Sony DPF-V900 digital photo frame
The Sony DPF-V900 is a 9-inch digital photo frame, part of the company’s S-Frame line-up that promises a number of nifty features to make your images look pretty.
As you might expect, the main focus of the frame is the screen and here you get a WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) screen that is bright and crisp. It could be sharper, but then it’s not as bad as half the digital photo frames we get in the office.
Underneath the widescreen display you get a Sony logo that beams out in bright white, but you’ll be pleased to hear that you can turn this off within the settings.
The frame itself adds a further couple of inches to the overall size, but the reflective gun metal colour is stylish. This is one frame that neither looks cheap or as if it is made from plastic.
Around the back and you’ll get a plethora of buttons, memory card slots and other connection options.
On the memory card reader side of things you get support for CompactFlash, SD card, SDHC, MMC, xD-Picture Card and of course Sony’s own Memory Stick formats: Pro STD and DUO. Plugging in a card automatically switches the screen to play the images on that medium and it’s all incredibly easy.
Beyond cards you can connect the photo frame to your PC, a USB drive or straight to your camera. There is also HDMI support for outputting the images to your TV.
There isn’t any Wi-Fi connectivity, which is a bit of a disappointment, meaning you won’t be able to stream your Flickr photos or stream from your PC to the frame without it being nearby. The DPF-X1000 comes with 512MB of storage on board giving you plenty of space to store images – around 1000 in total at an average file size.
Plugging in your USB drive or digital camera is easy and you can either choose to run the images off of them or transfer them to the frame’s on-board memory.
Get past the looks and the digital photo frame from Sony offers a couple of options when it comes to displaying your photographs. Images can be displayed in original format, to fit the screen, multiple at a time or you can opt for a clock or calendar to compliment your images.
Selecting the relevant mode to suit you is done either via the buttons around the back or via the small (half business card size) remote control.
Acknowledging that not all of us take stunning pictures, Sony has included a feature called “Auto Touch Up” that will automatically (when selected) touch-up your photos to make them, hopefully, better.
Press the button and the software on-board will smooth skin, correct the backlight, sharpen and correct red-eye. Unfortunately you can’t opt to control whether it does one or the other, or by how much. It’s just a case of “If you want this picture to look better then press yes”. Still, for those who aren’t into editing their photos on a computer, it will hopefully improve your bad shots.
Slideshows can be created of your collection and you can set the interval, effect between transitions and what order they appear in (filename or random).
The DPF-V900 also offers auto-rotation of the image and auto-rotation of the frame from portrait to landscape and vice-versa.
Viewsonic busts out three new 3D projectors
Interactive whiteboards and realistic movies coming soon
Viewsonic has announced the availability of three new projectors, capable of displaying 3D imagery, for the consumer and business markets.
The first, the PJD6381, has a very short ‘throw ratio’ of .68 and is compatible with interactive whiteboard applications, so schools and businesses can catapult themselves into the next generation of presentations.
Sharper image
It comes with 120Hz refresh rate to sharpen pictures, and 1024 x 768 XGA resolution, with a bright 2,500 ANSI lumens output and a fairly deep 2,500:1 contrast ratio.
It uses glasses to enable the 3D option, which is brought about by Texas Instruments with DLP link and N-Vidia’s 3D-Vision.
The PJD6381 will be available in August for $1,249 (around £760), although there’s no word in UK availability as yet.
The others in the range, the PJD6211 and PJD6221, also come with 120Hz refresh rates and the 3D system from Texas Instruments and N-Vidia.
These projectors both have a 1024 x 768 XGA resolution, up to 2,700 lumens and a 2,800:1 contrast ratio.
These will be available in July for $849 (£560) and $999 (£600) respectively
LG 42LH4000 review
Although it seemingly struggles to keep up with the competition, LG’s latest, the 42LH4000 LCD TV represents a significant step-up in feature-spec. 100Hz 1080p panels, ambitious video processing and 1080p24 playback are common-place across the board.
And this modest mid-priced set even offers new tricks, such as an intelligent adjustable backlight. Yet perhaps the most surprising addition is the inclusion of ISF calibration, opening the door for professional installers, engineers, or AV pedants to finetune every aspect of an image.
There have been some cosmetic tweaks, too. The glossy black bezel is actually indigo blue, with a standby light that winks at you as it powers up. The speakers are now deemed to be ‘invisible’ – well, the four drivers are just out of sight – and their talent for pseudo surround sound, with the help of some SRS processing, is moderately impressive.
