HDTV Expert - The Front Line: Four From Pepcom

[720pete]

One of the best tabletop CE product shows makes a return visit to New York.

[url=http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/columns/2012/11/hdtv-expert-the-front-line-four-from-pepcom.php]Read Column[/url]

[videograbber]

Pete, thanks for the interesting report.

Re: the new Nook HD's,

"[i]The B&N Nook HD+ adds to an already overcrowded market for tablets, but is competitively priced[/i]."

is a caption under a picture of the 7" Nook HD, not the 9" HD+.

"[i]The Nook HD+ ... employs the same processor and OS as the 7-inch tablet and has similar battery life[/i]."

True, but it clocks it a bit faster, at 1.4 GHz, vs. 1.3.

"[i]I found both tablets very bright and contrasty under the overhead spotlights used in the ballroom, and reflection from the LCD screen was minimal[/i]."

Which is pretty unique amongst the tablet options, most of which are mirror-like.

"[i]Alas; there’s still no place to make an external display connection like there is on the iPads[/i]."

Actually, there IS such a place! It's the multi-pin docking connector at the bottom. However the interface cable that enables its use (connects to HDMI) is not yet available, AFAIK.

- Tim

[Rodolfo]

[quote]
Actually, there IS such a place! It's the multi-pin docking connector at the bottom. However the interface cable that enables its use (connects to HDMI) is not yet available, AFAIK.

- Tim[/quote]

Tim,

If you are referring to the iPad multipin to HDMI that connector is available.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra

[videograbber]

Rodolfo,

> [i]If you are referring to the iPad multipin to HDMI that connector is available.[/i] <

No, I wasn't referring to that. Pete and I were already aware of those adaptors.

Pete indicated that there is no such connector [b]on the new Nook HD models[/b]. He would have been right about the older Nook Tablet and Nook Color, but the HD and HD+ [b]do[/b] support HDMI out to an external monitor. However it does require an adapter cable, which AFAIKnew was not available yet.

I went back to double check, and what I thought was a cable is something they call a dongle. It looks more like a small module to me, and an actual adapter cable would probably have put less stress on the tablet connector (the cable acting as a strain-relief to some extent).

[img]http://liliputing.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/nookhdmi.jpg[/img]

In any case, it accepts a full-size HDMI cable, so you can play games, watch HD movies, etc. from your NookHD's on a huge screen, if you like. The HDMI dongles are, in fact, delayed, with no specific ETA announced, but could arrive at any time.

It turns out I was incorrect about one thing though. I characterized the CPU speed difference between the two models as 1.3/1.4 GHz, and it's really 1.3/1.5 GHz. My apology for going by memory without checking. Too many new offerings this fall to get away with that. Thanks for giving me a reason to go back and check my data.

- Tim

[a somewhat larger picture of the dongle that shows it's size in hand is available here: http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/p9253841-600x415]