Sanyo launches new LCD HDTV range

Sanyo has annonced the launch of a new range of Full HD and HD Ready LCD TVs. The new 2007 range incorporates eight models in sizes from 20" to 47" and with a variety of features. Release dates for the range are April and June 2007.

Sanyo promises stunning sound and picture quality. They say the new products incorporate up-to-the-minute technologies as demanded by the industry and today’s customer.

HD ready is available across the board and two top-end models feature full 1080p HD resolution. The range is also designed to ensure that viewers will be ready when the national switch to digital commences in October 2007.

The new LCD televisions are available in SANYO’s widest selection of screen sizes and include 47”, 42”, 37”, 32”, 26” and 20 “ models – ensuring that there is a product to meet every need.

At the larger end of the screen size spectrum is the CE47FD51-B full HD LCD television. This 47” size screen is the largest television launched by SANYO and includes true HD 1080p picture resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) that is fully compatible with HD DVD’s and Blu-ray. The panel incorporates a high contrast ratio of 1000:1, a high brightness level of 500cd/m2, response time of 8ms and an ultra wide viewing angle of 178 degrees.

In addition the slightly smaller 42” option (CE42FD81-B) also offers full 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and like its bigger brother features two HDMI inputs and two SCART inputs, in-built digital tuner, ultra wide viewing angle and a response time of just 5ms.

Other options in the SANYO range include 37”, 32”, 26” and 20” models. These new models have been introduced to capitalise on the growing demand for flat panel televisions. The 26” and 20” screen size models in particular will cater to consumers’ increasing need for a second or even third LCD television in the home. Slim and compact, the products are perfectly suited to the bedroom, kitchen or study.

All products in the range feature 16:9 LCD, 2 SCART sockets and HDMI input (excluding the CE20WLD25-B).

The new products will be launched over the coming months. Full specifications follow below.

CE47FD51-B
47R21; Full HD LCD television with digital tuner (1080p)

• 16:9 LCD with built in Digital Tuner
• Black Colour
• Full HD resolution 1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Brightness – 500cd/m2
• Contrast ratio – 1000:1
• Viewing Angle – H:178 V:178
• Response time – 8ms
• 2 HDMI input
• 2 scart sockets
• YPbPr Component IN
• PC Input (DSUB15-VGA)
• Availability – April

CE42FD81-B
42R21; Full HD LCD television (1080p)

• 16:9 LCD with built in Digital Tuner
• Full HD Resolution 1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Brightness – 550cd / m2
• Contrast Ratio – 800:1
• Viewing Angle – H@178 V: 178
• Response Time – 8ms
• 2 HDMI Input
• 2 Scart sockets
• YPbPr Component IN
• PC Input (DSUB15-VGA)
• Availability – June

CE42LD81-B
42R21; HD ready LCD television

• 16:9 LCD with built in Digital Tuner
• WXGA resolution (1366 x 768)
• Brightness – 500cd/m2
• Contrast Ratio – 1000:1
• Viewing Angle – H: 178 x V: 178
• Response time – 5ms
• 2 HDMI Input
• 2 Scart sockets
• YPbPr Component IN
• PC Input (DSUB15 – VGA)
• Availability – June

CE37LD81-B
37R21; HD ready LCD television with Digital Tuner

• 16:9 LCD with built in Digital Tuner
• WXGA Resolution (1366 x 768)
• Brightness (500cd/m2)
• Contrast Ratio – 800:1
• Viewing Angle – H:178 V: 178
• Response Time – 9ms
• 2 HDMI Input
• 2 Scart sockets
• YPbPr Component IN
• PC Input (DSUB15-VGA)
• Availability – June

CE32LD81-B
32 “ HD ready LCD television with digital tuner

• 16:9 LCD with built in Digital Tuner
• WXGA Resolultion (1366 x 768)
• Brightness – 500 cd/m2
• Contrast Ratio – 1200:1
• Viewing Angle – H:176 V: 176
• Response Time – 6.5ms
• 2 HDMI Input
• 2 Scart sockets
• YPbPr Component IN
• PC Input (DSUB15-VGA)
• Availability – April

CE32LC81-B
32R21; HD ready television

• 16:9 LCD with built in Analogue Tuner
• WXGA resolution (1366 x 768)
• Brightness 500cd/m2
• Contrast ratio 1200:1
• Viewing Angle H: 176 V: 176
• Response Time 6.5ms
• HDMI Input
• 2 Scart sockets
• YPbPr Component IN
• Availability – April

CE26LD81-B
26R21; HD ready LCD television with digital tuner

• 16:9 LCD with built in Digital Tuner
• WXGA Resolution (1366 x 768)
• Brightness – 500cd/m2
• Contrast Ratio – 800:1
• Viewing Angle – H:160 V:150
• Response Time – 8ms
• 2 HDMI
• 2 Scart sockets
• YPbPr Component IN
• PC Input (DSUB15-VGA)
• Availability – April

Also available – 26” HD ready LCD television with analogue tuner (CE26LC81-B)

CE20WLD25-B
20R21; LCD television with digital tuner

• 16:9 LCD with built in digital tuner
• WXGA Resolution (1366 x 768)
• Brightness 450cd/m2
• Contrast Ratio 700:1
• Viewing Angle – H:160 V:140
• Response time – 8ms
• 2 Scart socket
• Colour: Black
• Availability – April

Sanyo launch HD2 - a new HD Digital Camcorder

Sanyo has annonced the launch of a new high-definition digital camcorder. The HD2 is the latest addition to the award winning HD1 and HD1A range.


