For gadget geeks - CNet's 2013 Best of CES list

Dieselboss · Jan 11, 2013

The Consumer Electronics Show is going on in Vegas this week. CNet does a bunch of awards for the best new gadgets. For those who like to see what is either out now, or coming soon in high-tech, this list is always a fun read.

If you're interested: CNet's best of 2013 list

CommDriver · Jan 12, 2013

I was just listening to Leo Laporte today and Sott Wilkinson, of the Home Theater Geeks, and it sounds like the new 4k tv's are going to break into the market quicker than expected. These are super high definition. It was one of the big things at CES this year. While 3d tv's did not really catch on, the new 4k tv's should eventually take over your traditional HD tv. But right now a 50 inch 4k tv will cost around $15,000 so still not ready for the general public.

LAS VEGAS'Is it possible to have deja vu while staring into the future? For the second straight year, the CES show floor was dominated by the same two HDTV technologies. They're both being hyped as the next big thing, at least for oil tycoons and gold barons.
I'm talking about OLED and Ultra HD (or "4K") sets. And according to the vast majority of Las Vegas cab drivers I've surveyed this week, 4K and OLED sets are what most CES showgoers are talking about, too.
All that attention is warranted. If you've seen an OLED or 4K set in action, you probably want one. If you want one, you probably can't afford one. And if you can afford one, you probably should be watching it right now instead of reading this story. Shame on you, moneybags.

According to most people's eyeballs, OLED and Ultra HD sets produce a better-looking picture than you'll see on any of today's 1080p plasma or LCD sets. However, the picture quality of each type of set will blow your mind in a different way, and there are significant limitations for Ultra HD/4K sets in particular at this point.
[h=2]The visible difference between OLED and 4K[/h] They may both be hot TV buzzwords, but they're entirely different things. OLED is a display technology, while 4K is a display resolution. We've written about the technical differences between 4K and OLED; here, I'll translate what it means for your eyeballs.

On an OLED HDTV, colors pop like nothing you've seen before. There is no blacker black than the black you'll see on an OLED TV, and colors look vivid and twinkly against that pitch-black background. You also get ultra-wide viewing angles. Because of the display's fast response rate, fast motion looks fluid on the screen, and 3D content looks amazing. OLED TVs don't need a backlighting system, so they're the thinnest HDTVs on the planet; LG's first OLED set is less than 0.16 inches thick. An OLED display can also be malleable; both Samsung and LG showed off curved prototype OLED sets at CES 2013.
On the other hand, a 4K TV's strength is sharpness. There are four times as many pixels packed into the display as there are on a 1080p set, so you can see more granular detail than you can on a 1080p HDTV.
But even if you can afford a 4K set, you'll need the right set of circumstances to make it worth the investment. Unless the 4K set is really big or you're sitting very close to the TV, you may not be able to see much of a difference between the same picture displayed on a 4K set and a 1080p set.
What's more, many of the 4K TVs at CES were displaying true 4K video that isn't readily available to the public. Upscaled 1080p video from a Blu-ray player on a 4K TV looks a bit more defined than the same content on a 1080p HDTV, but you really have to be trying to find a difference.
If you want to thoughtfully examine the intricacies of a high-resolution image or read a book on your TV screen, you want a 4K TV. If you want your face pleasantly melted off by a majestic festival of light, OLED is the way to go.
A TV can be both a 4K and an OLED set, just like a 1080p TV can also be a plasma or LCD set. In fact, there were two 56-inch 4K OLED prototypes at the show: one from Sony, and one from Panasonic. The combination of tack-sharp 4K resolution, outstanding contrast, vibrant colors, and smooth motion exhibited by these prototype sets made my shoes fall off. .......
Click to expand...

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2024...-2013-the-fantasy-and-the-reality-video-.html

Dieselboss · Jan 14, 2013

CommDriver said: ↑

I was just listening to Leo Laporte today and Sott Wilkinson, of the Home Theater Geeks, and it sounds like the new 4k tv's are going to break into the market quicker than expected. These are super high definition. It was one of the big things at CES this year. While 3d tv's did not really catch on, the new 4k tv's should eventually take over your traditional HD tv. But right now a 50 inch 4k tv will cost around $15,000 so still not ready for the general public.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2024...-2013-the-fantasy-and-the-reality-video-.html
Click to expand...

When I was at CES two years ago, the big prediction and half the floor was filled 3D TV's. Now they are saying that 3D did not catch like they thought it would and that folks will prefer the crispier picture of 4K. I did hear that it looks pretty awesome but I didn't make it to the show this time. It'll be interesting to see how much different it actually looks over current HD.

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