We're assuming you know some of the basics—like that 5.1 audio is five channels of audio positioned at center, front right, front left, back right and back left, and then one subwoofer channel. And that a higher bit rate means more audio data is coming through, which, generally, means it's higher quality and gonna sound better, since you're losing less of the original studio sound.

The building block of digital audio is "pulse code modulation"—an old technology used for CDs and everything since. It can be rendered in several resolutions, from 16-bit stuff on CD to 24-bit on newer DVD and higher-res formats. It can also have varying frequency ranges, typically from 44.1KHz to 96KHz. Without going into more detail, you just need to know that PCM is bulky, and it is this PCM data that both DTS and Dolby work to encode into more manageable files. When audio tracks are decoded in a disc player, they are either sent out analog via multichannel RCA outputs, or they become PCM tracks that any digital receiver can easily interpret.

We're taking you through the major branded audio formats that you'll run into if you're dealing with a home theater, or hell, a Blu-ray player.

First up: Dolby. There are basically three tiers of audio: Dolby TrueHD at the top, then Dolby Digital Plus, then good old Dolby Digital.

Dolby TrueHD is a lossless compression format that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio masters. It can handle a bit rate of up to 18 megabits per second, and support as many as 14 channels of audio, though you're more likely to see it at 7.1. It's actually optional in the Blu-ray spec, but it's supported by the PS3 and most other new Blu-ray players. Some players decode the TrueHD internally, then stream out uncompressed PCM audio through HDMI, while others can send the TrueHD file itself out over HDMI in bitstream for the receiver to decode.

Dolby Digital Plus is the next step down. It still delivers 7.1 audio, but at a max bit rate of 3Mbps. It's a more efficient codec than the original Dolby Digital, and is a mandatory minimum in the Blu-ray 1.1 spec. Dolby Digital Plus can be used for Bonus View picture-in-picture audio tracks on a Blu-ray disc, with the main audio track encoded as TrueHD.

Dolby Digital is the lowest rung, at 5.1 audio channels, running at 448Kbps on DVD (though a richer 640Kbps on Blu-ray, used, again for special features or supplement language tracks).

DTS's offerings follow a similar tiered setup.

DTS-HD Master Audio is at the top. It's a lossless format that is also bit-for-bit identical to the studio master. It supports a bitrate up to 24Mbps (though the average Blu-ray flick's audio is only about 2-3Mbps, with 4-5Mbps spikes) and up to eight channels (like 7.1). (It too, is supported by the PS3.)

DTS High Resolution Audio is below that. It also supports eight channels at a constant bit rate of up to 6Mbps. It's for situations where a studio doesn't want to eat up disc space with a full lossless track (like bonus features or tracks), though DTS told us 95 percent of studios who use DTS use the full HD Master Audio.

DTS Digital Surround is down at the DVD end, with support for 5.1 channels and bandwidth up to 1.5Mbps, though post-2000 DVDs typically keep the track at 768Kbps to save disc space.

You may have heard a few things about Dolby ProLogic II or IIx, or maybe DTS Neo:6. These aren't digital codecs, so much as they are "matrix" programs that take stereo tracks and route it to to the different speakers in a surround system. A vestige from pre-digital days, people used to master stereo tracks deliberately for ProLogic—try watching The Simpsons opening credits through your receiver with ProLogic turned on.

Dolby and DTS also have virtual surround technologies that do the opposite of matrixing: They take 5.1 tracks and perform hocus pocus on them so that they sound surround-y, but play through stereo speakers or headphones. It's more subjective, and has a whole different science to it, so maybe we'll save it for another time.

That, in a nutshell, is what all of those Dolby and DTS logos on the back your Blu-ray player, A/V receiver or movie box means. If you want to know how "golden-eared" audiophiles feel about the highest qualities, and how well they fare against uncompressed PCM, check out this informative piece from Home Entertainment Magazine. As a rule, DTS HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD will kick ass, but unless you have a $50,000 sound system, you may not be able to tell the difference between the middle and top tiers anyway.

