Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Pioneer got official with its 50-inch KRP-500A and 60-inch KRP-600A over in Europe earlier this summer, and just as each set got set to ship, the firm felt it necessary to bring ‘em to Japan. Best of all, AkihabaraNews was able to see just how deep those blacks really were at a recent press event, and it was kind enough to host up a plethora of photographs for us common folk to gaze at. If we just rang your bell, pop down into the links below for specs and images galore.

Read - Camera flash, capture Pioneer’s new plasmas
Read - Formal introduction in Japan

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

For the most part, Runco stays pretty quiet in the consumer realm… until CEDIA rolls around. Once again, the high-end AV company is firing on all cylinders in Denver, announcing seven new 1080p LCD / plasma displays including its largest LCD to date, the 70-inch Crystal Series CX-70DHD (pictured). Along with the new panels, the outfit is unveiling its exclusive OPAL (Optical Path Alignment) technology on select models which “delivers extreme glare reduction and enhanced contrast for high ambient light environments.” The aforesaid 70-incher (shipping mid-October for $34,995) actually comes bundled with an external DHD video controller / processor, which incorporates Runco’s Vivix II tech to “enhance all digital and NTSC content to near high-definition quality.” We’ll admit, that sounds an awful lot like something Toshiba’s got going on just a few booths over, but make of it what you will. For details on the other half dozen sets, hop on past the break.

Continue reading Runco lets it all hang out, intros seven new 1080p LCDs / plasmas at CEDIA

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Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

They said they were going to do it, and do it they did. While Samsung’s tru2way “demonstration” was barely more than a hack job used to show off what the technology was about, Panasonic demoed the real deal at its CEDIA booth. The 50-inch TH-50PZ80Q plasma contained a real CableCARD (yes, we checked) and was receiving a live signal from Comcast. Denver is just one of a few markets where tru2way is theoretically ready to rock, and according to a Panny rep, the set we saw today is a production unit that will ship sometime “later this year.” The idea here is to provide buyers with the ability to insert any CableCARD from any carrier (if you move, for example) into an HDTV, thus eliminating the cable company’s stranglehold (best known as a “carrier-issued set-top-box”) on you. The demo we saw went over very well — everything was responsive and image quality was excellent. See for yourself in the gallery at Engadget HD.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Hitachi’s 1.5-inch thick 50-inch plasma wasn’t exactly front and center like we had imagined, but it was there garnering stares nonetheless. Donning a glossy white finish and displaying nothing but floral arrangements, the set looked pretty good (though not great) in terms of visual quality. The design, however, was simply stunning. And just as promised, we did include the obligatory iPhone comparison, though you’ll have to account for the Belkin skin when drawing your conclusions. Give it a peek in the gallery below.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

It has taken a bit longer than expected, but Panasonic has finally got around to unveiling the 58- and 65-inch flavors of its VIERA CAST plasma lineup. The two new members of the PZ850 family are both internet enabled and can receive web streams (video, in particular) without a separate set-top-box. More specifically, users can see YouTube blown up to ungodly proportions and check out digital photos hosted up on Google’s Picasa website. The pair will also boast a 30,000:1 contrast ratio (read: not dynamic), 24p native reproduction, Game Mode, an SD card slot, RS-232C port and four HDMI sockets. The pain? $3,999.95 for the TH-58PZ850, $6,999.95 for the TH-65PZ850 (i.e. the Grand Poobah).

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

While we new LG had a pair of DVR-packin’ plasmas lined up, nothing was officially official until now. The 42- and 50-inch PG6900 plasmas were designed to hold up to 86-hours of programming (SD, we assume) on its 160GB of internal hard drive space, and the 8-day EPG should give you a pretty decent view of what’s coming on in the near future. Additionally, you’ll find a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, Energy Star compliance, a DVB-T tuner (plus an analog tuner), three HDMI 1.3 ports, 100Hz refresh rate and integrated speakers which are said to be “invisible.” Look for these to pop up soon (at least in Europe) for $1,799 and up.

[Via Gizmag]

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Filed under: Displays

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/tech_news/Panasonic_s_150_inch_Life_Wall_TV_going_production_in_2009′; Although it’s impossible to tell without another object in the display box, that’s Panasonic’s 150-inch TV up there — here at IFA, intimidating its neighbors. Now get this: this massive plasma sporting a 2,160 X 4,096-pixel (4 times 1080p) Advanced HD display will hit the assembly lines just as soon as Panny’s newest factory comes on-line in the May 2009 timeframe. At the moment, the single 150-inch sheet of glass is hand-made and fitted into four of these behemoths currently touring the world. That means 150-inches of goodness could be yours before the year is up. College shmollege, this is quad HD!

