Samsung updates their popular LED HDTV product lineup with the introduction of a new flagship series called the 8500 Series. Taking the picture quality and thinness of the previous LED HDTV models, Samsung adds the latest networking technologies as well as new interactive features to the 8500 Series.

The 8500 Series will initially consist of two sizes – a 46 inch model with a suggested price of $3599.99 and a 55 inch model with a suggested price of $4499.99.

If you haven’t seen the Samsung LED HDTV, you really owe it to yourself to see one in person (head over to Best Buy and you’ll typically see several models on display). The product line uses white LEDs as backlight source enabling an incredible 7,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The colors pop, the details are incredibly sharp.. it’s just a sight to behold.

Other features and specs to the new 8500 Series include:

• 2 ms response time
• Auto Motion Plus frame interpolation – using 240 Hz refresh rate
• Three Auto Motion Plus presets as well as user customizable levels for judder and motion blur reduction
• New Samsung Medi@2.0 suite providing mode content from more sources than before.
• Internet@TV Content service with widgets from Yahoo!
• Touch of Color with Charcoal accents
• Crystal neck swivel stand
• Compatible with ultra-slim wall-mount solution which is sold separately
• Ultra Clear Panel
• Wide Color Enhancer Pro
• Down-firing speakers with integrated woofer (15 watts x 2 in the 55 inch model and 10 watts x 2 in the 46 inch model)
• DLNA- certified for wired and wireless access (USB dongle for wireless sold separately)
• Energy Star 3.0 compliant
• Built-in ATSC/Clear QAM digital tuner
• Picture in picture
• Local dimming
• 4 HDMI (HDMI-CEC) version 1.3 input (side)
• 1 component input in the rear
• 2 USB 2.0 inputs (side)
• 1 Ethernet connection in the rear
• 1 optical audio output in the ide
• 1 PC input in the rear

Expect the new 8500 Series around August/September of this year.

Technorati Tags: Samsung 8500 Series LED HDTV

Hitachi UltraVision Series

Common features and specs for the UltraVision lineup include:

• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Five (4 on the 42 inch model) HDMI inputs
• x.v. Color and Deep Color support
• ENERGY STAR qualified
• Preprogrammed Remote
• SRS TruSurround HD
• Power Off Timer
• Intelligent Light Sensor
• Lockable Picture Settings
• 120Hz refresh rate
• 7 aspect modes and auto zoom
• ATSC/NSTC/QAM tuner
• 24 W Stereo Sound
• 2 Wideband component inputs
• 2 composite video inputs
• 2 S-Video inputs
• 1 PC input
• 1 PC audio input
• 1 RF antenna input
• 1 Optical output
• 1 USB input for software upgrades

The three UltraVision models are the

• UltraVision 55-inch Class L55S603 – available in September $1799
• UltraVision 46-inch Class L46S603 – available in August $1299
• UltraVision 42-inch Class L42S503 – available in June $999

Hitach Alpha Series

Moving to the Alpha lineup, here are the common features and specs:

• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Four HDMI inputs
• ENERGY STAR qualified
• SRS TruSurround HD
• Anti-glare screen
• ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner
• 4 aspect modes
• Custom input labels
• 24 W stereo sound
• 2 wideband component inputs
• 2 composite video inputs
• 2 S-video inputs
• 1 PC input
• 1 PC audio input
• 1 Optical output
• 1 headphone

The two Alpha models are the:

• Alpha Series 42-inch Class L42A403 – available in May $849
• Alpha Series 32-inch Class L32A403 – available in May $499

Technorati Tags: Hitach UltraVision Series, Hitach Alpha Series, HDTV, LCD HDTV Sets

Premium brands fared better when consumers looked for advanced features or for larger displays – 40 inches or higher. Here are other interesting tidbits from the report:

• While North American sales rose year over year, they actually fell 18% from Q4 sales because of “seasonal effects”
• 32 inch LCD TVs were a bright spot – rising 41% year over year
• 40+ inch LCD TVs saw no growth from Q1 of 2008
• Plasma TV shipments fell 50% quarter over quarter and 5% year over year

Here are the top brands in the North American LCD TVs:

