In a report by CBC’s Erica Johnson, three HDMI cables were rounded up for testing and supplied to Maxine Caron, a CBC production engineer. The group consisted of a well know brand name cable ($216 Canadian), Best Buy’s house brand (Rocketfish $110 Canadian) and a the generic 15 ft. HDMI cable obtained via the internet for $6 plus $6 shipping (BTW Canadian dollars are currently exchanging around 1:1 with the US dollar).

Caron compared his source HDTV test signals to the output of each HDMI cable being tested at CBC’s test facility. The findings, all three HDMI cables tested reproduced every single pixel of the HDTV source. Caron commented that all three cables reproduced exactly the same image, including color quality, sharpness and black level. There was no performance advantage using the higher priced HDMI cables!

There may be differences in construction quality of the most expensive HDMI cables as compared to the cheapest, and perhaps if you plan to disconnect and reconnect the same cable dozens or hundreds of times, expensive cables will hold up better. However, the HD Guru™ has been using a number of inexpensive HDMI cables including ones made by Philips (about $20 at amazon.com) that have been disconnected and reconnected to different sources and displays dozens of times. To date, there has been no product failure.

One final note, buying a cable capable of passing a wider bandwidth (also referred to as speed or expressed as Gbps) than required, provides no image improvement.

You can see the CBC report at

http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/marketplace/packing_the_deal.wmv

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

1-HDMI

The worst connector design since S-Video and the most unreliable interface ever foisted on the buying public. It began with Hollywood’s solution to a non-existent problem, to create HDTV video/audio stream that is not possible to copy. Of course there has never been a copying problem with HDTV but that did not stop the MPAA from getting together with Intel to create a system called HDCP that rides along an HDMI connection. A consortium of companies created the HDMI standard. In a nutshell it is an uncompressed digital stream with a copy protection scheme (HDCP) that requires authentication between the source and display. The problem: it does not work reliably. There are untold combinations of sources, switches (Audio/Video receivers) and displays that won’t work together, resulting in either no picture or an image of just snow (indicative of failure of HDCP authentication). Some combinations will work sometimes and other times not, requiring a power off/on of the components and crossed fingers.

The problem has been complicated because many equipment manufacturers did not have the ability to test their respective HDMI circuitry. The reason? HDMI/HDCP test gear was priced in the six-figure range. Furthermore, interoperability was limited to the participants in industry test sessions called plugfests, so only a limited amount of gear has been checked for interoperability.

What has further complicated the problem is the standard for HDMI keeps changing. First there was 1.0 then another followed by another. Now we are at 1.3 but there has been talk of another standard (1.4?) just around the corner. Some equipment makers and the HD Guru™ feel there should be no more changes until everyone and everything achieves full interoperability. Until then HDMI problems will continue to haunt dealers, installers and consumers.

To make one other item clear. When it works, HDMI/HSDCP is the best connection between a source and display, though the connector is not exactly robust and cannot be locked into place.

2-120 Hz HDMI Cables

The HD Guru™ has written about overpriced HDMI cables. The situation is getting more extreme. Amazon sells a 6 ft. HDMI cable for $1.98 while Best Buy sells HDMI 6-8 ft cables from $59.99-$219.99 making its most (8ft) expensive cable 100 times the price of the cheapest Amazon 6 ft HDMI cable, and there are even costlier HDMI cables available from other sources.

The super priced HDMI cables are claimed to handle “faster speed” signals and to be able to handle the requirements of 120 Hz signals, and therefore are present and “future” ready.

The rip-off? There are no 120 Hz signals today or planned in the future. All 120 Hz HDTVs today or tomorrow accept signals no higher rate than 60 Hz. The need for a cable that handles 120 Hz HDTV signals is like putting 200 mile per hour rated tires on a Hyundai: you will never need it.

Keep in mind there are only three possible states of signal through an HDMI cable. They are a) perfect b) intermittent/ sparkles 3) no picture at all. If you get a continuous image over HDMI, it’s as sharp and clear as it gets, no matter how much you spent on a cable or its rating.

So it does not matter what you spend on cable, as long as the cable you buy gives you a “perfect” picture. However, if you’re running your HDMI cable through a wall, it’s a good idea to make sure the quality of both the connector and the termination is high. While all properly made HDMI cable will pass the picture, long term reliability will, in part, be determined by the robustness of the cable’s construction.

3-Off Brand (So-called “Third Tier”) Model HDTVs

Buying no name brands will save you money, but they may be nearly as expense to repair as to replace after the factory warranty expires. With some brands there is no after warranty service (i.e. Polaroid). The HD Guru™ highly recommends checking with the with the manufacturer’s US office to learn what the costs are for in-warranty service (such as: who pays shipping to and from the factory during the warranty period, what is the cost if you need a replacement box and what are the charges for post-warranty service) before you make the purchase. Read http://hdguru.com/your-new-disposable-flat-panel-hdtv/107 for more information.

4-Flat LCD HDTVs 26” and Smaller

With the price of LCD flat panels continuing to drop, the image quality of LCD HDTVs in the 26” or below size has actually diminished! In earlier years, top of the line panels were available in this size range. But today’s pricing pressures force set makers to step down performance to keep the price low. If you want the best LCD glass within an LCD HDTV—one that features superior contrast ratios, off-axis viewing, signal processing and 10 bit color (1024 shades of gray versus 256) you need to consider a 32” or larger set. If you must get a set 26” and below, compare off center viewing, color, upconversion of standard definition sources and motion smear. You will find the range in performance from fair to really poor.

An added caution: a number of 26” and below size sets are not in the industry standard 16:9 aspect ration (1.78:1) but are instead 1.6:1. Check the native resolution. For example, if its 1440 x 900 stay away. If you were to purchase a non-standard aspect ratio set, when you view 16:9 content, you will have to contend with a portion of the image always cut-off or (on some models) always seeing black bars at the top and bottom of the HD image.

