Televisions
BBC: We may do 1080p on Freeview HD
We've been dying to know what broadcast format the BBC is planning to use for its HD broadcasts, which start in December. We know the service will be broadcast in MPEG-4 using a DVB-T2 transmission system, but until now, the Big British Castle hasn't been talking about the video size -- would we be getting 1080i or 720p? The first good news is there are currently no plans for any 720p material. But the BBC shocked us by confirming 1080p is a distinct possibility. Continue reading...
Runco LED projectors Q-750i and Q-750d: Almost certainly excellent, but costly
Projectors are often the very best way to watch a movie. You get a honking great image, with the potential to see a film how it was made to be seen. What puts many people off is the reliance on very expensive bulbs. These never last very long, and when you come to replace one, cost the Earth. Now Runco has launched two projectors that use LEDs instead of traditional bulbs to provide their illumination. Continue reading...
Terrestrial 3D TV: A short history
If it escaped your attention that Channel 4 is broadcasting a series of programmes in 3D throughout this week, feel free to catch up. For the rest of you, we thought you might enjoy a three-dimensional excursion down memory lane.
Terrestrial broadcasts of 3D television have been taking place for years, usually as special episodes of popular programmes. As most of us (except Nate, who's pretty much a zygote) are around the 30-year-old mark, so one of our most notable shared memories of 3D telly was from Children in Need in 1993. Continue reading...
BBC HD on Freeview: Rolling out across UK in 2010
Today, the BBC has announced a full timetable for its BBC HD channel becoming available on the new Freeview HD service. London and Manchester will be the first places getting access to the HD service, which we expected. We also knew Freeview HD would use the more efficient DVB-T2 system the BBC has played a huge part in developing over the past few years.
The UK will be the first country in the world to use DVB-T2, and reap the benefits of a major capacity increase. The bad news: you'll need a new set-top box if you want the HD goodness, but don't worry, older boxes won't be obsolete. Hardware to receive the service will go on sale in January 2010, along with a Freeview Web site update that will tell people if they can get the new HD service in their area. Continue reading...
Philips Cinema 21:9 TV: Hands-on photos 
For what seems like aeons now, we've been desperate to get our hands on this TV. Casually called the Cinema 21:9, its formal title is the Philips 56PFL9954H, which gives a clue to the size of the TV. Now this 56-inch beast has arrived and we're truly excited by it. Nothing we've seen for a long time has created as much of a stir as this incredible-looking TV.
The 21:9 screen ratio means you can lose those pesky black bars on 2.35:1-ratio movies for good. But there's no such thing as a free lunch, and in this case the price is that 16:9 or 4:3-ratio video will either have black bars at the side, or be geometrically stretched -- or in the case of 4:3, potentially both. Continue reading...
Head of BBC HD says 'reducing bit rate has no impact on picture quality'
The BBC recently reduced the bit rate of BBC HD, leading to outraged complaints about the picture quality. The BBC has admitted that it has reduced the bit rate, but it also claims that its new, more efficient encoders make up the difference with increased efficiency. But in an interview with Points of View, Danielle Nagler, the head of BBC HD, said that there's "no evidence that reducing the bit rate has had an impact on picture quality". Which strikes us as absurd. Continue reading...
Sky Player asks permission to spy on you
Sky is updating customers on its AdSmart targeted-advertising system. An email is doing the rounds that highlights the updated terms and conditions now in effect, ready for AdSmart's launch on Sky Player in January.
Sky combines the information it holds about you with data bought from third parties. This includes data such as your postcode for regionally targeted ads, and your browsing history on the Sky Web site. Will it know we like pies? We do like pies. Sky will also personalise ads based on which TV package you have. We wonder if there'll be any Apple ads if AdSmart works out you're watching Sky Player in Windows 7. Continue reading...
Channel 4 3D Week programmes revealed: The Queen, Miley Cyrus and Frankenstein
Channel 4 has revealed the programmes which will make up its 3D week. The Queen, Derren Brown, Miley Cyrus -- or Hannah Montana or whatever her name is -- will be joined by two 1970s horror films over the week of 16 November.
3D is a hot topic right now with the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 compact camera hitting stores and ever more 3D films doing boffo box office, such as the spectacular Up. But we're still not sold on 3D television. Continue reading...
BBC banned from using DRM on Freeview HD
We reported some time ago on the BBC proposing some basic methods of DRM to prevent material from being copied from the forthcoming Freeview HD service. We pointed out that no amount of DRM will prevent TV shows from being distributed on P2P sites, so we regarded the whole thing as totally pointless. Now, it seems Ofcom is reluctant to allow any form of rights management at all, at least until some of its concerns have been addressed.
The wording on the Ofcom document [PDF] implies that the watchdog could, at a later date, allow the BBC to use its DRM scheme by writing to it with special permission. But as the rules stand, the BBC cannot simply apply the scheme to protect content. Ofcom also says that for it to make a permanent decision on the matter would require a potentially lengthy process. Continue reading...
freesat iPlayer beta service imminent
It's the worst-kept secret in the history of mankind, but freesat is finally getting access to the BBC's iPlayer service. We've known for a very long time that the plan was to make on-demand TV available on freesat since the platform launched in May 2008. For this reason, all freesat receivers have had an Ethernet socket fitted to them from launch, which means existing owners will have no extra equipment to buy.
iPlayer will come to the platform from the end of November with a closed beta. It will be 'code-based', which means you'll have to apply for and be granted a beta key before you can use the service. Continue reading...