1. Vizio at 18.9 %
2. Samsung at 17.4 %
3. Sony at 14.5 %
4. Funai at 8.5 %
5. Sharp at 7.9 %

Top brands in the North American Plasma TV space:

1. Panasonic at 38.7 %
2. Samsung at 27 %
3. LGE at 11.9 %
4. Vizio at 7.2 %
5. Snayo at 7.1 %

Overall leaders in North American flat panel unit shares are:

1. Samsung at 18.2 %
2. Vizio at 17.9 %
3. Sony at 13.2 %
4. LGE at 8.1 %
5. Funai at 7.8%

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LCD TV shipments, Vizio, Samsung, Sony

I just noticed that Samsung’s newest LED HDTV sets with Yahoo/Intel Widget Channel technology is now available over at Onecall.com. We first saw these widget enabled HDTV sets over at CES 2009 and it’s exciting to see them available to consumers now. The widget-enabled LED TVs include the new Series 8 and Series 7 product lineups with the largest display measuring 55 inches. (The series 6 LED TVs that you’re seeing all over Best Buy do not have the widget support built-in)

Onecall currently offers the UN55B7000 for $3199 and the UN55B800 for $3599. As I said back then – my next large-screen HDTV set will be a widget-enabled display.. no doubt about it. Why? It’s cool. Ha.

Technorati Tags: Samsung LED HDTV, Widget LCD HDTV

If you’re into plasma panels then you’ll want to check out the upcoming Panasonic TC-P54Z1 (otherwise known as the Z1) – the company’s most advanced plasma HDTV model to date. First off, the unit comes with a 54 inch panel, and features a form factor that measures a mere one inch thick. Other slick capabilities include:

• 40,000:1 contrast ratio
• Neo PDP panel technology
• Swivel table stand
• Digital Cinema Color gamut
• THX certification
• 1080 lines of horizontal resolution
• 24 Hz Cinematic Playback
• Built-in speakers

The Z1 is also great for those of you into mounting displays on the wall. The system features a wireless HDMI solution thanks to a bundled transmitter/receiver system. The transmitter box has a built in SD card reader and supports VIERA Link Internet.

According to HD Guru, the TC-P54Z1 will be shipping in June for a price of $5999.95.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Panasonic Z1, Panasonic TC-P54Z1, Plasma TV

Sony expands their BRAVIA LCD HDTV lineup with the announcement of the new BRAVIA W-Series of LCD HDTVs. The new models feature full HD 1080p resolutions and built-in Ethernet connectivity allowing users access to Sony’s BRAVIA Internet Video content which includes selections from partners such as Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Yahoo!, Sony Pictures, Sony Music, etc. Oh and yes, the W-Series supports widgets thanks to the inclusion of Yahoo’s Widget Engine. This means you’ll be able to track sports scores, view stock prices, read news content, and interact with Internet content all while viewing television content.

Other features on the W-Series include:

• Motionflow 120Hz technology
• Sony BRAVIA Engine 3 for clear picture
• DLNA compliant allowing users easy access to multimedia content stored on PCs or DLNA servers on the network
• USB input
• 24p True Cinema support
• XrossMediaBar (XMB) with enhanced 3D favorites menu
• Internet powered TV Guide
• BRAVIA Sync support
• BRAVIA Link Compatibility
• 4 HDMI inputs

The W-Series will initially consist of three models – the 52-inch KDL-52W5100, 46-inch KDL-46W5100 and 40-inch KDL-40W5100 – all of which will come out this spring.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony BRAVIA W-Series LCD HDTV sets, Sony

ViewSonic announced two new displays today – the CD4230 ultra-thin bezel commercial display and the VTMS2431 LCD HDTV with multimedia support. Both panels will join ViewSonic’s digital signage family and will be on display at the Digital Signage Expo. Here’s what you need to know about each model:

ViewSonic CD4230:

• Measures 13.77m thin
• 42 inch commercial display
• 500 nits of brightness
• 1500:1 contrast ratio
• RS-232 daisy chain capable
• DVI and VGA port
• VESA mount compatible with carrying handles

ViewSonic VTMS2431:

• ViewSonic’s first LCD HDTV with internal media player
• 24 inch display
• 1080p resolution
• Integrated ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner
• USB port
• RS-232 port allows users to control it remotely

Now as far as availability is concerned, both panels will be coming out in the second quarter with the CD4230 priced at around $1999 and the VTMS2431 priced at $449.

