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


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.

Hitachi details UltraVision and Alpha LCD HDTV lines


Unlike practically ever other brand, Hitachi didn't take the wraps off of its 2009 HDTV line at CES. Instead, it waited until summer officially began, and we can't really argue with the tactic. At any rate, the company is following JVC, LG and Sony with their respective HD news by announcing new members in the long-standing UltraVision line (shown left) as well as the Alpha series (shown right). In the former, we'll soon see the 55-inch L55S603 ($1,799), 46-inch L46S603 ($1,299) and 42-inch L42S503 ($999) hit the streets (in September, August and June, respectively), while the Alpha crew contains the 42-inch L42A403 ($849) and the 32-inch L32A403 ($499), both of which ship this month. The UltraVision sets all boast 1080p panels, 120Hz dejudder technology, up to five HDMI sockets and built-in ATSC / QAM / NTSC TV tuners. As for the Alphas, you'll find a total of seven HD inputs (four HDMI), a 1080p panel on the fat kit and a 720p display on the little guy.

LG world's thinnest LCD is only 0.23 inches thick


Looks like we've got a new record holder for world's thinnest LCD, as LG pegs its new 42- and 47-inch models at only 5.9mm thick. Apparently lacking an iPhone for the accepted measurement of thinness, this model was reduced to holding up a coin for an example of LG's edge LED lit prowess. Though you may prefer local dimming LEDs, DisplayBlog is hopeful we'll see a combo of the two lighting schemes bringing thinness and high picture quality next year. Meanwhile, compare these to JVC's magnetically mounted former champ, measuring a now-widebody 7mm thick, but at only 5kg, still holding a weight edge over these two at 6.1 and 7.3kg, respectively. LG promises 120Hz refresh technology and 80% of the NTSC color gamut, up from 72% on standard models, on these, but we'll wait for them to go from the demo stand to the store shelf before revisiting the question of whether thinner and more energy efficient is actually better.

[Via DisplayBlog]

Philips announces US availability for 2009 home entertainment line (with hands-on!)

Philips may be dodging the North American sector with its flashiest of products, but it's still showing the Yanks in attendance a little love on the home entertainment front. Today in a meeting in NYC, the outfit revealed US pricing and availability for its entire 2009 family, most of which was quietly introduced in January. Starting things off are the 6000 and 7000 Series of HDTVs, which just so happen to pick right up where the previous models left off in 2008. The 6000 Series will arrive in 32-, 42- and 47-inch flavors for $799, $1,399 and $1,699, respectively, while the 7000 Series goes 42-, 47- and 52-inch for $1,499, $1,799 and $2,299, also respectively.

While checking these very sets out, we noticed that the factory settings left the colors a bit blown out and overly sharp -- though, this practice is far too common in HDTV companies anyway. Nothing like wowing those Best Buy shoppers at first, only to sear their retinas at home, right? All kidding aside, the panels looked superb, and the A-B comparison mode made tweaking the settings a breeze. Hop on past the break for the rest of the details, and give our gallery a glance for a closer look at the whole lot.

Hitachi unveils 11 latest Wooo plasmas & LCDs: Greener, better looking & network connected


This year's edition of the Hitachi Wooo line of flat panels look a lot like their predecessors on the outside (120Hz IPS LCDs, 250GB HDD equipped models with iVDR slots for additional hard drives and Wooonet DLNA network support) but it's what's inside that counts. The four new XP plasma models range from 42- to 50-inches and promise even better contrast ratios, as high as 40,000:1, with better color reproduction and the promise of greater energy efficiency. The ultra-thin 35mm / 1.4-inch thick LCDs are back in four new models, with UWB wirelessly connected tuners, auto sensing/adjusting brightness and aforementioned "eco" power sipping improvements. The relatively fat XP line of LCDs consists of just three displays, but just like all the rest, buyers can still hook up to the 'net and pull down video on-demand or Yahoo! Japan's web TV portal -- features unlikely to make the jump when we see U.S. versions of these later this year. The XP plasmas and LCDs go on sale in Japan later this month or next, while the ultra-thins will be crash dieting until October.

