Displays -- Engadget

Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link

by Darren Murph posted Sep 29th 2009 at 10:19AM

Say it with us now: "Yippee!" Why such joviality? We'll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new "industry standard" for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we're still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they're working on it. And they're working hard.

Dallas Cowboys HD scoreboard makes the Guinness Book of World Records

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 28th 2009 at 11:26AM

Mitsubishi, mostly seen in this space with displays for your living room, has finally got some recognition for its display that could be your living room (a subtle yet important distinction). Yes, that's right: the Guinness folks are presenting the scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium with the coveted World's Largest High-Definition Video Display award. Consisting of four Diamond Vision LED video screens (the two main displays measure 72 feet high by 160 feet wide while the end-zone displays are 29 feet high by 51 feet wide), this bad boy is suspended 90 feet above the center of the playing surface and might prove something of a "punt magnet." To celebrate, the Engadget editors are going to take another stab at the Publication With The Most Editors Sporting Beards Made Of Bees award. Huffington Post, it's on! Full PR below.

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Guinness World Records to Recognize Dallas Cowboys and Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision for World's Largest Video Display

Four-Sided, High-Definition Screen Equivalent of 3,268 TVs Hangs Above Cowboys Stadium Playing Field

CYPRESS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mitsubishi Electric gained yet another entry in the Guinness World Records book with the recognition of its revolutionary Diamond Vision video boards at Cowboys Stadium as the World's Largest High-Definition Video Display. The official certificate presentation will take place during a pre-game ceremony on September 28, just prior to the Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers Monday Night Football game, which will be aired nationally on ESPN.

The world's first four-sided, center-hung, high-definition video display in a stadium consists of four Diamond Vision® LED video screens, with the two main sideline displays measuring 72 feet high by 160 feet wide, and two Diamond Vision® end-zone displays measuring 29 feet high by 51 feet wide. Weighing 600 tons, the screens are suspended 90 feet directly over the center of the playing surface and stretch from nearly one 20-yard line to the other.

With a total viewing area of 11,393 square-feet, the Diamond Vision® display is equal to 3,268 52-inch televisions, and has 10,584,064 LED lights.

"This was probably the most exciting project we've ever been involved with," said Mark Foster, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric's Diamond Vision Systems. "The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most innovative teams in the NFL, and their new stadium reflects that. These scoreboards and displays are the realization of the Cowboys' commitment to their fans and the sport. We are very proud that the Cowboys organization turned to Mitsubishi Electric to deliver their vision as part of this incredible project."

"We're extremely proud of our world-class Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screen," said Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones. "We have designed everything about Cowboys Stadium to provide an unequalled experience for our fans, and this screen is the centerpiece of what we have created for them."

Mitsubishi Electric has now been recognized by Guinness World Records five times for its accomplishments, and the Cowboys' board is the fourth Diamond Vision screen to be honored by Guinness. The first came in August 2003, for the World's Longest Video Display for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong which was installed in August 2003. In March 2005, GWR recognized the Diamond Vision® LED display at Turner Field in Atlanta as the World's Largest High-Definition Television Screen, and in September 2005 the Mitsubishi Electric video board at the Japan Racing Association Tokyo Racecourse was certified as the World's Largest Television Display. In 1993, Mitsubishi Electric was recognized for designing and installing the World's Fastest Elevator - capable of traveling 750 meters per minute (approximately 28 miles per hour) - at the Landmark Tower in Yokohama, Japan.

Panasonic's 50-inch 3D plasma announced, seeks fine family home

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 28th 2009 at 2:11AM

True, Panasonic's 103-inch 3D television is more desirable, but Panny's new 50-incher will be more affordable when it comes time to buy your first 3D set. The 1080p TV requires viewers to wear special specs, naturally, in this case, Panasonic's active "shutter" glasses. As the name implies, the lenses switch in sync with the TV so that the right image is seen by the right eye and the left image is seen by the left eye. All that quick image swapping requires new PDP materials and chips to maintain screen brightness. The new prototype will be on display at Ceatec show in Tokyo next week with plans for commercialization in 2010. You know, assuming anyone wants it.

Wacom's Bamboo multitouch tablets finally go official, for formality's sake

by Darren Murph posted Sep 24th 2009 at 11:18AM

There's really little point to this now, but a solid week after consumers in the US began picking up the Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet, the outfit has come clean and confessed that it actually approved the production of that very device. Granted, there's still some merit to the release, particularly since a foursome of new wares are being introduced. The second-generation Bamboo line will initially consist of the Bamboo, Bamboo Fun, Bamboo Pen and Bamboo Touch, some of which (we'll let you guess) are the company's first to support multitouch functionality as well as pen input. Prices are said to start at £49.99 ($81) for the Bamboo Pen and soar right on up to £169.99 ($276) for the Bamboo Fun Medium, and if you're interested in finding the one that fits your style, give that read link a look.

