CES - LCD TVs, HDTVs

Update February 25, 2010: The UNC7000 series is now available for sale at select online retailers, making it the first of the new 3D compatible TVs. It is available in 40-inch ($1999), 46-inch ($$2599) and 55-inch ($3299) sizes. More info.

Samsung has endowed three LCD lines and one plasma line of its 2010 models with 3D compatibility, and the least expensive of the bunch is the UNC7000 series of LED-based LCDs. The company says the series, which should be among the first on the market to feature 3D-readiness, can work with optional 3D glasses to create the 3D effect. An … Read more

Not content to wait for Apple to OK a TV-to-iPhone pairing, Samsung went ahead and developed its own multimedia-friendly touch screen that also happens to control its highest-end TV announced at CES this year, the UNC9000 series. The newfangled clicker has a color touch screen said to ease use of the TV's many features, and can even display broadcast TV content while a Blu-ray (for example) plays on the big screen. Integrated Wi-Fi and infrared enables the remote to command both the TV's interactive features--a QWERTY keyboard is a big help here--and other AV devices. It also allows you to browse content (video, music, photos) on connected computers and other DLNA devices in the home.

Aside from the remote, the UNC9000 distinguishes itself from less-expensive Samsung HDTVs by virtue of its amazing thinness. The company won't specify exactly how thin, but it's the thinnest TV we've seen announced at the show (LG showed a TV that's as thin as a quarter at its press conference, but that model was a concept piece without a model number or release date). It achieves its thin depth by virtue of placing all of the associated electronics, like the TV tuner and circuit boards, inside the pedestal stand. The stand can also be converted to a wall-mount bracket. … Read more

Update May 6, 2010: Pricing and further details added and modified. For a closer look at the Quad Pixel technology, which Sharp is calling Quattron, check out the slideshow. Also, according to Sharp, the 68-inch version will not be available until 2011.

LAS VEGAS--As Sharp heads into 2010, it isn't talking much about 3D, but it is touting some technology and design updates to its line of UltraBrilliant edge-lit Aquos LED LCD TVs, and a larger screen size: a 68-inch model it says is an industry first.

Sharp delivered a lot of information at a press conference announcing the … Read more

Today Toshiba announced the U.S. release of a new line of TVs based on the Cell processor that first appeared in the Sony PlayStation 3. The specifics differ somewhat from the Cell TV shown at Ceatac last October, but the gist is the same: more extras and options than any TV we've ever seen.

Toshiba claims the processor operates up to 10 times faster than an Intel Core 2 Duo chip found in desktop PCs, and the television itself shares lots of characteristics with a high-powered computer. The Cell TV has a built-in 1TB hard drive and 802.11n built-in wireless, enabling it to serve media files like video, music, and pictures to other devices on a home network, as well as display and play them back itself. There's also an integrated BD player that not only obviates the need to connect an external BD unit, but can rip unprotected files from BD and DVD discs (like home videos) to the hard drive. The TV can also stream content from PCs in the home via DLNA.

… Read more

LAS VEGAS--LG kicked off the preshow media day at CES 2010 on Wednesday with an early-morning news conference that was chock full of new-product announcements.

TV LG's best plasma adds Wii-like remote control LG plasma claims improved black levels Thin LG LED-based LCD gives 'basic' dimming LG local dimming LED-based LCD stays slim LG flagship TV's styling goes 'all picture,' ultra-thin

Home theater LG's new Blu-ray players get Picasa, better Netflix interface LG's Blu-ray HTIBs get built-in Wi-Fi, HDMI inputs LG's flagship Blu-ray player skips 3D, rips CDs

Cell phones LG to have stronger smartphone offerings in 2010… Read more

The success of the Nintendo Wii game console is undeniable, and a large portion of its appeal has to do with its unique motion control interface, known as the WiiMote. Lke it or not, imitators are bound to arise, and LG is the first to step up with a motion control interface adapted to other devices--in this case, the company's most-expensive plasma TV.

LG calls it a "Magic Wand" remote and, according to the company, "This 'Magic' user interface brings together menus, component controls and even embedded games, which can be accessed using a simple remote … Read more

It's pretty amazing that, given the relentless march of technology designed to improve picture quality, no HDTV has defeated the overall mark set by the Pioneer Kuro plasmas way back in 2008. The secret of the Kuro's success is deep black levels, and while Panasonic and Samsung have made big strides in this department with their plasmas, LG has lagged behind, as evinced by models like the PS80 series from 2009.

Now LG aims to close the gap with a new TrueBlack filter, and the least-expensive LG plasma to feature this enhancement is the PK750 series. According to … Read more

LAS VEGAS--An HDTV should be all about the picture, and LG's best television announced at CES, the LX9500 series of LED-based LCDs, has the design to prove it. This striking, inch-thin panel is nearly all picture when seen from the front, with a bezel that measures just 8.5 millimeters (0.33 inch) from the edge of the picture to the edge of the frame. It's the thinnest bezel we've ever seen, and results in a very slick look.

Packed into that thin panel is the company's best feature set. The LX9500 is the only TV … Read more

LED backlights come in a confusing array of configurations, but in our experience the best-performing varieties incorporate local dimming. This technology enables certain sectors of the backlight to dim independently of others, enabling better contrast and black level performance. We liked the LG LH90 best among the company's 2009 LCDs, mostly by virtue of its local dimming backlight, and in 2010 the LH90's spiritual successor is the LE8500 series.

These models, second from the top among LG's CES announcements after the flagship LE9500 series, offer local dimming yet still manage a cabinet depth of less than an … Read more