Building on the features of the HD1A, the HD2 has the added ability to take 7.1 megapixal high-resolution images. The HD2 also has an HDMI terminal docking station (cable supplied), which means that clear video and high-resolution still images can be viewed on the growing numbers of High Definition TVs on the market.

As the smallest and lightest* camcorder of its kind, the HD2 measures 80 x 119 x 36mm, weighs just 235g (including battery and standard SD memory card) and is small and compact enough to fit in your pocket. This also means that both still and moving images can be shot using just one hand. A 2.2 inch LCD display flips out from the camera and rotates up to 285 degrees for taking great video or still images in any situation. The LCD display contains 210,000 pixels, ensuring exceptionally clear viewing.

The HD2 also features a web-use filming mode, which means that footage can be uploaded directly on the internet without needing to be converted – making it ideal for the growing number of online video blog sites. Web–SHQ recording mode has been designed specifically to capture video destined for video iPOD and other popular MPEG-4 capable personal media players. For optimal playback on such devices, video is captured at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and a smooth and natural 30 frames per second video image.

Hassle-free editing
Recording and editing film footage is simplicity itself and doesn’t require the HD2 to be connected to a computer. Various scenes can be recorded into one single film which can be edited by cutting un-needed parts using the easy to use editing options in the camcorder. High Definition footage can be easily edited using Ulead DVD MovieWriter5.0 SE software and then conveniently saved in their MPEG-4 format directly onto a PC/MAC or DVD.

Ideal for low lighting
The HD2 is equipped with a one touch ‘high-sensitivity mode’ button for filming under low-lighting conditions. Additionally the HD2’s 10x optical zoom lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 in both wide and telephoto angles, allowing for clear images in low light situations. Combined with a 10x digital zoom capability, the HD2 is capable of a total 100x zoom.

Image Stabilization
The HD2 features digital image stabilization that works across the full shooting range from wide-angle to telephoto. Using an original corrective algorithm developed by SANYO, the HD2 is able to distinguish between ‘trembling hands’ and ‘camera work’ such as panning and tilting.

Progressive HD video scanning
Thanks to highly efficient MPEG-4 technology, the HD2 is able to create richly detailed high-definition 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) videos at 30 frames per second. That’s up to three times more pixels than standard conventional video cameras.

High Definition Engine
The HD2 is powered by high-precision LSI (large scale integration) circuitry for advanced, high-definition image processing. This powerful ‘high definition engine’ processes a vast number of calculations and enables the HD2 to provide image processing functions such as high-definition 720p processing, real-time MPEG-4 compression and noise reduction.

Super-fast – 9Mbs frame rate
The HD2 features an accelerated frame rate in the high definition mode, which is more than four times faster than earlier digital cameras. Transmitting data at nine megabits per second ensures that camera and subject motion are smooth and natural, without the image lag or distortion that might occur in slower-responding systems.

Features at a glance:

• Edits movies without computer / Includes web compatible recording mode


• Includes Ulead DVD Movie Writer 5.0 SE


• High sensitivity mode


• HDMI Compatible (cable supplied)


• Super-fast start-up


• Image stabilization


• 1280 x 720 progressive HD video scanning


• High-definition engine


• 7.1 Megapixel still images


• 10x optical zoom


• 2.2 inch LCD display


• Video recording optimized for personal media players


• 16:9 still shooting


• Compact (80 x 119 x 36mm) and lightweight (235g)
  
  * consumer-use available high definition video camera category (as of 7th February 2007)

The UK launch date is set for April 2007 and the price is £499.

How it works - LCD TV

After several unsuccesful attempts, I now have a simple answer to the question: How does an LCD TV work?

The reason I thought about getting to grips with an explanation of how LCD TVs work was a discussion with industry insiders about "Backlight" that left me wanting to find out more. The backlight is one of the critical bits of an LCD panel. But why? It's all down to the way that the picture is generated. Without wishing to over-simplify the technology, I'll try to explain it in layman's terms...

The TV's screen is an LCD panel, made up of several layers. A bright white light shines away at the back of the panel. Millions of colour filters sit in front of this light, each one acting as a single pixel. Changing the strength of these colour filters allows varying amounts of the backlight through the front of the screen and into the room. With all of the filters switched off, the screen shines bright white. With all of the filters fully on, the screen will go nearly black. There are three elements to each filter - one each for the red, green and blue light that makes up the white visible spectrum. Each of the three colours can be adjusted for each filter, allowing each dot on the screen to have a different colour and brighness at the same time.