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Filed under: HDTV

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Not a huge fan of the LCD HDTV? Is plasma more your style? Fantastic, because Samsung just took the (official) lid off of the already spotted 7 Series plasma lineup. Featuring the outfit’s Touch of Color design, a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, daytime / nighttime calibration options and a DNIe Pro video processor, this trio makes no bones about which rival it’s gunning for. The entire crew also features InfoLink RSS access, a USB 2.0 port (WiseLink Pro), DLNA compatibility, four HDMI-CEC jacks and 1080p panels. Read up on the full rundown of specs in the read link, and prepare to hand over $2,799.99 for the 50-inch PN50A760, $4,499.99 for the 58-inch PN58A760 or $5,499.99 for the 63-inch PN63A760 sometime next month.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

What, you seriously expected the $999 VP422 to perform like a $5,000+ KURO? In your dreams, bub. Vizio’s latest 42-inch plasma, which certainly looked a-okay on paper for the price, recently hit the test bench over at CNET, and while the overall package was deemed enough to “satisfy casual viewers,” those with even a single videophile gene in ‘em should be wary. The unit managed to snag an extremely rare 6.0 out of 10 rating, with “highly inaccurate green primary color and poor grayscale tracking” as the two biggest knocks. Granted, reviewers did appreciate the rock-bottom price, respectably array of inputs and the “relatively clean image,” but at the end of the day, you can only expect so much from a sub-$1,000 42-inch PDP. Give the full review a look and determine if it’s sufficient for your wants needs.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Here in North America, we already saw Pioneer get official with its second-generation of KURO plasmas, but today is all about Japan. Said outfit has just revealed the dazzling KRP-600M, which checks in at 60-inches diagonally and 64-millimeters in depth. Pioneer is being its typical self when it comes to specs by simply tossing the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution out there and insisting that it pretty much looks better than any other TV on the entire planet. Not that we really dig that Bose approach[TM], but at least we’re told that there are component, VGA, DVI, HDMI, Ethernet, RS-232C, IR repeater and audio in / out jacks. The set should hit Japanese shelves later this month for around ¥850,000 ($7,970), while the optional table stand, wall mount and speaker system will run you quite a bit less.

[Via Tech-On]

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Filed under: Displays

Surely you remember Shinoda Plasma and its obscenely large PTA display, right? Unfortunately, this one’s no 142-incher, but 125-inches of curvaceous screen real estate still isn’t anything to sneeze at — especially when we’re talking about an actual prototype. The 3- x 1-meter display consists of three PTA (plasma tube array) modules connected together, and it features a rather uninspiring 960 x 360 resolution but weighs just 7.9-pounds. The actual “display part” measures just one-millimeter thick, and while this unit is likely to make a veiled appearance at InfoComm next month, a mass produced version will reportedly be produced in conjunction with Hibino. Honest opinion? We’re still feelin’ the resolution of Alienware’s curved monster, but digital signage fans should certainly dig where this one is headed.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Displays

We kid you not. Panasonic is working on a new low-voltage (1.5v) plasma technology which it says will rival OLED displays in brightness, thinness, and contrast. Better yet, Panasonic claims that its plasmas can be manufactured for “much less money” than OLEDs. Panny already has plans to include their new plasma displays in cellphones for use with AT&T’s Mobile TV service, gas pump displays, ATMs, and on HP printers under a new exclusive two-year deal. Color us impressed if the new displays look anything like the 3.5-inch, 854 x 480 pixel Viera phone instead of that anemic looking phone pictured above which accompanied the press release.

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We’ve seen some pretty shady dealings from disgruntled ex-employees in the past, but this one may have skyrocketed into the upper echelon of tales of corporate deceit. As the story goes, a 49-year old man known only as Jeong felt the need to copy over some 1,182 top secret plasma display technology-related files onto his personal drive before waltzing out of LG’s doors for the final time in July of 2005. A few months later, Chinese manufacturer Changhong-Orion PDP-Chaihong welcomed him with open arms and paid him a fat salary of roughly $300,000 a year (not to mention a few perks: free apartment, vehicle etc.), while casually accepting both the aforementioned files and continued insider leaks at LG — information supposedly valued at over a billion dollars. But despite Jeong’s arrest upon his last return home to Korea, Changhong is still apparently on schedule to produce plasma panels based on LG’s technology come this December. Can you say: hot water over international trade-secret law?

