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Take a tour through Panasonic's CRT & flat panel TV recycling center

by Richard Lawler, posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 4:44PM


Less remarked upon in our CES 2009 coverage was the green factor consistently mentioned in many presentations, with various manufacturers promising more responsible production facilities, and plans to offer recycling for all the old televisions that will be replaced in the years to come. Courtesy of AV Watch and Google Translate, we can take a tour through one of Panasonic's recycling facilities, where the latest breakthrough uses a laser beam to separate the front and rear glass of CRTs, allowing for three times faster processing. If there's anything better than machine translation, old TVs headed for certain doom, and lasers, we have no idea what it is.

Panasonic Z1 wireless HDTV appearing in US retailers

by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 26th 2009 at 10:02PM


Hey, look at that -- it's Panasonic's super-hot one-inch thick Z1 wireless HDTV, just cold sitting out for sale in a San Jose Magnolia store. No official availability announcement yet, but we're guessing it's coming soon, right on time for the Z1's planned summer debut. Everyone got their $6,000 ready?

LCD sales expectations raised for the rest of '09

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 19th 2009 at 10:48AM


Same old same old, despite the screams of plasma fans, LCD sales are expected to reach higher than ever this year, as DisplaySearch has raised its estimate to 127 million units worldwide in 2009. Total TV sales are expected to drop, as well as those of plasmas, but even in the liquid crystal world all isn't pretty. As a result of the ongoing price war, even with higher sales manufacturers are raking in less cash, with revenue projected to be down as much as 6 percent. We doubt that will result in the long predicted LCD price spike, but we do have to wonder how much lower we'llssee sales go later this year around usual bargain hunting times like Black Friday, there may not be much room left.

Panasonic unveils 85-inch plasma at InfoComm '09

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 18th 2009 at 3:11AM


Sure we'd love to see Panasonic mass produce that 4K 150-inch plasma, but so far we'll just have to be happy with a cheaper 103-inch HDTV and the latest model, an 85-inch 1080p display it's showing off at InfoComm '09 this week. All that super size flat panel building experience has been poured into a package that is 99mm thick and apparently 30 percent lighter per square inch than its 103-inch cousin, at a total of 130Kg. This one's coming through business channels to Japan and the U.S. this fall, 'til then you'll just have to live with your 4 x 42-inch matrix setup or for the cost conscious, a projector.

[Via AV Watch & Japan Corp (English)]

Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 11th 2009 at 5:13PM


Toshiba already showed us what its freshest line of HDTVs looks like, and now its Mitsubishi's turn. The outfit was on hand in NYC to showcase a few of its now-shipping sets, including the 3D-ready Home Theater line and its speaker-infused Unisen crew. We won't bore you with the specs (which can be found here and here, respectively), but we will confess that the 82-inch WD-82737 has us squirming uncontrollably. Have a peek yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh

LG's Netflix-friendly 47LH50 and 50PS80 NetCast HDTVs now shipping in America

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 11th 2009 at 1:37PM


Without a doubt, the next big thing in the world of HDTVs is internet capabilities. With Toshiba just shipping its own web-enabled sets this week, LG Electronics is making sure it doesn't fall too far behind by floating a few of its own NetCast models out to the open market. Originally unveiled at CES, these HDTVs are the first from the company with built-in Netflix streaming support, and if you're curious about model numbers, it's the 47-inch 47LH50 LCD HDTV and the 50-inch 50PS80 plasma that are available today. LG tells us that the 42-inch 42LH50 LCD and 60-inch 60PS80 plasma should hit later this summer, but if you're looking to buy now, you'll have to pony up $1,999 for the 47LH50 or 50PS80.

CNET: TC-P50V10 is "Panasonic's best plasma yet"

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 9th 2009 at 12:56PM


As Pansonic's latest plasma HDTVs proceed down the review gauntlet, it appears CNET is the latest to be impressed by the TC-P50V10, between its slick design, smooth handling of 1080p/24 by way of its 96Hz image processing, deep black levels and good color reproduction. The 96Hz features plus more adjustable picture settings are some of the improvements the V10 offers over the G10, but is it enough to satisfy the Kuro faithful, or attract buyers away from LCD? It appears the reviewer was convinced, give it a read and see if you are.

iSuppli sees TV sales continuing to expand despite the economy, Samsung keeps the overall lead

by Richard Lawler, posted May 28th 2009 at 9:08PM


Even the economy can't keep HDTV sales down, according to iSuppli's research. In lieu of travel and going out, we're buying bigger TVs to stay home and watch, with sales of flat panel displays in the $600 - $999 range rising the fastest, while Wal-mart is very close to catching Best Buy in marketshare. Samsung's plasma sales kept it narrowly in the overall lead over upstart (and new LCD champ) Vizio, but we'll have to wait and see how long that lasts.

[Via Yahoo Tech]

VOOM HD gear goes up for auction

by Steven Kim, posted May 22nd 2009 at 9:43PM

VOOM HD auction paddleListen up, aspiring HD content creators -- VOOM HD's demise could be your gain. If the HD video features of the latest crop of DSLRs and DILs (digital interchangeable lens) aren't enough for you, you'll have a chance to pick up some of VOOM HD's gear at an auction on June 16. Among the items up for grabs are a bunch of Sony HD camcorders, Canon HD lenses, and 5 Panasonic PT-AE2000U projectors that we imagine would do a perfectly fine job in the living room. If you've got some cash burning a hole in your pocket, this could be a great way to jump-start your HD rig, but those attending the auction in person will need to watch out for snipers sitting in on the webcast.

