By Dave Thier, Contributor Depending on where you’re standing, the Smart TV revolution is either already here, or it’s just around the corner. Streaming has officially made the jump from a lonely obsession carried out with a laptop and headphones to the standard alternative to cable TV, viewed on the living room TV like everything else. For many people without a games console or HDMI hookup to their computer, that means a Roku set-top box.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
Tag Archives: HDMI
David Henningsson: Upcoming changes to the Intel HDA drivers
Takashi Iwai, the Linux sound maintainer, is about to merge a patch set of about 150 patches into linux-next. These changes, in short, unify the different HDA codec drivers.
Introduction and background
First, the basics: HDA Intel is the current standard protocol for accessing your built-in soundcard, as well as HDMI/DisplayPort audio, and is used in almost all desktop and laptop computers since about 2005. In the HDA Intel world, there are controllers and codecs. The codecs also have a configuration, which tells which pins of the codecs that are connected to what input or output (this is set by BIOS/UEFI).
Hardware is very diverse: The HDA Intel driver supports at least 50 different controllers, and about 300 different codecs. On top of that, every codec usually support many different configurations.
The codecs come from 10-12 different vendors, and within the same vendor, it is more likely that the codec layout is somewhat like other codecs from the same vendor. As a result, the HDA codec driver is split up in 10-12 codec driver files, one per vendor. These files are to some degree copies of each other, but also contains every vendor’s specials.
What changes?
Takashi’s patches are solving a long term maintenance problem: as we want to add new features to the kernel drivers, we would previously have to do this once per codec – whereas with the unification of codec drivers, we would just have to add this code once. Or possibly twice, as the HDMI codecs will still have its own codec driver. In addition, new codec hardware is more likely to “just work”, or at least partially work, without explicit support in the kernel. The potential downside, of course, is that as you improve the driver to solve some edge case, you’re more likely to screw some other edge case up.
There’s not much of new features added in this new, generic driver at this point. However, if you have an “unusual” codec chip vendor, you might see minor improvements as these are brought up to feature parity with the more common codecs.
When does it change?
As usual, you can’t know until it’s in there. Takashi’s latest plan is to make the move for 3.9 for at least some of the codecs, and 3.10 for the rest of them.
Regressions and testing
Judging from the database you might have contributed to by yourself by submitting your alsa-info, there are about 6000 different machines out there, and there is not enough manpower to test them all. So we need a different approach. Conveniently, Takashi has written an emulator called hda-emu to test the codec driver code, and I’ve improved that emulator with some scripting, so that hda-emu effectively becomes an automated test suite. The test suite is still very incomplete, but it at least runs a few different tests such as faked playback, S3, and manipulating of volume controls, and checks if hda-emu crashes or reports an error. And sure enough, when running this test suite over all the alsa-infos in the database, a few regressions were discovered that I was able to fix.
So far, so good. If it weren’t for the fact that hardware often does not work exactly as advertised. The parser algorithm for reading the codec layout and creating a working kernel driver out of it, must now take all codecs from all vendors into account. The old vendor-specific parser might have done things in one way and the new parser might do things a different way, causing the audio to be routed differently.
As an example, assume the codec is broken in such a way that it advertises two audio paths, but in practice only one of the paths actually works. The new parser might then route the audio differently from the old one – and as a result it will look like audio should really work, in theory. In practice, there is nothing but silence. Another example could be that maybe the new driver will power down different parts of the codec in different order than the old driver did, causing your speakers to click.
How can I help?
Right now, what’s needed is more testing on real hardware. Takashi has called for testing of his hda-migrate branch of the sound-unstable tree.
If you’re running Ubuntu, I have made packages for 12.04, 12.10 and 13.04 – just download, install it (you might need to install dkms and kernel headers too). Then reboot and test. Simply uninstall the package and reboot when you’ve finished testing.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Planet Ubuntu
Lenovo gives Chrome OS a try with Chromebook for Schools
In perhaps a sign that Chrome OS hasn’t been a failure, Lenovo plans to release its first Chromebook laptop, which it calls a “rugged” model for K-12 schools.
Before now, only Acer and Samsung have offered computers based on Google’s Web-based operating system. Their first Chromebooks launched in 2011, and both companies released new models late last year, including a $200 laptop from Acer and a $250 laptop from Samsung.
