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Mobile HD

Mobile HD Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Expert - Smartphones vs. Digital Cameras: The Death Knell?

Digital camera shipments fell for a third consecutive year, with CIPA data showing a 19 percent drop in worldwide camera shipments in August 2013 and point-and-shoot volumes down 40 percent year-over-year by late 2012, while even Canon's DSLR segment declined for the first time. Nikon's D3200, a 24.2-megapixel DSLR capable of 1080p/60 video at $497, illustrates how flagship specs now compete directly against smartphone convenience at a fraction of the cost. For consumers, the calculus increasingly favors smartphones that combine adequate image quality with instant social sharing, portability, and multifunctionality over dedicated cameras.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Mobile HD

HDTV Expert - Windows 8: What if they threw a party and no one came?

Windows 8 adoption has stalled dramatically, trailing even the notoriously failed Vista OS in uptake, prompting Microsoft to slash OEM licensing fees from $120 to $30 and Intel to cut Ivy Bridge CPU prices to push sluggish laptop sales. IDC projects Windows 8 will appear on only 7.4% of tablets by 2017, while Android and iOS are forecast to command a combined 94.8% tablet market share in 2013. For PC users and buyers, the practical takeaway is that discounted Windows 8 hardware is widely available, but the platform's long-term viability remains uncertain as the market shifts decisively toward tablets.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Home Theater Mobile HD

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #576: One Week with a Tablet Remote

A one-week real-world test of replacing a Logitech Harmony One universal remote with an iPad mini paired with a RedEye IR network emitter and the DirecTV tablet app reveals a mixed outcome. The tablet setup offers genuine advantages, including no line-of-sight requirement and the ability to browse DVR playlists without interrupting the on-screen display, but tactile limitations make repeat functions like volume control unreliable. For households that rely on quick, feel-based button presses, a hybrid approach using the Harmony as the primary controller alongside the tablet as a supplemental interface proves more practical.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
HDTV Expert - With Galaxy S4, Apple Eats More of Samsung's Dust
Mobile HD

HDTV Expert - With Galaxy S4, Apple Eats More of Samsung's Dust

Samsung's Galaxy S4 features a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display at 441 ppi, outpacing the iPhone 5's 326 ppi Retina Display and signaling a broader industry shift as multiple panel-makers demonstrate comparable 440-ppi LCDs. The phone adds an IR gesture sensor, IR LED for universal TV remote functionality, dual simultaneous cameras (13 MP rear, 2 MP front), a 2600 mAh battery, and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on an octo-core processor in select markets. For consumers, the S4 raises the bar on display sharpness and sensor integration at a time when Apple's competitive response remains uncertain.

Ken Werner •
Columns
Mobile HD Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Expert - Apple Must Become Phabulous

Apple's absence from the phablet segment poses a growing competitive risk, as ABI Research projects over 150 million phablet shipments in 2013, representing 18% of all smartphone demand. While ABI defines phablets as devices with screens 4.6 inches or larger, a more defensible threshold starts at 5 inches, where rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Note II (5.5-inch, 1280x720 AMOLED) and LG Optimus G Pro (5.5-inch, 1920x1080, 400ppi) set the benchmark. Apple's iPhone 5, with its 4-inch display, lags well behind these specifications, raising real questions about its smartphone competitiveness.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Mobile HD

HDTV Expert - The Tablets They Are A-Changin' - by Pete Putman

The Nook HD+ pairs a 9-inch 1920x1080 display (256 pixels per inch) with a 1.5 GHz OMAP4470 dual-core CPU and Android OS, making it a capable portable productivity platform when paired with Bluetooth peripherals and OfficeSuite software. A complete mobile office setup including a 32 GB MicroSD card, Targus Bluetooth keyboard, Microsoft Wedge mouse, and HDMI adapter came to $419 total. For business travelers who need document editing, spreadsheet access, and presentation playback, this configuration offers a compelling alternative to carrying a full notebook.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Events & Trade Shows Mobile HD

HDTV Expert - The Front Line: Four From Pepcom

At Pepcom's November 2012 showcase in New York City, four products stood out ahead of CES: Lenovo's IdeaTab Lynx hybrid tablet running Windows 8 on an Intel Atom 1.8 GHz dual-core processor with a magnetic keyboard dock offering a combined 16 hours of battery life, and Vizio's 70-inch E701i-A3 Razor LED TV with 10-bit signal processing at a $1,999 MSRP. Barnes and Noble's Nook HD+ delivers a 1920x1280 WUXGA display at $269, while Mohu introduced a redesigned Leaf Ultimate and a new outdoor Sky HDTV crossed-dipole antenna for roof or attic mounting.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Mobile HD LCD TVs OLED TVs

HDTV Expert - Let's Talk about Medium-sized Displays for Tablets - and their Challenges - by Ken Werner

