Posts in Home AV
Westinghouse's acrobatic HDTV
Mike Yamamoto | Apr 24, 2008
Westinghouse has created a flip-style HDTV that can actually be folded, to a degree, to fit into the most cramped areas and corners of any given abode. The front bezel of the dual-hinged Flexible Lifestyle Display can be rotated 180 degrees on a tabletop, according to Electronic House, or the TV can be suspended from the wall or bottom of a cabinet, trapeze-style.
The PT-16H610S must maintain a petite frame to accomplish these feats, so its LCD is no larger than 16 inches. The set has full 1080p high-definition resolution, but we're frankly not sure if that's really necessary: If you're installing this in a Manhattan apartment where a hot plate passes for a gourmet kitchen, for example, your nose will probably never be more than 2ft from the screen.
Via Crave CNET
Samsung says OLED monitors coming next year
Erica Ogg | Apr 23, 2008
Sony's teased us for a bit with its impossibly thin, 11-inch organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV, and finally brought it to the US this year. Now it looks like there will be more to choose from in OLED TVs next year. Samsung SDI says that by 2009, not only will it have OLED panels for larger TVs, but also for monitors and notebook displays, according to a report in Digitimes.
The liquid crystal display (LCD) industry probably doesn't have much to worry about yet. OLED panels are incredibly expensive to produce right now, and, yes, they're awfully pretty. (Sony's 11-inch display achieves a 1 million-to-1 contrast ratio, which is by far the best available for a TV.) But even as production increases from one manufacturer, it doesn't necessarily mean the prices will drop down to where flat panels have sunk. The 11-inch OLED TV from Sony costs US$2,500. For that price you could also get a 42-inch Pioneer Kuro, generally regarded as among the best plasma TVs on the market.
Though Samsung has previously discussed making OLED TVs, the company still has yet to release one. A year ago Toshiba also said it's planning on investing in OLED panels. Sony is betting on OLED's eventual domination of the display market, but it's also heavily invested in LCD.
However, Panasonic, which owns the plasma TV market, doesn't anticipate LCD or plasma TVs fading out anytime soon.
Via CNET News.com
Sony demos 4K technology, Kabuki-style!
Philip Wong | Apr 21, 2008
Late last Friday, we were invited to a 4K screening of Togitatsu no Utare, a traditional Japanese theater-styled performance, except it was videoed and presented on the big screen. While I would have favored flying bullets, blood and gore anytime, the pristine images and clarity were a sight to behold. Gone were the nostalgic graininess and smooth albeit soft pictures, a definite sign of the times challenging the conventional interpretation of "film-like" among reviewers and enthusiasts alike.
Powering this visual feast is Sony's CineAlta 4K digital cinema system. From a common layman's perspective, it's almost equivalent to four full-HD panels stacked 2 x 2 together. Though in reality, this commercial-oriented technology is far more advanced, involving a suite of end-to-end ultra-high-resolution equipment. Techspeak aside, it was pretty obvious the poor actors were perspiring profusely throughout the performance--we could pick up lots of intricate facial details--and being cocooned in layers of thick fabric simply added to their misery.
JVC bailing from the Japanese home LCD TV market?
Philip Wong | Apr 18, 2008
Apparently, this is the latest development from JVC, according to a Nikkei report based on insider information. Bruised but not completely beaten in the game, the LCD TV manufacturer has other plans for its ailing Japanese market share. Citing fierce competition, it has chosen to focus instead overseas on markets such as the US and Europe.
Once cash cows, prices of these LCD and plasma TVs have spiraled in recent years. This has forced many vendors to reconsolidate their business in a bid to remain competitive. To date, victims of the "flat-panel bubble" burst have included Fujitsu which recently withdrew from the plasma TV business.
Via Reuters | Photo credit: JVC
Samsung LCD technology, Armani design
Philip Wong | Apr 17, 2008
The Giorgio Armani-Samsung phone was just the tip of the iceberg. Now, the tie-up is hawking a new Samsung-powered Armani-designed LCD TV. For self-conscious socialites, this means more opportunities to fling their fortunes beyond the Italian's latest summer collection right into their living room. That said, we're struggling to single out the Armani connection, save for the fashion house's tiny backlit logo on the panel.
What's apparent is that the Armani/Samsung LCD TVs will be available in both 46- and 52-inch sizes, shipped with motion-sensing lighted primary and secondary remotes. They will also have full-HD resolution, 100Hz picture refresh rate technology, as well as standard HDMI jacks.
According to Akihabara News, the 46-incher is slated for a mid-summer launch in Europe, Korea and Russia. Its 52-incher equivalent will follow in late summer. No info for the rest of Asia was available at press time.
Via Akihabara news | Photo credit: Akihabara news
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