CES 2014 Show Highlights

[Tapas]

CES 2014 opened up in Las Vegas January 7-10, with over 2 million square feet of exhibit space housing 3200 exhibitors across the world. This was the largest Consumer Electronics Show ever attracting 150,000 industry professionals.

Korg showcased their 1 bit USB DAC in Suite 133 on the 30th floor of the Venetian Towers where all the High Performance Audio Manufacturers were exhibiting their gear.

Korg showed two models, the DS-DAC-100 table-top version, and the mobile DS-DAC-100m version. Mated with Korg’s AudioGate 3 high definition audio player software, they offered the simplest and ultimate audio solution for high quality playback.

The DS-DAC-100 has an elegantly curved design with a simple volume knob and headphone jack on its front plate. This 1-bit USB DAC offers native playback of 2.8 and 5.6MHz DSD audio files from your connected PC or Mac device. The included AudioGate 3 software allows conversion between WAV, AIFF, DSDIFF, DSF, FLAC, AAC, MP3, and a host of popular audio formats.

With this DS-DAC-100 outboard device, you can instantly enjoy superior quality audio from your library of digital audio files on your Mac or PC. It works even on your existing MP3 files giving them a smoother and detailed playback. The conversion is done on the fly, and the original MP3 is left untouched.

Rich Formidoni was giving the demos. The difference between the source MP3 files and the converted versions through the DS-DAC-100 was remarkable. Everyone should buy this nifty device and enjoy the pure audio magic made possible by Korg.

The DS-DAC-100m is a smaller more portable version that you can slip into your shirt pocket.

Needless to say, both devices were an instant hit. This was Korg’s first presence at CES, and they left a positive mark with the audiophile crowd.

The biggest splash was made by Samsung and LG at the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This was the home of the display devices.

LG greeted the show goers with the world’s first Ultra HD 3D wall using IPS panels. Attendees got immersed into a virtual 3D world wearing passive 3D glasses.

LG had the world’s first 105” 21:9 Curved 4K Ultra HD LED TV. This aspect ratio is a departure from the standard widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. This closely parallels the big budget Hollywood movies eliminating the black bars at the top and bottom. The subtle curve gave that extra immersive feeling.

LG also had the world’s largest 77” 4K Ultra HD OLED TV.

What made them stand apart were their incredible contrast, rich colors, finest details and ultimate vividness which only can be described as picture perfect.

LG demonstrated Netflix online streaming at Ultra HD 4K. They also showed how they could upsample standard HD source material and display them at 4K using their Tru-Ultra HD scaling engine. The before and after results were impressive.

LG had a 100” Laser TV. The projector could be placed just 6” off the wall throwing a vivid Full HD picture with a 10 million to 1 dynamic contrast ratio, and 25,000 hour lamp life.

LG also showed the world’s first 34” 21:9 UltraWide QHD monitors with 2.5 times the number of pixels as a Full HD display and color calibrated to 99% of Standard RGB color space.

This new UltraWide QHD standard (3440 x 1440) will be a boon to graphics professionals.

LG made a big splash with their G Flex Smartphone. Sporting a 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-core processor, a 6” curved HD POLED display and 13MP Camera with optical image stabilization and full HD recording, Hi-Fi sound and built in remote capabilities, this miniature device was an all-in-one hand held marvel.

LG also showed their Nexus 5 Smartphone sporting the Android 4.4 (KitKat) OS.

All-in-one home theatres have become the craze with a single sound bar augmented by a separate sub and LG had several models to satisfy the crowd. Basically, all they need is an HDMI connection to the source.

Konika surprised the show goers with a glasses free 3D TV.

Panasonic displayed an array of new Home Theater Entertainment devices. They had a 3D Blu-ray Home Theater system with 6 speakers that could be integrated into the Home Network. Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speakers were everywhere.

DTS showcased their Headphones X that recreates a 11.1 surround sound 3D environment.

Panasonic had a new range of HD camcorders and point and shoot cameras in their Lumix line up. The compact DMC-ZS40 came with a 30x optical zoom and Leica Lens.

Panasonic showed how their 80” 4K 60P LED sets could be used for fast action gaming.

4K was the dominating theme at CES 2014. This technology will have a quick adoption rate, because the difference between 2k and 4k is plainly obvious to the casual observer at 3 feet.

Panasonic debuted a host of 4K security cameras and 4K business projectors.

2014 marks the official death of Plasma Technology as far as Panasonic is concerned. They went to great lengths to prove their case with side-by-side demos of their best ZT series plasma sets to their new 2014 LED TV lineup.

Panasonic bought the plasma Patents from Pioneer that went into making of their Kuro brand high-end plasma TVs. Panasonic enhanced the Kuro features with their ZT line, and finally decided to exit the plasma market for good.

LED technology has come a long way and succeeded in killing off both Plasma and DLP TVs. It has become so economical to manufacture LED TVs, that OLED is having a hard time gaining foothold even though OLEDs have deeper, saturated colors.

