate accessory for Samsung's award winning D8000 and D7000 TVs, offers full control of TV features with only two physical buttons- power and function eliminating the awkward, cluttered button look on conventional TV remotes and one that too matches the usability of its parent Smart TV.
What is the plan for the Smart TV platform in, say, 12 months time? What sort of content can we expect to see?
Intelligent connectivity is going to continue to be the biggest development for the rest of the year and beyond. Connecting your Smart TV to your Blu-ray player, 3D speakers and soundbar and even your Samsung Galaxy Tab is going to continue to increase as people embrace the technology and internet speeds continue to grow too.
Samsung is currently driving the Smart TV market and with now over 5 million Samsung Smart TV apps downloaded worldwide we know there is a great appetite for even more content. Samsung is in discussions with a range of possible partners from across broadcasters, gaming, high street stores, entertainment, travel and App developers to ensure Smart TV is truly the entertainment hub within the home. The opportunities for Samsung Apps are endless and we're excited at the forthcoming prospects for viewers, developers and potential partners alike.
App developers Capablue recently won Samsung's App Developer Challenge, building an app for Astra that now features on Samsung's range of connected Smart TVs. We caught up with Capablue's Craig Chuter, Head of Business Development, to see what he thinks the future holds for TV apps and connected TVs, and the work that goes into making a successful TV app.
What unique challenges face app developers planning to work on connected TV platforms?
Largely due to the new technology and the evolving platforms, a major challenge is ensuring that we keep up to date with the latest releases and developments for each and every platform.
Another issue is with each platform having its own technology and a lack of platform standardisation means that each manufacturer requires a different application.
SDKs are developing and updating regularly as the technology matures.
A TV app is very different to a mobile especially and also the web, a blown up website to a large screen simply doesn't work. Although there are different controllers out there, you can't click and drag and you need to step to select, you don't have a free cursor. Text entry via a remote is also a cumbersome process, so we have refined the user experience in our apps to minimise this wherever possible.
We have spent the last year or more understanding and moving our knowledge as the platforms evolve. We have specifically developed our own Connected platform so that content owners are able to deploy their content to multiple devices without having to build separate applications for each device. We hold the core service on a cloud based platform that then renders the application according to each devices specific technological requirements.
Is it more or less difficult designing apps for use on a television than it is making one for a smartphone?
We believe it is as much different as more difficult as it is a very unique user experience that needs to be completely intuitive as the users are also experiencing these platforms for the first time. The experiences need to educate the user at this stage.
The input control is a major difference with connected TVs, for most cases you need to build an experience that can be navigated with the up, down, left, right and select controls of TV remote. The user is also ordinarily a long way from a large screen - so the interface needs to recognise that as well. There can be less intricate interactions that you may have with a touch screen.
This is why we believe that the TV applications work best with video as a major contributor to the overall content.
Also the TV is not in any way mobile, so the content needs to work from a fixed location.
You specialise in creating VoD interfaces. Do you feel the growing use of video on demand portals will eventually do away with traditional programming schedules altogether?
Potentially it could but I think the appeal is the combination of catch-up and on-demand services alongside broadcast. The transmission date may become more of a 'release date' and as with most other media, the release date is when a large bulk of the public want to see something.
Catch-up and on--demand services also support broadcast with the discovery of series and reminders, enabling the literal catch-up before the next program is broadcast.
Archive also enable you to pick up on previous seasons of a series all your friends may be into, enabling you to catch the latest season.
Also people like to 'lean back' and see 'what's on' not to search for something. Recommendations can help with this enabling pushed programming based on my programming but people often also want content discovery - finding something they might not have otherwise watched, this is where the concept for our content discovery application for the Samsung Smart TV Challenge came from. It enables content recommendations from a recommendations engine as well as feeding from your Facebook network, giving some more random but likely to be of interest results.
Do you ever see TV apps becoming as commonly used as those now available on mobile phones?
I wouldn't have thought so, mobiles are with you everywhere, you have the ability to access your mobile location and services that go with you.
Connected TV apps I think will grow incredibly but will be a different experience entirely to mobile apps, the TV doesn't move, it is a shared experience and you don't want to be inputting too much text on your TV as the handset makes this difficult.
