VR in games

Classic VR Games HMD with glove

In year-1991, the company ((( originally W Industries, later renamed ))) Virtuality licenced the Amiga 3000 for use in their VR machines , and , released a VR gaming system called the 1000CS . This was a standing-up immersive HMD platform with a tracked 3D joystick. 'The system featured several VR games , including :::

-- Dactyl Nightmare ((( shoot-em-up ))) ,

-- Legend Quest ((( adventure and fantasy ))) ,

-- Hero ((( VR puzzle ))) ,

-- Grid Busters ((( shoot-em-up ))) .

Virtual Reality I Glasses Personnal Display System is a visor-and-headphones headset that is compatible with any video input , including 3D broadcasting , and , usable with most game systems (Nintendo, PlayStation, etc.).

Virtual Reality World 3D Color Ninja game comes with headset-visor and ankle-straps and wrist-straps that sense the player's punches and kicks.

Virtual Reality Wireless TV Tennis Game comes with a toy's-tennis-racket that senses the player's swing,

Wireless TV Virtual Reality Boxing includes the boxing gloves , that , the player wears and jabs with.

Nintendo's Virtual Boy was sold for only one year, year-1995 . Bob Ladrach brought Virtual Knight into the major theme park arcades in 1994.

Aura Interactor Virtual Reality Game Wear is a chest-and-back's harness , through which the player can feel the punches , explosions , kicks , uppercuts , slam-dunks , crashes , bodyblows . It works with Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo.

In the role-playing game -

Mage : The Ascension , the-mage-tradition-of-the-VirtualAdepts is presented as the real creators of VR . 'The Adepts'-ultimate-objective is to move into VR , scrapping their physical bodies in favour of improved virtual ones .

.hack series centers on a VR video game. This shows the potentially dangerous side of VR , demonstrating 'the adverse effects on human health and possible virusses , including ::: a comatose state that some players assume .

Metal Gear Solid bases heavily on VR usage, either as a part of the plot , or , simply to guide the players through training sessions.

In Kingdom Hearts II , the character , Roxas lives in a virtual Twilight Town , until he merges with Sora .

In System Shock , the player has the implants , making her//him//it//them//em//one//1 able to enter into a kind of cyberspace.

Its sequel, System Shock 2 also features some minor levels of VR.

In Black and White users could download a patch to use the P5 glove to control the game.

VR in Heritage and Archaeology

VR in Heritage and Archaeology

The use of VR in Heritage and Archaeology has the enormous potential in museums + visittor-centre's-applications , but ...... its use 's been temperred by the difficulty in presenting a ``quick to learn"" real-time's experience to numerous people any given time. Many historic reconstructions tend to be//b in a pre-renderred format to a shared video display , thus allowing more than 1 person to view a computer generated world, but ...... limitting the inter-action that full-scale VR can provide. The first-use-of-a-VR-presentation-in-a-Heritage-application was in year-1994 when a museum's-visitor's-interpretation provided an//a inter-active `````'walk-through'"" of a 3D reconstruction of Dudley-Castle in England , as it was in 1550 . This consisted of a computer-controlled-lasersdisc-based-system designed by British based engineer Colin Johnson. It is a little known fact ...... that 1-of-the-first-users-of-Virtual-Reality was ::: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II , when ::: she officially openned 'the visitor centre in June 1994. The details of the originnal project can be//b viewed here ::: The Virtual Tours of Dudley-Castle - archive . 'The system featured in a conference held by the British Museum in November 1994 and in the subsequent technical paper.. ::: ``'Imaging the Past'"" - Electronic Imaging and Computer Graphics in Museums and Archaeology - ISBN 0861591143.

VR Reconstruction

VR en-ables the heritage sites to be recreated extremely//extremly accuratly, so that 'the recreations can be published in various media . 'The original sites 'r often in-accessible to the public, or , may even nO longer exist. This technology can be//b used to develop the virtual replicas o' ::: caves , natural environment , old towns , monuments , sculptures , archaeologiccal elements .

The process [[-that-Virtualware-has-used-to-reproduce-the-natural-cave-of-Santimamiñe-]] , is based on the following main steps :::

- Data collection in the area through a 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry ,

- Data processing in cabinet,

- Virtual model generation,

- Application development,

- Design and an installation and setting up of the Virtual Reality system.

A-video-sample-of-the-results-of-this-technology can be viewed in virtual-caves.com

SONY DSC-HX1 Digital Camera , farking review

'the HX1 is a super fast 10 fps continuous shooting camera , relying not only on 'the sensor's speedy-processing , but also on a fast physiccal shutter , which , in turn , en-ables 3 unique shooting modes ::: Sweeping-panorama's-mode , Anti-Motion's-Blur , Twilight's-mode.

'the HX1 does not feature the//t' RAW file recording , however , there'r many a manual control & setting , such as ::: 3 noise-reduction-settings//setting , many a white-balance-setting , a full range of manual modes , and many others , for the photographer , who wants//want the//t' ultimate control.

New Features:

• New 28 - 560 mm equiv 'G' lens
• Ultra fast 10 fps continuous shooting speed
• HD movie recording at up to 1440x1080 at 30 fps
• Intelligent Auto mode
• Unique sweeping panorama, twilight, and anti-shake modes
• A revised menu system (Home menu is gone)
• HDMI port

	Sony DSC-HX1	Sony DSC-H50
Sensor	• 1/2.4 " Type CMOS • 9.1 million effective pixels	• 1/2.3 " Type CCD • 9.1 million effective pixels
Maximum Image Size	3456 x 2592	3456 x 2592
Lens	• 28-560mm equiv.(4:3), 31-620mm (16:9) • 20x Optical zoom • F2.8-8.0(W)-5.2-8.0(T)	• 31-465mm equiv. • 15x Optical zoom • F2.7-8.0(W)-5.2-8.0(T)
Video Recording	HD Up to 1440x1080 30fps	Up to VGA (640x480) 30 fps
Sensitivity	• Auto • ISO 125-3200	• Auto • ISO 80-3200
Special Scene Modes	Sweeping Panorama, Twilight, Anti-Shake,	None
LCD screen	• Tilting • 230,000 pixels • 3.0 inch TFT LCD	• Tilting • 230,000 pixels • 3.0 inch TFT LCD
Continuous shooting	max 10 fps	max 1.6 fps
Weight (no batteries)	514g (18.1oz.)	547g (19.3 oz)
Other	HDMI output

Sony DSC-HX1 specifications

Price	• UK: £429.99 • US: $499.95
Sensor	• 1/2.4" Exmor CMOS Sensor • 9.1 million effective pixel
Image sizes	• 3456 x 2592 • 3456 x 2304 • 3456 x 1944 • 3648 x 2056 • 2048 x 1536 • 1920 x 1080 • 640 X 480
Image sizes (Panorama)	• 7152 x 1080 • 4912 x 1080 • 4912 x 1920 • 3424 x 1920
Movie clips	• 1440 x 1080 (30fps) • 1280 x 720 (30fps) • 640x480 (30fps)
File formats	• Still Image : JPEG (EXIF 2.2), DPOF v1.1, DCF v2.0, MPF baseline • Movie Clip : mp4, MPEG4
Lens	• Sony G lens • 13 elements in 10 groups (including 1 ED and 1 Aspheric element) • 28-560mm equiv.(4:3), 31-620mm (16:9) • 20x Optical zoom • f = 5.0-100.0mm • F2.8-8.0(W)-5.2-8.0(T)
Conversion lenses	Yes, Tele:VCL-HD1757 (Optional)
Digital zoom	Approx. 40x
Image Stabilization	Optical SteadyShot
Focus	9 points / Center Weighted AF / Flexible Spot / Semi-Manual / Manual
AF area modes	Intelligent
Focus Mode	• Multi • Center • Flexible Spot
Focus distance	• Normal :W:Approx.1cm(0.03') to Infinity, T:Approx.150cm(4.92') to Infinity • Macro: W: Approx.1cm(0.03') to Infinity, T:Approx.150cm(4.92') to Infinity
ISO sensitivity	• Auto • ISO 125 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200
Metering modes	• Multi • Center • Spot
Shutter speed	• Auto(2 sec- 1/4,000) • Program Auto(1 sec- 1/4,000) • Aperture Priority(8 sec- 1/2,000) • Manual(30" - 1/4,000)
Aperture	• Auto (F2.8./F8.0(W), • Program auto (F2.8/F8.0(W) • Manual( F2.8/F8.0(W)
Shooting modes	• Mode dial: Intelligent Auto, P Auto, easy, SCN, movie, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual • Scene: High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight portrait, Landscape, Snow, Beach, Fire works, Sports, gourmet, Sports, handheld Twilight, Anti-Motion Blur, Sweep Panorama
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Fluorescent 1 (White Fluorescent) • Fluorescent 2 (Natural White Fluorescent) • Fluorescent 3 (Day White Fluorescent) • Incandescent • Flash • Custom
Self timer	• Off • 10sec • 2sec
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps / 5 fps / 2 fps (10 shots max)
Flash	• Modes :Auto, Flash On, Slow Sync, Flash Off • Red Eye Reduction : Auto, On, Off • Range : ISO Auto: Approx.0.3-Approx.9.2m(W) Approx.1.5-Approx.5.1m (T)
Viewfinder	• 0.2 inch • approx. 201K pixels
LCD monitor	• 3.0 inch TFT LCD • approx. 230,400 pixels
Digital input/output	• USB 2.0 High Speed • Multi-use terminal Type2d
Microphone / Speaker	Stereo / Mono
Video output	• HD(1080i) - HDMI • Composite • NTSC/ PAL
Storage	• Internal memory (Approx. 11 MB) • Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/ Pro HG Duo
Power	InfoLITHIUM H type 6.8V
Weight (no batt)	Approx. 514g (18.1oz.)

