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What Will 2008 Bring to HDTV?

Gary — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:11:02 +0000

2007 saw HDTV prices continue to drop (around 25-30 percent), greatly improved plasma and LCD flat panel image quality and the additional of more HD channels by both cable and satellite providers. It was a heck of a good year for HDTV!

On the downside, the year also witnessed the continuation of the ruinous Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war, a drop in small size (<30”) LCD flat panel image quality due to price compression pressures on the set makers, industry consolidation and market turbulence with Hitachi, Toshiba and Sony announcing their exit from the rear projection market, and plasma maker Fujitsu deciding it will vacate the US HDTV market altogether.

Here are the HD Guru’s predictions for 2008

1) Laser TV

Missing its planned 2007 introduction, Mitsubishi will ship large-screen DLP rear projectors using three (Red, Blue and Green) lasers for illumination. The HD Guru expects the sets will ship in late second or early third quarter 2008. What’s the promise of laser HDTV? Incredible, rich deep colors never before seen in a display, record brightness with extremely high contrast ratios and possibly the best image quality available. Mitsubishi will demo “Laser TV” to the press on January 7 at the 2008 CES. The HD Guru will be there to report all the details.

2) Price Reductions

HDTV prices will continue to drop, not as much, however, as in 2007. The HD Guru predicts about 20%. Flat panel manufacturing costs have been trimmed almost as far as possible, so the pace of the price reductions will finally begin to slow.

3) Greener HDTVs

2008 will bring HDTVs with higher efficiency and much lower power consumption. HD Guru expects a number of 2008 plasmas HDTV will consume half the power the 2007 models, making them far more efficient than fluorescent backlit LCD flat panels (called CCFL).

More companies will offer LED backlit LCD flat panels like the Samsung’s LNT-4081. There will be more 120 Hz LCD sets with smaller price premiums than in 2007. The higher refresh rate decreases motion blur, but it will not save energy, as all 120Hz panels to date use inefficient multiple CCFL backlighting .

Laser-driven rear projectors will produce high light levels with very little power consumption.

4) HD Disc Format War Continues

Expect Blu-ray and HD DVD to continue battling it out in 2008. Currently, both LG and Samsung offer players that accept both formats. Look for more companies to introduce new combo players, at lower prices. A combo high definition disc player is the best insurance against being stuck with an orphaned format beyond 2008.

5) 3D HDTV

3D TV (it is actually stereoscopic but is universally referred to as “3D”) will arrive for HDTVs with the anticipated release of 3D movies on HD discs using a 3D compatible Blu-ray player and HDTV from Mitsubishi. The player will be compatible with Mitsubishi’s DLP rear projectors including the new Laser TV. LCD 3D flat panels may also arrive in 2008.

6) OLED HDTV

It has been reported that Samsung will show a 31” Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) with HDTV resolution with a ship date in late 2008. Expect Sony and one or two other vendors to announce OLED HDTV for 2008. OLED TVs are just a few millimeters thick and have excellent contrast ratios and black levels. Expect the first generation OLED HDTVs to be expensive. The big question is will the drive circuitry provide good motion resolution or will first generation HD OLED TVs suffer from motion blur? Stay tuned for an evaluation.

7) Thin Plasmas and LCD Flat Panels

Both technologies will go on a diet with Hitachi and at least one other vendor offering really thin (about 1.3 inch depth) LCD HDTVs. Plasmas will shrink down too. Expect them to be in the two-inch deep range.

Many More HD Channels

2008 will see a seismic shift to HD for a very wide array of cable channels. In addition, HD newsgathering will commence for the network news and all major sports and events such as the Democratic and Republican conventions and the summer Olympics. To accommodate the expansion of HD offerings, many cable companies will need upgrade their systems. DirecTV will launch another HD satellite to provide the bandwidth for all these new channels.

9) The Return of CableCARD

A number of top tier HDTVs will return to using CableCARD to allow reception of HDTV and standard definition cable channels without a cablebox. In 2007, most manufacturers abandoned the CableCARD due to lack of support by the cable providers. An FCC mandate in mid 2007 forced the cable providers to utilize CableCARD in their own set top boxes.

