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Panasonic's 50-inch 1080p 3D plasma spotted, watched at CEATEC

by Darren Murph posted Oct 6th 2009 at 10:26PM Featured Story

At this point, Panasonic's 50-inch 3D plasma is just another one joining the fray, but considering how highly hyped the technology behind this was, we couldn't pass up an opportunity to throw our eyes on it for a bit at CEATEC. The 1080p panel was strikingly thin (or well mounted to give that impression), and the viewing angles were fantastic. The glasses that Panny provided, however, were relatively annoying (no surprise there). It should be noted that the actual spectacles sit pretty far off of your face, which simultaneously enables those with actual glasses to partake in the 3D experience while frustrating those without by giving them a cute blue rim that refuses to leave the periphery. As for image quality, the G-Force demo looked downright stunning, with depth being easily perceived and fast moving action whisking about seamlessly. Still, we're having a hard time believing a family of four would sit down and use these glasses for a two-hour presentation, but hey, we're not going to give up on the marketing squads just yet.

Gallery: Panasonic's 50-inch 1080p 3D plasma spotted, watched at CEATEC

JVC puts 4K DLA-RS4000 projector in your home... for just $175,000

by Darren Murph posted Sep 10th 2009 at 3:42PM


By and large, any 4K x 2K projector that we've seen -- be it at CES, CEDIA or any other trade show -- has been solely for looks. Oh sure, they're for sale, but they're only being sold to cinema owners and the select few that find themselves within the same tax bracket as Bill Gates and Lawrence Ellison. But the DLA-RS4000... the DLA-RS4000 is different. Introduced here in Atlanta, the ultra high-definition projector spots a native resolution of 4,096 x 2,400, enabling it to display up to four screens of Full HD content (you listening, college football / NFL fans?) at once. Naturally, it's fully ISF and THX certified, and it packs 3,500 ANSI lumens, a Xenon lamp, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, RSVP4 video processing unit, Ethernet port and an RS-232c control port. Interested in showing 1080p what's really up? Great! Crack open that wallet and yank out $176,000 -- $175,000 for the beamer, and a grand to rent the forklift you'll need to get a 110 pound box into your home.

JVC's ultraslim 32-inch LT-32WX50 HDTV landing in November for $3,000

by Darren Murph posted Sep 10th 2009 at 12:23PM


Hey, remember that ultra skinny, LED-backlit HDTV that JVC showed off at CEDIA UK earlier this year? The seven millimeter-thin LT-32WX50? Yeah, that very panel is making a second debut here in Atlanta, but it has somehow managed to slim down to 6.4 millimeters (at its thinnest point) and get a November ship date in the US. Weighing just 12.5 pounds, the 32-inch set packs a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, edged-light LED backlight system, a super wide color gamut (100 percent of sRGB and 90 percent of Adobe RGB), a 1080p native resolution, two HDMI sockets, VGA input and an RS-232c control port. The pain? Just under $3,000, or in other words, a small fortune.

Gallery: JVC's ultraslim 32-inch LT-32WX50 HDTV

Panasonic adds 58- and 65-inch models to heralded V10 NeoPDP family

by Darren Murph posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 4:42AM


To say that Panasonic's existing lineup of V10 NeoPDP sets were widely adored would be grossly understating things, so it makes sense to see the outfit unleash two new sizes in the family over at IFA. In the midst of mindless bragging about a Full HD 3D system that absolutely no one will be interested in until 3D content delivery is sorted, Panasonic has managed to confess that two new V10 sizes will be produced. If you'll recall, the set was already available in 42- and 50-inch flavors, but if those just felt too small for your palatial den, the new 58- (TX-P58V10E) and 65-inch (TX-P65V10E) models just might fit the bill. Specs wise, everything here will remain the same; a 1080p panel, 600Hz sub-field drive technology, VIERA CAST functionality for pulling in web content, THX certification and a laughable dynamic contrast ratio of over 2,000,000:1. There's no exact mention of a price or release date, but you can bet we'll be hounding the booth attendants for those tidbits as soon as we track 'em down.

