CES 2008

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

LAS VEGAS--Why do the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs from Sony measure only 11 inches across? Because large OLEDs are really tough to make.

While praising the OLED format during a press conference here with a few reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday morning, Sony executives acknowledged that producing large OLED screens in large quantities remains a work in progress. OLEDs now are mostly used in cell phones, which have small screens.

"The difficult challenge with the larger screen sizes is improving the yields. There are a lot of complications, many more than with LCD," said Katsumi Ihara, executive deputy president and head of Sony's Consumer Products Group. "The yields tend to be low. That is the biggest challenge."

(Credit: Michael Kanellos )

The company declined to provide dates for when it might provide larger versions of the TV for sale. Sony is showing off a 25-inch diameter OLED prototype at the show this year, but it's the same size as a prototype the company showed last year. (We questioned whether yields were an issue in a post on Sunday, and here's your answer.)

Ihara added that Sony may seek collaborators in expanding OLED. Sony and Samsung have a joint venture in LCD TVs, and Sony worked with Toshiba and IBM to develop the Cell processor.

"It is too early to tell, but it is probably one of the options that we will have to consider," he said.

Despite the difficulties, Sony wanted to be first in OLED TVs, added Sir Howard Stringer, Sony's CEO. Sony was late to LCD, he said, and was subsequently forced to catch up.

"I was amused to see analysts say it is not good to be first and that it is better to be last," Stringer said.

Alienware put on what it termed a "technology statement" in Vegas tonight with the aptly named "curved display." That's its unofficial name. It also has no price yet, and no release date more specific than "second half of 2008." What we can tell you is that after the brief minute or so we spent with this monitor, we think high-end PC gamers are going to be excited for it.

Off-angle shots aren't DLP technology's strong suit, but up close it sucks you right in.

(Credit: CNET)

The specifics are that it's a rear-projection DLP screen that can run at a resolution of 2,880x900 pixels (wider than a 30-inch LCD, but not quite as tall). Alienware also said it was running off only a single, midrange ATI Radeon HD 3870 graphics card. We only sat down (crouched, really) in front of the curved display for a minute, but we were instantly impressed by the level of immersion. The panoramic screen encompasses your entire line of sight, including your peripheral vision. The effect eliminates almost all visual distractions from your gameplay.

As weird as it may sound, this is actually the most practical panoramic display we've seen. You can see from our picture that the screen will fit relatively easily on a desktop. We expect it won't be cheap, but whatever the price, we imagine Alienware will get plenty of interest from the high-end gaming community once the curved display becomes available.

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.

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Toshiba's flagship Cinema Series Regza line

(Credit: Toshiba)

A lot of people walked into Toshiba's 2008 CES press conference expecting a train wreck in the light of Warner's pre-show Blu-ray bombshell. But after a quick obligatory mention of it being "a difficult day" for the godfather of the HD DVD format, it was back to business: namely, highlighting the company's 2008 line of LCD flat-panel TVs. The company touted five new series of models, all of which will be released this spring. Full details after the jump. ... Read more

The Aquos SE94 series feature a distinctive "cornerstone" design

(Credit: Sharp)

Sharp has always offered high-end (read:expensive) LCDs, but its new line of "Special Edition" models hits a new level. The Aquos SE94 series consists of the 65-inch LC-65SE94U, 52-inch LC-52SE94U, and 46-inch LC-46SE94U, which have list prices of $11,000, $4,200 and $3,200, respectively. For your extra dollars, the series features a unique "Cornerstone" design and also has Aquos Net functionality built-in. Aquos Net allows the TV to pull down content from the Internet using the set's Ethernet port, although Sharp only mentions basic functions like checking the weather or getting stock quotes. Sharp technicians will also be able to remotely dial into the sets, to tweak settings or provide information to owners.

Watch the Sharp Aquos LC-52SE94U video on CNET TV.

All the sets in the SE94 series feature a 1080p native resolution (1920x1080), along with "120Hz frame rate conversion"--which despite its deceptive name, doesn't necessarily mean these sets have true 120Hz refresh rate. Connectivity is highlighted by three HDMI 1.3 ports, two component video inputs, a PC input and an RS-232 port.

From just the feature set, it doesn't seem like the Aquos SE94 series quite justifies the high price tag, but outstanding performance would make it easier to swallow. Hopefully those dishing out megabucks for these sets won't get a panel with the banding issues we've seen on previous models like the LC-52D64U. The LC-65SE94U and LC-52SE94U will be available this month, while the LC-46SE94U will be available in February.

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