[afterdawn]Toshiba's Cell TV on track for 2009 release

The TV wars continue

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/19577.cfm

Toshiba's Cell TV on track for 2009 release

24 September 2009 20:48 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 2 comments

Toshiba's Cell TV on track for 2009 release

Toshiba Corp.'s first television to feature the Cell processor (also used with the PlayStation 3 console) is on track for its intended release this year. The product is to hit the Japanese market first in Q4 2009. The company first promised a Cell-based TV in 2007 and then showed off a prototype at CES 2008 in Las Vegas.

Toshiba said it uses the Cell processor to provide exceptionally high-quality video playback, picture upscaling and picture-in-picture (PIP) functionality capable to extend to dozens of channels simultaneously.

Masaaki Oosumi, President of Toshiba's Digital Media Network Company, confirmed that the TV with market under the company's Regza brand, and it will be the company's flagship model. He likened the impact of the Cell telly's appearance to the arrival of color television, but did admit it will be pricey.

The Cell Regza TV would have a native resolution of 3820x2160. Full specifications are expected to be released shortly.

 

supposedly 6 HD feeds at the same time.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/home-theater/?p=225

 

well, the big push now is for 3d tv.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/172747/will_3d_tv_be_blurays_savior.html

Will 3D TV Be Blu-ray's Savior?
Jeff Bertolucci, PC World
Sep 28, 2009 4:17 pm
Panasonic's unveiling of a 50-inch plasma TV that displays 3D images got me thinking: Is 3D the killer app that will make Blu-ray players popular in the home?

Panasonic's prototype HDTV, along with another 3D set from Sony, won't be available until sometime next year. Like most cutting-edge consumer tech gear, 3D TV will initially be targeted at home theater buffs — those who strive to mimic the multiplex movie theater experience at home.

While the amount of 3D content is still small, Hollywood in recent years has boosted its output of 3D movies in an attempt to lure people into theaters. There will be around 7000 3D screens by the end of 2009, according to Sony.

3D at Home
To watch 3D movies in the home, you'll need a 3D set, special glasses, and a probably a Blu-ray player, although the specifics with the movie studios haven't been worked out yet. Panasonic and Sony haven't announced prices for their 3D sets, but you can bet there will be a significant premium, at least initially.

Panasonic says it'll include special glasses with its 3D set, but it's unclear if that means one or several pair. And what will the glasses cost? Most home theater fans will probably want two to four (or more) pair of glasses, an expenditure that could add a lot of the 3D outlay.

If prices of 3D TVs fall rapidly — and assuming the glasses aren't too pricey — 3D entertainment could have a future in the home. In addition to movies, gaming is another realm where 3D has potential. Sony plans to add 3D capability to its PlayStation 3 console. And you can bet that Microsoft and Nintendo have similar intentions for the Xbox and Wii too.

Boon for Blu-ray?
3D would give consumers a strong reason to buy Blu-ray players. As things stand now, Blu-ray's better picture isn't a compelling enough reason for many people to upgrade from DVD. Assuming that video streaming services (and home broadband connections) won't have the bandwidth — at least not right away — for 3D content, Blu-ray might have a golden opportunity to invade the living room.

So, will 3D be Blu-ray's killer app?

Contact Jeff Bertolucci via Twitter (@jbertolucci) or at jbertolucci.blogspot.com.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5374225/toshibas...-tv-can-record-and-display-8-channels-at-once






Toshiba's Cell-Powered REGZA 55X1 LCD TV Can Record and Display 8 Channels At Once
By Danny Allen, 4:21 AM on Mon Oct 5 2009, 13,410 views
Toshiba's first TV with the PS3 Cell processor it helped develop has seriously kick-ass specs. For starters: The 55-incher's LED backlighting divides the 240Hz display into 512 individually controlled areas, and has a dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1.

The Cell processor also provides self-congruency for improved image quality at the edge of the picture, enhanced color and brightness balance, and a super-high luminance of 1250cd/m². A 7-speaker sound bar is attached underneath the display, and network functionality includes DLNA support, and an HD Web browser based on Opera.

The Cell chip is housed in an external box about the site of an older Blu-ray player. That's also where a 3TB hard disk is installed to allow the TV to time-shift up to 26 hours of programs from up to 8 channels simultaneously. (1TB of storage is reserved for longer-term recordings). Another neat visual trick: the 55X1 can show eight channels on screen at the same time—and step through each without the delay common with rival HDTVs.



The TV is on show at CEATEC (Japan's version of CES), and will go on sale there in December for 1 Million Yen (about $11,115). Toshiba hopes to sell about 1,000 models a month before the 55X1 arrives in the U.S sometime in 2010.

Toshiba also gave some insight into its future plans for CELL processor-based TVs. It talked about using the chip in a range of concepts, including a 3D TV, and a 4K x 2K model that upconverts 1080p to 3840 x 2160. Holy crap. More please. [Toshiba via Impress AV Watch]