The FlatHDTV Blog

Digital TV and HDTV have been changing the way we entertain ourselves for a while now: super-lifelike images, integration with computers, and near-effortless access to content are just a few of the things that make it feel like future technology is coming to fruition now.

But, there’s one aspect of HDTV technology that makes us feel like it’s still the 20th Century: all those damn wires to trip on. Your cell phone doesn’t need wires. Why should your TV?

Luckily, there’s a movement in the electronics industry dedicated to establishing a new standard for wireless transmission of high definition audio and video content. It’s called the Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) Special Interest Group, and has been established between Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Motorola, Ammion, and Hitachi. They are hoping to implement the new standard in a video-modem that can transmit 1080p HD content, wirelessly on the 5GHz band, throughout several rooms in a house.

For more information, check out WHDI’s news page or their FAQ page.

Learning the ropes in the brave new world of HDTV can be overwhelming at times, especially if reading acronym after acronym makes your head spin. Get a new HD-DVR for your LCD DTV, turn your HP into an HTPC, and then once you’ve learned to download WVGA from your ISP you’ll wonder why you ever watched MTV on your RCA.

One of the most important new terms, though, is HDMI. It refers to a new type of cable and stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. The concept behind HDMI is really simple: instead of having different kinds of cables to connect between your TV, computer, DVD player and what have you, just use one type of cable that’s capable of doing it all. It comes down to the bigger-fire-hose theory: with ever increasing TV screen resolutions, high definition movie players, and growing popularity of downloading huge files over the internet, demand has increased for high capacity cables, and so the cost has come down low enough that it makes little sense to buy anything smaller.

HDMI cables replace the following: coaxial cable (the stiff, round wire with one pin coming out of the end connector), DVI cables (the ones with a trapezoidal end jack, with about 15 pins, that is often used for a computer monitor), composite and component cables (the familiar old red and green, or white and yellow cable pairs that TVs have used for decades), and many many more. They are not part of every device yet, though, so adapters will still have to be used for several years to come when connecting an HDMI port to a non-HDMI port. To see pictures of these connectors check this article: connecting your computer to your HDTV.

And even though HDMI is the most powerful cable in consumer electronics, there is still something better- future versions of HDMI. The standard right now is called HDMI 1.0, and it is capable of handling the most advanced HDTV technology (1080p, 120Hz, Blu-Ray) that you can buy right now. Just around the corner is a new standard called HDMI 1.3 that should handle the next generation of HDTVs, whether they can play 2560×1600 resolution, super enhanced audio, 3-D movies, or even smell-o-vision. Getting a 1.0 cable is fine for now, though, because they are cheap and can handle just about anything.

When you make the decision to go HD this winter, it’s important to know that you will need more than just an HDTV to watch things in high definition.

Many people think they can simply plug their new HDTV into the wall and instantly watch high-def TV, but this is not the case. With most cable TV providers, only a few dozen of the channels are in HD, and subscribers will need to contact the cable company to add those channels to their plan, for a few extra dollars. They might also need to lease an HD receiver from the company.

And regular over-the-air channels will look pretty much the same as they did on a regular TV, unless they are broadcast in HD. To find out which channels are, check your local listings. Here is a handy guide for most US cities: hdtvmagazine/programming. And make sure your antenna can receive UHF signals, since that’s the frequency range where HD channels are broadcast.

Plugging in your regular DVD player to an HDTV will have a pretty good result, since the HDTV will take advantage of the progressive format of the DVD recording, and it will look a little better than on a regular TV. But to really get the most bang for your buck, use a high definition DVD player, using one of the new HD formats. Learn more about the DVD formats, and other HD content options here: HDTV content

The world is slowly but surely going wireless. Right now, consumer HDTVs and their accessories need cables to transfer high definition content, but by 2008 that might change.

Semiconductor company Ammion is developing technology to wirelessly transmit uncompressed HD content up to 100 feet, with the same quality as an HDMI cable. They will not manufacture consumer products, but will sell the technology to manufacturers.

More at: Ammion

The new HDTV technology is amazing, and has drastically changed the appearance of our favorite TV shows and movies. But, there is still one small problem: most of the stuff that’s on TV is still awful! A stupid sit-com will insult your intelligence in high-def just as easily as it will in standard def, if not more. This is where DVRs come in.

A DVR is a digital video recorder, also known as a personal video recorder, or PVR. Its basic function is the same as an old VCR, to record content from broadcast TV. But the DVR is much more than a VCR. Rather than a glorified tape recorder, it is a machine that can cut the fat from your media diet and add hours of free time to your busy week, a few minutes at a time, by making the TV watching experience more efficient. And the DVR is always recording what you are watching, so you’ll be able to pause a live broadcast as if it were a recording, then come back to it later without missing a thing.

