One Installer's Opinion: CES, by the Numbers.....

The following article originally appeared in Wide Screen Review (WSR) magazine and is being republished courtesy of the author, Terry Paullin.

..... and other matter's

On the odd chance your TV was disabled during the second week of January and you missed the evening news during that half-fortnight, C.E.S. is the Consumer Electronics Show held annually in the city of conspicuous power consumption, Las Vegas, Nevada.

3 - the number of times in December I said "I'm not going this year".

350 - My best guess at the $ amount of the ticket I got proving, once again, the Mini Cooper and I can cross the Mojave desert in less than four hours.

153,000+ - the record number of attendees who made the trek.

3,000+ - the number of Press taking notes.

11 - the number of Hollywood Stars in attendance, including Justin Bieber, 50 cent, Ludacris and Ryan Seacrest. Imagine our pride ...

20,000 - the number of new products introduced at the show.

3,100 - the number of companies represented at the show.

1.85 - the number (in millions) of sq. ft. of C.E.S. floor space.

190,000,000,000 - the number of dollars we spend in the U.S. on electronic products, annually.

8 - the version of Windows debuted at the show.

84 - diagonal size, in inches, of the LG panel that constantly drew the largest crowd.

20 - diagonal size of the best image at the show (more later)

4 - the number of times, in as many minutes, that I saw the poor soul in the Toshiba "3D without glasses (auto-stereoscopic)" booth have to field the question, "Isn't there something wrong with that TV?"

1 - the number of excess sub-pixels within a pixel in a current Sharp LCD panel - (Quattron is Latin for "too many colors").

4,000 - aka 4K (actually 3,840) - horizontal resolution of a few panels at the show and our new biggest problem since HD was introduced more than 15 years ago..... keep readin'

8,000 - aka 8K or UHDTV if you like (actually 7,680, but who's counting anymore?) - highest resolution shown at the show (65" Sharp). Don't even think about bit-rates and download speeds.

5 - the number of first place votes (out of 5 in our walk-around group) cast for best demo at the show - "The Art of Flight", Dolby Theatre

6 - the number of 5-star dinners we had throughout the week. Thanks Joel, Josh, Craig! I love you, man!

50,000 - approximate number of nerds who will go into withdrawal when they learn Microsoft has pulled out of next year's show.

352 - as of this writing, the number of days before the next one!

Now for some numbers that really matter. They describe a problem we'll be dealing with for at least a couple years. We've seen it before, but we zipped through it quickly and without much hand wringing. This time it could be real trouble. It's called up-conversion. Here's the thing.

Consider the case of the first kid on the block to bring home the new Holy Grail, an 8 million pixel display (be cool and call it 4K) ... could happen in the second half of this year. He pops in his favorite reference Blu-Ray disc, looking for nirvana. By review of a couple other numbers, here's what's going to happen.

The BD player is going to spit out data for 2,073,600 pixels (1080x1920) like it always does, to a panel that is obliged to light up 8,294,400 pixels (2160x3840). What happens now?

The panel manufacturer will tell you, "Due to our proprietary algorithm for spatial and temporal smoothing, everything will image properly.

If given sodium pentothal he would have said "One pixel in four will be correct. The other three will just be guesses".

On a 42" PDP, the quality of the "guesses" might not be such a big deal, but on the 84" LG at the show, you could see the artifacts from 15 feet. Now add fast motion ... whoa!

Now let's watch a standard DVD ... remember those? (480x720). This time, one pixel in 24 is original and 23 are hocus-pocus. Standard definition on an 8K display? One pixel in 96 will be accurate. I'm sure you can see what's happening here.

Let's be clear about resolution ... O.K., pun intended. 4K is waaay better than old fashion HD. Four times better to be precise - but ONLY if fed with a native resolution source.

In an effort to demonstrate that 4K wasn't just for large screens, Panasonic demo'ed a 4K, 20" screen at the show ... but they cheated ... sort of. The content was uncompressed from a 4k camera. Absolutely gorgeous. Best image I saw at the show, bar none. Sadly, we can't do that. We're stuck with 1080 feeds for awhile.

Moral is, when the day comes when we have ample 4K content, we are going to LOVE our 4K displays. Until then, we'll just have to pray for good guesses.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"Making movies is the art of turning money into light .... and then reversing the process"

............. George Lucas

Posted by Terry Paullin, February 13, 2012 7:43 AM

After 25+ years as a Silicon Valley Executive, most recently as President and C.O.O. of Crosscheck, Mr. Paullin decided to follow his passion to the emerging Home Theatre industry. In 1994 he formed Front Row Cinema to design, build and calibrate Home Theaters for private residences. Nearly 600 theaters later, he remains engaged in the Industry in the following ways.

