Television News Blog

Televisioninfo.com is currently in possession of the only two commercially available 3D HDTVs in the country, the Samsung UN55C7000 and the Panasonic TC-P50VT20. Much to the chagrin of our editors (and anyone else that bought them), the Samsung does not come with the necessary 3D glasses. So what's the workaround?

The Dynex DX-L32-10A is an entry-level LCD HDTV. The set doesn't have great picture quality, audio, or any features. What it does have, however, is a ridiculously low price for a 32-inch. If you're a cinephile of any sort, stay away. If you don't care about picture quality and just want a cheap TV, the Dynex DX-L32-10A is a great budget option.

You can find the Dynex DX-L32-10A for about $380. 

The LG 55LE7500 is a 55-inch LED edge-lit LCD television. Positioned as the second-highest teir series, the LE75000s are likely to be strong performers, but they lack the 3D bells and whistles of the LE9500 series. Are we still supposed to get excited about LED backlighting?!

The Insignia NS-LDVD32Q-10A is a 720p LCD HDTV for the budget-minded. Surprisingly though, this Best Buy store brand TV is not a clunker. Capable of deep black levels and an impressive contrast ratio, we can recommend it as a model for the kids or the guest room, especially with the built-in DVD player. Sadly, other performance failures make it less suitable for your living room.

Televisions aren't just getting their content through the coax cable anymore. Just as the internet has gradually moved towards a video-rich space—YouTube, Hulu, Vimeo, etc.—those same sorts of features are creeping into your TV sets. Like it or not, those 1000+ channels of direct cable are not enough anymore.

We've just got our first 3D HDTV in for testing: the Panasonic TC-P50VT20. We'll be testing this HDTV over the next few days, so watch this space! In the meantime, here are a few photos of this TV and the 3D glasses that make it work. 

Coming soon: all of the television news from CES 2010!

Whether you're excited, indifferent, or opposed to the technology, 3D HDTVs are coming. We've known this for a while, but the specifics have been up in the air. Today, the Blu-ray Disc Association finally nailed down a list of specifications.

According to the release (here), it looks like 3D video will be encoded using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec. This is an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec, which is supported by all current-generation Blu-ray players. The MPEG4-MVC will compress both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead, compared to equivalent 2D content. It will also be backwards compatable, capable of providing a full 1080p resolution on current 2D Blu-ray Disc players.

Now that the specs are finalized, we here at TelevisionInfo.com can set to work figuring out exactly how we're going to test the things.

[Photo from The Futurists]

The holiday season is an important time for us tech reviewers. It's the time of year when everyone wants advice. During the holiday season, our in-boxes are flooded with questions, like, "What is the difference between 120Hz and 240Hz, or 1080p and 1080i?" or "How many contrast ratios does the TV have each refresh rate?" Sure, some of these questions are nonsensical, but the world of HDTVs is a confusing one, so we don't blame you, reader.

3D is the next big thing in the HDTV industry, and all of the big players were showing off their 3D devices at the CEDIA show. But none of the demonstrations that we saw convinced us that 3D HDTV will be the next big thing that you need to buy. Here's our take on all of the prototype systems that were on show.

Samsung has announced a new addition to their 650 series of LCD HDTVs: the LN65B650. This TV is 65 inches. That's impressive. Like other TVs in the 650 series, it'll have a 120Hz refresh rate, Samsung's Medi@2.0 Suite, and the oft-maligned Touch of Color™ design. If you like stocking your house with TVs large enough to cause serious crushing injuries, you'll love the LN65B650!

Sony has just announced a new wireless LED HDTV: the XBR10. This new flagship model in their XBR range is available in 46 and 52 inch sizes, and includes a wireless setup that can send a full 1080p signal from a remote receiver to the display itself.

For all those who might have been putting off the transition to digital TV your time is up. As of today almost all broadcasters in the U.S. will be turning off their analog signals and switching to digital ones. This only effects you if you are getting your TV broadcasts via an antenna. If you have cable or satellite TV service you have nothing to worry about. To find out more about the digital TV transition go to www.dtv.gov.

We saw many of Vizio's new HDTVs at CES earlier this year, but now they'll be available to the masses as Vizio has announced that their 2009 HDTV lineup is now available to buy. The lineup is headlined by the VF551XVT, which sports LED backlights with local dimming and a 240Hz refresh rate. There are also new M-series models that are supposed to combine a stylish design with 120Hz refresh rate, and for those ecologically conscious amongst you are the E-series models.

