hdtv

It may be hard to believe for those of us who still actually own a big, old-fashioned tube TV, but a depth of just 6 or 7 inches can actually be considered too bulky for the flat-panel crowd--especially those looking to mount their TV on the wall. While those fashionistas wait for the millimeters-thin OLED TVs to become affordable, they might want to check out JVC's new superslim LCD TVs. At their maximum, the LT-42SL89 (42-inch) and LT-46SL89 (46-inch) flat panels are just 2.9 inches deep, which JVC claims is "the world's thinnest LCD TVs with … Read more

There are plenty of docks and cables designed to let you play back your iPod videos on your TV, but JVC's new P-Series cuts out the middleman by integrating the iPod dock directly into the TV. The four LCD flat-panels--LT-32P679 (32-inch 1366x768 screen), LT-42P789 (42-inch 1080p), LT-47P789 (47-inch 1080p), and LT-52P789 (52-inch 1080p)--each feature a flip-down iPod dock built into the bezel directly below the screen's center. And while I was ready to dismiss the whole thing as a gimmick along the lines of ViewSonic's ill-conceived VX2245wm monitor, JVC seems to have included some well-thought-out features to maximize the iPod experience. To quote the press release: … Read more

With its ability to deliver on-demand movies to your TV via a broadband Internet connection, the Vudu was one of the more promising home theater gadgets of 2007. The company is building on that momentum by adding a second, step-up model to its lineup: the Vudu XL. Physically, it's a near doppelganger of the original model--which remains available--but it ups the internal hard disk to 1 terabyte of storage. That's 4 times the size of the current version, and--according to Vudu--enough to store up to 500 standard-definition movies. The XL is also designed to be more friendly for … Read more

LG.Philips, one of the major worldwide LCD panel suppliers, is planning to debut a series of mammoth touch screens, including two so-called world-first commercial flat panels: a 52-inch multi-touch and a 47-inch triple-view HDTV.

The former has an ultra-high 1,920x1,080 resolution and the ability to recognize two touch points, as well as gestures. Its high responsiveness is also capable of picking up more exacting writing instruments, thereby improving interactivity.

The HDTV, meanwhile, can display three images to viewers standing at various angles simultaneously. It's intended for such uses as in-store directories and shopping mall advertising.

(Source: … Read more

HP has updated its MediaSmart TVs for the new year. On the surface, the new SL4282N (42-inch) and SL4782N (47-inch) are very similar to their 2007 counterparts: full 1080p resolution LCD flat-panels with 3 HDMI inputs, built-in high-def and analog tuners, and--the big differentiator--the ability to stream digital video, audio, and images via their built-in 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking connections. But the big upgrade for 2008 is the inclusion of Media Center Extender functionality, which offers easy connectivity to PCs running most flavors of Vista. Prefer a non-HP TV, but want those same media features? HP's … Read more

Many people erroneously assume that an HDTV automatically makes everything look better: TV, movies, their living rooms. The reality, of course, is that without high-definition video sources, images can look rather disappointing. A typical DVD player, for instance, produces only 480 horizontal lines of video; HDTVs are optimized for 720 or 1080 lines, which is why your DVD of The Matrix looks like poop.

One option is to spring for an HD DVD or Blu-ray player, but they're expensive, and there's that whole format-war thing. Bleh. A better option, at least short term, is an upconverting DVD player, … Read more

More than 50 percent of households in the U.S. own a digital television, according to preliminary report results released Friday by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

The organization, known for its annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, predicted that digital television manufacturers will post an 11 percent growth totaling more than $25 billion for 2007. For 2008, the group expects 32 million more television units to ship, with 79 percent of those televisions being HDTVs.

CEA plans to release the full findings of its state-of-the-television-industry report at a presentation given by CEA analyst Steve Koenig on … Read more

Still squinting into that old 17-inch LCD? Might be time for an upgrade. Widescreen monitors are all the rage nowadays, and with good reason: They're great for games, movies, TV, and even productivity (more screen estate means more room for windows, less scrolling, yada yada yada). I recently sprung for a 22-incher and couldn't be happier with it.

It's rare to find an LCD of that size selling for under $200, but Newegg.com has a deal that comes close: The Hanns-G HG-216DPO 22-inch widescreen LCD for $209, shipped. And no rebates!

Hanns-G isn't a household … Read more

In what could be the final blow to rear-projection HDTVs, Sony has announced that it will abandon its production of those sets and focus all of its efforts on "what people really want"--LCDs.

Of course, the news doesn't quite end there for LCD proponents. Rumors are swirling that Matsushita--Panasonic's parent company--is looking to get out of the plasma business and focus its efforts on developing LCDs. Not only would this move prove to be devastating to another LCD competitor, it could create an industry landscape that's dominated by LCDs and totally bereft of any other technology.

And in the end, is this consolidation of technologies really what we want? Is it really what we need? The answer may not be that clear cut--after all, do we really want LCDs for the next 10 years? Regardless, we need one technology--the best technology--to lead us into the next decade.… Read more