Builds dedicated (single purpose) Home Theaters and "Theatre Environments" (rooms used for other purposes as well).

Teaches Imaging Science and other courses for the Imaging Science Foundation. Mr. Paullin has taught CEDIA accredited classes to the installation community at both AVAD and ADI.

Consults to Industry on the topic of Imaging Science (Pioneer, Optima, In-Focus and several others under non-disclosure). Mr. Paullin has served on the Board of two companies and the Advisory committee of two others.

Has written articles/product reviews for major industry publications, including Widescreen Review, The Perfect Vision, The Ultimate Guide to A/V, WIRED magazine and CEPro and has maintained a monthly column (One Installer's Opinion) in Widescreen Review for the past eight years.

Mr. Paullin has a B.S.E.E. degree from Long Beach State University and performs ISF monitor calibrations for private individuals.

Mr. Paullin also maintains 3 theaters in his home for testing, comparison, performance verification, and reference viewing.

Blu-ray Review: Killer Elite

Killer Elite [Blu-ray]

Studio: Universal Studios
List Price: $34.98
Street Price: $19.99
Amazon.com: $19.50
Release Date: Jan 10, 2012
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Running Time: 116 minutes

Synopsis

A match-up made in tough-guy heaven -- Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro star in Killer Elite. Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite pits two of the world's most elite operatives - Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) - against the cunning leader of a secret military society (Clive Owen). Covering the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse - where the predators become the prey. -- (C) Open Road Films

Review

This film is billed as "Action Thriller"...lies.  This film is billed as "Keep you guessing", maybe if you make it through the entire movie.  It's not really the story that keeps you guessing, it’s more along the will this ever go anywhere, or maybe why am I still watching this. Of course, you have Jason Statham, who does what he always does in movies. Drives fast cars, gets the beautiful woman and beats a lot of guys up. Sorry DeNiro fans but this is one of his worst films in a long while. Not only is he not on screen much, he doesn’t portray an older special ops type agent to well. Then there’s Clive Owen. He’s actually not too bad but it’s his 1970’s-style porn mustache that stills the show. I can't say if it was a bad script or bad directing but it was definitely a bad movie.  My opinion, don't bother.

Posted by Ryan Gibbs, February 13, 2012 7:49 AM

Dates Announced for IntertechPira's OLEDs World Summit 2012

Dates Announced for IntertechPira's OLEDs World Summit 2012

14th annual conference to be held Sept. 26-28, 2012, in San Francisco, California

PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IntertechPira and the OLED Association are pleased to announce that the OLEDs World Summit 2012 will take place Sept. 26-28, 2012, at the Parc 55 Wyndham in San Francisco, Calif. This year will mark the 14th edition of this event, making it one of the longest-running and preeminent conferences in the OLEDs sector.

In 2011, OLED technology reached new levels of maturity and advancement indicated by unprecedented AMOLED shipment and revenue growth, the demonstration of 55" 3D TVs, and a range of new lighting products. OLEDs World Summit 2012 will feature speakers addressing these achievements, as well as the material, equipment and market challenges this fast-paced industry must face if it is to continue to make progress. The conference will feature talks on the challenges to using IGZO in backplanes, new approaches to deposition and patterning, the next generation of printing and roll-to-roll technology, and timelines for OLED lighting to become competitive with LEDs in both performance and cost.

"OLEDs World Summit 2012 will not just be a series of technical talks, but also a forum for the display and lighting sectors to congregate, design and communicate an industry-wide strategy for driving new markets," said Andrew Smaha, the new Conference Director with IntertechPira. "Some of the questions addressed at the conference for the OLEDs community to discuss and resolve include: What role does the consumer play in developing a market? How are companies responding to the demand for reduced power consumption? How do manufacturers plan to become cost-efficient, and how serious is their commitment? And how can we break down traditional barriers of competition to further the industry?

It is our goal to use OLEDs World Summit 2012 to separate fact from fiction, deliver valuable competitive intelligence, develop strategies, and unite attendees behind a cohesive commercialization plan."

Attendees will be able to network with more than 100 of their industry peers from all facets of the supply chain, including suppliers, manufacturers, researchers and end users. The 2011 edition featured presentation from several industry-leading companies, including Acuity Brands Lighting, Cambridge Display Technologies, DuPont Displays, GE Global Research LG Display, Novaled AG, Sony Electronics and Universal Display Corporation.