Lenovo’s newly unveiled ThinkPad X131e Chromebook runs on an Intel processor (no word on which one) and has an 11.6-inch, 1366-by-768 resolution LED display. It also has three USB ports, HDMI output and VGA output. A blog post from Google says the X131e lasts 6.5 hours on a charge, and it weighs about four pounds. A bumper for the top cover, stronger corners, and reinforced hinges account for the laptop’s rugged design.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
Acer Iconia W510 review: Wide-screen tablet with a clever dock
Acer’s Iconia W510 is a 16:9, widescreen Windows 8 tablet with a nicely-designed keyboard dock. When sidled down and locked into said dock, the W5 appears and functions as a small, netbook-sized laptop. Alas, the W5 dock is a pricey option–the $750 W510-1422 and $800 W510P-1406 configurations that include it are $200 more than the otherwise identical dock-less models.
Widescreen tablet
The 16:9 aspect ratio of the Iconia W510‘s 10.1-inch, 1366 by 768 display is mirrored by the unit’s 10.2-inch by 7.3-inch form –a form quite common in the Windows 8 tablet realm. The wide aspect is both good and bad news; While 16:9 is perfect for movies, it’s considerably less so when held in portrait orientation to read books or surf the Web–one of the major reasons that 4:3 aspect units have ruled the marketplace. But if video is your focus, the W5’s widescreen can be appealing.
Feature-wise, the Iconia W510 is largely your standard Windows tablet. Features include micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports, an SDHC card reader, a headset jack, plus a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 1.3MP display-side Webcam. There are a Windows button to facilitate alternating between the Windows 8 Metro and classic Windows interfaces, and a rotation lock to fix the image in portrait or landscape mode. Wi-Fi is 802.11 a/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 are both on hand for top-notch wireless connectivity.
Ho-hum looks
As conceived and realized as the W510’s dock is mechanically, Acer could have done better with its appearance. The W510 looks nice enough on its own, but when combined with the docking station, the two shades of white (dock keys/tablet bezel), black, and silver color scheme give the unit as a whole a vaguely cheap feel. Neither part is cheaply made, but visual impressions can be hard to shake.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
Turn any display into a virtual PC with Dell's HDMI stick
LAS VEGAS—Dell this week unveiled a prototype of a pocket-sized HDMI stick that can turn any compatible display into a virtual PC capable of running Android apps or remotely accessing Windows apps on a cloud service or remote PC.
The concept device, called Project Ophelia, is the creation of Dell Wyse, the business unit formed from Dell’s recent acquisition of Wyse Technology. Former Wyse CEO Tarken Maner, now VP and general manager of Cloud Client Computing at Dell, expects the device to cost under $100 at launch.
The HDMI interface allows its use with big-screen displays such as HDTVs, making Project Ophelia a relatively inexpensive way to create a computer anywhere the stick can connect to a network via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Maner believes telecommunications companies wishing to sell cloud services (for example, access to Microsoft Office apps or data centers) might subsidize the device much the way they discount cell phones to customers who commit to service contracts.
However, Project Ophelia does face some significant potential obstacles. While many hotel rooms have TV sets with HDMI ports, keyboards and mice are not typically available—and if you have to bring them with you, you’ve now added both cost and bulk.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
Archos targets specific interests with a diversified tablet lineup
LAS VEGAS–Archos has been making tablets for far longer than most manufacturers, under the guise of souped-up media players. And once again, the company is aiming to target specific audiences, based on its new 2013 Android tablet offerings here at CES. These are no me-too tablets, though; the lineup emphasizes diversity and originality, and includes a high-pixel density 9.7-inch tablet, as well as a smaller model with integrated gaming controls, and a jumbo size model that’s only the second 13-inch Android tablet to come to market.
The shining jewel of the lineup is an unexpected find: The Archos 97 Platinum, with its gleaming 2048 by 1536 pixel resolution on a 9.7-inch display. Do those specs sound familiar? They should… it’s what Apple’s iPad with Retina display has at 264 pixels per inch. This display is Super IPS, so it appears brighter than a standard IPS display, and the colors looked very vibrant and satisfying. It’s not an optically bonded display, but to Archos’ credit, the air gap between the LCD and the glass is relatively minimal, which in turn helps to keep glare lower. Oddly, the spec for the angle of view is just 85 degrees, which feels a bit low for an IPS display.
Physically, the 97 Platinum looks attractive and feels solidly designed, with a reasonably thin aluminum case, white bezel around the display, and light weight. Inside the Google-certified 97 Platinum is Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and Google’s services, including Google Play. The tablet runs a quad-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A7-based processor from Chinese chip maker Allwinner; this the system-on-chip has 2GB of system memory and 8 GPU cores. The tablet comes with a modest complement of storage, though—just 8GB, too low considering the resolution of the display. At least there’s a MicroSD card slot for adding your own content, up to 32GB; and there’s a mini-HDMI port, too. Each of the cameras—front- and rear-facing—are 2 megapixels, modest compared to the competition.
