The HD Guru’s Top HDTVs

Here are the HD Guru’s recommended High Definition Televisions, as seen in the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers in an article by Kevin Hunt.

Under 32 Inches (LCD)

Toshiba 26HL47 ($750): Properly processes 1080i signals — most under-30-inch sets don’t. Panasonic TC26LX70 ($750): Wide-angle viewing, also processes 1080i signals properly.

32 Inches (LCD)
Panasonic TC-32LX700 ($1,100): Smallest and lowest-priced LCD flat panel with 120-hertz refresh rate for better motion resolution.

Toshiba 32HL67 ($900): Low price … 10-bit panel with 14-bit processing eliminates image artifacts seen on 8-bit panels. (Color resolution, measured in bits, refers to the amount of data in the pixels that make up an image. The higher the number, the more accurate the picture.) … also available in a 42-inch model.

Panasonic TC-32LX70 ($900): One of the widest views with uniform brightness … properly processes 1080i signals.

40 To 42 Inches (LCD, Plasma)
Samsung LN-T4081 ($3,000): Best LCD ever tested … accurate color, fastest motion response of any LCD panel tested (by 33 percent) and lowest power consumption. Uses white LED backlights. Full-resolution 1080p (1920×1080) … also available in 46- and 52-inch models.

Pioneer PDP-4280HD ($2,700): Best black levels and performance of any 42-inch, non-1080p panel … also available as a 50-inch model and in Pioneer’s higher-end Elite series.

Panasonic TH-42PZ700U ($2,000): 12-bit plasma … anti-reflective screen (shiny coating) … also available in 50- and 58-inch screen sizes.

Panasonic TH-42PZ77U ($1,800): 12-bit plasma panel … 1080p set properly processes 1080i … anti-glare screen (dull coating) … also available in a 50-inch model.

Sony KDL-40S3000 ($1,500): Full 10-bit panel eliminates image artifacts seen on 8-bit LCD panels … properly processes 1080i signals … also available in a 46-inch model.

Panasonic TH-42PX77U ($1,499): Similar to TH-42PX75U, uses anti-glare dull screen coating … also available in 50-inch model.

Panasonic TH-42PX75U ($1,400): Second-best performance for a 42-inch, non-1080p plasma. … anti-reflective screen coating … also available in 50-inch model.

46 to 50 Inches (LCD, Plasma)
Pioneer PDP-5010 ($4,500): Best HDTV flat panel — LCD or plasma — available with the deepest blacks, highest contrast, very accurate color, fine signal processing. Full 1080p plasma … also available in 60-inch model.

Panasonic TH-50PZ750U ($3,499): Panasonic’s top-of-the-line plasma … full 1080p … also available in 58- and 65-inch models.

Samsung LN-T4671 ($3,400): 1080p LCD shares the same panel as Samsung’s top-of-the-line series … substitutes fluorescent lamps for LEDs and uses 120-hertz refresh rate for reducing motion blur … also available in 52-inch model.

Sony 46KDLXBR4 ($3,300): Top-of-the-line LCD, with 10-bit panel, 120-hertz refresh rate … full 1080p … also available in 40- and 52-inch models.

Toshiba 46RF350U ($2,400): 1080p LCD properly processes 1080i signal … thinnest frame in industry … 10-bit panel with 14-bit internal processing … full 1080p … also available in 40-inch model.

51 To 73 Inches
Pioneer Elite 60-inch PRO-150FD ($7,500): Top-of-the-line Pioneer plasma has additional control settings to custom-tweak the image and a fancier external finish than the 5010 series with the same top-quality 1080p image … also available in a 50-inch model.

Mitsubishi LT-52144 ($3,900): Thinnest 52-inch LCD frame … 10-bit panel with 12-bit processing … 120-hertz refresh rate … full 1080p … also available in 46-inch model.

Sony KDS-60A3000 ($3,400): SXRD three-chip rear-projection set, with 12-bit chip and 120-hertz refresh rate … full 1080p … also available in 50-and 55-inch models.