IntertechPira is currently recruiting speakers for OLEDs World Summit 2012. To submit a topic for consideration or to request more details about the conference, please contact Andrew Smaha, Conference Director at IntertechPira, at +1 207 781 9635 or andrew.smaha@pira-international.com. Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities will be available, including hosted luncheons, breaks and receptions, which will be held throughout the duration of the conference. Please contact Brian Santos at +1 207 781 9618 or brian.santos@pira-international.com if you are interesting in learning more about becoming a sponsor or exhibitor.

IntertechPira is also seeking media partners for OLEDs World Summit 2012. If you are interested in participating as a media partner or attending the conference as a member of the press, please contact Rebecca Kotsimpulos at +1 207 781 9616 or rebecca.kotsimpulos@pira-international.com.

For more information about the 2012 event, please visit www.oledsworldsummit.com.

About IntertechPira

IntertechPira provides events, market research, publications, strategic and technical consulting to niche, emerging and high growth industries. Market coverage includes lighting and displays, alternative energy, home and personal care, industrial biotechnology, performance materials and chemicals. IntertechPira is a division of Pira International.

About the OLED Association

OLED-A provides a forum for the interchange of technical and market information. Our membership includes companies involved in small-molecule OLED technology and polymer technology (PLED or light-emitting polymers). OLED-A serves its membership by fostering the more rapid development of OLED technology and OLED products; serving as a resource on OLED markets and products for media and investors; functioning as a catalyst in the development of standards for OLEDs; and providing a forum to promote and market OLED technology products.

Posted by Shane Sturgeon, February 13, 2012 2:38 PM

Shane Sturgeon is the Co-Publisher and Chief Technologist of HDTV Magazine, an industry publication with HDTV roots going back to 1984, when Dale Cripps founded The HDTV Newsletter. Today, HDTV Magazine is a leading online resource for HDTV news and information and captures the eyes and imaginations of over 3 million visitors annually. Mr. Sturgeon has a background in information technology and has served in various consulting capacities for Fortune 500 companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Verizon Communications, Proctor & Gamble and Nationwide Insurance. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Wright State University.

Shed Some Light on Sports Blackouts

Last Thanksgiving weekend, the NFL Cleveland Browns travelled in-state to play the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was not a sell-out, and under FCC rules, the Bengals exercised their option to blackout the over-the-air broadcast of the game on local television stations in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Lexington. This decision raised the ire of thousands of Bengal fans, which in turn prompted Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown to ask the FCC to revisit its blackout rules.

Personally, I find that this is an interesting issue. I certainly understand that consumers want to be able to watch their local sports teams for “free” on their home televisions. And I also understand that many of those communities have provide all sorts of tax breaks and other financial incentives to build local stadiums for those teams. (The Bengals’ stadium reportedly cost the taxpayers more than $450 million.)

On the other hand, those same teams generate a lot of money in terms of wages, taxes, and tourism which often repays the taxpayer investment many times over. And I’m a bit puzzled that consumers somehow feel entitled to view an event for which admission is charged. I view it as a generous gift to the community that the teams give the broadcast to hometown viewers, and it makes sense that they only do this when the game has sold out. To force them to give away the coverage when they have not sold enough tickets is much like exacting a tax on the teams because the broadcasts make it even less likely that fans will buy tickets. We don’t expect concert promoters to provide free covereage of all concerts that are put on in that same taxpayer-subsidized stadium; why should football be treated differently?

And if the local community thinks that free local coverage is important, then there is no reason why a “no-blackout” clause could not be included in the contract with the team the next time they want taxpayer money to help build a stadium. Again, the choice to black-out local coverage is an option, and the decision to do so lies with the team.

But as fascinating as my view might be, it doesn’t matter what I think. The FCC is asking for consumer feedback on the issue. The bad news is that few people have taken advantage of this opportunity, and the deadline for input is next Monday, February 13.

So here’s your chance to weigh in on the discussion. You can file a comment online at the FCC website at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. Let your voice be heard in D.C. about whether the sport blackout rules should be changed.

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #517: What is OLED and why do we care?

What is OLED and why do we care?

One of the big hits at CES this year were the Samsung and LG OLED displays. Sure we’ve seen OLED TVs in the past, but they were 55” screens this year, and they looked great. But why all the hype? Why do we even see references to AMOLED in cell phone commercials? Is OLED really that big of a deal?

What is it?

We’ve talked about this before, but a quick refresher might be in order. OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. It is an emissive display technology meaning that, like plasma and CRT, it doesn’t require a light source. Instead the organic compound itself is actually a semiconductor that will emit light in response to an electric current.