10) More Screen Sizes

Expect the return of the 32” screen for plasma as well as more affordable plasma HDTVs in the 60-inch and larger sizes. Look for an plasma in the 80” size range from at least one vendor.
The set makers will concentrate on image improvements in the 50” and above category, while pricing pressures will force under 40” LCD flat panels to lose features once considered standard

11) Chinese Brands to Enter the US Market

As reported earlier by the HD Guru, a Chinese LCD panel maker will enter the US HDTV market to compete directly with Vizio, Polaroid and other “off brand” HDTVs. If anticipated LCD panel shortages occur, the panel maker will have price and supply advantages that will cannibalize sales from the off brand companies they supplied in 2007.

To all our readers, a Happy High Definition New Year!

This Friday Wal-Mart Offers HD DVD Players for $98.87 and More

Gary — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:53:29 +0000

HD DVD broke through the $200 price barrier last week with a $198, for the Toshiba 2nd generation entry model at Circuit City and Wal-Mart. This week the price drops another 50% for the same Toshiba HD A2 player. The HD A2 plays high definition HD DVD discs as well as playing and upconverting standard definition DVDs to 1080i.

The sale begins at Wal-Mart stores at 8:00 am (Check your local store for stock) and is “while supplies last.”

Need some HD DVD discs to go with your new player? No problem, the HD A2 player is eligible for 5 free HD DVD discs from Toshiba (http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/) Just press the link on the right side for the mail-in rebate form.

Want more discs? Wal-Mart on Friday morning also has three HD DVD titles on sale (The Big Lebowski, Blood Diamond and 12 Monkeys) for $14.96

Need a big screen plasma HDTV too? Wal-Mart is also featuring the Sanyo DP50707 50” plasma for just $998 this Friday (in-store while supplies last). Here are the specifications

TV Technology: Plasma
TV Definition: HDTV
HDMI: Yes
Screen Size: 50″
Brightness: 1000 cdm/2
Contrast: 8000:1
Dimensions with Stand: 49.4″W x 33.3″H x 11.1″D, 102 lbs
HD-Ready: Yes
DVI: No
Widescreen: Yes
Model No.: DP50747
Shipping Weight (in pounds): 115.9
Product in Inches (L x W x H): 11.1 x 49.4 x 33.3
Assembled in Country of Origin: USA and/or Imported
Origin of Components: USA and/or Imported
Wal-Mart No.: 000567819

Samsung Confirms December 2007 Release of Its Combo HD DVD/Blu-ray Player

Gary — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:48:25 +0000

Samsung announced today its high definition combo player (HD DVD/Blu-ray) model BD-UP5000, (first reviewed by HD Guru™) will ship by this December. A number of websites have been inaccurately reporting the player has been withdrawn from release.

Below is a copy of Samsung’s press release regarding its combo BD-UP5000 and the (Blu-ray only) BD-2400.

Since the announcement of the BD-P1400, BD-P2400 and BD-UP5000, Samsung assessed its product lineup and after discussions with our channel partners, decided to focus on the BD-P1400 and the BD-UP5000 to make its next-generation offerings more efficient. As a result, the BD-P2400 was removed from the 2007 Holiday Line-up.

Status of BD-UP5000 Duo HD Player:
· The Duo HD Player will ship from Samsung factories at the end of October and will be available to consumers at retail by mid to late December
· The Duo HD Player will be BD Profile 1.1 Ready – this means it will include the necessary hardware to play BD Profile 1.1 discs
· A firmware update will be available at the end of January 2008 to allow playback of BD Profile 1.1 discs***

*** Profile 1.1 discs are currently not available and compatibility must be fully tested before we can assure complete compliance to BD Profile 1.1 requirements.

