SHARP RELEASES NEW SLATE OF ANDROID-POWERED UHD TVS (eng)

   Absolutely one of the coolest things I saw at this year’s CES in Las Vegas was Sharp’s dual position TV stands, which allow you to position the feet of select 2015 models toward the center of the display if it’s positioned on a small credenza, or all the way at the left and right extremes if you have more space and want a more stable (and more visually striking, IMHO) setup. There was some question at the time as to exactly which models would support this dual configuration stand setup, but now we know that Sharp’s new UH30 and UE30 series UHD TVs will—but only on the 70- and 80-inch class displays.

   Still, even if you’re looking for something a little smaller, the UH30 and UE30 series have a lot going for them. Both series feature Android TV—the smart TV platform that is quickly overtaking proprietary platforms due to its slick interface, Google Cast capabilities, and wealth of gaming options. With Android TV, you can stream native apps like Google Play, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, PBS Kids and more, or cast apps like HBO Go, Pandora, ESPN, and others via screen mirroring.

   The UH30 and UE30 series displays also of course feature Sharp-exclusive technologies like AquoMotion 480 (UE30) and AquoMotion 960 (UH30) to reduce motion blur and create a more lifelike image. These numbers don’t represent actual refresh rates, mind you, but through different processing and image technologies, they do represent a sort of refresh-rate-equivalent. Both series also feature AquoDimming, which is Sharp’s term of its own local dimming feature—designed to ensure that the image is deep and richly contrasted, with good detail in dark areas of the screen.

   Both series also feature Revelation Upscaler technology designed to bring HD content up to near-4K quality, and support for all of the latest Ultra High Definition specs, including HEVC/h.265 and VP9 decoding, as well as HDCP 2.2 copy protection compatibility. Both also boast four HDMI inputs, along with WiFi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity built in.

   There are, it should go without saying, some differences between the two series. UH30 displays benefit from Sharp’s SPECTROS Rich Color Display technology, which delivers a 21 percent wider color spectrum than traditional LED/LCD displays. SPECTROS is effectively being positioned as Sharp’s quantum dots equivalent, although the technology doesn’t work in quite the same way on a technical level. Still, the company promises “realistic landscapes, lush nature scenes and natural skin tones.” UH30 displays also come with a fancier touchpad remote, and what’s more, the 70-inch class UH30 (model LC-70UH30U) passed more than 400 picture quality tests required to earn THX’s 4K certification.

   All five models in the UH30 and UE30 series are available now from your local authorized Sharp dealer. Suggested retail pricing (and actual current pricing) for the UE30 models breaks down as follows:

• 60″ (diagonal) Class LC-60UE30U: $2,099.99 MSRP. (Currently $1,699.99.)
• 70″ (69.5″ diagonal) Class LC-70UE30U: $2,899.99 MSRP. (Currently $2,099.00.)
• 80″ (diagonal) Class LC-80UE30U: $5,599.99 MSRP. (Currently $4,499.99.)

And for the step-up UH30 series:

• 70″ (69.5″ diagonal) Class LC-70UH30U: $3,299.99 MSRP. (Currently $2,599.99.)
• 80″ (diagonal) Class LC-80UH30U: $6,299.99 MSRP. (Currently $4,999.99.)

sursa: hdliving.com

Firefox can finally stream Netflix videos without a plugin (eng)

Due to ​Hollywood's insistence on DRM to stream its movies on Netflix, Firefox users who wanted to watch flicks on the service had to download the Silverlight plugin. That's because until now, Mozilla's staunch open-source philosophy prevented the browser from being loaded with the DRM tech -- dubbed the Adobe Content Decryption Module (CDM) -- necessary to stream those shows on regular ol' HTML 5 (Chrome and Safari, on the other hand, have no such scruples). Not so with the latest version of Firefox, however, which is ready to help you watch your favorite Netflix show just by itself, no plugin required. If you're strictly anti-DRM though, no worries; Mozilla is pushing a non-CDM version of the browser for your principled pleasure that only downloads the DRM module when you visit a page that needs it. It might seem a little antithetical for Mozilla to offer a browser with DRM support, but we can understand why one might want to bend the rules to watch the wonder that is Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

sursa: engadget.com

What 4K Content Can You Enjoy Right Now? (eng)

For anyone who has purchased a 4K TV and is still waiting for compelling content to arrive, the recent announcement that theBlu-ray Disc Association has finalized the specification for Ultra HD Blu-ray is certainly good news. Now that the licensing phase has begun, industry analysts predict that the first crop of Ultra HDBlu-ray disc players should be on the market by the holiday shopping season.

