hdtv

HD video podcasts come to iTunes--and Apple TV

One of our biggest complaints with the Apple TV was the dearth of HD video content. The product is capable of streaming 720p high-definition video, but to date, all of the movies and TV shows at Apple's iTunes Store are encoded at a "near DVD" resolution of 480p. But HD content has finally arrived on iTunes--and it's free. The Washington Post announced today that its online HD video podcast--which is shot in 720p high-definition--will now be available through iTunes.

We downloaded the two most recent episodes of the podcast--Edwards Family Values as well as Contamination … Read more

Panasonic fleshes out new plasmas

We first heard about Panasonic's new line of plasma televisions at CES in January. Since then I've gotten a chance to review one of the new models, the 42-inch TH-42PX77U, and I mostly liked what I saw. Today the company is holding a press event in New York where it will detail its full 2007 lineup, so here's a summary of the press release.

The two baseline series mentioned at CES, the entry-level TH-PX75U series and the step-up TH-PX77U series, all received official MSRP pricing today, although that often has little to do with the actual selling … Read more

It's TV time with the Vizio VP42HDTV

Like me, many people have been holding off on upgrading their household TV, and getting into the world of plasma because prices have been to high. Fortunately, Vizio has broken the four figure barrier by offering their VP42HDTV for $999.99. At 42-inches, the Vizio VP42HDTV can hold its own against the other, more expensive, players in the plasma arena. If you've been longing for a fresh breath in your TV viewing, but have been waiting for something that wouldn't put a huge dent in your bank account - Now's your chance.

'The world's largest TV': 205 inches

How quickly things change. Just a couple of months ago, the likes of Sharp and LG were vying for bragging rights over the largest TVs at the CES show in Las Vegas, with sets around 108 and 102 inches. Now, Italy's Tecnovision has dwarfed those models with what it's understandably billing as "the world's largest television" on display at CeBIT in Germany, a 205-inch HDTV--practically big enough, Tech Digest says, to fill an entire wall. There's no information on specs or pricing, but we suspect that its name alone, "Luxio," is … Read more

$40 DTV box subsidy: Is it enough?

If you're reading this, chances are you don't really need a $40 coupon to help pay for a converter box that'll allow you to watch over-the-air (OTA) digital television on your standard TV. But for those who happen to depend on that old TV and "free" analog television--not cable or satellite--and want to continue watching TV beyond February 18, 2009, the coupon should be a big deal. Under the new program, every household in the country will be able to apply for as many as two coupons, each worth $40 toward the price of a … Read more

Sony Line Show 2007: Complete coverage

Fans of Sony products are often disappointed at the January Consumer Electronics Show to discover that the company doesn't have very much to say. Sure, there's a big Sony booth and a handful of token product announcements and press releases, but it's always small potatoes compared to the dozens of new items on display from competitors such as Samsung, Philips, and Panasonic. But that's entirely by design: rather than get lost in the CES maelstrom, Sony opts to launch its new line of products at its own Sony-only line show. We've got complete coverage of … Read more

Sony breeds bevies of Bravias

Just when you thought Sony's 2006 lineup of flat-panel LCD HDTVs was getting a little long in the tooth, out come the 2007 models. Today the company announced seven new Bravias, an acronym for--I kid you not--"Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture." In fact, a whole press release was dedicated to how Sony intends to extend the brand to nontelevision products, like home-theater systems, but I doubt anyone outside Sony's marketing department cares. And if you happen to care about how much you'll be asked to spend on the new TVs, you're out … Read more

Sony issues $300 B.I.L.

We first reported on and picked apart Sony's Bravia Internet Link, or B.I.L., at CES 2007 in January, but the company took until now to officially divulge pricing and availability details. The module, which is compatible with the company's 2007 LCD rear-projection and flat-panel HDTVs also announced today, will retail for $300 and ship in June. The Link enables the TV to browse a closed garden of Sony-sanctioned delights (or a Pan's Labyrinth, depending on your point of view) that consists of "Internet video content, including high-definition programming, from providers like AOL, Yahoo! and … Read more

Sony slims 1080p LCD rear-projection TVs

Some of the more notable products announced at the Sony line show today are three rear-projection HDTVs--remember those?--that use LCD technology housed in foot-deep cabinets. Sony has been selling LCD-based RPTVs such as these as its somewhat less-expensive alternative to SXRD-based rear-projectors such as these (more info), but this year there's a new twist: Two of the three LCDs have 1080p native resolution, the highest available today. In other words, just one 2007 Sony RPTV so far, the KDF-37H1000, will have less than 1080p resolution.

The two new 1080p LCDs, the 46-inch KDF-46E3000 and the 50-inch KDF-50E3000, are … Read more