Mitsubishi WD-57833 ($2,500): DLP single-chip rear-projection set with 12-bit processing, six-color palette, 120-hertz refresh … 3D ready (for computer content) … fullest array of inputs, including FireWire, of any rear projection television … also available in 65- and 73-inch models.

Budget Best Bets
Samsung LN-T4053H ($1,500): Lowest-priced Samsung with its best LCD panel (10 bit; also used in its 71 and 81 series).

Toshiba 42HL67 ($1,400): 10-bit LCD panel with 14-bit processing.

Season’s Hottest Buy
Panasonic’s 42-inch plasma sets: The TH-42PX75U.

from HDGURU.Com

Panasonic, Hitachi and Canon make billion-dollar LCD deal official

No longer a rumor, Hitachi, Matsushita (Panasonic) and Canon are joining forces to shake up the LCD biz. Panasonic and Canon have each agreed to take 24.9% ownership of Hitachi Displays, which will use the investment to continue its advancement in LCD technology. Canon gets access to Hitachi's small- to medium-sized LCDs and, OLEDs for its cameras and other products, while Panasonic looks to "enhance the competitive edge in-step with PDP models" of its Viera line of HDTVs with Hitachi's IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology and future OLED production. Don't think Panasonic and Hitachi are giving up on the Plasma Coalition, but they aren't afraid to hedge their bets in reaction to the market's demand for cheap LCDs and similar partnerships among competitors.

from Engadget

Sharp reveals gamer-centric 1080p LC-32GP3U AQUOS LCD TV

Sharp's new GP3U family may be marketed towards the sophisticated gamer, but we're pretty certain just about anyone could get down with a set like this. Announced today, the 32-inch LC-32GP3U comes in a trio of hues (black, wine red and white), boasts a "unique swivel stand for ultimate viewing and gaming flexibility," and offers up bottom-mounted speakers to boot. Furthermore, this 1080p AQUOS touts a slim-line design, a Game Mode button on the remote for activating Vyper Drive and providing quick access to side terminals, a subwoofer audio output, two component / three HDMI 1.3 inputs, a VGA port, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, six-millisecond response time, integrated ATSC / NTSC tuner with Clear QAM support, 450 cd/m2 brightness and 176-degree viewing angles. If you're champing at the bit to fix your eyes on this one, all three versions will be available just in time for you-know-what for $1,599.99.

from Engadget HD

European HD DVD Group talks attach rate numbers

We focus on the U.S. market, but the European HD DVD Group just issued some numbers that caught our attention. Yes indeed -- more fuel for the format war, just in time to stoke the fires again. The European faction of team red didn't talk unit sales, but is proudly touting attach rate numbers, and with good reason. After doing the math across six countries and accounting for both standalone and console-based players, HD DVD enjoyed an attach rate of 3.8 vs. Blu-ray's figure of 0.6. Ouch. Spain posted the highest HD DVD attach rate (5.7 compared to 0.4 for Blu-ray). Now, one number doesn't tell the whole story any more than one region will dictate the entire format war; but it's an interesting number still. When you consider that HD DVD releases are less restricted by distribution rights in Europe than here in the U.S., the European playing field is closer to the "let the consumer decide" model we'd really like to see. Expect a Blu-ray response in 5... 4...

from Engadget HD

ZDnet reveals HD-DVD & Walmart's Plan all along (from April)

Does anyone remember this article from April? Someone knew about this deal months ago.:eek:
This thing was planned months ago.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/carroll/?p=1683

Quote:

---

April 25th, 2007
Wal-Mart favors HD-DVD
Posted by John Carroll @ 8:48 am

Wal-Mart may not have an official stance on the respective merits of HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray, but actions speak louder than words. According to a recent report, Wal-Mart will be buying 2 million HD-DVD players at a price of around $50.00 per unit. Of course, consumers won't see a price that low, and there is some debate as to what the exact price will end up being, but it seems very likely that consumers could see sub-$200 HD-DVD players very soon.

