CES 2009

If you stare at this pic long enough, eventually it stares back at you.

(Credit: Westinghouse)

In Westinghouse's press materials it states that either of the following monitors would be an ideal solution for a tailgating party. Finally, vendors are starting to give tailgaters the respect they deserve. No word yet if these TVs/monitors include beer holders.

During CES Westinghouse announced three new LCD HDTVs. The 19-inch PT-19H340S, the 22-inch PT-22H340S, and the 22-inch 1080p PT-22F380S. Each display includes support for 720p (1,366x768) resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio and a purported 5ms pixel response time.

In addition, each display includes connections and support for ATSC/NTSC/CATV/ClearQAM tuner, which allow for over the air and direct cable transmissions. The displays also have support for 1080i, 480p and 480i formats. Connections options include HDMI, VGA, component, and composite.

All three feature Westinghouse's Daybright technology, which automatically adjusts the brightness based on ambient light in the room.

Some other specs include 800:1 contrast ratio and 300 candelas per square meters (cd/m2) brightness for the PT-19H340S and 800:1 contrast ratio and 400 cd/m2 brightness for the PT-22H340S. The PT-22F380S features a 1,920 X 1,080 (1080p) resolution with a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness and 5 ms response time.

All three HDTVs will be available in March. Prices are TBD.

Samsung is clearly intending to make a big push with its LED-backlit LCDs, but the company did announce one new line of LCDs without LED. The Samsung LNB750 series uses standard CFL backlighting, but includes other cutting-edge features such as 240Hz refresh rate, a slim inch-thick design, and access to Samsung's new Internet@TV content. Here are the details.

Key features of the Samsung LNB750 series:

• 240Hz refresh rate
• Slim design, around an inch thick
• Ultra Clear antireflective screen
• Wide Color Enhancer Pro
• Internet@TV capable (Yahoo widgets)
• Built-in Ethernet
• Wi-Fi-ready, with purchase of additional adapter
• Energy Star 3.0 compatible

Pricing and availability of the Samsung LNB750 series (estimated street prices):

• 40-inch 40LNB750 ($1999, May)
• 46-inch 46LNB750 ($2399, May)
• 52-inch 52LNB750 ($2899, May)

We've covered 120Hz technology extensively before, and we expect 240Hz to offer similar advantages. The major area for improvement is the associated dejudder processing, particularly eliminating annoying artifacts and making the processing look more natural. Wide Color Enhancer Pro is a feature that supposedly matches a source's color space to the HD color space--we haven't seen a feature like this yet, so it will be interesting to test in the labs.

A built-in Ethernet connection enables access to Samsung's new Internet@TV platform, which lets users access Yahoo widgets capable of delivering content from services such as Flickr, Yahoo News, Yahoo Weather, USA Today, YouTube, Showtime, and others. The LNB750 series is also Wi-Fi-ready, but you'll need to purchase an additional adapter. Finally, the sets are compliant with the new Energy Star 3.0 specification, although it seems like almost all 2009 HDTVs are.

LED-backlit LCDs are certainly winning the hype war at CES 2009, but home theater buffs know that plasma TVs often offer better performance for your dollar. Samsung's new top-of-the-line plasmas, the PNB850 series, feature a superslim, inch-thick design and offer the new Internet widgets available via the Internet@TV platform. Here are the important details.

Key features of the Samsung PNB850 series:

• Slim design, about an inch thick
• Ultra FilterBright Plus antiglare screen
• Real Movie (24 frames per second) mode
• Wide color Enhancer Pro
• Built-in Ethernet
• Wi-Fi-ready, with purchase of additional adapter
• Energy Star 3.0 compatible

Pricing and availability of the Samsung PNB850 series (estimated street prices):

• 50-inch 50PNB550 ($2,299; May)
• 58-inch 58PNB550 ($3,399; May)

While we usually see manufacturers print misleading, inflated contrast ratios, Samsung instead only claims "mega dynamic contrast ratio" for these plasmas. The Ultra FilterBright Plus screen is the latest iteration of Samsung's glare reduction coatings, with these sets adding black stripes into the panel to absorb more room light and create deeper blacks. We're anxious to see this in action, as screen glare is still often a problem with plasmas. Wide Color Enhancer Pro is a feature that supposedly matches a source's color space to the HD color space--we haven't seen a feature like this yet, so it will be interesting to test in the labs.