Something we missed, or you still wanna know? Send any questions about Dolby, DTS, Dubbly, Dobby or anything else to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

Silicon Optix HQV video engine
HQV Advanced Noise Reduction
HQV evaluates noise over time, on a per-pixel basis
HD De-Interlacing
Converting 1080i interlaced to progressive
SD Scaling to HD
HQV advanced scaling creates 80% of the pixel while
keeping true to the source
FHD – 1920x1080
1200 Nits, 30,000:1 Contrast Ratio, 100,000 hours lifetime
178/178 Viewing Angle
PIP, POP
10 bit color panel and video processing, 24P Input
Rear Video inputs
2 HDMI 1.3
1 VGA with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Component with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Composite with RCA Stereo Audio
Side I/O
2 HDMI 1.3
Read Audio
SPDIF Digital Out –
5.1 for Tuner input
RCA Output
Audio Performance
2x10 Watt
SRS TruSurround HD

[Vizio]

Those prices Vizio quoted are reasonably solid, the company says, though not 100 super-duper percent, as the LCD market is the only thing more volatile than the stock market.

The bigger news, though, is that you'll see features like 120Hz trickle down from the high-end XVT line to the VW-class Wal-Mart sets in roughly 9-12 months. Yes, a year from now, you'll be able to buy a 120Hz Vizio LCD from Wally World, at God only knows how cheap a price. Vizio's competitors on the cheap TV scene really can't keep up.

Here are the updated specs for the XVT line:

Size
47 and 42” FHD LCD
Performance
Smooth Motion V-engine
Motion Estimation
Motion Compensation
Improved Noise Reduction
FHD – 1920x1080
PIP, POP
500 Nits, 5ms response, 6500:1 Contrast
178/178 Viewing Angle
10 Bit Color Depth – 1.07Billion Colors
24P Input Capability
Rear Video inputs
2 HDMI (5.1 Output Capable through SPDIF or Wireless)
1 VGA with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Component with RCA Stereo Audio
2 Composite with RCA Stereo Audio
Side I/O
2 HDMI (5.1 Output Capable through SPDIF or Wireless)
1 component with RCA Stereo Audio
1 Composite with RCA Stereo Audio
Read Audio
SPDIF Digital Out – Tuner input
RCA Output
ID
VIZIO Black Tie
Slim Bezel
Black
Audio Performance
3 Channel (L,C,R) 3x10 Watt
SRS TruSurround XT
5.1 Wireless (2.4GHz) upgradable with Dolby Pro Logic II

[Vizio]

With too much inventory and not enough demand, the HDTV makers are cutting prices yet again to clear out stock. After these guys finish slashing, you can expect other bigwigs like Pioneer, LG and Sony to follow suit. So before you shell out for that sweet new LCD or plasma set, make sure you're not overpaying and check out the chart of everything we know so far. [HD Guru]

*Note: The following are "minimum advertised prices". Street pricing, or what they actually charge in store after sales, etc., is usually much less.

FlyWire is set for October, though those looking for the mildly cheaper in-room option will have to wait until early next year. Both of them are pricier than Monster's $600 wireless HDMI setup, which is also supposed to hit in October (though it cheats a bit by using UWB-over-Coax to nail whole-home streaming). Check out all the specs below to compare for yourself:
[Belkin]

Sony's plans for FED displays are to push them to broadcasting and medical apps first, building slowly, rather than to jump right into the high-stakes plasma/LCD war, where nobody's making money thanks to the very bloody price war. Then it'll inch into the consumer market, first with 60-inch displays (at the level they can be more profitable, obviously). Looks like after plasma vs. LCD, we might have yet another fight on our hands: FED vs. OLED. [Nikkei]

JVC TO OFFER WORLD'S THINNEST TUNER-EQUIPPED LCD TV WITH SLEEK, THIN-BEZEL DESIGN AND REDUCED POWER CONSUMPTION

Technology to be offered in two screen sizes

WAYNE, NJ, June 17, 2008 -Establishing a new benchmark in flat panel TV design, JVC in July will market the world's thinnest LCD TVs with built-in tuners*. The new line of super-slim Full HD TVs also weigh less and consume less power than conventional LCD TVs.

JVC's new slim LCD TVs, part of the company's Procision series, feature a cabinet that across most of its width measures a mere 1.5 inches (39mm) deep, with a maximum depth of just 2.9-inches (74mm) at the panel's center. The design ensures that from nearly any angle, the sets present a super-slim appearance. Complementing the slim design is a thinner bezel, further minimizing the presence of the cabinet.