CEATEC 2007 Highlights

Gary — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:11:44 +0000

CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced TECnologies) took place last week in Chiba, Japan. There were a number of new products and technologies shown, providing a glimpse of what may appear in the US market in 2009. Here are the highlights.

Hitachi showed a prototype of its future 32” LCD flat panel. (pictured). Its modern styling was highlighted by the panel’s 19 mm depth, making it the thinnest LCD panel ever shown. The 32” image it produced was very bright even off axis. A Hitachi executive said a similar product would not appear till at least the 2009 model year.

Hitachi also introduced a short throw front projector. (pictured) The CP-A100 is a three chip LCD microdisplay with 1024 x 768 resolution. The throw distance is just 16” for a 100” diagonal screen.

Sony introduced its 11” OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) flat panel television to the Japanese market. (pictured) The XEL-1 ($1700 US) is a mere 3mm thick with resolution of 960 x 450, It measures 287 × 140 × 253mm, a rated contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 and a rated life of 30,000 hours.

Viewing the set at CEATEC revealed a very high contrast image. Sony claims high motion resolution, however, based my viewing of Sony’s demo material on the XEL-1, the motion resolution was quite poor. One scene showed a yellow taxicab. When it was still, the writing on the cab’s door was very sharp, but once the taxi started moving, the image blurred considerably, to the point where the writing was totally illegible.

Dolby Labs previewed its recently named Dolby Vision and Dolby Contrast local dimming LED technology. By incorporating white light emitting diodes for backlighting an LCD flat panel with Dolby’s drive technologies, the images produced by the demo model had very black blacks and very bright whites (pictured with the local dimming LED backlight shown on the set on the left). A Dolby representative said LCD flat panels using Dolby’s intellectual property would begin to appear in the next few months.

Toshiba had lovely HD DVD models (one pictured) and new HD DVD recorders (for the Japan market) including the HD RD-X7 (pictured).

HD Guru Exclusive- First Review of the Samsung BD-UP5000 Combo HD DVD/Blu-Ray/DVD Player 9/15/07

Gary — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 14:04:50 +0000

The high definition disc format war has turned into a battle royale with the recent announcements of the exclusive support of the HD DVD format by Paramount and Dreamworks animation. Depending how you want to do the studio count (inclusion of only major studios, “adult” studios and the minor or independent releases), the split is now roughly about 50-50 between the two formats. In other words, if you want to get into the high def disc game today, you have to choose a single format player and neglect about half the releases, buy a HD DVD player and a Blu-ray player (with the associated two HDMI cables and double the real estate on your shelves) or settle for the current “limited” function combo player from LG. This will no longer be the case! The HD Guru has just received the first pre-production sample the Samsung BD-UP5000 and it may be the answer to the format war. Samsung has loaded performance and functionality into a light compact attractive package.

The BD-UP5000’s feature list is impressive. It has (for either format) Ethernet connector for firmware updates and interactive content, BD-Java (BD-J) for Blu-ray and HDi for HD DVD. The HDMI 1.3 connection will support the lossless formats TrueHD and DTS-MA (through a firmware upgrade that will occur before or shortly after product launch), 1.3 Deep Color (though no discs use it yet) and HDMI-CEC for command and control over HDMI (if your HDTV is so equipped). The 5000 has output selections when using HD or Standard definition discs that include 720p/1080i/1080p. 1080p can be selected as 24Hz or 60 Hz. In addition, the BD-UP5000 comes equipped with the Silicon Optix’s Reon scaler chip (it is the same one used in the Samsung BD-1200 and their upcoming BD-2400 as well as the Toshiba (HD DVD) HD-XA2). This chip provides the best upconversion of standard definition content to HD I have evaluated.

As pictured above the BDP-5000 ($999 retail) has a glossy black finish with a soft-lit display. It measures a mere 16.9” x 3.1” x 12.8” and weighs in at 13.2 pounds. The rear panel contains optical and coaxial audio outputs as well as the HDMI connection, 7.1 analog audio connections with conversion for all the Dolby digital formats and DTS including DTS-MA. It also has component video and standard def S-Video and composite video outputs.

