October 25, 2006, 9:41 AM PDT
Panasonic's professional plasmas pull a 1080p
Posted by: David Katzmaier

1080p, the most-fashionable native resolution of 2006, made its way to 50-inch plasma TVs earlier this year with Pioneer's Pro-FHD1. That model garnered good reviews from industry mags--and CNET is expecting to review one soon as well, whenever they decide to finally send it our way--but unfortunately, it brandished a price point reminiscent of plasma TVs circa 2001: $10,000 list.

Now primary plasma purveyor Panasonic has answered the challenge with its first 50-inch 1080p plasma, the TH-50PF9UK (November, $5,995). It falls in the company's professional line, meaning that it lacks speakers, a stand, a tuner, and all of that other fluff that HD diehards consider unnecessary. As with the lower-resolution TH-50PH9UK, which performed very well in our recent review, the new 1080p model will make you purchase any of those "extras" separately. Check out the TH-50PH9UK review for details, or just watch the video of last year's models.

In case you're wallpapering your palace or outfitting a TV studio to provide NFL pregame coverage, you may also be interested in the company's other sizes of 1080p professional plasma: the 65-inch TH-65PF9UK ($10,995 list) and the 103-inch TH-103PF9UK ($69,999). Cough. All three of these new sets include a DVI input and a component-video input, both of which can handle 1080p sources, and of course you can purchase additional inputs, such as HDMI, at your leisure. Panasonic's press release also mentions that you can "control up to 128 plasmas simultaneously from a single location." We'll be sure to test that capability that when they send us the $8,959,872 worth of review samples.

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October 12, 2006, 2:45 PM PDT
Digital Life: Xploder HDTV player aims to blow up the PS2's resolution
Posted by: David Rudden

While the Xbox 360 and the upcoming PlayStation 3 are excellent HDTV companions, finding high-def love on older consoles is a bit more difficult. Unlike the somewhat HD-friendly Xbox1, the PlayStation 2 has only had a small fraction of its library available in 16:9 aspect ratio and resolutions of 480p or higher. U.K. gaming accessory company Blaze Games has developed an upconverting solution for folks who want to game in high-def without the high cost with the Xploder HDTV player for the PS2. The Xploder will be brought to the States next month by Mad Catz and should retail for $50.

The Xploder HDTV Player runs on PS2 via a bootup disc that allows you to toggle between various VGA and component resolutions (a component cable is included in the package). The company boasts compatibility with roughly 95 percent of the PS2's library, though I detected a hint of regret when a company rep informed me that Wallace & Gromit did not make the cut--apparently they still really like those movies across the pond. The title on display at Digital Life, Burnout Revenge, was running much cleaner when the Xploder was in play, but you can never really be sure what kind of cable chicanery is in play at trade shows. We'll take the player through its paces soon and give you a final verdict when it releases.

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October 11, 2006, 1:44 PM PDT
First dual-layer Blu-ray movie clicks
Posted by: David Carnoy

We just received the Blu-ray version of the Adam Sandler, Sony Pictures movie Click, which is the first Blu-ray movie to actually take advantage of the full storage capacity of the format. Yes, this is the first movie to be released on a dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray disc, also known as the BD-50. So what's the verdict?

Well, using our Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray review unit, we watched the first 15 minutes of the film on a couple of different 1080p-capable LCD TVs, and the long and short of it is Click looks better than most Blu-ray movies currently on the market. Twice as good, no, but it's a welcome improvement, and it's good to finally see that the extra featurettes were actually shot in high-def video. (The movie itself was also shot in high-def video and this is a MPEG-2 transfer for those interested in video-compression formats.)

High-def Digest has posted a full review of the disc, but suffice it to say, before you start loading up on Blu-ray discs (come on, you know you're champing at the bit), it's probably a good idea to hold out for some BD-50 action.

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October 10, 2006, 10:46 AM PDT
Copy never: DRM 'glitch' keeps TiVo Series3, JVC A/V receivers from playing nice
Posted by: John P. Falcone

Connecting a TiVo Series3 to a JVC A/V receiver via HDMI seems to awaken an otherwise dormant copy-protection feature in the DVR. At least, that's what happened during testing in the CNET Labs.