The new super-slim design will be available in two screen sizes in the U.S., the 42-inch LT-42SL89 and the 46-inch LT-46SL89. Both offer 1920 x 1080p resolution.

The slim design was made possible through the use of a new JVC-developed slim panel backlight unit and power supply substrate, or chassis. The new slim LCD panel backlight unit is 40 percent smaller in depth and bezel width compared to a conventional LCD backlight, measuring just 0.79 inches (20mm) deep and 0.51 inches (13mm) wide. In addition, the unit weighs only 26.4 lbs (12kg) and consumes a mere 145W (see diagram 1).

*with built-in tuners as of January 6, 2008, according to a JVC survey

Efforts to reduce the depth of an LCD panel backlight result in uneven hot spots appearing on the LCD screen surfaces because CCFL light sources are brought closer to the liquid crystal panel (see diagram 2). To overcome this problem, either light-diffusing plates are applied or more CCFL tubes are used. But the former approach can result in lower brightness, while the latter approach can be costly and increases power consumption.

JVC's display engineering team succeeded in developing a new, slimmer backlight unit by optimizing the light-diffusing plates and light-reflection sheets, as well as improving its overall composition. This provided uniform light-diffusion at all the corners and edges without the addition of more CCFL tubes, while maintaining adequate luminance to ensure that the screen always remains bright (see diagrams 3 and 4).

JVC also developed a slimmer yet efficient power-supply substrate and employed a direct-mount configuration for it on the LCD panel backlight unit with a fan-less heat dissipation system to further reduce power consumption.

Both models will be VESA compliant for easy wall mounting, but JVC will also offer its own mounting solution - a wall mount designed to position the slim TV closer to the wall than does a standard mount.

Both sets include a full complement of connections, including three HDMI inputs, two component inputs, one S-Video in and a PC input. Other features include front touch sensor controls, a headphone jack, USB picture viewer and an illuminated universal remote control.

The new JVC super-slim LT-42SL89 and LT-46SL89 will be available in July with approximate retail prices of $1,899.99 and $2,399.99, respectively.

In the end, Sound & Vision found that all three boxes worked well, but the RCA's comfy remote, "On Next" feature and decent audio performance gave it a slight edge. Currently, the box will run you about $50 or $10 after you cash in your voucher—which is chump change compared to what you get with a digital upgrade. However, if you are still hoping for a $40 "freebie" like the EchoStar TR-40, keep in mind that Sound & Vision believes that the EchoStar is a "dicey buy" given the fact that it has no front panel controls. In this case, it still might be a good idea to hold onto that voucher for a little while longer to see what comes available. [Sound & Vision; NOTE: S&V Having Broken Link Issue]

[DVICE]

[Dell]

Update: Reader Bob tells me that the current largest screen isn't the one in Japan, but one at the Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Thanks Bob! [Kansas City]

They have teamed up with Triad speakers to offer units that incorporate the front left, center and right channel speakers underneath your flat-panel television. When you turn on the unit, the artwork retracts to reveal the screen but leaves the speakers masked from view behind a black matte material. Custom sizes and speaker setups are available, but I'm sure that regardless of the configuration you choose, installing VisionArt in your home will not come cheap. Still, it may be a small price to pay for such a seamless solution. [VisionArt via Electronic House]

And only 9 percent of HDTV owners plan to buy Blu-ray. Nine percent of a minority, for 4 million "potential buyers." That's not the makings of a dominant format. The survey results are from March, so things might be slightly better now, but given the past rate of growth—10 percent over the last year—likely not too much. Also this does conflict with an earlier poll stating that 60 percent of US consumers are "aware" of Blu-ray, but recognizing the name and knowing what it is are two different things.

Still, no wonder the Blu camp put off that victory party—they've still got a lot of work to do. I think I'm going to go sip gin and tonics with DVD by the pool.

Jun 03, 2008 09:15

The NPD Group: Consumer Awareness and Potential for Blu-ray Disc Devices Rising

Challenges Still Remain for Consumer Adoption of Next-Generation DVD Players and Content
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. —(Business Wire)— Jun. 3, 2008 According to The NPD Group, a leading market research company, 45 percent of HDTV owners in the U.S. now claim to be familiar with Blu-ray Disc (BD), up from 35 percent in June 2007. And, while only 6 percent of all consumers surveyed said they plan to purchase a BD device, NPD found purchase intent to be higher among the growing population of HDTV owners, boding well for the future of the format.