LG 47LH30 LCD HDTV , review PUCK'in'

LG 47LH30 HDTV Review

Summary

'the LG-HDTV provides :::

- the//'t accurate colours ;

- the//t' extensive picture's-controls , including unique Picture's-Wizard ;

- the//t' extensive connectivity with//w/ 3 HDMI & 1 PC input ;

- very energy-efficient.

However , 'the blacklevel 's relatively//relativly light , its uniformity 's an//a issue , the//t' Off-angle-viewing is still a common problem for//4 all LCD-tv .

Inside Story

The 2009 new LH30 series of LCD TVs re-establishes LG as the king of picture controls. It offered the most extensive suite of user-menu color adjustments available --from gamma targets to color filters to a Picture Wizard, with built-in test patterns that actually work.

The end result is highly accurate color. But other major picture quality factors, namely black level and screen uniformity, are generally beyond the reach of controls, and in the LH30's case those two factors weigh heavily.

Design

If you're looking for relief from the scads of identical-looking glossy-black HDTVs out there, don't look to the LH30 series. The straightforward exterior has the same medium-width gloss-black frame on the top and sides with a thicker portion below the screen, the bottom edge of which is curved ever so slightly and edged by a chrome-colored strip. LG's characteristic subtly protruding, illuminated power indicator interrupts the strip on the right side, and speakers are hidden completely from view along the bottom of the panel. The stand swivels and matches the panel with its glossy black.

The LG LH30's one distinguishing accent is the power indicator protrusion.

The company cut corners on the entry-level remote. Our biggest hang-up was lack of a dedicated aspect ratio button, and we couldn't get used to the placement of the menu key to the lower-left of the big cursor control. There is a prominent, appropriately colored key toward the top labeled "Energy Saving," complete with leaf logo, but somewhat confusingly it calls up the rotary-looking quick menu, set to the energy saving position, instead of a completely separate energy saving function. On the plus side, we liked the feel of the clicking, rubberized cursor control.

A prominent Energy Saving key on the remote offers easy access to that setting in the Quick Menu.

LG's menu system is quite extensive, so the easy-access quick menu for aspect ratio, picture and sound modes, the timer and other oft-used functions, is welcome. The main menu is laid out the same as last year with the addition of a new onscreen "simple manual" that provides basic setup and function information. One miscue: we'd really like to see explanations of menu items appear onscreen, too, especially since many of them are so advanced.

The rotary Quick Menu circumvents the main menu and offers a direct route to major functions.

Features

As LG's entry-level line of 1080p resolution LCDs, the LH30's big missing feature compared to the step-up LH40 models is 120Hz with dejudder processing.

On the flipside, the LG LH30's picture-adjusting controls certainly surpass those of most entry-level HDTVs. The company included even more adjustments than last year, starting with a well-thought-out Picture Wizard that uses internal test patterns to help you perform you own basic calibrations of the controls for brightness, contrast, color, tint, horizontal and vertical sharpness, and backlight. Once you've finished, your settings are saved to the Expert1 picture memory slot for your choice of inputs. See Performance below for details on the results.

The picture wizard's series of screens is each devoted to adjusting one picture parameter, such as black level (the brightness control).

Each of the eight adjustable picture memory slots is independent per input, and we appreciated that all of them, aside from the two Expert slots, indicate whether or not they're in the default settings. Advanced controls abound in even the non-Expert modes, with three color temperature presets, settings for dynamic contrast and color, noise reduction, three levels of gamma, a black level control, wide and standard color spaces, edge enhancement, a room-lighting sensor and even an "eye care" setting designed to prevent the screen from being too bright (it's disabled in Vivid and Cinema modes).

The Advanced picture controls available in most picture modes are just the tip of the iceberg.

Those Expert modes, which bear the logo and the input of the Imaging Science Foundation, offer a passel of additional controls. Our favorite, first introduced by LG last year and still exclusive to the company, is a 10-point white balance system that can really help get a more accurate grayscale. The company upped the ante for 2009, adding the ability to target a 2.2 gamma, internal test patterns, and even color filters for blue-only, green-only, and red-only to help set color balance. A full color management system is also on-tap, and we love the ability apply Expert settings to all inputs or just one at a time. Of course, most of these settings will appeal only to pro calibrators and HDTV geeks, but either way, LG's 2009 models offer the most complete suite of user-menu picture adjustments we've seen on any HDTV to date.

The Expert picture modes offer a 10-point white balance option, which has been improved from last year.

LG touts the efficiency of this set, *, and rightly so, according to our tests (see below). In addition to the "home use" and "store demo" initial settings common to the Energy Star 3.0-qualified televisions, there's a trio of progressively more aggressive Energy Saving settings that reduce the backlight--and thus light output along with wattage consumed. Engaging the settings disables the standard backlight control.

The H30 series is missing picture-in-picture but does provide plenty of aspect ratio control, including five modes or use with HD sources and four with standard-def. Two modes are adjustable zooms, and there's a "set by program" mode designed to automatically choose the correct aspect ratio setting based on the signal. We recommend using the Just Scan mode with 1080i and 1080p material, which assures zero overscan and proper 1:1 pixel matching for this 1080p display.

The back panel offers 2 HDMI, one component-video and one PC input, although S-Video goes missing.

The side panel input bay includes a third HDMI and a second AV input with composite video.

Connectivity is basic with the exception of an RS-232 control port, which isn't standard equipment on an entry-level 1080p TV. The back panel offers two HDMI ports, a component-video input, an AV input with composite video, a RF input for antenna or cable, an RGB-style analog PC input, and an optical digital audio output. Around the left side you'll find a third HDMI input as well as a second AV input with composite video. Our one complaint is the lack of any S-Video inputs.

Performance

As we mentioned at the top the LH30's Achilles' heels are lighter black levels and subpar uniformity and off-angle viewing. Color accuracy, helped by all of those picture adjustments, is a major plus.

Thanks to Expert mode we achieved better results from our calibration than we've se on any HDTV in a long time. We were able to target our preferred dark-room light output at 40ftl (137 nits) via the Luminance function and easily achieve a nearly perfect 2.19 gamma (the target is 2.2). The grayscale stayed quite linear from dark to light, although there were a couple of fluctuations we couldn't smooth out completely despite the 10-point adjustment. The color management system allowed us to improve the already-accurate primaries and secondaries to near perfection without compromising color decoding, which was itself easy to adjust for and tweak using the color filter. In short, the extensive and well-designed calibration tools on the LH30, which will be included on most LG TVs this year, are in a class of their own.

We also checked out the Picture Wizard. After going through its patterns, we ended up with settings quite similar to the default Expert settings, but the Wizard can enlighten people who aren't familiar with the effects of the basic picture controls. Our custom calibration described above yielded a more accurate picture, primarily because the wizard can't help fine-tune the grayscale, but nonetheless users might find it handy for setting up alternate picture modes, for example, such as one for brighter-room viewing. A good calibration disc will outdo the Wizard in most areas, but of course the Wizard is free. And one word of warning: The Wizard automatically saves its settings to the Expert 1 mode, which can overwrite your custom settings. We recommend using Expert 2 as your primary picture-setting bank.