We were working to verify that the TiVo delivered the full spectrum of video and audio features via its HDMI output. Video capabilities seemed fine: the Series3 includes a full panoply of user-selectable resolutions and a decent selection of aspect-ratio controls too; it also passed audio to several HDTVs when connected. But anyone who's invested in an $800 digital video recorder is likely to have an HDMI-switching A/V receiver as well, so that compatibility was high on the agenda. We used the JVC RX-D702--it's an older but still current HDMI receiver, and a CNET Editors' Choice for delivering a full range of HDMI features at a very reasonable price. Things seemed fine: we noted that the receiver passed HD video and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio without a problem. Our final test was to verify parallel video output--that the TiVo's standard-definition analog video outputs (composite, S-Video) remained up and running while the box was delivering a high-def picture via HDMI.

Why is that a big deal? Simple: The Series3 box ships with no TiVo To Go features, so you can't transfer your recorded programs to a PC or portable device as you can with earlier Series2 models. As usual, the culprit for this feature step-down is overzealous digital rights management (DRM). The underlying politics notwithstanding--and I recommend everybody check out the excellent Who killed TiVo To Go? feature at the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Web site for a complete overview of the issue--the fact remains that the only way to archive your TiVo Series3 recordings is the old-fashioned way: dump them to a video recorder in real time. Thus the importance of parallel video output. You want your VCR or DVD recorder to have access to a steady composite/S-Video source, regardless of what resolution you're watching over component or HDMI. The issue becomes doubly important if you're using a place-shifting device such as a Slingbox, a Hava, or a LocationFree TV to watch your DVR recordings from a remote location. (For instance, the older DirecTV HD TiVo switches off the composite and S-Video outputs when you watch video at HD resolutions--meaning you constantly have to throttle the resolutions down when archiving or place-shifting--a huge pain. Those outputs on current DirecTV HR20 and Dish ViP622, on the other hand, are always active.)

Our initial test was smooth: we got high-def HDMI output to the JVC receiver and the attached HDTV, and a simultaneous standard-def signal from the TiVo's S-Video and composite outputs (which we were watching on separate monitors). But when we moved onto another program--Revenge of the Sith, recorded off of HBO-HD--the screen suddenly went gray, with a TiVo warning emblazoned across the bottom: "Viewing is not permitted using the TiVo Digital Media Recorder. Try another TV input." Several other programs--Empire of the Sun (HDNet Movies), Simone (HBO-HD), and episodes of Battlestar Galactica (Universal HD) all yielded the same result. Further investigation revealed the culprit: hitting the Info button from the program listing page (TiVo's Now Playing screen) on these programs included a section called "restrictions": "Due to the policy set by the copyright holder, this recording: Cannot be transferred to VCR, DVD, or any other media device. To learn more, visit www.tivo.com/copyprotection."

Visiting that link will reveal apparent culprit: TiVo's Macrovision copy protection. Apparently, these programs were flagged as "copy never," so the box was dutifully following orders, and allowing video only via the copy-protected HDMI output (which is, to date, impossible to record). This isn't new: as far back as 2005, there were reports of TiVo boxes imposing restrictions on the viewing of certain TV shows. At the time, TiVo blamed the restrictions on "false positives"--saying the viewing restriction technology, ostensibly designed for pay-per-view and video-on-demand programming, was being turned on (by the cable companies) to cover a wider array of programming.

When we contacted TiVo about the issues we were having, a company engineer was stumped: he reiterated the same claim from last year, that the content flags should be appearing only on PPV and VOD programs. He suggested that the problem was twofold: our local cable company was "overflagging" its content, and/or the JVC receiver was not properly interpreting the copy-protection flag.