With a limited time with the player, I ran through as many video tests and functions as I could, concentrating on its Blu-ray and HD DVD functionality. Timing the boot-up from off to the point where the player comes to life with the Samsung screen that reads HD DVD and Blu-ray on a blue background (see photo above) takes a respectable 35 seconds. Once the disc is loaded either HD format will produce the first image in about 25 seconds. Standard Def DVD first view was quicker at about 15 seconds.

The Digital Video Essentials HD DVD confirmed full bandwidth output at 1080p (60) reproducing the single pixel on/off vertical and horizontal lines on the 1080p 50” (TH-59PZ750) Panasonic plasma used for this evaluation. The Blu-ray version of the Silicon Optix HQV test disc confirmed perfect deinterlacing of 1080i content (found in music videos) as well as perfect 3:2 cadence for film based sources, producing an artifact free image. This is important, as the vast majority of 2007 HDTVs tested (74 to date) still do not properly convert 24 fps content to 60 fps. Using the Samsung BD-UP5000 at 1080p/60 output connected to a display 1080p display that accepts this signal should eliminate this issue by bypassing the displays inferior internal scaler.
Color bars were accurately reproduced with proper saturation. There are no player picture controls (color, tint, contrast etc.) but considering the accuracy of its output, I do not feel they are necessary.

I sampled a variety of HD DVD and Blu-ray discs including 300 (HD DVD), Casino Royale (BD) Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift (HD DVD), Wild Hogs (Blu-ray) and, The Fifth Element (TFE) Blu-ray It is the new remastered edition. The BD-UP5000 revealed there are still specks of dirt in certain scences in the new print used for the Blu-ray transfer of TFE, though it is much cleaner than the dirt and scratch infested first edition. (Perhaps Sony Pictures should use the same 1080p plasma and Samsung player combo I used for its quality control monitoring, whatever the Sony Studio is using now does not appear to be up to the task).

All discs viewed all looked spectacular, with every image appearing clean, crisp and sharp as a tack. Anyone who claims unconverted DVDs look just as good as HD DVD and Blu-ray needs to get over to their nearest eyewear center right away. It is more than resolution that makes these formats so appealing, it is the image free of visible compression artifacts that provides a film-like look when viewing a top quality HDTV and using a high definition disc in a player as good as the BD-UP5000.

The functionality in the BD-UP5000 is an improvement over previous generation products with faster chapter changes and quicker entry into other menu functions. I particularly liked the new time bar on the top of the image (seen in the bottom photo). The new GUI is clean and easy to read. The only crude graphic is a series of “ disc loading” dots, though they are an improvement over the Samsung first generation hour glass.

I briefly checked the standard DVD performance. The player aced the Silicon Optix HQV’s test discs jaggies, 3:2 (and other cadence) pulldown tests and noise reduction tests, but some pre-production glitches prevented me from performing a complete evaluation

The BD-UP5000 interactive capabilities were confirmed with the HD DVD version of 300. By connecting my router via the Ethernet port in the back the player I was able to download exclusive web enabled features off the internet with the 300 HD DVD disc inserted. The only HD DVD feature the BD-UP5000 seems to lack is a USB port to expand the player’s memory with a thumb drive. According to a Samsung spokesperson the BD-UP5000 has 256MB internal memory.

The BD-UP5000 currently retails for $999. I consider the price/performance ratio a home run, as the cost is just a $100 higher (at retail) than purchasing the current BD-1200 Samsung Reon equipped Blu-ray and the lowest cost HD DVD player, the Toshiba HD-A3. Of course you get more Blu-ray features, a better GUI and soon all the audio formats plus 7.1 analog output. The BD-UP5000 will be available in the 4th Qtr, according to a Samsung spokesperson. Lets hope it’s is closer to October than December.

With the format war continuing with no end in sight, the Samsung BD-UP5000 it is the logical choice for HDTV viewers that want the best performance no matter which DVD, Blu-ray or HD DVD discs they choose to view. The BD-UP5000 is my new reference standard for a high definition player and it is awarded the HD Guru’s™ top rating of ♥♥♥♥.