But then, you have to consider the 97 Platinum’s price: $300, $200 less than Apple’s iPad with the same resolution display.
The smaller Archos 80 Platinum has the same guts and looks identical, save for its screen size and resolution. This display is jut 1024 by 768 pixels, same as iPad 2. And it costs just $200, one-third less than its larger sibling. Both models are due in March.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
RCA reinvents mobile TV for the tablet universe
LAS VEGAS–Mobile TV has yet to get much traction, in spite of it being talked up for several years running now. But that could change thanks to the RCA Mobile TV Tablet. This unique 8-inch tablet has the first dual-tuner mobile TV built into a fairly standard looking Android 4.0.4 tablet. Imagine watching TV on-the-go being free of data bandwidth; that’s the promise this gadget may fulfill.
The secret sauce here is that dual-tuner, which handles standard over-the-air ATSC broadcasts as well as uses Dyle mobile TV, a separate service via an Android app that let consumers watch TV on over 130 stations nationwide, in 35 U.S. markets.
As a tablet, the Mobile TV Tablet is fairly ordinary. It weighs 1.4 pounds, a bit hefty for its size. Under the hood are a 1GHz Telechip Cortex-A5-based processor, 8GB of memory, and 1GB of RAM, plus a GPS and dual cameras. Along the edges are MicroUSB, MicroSD, and HDMI connections. The 8-inch 1024 by 768 pixel display looks reasonable, although the air gap is between the glass and the LCD beneath is visible.
RCA says that battery should last about four hours while watching TV, and 10 hours for general Web surfing. A telescoping antennae tucks away neatly along the edge of the tablet.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
Dell's $499 Windows 8 tablet looks like a win for business
Tablets are just consumer toys, right? Well, that argument has been a tad dubious since it was first used against the original iPad, but the new breed of tablets running the full Windows 8 OS truly challenge the assertion. A new Windows 8 tablet offering from Dell promises to deliver a full PC experience in a tablet that starts at only $499.
The Dell Latitude 10 essentials configuration is not an entirely new tablet—just a new, more economical configuration of the Dell Latitude 10. It has the same 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor, and 2GB of RAM with a 10.1-inch IPS Corning Gorilla Glass display.
It is lacking some of the features of its more robust sibling. It does not have a swappable battery, and the rear camera is missing the LED flash. It has a full USB port, but lacks the mini-USB and mini-HDMI ports. And, it can use a passive stylus, but it doesn’t support the Wacom Active Stylus.
The tablet pricing goes head to head with the 16GB base model of Apple’s iPad, and Microsoft’s Surface RT—which also offers a 32GB model for $499. The difference is that the iPad runs iOS, and the Surface RT runs the Windows RT OS, while the Dell Latitude 10 comes with the full 32-bit Windows 8 Pro.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
Lukup Player adds color and content to your HDTV
LAS VEGAS—Coming up with new and better ways for you to watch various forms of content on your HDTV is like a sport for the consumer electronics industry. The latest ambitious competitor is Lukup Media, which is previewing its Lukup Player at CES.
The concepts behind the Lukup Player are mixing live and on-demand content from cable, satellite, over-the-air, local, and Internet sources; delivering a personalized and context aware user experience; and offering a multi-screen and place-shifting experience.
Bascially, the Lukup Player is a colorful TV add-on that will sit between your cable or satellite box and your TV. There will also be a model that replaces the set-top decoder you would otherwise use, along with unlimited cloud storage and 128GB of DVR capacity) It collects the programming information from your pay services and Internet content, and displays everything in a single interface—in other words, there’s one HDMI input for everything you want to watch.
Users will create profiles that will offer personalized recommendations based on viewing habits, and also let you access some content from your smartphone or tablet remotely (the Player itself isn’t a server, so you can’t placeshift from your home).
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
Philips launches trio of soundbars
LAS VEGAS—True audiophiles will settle for nothing less than 5.1- or 7.1-channel speaker systems for enjoying the sound that goes along with their HDTV viewing. But for a growing number of us, the simplicity of a soundbar provides a happy medium between built-in speakers and multi-channel audio systems.
Philips introduced three new soundbar models at CES, the most interesting being the Fidelio HTL9100 (pictured above).
The HTL9100 features detachable, rechargeable wireless side speakers (a first for a soundbar, according to Philips) that you can place behind you to go from the 9100’s virtual surround sound to real 5.1-channel surround sound. They use a proprietary wireless technology that doesn’t face interference problems from Wi-Fi or Bluetooth frequencies, and last up to 10 hours on a charge. It also features a wireless subwoofer, has two HDMI ports, and supports Bluetooth audio streaming for wireless music playback. Finally, the 9100 model has an orientation sensor that can tell whether you’ve mounted it on a wall or have it sitting on a shelf. It will be available in May for $800.
