plasma

This would be laughable if it weren't so sad, but apparently the "Plasma TV Fireplace" is here to stay. Picture House Cabinets has come up with a new version of its fully functional hearth that conceals a pop-up flat screen, according to Shiny Shiny, this one complete with marble finish (so classy).

We understand that furniture makers are struggling to adjust to the era of plasmas and LCDs, but this is nothing more than an exercise in poor taste. It's also an example of technological perversion at its worst, as described in the company's product … Read more

We all knew it was too good to last. For several years now, one solid piece of advice to anyone buying a big-ticket item such as a plasma TV was to get it at Costco if possible, thanks to the big-box retailer's well-known return anytime policy. With the exception of desktop and laptop computers (limited to six months), a member could pretty much return any item at any time, including that $2,000 TV that suddenly stopped working two years later.

Of course, plenty of people abused the privilege, returning items when a cheaper model came out or using … Read more

Remember the TV that hides under your bed? Well now we have a bed that hides under your TV.

It's not an exact opposite, however, because this bed is actually vertical when in hiding. As BornRich points out, the flat TV appears when the Murphy bed folds into its upright position, exposing an underside that looks remarkably like a wall unit. But we're not sure how comfortable we'd be swinging our TV set around like this every night, not to mention the fact that we'd never be able to doze off while watching Letterman.

Neither concern … Read more

Prices of flat TVs have been plummeting around the world, but apparently no one has told that to Vidikron.

The high-end home theater equipment maker has stayed true to its niche with a 65-inch plasma for $19,995. It's got 1080p resolution and claims to be the first plasma with THX certification, according to Luxist, but is the price really worth it? Even if it does have an attractive black or brushed-aluminum frame, the price is still two or three times more than a 65-inch plasma from Panasonic.

Then again, if you do get one these, you can brag … Read more

Months after our mates at Crave UK got the scoop on its plans, LG is apparently ready to debut a wooden plasma TV. Akihabara News says the company will release a 60-inch model with wood casing on the Korean market in March.

But before you fly to Seoul for bragging rights, be aware that wooden plasmas have been available in Sweden for some time already. If you really want to make a statement, save a tree and get a "Yalos Diamond" LCD for only $130,000.

Now this is just insane. It's one thing to have a plasma TV rising from the foot of your bed, but the massive "Underbed" from MK-1 Studio somehow rears its flat head out from under your box spring, like your very own Loch Ness monster. Engadget says the mount can fit a 50-inch plasma under a bed that clears the floor by only 8 inches. But even if it works, this we wouldn't want one. Beyond reminding us of the death-defying "Ergo 500" contraption, it would bring back childhood nightmares of monsters under the … Read more

High-end home designers may be trying to on cash in on the flat-TV trend but, as plasmas and LCDs become increasingly common, so too will their furnishings. Witness the "rotating TV wall" featured on Gadget Review, which is available not from an Italian design house but from Costco.

Yes, it does cost $3,600, but think of it this way--you're adding a room to your home (sort of). Anyway, while you're shopping for it, you can at least gorge on the free samples.

Mood-ring offshoots have become a staple of the retro-tech trend, but this is one of the sillier--and most expensive--examples of the genre we've seen. The "Therapie" is a canvas wall lamp that was "inspired by color and light therapy theories which give it a soothing aura to reverse bad tempers," according to BornRich. To us, it just looks like a plasma TV displaying different colors.

We woudn't mind the idea so much--many of us at Crave have a fondness for the '60s--but the price is downright offensive: $1,100. At that level, you'd … Read more