High definition focus in Berlin
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High definition entertainment is expected to be the focus of the IFA consumer electronics show.
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First impressions: Favorite games benefit from high-definition display.
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The electronics maker is poised to become the leader in high-definition following the demise of HD DVD.
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Travel: Benji Lanyado sifts the web for the cream of Europe's capital of culture: music, art, exhibitions and, er, fry-ups
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Company is working on flexible display technologies.
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(InfoWorld) - As in previous years, the IFA international consumer electronics show in Berlin has been a platform for manufacturers to launch innovative gadgets aimed at tech-savvy consumers. This year's event, which runs through Wednesday, is no exception. Texas Instruments Inc. introduced an enhancement to its DLP (digital light processing) projection technology that enables HDTV sets to display 3D (three-dimensional) images. Viewers, however, need to wear special "shuttered" glasses that allow each eye to see only alternate images. Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV demonstrated a 42-inch 3D display that can be viewed without special glasses. The prototype is equipped with a dual-mode control that allows users to display HD content in both 3D and 2D formats on the LCD (liquid crystal display) screen. DisplayLink Corp. showed how its network display system can be used to connect up to three wide-screen HD monitors to a single PC over a USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 connection. The ability to connect up to six monitors is planned, the company said. Digital photo frames appear to be in demand, judging by the number of new products unveiled at IFA. Toshiba Corp. launched the seven-inch DPF7XSE digital photo and video frame. The aluminium plate frame contains an 800 x 480 pixel display that can show MPEG-4 and DivX video files or photos accompanied by sound from MP3 or WMA audio files played through a pair of one-watt speakers. It is also equipped with 256M byte of internal flash memory, a USB 2.0 port and a multi-format card reader. Philips showed seven- and ten-inch digital photo frames powered by integrated rechargeable batteries. The frames have USB ports and slots for an array of cards formats, including SD (Secure Digital), Compact Flash, Memory Stick and Memory Stick Duo. Parrot SA's DF7220 digital photo frame can display pictures transferred by card, USB or via a Bluetooth wireless connection. Sandisk Corp. unveiled several new memory cards in Berlin, including a 4G-byte Ultra II SDHC Plus card and the 8G-byte Ultra II Memory Stick Pro Duo, featuring read and write speeds of up to 10M bits per second. The SDHC card will retail for around $80 and the Memory Stick for $160. Worldwide availability is planned for October. For mobile phones such as those from Sony-Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, Sandisk announced an 8G-byte Memory Stick Micro (M2) card. It has begun shipping the card to phone manufacturers and mobile phone network operators for evaluation, and plans to sell it in the fourth quarter. Pricing has not yet been determined. For mobile phone users who need to use two different mobile phone networks, Matsunichi Communication Holding Ltd. in Hong Kong unveiled a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) mobile phone equipped with two SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) slots. Both can be active at the same time: dual-SIM adapters for other phones simply select one of two SIMs each time the phone is powered off and on again. The D620 also comes with features found in most higher end phones, such as a camera and media player. For consumers on the go, Philips introduced a new range of slim rechargeable power packs to power up MP3 players, notebook computers and other portable devices. The Power2Charge line of chargers, which use USB (Universal Serial Bus) sockets to connect the devices, can provide up to 15 hours of portable power for applications up to 5 volts. The chargers are designed with folding plugs and LED (light-emitting diode) indicators. The Power2Go range includes a charger that can provide 60 hours of backup power for applications up to 20 volts.
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(InfoWorld) - Visitors to the IFA consumer electronics show, which opens Friday in Berlin, will have ringside seats to the war over high-definition disc formats raging between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. As the two formats duel for the title of successor to current DVD movie discs, many European consumers haven't decided which kind of player they will buy. "Everyone is waiting for IFA where many new products are expected to be announced," said Frank Simonis, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association. Both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc have sold in lower quantities in Europe than in other regions and prices are still relatively high, between â¬599 (US$814 ) and â¬899, according to Simonis. Currently, five manufacturers have launched Blu-ray Disc players in Europe, including Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic). Five additional vendors are expected to launch Blu-ray Disc players at IFA, while companies with players already in the market plan to introduce devices with new features, Simonis said. Many of the manufacturers are major suppliers of HDTV sets and hope to leverage that expertise to "accelerate the adoption of Blu-ray Disc," he said. The format has received a big boost from its use in Sony's PlayStation 3 games console, with sales of more than 1.4 million units in Europe, according to Simonis. The HD DVD camp is also bringing new wares to IFA, according to Frank Eschholz, business development manager of HD DVD products at Sony Deutschland GmbH. "There will be new devices and new features and more." Both types of players are designed with many of the same components inside and offer many of the same features, according to Simonis. But one of Blu-ray Disc's key benefits is its ability to store up to 50G bytes of data, he said. "Studios want to pack a bunch of extras onto discs in addition to the movies, and Blu-ray Disc allows them to do so," he said. The Blu-ray Disc camp, however, was jolted when Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced last week that they would align themselves exclusively with the HD DVD high-definition format. The decision comes at a time when market indicators have been pointing to competitor Blu-ray Disc as having the lead. In addition to next-generation movie-disc players, visitors to this year's IFA can expect to see plenty of HDTV sets, camcorders, digital cameras, MP3 players and notebook computers. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will introduce new products in all those categories, according to a spokeswoman. The company may launch two handsets as well, she said. Sony has decided to return to IFA after its absence last year, with plans to exhibit new Blu-ray Disc players, new Walkman music players and HDTV sets, according to a spokeswoman. More information about IFA -- the letters stand for Internationale Funkausstellung, although the full name is rarely used these days -- is available at the show's Web site .
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Plus: Mashups for the masses and HD video in a digital camera.
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Some video buffs may want to relay their high-definition programming all over the house or take it with them on the road.
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Big arena, lots of players, stories at every turn. A week covering a tournament like the Deutsche Bank Championship leaves some lasting impressions. Just a sampling of the sights carried with me from this year's tournament at TPC Boston:
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A trip to a Beijing tech expo offers insights into what's up in desktop media, street-corner DVDs and more.
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Neosonik has come up with a way to beam HDTV pictures and surround-sound audio to a set 120 feet away.
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The elaborately edited high-definition video, with riveting close-ups, was assembled from the opening night of âTristan und Isoldeâ and later performances at La Scala.
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BERLIN  - A filmgoer who comes to the Berlin International Film Festival directly from Sundance experiences culture shock.
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High Efficiency codec recommended to network, content providers
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At Carnegie Hall, focusing on Berlin, with an accent on Weimar and the cityâs present-day vitality.
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Heliodisplay projects a convincing mid-air display.