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Deezer Expands Global Music Streaming with Smart TV Deals

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February 8, 2013

The streaming music service Deezer has announced partnerships with Samsung, Toshiba and LG that could possibly make the Deezer app available to some 600 million people across more than 150 countries. However, the deals are limited in scope since Deezer will initially only be available on Samsung smart TV models produced from 2011 (Europe only) and LG models from 2011 (worldwide). Deezer does not have a deal in place for the U.S. Continue reading Deezer Expands Global Music Streaming with Smart TV Deals

CES 2013: Toshiba Teams With RED For 4K Ultra HD Demo

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January 11, 2013

Toshiba showed that it is serious about 4K with a range of Ultra HDTVs, including the L9300 series that will be available in 58-, 65- and 84-inch LED models. To demonstrate what native 4K would look like on its displays, the company showed 4K content shot with a RED Epic camera and played from the soon-to-be-released, $1,450 REDRAY 4K Cinema Player. Continue reading CES 2013: Toshiba Teams With RED For 4K Ultra HD Demo

CES 2013: Smart TV Alliance Announces 5 New Members and SDK

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January 6, 2013

Smart TV Alliance announced on Sunday that five new members have joined to help develop and launch smart TV applications and services. The new members include manufacturers Panasonic, ABOX42 and TechniSat, and solution providers IBM and Specific Media. Additionally, the organization announced a new software development kit designed to optimize the smart TV experience with 3D video, high quality video and audio, updated DRM and more. Continue reading CES 2013: Smart TV Alliance Announces 5 New Members and SDK

CEATEC News: Toshiba Unveils New 55-Inch Naked-Eye 3D TV

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October 4, 2011
  • Toshiba is showcasing its 55-inch Regza 55X3 TV at CEATEC this week in Japan. The unit boasts a resolution of 3,840×2,160 — and glasses-free 3D at 1,280×720 — for what TechCrunch is calling “the first TV of its kind.”
  • “The TV features 5,000:1 contrast ratio, LED backlight, a new processor called ‘REGZA Engine CEVO Duo,’ a face-tracking function to enable high-quality 3D pictures for viewers, REGZA LINK, five digital tuners, 10W×2ch+10W speakers, four HDMI ports, and two USB ports,” reports TechCrunch.
  • TechRadar reports that the Toshiba TV joins Sony’s VPL-VW1000ES projector and Sharp’s 60-inch LCD in the 4K offerings featured at CEATEC this week. The report also suggests Toshiba hopes to ship 1,000 units a month of the Regza 55X3. “This is high hopes for a technology that’s burgeoning in the cinema market but is brand new in the home,” indicates TechRadar. “And with the economic climate as it is will be something of a battle, even with both Sony and Toshiba on board.”
  • The Regza 55X3 will be available by December in Japan for $11,730 (U.S.).

Toshiba ZL2 TV: Glasses-Free 3D, 4K2K and Face Tracking

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September 2, 2011
  • Toshiba announced its new flagship 3D TV, the ZL2 series, which offers glasses-free 3D, 4096 x 2160 resolution, upscaling of low-res to high-res 3D, and facial recognition used to customize viewing angles.
  • The TV uses lenticular “lenslets” that can be modified for up to nine different viewing angles.
  • Check out the article for the author’s impression after watching 3D on the ZL2. Introduction: “I got a chance to watch the TV’s 3D mode in action, and it’s pretty great. It’s not magical, however. Instead of the typical dimming of shutter-based 3D TVs, it feels like you can see the black lines dividing the pixels. It’s not that the picture is actually low resolution, however, there’s still plenty of detail on screen, it just happens to ‘show the seams’ more than I’d like. It’s very pleasant to watch, and I didn’t get a 3DS headache or any nausea.”
  • The ZL2 is not for everyone: current pricing of the 55-inch model is equivalent to $11,424 U.S. dollars.

Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba Join Forces for Planned LCD Venture

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September 1, 2011
  • Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi announced they plan to merge their small screen divisions into one liquid crystal behemoth, to be known as Japan Display.
  • “The deal could create the world’s biggest maker of LCDs for mobile phones and cameras,” reports the New York Times, “with 22 percent of the market for small and midsize screens, according to DisplaySearch, an industry research firm.”
  • “By integrating each partner company’s wealth of display expertise and know-how, I am confident the new company will become a driving force for technological innovation and new growth in the rapidly expanding market,” says Howard Stringer, Sony’s chief executive.
  • The Japanese government has reportedly encouraged its nation’s manufacturers to consolidate as a means of competing with rivals such as South Korea’s Samsung, which is presently more profitable than any Japanese electronics manufacturer.
  • The venture must gain approval from antitrust regulators in Japan in order to move forward.

Toshiba Glasses-Free 3D Laptop Available this Month

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August 3, 2011
  • CNET offers a largely positive hands-on review of Toshiba’s new glasses-free 3D laptop, the Qosmio F755.
  • A prototype of the 3D laptop was awarded CNET’s “Best of CES” award in January and Toshiba wasted little time bringing the concept to market (the post includes a video review of the prototype from CES 2011).
  • The $1,699 Qosmio F755 will be available in the U.S. starting August 16.
  • Toshiba’s new laptop “has a 15-inch 1080p display that uses special eye-tracking software to track the viewer’s head movement and adjust the stereoscopic image accordingly, via the built-in Webcam.”
  • Features include an Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU, 6GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GT540M, a 750GB hard drive and a Blu-ray-RW drive.
  • According to CNET: “Blu-ray content in 3D looked excellent, but took a resolution hit. Like a 3D TV, it requires a few moments to orient your eyes, especially if you’re not used to watching 3D content. But the eye-tracking allowed for a reasonable amount of freedom of movement, and the 3D effect worked from an off-axis side view.”

Yahoo! Connected TV Claims 8 Million Devices and 140 Apps

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June 28, 2011
  • Yahoo! Connected TV has over 140 apps and will be introducing the Y! Connected TV Store to sell apps on a 70/30 percent revenue sharing model.
  • Yahoo! made a widget development kit available that provides publishers the opportunity to build new apps.
  • The company is rolling out broadcast interactivity that tailors ads based on viewer interests.
  • Device control technology allows television interactivity with smartphones and tablets.
  • Watch in 2012 for the platform to appear in new TVs by Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, LG and Vizio.

Toshiba Releases its Thrive Tablet with Honeycomb

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June 22, 2011
  • Add another new tablet to the growing list of available devices… Toshiba began taking pre-orders last week for its 10.1-inch Thrive Tablet, expected to hit retail shelves in early July.
  • The $430 Wi-Fi-only 8GB tablet runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb and is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chip.
  • PC Magazine reports there will also be 16GB ($480) and 32GB ($580) models available.
  • Inputs include: USB 2.0, Mini USB, HDMI and SD Card.
  • Features include: Multitouch 1280×800 LED display, front and rear cameras and a replaceable battery.
  • According to a PC World review this week, interoperability may be what makes the Thrive stand out from the pack: “The Thrive is the first Honeycomb tablet to include a full-size SD Card slot. None of this microSD card nonsense for Toshiba; ditto for only having a micro- or mini-USB port. By including the SD Card slot and USB port, the company recognizes the need for interoperability among devices. And only with interoperability can a tablet begin to replace a laptop in your arsenal.”
  • In related news, Hewlett-Packard also recently announced its first media tablet, the 9.7-inch webOS-powered TouchPad. The Wi-Fi-only TouchPad is priced at $500 (16GB) and $600 (32GB).

Toshiba Introduces Two New Camileo Pocket Camcorders

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June 16, 2011
  • Toshiba recently announced two new additions to its Camileo line of pocket digital camcorders.
  • The 3-ounce Camileo B10 ($120) offers FullHD 1080P and a 16x digital zoom.
  • The 4.7-ounce Camileo P100 ($180) also offers FullHD 1080P, plus a 5x optical zoom and 8x advanced zoom in video mode.
  • Both are Windows- and and Mac-compatible.
Is the demise of the Flip good news for the Camileo line and others such as GoPro, Creative Vado, Kodak Playfull and Sony Bloggie?

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