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1080p, take 1.2

	HP MD6580n.

Late in 2005, we finally got a chance to review the newfangled 1080p rear-projection HDTVs, and we ended up liking one best. That said, even the winner of our shootout, Sony's KDF-E60XBR1, couldn't accept 1080p sources; the only model that could was HP's MD6580n. While 1080p sources are very scarce today, we'll be seeing more of them in years to come, so future-conscious HDTV shoppers have rightly been concerned that none of the current HDTVs can accept these sources. That's why we expect manufacturers of 1080p and even lower-resolution HDTVs to announce some new level of future-readiness in their 2006 sets--maybe True 1080p or 1080p-ready or, in one company's case, PlayStation 3-ready--to denote that they can indeed handle 1080p sources.

CES 2006 will also see the introduction of more flat-panel HDTVs with 1080p native resolution, including plasmas--Panasonic introduced 50- and 65-inch versions at CEATEC Japan last October--and more LCDs sized 37 inches and up, in the same vein as the Westinghouse LVM-37W1.

Cheaper plasmas, less projection
Ever since 42-inch plasmas broke the US$2,000 barrier, it's been difficult for manufacturers to sell many 42-inch rear-projection HDTVs. After all, who would want a bulky projection set if a sleek flat-panel costs around the same amount? In 2005, we saw plasmas encroach upon the territory of 50-inch projection sets, and next year, 50-inch RPTVs will be threatened even further. Just this holiday season we saw prices of US$2,500 for a 50-inch Vizio P50HDM; although a great price, it's still US$500 to US$1,000 more than you'd pay for a "bargain" 50-inch DLP or LCD-based projection HDTV. In 2006, the prices of 50-inch plasmas will fall even further, and we'll see inklings of these plasma price drops--spurred, as usual, by Panasonic--at CES.

Cheaper LCDs at plasma sizes

	Vizio P50HDM.

In 2005, numerous flat-panel LCDs at 40 and 42 inches hit the market at prices from US$4,000 to US$5,000--significantly more than what you'd expect to pay for a 42-inch plasma. In 2006, that gap will narrow considerably, thanks to plummeting large-screen LCD prices; we expect to see 40- and 42-inch LCDs for less than US$2,500 by the holiday season of 2006. They'll still cost more than plasma, but people who are concerned about plasma's reliability will likely choose LCD instead.

Next-generation flat-panel tech
Last year, a few companies--most notably Samsung--showed new LCD backlight technologies such as FFL and LED, but the products didn't hit the market as promised. In 2006, we expect these step-up LCDs to be trotted out again and to finally be available in stores to people willing to pay the premium. Of course, in an HDTV landscape so confusing that people can't tell a plasma from an LCD, we think that marketing a new backlight technology for LCD will be pretty difficult.

At CES 2005, we also saw a demonstration of the new flat-panel technology designed by Toshiba and Canon called SED (surface-conduction electron-emitter display). The companies later claimed to have products available for sale by 2006, so we expect them both to announce products that'll be in stores by the holiday season next year. Initial SEDs will be extremely expensive compared to similarly sized plasma and LCD flat-panel HDTVs.

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