Why did Wal-Mart favor HD-DVD? This article by Rob Enderle offers an explanation. DVDs have served as as great way to drive store traffic, to the extent that they are willing to make almost no money from DVDs, and they would like to do the same thing with HD formats. Unfortunately, a format war has hindered growth in the space. To see just how limited that growth has been, consider these sobering statistics from Eric Bangeman on Ars Technica:

Compared to sales of movies on DVD — by far the most popular format — the numbers for the next-generation discs are a mere drop in the bucket. The top selling DVD for the week ending March 30 was Happy Feet, which moved over 4 million units that week alone. For the week ending March 11, Borat was the big winner, and the number two title, Peter Pan, sold 2.2 million discs.

If you do the math on Happy Feet and the Blu-ray version of Casino Royale, the latter title took three months to sell just under 1.5 percent of what Happy Feet was able to sell in its first week. Another dose of perspective: in the seven days after its release on DVD, Borat sold more discs than all HD DVD and Blu-ray titles combined since the launch of two formats last year.

Wal-Mart saw an opportunity to use its market power to break the logjam, and they chose HD-DVD because of its cost advantages, as Enderle explained:

For Wal-Mart the only real metric is cost. Wal-mart doesn’t really make money off of the movies and do not sell high-end home theater equipment. They are known for aggressive prices and, as mentioned above, they subsidize their DVD sales. They needed something that could sell for under $200 soon and they needed the lowest cost of the new formats. This is where HD DVD shines, not only had Toshiba agreed to license to low cost manufacturers early on, but HD DVDs are pressed on the same lines that regular DVDs are, they require no major equipment change out and the blanks, when compared to Blu-Ray are less expensive as well.

This made the decision simple, Blu-Ray was just too expensive to make this work and any technical advantages were insignificant against Wal-Mart’s need for the lowest cost offering. For them it is about price and that is where HD DVD clearly has the sustainable advantage.

Blu-Ray is clearly the sales leader right now, a status driven almost entirely by sales of PS3 devices, which includes an integrated Blu-Ray drive. As noted before, this isn't a sign of the PS3's raging success so much as the extremely low numbers of players sold which support either format, giving Sony's third-place console the chance to tip the balance in the HD disc war.

However, the PS3 costs $600.00. Granted, you get gaming capability as part of the package, but what happens once standalone HD-DVD players push below $200.00, or if the $50.00 cost to Wal-Mart prove true, even lower?

Bungie releases Halo 3 Halloween Special

Ready for a change? In the good ol' Halloween spirit, Bungie Studios has introduced a new gametype into Halo 3, resulting in a 27-hour zombie gaming run as players try out the area.

The game type itself is called Infection, and it's got zombies galore! What is Infection? Well, here's how the folks at Bungie describes it:

In Infection, most players start off on a Human team, with one or more players starting off as Zombies. The odds are stacked heavily against the Zombies at first, but when a Human is killed by a Zombie (as they inevitably are), they join the Zombie team and turn on their former teammates.

They also note that there are three versions of the game available for people to try:

• Save One Bullet - which is close to classical Infection but with limited ammunition which keeps the Humans from holding off the Zombies forever
• Creeping Death - where the Zombies are a bit slower but shockingly invisible and deadly.
• Creeping Rockets - is a third variant where the Humans are more heavily armed, but the Zombies are tougher too.

In any event, you guys are probably raring to check it out on your Halo 3 matchmakers, right? Feel free to do so! If you want more information on the event, you can check out here;


Q: Infection, what’s that?
Infection is this really great gametype, inspired by a custom game devised by our community in Halo 2, which we added official support for in Halo 3. In Infection, most players start off on a Human team, with one or more players starting off as Zombies. The odds are stacked heavily against the Zombies at first, but when a Human is killed by a Zombie (as they inevitably are), they join the Zombie team and turn on their former teammates.

