SHOWCASE: CES 2015

6-9 January 2015, Las Vegas

PROTOTYPE 4K BLU-RAY UNVEILED

Panasonic has displayed a prototype of the first 4K Blu-ray player at CES 2015 in anticipation of the UHD standard expected from the Blu-ray Disc Association this year.

The 3840×2160 pixel resolution player supports additional standards such as high efficiency video compression, High Dynamic Range, greatly increased colour reproduction, and a very high bit rate of 100Mbps.

No details on pricing or availability were released, although Panasonic included the following specification notes with its announcement. The company says it will also participate in the newly-formed UHD Alliance, a global coalition of manufacturers, film studios, content distributors and technology companies, to contribute to the progress of the 4K industry.

SPECIFICATIONS

• 4K / 60p
 – High speed display in 60 frames per second of 4K video (3840 x 2160 pixels) for highly detailed videos with extremely smooth movement.
• 10-bit gradation
 – Previous Blu-ray discs displayed colour signals (Y, Cb, Cr) in 8-bit gradation each (256 gradations). By expanding this to 10-bit gradation each (1024 gradations), even minute signals can be faithfully reproduced to realise richly textured video.
• High Dynamic Range
 – A technology that drastically expands the brightness peak from the previous 100 nit to 1000-10,000 nit, marking a significant leap in the dynamic range of the picture. Bright light sources (e.g. lights or rays of the sun) and reflected light (from metal or water) that up to now were difficult to display can now be shown in rich textures.
• 2020 wide colour gamut – 
Compliant with the ITU-R BT.2020 wide colour gamut signal formulated for 4K/8K broadcasting. Enables vividly rich coloration not previously possible on Blu-ray discs (BT.709 standard).
• HEVC (H.265) / 100Mbps
 – Support for the highest 100Mbps video signal using the latest high-efficiency video compression technology. Compression efficiency and high bit rate far beyond previous Blu-ray discs (MPEG-4/AVC (H.264), maximum 40Mbps), enabling outstanding playback of high quality video.

Source: media release

LINKS

Panasonic: panasonic.net
CES 2015: www.cesweb.org
Blu-ray Disc Association: www.blu-raydisc.com
UHD Alliance: info@uhdalliance.org

WACOM’S BIGGER PICTURE

Wacom has launched two flagship 27-inch graphics tablets, claiming best-in-class pen-on-screen and colour performance.

The Cintiq 27QHD standard and touch versions offer large glass work surfaces with 1.07 billion colours and 97 per cent of Adobe’s colour gamut, a variety of stand options and a new ExpressKey remote that can be placed anywhere on the screen or desk to give users more flexibility as to how, when and where customisable keyboard shortcuts and modifiers are implemented.

Both models feature a 2560 x 1440 seamless edge-to-edge glass screen and users can incorporate different pen nibs for a realistic pen on paper feel. Users can draw, paint, design and edit directly on screen with the Wacom pen and its 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity.

On the touch version, the latest touch-enabled OS and software closely replicates the experience of working with two hands – users can directly manipulate their work by rotating, pinching and moving it around. Wacom says the ability to manipulate a 3D model or pan, zoom and rotate an image with one hand while simultaneously sculpting or sketching with the other delivers a completely natural experience.

The new standard and touch models replace the Cintiq 24HD versions and will be available late in January for around US$2300 and $2800 respectively.

Source: media release

LINKS

Wacom: www.wacom.com
CES 2015: www.cesweb.org