Our comparison involved the 42-inch Panasonic TC-P42S1, which costs about as much as the LG, in addition to a couple of larger sets, the Samsung LN52A650 LCD and our reference Pioneer PRO-111FD. Most of our image quality tests were based on observations of "The Passion of the Christ" on Blu-ray.

Black level :

Despite all of those controls, the essential black level performance of the LG 42LH30 left something to be desired. During the initial scenes in the garden, or example, dark areas like the letterbox bars, the trees and the dark garb of the disciples appeared lighter and ore washed-out than on any of the other displays. Details in shadows, such as the side of Christ's bearded face as he prays, also appeared a bit less distinct than on the Panasonic plasma, although they were still quite realistic and looked slightly better than the Samsung LCD.

Color accuracy :

Post-calibration, the LH30 performed well in this regard, with the exception of blacks and very dark areas, which bore the characteristic bluish tinge we've seen on many LCD displays. In brighter areas colors stayed true. During the graphic scourging scene, for example, the soldiers' red cloaks, the pale face of Mary as she looks on in horror and the battered body of Jesus looked nearly as painfully realistic as they did on our reference display. The neutral light-brown tones of Jerusalem--a testament to the LG's linear grayscale--and the hazy blue twilight in the garden appeared natural as well, the latter in contrast to the green-tinted Panasonic S1. The LG's image wasn't as rich or as saturated as we saw on the other displays, however, a difference we attribute to the LH30's lighter black levels.

Video processing :

The LG resolved every detail of 1080i and 1080p still sources, as expected, and while it handled 1080i video-based deinterlacing well, it failed to deinterlace 1080i film-based sources. The LH30 also scored a bit worse on our motion resolution test than most 60Hz LCDs we've tested, barely hitting 300 lines, and naturally 120Hz and higher refresh-rate TVs will do even better.

LG also includes a "real cinema" mode that supposedly introduces a smoothing effect, according to the manual, but we didn't any obvious smoothing in our tests--nor could we get the setting to appear anything other than grayed-out and set to "On." We have a question in to LG on the matter, and if they get back to us, we'll update this review.

Uniformity :

The LH30 did not excel in this category. The sides of the image appeared darker and very slightly green-tinged compared to the middle, and we could see some variations in brightness, especially a pair of subtly brighter vertical bars in the middle of the screen. These issues appeared in flat fields mostly, such as the blue sky above Golgatha, the white overcast seen from Jesus' point of view as he slumped from the cross and the light sandy street where he lay afterward. When seen from off-angle the LG lost fidelity more quickly than did the Samsung, becoming more washed out and slightly discolored in dark areas and darker in bright areas.

Bright lighting :

In a brighter room the LG did a good job attenuating ambient light and reducing reflections. It didn't preserve black levels from washing out as well as the Samsung LCD did, but it lacked that set's obvious reflections and maintained deeper blacks than the Panasonic plasma.

Standard-definition :

The LG turned in an average standard-def performance. It resolved every line of the DVD format, as expected, and details in the stone bridge and grass were relatively sharp. We did see a few more jaggies on the moving diagonal lines and the stripes on an American flag than were present on the Samsung, but the LG outdid the Panasonic on these tests. The three levels of noise reduction worked well, cleaning up even the noisiest shots of skies and sunsets, and film mode kicked in quickly to engage 2:3 pull-down and remove moire from the grandstands behind the speeding car.

PC :

The LH30 series functions very well as a big computer monitor. Via both HDMI and analog VGA, it resolved every line of a 1,920x1,080 source with no overscan or edge enhancement.

LCD TV deals

RCA L46FHD37 46" 1080p LCD HDTV for $800

Best Buy offers the RCA 46" 1080p Widescreen LCD HDTV L46FHD37, for $799.99.

LG 42PQ30 720p Widescreen Plasma HDTV for $649

Fry's Electronics offers the LG 42PQ30 720p Widescreen HDTV, model no. 42PQ30, for $649.

Laptop Deals

Dell Latitude D430 Core Solo 1.06GHz 12" Laptop for $598 Dell Small Business offers its Dell Latitude D430 Intel Core Solo 1.06GHz 12.1" Widescreen Notebook for $598

HP 1115NR Mini 9" Netbook for $261 Amazon.com has the HP 1115NR Mini Atom 1.6GHz 8.9" notebook for $260.62. With free shipping, it is the lowest I can find for now.

Dell Inspiron 15.6" Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz LED-Backlit Laptop for $643 Dell Home provides the Dell Inspiron 15 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz 15.6" Widescreen Notebook for $643.20 plus $29 for shipping. It is LED backlit laptop.

ASUS Eee PC 1002HA 160G 10" Netbook for $330 Staples has the ASUS Eee PC 1002HA 160G 10" Widescreen Netbook, model no. EPC1002HA-BLK006X, for $429.99

Toshiba Satellite L305 AthlonX2 2.16GHz 15" Laptop for $450 Fry's Electronics provides the Toshiba Satellite L305-S5930 2.16GHz 15" Notebook for $449.99.

HP 2140 Mini 2.6 lbs 1.6GHz 10" Netbook for $444 + free shipping PC Connection offers the 2.6-lb HP 2140 Mini Atom 1.6GHz 10.1" Widescreen Netbook, for $444. With free shipping

Acer Aspire Core 2 Duo 2GHz 16" Widescreen Laptop for $600 + free shipping newegg.com offers the Acer Aspire S6930-6235 Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz 16" Widescreen Notebook, for $599.99. With free shipping

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Intel Atom 1.6GHz 9" Netbook for $278 + $10 s&h Walmart offers the 2.28-lb. Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Atom 1.6GHz 8.9" Widescreen Netbook in Alpine White (pictured) for $278.

HP Pavilion DV6 Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz 16" Laptop for $600 + free shipping newegg.com offers the HP Pavilion dv6-1030us Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz 16" Widescreen Notebook, for $649.99 with free shipping

Lenovo ThinkPad SL400 Core 2 Duo 2.1GHz Laptop for $467 + free shipping Lenovo offers the Lenovo ThinkPad SL400 Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz 14.1" Widescreen Notebook, for $466.65

VR Future

It's difficult to predict the future of VR with confidence .

In short run, the graphics displayed in the HMD will soon reach a point of near realism . The audio capabilities will move into a new realm of 3 dimensionnal sound . This refers to the addition of sound channels both above and below the individual , or a Holophony approach.

With-in existing technological limits , the sight and the sound 'r the 2 senses which best lend themselves to high quality simulation .

Smell

There'r however some attempts being currently made to simulate smell . The purpose of current research is linked to a project aimed at treating Post Traumatic Stress Dis-order (PTSD) in veterans by exposing them to combatting simulations , complete with smells .

Although ::: it's often seen in the context of entertainment by popular culture , but ::: this illustrates the point that future of VR is very much tied into ::: therapeutic , training , engineering demands. Given that fact , a full sensory immersion beyond ...... basic tactile feedback , sight , sound , smell .... is unlikely to be a goal in 'the industry .

It's worth mentionning that ...... simulating-smell , while-it-can-be-done-very-realistically , requires some costly research + development to make each odor , and , 'the machine itself is expensive and special-ised , using capsules tailor-made for it .

Thus , the far-basic-+-very-strong-smells , e.g. ::: burning rubber , cordite, gasoline fumes , and so-forth , have been made .

Not content to serve only its customers' eyes and ears , Japan's NTT Communications , of Tokyo , has just finished testing an//a Internet-connected odor-delivery system to be used by retailers and restaurants to attract the customers . But ...... as the new trials and the applications 'r tried out + more data gatherred , Hamada says ::: he is sure 'the technology ``` will take communications to a new level in content richness, compared to today’s communications, which only offers images and sounds "" .

Taste

In order to engage the other sense of taste , the brain must be manipulated directly. This would move virtual reality into the realm of simulated reality like the ```head-plugs"" used in The Matrix. Although ::: nO form-of-this has been seriously developped at this point , but ::: Sony has taken 'the first step. On 7th April , 2005 , Sony went public with the information that ::: they had filed for and received a patent for the idea of the non-invasive beaming of different frequencies and patterns of ultrasonic waves directly into the brain to recreate all 5 senses . There's been some research to show that's possible . Sony has not yet conducted any test and said that ::: it's still only an//a idea.

conclusion

It's long been feared that VR will be//b the last invention of humans, as ::: once ...... simulations become cheaper and more widespread, nO 1 will ever want to leave their "perfect" fantasies. The satirists , however , have nodded towards humans' aversion to catheters and starvation .

