Crave

The LG LH9500 has the thinnest frame we've seen on any TV.

(Credit: LG)

LAS VEGAS--An HDTV should be all about the picture, and LG's best television announced at CES, the LE9500 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 inches) 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 LE9500 is the only TV announced by LG so far to include 3D capability, although details were sketchy (we'll update this writeup when we find out more). Sony, Samsung and Panasonic will have LG outnumbered in the 3D TV department at the show.

LG also endowed its flagship with what it calls a "Magic Wand" remote, which is supposed to behave much like ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog

Yet another consumer electronics segment is bouncing back from the recession--demand for LCD TVs is showing new signs of life.

Third-quarter shipments of LCD TVs rose for the first time in a year, according to DisplaySearch's "Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report," released Wednesday. That upward motion suggests that TV sales for the first quarter of 2010 could surpass those of the first quarter of 2009, the first gain in six quarters.

Mitsubishi LT-249 series (photos)

Total TV shipments will climb 6 percent in 2010 to reach 218 million units, versus 205 million for 2009, according to DisplaySearch's forecast. LCD TV shipments specifically will account for around 170 million units in 2010 versus 140.5 million this year.

TV manufacturers and vendors can thank North America, Japan, and Western Europe, where consumer demand continues to grow. But emerging markets have also developed more of an appetite for flat-panel TVs.

"China is a hot growth engine for the global flat panel TV market as the transition from CRT to LCD and plasma TVs continues to drive market growth," said Hisakazu Torii, vice president of TV market research for DisplaySearch, in a statement. "Government stimulus activity is having a positive effect on demand for flat panel TVs in both China and Japan, while several upcoming analog-to-digital broadcast changes in 2010 are likely to increase demand in Western Europe for digital TVs. Meanwhile, large price declines in North America have been driving strong unit demand, especially for 19" to 32" sizes."

Price declines of 9 percent this year for all flavors of TVs have hurt revenue but boosted demand, with 2009 revenue likely to drop 10 percent to $101 billion from $112 billion last year. But prices will not fall as much in 2010, says DisplaySearch, and so continued consumer demand will reward the industry with some sales growth next year.

Around 14.6 million plasma TVs are expected to ship next year thanks to growing demand in China. Meanwhile, the older CRT (cathode ray tube) TV continues to hang in there, with 32 million units likely to ship in 2010, predicts DisplaySearch. But that forecast is lower than the company's previous estimate based on declining demand and a dwindling supply of key components.

Alternative technologies like LED-backlit LCDs and 3D TVs will play a role in driving growth for the industry. Demand for LED-backlit TVs will jump in 2010, according to DisplaySearch, with just about every TV manufacturer bringing a variety of models and sizes to the market.

LCDs with higher frame rates will catch on as manufacturers add higher performance features to their TVs, DisplaySearch said. TVs with 100/120 Hz frame rates will capture 26 percent of global sales in 2009, while those with rates of 200/240 Hz will soak up only about 5 percent. But by 2013, 100/120 Hz TVs will account for 31 percent of global revenue, with 200/240 Hz TVs winning nearly 20 percent.

(Credit: DisplaySearch)

Roku's nifty little box delivers on-demand video from sources like Amazon and Netflix.

(Credit: Roku)

Did Santa bring you cash this year? A big fat gift card? An unexpected work bonus? Whatever the case, you're probably primed and ready for a little splurging.

And on this one day out of the entire year, I'm going to recommend three decidedly splurge-y items. They're not necessarily deals (though I've found the best possible price for each of them); they're just items I've enjoyed myself in recent months.

1. A second monitor After years of hearing how great it is to run side-by-side monitors, I finally took the plunge. Guess what? It is great. Just having Outlook and Firefox visible at the same time is, alone, worth the price of a second LCD. You can usually pick up a 22-incher for around $140, like this Sceptre X226W available from Newegg for $139.99 shipped. But right now Staples has a 21.5-inch eMachines E211H LCD monitor for just $99.98 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). First time I've seen a screen that size for under $100.

2. Jabra Halo stereo Bluetooth headset I find it extremely liberating to walk around with my iPhone in my pocket, headphones on my ears, and no bothersome cord connecting the two. The Halo headset is slim, comfortable, foldable, and able to take calls. The controls aren't fabulous (show me a headset's that are), but overall this is my favorite headset ever. It lists for $129.99, but Amazon Best Buy has the Halo for $99.99 shipped.

3. Roku HD-XR Streaming media is the future. Roku's top-end box already delivers Amazon Video On Demand, Netflix Instant Watch, Pandora Internet radio, Major League Baseball, and various freebie channels like blip.tv and Revision3--all in high-def (when available). The HD-XR model ($129.99) offers Wireless-N connectivity, but get the cheaper HD ($99.99) if you're rocking Ethernet. Granted, some Blu-ray players deliver similar streaming capabilities, but usually without wireless, and definitely without the same fast, easy interface. For Netflix in particular, I really dig this little box.

So, there you have it: three splurge-worthy items. Let me know if you decide to pull the trigger on any of them, or if you have your own splurge-ables in mind.

The Mitsubishi LT-249 has a built-in 16-speaker sound bar.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

At CNET, we never review the audio quality of a TV, because, frankly, it's usually terrible. As we said in our How We Test TVs page: "We believe that anyone who cares [about sound quality] would be better served investing in a separate audio system." However, Mitsubishi's LT-249 series is an LCD TV designed for people who do care about getting decent sound without having to fuss with an external audio system. Therefore, we tested the Mitsubishi's sound the same way we test other sound bar home theater systems.