NPD's "2008 Blu-ray Disc Report" reveals that 9 percent of HDTV owners plan to buy a BD-capable player in the next six months. "With HDTVs now in approximately 40 million US households, that percentage translates to a pool of almost 4 million potential BD player buyers," according to Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD.

Nevertheless, manufacturers still face challenges. Although HD-DVD is no longer a competitive threat, many consumers are content with standard-definition DVD players and content. The leading reasons cited as barriers to purchase were a perceived high cost of BD players and a belief that standard-definition DVD is "good enough."

Blu-ray Content Opportunities

Consumers who purchased a BD set-top player cited "leading-edge technology" and a "superior viewing experience" as primary reasons for making the purchase. And they indicated a clear preference for BD content. In fact current BD set-top player owners expect that 80 percent of their upcoming purchases will be in BD rather than standard DVD. By comparison, 43 percent of PS3 owners use the BD capability in their consoles at least once a month; however, they do not view BD movies as often as set-top device owners do.

"The door is open for studios to feed the consumer's appetite for Blu-ray content, and we expect sales to increase, as prices for hardware and software moderate in the coming months," Crupnick said. "Even so it will take a concerted effort by manufacturers and retailers to ratchet awareness even further and convince all of those potential buyers of the superiority of Blu-ray Disc versus standard DVD."

Data note: Data was collected via online survey, which was fielded between March 10 and March 20, 2008. Final data for the nationally representative sample was weighted to represent the U.S. population of individuals age 18 and older.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, food service, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com/.

[VPO]

Obviously, one of the most important decisions you can make when searching for an HDTV is where you go and shop. HD Guru suggests finding a store in your area where the employees are paid on commission. If you know what you want and how much you are willing to spend, you stand a reasonably good chance of negotiating for great prices. This is especially true when you are armed with prices from competitors. At this point, it becomes a little like haggling for a car, but HD Guru offers some tips on how to negotiate effectively.

You should also be wary of overpriced warranty, accessory, delivery and installation charges that salespeople try and tack on to the end of a sale to recoup lost profits. So, if you are interested in any of these services, try and get the information before negotiating on the price of the set. In the end, these tips will be most effective for those who are inexperienced or are a bit on the timid side when it comes to haggling. For the full list, hit the HD Guru link. [HD Guru]

OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, meaning that the glow-y part that lights up when zapped with electricity has organic stuff in it. Because the particles light up by their own damn selves, they don't need a backlight like LCDs, so they can be stupid thin, and they use way less power than either LCD or plasma. The problem is, they're still a bitch to make, which is why they're expensive and teeny.

Wilson and Benny Boo took a tour of the place where OLED panels are born, and got the full rundown on how they're made. Basically, phosphorescent colored particles are fused to a substrate (glass, metallic or plastic screen), which can happen in one four ways (which are covered in more detail here):
• Vacuum thermal evaporation
• Organic vapor phase deposition
• Ink-jet printing
• Organic vapor printing

Though they each deal with the tiny pixel-sized dots of phosphorescent material slightly differently, all of them are a pain in the ass (read: expensive). The first two techniques require the substrate to be suspended in the air, making larger screens harder to do well (they tend to bow in the middle). Hence, Sony's wonder TV is a mere 11 inches and costs more than a good plasma, and Samsung's 31-incher was nigh miraculous.

One of the major problems with OLEDs is that the organic materials degrade over time, as organic things tend to do, with blue being the quickest fader. To wit, it came out that Sony's XEL-1's half life is only about 17,000 hours, not the 30K it was rated for, and not even close to the 60K+ hours that many LCDs and plasmas get.

And here's something you probably didn't know: While OLED does consume less power than LCD or plasma, its energy needs are content independent, so you'll be suckin' the same wattage whether you're watching the darkest scenes of Batman Begins or a virtual whitewall.