Samsung set up the prettiest display space, with everything accented with smooth flowing curves. They showcased last years 110” 4K TV that looks like a picture frame. The picture was pixel free from a distance of 3ft.

What set Samsung apart from LG, was their introduction of a bendable 85” 4K TV. The user could change the curvature of the TV from perfectly flat to a curved surface at the touch of a button.

Samsung like LG, also had a 105” Curved 4K TV with a panoramic aspect ratio of 21:9.

Samsung showed the world’s first 98” 8K (Quad UHD) TV. The perceptible difference of going from 4K to 8K is not as profound as going from 2K to 4K. The real difference shows up in viewing text.

A native 8K monitor can double as a text monitor. An 8K monitor can do double duty as both a text monitor as well as a high-end graphics monitor to display a wider color gamut.

Text on a native 4K monitor still appears fuzzy and is not suitable for desktop work, although images look smooth and vibrant.

8K blurs the line between a TV and a Text Monitor.

Samsung had a 55” glass free 3D 4K TV. It was one of the more promising demonstrations of glass less 3D.

Like LG, Samsung had a line of Curved 4K OLED TVs and 3D Dual-View TVs. With the 3D Dual View 4K TVs, one could watch a channel in 3D wearing a pair of active 3D glasses, while another person could watch a different channel in 3D on the same TV at the same time.

Nothing compared to the vivid pictures from Samsungs bendable OLED TVs. They were a sight to behold.

The newest UHD standards encompass HDMI 2.0, HEVC and MHL 3.0 and Prime Pass.

HDMI 2.0 supports 4K video at 60 frames per second.

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) doubles the data compression of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC making it possible to stream in UHD over the Internet.

Mobile High Definition Link 3.0 allows a display device to receive UHD video from a Mobile Phone or Tablet.

Prime Pass supports HDCP 2.2 allowing display devices to receive 4K content.

Samsung showed a working prototype of the world’s first UHD live broadcasting via Terrestrial Network directly into a Samsung TV with an integrated tuner. It was pure video magic. It gave the show goers a glimpse of the future.

Some Samsung TVs are now Direct TV ready eliminating the need for an additional set top box.

Samsung is also the leader in Solid State Drives. They showed the 840 PRO model that supports up to 512GB. They had the 840 EVO model that supports up to 1TB. Having a 1TB SSD drive in your PC is now an affordable choice for the high end user. mSATA versions are available as well for ultra thin notebooks.

The biggest competitor to the Apple iPad is the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Samsung showed their 12” Galaxy Tab Pro and demoed their use in 3D printing. You can capture an idea, modify the design, and finally make a 3D replica of your imagination. This process is similar to capturing an image on a high-end camera, retouching the image in Photoshop, and getting a hard copy image on a color laser printer, except everything happens in 3D. You end up with a 3D object like a button, or a case or a flower vase or a doll house, that has actual practical use.

The Galaxy Tab Pro has some impressive specs with a 12.2” 2560 x 1600 display, 3GB of RAM, 8MP Camera, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and Bluetooth 4.0 running Android 4.4 (KitKat) OS.

Their Multi Window enhanced Magazine User Interface is leaps and bounds ahead of Apple iOS 7.

The only reason the Galaxy Tab has not trumped the iPad is because they are lacking the ecosystem of Apple iTunes and the millions of useful, well designed Apps that power iOS devices.

However, Samsung and Google have endless R&D budgets, and it will just be a matter of time before they take over the world.

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. In case of Samsung, the copy is looking better than the original.

Sony used to be the leader in display technology. While they still are, their TV division has been steadily losing money. They could not keep up with Samsung, and LG.

Sony showed their 79” XBR series 4K LED TV. They hardly raise any excitement when Samsung and LG have 105” 4K LED sets in production. Arguably the Sony sets have a smoother, richer picture than their Samsung counterparts.

Sony still makes one of the finest compact Digital Still Cameras, the DSC-RX100M2.

Sony released the UDA-1 USB DAC Amplifier that plays all high-resolution digital formats ranging from ALAC, FLAC, LPCM up to 192KHz/24-bits and DSD 2.8/5.6MHz. This is the best way to get sound out of your Laptop via USB.

They had the Sony MDR-1R headphones to go along with their DAC. This is their top of the line consumer headphone. They look and feel very similar to the Sony MDR-7506 Professional headphones used in recording studios.

Sony had their Reference Standard 85” 4K TV (XBR-85X950B) boasting an extended dynamic range that made the colors pop. One look at the picture and you can tell that Sony is going for quality while Samsung and LG is going for size.

What really surprised all the show goers was Sony’s introduction of a 4K Camcorder under $2000. The FDR-AZ100 4K Ultra HD Camcorder has a 1” CMOS sensor and supports a high bitrate of 50Mbps. With this device the consumer can now capture and create their own 4K movies and watch the content on their 4K displays.

Sony also revealed their next generation media player that supports HEVC, AVC, and XAVC S codecs.

