Sony already fessed up to the European versions of these sets last week at IFA, but we were able to wrap our eyes around the US versions here at CEDIA. Both sets were expectedly gorgeous, but the ultrathin KLV-40ZX1M really won over our hearts. Hit the gallery below and see if you're equally touched.

Man, what a toll the loss of HD DVD has taken on Toshiba. Judging by the vast expanse of floor space at Tosh's booth not covered with people (seriously, look for anyone in the gallery below) and the inclusion of CES-announced DVD / VHS recorders (yes, really) as premiere products, we'd say the outfit is still hurting from the outcome of the format war. In all honesty, we felt kind of sad sashaying through its installation while reading slogans like "See everything in HD (even the non-HD stuff)." We even viewed the Super Resolution Technology demonstration with an open mind, and while there's certainly a mild difference with SRT, these sets hardly make SD signals into high-def. Grab a tissue and wander through the gallery below.

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.

This has been a long time coming, but after false starts, a long hiatus, and who knows how many hosts, here we are at the Engadget HD Podcast episode 100. We start the show way back in 2005 by talking about what ended up being the warm up to the first podcast, as Ben and Warren talk up the origins and motivations. Then, in early 2006 Ben joined the HD Beat team and with Kevin Tofel, they knocked out the very first weekly HD Beat podcasts. But only after ten episodes, Kevin moved on and Matt moved in as the co-host for the next 34 episodes before the long hiatus. Finally, after about a six month break, Steve step in and helped step up the podcast's game, as we cranked out more consecutive shows than ever before, ultimately bringing us here to episode 100. But during this walk down memory we lane we make a couple stops as Warren reminds Ben that HD.net didn't end up being the HD powerhouse he predicted, Kevin tells how he moved on from HD DVD to digital downloads, and finally Ben reminds Matt while he was right about the price of the HD DVD add-on drive for the 360, he was wrong about his prediction of the outcome of the format war. So while this show doesn't include the usual HD news you've come to expect, it does have four times the witty banter -- especially if you like to hear it when Ben is given a hard time -- and a historical perspective on the show.


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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
00:29 - Warren Wiltshire
18:51 - Kevin Tofel
42:06 - Matt Burns


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Sony's thunder on these sets was already felt over in Berlin, but there's nothing quite like official verbiage saying that a 9.9-millimeter thick HDTV (and one with 240Hz technology) will be coming to the good 'ole US of A. Alongside Blu-ray HTIBs and a pricey new BD deck, Sony's also formally introducing the 52-inch BRAVIA KDL-52XBR7 and 40-inch BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M here at CEDIA. The former features the eye-testing Motionflow 240Hz frame rate tech, which promises to deliver "exceptional motion detail in movies, sports and video games." It also boasts the outfit's BRAVIA Engine 2, an 80,000:1 contrast ratio and compatibility with BRAVIA Link expansion modules. As for Mr. Thin, it features a 1080p panel, an edge-lit wide color gamut LED backlight, a single HDMI input and support for Sony's BRAVIA Wireless Link. Both sets should ship in December for undisclosed prices, but you can read up on the full array of specifications just after the break.

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.

Though making a limited run of LCD HDTVs seems like a curious choice, Sharp is unleashing two of 'em (again) today in Denver. The 52-inch LC-52XS1U-S and 65-inch LC-65XS1U-S both sport newly-developed 10-bit Advanced Super View (ASV) LCD panels and feature native 1080p resolutions, AQUOS Net capabilities, an RGB-LED backlight system and a dynamic contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1. You'll also find a super thin integrated sound system powered by a 1-bit digital amplifier, and the entire set is just one-inch thick at its thinnest part. Of note, these units come bundled with a separate AVC system set-top-box for handling inputs, though WHDI was unfortunately left out. Catch the pair this October for currently undisclosed prices, and peep the full release just after the cut.

In a parting note from IFA, Daewoo unveiled this odd folding screen, featuring four integrated LCDs. Fully integrated into each of the wood panels, apparently the displays can show video from up to four sources, although there was otherwise little information from the booth staff about the DID-FS. Of course, where some might ask why would they build such a contraption, we see the perfect tool for a The Golden Child reenactment waiting to happen.

[Via BornRich]

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]

We start off by talking Blu-ray players -- Samsung, Pioneer and Yamaha all introduced new models this week. We're not ones to complain about increased choice in the market, but we sure do wish that the lower price points would open up. Rumors have been swirling around VUDU this week, and we sympathize with the small company duking it out with much bigger players. Speaking of which, Sony's PlayTV DVR accessory for the PS3 came out, but is it too little, too late? Another company we like to pull for is DISH, which has made the leap (in certain markets) to 100-percent MPEG-4 encoding, which leads us talk about how much (or little) the encoding has to do with ultimate picture quality. That's one area we think ABC needs to step up in its World News Tonight and Nightline productions, so we'll keep hoping for the day that all newscasts get treated to high-quality HD. Finishing up, it's the beginning of football season, which promises lots of joy for college and pro fans alike.