We talk about OLED so much that we tend to forget that it is a variety of LED, the same acronym/technology used to light the latest and greatest generation of LCD displays. So what makes the organic variety so much better than the ones used in LCD TVs? It’s the fact that the OLED combines the functions of the LED and the LCD into one. It is both the light source and the pixel itself (color, intensity, etc.).

Each OLED is actually a sandwich of several different layers of materials. The color of light produced by an OLED depends on the material used in the emissive layer. By arranging the organic films when the screen is being produced, manufacturers can create OLED groupings to form pixels for color displays. The intensity of each pixel is determined by the amount of electrical current passed into it.

Advantages and Disadvantages over LCD

The main advantage of OLED over LCD it that in an OLED display, each pixel produces its own light. If a pixel should go completely dark, or totally black, the display can achieve that by not applying any electrical current to it. With LCD the best you can do is dim a portion of the screen to make some areas darker (local dimming), but you can’t turn off the light source for an individual pixel. As far as contrast goes, OLED is much better.

One often quoted advantage that OLED has over LCD is thickness, or perhaps thinness in this case. Because the OLED combines the function of the LCD and the light source, it can be much thinner. Until the TV can be rolled up, it’s going to be mounted on a wall somewhere. Whether it comes off the wall one inch or one centimeter probably won’t make too much difference in your overall home theater viewing experience. This “advantage” probably won’t change your life too much.

The biggest debate about OLED and its viability in the market is cost. Right now OLED TVs cost much more to manufacture that LCD for two reasons. First, the fabrication of the substrate itself is costlier right now. And secondly, LCD has a tremendous head start in economies of scale. There are many LCD plants around the world cranking out thousands of LCD screens. It will take quite an investment to match that capacity for OLED displays. On the other hand, in theory OLED TVs will be able to be manufactured with a technology as simple as an inkjet printer. If that can scale, the TVs could be quite cheap.

Advantages and Disadvantages over Plasma

If the biggest advantage OLED has over LCD is the fact that it is emissive and can produce dramatically better contrast ratios, what advantage does OLED have over plasma, which is also an emissive technology? Theoretically, OLED will offer advantages in color reproduction and contrast and brightness because the organic (carbon based) materials are easier to manipulate that the noble gasses used in plasmas. Both technologies will be somewhat matched in terms of refresh rates and viewing angles.

The real killer for plasma will be energy efficiency. Although plasma manufacturers have been hard at work to optimize their screens and make them much more energy conscious, it is believed OLED displays might be the most energy efficient of all display technologies when they finally make it to store shelves. They’ll need to be much more efficient, we’re talking thousands of dollars a year, to justify the early price premium, though.

Other Considerations

There main factor really hindering the mass release of OLED TVs into the market is the color blue. You could say that the continued success of LCD and Plasma has been brought to you by the color blue and the number 14,000. That’s the number of hours a blue OLED has before it drops to half brightness. That is well below the 25,000-40,000 hours you expect to get from and LCD or Plasma. The blue material also degrades more rapidly, impacting color balance as much as brightness.

Conclusion

From what we’ve seen, OLED looks amazing. From what we can gather, it could be the best looking display technology, slightly edging out plasma in color and contrast, and also the most energy efficient, slightly edging out LED LCD. If the theory that they can be made by inkjet printers becomes reality, they could be the cheapest display as well. Who knows, in the future you might be able to go to your local printer and have them crank out a new screen for you that’s just the exact right size to fit in that niche or cabinet you’ve got.

Download Episode #517

Posted by The HT Guys, February 9, 2012 11:23 PM

HDTV Almanac - Shed Some Light on Sports Blackouts

Last Thanksgiving weekend, the NFL Cleveland Browns travelled in-state to play the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was not a sell-out, and under FCC rules, the Bengals exercised their option to blackout the over-the-air broadcast of the game on local television stations in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Lexington. This decision raised the ire of thousands of Bengal fans, which in turn prompted Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown to ask the FCC to revisit its blackout rules.

Personally, I find that this is an interesting issue. I certainly understand that consumers want to be able to watch their local sports teams for “free” on their home televisions. And I also understand that many of those communities have provide all sorts of tax breaks and other financial incentives to build local stadiums for those teams. (The Bengals’ stadium reportedly cost the taxpayers more than $450 million.)

On the other hand, those same teams generate a lot of money in terms of wages, taxes, and tourism which often repays the taxpayer investment many times over. And I’m a bit puzzled that consumers somehow feel entitled to view an event for which admission is charged. I view it as a generous gift to the community that the teams give the broadcast to hometown viewers, and it makes sense that they only do this when the game has sold out. To force them to give away the coverage when they have not sold enough tickets is much like exacting a tax on the teams because the broadcasts make it even less likely that fans will buy tickets. We don’t expect concert promoters to provide free covereage of all concerts that are put on in that same taxpayer-subsidized stadium; why should football be treated differently?

