Let the (OLED TV) battle commence

LG has launched a 55in (140cm) OLED TV – so the battle begins for the next-generation of high-quality screens.

OLED which means organic light-emitting diode is more energy efficient than LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma-based alternatives.

LG's model will go on sale in South Korea first with other markets, including Europe, to follow later this year.

LG and Samsung announced they would be producing OLEDs last year, but its LG that is first to the shops.

OLED screens were first showcased at last January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, but until now neither company had managed to get a product to market.

The 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) OLED television will sell for 11 million won (€7,800). Analysts said the technology was unlikely to become more affordable until at least 2015 - but that this latest release was more about cementing LG's position as a market leader.

OLED screens have been touted as the successor to the popular liquid crystal displays (LCD).

The technology allows for the display of darker and deeper blacks, and can be made thinner than competing display methods.

Smaller OLED screens are already part of our everyday lives. Samsung uses the technology in its smartphones, and Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld console also utilises the thin, light technology.

The prediction of many is OLED screens will allow for the development of a new generation of "bendy" gadgets, some of which we may even see this year.

 So what is 4K and do I need it?

Another technology, known as 4K, has also been given a lot of attention from manufacturers.

Dubbed "Ultra HD", 4K offers 8 million pixels per frame - four times the resolution of 1080p high-definition displays - making it particularly well suited for extra large screens. 110in (279cm) models.

Existing 4K TV sets are LCD-based. But according to some purists, OLED offers a richer quality display so might be the better option for 55in screens.

The CES show in Las Vegas will start shortly and this is where a lot of the big boys set out their stool for the year. Unfortunately Future Lifestyle are not attending this year (dam and blast!!....). But we will be bringing you the best bits and the things that we believe will make it into our lives in the coming years.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water!!!

...Jaws is back and this time in HD quality... Universal have chosen Jaws as one of 13 classic films to be digitally remastered and fully restored from 35mm original film as part of Universal’s 100th Anniversary celebration. I´m just glad they waited to the end of the summer before releasing it as I don´t think I would of gone to the beach at all this summer.

The Jaws restoration began with researching and evaluating the existing film elements to determine the best means to restore the film. Over the course of several months, skilled technicians at Universal Studios Digital Services meticulously balanced colour, removed dirt and scratches, and repaired any damage to the film elements shot by shot and frame by frame. Following the picture restoration, Universal Studios Sound team up-mixed the iconic Jaws soundtrack to DTS-HD Master 7.1. The entire restoration process was conducted in conjunction with Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment’s post-production team to ensure the integrity of Spielberg’s original vision remained intact.
 

There is a short documentary about the restoration is available on the disc and on youtube. It shows how the remastering process corrected drastic timing and colour differences from the original negative. 

The 2012 version of the film has a crisp resolution (especially the actors’ faces) and the improved contrast in the underwater sequences (shots of the nude swimmer during the opening scene were especially, um, revealing). The yellowed, Polaroid picture “gauze” familiar from frequent TV screening of the movie were replaced by colour-accurate, bright images, but the actors’ clothing was still distinctly “early ’70s”. And there’s nothing quite like the “buh dum, buh dum,” of John Williams’ famous score to set you on edge.

Look out for the release of Jaws in HD throughout the month of August. And to really enjoy the experience why not contact the guys down at Future Lifestyle to see how to create the perfect home cinema... 

Internet TV is coming

Speaking at the pre-IFA press conference in Berlin, Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer announced the world's first true TV/internet combination, designed in cooperation with Google. He also emphasised Sony's progress with 3D in TVs, BD players and projectors.

Details are a bit sketchy, but Stringer called this 'an important strategic alliance to bring the first true internet TV to the market', and emphasised that the un-named product would allow full Internet browsing and TV viewing at the same time.

Using the Android operating system and Intel processing, the TV would need some form of internal storage to operate with web browsers, though the form this would take, whether HDD or solid-state memory, is not yet clear.

The set is due for launch as soon as Christmas in the US, with a UK availability date should be released soon.

Sony spokesmen could only say that the TV would 'not incorporate any groundbreaking screen technology', and that Google's search expertise would be used to make sure that internet searches would yield results appropriate to the TV platform - so for instance a search for 'Mad men' would show sites about the TV series, rather than just any sites associated with the key words.

The development of the 'Google TV' will apparently not affect Sony's commitment to the Bravia Internet platform which offers access to selected services from a range of content providers.

For more infromation or to keep up to date with all the latest home entertainment trends join the Future Lifestyle mailing list at www.futurelifestyle.es

2010 the year of Panasonic????