Update-1080p/24 output has been confirmed. It works beautifully. The player puts up a confirmation screen that must be acknowledged with an “accept”, if not the player will automatically revert back to the 1080p/60 setting to avoid a blank screen with displays that will accept 1080p/60 but not 1080p/24

IFA 2007 Photos

Gary — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:04:48 +0000

From Top to Bottom

Miss IFA 2007

Sharp’s 1.26 inch LCD HDTV prototype

Sharp’s third generation Blu-ray player BD-HP20 (though none has yet reached market)

Rear view of the Sharp BD-HP20 (Note the lack of an Ethernet connector)

Toshiba SD-L902A First Recordable HD DVD Laptop Drive

Philips BDP7100 2nd Gen Blu-ray Player European Debut

Copyright ©2007 Gary Merson/HD Guru™. All rights reserved. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

The High Definition Disc Format War Heats Up

Gary — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 03:38:30 +0000

The battle of the high definition non-compatible disc formats, Blu-Ray and HD DVD took a turn in favor of HD DVD this past week when Toshiba announced its price drop for its entry level models (HD A2, HD D2) to just $299, giving it a $200 retail price advantage over the lowest price Blu-ray player, the Sony BSP-S300. (Warehouse club Costco has priced the HD D2 at $279 and the Sony BSP-300 at $449)

In additional product news, a Toshiba spokesperson told the HD Guru it would discontinue the production its remaining DLP rear projection televisions in September 2007 with inventories expected be depleted before the end of 2007, devoting its large screen HDTV production facilities exclusively to LCD flat panels.Toshiba also announced the availability of new LCD flat panels in the 42”, 46” 52” and 57” screen sizes. The Cinema series products will include 120 HZ frame rate that will decrease the motion blur seen in all makes and models of 60HZ LCD flat panels. The new models are as follows:

Regza Series 1080p 52” 60HZ 52HL167 Now Available $3499 suggested retail
Cinema Series Regza 1080p 42” 120 HZ 42LX177 $2299 Now
Cinema Series Regza 1080p 46” 120 HZ 46LX177 $3999 Now
Cinema Series Regza 1080p 52” 120 HZ 52LX177 $3999 Now
Cinema Series Regza 1080p 57” 120 HZ 57LX177 $To Be Announced, July

Toshiba HD-XA2 Review- An HD Guru Exclusive

Gary — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 18:36:52 +0000

The HD-XA2, Toshiba’s latest 2nd generation HD DVD high definition disc player, incorporates a number of “firsts” and offers improved performance compared to Toshiba’s previous top player, the HD-AX1. Among the improvements are faster loading time, better upconversion of standard definition sources and 1080p output availability.

The HD-XA2 is more compact and lighter than its predecessor, with a height of just 2.93,” a depth of 13.54″ and weighing in at 13.64 lbs, compared to the older HD-XA1’s 4.53” height and whopping 19.58 pound weight.

While the first generation Toshiba players were little more than “specific-use” PCs, this 2nd generation player utilizes dedicated HD DVD circuitry, resulting in much faster operation. Slow start up was a major complaint of both buyers and reviewers.

The new player’s startup time from power “off” to “on” and “booted up” has been reduced to a tolerable 35 seconds. It takes just 22 additional seconds to load and begin playing an HD DVD disc. If you leave a disc in the player and shut it off, powering back up and playing the HD DVD disc will commence in 45 seconds.

The HD-XA2’s biggest improvement compared to 1st generation HD DVD players as well as competing Blu-ray units is its signal processing abilities, converting native 480i content to enhanced or high definition output (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p).

While for some reason it’s not mentioned in the literature, on the box or in the owner’s manual, the Silicon Optix Hollywood Quality Video (HQV) Reon scaler/processor chip handles all upconversion and deinterlacing duties in the new player. HQV is widely regarded by many reviewers and manufacturers as one of the best signal processors available.

