One of the most impressive demonstrations we saw at this year’s IFA exhibition was at the Texas Instruments DLP stand – where they were showing off the latest 3D TV technology.
The display creates two independent images for viewer’s left and right eyes. The two images are then displayed alternately at 60 frames per second while specialised glasses synchronised by the TV stops the right eye viewing the left eye image and so on.
The brain then combines the two images to perceive a single picture in three-dimensions.
The global switchover from analogue to digital TV services is fuelling the growth of digital set top boxes – but growth will vary widely across regional markets depending on digital platforms and types of services and technologies offered.
A report by Digital Tech Consulting (DTC) has revealed that emerging technologies including HDTV services as well as the expansion of digital TV subscription services in developing countries will be the main driving force for STB sales in the next few years.
Several large pay TV markets like China and India are only just beginning the transition to digital technology and promise robust growth over the decade.
We attended a conference session by Ken Graffeo, co-chairman of the European HD-DVD Promotional Group, at last week’s IFA show in Berlin.
He refused to admit there was a format war with Blu-ray, preferring instead to call it a price war and commenting that there would be a sub-£200 HD-DVD player by early next year (the Venturer SHD 7000) – apparently DVD players took four years to drop to that price.
Then there was plenty of talk of the latest HD-DVD titles due out this year including all five Harry Potter films, Blade Runner and Heroes – and claims that three quarters of Europe’s independent filmmakers are releasing titles in HD-DVD.
One of the main talking points at this year’s show was the growing popularity of IPTV, or ‘television on the basis of Internet protocol’. It refers to new forms of television services that offer genuine in interactivity including video on demand and individual access to programmes.
IPTV offers a new way of watching television without being restricted by the time sequence of programme schedules. Instead, viewers can access programmes of interest from the Internet, irrespective of the schedules drawn up by broadcasting networks
It was quite a show at the annual IFA exhibition in Berlin last week with a record participation of 1,212 exhibitors from 32 different countries showing off their latest wares in an area that covered around 104,000 square metres.
It’s no surprise that high-definition took centre stage and at times it was difficult to move with large screen displays and next generation disc players taking up practically all the floor space.
Susi from Shiny Shiny takes a closer look at Phillips Aurea, a new ambient lighting enabled TV that Phillips is convinced will revolutionise television.
Loewe is known for having some of the most stylish TVs on the market, so it is no surprise to see an eye-catching Blu-ray player from the German technology company - the BluTech Vision.
Available in a black or silver finish, it has all the features you would expect, including HDMI, 24p film-like motion, TrueHD, DTS HD and 7.1 surround. But I suspect it has a few other tricks on the aesthetics front - like some novel way of inserting the disc, as the picture doesn't give much away on that front.
Released in Europe in October, no price available as yet.
We'd read about the Venturer SHD7000 HD DVD player a couple of days ago on Gizmodo, but didn't report it here as it looked like another Chinese player only destined for the US market — and you don't want to read about every player destined never to hit our shores, right?
However, the European HD DVD Promotional Group has confirmed that the SHD7000 will be the first European player expected to retail for under 300 Euros (about £200).
Though it will only output at 1080i, it can upscale standard DVDs, and supports Dolby TrueHD.
Whether it's worth getting a player that can't do 1080p is another matter. Prices are expected to fall across the board for HD DVD players, so it might be worth looking at Toshiba players. At least, we should wait until the first reviews are out. The player itself is due out before Christmas, being sold by major UK and European retailers.
Along with Toshiba's new REGZA XF series of LCD TVs, they've also introduced the REGZA Z Series, claiming them their most technologically advanced collection of LCD TV panels to date.
Naturally they're full 1080p TVs, available in five sizes: 37, 42, 47, 52, and 57 inch models.
They feature Toshiba's Active Vision M100HD 100Hz picture processing technology, full 10-bit colour processing, Dynamic Gamma Curve Correction technology, a dynamic contrast ratio of between 6,500 and 15,000:1, brightness of 500cd/m2, and a Wide Colour Gamut.
Each panel is equipped with a pulldown sequencer which offers frame refresh rates of up to 100Hz via a 5:5 pulldown sequence.
The sets are fitted with an ONKYO speaker system, come with an integrated digital tuner, and have three HDMI inputs.
They'll be available from September, prices to be confirmed.
Let's spot the manufacturers who are now making a thing about design in their AV products. Sure, it's all very well to finish your equipment off in glossy piano black, but now we need TVs and sound systems which are inspired by waves and champagne flutes.