5-1080p HDTV below 42” (diagonal)

Most buyers don’t realize how close you must be to a 1080p set to notice the full benefit over a 720p display. To see all the resolution of smaller HDTV you need to be really close. For example a 32” set requires a maximum viewing distance of 4 feet 2 inches. I do not know anyone who sits that close to a TV. Don’t waste your money on resolution you will not see. Check my HDTV distance chart for the maximum distances for 1080p and 720p displays. It’s at http://hdguru.com/hdtv-seating-distance-chart/6/
Just click on the highlighted HDTV Viewing Distance Chart.

6- X.V. Color

Also known as xvYCC color, X.V. comes from a source device, as meta-data sent along with an HDTV signal over an HDMI cable to a display to provide a wider color gamut. In other words, more colors than are possible with HDTVs that display (or attempt to) the colors available within the HDTV standard. X.V. color is an optional part of the HDMI 1.3 specifications.

The reality is that LCD displays with normal CCFL backlights (as opposed to LEDs) can’t reproduce a true red (it’s orange) let alone a color gamut way beyond the HDTV standard. Furthermore, there is no broadcast, cable or satellite x.v. color source. Neither are there Blu-ray discs that have been mastered with x.v. color. I doubt you will ever see it on broadcast or cable.

It may come someday to Blu-ray discs, but unless your source material was mastered with a wider gamut, and your Blu-ray player and display will reproduce a very wide color gamut (the only technology that comes close is Laser and its coming later this year) the difference with it or without it is quite insignificant. The only source today that can provide an x. v. color source are specific HD Camcorders. Bottom line, until laser TVs and xv color HD discs appear, it is a pretty worthless extra cost feature.

Far more important are displays that closely match the HDTV standard for primary (red, green and blue) and secondary (magenta, yellow and cyan) color points. Measurement data can be found in some home theater magazine reviews.

7-Deep Color

This feature should be named Deep Baloney. It is also part HDMI 1.3 optional features and it allows content to be encoded with video from 10-bit up to 16-bit color. The higher the bits the more shades of color are available. Now for the reality.

First, every video source (cable, satellite, broadcast and disc) are 8-bit color. Second, all digital displays interpolate the 8 bits to the display native bits, meaning the best LCDs internally change 8-bits of data to 10-bit color depth, some plasmas go even higher (12-bit or higher). Many new sets can accept the higher color depths (if they were available) but will still interpolate the information to accommodate the displays native bit depth.

So if you did have a 12-bit source, and an LCD HDTV with an 8-bit panel would accept the higher bit depth data (if it features Deep Color) but will still display it as and 8-bit image. So there are two basic problems with Deep Color: first nobody is using it (and I am doubtful it will be available from any source anytime soon). Second, the digital display (LCD, Plasma or DLP) will only display the amount of color depth it is capable of displaying. In other words, “Deep Color” is another worthless feature.

8-Line Conditioners

They are supposed to clean up dirty AC power from your outlet and claim to make the image sharper and provide better color. Horse Hockey! Stores sell these devices to connect to your new HDTV for hundreds of dollars (or more) to make up for the low profit margin on HDTVs. I have not seen any difference in image quality when I have connected a AC line conditioner to HDTVs, however, to give the manufacturers of these products the benefit of the doubt I do not have dirty AC (perhaps someone next to a factory or in a third world country does, or only watches TV with the vacuum cleaner running). Today’s digital HDTVs are quite immune to noisy AC power.

In place of a line conditioner, simply purchase a surge protector or if you have a DVR, a combination surge protector and uninterruptible power supply. The former will protect your HDTV and other equipment from potentially damaging power surges and the latter will keep recording your program should you lose power for a few seconds or several minutes.

9-Fake HD Cable and Satellite Channels

So you have a new HDTV and you want to receive as many HD channels as your cable or satellite provider offers. Well be careful. A number of HD channels are mostly fake. They contain standard definition fare that is upconverted and stretched. These channels include: History Channel HD, TNT HD, USA HD, A&E HD and Lifetime HD.

The broadcast, cable and satellite industries are unregulated when it comes to “quality of service.” They can take and standard def programming, then upconvert it and call it HD.

A number of HD channels are fake for most of the day. Instead of widescreen high definition content they contain standard definition fare that is upconverted and stretched, making the programming appear soft and distorted.

10-Dynamic Contrast Ratio Measurement

Almost every HDTV manufacturer publishes a contrast ratio number. TV Salesman explains the bigger the ratio, the better. If all other image criteria are equal, the display with the better contrast (brighter whites and darker blacks) would have the best picture and with it the best “perceived” sharpness. However, this specification has morphed beyond a useful measurement into a new, meaningless number that manufacturers call “dynamic contrast ratio”. With the recent arrival of 2008 models, it has ushered in the era of “dynamic contrast ratio” boasting up to “one million to one (1,000,000:1). The reality? Not only is the dynamic number meaningless, it reminds me of something Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame would be promoting.

The way “dynamic contrast is measured is a two step process. First the HDTV is fed a completely black signal (0 IRE). The level of black is measured. Next a test signal with a small patch of full white (100 IRE) is generated and the white area is measured. The ratio between the darkest and lightest signal is what is claimed to be “dynamic contrast”. How does this relate to what you see when watching a TV program or movie? It doesn’t! We don’t watch content consisting of an all black screen, we see an image that has portions that will be dark (at times) light or something in the middle. An accepted contrast ratio standard measurement is called ANSI contrast, but HDTV manufacturers don’t specify ANSI contrast, they just specify contrast so we really don’t know how they measure it.