A built-in Ethernet connection enables access to Samsung's new Internet@TV platform, which lets users access Yahoo widgets capable of delivering content from services such as Flickr, Yahoo News, Yahoo Weather, USA Today, YouTube, Showtime, and others. The PNB850 series is also Wi-Fi-ready, but you'll need to purchase an additional adapter. Finally, the sets are compliant with the new Energy Star 3.0 specification, although it seems like almost all 2009 HDTVs are.

Last year Philips won our best of CES award with the Eco TV, and in 2009 other companies are following suit with their own green TVs. The Samsung UNB6000 series of Samsung LCDs is "eco-friendly", with the company claiming 40% or more energy savings over traditional LCDs. The sets also put a focus on energy usage by including a power indicator menu and an optimized energy savings mode, which dynamically adjusts settings to conserve power. We can't say we're fans of dynamic adjustments for image quality, but those that value energy savings over performance might prefer this mode. Here's a quick rundown of the feature set.

Key features of the Samsung UNB6000 series:

• 120Hz response time
• Slim design, around an inch thick
• LED-backlit
• Samsung claims 40%+ energy savings
• Built-in Ethernet
• WiFi-ready, with purchase of additional adapter
• Infolink RSS-capable
• Energy Star 3.0 compatible

Pricing and availability of the Samsung UNB6000 series (estimated street prices):

• 32-inch UN32B6000 ($1,599, June)
• 40-inch UN32B6000 ($2,299, March)
• 46-inch UN46B6000 ($2,799, March)
• 55-inch UN55B6000 ($3,599, March)

Like the step-up UNB7000 series, the UNB6000 uses a so-called edge-lit LED backlight system, which allows it to achieve such a thin cabinet depth. The downside is that it can't utilize the local dimming technology we liked so much on the A950 series. We've never tested an edge-lit LED display, so we're anxious to check it out in the lab.

It's worth pointing out that while the UNB6000 series includes an Ethernet port and is Wi-Fi ready, it's only compatible with Samsung's Infolink RSS service, not the Internet@TV widgets available on the UNB7000 and UNB8000 series. The UNB6000 series also appears to lack the Ultra Clear antireflective coating available on step-up models. So while the UNB6000 series offers low power consumption, there are some trade-offs.

The A950 series was Samsung's only LED-backlit LCDs in 2008, but the company is serving up several LED-backlit lines in 2009. The UNB7000 is the step-down from the top-of-the-line UNB8000 series, but includes nearly all the same features except 240Hz refresh rate. Here are the details.

Key features of the Samsung UNB7000 series:

• 120Hz response time
• Slim design, around an inch thick
• LED-backlit
• Ultra Clear antireflective screen
• Internet@TV capable (Yahoo widgets)
• Built-in Ethernet
• Wi-Fi-ready, with purchase of additional adapter
• Energy Star 3.0 compatible

Pricing and availability of the Samsung UNB7000 series (estimated street prices):

• 40-inch UN46B7000 ($2,499, April)
• 46-inch UN46B7000 ($2,999, March)
• 55-inch UN55B7000 ($3,799, March)

Like the step-up UNB8000 series, the UNB7000 uses a so-called edge-lit LED backlight system, which lets it achieve such a thin cabinet depth. The downside is that it can't utilize the local dimming technology we liked so much on the A950 series. We've never tested an edge-lit LED display, so we're anxious to check it out in the lab.

We've covered 120Hz technology extensively before and the short story is that the associated dejudder processing can have a large effect in minimizing film judder, but not every viewer likes the effect. We haven't seen any sets with 240Hz processing yet, so its unknown is if it will offer a significant upgrade over this series.