Read
- Hitachi, recording double-35mm-thin LCD TV "Wooo UT800"
Read - Hitachi, 7 new plasma / LCD

Mitsubishi introduces 16-speaker Unisen LCD HDTV line


With Mitsubishi's LaserVue lines humming along once more, it's time for the company to bust out a few more big announcements in the HDTV space. First up is the new Unisen line, comprised of the 151 Series (40-, 46- and 52-inches), the 153 Series (40-, 46- and 52-inches) and the high-end Diamond 259 Series (46- and 52-inches). Each set in the line comes with a built-in "5.1-channel" 16-speaker audio bar, much like the iSP LT-52149 that we reviewed last fall. Each model also incorporates a new UltraThin Frame design, Smooth 120Hz Film Motion technology, four HDMI 1.3a inputs and a USB media port. The top end crew also includes an iSP calibration microphone, Plush1080p 5G 18-bit digital video processing, a wired IR input and a few swank blue accents to really woo the ladies. The whole family should ship to the United States next month and range from $1,799 to $3,299. Exact pricing is just after the break.

Westinghouse launches more HDTVs than we care to count at CES


No wonder we haven't seen a fresh TV from Westinghouse since July of last year -- it's been hoarding 'em up for a CES extravaganza. The company is dishing out no fewer than 14 new sets (yes, we caved and counted), so let's not waste any time here. The 120Hz collection consists of the 21.6-inch PT-22F380S, 37-inch TX-37F510Z, 42-inch TX-42F970Z / TX-42F450S, 46-inch VK-46F260S, 47-inch VK-47F140S and 55-inch TX-55F350Z, all of which look to boast 1080p panels, a decent array of ports and an ATSC / NTSC / Clear QAM TV tuner if you're lucky. The lower-res sets include the 18.5-inch PT-19H340S, 21.6-inch PT-22H340S, 26-inch SK-26H630S / SK-26H735S / SK-26H570D, 32-inch SK-32H635S / SK-32H820S / SK-32H570D and the 37-inch SK-37H730S. If any of those caught your eye (we know, it's a blur), feel free to hop past the break for the spec-by-spec breakdown.

Sony brings 120Hz Motionflow, BRAVIA Engine 2 to lower-end V-, S-, and L-series HDTVs


While Sony's already revealed its secrets with the action packed VE-Series and ZBR9 family, it's the V-, S- and L-series that'll hit the sweet spot in terms of price for the vast majority. Not much has been improved upon within the 52-inch KDL-52V5100, 46-inch KDL-46V5100 and 40-inch KDL-40V5100, but all three now feature the BRAVIA Engine 2 and Motionflow 120Hz technology for improved sharpness and detail in fast-moving images. Furthermore, they include four HDMI inputs, BRAVIA Sync and a USB port for loading up external media. The V-Series also features Sony's own LightSensor technology and dynamic backlight control to ease up on energy usage. The 52-inch KDL-52S5100, 46-inch KDL-46S5100, 40-inch KDL-40S5100 models, and the 31.5-inch KDL-32S5100 all boast 1080p panels and three HDMI ports, while the 31.5-inch KDL-32L5000 and 26-inch KDL-26L5000 ratchet things down to 1,366 x 768 in the resolution department and take aim for your nearest guest room / kitchen. Head on past the break for the full release, and keep an eye out for all of these to start shipping sometime this Spring.

Samsung stuns with 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series LED LCD HDTVs


Here we are, folks, finally at the end of Samsung's CES 2009 gauntlet. We've seen Blu-ray decks, a BD-infused soundbar, LCD-equipped refrigerators and even a few HDTVs, but Sammy's clearly hoping you pay the most attention to its new line of LED-backlit LCDs. The 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series sets all ditch traditional CCFLs in favor of the newer, brighter and more energy-efficient LED backlighting. Of note, the 8000 Series is the only one a 240Hz refresh rate; the other lines get stuck with the perfectly acceptable 120Hz Auto Motion Plus. Furthermore, the 7000 / 8000 crew will come ready for the Yahoo!-driven Internet@TV online content service, while the 6000 family will allow access to Sammy's own InfoLink RSS service. More meaningful specs (screen size, brightness, contrast ratio, price, favorite color / date spot, etc.) are sorely missing, but you can peak the linked PDF if you don't believe us.

JVC debuts 42-inch LT-42WX70 LCD HDTV: covers 96% of AdobeRGB color space


While everyone else seems to be cutting back on energy consumption and adding some form of connectivity, JVC is doing something quite different with its 42-inch LT-42WX70. The 1080p LCD HDTV supposedly targets DSLR users by encompassing 100 percent of HDTV broadcasting's (sRGB.904) color space and a coverage rate of 96 percent for Adobe RGB -- much like those "pro LCD monitors" we see so often. You'll also find 52 picture quality adjustments properties, the company's own GENESSA Picture Engine, 120Hz Clear Motion Drive III, 4,000:1 contrast ratio, HDMI CEC support and a low-profile tuner (TU-CX100) that can be "separated from the monitor and placed horizontally or stood vertically on a tabletop, or hung on the wall." Mum's the word on pricing, but you can certainly say we're overly anxious to see how this puppy looks.