The same display that may provides a dynamic number may spec its normal “contrast ratio as 1/30th-1/100th of the “dynamic contrast” ratio number. Bottom line, disregard the dynamic contrast ratio, it is meaningless.

One last note. Black level is part of the equation, but you can’t perceive black level in stores like Best Buy and Costco where the ambient light level is many times higher than a the room in your own home where you view your new HDTV. Unless the dealer has realistic ambient light levels (that match the level of your home’s viewing environment), you may not notice that the blacks on the store’s demo set are really gray, until you take the HDTV home.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

Kenji Nakamura, President and CEO of Hitachi Home Electronics (America), shows its UltraThin 1.5 display to Andy Oroz of Home Entertainment Source at the Hitachi Annual Dealer Show.

At its dealer it show in California, Hitachi announced details of its 2008 HDTV product line. Hitachi has broken the “thin barrier” with a 1.5” deep LCD design. Unlike LG’s new Scarlet line of integrated (built in HD tuner) HDTVs (2.4” –3.2” deep depending on screen size), Hitachi’s new 1.5” LCD displays are monitors. They contain no built-in tuners. You must connect to a external source such as a satellite or cable box or purchase the Hitachi over-the-air A/V HDTV tuner-switcher for an additional $299.
These new LCD monitors are available in four screen sizes (32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch and 47-inch.)
In addition, Hitachi’s press release’s reads “From the patented ventilation technology to the backlight, power supply and unique crystal frame, the innovations found in the 1.5 line represent Hitachi’s achievements in areas as diverse as automotive design, server systems and optical R&D.
The new 1.5 line is further differentiated by its appealing design that, importantly, extends a complete 360 degrees around. So whether the displays are seen from the front, a side angle or from the back, the elegant lines and distinctive aesthetics demonstrate an attention to detail that make the displays the ideal complement to a luxury lifestyle. “
Pricing and availability for each model is as follows:

Director’s Series™ Models

Want more good news? According to a well-placed industry sources, you can expect Sony’s major competitors (LG, Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba) to react by dropping their respective prices too (in May).

Here is an example. Sony’s latest 40” 1080p (1920×1080) HDTV the KDL-40S4100 will have a (suggested minimum price) of just $1199 making a full $500 less than its lowest priced predecessor.

How about a 46” 1080p set? The new KDL-46S4100 will be priced at $1599 (representing a $400 drop). This is Sony’s “advertised price”. The big box retailers Circuit City and Best Buy have been dropping below this minimum advertised price (MAP) 10% or more, only a week or two after other 2008 HDTVs have debuted, so don’t be surprised to see these Sony prices cut quickly by the big box retailers.

What about Plasma? This price marks the first time a 1080p LCD is priced below 1080p plasma. The HD Guru™ expects a lockstep reaction by the big plasma vendors with 2008 product now available or coming to market in May (Panasonic, LG and Samsung).

Likewise 2nd and 3rd tier vendors (i.e. Visio, Westinghouse) will have to react too, but probably don’t have as much room to move as Sony does because the “off brands” source all their products from outside panel makers and assembly plants.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

10-Dynamic Contrast Ratio Measurement Specification

The recent arrival of 2008 HDTV models, has ushered in the era of “dynamic contrast ratio” boasting up to “one million to one (1,000,000:1). The reality? Not only is the dynamic contrast ratio number meaningless, it reminds me of something Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame would be promoting. Disregard it when comparing HDTVs.

9-Fake HD Cable and Satellite Channels

A number of HD channels provide fake HD image for much of the day. Instead of gorgeous widescreen true high definition programming these channels put out standard definition fare that is upconverted and stretched to fill the screen. The result? Images appear soft and distorted. These fake HD channels include: History Channel HD, TNT HD, USA HD, A&E HD and Lifetime HD. Consider this before choosing a HD program provider and their HD package.

8- Line Conditioners

They claim they make the HDTV image sharper and provide better color. Horse Hockey! Put the $200-$1500+ instead into a bigger, better model HDTV or a Blu-ray player.

For significantly less money than a line conditioner, buy a surge suppressor or surge protector with uninterrupted power supply to protect your HDTV against voltage surges.

7-Deep Color

This feature should be named Deep Baloney. Digital displays (LCD, Plasma or DLP) will only display the amount of color depth (number of shades) a given HDTV is capable of displaying. With no Deep Color source available today, it’s another worthless product feature.

6-x.v. Color

The promise, more colors on the screen then ever before possible. The reality? The only displays that can take full advantage of the wider color gamut x.v.Color promises are Laser TV and they wouldn’t be available for months. In addition, the only sources today that can provide an x. v. color signal are a handful of HD Camcorders. Bottom line, until Laser TVs and xv Color HD discs appear (no one can say if these discs will ever be available), it is a pretty worthless feature.

5-1080p HDTVs below 42” (diagonal)

Most buyers don’t realize how close you must be to a 1080p set to notice the full benefit over a 720p display. The average viewing distance in America is 9 ft. To see all the detail in a 32” 1080p set you have to sit 4 feet 2 inches from the display (or closer). For more info and a chart go to
http://hdguru.com/?p=21

4-Flat LCD HDTVs 26” and Smaller

With the price of LCD flat panels continuing to drop, the image quality of LCD HDTVs in the 26” or below size has actually diminished! A number also have non-standard aspect ratios (1.6:1 instead of 1.78:1 aka 16×9) that will cut off part of an HD image!

3-Off Brand Model HDTVs

Buying no name brands will save you money, but they may be nearly as expensive to repair as to replace after the factory warranty expires. In fact, some models have no post warranty service or parts available. For more information go to
http://hdguru.com/your-new-disposable-flat-panel-hdtv/107/

2-120Hz HDMI Cables

Super priced HDMI cables that cost over 100 times more than ones you can buy from Amazon.com ($1.98) are claimed to handle “faster speed” signals to meet the requirements of 120 Hz signals, and therefore are present and “future” ready.

