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By: Peter Putman, CTS
...Continued from PART 1....
The key to all of this is having a display capable of showing HDTV programs. As more and more fixed-pixel front projectors and flat-panel TVs take over the market, prices are plummeting. You can pick up any number of 30in. to 46in. plasma or LCD TVs for less than $5,000, and numerous business projectors in that price range are compatible with one or more HDTV formats.
The direct-view TV market still has its supporters, and there are several sets offered in the 22in. to 34in. range with HDTV compatibility and widescreen aspect ratios. Many direct-view and rear-projection models are coming to market with integrated ATSC/NTSC tuners, anticipating the July 1, 2004, FCC deadline for sets 36in. and larger.
Rear-projection sets from RCA, Zenith, Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung using DLP and LCD technology have already achieved true HD resolution. These typically have 1280x720 imaging panels and chips and a price tag around $3,500 to $4,000. New models from Toshiba, JVC, and Mitsubishi incorporate liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technology and are seeking to raise the resolution bar to 1920x1080 with progressive-scan conversion. But these carry much higher price tags.
In the flat-panel market, LCD TVs have broken the 50in. barrier and are closing in on 60in., and current models from 15in. to 42in. all offer 1280x768 native resolution. The larger LCD screens shown earlier this year (LG's 52in. and Samsung's 54in.) have 1920x1080 pixel matrices and amazing image detail, although both will come with steep price tags when introduced in 2004.
Even the lowest-resolution plasma TVs (852x480) now being sold at less than $3,000 by Gateway, V Inc., and others still look great with HDTV content, and they're perfect matches for widescreen movies on DVD. Under the consumer electronics designations, these plasma TVs only qualify as EDTV monitors, but typical consumers won't understand the distinction and certainly won't care each time they view a football game or concert in HD.
The greatest thing since...
So where do we go from here? There is still a great deal of programming on TV in 4:3 SDTV, and that may not change for some time. What will probably change is the expanded use of HDTV commercials, given how many TV spots are presented in a widescreen letterbox format to begin with. In fact, many CBS O&O stations were equipped with HD servers a few years back in anticipation of locally produced HD commercials.
The rollout of POD-ready TVs will stir the pot even more, as the cable industry seeks to recover subscribers who have defected to Dish and DirecTV. Cable MSOs are in a better position to add more HD channels that are DBS providers, given the scarcity and cost of additional transponders.
Fox's decision to move to 720p HD content distribution is good news for all, given its extensive sports coverage of Major League Baseball, NFL football, and NASCAR. NBC has been a bit reticent to make major moves in HDTV live programming, but it's a sure bet it will offer HD coverage of next summer's Olympic Games in Athens, possibly in partnership with HDNet again.
There has also been talk of syndication companies and studios remastering old TV shows into HDTV formats for rebroadcast. This task is obviously easier with filmed originals. And the number of programs shot and edited in 1080p/24 continues to grow as TV producers move slowly away from film.
Two years ago, HDTV was largely a promise. Today, I can argue that it has simply become mainstream, and its effect will be enormous in the coming years. As predicted, the naysayers have slipped back into the shadows while manufacturers, content producers, service providers, and consumers have awakened and smelled the coffee.
Got HDTV?
Update
IN LAST MONTH'S LCD AND DLP PROJECTOR ROUNDUP, NEC'S GT5000 projector was measured at just around 3000 ANSI lumens. An NEC representative voiced concern that the projector was not tested correctly, as this reading is considerably below the manufacturer's specification of 6000 lumens. So I re-tested the projector to verify my previous readings.
As noted in every projector roundup I have done since 1996, I always set up each projector for best grayscale reproduction and optimum white balance, never for brightest image. With projectors using short-arc metal halide lamps, this always results in a reduction in image brightness, usually between 30% to 50%. The reason is that short-arc lamps have uneven spectral energy, with excessive blue-green output and reduced red and yellow emissions.
By reducing blue-green and boosting red and warm tones to achieve better color balance, light output drops off. The same effect can be seen by taking a Wratten 10R, 20R, or 30R filter and placing it over the lens to "warm up" the image. With a 20R filter, light will be reduced by about 1 F-stop.
This explains my reading of 2936 ANSI lumens, with ANSI contrast at 194:1 and peak contrast at 336:1. (By the way, these are good numbers for LCD projectors using microlens array technology, which boosts brightness but kills black levels.)
By selecting the maximum brightness mode in the GT5000's menu - Presentation or User - I was able to coax 5358 ANSI lumens out of the projector with 288:1 ANSI contrast and 508:1 peak contrast. However, black levels came up considerably, and the image took on a noticeable greenish tint. This might not be objectionable for business graphics, but you would surely see it when screening video.
So the GT5000 is certainly the brightest projector in the review when operated in full-out peak brightness mode. When optimized for picture quality, it still gives a good accounting of itself, but isn't nearly as bright. - PP
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