The Sony reps played back movies shot on their 4K camcorders and the results were stunning on their 4K monitors. Now even an amateur can pretend to be a movie director. The hardware is there to capture and display at 3840 x 2160 pixels.

Sony also had the professional 4K Camcorder, the PXW-Z100 that supports 4K/60p recording using XAVC codec at 600Mbps.

Sony even had a handycam with a built-in projector.

Over at the Nikon booth, they had the D4, D800, D610, D7100 and D3300 on display. There is something special about a Nikon. Even though dollar for dollar they fall short of the bells and whistles offered by Canon, the images captured by Nikon gear have a unique natural quality that invokes your emotions and tugs at your heart.

Canon had a much larger booth next to Nikon, as their sales volume indicate. Canon is famous for their Optical Image Stabilization and their Image Stabilized binoculars are second to none.

Canon released a compact Vixia Mini X palm sized HD camcorder for the casual photographer. It records in MP4 at 30p or AVCHD at 60i on SD cards.

In the point and shoot category Canon released the new PowerShot G16 sporting a 12MP CMOS Sensor, DIGIC 6 Image Processor and 5x Optical Zoom. The PowerShot G1X still reigns as the top performer with a large 1.5” 14MP CMOS sensor, 4X Optical Zoom and 14-bit RAW capture capability.

For someone looking for portability, there is the new Canon PowerShot S120 with similar specs to the G16.

Point and Shoot cameras are going the way of the Dodo. They were almost non-existent amongst show goers who preferred to take their personal pictures on their Smartphones and Apple iPads, no matter how ridiculous they looked.

Sharp also showcased their 85” 8K LED TVs. Super Hi-Vision is already a reality in Japan. The Super Hi-Vision or 8K standard displays 7680 x 4320 pixels, 16 times the pixels of Full HD at 1920 x 1080.

At 8K, it feels like looking through a window. The barrier between real life and reproduction melts away.

The special use of 8K monitors will be realized in text displays when zooming into Google maps for reading tiny annotations.

Fry’s Electronics sells the Sharp 90” Full HD LED TV for less than $6000. This is the cheapest 90” TV a consumer can buy today. Full HD TVs will soon be eclipsed by 4K UHD TVs.

For consumers who do not want to jump head first on the 4K bandwagon, there is the Sharp NextGen HDTV option, which delivers 2.5 times the pixels as Full HD by interpolation using their Quattron technology.

Changhong showed a very convincing glasses free 4K 3D TV. This technology will improve over time. TCL had a series of high-end 4K displays including a 110” Ultra HD model. Some models had the Roku Streaming player built-in with instant access to 1000 streaming channels using a single unified remote.

Not to be outdone, Toshiba had their line up of curved 4K TVs and a 5K Extra Wide Ultra HD TV with a resolution of 5120 x 2160 pixels. These displays are perfect for viewing blockbuster movies shot in 2.35: 1 aspect ratio.

The industry is using the Ultra HD and 4K monikers to designate a resolution of 3840 x 2160 with an aspect ratio of 16:9. When stretched horizontally to 21:9, with a resolution of 5120 x 2160, they begin to mimic the movie theater experience.

The ultimate TV will be the one to have a bendable Extra Wide 21:9 Ultra HD 110” OLED display.

To the average consumer, desktop PCs are dead, and laptops are a dying breed. The craze is all over Tablets and Smartphones. Toshiba showed a device that can transform from a Laptop to a Tablet. Toshiba showed mirrors that can be hung in a bathroom or kitchen that would display the time, weather or the menu when you wave your hand.

Chromebooks have become the crowd favorites because of their extreme simplicity, portability and price. Toshiba had a 13” model for $279.

The GoPro Hero 3 mobile camcorders have become a staple within the extreme sports community. They demoed how easy it was for a lay person to make their own home movies with GoPro Studio.

Hisense had a lineup of affordable 4K TVs. Intel showcased all the Ultrabooks and Tablets from various vendors including Dell, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, HP, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony. They all sported an Intel processor inside.


The North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center was home to all the Automotive Exhibits.

Toyota showed a futuristic Concept Car with no steering wheels. The car responds to the driver shifting their body position to go left, right, front and back. Toyota is leading the industry in their research on Fuel Cell Vehicles with production cars slated for 2015.

Audi had the most eye-catching booth. They had the Audi Sport Quattro in red with Tan leather interior, the Audi A3 1.8T convertible, and the ultimate Audi S8 in metallic gray priced at $120,000. Audi had a demo room with laser lights to show the unique features of their flagship S8 sedan. This was the most technologically advanced car at the show.

Just sitting inside this car gave you happy vibes. It is a symbol of ultimate luxury for the car aficionado.

Then there was Mercedes-Benz with their S550 and E550. Fine cars, but could not hold a candle to the Audio S8.

BMW showcased their i3. Ford brought out the world’s first Plug-in Hybrid. Kia showed their KND-7 and an interior cutout of their UVO. Over at the Dodge/Chrysler booth, they showcased a series of digital dashboards. They are the latest craze in user customizable displays that can translate human voice into commands, play music, navigate the roads, make phones calls and read/send text messages. Now you can design your own command control center.

