News WE REPORT FROM CES IN LAS VEGAS


AI and 8K steal the show in Las Vegas


4 ● By Steve May


CES 2018 proved to be an adventure at the bleeding edge of consumer technology. Smart assistants and artifi cial intelligence were de rigueur, often making the show fl oor look like an extension of the Starship Enterprise bridge, and next-gen TV technology was everywhere. Upwards of 170,000 industry professionals descended on Las Vegas for the annual expo between January 9 and 12, although few would have found time to take in all 3,900 exhibitors or covered the 2.75 million square feet occupied by the show. For 2018, 8K TV prototypes moved centre stage, with


impressive teaser screens from Sony, LG and Samsung. The latter even went so far as to promise a commercial launch for its 85in 7,680 x 4,320 panel later this year,


powered by an AI upscaler for 4K (and lesser) resolutions. Elsewhere, LG innovated with a 65in rollable OLED


screen, which popped up from a (sizeable) housing as and when required. It was mounted on a segmented backing, able to unfold like a garage door. Cleverly, the height of the rollable OLED screen was selectable. It could extend into a conventional 16:9 TV, or show just a portion of the screen, perhaps to act as a notification display. It could also extend just enough to create a cinemascope-style 21:9 screen. It remains to be seen if the idea gains traction. Regular CES attendees will recall LG’s previous OLED novelty that could curve or flatten, depending on content, at the touch of a button. Uncharacteristically, for the first two days of the show,


the heavens opened. After a 116-day drought, sheet rain caused local flooding. The city was to declare January the wettest on record. And it didn’t just rain outside. Buckets sprang up all around the Las Vega Convention Center as the roof leaked. The poor weather also led to a power outage, which infamously plunged CES into total darkness for two hours.


It may have been raining cats and dogs, but it was


the return of Sony’s robo pooch Aibo that garnered the biggest cheer during Sony CEO Kaz Hirai’s CES presentation. The new Aibo is 4G- and wi-fi-enabled and is all kinds of cute. Aibo v2.0 barks and sings plaintively, and rolls expressive OLED eyes. No news yet of a European release, but we suspect there will be plenty of early adopters eager to offer a kennel.


Panasonic launches Hollywood-tuned HDR10+ OLED TVs


PANASONIC has unveiled two new OLED TV models for 2018. The TX- FZ950 and TX-FZ800 will both support the HDR10+ dynamic metadata standard, in addition to conventional HDR, writes Steve May. The open-source rival to Dolby Vision


has recently received a boost from influential


Hollywood major Warner


Bros, which has thrown its weight behind the standard. The incoming screens took their bow in Hollywood, prior to CES, showing the brand’s close ties with the movie post- production community.


In the UK, the TVs will be designated TX-FZ952 and TX-FZ802 to signify that they use a Freeview Play tuner. Available in 55in and 65in screen sizes, they will also have Ultra HD Premium


and THX certification. Both share the same panel, Absolute Black Filter and image processor, but have different audio and cosmetics. The FZ950 (pictured) comes with a


new version of the ‘Tuned by Technics’ Dynamic Blade speaker, which boasts greater midrange clarity and 40 per cent more volume.


The new Blade speaker docks directly into the TV pedestal, and uses four woofers, four mid-range drivers and two tweeters, plus a quad passive radiator to boost bass. Last year’s EZ1002 TV continues on in the Panasonic line-up, but only in its 77in guise.


The OLED duo sport a number of


refinements, including the introduction of a Dynamic LUT (Look Up Table), said to


improve the accuracy of bright colours.


A key marketing message for


Panasonic


remains its affiliation with Hollywood, particularly the role professional colourists have had in the tuning of the new TVs to better reflect the creative intent of film makers.


Speaking at the TV


launch, European marketing manager Craig Cunningham declared that higher-end of the TV market has now convincingly migrated to OLED, with LED LCD TVs relegated to the budget end of the business. “It’s increasingly looking like the middle ground of premium LCD TVs is a no-man’s-land,” he cautioned.


Although unconfirmed, ERT


understands that Panasonic will announce HDR10+ compatibility for a number of lower-cost LED LCD HDR 4K TVs at this month’s European Dealer Convention in Mallorca.


• Full CES review, pages 32-37


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