Cable Free Hd

Hi-def signals without wires, and the ambiguity of a three-dimensional future, are now tickling the grey cells

Sony Ericsson recently showed how its new Xperia XI0 phones can download music from SE's Play Now site. The demonstrator didn't know, or seem to care, about the coding standard, bit-rate, or DRM copy-protection, and why downloads cost a sky-high $1 per track. I later found out that the Dick Turpin price is because the download is billed as a premium-rate text message.

So be warned; and here are a few advance pointers on hot topics soon coming to the boil.

Cable - free HD

Sony and Panasonic have been discussing the possibility of Full HD by WI-FI as a welcome way to send HDTV across a room or around the house without spending a fortune on Long HDMI cables. Samsung has been promising - but not yet demonstrating - a Full HD camcorder which connects to an HDTV by Wi-Fi.

Be aware that the hi-def Wi-Fi connection must use the new 802.11n standard, which is incompatible with most existing Wi-Fi gear Also, there will very likely be no direct Wi-Fi connection between a Blu-ray player and a TV. The wireless link will be between the player and a computer server, and between the server and TV, which is far more complicated and Likely to fail than if you were just using an HDMI cable.

Wireless connection direct from a BD player to TV will be better done by the completely different SiBeam Wireless HD system. This uses much higher frequencies than Wi-Fi (In the 60GHz radar band), will probably cost more than an HDMI cable, and won't go through thick walls. Hmmm.

The other hot topic is, of course, 3D. Using a full HD to each eye Active Shutter 3DTV from Panasonic or Sony to watch DISH TV's 'half HD to each eye' 3D broadcasts should work, albeit with the need to root around the onscreen menus for the correct 'side-by-side' setting. But half-HD passive polarization TVs from JVC, Hyundai and LG - designed for broadcast 3D - are unlikely to cope with full HD 3D Blu-ray movies or games.

LG is supplying many thousands of these 3D sets to pubs for DISH TV's 3D sports broadcasts; and still stubbornly ducking the question about compatibility with Blu-ray 3D.

Indeed, Sony says: 'Complementing the 3D Live broadcasts and a series of public viewing opportunities around the world, the general public will also be able to enjoy the 3D promotional trailers for each of the 25 games, shown in around 1,300 Sony-affiliated retail stores and flagship stores throughout Europe.

By: Francis David