And if the local community thinks that free local coverage is important, then there is no reason why a “no-blackout” clause could not be included in the contract with the team the next time they want taxpayer money to help build a stadium. Again, the choice to black-out local coverage is an option, and the decision to do so lies with the team.

But as fascinating as my view might be, it doesn’t matter what I think. The FCC is asking for consumer feedback on the issue. The bad news is that few people have taken advantage of this opportunity, and the deadline for input is next Monday, February 13.

So here’s your chance to weigh in on the discussion. You can file a comment online at the FCC website at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. Let your voice be heard in D.C. about whether the sport blackout rules should be changed.

Posted by Alfred Poor, February 10, 2012 5:00 AM

Blu-ray Review: Real Steel

Real Steel (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Studio: Touchstone / Disney
List Price: $39.99
Street Price:
Amazon.com: $21.99
Release Date: Jan 24, 2012
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 0 minutes

4.7 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis

In a future world where flesh-and-blood boxers have been replaced by towering mechanized fighters, pugilist-turned-promoter Charlie Kenton reconnects with his estranged son, Max, to convert a discarded machine into a World Robot Boxing contender.

Starring:

Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, Dakota Goyo, James Rebhorn, Karl Yune, Olga Fonda, Marco Ruggeri

Director:

Shawn Levy

Blu-ray Release Date:

January 24, 2012

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:

Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.9 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

● Subwoofer – 5.0 Stars

● Dialog – 4.5 Stars

● Surround Effects – 5.0 Stars

● Dynamic Range – 5.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French: DTS-HD HR 7.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

If robots the size of cars fought in your living room, this is what it would sound like. Each hydraulic powered punch lands with crushing heavy thuds. The booming thumps of robot footsteps are reason enough to earn a 5 on subwoofer performance. This film is filled with tight deep rumbles, if your couch doesn’t move watching this consider getting new speakers. Rear channels also get into the action ranging from soft ambient sounds of rain, crickets, and thunder to louder effects like roaring crowds, ring announcers, and of course robot on robot action. Every once in a while a line or two is hard to hear during the fights, but that’s my only gripe in this otherwise great audio presentation.

Video 4.9 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

● Color Accuracy - 5.0 Stars

● Shadow detail – 4.5 Stars

● Clarity – 5.0 Stars

● Skin tones – 5.0 Stars

● Compression – 5.0 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

This movie looks gorgeous on Blu-ray. Colors are vivid and warm and help show off the paint jobs of the brawling robots. There are even a few beautiful landscapes of golden wheat fields, mountain ranges, and green forests that visually show contrast between the robots and nature. The video has very little film grain and is clean and smooth. Beard stubble, chipped robot paint, bricks, pebbles in mud, and Evangeline Lilly’s freckles all look stunning due to this Blu-ray’s clarity. Dark colors look great but at times are a little too dark for the shadows, but show no signs of compression issues.

Bonus Features 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

● Real Steel Second Screen: Ringside with Director Shawn Levy.

● Countdown to the Fight -- The Charlie Kenton Story (1080p, 13:51): A short video with in-character cast members discussing the story of Charlie, Max, and Atom leading up to the fight with Zeus.

● Making of Metal Valley (1080p, 14:14): In depth look at making a key scene in the film.

● Building the Bots (1080p, 5:38): A look at designing original robots.

● Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman's Champ (1080p, 6:19): Discusses some of the contributions Sugar Ray Leonard added to the film.

● Deleted & Extended Scenes (1080p, 17:49): One extended scene and an entire storyline that was deleted.

● Bloopers (1080p, 2:36).

● DVD Copy (includes audio commentary track).

● Digital Copy.

Movie – 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Review

When I first saw previews for this film, I chucked thinking that it was just a glorified version of Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots. Boy was I wrong. I’ve seen it three times now, and I like it more every time. It’s a fun futuristic boxing movie that I can watch with my family. At its heart the film is about the touching relationship between a father and son. It also has a great message about seeing potential and value in discarded or forgotten things. The action scenes are exciting and somehow make you care about the robots in the ring. All the robot’s boxing movements in the ring are fluid due to motion capture and coaching from Sugar Ray Leonard himself. The actor’s performances are solid and charismatic. Hugh Jackman did a great job of transforming his character from a jerk into a caring father believable. Considering that this film almost received a perfect score on audio and video, this Blu-ray can be considered a great choice to show off any home theater system.

Posted by The HT Guys, February 10, 2012 7:43 AM