A bit of a blur
Usability is top-notch, thanks to an excellent graphical user interface, where crisp onscreen illustrations represent each aspect of the menu, ruling out the need for any clunky text.
The auto-tuning function is easy and fast. Of course, terrestrial TV invariably looks disappointing when it’s viewed on big 1080p sets, but at least here, LG’s TruMotion helps to tidy up motion blur a bit.
This part of the brand’s XD Engine video processing suite that has been enhanced for the 2009 generation of flat TVs. And this is where LG’s new Calibration Wizard comes in. Undoubtedly the LH4000′s best feature, it’s just like a user-friendly consumer version of a professional ISF calibration system.
Like all Wizards, it’s a case of following onscreen prompts to nudge the colour, brightness, sharpness, etc, up and down. The difference here is that you’re shown one pattern alongside an ideal alternative, so that you can get one to match the other for the optimum picture. It basically takes away all the guesswork of setting up a TV without a calibration disc.
Actual ISF calibration is reserved for the professionals. To access that menu, you need to enter a code that LG engineers jealously guard, and then use some pro kit – like a light spider that clamps onto the screen. Then you need to find a chum with ISF training to set every parameter. Simple as that…
Of course, when all this has been accomplished, you will theoretically see the LG screen at its best. There’s no doubt that its performance with 1080p Blu-ray material makes for a quantum leap in quality over SD.
Just be sure to switch off LG’s video processing, which adds a halo of distortion around objects in HD rather than smoothing out the edges as it does in SD, to see things at their best.
But compared to many of its rivals, I thought its hi-def performance average. The contrast ratio is quoted at 80,000:1, but the reality is different.
Our Tech Labs measured real world contrast at less than 500:1. It can’t match its pricier rivals with greyscale accuracy and its black bars would more accurately be described as grey. It also suffers from limited off-angle viewing.
| Price at launch | £800.00 | |
| No of Component Inputs | 1 | |
| Full HD | Yes | |
| 720p/1080i Output | Yes | |
| Power Consumption (Operational) | 210 | |
| Brightness | 500 | |
| HD Ready | Yes | |
| PC (VGA) Ports | 1 | |
| 1080p Output | Yes | |
| No. of USB Ports | 1 | |
| Weight (kg) | 17.1 | |
| Dimensions | 1036 x 655.4 x 89.8 | |
| Viewing Angle (Vertical) | 178 | |
| Speakers | 2 x 10W RMS | |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm Headphone Jack, CI Card Slot, Component Video, Composite Video, HDMI, PC Audio Input, RF Antenna Input, RJ-45, S-Video Input, SPDIF Digital Output, USB 2.0, VGA Input | |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | |
| No of Digital Optical Audio Outputs | 1 | |
| No of Analogue Audio Inputs | 1 | |
| Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) | Yes | |
| No of Scart Connectors | 2 | |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | |
| Display Size | 42 | |
| No of HDMI Inputs | 3 | |
| 1080p/24 Output | Yes | |
| Viewing Angle (Horizontal) | 178 | |
| Power Consumption (Standby) | 1 | |
| Freeview | Yes | |
| No of Composite Inputs | 2 |
However, this is a very reasonable price for such a feature-packed panel. And the great interface, smart styling, and excellent connectivity will win many shoppers over.
LG 42LH4000 review
Although it seemingly struggles to keep up with the competition, LG’s latest, the 42LH4000 LCD TV represents a significant step-up in feature-spec. 100Hz 1080p panels, ambitious video processing and 1080p24 playback are common-place across the board.
And this modest mid-priced set even offers new tricks, such as an intelligent adjustable backlight. Yet perhaps the most surprising addition is the inclusion of ISF calibration, opening the door for professional installers, engineers, or AV pedants to finetune every aspect of an image.
There have been some cosmetic tweaks, too. The glossy black bezel is actually indigo blue, with a standby light that winks at you as it powers up. The speakers are now deemed to be ‘invisible’ – well, the four drivers are just out of sight – and their talent for pseudo surround sound, with the help of some SRS processing, is moderately impressive.
A bit of a blur
Usability is top-notch, thanks to an excellent graphical user interface, where crisp onscreen illustrations represent each aspect of the menu, ruling out the need for any clunky text.
The auto-tuning function is easy and fast. Of course, terrestrial TV invariably looks disappointing when it’s viewed on big 1080p sets, but at least here, LG’s TruMotion helps to tidy up motion blur a bit.
This part of the brand’s XD Engine video processing suite that has been enhanced for the 2009 generation of flat TVs. And this is where LG’s new Calibration Wizard comes in. Undoubtedly the LH4000′s best feature, it’s just like a user-friendly consumer version of a professional ISF calibration system.