Previously, the HQV chip has only been included within select HDTVs, external signal processor boxes and the highly rated Denon standard definition (SD) DVD players priced from $849 and up.

Priced at only $999 retail, or $150 more than Denon’s least expensive standard definition DVD player, this Toshiba plays DVDs, HD DVDs and audio CDs, adds Ethernet connectivity (used for firmware updates and additional content), Dolby True HD and DTS HD (lossless audio codexes) . It also includes front mounted “Extension” ports for future options such as game controllers and additional memory (to augment the 256MB built into the player).

The HD-XA2’s backlit remote control, similar to the one supplied with the first generation Toshiba HD-XA1, adds a picture control button function that accesses user controls within the player, such as color, brightness and tint as well as edge and color enhancement. In addition, three types of noise reduction (NR) circuits can be activated, including Mosquito NR ( a compression artifact that produces wispiness around objects), Block NR (another compression artifact found in fast moving images), and Random NR.

I put the HD-XA2 through a series of tests (once I’d familiarized myself with the user controls) using Pioneer’s FHD-1 1920X1080p 50-inch plasma monitor set to “Pure” picture mode. Selecting the Dot-by-Dot aspect ratio bypasses Pioneer’s internal scaler and provides a straight feed from the Toshiba HD DVD player to the monitor.

The evaluations utilized the HD-XA2’s 1080p/60hz output, though its 1080i output was also briefly sampled and evaluated. The Pioneer monitor properly de-interlaces 1080i sources to1080 progressive, providing similar images in either mode.

The HD-XA2’s ability to upconvert standard DVDs was nothing short of spectacular. With the player’s noise reduction circuits engaged, standard definition DVDs looked noticeably smoother, cleaner and more HD DVD-like, thanks to the significant reduction or elimination (depending on the disc) of compression artifacts, though of course they lacked the greater detail delivered by the HD DVD version of the same material.

The Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark test DVD confirmed these findings. As expected, the Toshiba aced all the jaggies, flag and detail tests. Pioneer’s Blu-ray player did not fare as well. For example, the Toshiba player received a perfect 10 score on the color bar test, with no flickering observed, while Pioneer’s HD-BP1 Blu-ray player, set at 1080p output failed this test, producing an image that flickered, and failed the jaggy tests as well.

The HD-XA2’s mosquito noise reduction and edge enhancement circuits, available only when playing standard definition DVDs, worked effectively when put to the test using the HQV Benchmark disc.

Among the new HD DVD titles viewed were “Babel,” “Beerfest” and “Hollywoodland.” Babel, viewed in SD, HD DVD and Blu-ray, produced superb image quality in all three formats, thanks to a high quality transfer.

Digital artifact-free and clean and super sharp in both HD DVD and Blu-ray versions, it was too close to choose a “Babel” winner (using the Pioneer BD-HD1). Both looked fantastic using their respective players. As previously reported, the Pioneer BDP-HD1 performs beautifully with Blu-ray discs.

Only one glitch to report with the HD-XA2: switching inputs on the Pioneer plasma set while watching the HD-XA2, caused the player to stop and restart at the beginning of the disc. This was quite annoying. I asked a Toshiba product manager about a fix and he said he would get back to me. This review will be updated as information becomes available.

The HD-XA2 is marvelous machine. The high definition images it produces, coupled with its 1080p output ability place it on the same performance level as the best Blu-ray machines. The HD-XA2’s standard definition DVD upconversion quality, place its standard definition disc performance ahead of all other high definition players tested to date.

If you plan to use both types of discs (SD DVDs and HD DVDs) in one machine with a large screen HDTV display, the Toshiba HD-XA2 is very fine choice.

The HD Guru awards the Toshiba HD-XA2 its top ♥♥♥♥ rating.

Copyright 2007 hdguru(sm) all rights reserved.

