High-definition technology is a hot topic these days. Despite the

promise of beautiful, crisp pictures coming into the living room, massive uptake is still a long way to go.

Kim believes that HD technology will mature and hat high consumer demand will drive costs down.

Canon’s HD products will appeal to first-time purchasers of camcorders and consumers who appreciate the high quality that HD camcorders offer.

HD broadcast is expected to be made available in more countries within Southeast Asia.

Making a case for HD in mainstream

By Siti Syameen Md Khalili

THE term “high definition” (HD) brings to mind plasma televisions, widescreen liquid crystal displays (LCDs), Blu-ray discs and players,

high-definition multimedia interface cables and home theatre settings and. But the hope of viewing stunning motion picture on a big screen coupled with superb surround audio system still remains just that for many – technology savvy or otherwise.

The setbacks: high cost of procuring HD-ready screens and players, and lack of content.

According to Samsung Asia Pte Ltd’s regional vice president and chief marketing officer Kim Jeong-Wook, the high pricing is due to the cost of hi-tech components being built into such products.

“But such technology will mature, and with higher consumer demand, will drive the costs down. Manufacturers will be able to pass the savings to consumers,” he says.

On HD growth, Kim believes that consumers want HD broadcast to arrive quickly, especially when they have invested in HD-capable LCD and plasma TVs. While he thinks that HD broadcast will soon be made available in more countries within Southeast Asia, he says, “it’s like the chicken-and-egg story, but as a leading convergence company, we are committed to continue providing customers with cutting-edge products that will enrich lives”.

But local audio-visual expert Dick Tan believes that the real catalyst for HD growth is content availability by broadcasters.

“Should the broadcasters, especially the free-to-air channels, do this, viewers who have been holding back from buying HDTVs will have more reasons to invest, rather than just watch Blu-ray and DVD discs,” he says.

“At the moment, most HD content viewed by PC users is downloaded from the Internet, and most of the time they are stuck viewing it on their small monitors. This beats the purpose of HD, as HD means watching epic movies on screens as big as 32 to 100-plus inches.”

Meanwhile, Canon Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd’s assistant marketing manager, consumer imaging and information division Julian Thean is confident that HD adoption among Malaysians will increase in the long run.

“Critical factors such as technological advances, ease of use, price of HD products and level of HD awareness will play pivotal roles in shaping the consumption of HD in Malaysia. More importantly, once HD becomes an industry norm, consumers will automatically be influenced to own an HD product,” he says.

Stop waiting, start recording

SO, you are one of the early adopters who recently bought:

1) A high-definition-ready TV;

2) An HD-capable camcorder and camera;

3) A Blu-ray player; or

4) A notebook computer with a Blu-ray optical disc drive on board?

Since you are already equipped with the right tools, why not start creating some HD content and share it with your loved ones? Even if your HD movie-making skills is amateurish, enjoying your own content on your hi-tech audio-visual products surely beats waiting for the broadcasters to start airing programmes in full HD.

The benefits are plenty.

“HD video provides at least two to three times superior images compared to standard-definition video. HD movies are recorded at 1,080 scanning lines, which enables users to enjoy a cinematic experience with a widescreen 16:9 format. This format matches the human field of vision, creating realism and a better viewing experience,” says Canon Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd’s assistant marketing manager, consumer imaging and information division Julian Thean.

He adds that Canon’s HD products are targeted at both the mass and professional markets such as production houses and studios.

“For the mass market, Canon’s HD products will appeal to first-time purchasers of camcorders and consumers who appreciate the high quality that HD camcorders offer.”

While HD is often linked to motion picture or video footages, another type of high-resolution content that you can review using your large screen is photo. Digital single-lens reflex and digital still cameras as well as camera phones are capable of recording high-resolution photos.

According to Samsung Electronics’ assistant manager, global product planning group Oliver Chung, viewing photos on HD screens will give a different experience.

“When you have a large HD screen for playback, you will be able to detect the difference between a five-megapixel and an eight-megapixel photo.”