Like all Wizards, it’s a case of following onscreen prompts to nudge the colour, brightness, sharpness, etc, up and down. The difference here is that you’re shown one pattern alongside an ideal alternative, so that you can get one to match the other for the optimum picture. It basically takes away all the guesswork of setting up a TV without a calibration disc.
Actual ISF calibration is reserved for the professionals. To access that menu, you need to enter a code that LG engineers jealously guard, and then use some pro kit – like a light spider that clamps onto the screen. Then you need to find a chum with ISF training to set every parameter. Simple as that…
Of course, when all this has been accomplished, you will theoretically see the LG screen at its best. There’s no doubt that its performance with 1080p Blu-ray material makes for a quantum leap in quality over SD.
Just be sure to switch off LG’s video processing, which adds a halo of distortion around objects in HD rather than smoothing out the edges as it does in SD, to see things at their best.
But compared to many of its rivals, I thought its hi-def performance average. The contrast ratio is quoted at 80,000:1, but the reality is different.
Our Tech Labs measured real world contrast at less than 500:1. It can’t match its pricier rivals with greyscale accuracy and its black bars would more accurately be described as grey. It also suffers from limited off-angle viewing.
| Price at launch | £800.00 | |
| No of Component Inputs | 1 | |
| Full HD | Yes | |
| 720p/1080i Output | Yes | |
| Power Consumption (Operational) | 210 | |
| Brightness | 500 | |
| HD Ready | Yes | |
| PC (VGA) Ports | 1 | |
| 1080p Output | Yes | |
| No. of USB Ports | 1 | |
| Weight (kg) | 17.1 | |
| Dimensions | 1036 x 655.4 x 89.8 | |
| Viewing Angle (Vertical) | 178 | |
| Speakers | 2 x 10W RMS | |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm Headphone Jack, CI Card Slot, Component Video, Composite Video, HDMI, PC Audio Input, RF Antenna Input, RJ-45, S-Video Input, SPDIF Digital Output, USB 2.0, VGA Input | |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | |
| No of Digital Optical Audio Outputs | 1 | |
| No of Analogue Audio Inputs | 1 | |
| Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) | Yes | |
| No of Scart Connectors | 2 | |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | |
| Display Size | 42 | |
| No of HDMI Inputs | 3 | |
| 1080p/24 Output | Yes | |
| Viewing Angle (Horizontal) | 178 | |
| Power Consumption (Standby) | 1 | |
| Freeview | Yes | |
| No of Composite Inputs | 2 |
However, this is a very reasonable price for such a feature-packed panel. And the great interface, smart styling, and excellent connectivity will win many shoppers over.
Sony XEL-1 OLED television review
A tantalising glimpse into the future of TV
We’ve been harpingon about OLED technology since Sony and Samsung wowed us with 27-inch and 31-inch prototypes at last year’s CES show. “Behold the future of TV. Check out the slimness. Marvel at the contrast,” cried the floor. However, 12 months on and the only product you can actually buy is Sony’s 11-inch XEl-1. Should adopters be laying siege to the UK’s Sony shops come the UK launch day?
The short answer to that is not unless you’re minted and your second kitchen or downstairs loo desperately need a new telly. At just 3mm thin, the XEL-1 will fit just about anywhere, even when you factor in the box that it’s mounted on, containing the tuner, electronics and various sockets. If OLED becomes the norm, you’ll literally be able to hang screens up like a picture. The image quality is mightily impressive, too. We connected the XEL-1, via its two HDMIs, to both a PS3 and upscaling Blu-ray player to check out whether the images we saw at CES could be replicated in the real world. Turns out they could.
With a resolution of 960×540, it’s not even a full-HD panel, but it still accepts 1080p signals, scaling the image to fit the screen. Combined with OLED’s “on-or-off” display technology and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, the pictures take your breath away. They’re sharp, detailed and more vivid than LCD, with inkier, deeper blacks than plasma. What’s more, the XEl-1’s response time is a thousand times quicker than a conventional LCD, meaning blur and judder are eradicated during fast-paced cinematic action and sports.
The screen tilts 70 degrees forward and back, offering flexibility in different lighting conditions, too. Another major boon is OLED’s power consumption: the XEL-1 uses just 2w. Sony’s CrossMedia menus make it easy to fl it between USB, memory card, TV tuner and HDMI inputs. The internal speakers are tinny, but there’s an optical out for hooking up an amp.