Gallery: Panasonic adds 58- and 65-inch models to heralded V10 NeoPDP family

Researchers developing OLEDs as cheap as newspapers?

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 31st 2009 at 1:26PM

Sure, it'll probably be a good while before you get your hands on an OLED TV, but don't lose heart, young gadget-head! Techno-wizards at the RIKEN center in Japan have concocted a new way to fashion OLEDs that eschews the standard spin-coated films for something called electrospray-deposited polymer films, incorporating "a novel dual-solvent concept" that makes the 'em "smoother than before, thereby enabling [...] superior devices." We'll skip a few details that don't mean anything to those of us who aren't Advanced Materials subscribers (hit the read link for more info) and get to the good stuff: Yutaka Yamagata, the guy who developed this technique, says it will lead to displays "manufactured as inexpensively as printing newspapers." Is that a promise, Yutaka? If so, we're holding you to it.

[Via OLED-Info]

Samsung slaps "production-ready" label on 14.1- and 31-inch OLED TVs

by Darren Murph posted Jun 1st 2009 at 10:56AM


Samsung's been kicking around its 14.1- and 31-inch OLED TVs since CES 2008, but it seems as if things are turning for the better at SID this week. In a press release outed today, Sammy told the world that it's exhibiting "production-ready" AMOLED TV sets, though the sizes are the same as the ones we've seen before. The 31-incher really has our attention, with it being the planet's first OLED with a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a color gamut of over 100 percent NTSC and an 8.9 millimeter slim enclosure. So, when does "production-ready" morph into "in production?" Bueller?

[Via OLED-Display]

DuPont crafts ultra longevous OLED materials, which likely won't be affordable

by Darren Murph posted May 31st 2009 at 7:19AM


DuPont's been dabbling in OLED advancement for years now, and while the world waits for the introduction of market-ready big-screen OLED HDTVs, engineers at the miracle-working company are toiling away to make sure those very sets last quite some time. For anyone following the OLED TV scene, you'll know that luminance longevity has been a nagging issue, but if new developments pan out, stamina will be the least of our worries. In fact, the firm has crafted a green light-emitting material that can purportedly push onward for over a hundred years... continuously. Furthermore, the same scientists have engineered a new blue light-emitting material with a luminance half-life of 38,000 hours along with a red light-emitting material with a life of 62,000 hours. Unfortunately for the laypeople out there, we can't imagine this stuff being even marginally affordable -- but hey, it's great news for the sybarites!

New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

by Tim Stevens posted May 15th 2009 at 8:18AM

New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy
Cuttlefish are one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea, able to change their shape and color to escape predators -- but, they aren't smart enough to escape us, and they taste good, so they also go great with risotto. Scientists at MIT, however, decided not to eat their cuttlefish, instead using them to inspire the tech inside a new type of highly-efficient display. The screen is just one micron thick and contains a layer of poly-2 vinyl. Left alone it's clear but, when exposed to an electrical charge, its thickness and reflectivity can be controlled to create color. Just a few volts are required to form an image but, like e-ink, its design means backlighting is not an option. Viewing angles are also quite poor at this point, so this is one display tech that may take a long time to belly up at retail. Master of disguise video after the break.

Continue reading New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

Sony's Field Emission Technologies closing its doors

by Ross Miller posted Mar 26th 2009 at 1:39AM

FED's dead, baby -- at least for Sony. The company's spin-off Field Emission Technologies, whose sole purpose was to develop the displays, is now closing its doors. Blame goes to difficulty in raising funds for manufacturing. After years of teasing and an actual demo unit just a few months ago, it's a little sad to the technology's biggest proponent shutter. Goodbye, FET, we hardly knew ye.