The rip-off? There are no 120 Hz signals today or planned in the future. All 120 Hz HDTVs today or tomorrow accept signals at a rate no higher than 1080p/60 Hz.

1-HDMI
The worst connector design since S-Video and the most unreliable interface ever foisted on the buying public. Don’t be surprised if your HDMI hookups do not provide any image on your HDTV. You should always pretest HDMI connections before installing your sources and/or new HDTV.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

The CEA has responded and disputes Cablelabs statements, claiming “HD Guru is quite accurate in his description of the situation” and “Any assertion that the CE industry CHOSE to implement one-way devices is blatant revisionism”.

You can find the Cablelabs complete response as it appears in the comments section of the April 15 post at
http://hdguru.com/how-the-cable-industry-plans-to-cheat-
10-million-hdtv-owners/233/#comments
as written by Michael (Mike) M. Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Communications, Cablelabs.

Brian Markwalter, V.P. of Technology and Standards for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has written its response.

Below is a copy of the complete CEA statement, followed by a reprint of Mr. Schwartz’s comments.

The CEA writes:
“HD Guru is quite accurate in his description of the situation. Any assertion that the CE industry CHOSE to implement one-way devices is blatant revisionism. Despite the fact that CableCARDs were two-way capable and standards had been written to use them that way, the cable industry refused to allow the CE industry to make use of the upstream capability for simple interactive services like VOD. Digital Cable Ready (CableCARD) TVs are one-way because of license terms and not lack of foresight by the CE industry.

CEA believes that HD Guru writes from the perspective of the consumer and got it right. More than 10 years after the law was passed, consumers still cannot buy a TV at retail that competes on equal terms with a middle-of-the-road set top box.”

Mr. Schwartz placed his comments within a copy of the HD Guru text. Here are his words from the comments section in its entirety.

“As of March 19th, the total number of actual subscribers using CableCARDs with retail products is only 347,000 units based on reports by the ten largest cable operators who serve 90% of the cable subscribers. http://www.ncta.com/DocumentBinary.aspx?id=717

Actually, nothing is being “disabled”. These sets were never intended or designed to receive content that requires a two-way connection. Content available on cable networks is changing all the time. New services are added, some are redesigned and others are removed.

Actually, this SDV technology is designed to expand the range of services offered by cable operators, not reduce them. This new technology will enable cable operators to add a virtually unlimited number of new services – services that are very specialized or designed for niche audiences. These services will include both HD and SD programming. Unfortunately many CE companies chose to implement receivers that lack the necessary circuitry to provide a full two-way cable experience with the CableCARD. Since those unidirectional receivers are not able to support many of the advanced features and services available on digital cable systems today, the FCC had enough foresight to mandate that the manufacturer properly label the product accordingly so that consumers of these products are not disappointed. If the consumer is dissatisfied with he limited functionality of those sets, they should complain to the manufacturer. [CFR Title 47 part15.123]. The other option, available to all CEs, is to build a fully capable tru2way device that will ensure subscribers can receive not only today’s cable services, but also tomorrows innovations.

Not exactly. It really happed like this: In response to the 1996 Telecom Act, the FCC required the Cable industry to offer removable security cards available for subscribers who requested them for retail devices built to the CableCARD standard. The FCC was specifically mandated NOT to prohibit Cable Operators from being able to also offer their STBs. The cable industry defined and delivered the required removable security CableCARDs (at the time called POD modules) by the July 2000 deadline after investing millions in the project. However since there was no mandate by the FCC on consumer products, there were no retail products produced to make use of CableCARDs.
Notwithstanding the lack of precedent in the 1996 Telecom Act, the FCC moved to ban the use of “integrated” security in Cable operator set-top boxed in the name of “common reliance” (which phrase does not appear anywhere in the law or regulations); Cable Operators would have to use separable CableCARDs instead. This requirement was enforced as of July 2007, forcing the cable industry to pay over $600 million to redesign their set-top-box products in a way that offers no benefit to subscribers. The cable industry met this requirement and in the 9 months since has successfully deployed over 4,184,000 operator-supplied set-top boxes with CableCARDs (recall the CE industry has only produced about 347,000 units to date). Now that is some “common reliance” insurance policy.
The same CableCARDs are used by both consumer products and operator-supplied boxes. The CableCARDs have always been capable of providing two-way services, but the manufacturers of UDCP products chose to design and sell products that lacked the two-way features needed to fully support advanced digital cable services. The first fully two-way cable-ready consumer product was certified by CableLabs in August 2005. [Press Release]

Perhaps the Guru asked the wrong questions? No product was ever originally designed to work with this new Tuning Adaptor including the exiting Tivo UDPC products. In order for them to work, they will need new firmware to connect to this new device. Think of this new firmware as the installation of a USB driver. Since consumer products don’t use Microsoft Windows, they don’t have plug-in drivers. Instead a new firmware update is needed to include the necessary driver controls to interact with this new external device. Makers of any existing UDCPs that already have a USB port (there are many) are just as able to provide new firmware as Tivo, if they chose to do so.

Q2 includes a portion of “this summer”.

Instead, complaints should really be directed to the manufacturer of the products that lack the necessary two-way circuitry to fully interact with advanced cable systems. Instead consumers should look for products identified as to ensure they will be able to get all the new and advanced services their digital cable systems can deliver.”

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

The external device was given the name CableCARD. The TV makers quickly responded by building over 10.1 million HDTVs with CableCARD slots through 2007 and has plans to add another 4.87 M+ HDTVs in 2008 (Consumer Electronics Association forecast). For the first time, consumers (with a CableCARD ready set) could hang a flat panel on the wall and watch all subscribed to standard and premium cable content without the extra wires and a shelf required for a cablebox. Now the cable industry has begun to roll out its plan to disable at least part of the content accessible to the CableCARD in CableCARD equipped HDTVs!

