HDTV

March 20, 2009 Danish design company Bang & Olufsen has gone mega with its BeoVision 4 HDTV, formerly available in 50 and 65 inch versions, and announced the BeoVision 4-103 – a 103 inch plasma that weighs in at 500 kgs and will sell for GBP 85,000 (USD 123,000) when it hits showrooms in June. The screen is manufactured by Panasonic, but comes with a host of B&O picture improvement and home theatre technologies, the usual B&O knock-out styling and functionality, and a motorized stand that can be used to adjust the viewing angle and rotate the display, plus a motorized centre channel speaker which moves up and down so it can be concealed when not in use.  Read More

Like many governments around the world, Australia's leaders are pouring taxpayer dollars into the economy via stimulus packages designed to counter the effects of the global economic downturn. In Australia, this translates to tax-free payments of AUD$900 destined for the bank accounts of those who earned under AUD$100,000 in the 07-08 financial year. The idea is for consumers to spend the money, and Kogan has cleverly capitalized on what's been dubbed the "flat-screen TV bonus" with the announcement of their "High Definition Stimulus" - a $900, 37-inch 720p HDTV called "Kevin37".  Read More

For all the advances in computing and display technology over the years it’s a little disappointing that the main way we interact with them is still largely keyboard and mouse based, or for gaming consoles, controller based. The Wii’s motion controller has shown that the traditional ways of interaction serve as a barrier to many people and that new ways of interaction offer up a whole new range of possibilities. We also know that there are people hard at work on delivering whiz-bang new Minority Report style glove-controlled interfaces, but iPoint 3D goes a step further – the system allows people to communicate with a 3D display through simple hand gestures – without touching it and without 3D glasses or a data glove.  Read More

Silicon Mountain Holdings has announced the release of the Allio Lite, the latest offering from their range of popular Allio converged LCD HDTV/PC... and it's at a lower price point. The Allio Lite is available in a 42-inch 1080p model or a 32-inch 720p model, and features the same selection of inputs (2 x HDMI, 1 x s-video & audio, 1 x DVI, 2 x component, 6 USB, 1 x eSATA) and outputs (1 x HDMI, 1 x optical audio) as the original Allio models.  Read More

Like Samsung’s Series 9 and Toshiba’s flagship Regza SV670 Series, SIM2’s Solar Series of LCD HDTV’s feature LED backlighting that can be selectively turned off behind black areas in scenes to provide deeper blacks and overcome one of the weaknesses of LCD TV’s using the traditional CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlighting.  Read More

As all aspect ratio snobs know, the 21:9 cinema screen aspect ratio was developed to mimic our own peripheral vision and therefore provide a more immersive viewing experience. Recognizing this Philips has unveiled the world’s first cinema-proportioned LCD TV dubbed the Cinema 21:9, which features a 21:9 aspect ration 56-inch screen and Philips’ Ambilight technology to deliver what it says is the most completely immersive home viewing experience possible.  Read More

With the head of LG Display recently quoted as saying that flat-panel LCD prices have bottomed, the world's electronics manufacturers are looking for the next big thing to keep the coffers ticking over. With a number of companies rolling out various 3D TV technologies over the years, it’s obvious that many think that this will be the next big thing. Panasonic is one such company that has spent a lot of time and money investing in 3DTV. The fruit of its labor: the world’s first 3D Full HD (3DFHD) Plasma Home Theater System.  Read More

Sony has revitalized some fascinating old technology in order to spruik the cutting-edge Motionflow 200Hz capabilities of the new line of BRAVIA TVs. Measuring 10 meters in diameter and able to spin at speeds of over 50kph, the BRAVIA-drome is based on the zeotrope – a device invented in the 19th century to create short ‘films’ from a series of static images – which is seen as a perfect way to demonstrate just how Sony’s Motionflow 200Hz technology works to create smooth motion images.  Read More

Toshiba has launched a new lightweight wireless 3LCD projector, which is most notably the world’s first projector with voice guidance - a feature designed for non-technical users that talks you through operating instructions and provides system alerts. The network compatible TLP-X200U also incorporates closed captioning and a unique multiscreen function for large venue use.  Read More