While some may bemoan the emergence of yet another disc format, proclaiming that the disc is already dead, many enthusiasts are excited for the arrival of a higher-quality 4K video and audio experience. Of course, we don't yet know what these players will cost, nor do we know how many Ultra HD Blu-raytitles will be launched alongside that first group of players. Time will tell.

In the meantime, 4K streaming and download services remain your only option for viewing theatrical film and TV releases in 4K. Here is an overview of the major 4K services that are available right now. Most of these services require that you own a smart TV or media player with built-in HEVC decoding in order to access the Ultra HD 4K content.

Netflix 
If you subscribe to Netflix's top-tier $11.99/month plan, you can access the Ultra HD options from this streaming video service. Since I first wrote about the Netflix Ultra HD service last August, the company has doubled the number of Ultra HD titles. Unfortunately, that's not saying much, since it only had 10 titles back then and now has 20. Netflix has added more of its original TV series, including Daredevil, Grace and Frankie, and Marco Polo. In terms of theatrical film releases, though, I counted a grand total of six...none of which would qualify as a new release.

Amazon Ultra HD Instant Video 
The Amazon Ultra HD Instant Video streaming service includes some titles--mostly, Amazon's original TV series--that are available free to Amazon Prime subscribers ($99/year). However, the majority of its theatrical film content is offered on a pay-per-use basis. I described the complete content lineup in my review a few months back. Amazon's lineup is more extensive than Netflix's; the problem is that virtually all of those pay-per-use titles are not available for rent. They must be purchased, usually for $25.99 to $29.99. That can become an awfully pricey proposition for titles that you only have access to in a compressed streamed format. It's worth noting that, last week, Amazon became the first provider to offerstreamed HDR 4K content.

M-GO
M-GO is a pay-per-use service that's available on a variety of smart devices, but its 4K offerings are currently limited to Samsung UHD TVs. You can stream titles or, if you own the newest version of the $399 Samsung UHD Video Pack USB dongle, download them. As I write this, 4K Ultra HD content includes 36 movies and two TV series. The movies are available for rent or purchase for a reasonable price, but the titles are hardly the newest, hottest offerings; in fact, I had never heard of most of them.

Samsung UHD Video Pack
This $399 USB dongle is only compatible with Samsung UHD TVs and comes preloaded with 10 films and 30 documentaries, and you can load new titles exclusively via the M-GO service described above. Pre-loaded films include G.I. Joe: Retaliation, World War Z, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Counselor, Star Trek: The Future Begins, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Life of Pi.

UltraFlix 
One of the more compelling yet perhaps least known options is UltraFlix, a dedicated 4K pay-per-use service that's available on compatible Samsung, Vizio, and Sony TVs, as well as the Nanotech Nuvola NP-1 player (Nanotech owns the UltraFlix service). Titles are available for rent for reasonable prices (often $9.99 or less); once again, there's not much in the way of big-ticket theatrical film releases (although UltraFlix was the only 4K service at the time of this writing to offer Interstellar in 4K), but there are some interesting 4K concert videos, as well as lots of free documentaries and shorts.

Sony 4K Video Unlimited
An in-depth review of Sony's FMP-X10 4K media player is coming next week, which is currently the only way to access the Sony 4K Video Unlimited service, a download service that includes film and TV titles for rent and/or purchase. A downloaded 4K film doesn't have to be compressed quite as much as a streamed film, so the picture quality is a slight step up. The FMP-X10 was previously locked to Sony TVs but will now work with any UHD TV that has HDCP 2.2 copy protection. Sony's film selection is better than the services above but is hardly spectacular; one positive is that many titles that are only available for purchase through Amazon are available for rent here.

DirecTV
Owners of a DirecTV Genie whole-house DVR and a compatible RVU-equipped Samsung TV can choose from a small selection of on-demand UHD titles each week. (DirecTV's rival, Dish Network, showed off a 4K Joey client at CES that's supposed to arrive this year, but we haven't heard anything further.)

Comcast
Comcast currently offers the Xfinity Ultra HD sampler app available for its subscribers who own compatible Samsung smart TVs. As of this writing, the app offers on-demand access to seasons of Chicago Fire, Covert Affairs, and Suits (one of my personal favorites, by the way).

YouTube and Vimeo
These sites offer an assortment of user-generated 4K options but no major theatrical or TV releases. YouTube uses the VP9 codec for its 4K content, so your smart TV or player needs to have that decoding capability. This year's TVs probably have it, but older models may not.

VUDU
VUDU is teasing the arrival of UHD content on its website, with support for both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. However, an official launch date has not yet been announced.

Finally, many of the major smart-TV manufacturers offer a dedicated 4K app where you can view an assortment of free 4K clips, just to highlight the technology.

sursa: hometheaterreview.com