Technorati Tags: ViewSonic, CD4230, VTMS2431

Remember that crazy Philips Cinema 21:9 LCD TV announced at the end of January? You know – the one that has an aspect ratio that closely mirrors today’s movie aspect ratios (otherwise known as anamorphic format)? Well there’s now a date and price for this display – at least for residents of the UK. According to SlashGear over the weekend, the 52 inch Cinema 21:9 will be coming out in June for a price of €4000 (£3535/$5044). That’s certainly more expensive than comparable 52 inch panels out there.. but then again, how many other panels can claim a 21:9 aspect ratio? Yeah.. none whatsoever (yet the real question is – will anyone outside of movie enthusiasts really care?)

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Philips, Cinema 21:9 LCD TV

Yet despite the switchover delay, over 600 TV stations across the country will still go forward with the transition tonight – turning off their analog transmissions and switching to digital. To them we say – “GOOD FOR YOU!” If you live in a major city like I do, you probably won’t see any changes from your local stations. Of course if you get your television from cable, satellite, or phone, then you won’t be affected by this at all.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Digital TV, Analog Digital switch,

So you have a standard 16:9 aspect ratio HDTV set and you’re enjoying the latest episode of American Idol in HD which nicely fills the screen from edge to edge. Then you pop in a copy of Transformers in Blu-ray and you’re bugged that the film doesn’t fill the entire display. Why?  Because Transformers is shown in anamorphic widescreen or 2.35:1 aspect ratio. So what do you do? You can always try and zoom in or scale the picture to fit the screen but you’ll either lose other data or distort the resulting picture.

Philips has a better idea – why not create a widescreen display that closely matches the anamorphic format? That’s exactly what they did in creating the new Cinema 21:9 display – a display that closely matches the 2.35:1 aspect ratio found in most movies today (it’s just slightly off). The Cinema 21:9 display measures a large 56 inches and features three-sided Ambilight Spectra technology which illuminates the background edges to match the content being displayed.

Oh and what about 4:3 and 16:9/16:10 content? According to the Philips press release, the content will be stretched or “adapted” to fill the 21:9 screen. Personally, I’d rather see it presented in the original aspect ratio and suffer through vertical black bars. Can’t win it all can we?

The Cinema 21:9 LCD TV will be available this spring.

[Check it out via CrunchGear]

Technorati Tags: Philips, Cinema 21:9 LCD TV

Sony’s new 11 inch OLED TV (XEL-1) is now available for purchase at the SonyStyle website. Things you need to know about the new “Organic Panel” TV – it measures 11 inches diagonally; it’s incredibly beautiful; and.. it’s incredibly expensive at $2499.99. Yes.. you read me correct – $2499.99.

AND.. I’m not kidding when I say this display is beautiful. Actually it’s gorgeous. We saw the displays at CES 2009 and colors absolutely pop out from the display. If they were only cheaper and larger..

Here’s the lowdown on the specs:

• Measures 3mm thin
• 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
• Sony Super Top Emission technology intensifies brightness and efficiency
• 105 percent of the NTSC color space
• Fast response time
• High brightness
• Consumes 40 percent less power than conventional 20 inch LCD panels
• 960 x 540 resolution with the same pixel density as a 40 inch 1080p LCD TV
• Dolby Digital support
• 1 optical audio input, 2 HDMI inputs with support for 1080p/60, 1 RF connector
• Memory Stick media slot

Yup – a very sweet display indeed. However, let’s be real for a second here. Despite the gorgeous screen, we certainly can’t recommend this display to anyone right now – simply because the price is just way too high (unless of course money is no object to you). Give it a few years though. OLED displays will slowly come down to earth as manufacturers figure out how to make larger displays at lower costs.

I’ll end things off with pictures that we took of the display at CES 2009. Again – these stills don’t fully express how beautiful the panels really are. OLEDs are our future!