I think the TV apps will become an integral part of our TV viewing experience especially for TV catch-up and film services. There are also certain other applications that will work very well on the TV, we are building one such service now, which we think will catch the attention of everyone with a connected TV.
The opportunity for branded content and e-commerce will also begin to deliver more utilisation of these services.
How has being featured on the Samsung Smart TV portal helped Capablue? Is taking part in the App Developer Challenge something you'd recommend other developers doing?
Our relationship with Samsung has been great, winning the Smart TV Challenge helps us ensure prospective clients that we have a recognised ability within this arena alongside the other clients we are already working with.
I think the competition is a great driver for developers to think about the platform and the potential of combining this great living room screen with some of the capabilities an internet connection can bring.
Also the more interesting content there is on the platform at this stage, the better the uptake will be. We are glad to see more services coming on board alongside all the apps we are currently developing.
When the platform first launched, for the experimenting consumer, if all they can find on their initial try-out of the service are a few, shall we say, not great games that is probably more damaging than good for the platform.
I think Samsung have really pushed forward with driving an interesting and engaging content proposition that we are proud to be part of.
Thanks to the popularity of Apple's App Store and the now-ubiquitous nature of apps on smartphones and tablet PCs, apps are weaving their way into every aspect of modern life. From doing your grocery shopping to finding a parking spot, there are apps to help you out with almost everything.
Though many manufacturers have attempted to put apps into their HD and 3D TVs, most have been met with, at best, middling success. Between clunky interfaces and a dearth of content, they feel tacked on additions to otherwise strong hardware.
Samsung however have taken the whole area very seriously, refreshing their connected TV line in 2010 with the Smart TV platform. Mixing together social networks, video on demand content, games, news and even video calling through a Skype app, its use of an app store and familiar grid-like app icon layout made it far easier to navigate than most rival offerings.
"Due to the popularity of smartphones and tablets, we know people are comfortable with smart devices. Smart TV is the next step in the evolution of smart devices and Samsung Smart TVs do everything that other smart devices do and more," said Guy Kinnell Samsung's UK Marketing Director for TV.
"The Samsung Smart TV hub is one of the most user friendly interfaces on the market and viewers are quickly mastering how to make the most of their Smart TV. For instance, Apps such as LOVEFiLM, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are all common place in people's lives and are also all available on Samsung Smart TVs".
Where Samsung look most likely succeed where other rival's connected TV platforms have failed however is in the attention to synergy between the hardware of Smart TVs, Samsung's wider product catalogue and the app software. For instance, text entry in the past for TV apps has been a real chore using traditional remote controls, but the company's Touch Remote with (you guessed it) touchscreen controls makes it far easier to send Tweets or Facebook updates from the sofa. The "AllShare" feature, allowing you to control elements of the Smart TV platform with a Samsung mobile again makes navigation far more intuitive.
Most notably however is the introduction of the new free-to-view 3D Video On Demand app, the first of its kind on any 3D TV from any manufacturer. One of the biggest points slowing the growth of 3D TV sales is the relative lack of 3D video content to go with them, especially for free. With Samsung's 3D Smart TV range you now have access to 3D content straight out of the box, free of charge, with many of the offerings previously having been IMAX 3D cinema exclusives.
"The demand for 3D is growing rapidly, but only a handful of channels are providing content. Samsung has led the 3D LED TV market since it launched last year, and the roll-out of our 3D video-on-demand service demonstrates our commitment to accelerating its growth," said Andy Griffiths Samsung's UK Vice President for Consumer Electronics.
"We believe that in the near future every viewer will have access to 3D content in the comfort of their own living room through a Smart TV. We will therefore continue to develop our Smart TV offering in order to provide consumers with the best viewing experience possible."
So will we ever see apps on TVs as commonly used as those now seen on mobile platforms?
"Connected TV apps I think will grow incredibly but will be a different experience entirely to mobile apps; the TV doesn't move, it is a shared experience and you don't want to be inputting too much text on your TV as the handset makes this difficult," said Craig Chuter Head of Business Development at app developers Capablue, winners of the Samsung App Developer Challenge.
"I think the TV apps will become an integral part of our TV viewing experience especially for TV catch-up and film services. "
Samsung's relationship with app developers, as highlighted by their partnership with Capablue, also bodes well for the future. Compared to other connected TV platforms, you get the sense that Samsung are in for the long haul with the Smart TV's, with a constantly updated stream of apps from a variety of developers and content that looks set to be as well served and relevant in five years time as it is now.