Pioneer, which is a big player in car audio, displayed their Elite SC-79 Flagship AV receiver, and affordable bookshelf speakers designed by Andrew Jones. They spiced up the show floor with a set of high-end DJ controllers including their top of the line DDJ-SX 4-channel unit.

There were a host of speaker companies whose only goal was to create the loudest sound pressure level within the enclosed confines of your car and startle the show goers. Some seemed to enjoy the torture and volunteered to sit inside.

Over at the South Hall Upper Level, Nvidia presented an extreme gaming setup with 3 4K monitors running off their GeForce GTX Titan video cards in 4-way SLI mode processing 1.5 billion pixels per second. There was no lag and no pixilation while playing Cars. Integrated graphics cards will never be able to deliver this level of performance when it comes to extreme gaming.

Nvidia also showed the power of their Tegra K1 Visual Computing Module.

Smart watches and wearables were everywhere and came in a variety of interesting designs and functionality.

DisplayLink showed their new 4K USB 3.0 Adapter. If you have a laptop with a couple USB 3.0 ports, you can readily run two 4K external monitors.

Xi3 Modular Computers showed a fully functional standalone PC the size of a lunch box.

Linksys showed their new WRT1900AC Wi-Fi Router delivering the 5th generation 802.11ac standard with speeds up to 1300Mbps.

3D Printing was big at CES2014.

They had their own Tech Zone showcasing what is possible with today’s affordable 3D printers, some of them as compact as a kitchen microwave. The promising companies were Cube, Stratasys, Makerbot, 3D Systems, Solidoodle, Mcor Technologies and EnvisonTec. They had everything from 3D printed action figures to complete drum sets and doll houses.

Don’t have a 3D Printer yet? Not a problem. There is a company named White Clouds in South Ogden, UT that will make your imaginations come true in 3D.

3D printing is fast gaining momentum as a growing cottage industry.

Down at the South Hall, Lower Level, they had the mighty Earthquake brand subwoofers and in-wall subs. They demoed their MQB-1 Tactile Transducer that attaches to the frame of your Lazy-Boy recliner to deliver the added vibrations that are more felt than heard during a thunderous action track.

Sennheiser showed their stylish and affordable Momentum On-Ear headphones in a variety of designer colors. What stole the show were their high-end HD800 headphones for $1500. They were super comfortable, light-weight, and delivered a smooth, rich sound that rivaled the experience of attending a live event in person. Even at high volumes, they sounded crystal clear and effortless with no sign of distortion.

For someone wishing for a great set of headphones, the HD800 is the ticket. To mate with these HD800 headphones, Sennheiser also had their HDVD800 headphone amplifier priced at $2000. The HD800, HDVD800 combo costs $3500, the price of a used car.

However, that was not the ultimate benchmark design from Sennheiser. They displayed their statement product, the Orpheus with its electrostatic headphones and tube preamp. These headphones are the final word on audio quality. They did not bother to display the price tag ($15,000). I listened extensively to the same recordings on the HD800 and the Orpheus system. Yes, the Orpheus does deliver audio magic.

Audio-technica showcased their ATH-AD2000X Open Air Dynamic Headphones with large 53mm drivers. While lacking the finesse and ultimate clarity of the HD800, they were a relative bargain at $899.

Universal Electronics brought their army of Universal Remotes in all shapes and sizes. Bosch showed an array of 4K surveillance products that were Cloud based.

Accell from China had display adapters for any situation with a complete line of Connectivity solutions for Ultrabooks and Notebooks. They demoed their DisplayPort 1.2 Hub in action. With a single DisplayPort, you can mirror or extend your desktop to 3 monitors each running at 2560 x 1600.

Creative Labs introduced their new SoundBlaster AXX 200 Wireless speakers ($149 each), which doubles as an MP3/WMA/WAV player and Voice Recorder with Karaoke functions.

The DisplayPort consortium showed 3 monitors delivering 12K x 2K from an XFX R7900 graphics card and an Asus Matrix graphics card in Crossfire configuration. The response on the video game was silky smooth.

A DisplayPort connection delivers 2K, 4K, 8K, Deep Color, DVI, HDMI, at a throughput of 21.6Gbps. It is truly a universal connection offering elegant connectivity for 8K and beyond.

Blue Microphones presented a teaser of their upcoming state of the art headphones.

Philips had a small booth showcasing their line of remotes. It is too bad they decided to drop their Pronto line of high-end remotes that were the darling of the hobby community. The Pronto line used to offer comparable functionality to AMX, and Crestron remotes at a fraction of the price and did not require the services of a custom installer.

Samson had their line up of headphones, mixers, desktop monitor speakers and USB MIDI Controller keyboards with iPad connectivity.