It has been a busy month for Panasonic, they have released details of its 3D plasma and Blu-ray  line-up for the UK as well as announcing its first range of LED backlight LCD TVs, along with updated Freesat and/or Freeview HD Viera TVs. 

All the new plasma models utilise the brand’s proprietary NeoPDP technology, for lower power consumption and improved image quality.

The headline news is that two Active Shutter 3D plasmas will be available this summer, the TX-P50VT20B and larger TX-P65VT20B. However, all of the brand's 2010 plasma panels employ a new filter and discharge gas, improved phosphor, plus a redesigned cell structure. This, it claims, improves contrast and provides smoother motion.

The sets also reach peak brightness quicker than their predecessors, while the new phosphor shortens afterglow time by about one third. This makes the screens well-suited for fast-moving action, such as sports coverage, as well as 3D. 

Says Panasonic: ‘Because the new NeoPDP technology boosts  emission speed and reduces afterglow, overlapping of right-eye and left-eye images is minimised, so there is no after-imaging. This system far surpasses previous 3D technologies.’

Infinite black

Native contrast on the new plasma screens peaks at 5,000,000 to 1. Interestingly, the company is debuting what it calls Infinite Black Pro technology on its high-end plasmas, for ‘exceptionally deep, rich black levels that draw the viewer into the picture.’ This follows the acquisition by Panasonic of a raft of patented technology from Pioneer, originally developed for that brand’s Kuro range.

Panasonic has also enlisted a number of ex-Pioneer engineers.

Later on this year Panasonic are also going to enter the LED market. So it looks as if Panasonic are out to try and dominate the flat screen market. Good luck to them..... 

LED TV´s explained

Now you may of heard of the newest TV format, LED. As with all new technology there has been a lot of confusion and hype regarding these screens.

So let us try and help you understand this latest in TV buzz words......The LED designation refers to the backlight system used in some newer LCD Televisions, the LEDs do not produce the image you see on the screen.
LCD chips and pixels do not produce their own light. In order for an LCD television to produce a visible image the LCD's pixels have to be "backlit". In fact LED TVs are still LCD TVs, it is just that these new sets use LED backlights rather than the fluorescent-type backlights used in most other LCD TVs. To give them their correct name they should be labelled LCD/LED TVs. In truth the only true LED-only TVs are the ones you see in stadiums, arenas, other large events and "high-res" billboards.

So how does it work?

The are currently two main ways that LED backlighting is applied in LCD flat panel televisions.
One type of LED backlighting is referred to as Edge Lighting. In this method, a series LED backlights are placed along the outside edges of the screen. The light is then dispersed across the screen. The advantage of this method is that the LED/LCD TV can be made very thin. On the other hand, the disadvantage of Edge lighting is that black levels are not as deep and the edge area of the screen has a tendency to be brighter than the centre area of the screen.

The other type of LED backlighting is referred to as Full-Array. In this method, several rows of LEDs are placed behind the entire surface of the screen. The advantage is that these sets can employ "local dimming". Local dimming means that each LED or a specific group of LEDs can be turned on and off independently within certain areas of the screen, thus providing more control of the brightness and darkness for each those areas, depending on the source material being displayed. On the other hand, LCD TVs that employ full array backlighting are thicker than LCD TVs that employ an Edge-lit LED light source.

If you are considering the purchase of an LED/LCD Television, find out which brands and models are currently using the Edge or Full Array method and take of a look at each type when you go shopping to see which type of LED backlighting looks best to you.

So what is the difference?

Since LEDs are designed differently than standard fluorescent backlight systems, this means that the new LED backlit LCD sets offer the following differences with standard LCD sets:

1. Lower power consumption.
2. No Mercury used as in some other LCD backlight systems.
3. More balanced colour saturation.
4. In LED/LCD TVs using the Full Array blacklight method, there is little or no light leakage in dark scenes. This contributes to even better black levels than traditional or LED Edge-lit LCD televisions.
5. LED/LCD TVs that use the Edge backlight method can be made much thinner than both standard LCD and Full Array LED/LCD televisions. 

LED backlight does represent an advance in technology, mostly in bringing LCD TVs up to the performance levels of Plasma Televisions in terms of black level performance, and, at the same time, making even thinner LCD TV designs possible. On the other hand, because LED backlighting is new for LCD TVs, these sets are more expensive that non-LED backlit sets.

