CES 2009

Is plasma dead yet? Not if Panasonic can help it.

(Credit: Panasonic)

The television category is a perennial CES staple and this year was no different. For some reason nobody showed a TV bigger than Panasonic's 150-inch plasma from last year (have we maxed out in flat-panel screen size?), but most of the other trends I discussed in the preview were borne out in the show's extensive announcements. Here's my take on what CES 2009 bodes for HDTV this year.

Plasma ain't dead yet.
I get more than my share of e-mails, and have seen plenty of blog comments and forum posts that are quick to claim the demise of plasma at the hands of LCD. Judging from CES announcements by companies that comprise the "big three" of plasma--Panasonic, LG and Samsung--those big glass flat panels have a brighter future than Detroit, at least.

Panasonic, by far the biggest and most-committed of the group, bragged about its newest plasma factory (No. 5) coming online, and showed its largest plasma lineup ever, with five new series and a new 54-inch screen size. I'm really excited to review the company's new "NEO PDP" panels, the first of which, members of the S1 series, will ship in March. They boast significantly improved black-level performance and contrast ratios, according to the company, yet manage to cut power consumption in half. If the latter claim proves true, LCD will lose perhaps its biggest arrow in the antiplasma quiver (at least among consumers who care about the planet and are savvy enough to ignore the nonissues).

Absent any announcements by Pioneer (which will come in late spring, most likely), Panasonic's G10 series is probably the surest bet for Editors' Choice of any TV I saw at the show. That's why I awarded it Best of CES in the TV category. In case you're wondering, however, all of the Neo PDP panels, including the least-expensive S1, share the same basic picture-quality specs.... Read more

Home theater is Samsung's game at this year's CES. Though the company did announce the new P3 touch-screen MP3 player, an inch-thick plasma TV, feature-packed Blu-ray home theater systems, and backlit LCD TVs dominated the show.

Samsung unveils P3 touch-screen MP3 player
Photos: Hands-on with the Samsung P3 player
Samsung's slick HT-BD7200 Blu-ray home theater system
Samsung's funky Blu-ray and DVD players
Samsung's PN-B850 series of plasmas get down to an inch thick
Samsung HT-BD1250: 5.1-channel home theater offers Blu-ray, Netflix, Pandora
Samsung HT-BD8200 home theater sound bar includes Blu-ray, Netflix, Pandora
Samsung DVD-H1080: Portable-sized DVD player for the home
HT-BD7200: 2.1 Blu-ray home theater from Samsung
Samsung goes green with the LN-B6000 series of LED-backlight LCDs
Samsung BD-P4600: Wall-mountable Blu-ray player with Wi-Fi add-on
Samsung LN-B8000 LCDs put LED-backlighting and 240Hz in a 1-inch frame
Samsung's step-down LED-backlit LCDs feature Yahoo widgets, 120Hz
Samsung unveils the MBP200 Pico Projector

(Credit: Eric Franklin/CBS Interactive)

A few months ago I reviewed the Lenovo ThinkVision L2440p and L2440x.

Each has the same form factor; however the "x" has LED backlighting, while the "p" is backlit by CCFL. The problem I had with the x is that I felt it was not taking full advantage of the LED technology. One of the purported advantages of LED displays is that the panels can be much thinner than CCFL panels, since there are no big tubes in the back, however the Lenovos had the same exact form factor. This is probably why upon first impression I was so taken with the 23-inch Samsung SyncMaster P2370L.

This is Samsung's first LED backlit monitor and the company has clearly taken advantage of the technology, at least as far as the design is concerned. The panel is extremely thin. There is maybe about 1.5 inches (give or take as I didn't have a tape measure with me) from the front of the display to where the DVI plugs in.

The neck of the display is transparent and there are what seem to be these purplish sparking crystals at the very bottom. That's right, I said it. Purplish, sparkling crystals. This thing is just the epitome of sleek.

Now, the display is impressive looking on its own but you don't really appreciate it until you see the P2370, which is the CCFL version of the display. It looks great in its own right but it is noticeably thicker.

As for performance, there was nothing that stood out as bad, but without being able to view them both in a controlled environment, it's hard to say. The viewing angle was wider than most displays, and the image on both screens was sharp.

The LED-based P2370L will soon be available for $399, and the CCFL-based P2370 will be out at the same time for $299. Check out the slide show for more pics.

The iH15 LED Color Changing Stereo System is on sale now for $59.99.

(Credit: iHome)

iHome is highlighting a few products at this year's CES and one of them, the iH15 LED Color Changing Stereo System, is actually available now for $59.99.

The concept behind this simple and compact iPod audio system is that you can customize its color thanks to an LED behind the iH15's translucent cabinet. It's unclear whether you get the full range of colors pictured in the photo or just four (as the specs imply below). We'll let you know was soon as we get that little detail confirmed.

Here's all the company has to say about the product:

*Translucent cabinet changes color at the touch of a button

*Plays and charges most docking iPod models

*Four color-change settings

*Reson8 stereo speakers with passive subwoofer

*Line-in to listen to other aux audio sources

*5.47 inches tall by 5.47 inches wide by 5.47 inches deep

*Powered by an AC adapter (no battery option)

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.

The Toshiba SV670 series is the company's first to incorporate LED backlighting.

(Credit: Toshiba)

Samsung, Sony, LG, and Vizio offer or will offer HDTVs with LED backlights, the most effective picture quality improvement available for LCD TVs, and now Toshiba will too.

The SV670 series includes two screen sizes, the 46-inch 46SV670U and the 55-inch 55SV670U, and will be available in June (prices were not announced).