The HDMI group had their own Tech Zone. The latest incarnation of the High-Definition Multimedia Interface is version 2.0 which supports a throughput of 18Gbps, 4K @ 60Hz,
expanded colorspace (BT.2020), Dual View, and 32 channels of digital audio with sampling up to 1536kHz. HDMI 2.0 supports the extra wide aspect ratio of 21:9, and dynamic auto lip-sync. Best of all, HDMI 2.0 does not require a new cable. Any high speed HDMI cable is adequate.

www.hdmi.org

The biggest attraction in the South Hall was Robotics. Robots have come to rule in all shapes and sizes. There were petting robots that looked like cuddly seals that responded to touch. They are used as healing aids for hospital patients. There were robots that danced and entertained and obeyed commands like a personal assistant.

The Mobile High Definition Link consortium released the MHL 3.0 specs to cover the entire gamut of Tablets, Smartphones, Monitors, TVs, projectors, and Wearable Displays with support for 4K.

Gibson Guitars had their own outdoor booth and showed their lineup of Stanton DJ Gear, KRK monitors, Tascam recording gear, Onkyo receivers with Audyssey Room Correction, and newly acquired Sonar (Cakewalk) software.

AMD showcased their Eyefinity technology with AMD Radeon R9 290X Graphics driving 5 monitors for an extended surround presentation. They needed to upstage Nvidia at their own game.

They also had a more down to earth demo running 3 external video monitors off an MSI Laptop using their AMD Radeon R9 M290X GPU.

The High-Performance Audio Exhibits were at the Venetian Towers.

Martin Logan demoed an impressive 7.2 system with Montis hybrid Electrostatic Speakers priced at $9,995 a pair.

The best sound of the show came from a set of Scaena Iso-Linear array of speakers priced at $72,000 a pair. This gave the feeling of having the performer playing live in your living room. The speakers excelled both in macro and micro dynamics. They reproduced the power and attack of a bass drum without any overhang while at the same time recreated the nuances of delicate bells and the layering of voices in a choir. They could play the deep notes of a church organ as well as bring out the intricacies of a jazz flute without any loss of dynamics and details.


http://www.scaena.com/speakers.html


Every speaker manufacturer that comes to CES tries to outperform the Wilson Audio Alexandria X2, which is generally considered one of the reference designs in the world of extreme high-end audio. They carry a price tag of $158,000 a pair.


http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/wils ... a_x2_2.htm


I felt the Scaena speakers bested the Alexandrias at less than half the price.

The second best set of speakers came from Adam Professional Audio. They brought a pair of Adam Tensor Betas priced at $34,000 a pair. I felt they had the same finesse and high-end extension as the Scaena’s, but lacked a tad in extreme dynamics and gut crunching bass. However, at half the price of the Scaenas, they had to be considered a terrific bargain. They sounded better than the budget priced Wilson Alexias at $48,500 a pair.

The most engaging, emotional and pleasing experience came from a pair of Vandersteen Model 7s, priced at $52,000 a pair. They played a straight 2-track stereo recording of Pink Floyd’s The Wall from a vinyl source. It beat out all the multi-channel digital SACD presentation of this track I had heard before. The Vandersteen demo showed that a straight 2-track stereo recording played through a vinyl source on a high-quality set of stereo speakers still offers the best natural sound.

There were the usual array of high-end speaker manufacturers from Meridian, Dynaudio, Focal, ATC, Thiel, B&W, and Wilson Audio. They were mated with high-end power amps from Krell, Pass Labs, Manley, Audio Research, Bryston, VTL, and Boulder.

On the other end of the high-end spectrum, Canadian speaker manufacturer Paradigm thrilled the audience with a 5.2 home theater setup using a pair of Studio 100s, a Studio 60 Center, a pair of Studio CC-590 surrounds, a pair of Seismic 110 subs, all powered by an Anthem MRX710 A/V receiver. Total system price came at $12,691.

This was most down to earth real world demo showcasing affordable high-end gear. The centerpiece of this setup was the ARC1M Anthem Room Correction System built into the Arcam MRX710 unit. Arguably this receiver has the best room correction software and they had printouts of the frequency response graphs to prove their point.

No matter how much money one spends on high-end speakers, the dips and spikes created by the room effects smear the resultant sound. The ARC1M system sends out test tones from a microphone at the listening position, and applies software correction to create a ruler flat frequency response curve.

The Paradigm demo room had the smoothest sound top to bottom, and one could listen to them for hours without fatigue. This is the system I would recommend to friends gearing up for multi-channel sound. The Paradigm/Anthem combo offered the best bang for the buck.

There was another surprise of a gem at the PSB room. They showcased the tiny PSB Alpha PS1 2.1 Powered Speaker and Sub for $499. They are the best desktop speakers. They sound their best at a distance of 3 feet, and give a glimpse of the high-end sound from floor standing monitors costing thousands of dollars. They demolish the Audio Engine A2 speakers, which are highly reputed.

For someone after a personal high-end sound space on a budget, the PSB Alphas are the ticket. For someone craving for a multi-channel home theater setup, the Paradigm/Anthem combo is hard to beat. For the cost no object audiophile, the Scaena or the Adam Tensor Betas fit the bill.

