CES 2008

Mitsubishi's trio of laser TVs hang on the wall.

(Credit: Mitsubishi)

While rear-projection seems to be losing steam, Mitsubishi is doing its best to breathe new life into non-flat HDTVs with its introduction of the world's first model with a picture powered by a laser-based light engine. Unfortunately, the product's smoke-and-hyperbole-filled introduction at the Palms hotel's Rain nightclub, while long on lighting effects, was short on details. Pricing and available screen sizes were not announced -- only that the product will hit the market this year.

Watch the Mitsubishi Laser TV video on CNET TV.

... Read more

The XStreamHD media server is about the size of a Nintendo Wii and features a quiet, fanless design.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Anytime the format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray is discussed on the Internet, there's always a commenter that chimes in to say that digital downloads are going to beat them both. While we've seen some successful products using the digital distribution model, such as Vudu, we've always been skeptical about true high-def digital distribution taking off in the near future, mostly because high-bandwidth Internet access just isn't cheap enough.

The XStreamHD satellite dish is comparable in size to other satellite providers, like DirecTV and Dish Network.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Instead of waiting for cheap, super-fast internet connections, XStreamHD is looking to an older technology to provide the extra bandwidth--a satellite dish. The XStreamHD system consists of essentially three components: a small satellite dish to receive content, a media receiver that can store content on an internal hard drive, and a media receiver that sits in your home theater to output the high-def movies. And while the phrase "HD" is thrown around haphazardly a lot these days, XStreamHD is promising full 1080p studio-master quality video--essentially the same video files you'd get on the equivalent Blu-ray or HD DVD disc--along with high-resolution soundtracks, such as DTS-HD Master Audio.

Differing from traditional video on-demand services, XStreamHD is designed to have movies downloaded before you even pick up the remote. Users will be able to select their favorite existing titles or genres, and the XStreamHD will then preload content based on your preferences. Similar to TiVo, the XStreamHD is also able to anticipate the kinds of movies you like, so that your media server is never empty. Obviously, we'll have to see how well XStreamHD's prediction skills work in real-life as we've seen varying performance on existing services--in our experience, TiVos tend to miss as often as they hit, while Netflix is almost dead-on accurate. We could see users running into some issues if, for instance, a relative is visiting that likes different movies than you do.

The movies are stored on the media server, then are distributed to the media receivers via gigabit Ethernet. As many as four simultaneous HD streams are supported, and any DLNA-compliant network receiver is supported. That means popular third-party network-connected devices such as the Sony PS3 can be used as additional media receivers in the XStreamHD system.

The media server features three ATSC tuners and two hard drive slots, plus an eSATA port for even more storage.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Clearly, XStreamHD's pride and joy is the digital distribution of movies, but the hardware itself is no slouch. The media server also features three ATSC tuners so you can record free over-the-air HDTV. Adding to its DVR feature set is what XStreamHD calls "Adaptive Recording," which enables the DVR, for example, to properly record an entire football game even though it runs over its scheduled time. TiVo has similar feature, which allows you to add a preset amount of time to programs such as sporting events, but XStreamHD claims its technology is more accurate and eliminates the guesswork on the users' part. The XStreamHD media receiver is also capable of playing lossless FLAC audio files, which is a huge plus for the enthusiast audiophile community, especially considering the media receiver utilizes a quiet, fanless design. And if all that isn't enough, it's capable of handling VoIP phone calls.

The major chink in XStreamHD's armor is that there are currently no announced content partners. No matter how beefed up XStreamHD's hardware is, the service will go absolutely nowhere without getting major movie studios on board. We have to imagine XStreamHD will announce some studio deals as it gets closer to launch (otherwise it's not a very useful product), but there are no guarantees--and only time will tell.

Of course, the XStreamHD system will have to compete with the wide variety of on-demand and pay-per-view options already available to cable and satellite subscribers. Sure, cable and satellite can't currently deliver the same kind of pristine video and audio quality that XStreamHD is promising, but it's going to be hard to convince the average buyers to install a whole new system just for better quality movies. On the other hand, this is the kind of system that will absolutely appeal to home theater aficionados, and we have to admit we were a bit starstruck by the spec sheet when we first laid our eyes on it. Unfortunately, the XStreamHD system isn't slated to come out until the fourth quarter of 2008, but we love the relatively low start-up cost--$400 for a complete home setup, including a media server and media receiver. Hopefully there's not an additional subscription fee (beyond the per-movie cost) to go along with that, but we'll be sure to get more details as the release date draws nearer.

Hitachi's 1.5 LCDs are just that thick.

(Credit: Hitachi)

Having already debuted its line of ultraslim, flat-panel LCD-based HDTVs in Singapore and Japan, Hitachi finally announced its availability stateside at CES. The models, which comprise three separate series of three screen sizes each, all have a depth of 1.5 inches, which is the thinnest we've seen from any flat-panel LCD. The closest competitor among announced (non-concept) models is LG's 42LGX Super Slim (1.75 inches), which joins the Hitachis in trumping JVC's "world's thinnest" (2.9 inches) models and the current champ, Sharp's LC-D64U series (3.25 inches). Personally, we don't see much use in making current inches-thin flat-panel displays a couple inches thinner, but there's no denying that trend, embodied in extreme by models like Sony's OLED (3mm) and Pioneer's concept plasma (9mm).

Watch the LGX Super Slim HDTV video on CNET TV.

Hitachi packed a passel of features into its slim LCDs. The 37- and 42-inch models from each series include 1080p resolution as well as the company's version of 120Hz technology with de-judder, which Hitachi calls "Reel20." We've reviewed similar technology in models from Sony, Toshiba and Samsung, for example, and we're curious to see how the Hitachi version stacks up.... Read more

Philips 120Hz-equipped PFL7403 series lacks Ambilight backlighting...