The company was quick to stipulate that the sets' LEDs employ "local dimming" technology, which can dim and turn off sections of the backlight while leaving others bright as needed. Other LED models with local dimming we've reviewed in the past, from Samsung and Sony, delivered deeper black levels and better overall picture quality than standard LCD TVs.

As with many other higher-end models announced at CES this year, the SV670 series also boasts 240Hz refresh rates--although we appreciated that the company called it a "240Hz effect" to be extra careful. Compared with 120Hz models, the company claims that 240Hz delivers smoother images with less blurring--although if our review of the Sony KDL-52XBR7 is any indication, the difference will be difficult to discern.

Like LG and Vizio, Toshiba's 240Hz sets use the scanning backlight version of 240Hz, which turns the backlight on and off very rapidly. Sony and Samsung use a different version of 240Hz, which interpolates three extra frames for every true frame. We doubt many viewers will be able to tell the difference, but we'll wait till we can compare the two 240Hz methods.

... Read more

The LG 55LHX stuffs a ridiculous array of features into its 1-inch thick frame.

(Credit: LG)

In the features arms race among HDTVs introduced at CES this year, the military-industrial complex at LG seems poised for victory with the 55LHX.

The company's flagship HDTV, a 55-inch flat-panel LCD, delivers more bullet-point features than you'd care to remember. The parade begins with an LED backlight with local dimming for improved black level performance. If previous models from other makers, like the Samsung LN46A950 and the Sony KDL-55XBR8 are any indication, LED backlights lead to the best picture quality available among LCD TVs. Compared to last year's 47LG90 with 120 dimmable LED zones, the new set has 240, which should cut down on the blooming we've seen on other LED models.

Next up is a 240Hz refresh rate, a feature that sounds twice as impressive as 120Hz but won't provide anywhere near the same level of picture improvement as LED--if our review of the 240Hz Sony KDL-52XBR7 is any indication. Unlike the MEMC technology used by Sony and Samsung, LG employs "scanning backlight" technology to achieve its 240Hz processing. The MEMC system inserts three interpolated frames for every true frame in a 60Hz source, while the scanning backlight system switches the backlight on and off very rapidly. We doubt the difference will be visible to most viewers, but we'll reserve judgment until we have a chance to compare both systems in the lab.

That's all well and good, but the kicker is wireless capability. The 55LHX ships with a base station, into which you plug your gear. The station in turn transmits those video signals to the panel itself, so all you need to plug into the TV is the power cord. The transmission method utilizes a proprietary 60Ghz radio and multielement antenna array, and the company says it's capable of uncompressed delivery of full 1080p video.

Want more? The 55LHX joins the ranks of slim TVs making the CES rounds this year, offering a cabinet depth of 0.9 inches thick. Like most LG HDTVs, it also includes extensive picture controls, including the same 10-point IRE system and full color management controls we liked on the company's 2008 models. A new "picture wizard" is available as well, which employs a series of onscreen test patterns to ease user calibration. LG points out the power saving capabilities of LED technology, and the 55LHX also offers a "smart" room lighting sensor that also helps improve efficiency and automatically adjust the picture.

Pricing, as usual, was not disclosed, but we feel safe speculating that it won't be cheap. The 55LHX will be available in March.

LG LCD and plasma TV photos

The LG LH90 series includes three sizes of LCD with LED backlights.

(Credit: LG)

Today LG introduced a three-model lineup of LED-backlit LCD TVs with local dimming to stand near the top of the company's HDTV lineup.

LED backlit LCDs offer superior picture quality in most ways compared to standard LCD models, due mainly to their ability to dim parts of the picture selectively--a technology known as "local dimming"--and thus improve black-level performance. Compared to last year's sets with 120 dimmable zones, the new models have 240, which should cut down on the blooming we've seen on other LED models.

We never got the chance to review the 47LG90, LG's sole LED model from last year, so we're anxious to see how the new models compare to the Samsungs and Sonys of the LED multiverse. LG points out that its competitors use "edge-lit" LED tech for their slim models, which lacks local dimming, whereas LG's LED sets have a full LED backlight array with local dimming.

The LH90 series also includes a 240Hz refresh rate, a feature that sounds twice as impressive as 120Hz but won't provide anywhere near the same level of picture improvement as LED--if our review of the 240Hz Sony KDL-52XBR7 is any indication. Unlike the MEMC technology used by Sony and Samsung, LG employs "scanning backlight" technology to achieve its 240Hz processing. The MEMC system inserts three interpolated frames for every true frame in a 60Hz source, while the scanning backlight system switches the backlight on and off very rapidly. We doubt the difference will be visible to most viewers, but we'll reserve judgment until we have a chance to compare both systems in the lab.

Like most LG HDTVs these models offer extensive picture controls, including the same 10-point IRE system and full color management controls we liked on the company's 2008 models. A new "picture wizard" is available as well, which employs a series of onscreen test patterns to ease user calibration. LG points out the power saving capabilities of LED technology, and the LH90 series also offers a "smart" room lighting sensor that also helps improve efficiency and automatically adjust the picture.

Unlike the flagship 55LHX model, these step-down LED sets in LG's lineup won't have a cabinet depth of less than an inch.

Pricing, as usual, was not disclosed, but LED backlightng still commands a heflt premium in most cases. The LH90 series will be available in May.

LG LH90 models

• LG 55LH90 ($TBD)
• LG 47LH90 ($TBD)
• LG 42LH90 ($TBD)

LG LCD and plasma TV photos