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Amongst the plethora of displays out to tempt our eyeballs at IFA 2010 in Berlin were some nice looking new release plasmas from Panasonic. There was the 42-inch TX-P42GT20 that marks the addition of yet another series to the company’s 3D VIERA line-up, along with two new 3D plasmas to join its high-end VT20 series. The new 42-inch and 46-inch models, the TX-P46VT20 and TX-P42VT20, sees the VT20 line-up expand to cover the gamut of 42- to 65-inch screen sizes. The new 42-inch models also mark a world first for 3D plasmas. Read More

The “one more thing” at Apple’s September 1 event was an updated Apple TV. Apple has certainly cranked up the ol’ shrink ray for a form factor that is 80 percent smaller than the previous generation. The rumored addition of apps didn’t eventuate nor did the rebranding to “iTV” but, as predicted, the update sees the device sporting an A4 chip and it will only be able to handle a maximum resolution of 720p. Because the new Apple TV does away with local storage altogether in favor of cloud-based storage and streaming of content, Apple says the choice of 720p was more a balance between quality and bandwidth than any rumored difficulties the A4 chip may have with Full HD content. Read More

UPDATED There’s no doubting Jean Michel Jarre’s enduring talent as a musician and showman, so it’ll be interesting to see how he goes in his new role as an AV entrepreneur with his new speaker system AeroSystem One. Launched Thursday at IFA in Berlin, the EUR 800 (US$1000) stand-alone HD multi-directional sound tower contains a 60 W sub-woofer and two 30 W speakers all integrated to deliver a roomful of sound. How good is it? Sensational! Read More

Sony has added to its range of 3D BRAVIA HDTVs with the announcement of the availability of three new NX810 LCD models. In screen sizes of 46-, 55- and 60-inches the sets all feature Full HD (1080p) resolution and 3D capability. DynamicEdge LED Backlighting with local dimming is employed for improved contrast while Sony’s Motionflow PRO 240Hz Technology is on board to ensure smooth motion for fast moving images. Read More

DVD rental and video streaming company Netflix has announced an exclusive multi-year deal with U.S. premium pay TV channel Epix, which will allow Netflix subscribers access to Epix’s array of new releases. From September 1st Netflix will release live Internet streaming of titles from Epix’s library, including movies from Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM to significantly expand Netflix's library of content available for live streaming. Read More

With the advent of 3D glasses with polarizing filters and LCD shutters you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d seen the last of the archetypal numbers with different colored filters. Well, think again because European researchers have come up with technology they say can display 3D images at a monitor’s full resolution, with no darkening of the ambient light, no restrictions on viewing angle and with less strain on the eyes than other 3D technologies – and yes, it relies on glasses with different colored filters. Read More

Despite Apple’s recent string of successes sparked by the iPod and following through to the iPhone and iPad, there’s one device that stands out for it’s less than stellar performance in the marketplace – Apple TV. Hardly surprising given the unit’s lack of features that can be found on devices much cheaper than Apple’s offering. Now, it seems the company is set to give the insides of its digital media receiver a going over and rename the device to better fit with its line of iDevices. Read More

Got a piano sitting in your house gathering dust because no one will come around and join you in a good old-fashioned sing-along? Why not give it a new lease on life by converting it into something that’s sure to get some use, like a TV cabinet? That’s just what German company Craft Line has done with its Mediano, a white upright piano that has had all its musical innards removed to make way for an LCD TV that slides out of the top of the piano at a push of a button on a remote control. Read More

Toshiba has unveiled its new line of CELL REGZA 3D LED TVs. The new 3D TVs, CELL REGZA 55X2, CELL REGZA Slim 55XE2 and CELL REGZA 46XE2 all include "3D Super Resolution Technology" for upgrading the resolution of 3D content along with 2D-3D conversion. The 55X2 has dynamic contrast ratio of 9,000,000:1 while the other two models have 4,000,000:1. All feature 240 Hz refresh rate, support DNLA, are web enabled and feature a 3 TB hard drive with 2 TB dedicated to CELL REGZA’s Time Shift Machine, which allows you to record up to eight channels simultaneously. Read More