"Samsung will be continually building on the current Samsung Apps store to ensure viewers have the widest range of content to enjoy on their TV" said Kinnell.
"Gaming, 3D videos and social networking; whether they still have a 2011 model in two years or five years time, these Apps will still provide as an important viewer experience as ever before."
Picture the scene; it's a glorious summer's day, birds are chirping in the trees, kids are playing in the parks and hot guys and gals are stripping down to shorts and bikinis everywhere. It's THE time to get outside. But, to pull a line from The Lemonheads' The Outdoor Type tune, "What if something's on TV and it's never shown again?". Are you destined for a summer indoors, pasty skinned watching Cash in The Attic re-runs?
Not any more! Say hello to Toshiba's REGZA 19P2 TV. HD-ready with a resolution of 1366x768, the 19 inch TV comes equipped with a removable rechargeable battery that allows for 5 hours of continuous TV viewing. Packing in a 1Seg Digital TV Tuner, the TV frees you from the tyranny of power sockets, letting you take your shows on the go in crisp HD-ready quality.
You can of course use the TV from the mains too, with a "Peak Shift" option intelligently switching from battery to the mains once the power pack is charged. Additional battery packs are also available, while other specs for the LED-backlit panel include a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a single HDMI port.
Looks to be a Japanese exclusive at the moment however, with a price tag of 50,000 Yen.
Loewe's collection of web-connected HD TVs are getting a software update today that sees Napster added to the growing selection of services through the televisions' online portal.
Napster will now feature in Loewe's MediaNet on all Individual LED, Connect LED and Art LED screens. The service allows users to download and stream some 15 million songs to their sets, and will be available for free for the first 14 days of use, after which a subscription charge will be required.
MediaNet allows websites and online services like Napster to be navigated with just a remote control, optimising websites for viewing on a HD TV.
Freesat are allowing TV watchers to pick the winner of their TV Channel of the Year award, with the station with the most votes crowned at an annual awards event to be held on July 12th.
The Viewers Choice award will not only see TV execs and stars walking away with a prize, but also one lucky UK voter, who stands the chance of winning a day at a luxurious spa as well as an Echostar+ digital TV box.
Google TV is to get an Android Honeycomb-based update this month which will bring with it a handful of new features for the platform.
The most notable of all is the introduction of the Android Marketplace to the system. With the Honeycomb 3.1 update, users will be able to access the app store on their televisions and make purchases. Google are also urging developers to build twin screen apps that could be controlled by an Android handset or Honeycomb tablet, which would then link up to actions on a flatscreen TV.
Elsewhere, Google TV will have a bit of a UI overhaul, simplifying the control scheme and brining it in line with the style of the Honeycomb variant of the Android OS.
It all sounds like a very nice update for Google's beleagured TV platform, which despite oozing promise, has been met with mixed reviews and has yet to fulfil its full potential.
With that said, we're still waiting for Google TV to ship to the UK, something which Google are taking their damn sweet time about doing. Get a move on Larry!
Price: Around £2,500 Few TVs come through the doors of the Tech Digest testing room with a spec sheet as robust as that of the Samsung UE55D8000 3DTV. From its 3D visuals to its svelte frame to the revamped online offering in the shape of the Smart Hub, it's comprehensive in its feature set. £2,500 is a whopping price tag though. Does the TV perform well enough to justify it?
Design
At 55 inches in size, the UE55D8000 will dominate any sensibly sized living room, but that's not due to any excess heft. It's a sleek and slender 29.7mm deep and weighing just 18.6 Kg with the stand attached is relatively light in terms of TVs this size (a blessing for tech journos like me that have to move these sets around a fair bit). Though not quite an edge-to-edge screen, the silver metallic bezel is so slim that you'll at times believe you're watching a hanging sheet of magical paper. Rear mounted connections make it perfect for wall-mounting tidily, though the screen does rotate in its stand to give the best possible viewing angle for all those watching it. That stand itself is worth a mention, being an alien-like four-pronged silver foot that's every bit as striking as the TV it supports.