Kopin's Golden-i wearable microdisplay demoed, Francisco Scaramanga unavailable for comment

by Tim Stevens posted Sep 24th 2009 at 9:26AM

Wondering what Kopin was going to do with that .34-inch SVGA display? It's wedged one into a working prototype of the Golden-i, a wearable computer that sports Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity on a full Windows CE 6.0 device built into the headband, with up to 6GB of memory and support for microSD storage. Navigation is performed with head movements and voice commands, the latter of which aren't particularly effective at this point according to The Inquirer, which was able to take one for a test run at the ESC event in Boston. But, Kopin's engineers were quick to indicate they'll have that issue addressed before the device's eventual release. The price isn't particularly extreme, under $2,000, meaning you shouldn't have to hijack any secret military satellites and blackmail the world to afford one. But, don't let us step on your evil mastermind plans.

Best Buy bringing value priced all-in-one 32-inch LCD & Blu-ray HDTV to stores "soon"

by Richard Lawler posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 6:09PM

It's not that surprising to learn Best Buy will be among those delivering a 1080p LCD with Blu-ray disc player packed in under its Insignia store brand, as we've been expecting rebadged units from overseas to hit the value market for some time. Marked "coming soon" at $599, it's easily a few hundred less than a comparable model from Sharp, but buyers will have to live without some of the newer line items like 120Hz motion processing and a contrast ratio higher than 20,000:1. Though we don't expect a lot in terms of load times, audio support or other features (no specs on the Blu-ray player noted) we're sure a bedroom or dorm room somewhere will find a spot for the NS-LBD32X. Your move, Wal-mart.

[Thanks, Zach]

Bookeen now shipping $280 Cybook Opus e-reader

by Darren Murph posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 12:26AM

We admire Bookeen's resilience here, we really do. After last hearing about this e-book reader in May, we sort of assumed it had just given up on the matter. After all, it's WiFi-less and yet still as pricey as many of its rivals. That said, the Cybook Opus certainly looks different than most every other reader out there, so surely that counts for something. We're not saying it counts for $280, but if you are, you're approximately 1.389 clicks away from having one shipped to your domicile.

[Via GizmoScene]

Gallery: Bookeen now shipping $280 Cybook Opus e-reader

Neolux badges bring e-ink technology to trade show vendors, sweaty rock dudes

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 22nd 2009 at 10:34PM

Ah, the backstage pass -- as much a part of the rock'n'roll lifestyle as sleeping with a roadie to get to the lead singer. Now, thanks to Neolux (an e-ink developer best known in these parts for its rather bland e-reader) the things have gotten that much harder to counterfeit. What does an e-ink badge do, exactly? Well, it does what a regular badge does -- with the added expense of color e-ink technology. How's that for progress? See for yourself after the break.

Update: ...and by "color e-ink" we meant "regular old e-ink with a red overlay." Oldest trick in the book, really. Thanks to those of you who pointed it out!

[Via E-ink Info]

Continue reading Neolux badges bring e-ink technology to trade show vendors, sweaty rock dudes

Dell curiously announces ST2210 and ST2310 LCD monitors

by Darren Murph posted Sep 17th 2009 at 4:16PM

Oh, Dell. Oftentimes we wonder if you guys even want consumers to know that you've got new kit for them to ogle. Shortly after we discovered that the ST2410 LCD monitor was both a) real and b) on sale, we're now having to turn to YouTube in order to catch wind that two smaller models have also been announced to accompany it. The ST2210 is a 21.5-inch panel with a 1080p resolution, 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (we know, we know...), 250 nits of brightness, a five millisecond response time and HDMI / VGA / DVI inputs. The 23-inch ST2310 is essentially a larger version of the 2210, with screen size being the only real differentiating factor. We should note, however, that unlike many Dell LCDs of the past, these two go Apple-style and ditch the ability to adjust height up or down; you can angle the LCD forward and back, but that's it. Both are available now for $259 and $229 in order of mention, and yes, that does mean that you can get more for less.

[Thanks, John]

Read - ST2210
Read - ST2310

Continue reading Dell curiously announces ST2210 and ST2310 LCD monitors

Epson blows the roof off of your house party with two new projectors

by Laura June posted Sep 17th 2009 at 9:36AM

Epson's just announced two new additions to its home theatre lineup which should make your bi-weekly showing of House Party even more of a success than usual. First up, the PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD boasts a 720p resolution, a brightness of up to 2,500 lumens, and 1.2x optical zoom. The 705HD is an entry-level HD projector, so its pricing -- $750 -- is a bit less than some other models. The other model the company's outing is the MovieMate 60, a combo affair housing a 16:9 native resolution-having projector, plus a built-in dvd player and two 10 watt speakers. The projector has a brightness of up to 2,000 lumens. The MovieMate 60 retails for $650 -- and both are available now.