Here are pictures of larger OLED display from Sony (prototypes of course)

Technorati Tags: Sony, OLED TV, XEL-1, Organic LED, CES 2009

Of course, not everyone is in agreement with extending the deadline. Republicans in both the House and the Senate are worried that extending the deadline could possibly confused consumers and increase costs to television stations who need to broadcast in both analog and digital. Extending the deadline would also delay opening up the spectrum to commercial wireless services and interoperable emergency-response networks.

Oh yes – one other problem to consider. Remember those federal rebate coupons for the digital converter boxes? Well the Commerce Dept has already met their $1.34 billion funding limit for the coupons and as a result will only provide new coupons when older unredeemed ones reach their 90 day expiration date. The current waiting list numbers 2.6 million requests!

So if you’re not ready for the transition, what are you waiting for? Just go out there and buy the converter boxes already. Even if the deadline gets extended, at least you can say you’re ready when the transition finally occurs.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Digital TV, The Nielsen Company

Before we get into the specs, here are the pictures.

LC-65E77U:

LC-52E77U:

LC-46E77U:

LC-40E77U:

LC-40E67U:

LC-32E67U:

You’ll find the following common features across all the AQUOS E series displays:

• Advanced Super View (ASV) Superlucent Panel for “dramatically bright and crisp picture with reduced haze and reflectivity”
• New design with color accents at the bottom of the frame
• New convenient swivel stand

Features of the E77U series include:

• Fine Motion Enhanced Technology for 120Hz Frame Rate Conversion
• 4ms response time
• 10 bit ASV Superlucent panel
• 10 bit processing engine
• Full 1080p picture
• Spectral Contrast Engine XD (Extreme Dark)
• Optical Picture Control (OPC) automatically adjusts luminance to room brightness and lighting conditions
• Brightness Preservation picture processing for energy efficient displays
• Black cabinet with soft champagne gold hue
• Five HDMI 1.3 ports
• Two component video inputs – 1080p compatible

Features of the E67U series include:

• ASV Superlucent panel technology
• Four HDMI with 24p input capability
• Two component video inputs with 1080p support
• Energy saving features with Sharp Optical Picture Control (like the E77U series)
• New design with subtle copper hue at the bottom of the cabinet and swivel
• LC-32E67U comes with advanced gaming features such as Vyper Drive circuit to reduce lag time between game console input and TV display

And now – the pricing and availability
For the E77U series:

• LC-65E77U will be available in June for a price of $4,499.99
• LC-52E77U will be available in February for a price of $2,399.99
• LC-46E77U will be available in February for a price of $2,099.99
• LC-40E77U will be available in March for a price of $1,399.99

For the E67U series:

• LC-40E67U will be available in March for a price of $1,199.99
• LC-32E67U will be available in February for a price of $899.99

Technorati Tags: Sharp, AQUOS E Series, E77U, E67U, CES 2009

Here are pictures of the new models.

LC-52BD80U:

LC-46BD80U:

LC-42BD80U:

LC-37BD60U:

LC-32BD60U:

Common features of these new combo units include:

• Single step operation turns on TV and activates play with Blu-ray disc is inserted
• Advanced Super View (ASV) Superlucent panel for bright/crisp pictures with reduced reflection
• AQUOS Pure Mode for optimized viewing of Blu-ray titles
• AQUOS Blue design – subtle blue accent on the bottom of the frame and swivel stand
• Models LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U and LC-42BD80U feature Fine Motion Enhanced Technology for 120Hz frame rate conversion, 10 bit panel for Deep Color compatibility, and “dejudder” technology for smooth reproduction of film content
• Fast pixel response times
• Spectral Contrast Engine provides deep blacks and high contrast ratios
• 176 degree viewing angles
• LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U and LC-42BD80U have four HDMI inputs
• LC-37BD60U and LC-32BD60U have three HDI inputs

The LC-52BD80U and LC-46BD80U will be available in February. The LC-42BD80U, LC-37BD60U, LC-32BD60U will be available in January.

