Televisions

Toshiba recently announced plans to bring its Cell TVs to the European market later this year. But what makes a Cell TV so different from a normal HDTV?

Cell processors emerged from a joint-venture between IBM, Sony, and Toshiba. As such, the new type of processor is likely to crop up all over the market in the next few years. Many readers will already have used one in a Sony PlayStation 3, for example. The processors are also already in use in some professional IT equipment, but Toshiba’s imminent introduction of Cell TVs looks like the first time that we, the general public, will directly witness the power of Cell.

Toshiba's SpursEngine is one form of Cell processor.

The chip works like the dual-core processors found in many modern PCs, except that instead of two cores, it has eight. Toshiba’s European marketing manager, Sascha Lange, said that the Cell TVs will have 143 times the power of today’s standard TV. Of course, claims like this are hard to confirm, as we don’t know how Toshiba defines a “standard TV”. But we can be sure that the new processors will bring massive – and we mean massive – increases in processing power. So massive, in fact, that the TVs can record eight TV channels simultaneously and even perform real-time 2D-to-3D conversion. Come again? Yes, the TVs will take 2D signals and add depth information based on a set of educated guesses about which objects appear in the foreground and background of the picture. On a Cell TV, users will be able to watch everything – football, documentaries, even home videos – in 3D.

Toshiba is also planning to introduce an apps store, allowing developers to create various small pieces of software that could then run on consumers’ TVs. Other future developments include gesture control, whereby viewers will be able to select content to view simply by moving their hands in front of the screen.

In other words, Cell does all the stuff you see in science-fiction films – except it will soon be a reality in the living room. Well, that all depends on the price, and since Toshiba hasn’t even decided on a final specification for Europe, it’s impossible to say what this will be. All we know for sure is that it’ll be a lot!

As the year draws to an unexpectedly chilly close, we’ve been looking back at the best TVs we’ve reviewed over the last 12 months. Sony has clearly been doing something right, and manages to fill three of the top five spots.

1. Sony KDL-52 V 5500

Score: 8.4

Sony’s 52-inch LCD earns this year’s highest score for combining a fairly high ANSI contrast ratio (380:1) with rich multimedia functionality and accurate reproduction of 24p signals. Although the picture quality isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, the overall package impresses no end. Currently selling for about 1,100 GBP.

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2. Panasonic TX-P42 G 10

Score: 8.1

With a massive ANSI contrast ratio of 463:1, this plasma will easily outstrip the Sony’s home-cinema performance. One highlight of the 42 G 10, however,  is its universal tuner that’ll even receive freesat, meaning buyers can kiss goodbye to set-top boxes. Currently selling for about 750 GBP.

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3. Sony KDL-40 W 5500

Score: 8.1

This is the second of three Sonys to make the top five. Although it scores almost as highly as the KDL-52 V 5500 above, the 40 W 5500 is much, much cheaper – at just 700 GBP. Excellent picture quality and a high contrast ratio make this a superb choice for the home cinema and living room.

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4. Panasonic TH-65 VX 100

Score: 7.9

This TV’s size means it only really suits large home cinemas, and the 8,000-GBP price tag is similarly restrictive. Nevertheless, the 65 VX 100 provides a high-contrast picture with accurate colours and top video processing.

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5. Sony KDL-40 EX 1

Score: 7.8

Gorgeous design and wireless connectivity allow users to integrate this TV seamlessly into the living room. The slightly unstable wireless transmission isn’t enough to outweigh the benefits of the convincing colours and contrast-rich picture. Currently selling for about 1,300 GBP.

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And the ones that didn’t make it…

Samsung’s UE 40 B 7000 came in sixth, with 7.7 points, followed by the LG 42 LH 7000, which scored 7.6 points. The Samsung uses LED backlight technology, which is surrounded by so much hype that it’s almost surprising the TV didn’t score more highly. But recent research predicts that LED backlights will appear in more and more TVs, and we assume we’ll also see more network streaming capabilities and, eventually, support for 3D material. It’s an exciting time, and with the CES 2010 just around the corner in January, we can’t wait to see what the new year has in store.

News recently emerged that an overwhelming majority (91 percent!) of HDTV owners in the UK still only watch standard-definition signals. The reasons for this were not clear, but we can think of two possible causes – lack of availability of HD, or improper use of the equipment.

Lack of availability is at least understandable; as we mentioned in our news section, the only way to access a decent range of HD channels is by paying a monthly subscription to Sky+HD. Likewise, Blu-ray players are significantly pricier than DVD players. Improper use, on the other hand, seems like a silly reason to miss out on proper HDTV. It might sound rich coming from an expert, but HDTV isn’t all that hard to set up.

Just make sure you’re not making the worst error of all: using standard-definition cables to connect high-definition devices.

OK, cable jungles never look easy to understand, but modern connections like HDMI have made hooking up a Blu-ray player or HDTV receiver much easier than you might think. If you don’t know your HDMI from your YUV – and you certainly won’t be the only one – you should start by reading our article on TV connectivity. Advanced users will find more to sink their teeth into in our article on HD connectivity.

One you know which one’s which, you can start thinking about where to get hold of HD signals – this could be via Freeview HD, which is currently rolling out across the UK, or freesat, although both of these currently offer a very limited number of HD channels. Virgin Media’s digital-cable service offers a handful of HD channels, and the number is going up steadily. But yesterday’s launch of MGM HD on the Sky+HD digital-satellite service brings Sky’s total to 37 HD channels – the widest selection on offer in Europe at the moment. For a full round-up of HDTV options in the UK, check out our HDTV how-to guide First Steps to HDTV.

If, once you’ve got the whole thing set up, you run into problems with your HDMI connections, you might find some helpful solutions in our problem-solver First aid for HDMI.

3view's sleek new set-top box will combine Freeview HD reception with advanced multimedia capabilities.

Since Freeview HD began test transmissions in Manchester and London on December 2nd, the new high-definition broadcasts have dominated consumer-electronics news sites. Not least because two separate manufacturers have taken the opportunity to unveil soon-to-be-released Freeview HD receivers.

Humax’s HD-FOX T2 and a new set-top box from 3view, both announced in the last few days, promise to receive both standard- and high-definition Freeview signals when they hit the market early next year, in time for Freeview HD’s nationwide rollout from February onwards.

If you’re wondering how you can feast your eyes on HDTV sooner than that, have a read of our beginners guide: First Steps to HDTV.