Continue reading Epson blows the roof off of your house party with two new projectors

HDI concocts 100-inch laser-based 3D HDTV, calls rivaling technology child's play

by Darren Murph posted Sep 17th 2009 at 8:48AM

Look, we've seen an awful lot of HDTVs in our day -- one lap around the average CEDIA show floor makes your local Best Buy look awfully small -- and to this day we've yet to put our peepers on a more stunning set than Mitsubishi's LaserVue HDTV. Sure, it's fat, ugly and expensive, but the image is otherworldly. Before Mitsu can even take the logical next step, a California startup has arisen to introduce what it calls the world's first laser-based 3D HDTV. We're talking 1080p 3D like you've never seen before, with CTO Edmund Sandberg noting that this production is smoother than RealD, Dolby, film and pretty much every other 3D solution. The secret here is in the speed; this set is so fast that the image "no longer needs to flash from one eye to the other," and no flashing should equate to no headaches. Too bad there's no planned release date, but we're still cautiously optimistic for a sneak peek (in addition to the video past the break) at CES 2010.

[Via OLED-Display]

Continue reading HDI concocts 100-inch laser-based 3D HDTV, calls rivaling technology child's play

HP's new DreamScreens pack Pandora and Facebook into a wireless photo frame

by Paul Miller posted Sep 17th 2009 at 12:30AM

Photo frames sure have come a long way -- from back when they were photo frames. The new HP DreamScreen 100 and 130 (which we spotted back in July) pack in 2GB of built-in storage, and all the assorted connectivity for pulling in photos from a camera, drive or networked PC (802.11b/g or Ethernet), but stack on top of that 10,000 internet radio stations, Facebook, Snapfish internet photos, a full-featured music player, Pandora, weather and even a fancy clock. The unit has a built-in speaker, but you'll probably want to use the sound-out jack to get any reasonable enjoyment in listening. The 10-inch DreamScreen 100 goes for $249 and is available today, while the DreamScreen 130 bumps it up to 13.3-inches and will be out this fall for $299. PR is after the break.

Gallery: HP DreamScreen press shots

Gallery: HP DreamScreen hands-on

Continue reading HP's new DreamScreens pack Pandora and Facebook into a wireless photo frame

Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet is real, we've got pics to prove it

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2009 at 4:24PM

Windows 7 is almost here, and we get the feeling that the multitouch revolution (at least in the consumer realm) won't be too far behind. Lenovo just dished out a pair of new touch-friendly laptops, Fujitsu spruced up its LifeBook T5010 with a multitouch panel and now Wacom is kicking out a finger-friendly Bamboo tablet. Just in case you figured that yesterday's sneak peek was nothing more than an imaginative Photoshop, we've got another round of closeups today to prove otherwise. Tipster Jesus claims that he's been using the $69 device on his Snow Leopard-equipped Mac for a tick, and he's had no issues getting things working. There's also mention of a full interactive tutorial that helps you setup customer application-specific gestures, which frankly, sounds like oodles of fun.

[Thanks, Jesus]

Gallery: Wacom Bamboo multitouch tablet is real, we've got pics to prove it

Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear actually isn't the ugliest thing of all time

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2009 at 10:44AM

Could it be? Could it really be? Has Vuzix actually deployed a video eyewear solution that isn't completely unsightly in every imaginable way? Our eyes may be deceiving us, but we're going with "yes, amazingly" for the time being. Unlike the company's iWear line -- which looks pretty much exactly like the specs worn by Geordi La Forge -- the unpriced Wrap 310 resembles a set of sunglasses. Now, these aren't apt to be mistaken for Aviators or those patented Kayne joints, but at least you'd look halfway civilized if caught in public with these on your face. Packing a pair of video displays and promising a virtual 55-inch image, these get juiced by just two AA cells and can play nice with pretty much any video source, iPod and iPhone included. There's also an expansion port that'll give it VGA / component outputs in the near future, and if you subscribe to science fiction, it could also be used to read minds in around a score.

Gallery: Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear actually isn't the ugliest thing of all time

Continue reading Vuzix Wrap 310 video eyewear actually isn't the ugliest thing of all time

AgfaPhoto trots out "size zero" line of ultrathin digiframes

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2009 at 5:50AM

We'd argue that we've reached the saturation point when it comes to new digital photo frames, but AgfaPhoto would clearly beg to differ. The outfit famous for cranking out ho hum devices that are easily overshadowed has just introduced seven new ultraslim options, all of which are hoping to see a release prior to the mad rush that is the holiday shopping season. Said to be the "size zero" of digiframes, these measure just 1.3 centimeters thick while shipping in a range of sizes from 7- to 10-inches. As expected, you'll find 1GB of internal storage alongside a multicard reader, and when not flicking through a slideshow of last year's Valentine's bash at the corporate headquarters, it can also play back risque videos from the afterparty. Don't expect these to ship stateside anytime soon, but those across the pond can reportedly snap 'em up for between £49.99 ($83) to £129.99 ($216) later this year.