High pixel density in tablet displays, exemplified by the new iPad's 2048x1536 resolution at 264 ppi, forces a tradeoff: small pixels shrink aperture ratios in amorphous silicon TFT panels, requiring more powerful backlights and driving the new iPad's battery from 25 Wh to 42.5 Wh - a 70% power increase. Emerging alternatives including LTPS, IGZO oxide TFTs, and Samsung's Pentile Matrix LCD (demonstrated at 2560x1600, 300 ppi, consuming 2.5W versus 3.2W for a comparable RGB panel) each offer distinct paths to higher density at lower power. Understanding these tradeoffs matters for anyone evaluating premium tablet displays or anticipating next-generation hardware.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Mobile HD

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #542: Traveling with all your Media

Podcast episode 542 covers practical strategies for keeping media accessible during summer travel, from pre-loading smartphones and tablets with offline content to avoid unreliable 3G/4G streams, to packing compact streaming devices like Apple TV or Roku for hotel use. Key cable recommendations include HDMI, VGA, 3.5mm-to-3.5mm audio, and adapter combinations such as HDMI-to-DVI, ensuring compatibility with a range of hotel display setups. A DC-to-AC power inverter and seat-specific airplane power ports are highlighted as essential solutions for keeping devices charged on long journeys.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Mobile HD Standards

HDTV Almanac - Mobile DTV Stuck in the Mud?

Mobile DTV faces a bleak outlook as industry insiders like Harris Broadcast VP Jay Adrick warn that a two-to-three year delay in resolving a viable business model could render the standard irrelevant. With only roughly 10% of the U.S. population relying on over-the-air broadcasts and no tuners built into smartphones or tablets, consumer demand for linear mobile broadcast simply does not exist. Streaming on-demand content over WiFi and wireless broadband has already filled that gap, leaving Mobile DTV without a meaningful audience to serve.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - 2nd Screen Future Is Bright, but Watch Those Shades!

Polarized sunglasses can render LCD and some OLED displays completely unreadable outdoors, because the polarizing films in both the lenses and the screen cancel each other out when their orientations are perpendicular. Samsung Galaxy S OLED panels, for example, go dark at a 45-degree angle due to an internal anti-reflection polarizing film, while the Apple iPad goes black in portrait mode under polarized lenses. Devices like the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 address this with circular polarizers, producing only a minor color shift rather than a blacked-out screen.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Market Trends & Analysis Mobile HD

Smartphones, HDTVs Are the Most Planned CE Purchases This Year, According to CEA Study

The CEA's 14th Annual Household CE Ownership and Market Potential Study finds that 22 percent of U.S. households plan to purchase a smartphone in the next 12 months, making it the top planned CE acquisition, followed by HDTVs at 17 percent and digital cameras at 15 percent. Tablet computers recorded the largest household penetration increase in the industry, jumping 14 percentage points year-over-year to reach 22 percent of U.S. households, while Blu-ray players and digital media players also posted double-digit penetration gains. Average household CE spending declined by more than $200 to $961, suggesting consumers are prioritizing value and taking advantage of falling price points rather than reducing device ownership.

Shane Sturgeon •
Bulletins
Mobile HD

HDTV Almanac - Oh Boy! A New iPad!

The iPad 3 features a 2,048 x 1,536 pixel LCD panel at 264 ppi, which Apple markets as a Retina Display despite falling short of the iPhone 4's 326 ppi density. The resolution is sufficient to display full 1,920 x 1,080 HD content without scaling, though the 4:3 aspect ratio necessitates letterboxing. The smaller pixel aperture ratio demands a brighter backlight, likely requiring a larger battery, which has practical implications for how long the device can sustain video playback.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Home Theater Standards Mobile HD

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #519: Skifta - May your stuff be with you.

Skifta, a Qualcomm-backed Android 2.2+ app built on DLNA and UPnP specifications, enables remote media access and streaming without uploading or syncing files. Operating in player, server, or bridge mode, it can relay content from a home desktop server over 3G or 4G to any DLNA-certified device including PS3 consoles, Windows 7 PCs, and IP-connected TVs. For cord-cutters, this means a single tablet could theoretically replace cable guides, DVRs, and remote controls by routing any media source to any networked screen.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Mobile HD Streaming HD Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Almanac - Tablets Are Changing Television

Data from Ooyala's VideoMind Video Index reveals that tablet viewers have the highest video completion rates of any device category, surpassing connected TVs, computers, and mobile phones by a significant margin. The affordable tablet form factor, combined with services like Netflix and Amazon On Demand on devices such as the Kindle Fire, delivers a personal viewing experience that small phone screens cannot match. This shift suggests that a growing share of video consumption will migrate to tablets, with real implications for how television programming is distributed.

Alfred Poor •
Columns