The remote control, while not quite as eye-catching, is still very comfortably put together. Complete with a backlight, it features dedicated controls to switch on and off 3D functions, as well as one-button access to the TV's online Smart Hub and social features. It runs the risk of getting a little crowded with buttons (especially when compared to the minimalistic Philips 58PFL9955H Cinema 21:9 Platinum 3D TV remote) but we'd still liked to have seen a dedicated button for motion processing controls as they're hidden quite deep in menus and were most often tweaked with while we tested the set.
Connectivity
For a TV costing £2,500 you'd want the very best in connectivity options, and the UE55D8000 doesn't disappoint. 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB, Component In, Composite In, D-Sub, Optical Audio and an Ethernet port all feature on the rear. There's even a headphone port humorously placed on the back, which we presume is intended for use with wireless headsets. The TV also comes with built-in Wi-Fi, which was simple to set up using the onscreen menu and maintained a consistent connection when browsing the Smart Hub platform and performing DLNA streaming, which we'll get into in a little while.
Picture Quality
The UE55D8000 comes complete with both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners built in, so you get HD quality programming more-or-less straight out of the box once you've been through a quick channel tuning process.
HD image quality is an absolute dream on the UE55D8000. Playing back our "The Fall" test Blu-ray, it produced amazingly vibrant colours while retaining the sharp film grain that we like to see from our high-def movies. Plenty of digital noise reduction tweaks were on offer to remove the film grain if that's your viewing preference too, though that will soften the picture somewhat. Micro Dimming on the LED display lead to class-leading black levels. If you're not into tweaking, there are a number of preset modes to use, from "Film" to the exaggerated colours and contrast of the "Dynamic" mode, while a "Game" mode lowers the screen's response time for twitching trigger fingered Xbox fans. The large screen size did also make some Freeview HD content look a little soft when put next to Blu-ray playback, but that's as much to do with the quality of the source signal as the panel itself.
Samsung's 800Hz Clear Motion Rate motion processing tech was also impressive, when used in moderation, smoothing out sports coverage effectively if making films look a little unnatural. The "High" setting should be avoided at all costs, with a "Custom" setting with the parameters set just a little over halfway optimal. When activated we did notice an unusual slow down effect when pausing and replaying live TV however, something we've never seen in previous test TVs, and possibly a quirk of the individual test unit we received.
Standard definition content was never going to fare well on a set this size, but the UE55D8000 does its best to clean up the picture, with images neither too smudgy when scaled nor as sharp as we'd have liked. It's more than watchable, but HD viewing sees this screen working at its best.
3D visuals
3D viewing on the UE55D8000 is up there with the best we've ever seen from an LCD, with only minimal crosstalk. The glasses, incredibly light and comfortable, do little to dim the colour vibrancy or brightness of 3D images too. As a result, there is a better sense of depth given to the images produced. Get as close to the telly as you can for the best possible experience, and take particular care to avoid facing ambient light sources when wearing the specs as it can cause an annoying flicker effect.
However, the TV ships with just one pair of 3D glasses, which considering that the set costs around the £2,500 mark, seems a bit cheap on Samsung's behalf. Employing Active Shutter technology, the glasses require a CR2025 button battery per pair, good for around 70 hours of 3D viewing.
Sound Quality
Sound quality from the set was surprisingly good for a flatscreen; given the 55 inch size, you get good stereo separation for example. Dialogue too was clear and a surprising amount of bass emanates from the slim set. It's still however not a patch on the audio quality we once were used to on bulkier CRT TVs, and considering the money being spent on premium TVs of this nature, we'd like to see more effort in this department.
Smart Hub and Media Playback
Putting the built-in Wi-Fi connectivity to excellent use is the Smart Hub, the online app and internet portal evolved from Samsung's previous Internet@TV offering. It also acts as the area to manage media playback from external sources, be that video, photo or music content stored on a USB drive or accessed via DLNA networking.
As well as offering a fully open web browser based on the Flash-enabled WebKit engine, there's well over 30 apps available through the Smart Hub, from VOD services like LoveFilm, iPlayer, YouTube and Vimeo to social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. The increased focus on web-based video necessitates the need for a search tool, which cleverly trawls all available sources for trailers, information and even Facebook film fan pages. There's even a handful of app games including Texas Hold Em and Sudoko, all controlled by the remote.
