StarHub eyes untapped toddler market

Heads up you aspiring young parents, StarHub has a new toddler-oriented cable channel coming live from January 25. Costing fraction of a baby formula at S$4 (US$2.84) per month, BabyTV is available for any existing and new subscribers on HubStation, digital and HD settop boxes. The channel lineup include diverse edutainment genre on games, music, art, nature, animals, and etc. We even managed to narrow down a program dubbed Brainy Baby (hmm) which is a developmental series for introducing basic skills and fundamental principals.

Sure sounds promising, though we would strongly encourage against prolonged exposure to TV glare, too. So remember to keep a tab on your kids if you have decided to sign up today. To sample BabyTV content, you can either tuned in to StarHub's preview channel or log on its Website for more information.

Yamaha's HDMI-ready sound projector

Yamaha has a new sound projector and a much anticipated one with HDMI switching capability. The latest YSP-3000 mirrors an A/V receiver more closely than any of its predecessor with the above-mentioned 1080p24/50/60-ready HD video connectivity (2 in/1 out) and integrated FM tuner functions.

Other new additions include a Compressed Music Enhancer to restore MP3 sound quality and HDMI Consumer Electronics Control to operate selected Panasonic Viera link-ready flat-panel TVs and digital video recorders. For a hassle-free setup, there is also a proprietary IntelliBeam Automated System Calibration to optimize the virtual surround sound system for your living and bedrooms.

Do note that you will need a DVD, HD-DVD or Blu-ray player in addition to a TV to set up a full-fledged home theater system.

Via Akihabara news | Photo credit: Yamaha

Sony announces high-power multimedia projectors

Large venue presentations are always a challenge for mainstream multimedia projectors and going heavy-duty as the industrial equivalent may prove a financial strain, too. This is where Sony's upcoming VPL-FW300L and FH300L are designed to fill the void. These light cannons are capable of putting out bright 6,000 (FW) and 7,000 (FH) ANSI lumens, with the latter spotting an ultra-high 2,048 x 1,080-pixel native resolution.

Other common and notable features include dual lamp support for failsafe operation and oversized fan to minimize noise output. To enhance installation flexibility, there are also five different interchangeable lenses with easy mounting mechanism, as well as inbuilt routing channels for simple cable management. These 3LCD-based projectors will be available in Asia Pacific from end January 2008.

Loewe Connect-series TV shipping soon

We have wrote about these multimedia TVs at IFA 2007, and now they are finally ready to ship by end January. Available from 32 to 42 inches in screen size, the Connect series will come in a variety of finishes ranging from matt chrome silver to high gloss black and white. According to Tech Digest, a 37-incher Connect will cost an estimated £1,949 (US$3,800) or the asking price of an entry 46-inch LCD TV.

Putting aside Loewe's usual "premium" (read: Pricey) proposition, these flat panels do come with a couple of interesting features. Among these is an integrated wired and wireless networking capability for music, photo and video streaming. This is besides its customary DR+ option for hard drive-based digital video recording which it claims is capable of capturing HD programs.

Via Tech Digest | Photo credit: Loewe

33-megapixel broadcast by 2015

Even before full-HD reaches mainstream, the Japanese government is already embarking on an ambitious joint project to develop the next-gen TV system. Dubbed Super Hi-Vision or 8K, this new visual technology boasts 7,680 x 4,320-pixel or 33-megapixel photo clarity. That's 16 times the resolution of 1080p panels and a 4 fold enhancement over the latest commercial 4K displays. The latter, in fact, is barely making its presence felt in Asian cineplexes with the recent Spiderman 3 being one of the first 4K movie releases.

The Japan communication ministry is expected to inject 300 million yen (US$2.7 million) into research and development, leading up to a scheduled 8K broadcast as early as 2015. But the million dollar question here is whether there's a need for such resolution on our average 40 to 50-inch TV? Perhaps everyone will own a 100-inch mammoth in their living room by then?

Format	Resolution	Pixel count	Pixel count
Standard definition	720 x 480	345,600	0.3
High definition	1,280 x 720	921,600	0.9
Full high definition	1,920 x 1,080	2,073,600	2.1
4K	4,096 x 2,160	8,847,360	8.8
8K / Super Hi-Vision	7,680 x 4,320	33,177,600	33.2

Pixel count at a glance

Via Engadget

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