I Want My 3D TV

by David English on October 7th, 2009

Prototype 3D televisions were a big draw at this year’s CEATEC, with Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and Mitsubishi pushing hard to build consumer acceptance. So far, there’s no broadcast or disc-based 3D standard, either internationally or domestically in Japan, so any 3D television by necessity would have to be a prototype.

The 3D televisions use a field sequential technology (alternating frames), and they require the viewer to wear 3D-enabling glasses that are synced to the video content. The depth effect on the displays was quite good, possibly even better than the 3D television Panasonic demonstrated earlier this year at CES.

With a growing number of motion pictures being released in 3D, there is certainly great potential. But just as no one is absolutely sure if 3D movies will endure theatrically beyond an initial fad, the same is true for 3D home theater. The Japanese manufacturers are forging ahead, assuming the demand will be there when the technology is ready and the standards are in place.

The success of 3D television will largely depend on the success of the theatrical 3D movies. If they fail, broadcasters and other media distributors aren’t likely to assume the risk based purely on specialized content.

Turning Blu

by David English on July 19th, 2009

If you’ve been waiting to buy a Blu-ray player because the technology isn’t quite there yet, take a look at Oppo’s BDP-83. With a $499 list price, it would be considered a mid-priced model. Yet it runs rings around other Blu-ray players, including units that cost a thousand dollars or more.

Remarkably, it doesn’t take forever to load a Blu-ray disc. A major annoyance with other models is the length of time it takes for the Blu-ray copy protection to verify the disc is legit. With the Oppo BDP-83, Blu-ray discs load almost as fast as DVDs.

I have only a handful of Blu-ray discs, so I’ll be using the BDP-83 mostly for DVDs. The BDP-83 provides the best image quality I’ve seen with DVDs, due in large part to the high-quality scaling and de-interlacing provided by the built-in VRS processor from Anchor Bay. My DVDs have never looked better. They have richer colors, deeper tones, and silky smooth movement.

Other standout features include the ability to play most video and audio files directly from a USB thumb drive (also handy for firmware upgrades). There’s support for BD-Live content with 1GB of internal storage. The player is compatible with SACD (Super Audio CD) and DVD-Audio discs, as well as the latest high-end audio formats — Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. You say your receiver doesn’t know how to decode those audio formats? No problem. The Oppo BDP-83 can handle the decoding and route the audio through its 7.1-channel analog outputs.

The only downside I’ve encountered is the lack of multi-region support. Oppo’s DVD players could handle DVDs from other countries, once you’ve input a special code. As a condition for being granted the Blu-ray license, the company has agreed to not allow that loophole with its Blu-ray players. The region-code restriction is for both DVD and Blu-ray discs.

Oppo is one of the most customer-oriented companies around. They provide excellent support and are responsive to users’ needs. I had previously purchased two Oppo DVD players and wouldn’t hesitate to buy another. If you’re shopping for a feature-rich player (as opposed to the least expensive player available), you’ll find the Oppo models often represent the best overall value.

Is There a Doc in the House?

by David English on January 11th, 2008

You could hardly turn a corner at CES without seeing some sort of iPod docking station. One model stood out from the others for its practical design.

The Philips DCP951 Docking Entertainment System is a portable DVD player that can also play video from your iPod. It features a docking shelf that slides in and out from the unit. When slid in, it houses an iPod-sized remote control that works with both the player and iPod. When slid out, you remove the remote control and put the iPod in its place. The shelf functions as an iPod battery charger, in addition to routing the iPod’s audio and video to the player.

You can also use the DCP951 as a digital picture frame, bringing in photos from the iPod, a photo CD, or the built-in SD slot. The SD slot works with video, as well as photos. Compatible video formats include DVD, DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, SVCD, VCD, DivX, and MPEG4. The 9-inch LCD screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, and battery life is rated at 2.5 hours. An AC adapter, car adapter, and AV cable are included.

The DCP951 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $199.99 and should be available sometime this month.

Flash-Forward

by David English on November 27th, 2006

If you want your MP3 player to be small and lightweight, you’ll need to go with a player that uses flash memory for storage. Hard drives — even the smallest ones — take up more space and add more weight. Hard drives also draw additional power, which in turn may require a larger battery, adding even more bulk to the player.

The Sansa brand from SanDisk has evolved into a highly competitive line of media players. The top-of-the-line Sansa e280 features 8 gigabytes of onboard flash, as well as a microSD slot that can accommodate another 2 gigabytes. With a total of 10 gigabytes, the e280 lets you carry an impressive amount of music and video. Best of all, the sound quality is top notch when combined with premium earphones or headphones.

My favorite feature is the ability to make uncompressed audio recordings from the built-in FM radio. The 16-bit stereo WAV files take up a whopping 220 megabytes per hour. Even so, it’s a great way to time-shift radio programs, such as A Prairie Home Companion, that broadcast at inconvenient hours.

On the downside, the e280′s video playback could be better. You have to convert any video files to a screen resolution, frame rate, and file format that will match the device. SanDisk makes the process relatively easy with the supplied conversion utility, however the resulting 208×160-pixel MOV video files are a bit jerky at a sub-par 15 frames per second. The bright 1.8-inch LCD screen is very good for a flash-based media player. Just don’t expect seamless video playback with this or similar-sized players.

Keychain Video

by David English on October 13th, 2006

Portable video players are becoming smaller and smaller, but this is one is downright tiny. It’s 3.7 inches by 1.8 inches by 0.57 inches. At a DigitalLife press event in New York last night, I had a chance to see a demo of Kingston’s new K-PEX media player.

The two-inch screen has a resolution of just 220 x 176 pixels, and the 15 frames-per-second video had a slight stutter. On the other hand, the video was surprisingly sharp with excellent color. You can’t beat the weight (2.2 ounces) or price ($129.99 for the 1 GB version or $179.99 for the 2 GB version). Expect the 1 GB version to be available online for as low as $75.

It can handle MP3 music files, JPG photographs, and TXT documents, in addition to MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVI, WMV, and ASF video files. You’ll have to convert any video files to the .MPX format. Fortunately, Kingston includes conversion software. As if that weren’t enough, they throw in a miniSD card slot, two games, and integrated FM radio.

In case you’re wondering, you can’t record the FM radio, as you can with some other media players. You can record voice, however, using the built-in microphone. Along the top, you’ll find an audio line-in jack, which is unusual for a low-end player. There’s also a built-in speaker that sounds reasonably good (and loud) given its small size and back-of-device location.

The K-PEX isn’t really designed to be placed on a keychain. Even if it were small enough, you wouldn’t want your keys scratching up the screen.