Scott
09-14-2005, 08:09 AM
TV makers now flat out chasing the big picture
14 September 2005
High-definition television is the next big thing, reports Mary Anne Gill from Berlin.
Two years ago, when the world's largest consumer electronics fair was held in Berlin, high-definition flat TV screens hardly rated a mention.
The flat cinema-style screens in 16:9 widescreen format were a novelty and no one anticipated what a difference 24 months would make. At this year's International Funkausstellung (IFA) fair, which wrapped up last week, you couldn't move anywhere without being confronted with the new technology.
High-resolution and razor sharp images made you wonder how you could ever watch normal television again. The images provide five times more detail than ordinary TV. While sport was stunning to watch, it was images of wildlife, particularly of a snake's tongue flicking in and out, which convinced me of its merits.
The technology is some way off in New Zealand - we have provisionally agreed to implement the technology but TVNZ says it has no immediate plans to provide it. Sky TV is likely to introduce HDTV in "three or four years' time", starting with "maybe two channels" such as a sports and a movie channel, says Sky chief executive John Fellet .
In Australia they already have HDTV, albeit with not the same quality or with the same commitment that the Europeans now seem determined to achieve.
For them next year's soccer World Cup is D-Day and each manufacturer seemed to be showing soccer matches on HDTVs which for football crazy viewers - and Germany's not alone there - are like a dream come true.
The message at IFA was clearly: "If you want to see the World Cup as it happens, you better have an HDTV."
Philips Consumer Electronics chief executive Rudy Provoost said HDTV would acquire critical mass at the World Cup.
The Dutch manufacturer has ploughed millions of dollars into HDTV starting with its sponsorship of the World Cup itself.
"HDTV is going to be the biggest thing to hit our industry since the advent of colour TV three decades ago," he said.
"HDTV is the reason people are saying `let's not go to the movies: let's stay at home and watch TV'."
While Philips was spending big at the show, Sony's presence in Hall 18, right next door to Korean rival Samsung, was very low-key.
White and black strips of material hung from the roof giving their display a claustrophobic and dark edge to it.
The financially troubled Sony appeared uninterested in IFA 2005 as if it had 2007 on its mind.
You could test the latest Walkman cellphones - no salespeople there to get in your way either - while relaxing in a reclining chair. You could listen to Mp3 players lounging on pipes.
All very bizarre.
Samsung went all-out at its stand. While HDTV was also big there, the company did at least have some nifty video recorders and the world's largest plasma TV - at 102 inches.
Digital was the buzzword at IFA. Every product was digital and seemed to be able to talk to each other. The personal computer seems to have become the hub from which all good things emanate. Plenty of exhibitors were predicting that one day PCs will provide all our entertainment.
The niftiest audio on show was Philips Media Centre which follows you from room to room allowing you to access all your CDs wherever you are. The centre streams up to five locations - you can send the same music to each room or have Beethoven playing in the bedroom, The Beatles in the bathroom, Britney Spears in the children's room, The Bee Gees in the kitchen and a sports channel in the games room.
Eventually the same technology will work in the car, at work or when you're away on holiday.
DVD technology looks here to stay for awhile yet. There were plenty of new recorders on show even if the backers of two standards look unlikely to agree on one format for all DVDs.
The Blu-ray association said it was ready to lay down the specifications of the higher-capacity DVD format next year.
Blu-ray is backed by Sony, Matsushita, Samsung, Philips, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Apple and Hitachi.
HD DVD has the backing of Toshiba, NEC and Sanyo.
And yet it wasn't all hi-tech, some exhibitors wanted you to have fun too. Sharp had a Ypan Russian motorbike and sidecar set up in front of a picture of the Brandenburg Gate. Visitors could have their pictures taken on the bike and printed out right there on one of the company's new printers.
Then there was the wireless gyroscopic optical mouse from Thomson which can be used in the air or on the desk.
IFA was spread out across 26 halls.
The show first started in 1924 to display valve and crystal radio sets. Every new innovation since - including transistor radios, colour TV and audiocassettes - have made their debut there.