We had no problem playing back all sorts of video files from a USB stick alongside photos and music, be they in HD or SD formats. DLNA networking was just as easy to set up. Plugging in a USB drive to the port marked HDD also allows for Freeview HD and Freesat HD programs to be recorded and viewed at a later date.
Overall, the Smart Hub is a great success. Consolidating media playback and web connectivity into one place is a sensible and clean way of presenting the content, while the colourful visual interface is intuitive too.
Verdict:
The UE55D8000 is, without doubt, the finest 3D TV we've yet tested at Tech Digest. From the slim and silky silver design of the set, to its crisp HD images, right the way through to its comfortable 3D specs and vibrant depth-filled images, it's a joy to watch. As ever, the speakers were a little disappointing for the money spent here, but it's sadly a concession we've come to expect when reviewing a flatscreen TV. If you've got the £2,500 or thereabouts it's going to cost to buy this thing, you've likely got a dedicated home cinema sound system to go with it anyway. All in all, if money is no option, this TV should be at the top of your tech shopping list.
Philips are pushing the boundaries when it comes to HDTV design and grabbing tech headlines all over the place as a result. Just take a look at our Philips 58PFL9955H 3D Cinema 21:9 review to see why. However great press still isn't turning into strong sales for the company, who are now having to re-think their HDTV arm due to heavy financial losses.
As a result, Philips will now be splitting TV production with display partner TPV, leaving Philips with just 30% of the business.
"Finding a solution for our Television business was our top priority and we strongly believe that the intended 30% / 70% joint venture with TPV that was announced today will enable a return to profitability for the Television business, and an increased portfolio focus for Philips in health and well-being. Philips has been active in the TV industry for many decades and the long-term strategic partnership with TPV shows our commitment to the continuity of Philips televisions for our consumers and trade partners.
The joint venture leverages the innovation and brand strength of Philips with the scale and manufacturing strength of TPV. Philips will receive a deferred purchase price and brand license income as part of the agreement. We expect certain costs in relation to the separation which will impact short-term earnings," reads the Philips statement.
If things continue to go badly, Philips will have the option to sell their remaining share of the company in six years time. Philips made a loss of €87m over the last quarter, down €7m from the same period a year earlier.
For the true movie-nut there's nothing quite like a trip to the cinema; the smell of the popcorn machine, the sticky carpeting underfoot, the awkward teenage fumblings on the back seats, and, most importantly, the gigantic widescreen vision of your favourite directors in all their epic Hollywood glory. It's an effect that, even with a decent projector, has been one difficult to replicate at home, but Philips have come closest to realising it in the living room through their Cinema 21:9 range. This latest model, the Platinum 58PFL9955H, attempts to improve upon the superb work of the previous versions by throwing in built-in active-shutter 3D tech.
The 58PFL9955H is terrifically wide. Whereas traditional widescreen TVs come in a 16:9 ratio, this Philips set sports a 21:9 ratio at a 58-inch diagonal size instead. In effect, this means you get a match for the super-wide cinema style format, minus the distracting black bars at the top and bottom of a DVD or Blu-ray movie. It comes in at around 2.39:1 in terms of width, as close as any TV has come before to 2.35:1 cinema film transfers. While purists will bemoan the fact that no Blu-rays truly take advantage of the size (due to the black bars being added at the mastering stage to fit more traditionally sized screens), the Philips set masterfully processes the source signal, cleverly adapting it to the 21:9 screen. It is truly cinematic and a joy to watch movies on.
Likewise, the screen cleverly handles 4:3 and 16:9 signals. You can force the screen to keep each source signal to scale within the confines of the 58-inch display, putting the black bars left and right of 16:9 or 4:3 sources, distort the images to fill the entire screen, or choose completely unscaled images from the original source. The wealth of options is both necessary and pleasing, though it can become a little fiddly if you're quickly jumping from movies to something shot in anything other than the 21:9 format. The screen can also be set to automatically recognise the screen size, and adjust it appropriately, though we found it sometimes erratically changed scale mid-film, which could be jarring.
All of this would be for naught were the picture quality poor, but the 58PFL9955H truly shines in this department. Complete with 1,500 LEDs behind the display panel, the screen manages breathtaking contrast levels. We watched The Wolfman on Blu-ray with the set, and marvelled at the maintained level of detail surrounding light sources during the film's many dark scenes. Colour reproduction is also superbly vibrant, with superb definition between shades. Of course, the screen fares significantly less well with SD broadcasts as opposed to 1080p Full HD signals, but no worse than other large HDTVs. The lack of a Freeview HD tuner is a significant omission however at this price range.