Time-Warner and Cablevision have announced they are adding a new technology to their systems that will keep CableCARD ready HDTVs from receiving a number of HD channels. Furthermore, a cable industry source told the HD Guru that all of the major cable providers will be incorporating this new system called “Switched Digital Video” (SDV) into their respective areas over the next few years. The result will be that the extra money consumers spent for the convenience of CableCARD ready HDTVs will have been wasted!

How did this occur? After Congress passed the telecommunications law, the FCC was put in charge of getting the cable and consumer electronics industry to incorporate it. The FCC granted the cable providers several delays, and when they ran out, the FCC allowed the cable industry to approve a limited function CableCARD that is unidirectional, preventing consumers to access video-on-demand (VOD) or impulse pay per view programming. The cable industry was also required to add CableCARD slots to their own cable boxes, but miraculously, its own boxes, (with over 90%) supplied by either Cisco (formally known as Scientific Atlanta) or Motorola, maintain the bi-directional functionality needed for impulse pay per view and VOD (and coincidentally SDV). The Cable industry got to maintain a two class system, one level of functionality for consumers that wanted cable tuning built into an HDTV and a higher level for consumers that chose to rent (at higher cost) a cable box from the provider, effectively bypassing Congress’ intent to open up a competitive market.

This one-way/two-way issue, is the reason you will lose HD programming if you continue to use a CableCARD in your television. The cable industry’s current systems lack the bandwidth to allow them to keep adding new HDTV channels. With satellite providers Dish Network and DirecTV promising over 100 HD channels by year’s end, the cable industry says they need to increase its capacity and “Switched Digital Video” allows them to add more channels without expanding their systems. However, once your cable provider enables SDV, any channel that is “switched” will be blacked out to consumers using a CableCARD in their HDTVs.

What’s The cable industry’s response? They claimed in November 2007 that through its testing, standards, and research arm called “Cablelabs” it has developed a “Tuning Adapter” that will allow CableCARD devices such as HDTVs and HD TiVos to continue to receive all subscribed HDTV channels. Here is an excerpt for the press release “The adapter will work on any (CableCARD) Unidirectional Digital Cable Ready Product (UDCP) that has a USB connector and necessary firmware. The cable industry is working with TiVo to ensure that installation of CableCARDs and the adapter will be easy and seamless for the consumer.” The press release goes on to say it will be available in the 2nd quarter of 2008.

Now for the reality. The HD Guru™ has surveyed several makers of CableCARD ready sets, and all said their sets were never designed to add such a device and even if their respective sets have USB ports, they will not be able to accept such an adapter.

So this leaves only the owners of high definition TiVo DVRs. The adapter device should work with HD TiVos, however, according to a Cisco spokesperson, its version is now undergoing testing at Cablelabs and is not expected to be released until sometime this summer. A Motorola source would not provide any status or a release date, likely missing the promised availability in the second quarter 2008.

So you now own a CableCARD HDTV, what will happen to you and what can you do about it? I contacted Cablevision, a NY metro cable provider for answers.

Cablevision will begin its rollout of SDV beginning April 15, 2008. CableCARD users will immediately lose all of Cablevision’s 15 HD Voom channels which represent one-third of all its high definition channels. (Are more HD channels going away? I could not get a response) Cablevision has offered current CableCARD subscribers a Cisco HD cablebox for one year without charge to maintain receiving all of its HD channels. After the year you must pay $6.95/month for the box. (Its CableCARD rental fee is less than $2 a month). If you want to hold on to your CableCARD, you will pay the same subscription fee as you did last month, no discount for the lost channels, one heck of a deal.

If you own a CableCARD HDTV and are not happy with this, the HD Guru™ suggests you file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, they have complaint forms at their website http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html . You should also write a complaint to your Representive (find him/her at https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml) and your state’s US Senators. They are the ones that passed the Telecommunications Act.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

Mitsubishi revealed to a small gathering of industry press its 2008 model line which includes new LCD model series, new DLP rear projectors and the first production Laser TV.

Laser HDTV

LaserVue is the official name of Mitsubishi’s Laser TV. The demonstration revealed an image that was significantly improved compared to the prototype I viewed at the 2008 CES. It is now quite bright and the colors (especially the reds) are the most vivid of any display device I have seen . This was quite evident in a side-by-side demonstration against a 65″ Sharp LCD and a 60″ Pioneer Kuro plasma. Mitsubishi is keeping most of the specifics, such a specs, number of models, pricing and feature list under wraps till the end of June, however they let a few details slip out.

The LaserVue HDTVs will ship in the 3rd qtr. of this year. They consume only one half the power of LCD flat panel (for the same screen size), and the sets will be capable of delivering a 3D image (movies may arrive later this year)

LCD

Mitsubishi announced three series of LCD flat panels, but it’s keeping details of its middle series under wraps until late June. The model line up consists of seven models as follows

LT-40148 $2499
LT-46148 $2999
LT-46149 $3499
LT-52148 $3599
LT-52149 $4099
Diamond Series LT-46246 $3799
Diamond Series LT-52246 $4499

All 2008 Mitsubishi LCD HDTVs include: slimmer (under one inch wide) frames, 120 Hz refresh, low profile speakers and built-in Gallery Player software to display high definition paintings and photography from Gallery Players library at 99 cents per image. Carried over from its 2007 LCDs are: 10-bit panels, 6-color signal processors, x.v. color and Deep Color.