VR the Virtual Reality

U.S. Navy personnel using a VR parachute trainer

Virtual reality (VR) , 's a technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment , whether that environment is a simulation of real world or a//an imaginary world . Most current virtual reality environments 'r primarily visual experiences , displayed either on a computer screen or through special or stereoscopic display ,

But ,

Some simulations include the additional sensory infoes//infos , e.g. :: sound through speakers or headphones .

Some advanced , haptic systems now include the tactile infoes//infos , generally known as force feedback , in medical and gaming applications.

Some advanced , haptic systems now include the infoes//infos of taste and smell .

Users can interact with a virtual environment or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard inputting devices such as a keyboard and mouse , or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove , the Polhemus boom arm , and , omnidirectional treadmill. The simulated environment can b//be similar to the real world , e.g. :: simulations for pilot training or combatting training , or , it can differ significantly from reality, as in VR games . In practice , it's currently very difficult to create a high-fidelity virtual reality experience, due largely to :: technical limitations on processing power , image resolution , and , communications bandwidth.

However , those limitations 'r expected soon to b//be overcome , as :: the processors or imaging tech or data communication technologies become more powerful and cost-effective over time .

Virtual Reality is often used to describe a wide variety of applications , commonly associated with its immersive , highly visual , 3D environments. The development of CAD software , graphics hardware acceleration , head mounted displays , database gloves , and , miniaturization have helped popularize the notion. In the book `` The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality "" , Michael Heim identifies 7 different concepts of Virtual Reality :: simulation , interaction , artificiality , immersion , telepresence , full-body's immersion , networks communication. 'The definition does still have a certain futuristic romanticism attached . People do often identify VR with Head Mounted Displays and Data Suits.

a 3D-Powerwall o'//of DaimlerChrysler

flight simulator

Sony KDL-55XBR8 LCD TV , review it fark it

Among LCD's-heavyweights , Sony & Samsung , have been trading blows for//4 last couple of years @ top of standings .

'the bout involves cutting-edge//edge-cutting & top-of-the-line LED-backlit models , which most-of-us cant afford , but , it's entertaining n'one-the-less .

in this corner , is the Sony's KDL-55XBR8 , the most expensive//expensivest flat-panel's HDTV , which we've ever tested , & , possibly the worst deal per-square-inch , since Sony's own XEL-1 .

in that corner , is the Samsung's LN46A950 . in case that you//u dont have some time to//2 read 'the complete blow-by-blow , then , well , we'll cut to//2 chase ::: the Sony XBR8 won .

'the Sony's deliverred the deeper black-levels than 'the Samsung's , along w/ less blooming & off-angle-fading , 'the 2 issues , which you//u have to//2 read about below . But , as good as the Sony is , it could still not knock out the champion of 'the super-heavy-weights plasma's division , i.e. , the Pioneer's Elite Kuro , which does//do still reign supreme//supremely//supremly as the best HDTV overall , and , it costs less, even @ 60 inches, than the Sony's 55-inch KDL-55XBR8 . That said , if ::: you have a room full o' light + a penchant for//4 video processing modes + a bank's-account bursting w/ cash , then ::: you//u would find out 'the Sony's-flagship to//2 be//b//being appealing mightily .

Design

Ever since the "Dumbo Ears" of Sony's KDS-60XBR2, the company has given its highest-end HDTVs a wider cabinet design than the rest of its lineup. The trend continues with the XBR8 series which also includes a 46-inch version. Compared with the less-expensive KDS-52XBR6, which mounts its speakers along the bottom, the XBR8 has side-mounted speakers that add a solid 3 inches to each side of the panel.

The speakers to either side of the Sony KDL-55XBR6's frame are seemingly suspended in midair by transparent panes of glass.

If you don't mind the protruding speakers, there's a lot to love about the rest of the XBR8's design. The black, vertical speakers appear suspended in space to either side of the TV by virtue of transparent panels, the right one bearing a few indicator lights. In case you don't like black speakers, Sony sells alternate-color grilles--silver, red, brown, or gold--at $129 per pair. A glossy black frame surrounds the big screen and a low-profile stand adds to the wide look. The only item interrupting the black frame is an illuminated Sony logo--and yes, you can turn off the blue light.

Including that nonswiveling stand, the Sony KDL-55XBR8 measures 58.6 inches wide by 33.8 inches high by 14.1 inches deep and weighs 120 pounds. Stripped of the stand, it measures 58.6 inches wide by 31.6 inches wide by 5.9 inches deep and weighs 105 pounds.

The remote control and menu system of the XBR8 are identical to that of step-down models like the XBR6. The remote was less-impressive than we expected. On the plus side, the remote is backlit with blue lighting, but most of the controls are for other gear. The extra controls that actually pertain to the TV are crowded into the top and difficult to tell apart. Too many buttons ring the main cursor control, and the remote's larger size requires a stretch to reach the volume and channel controls. It's still not a bad remote; it's just not up to Sony's usual standards.

Although still tedious to navigate, at least the PS3-esque XMB menu system finally groups all of the picture controls under the appropriate heading.

Here's how we mention that we find the PS3-like "Cross Media Bar" (XMB) arrangement a bit cumbersome to use on a TV. Unlike some less-expensive 2008 Sony TVs, which only have three horizontal selections among myriad vertical ones, the XBR8's menu adds two more selections, "photo" and "music," for use with the USB port, an optional Bravia Internet Video Link (which adds a "videos" choice) or a networked media server for photos. Of course, the majority of users probably won't access those functions, so we question the value of giving them so prominent a location in the menu.

One improvement is that most of the picture-affecting items are now grouped under the picture menu, and another is that the secondary "options" menu calls up a few more selections, reducing the need to visit the main menu much. Sony has also added a third way to access different inputs (in addition to the rightmost of three horizontal XMB items and a dedicated "input" menu), which consists of a new "favorites" screen that includes last-used inputs, favorite channels you manually add as well as a weird screensaver that can be programmed with images grabbed from a composite or TV input only. All told, this is one of the most varied and option-riddled menu systems we've seen. However, despite the Sony's sophistication, we prefer a more straightforward arrangement like that found on the Samsung LN52A650.

Features
The big story here, naturally, is LED backlighting. The XBR8 series represents Sony's first mass-market attempt at using LEDs, as opposed to standard fluorescents, to provide the illumination that powers the picture. Samsung got there first with last year's LN-T81F series and provides Sony's principal LED-backlit competition this year with the LNA950 series. Both companies' LED models offer "local dimming," which really improves the TVs' capability to produce a deep shade of black, but there's also a major difference between Sony and Samsung's LED technology.

The LED Dynamic Control menu option on the KDL-55XBR8 affects how local dimming is implemented.

Sony uses three colors of LEDs--two green, one each red and blue--for each of the 128 LED modules behind the screen of the 55-inch XBR8. Samsung, on the other hand, uses white LEDs and would not disclose how many modules it uses. Check out this blog post for more details on the different technologies, and the Performance section of this review for information on how the two compare.

Aside from those LEDs, the XBR8's list of features is very similar to that of the less-expensive XBR6 series. The KDL-55XBR8 has a 120Hz refresh rate, which helps clean up blurring in motion and works hand-in-hand with the company's dejudder video processing, dubbed "Motion Enhancer" in the menu and MotionFlow in Sony's literature. Unlike the XBR6 series, the XBR8 has three Motion Enhancer settings instead of two; we'll go into their effects below. Naturally this flagship set also has a native resolution of 1080p, the highest available today.

On the XBR8 series, Sony's Motion Enhancer dejudder video processing is available in three varieties.

Sony offers four picture presets, each of which can be adjusted independently per input, in addition to a Theater preset that can't be adjusted at all. Among the basic settings, available on all presets, is a pair of noise reduction settings and three color temperature presets. More advanced settings, which can't be adjusted while in the Vivid preset but can on the other three, include a white balance control to further tune color temperature, a gamma setting, and a few other adjustments that we generally left turned off for best picture quality.

We always appreciate having a full set of detailed color temperature controls.

The wave of funky proprietary video processing names continues. Sony touts the Bravia Engine Pro processor on the XBR8 series as an improvement over lesser models, such as the XBR6 that gets only Bravia Engine 2 instead. In the TV's menu, the Engine consists of a choice between two different DRC--Digital Reality Creation--modes, along with an adjustable Reality versus Clarity matrix, BE Pro's most apparent and confusing step-up over BE2. A Sony engineer told us that, in simple terms, increasing the Reality indicator creates more apparent resolution, while increasing the Clarity indicator increases noise reduction. Choosing the "Off" position for DRC bypasses the processing completely, preserving as much of the source's original quality as possible.