But, rest assured OLED is probably what you'll be watching Obama grow old and nasty on, with most majors promising mass production of big OLED TVs in the next couple of years. Presumably, that means prices and sizes will start getting reasonable. Not fast enough for our tastes, though—super thin, gorgeous picture, and none of the hallmark problems of LCD and plasma? Do want. So, so bad. [Giz Explains]

Sony Electronics and Major U.S. Cable Operators Negotiate National "Two-Way" Plug and Play Solution

Agreement Establishes Platform for Retail Devices to Receive Interactive Cable Services

WASHINGTON, DC, May 27, 2008 - Sony Electronics and major cable operators which together pass over 105 million U.S. homes have negotiated and signed an agreement that will enable consumers to purchase innovative "two-way" digital televisions and other devices that can receive interactive digital and high-definition video services without a set-top box, Sony and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) announced today. The terms of the agreement are embodied in a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated by Sony Electronics and the six largest cable companies - Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter, Cablevision and Bright House Networks - which serve more than 82 percent of all U.S. cable subscribers.

Other consumer electronics companies will be beneficiaries of this new national two-way "plug-and-play" platform and have also been invited to formally join the MOU.

This negotiated industry agreement establishes the fundamentals for a competitive retail market for "two-way" digital cable-ready devices. It addresses how such products will be brought to market with interactive services like video-on-demand, digital video recording and interactive programming guides.

In addition, the agreement makes it clear that consumers will be able to enjoy a choice of differentiated two-way products at retail and through cable operators from a variety of consumer electronics and information technology manufacturers. The agreement includes safeguards to facilitate the development of a robust, two-way retail market and to ensure that cable operators can continue to develop and offer new competitive services.

Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA), a senior Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and one of the leading advocates in Congress for new technology and consumer freedoms said: "I congratulate Sony and the major cable operators for achieving consensus on a set of core principles that will speed the introduction of new two-way plug-and-play devices." Representative Boucher added: "With this groundbreaking compromise, these industry-leading companies and other major cable companies will ensure that consumers will have broader access to innovative competitive cable ready navigation devices from commercial retailers and will have expanded options to enjoy cable programming, including video on demand and other interactive programming options."

As part of the agreement, the parties will adopt: the Java-based "tru2way" solution as the national interactive "plug-and-play" standard; new streamlined technology licenses; and new ways for content providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, information technology companies and cable operators to cooperate in evolving the tru2way technology at Cable Television Laboratories (CableLabs), the cable industry's research and development consortium.

The agreement will encourage the development and distribution of interactive and high-value digital content. Key elements of the agreement relate to the deployment of a platform for "write once, run anywhere" applications, and to the incorporation of secure digital interfaces that protect consumers' home recording rights along with copyright owners' rights to secure their digital content. Detailed terms of the MOU have not yet been released, while other potential signatories complete their review of the document.

"This marketplace agreement is good news for consumers," said Edgar Tu, Sony Electronics' Senior Vice President of TV Operations of America. "A national plug-and-play digital cable standard for interactive TV receivers, recorders and other products that is transferable and viable wherever you live is ideal for today's mobile society."

"This is a landmark agreement which will provide a national, open and interactive platform resulting in more choices of services and products for consumers," said Kyle McSlarrow, NCTA President & CEO.

"We are pleased that this technical challenge has been addressed through a voluntary, private-sector solution," said Consumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro. "We look forward to working with our cable colleagues to ensure Americans across the country have access to high value cable content while using the equipment of their choosing." [Sony, NCTA]

How? I mean, I've always known that McCain played with dinosaurs, and so have most people, and we've all seen him on newscasts (mostly standard-def) and YouTube. On SNL over the weekend, though, his face was in full HD unglory, as recounted by Timothy Noah:

As someone who'd pooh-poohed the age issue, I found myself gasping at McCain's mug as transmitted in glorious HDTV. Wrinkles, blotches, liver spots, scarry tissue—none of these were hidden by McCain's makeup...I found myself thinking, Jeez, he doesn't look like a guy who'll turn 72 this August. He looks like a guy who'll turn 82.

The ironic part? McCain was a big proponent of HDTV (in his actual maverick days), hating on broadcasters for not switching to digital spectrum fast enough, and calling the Feb. 17 2009 switchover date "too late." Noah goes so far as to say McCain is the reason HDTV has the penetration that it does. So he might have actually doomed himself. The first high-def election, that has a nice ring to it. [Slate]

Alright, so LCD stands for liquid crystal display. (Again, we're keeping this kind of simple, for simplicity's sake.) Basically, the liquid crystal part is a gel that sits in front of a backlight or—in the case of older panels such as those found in Game Boys up till like 2003—a reflective panel. (Remember those crappy lighting accessories?) The gel is divided up into a bunch of separate pixels, which can be fired individually. Color LCDs are a bit more complicated, made up of red, blue and green subpixels which combine to create pixels with the full range of color. To throw one more bit of tech at ya, most LCDs at this point are thin-film transistor LCDs, so that the control layer is embedded within the panel itself instead of off to the side. This provides better image stability and other benefits.