Like other new Samsung LCDs, the sets feature a super slim design, coming in about one inch thick. They also have Samsung's Ultra Clear panels, which are designed to reduce reflections and increase contrast. Built-in Ethernet enables access to Samsung's new Internet@TV platform, that allows users to access Yahoo widgets capable of delivering content from services such as Flickr, Yahoo News, Yahoo Weather, USA Today, YouTube, Showtime and others. The UNB7000 series is also Wi-Fi-ready, but you'll need to purchase an additional adapter. Finally, the sets are compliant with the new Energy Star 3.0 specification, although it seems like almost all 2009 HDTVs are.

Samsung's UNB8000 series doubles its fun with a 240Hz refresh rate.

Samsung has put a big emphasis on LED-backlighting on this year's LCDs, and the UNB8000 series are the most souped-up models the company has at CES 2009. Here's a quick rundown of the feature set.

Key features of the Samsung UNB8000 series:

• 240Hz response time
• Slim design, about an inch thick
• LED-backlit
• Ultra Clear antireflective screen
• Internet@TV capable (Yahoo widgets)
• Built-in Ethernet
• Wi-Fi-ready, with purchase of additional adapter
• Energy Star 3.0 compatible

Pricing and availability of the Samsung UNB8000 series (estimated street prices):

• 46-inch UN46B8000 ($3,299, May)
• 55-inch UN55B8000 ($3,999, May)

Like the step-down UNB7000 series, the UNB8000 uses a so-called edge-lit LED backlight system, which lets it achieve such a thin cabinet depth. The downside is that it can't use the local dimming technology we liked so much on the A950 series. We've never tested an edge-lit LED display, so we're anxious to check it out in the lab.

From the specification sheet, the major step-up of these HDTVs over the step-down UNB7000 series is the 240Hz refresh rate. We've covered 120Hz technology extensively before, and we expect 240Hz to offer similar advantages. The major area for improvement is the associated dejudder processing, particularly eliminating annoying artifacts and making the processing look more natural.

The rest of the features are available on the UNB7000 step-down models. As mentioned, the sets are superslim, coming in about one inch thick, and also feature Samsung's "Ultra Clear" panel, designed to reduce reflection and increase contrast. Built-in Ethernet enables access to Samsung's new Internet@TV platform, giving users access to Yahoo widgets, which deliver content from services such as Flickr, Yahoo News, Yahoo Weather, USA Today, YouTube, Showtime, and others. The UNB8000 series is also Wi-Fi-ready, but you'll need to purchase an additional adapter. Finally, the sets are compliant with the new Energy Star 3.0 specification, although it seems like almost all the new HDTVs at CES are.

Of course, it's also likely that this series will offer different image quality from the other series, so you'll have to wait for our full review to see how it stacks up. Last year's Samsung LN46A950 was one of our highest rated LCDs of the year, so the UNB8000 series has high expectations.

CES may be the place to make a big splash with new technology, but it's also a place for manufacturers to announce their standard product lines. Sharp's LC-E67U line of LCDs doesn't offer up anything surprising, although it's worth noting the generous four HDMI inputs. Here are the details.

Key features of the Sharp LC-E67U series:

• Advanced Super View antireflective screen
• Four HDMI inputs
• Two component video inputs
• Energy Star 3.0 compliant
• Vyper Drive gaming mode
• 32- and 40-inch screen sizes

While most of these features are pretty standard, Advanced Super View (ASV) is a term specific to Sharp. ASV describes the coating used on the LCD panels, designed to reduce lighting reflections while maintaining a crisp picture. Most LCDs are using some sort of antireflective coating these days, so the technology isn't unique, and we'll need to do a hands-on test to see how it compares to the competition.

The LC-32E67U will come out in February with an MSRP of $900; the LC-40E67U comes out in March with an MSRP of $1,200. Sharp also announced a step-up line of LCDs, the LC-E77U series, which offers 120Hz processing and an additional HDMI input.

Built-in Blu-ray eliminates the need for a separate, bulky player.

Blu-ray may still be a niche product, but it's a sure sign that the technology is going mainstream is that it's being built into TVs. Sharp has announced a full line of LCDs with integrated Blu-ray players, the LC-BD80U series, which is a new product category for CES 2009. While the initial details are scarce on the features of the built-in Blu-ray player, there are at least some specs available for the LCDs.