Sony's DRC video processing on the XBR8 adds a Reality versus Clarity matrix.

Other video processing options include CineMotion that, among other things, affects the TV's 2:3 pull-down performance, a Game Mode that removes video processing entirely to eliminate any delay between a game controller and the onscreen action, and a photo/video optimizer designed to do exactly that.

Sony includes four aspect ratio modes for HD sources, and a "Full Pixel" setting Display Area section of the Wide menu lets you make one of those modes display 1080-resolution content without any scaling or overscan. We recommend using this setting unless you notice interference along the extreme edges of the screen, which is the fault of the channel or service, not the TV. The menu has a cool graphical display that illustrates the differences between the various aspect ratio settings.

Like other higher-end Sony sets, the XBR8 ships with a rudimentary networking feature. The Ethernet port on the rear of the set allows it to work with DLNA-compatible media server software, such as Windows Media Player 11, to grab photos from a networked PC to display on the TV's screen. Similar functionality is available on numerous devices, including the company's own PlayStation 3, and from certain TVs, including Samsung's LN46A750 and Pioneer's PDP-5020FD. Unlike those products, however, the XBR8 can't stream music or video via the network, just photos and music, so it's much less-useful; to stream video you'll need to purchase a BIVL. Check out this blog post for hands-on testing of Sony's photo streaming, which we performed on a Z-series model.

Conveniences continue with an option we haven't seen on many HDTVs recently: the TV Guide onscreen electronic programming guide . TVG lets the Sony display a grid of information for antenna and cable channels, but people who tune primarily with an external cable or satellite box will probably use their box's EPG instead. In other words, TV Guide won't be useful for most KDL-55XBR8 owners, and we didn't test it for this review. The TV's picture-in-picture mode unfortunately restricts content in the secondary window to only the TV/antenna input.

The XBR8 is one of the first Sony HDTVs to offer the Home/Store option as part of its Energy Star 3.0 compliance. We were also pleased to see a two-step power-saving option that limited peak brightness and really cut down on energy consumption. As expected from an LED-backlit display, the KDL-55XBR8 is quite efficient, delivering one of the best watts per square inch results after calibration (0.11) that we've ever tested. Check out the Juice Box for details.

The back panel's numerous inputs include the standard HDMI and PC ports, plus a LAN port for networking and two Sony proprietary connections labeled DMex and DMPort.

Connectivity on the KDL-55XBR8 matches that of most higher-end HDTVs available today. Around back, we counted three HDMI inputs and on the side, the company stashed number four. Two component-video jacks, a VGA-style PC input (1,920x1,080-pixel maximum resolution), an AV input with S-Video and composite video, another with only composite video, an RF-style antenna/cable input, an analog audio output, and an optical digital audio output complete the back panel jack pack, while another AV input with composite video joins the HDMI port on the side panel. There's also a USB port that slows the TV to handle photos and music stored on USB thumbdrives.

Right-side inputs include one AV with composite video, a fourth HDMI, and a USB port for photos and music.

Sony also includes a port labeled DMex for BIVL and a few other proprietary accessories including a DVD player, a module with four extra HDMI inputs, and a wireless HDMI transmitter/receiver. If one proprietary jack isn't enough for you, the DMPort allows connection to even more add-ons, including a Bluetooth wireless audio adapter or an iPod dock.

Performance
The short story is that the Sony KDL-55XBR8 is the best-performing flat-panel LCD we've ever tested, earning the category's first-ever "9" we've awarded for performance. It delivers picture quality that's nearly as good as the Pioneer PDP-111FD, the best flat-panel performer period. Black level and color accuracy were superb, there's a cornucopia of video processing choices including the best dejudder mode we've tested, and bright-room picture quality was best-in-class. Our only gripe, and it's enough to cost the Sony the title, was its tendency to fade when seen from off angle.

Our standard calibration didn't end up too far from Sony's default Cinema picture settings. We reduced light output a hair, selected the Off position for Gamma, tweaked the white balance controls to bring the grayscale from its somewhat blue cast in Warm 2 to something much closer to the D65 standard. Afterward, the Sony tracked closer to D65 than any HDTV we've ever tested--as evinced partly by the miniscule 24K average variation from 6,500K--aside from the Pioneer PRO-111FD. We didn't miss having a color management system since the Sony's color points, providing we selected Standard instead of Wide color space, again came extremely close to the HD standard. For the gory details check out the Geek Box below, and for our full picture settings you can refer to the bottom of this blog post.

This review's image quality tests involved lined up a few other high-end HDTVs for our side-by-side comparison. To either side of the Sony KDL-55XBR8 were the Pioneer PRO-111FD and the Samsung LN46A950--the highest-rated plasma and LCD sets this year, respectively--and we also included the Sony KDL-52XBR6, the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U and the Samsung LN52A650 in the lineup. The Blu-ray Disc of choice this time around was Iron Man, delivered by our trusty PlayStation 3.

Black level: It quickly became apparent that the Sony was a serious challenger to the Pioneer as black-level champion. In dark areas of dimly lit scenes, such as the cave sequence in Chapter 3, it was almost impossible to tell which one came closer to the ideal of absolute black. The Sony displayed an inky depth in dark areas that lent superb punch and realism to the image, and easily outclassed the rest of the non-Pioneer sets in this regard, including the updated Samsung LN46A950.

Compared with the Pioneer, in very dark scenes the letterbox bars--those black areas above and below the image on 2.35:1 films like Iron Man--of the Sony appeared a hair darker, but in lighter scenes the Pioneer's bars were darker. That's because bright areas adjacent to the Sony's bars, such as day lit skies, bright desert ground or the white walls of Stark's house, caused the bars themselves to lighten a bit.

That's one reason we still give the overall black-level performance nod to the Pioneer. As a result of the Sony's dimming LEDs, which are also responsible for its superb black levels, dark areas right next to bright ones appeared brighter than on the Pioneer, an effect that has a very subtle negative impact on the overall "pop" of the image. We call the spillover of light into dark areas "blooming" in this case, and in Sony's favor, it wasn't nearly as obvious or as objectionable as we saw on the Samsung, but it was still apparent when comparing to the Pioneer. At the 28:44 mark, for example, a bright light in the upper left of the image made the letterbox bars appear a bit lighter near the light than on the other side of the screen. More obviously, the bright Iron Man icon during the disc's load screens also betrayed a bit of blooming in adjacent dark areas, as did the areas around onscreen cons like the small "play" indicator of our PlayStation 3. Again, the blooming is quite subtle, even vanishingly so, in the vast majority of scenes, and we never found ourselves distracted by it.

For what it's worth, we measured the black levels on a completely dark screen after calibration and found the Sony a hair darker: 0.001 cd/m² versus the Pioneer's 0.002. Nobody watches a black screen, however. With regular program content, the two TVs came as close as we've seen to reproducing the ideal black.

The Sony's shadow detail was also superb, nearly as good as the Pioneer was and better than the rest of the displays in the room. Between the two, we felt that some shadowy areas on the Sony were just a tad brighter than we'd like to see, a feeling backed up by the Sony's slightly brighter gamma (2.07 after calibration vs. the ideal of 2.2). You'd be hard-pressed to notice any difference outside of a side-by-side comparison though.

Much like the Samsung A950, the Sony's black level performance and color saturation fell off noticeably when we moved off angle by just one seat cushion on our test couch, while the plasmas stayed consistent. Check out Uniformity for the full scoop.

Color accuracy: Color on the Sony KDL-55XBR8 is nothing short of superb. As we mentioned above, its grayscale variation and primary and secondary color points hewed as close to the standards as any display we've tested, including the Pioneer. Good examples of its color accuracy from the film include the healthy yet delicate tone of Pepper Potts' face as she greets Stark after his ordeal in Chapter 6, the lush green of the bushes outside headquarters, the vibrant red and yellow of the final Iron Man exoskeleton, and the dead-on blue and cyan of the skies as Stark flies into action. It was easy to want to over-saturate the image, and the XBR8 with its deep blacks is more-capable of that than many HDTVs, but after proper adjustment, colors were excellently balanced and still as saturated as on the Pioneer. Overall, between the two, color was pretty much a tie.

