The Future of Television

This week, right now, as I type and you read, CES is going in Las Vegas. CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is where new technologies get unveiled every year, from electric bicycles to a solar and wind powered recharging devices. Mostly people go to CES, or follow the happenings at CE, to find out what new advancements have been made in home theater equipment, DVDs, TVs, cell phones, etc. This year, as you may have expected, there are a lot of companies trying to make the thinnest TVs around.

When was the last time you went TV shopping and wondered if you could get your HDTV to possibly be just a little bit thinner? have you ever sat and pined at home about your sorry lot in life because you are the sad owner of a 3.5" thick 60" HDTV instead of a .8" thick 60" HDTV? Neither have I. (In fact, I don't have an HDTV yet, so there!) Toshiba, a fantastic company that lost-the-hi-definition-war-to-Blu-ray-but-invented-DVD-technology-anyway-so-they're-still-cool, have wondered allowed why other companies seem to think that thinner TVs are a good thing to spend [read: waste] your money and time improving? No one knows why thin is such a big deal, but Toshiba has descided to put their best foot forward and predict the state of televisions in the not-so-distant-future.

Cell-TV.

From audioholics.com:

Toshiba again talked about its upcoming Cell TV technology which utilizes the IBM/Sony PowerPC-based Cell processor to allow for advanced video processing and frame interpolation o both standard definition and high definition content. There is a lot being talked about, and a working demo on the show floor, however now they are claiming that this will be shipping in 2009! The new Cell TV will feature:

• A powerful cell broadband processor with a focus on advanced picture quality and advanced applications
• Wireless HD video support, even at the highest resolutions
• Built-in hard disc storage with server capabilities for receiving and distributing content throughout the home
• Seamless Internet connectivity for downloading and accessing network content

The Cell TV will ultimately combine elements of IPTV, multi-source file compatibility (HDD, SD, USB, etc), DLNA support for remote file sharing/streaming, and full (and largely transparent) Internet support.

On the real cutting edge side of the Cell TV, the system is said to be able to handle six (6) simultaneous HD streams at once. That means it can record 6 HD streams to the drive or storage system simultaneously. It will utilize a completely new 3D graphical user interface (GUI) and provide a new way of accessing data and programming material easily and from multiple locations. DLNA support and advanced networking would indicate that this box should be able to serve an entire home full of HD displays and enable itself to be a potential AV hub for large amounts of content.

With that said, Toshiba claims they will release this technology this year, however we'll refrain from holding our breath until we see an actual set-top product arrive on the market. It's certainly got potential and was the most exciting thing we heard at Toshiba's press event.

For additional information please visit www.tacp.toshiba.com.

So the device that you're sitting in front of right now will be what televisions will change into in soon. You can already get PC-driven home theater systems, and Apple TV is a pretty big deal these days too. (Even though NetGear debuted their "AppleTV-killer" at CES as well.) So TVs and are getting closer to computers all the time. But Toshiba wants to make monitors and then couple them with cell-powered CPUs of a fashion that can bring you a cable interface that more closely resembles the internet. It's an exciting thing. Netflix already has their set-top box that streams movies stright from your queue online, so this is just expanding on that a bit.