The Diamond series adds CableCARD with TV Guide On Screen Daily program guide, improved signal processor and a high gloss frame with Blue Light Accent. Screen sizes available are 40”, 46” and 52”

DLP

There are seven DLP HDTV rear projectors in the Mitsubishi 2008 line. Improvements for 2008 include the latest Texas Instruments Dark Chip DLP chip, thinner frames, and an improved light engine with 18% greater brightness. Mitsubishi moves from a 6-color wheel to a 5-color wheel, while maintaining its 6 color signal processor. The rear projectors are available in 60”, 65” and 73” sizes.

All models are equipped with an infra-red emitter jack for use with 3D glasses (not included) for upcoming 3D discs. All models are shipping this month.

WD-60735 $1799
WD-65735 $2199
WD-73735 $3199
WD-65736 $2499
WD-73736 $3599
Diamond WD-65835 $3399
Diamond WD-73835 $4699

All models include 1080p, x.v. color, Deep Color, Color 4D noise reduction. Diamond models add high gloss finish, Smooth 120Hz to ‘optimize fast action” and Dark Detailer “for higher contrast” (according to the press release).

The 2008 DLP models improved brightness and contrast along with 3D readiness may justify the purchase if your viewing environment requires the added brightness. For controlled lighting you may want to consider a 2007 closeout.

As for the LCD models, Mitsubishi (like Samsung Sony and other vendors ) has mainly concentrated on styling and features for its 2008 models, (with the exceptions of all 120 Hz refresh across the line for improved motion resolution) and the Smooth 120 feature to reduce artifacts of film based sources.

You may want to consider one of the 120HZ 2007 closeout models for a better deal.

Panasonic

Panasonic’s 2008 line of plasmas represent a very significant picture improvement over its 2007 models. 2008 performance enhancements include: significantly improved blacks, higher contrast ratios, 100,000 hour lifetime (time to half brightness the industry method of measurement), improved color gamut, better anti-reflective filters, lower power requirements and a game mode for faster response.

The line starts with the 42” (1024×768p resolution) and 50” models (1365×768 resolution) called the TH-42PX80 and TH-50PX80. These boast a 15,000:1 contrast ratio and three HDMI inputs. A few weeks ago I had a chance to perform a side by side comparison of the 50” Japanese model side-by-side with the 50” Pioneer KURO. The back level was just a shade darker on the Pioneer, and this is the entry model with its lowest rated contrast ratio! Minimum Advertised Prices (MAP) are $1199 and $1699 respectively; available now.

The rest of the line is all “Full HD” 1080p (1920 x1080) and have a rating of 900 lines motion resolution. The entry series is the PZ 80 (i.e. TH-42PZ80) and they are available now in the 42”, 46” and 50” sizes (MAP $1599, $1999 and $2499 respectively) and is rated at 20,000:1 contrast (with a dynamic contrast rated at 1,000,000:1) and 4096 shades of gradation from black to full white.

The PZ85 series jumps to a 30,000:1 contrast ratio (and same million to one dynamic contrast). The 85 series adds hidden speakers and a VGA type analog PC input. The PZ85 series models are available now and are offered in the 42”, 46”, 50” and 58” sizes.

The PZ800 series (May/June) adds THX video certification, has four HDMI inputs (up from three for the lower models) single sheet glass front, 5120 shades of gradation and the big news, 48 HZ display for judder free viewing of native 24 fps sources (such as films) . I was unable to get a demo and look forward to testing this feature. Like the other models in this year’s line, it accepts 24fps signals via HDMI; however, the lower models only offer 3:2 pulldown which, (unlike the even 2:2 cadence of this model), produces judder (jerky instead of smooth motion) during pans. Prices are to be announced.

The top of the line PZ850 series will be available in June in the 46”, 50”, 58” and 65” ($TBA). These models add IPTV allowing access to specific internet content including YouTube and Picasa. In addition, there is a Pro Menu setting for profession ISF calibration in the user menu and AVCHD motion playback via the built-in SD card slot (all Panasonic plasmas have SD card slots for still photo viewing).

In addition, the 850 models have a wider color gamut, and include a Digital Cinema Color mode that claims 120% of the digital TV broadcast color space for more vivid images that allow for color reproduction similar to what you can see when at a digital movie theater that complies with the movie industry’s Digital Cinema standards. Like the 800 series it has 48 Hz playback, 4 HDMI inputs + PC input, 5120 gradations but drops the THX certification.

The demonstrations of the 2008 plasmas were quite impressive with a side-by-side of top 2007 model versus 2008. The black levels was far deeper than the 2007 model and may be as deep as the 2007 Pioneer KURO. The verdict will have to wait a few weeks for a production sample comparison.

The HD Guru recommends to the purchase of the 2008 models over a closeout 2007s. The performance gains well justify the additional expense.

LCD

Panasonic expanded its LCD offerings with five new models in two series. All use Panasonic’s own in plane switching panels that produce a contrast ratio of 1200:1 and Dynamic Contrast of 10,000:1. Features include SD memory card slot, Game mode, and three HDMI inputs.

The 85 series are 1365 x 768 models in 26” and 32” screen sizes and the 37” model is 1080p.

The step up units are the 32” TC-32LZ800 and 37” TC-37LZ800. Features include PC input, 4 HDMI inputs and Panasonic’s Motion Flow Technology that sequentially fires the backlight to greatly improve motion resolution without the resorting to 120 HZ refresh rate.

With increased contrast ratio and improved motion resolution of the Motion Flow model) you may want to consider a 2008 model.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

In previous years the answer was simple, image improvements would trump closeout prices. The year, that advice goes completely out the window. Why? The 2008 marks a major marketing shift by many of the manufacturers of high definition TV displays. From the dawn of HDTV, set makers all boasted about picture improvements. This year, the emphasis by many of the HDTV manufacturers is cosmetic design, form factor and connectivity!

Here is a Part 1 of my breakdown of the HDTV makers with more to come as more 2008 product line details are released.