14 September 2005
High-definition television is the next big thing, reports Mary Anne Gill from Berlin.
Two years ago, when the world's largest consumer electronics fair was held in Berlin, high-definition flat TV screens hardly rated a mention.
The flat cinema-style screens in 16:9 widescreen format were a novelty and no one anticipated what a difference 24 months would make. At this year's International Funkausstellung (IFA) fair, which wrapped up last week, you couldn't move anywhere without being confronted with the new technology.
High-resolution and razor sharp images made you wonder how you could ever watch normal television again. The images provide five times more detail than ordinary TV. While sport was stunning to watch, it was images of wildlife, particularly of a snake's tongue flicking in and out, which convinced me of its merits.
The technology is some way off in New Zealand - we have provisionally agreed to implement the technology but TVNZ says it has no immediate plans to provide it. Sky TV is likely to introduce HDTV in "three or four years' time", starting with "maybe two channels" such as a sports and a movie channel, says Sky chief executive John Fellet .
In Australia they already have HDTV, albeit with not the same quality or with the same commitment that the Europeans now seem determined to achieve.
For them next year's soccer World Cup is D-Day and each manufacturer seemed to be showing soccer matches on HDTVs which for football crazy viewers - and Germany's not alone there - are like a dream come true.
The message at IFA was clearly: "If you want to see the World Cup as it happens, you better have an HDTV."
Philips Consumer Electronics chief executive Rudy Provoost said HDTV would acquire critical mass at the World Cup.
The Dutch manufacturer has ploughed millions of dollars into HDTV starting with its sponsorship of the World Cup itself.
"HDTV is going to be the biggest thing to hit our industry since the advent of colour TV three decades ago," he said.
"HDTV is the reason people are saying `let's not go to the movies: let's stay at home and watch TV'."
While Philips was spending big at the show, Sony's presence in Hall 18, right next door to Korean rival Samsung, was very low-key.
White and black strips of material hung from the roof giving their display a claustrophobic and dark edge to it.
The financially troubled Sony appeared uninterested in IFA 2005 as if it had 2007 on its mind.
You could test the latest Walkman cellphones - no salespeople there to get in your way either - while relaxing in a reclining chair. You could listen to Mp3 players lounging on pipes.
All very bizarre.
Samsung went all-out at its stand. While HDTV was also big there, the company did at least have some nifty video recorders and the world's largest plasma TV - at 102 inches.
Digital was the buzzword at IFA. Every product was digital and seemed to be able to talk to each other. The personal computer seems to have become the hub from which all good things emanate. Plenty of exhibitors were predicting that one day PCs will provide all our entertainment.
The niftiest audio on show was Philips Media Centre which follows you from room to room allowing you to access all your CDs wherever you are. The centre streams up to five locations - you can send the same music to each room or have Beethoven playing in the bedroom, The Beatles in the bathroom, Britney Spears in the children's room, The Bee Gees in the kitchen and a sports channel in the games room.
Eventually the same technology will work in the car, at work or when you're away on holiday.
DVD technology looks here to stay for awhile yet. There were plenty of new recorders on show even if the backers of two standards look unlikely to agree on one format for all DVDs.
The Blu-ray association said it was ready to lay down the specifications of the higher-capacity DVD format next year.
Blu-ray is backed by Sony, Matsushita, Samsung, Philips, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Apple and Hitachi.
HD DVD has the backing of Toshiba, NEC and Sanyo.
And yet it wasn't all hi-tech, some exhibitors wanted you to have fun too. Sharp had a Ypan Russian motorbike and sidecar set up in front of a picture of the Brandenburg Gate. Visitors could have their pictures taken on the bike and printed out right there on one of the company's new printers.
Then there was the wireless gyroscopic optical mouse from Thomson which can be used in the air or on the desk.
IFA was spread out across 26 halls.
The show first started in 1924 to display valve and crystal radio sets. Every new innovation since - including transistor radios, colour TV and audiocassettes - have made their debut there.