The HTL5120 has a built-in subwoofer, providing bass without an extra piece of hardware on the floor. Like the 9100, it supports Bluetooth audio streaming, includes an orientation sensor, and offers two HDMI ports. It will also be available in May for $250.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
Vizio doubles down on Windows 8 at CES
Las Vegas — It’s a little odd to watch VIzio — a company once known primarily for making inexpensive LCD TVs — take a shot at the tablet market. But the company made good on the promise of a lightweight, powerful ultraportable with their Thin + Light laptops last year, and their new 11.6-inch MT11x tablet looks just as promising.
At roughly half an inch thick and weighing a little under two pounds, the MT11x sports a micro-HDMI port, 64GB solid-state drive, and an AMD Z-60 processor for kicking Radeon HD graphics out to an external display. We can’t be sure about battery life until we get the device into our lab for some serious testing, but the Vizio MT11x runs Windows 8 smoothly and continues Vizio’s legacy of producing attractive products with completely forgettable names.
Vizio is also refreshing their Thin + Light line of ultraportables, adding touchscreens to their 14-inch and 15.6-inch laptops and rechristening them as Thin + Light Touch notebooks. The new models retain their sleek design and offer the promise of better battery life than last year’s crop of Thin + Light laptops. The 15.6-inch Vizio notebooks ship with a 1920 x 1080 screen, while their 14-inch siblings sport 1600 x 900 displays.
If you’d rather tap on something a little more stable, Vizio is also showing off their updated 24-inch and 27-inch touch-capable All-In-One desktop PC s in a hotel suite far from the CES show floor. They look good too, with a sleek Apple-inspired silver chassis and bright 1080p displays. Both models pack a subwoofer, remote control and a pair of HDMI inputs for home theater aficionados. You’ll also have the option to outfit the 24-inch model with either an AMD or Intel CPU, and both models will ship with Windows 8. The absence of a multitouch-capable touchscreen and touchpad on last year’s model of Vizio All-in-One was one of our biggest complaints, so it’s exciting to see this nascent PC vendor embracing Windows 8 and touch control in a big way. No word yet on how much these products will cost, but we expect to see them on sale this spring.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
New Sony camcorders get steadier, more able to transfer video to mobile devices
LAS VEGAS—The more interesting announcements from Sony announcements Monday came in the realm of camcorders, as the very trippy Balanced Optical SteadyShot system, which uses a floating lens housing to correct severe hand shake, will be offered in many more of the company’s camcorders this year.
Sony also unveiled its latest 3D camcorder, which is much smaller and more affordable than previous years’ models. The Handycam TD30V lacks the manual parallax controls and internal memory of previous 3D Handycam models, and it will sell for $1000 in March of this year.
The higher end of the Handycam lineup also has a new “Multi-Interface” accessory shoe, which can be used with a separately sold Wi-Fi accessory to transfer video to phones and tablets and control the camcorder from a mobile device.
Sony has also enhanced its lineup of projector-equipped Handycam camcorders this year, as several new models can be used as a pass-through projector for phones, tablets, laptops, or other HDMI-connected devices. Previous Sony camcorders in the PJ series could be used to project video from the camcorder itself, but the ability to use external sources is a new feature for the PJ lineup.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld
CES: Nvidia Debuts "Project Shield" Gaming Handheld
Nvidia has introduced Project Shield, an Android-based gaming handheld. The system uses the company’s new Tegra 4 processor and is housed within a controller with a flip-up screen, complete with its own integrated sound system and the complete array of controls you’d find on a traditional console controller. It features an HDMI port for video output, micro-USB for accessories and docks, and a microSD port for expandable storage. While the exact specs are still forthcoming, Project Shield has a 5-inch 720p HD display. The system, Nvidia says, is “pure Android,” which gives it unhindered access to the standard Android interfaced, as well as apps and games from the Google Play store.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Tech
CES: Vizio Debuts Its First Windows 8 Tablet
After introducing its first tablet in 2011, Vizio is jumping into the portable market once again with the 11.6-inch Tablet PC with Windows 8, according to Engadget. The device features a slimline design with a 1080p HD display, AMD‘s Z60 dual-core 1GHz processor, 64GB of SSD storage, and 2GB of RAM.