Samsung LCD

The US market leader in digital TV from January to November 2007, according to NPD, announced in its CES 2008 press release that it improved picture quality in HDTV in 2007. The official Samsung press release reads as follows: “In 2007, Samsung released a number of revolutionary features to improve picture performance, including the application of LED backlight to its critically acclaimed LCD TVs, and the employment of FllterBright technology to its stunning plasma TV line. This year, Samsung introduces a new line of HDTVs that enhances the use of the TV from a simple video playing device to a command center of a digital entertainment system that pulls content from the Internet, mobile devices and more.” They add select models will have a distinct look among a “sea for black offerings”

There are four series LCD announced to date, the 4, 5 6 and 7. The top rated LED backlight LCD sets are not expected to arrive to sometime around fall 2008 and are not expected to be announced till this July.

The Samsung LCD 4 series is 720p (specifically 1365 x 768 pixels) and is available this month (March) in the 19”, 22”, 32”, 37” and 40 sizes. The big improvement this year? A side mounted HDMI connector and “specially designed “hot keys” on the remote control to allow easy access to connected devices.”

The Samsung Series 5 is a line of “Full HD” (1920×1080”) LCD TVS, The big improvement over 2007? A side mounted USB 2.0 port and HDMI interface (for a total of three HDMI interfaces). Sizes are 32, 37, 40, 46 and 50 inches.

The Samsung Series 6 “Full HD” models add a new design element called TOC for a touch of color. The edge of its black frame goes to translucent red to clear at the edge. I like to refer it as a bleeding edge design. While it does not appeal to me, perhaps some perspective purchasers will like it. The series has 120 Hz refresh to reduce motion blur and Samsung states the panel has a 4ms response time. According to a Samsung spokesperson this was the same response as its 2007 models, when they were not rated. Like last year’s 61 series all sets have Samsung’s best panel they call SPVA.

Besides the new bezel design Samsung has added for 2008 InfoLink an “RSS feature (that) gathers up-to-the-minute content from USA Today (via an rear Ethernet jack) and displays it on your screen.” The set will superimpose news weather or stock market information over the content you are viewing. Note to Samsung, many HDTV viewers receive the Weather Channel, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC for this information. The 6 series sets also have a USB 2.0 side mounted jack to allow you to view photos or hear MP3 music from an MP3 player. They are available in 40” (LN40A650T) 46” (LN46A650T),

The 7 series adds 1GB of internal memory with built in photos (artwork and scenes) and a more sophisticated file control options for external sources (MP3 music, photos). It’s also boasts the addition of a separate woofer for deep bass.

The HD Guru™ recommends purchasing one of the closeout 2007 LCD models, you’ll save money and get similar image quality.

Samsung Plasma

Samsung has made a number of changes to its 2008 plasma TVs. Its most significant, improved contrast ratio and an improved anti-reflective filter to reduce room reflections on the screen, higher contrast ratios including a dynamic contrast claimed to be 1,000,000. Dynamic contrast is measured using a screen with no content (black) compared to a screen with a full white small patch of the screen. It has little to no relevance to real world contrast ratios. However, the true contrast ratio is now been improved from 10,000:1 to 20,000:1 for its 1365 x 768 resolution models and 30,000 for its Full HD Models.

Samsung also introduced 3D (it’s really stereoscopic) HDTV. The system requires a computer interface and 3D glasses for the viewer. A Samsung representative told me the system is designed to connect to a PC and will have some PC video games available later this year. The way the system operates is it alternates left and right eye images. The improved contrast ratio should improve image quality, though I have not yet been able to do any side-by-side comparison. In addition, Samsung has made no claim of reduced black level, a factor that would improve image quality.
Unless you want the 3D feature, The HD Guru™ recommends you compare the 2007 and 2008 to determine if the contrast ratio improvement justifies the higher prices of the new models

Sony

Sony’s 2008 model line has split introductions for its all LCD flat panel line. The Z4100 series (46”, 42”) 1080p 120HZ models 24p input; the W4100 series (52”, 46”, 40”) 1080p, 120 Hz and the V4100 series (52”, 46”, 40”) 1080p 60Hz available now or late spring. The XBR6 series will be available in late May or early June. It offers 120Hz and 1080p in 32” and 37” sizes. I feel that unless you a few feet from the display (think 58” for the 37” and 50” fro the 32”) you will not be able to see the extra resolution that a 1080p display offers. In other words, for the vast majority of viewers that sit further from their TVs, 1080p sets under 42” should not be considered.

Sony also has a line of 720p 60Hz HDTVs in the N4000 and M4000 series in the 26”, 32” and 37” sizes.

The replacement models for the XBR4 and XBR5 will not be announced till summer with fall delivery expected.

With no major improvements in picture quality of the 2008 models announced so far (with the exception of a few more 120Hz models) the HD Guru™ recommends saving money with the purchase of a closeout 2007 Sony HDTV.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi unveiled a prototype of its “LASERTV” at CES. The demo model had a 65” screen and a depth of less than 10 inches. As promised, the color gamut was far larger than any other display technology, with highly saturated colors including brilliant reds. The underlining technology is three sequentially fired lasers, bouncing off a Texas Instruments DLP chip utilizing its smooth picture pixel shifting method to produce a full HD 1080p image.

The demo consisted of a number of short clips. Lasers are very efficient devices producing light with a fraction of the power required for lamp driven devices.

This prototype demonstration showed Mitsubishi has licked the “speckle” problem that has plagued all previous laser demonstrations I have seen. Speckle (also referred to as sparkles by some) is caused by interference patterns in laser (coherent) light when it is reflected from a surface. However, this prototype had some issues that need to be resolved before production can commence. They were a limited viewing angle before significant brightness fall-off of (around 120°, in other words 60° off center right, left or top, bottom). The other issue, the image, did not possess the super high brightness expected with laser technology, in the HD Guru’s opinion, this quality is needed for this technology to succeed in the market place.