Screen Excellence ships super-wide VistaCurve screen

by Darren Murph posted Feb 12th 2009 at 8:48AM


With a name like Screen Excellence, you know it won't be cheap, but it'll probably be a real treat for the eyes. If you're shaking this recession off like it's your job, you'll be delighted to know that said company is now shipping its VistaCurve projection screens for those with the requisite coin. The new range is comprised of curved 1.78 and 2.37 aspect ratio models, both of which are available in sizes from 80- to 160-inches wide. They also feature the company's Enlightor 4K (EN4K) screen material formulation, which is said to be the "first and only acoustically transparent screen material that has been designed specifically for high-end Commercial D-Cinema and cutting edge residential high-end installations." The fixed frame models start at $5,800, but look, it's way better than importing Philips' Cinema 21:9 and being stuck at 56-inches.

Poll: Do you prefer plasma or LCD?

by Darren Murph posted Jan 17th 2009 at 12:00PM


The conversation already got going on our Plasma vs. LCD post yesterday, but now we're straight-up putting it out there. If you had to choose (and you do), would you opt for an LCD or PDP? Oh, and why? It's time to let your true fanboyism shine though, so don't stop with just dropping your vote below -- hit us up in comments with your supporting arguments.

Do you prefer plasma or LCD?

Stryker Endoscopy intros world's first wireless HD surgical display

by Darren Murph posted Dec 31st 2008 at 3:37PM


Slowly but surely, AMIMON is establishing itself as a serious player in the wireless HD space. Right before our eyes, the outfit has announced that it's playing a major role in the world's first HD wireless display designed specifically for use in the operating room. Stryker Endoscopy's WiSe HDTV is embedded with AMIMON's WHDI technology, though few details beyond that are being disclosed. We've no idea if this is just the beginning of AMIMON's domination of the OR, but it's certainly a good start. Here's hoping we see some similar announcements in the consumer space at CES -- it's about time some of these wireless HD doodads stopped looking pretty and started shipping out.

Samsung's Amorphous Oxide TFT should make OLED production cheaper

by Darren Murph posted Dec 25th 2008 at 10:40AM


Samsung's charging ahead in the wide open world of OLEDs, and its latest development could make things better for everyone. Reportedly, the outfit has conjured up a so-called Amorphous Oxide TFT, which is the proper successor of the Amorphous Silicon TFT that's currently used to tell pixels in OLED displays which colors to switch in order to create images. There are two big boons to all of this -- first off, the newfangled tech is cheaper to mass produce, and secondly, it can be retrofitted into current production lines. No telling when Sammy will be able to get this stuff into shipping products, but we're cautiously crossing our fingers for some positive updates in Vegas.

[Via TechRadar]

AU Optronics delays construction of two LCD plants

by Darren Murph posted Dec 19th 2008 at 10:55AM

Man, what a difference a year few months makes. At the front end of 2008, panel makers the world over were boasting about big investments to expand production lines and live large on Malta. Now, it's tough to go a week without hearing of at least one plant closing. Take Taiwan's AU Optronics, for instance -- in February of this year, it pledged $9.3 billion to build a pair of LCD factories. Now, it's placing those lofty plans on hold, noting that construction on "two new LCD plants" would be delayed by at least six months. According to chairman KY Lee: "One has to use the brakes and slow down a bit on a downhill path." A curious analogy, but we suppose it works.

Sharp, LG to pay big fines for LCD price fixing

by Darren Murph posted Dec 18th 2008 at 8:20PM

There may have been a long shot in Hades that Sharp and LG would navigate their way out of paying a full $120 million / $400 million fine for their respective roles in a recent LCD price fixing bust, but that shot has apparently failed. It was announced this week that both firms would indeed be sentenced to pay the full fine "for their role in a price-fixing scheme that forced millions of US consumers to overpay for gadgets using liquid-crystal displays." The other culprit, Taiwan's Chunghwa Picture Tubes, has already agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and will be sentenced in January. Happy holidays, huh?




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