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Panasonic TVs 2012: Sleeker, better plasmas, more LCDs, and...passive 3D?

Panasonic is still serious about plasma, but in 2012 it will release more (and bigger) LCDs than ever, including one with passive 3D--complete with cheap glasses.

As usual CES provided a full look at the company's 2012 TV hardware plans and we covered them extensively in blog and video form, but the table below attempts to coalesce those plans in the most "scannable, glanceable" view possible. All of it came from the company's official CES press releases, although a few of the Notes were the result of follow-up conversations I had with company reps.

You won'… Read more

Why 4K TVs are stupid

Editors' Note: An updated article entitled Why Ultra HD 4K TVs are still stupid was published on January 28, 2013.

The latest TV technology buzzword is "4K." This magical alphanumeric represents a quadrupling of the now-standard 1080p resolution found on Blu-ray and most HDTVs.

Have no doubt, manufacturers are going to start pushing 4K (some already are).

The thing is, though, you don't need 4K, because in the home, 4K is stupid.… Read more

Samsung TVs 2012: Micro dimming LEDs, blacker plasmas, gesture control

The chart has been updated with information from Samsung's March 7th line show but the rest of this article (aside from the Changelog below) has not. See the line show article for the latest information on Samsung's 2012 TVs.

Samsung will ship gobs of different TV models in 2012, and CES provided our first peek at the details.

Unfortunately the country's best-selling TV maker chose to keep many of those details under wraps in its CES press releases, I'm assuming because it would rather try to dominate the news cycle in early March at its now … Read more

LG TVs 2012: Thin bezels, motion remotes and lots of LEDs

Massive numbers of new 2012 TVs were announced at CES 2012 earlier this month, and digesting them all is easier with a table than umpteen blog posts.

Hewing close to hoary CES tradition of yore, LG was the first major TV maker to hold its CES press conference. The company also gave CNET the most information prior to the show about its TV models (and probably other stuff; don't ask me about LG phones or kimchi refrigerators please). It also took home Best of Show.

You won't find these TVs described in detail on LG's Web site … Read more

How to use your TV as a computer monitor for gaming, videos, and more

So you want to share photos, watch videos, or play computer games on the expansive screen of your HDTV? On one hand, this is a really simple how-to: use HDMI!

That, of course, isn't the whole story. Not all computers, and not all TVs, can output or input a signal via HDMI easily. There are also a few tricks to consider.… Read more

What is 4K? Next-generation resolution explained

As if LED and 3D TV weren't confusing enough, in the last few months we have seen a new HDTV technology called 4K, or its official name, Ultra HD. It's being heralded as the next high-def, and judging by the show floor at CES 2013, manufacturers are lining up to bring you a new array of products.

But just as was the case with 3D, it's the hardware chicken before the software egg: there's no consumer 4K content available. Still, if you listen to the industry, it'll tell you it's the last resolution you'll ever need. So what is 4K anyway, and what makes it different from high definition?

Editors' note: This was post was originally published January 23, 2012, and has been updated several times thereafter with expanded information, most recently on January 17, 2013.… Read more

Toshiba glasses-free 3D TV demo: It works, just not very well

LAS VEGAS--Although Toshiba's glasses-free 3D TV is coming to the U.S. in the next couple of months, and at a price we expect to be north of $10,000, it still has some issues.

Fellow CNET TV reviewer Ty Pendlebury and I both got the chance to check out the set here at CES 2012, and while the head-tracking technology is impressive, and the fact that you can actually see 3D effects without glasses is kind of mind-blowing, the TV we saw definitely felt more like a prototype than a product ready for prime time--especially for that price.… Read more

Post-show report: Big OLEDs dominate TV news at CES 2012

LAS VEGAS--At the start of 2012, CNET television editors David Katzmaier and Ty Pendlebury put forward their predictions for what we will see in the coming year.

Sadly jetpacks and metallic jumpsuits will have to wait till next year, but we will see the debut of big OLEDs and voice/gesture-based TV control.

So what did we learn from this year's show? Read our head-to-head CES 2012 wrap.… Read more