Indeed, when we took the JVC receiver out of the mix, things seemed fine: we couldn't get the gray screen to appear when using the Onkyo TX-SR674, the Belkin PureAV 3-in-1 HDMI Switch, or the Gefen 2:8 HDMI Distribution Amplifier (the only other HDMI-equipped switchers we had on hand), nor could we see it when running the TiVo directly to any of several HDTVs currently in our inventory. Likewise, returning to the JVC RX-D702B yielded the same problem. Perhaps more instructively, the newer JVC RX-D411S (which had just arrived in the CNET Labs) had the same problem when linked to the TiVo as well.

Bottom line: For whatever reason, the JVC receivers and the TiVo Series3 don't seem to be a perfect match. Otherwise, we've found the HDMI capabilities of the JVC receivers to perform admirably--the RX-D702 has been chugging away for months without any problems (and we'll have a full review of the RX-D411 soon). For that reason, we're not docking the JVC's rating (though we've added an Editors' Note explaining the apparent TiVo incompatibility). For its part, JVC wasn't aware of the TiVo incompatibility until we notified them; the company is actively investigating the issue, and we'll follow up when and if JVC issues a statement or a possible fix. In the meantime, if you own both products (and your cable company is flagging your shows), we'd recommend you opt for component video plus optical digital audio connections between the two, rather than deal with the dodgy HDMI issues.

Once again, though, overzealous copy protection has taken something simple and turned it into a Sisyphean ordeal. All we wanted to do was watch TV, and connect our gear with a minimum of cables and wires. Thanks to DRM, that simple task becomes more difficult all the time.

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October 05, 2006, 2:16 PM PDT
New ViewSonic HD projector coming soon
Posted by: Matthew Moskovciak

Later this month, ViewSonic will roll out a new DLP home-theater projector, the Cine5000. While standard HDTVs get most of the buzz, front projectors represent a great value if you want a huge screen and you don't mind dimming the lights. The Cine5000, for instance, should have no problem filling a 150-inch screen, and it has an estimated street price of $2,000. Its 1,280x768 native resolution is capable of displaying every pixel of 720p sources, and it can receive HD signals from its HDMI input, component video input, or VGA-style PC input. ViewSonic mentions a bunch of other specs, such as a 2000:1 contrast ratio, 1,000 lumens, Faroudja DCDi video processing, and Texas Instruments DarkChip2 DLP chip, but we won't know how those specs translate to real-world performance until we test it. As with all DLP-based technology that uses a color wheel, some users may experience the rainbow effect.

While $2,000 might seem cheap compared to big-screen HDTVs, it's more than some comparable DLP models, such as Mitsubishi's HD1000U ($1,500 list). We expect to have a full review of the Cine5000 as soon as possible.

Sources: ViewSonic via AboutProjectors via Engadget

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September 14, 2006, 12:14 PM PDT
CEDIA 2006: Toshiba shows new HD-DVD players
Posted by: David Katzmaier

Today Toshiba announced a pair of second-generation HD-DVD players at the CEDIA show in Denver. The first, model HD-A2 (October, $499), improves on the current HD-A1 by using a smaller chassis that's mostly black, as opposed to the old two-tone black-and-silver. Toshiba's rep also claimed that load times on the HD-A2 were faster than the older model, although he stopped me when I reached for the power button to cycle it on and off to see for myself (I'll be back, Toshiba!).

The new player also has an improved remote control with keys arranged in a much more logical fashion than those of the HD-A1's bulky clicker. Otherwise, the two players are identical: The HD-A2 has 1080i output, not 1080p; the HDMI jack still uses the 1.2 spec; and image quality should be exactly the same.

1080p and HDMI 1.3 are reserved for the new step-up model, the HD-XA2 (December, $999). The benefits of 1080p are hard to pin down--in fact, given a display that de-interlaces 1080i correctly, and most do, we expect the picture quality improvement from 1080i to 1080p output to be minor, if not nonexistent. HDMI 1.3's chief video-quality benefit, according to its backers, is better color depth that's less subject to false contouring, among other problems. It's worth mentioning that you only get the benefit of HDMI 1.3 if you mate your HDMI 1.3 source to a display with HDMI 1.3, and as far as we know, no HDMI 1.3 displays will be available this year (although next year is a different story; we've even heard an HDMI rep hopefully refer to HDMI 1.3 as "the 1080p of 2007"). The HD-XA2 also offers some control over picture parameters like contrast, color, and brightness.