CES Press Day (Part One)

Gary — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:19:32 +0000

Promptly beginning at 8:00 AM Sunday the 7th, LG Electronics kicked of the 2007 CES by giving ithe first press conference. The big news? LG displayed and released more details regarding its HD DVD + Blu-ray combo player. Called the “Super Multi Blue” it goes underthe model designation BH100. It is a solution to the so called “high def” format wars with its ablility to play both formats discs. In addition,(according to the press release) it will also support “various A/V formats, including MPEG-2, VC-1, H.264 video, MPEG1/2 audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, DTS and DTS-HD audio, and includes multiple inputs/outputs such as HDMI out, component/composite video outputs, and optical/coaxial/discrete 5.1 channel audio outputs, among others.

(It will not play CDs according to a spokesman)
“The strikingly designed unit incorporates elegant and easy-to-use backlit touch sensor buttons along with an ergonomic remote control that delivers an effortless command of the next-generation home entertainment experience.”
LG’s Super Multi Blue Player (BH100), will be available to U.S. consumers by early Feb 2007. It retails for $1,199.
During the demonstration of its ability to seamlessly change from HD DVD player to Blu-ray using a single tray, the spokesman claimed only 25 seconds for it to load the Blu-ray disc that was inserted into the BH100’s tray. I timed it at 45 seconds for the first disc content to appear.

LG also released information on its 2007 LCD lines. They have added 1080p in 37” , 42” 47”, 52” sizes and its “motion blur reducing” 120 HZ technology in its top series as well. Here is the breakdown according to the LG release.
“LC7 Series offers consumers the widest range of sizes from 26- to 47-inches (the 47-inch unit is Full HD 1080p), and includes LG Simple Link, enhanced contrast ratio of 5,000:1 and advanced TruWide Viewing Angle technology.
LB4D Series includes 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inches and features TruMotion Drive, a third HDMI input and USB Media Host for playback of digital photos (JPEG) and music (MP3). The 47LB4D also features Full HD 1080p display resolution.

LB5D Series includes screens in 37-, 42-, 47- and 52-inches, all with Full HD 1080p resolution, USB Media Host and 3 HDMI inputs.
LY3D Series (47-, 52- and 57-inches) combines Full HD 1080p resolution with TruMotion Drive and wide color gamut for the ultimate picture quality and viewing experience.
In addition, LG offers the LS7D Series which includes 20- and 23-inch LCDs. These two widescreen HDTVs incorporate ATSC/NTSC/QAM clear tuners.

Plasma has returned to the LG lineup with lower prices, more features and better performance. The big news is the price drop on LG’s 71” 1080p monitor, from $70,000 last week, down to $14,999 today.

Here is a clip of its plasma release
“LG’s 2007 plasma line features 10 models ranging from 42- to 71-inches, in four series of products:
• PC5D series features 42- and 50-inch panels which supplement two carryover models, the 60PC1D and 42PC3DV
• PB4D series includes 42-, 50- and 60-inch models with integrated HD DVR
• PY3D series features 50- and 60-inch models with Full HD 1080p resolution
• PY1M consists of the previously mentioned 71-inch 1080p panel, which is an HD monitor

ENHANCED PICTURE QUALITY
LG’s premium plasma line-up includes 50-, 60- and 71-inch units with 1920 x 1080p “Full HD” display capability to meet the growing demand for the highest resolution display capability, complementing new 1080p pre-recorded high-definition optical media. These models all support 1080p via HDMI and component inputs at 24, 30 and 60 frame rates.
New 42- and 50-inch models in the PC5D and PB4D series include LG’s “Clear Filter Pro” technology. Clear Filter Pro technology replaces the front glass filter with a thin film filter which reduces reflection and double imaging, providing a haze-free, crisp viewing experience.
These models also incorporate Extreme Contour Compensation (XCC) which minimizes color contouring to display more natural color transitions. All plasma HDTVs include LG’s exclusive XD EngineTM technology that takes low-resolution analog signals to near high-definition levels and also improves digital signals, offering consumers with better overall picture quality and viewing experience.