Get the podcast

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[MP3] Download the show (MP3).

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Program
01:04 - Comments from Engadget HD Podcast 098 - 08.20.2008
16:43 - Samsung gets official with BD-Live-ready BD-P2500 Blu-ray player
18:10 - Best Buy unveils the Samsung BD-P2550
20:53 - Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player leaks out
22:45 - Audioholics sets loose Yamaha BD-S2900 Blu-ray player for less than $1,000
25:20 - Double toil and trouble, VUDU rumor pot bubbles over
34:43 - Sony's PlayTV DVR for PlayStation 3 reviewed on video
37:59 - DISH Network calls first to 100% MPEG-4
41:46 - ABC's World News Tonight and Nightline enter high definition tonight
45:00 - ESPNU HD preps for launch Thursday


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Besides being covered in high definition for the first time, tonight when the Democratic National Convention kicks off, while comparing HD feeds, we'll be looking out for the three 103-inch Panasonic plasmas conveniently located behind the podium. As the "official" HDTV and High Definition Equipment provider it's also dropping 200 Viera Plasmas, 52 HD camcorders and DSLR cameras, 40 HD production monitors, two HD projectors and 100 laptops on the Obama/Biden camp. Of course we wonder where the 150-inch plasma is, but since appearing "elite" has already been a problem, we can see why they'd select a 103-inch model that's owned by at least one friend of ours. We wonder if anyone's vote will hinge on the all important issue of LCD vs. plasma.

Update: You can check 'em out now on the live HD Silverlight / Move Networks powered stream at the Democratic National Convention website, along with hilariously out of sync and delirious dancing courtesy of convention attendees.

ABC's push for HD evening news comes to a head tonight, when World News with Charles Gibson and Nightline both hit your screen in 720p from the Democratic National Convention. Besides covering both conventions in HD -- and there'll be plenty of that in the '08 campaign -- when they return to the studio in September the HD love continues. 20/20, Primetime and World News on the weekend will all be HDTV-ready shortly after. B & C reveals ABC News is deploying the same Sony XDCAMs -- full HD newsgathering is on hold 'til 2009 -- used to bring home high definition Survivor this fall, add in a tropical location and it would likely be hard to tell which one we're watching.

You may remember Vizio's 47-inch SV470XVT from CES, but given the barrage of releases since then, we're betting not. In order to refresh your memory, we're pointing you to a CNET review that finds the set decent for the price, though not nearly good enough for true videophiles. Granted, that's exactly what we'd expect to hear about a "bargain" set, but we digress. On the plus side, the color was deemed "highly accurate," and the gracious amount of picture adjustments / ports were swooned over. The only digs were its less-than-stellar black level performance, poor off-angle viewing and "somewhat pedestrian design," though we'd argue that last tidbit is mighty subjective. All in all, the HDTV managed a 7.3 out of 10, suggesting that it's probably just right for those not looking for the Grand Poobah.

Don't fear, Canadians -- Samsung's freshly announced Series 8 and Series 9 HDTVs are coming your way, too. Specs wise, everything is looking the same, though the pricing is expectedly higher. In the US, the 46-inch LN46A850 is going for $2,699.99, while Canucks will be asked to hand over $3,199.99; the 52-inch LN52A850 sells for $3,399.99 in America, yet it'll go for $3,799.99 in the Great North. As for the 9 Series? Try an $800 premium on the 46-inch LN46A950 ($3,999.99) and the 55-inch LN55A950 ($4,999.99). Feel the pain this September.

Read - Series 8 bypasses security, enters Canada
Read - Series 9 gains passport, cleared for Canadian entry

Now that AMIMON is being taken seriously in the high-def arena, we're hoping to see a number of these releases in the not-too-distant future. Merely months after Sharp announced that its X-Series LCD HDTVs would arrive with wireless HD technology built right in, Mitsubishi has declared that it too will offer sets in Japan that can communicate with WHDI-enabled equipment sans cabling. The TV itself will have an AMIMON chip embedded within, though it will arrive with a separate HDTV receiver unit that connects to the LCD in wireless fashion. Model numbers, prices and all that jazz has yet to be divulged, though the Japanese will evidently be able to buy one of the elusive packages as early as "this fall." Full release after the jump.