Instead the stripped-down Windows RT, Vizio’s new 11.6-inch tablet is based on a complete version of Windows 8 making it capable of running full desktop apps and even HD games. When it was introduced last year, AMD‘s Z60 processor was touted as being capable of delivering commendable gaming performance for a tablet-focused chip. AMD claims the Z60 can run Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Orcs Must Die at medium settings. Vizio’s tablet will sport HDMI output, a micro USB port, 802.11n dual-band Wi-Fi, and a built-in 2 megapixel camera. In terms of portability, it measures at just 0.4-inches thick and weighs 1.66 pounds.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Tech
GameStick Takes on Ouya as a Portable Android Game Console
Watch out Ouya, a new Android-based games console has made its debut on Kickstarter, and it’s called the GameStick. Developed by PlayJam, the GameStick is a thumb drive-sized device that plugs directly into your TV via HDMI and promises an open-source games platform that challenges the traditional console publishing model. Unlike the Ouya, which is intended to be a compact set-top box, the GameStick emphasizes portability. The entire system is housed within the small HDMI adapter, including a 1.5GHz dual-core Amlogic 8726-MX processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of flash storage, as well as integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips. While the GameStick hardware pales in comparison to Ouya’s Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, PlayJam says that the system is capable of running graphically-intensive Android games at HD resolution.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Tech
Giada announces compact ARM-based Android desktop
A company known for making downsized PCs has announced two ARM-based desktop computers that will be shipping “soon” with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Giada has made its ARM desktops, the Q10 and Q11 very compact. Both measure 7.48-by-5.87-by-1.0 inches and, when mounted in the vertical position don’t take up much more space on a desktop than a typical router.
The pint-sized desktops are built around the Allwins A10 ARM processor, which runs at 1GHz, and have Mali-400 MP4 graphics.
Inputs/Outputs include five USB 2.0 ports (four rear, one front), VGA and HDMI ports, an SD/MMC card reader, RJ45 jack, a fast Ethernet port, and support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
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Source: PCWorld
How we built a tiny home theater PC with Intel's NUC
Full-featured PCs are getting smaller every day, and Intel’s new “Next Unit of Computing,” or NUC, is yet another example of the ever-shrinking personal computer.
At 4.6 by 4.4 by 1.5 inches—about the size of a very small box of chocolates—the NUC contains a Core i3 processor and two SODIMM memory slots, and can be upgraded with both a Wi-Fi card and mSATA SSD internally. I was most intrigued by Intel’s DC3217BY model, which includes an HDMI as a video connector and a Thunderbolt port for storage.
Hmmm. HDMI. And a Thunderbolt port. The feature set made me think this particular NUC would be an ideal platform for building a compact media streaming box—or even a full-fledged home theater PC.
Home theater PCs are often massive beasts, shipped in cases the same size as beefy A/V receivers. Those are great if you want massive amounts of storage, or want to build in a high-end 3D card for PC gaming from your couch. But to me the diminutive NUC seemed like an ideal platform for streaming video from the Internet or local server storage. And if you wanted to, I thought, you could connect a hard drive to that Thunderbolt port, enabling the NUC to act as a light-duty DVR.
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Source: PCWorld
Battle of the pint-size PCs: Cotton Candy, MK802 II, and Raspberry Pi face off
Today’s smartphones are pretty good computers, but we’ve tried out three computational powerhouses that make the slimmest phone look like ENIAC. (The world’s first electronic computer, unveiled in 1946, weighed 27 tons and consumed 1800 square feet of floor space.) The Cotton Candy, the MK802 II, and the Raspberry Pi are amazingly tiny, incredibly inexpensive, and eminently customizable. They make terrific platforms for hobbyists fond of experimentation, and they’re ideal for students interested in learning how to program, but they can also serve as ordinary productivity machines.
These miniature marvels eschew the power-hungry x86 processors found in desktop and laptop PCs in favor of mobile CPUs and GPUs, but each relies on an external monitor or HDTV—connected via HDMI—to display its user interface and other video output. In fact, the Cotton Candy and the MK802 II are the same shape and size as a USB memory stick, and plug directly into a TV. Thanks to that skimpy hardware, these computers can operate on just the trickle of energy provided by the display they’re connected to. Alternatively, you can plug in the same type of USB AC power adapter that modern smartphones and tablets use.
Much of the appeal of these pint-size PCs lies in their software versatility. Each device can boot from a MicroSD card containing an operating system disc image (typically some flavor of Android or a Linux distro tailored to its hardware set). If your tinkering utterly demolishes the stability of the OS, you can just overwrite the memory card with a new image and start over.
After comprehensive testing, I found that each of these micro PCs has its upside and downside, but all three devices shine in distinctly different scenarios.
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Source: PCWorld