Q: How long will the Living Dead haunt matchmaking?
Just for Halloween, from 12:01am to 3:00am the next morning, PST. We decided to let it go a bit late into the morning to give people a chance to play when they got home from their Halloween carousing. Infection is a lot of fun when everyone is into it, but we don’t think it would make a good playlist long term, so it’s going to come and go.
And if everyone has a good time, who knows? It may return, as the restless dead are known to do.

Q: Can I get achievements in this playlist?
Yes, it is set up as a Ranked Playlist, and players will have some good opportunities to pick up a few of the harder MP achievements without any of that pesky guilt. Fending off the hungry dead is as righteous a way as any to score an Overkill. It’s also a good chance to fill out your Ranked Medals with some of the Infection medals, like Infection Spree and Hell’s Janitor.



Q: Can I join with my homies or is this a Lone Wolves style hopper? And how many corpses will I play with?
You can join with a max party size of 4, Infection matches can start with eight players and the games have a player limit of 13. You cannot, however, join with Guests (multiple players on one box).



Q: There’s more than one version of Infection in this playlist, what is each version and how does it work?
We’re using two main versions: Save One Bullet, which is close to classical Infection but with limited ammunition which keeps the Humans from holding off the Zombies forever, and Creeping Death, where the Zombies are a bit slower but shockingly invisible and deadly. Creeping Rockets is a third variant where the Humans are more heavily armed, but the Zombies are tougher too.

Q: Do the maps in Living Dead have the same set-ups that I am used to?
The Living Dead playlist will be the first to use Forge variants in Matchmaking. Lars [Bakken] and Dan [Miller] pulled out all the stops and Forged some masterful variants featuring fortified positions and anti-Zombie booby traps to help get people into the Zombie mind (which is to say, wanting to get into a Human’s mind. Directly.)

Q: Man, I love these gametypes is there any way I can get them?
Any time you play one of these variants in Matchmaking, they’re saved in your Recent Games queue (in the Custom Games lobby, go to select the game type—the Recent Games list is at the top.) They may also show up in the Bungie Favorites this week.

Q: Will there be more special hoppers in the future?
You bet.

Don't worry though, the basic premise if you're a human is, of course, to kill everything out there without dying. Good luck!

Panasonic unveils DMP-BD30 "next-gen" Blu-ray player

Panasonic's new DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player serves up those HD discs extra fancy, being the first player to meet the requirements for BD-Video Final Standard Profile 1.1. That means a secondary video decoder for picture in picture (such as director's commentary), and an extra audio decoder for working in sound from that second source or from interactive features. Other features of the $500 player include Deep Color Compatibility, HDMI 1.3B, 1080 / 24p playback, and an SD card slot that can play back 1080p AVCHD video from SD cards. We're not exactly sure when the DMP-BD30 is hitting the streets, but it seems poised to steal the delayed Samsung BD-UP5000's thunder.

from Engadget HD

Toshiba's Vardia RD-A301 writes HD DVD content to DVDs

Is this what you've been waiting for? The ability to record high-definition, HD DVD content to DVDs? Well, have at it boy, Toshiba just announced their new Vardia RD-A301 recorder. It conforms to the HD Rec extension which allows HD DVD format content to be stored on red-laser DVD-R/RW/RAM disks like the RD-RX7 unveiled at CEATEC. That's about 2 hours on a 4.7GB disc. Like the RD-A300, the A301 also features a 300GB hard disk. December, that's when, for about ¥100,000 (about $870) in Japan.

from Engadget HD

Expect $699 42-inch LCDs this holiday season

LCD prices just keep on dropping and it looks like they might hit rock bottom before the '07 Christmas spending season. Reports suggest that they will finally cost less than their CRT counterparts and bargain shoppers should be able to pick up a 42-inch "second-tier" (aka cheap, no-name house brands) LCD for around $699. The 32-inchers should go for around $299-399 which would officially make 'em less expensive than those 'ol CRTs. Walmart/Costco shoppers might be happy with these prices on the cheaper models and honestly, if a person is satisfied with the picture these sets produce; great, buy the less expensive LCD and start enjoying high definition.