LG's 50PS70 and 60PS70 plasmas get 160GB Time Machine functionality

by Darren Murph, posted May 21st 2009 at 8:59AM


The jury's still out on whether inbuilt DVRs are good for HDTVs, but LG's obviously hot to trot on the whole idea. Nearly a year after first introducing sets with an integrated Time Machine, the outfit is hitting back with two new big-screen plasmas that each posses a 160GB internal hard drive. The X Canvas 50PS70 (50-inch) and 60PS70 (60-inch) panels also boast 600Hz dejudder technology and can record overflow onto external drives connected via USB 2.0. Additional details (price, screen resolution, availability, etc.) are scant, but we'll be sure to keep an ear to the ground.

[Via Akihabara News]

Flat panel TVs at the heart of furniture accidents

by Steven Kim, posted May 19th 2009 at 6:41AM

The Ring monsterNormally when we hear about children and flat panel displays not mixing, we think of "look with your eyes, not your hands" lessons spelled out in fingerprints on the TV. A recent study, however, has turned up an increased number of furniture-related accidents involving children and is pointing a finger right at flat panel displays. According to the study, almost half of the accidents reported involved a TV falling onto a child (we'd love to see what portion involved shoddy particle board furniture). That über-thin new set of yours is easy on the eyes, but don't be fooled -- with its narrow base and high center of gravity (or suspect mounting), it's a dangerous animal waiting to pounce on the little ones. All kidding aside, if you can't keep the kids from climbing the furniture and gadgets, at least make sure you set the TV up safely; or you could opt for a sturdy CRT-based RPTV or a ceiling mounted projector.
[Via DigitalLanding]

Poll: Best LCD backlighting choice?

by Richard Lawler, posted May 16th 2009 at 12:00PM


Last week we took a peek into plans for future HDTVs, but it's 2009 and for buying an HDTV in the here and now there's only a few flat panel choices - while plasma definitely has its fans, facts are gentlemen (and most buyers) seem to prefer LCDs. As seen at CES, every manufacturer has kicked the competition for backlighting and image quality up a notch, with higher quality CCFL backlighting and even LED trickling to lower end brands, most notably Vizio's planned $2,000 55-inch HDTV due later this year. Further confusing things, though Samsung will also have an updated local dimming LED backlit line on shelves later this year, it's currently touting slim, energy efficient edge lit LED models, despite their slightly lower picture quality, while some top of the line LCDs with older CCFL lighting keep pumping out high quality pictures. So we bring the question to you, of the technologies currently on the market, which one has you convinced it's a good buy?

Your preferred LCD lighting scheme?

AVForums takes a shine to THX on Panasonic's TX-P50V10 plasma

by Steven Kim, posted May 16th 2009 at 11:04AM

Panasonic TC-P50V10 with THX
Panasonic's new plasma TVs packing the NeoPDP panels are compiling a solid reputation across their respective price brackets, and now it's the V10 series' turn to continue that trend at the more expensive end of the spectrum. Stepping up from the G10 series, the 50-inch UK-model TX-P50V10 AVForums had on hand acquitted itself pretty well. The "sheet of glass" thin design looks nice, but it was the THX picture mode that saved the day. Despite the lack of image controls that videophiles love to tweak, the THX preset delivered very good performance right out of the gate; good enough that the reviewer gave it the nod over the G10 series. The review also noted that 24p material was handled correctly, which gives us hope that Panasonic's 96Hz refresh in the US models will finally put 3:2 pulldown artifacts to rest. Hit the link for all the details.

[Thanks, Quentin!]

TrustedReviews takes its turn with Panasonic's TX-P42G10 plasma

by Steven Kim, posted May 13th 2009 at 7:21PM

Panasonic TX-P42G10 plasma
A little skeptical of rave review the HD Guru gave to Panasonic's NeoPDP-equipped G10 plasma? After reviewing the smaller 42-inch TX-P42G10 from the G10 plasma series, the good folks at TrustedReviews have another data point for you. The set turned in a solid performance without blowing away the reviewers -- which to our reading back up feelings around these parts that plasma still has an edge over LCDs in some performance areas, including black levels, off-axis viewing and motion resolution. It's interesting that even though the review itself is pretty reserved, the set scored very highly (9 out of 10) in the "image quality," "value" and "overall" categories. It sounds like TrustedReviews was torn between pulling the trigger on the G10 or waiting a few weeks for the V10 models -- a feeling we know all too well. Hemming and hawing aside, it sounds like the mid-tier G10 sets (below the V10 and Z1 lines) have plenty to offer those not ready to jump the plasma ship just yet.

Plasma market getting smaller and higher-end, but it's still alive

by Nilay Patel, posted May 13th 2009 at 2:07PM


Pioneer's decision to axe the Kuro earlier this year set off a wave of gloomy predictions about the future of plasma, but we've never really bought into it -- and it sounds like the product planners at LG, Samsung, and Panasonic haven't either. HD Guru asked reps from each company for their thoughts on the state of the plasma market, and the responses were pretty similar across the board: plasma remains the connoisseur's choice overall, and it still makes up just about half of 50-inch and bigger sales. Of course, that means that plasma's niche is shrinking and moving higher-end while LCDs more or less take over the rest of HDTV market, but until something like OLED develops into a true competitor we think plasma's around for a while. Check out the full company responses at the read link.




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