Japan broadcasts Super Hi-Vision signal over the air

Japan's national public broadcaster NHK has revealed that it successfully broadcast a compressed Super Hi-Vision (SHV) signal carrying video at a resolution of 7680 x 4320, 16 times the resolution of regular HD. This is the first time that SHV has been transmitted over the air.

On April 15, NHK successfully broadcast the video via two channels of ultra-high frequency radio from the roof of its Science and Technology Research Laboratories. It was decoded at a distance of 4.2 km (2.6 miles) without error.

Japan's AV Watch reports that, across the two channels used (UHF31 and UHF34), a data transmission bandwidth of 183.6 Mbps was achieved.

Super Hi-Vision is NHK's preferred name for ultra high definition television (UHDTV) at this definition, also known as 8K (or 8K4K). It was one of two UHDTV standards defined by the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers in 2007, the other being the lesser 4K (or 4K2K) standard with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, as seen in UHDTVs by Samsung and Toshiba, as well as JVC's 4K2K camera. (JVC's D-ILA projector also discussed at the time supports 8K.) A frame rate of 120 frames per second for both UHDTV standards was subsequently agreed.

Sony’s 2012 flagship HX850 BRAVIAs released

Following its announcement at CES in January, Sony’s 2012 flagship BRAVIA LCD TVs have hit stores in the U.S., with other markets set to follow. Coming in 46- and 55-inch screen sizes, the HX850 line offers Dynamic Edge LED backlighting with fully local dimming, and W-Fi internet connectivity and 3D capabilities out of the box. The new HDTVs feature a bezel-free monolithic design incorporating Gorilla Glass. The sets deliver Full HD 1080p resolution and pack the newest version of Sony’s Motionflow XR 960800 Hz technology to reduce motion blur. There’s also Sony’s X-Reality PRO video processing, which also upscales web pages viewed on the pre-installed Opera browser.

Internet connectivity also provides one-touch access via the BRAVIA home screen to the Sony Entertainment Network and apps, including Netflix, Pandora, HuluPlus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, Slacker Internet Radio, and Crackle, just to name a few. Skype also comes pre-installed, but requires the purchase of a camera and mic unit. Inputs include four HDMI (two side/two rear), one component, two composite, one D-Sub, Ethernet and two side USB ports, with one digital audio and one headphone output.

IKEA is moving into "hybrid furniture" with its new all-in-one UPPLEVA range. Integrating a home entertainment unit with AV equipment from Chinese manufacturer TCL, the UPPLEVA comes with a full-HD, smart LED TV, a combined Blu-ray, DVD, and CD player, and a 2.1 sound system featuring a wireless subwoofer - all operated by a single remote control.

The idea behind the UPPLEVA (the Swedish word for experience) is to rid a home of all the wires that are an inevitable part of owning multiple devices. How much of a problem you view this as will likely determine your level of interest - as will the price of 6,500 Swedish kronor (around US$955). As the video below shows, the customer chooses the size of TV that's right for them (between 24- and 46-inches) and the frame that suits their style. They then choose the piece of furniture that they want to have in their house, subject to self-assembly, naturally. The customization options available (as seen from 1:50 onwards) are impressive, with sizes, units, and colors to suit the majority of mainstream tastes. While it's a fairly elegant solution, there is a glaring issue with an all-in-one system such as this: what happens when the technology moves on to something new? The television included at launch isn't 3D-capable, for instance, despite the fact 3D is rapidly becoming a standard feature in all new TV sets (regardless of the level of interest the average consumer has in the feature). IKEA may well offer a solution to this in the future, whereby you can replace individual components ... although this would seem to defeat the purpose of offering such an all-in-one system. The UPPLEVA range will first be available in IKEA's home country of Sweden, as well as France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, in June 2012. The rest of the world will follow by the middle of 2013.