Audioholics puts Mitsubishi's LT-46149 LCD with iSP to the test

Mitsubishi LT-46149 LCD TV with iSP
If you're dead set on getting all your video and audio delivered from a single device, you could do worse than Mitsubishi's LT-46149 LCD and its iSP (Integrated Sound Projector) -- at least judging by the Audioholics review of the unit. The 16 beaming speakers across the bottom of the bezel proved more than just a toy and actually could be dialed in to create a real soundfield, albeit lacking in ultimate SPL output and bass. The lack of discrete input codes wasn't really solved by the automatic input selection and the backlighting could have been more even, but those problems faded away when watching movies. Some annoyance was laid at the feet of the 120Hz processing, consistent with other opinions (including our own). Keep in mind the "convenience with good performance" target for this set and hit the link for the full review.

Mitsubishi's soundbar-equipped iSP LT-52149 gets full-on review


When we had Mitsubishi's 1080p iSP LT-52149 HDTV in our own labs for testing, we weren't exactly thrilled with the image quality, particularly the 120Hz shenanigans. The folks over at Home Entertainment saw a lot of the same flaws we did, though they seemed to think the overall package was palatable after a great deal of tweaking. In fact, they outrightly stated that this set "requires more attention during video setup than other high-end LCDs [it had] tested," but it was worth the effort. The soundbar didn't serve as a 5.1-channel surround sound system or anything, but it did treat the ears more so than most integrated speakers. 'Course, SD material looked pretty terrible, but it did make Blu-ray Discs look fairly excellent. Still, the $4,000+ MSRP is slightly ridiculous in this world of low-cost LCDs, and we still can't see enough jaw-dropping positives here to warrant that kind of sticker.

Vizio intros 55-inch 1080p XVT HDTV, soundbar, more goodies

Chrismakwanzika has come early for anyone remotely interested in Vizio kit, and quite honestly, even for those that aren't. From the top, we've got the 55-inch VF550XVT1A, a 1080p HDTV with 120Hz Smooth Motion Video technology, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, five HDMI inputs, SRS TruSurround HD and a $1,999 MSRP. Next up is the firm's own soundbar and wireless subwoofer kit (VSB210WS), which has finally escaped rumor purgatory to pop official. The kit sports four 3-inch speakers alongside a single 1-inch tweeter for each channel, and the long throw 6.5-inch subbie makes sure the lows are well addressed, too. Just a single cable is needed to connect the VSB210WS to any flat-panel, and just $349.99 is needed to bring it home. On deck are a trio of smaller LCDs: the 19-inch VA19 ($249.99), 22-inch VA22 ($349.99) and 26-inch VA26 ($449.99), with the middle guy becoming Vizio's smallest 1080p HDTV ever. Closing things out is the 26-inch VMM26, a 25.5-inch "multimedia monitor" with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, HDMI / USB ports, touch-activated menus and a $429.99 sticker. All but the first two products mentioned are on sale now, while the first two will be available just before your '09 Super Bowl bash.

Sanyo's 120Hz PLV-Z3000 1080p projector: $3,295 for USers

Thanks to Sanyo's quick-fingered Japanese branch, you already know the basics on the PLV-Z3000. For those that missed out, it's being hailed as the industry's very first 5:5 pull down beamer with a 120Hz Full HD panel. Furthermore, it boasts a 65,000:1 contrast ratio, TopazReal HD 3D color management technology, a pair of HDMI 1.3 inputs and 1,200 ANSI lumens. The best news here is the US price -- the converted yen amount is actually a fair bit higher than what Sanyo plans on charging in greenbacks, though $3,295 will still be tough to part with come December.

AQUOS D65U / D85U LCD HDTVs get uncovered at CEDIA


Haven't had your fill of Sharp LCD HDTVs yet? Fret not, as said outfit is taking the wraps off of two more families at the Colorado Convention Center. The D65U / D85U LCD HDTVs all pack 1080p panels and range between 42- and 52-inches in size. The D65U line comes with five HDMI inputs, a six-millisecond response time, 176-degree viewing angles and a dedicated PC input to boot. The D85U steps it up by offering 120Hz Frame Rate Conversion and a four-millisecond response time. The sets will be in stores this fall (think October / November) for $1,599.99 and up. Per usual, the full releases are waiting after the break.




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