Technorati Tags: Sharp, AQUOS, LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U, LC-42BD80U, LC-37BD60U, LC-32BD60U, CES 2009

Here is the LT-42P300:

Here is the LT-46P300:

Here is the LT-42P500:

Here is the LT-46P500:

The new TeleDock models all feature:

• Flip-down iPod dock at the base of the set
• Play iPod video directly on the TV set
• Music files can be played through the TV sound system
• Photos can be viewed on the TV
• Docked iPod can be controlled by TV remote which includes a circular keypad with a scheme similar to the iPod control wheel
• iPod charges while docked – whether the TV is on/off
• When iPod is docked, an iPod-like menu appears on the TV screen
• Music playback features song title, artist, album, and genre on the screen
• When PC is connected to the TV (via PC and USB and HDMI/D-Sub connections), iTunes can be displayed on the TV and synched with docked iPod
• When PC is connected to TV, powering up the PC will power up the TV
• Music can be played through the TV from the iPod while you’re watching TV. Sound can be swapped from iPod sound to TV sound
• View photos while playing back music

The new P series all feature full HD (1920 x 1080) resolutions. Other specs include digital noise reduction, dynamic backlight, and 1080 24p/30p output. You also get a universal remote, side mounted USB photo viewer, and ATSC/QAM tuner. Connections include three HDMI inputs, two component inputs, two S-video inputs, PC input, and an analog input.

All five models will be available in April.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: JVC, Teledock LCD TV, iPod, CES 2009

The LT-19D200 features two HDMI inputs, a component input, S-Video input, a PC input, SPDIF input, and an analog video output. The built-in DVD player is top loading on this model.

The LT-32D200 adds one additional HDMI input  and is also CEC compatible. The 32 inch system also includes a built-in ATSC/QAM tuner as well as an enhanced audio package consisting of a 10 watt per channel amp, and a five band equalizer. The built-in DVD player is side loading for this model.

No word on pricing.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: JVC, LT-19D200, LT-32D200, LCD TV/DVD combo, CES 2009

Move over LCD/DVD combos – JVC has upped the ante with the new LT-42B300 LCD TV/Blu-ray player combo. Yup that’s right – the above system is a complete 42 inch full HD panel with a built-in Blu-ray player. Specs to the LT-42B300 include:

• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Built-in ATSC-QAM tuner
• JVC picture improvement technology
• Digital noise reduction
• Dynamic backlight control
• 10W x 2 audio power output
• 5 band equalizer
• Smart volume
• 3 HDMI inputs with CEC
• 1 component input
• 1 SPDIF input
• 1 analog video output

The LT-42B300 will be available in June – no word on price as of yet. Of course, as with all combo systems – it would stink if the drive died…

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: JVC LT-42B300 LCD TV Blu-ray player combo, CES 2009

Samsung introduced several new advanced LCD HDTV sets at CES 2009 including updates to their LCD HDTV lineup with CCFL backlighting and a brand new line of LED HDTV sets called the Samsung LUXIA line. We’ll start first with the new LUXIA lineup.

The LUXIA line consists of three new series – 8000, 7000, and 6000 series – all of which build upon the first and second generation LED HDTV sets from Samsung. These TV sets use LEDs as their primary light source instead of Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) resulting in high contrast ratios, darker blacks, slim form factors, and increased energy savings. 

All three series come with Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus frame interpolation technology. The 8000 Series has a refresh rate of 240 Hz while the 7000 Series and 6000 Series feature 120Hz refresh rates.

To make things even sweeter, the 8000 and 7000 Series both feature the new “Internet@TV – Content Service” developed by Yahoo – essentially the Widget Channel technology shown off by Intel and Yahoo. The TV sets retrieve content from the Internet via wireless or wired connections and displays them using Yahoo’s Widget technology. A widget-based interface and scrollbar runs along the bottom of the screen for easy browsing of the latest content.

The 6000 Series lacks the Yahoo Widget technology but it does have the Samsung InfoLink RSS service which displays news, sports, weather, and stock information at the touch of the remote.