Like most top-end TV screens, the 58PFL9955H is packed to the rafters with motion-processing and screen smoothing features in the shape of the Perfect Pixel HD engine. 400Hz processing does well to remove the blur of fast moving imagery, though we were less keen on the the Natural Motion feature. Designed primarily to even out the 24fps setting of Blu-rays (less than half the speed of regular TV broadcasts), we found it made playback look unnatural if anything, doing too much to remove the actually-kind-of-enjoyable film "grain" look. It is, of course, an optional effect, and everything looks much better with it set to a "minimum" strength level. And though the viewing angle is a claimed 176 degrees, we found colours to wash-out and lose their strength considerably at tight angles. Regardless, give the set a reasonable amount of tweaking and 2D movies look an absolute dream.
The main jump for the 58PFL9955H over previous Philips 21:9 models is the inclusion of 3D technology. This is built-in rather than an optional add-on, favouring the active rather than passive standard. On the whole, it does a good job; removing the black bars from 3D Blu-ray playback of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs instantly made the effect feel more involving. All 3D sources however, be they PS3 gaming, Blu-ray or Sky 3D, suffered from echoes and ghosting. Rarely was it bad enough to be a deal-breaker, but in terms of 3D performance, we've viewed better sets. Two sets of 3D glasses are thrown in though, which softens that glancing blow a tad.
On the other hand, sound quality from the 30W speakers in the set was far, far better than any other flatscreen we've tried. Two rear-housed woofers gave a strong bass response, whilst a pair of forward-firing drivers offered clear voices and middle ranges with a pseudo-surround effect. It's no match for a dedicated 5.1 system, but other manufacturers should take note of the flatscreen-sound improvements made here by Philips.
In terms of build, the Philips set isn't the most svelte screen we've reviewed, measuring in at 71mm, but it's hardly chubby either. The superb Ambilight function likely adds somewhat to this extra bulk, but it's worth it; three bars of LED-lights sit on the top, left and right edges of the TV, which colourfully glow to match whatever is happening on-screen. It's another immersive feature, making movie action seem to seep into your surroundings. Other than that it's a solid build, with a thick grey bezel around the screens edge, accented by a small silver lip in the bezel's lower-centre.
Connection options are generous with 4 x HDMI, 2 x USB, 2 x SCART, 1 x Ethernet and integrated Wi-Fi among others. DLNA networking was a breeze to set up, while we found USB video playback handled a satisfying amount of codecs (including H264/MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9/VC1). Those looking to take their set online will be pleased by the Net TV service too. Not only does it include widgets for YouTube and Cartoon Network among others, but also access to a fully-blown Opera browser, releasing you from the Philips walled-garden of platform content.
If you're a movie-buff, owning the Philips 21:9 is a no-brainer. It's a luscious set that, while having specialist leanings due to its screen ratio, will blow away absolutely anyone who gives it a try. Detailed 2D images, admirable connectivity and strong sound make for a superbly cinematic experience. A few niggling processing problems and middling 3D performance prevent us from awarding a perfect score, but for regular Blu-ray viewers you just wont find a better set.
Tech Digest went hands-on with the latest addition to Samsung's Internet@TV web-connected TV platform today, suitably titled PictureBox. Exclusive to Samsung TVs, but also available on the iPad, any number of laptops and very soon the iPhone too, it's an all-you-can-eat movie-streaming service in a similar vein to LoveFilm.
Hitting all Samsung's 2011 Internet@TV devices (including Blu-ray players, as well as legacy connected TV models) subscription to the service costs £5 a month, and carries over accessibility to any other PictureBox compatible gadgets you may own. Top-up TV owners may already recognise the name, as the service has been available there for a little while now.
PictureBox will have 28 titles at any one time available to be streamed instantly. Refreshed on a weekly basis (7 new titles come in as 7 old films are removed), the company have a robust number of studios signed up with distribution deals already, including Universal, Paramount and Icon. Each month a theme dictates the kinds of films set for inclusion on the service ie. Christmas films in December or lovey-dovey ones around Valentines day.