While CES focuses on content consumption and sharing by the average consumer, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in April focuses on content creation and distribution. NAB is geared towards the Professional and addresses the other end of the spectrum. Together CES and NAB are the best technology showcases and complement one another.

CES is the best place for consumers to compare gear from several manufacturers, get a hands-on demo from the product specialists and weigh in the pros and cons to make an informed buying decision.


Thanks,

Tapas

[Synthesizerplayer]

Hi

Thanks for all the info. Were you there? How was this 3D Tv without the glasses

Regards

[Tapas]

Hi

Thanks for all the info. Were you there? How was this 3D Tv without the glasses

Regards

Yes, I was there all 4 days. Several manufacturers including Samsung, Changhong, and Konica had 4K TVs that did glasses free 3D.

This is still a nascent technology in its experimental stage. While the results were better than last years CES, they simply could not duplicate the 3D depth and realism offered by sets that used passive or active glasses.

If you want to experience clean, crisp 3D in your living room, your best bet is to get your hands on a Sony Bravia XBR-55HX929 TV. This is a standard 2K Full HDTV with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It uses active 3D glasses to present full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) to each eye.

Pop in the 3D Blu-ray Avatar reference disk, and be prepared to be amazed at the 3D depth.

However, at this point it is a better to purchase the Sony Bravia XBR-55X900A 4K UltraHD set. It offers 4 times the resolution of Full HD at 3840 x 2160. It upscales 2K sources to 4K for an astonishingly clear and sharp picture.

It also does 3D using Passive 3D glasses. Because of the passive glasses, the horizontal resolution is halved, and each eye sees a 3840 x 1080 picture. Passive glasses are easier on the eyes, and do not require batteries.

From the standpoint of Picture Quality, the Sony Bravia sets are the best, while the Samsung models offer the best bang for the buck.

All of these 3D TVs using either passive or active 3D Glasses offer a far pleasing viewing experience compared to the current crop of glasses free 3D TVs. The technology has not matured yet.

For the immediate future, 4K is more important than 3D, and offers something of practical value that is plainly obvious to the viewer.


Best regards,

Tapas

[MoonMusic]

Wow Tapas....You really know your stuff....My biggest regret was not getting a bigger screen size when I got mine....It's a 48inch?......When watching 3d movies, it's more like watching what's going on outside a window instead of being drawn completely into it.....I do think it adds to the viewing experience and isn't hokey like it was in earlier years and YES! - AVATAR is THE reference for a 3d movie....LOL....moon

[John Hendry]

Wow.... great post. However when it comes to TV's;-) there is some serious personal preferences that make me say see it for yourself to decide what you like most and make sure you can take it back as you won't really "see it" till you get it home as in the store there are many reasons you won't see the true differences from one TV to another, often differences in signal quality favoring a particular TV and setup. And the demo TV's at CES ARE NOT the TV's you will find offered for sale and this is the most important issue to be aware of I noticed reading this. If we go back a year (haven't seen the new TV's coming out yet) meaning 2012 models I personally don't care for Sony's LED LCD HDTV's as the viewing angle sweet spot is too narrow and there's just something hard to put in words about the screen pixels I don't like. I forget the two model numbers I had but took both med line models I had back and didn't move up to Sony's best as I did with Samsung's ES series because it wasn't worth the extra money to my eyes. Now maybe they changed this but Sony has their way of "seeing" my 20/20 eyes don't like and this is personal preference many will disagree with based on my own eyesight and 3D perception. I have always preferred Panasonic's picture going way back to their tube sets. It's much like Roland vs Korg where two schools of thought create two different types of sound and hardware differences. Even Sony's last generation flat picture tube sets had a picture I didn't care for compared to a standard curved 35in Mit's X7 tube set which IMO was the best non HD TV ever made (pro or consumer) with qualities no longer reproduced despite what the manufactures and tests say. Unfortunately they were so complex I had two because each time a repair was made for a very minor issue in the design the repair damaged the sets picture quality because the repairman was not qualified to do the job. I learned there was only one guy a long ways from Hawaii that could do it right and as a result because they made so few X7's I had to wait it out for Mits to replace them with a newer generation Diamond Series 40-809 that was very close in quality using its component inputs when you add the fact 35 to 40 inchs is a big difference in size showing the defects of standard definition where smaller TV's in standard definition look better all things being equal.

I mention this older TV technology because like poly AT and CH AT being left out in keyboards to mass market them and make money the true potential of visual quality TV's are capable of using even yesterday's technology is also being left out and new technology is filling in the gap only half way IMO where even as good as the new HD TV's are using newer tech they could be a lot better but it would cost a lot more too. The fact is the old CRT's had a MUCH higher bit depth needed for accurate color and shade, and therefore correct contrast creating a more 3D like image. Now don't take this wrong, for the money it is amazing how good TV's have gotten since the $8,000 35 inch Mit's X7 was the standout TV in a limited market. But the market today is about taking advantage of a lack of consumer knowledge where claims of 100,000,000 to 1 contrast ratios are made (total BS) to make money not quality products. Worse.... TV's are designed to fail and this is why Samsung was sued for putting 10v caps on 12v rails where honesty would double their size as was once the norm, and why a guy with a soldering gun could get a nice TV really cheap and something to think about if on a budget as the repair is not rocket science and you can find these TV's for almost free like the $2000+ LG 47LH90 I have not seen but read about enough to believe it has a great picture. And Samsung was not the only one sued for playing this game of deliberate and dishonest obsolescence showing a severe lack of respect for the environment and it's resources the future depends on as well as honesty to their customers.

