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Fear & Loathing In Indianapolis - Part Three Well, I don't mean to turn the CEDIA show into a career, but I would like to offer some final thoughts on some of the things I saw there. The thing that made this an exciting show and warranted the extensive coverage was not just that there were new products unveiled, but that these new products represented, in many cases, new technology relevant to the future of home theater. Looking back, the things that stand out in my mind as having the biggest potential impact on home theater moving forward are HDTV (I know, I'm being Captain Obvious with this one,) 480P (progressive-scan DVD,) THX Surround EX, and DLP projectors. HDTV As I intimated above, this is a no-brainer, but CEDIA impressed upon me in a big way that HDTV is here, its real, and its fantastic. The HDTV and HDTV-ready rear projection displays I saw here are a big step above the first generation of these products in terms of performance and value. They're priced lower and they look markedly better. As mentioned in CEDIA Part Two, the thing that finally struck me is that we're on the brink of "watching TV" meaning high definition video and 5.1 channel Dolby Digital surround sound. Previous high-end video formats like laserdisc, and to a lesser extent DVD, have been niche formats limited to enthusiasts. This kind of quality will be over the air via antenna and pulled down from satellite. Granted, we'll be facing the same thing we're facing now with DVD in waiting for the programming to catch up to our viewing appetite. This also gives us yet another reason to commend forward thinking studios like Columbia Tri-Star that are doing high def masters of their films now. When we're ready to watch they'll be ready with the material. Everything Columbia has done on DVD is from a high def master, therefore every one of those titles will make a short transition into whatever the high def media of choice turns out to be. 480p This one was an absolute stunner for me at the show. The NTSC system was devised in 1953 and has remained relatively unchanged ever since. Its time is definitely about to pass, but its nevertheless stunning to see how good it can really be when its done as well as it possibly can, (albeit without the interlaced scanning the system is based on.) 480p is a big improvement over the performance we are getting now from current DVD players. The kind of performance that was previously attained using line processors that cost thousands. The image is so film-like and three-dimensional that it's scary. 480p doesn't exactly pale in comparison to true high-def either, its that good. Based on the viewing I've done so far, high-def is better, but it's not night and day, which I assumed it would be. 480p is a big step up in quality that I believe demands consideration when purchasing a display or a DVD player from this point on (provided that the players actually make it to market this time!) THX Surround EX While I was underwhelmed by the demos I saw at CEDIA of this particular technology, I nevertheless believe it has potential to add another dimension to the home theater experience. The material used in the demo I spoke of was poorly produced, but I believe as sound designers start to figure how to use this new tool it will significantly enhance the ability of a soundtrack to produce a 360Ò soundfield. In addition to being able to put sounds "behind" the listener, sidewall imaging will also be improved, making pans from front to rear and vice verse that much more convincing and smooth. I look forward to hearing Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged Me and the other THX Surround EX material that will surely follow in the upcoming months. I think this material will offer a better opportunity to assess the advantages of this new feature. DLP Projectors While everyone is fixated with plasma displays, and even LCD based projectors and projection TVs to a lesser extent, DLP is the technology that has actually arrived as a high quality alternative to CRT based projectors and TVs. These little babies are lightweight and compact, offering the point, focus, and shoot setup simplicity of LCD while also getting the lack level performance required of a home theater display. And without the visible pixel structures of LCD displays. Back To Hardware Editorial / Back to Part One / Back to Part Two |
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