One of the problems with LCDs, and why plasma has an advantage in showing blacks, is that the liquid crystal layer is not opaque, even when all of the pixels are closed. On most LCDs, the bright backlight is on when the TV is on, so that will always bleed through at least a bit. LED-backlit LCDs can light up just a part of the panel instead of the whole thing, to an extent minimizing the problem.

Besides the "dynamic" backlighting described above, LCD technology is constantly improving its contrast through various crazier schemes involving pixel twisting and other light-blocking techniques.

The other notorious LCD problem is moton blur. If you've been buying LCD monitors for the past few years, you'll notice that advertised response times have dropped precipitously, down to as little as 2ms on some gamer-friendly computer monitors, and 6ms on big ol' TVs, so there's less true blurring of the picture. LCDs can also reduce motion blur further by processing the image: High-end LCDs use 120Hz technology to essentially double the framerate of source video, tricking the eye into seeing less blur.

Some 120Hz LCDs achieve this by tossing in a black frame of "downtime," but other sets morph two frames into a third, middle image that sits somewhere between the original frame and the next. As you might suspect, this can result in a weird, uncanny super silkiness that some reviewers object to.

Other reasons home theater buffs pick plasma over LCD in serious showdowns are that LCD naturally produces a less uniform picture and can't be seen as well (in color or brightness or both) from wide angles. LCDs can produce great pictures, and will keep getting better (LED backlights FTW), but in sets 42 inches and above, it just can't quite touch plasma, despite the fact that its cheaper pricer point has given it an overwhelming marketshare on the HDTV front.

Sony, which pushes Bravia LCD and hasn't sold plasma sets in years, is sending signals that it will soon focus on OLED instead. OLED pretty much makes both LCD and plasma look sad. They still cost a billion dollars and are a few years away, but the day of the OLED will come. [Giz Explains]

To give you an idea of how much you might save, for instance, Sony's cutting $400 off its 46-inch KDL-46S4100, to $1599, and $500 off its newest 1080p 40-incher, to $1199. So we're looking at discounts in the 20-25 percent range, which is none too shabby, and definitely worth holding off for a couple weeks on your Best Buy TV hunting expedition. [HD Guru]

The basic explanation of how plasma sets work is that they've got a cocktail of noble gases (think back to high school chemistry) in tiny cells crammed between two glass panels. The cells are zapped with electricity, which makes them light up. Phosphors coating the cells make the color magic happen. (The gas is turned into a plasma during the process, hence the name.) Since individual pixels can just be turned off (more or less), plasma can inherently produce much better blacks than LCDs,

For instance, the way Pioneer's ultimate Kuro tech manages to pull out some disgustingly deep blacks is that its cells require less and less charge to fire, so they keep cutting down on the pre-charge that results in glowing grays that you see in lesser plasma sets.

Plasmas have actually come a long way in the past 10 years or so, since they started going mainstream. The old problem of "burn in," where a picture is seemingly permanently etched on the screen if a static image is left up too long, is mostly mythical now. They're not totally impervious—leaving the Wachowskis' upcoming hyper-lush Speed Racer on pause for a few weeks might lead to some ugly results. But because the time it takes to reduce the panel's brightness by half (the half-life) can be 60,000 hours or longer, at least the same life as an LCD's backlight, it's now a non-issue when debating LCD vs. plasma.

The so-called "Denver" altitude problem is less of one now than before as well. See, plasmas aren't too fond of high altitudes, because it affects the gas inside (think baseball players visiting Coors Field, or the need to modify Betty Crocker recipes). Plasmas in higher altitudes can make annoying buzzing sounds. But new sets are able to withstand higher and higher altitudes, and Denver falls within the newest comfort zone of 7,500 feet. Sherpas still might want NEC's special "high altitude" models that'll work all the way up to 9,180 feet. Still, as Plasma TV Buying Guide suggests, you might just wanna stop by a Best Buy that sits at your same altitude, and see how their TVs are faring.

