MiraVision Mirror, mirror on the wall...

Philip's has come up with a TV that doubles as a mirror.

The MiraVision Mirror TV is a versatile 17-, 23- or 30-inch LCD screen which, thanks to a reflective sheet cover, acts as a mirror when switched off. The device also features a double function mode that allows owners to do their hair at the same time as watching TV in a small in-screen area. The MiraVision Mirror TV uses a unique polarized mirror technology, which transfers nearly 100 percent of the light through the reflective surface.

The TV's due out in March and a waterproof version for bathrooms is in expected to follow. It is ideal for non-traditional viewing spaces when it installed flush to a wall.

The mirror received a overwhelming response from the general public who have trialed the product.

Philip's is currently marketing the MiraVision Mirror TV to the hospitality industry but expects to see the product in customised home environments with a home version available before 2005. At up to 30-inches, the MiraVision Mirror TV can be placed on the wall as a centrepiece.

The design hides the electronics, giving spaces an architecturally refined display and enhancing the up-scale ambience that hotels and retail environments strive to provide quests. The unit can be used for bill payment or Pay-Per-View movies and comes with a special connector that enables the mirror to become an LCD monitor for laptops or home PC, providing a large display for presentations or surfing the web.

Philip's is currently testing an advanced version that would allow a user to connect wirelessly to the mirror.

Philips MiraVision

(September 2003)

High Definition Multimedia Interface - All-in-one digital connection

The consumer electronics industry is crossing its fingers as the first devices to adopt a new, all-digital connection standard go on sale. They include plasma, LCD and projection displays from Panasonic; plasma sets and DVD players from Pioneer; projectors from Sim2 and the 800 DVD-Audio player from Meridian.

The full impact of HDCP is unlikely to be known until new movie delivery services designed for high-definition content are launched.

The benefits of the High Definition Multimedia Interface include improved video and audio quality and fewer cables connecting your various home cinema components, but the future of HDMI could be threatened if the technology's copy-protection system proves unpopular with viewers and listeners.

HDMI is a specification for a single cable that carries video and audio signals between TV sets, DVD players, home cinema amplifiers and other devices. While existing cable designs such as Scart and S-Video are unable to carry pure digital signals, HDMI cables keep their transmissions digital. A single cable can carry a signal for high-definition TV – launched in the US and Asia but yet to appear in Europe – and 7.1-channel surround sound. Indeed, carrying both at once uses less than half of the cable's full bandwidth.

HDMI is an evolution of the Digital Visual Interface video connection standard, which has received a good response from PC owners looking to improve their displays, although DVI has found less success in consumer electronics.

www.hdmi.org/