What's the verdict? When paired with a subwoofer, the LT-249 can belt out audio as well as the smaller sound bars it resembles, which should sonically satisfy fuss-intolerant, decor-conscious buyers. The high-end Mitsubishi also has solid picture quality, although it won't match the better LED-powered LCDs and plasma TVs available in its price range. It also has a compelling suite of interactive features including Vudu and Pandora. However, this HDTV is all about the speaker; so if you don't mind paying more for better sound, the Mitsubishi LT-249 series deserves a place on your wall.

Read the full review of the Mitsubishi LT-249 series.

Mitsubishi LT-249 series (photos)

Enter for a chance to win this Vizio 32-inch TV.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

If you were waiting for us to give away one more LCD TV, you're in luck, because we're serving up the 32-inch Vizio VO320E, and it's a special one.

What so special about it? Well, it's actually a review sample that Editor David Katzmaier calibrated for his review of the product (bottom line: the Vizio VO320E offers decent picture quality for a rock-bottom price). So while it's slightly used, you do get a TV that's been tweaked by our video guru, which is definitely a nice bonus. (I'm still waiting for Mr. Katzmaier to come over to my apartment to calibrate my TV.)

We'd also like to give a shout out to Shopper.com for helping set up this Crave giveaway. Shopper.com powers CNET's price-comparison engine, and it's a great site for finding the best prices on products. (See all of Shopper's deals, coupon codes, and rebates).

Normally, the Vizio VO320E would cost you about $450, but you have the chance to get it gratis.

So, how do you try to win this Vizio 32-inch LCD TV? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, there's no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
• Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
• The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive (1) Vizio VO320E 32-inch LCD TV. Approximate retail value is $450.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Monday, December 21 at 6:59:59 a.m. EST.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 7 AM ET on December 21, 2009. See official rules for details.

Good luck.

Come back Monday for our next holiday giveaway, which will be a Technical Pro PM22 Podcaster.

Another Monday and another hot holiday giveaway here on Crave. We've given away Sony, LG, and Vizio 32-inch TVs, and now we have a Samsung 32-incher, the LN32B360.

Editor David Katzmaier reviewed this set and says that although it isn't as feature-heavy as some models in its class, "Samsung's LNB360 series takes the picture quality cake among entry-level LCDs." (Read the full review).

Special thanks to Shopper.com, which powers CNET's price-comparison engine and is a great site for finding the best prices on products. (See all of Shopper's deals, coupon codes, and rebates).

Normally, the Samsung LN32B360 would cost you about $500, but you have the chance to get it gratis.

So, how do you try to win this Samsung 32-inch LCD TV? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, there's no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
• Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
• The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive (1) Samsung LN32B360 32-inch LCD TV. Retail value is $500.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, December 8, at 6:59:59 a.m. EST.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 7 AM ET on December 8, 2009. See official rules for details.

Good luck.

Come back tomorrow for our next holiday giveaway. Tomorrow's prize will be a set of Targus Crave laptop bags.

Sharp's LC-32D47UT has solid energy saving features and a third HDMI input.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

None of the cheaper 32-inch LCDs we've compared recently will satisfy viewers seeking the best home theater picture quality. The main strength of the Sharp LC-32D47UT, for example, lies not in the fidelity of its image, but in areas that might be more important to shoppers at the entry-level price point: features and energy efficiency.

The former is comprised mainly of a third HDMI input, conveniently mounted on the side panel and quite rare for the breed. The latter will only save you a few bucks a year, at most, but over the lifetime of your typical bedroom TV, that can add up.

The sacrifice compared with other entry-level sets, despite the Sharp's relatively deep black levels, comes in other areas of picture quality, namely color and video processing. But if you want that third HDMI input and prize eco-consciousness, this little Sharp belongs on your own comparison list.

Read the full review of the Sharp LC-32D47UT

Sharp LC-32D47UT (photos)

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Much like Vizio, budget TV brand Westinghouse has decided to capitalize on the usual energy efficiency of small-screened LCDs. Its "greenvue" line, which includes the SK-H640G series, is said to surpass Energy Star by 20 percent.

That's not a very high standard yet, however, and according to our tests, the 32-incher, while among the most efficient of its kind, will save you at most a few bucks a year over similar TVs. Compared with those TVs it also came up a bit short in the picture quality and features departments, but its simple design and control scheme could appeal to bargain hunters fed up with a typical HDTVs' complexity.

Read the full review of the Westinghouse SK-H640G series.

Westinghouse SK-H640G series (photos)

This mammoth monitor can be yours for under $200.

(Credit: TigerDirect)

Update (7 a.m. PT): Wow, I just can't win. This item disappeared from TigerDirect's site shortly after I posted it--a very common occurrence these days. My apologies. I'm going to think long and hard before posting another item from CompUSA/TigerDirect.

I can't quite decide which is better: two smaller monitors running side by side or a single gargantuan monitor.

If you're in the latter camp, TigerDirect has a refurbished Vizio VMM26L 26-inch LCD monitor for $184.99 shipped. (That's if you use Google Checkout--otherwise the price is $189.99.)

That's the lowest price I've seen on a monitor of this size, and check out the specs: 1,900 x 1,200 resolution (i.e. slightly better than 1080p); DVI, VGA, and HDMI inputs; a 3ms response time; and a USB hub with four ports.

Because this is a refurb, however, the standard 90-day warranty applies. Also, the monitor lacks speakers, so it's not ideally suited to pairing with game consoles or Blu-ray players. (You can do it; it's just BYO speakers.)

But if you're in the market for a big, huge monitor for your PC, this could be just the ticket. If it sells out, try checking back in a couple hours or even days--TigerDirect sometimes replenishes its stock.

Backup deal: Got N? Buy.com has an Asus Wireless N Router for $20.99 shipped (after a $20 mail-in rebate). It doubles as an FTP server and triples as a printer server.