The one thing plasmas are losing though is bulk, both size and heft. (Unless you count the pictured 103-inch or 150-inch monsters from Panasonic.) Current models run as fat as five inches thick and 100 pounds, making self-installation a real pain in the dick. But sets shipping later this year and next will slim down to around an inch and around 45 pounds—but you will have to pay mightily for the new lightness, and may never be able to afford Pioneer's anorexic-model-on-coke skinny concept plasma.

Something we missed, or you still wanna know? Send any questions about plasmas (or anything else) to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

SHARP To Offer Ultra-thin LCD TV with Wireless HDTV Link by AMIMON

AMIMON's WHDI Technology Enables High Quality and Robust Wireless Uncompressed HDTV Link to Sharp's New X-Series LCD TVs

Santa Clara, Calif. and Osaka, Japan - April 30, 2008 - AMIMON Inc., an emerging leader in semiconductor technology for wireless high-definition (HD) video, has partnered with leading LCD TV manufacturer Sharp Corporation to offer a wireless HDTV link for the new X-Series ultra-thin LCD TVs. AMIMON's WHDI™ technology, capable of delivering uncompressed HD video streams wirelessly, will simplify the installation of Sharp's ultra-thin LCD TVs by eliminating the need for an audio/video cable between the TV panel and the separate tuner unit.

AMIMON's WHDI technology uses a unique video-modem approach to deliver wirelessly uncompressed HDTV. With a range of over 100 feet (30 m), through multiple walls and with latency of less than one millisecond, WHDI technology offers universal wireless whole-home HD connectivity with quality equivalent to that achieved with HDMI.

"WHDI is becoming the technology of choice for wireless HDTV," said Dr. Yoav Nissan-Cohen Chairman and CEO of AMIMON Inc. "With AMIMON's WHDI technology, consumers can enjoy wireless ultra-thin TV displays that are easy to install and easy on the eyes."

Sharp's new X-series models, which come in 37-, 42- and 46-inch screen sizes and are only 3.44 cm thick (at their thinnest part), go on sale in Japan in March. This series adopts a discrete component configuration that separates the display section from the tuner section, and these two sections can be connected with a cable or by using an optional wireless video transmitter unit that employs AMIMON's WHDI technology.

About Sharp Corporation

Sharp Corporation is a worldwide developer of innovative products and core technologies that play a key role in shaping the future of electronics. As a leader in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and digital technologies, Sharp offers one of the broadest and most advanced lines of consumer electronics, information products and electronic components, while also creating new network businesses.

Sharp Corporation employs about 58,900 people in the world (as of December 31, 2007) and recorded consolidated annual sales of 3,127,771 million yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. For more information, please visit Sharp's Web site at http://sharp-world.com/index.html.

About AMIMON

AMIMON is a fabless semiconductor company pioneering wireless uncompressed high-definition video for universal connectivity among CE video devices. AMIMON's uncompressed Wireless High-definition Interface (WHDI™) enables HDTV manufactures to offer consumers wireless flat panel displays that can interface wirelessly to all HD video sources throughout the home at a quality equivalent to that achieved with wired interfaces such as HDMI™.

The company is headquartered in Herzlia, Israel, with offices in Santa Clara, Calif., USA, Tokyo Japan and Seoul Korea. More information is available at www.AMIMON.com.

WHDI is a trademark of AMIMON, Ltd. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are those of their respective holders.

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However, there are still plenty of pitfalls that the novice consumer needs to avoid before making the commitment to drop a serious amount of cash on a new HDTV. The list summary is as follows:

•Fake HD and Cable Satellite Channels: Did you know that a number of HD channels broadcast a lot of "fake HD?" Anyone who has ever watched some of TNT's HD broadcasts can attest to that.

•Dynamic Contrast Ratio Measurement Specification: The contrast ratio number is basically meaningless.

•Line Conditioners: They do nothing to improve the HDTV image.

•Deep Color: No deep color sources makes this a worthless feature.

•x.v.Color: Until Laser TVs and xv Color HD discs appear on the scene, this feature is not truly useful.

•1080p HDTVs below 42" (diagonal): If you own a HDTV under 42", chances are you won't recognize the quality difference over 720p—unless you are standing really close to the TV.

•Flat LCD HDTVs 26" and Smaller: The image quality of LCD HDTVs in the 26" inch range or lower is generally poor.

