Definitions

The 404 1,217: Where it's kind of hot in these rhinos (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Discussion: Are you spoiling a movie for yourself by listening to the soundtrack before watching the movie? Inspired by Clint Mansell's new "Stoker" score available to stream.

- Discussion: Which programs are still shown in standard definition?

- The New York Times warns against sitting at work.… Read more

Bonus! Sony 'loans' Ultra HD video player to buyers of $25K TV

Those lucky folks who can afford a $25,000 4K Ultra High Definition TV from Sony now have something else to cheer about.

The Japanese electronics giant said today that it's now bundling an Ultra HD video player with the TV, giving users access to high-resolution content. And purchasers of the "4K Ultra HD Home Experience" also will receive an Xperia Tablet S that serves as a remote control.

In case that's not enough, Sony also is preloading the video player -- a hard-disk server -- with a gallery of 4K video shorts and 10 full-length … Read more

Three TV improvements more worthwhile than Ultra HD 4K

The Consumer Electronics Association has decided on a name for 4K resolution: Ultra HD. I guess this leaves room for future resolution increases, with names like Uber Ultra HD (UUHD), Super Ultra Definition (SUD), and, of course, Fantastic Ultra Brilliant Amazing Resolution (FUBAR).

But 4K is still largely just an increase in resolution, which is only one aspect of picture quality, and not the most important.

Here are three things more important than an increase in resolution.… Read more

Samsung, LG to launch 1080p phones next year, report says

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are looking to step up their game when it comes to display quality for their smartphones.

Both Korean conglomerates are planning to added full 1080p high-resolution capabilities to their smartphone screens in the first half of next year, according to Korean news Web site MK News.

Both companies are expected to pack in more than 400 pixels per inch for future displays. That would be higher than the 326 pixels per inch in the iPhone 5's Retina Display. A full HD display is supposed to have 440 pixels per inch.

The report noted that … Read more

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

Best extreme-definition 27-inch monitors

While most 27-inch monitors you'll find at your local Best Buy sport the perfectly capable resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, there's a growing contingent of monitor enthusiasts, like myself, who understand the real reason for the existence of 27-inch displays.

If you've never seen a 27-inch monitor running at 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution, then you've yet to be touched by a particularly affecting higher power.

Also referred to as "extreme definition" or "XD," this branch of higher-tier monitors will melt your face and not look back. However, as much as the impressive resolution benefits all aspects of computing, it is in games that it provides a particular advantage.… Read more

Definitive Technology's new monitor speaker rocks the house

My fondness for big speakers is longstanding, but I'm almost as big a fan of smaller speakers that sound big. Take Definitive Technology's StudioMonitor 55 speaker ($299 each). Measuring 13x7.8x12.3 inches it's not all that big, but it weighs a hefty 15.4 pounds. The StudioMonitor 55 is a handsome, but conventional-looking design, until you peel off the cloth grille on the top of the speaker and see the "racetrack bass radiator." It's a unique Def Tech feature, and one that really helps the StudioMonitor 55 outperform similarly sized speakers.… Read more

What is 4K? Next-generation resolution explained

As if LED and 3D TV weren't confusing enough, in the last few months we have seen a new HDTV technology called 4K, or its official name, Ultra HD. It's being heralded as the next high-def, and judging by the show floor at CES 2013, manufacturers are lining up to bring you a new array of products.

But just as was the case with 3D, it's the hardware chicken before the software egg: there's no consumer 4K content available. Still, if you listen to the industry, it'll tell you it's the last resolution you'll ever need. So what is 4K anyway, and what makes it different from high definition?

Editors' note: This was post was originally published January 23, 2012, and has been updated several times thereafter with expanded information, most recently on January 17, 2013.… Read more

iPad 3 to receive front-facing HD FaceTime camera?

Now that we have ushered in 2012, the hot topic for the next couple months will be rumored specs and release dates for Apple's iPad 3.

The latest rumor comes from editor in chief at iLounge, Jeremy Horwitz, who claims that the iPad 3 will get a high-definition, front-facing FaceTime camera.

Horwitz's rumored spec for the front-facing HD camera, relayed on his Twitter account, was actually just one of several assertions made by him. Also included was the fact that the iPad 3's rear-facing camera would be upgraded to either the same 8-megapixel camera that Apple uses … Read more