tvs

LAS VEGAS--3D isn't just plain old 3D anymore.

Later this year when the 3D televisions sets that debuted at CES 2011 start hitting store shelves, shoppers will find more than one type of 3D technology. CES a year ago was 3D-at-home's big coming-out party, led by Sony and Panasonic, which came with HDTVs that with the aid of special glasses could show 3D movies. Both brands used the same technology in the accompanying glasses: active-shutter. The same went for models from manufacturers like Samsung and Vizio that followed.

Flash forward to 2011: While many of the heavy hitters … Read more

RCA is back in the portable TV business with a new line of Mobile DTV products that it will release later this year.

In case you don't know what Mobile DTV is, it's a new mobile digital broadcast standard that's designed to allow you to get TV on the go--even in a moving vehicle. The free service has already been rolled out in some test markets and will expand to other regions this year. A handful of standalone Mobile DTV-enabled devices are currently available and certain noteboook computers, tablets, and smartphones are expected to have Mobile DTV … Read more

At CES, companies like to roll out new TV technologies and higher-end sets. But Westinghouse is doing something different. It's talking up the value of its LED TV lineup, highlighting the 46-inch LD-4655 that hits stores later this month for a suggested retail price of $899.

The 1080P LCD measures just over 2 inches thick and has a high-gloss, black bezel and weighs 38 pounds. In terms of specs, you're not looking at anything fancy: a 120Hz refresh rate, 6.5ms response time, and LED backlighting, which helps make the set more energy efficient.

We can't say … Read more

Let's face it: CES is often about hype. New products, new promises, and a lot of very thick carpeting greets us every year, and as we sort out what impressed us most about the show, we can only hope that some of these gadgets actually deliver.

With CES 2011 just around the corner, it's a perfect time to take a look back at the year that was, and see how the biggest stories of CES 2010 fared. Some of them did remarkably well, including our best-of-show winner, the Panasonic TC-PVT25 Others, not so much (remember the Motorola Backflip?). … Read more

Computer hardware is hot among holiday buyers this season, according to data out yesterday from ComScore.

As online buyers scoop up iPads, e-readers, laptops, and other portable devices, computer hardware is ringing in the holidays as the product category showing the most growth for the season so far, a 25 percent increase compared with last year.

Lower prices on flat-panel TVs is spurring growth in consumer electronics, helping that category grow 22 percent among online buyers over the same period last year, says ComScore. Books and magazines are also proving to be a popular gift item, up 21 percent from … Read more

Higher competition and lower consumer demand combined to bite into Best Buy's sales and earnings in the third quarter.

For the quarter ended November 27, the electronics retailer yesterday reported earnings of $217 million versus $227 million a year ago, while sales trickled down 1 percent to $11.9 billion from $12 billion last year. Both numbers were lower than analysts had anticipated, according to Bloomberg.

Why the downturn? The quarter was hurt by weaker-than-expected sales of TVs, computers, and entertainment software as Best Buy faces increased competition from online retailers such as Amazon and rival stores such as … Read more

Consumer electronics have staged a recovery this year.

Consumer electronics makers are expected to grab sales of $340.4 billion for 2010, up 6.2 percent from the $320.7 billion seen in 2009, according to data released yesterday by iSuppli. That contrasts with last year when sales dropped 4.4 percent compared with 2008.

"As shown in the early results from Black Friday, consumer confidence levels in 2010 are higher in all regions of the world than they were in 2009, and buyers are more inclined to acquire new devices or upgrade old electronics equipment," Jordan Selburn, … Read more

Editors' note, November 24, 2010: The color accuracy and gamut section of this story was updated with more detail and the explanation of how LED lighting affects color was corrected.

As the computer monitor editor here at CNET, I get a lot of questions about different monitor technologies and what effect, if any, they have on the monitor's actual performance. The most frequently asked question of late would be, "What's the difference between LCD and LED?"

It's no surprise this question is so widespread given the fact that monitor vendors are continually inundating us with news of the "latest and greatest" monitor technology with acronyms being bandied about like so many iPads on talk shows.

While prevailing consensus states there is no "wrong" question, the question at hand is actually wrong. Yes, it is. LED and LCD technologies are not mutually exclusive, so to ask what their difference is, is like asking what the difference is between Vibram Five Finger shoes and rubber soles.

So let's break down what LCDs and LED backlights are, as they relate to monitors, and delve into the real advantages of LED backlighting technology.… Read more

Panasonic has started accepting preorders in Japan for a herculean 103-inch 3D-capable plasma HDTV.

The droolworthy TH-P103MT2 costs 8.5 million yen (about $101,767) and features full 1080p, 5,000,000:1 native contrast ratio, and shorter decay time in the plasma display for less 3D cross talk. It weighs in at 706 pounds (and even tried out for "The Biggest Loser" once). With its weight, plus measurements of about 7.9 feet by 4.6 feet, you have to wonder how much shipping will cost. Just don't drop it.

Panasonic isn't really trying to … Read more