At first glance, the HD-A2 looks like a better player than the HD-A1, and hopefully the company has indeed addressed some of the first-generation player's usability quirks. For HDTV owners with $500 to spend on a disc player that delivers phenomenal video quality, it looks like a solid value. The same can't be said for the twice-as-expensive HD-XA2, which is obviously aimed at buyers who don't mind paying a lot for cutting-edge features.

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September 14, 2006, 12:08 PM PDT
CEDIA 2006: Hitachi's Ultra-ALiS 1080 plasma
Posted by: David Katzmaier

"1080? Where's the 'p'?" you may be asking. Well, that takes some explaining, so I'll start at the beginning. Hitachi's booth included a pair of plasmas with the capability to resolve all 1,920 by 1080 pixels of a 1080i or 1080p source, one that's 42 inches diagonally and the other is 60 inches. Both are the first I've seen of their respective plasma sizes with 1080 resolution. Before you get too excited, you should know that both models were preproduction only, and the company didn't announce pricing or get more specific than "2007" regarding availability (Update: Hitachi has since told me that they'll be out in the "second half of 2007."). If Pioneer's 50-inch 1080p PRO-FHD1 is any indication, they won't be cheap.

The 42-inch model isn't technically "p" because Hitachi's ALiS technology doesn't actually have all 1920 physical pixels of horizontal resolution. Instead, it has 960 pixels, each electronically divided in half on the screen. This is a step up from the 1,024 horizontal resolution offered on current ALiS 42-inch panels, such as the 42HDS69 we reviewed recently. The company also claims that ALiS allows a brighter image and better depth of field than a true 1920 panel would. Speaking of true 1920 by 1080, the 60-inch panel does not use ALiS but instead goes with a more conventional, discrete pixel arrangement. When I asked the rep why Hitachi didn't employ ALiS on the larger panel, he said it would make the pixel structure too visible, which made sense to me.

In person, both looked impressive enough. Although I didn't walk up and count pixels, it seemed the sharpness was there, within the limits of the demo loop. The rep even pulled out a magnifying glass so I could see there actually were divisions between the horizontal pixels, a tactic I've seen before, and yes they were there, just like actual pixels. It remains to be seen how ultra-ALiS performs in the lab though, and it looks like it will be a while before we can test it.

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September 14, 2006, 11:19 AM PDT
CEDIA 2006: Panasonic's new projector pair
Posted by: David Katzmaier

Panasonic took the opportunity to announce two new home-theater projectors at this year's CEDIA show in Denver. Both use LCD technology, one to achieve 1080p resolution, and the other to deliver good ol' 720p.

The 1080p projector gets model number PT-AE1000U and will be available in December. The company didn't announce pricing, but I assume the unit will be competitive with the other new "budget" 1080p projectors introduced at the show, namely Sony's $5,000 VPL-VW50 and Mitsubishi's $4,500 HC5000U. The PT-AE1000U uses the same Epson 3LCD chipset as the Mitsubishi but claims a higher contrast ratio (11,000:1 vs. 10,000:1) and light output (1,100 lumen vs. 1,000)--although as with most such numbers, I take them with a healthy grain of salt. Panasonic also touts the unit's built-in waveform monitor (!), saying it can measure brightness output from video sources to better optimize picture settings (that does sound pretty cool). Horizontal and vertical lens shift, as well as a 2X-powered zoom, should make installation easier, as should the short-throw lens. These are some pretty juicy specs, so I was excited to see the unit in action, but unfortunately when I visited the Panasonic booth, it wasn't set up; instead the two theaters were devoted to displaying the new 720p model.