The LED/LCD screens I have seen (edge lit) all have a good sharp picture, with colours to match most normal LCD´s and the designs of these screens are bound to be a winner for the design conscious among us. At Future Lifestyle we have begun to see a swing towards these LED/LCD screens with their online capabilities and with ´super slim´ brackets. And it looks as things will only get better for this version of the flat screen.
If you would like to know more about LED/LCD screens please contact a member of the Future Lifestyle team at info@futurelifestyle.net or on +34 902 107 227

Still watching standard TV?

The BBC have stated recently that around 91% of households in the UK are still watching standard-definition television and video and this despite 56% of households have an HDTV. It says that some people are not using HD not because of added costs but because of a lack of technical understanding. In some cases, the article mentions, people may just not understand how to properly connect their sets.

The thing is people think they are happy with standard definition in the same way people were happy with their 28” CRT TV or their old VHS video players.. A lot of this revolves around what you grow accustomed to. I now find it hard to watch any kind of TV unless it is played through a amp of some kind, to me it just sounds flat.

There of course economic factors influencing the decision to embrace HDTV. I agree that the Sky HD service does cost that little extra and to be honest the shows we want to watch aren´t always in HD. But this doesn´t stop you getting on the Blu-ray wagon....movies on Bly-ray come with loads more extra features and watched on HD plasma or LCD with a surround sound system will enhance your movie experience no end.....

Do you want to know more, then call the Future Lifestyle team on +34 902 107 227 and ender 2010 in HD!!!!

State of the art offer.........

The flat screen market has been taken over by Samsung with its LCD TVs, well at least in the last few years. And just as everybody else was catching up, the company has further flexed its technology muscles with its LED-backlit panels, and therefore taken a significant foothold in a new, unexplored sector.

As well as releasing a whole range of LED-lit LCD TVs while most rivals are still struggling to get one or two models out, Samsung has upset the apple cart by proving with the UE40B7000 that LCD TVs using edge-mounted LEDs aren’t necessarily a poor relation to the original direct LED approach.

The B8000 is a step up from the B7000 – the main step being 200Hz processing. This is a genuine system, too, where the picture really does refresh 200 times a second, rather than the pseudo 200Hz trickery employed by Philips and LG that combines a 100Hz refresh rate with a scanning backlight. The only other real difference between the B8000 and B7000 ranges is the addition of a metallic desktop stand and eye-catching edge trim to the already chic design.

The UE46B8000 delivers all the picture strengths of its stablemate while also injecting extra quality courtesy of the 200Hz system and with 4 HDMI inputs, twin USB and a LAN port all squeezed in a depth of just 30mm. Blacks are deep and natural, and deliver a robust two-fingered salute towards people who reckon edge-mounted LEDs struggle in this area. Colours excel, too, achieving intense saturations without looking unreal – provided you avoid the Dynamic picture mode, at least.

Furthermore, since Samsung’s 200Hz engine is genuine, there’s little of the flickering and ghosting that can mar pseudo 200Hz systems based around scanning backlights.

Future Lifestyle are offering a deal on these incredible screens until February 2010 as part of a package deal.

1 * Samsung 46B8000

1 * Flat wall mount bracket

1 * 3m HDMI cable

Installation & Calibration (subject to site survey)

For only €2,499 inc all taxes!!!!

Contact a memeber of the sales team for more infromation on +34 902 107 227 or sales@futurelifestyle.net

OLED Screens here to stay....

The rebirth of the OLED TV could be here. It was almost dropped because of the cost and complexity, despite combining low power consumption and super thin design with startling colour reproduction and superb contrast.

But fear not, both Samsung and LG now appear to be looking again at their plans to fast-track OLED production.

Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) the organic panel specialists (which is a joint venture of Samsung Electronics and Samsung SDI) is reportedly considering a 1.5 trillion investment in a new OLED production line.

Samsung Mobile Display is the world’s largest supplier of Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AM OLED) panels, producing some 20,000 a month, and can boast Sony, Samsung and Sharp as its clients.

LG meanwhile has introduced its 15in OLED TV into the Korean market, using panels produced by LG Display. LG Display is also looking at constructing a 5.5th-gen line, with a possible launch date of 2011. With industry predictions suggesting the OLED TV business could be worth $1.8 billion by 2015, could a race to dominate the market about to get underway?
So after a little faltering the OLED TV looks to take off. With style, great specification and functionality these TV are sure to make it a winner.

Why not contact the sales team at Future Lifestyle to get a quote on the latest OLED screens and the new super slim wall brackets.

Call +34 902 107 227 or email sales@futurelifestyle.net to speak to the sales team.