Toshiba Offers Four Times The HDTV

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/article/156829/toshibas_cell_tv_ups_the_hd_ante.html' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/article/1568...he_hd_ante.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"With a maximum resolution of 3840-by-2160 (so-called Quad-HD or "2k-by-4k") and a 55-inch display panel, the Toshiba Cell TV uses an integrated Cell processor to upscale current HDTV picture to fill the full display. The Cell TV, which is on display at CES, leverages Toshiba's Resolution+ technology, which Toshiba says will take lower-quality video content and upscale it in such a way that it appears crisper and clearer than when done with traditional upscaling technologies."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1231570622.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>The battle for the best HDTV is not over.&nbsp; Apparently, 1080p is no longer enough with Toshiba pushing their Cell TV at a resolution that is fully four times the resolution of 1080p. Upscaling is the key to Toshiba's Cell TV.&nbsp; I've seen good upscaling, and very, very poor upscaling.&nbsp; The Cell processor should have more than enough power to push over 8 million pixels of pretty goodness. &nbsp; I'm sure there might be some people who say that the extra resolution is not necessary but after watching several movies, documentaries and tv shows in 720 or 1080p, I can tell you that I at least appreciate all the extra detail that HDTV brings.</p>

[Jason Dunn]

I think QuadHD is going to have a hard time gaining any traction, for two main reasons: one, there's virtually no native content out there right now, and I doubt there will be for years. Two, 1080p already looks stunning on very large TV sets, and there's a practical limit to how big a TV set can be in someone's home. Sure, maybe on a 150 inch TV set 1920 x 1080 pixels isn't quite enough for razor-sharp detail, but how many people can even FIT a 150 inch TV in their homes?

1080p is going to be the ceiling for many years to come.

[Kursplat]

Yeah, these are the displays to match up with cameras like these: http://www.red.com/cameras/technology/. But you are right, as a broadcast standard, don't hold your breath expecting it anytime soon. And we'll have to wait for BluRay to be replaced with 250GB ExRay discs and ExRay players for movies on 4k discs.

As an immediate solution, I'd love to hook up a computer to it that can drive that resolution and/or have the Microsoft Xbox720 support 4k. I'm drooling just imagining what Gears of War 7 would look like in 4k.

[Hooch Tan]

Sure, maybe on a 150 inch TV set 1920 x 1080 pixels isn't quite enough for razor-sharp detail, but how many people can even FIT a 150 inch TV in their homes?

What, you don't have a 150 inch TV? Mine's arriving on Friday! :p

I agree with you, 1080p is going to be good enough for quite a few years. I know people who even after seeing HDTV are still happy with VHS tapes and their aging TV that has dials on it!