The greenish cast we noted on the XBR6 was not in evidence, and color accuracy in near-black areas on the XBR8 was also excellent. It did tend a bit toward blue according to our measurements, but it was actually more-accurate than the Pioneer, which tended a bit toward red (Sony was 6,886K versus Pioneer 6,068K at 5 percent above black, if you're counting).

Video processing: The XBR8 offers myriad options in this department, so we'll start with our favorite: turning everything off, especially the Motion Enhancer dejudder video processing, and setting our Blu-ray player to 1080p/24 output. In that setting, as we'd expect from a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the XBR8 preserved the natural cadence of film without any smoothing or the slightly jerky quality imparted by the 2:3 pull-down necessary for 60Hz displays. Comparing the XBR8 against the Pioneer (set to its 24p-friendly Advance mode) and the Samsung A950 (again with dejudder video processing off) it was impossible for us to discern any difference between the three during tell-tale scenes, such as the pan over Stark's workbench at the 27:43 mark.

Next we checked out the XBR8's dejudder processing. As we mentioned above, the set adds a "Clear" choice to the Standard and Smooth (formerly called High) dejudder options found on other Sonys. Of the three we prefer Clear, which keeps the most film-like look and adds sequential backlight firing to improve motion resolution, according to test patterns (see below). We do wish Sony had separated out the sequential backlight option, as Samsung does with its LED Motion Plus setting, to allow a user to engage sequential backlighting without dejudder.

As it stands, we preferred Off to Clear because, while Clear's smoothing effect is definitely the least blatant and video-like of any such mode we've tested, it still introduced objectionable smoothness compared with Off. That said, we can see how many viewers might prefer the smooth, less-juddery look of Clear, especially during camera movement such as the pan over the tool bench or the pan down from the fighter jet at the beginning of Chapter 6. Standard and Smooth, for their parts, introduced even more smoothing, and the latter evinced the same sort of artifacts we complained about in the XBR6 review. In fact, according to Sony, those modes are identical on the XBR8 and the XBR6, so for details on those settings, check out the video processing section of that review.

Sony makes a big deal about its Bravia Engine/DRC video processing working with 1080p sources, but since we're interested in preserving the look of the original source as much as possible, we recommend simply turning DRC Off for high-quality sources like Blu-ray. For lower-quality high-definition sources (not an oxymoron, unfortunately) you may want to play around with the DRC's Reality/Clarity matrix, which in our experience worked as Sony described. The Clarity adjustment was most useful in toning down some noisier HD sources. We tended to avoid using Reality because it seemed to introduce a bit too much artificial detail, although for particularly soft shots it lent a slightly sharpening effect that was less-egregious than typical edge enhancement. As always, we appreciate having the option to use these extras, even if we end up mostly leaving them off.

The DRC2 mode is designed for use with HD channels that show upconverted standard-definition material, but we didn't test this function.

In our resolution tests, the Sony performed relatively well. It displayed every detail of 1080i and 1080p still sources, and although it de-interlaced 1080i video-based sources properly, it failed the test for film-based sources regardless of which picture mode we tried. In motion resolution tests we got the best results in the Motion Enhancer's Clear mode, which measured just more than 1,000 lines--the best we've seen from any LCD aside from the Samsung A950, which matched the Sony's performance. In the Smooth and Standard modes the Sony delivered between 600 and 700 lines, while turning off the Motion Enhancer dropped the score down to between 300 and 400 lines. As usual, it was extremely difficult for us to discern any differences in resolution--motion, film-based or otherwise--between the various displays when watching standard program material as opposed to test patterns.

One final video processing note: we noticed significant delay with the Sony XBR8 compared with other displays (including the XBR6) when connected to the same source. We recommend that gamers take advantage of the Game mode, which bypasses all processing and eliminated the delay in our tests, to avoid frustrating lag between the controller and the onscreen action.

Uniformity: Like the Samsung A950, the Sony XBR8 displayed superb uniformity across the screen surface, with equal apparent brightness in all areas of the screen and without the brighter sides or corners visible on so many other LCDs.

The Sony KDL-55XBR8 doesn't deliver the same reference-quality picture described above when seen from seats outside the sweet spot directly in front of the screen. Off-angle positions as common as one seat to either side of the sweet spot resulted in blacks that are more washed-out and more-visible blooming, along with discoloration that turned black areas greenish. Uniformity also became worse from off-angle; the far side of the screen washed out and became discolored while the near side stayed relatively true. From seats further than one away from the sweet spot, the discoloration and washout became progressively worse.

The Sony's fall-off wasn't as drastic as we saw on the Samsung A950, which washed out even more rapidly as we moved off-center, but that set also didn't discolor toward green as noticeably as did the Sony. As always, the plasma displays in our comparison delivered basically the same quality regardless of viewing angle, while the florescent-based LCDs didn't wash out as quickly as did the XBR8 and the A950.

Bright lighting: When we opened our test facility's blackout shades to let the windows shine directly upon the screens of the TVs in our lineup--a worst-case ambient light scenario--the Sony XBR8 came out the clear winner. It preserved its depth of black and thus its color saturation better than any of the other models, especially the plasmas, which washed out significantly in comparison. The Sony also attenuated reflections from in-room light sources better than either plasmas or the shiny-screened Samsung LCDs. We always recommend placing your TV where bright ambient light doesn't hit the screen, but if you don't have a choice, the XBR8 (or another matte-screened LCD) will outperform any glass-screen plasma or glossy-screen LCD.

Standard-definition: The Sony KDL-55XBR8 is an average standard-definition performer. On our standard HQV test disc, we immediately noticed that DRC had a major impact on performance, and not always in a good way. We selected the default DRC1 and the TV showed significant artifacts and interference in the highest-resolution parts of the pattern; turning DRC Off delivered every line of resolution without those artifacts. On the flipside, DRC1 removed jaggies from the edges of moving lines and a waving American flag better than DRC Off, although still not as well as some other displays in our test, such as the Samsung LCDs. DRC1 also made details in the stone bridge and grass more apparent than did Off, especially when we cranked the Reality side of the DRC matrix--the trade-off was that edges looked artificial and somewhat harsh at high Reality settings, and in general we preferred the softer, if somewhat less-detailed, look of the default Reality setting of 20. The Sony's noise reduction was superb, squelching noisy skies and sunsets as well as any display we've seen and offering plenty of options--and if you don't want to engage DRC's Clarity matrix, which acted as a sort of noise reducer, you can always use the standard NR controls. Unlike the XBR6, the XBR8 passed our 2:3 pull-down test, correctly engaging film mode in both Auto1 and Auto2 CineMotion modes.

PC: As expected from a 1080p flat-panel TV, the Sony performed perfectly as a big-screen computer monitor, resolving every line of a 1,920x1,080-pixel source with no overscan or edge enhancement and delivering crisp, clear text. We experienced the same quality via VGA and HDMI connections.

Geek box

TEST	RESULT	SCORE
Before color temp (20/80)	6666/6956	Average
After color temp	6429/6494	Good
Before grayscale variation	+/- 389	Average
After grayscale variation	+/- 24	Good
Color of red (x/y)	0.639/0.332	Good
Color of green	0.295/0.601	Good
Color of blue	0.147/0.063	Good
Overscan	0.0%	Good
Defeatable edge enhancement	Y	Good
480i 2:3 pull-down, 24 fps	Pass	Good
1080i video resolution	Pass	Good
1080i film resolution	Fail	Poor

Juice box

Sony KDL-55XBR8	Picture settings
	Default	Calibrated	Power Save
Picture on (watts)	239.83	139.88	165.85
Picture on (watts/sq. inch)	0.19	0.11	0.13
Standby (watts)	0	0	0
Cost per year	$74.23	$43.30	$51.33
Score (considering size)	Good
Score (overall)	Average

Samsung UN55B7000 LCD TV , REVIEW DEEP-THROATS

As HDTVs become more common//commonner -- some would say that's commoditised -- the//t' TV-makers go to//2 greater length , in order to//2 justify their higher price-tags . Nobody 's going as far as Samsung this year . 'the company 's the only 1 thus far to//2 announce a full line-up of edge-lit LED-based LCDs , which cost a mint , yet offerring the most advanced technology & design , which you can get -- at least , until OLED comes along.