Regular DVRs have been around since 1999, but in the past few years they have had to be modified to handle high-def content. A modern HD-DVR (High-Definition DVR) has a hard drive bigger than the one in your desktop computer and uses it to store up to 35 hours of HD content, or 300 hours of standard content. And the new HD-DVRs have improved in other areas, too. The TiVo Series 3, for example, can upscale standard definition content to give it better quality, and can record two channels at the same time while you watch a third.

The easiest way to get an HD-DVR is by leasing one from your cable company, for about $6-$10 a month. Most people who do this, though, complain about the small amount of storage (8-10 hours of HD content) and the user-unfriendliness of the typical hardware they get. The best solution to this problem right now is the TiVo Series 3 HD-DVR, which costs about $600 but is vastly superior to the typical cable company boxes in transmission quality, storage, and ease of use.

One important detail about the TiVo is that you will need to have two CableCards installed in it by your cable company, and you better check with them, before you buy, to make sure they can do this.

The positive effects of using a DVR are huge. They can easily be programmed to record shows of interest, even if you aren’t aware that they exist: for example, the TiVo can be set to record any movie, on any channel, that has John Wayne in it. No more mindless channel-surfing. And of course, the DVR can be used to skip over commercials, which can eliminate several hours of wasted time per week.

This effect is so significant that 70 percent of TV advertisers, in a recent survey, said that DVR proliferation will “reduce or destroy” the effectiveness of 30 second spots. And about a quarter of advertisers said they would respond by reducing the amount of money spent on TV ads and focusing their energy elsewhere.

Check out FlatHDTV.net for more info.

The battle between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray goes on, and the biggest developments are happening at the retail level. Here are the latest developments for each format:

HD-DVD:
-Microsoft has dropped the price on its HD-DVD add-on to the Xbox 360 game consoles, from $199 to $179, and will be offering free movies in August and September. See here: Xbox Newsflash

-Toshiba’s newest laptop, the Qosimo G45-AV680, will have an HD-DVD-R feature, allowing you to burn HD content on a 30GB HD-DVD recordable disc. And the laptop display has a resolution of 1920 x 1200, enabling viewing of full 1080p content.

Blu-Ray:
-Blockbuster Video has decided that, out of the two high-def formats, they will only stock Blu-Ray titles in the future.

-Target will only stock Blu-Ray players in its stores, although it will stock the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive and some HD-DVD discs.

As HDTV technology matures, consumer’s choices become easier. For example, choosing between LCD and Plasma is a little tricky because the two technologies both do the same thing, but there are enough subtle differences that it’s possible to make a logical decision based on your needs. But, in one part of the HDTV world, two technologies have emerged where there’s really only room for one: high-definition DVD players.

In case you haven’t heard of them, high-def DVDs are an improved version of regular DVDs. They can store much more data than regular DVDs, so movie studios and other content producers are using them to create high definition recordings that will take full advantage of your new HDTV. But they have to make a choice: two different types of disc, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, have effectively the same quality and characteristics but play on different types of DVD players. And the two aren’t interchangeable, so if you buy one type of player, and the movie you want is only on the other kind of disc, you’re out of luck.

Luckily, the technology of both discs is similar enough that it’s possible to build a player that can play both. Unfortunately, the cost of one of these players is about twice as much as a single-format player, so it doesn’t save you any money! It’s almost like buying a Blu-Ray and an HD-DVD player and duct taping them together. If we wait a few years, the problem should be resolved- the cost of the combo players will drop to a reasonable level, or the DVD industry will settle on one format or the other. For now, though, you’ll have to make a choice. I have listed some basic facts about the different formats below to give you an idea of the difference:

Storage capacity:
Blu-Ray discs can hold about 67% more data than HD-DVD discs and about 500% more than a regular DVD. So, a Blu-Ray disc could hold a high-def Lawrence of Arabia, with the director’s cut and special features, but an HD-DVD probably couldn’t.

Durability:
The data on HD-DVD discs is etched about 0.6mm from the plastic surface, while in the Blu-Ray discs it is only 0.1mm deep. You could get away with using the HD-DVD as a coaster a few times, but once would probably ruin the Blu-Ray. And they are expensive.

Studio Support:
Some major movie studios are only burning their classics and their new releases on to one type of high-def DVD. Here is a partial list:

• Blu-Ray: Sony, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate.
• HD-DVD: NBC, Universal, Weinstein Co.
• Both: Paramount, Warner Home Video (Warner is supporting HD-DVD much more than Blu-Ray, however.)

Prices:

• Blu-Ray players: $500 to $1500
• HD-DVD players: $300 to $800
• Combo players: $1200 for the LG-BH100

Blockbuster Video found, in a 2007 trial, that 70% of their high-def DVD rentals were in the Blu-Ray format. This was probably due to the fact that many customers owned the Sony Playstation 3, which has a built-in Blu-Ray player. General sales of Blu-Ray discs are also ahead of HD-DVD by about 67% in 2007. Before the PS3 came out, though, HD-DVD had a leg up, and HD-DVD players are still cheaper. Stay tuned.

Check out FlatHDTV.net for more HDTV information.