Toshiba’s new 55-inch 4K2K HDTV

[Steve Mullen]

JVC has been demoing their 4K2K camera with a Toshiba HDTV. Now the Toshiba has been announced in Japan.

Toshiba’s new 55-inch 4K 55X3 TV. Announced at 650,000 Yen (MSRP), the 55X3 comes by default with Toshiba’s CEVO Duo image engine an a QFHD resolution or 4K that will bring you a 3840×2160 resolution.

You will be able to build up your own 4K services thanks to Toshiba’s QFHD Video input adapter, the THD-MBA1 (200,000 Yen MSRP) that will let you connect 4 full HD inputs in order to create your 4K wonderland! A practical usage here will be for example to connect a PC with either a proprietary 4K2 Video card or 4 Regular Video HDMI Cards into this THD-MBA1 in order to enjoy 4K contents on your 55X3 TV. (The JVC GY-HMQ10 has four HDMI outputs.)

I have no idea about the Sony 4K2K connections: Sony may introduce a new NEX-FS700 camcorder. The 700 does 4K2K via 3G HD-SDI to an external recorder. It has 3 internal ND filters and 960fps slow motion. It will be released in June for $9000.

[Glen Vandermolen]

That's $8,000 for the monitor, another $2,400 for the converter. Ouch! 4K is still in the stratosphere, price wise.

And so far, the Sony FS700 is still a rumor. A strong rumor, but a rumor nonetheless. Unless you have proprietary inside info, of course.
Some have seen something from Sony that will be presented at NAB, but they can't say what.

[Steve Mullen]

I saw the Toshiba was SO expensive I didn't even compute $.

Still $13K to $15K is not so wild for a full 4K2K solution. (I think the "converter" is a simple connection box with 4 HDMI and one audio port. The price is more like $250.)

Think of the cost for a Canon C300!

I wonder if the adaptor can connect to JVC projectors? There's a video of a guy saying four connectors are on everything. Nope! This is the first.

PS: I think the HDTV uses Toshiba's CELL processor to upconvert HD to 4K. Which also means full-KD 3D. It a few years -- $2000.

[Steve Mullen]

"Toshiba is finally ready to bring its 55-inch, 4K res 3DTV home in Japan, and buyers will have their first chance to part with 900,000 yen ($11,578 US) on December 10th. The 55X3 (ZL2 in Europe) still doesn't have a North American ship date, but we can still drool over its high res display and autostereoscopic (no glasses) 3D screen that adjusts for its viewers' location based on face tracking technology, although that results in a resolution drop down to 720p.

Let's hope all that CEVO Engine technology Toshiba's plugged in for image processing makes it worth the wait... and the price."

[Steve Mullen]

Toshiba will release the 55XS4. This Quad HD or 4K TV (3840×2160) comes with edge LED Lighting, 2D only unlike the 55X3, USB recording mode and Toshiba’s CEVO Duo image processor.

The 55XS4 will be sold in Japan at around 750,000 yen. That would be about $10K. But, I remember when the Sharp 60" I wanted was $10K. A year ago I bought a 63" for $1500.

The reason there is no JVC 4K HDTV is that they stopped making TVs.

PS: If TI makes a 4K capable chip, that may be theway to get screens of 60" to 85" at a much lower price point. They could "wobble modulate" a FullHD chip to get QuadHD.