from Engadget HD

Philips launches Aurea LCDs, with next-gen Ambilight

Right on schedule, Philips has unveiled its new wave of Ambilight-powered television: Aurea. Sure, it's not as sexy when you call it by its 42PFL9900D model number, but the 42-inch 1080p LCD is sure to turn heads either way. Under the hood Philips has 100Hz refresh, "invisible speakers" and even a trio of HDMI inputs. The new Ambilight Spectra tech uses 126 LEDs and shoots light through the "Active Frame" for a more extensive Ambilight experience. The displays will be available next month, but there's still no word on price. Peep the gallery below for some stylized shots of the display by fashion photog Vincent Peters.

from Engadget HD

Sony announces 15 new Bravia 1080p HDTVs, including 70-inch LCD

Set your saliva glands for drool, Sony Japan just launched a truck load of new 10-bit 1080p Bravia LCD HDTVs. Ready? We won't keep you in suspense.

X series (includes 24p support, "Motion Flow", which sounds like 120Hz, and XMB)

• KDL-70X7000 (70-inch, LED backlit!) -- should cost about ¥4m, or about $35,000 US.
• KDL-52X5050 (52-inch)
• KDL-52X5000 (52-inch)
• KDL-46X5050 (46-inch)
• KDL-46X5000 (46-inch)
• KDL-40X5050 (40-inch)
• KDL-40X5000 (40-inch)

W series (includes 24p support, "Motion Flow", which sounds like 120Hz, and XMB)

• KDL-52W5000 (52-inch)
• KDL-46W5000 (46-inch)
• KDL-40W5000 (40-inch)

V series

• KDL-52V5000 (52-inch)
• KDL-46V5000 (46-inch)
• KDL-46V3000 (46-inch)
• KDL-40V5000 (40-inch)
• KDL-40V3000 (40-inch)

That's all we've got for now, so as always, more details as they come in.

Vizio dethrones Samsung as LCD king in Q2

Whoa, where did Vizio come from and what the heck is happening to Sony? We've heard of the Circuit City/Aldi/Walmart/ brand for sometime now, but didn't have any idea they were such a major US LCD player. TGDaily is reporting that the budget brand shipped 130k more LCDs than the former leader, Samsung, during '07's second quarter. Vizio's shipment increased an impressive 76% over last year and now surpasses not only Samsung, but also Sony, Philips and Sharp. Keep in mind that these are simply units shipped and not units sold, however, the two stats do share a bed. The same report indicates that while Vizio is increasing at a neck breaking speed, Sony just might be breaking their neck. Their quarter two shipments dropped a whopping 43% over last year. There seems to be a major shift in the LCD market and with the holiday season right around the corner, yeah - it's that time again, we can't wait to see the Q4 shipment and sales numbers.

from Engadget HD

Toshiba intros the REGZA C3500 and RF350 for your LCD-viewing pleasure

Toshiba continued its onslaught of LCD TV announcements today with two additional new lines for your purchasing pleasure. The two families joining the recently crowded gang are the REGZA RF350 (pictured above) and the REGZA C3500. The former "design minded" displays come in 40-inch (¥330,000 / $2,866) or 46-inch (¥390,000 / $3,388) varieties, deliver 1920 x 1080 resolution, and feature VA panels, 1080p / 60p / 24p, x 2 HDMI, x 2 S-Video, X 3 composite, D-sub, and ethernet jacks, plus HDMI, digital, and optical audio. The latter appears to be the company's play for the cheaper end of the market, though they don't scrimp too badly on features. The C3500's come in 26-inch (¥150,000 / $1,303) and 32-inches (¥170,000 / $1,476) at 1366 x 768, or 37-inch (¥250,000 / $2,171) and 42-inches (¥300,000 / $2,606) at 1920 x 1080, and rock an IPS panel, 1080p / 60p / 24p formats, 2 x HDMI jacks, ethernet, plus your standard slew of S-Video, component, D-sub, and audio ins and outs. Both lines will be available this September.