Said 720p projector, model PT-AX100U (available now, $2,999), is the successor to 2005's impressive, value-conscious Panasonic PT-AE900U. Improvements include a room-lighting sensor, said to automatically adjust the picture to compensate for some ambient lighting, as well as improved black levels. I saw both in action at the booth; the ubiquitous Blu-ray demo of Corpse Bride exhibited nice, deep blacks and good detail for a 720p projector, and like the 900U the screen-door effect was minimal; I had to stand closer than 6 feet from the 100-inch diagonal screen to see pixel structure. I'm no big fan of room-lighting sensors in general, however, and with projectors, they seem doubly questionable: if you're using a projector, just darken the room as much as possible and leave it that way. Of course we'll back up these cursory first impressions with a full review as soon as possible; Panasonic's rep says an AX100U should arrive at CNET any day now.

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September 13, 2006, 4:00 PM PDT
CEDIA 2006: Sony polishes Pearl
Posted by: David Katzmaier

Sure, Sony introduced a couple of new LCDs today at CEDIA, but to home-theater enthusiasts, the company's most important announcement concerned its new front projector, the VPL-WV50 (September, $4,999), nicknamed Pearl. It's the less expensive version of the Editors' Choice VPL-VW100, also known as Ruby, and it offers the same 1080p native resolution, courtesy of an SXRD light engine, for half the price.

Judging from the specs, the main difference between the two lies in the lamps: the physically much smaller Pearl has a conventional 200-watt UHP lamp as opposed to the bulky Ruby's exotic 400-watt Xenon lamp. One of our few criticisms of the Ruby was the price of replacement lamps ($1,000 a pop, so to speak) and the fact that, at its quoted brightness of 800 ANSI lumen, screen sizes are practically limited to 100 inches diagonal or less. According to its specs, the Pearl has a 900 lumen lamp, so it should be a bit brighter than its big brother. Other than that, we can't really speculate on its image quality, but we expect to have a full review in the next month. And in case you're wondering, the VPL-VW50 is not the least expensive 1080p projector announced at the show. That honor belongs to the Mitsubishi HC5000, at least for now.

Speaking of screens, Sony and Stewart Filmscreen also announced a specialized screen that's supposedly designed with the Pearl in mind. No word on pricing yet, but the new screens have a catchy abbreviation: Stewart Firehawk SST, for Sony/Stewart Theater, and will be available this month in a variety of sizes.

Update: I attended Sony's VPL-VW50 demo and learned a few new pieces of information. First off, the new projector looked pretty darn good, although some of the footage appeared a bit soft to my eyes. That could be due to any number of factors, such as setup or source, but either way I'm looking forward to seeing one in a real lab environment. Sony had one of the new screens in use and the rep claimed that it cost about $2000 for the 100-inch wide version. Replacement bulbs cost around $300 and should last 2,000 to 3,000 hours, depending on which setting you choose. We'll have a full review as soon as possible.

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September 13, 2006, 4:00 PM PDT
CEDIA 2006: Sony busts out bigger Bravias
Posted by: David Katzmaier

Today at the CEDIA Expo in Denver, Sony announced a few new high-end LCD HDTVs under the Bravia name. The company also gave official details on its so-called Pearl projector, as well as announcing a partnership with projector-screen manufacturer Stewart for a specialized Pearl-friendly screen.

The new LCDs include the company's first 52-inch models: the KDL-52XBR2 (November, $6,500) and the KDL-52XBR3 (November, $6,800). Both join their smaller cousins in Sony's lineup and offer similar feature sets and styling, although the XBR2 model doesn't have the option to swap out its silver bezel for another color. Both 52-inch sets deliver 1,920x1,080 pixels, or 1080p native resolution, as well as the same picture-quality enhancements found on the smaller models. Given the picture quality evinced by the KDL-40XBR2, we expect these larger LCDs to be among the best-performing LCDs on the market.

Apparently unsatisfied by the depth of its relatively affordable S2000 line, the company also announced two other LCDs, the 32-inch KDL-32S2400 (October, $2,600) and the 40-inch KDL-40S2400 (October, $1,700). Aside from price, the main difference between the new sets and the S2000 models is color: the S2400s have a black bezel instead of a silver one.

We expect to review one of the 52-inch models when it becomes available, but we probably won't review either of the S2400 sets. Check out our review of the KDL-32S2000 for an idea of how the S2400 series may perform.

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