•120Hz HDMI Cables: As mentioned before, expensive HDMI cables are a huge ripoff. Case in point, decent HDMI cable for less than $2. I bought a few myself and they work fine.

•Off Brand Model HDTVs: No-name brands may cost you more down the line.

•HDMI: Horrible connector design can prove problematic. Always pretest your connections.

So there you have it. If you do your homework, you can save yourself a lot of problems (and money) down the line. For a full explanation on the items in this list, check out the HD Guru link. [HD Guru]

Like Pioneer told us before, while they're sharing some tech secrets and even swapping engineers to develop better plasmas for the future, the processing part of the Kuro magic will stay in Pioneer's hands. But, despite lower production costs, don't expect cheaper Kuros for a while—the move's to make Pioneer more profitable. We'll start seeing the co-developed sets in Fall 2009. [Impress]

Series 4 LCD — Low-End 720p
• 18.9": $429
• 21.9": $549
• 26.0": $749
• 31.5": $899
• 37.0": $1199
• 39.9": $1299

Series 5 LCD — Low-End 1080p
• 31.5": $1,099.99
• 37.1": $1,399.99
• 40.0": $1,699.99
• 46.0": $1,999.99
• 52.2": $2,799.99

Series 6 LCD — High-End 1080p
• 19.0": $479.99
• 22.0": $649.99
• 31.5": $1,299.99
• 39.9": $2,299.99
• 45.9": $2,899.99
• 52.2": $3,199.99

Series 7 LCD — Top of the line
• 39.9": $2,599.99
• 45.9": $3,199.99
• 52.0": $3,499.99

Series 4 Plasma — Low-End 720p, 3D Ready
• 42": $1,199
• 50": $1,699

Series 5 Plasma — Low-End 1080p, 3D Ready
• 50": $2299
• 58": $3599

Series 6 Plasma — High End 1080p
• 50": $2,599.99
• 58": $3,999.99
• 63": $4,999.99

Unfortunately for Adam, Addy, and David Bowie, however, it won't be a 24/7 Live Earth channel, but an hour-long broadcast that is going to be repeated from April 18. The film has been edited from high quality HD footage taken from the International Space Station and the shuttle.

NASA to Broadcast Earth Views in High Definition Television HOUSTON — Since humans first flew in space, nothing has captivated astronauts more than the view of home out the window of their spacecraft. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, NASA will make those views available to people here on Earth with an event highlighting imagery taken by astronauts and the science behind it.

For the first time ever, NASA Television will air a special hour-long broadcast of views of Earth taken in High Definition, or HD, by astronauts on past space shuttle and International Space Station missions.

The special HD broadcast will air between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 18, and replay at the same time on Monday, April 21. It will air every hour from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22.

The Friday HD broadcast will feature a silent version of the Earth views. The broadcasts on Monday and Tuesday will include a discussion of the views by Dr. Justin Wilkinson, a scientist with the Crew Earth Observations Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The footage also will air on standard NASA TV during regularly scheduled Video File broadcasts. For technical information on how to receive the special broadcast in high definition, and for NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit NASA TV.

Until that day, you will have to keep smoking your astroturf watching Flight of the Conchords reruns:

[NASA TV]

• "Content available on cable networks is changing all the time. New services are added, some are redesigned and others are removed."

• "SDV technology is designed to expand the range of services offered by cable operators, not reduce them."

• "Many CE companies chose to implement receivers that lack the necessary circuitry to provide a full two-way cable experience with the CableCard."

• "No product was ever originally designed to work with this new Tuning Adaptor including the existing Tivo UDPC products...Since consumer products don't use Microsoft Windows, they don't have plug-in drivers. Instead a new firmware update is needed to include the necessary driver controls to interact with this new external device. Makers of any existing UDCPs that already have a USB port (there are many) are just as able to provide new firmware as Tivo, if they chose to do so."

• "Consumers should look for products identified as tru2way to ensure they will be able to get all the new and advanced services their digital cable systems can deliver."

Last we checked, Panasonic was the only one with a tru2way TV pegged to an actual shipdate, and Comcast was the only cable company even talking about implementing it this year, but again, hopefully we'll hear a lot more about this come the NCTA's Cable Show on May 18-20. We certainly look forward to hearing good news from CableLabs (and we're sure they look forward to sharing some). [CableLabs; Original HD Guru Story]