New in Television Technology

Coming out of last year Consumers Electronic Show in Las Vegas was the arrival of 4K television sets.  This year it’s about the curved screen; but not just on TV screens, but also on smartphones and projectors.  Sony trail blazed the market for being one of the first companies to aggressively push the 4K’s out there to the consumer within weeks of the 2013 CES.  This year is no different.  Every manufacturer has there own 4K products at the show; Sony is pushing the new 4K Camcorder to the consumer.  Making the quality of High Definition reach a whole new level and putting creative control in the consumer’s hands with software benefits.  It will launch sometime in the spring, the elephant in the room is the cost.  It’s expected to be at $5000 starting costs.

 It was also announced coming out of the electronics show that the Sony 4K Cameras will film the World Cup final in Brazil.  Broadcasters such as Sky Sports are trying to adopt to the new format, but the full turnover is really anybody’s guess.  In addition Sony has struck deals with YouTube, ESPN and photography website 500px, while expanding to offer 140 feature films in 4K through its own video Unlimited download service. The big concern is what about everything else that Sony does not have control in, regarding the traditional HD or SD content that we all have in our homes.  Well, Sony has addressed that too.  Beginning last year the new Bravia TV sets have up-scaling software built in, which makes existing formats look dramatically better too.

The novelty of the curved screen is increased immersion and a pseudo-3D effect.  With a Samsung TV set, just a push of a button and your screen goes from flat to bendy.  Watching a movie like ‘I Am Legend’ you develop a greater sense of depth of field when you view through the cityscapes, in addition,while viewing with the curve screen.  Reflections have been considerably reduced to practically non-existent (anti-reflective surface).

 On the negative side, you’ll witness a strange effect regarding the roundness of the curve if you sit higher or lower relative to the screen.  Also there is an issue if you view off angle, there is optical distortion, the further you are from the so called sweet spot, and finally the curved will cost more than a flat 4K screen.

 However if an increase of curved screens hit the market it will eventually drive the cost of flat screens down so, a little patience may be in order before you run out.

The TV set to look for is Vizio’s $999 4K TV; there will be non-brand 4K sets hitting the market soon, Vizio is offering cutthroat prices to take the sail out of Sony & Samsung this spring.