Mitsubishi also demonstrated a laser TV prototype with 3D (stereoscopic) playback via a 3D Blu-ray player and polarized glasses. Mitsubishi has announced they will have HD Blu-ray players and glasses available 2008 with 3D movies on Blu-ray began released later this year.

Mitsubishi will reveal its 2008 line in early April

Pioneer

First the good news, Pioneer demonstrated its “Absolute Black” Kuro plasma and its super thin (9mm) plasma models. The Kuro was to be available in 2009 (according to sources) and provided a total black by eliminating any idling light discharge, meaning black areas in the image produce no light output and a theoretically immeasurable contrast ratio.

Now for the not so good news. Pioneer will cease the production of its Kuro plasma panels later this year. It will continue to sell plasma TVs by sourcing panels elsewhere and assembling them in Japan in two of the factories that have been producing its panels.

A number of websites have writing the news as the beginning of the end of plasma TV, this is not correct. Here are the facts.

Pioneer’s plasma factory is the most inefficient in the industry, producing only one panel at a time. By contrast, LG makes eight 42” panels off of one “mother” glass, while the largest Panasonic plasma factory produces up to nine 50” plasma panels at once.

Because of the high cost production, Pioneer could no longer sell plasma TV for a profit, even though their prices are considerably higher than any other brand. Pioneer has been losing money on plasma for the last two years.

Beginning in 2009 with 2009 model year product), Pioneer will purchase panels for its plasma TVs from another Japanese plasma maker (that means either Panasonic or Hitachi) and according to news reports, will provide its partner with its patent portfolio and intellectual property regarding “Absolute Black”, cell structure and its other unique plasma technologies.

As far as 2008 models, they will not be released until this July.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

If you just purchased a new display to see the Superbowl in glorious HDTV here are some useful tips to enjoy the best viewing experience.

There are three possible ways to see the game in High Definition

Cable (including phone companies such as ATT and Verizon Fios)

Over-the-air

Satellite

If you subscribe to Cable TV, you should also have a high definition set top box supplied by your cable provider. If you do, make sure it is connected to one of the two available high definition interfaces, HDMI or component video, otherwise the signal will not be in HD.

HDMI is the preferred HDTV connection, as some TVs do not provide as sharp as a picture with a component video connection. If you need to run out to get an HDMI cable locally first try your nearest Wal-Mart, K Mart or Target, according to their respective websites, they have HDMI 6ft cables available at selected stores for under $20. If you go to Best Buy or Circuit City, they will charge you a rip-off $79.99 for a six-footer. If you have no choice and must purchase an eighty dollar cable, get one, and order a second one for as little as $2.11 (plus shipping) from Amazon.com. When the cable arrives in the mail in a few days, simply return the overpriced one to the retailer you purchased from. I have no problem with retailers making a buck; but in this case, eighty dollars is excessive.

Over an HDMI cable the signal is digital. The picture you will see on screen will either be perfect or if not it black, (or with intermittent blackouts possibly sparkles). You cannot get a sharper image with a “better” cable, regardless of what the store salesman tells you. By the way I have yet to see any 6 ft HDMI cable that did not work perfectly, my experience includes a number of cheapo ones. There is more to this topic, you can refer to an earlier article at hdguru.com/?p=12

Once you have the cable and cablebox are connected you must make sure you have the proper settings on the box and the HDTV.

For the HDTV, you first need to select the input number on the HDTV which is connected to your HDMI or component video cable. Next, make sure the HDTVs aspect ratio is in the “Full” mode.

You will get a better HDTV image, if you change the general picture mode from the showroom “out of the box” setting (it usually reads Vivid or Dynamic depending on the make) to Movie or Custom and lower the contrast (often labeled as “Picture”) control to 50%-60% of maximum.

With these basic adjustments you need to make sure your set top cable satellite box is set to output the signal in HDTV. There are two choices 720p and 1080i. Superbowl XLII is on Fox meaning it is broadcast in 720p. If your HDTV display is 720p you may simply set the output of the box to 720p, if it is a 1080i or 1080p set, you can choose 1080i and the HDTV will automatically convert to that rate. If you not sure what you set native display is, adjust the set top box’s output to 1080i because all HDTVs accept this signal, some sets will not accept 720p signals (you can always try the other setting at another time).

Also make sure the cable box is set for a 16:9 display, otherwise the image will be distorted.

What If You Just Got A New HDTV and Don’t Have an HDTV Cable Box?

If you are a cable subscriber you may still be in luck. Most recent HDTVs have tuners that will accept an unencrypted HDTV cable signal. Here is how to connect.

You will need to take the cable from the wall and screw it into antenna/cable input in the back of the set (it is usually labeled ANT). Follow the set makers instructions to select cable signal (versus over-the-air, digital cable signals are also called QAM) and let the HDTV’s tuner scan all the channels as per your owner’s manual. The HDTV will display all the unencrypted cable channels, but you will need to manually check each one (use the Channel up or + button) to find the local FOX channel because many cable systems may not match the over the air channel numbers, i.e. your local HD FOX station may be 5 or 5-1 or 5.1 but with a cable signal it may be a completely different number such as 79.3.

If you don’t have cable or a HDTV satellite set top box or cable TV you can run out to your local Radio Shack an purchase an inexpensive indoor TV antenna and connect it to the ANT input on you TV, and aim the antenna it in the direction of the FOX transmitter tower in your area. Next, set your HDTV to over-the-air tuning, scan in the local channels and see if you get local FOX HD channel. If you are within 20 miles of the transmitter and have flat terrain between you and the broadcast tower, you may be in luck.

Enjoy the game.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.