from Engadget

Philips to launch Ambilight successor Aurea

Consumer electronics manufacturer Philips will demo their successor to Ambilight -- the ambient lighting technology that generates light effects on the sides of a television -- at European expo IFA on August 30. The new technology, named Aurea, will be featured using a film by director Wong Kar called Seduction by Light. From early photos, the new sets incorporate the lighting directly into the frame, instead of using the previous method of a glass frame around the set.

from Engadget HD

Pioneer's KURO plasma line

Pioneer has finally launched their KURO plasma line this week, with sets beginning to show up in retailers for prices ranging from $2,700 for the KURO -- Japanese for "black" -- PDP-4280HD 42-inch model to $6,500 for the 60-inch PDP-6010FD 1080p bigg'un. Three of the sets in the line are 720p-ish, with the two top 50- and 60-inchers sporting 1080p resolution. All models feature standards like CableCARD support, quad HDMI 1.3 inputs, and Home Gallery for displaying photos and the like via USB, with contrast ratios and color reproduction that's all the rave with reviewers.

Sharp releases smaller-bigger LCDs

Sharp is bringing to the US market a subset of the series of slimmer LCDs recently released in Japan. The D64U series of 1080p LCDs includes four models from 42 to 65 inches, all with re-engineered circuitry inside for a 25% slimmer and 20% lighter frame than previous product lines, while consuming less power. With the thinner bezel and smaller speakers, you might fit a 42-inch set where a 40 would normally go. The panels feature 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 4ms response time, and RS-232 automation controls. The series will be available later this month, with the 42-inch LC-42D64U retailing for $2,099, the 46-inch LC-46D64U for $2,699, and the 52-inch LC-52D64U for $3,799, with the 65-inch LC-65D64U unpriced and following in September.

from Engadget HD

Pioneer intros sexy KURO plasma lineup

Shortly after Samsung and Hitachi unveiled their swank HDTV lineups, along comes Pioneer with a sexy plasma lineup of its own to shake things up. The KURO displays are segmented into two divisions, one which includes the 42- and 50-inch standard KUROs, and the other packing "Elite" KUROs of the same sizes. The 42-inch versions sport a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel, four independent HDMI 1.3 inputs, a built-in CableCARD slot, advanced PureCinema with 3:3 pulldown, and more tweakable settings than you can shake a stick at. The 50-inch flavors up the ante with a 1,365 x 768 resolution, and the Elite versions add the Home Media Gallery, come ready for ISFccc calibration, and include a few more choices throughout the display setting menus. Pricing and availability information doesn't look to be available just yet, but judging solely by the specifications on these beauties, we'd say you better bring the purse (as in, the whole thing) if looking seriously at one of these.

from Engadget

Sharp's 65 and 52-inch AQUOS T-Series: world's first THX certified LCDs

Even though Runco announced their development plans first, Sharp appears to be the first to market with a THX certified television. In fact, they've got two: a 65-inch and 52-inch LCD for Sharp's new AQUOS T-series. That THX logo is meant to ensure the best match of brightness and contrast with video processing for a home theater level of video reproduction. Interestingly though, the rated 350cd/m2 brightness and 2,500:1 contrast is a step down from the AQUOS R-series' 450cd/m2 and 3,000:1. Sharp's explanation? They expect these panels to be used exclusively in the darkest of home theaters. Er, ok. As to the rest, you'll get a 1,920 x 1,080 120Hz ASV panel with 3x 1080p HDMI (plus 3x Japanese D5), 1x DVI, 2x Firewire, IrSS, and Ethernet. Both will be ready in Japan come September when you'll need ¥1,417,500 (about $11,599) for the LV-65TH1 or ¥840,000 (about $6,873) for the LV-52TH1. While we have a sneaking suspicion they'll be worth it, we'll be waiting for the reviews before dropping that kind of dough.

from Engadget