Other features of these new LED displays include:

• The frames are just over an inch thick thanks to LED technology
• New ultra-slim wall mount solution for these sets which reduces the gap between the TV and the wall to around 0.6 inches
• New Touch of Color design – deep piano black bezel fades into distinct chrome that finishes as a clear prism along the outer edges (8000 Series) or light ruby (7000 and 6000 Series) highlights
• Meets Energy Star 3.0 guidelines
• LEDs are mercury free
• Energy consumption reduced by 40%

The 8000 Series features:

• Ultra-slim design
• Auto Motion Plus 240Hz frame interpolation technology and 240Hz refresh rate
• Yahoo! powered widgets
• Available in 1st half of 2009 in 46 and 55 inch sizes

Here’s a shot of an LUXIA LED 8000 series set:

The 7000 Series features:

• Auto Motion Plus 240Hz frame interpolation technology and 240Hz refresh rate
• Touch of Color design
• Ethernet port and wireless reader for Yahoo! widgets
• Available in 1st half of 2009 in 40, 46, and 55 inches

Here are shots of some LUXIA 7000 Series sets:

Notice below how thin these displays really are thanks to the use of LED technology over CCFLs.

Finally, the new 6000 Series features:

• Ultra slim design
• Auto Motion Plus 120Hz frame interpolation technology and 120Hz refresh rate
• Available in 1st half of 2009 in 40, 46, and 55 inches

Samsung also announced a refresh of their CCFL-based LCD HDTV lineup with the introduction of new Series 7 and Series 6 LCDs.

The new Series 7 features:

• Samsung Auto Motion Plus 240Hz frame interpolation technology to eliminate motion blur and judder
• Improved Ultra Clear Panel producing deeper darker black tones and bolder colors
• “Natural” mode – Samsung’s adaptive contrast picture which combines the brightness of LCDs with the cinema-like viewing of plasma displays
• Low power consumption
• Meets Energy Star 3.0
• Touch of Color design
• Wide Color Enhancer 3 technology
• Internet@TV – Content service support
• Ethernet and 802.11 a/b/g/n networking
• DLNA certified
• Available in 40, 46, and 52 inches
• Coming out in the first half of this year.

The new Series 6 panels (32 inches on up) feature:

• Auto Motion Plus 120MHz frame interpolation technology
• Improved Ultra Clear Panel producing deeper darker black tones and bolder colors
• “Natural” mode – Samsung’s adaptive contrast picture which combines the brightness of LCDs with the cinema-like viewing of plasma displays
• Low power consumption
• Meets Energy Star 3.0
• Touch of Color design
• Internet@TV – Content Service for 40 inches or larger in the 6 Series.
• Available in 19, 22, 32, 37, 40, 46, and 55 inches and coming out in the first half of this year.

Technorati Tags: Samsung, LUXIA LED TV, HDTV, LCD HDTV, Series 8000, Series 7000, Series 6000, CES 2009

Widgets are migrating from the web/PC desktop, to the mobile phone, and now to the TV set. Dubbed the “Connected TV” experience, Intel showcased several upcoming devices utilizing the new Intel Media Processor CE 3100 and enabling the new “Widget Channel” application framework.

Announced back in 2008 and developed by Intel and Yahoo, the “Widget Channel” delivers Internet content directly to your television set via devices such as Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and of course the TV set. TV Widgets from all sorts of content service providers have been developed since the launch of the Widget Channel including widgets from AP, CBS, CinemaNow, eBay, MySpace, and Yahoo! Here are several pictures of widget enabled devices from the Intel CES 2009 booth. We’ll show some of the vendor specific devices later on (including HDTV sets from Samsung, Toshiba and others).

The bottom is a Widget enabled Blu-ray player.

Here’s a set-top box with Widget Channel support

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Intel, Connected TV, CES 2009, Widget Channel

LG Display has announced that it’s developed a 480Hz LCD TV panel which it will showcase at the upcoming CES 2009. Great – I’m still using a 60Hz LCD display and barely thinking about upgrading to a 120Hz display!!

Technically, the new “Trumotion 480Hz” display utilizes a 240Hz panel with a scanning backlight which turns on and off rapidly – thereby inducing a 480Hz refresh rate.

Eddie Yeo, Executive VP and Head of LG Display’s TV Business Unit said “The world’s first Trumotion 480Hz LCD TV panel is planned to hit the market in the second half of 2009”.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LG Display, Trumotion 480Hz LCD Display