To get an idea of the size of each pixel, a full high-definition TV has 1,080 rows of pixels in 1,920 columns. The brightness and colour of each of these pixels can be controlled separately by adjusting its colour filters, to create the full colour picture across the whole screen.

Television pictures are made up of a series of still images displayed one after another in quick succession, to give the impression of movement. Therefore it important that the pixels should be able to change colour and brightness very quickly. If they change too slow, any fast movement on the screen will look blurred, with a smeared edge behind the moving object. The speed with which the pixels can change colour and brightness is called the "refresh rate". The faster the refresh rate, the less blurry and smeared the picture. Top-range LCD TVs currently refresh in 4 milliseconds, but lower priced LCD TV's don't achieve this rate and often suffer from noticeable motion-blur as a result.

Sony launches PS3 - with a bonus for some lucky buyers

Sony's PS3 Games Console was launched in the UK today amid much fanfare and a give-away of free HD TVs to the first 100 lucky(?) punters in the queue at Virgin Megastore on London's Oxford Street.

Ray Maguire, head of Sony Computer Entertainment in the UK is quoted by the BBC as saying:

"High definition is very important to people.

"A lot of people have bought flat panel TVs and they want content to go on it and PlayStation 3 is one of the few places they can get that kind of experience."

The European launch of the PS3 has been delayed due to technical difficulties in manufacturing the components of the laser for the built-in Blu-Ray player. This is now in direct competition to the HD-DVD drive that is available as an add-on to Microsoft's XBox console.

The PS3 carries a hefty price tag - around £425 GBP at launch, compared to the current c£280 GBP price of the XBox 360 Premium Edition. Bear in mind though that to add an HD drive to the XBox 360 will set you back a further c£125 and the price gap narrows significantly.

In addition to re-igniting the war between competing games consoles, the release of the PS3 has stepped the format war between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD up a gear. The name of the eventual winner is still in the balance. Maybe, just maybe, both formats will be able to co-exist, with the wisest manufacturers producing an affordable range of players that will play both formats.

Find the best deals on Sony PS3s at ShopWindow.com

Ofcom propose to strangle Freeview HDTV

Ofcom are proposing to sell off bandwidth to the highest bidders when the digital switchover is complete in 2012. If implemented, this will leave no room for free public broadcasting of high definition television (HDTV) and will mean that HDTV will only be available via subscription services - i.e. we will have to pay extra for them.

Ofcom, the Office of Communications, is billed as "the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries". They have responsibility for the allocation of the bandwidth that will become available when the analogue signal is switched off and replaced with digital.

A quick technical explanation: Television broadcasts are made by transmitting Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) radio waves and these are picked up by roof-top aerials. Currently an analogue signal is used and this requires a large portion (bandwidth) of the naturally occuring radio spectrum. Digital signals can be carried with a much narrower bandwidth than analogue, meaning that when the analogue signal is switched off, there will be a large chunk of the spectrum available for new uses.

There are a variety of uses to which the new bandwidth (referred to as the "Digital Dividend" by Ofcom) could be allocated. A lot of us who have bought HD Ready TVs might have hoped that at least some of this bandwidth would have been reserved for HD broadcasts, but Ofcom seem hell-bent on selling it off to the highest bidder. They claim to have commissioned market research that points to HD broadcast as being a marginal interest. Thiis is a kick in the face to all those people who have invested their hard-earned cash in HD Ready televisions.

So what can be done about it? Well there are a number of petitions on the No. 10 Downing Street site for a start. Finding these and signing them is a fairly painless process, so that is one option worth considering. Unfortunately Ofcom's formal call for responses to their proposal has now closed, but their website carries numerous contact points that are also worth a try. Why not give it a go if you, like us think that Ofcom has got it all wrong.

Links:

• Petitions at 10 Downing Street
• Ofcom Digital Dividend review

Sharp Aquos Product Reviews

We have been busy reviewing the latest models in the Sharp Aquos range over recent weeks. Our independent reviews of the Sharp Aquos range of flat panel LCD TVs are now available on http://www.hdtvexpert.co.uk/HDTV_Reviews.asp

Sharp Aquos 42" LCD model LC-42XD1E The Aquos is a great-looking TV. It produces excellent picture quality from standard definition sources and in High Definition (HD) mode the quality is absolutely stunning. It's easy to install and set up, though connecting an XBox 360 was a little fiddly. The supplied remote control is intuitively designed and quickly accesses the impressive array of features. Read the full review .

Sharp Aquos 46" LCD model LC-46XD1E This 46" model is near the top end of the current Aquos range of flat panel LCD televisions from Sharp, both in terms of size and specification. Along with others in the range, it boasts full 1080P High Definition (HD) picture quality and this looks stunning when connected to an HD source. The 46" Aquos also delivers strongly with standard definition broadcast and DVD, giving rich colours, excellent contrast and superb sound from the built-in speakers. It also looks great in terms of design, having a slim, sleek frame and stand. Read the full review

Find the best deals on the Sharp Aquos range at ShopWindow.com