Content-wise the films on offer so far seem slightly older than the bang-up to date ones offered by LoveFilm, but the reasonable subscription charge, paired with the incredibly crisp visuals, considering it's standard def content on show, more than make up for this. As you'll most likely be using this through a Samsung TV or Blu-ray player, their stellar upscaling tech shines through.
It's a very pretty interface too. The purple menus are very visual, with large poster-style icons displaying each film rather than reams of text, as well as a highlight reel for each month to help you pick from what'son offer. Though you may sniff at the relatively low number of films available per month, the figure does mean that searching for the titles you are after is incredibly quick, with the UI as a whole feeling very responsive.
Lots of good potential here for PictureBox then. We'd like to see more than just 28 films at a time if possible, as well as HD content or even 3D content, both of which the Samsung platform is capable of streaming. But with a PictureBox rep on hand to confirm the first 3D title should touchdown on the service by Q3 of this year, it looks all set to be a very welcome addition to Samsung's Internet@TV app catalogue.
More and more we're using our PCs and Macs to watch TV and movies. Whether we're downloading HD films from iTunes or streaming last night's episode of EastEnders over the BBC iPlayer, we're relying increasingly on our computers and web connections to entertain ourselves. Being restricted to a titchy laptop screen or office-tied desktop PC however isn't always the most comfortable of viewing experiences, while hooking a computer up to a big-screen TV with an array of cables isn't always the tidiest way to get around the problem either. The Veebeam HD wireless media streamer is a relatively inexpensive solution that'll push your computer's media content to a big screen without cluttering up your living room with a tangle of leads in the process.
The Veebeam HD kit is comprised of two main components; the Veebeam HD box itself and a wireless USB dongle that is used to sync the Veebeam HD with your laptop. Both black and rather discrete in size, the Veebeam HD itself features a strange two-pronged design that makes it look a little like a Highwayman's cap. In a neat touch, the dongle can be stored in a small hole on the front of the Veebeam HD which automatically switches on the box when the dongle is removed from the dock, and turns it off when returned. It's a design that puts the Veebeam HD in stark contrast to the unit's nearest rival, the white Apple TV box.
After downloading the Veebeam HD software to your PC or Mac and connecting the Veebeam HD box up to your TV with a HDMI cable (composite, digital audio and two USB connections also sit on the rear), you're then ready to "beam" any content you're currently viewing on your desktop or stored media to your TV. Quality as high as 1080p is supported if you have such files or streams available once you've matched the Veebeam HD software settings with that of your outputting screen.
The default streaming mode for the Veebeam HD is Desktop Mode, which completely takes over your laptop. It isn't suitable for playing stored media files, nor multitasking, but is a quick and easy way of projecting your desktop or browser-based video content onto the big screen. Alternatively you can use the Play-To mode to stream locally-stored media files to the Veebeam HD box, whilst still allowing you to multi-task on the computer. In either format, the Veebeam HD projected high-quality images to the big screen that, while softer than a dedicated direct HDMI connection, didn't soften 1080p videos in any horribly jarring way. How easy it is to set-up and use the Veebeam HD will make it very popular among those who find the likes of DLNA networking a little overwhelming, while the lack of content restrictions make it a very attractive Apple TV alternative.
However, there were some problems with the Veebeam HD kit. Firstly, the wireless signal between the main unit and the dongle is quite weak, requiring a near-constant line-of-sight connection to maintain a consistent stream. While a busy room of people walking through the line only rarely affected the connection, those planning on streaming from a computer in another room will have to look for another solution.
Also, we noticed some issues with the screencasting Desktop Mode that will prevent those planning to use the kit for wireless gaming streams or presentations from getting much joy from the Veebeam HD. A noticeable lag between the action on the computer screen and what happens when sent to the Veebeam HD means it's not suitable for even offline gaming, while the mysterious lack of an on-screen cursor makes controlling your desktop from the secondary display a bit of a pain.
While very attractive both in function and form, the Veebeam HD isn't without a few quibbles that, while minor to the majority of its intended users, could well be deal-breakers to gamers and professional users. Still, if you're in the market for a reasonably priced HD media streamer that has few of the content restrictions that the likes of Apple TV imposes, the Veebeam HD is an easy-to-use, elegant solution.
Three new VIERA TVs could soon be headed to a kitchen near you, after Panasonic today outed their latest range designed for sticky-fingered chefs.