May 26, 2009 - JVC today announced the immediate availability of they're Xiview LT-42WX70, a 42-inch HDTV/Monitor that JVC is marketing towards photo professionals. We took a first look at the LT-42WX70 at CES earlier this year and were impressed with the monitors design. The key feature of the LT-42WX70 is support for a wide range of different color spaces and factory calibration. This is important for photo editors and others who need to ensure the content they work with is being reproduced faithfully. The JVC LT-42WX70 also sports 120Hz refresh rate and a full 1080p resolution. It will retail for $2,399.95.

May 19, 2009 - Sales of High Definition televisions declined 6% in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period a year before according to DisplaySearch. Samsung was the number one retailer worldwide with 22.1% of the market. Total televisions shipped in the first quarter amounted to 43.3 million units worldwide.

HDMI has become the ubiquitous method of connecting home theatre components and with the new 1.4 specification is making an effort to pack as many features as possible into a single cable. The new specification will support 100Mbps data transfers, support for 3D video and a 4,096 x 2,160 resolution. Unfortunately it's also become even more confusing as you will need a cable that supports the 1.4 standard to get these features and the cables will come in two different tiers of quality. Oh well, who needs 3D anyways?

[PC Mag via Engadget] 

Surprising no one Adobe is targeting HDTVs as the next conquest for Flash technology. Already the ubiquitous technology for streaming video on the web Adobe wants to bring those online videos onto your HDTV as well as establish Flash as the default platform for building interactivity on televisions. Given the fact that Flash can slow down computers with multiple processors and a lot of memory we're not sure how well this is going to work out. It may be time to get ready for your HDTV to hang as much as Youtube does.

[Via Engadget HD]

That theoretical holy grail of HDTVs, the OLED display, has seen a couple of mentions in the rumor mill lately. First up is a rumor that Sony will finally bring out some big brothers for the XEL-1, to be announced at the IFA trade show in a few months. Also in the rumor mill is a road map for LG's OLED displays that includes 15-inch models by the end of this year and 32-inchers by the end of next year. We recommend you don't hold your breath until you actually see OLED televisions on sale at your local Best Buy.

[Via Engadget HD]

March 31, 2009 - Samsung today announced pricing and availability for many of its LCD and Plasma HDTVs, including new lineups of LED backlit models. The LED backlit models use edge lighting, which allows for a form factor as little as 1.2 inches thick. There are three series of LED backlits that will become available, including the entry-level 6000 series, the mid-level 7000 series and the higher end 8000 series. The first televisions will be available immediately with other models rolling out through June of 2009. Find full pricing and release information after the jump.

According to iSuppli Vizio passed Sony to become the second-best selling brand of flat-panel televisions in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of last year. Vizio held 14.3 percent of the market while Sony's market share fell to 13.5 percent. Vizio is known for its lineup of affordable HDTVs, likely a factor in its success as the economy has taken a downturn. Samsung held onto its spot as the number-one selling brand with 20.2% of the market while Panasonic came in fourth at 10.7 percent.

[Via: Reuters]

The Digital Television transition has been officially delayed until June 12th after President Obama signed the law on February 11th. The new provision actually gives television stations the option to delay the transition to digital until June 12th, but stations can still make the transition starting on the original date of February 17th.

The U.S. Senate yesterday agreed to delay the upcoming transition of television signals from Analog to Digital until June 12th. The transition was originally slated to happen on February 17th, but at the request of the Obama administration congress is moving to delay the transition. The principle worry is that the program slated to provide $40 vouchers for digital receiver boxes has run out of cash.

[Via Engadget Photo courtesy of Paul W.]

Westinghouse has updated its lineup of HDTVs at CES with new 120Hz models available in 37, 42 and 55 inch sizes. Westinghouse also rolled out five additional 1080p models and seven new 720p models. See the full list and key specs after the jump.

[Via Engadget HD]

Barack Obama has requested that congress postpone the transition to all digital signals for over the air television. Cited were a lack of funds for the program that is providing coupons for digital conversion boxes as well as insufficient support and education. There is no information about how long a postponement the incoming administration is requesting. The original deadline for most of the television stations in the country to begin transmitting on a new digital frequency is February 17th. The transition to the new frequency will open up the frequencies used for analog over the air television signals to other uses.