Key features of the Sharp LC-BD80U series:

• Advanced Super View antireflective screen
• 120Hz refresh rate, with dejudder processing
• Four HDMI inputs (three on the LC-32BD60U and LC-37BD60U)
• Two component video inputs
• PC input
• 32-, 37-, 42-, 46- and 52-inch screen sizes

It's nice to see LCDs with built-in Blu-ray, which can be convenient in locations where you wouldn't want the bulk of a separate player. However, we're anxious to see more details on this series, particularly pricing and whether the Blu-ray profile is fully Profile 2.0 compatible. It will also be a harder sell on some of the smaller screen sizes, where the superior image quality of Blu-ray won't be as noticeable, although it's still nice to have the option to watch your Blu-ray discs on, say, the bedroom TV.

It's also worth pointing out that Sharp explicitly says the LG-BD80Us will have dejudder processing, which is a feature that was missing from last year's LCDs. While not every viewer likes the effect of dejudder processing, it's nice to have the option, especially since it's quickly becoming a standard feature. (More info on 120Hz and dejudder processing here.)

The LC-32BD80U, LC-37BD80U, LC-42BD80U will come out in January; the LC-46BD80U and LC-52BD80U will come out in February. No pricing has been announced for these sets.

The LC-E77U series features five HDMI inputs.

While competitors like Samsung, Sony, and Vizio are rolling out new features such as 240Hz refresh rates, LED-backlighting, and interactive content to their LCDs, Sharp's new E77 lineup is fairly conventional, even by last year's standards.

Key features of the Sharp LC-E77UN series:

• 1080p native resolution
• Advanced Super View screen
• 120Hz refresh rate and dejudder processing
• Four HDMI inputs
• Two component video inputs
• PC input
• RS-232 port
• Swivel stand
• EnergyStar 3.0 compliant
• 40-, 46- 52-, 60-, 65-inch screen sizes

While most of these features are pretty standard, Advanced Super View (ASV) is a term specific to Sharp. ASV describes the coating used on the LCD panels, designed to reduce lighting reflections while maintaining a crisp picture. Most LCDs are using some sort of antireflective coating these days, so the technology isn't unique and we'll need to do a hands-on test to see how it compares with the competition.

The LC-E77UN series does have 120Hz refresh rate with "Fine Motion Enhanced technology" and dejudder processing, although previous Sharp HDTVs did not have the dejudder processing that most people associate with 120Hz.

The release of these TVs will be staggered. The LC-40E77UN, LC-46E77UN,and LC-52E77UN are available now. The LC-60E77UN will come out in September, with an MSRP of $3,500. The LC-65E77UN will also come out in September, with an MSRP of $4,500.

The 60-inch model, an industry first, aims to fulfill what Sharp believes to be an underserved community of consumers wanting bigger screen real-estate at a lower price. That said, you could go out right now and find a 65-inch plasma for less than $3,500.

Sharp also announced the stepdown LC-E67U series at CES 2009, which features lower prices and one less HDMI input.

The XV645 series is the entry-level to Toshiba's Regza series, and features Resolution+ technology.

Toshiba has announced the XV645 series, which is the entry-level to the company's Regza line of LCDs. One of the major step-ups of this series over Toshiba's other LCDs is that it offers the Resolution+ technology. Resolution+ is the next generation of Toshiba's SRT technology, which was featured in the company's LCDs last year. These are the details Toshiba released:

Key features of the Toshiba Regza XV645 Series:

• Resolution+ super resolution technology
• 120Hz refresh rate with dejudder
• Autoview (automatically adjusts settings based on incoming signals)
• Three HDMI inputs
• PC input

• 40-, 46- and 52-inch screen sizes

Toshiba's marketing pitch for Resolution+ is that the technology "[makes] everything feel like HD," but we were pretty disappointed by SRT on the 46XV545U, as we found it basically added edge enhancement to standard definition images. We haven't seen the latest Resolution+ technology yet, but if it's similar to last year's SRT, we'll pass. Autoview was also available on Toshiba LCDs last year, but like most picture modes that change settings dynamically, we found it best to leave the mode off.

The 40XV645U, 46XV645U, and 52XV645U will all be released in May, with pricing to be determined.