So why only three stars, you ask? Take a look at the price, then come back and ask us again. £3,500 for an 11-inch screen is simply mad. We really want a full-size, OLED telly hugging our lounge wall, but you know what? We can wait. From this starting point, even with the plummeting pound, the tech can only get cheaper… surely?
Link: Sony
6-D display system – MIT researches want to pull a Houdini on you
Don’t you hate it when you get the wrong seat in a cinema hall? The images of the actors all look skewed in wrong angles and it gets worst if you got the ‘All the way front’ seat in the house. Take the case of some flat screens that refuse to show you a clear image when you’re sitting in the wrong angle. Apart from breaking your neck looking up you can easily hasten losing the most precious sense before your time- the sense of sight. There is something coming your way that will change the way you look at images on the screen as well as the cinema. The brilliant people from MIT are working on a new display technology that will provide us with 6 Dimensional images that will blow your mind. Not only will they immerse you with the visuals, it will respond to surrounding light by providing accurate shadows and change over time without any help from expensive electronic gadgetry, but plain optical illusions. We all know of 3D images and movies which use those awful two color glasses, with 6-D these MIT hopefuls want to change the way we think of optical interactivity.
The 6D display technology is currently just being tested and is in a very rudimentary state as it is being built by hand from custom-made parts. It costs around $30 per pixel to make, but obviously whenever this technology is perfected we may never need to worry of getting the corner seat in a cinema equipped with 6D view technology.
6-D display system – MIT researches want to pull a Houdini on you
Don’t you hate it when you get the wrong seat in a cinema hall? The images of the actors all look skewed in wrong angles and it gets worst if you got the ‘All the way front’ seat in the house. Take the case of some flat screens that refuse to show you a clear image when you’re sitting in the wrong angle. Apart from breaking your neck looking up you can easily hasten losing the most precious sense before your time- the sense of sight. There is something coming your way that will change the way you look at images on the screen as well as the cinema. The brilliant people from MIT are working on a new display technology that will provide us with 6 Dimensional images that will blow your mind. Not only will they immerse you with the visuals, it will respond to surrounding light by providing accurate shadows and change over time without any help from expensive electronic gadgetry, but plain optical illusions. We all know of 3D images and movies which use those awful two color glasses, with 6-D these MIT hopefuls want to change the way we think of optical interactivity.
The 6D display technology is currently just being tested and is in a very rudimentary state as it is being built by hand from custom-made parts. It costs around $30 per pixel to make, but obviously whenever this technology is perfected we may never need to worry of getting the corner seat in a cinema equipped with 6D view technology.
Hitachi Wooo UT 47 inch LCD TV is slim and comes with a 250GB DVR
The latest addition to Hitachi’s Wooo UT series is the “UT47-XP770″ a super slim 47 inch full HDTV which is just 35mm thick. Delivering a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels the panel has a brightness of 500 cd / m 2 and a viewing angle of 178 degrees. To maintain a slim profile Hitachi has removed the TV tuner and put it up along with an external DVR which packs in a 250GB hard drive (50 hours). Onboard is Hitachi’s proprietary ‘Picture Master Full HD’ engine which improves the picture and color quality. The Hitachi UT47-XP770 will be made available in two colors; black and white at 480,000 Yen ($ 4800). 
Hitachi Wooo UT 47 inch LCD TV is slim and comes with a 250GB DVR
The latest addition to Hitachi’s Wooo UT series is the “UT47-XP770″ a super slim 47 inch full HDTV which is just 35mm thick. Delivering a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels the panel has a brightness of 500 cd / m 2 and a viewing angle of 178 degrees. To maintain a slim profile Hitachi has removed the TV tuner and put it up along with an external DVR which packs in a 250GB hard drive (50 hours). Onboard is Hitachi’s proprietary ‘Picture Master Full HD’ engine which improves the picture and color quality. The Hitachi UT47-XP770 will be made available in two colors; black and white at 480,000 Yen ($ 4800).
Hitachi Wooo UT 47 inch LCD TV is slim and comes with a 250GB DVR
The latest addition to Hitachi’s Wooo UT series is the “UT47-XP770″ a super slim 47 inch full HDTV which is just 35mm thick. Delivering a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels the panel has a brightness of 500 cd / m 2 and a viewing angle of 178 degrees. To maintain a slim profile Hitachi has removed the TV tuner and put it up along with an external DVR which packs in a 250GB hard drive (50 hours). Onboard is Hitachi’s proprietary ‘Picture Master Full HD’ engine which improves the picture and color quality. The Hitachi UT47-XP770 will be made available in two colors; black and white at 480,000 Yen ($ 4800).