Each model among the three series of Samsung's edge-lit LED-based LCD lineup measures just 1.2 inches thick, thanks to that LED lighting system, which is also responsible for the TVs' excellent energy efficiency. The UNB7000 series is the middle child in terms of price and features of the three; yet, it includes buckets of add-ons, many of them interactive, along with extensive picture adjustments including a cool new tweakable dejudder mode. In our performance testing, we encountered some picture quality trade-offs caused by the LED system, namely less-than-perfect uniformity and off-angle viewing, along with the backlights' somewhat distracting fluctuations. These issues keep the UNB7000 series from earning our highest accolades for performance, but in terms of design and features, the expensive televisions set a standard that will be tough to beat.

Series note :

We performed a hands-on evaluation of the 46-inch UN46B7000 ($2,999 list price), but this review also applies to the 40-inch UN40B7000 ($2,399) and the 55-inch UN55B7000 ($3,799). All three sizes share identical features and specifications. Samsung also has a retailer-specific series currently exclusive to Best Buy, the UNB7100 models, that are identical but for gray coloring, as opposed to red, and with overall cosmetics similar to the step-up UNB8000 series.

Design

Seen from the side, the UNB7000 series seems almost razor-thin. That's the attached power cord hanging from the back.

Did we mention these TVs are really thin? The UNB7000 measures just 1.2 inches deep at its thickest point, and tapers even thinner toward the edges of the panel. Samsung offers a special flush wall mount, and if you decide to keep the TV on its stand, the thin panel will look equally impressive from the side. From the front the set is no slouch either; a slim, subtle red border edges all four sides of the panel, while the outer transparent edge lends a jewel-like look. On the downside, you can't get it in any color but red, aside from the gray 7100 series.

Red shading lines the perimeter of the panel and the matching stand, bordered by a see-though edge.

The matching stand is also edged in red, and a unique transparent pedestal keeps the thin panel gracefully suspended above its surface. We appreciate that the stand lets the TV swivel to either side.

Aside from the obvious thinness, the LEDs allow for a couple other design bonuses. The UNB7000 runs a lot cooler than other LCD and plasma displays producing a similar amount of light, and the panel itself weighs less than other models.

The semitransparent main menu system matches the red-bordered television.

Samsung used the same menu system as last year, albeit with red borders to match the TV itself, and we still think it's one of the best in the business. Big, highly legible text is set against transparent backgrounds that occupy almost the whole screen. Getting around is easy, there's helpful explanatory text along the bottom, and we dug the context-sensitive menu that would pop up occasionally to provide more options. One cool extra reserved is a built-in "product guide" that takes you through the TV's myriad features.

The product guide goes through the features of the TV, in case you want to impress your friends.

The remote control is basically the same as last year, aside from a new protrusion on the rear that keeps the clicker stable on a flat surface, and we're definitely fans--especially since Samsung ditched the rotating scroll wheel. The buttons are big, backlit, and easily differentiated by size and shape, and we liked the dedicated "Tools" key that offers quick access to the E-manual (see below), picture and sound modes, the sleep timer, and the picture-in-picture controls. We didn't like the remote's glossy black finish, however, which picked up more than its share of dulling fingerprints after a few minutes. The company also includes a small, nearly useless hockey-puck-style remote that only controls channel, volume, and power.

Features
Edge-lit LED backlighting heads the UNB7000's feature set. Samsung calls these sets "LED TVs," but it's important to remember they're actually otherwise normal liquid-crystal display TVs that use light-emitting diodes instead of the standard fluorescent backlights--check out the slideshow for more information.

We've reviewed LED-based LCD screens before, most recently the Sony KDL-55XBR8 and Samsung LN46A950, which both use local dimming technology; groups of LEDs behind the screen can be dimmed or turned off to achieve those deep, inky blacks we all love so much. None of Samsung's edge-lit LED-based LCDs use local dimming, which might be one reason they didn't perform as well as those local dimming displays (see Performance section for details).

You can cause Yahoo widgets to line the bottom of the screen in case the actual TV show can't capture your attention.

New for 2009, Samsung has added Yahoo widgets to its higher-end sets including the UNB7000 series. The system gathers Internet-powered information modules, called "snippets," into a bar along the bottom of the screen, and each can be activated to reveal the full-fledged widget. The model we reviewed came with widgets for stocks, weather, news, and access to Flickr photos, and we expect more widgets to be available shortly. Check out our full review of Yahoo widgets for more information.

Built-in "content" includes recipes, games, exercises, and children's sing-alongs.

Other interactive features on this set abound. It can stream videos, photos, and music from DLNA-certified devices via the network connection, as well from its USB ports, which can connect to MP3 players, USB thumbdrives, and digital cameras (we haven't tested this capability yet, but will update this review when we do). There's also built-in "content" such as recipes, games, workout guides, and a slideshow of high-definition art and photos with music. We went into depth discussing the content features last year, which are similar this time around, so for more details check out the Interactive section of the 2008 Samsung LN46A750 review.

We really liked the adjustable Custom dejudder setting.

Samsung's panoply of picture-affecting features starts with a 120Hz refresh rate and dejudder processing, the latter with more adjustments than we've seen on any such display so far. We also liked the myriad conventional picture adjustments, starting with four adjustable picture modes that are all independent per input. There are five color temperature presets that are augmented by the capability to adjust each via a custom white balance menu; three varieties of noise reduction, including an automatic setting; a film mode to engage 2:3 pull-down (it also works with 1080i sources); a seven-position gamma control that affects the TV's progression from dark to light; a dynamic contrast control that adjusts the picture on the fly; a "black tone" control that affects shadow detail; and a color space control that lets you tweak the Samsung's color gamut.

A Samsung staple, the custom white balance menu brings a smile to DIY picture adjusters.

You can choose from four aspect ratio modes for HD sources, two of which let you move the whole image across the screen horizontally and vertically. As we'd expect from a 1080p TV, one of those modes, called Screen Fit, lets the UNB7000 scale 1080i and 1080p sources directly to the panel's pixels with no overscan--the best option unless you see interference along the edge of the screen, as can be the case with some channels or programs.

The included "E-manual," available on a USB stick and displayable on the TV screen, makes a paper manual unnecessary.

We appreciate the three power-saver modes, which further reduce energy use. As far as other conveniences, Samsung throws in picture-in-picture, an "E-manual" on a USB thumbdrive, and even a customer care screen that includes the firmware version for when you need to call the company. We're also big fans of the new-for-2009 capability, unique among HDTVs, to download firmware directly to the TV, rather than making you go to the Web site, as was the case before.

Samsung finally allows firmware updates to be downloaded directly to the TV.

The UNB7000 series offers good connectivity, as long as your AV system doesn't have many analog components. The highlight is four HDMI inputs, arranged vertically along the shallow connection bay on the back of the TV (note that fat cables might not fit the nearly flush sockets very well). You also get two USB inputs, a VGA-style PC input, and a single component-video input that can be converted to accept composite video instead. An RF input for antenna or cable, an optical digital audio jack, and the Ethernet port complete the picture. If you need to connect more than one analog device, you'll need to use a switcher or an AV receiver.

A single component-video-equipped input, which can also accept composite video, comprises the extent of the UNB7000's analog AV input capability.

Four HDMI inputs and a pair of USB ports, one shown here with the included "E-manual" inserted, line up along the side of the connection area.

Performance
In sum, the UNB7000 series delivered a very good picture, but a few flaws prevented it from matching the best models we've tested, including local dimming-equipped LED-based LCDs. Despite its relatively deep black levels, the UNB7000's variable backlight impaired performance in very dark scenes. We also noticed some uniformity issues, primarily in dark scenes as well, that are probably caused by the edge-lit LED system. That said, we really appreciate the set's accurate color and the Custom setting of its dejudder processing.

Our calibration for a dark room involved making a few key changes to the default Movie picture mode. The largest was raising the gamma control from zero to +3, which improved shadow detail significantly and ameliorated some of the worst effects of the variable backlight (see below), but caused overall average gamma to worsen, from 2.25 to about 2.0 (the ideal is 2.2). Gamma was still too dark in near-black areas, and became too bright in brighter ones, but the sacrifice was worth it in our opinion. We also tweaked the grayscale a bit to closer approach the D65 standard, used the great blue-only mode to set color, and reduced overall light output significantly from Movie's default of 60 footlamberts to a more comfortable 40.

Check out this post for our complete picture settings and for details on how to use the blue-only mode to set color.

For comparison purposes, we have a good selection of high-end HDTVs on-hand, including the LED-powered Samsung LN46A950 and Sony KDL-55XBR8, the standard Samsung LN52A650 LCD, and a pair of plasmas, the Panasonic TC-46PG10 and our reference Pioneer PRO-111FD. This time, we used "The Day the Earth Stood Still" on Blu-ray for most of our image quality tests.