[Via The Raw Feed, image courtesy of RPG Classics]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

We wondered why its so hard to find one of Pioneer’s award winning Kuro plasmas on shelves these days, and here is the answer. The Nikkei is reporting that Pioneer plans to stop producing plasma panels altogether, and only put together HDTVs with panels purchased from other sources. Panasonic and Hitachi remain as the only Japanese plasma manufacturers, Pioneer already has a deal with the former to purchase plasmas for its 42-inch model, and will expand that agreement according to The Nikkei. Honestly, this wouldn’t be a big deal for most companies, as we’ve seen with the Sony/Sharp/Samsung triangle in LCD manufacturing, but since Pioneer is the only manufacturer promising the blackest black levels this side of carbon nanotubes, we’re freaking out a bit. Here’s hoping Pioneer slides over the blueprints to the infinite contrast concept (and that sexy 9mm model) and keeps the party going.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in; via CNBC; warning: reg required on read link]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Don’t look now, but those delicious looking LCD TVs we saw grace the depths of the FCC’s database last week have apparently surfaced across the pond, and they’ve brought a line of PDPs with ‘em. ‘Course, we already got a whiff of these at CES, but it’s always reassuring to have a model number to cling to, no? The LG6000 LCD HDTV series consists of 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inch iterations that boast a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, “invisible” Mark Levinson speakers, automatic brightness and color optimization, four HDMI 1.3 inputs, a USB 2.0 port and TruMotion 100Hz technology on the largest two sets. As for the 42- and 50-inch PG6000 plasmas, you’ll notice a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, THX Display certification and most everything else previously mentioned on the LCD siblings. Regrettably, there’s no word on a price or release date, but we can’t envision such good looks coming sans a premium.

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Filed under: Gaming

We’re chalking this up to mixed PR signals, but a spokesperson for PDP — makers of that Rock Band Premium Microphone we caught the other day sporting a Wii logo — just let us know it was an accident, and that the mic isn’t compatible with the Wii after all. Of course, the only reason we cared is that the logo signaled the arrival of Rock Band on the Wii — which we now know is happening anyway — so the only people disappointed here should be those of you who wanted to experience Wii Rock Band with “premium” third-party accessories. So… too bad for three of you. We regret your loss. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have to get back to mastering the drums on “Tom Sawyer.”

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The rough-and-tumble economics of the display business claimed another victim today, as Fujitsu announced that it will exit the market in March. We hadn’t seen a lot from the company’s Aviamo line of plasmas since they first debuted in 2006, and it looks like there’s a reason — according to the short press release issued by Fujitsu today, “the pricing and profitability of this segment has compressed beyond the point which our company could realize a satisfactory return on investment.” Hmmm, that explains why it spun off Shinoda Plasma a while back, no? Fujitsu says it will continue to sell displays in Japan and provide service and support to customers for the foreseeable future, but that what it really wants to do is paint “concentrate…on our core business of heating and ventilation equipment.” You keep living that dream, guys.

[Thanks, Bruce S.]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Oh, how the times they are a-changin’. Merely months after Vizio ousted Samsung as the LCD TV king in Q2, Sammy is back on top of overall flat-panel TV sales here in North America. Thanks primarily to a staggering 37-percent quarter-to-quarter growth rate (compared to Vizio’s 12-percent), Samsung now has an 11.8-percent unit share compared to Vizio’s 10.2-percent. Strictly looking at LCD TVs, Vizio still isn’t holding the gold; rather, Sharp rocketed ahead to the top spot in that category and left the previous leader clinging to second. It should be noted that Vizio’s sales are far from stagnant — the firm has experienced a 334-percent increase year-to-year in LCD TV growth compared to Sharp’s 88-percent. Still, we wouldn’t count on the current leaderboard staying this way for long, as Black Friday (and the holiday season in general) has a tendency to shake things up.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

If a 20.8-inch QXGA LCD was just enough to get your HD juices a-flowin’, LG’s latest bunch should really get you wound up. On display at FPD International 2007 in Japan, these “G Platform” plasmas claim to trump any other PDPs in the contrast department, as every one of them features a 30,000:1 ratio. Additionally, the company noted that color reproduction has been improved by “optimizing the panels’ color phosphors and utilizing dielectrics,” and there’s also the 100Hz refresh rate to eliminate blur / flicker. Reportedly, the displays will be available in Q4 of this year in 32-, 42-, 50- (HD) and 50- / 60-inch (Full HD) models, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to pricing.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!