(Credit: Philips)

Although they won't have all the eco-friendly chops featured on the company's entry-level LCD, the most-expensive LCD HDTVs announced by Philips at CES this year do include 120Hz technology with de-judder, the company's first attempt at such video processing. The technology, dubbed HD Digital Natural Motion (HD DNM) with. Motion Estimation Motion Compensation (MEMC) as part of the company's Pixel Plus 3 HD package--got all that?--joins similar technologies we've reviewed from Sony, Toshiba, and Samsung.

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The 42PFL5630D uses less power than any 42-inch LCD we've seen.

(Credit: Philips)

At CNET, we take HDTV power consumption seriously, which helps explain our excitement when Philips announced its Eco TV. The 42-inch, 1080p resolution, flat-panel LCD, model 42PFL5603D (due in March, $1,399 MSRP), is packed with power-saving features.

Watch the Philips 42PFL5603D Eco TV video on CNET TV.

Chief among them is the ability to dim the backlight--by up to five times peak brightness--in response to program material, much like the "local dimming" found on Samsung's LED-based LN-T4681F. Dimming the backlight in darker scenes has the dual benefit of saving power and improving black-level performance, according to the company. The backlight can also be dimmed via a room lighting sensor, so in dark rooms it will use less power. There's also traditional a "power-saving" mode that caps the peak light output. ... Read more

Samsung's PNA750T plasmas feature color accents on the frame.

(Credit: Samsung)

Unlike the entry-level models in Samsung's 2008 plasma lineup, the more-expensive 1080p versions are not 3D compatible. That's not a big deal in our book, since these sets have plenty of other appealing features that don't require a third-party glasses kit.

Watch the Samsung 1080p plasmas video on CNET TV.

Sony's KDL-V4100 series represents the least expensive 1080p models in the company's lineup.

(Credit: Sony)

Although Toshiba's 20-model announcement takes the cake for sheer flat-panel LCD quantity so far at CES, Sony's surprise decision to divulge details on its own Bravia LCD sets at the show--17 in all--come pretty close. Usually "The Big 'S'" waits until its dedicated Las Vegas line show in February to announce anything substantive regarding its television plans for the year, but for whatever reason the big Bravia news comes early. While Sony did deign to announce an availability of "spring," unlike Toshiba it did not see fit to mention any pricing.

... Read more

Samsung's interactive LCD includes an Ethernet port

(Credit: Samsung)

Ever been watching a football game and wonder exactly how to prepare tonight's pot roast? With Samsung's new lineup of LCD HDTVs, "interactive content such as cooking recipes, children's entertainment, HD artwork and more" along with "customizable RSS feeds, capturing the latest news, weather, sports and more" can be displayed (and more?) on the big screen, courtesy of 1GB of internal flash memory, a built-in wired Ethernet connection (no wireless capability), and an optional (price TBD) Digital Media Adapter that interfaces with the Internet and network-attached PCs in your house.

That's all great, although as always we prefer a wireless laptop in the living room. But what we and many of the denizens of AVS forum would really like to see is the capability to upgrade the firmware via Ethernet, obviating all those calls to clueless customer service reps necessitated by multiple firmware versions (see here and here). According to Samsung, unfortunately, Ethernet-delivered firmware updates won't be possible on these models.

The LNA750R series, the highest-end LCDs Samsung announced at the show, includes four screen sizes: the 40-inch LN40A750R, the 46-inch LN46A750R, the 52-inch LN52A750R and the massive 65-inch LN65A750R. Each interactive set also offers the same 120Hz processing found on the 2007 LN-T71F series, such as the LN-T4671F, as well as Samsung's so-called Touch of Color (TOC) bezel, which adds a bit of red pizazz to the edge of the panel, if the company's stock artwork seen above is any indication.

The LNA750R models will be available in March, and Samsung didn't announce pricing by press time.

Samsung LNA750R key features (direct from the press release)

• 1GB internal flash memory
• Ethernet connection
• 1080p native resolution
• Invisible Speaker System
• Auto Motion Plus 120Hz anti-judder processing
• Four HDMI with 1.3
• USB 2.0 for onscreen enjoyment of MP3, JPEG, MPEG video, and DivX files

The 720p LNA450P series has matte screens...

(Credit: Samsung)

Samsung's flat-panel LCD introductions at CES 2008 comprise four series of televisions, namely the entry-level 4 (720p) and 5 (1080p) series models and the higher-end 6 and 7 series displays. One of the major differences between the two groups of two series is that the screens of the entry-level models have a matte finish, while the screens of the more expensive models use the same kind of shiny screen--albeit an updated version--that we complained about with last year's LN-T4665F and other high-end models.

Aside from the screen, the Samsung press release mentions a 178-degree viewing angle (the same as last year's models, for what it's worth), hidden speakers, a side-mounted HDMI port, and a redesigned remote that includes "hot keys" that allow one-button access to different video sources.

The 720p native resolution (technically 1366x768) resolution 4 series includes the 19-inch LN19A450P, the 22-inch LN22A450P, the 26-inch LN26A450P, the 32-inch LN32A450P, the 37-inch LN37A450P, and the 40-inch LN19A450P.

The 1080p (1920x1080) resolution 5 series adds touch-sensitive controls on the cabinet, three total HDMI inputs (one on the side), and a side-mounted USB 2.0 port. It includes the 32-inch LN32A550P, the 40-inch LN40A550P, the 46-inch LN46A550P, the 52-inch LN52A550P.

Samsung did not confirm pricing for any of these models at press time but did say they will ship in March 2008.

...as does the 1080p LNA550P series

(Credit: Samsung)