Flat Panel Trends - Thin is In and Speed Kills

[se7en]

if u click on the link, they list a few companies and what their coming out with. tv's r getting pretty tech crazy


THIN is IN
Flat panel televisions are continuing to transform in the marketplace. This year we saw a great number of companies looking to go "thin". While flat panels are traditionally advertised as being hangable on the wall, consumers have been reluctant to do so. With this year's batch of new products it looks like the trends may shift and these LCD televisions might be finding their way onto the walls of many consumers' homes.

Besides moving towards thin, many displays seem to be in a race for the best technology. Some of this technology, like 120Hz refresh rates can be done in a myriad of ways - some effective, and some not. What was interesting to us was that manufacturers seem to be scrambling to offer new and innovative features to differentiate their products from the rest of the pack. The net effect is a marketplace teeming with new network and feature-rich technologies that will only make consumers smile. Some trends we observed overall:

LED-based LCD panels looked, to us, just as black as the best plasma displays we've seen

Many different manufacturers are producing truly thin (< 2-inches) LCD displays
120Hz seems to be taking off, though not all manufacturers are implementing it in the best way
Extra features like USB, network connectivity and media management seem to be showing up everywhere
Calibration and Day/Night options seem to be taking a prominent role

Sony ElectronicsSony demonstrated a really cool-looking 40-inch display that measured just under 10mm in thickness. The BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M features 1 HDMI input and has no on-board tuners. It utilizes the new Bravia Engine 2 and Sony's Motionflow 120Hz technology. The display features 10-bit video processing and LED backlighting that originates at the edge of the screen - which is how Sony's model retains its rather thin form. The KLV-40ZX1M is making its debut in Japan now and should hit the US market by the end of the year. This ultra-thin wonder is expected to retail at around $4700. I'll take two... seriously.

Flat Panel Trends - Thin is In and Speed Kills &mdash; Reviews and News from Audioholics

[se7en]

Wireless HDMI seems to be coming to a living room near you. While everyone pretty much agrees that HDMI is the most bitter-sweet invention to hit the consumer AV electronics industry in some time, there's no denying that most are trying to make end runs around the format. In some cases that is through the use of cable conversion, while others are looking to send HDMI through the ether.

If January's CES taught us one thing this year it was that everyone wants to do HDMI over anything but HDMI. We saw instances of wireless HDMI and suspected that this year's CEDIA Expo would show us much more. We weren't disappointed. Wireless HDMI is coming to a home theater near you and manufacturers are clamoring to ensure it is their name on the box.

The first thing we discovered was that wireless HDMI is not cheap. Prices ranged from $800 to $1500. Of course you can easily spend that much on an esoteric HDMI "high-speed" cable. We are looking at the first generation of these products, however, so we can certainly expect those prices to drop over time. The real question is how well does it work. Well, honestly, we don’t know yet (there were some funny instances of displays showing failed connection attempts but with all the interference on the show floor it would be unfair to make a judgment based on that) but we are looking to set up reviews. Here are some of the products that you can expect to see on store shelves (virtual or real) in the coming months:

Wireless HDMI Takes Flight &mdash; Reviews and News from Audioholics

[thebobman]

Man, I'm so bored with thin TVs. Every few months some other company brings out a new TV with the claim to 'the world's thinnest' and all I can think is "Damned, you guys just blew another half a billion in R&D to shave off 0.25" thickness. Couldn't you have spent that money on bringing 120Hz TVs mainstream? No? How about using the R&D cash to make your TV more efficient or cheaper to produce? Still No? Really? You seriously all of us just want a thinner TV? C'mon, that's total horseshi-OMFG IS THAT OLED PANEL SERIOUSLY ONLY THREE FRICKIN' MILLIMETERS THIN?! DOOOO WANT!"

[decypher]

BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M, all that new tech and only ONE HDMI port? lols