The Panasonic VIERA DMP-BV300, DMP-HV200 and DMP-HV150 all come with a 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 displays, with built in digital TV tuners, ethernet connections for DLNA and YouTube widgets and memory card playback from SD/SCHC/SDXC formats.
Motion controls in the DMP-HV200 make it perfect for use in the kitchen, when mucky hands may make it difficult to control otherwise, allowing for waves of the wand to change channels and volume. It's also splashproof, so won't be too bothered if it's sat next to a sink. The DMP-HV150 is also splash proof, but doesn't feature motion controls.
The DMP-BV300 gets an integrated Blu-ray player, with HDMI output to an external 1080p display should you so desire.
All three pair with Panasonic's TY-CC10W Skype camera, with the BV300 also portable for a few hours thanks to a rechargeable batttery pack.
Due out in March in Japan, the BV300 will set you back around £590, the HV200 £390 and the HV150 £320, though no word on a UK release has yet been made.
It was sad times for AV fanatics back in march 2010 when Pioneer discontinued the manufacturering of their sweet Elite and Kuro HDTV ranges. But there seems to finally be a silver lining to that dark cloud, as Pioneer has announced a partnership with Sharp to revive the Elite brand.
Elite will now return as part of a new line of Sharp Quattron TVs.
"As a leader in large-screen LCD TVs, we are excited to collaborate with Pioneer to bring a high-end LCD TV to the Elite consumer," said John Herrington, Sharp's president of marketing in the US.
"The Elite brand is highly respected in the high-end market, and Sharp can deliver the quality and innovation that Elite customers demand."
It's not quite a complete return for the Elite brand however, as those classic sets were of the plasma variety.
The new TVs will have neither Sharp or Pioneer names attatched in terms of branding, and will simply be under their own Elite title. The news now opens the possiblity that the equally-good Kuro sets will get revisted in the near future.
Hannspree are ditching the novelty look of their usual TVs in favour of LED technology for their two latest releases, the SV32 and SV42 models.
32 and 42 inches in size, the budget friendly SV32 and SV42 sets will set you back £419.99 and £549.99 respectively. Both feature a generous specifications list for the price. While you're not getting web capabilities, you will find the proprietary Vivid Motion 100Hz technology, a Full HD 1080p resolution, a 450cd/m2 brightness, a contrast ratio of 4,750,000:1 (known as X-Contrast), a response time of 6.5ms and 178º/178º viewing angles.
Port connections include three HDMI 1.3 slots, as well as composite, component and VGA connections. USB drive connectivity allows you to view JPEG images and various video formats direct from the TV.
Available now, you can pick up the new Hanspree sets online from Ebuyer or the Hannspree store in the Westfield shopping centre.
Looking to go big-screen for your Blu-ray collection without breaking the bank? Then ASDA's latest budget friendly TV could be just what you're looking for.
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App developers Capablue recently won Samsung's App Developer Challenge, building an app for Astra that now features on Samsung's range of connected Smart TVs. We caught up with Capablue's Craig Chuter, Head of Business Development, to see what he thinks the future holds for TV apps and connected TVs, and the work that goes into making a successful TV app.
Picture the scene; it's a glorious summer's day, birds are chirping in the trees, kids are playing in the parks and hot guys and gals are stripping down to shorts and bikinis everywhere. It's THE time to get outside. But, to pull a line from 
Loewe's collection of web-connected HD TVs are getting a software update today that sees Napster added to the growing selection of services through the televisions' online portal.
Freesat are allowing TV watchers to pick the winner of their TV Channel of the Year award, with the station with the most votes crowned at an annual awards event to be held on July 12th.
Google TV is to get an Android Honeycomb-based update this month which will bring with it a handful of new features for the platform.
Name: UE55D8000 (Samsung)
Three new VIERA TVs could soon be headed to a kitchen near you, after Panasonic today outed their latest range designed for sticky-fingered chefs.
It was sad times for AV fanatics back in march 2010 when Pioneer discontinued the manufacturering of their sweet Elite and Kuro HDTV ranges. But there seems to finally be a silver lining to that dark cloud, as Pioneer has announced a partnership with Sharp to revive the Elite brand.
From: MWC 2008: Second Life now runs on... an iPhone?!