[Washington Post via Engadget HD]

Looks like Vizio is jumping on the Netflix bandwagon too as they will be releasing streaming Netflix for their HDTVs later in 2009. The Connected HDTV platform will also offer access to Yahoo! Widgets, Flash, Blockbuster on Demand, Flickr, Pandora, Rhapsody and Accedo Broadband so it looks like Vizio is covering all its bases. We already learned that LG will be offering Netflix streaming on their HDTVs and Panasonic is offering Amazon Unboxed on some of its HDTVs. Looks like internet content on  your HDTV is going to be a big deal in 2009.

[Via Engadget HD]

7th Jan 2009 – Sony has announced a slew of new televisions at the CES show in Las Vegas, including a set of new TVs in their flagship XBR LCD lineup. They announced 18 televisions in total, but the flagship of the new products is the Bravia KDL-52XBR9, a 52-inch LCD TV that offers 240Hz motion processing, Full HD support and Live Color Creation, a new color processing system.

Vizio today announced several new models in their XVT lineup of high-end LCD HDTVs. The top of the line 55-inch VF551XVT features LED backlighting and 240Hz refresh. 240Hz refresh is also available on the 47-inch SV471XVT and the 42-inch SV421XVT. All three of those models should be available by the Summer of 2009. The the 37-inch and 32-inch models sport 120Hz refresh rate and will be available in the Fall of 2009.

We were quite impressed with Vizio's XVT line when we reviewed the SV470XVT last year and we'll be very interested to get their new lineup into our labs this year.

Panasonic today announced the new one inch thick Viera Z1 (TC-P54Z1) 1080p plasma television. The Z1 will be available in the 54-inch size and features a design where the display is separated from many of the components that are instead stored in a separate box. Wireless HD technology is used to stream content from the box to the display, which removes the need for wires direct to the HDTV and makes it easier to mount the Z1 on a wall. The Z1 will also be capable of streaming video content available form Amazon's Unboxed online video rental service. Pricing is not available but the Viera Z1 should be available for purchase in the summer of 2009. More after the jump.

Sharp today announced their Aquos BD series of 1080p HDTVs with built-in Blu-Ray players. Available in five sizes from 52 to 32 inches the Aquos BD series incorporates a Blu-Ray player on the right side of the HDTV. In addition the televisions have built-in software that automatically adjusts the settings when a Blu-Ray is detected. The three largest sizes in the series will sports 120Hz refresh rate for improved motion performance. The 52 and 46 inch models will be available in February of 2009 for $2599 and $2299 respectivelly. The 42, 37 and 32 inch models will be available in January for $1899, $1299 and $1099.

Sharp also announced The E77U and E67U series of HDTVs. The E77u series comes in four sizes from 65 to 40 inches and also incorporate 120Hz refresh rate as well as five HDMI ports. The E67U series is available in 40 and 32 inches. Interestingly the 32 inch model is specifically targeted at gamers with "Vyper Drive" technology that is meant to improve gaming performance.

7th Jan 2009 – Vizio has just announced a new range of aggressively priced smaller HDTVs that use less power. The new models are all being sold under the EcoHD label, and exceed the new EnergyStar 3.0 standards by a claimed  25%; Vizio claims that the 19 and 22-inch models use less electricity than a 60-watt light bulb. The new models range from a $249.99 19-inch model up to a $449.99 32-inch model. Details on the full lineup are in our news story below.

Toshiba will be rolling out LCD TV/DVD combinations in 15, 19, 22, and 26-inch sizes. These TVs feature a thin design with a DVD player integrated into the side of the device. The 15-inch unit, the 15LV505, is currently available for $300 in black and white (the white version's serial number is 15LV506). The 19-inch 19LV610U will be available in March for $350 in black (white version: 19LV610U). The 22-inch 22LV610U will also retail in April, at $450 (white: 22LV611U). The 26-inch model, the 26LV610U, will retail for $550 in March, with a black coloration.

You can find more info about these products on the press release, which is available on Engadget.

7th Jan 2009 – Thin is in for Samsung’s Plasma TV lineup for 2009; the just announced PNXXB850 is just an inch thick, and the PNXXB550 uses 50% less electricity. The new models were unveiled at the CES show in Las Vegas, and will be available in the half of 2009. No pricing information was available.

JVC has announced a new LCD technology that allows for super thin, super light 32-inch televisions. The technology will allow TVs that are .28 inches thick and weigh 11 pounds. The technology will use about 50% less material, and implement LEDs as the light source, eliminating the need for mercury.

You can find the press release for this technology here.