Black level: Overall, the Samsung UNB7000 didn't do as well in this category as most of the other displays in our comparison. That's mainly because the LEDs along the edges of the display, which we'll refer to as its "backlight" to avoid confusion, fluctuated depending on the overall brightness of the scene. In very dark scenes, the entire backlight, and thus the letterbox bars and shadows, would dim, while in brighter scenes it would become brighter. Other displays do similar things, but on the 7000 series it was more noticeable and affected more than just completely black screens.

In very dark scenes, the UNB7000 delivered a deep shade of black, deeper than any of our comparison sets aside from the Pioneer, to the point of fading completely into darkness between scenes. In brighter scenes its black levels rose slightly--darker still than the A950 and A650, but not as inky as the Pioneer, Sony XBR8 or Panasonic.

The backlight fluctuation caused brighter areas to darken during dark scenes, which was the worst downside to the variable backlight. In the opening credits, for example, the moon and the text such as "Keanu Reeves," as well as the stars in the night sky, all appeared dimmer than on the other displays in our comparison, despite the fact that we had equalized their light output for comparison. The effect was so pronounced that far fewer stars were visible on the UNB7000 than on the other displays, and definitely impaired the contrast ratio and "pop" of the scene.

We also noticed the fluctuation in one of our favorite test scenes from "I Am Legend" when Will Smith locks up his townhouse for the night at the beginning of Chapter 4. At the very beginning of the chapter, the UNB7000's screen goes completely black, then abruptly brighter.

That said, in most dark scenes the backlight was not distracting. A good example is when Smith goes after his dog in the warehouse at the end of Chapter 8; watching this entire 5-minute sequence, which occurs mostly in the dark, it was free of noticeable fluctuations. The same went for the nighttime scene at the beginning of Chapter 3 in "Earth" when Jennifer Connelly approaches the military academy. In both of these scenes, shadow detail and black levels were very good; better than the A650 and generally equal to the other LED-based LCDs, albeit not to the two plasmas.

Color accuracy: The Samsung UNB7000 scored well in this category, with excellent primary colors and color decoding, along with a solid grayscale that only lost accuracy in very dark areas. Connelly's skin under the hospital lights or the glare of the alien ball, for example, looked suitably pale and not overly ruddy or tinged with yellow-green, while under the natural light inside her house it also looked relatively good. However, skin tones in bright areas were a bit flatter and seemingly less-saturated than on the other displays, which may be an issue with the improper gamma at the upper end--a necessary sacrifice to prevent dark areas from being too dark.

Like many LCD-based screens, the UNB7000 also suffered from a bluish tinge in blacks and near-black shades. The issue was visible in letterbox bars, the nighttime skies and Connelly's raven hair, for example.

Video processing: In addition to the three preset strengths of its Auto Motion Plus dejudder processing, called Clear, Standard and Smooth, Samsung added a Custom mode this year, and its adjustability makes it the best implementation of a dejudder we've seen so far. Custom offers two sliders, one called Blur reduction that affects video-based sources and one called Judder reduction that affects only film-based sources. In our motion resolution tests, it was obvious that Blur reduction was doing exactly that: as we increased the slider from 0 to 10, the lines on the motion resolution pattern became more distinct and less apt to blur together, and the pattern looked best at 10. In that video-based pattern, playing with the Judder reduction setting had no effect.

The key is that with Blur reduction set to 10 and judder reduction set to 0, the cadence of film can be preserved while the blurring some viewers see with LCD (we don't notice it, but that's another story) can be largely reduced. We confirmed this by feeding the Samsung 1080p/24 content during the flyover of the Intrepid from "Legend," where the characteristic judder appeared more and more obvious as we decreased the judder reduction slider.

As usual, increasing judder reduction and thus apparent smoothness with film-based material also increased the incidence of unwelcome artifacts. In Chapter 11 when the camera follows Kathy Bates around the command post, for example, we saw the tell-tale halo-like distortion in the background near the edge of her body with judder reduction maxed out, while distortions largely disappeared when we reduced that control to the halfway point.

In resolution tests the UNB7000 performed well, delivering every line of 1080i and 1080p sources with still patterns, correctly deinterlacing 1080i material (note that we had to set Film Mode to Auto1, not the default of Auto2, to get this to work) and delivering between 600 and 700 lines of resolution in all of the AMP settings (note that reducing the Blur reduction lower than 10 decreased motion resolution on our test pattern). Plasma displays like the Panasonic and the Pioneer, by comparison, score 900 lines and above on this test, as did the Sony XBR8, KDL-52-XBR7 and Samsung A950 displays. As we've noted before, we find it tough to appreciate the benefits of any of these resolution characteristics in program material as opposed to test patterns.

Uniformity: The Samsung UNB7000 exhibited worse uniformity across the screen than the other flat-panel displays in our comparison--although it was better than the edge-lit Sony's KLV-40ZX1M. We noticed a brighter area along the bottom-left of the screen, as well as in the corners, that showed up in letterbox bars and darker scenes, such as the star field behind the opening credits, the interior of Keanu's tent and the dark lecture hall in Chapter 3. We also noticed that in brighter, flat fields such as the all-white of alien ball in Chapter 5, the left side of the screen appeared slightly darker than the rest.

In gray fields (from 10-70 IRE on our Sencore test pattern generator), we noticed more brightness variations across the screen, including a darker area across the top and subtle brighter splotches elsewhere. We didn't notice these variations much during program material, but they were more noticeable in test patterns than on any of the other displays in our test. It's worth noting that these issues can vary more than others from review sample to review sample.

When seen from off-angle, the UNB7000 also looked worse than any of the other displays in our comparison. Dark areas quickly washed out and became bluer, while brightness variations intensified, as we moved to either side of the sweet spot in the middle of the couch. The UNB7000 did seem to preserve its vertical viewing angle a bit better than the Sony or the Samsung A950, but both beat the UNB7000 in horizontal viewing angle.

Bright lighting: Samsung used the same sort of glossy screen as last year, and we're not its biggest fans. In bright lighting, with windows facing the screen and overhead lights turned on, the screen does a very good job of preserving black levels in dark areas. However, the trade-off is overly-bright reflections from those light sources and from other bright objects in the room, such as this reviewer's light gray shirt. These reflections were much less bothersome during bright scenes, of course, but in darker scenes they proved distracting.

Standard-definition: On the off chance you do connect a standard-definition source to the Samsung, you find generally solid picture quality. According to our tests, the display handled every line of a DVD source and the shots of grass and steps from the detail test looked good. The set eliminated jaggies from video-based sources well, and its noise reduction cleaned up the lowest-quality shots of skies and sunset with aplomb. Finally, the UNB7000 passed 2:3 pull-down test by eliminating moire from the stands behind the racecar.

PC: As expected, the UNB7000 series delivered excellent performance with both VGA and HDMI sources from computers. It resolved every line of a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution image with no overscan or edge enhancement.

Geek box

TEST	RESULT	SCORE
Before color temp (20/80)	6223/6689	Good
After color temp	6563/6499	Good
Before grayscale variation	198	Good
After grayscale variation	69	Good
Color of red (x/y)	0.6397/0.3344	Good
Color of green	0.3068/0.5897	Good
Color of blue	0.1556/0.0645	Good
Overscan	0.0%	Good
Defeatable edge enhancement	Y	Good
480i 2:3 pull-down, 24 fps	Pass	Good
1080i video resolution	Pass	Good
1080i film resolution	Pass	Good

Power consumption: In short, the Samsung UN46B7000 is the most-efficient flat-panel HDTV we've ever tested. Its default mode power use of just 0.12 watts per square inch matches that of the former champ, Philips' Eco TV, and surpasses all other non-rear-projection models. It's one of only three TVs we've tested that can pass California's tough 2013 efficiency standard.

When calibrated to an equal light output of 40ftl, the UN46B7000 (93 watts) beat the most miserly 46-inch models we've tested, including the Philips (193 watts), the Sharp LC-46D85U (123 watts), the Samsung LN46A550 (101 watts) and the Sony KDL-46Z4100 (124 watts).

Juice box

Samsung UN46B7000	Picture settings
	Default	Calibrated	Power Save
Picture on (watts)	106.77	93.02	78.07
Picture on (watts/sq. inch)	0.12	0.1	0.09
Standby (watts)	0.08	0.08	0.08
Cost per year	$33.10	$28.84	$24.21
Score (considering size)	Good
Score (overall)	Good