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Ultra High Definition officially replaces 4K

The display format formerly known as 4K will now be called "Ultra High Definition" in the home, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced in California today.

The CEA said it chose Ultra HD to denote that it has a higher resolution than the existing 1,920x1,080 pixels of full high definition.

To qualify as Ultra HD, a display needs to have a resolution of at least 3,840 pixels horizontally and at least 2,160 pixels vertically, the CEA said. Additionally, the product will require at least one 4K-capable digital input and display 4K content natively without … Read more

Poll: Will you be buying the 'Avatar' 3D Blu-ray?

It was almost three years ago that "Avatar" debuted in cinemas, and today eager fans can finally do what they wanted to do when it first came out on Blu-ray: watch it in 3D at home.

The reason you couldn't buy it on 3D Blu-ray until now? Panasonic bought the exclusive rights for the 3D version for 18 months, and this expired in February of this year. Up until today, if you wanted a copy of "Avatar" in 3D, you either bought a Panasonic plasma, or shelled out up to $100 for a copy from … Read more

What is refresh rate?

With 120Hz, 240Hz, and even 600Hz, refresh rate gets a lot of attention in the marketing of new HDTVs.

What it is and how it works is interesting, but why it exists is even more so. And it can have a profound effect on the picture quality of your HDTV.

Curious?

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1080i and 1080p are the same resolution

There still seems to be some confusion about the difference between 1080i and 1080p. Both are 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution. Both have 2,073,600 pixels. From one perspective, 1080i is actually greater than Blu-ray. And, you can't even get a full 1080p/60 source other than a PC, camcorder, or some still cameras that shoot video.

True, 1080i and 1080p aren't the same thing, but they are the same resolution. Let the argument commence... … Read more

Hollywood-style movies with an iPhone 5? It can be done

It might not be easy to use an iPhone to record and edit a Hollywood-style short, but it's possible.

Anna Elizabeth James and Michael Koerbel, the duo behind Majek Pictures, have a history of seeing how well the latest Apple devices handle cinema production values, not just point-and-shoot video, and this time around they've used an iPhone 5 to create "All Up To You," an amusing 96-second mini-musical about running out of gas in the desert with only Siri to help.

Creating the short was a scramble to find dancers, to print app icons on boxes, … Read more

Nook Video opens new chapter for B&N e-reader

Last year when it launched its Nook Tablet, Barnes & Noble strongly hinted that it was looking to add a video service to the device that would allow users to buy and rent movies and television shows.

Well, it took a little longer than expected, but today the company has announced that it's launching Nook Video this fall in the U.S. and the U.K. this "holiday season" with content from major studios, including HBO, Sony, Starz, and Warner Bros, and Disney.

That Barnes & Noble would build its video offering in house is a bit … Read more

Oppo unveils two new Blu-ray players

Rewind the clock back five years and Oppo was the "go-to" brand for DVD players, with the Oppo DV-981HD one of the best models available at the time. Then Blu-ray happened, and Oppo saw little initial competition for its first Blu-ray player. But since 2009, the Blu-ray player market has shrunk: titans like Sony and Panasonic no longer make premium players and instead opt for cookie-cutter "wedges" with plastic build quality, yet good performance and cheap prices.

Oppo has stuck to its design and philosophical guns, and has now released its third set of players, the … Read more