Yes, LG, I'm looking at you. First it's your wavy LCD TVs, and now it's your HT762TT home cinema system. It's a pity your naming conventions weren't as inspired as the designs.
Anyway, “the idea behind the series is to add design quality to home cinema systems that make them distinctive while still blending in with today’s homes,” said Daniel Aziz, Marketing Manager, Digital Media and Car Infotainment for LG Electronics UK.
Hiro Wada, in charge of product planning for visual products and display devices at Panasonic, has said that the company expects sales of large plasma TVs, currently holding 40% of the market, to drop off in the next two years, then settling at around 30% of the total flat-screen TV market.
Matsushita, who use the Panasonic brand name, are currently the world's biggest manufacturer of plasma TVs, and that's a position they want to maintain. Wada added that plasma technology is just 10 years old, compared to 30 years for LCD, meaning plasma had plenty of room to improve.
The LCD versus plasma issue has rumbled on for years, and it really depends who you ask as to how well each technology is doing.
Here's a selection of articles HDTVUK has covered over the past year to illustrate the point:
Two companies have joined the Blu-ray Disc Association.
China Hualu Group (CHLG) is one of China's leading manufacturers of audio and video devices. In a statement they said they believed Blu-ray offered the best opportunity to market for the company.
“Hualu Group is committed to actively help improve Blu-ray Disc formats and becoming involved in its promotional activities in the Chinese market," said Chen Run Sheng, CEO of the Group.
Meanwhile, Acer joins HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Sony, as PC manufacturers supporting the high definition disc format, though it should be noted that they've produced HD DVD notebooks in the past.
The news is probably more significant for the Chinese market, but shows that companies taking sides is far from over.
Sharp must have a thing about thinness at present, as they unveil one of the slimmest Blu-ray players around (2.7 inches high). The BD-HP20S is their first dedicated player to leave Japan.
Features are much as you'd expect from the latest Blu-ray players: 1080p, HDMI 1.3 with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio support, the full Blu-ray specification implemented for true interactivity, PiP, web features, and so on, 24fps movie mode, and a much shorter startup time.
It also upscales standard DVDs, and features their AQUOS Link feature for connecting and triggering other Sharp AQUOS equipment such as their LCD TV range.
Due for a European launch in the autumn, moving to the States shortly after, with prices to be confirmed.
In a statement which seems to affirm Samsung's overall commitment to Blu-ray, VP of Samsung's AV divison, Seung Soo Park, said that there was no obvious global market for HD DVD players at present, and that they wouldn't be producing a home entertainment system using the format.
"If the market demands such a system, then we will produce one, but at this time, we have no plans to do so," he said.
This news may not bother the likes of Toshiba, who co-developed the HD DVD format, who will see less competition for the format they believe will ultimately "win".
last week's HD DVD allegations: Have Blu-ray partners received incentives from Sony to stay with the format?
A Pocket-Lint journo asked at a recent Blu-ray press conference, and received a direct (albeit squirmy) "No" from Warner, Fox, MGM, and Sony Pictures. The only executive to issue a "No comment" was the European Marketing VP of Disney, which perhaps raises a few questions.
So, everyone's supporting Blu-ray for the belief in it. That's the party line, at least, it seems.
If anyone is likely to be talking up Blu-ray at this year's IFA, it's Sony, and they've made the bold claim that 250,000 Blu-ray discs have now been sold across Europe.
And, for competition's sake, they also suggest that, week-on-week, Blu-ray has been outselling HD DVD by as much as five times (according to GfK research).
They're also keen to point out some of the strong titles coming exclusively to Blu-ray in the fourth quarter of the year, including Spider-Man 3 in October, Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind from November, and A Few Good Men next month.
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We attended a conference session by Ken Graffeo, co-chairman of the European HD-DVD Promotional Group, at last week’s IFA show in Berlin.
We'd read about the Venturer SHD7000 HD DVD player a couple of days ago on 
Two companies have joined the Blu-ray Disc Association.
In a statement which seems to affirm Samsung's overall commitment to Blu-ray, VP of Samsung's AV divison, Seung Soo Park, said that there was no obvious global market for HD DVD players at present, and that they wouldn't be producing a home entertainment system using the format.
If anyone is likely to be talking up Blu-ray at this year's IFA, it's Sony, and they've made the bold claim that 250,000 Blu-ray discs have now been sold across Europe.