The Mit's 40-809 needed it's component inputs used with a high-end DVD player and then the picture was stunning for the non-HD media resolution and I stayed with it until I was forced to give it away for free due to it's huge size and 250+ lb weight with no external handles for style:-( needing a forklift or 4 guys to move it in it's heavy box in preparation of the June 9, 2009 event Google now shows on the date's first search page in (at least the NW US) after I announced something almost impossible again. But as good as the CRT Mits 40-809 was using it's component inputs, off a cable signal forget it as the X7's off cable performance (what they were designed for mostly) was spectacular and surpassed the larger 40-809 by far showing what I am talking about here and not because it was smaller, but due to the design differences of intended quality. The smaller 35 inch X7 cost almost twice as much and looked best by far using the standard composite input verse S-video or even component if they had it which the X7's didn't because it's internal 3D comb filter and electronics (replaced by the source player's comb filter using S-video input) was so frickin good the convention that S-video and component input is better did not apply showing how good a composite signal can be when done right. And aspects of the picture's OVERALL (tube TV designs have their own issues) quality such as sports action detail and color tone contrast ratio was far better IMO supporting a view held by many others who agree using lessor quality CRTs who held on to their CRT's as I would of done under normal circumstances despite it's lower resolution and aspect ratio which ended CRT's useful life with the aspect ratio 75% of it IMO.

In the end I took back the 60 inch Samsung due to a quality control issue in 3D and poor screen conformity associated with edge lit LED LCD TV's that was driving me nuts at home not noticed in the store and replaced it with a 65 inch Panasonic VT series plasma. I originally wanted to avoid plasma after dealing with CRT burn-in precautions reported to be worse but I have had no issues with burn-in and the set turns itself off with the timer set. And when I got it home looked MUCH better than in the store next to the LED LCD TV's. In the store the plasma picture looked a little dim with the whites suffering but at home relativity set in and I was blown away and the dim picture turned into a stunning bright picture with the 3D twice as good due to the larger size.

As I said TV's are a thing of strong personal preference and after having the Samsung 60 inch ES800 I would rather strongly disagree with Tapas choice of the Sony XBR-55 inch HX929 (which has excellent blacks and contrast level blowing the Samsung LCDs out the door approaching the best plasmas) due to it's poor off axis viewing which gets worse with an increase in size, why they are going to curved LCD screens that fixes one problem and creates another making the sweet spot critical leaving out other viewers, and being a flat panel deteriorates 3D viewing when you tilt your head, it's size to price ratio, and reported issues with it's 3D having image flicker without dejudder turned on. And as a Sci-Fi lover the issue of blooming associated with Full-array local dimming showing again when you fix one problem you can create another that in deep space dark scenes is when it’s most noticeable.

Even in a small room I would never go smaller than 60 inches in an HDTV now for any reason as in a 16x9 2.4:1 aspect ratio the picture gets too small and after moving up to 65 inches I would never go back to 60 inches as for general viewing and good 3D 65in is so much better watching 6 to 8 ft away than 60 inches as MoonMusic pointed out. However with that said I would not want to move up to a 70 inch HDTV in standard 2K HD as the low resolution starts showing up especially in DVD making 65 inches the best compromise until 4K source material is available beyond a few good movies although the up scaling is reported to very good in some 4K sets so if I had the money to burn and was going for LCD I’d move up to 4K and agree with Tapas 100% in that regard except I regard good 3D a must have feature above 4K. However due to the viewing angle issues of LCD that drive me nuts happening on a TV I would wait for OLED TV’s to get real and be available in 65 inches at a decent price.

If I was buying another TV right now I’d go for the 65 inch Panasonic VT or ZT plasma without hesitation except they are now grossly overpriced since Panasonic stopped making plasma TVs with few left ($2,500 was last good price on the ZT) or the Samsung 64H5000 64 inch Plasma that has a US retail price of $1,399.00 meaning about $1,250 with a few goodies thrown in since Samsung price locks their products and it’s only downfall being it’s lack of an ambient light rejection filter which is a good thing….at night, or likely wait for Samsung’s rumored H7000 series plasma later in the year, which is essentially a less feature-rich version of the excellent F8500 PDP which without competition will likely be the same price or more. BUT keep the H7000 TV at a constant temp and do not put on it's face to put it on a stand as they are known to get "spider cracks" and Samsung is known to blame it on the customer and hopefully what I believe is a thermal expansion issue has been corrected.