CONNECTIVITY, PLAYABILITY, FLEXIBLITY
To enhance ease-of-use, all new LG plasma TVs incorporate “LG Simple Link” connectivity, allowing control of other LG Simple Link compatible equipment, such as DVD players or home theater systems. The units are connected with a regular HDMI cable, and use the HDMI-CEC standard to enable the user to control other components via on-screen menus or directly from each component. “
Copyright2007 The HD Guru (sm) All Rights Reserved

HDTV “Insider” News and Predictions For 2007 CES

Gary — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:55:56 +0000

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada begins on Jan 8, 2007. The HD Guru will be covering the show, posting live from the CES, begining with a press day wrap up this Sunday, January 7th.

To whet your HDTV appetites, the HD Guru has contacted his many consumer electronic industry “inside” sources to get you the first scoop on the most exciting new CES HDTV products. Much of what you read below will not be seen on any other blog until the CES begins.

Plasma

2007 will be the year of 1080p plasma. Expect full 1080p HD (1920 x 1080) in screen sizes 42”, 50”, 60” 63” 65” 71” (as well as the already available 103” Panasonic). 1080p prices will drop significantly from the current starting price of $8000. Pioneer will is expected to announce its next generation plasma with breakthrough in black level and contrast ratio. The HD Guru sneak previewed this next gen technology in Japan this past October, and it blew away every competing plasma flat panel at the Japan CEATEC electronics show.

LCD Flat

Lots of developments are expected. The most exciting: LED sequential backlights should greatly improve the color reproduction (gamut) of LCD, lower the black level and raise contrast ratio and has the potential of increasing resolution by a factor of three! There will be many vendors promoting new technologies to eliminate motion blur including 120HZ backlights. Larger screen sizes will be introduced with a significant number of new entries in the 50-70” or larger sizes. These new large screens are expected to be priced on par with similar size plasma. At least one vendor will announce a panel with 4X HD resolution (3840 x 2160).

Microdisplay

The HD Guru predicts the arrival of the first native 1080p DLP rear projectors (current DLP rear projectors use pixel shift to achieve 1920 x 1080 with a 960 x 1080 DLP chip). At least one, maybe more vendors will announce LASER DLP rear projectors. These new projectors will be brighter than their lamp driven competitors, with improved contrast ratios, thinner form factors (<10”) and far wider viewing angles than current products. They are intended to compete head on with plasma and LCD flat panels with their lower price advantange.

There is a rumored 37” rear projector with very thin form factor, priced as low as $999 to be a direct replacement for 32” 4:3 direct view CRT ( its about the same picture height). Expect to hear about many LED driven projectors and possibly a Laser/ LED hybrid. LCoS vendors Sony and JVC are expected to announce new LED and/or LASER driven rear projectors. The other advantages of LASER/LED: far wider color gamut, no bulb to replace and lower power consumption than LCD and Plasma.

Wireless HDTV

Imagine simply plugging your flat panel TV into the wall AC outlet and be able to view all your content without the expense of purchasing and installing cables between your surround sound receiver and HDTV. The HD Guru expects TV makers to partner with surround sound receiver manufacturers to introduce HDTVs with built-in wireless TV receivers at CES.

Here is how they will operate. You’ll connect all your source video components (HD cable box, disc player, video game etc.) to your surround sound receiver. The surround sound receiver will have a built-in wireless transmitter that sends the HD source signal to your television. The audio/video switching will be built into the surround sound receiver as well.

HD DVD and Blu-ray

2nd generation high definition freestanding Blu-ray players will be announced and displayed by the major CE manufacturers. Prices will drop as much as 50%. Blu-ray recorders are expected to debut as well with ship dates by late 2007.

HD DVD will announce new vendors and models and may have entry pricing as low as $299. HD DVD recorders will be announced and demonstrated, with deliveryexpected to be scheduled for 2007.

LG Electronics has just announced it will introduce the first dual format high definiton disc player at CES. The player will accomidate HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. The new twin format HD player will be available for sale in the US in early 2007.

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