Even Higher-Definition TVs

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,120103,tk,dn032905X,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,120103,tk,dn032905X,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"That great high-definition television set you just bought may no longer be the best on the block. While most high-definition sets sold today have native screen resolutions that support the 720p high-def screen format (720 lines of progressive-scan video), a new contingent of 40-inch and larger sets offer native support for the 1080p format. The effect of the higher resolution is debatable now, but these sets will eventually mean improved pictures."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/120103-2305p024-1b.jpg" /> <br /><br />Once there is enough material out there to take advantage of this, THEN I will consider an upgrade.

[Steve1496]

I think what they should be consentrating on right now is getting people to move to a nice new HDTV, rather than pushing out new sets to confuse customers even more.

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I guess the deciding factor is the bandwidth issue for traditional broadcast television. Content on current DVD's, next gen DVD's, downloaded to MCE's could be released in 1080 very quickly and fairly easy. Most television (in Sweden) has been shot in 1080 for a while now. DVD's could just be put on several discs.

[Felix Torres]

1- Manufacturers sell what they can make, more often than not. And right now, they can make 1080p displays. If they don't offer them for sale, somebody else will and since there *are* uses for the extra resolution there is room in the market for them.
2- High-priced 1080p displays can then displace 1080i displays as the premium offerings, allowing the prices of the interlaced displays to fall faster than they otherwise would.
3- Companies have a use for "bragging-rights" products; if nothing else, they draw attention to their technical capabilities. And if the price is too high today, well, the promise of future drops will still draw attention. And once the attention is in place, they can sell the lower priced product.
4- 1080p content is readily available right now; all the 1080i sources can be easily and cheaply rendered as 1080p with the displays' onboard de-interlacing image processors.
5- Anybody want to bet against the new XBOX due in may supporting 1080p? It might, since the old one supports 1080i. For that matter Media Center and gaming PCs already support 1080P. High-end gaming is a nice, profitable niche; just ask Alienware...

In general, this is a good development. And it will, indirectly, lead to cheaper HDTV. Just not this week... 8)

[Felix Torres]

I guess the deciding factor is the bandwidth issue for traditional broadcast television. Content on current DVD's, next gen DVD's, downloaded to MCE's could be released in 1080 very quickly and fairly easy. Most television (in Sweden) has been shot in 1080 for a while now. DVD's could just be put on several discs.

Or encoded with WMV HD or, maybe, DiVX HD; the players supporting those formats are starting to become available. Isn't KISS overdue with one of them, round your neck of the woods?

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Felix: Don't know so much about Danish Kiss, other than that they were among the first to support DivX and that their stuff is pretty slick looking, sortof B&amp;O-stylee.

Nice post BTW, couldn't agree more. If devices find their way into peoples homes, content will follow.

[Felix Torres]

All I know is they pre-announced a Linktheater-style does-everything player last summer that fans are still waiting on.
And that they have at least one connected player with built-in HD.
They seem to have a good idea of what products to build; they just can't get them out the door in a timely fashion.
Now where have we heard that before? :-)

[[email protected]]

Don't really know how to feel about devices streeming media. Does it really work? I know that modern ethernet switches support real-time protocols for telephony and stuff but I just don't know.

[Felix Torres]

Yup! They work.

I have an older audio-and-photo streamer that works fine and I've used the Windows Media Encoder to stream live tv over my home wireless net without a problem. (Should come in handy once sports season sarts, Sunday.) Still not sure if I'll be buying a LinkTheater or equivalent or upgrading my media server to MCE but I'll probably do something by summer.

Its all a matter of what kind of home network you have.

[[email protected]]

I've heard that 1080 (p, I think) requires 30 Mbit and I guess that shouldn't be a problem on a 100 or 54 Mbit LAN. Suppose the problem will be if several streams like that are requested from the same machine. I've built a wired LAN with cat. 5e cable and outlets with a 3Com 100 MBit OfficeConnect router with 54 MBit wireless. Haven't tested it for throughput but it seems pretty quick.