This is not a particularly good time to buy an expensive TV with OLED’s just around the corner and my guess is once they get making them down we will see low prices on them with competition. Personally after plasma it would hard to go back to LCD due to the narrow view angles and other issues of how they use light. Really sad to see plasma go away without something equal to replace it. But that's my personal preference after too many trips back and forth where what looked good in the store didn't look as good at home, and what look a little dim looked better than anything else at home. Relativity is a strange thing at times....

[Tapas]

John, I agree with everything you stated on the evolution of high-end TVs!

You are absolutely correct about the older CRT TVs having a higher bit depth and capable for producing accurate colors and black levels when properly calibrated.

In fact, I purchased a 35” Mitsubishi standard definition CRT TV from Paul’s TV & Appliances in California many many moons ago! It gave me hours of viewing pleasure using a Pioneer Laser Disc as a source. This was the best picture one could get at that time at a reasonable price point. The X7 model was a knockout. It was out of my budget.

Later, when HDTVs took hold, I purchased the Mitsubishi Diamond WS-55813. This was the best rear projection HDTV with red/blue/green CRT guns. The picture quality was better than the LCD sets and the rear projection DLP sets using the Texas Instrument chips.

The CRTs ruled and there was nothing to touch them at that time.

Then the Pioneer Kuru Plasma TVs set the new benchmark. They were priced out of reach of most consumers and sadly Pioneer exited the Plasma TV market selling their patents to Panasonic.

Panasonic took up the lead in making the best Plasma TVs and their VT series followed by the ZT series were outstanding performers winning Tech Awards from many trade shows.

As you said, a Panasonic 65” VT or ZT Plasma set still offers an incredible natural lifelike picture although not as bright as their LED counterparts.

It would be a wise decision to wait for affordable 65” OLED 4K TVs. It is unlikely that 4K broadcasting will take hold before 2020 in the US. So we have a lot of time to plan ahead

[John Hendry]

Yea the X7 was something out of this world at the time and to think it used a composite input for it's best picture makes you wonder what could be done with HDMI if they wanted to. I haven't seen OLED yet except on cell phones LOL but I'm sure that's my next choice in a TV so even without a 4K signal it will be nice to have but will go bigger with 4K. You didn't get to hear the Sound Labs speakers by any chance did you? That's my next speaker system most likely;-) The U-1PX are monsters in size but sound sooo good... and easy to set up. Can't wait to move back into a house and have a sound room.

[Tapas]

Hi John,

I did not get to audition the Soundlabs Electrostatics speakers at CES this year. They are a well-established company and make a highly refined series of Electrostatic Speakers that gives the illusion of having live performers in your living room with their incredible transparency.

High-end CRT TVs like the Mitsubishi X7 established a benchmark. Sadly, that technology got eclipsed due to their bulk and cost.

I used to bring friends over at my place for a demo on my 35” Mitsubishi CRT using the Pink Floyd’s ‘Pulse’ Laser Disc set. I routed the audio through a pair of Mirage M3-si floor standing bipolar speakers powered by an Aragon 2004 MkII power amp. It was a match made in heaven at an affordable price point.

However, what impressed all my guests were the Korg O1/Wfd and the Korg Wavestation EX synthesizers and the amazing sounds you could create by layering the two. They complemented each other.

There was nothing comparable from Roland or Yamaha at that time. This combo from Korg was the ultimate. I would always end the presentation with Stephen Kay’s ‘Rock Show’ factory demo on the Korg O1/Wfd. That was a jaw dropping sequence that showcased Stephen’s extraordinary programming skills!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu4UGZEX72E


Those were the days

[John Hendry]

However, what impressed all my guests were the Korg O1/Wfd and the Korg Wavestation EX synthesizers and the amazing sounds you could create by layering the two. They complemented each other.

I did the same thing and spent years making combo sounds using the M1, WS AD, and the O1WR. That was before recordable CD's and I had the sounds backed up on about 6 computers in hidden directories on neighbor's computers I built and lost it all due to problems with our electricity. I had the MB's, power supplies, displays, just about everything replaced in the units and when I went to load them up the floppy's used were corrupted and my neighbors were calling that their computers were not working and I soon realized I lost everything on every computer. What a nightmare that was. After that I just gave up and went after the company responsible and the rest is unfinished history showing what happened.

That was the best way to get some super good sounding sounds and I had an Elka MK 76 for polyphonic aftertouch that did some amazing stuff. I have forgotten most of what I did now but with the KronosX no need to repeat it. Not enough time in a day to do all the things I want to do. But I need a good sound system and the Sound Lab speakers are on top of the list. Never heard anything as good overall IMO and news ones are even better by a mile so good motivation to work on finishing projects. Can't wait to go to CES again and I'm guessing in 2016 so that will be a treat.

[Jan1]

I wonder what happened to 'Clarity', an 8-track KORG DSD workstation.
In 2010 a prototype was demonstrated by KORG, but it seems it never got beyond the prototype stage.