June 24, 2013 – Targeting smart, savvy Ultra High-Definition television (Ultra HDTV) and PC monitor buyers ready to experience 4K digital entertainment, SEIKI Digital, Inc. (www.SEIKI.com) introduces its 39-inch LED 4K Ultra HDTV and adds to its 4K lineup. The new model (SE39UY04) features a panel resolution of 3,840-by-2,160, and an input refresh rate of 120Hz on a 1080p signal and 30Hz on a 4K signal. Shipping at the end of June, the SEIKI 39-inch 4K Ultra HDTV will be priced at MSRP of $699.

The new SEIKI 39-inch 4K model will be revealed for the first time at the CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits held on June 26-27 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York.

"The first SEIKI 50-inch 4K model was the most talked about Ultra HDTV this year with its stunning picture quality and incredible price point," said Frank Kendzora, executive vice president for SEIKI Brand. "With the introduction of the SEIKI 39-inch 4K model, SEIKI has made 4K Ultra HDTVs even more affordable and ideal for PC users wanting to experience next-generation 4K computing. SEIKI will continue to expand its 4K Ultra HDTV line in 2013 to help accelerate the adoption of 4K digital entertainment and make it accessible to every consumer in the U.S. market."

SEIKI first introduced its 50-inch 4K model (SE50UY04) to the U.S. market in April 2013, and plans to include a third 65-inch 4K model by fall 2013. The new SEIKI 39-inch 4K Ultra HDTV will be available through select online and brick-and-mortar authorized retailers, including Sears as the first national retailer to offer the new SEIKI 4K model. Sears will make the SEIKI 39-inch 4K model available for pre-order starting Thursday, June 27 at www.sears.com.

The new SEIKI 39-inch 4K model features built-in digital and analog channel tuning, USB port for displaying 4K photos via USB flash drive, and multiple video and audio connections to support current high-definition video content. The model is also packaged with an HDMI 1.4 standard cable to enable video resolutions beyond 1080p.

Leuven, Belgium – June 18, 2013 – Imec presents a CMOS image sensor capable of capturing 12-bit 4,000x2,000pixel progressive images at 60 frames per second (fps). Based on a stagger-laced dual exposure, the image sensor developed with Panasonic, was processed using imec’s 130nm CMOS process on 200mm silicon wafers to deliver high-speed and high-quality imaging, at reduced output bit rate.

The number of pixels on image sensors in video and still cameras keeps increasing, along with the frame rate and bit resolution requirements of the images. 4K2K will be the next-generation broadcasting format, offering an increase by a factor of two in both horizontal and vertical resolution compared to current state-of-the-art High Definition TV.

The image sensor chip is a floating diffusion shared 4T pixel imager, with a pitch of 2.5 micron and a conversion gain of 70 μV/e-, which allows for both a classical rolling shutter or stagger-laced scanning mode. The 4K2K 60-fps imaging performance is realized by 12-bit column-based delta-sigma A/D converters. The stagger-laced scanning method improves imaging sensitivity and realizes a 50 percent reduction in output data rate by alternating the readout of two sets of horizontal pixel pairs arranged in two complementary checkerboard patterns. Additionally, the overall power consumption of the imager is less than two Watts.

“This is an important milestone for imec to demonstrate our capability to co-design, prototype and manufacture high performance CMOS image sensors in our 200 mm CMOS fab,” commented Rudi Cartuyvels, Senior Vice President Smart Systems & Energy Technologies at imec.

http://www2.imec.be/be_en/press/imec-news/imecpanasonic4k2kimager.html

Samsung Display is also exhibiting a 10.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) LCD for tablets and a 13.3-inch WQXGA+ (3200 x 1800) LCD for notebooks, which each can deliver 30 percent greater power-savings than that of existing LCD tablet displays, by decreasing the number of driver circuits and increasing the efficiency of the LED BLU.

Via: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/20/samsung-3200-x-1800-notebook-panel/

Rough translation made by one of our members:

We had so many problems with our video cameras lately. They are all outdated and price is hugely overblown. Look at our TV business, it is barely alive. Are we wanting to follow? We don't have much for uncoming NAB exhibition. And as I know one of competitors is preparing absolutely revolutional and cheap 4K resolution camera to be released at NAB. And it shoots this in raw. Imagine, 4K raw camera available for everyone! And where are we standing? Terrible!

Via: http://www.43rumors.com/affordable-4k-camera-from-panasonic/

Some specs leaked in last week on different sites:

• 4Kx4K square oversized m43 sensor
• 13 stops dynamic range
• Raw recording to external SSD
• 120fps, but on what resolution?
• No screen
• Priced below BMC

http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/jvc-unveils-handheld-k-camcorder/211237

1/2-inch CMOS imager with 8.3 million active pixels, it delivers real-time 3840x2160 footage at 24p, 50p, or 60p. Using MPEG-4 technology and a variable bit rate H.264 codec operating at up to 144 Mbps, the GY-HMQ10 records up to two hours of 4K video to economical SDHC or SDXC memory cards.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, not excited about 1/2 inch but.....

The news from www.theverge.com:

Ultra High Definition TV draft recommendation includes both 4K and 8K resolutions

The International Telecommunication Union has agreed on a new draft recommendation for the Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV) specifications, including technical details for both 4K (3840 x 2160) and 8K (7680 x 4320) displays. While this is subject to approval from the union's administration, the move would seem to confirm that both resolutions will be labeled as UHDTV, similar to how "HD" 720p sets were sold before "full HD" 1080p became the norm. It's a little disappointing that the ITU didn't take the opportunity to go for a less potentially confusing system this time around, but hey — at least you won't have to wait for NHK and Panasonic's 145-inch 8K Super Hi-Vision set to get your hands on a UHDTV.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/28/3047597/ultra-high-definition-tv-uhdtv-4k-8k-itu

Certainly, this sensor is not large enough to make low-light or "shallow DOF" shooters happy, and mobile phones are not really expected to have decent lenses mounted. But the reason why I wanted to mention this product announcement here, anyway, is that I found 2012 to be a somewhat sad year regarding the video capabilities of new enthusiast cameras. It seems to me that companies like Canon, Minolta, Olympus, Sony etc. want us to actually believe that it is still rocket science to read out sensors quickly and do the post-processing required to record videos from that - while in reality, they just deprive their mid-range cameras of even 1080p60 modes to justify their "pro camcorder" pricings.

2012 was the year that mobile phones took the lead regarding maximum still image resolution (Nokia 808 - see http://www.technobuffalo.com/mobile-devices/phones/why-the-nokia-808-pureview-is-the-first-real-threat-to-the-digital-camera/ ), however reasonable that may be. 2013 will be the year that mobile phone shooters will smile at those dinosaur below-4k-video-camera owners - whatever shortcomings their recordings will have due to the mobile phone form factor restrictions.

Don't get me wrong, I will certainly not trade in my GH2 for a mobile phone. But I'm somewhat frustrated how easily the camera manufacturers give up their market share to mobile phone manufacturers all for the wrong reasons. A child that grew up owning a mobile phone that - at least on paper - has better specs than any non-bulky dedicated camera will be a lost cause for the camera industry.

Would it be possible to get digital cinema 4k black and white out of the gh2?? or atleast 4096 × 1714 (2.39 aspect ratio 4k)??

I love my GH2 and the Driftwood quantum x v4b orion patch and its a bullet proof combo for my work. but i would love to experiment with black and white 4k.