(6/27/09 by HDGURU®) The old adage “If the deal sounds too good to be true, it is” applies to purchases of HDTVs, camcorders, digital cameras and other consumer electronics on the Internet.  This week the office of the NY State Attorney General concluded a settlement agreement with seven Brooklyn based e-tailers, making them pay $665,000 to consumers they cheated, adding another $100,000 in investigation costs. “These companies engaged in the worst kinds of consumer fraud, from classic bait-and-switch schemes to blatant lies and bullying sales tactics.” said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

The press release adds “Under the agreements secured today by Cuomo, two of the companies, Camera Wiz and Sonic Photo, will dissolve completely.  The following five companies will completely revamp their business practices and be subject to ongoing monitoring: Best Price Camera, Foto Connection, 1 Way Photo, 86th Street Photo and Broadway Photo, LLC.  All of the companies will pay substantial monies to provide restitution for consumers who were subjected to the companies’ illegal business practices.”

How do unscrupulous retailers “bait and switch” customers?  While methods may vary from store to store, the first part of any good con is to snag the victim. Prospective buyers want the lowest price possible, and bait and switch operations offer prices that are lower than offered by legitimate dealers (often below cost).

The games begin after the order has been placed. The victim gets a phone call from a dealer sales rep who either advises switching to another, supposedly superior product, or claims the product purchased is designed for a foreign market and lacks the US warranty and English language instructions. Or the salesman will attempt to get the victim to buy upgraded or overpriced items (HDMI cables, screen cleaning kits, mounts, practically worthless extended warranties, etc.) Say “no” and the store will simply not ship the product.

If you have a problem with your main purchase, or are dissatisfied with an accessory, according to the press release, these unscrupulous companies make returning them almost impossible by requiring customers to speak to a live representative during limited business hours and then refusing to answer those calls.

The press release adds “all the fined companies obtained fake ‘consumer testimonials’ through websites that claim to be impartial consumer based ‘rating’ websites, but are in fact are pay-per-click-based websites filled with content provided by the websites proprietors.”. Here’s the full release (NY AG Secures Agreement With Electronics Companies Using Illegal Business Practices).

The Complete List

The seven companies fined operate under over one hundred company names and websites! The HD Guru obtained the list from the NYS Attorney General’s Office, posted here (List of Bait and Switch E-tailers).

Recourse

If you believe you are a victim of illegal practices of one of the listed companies you may qualify for restitution. The NYS Attorney General appointed The New York Better Business Bureau to handle claims. They must be submitted from July 1, 2009 to December 1, 2009 by calling the NY BBB at 212-533-6200 (as of July 1).

How To Avoid A Scam E-tailer

Be wary of sellers located in Brooklyn, NY. For reasons not exactly clear this NYC borough has the highest concentration of scamming e-tailers. The state of New Jersey appears to have the second highest number of bad retailers; however there are many legitimate merchants in the Garden State.

Check out http://sheddingsomelight.com/ for a list of dealers and their business aliases having high numbers of complaints. Here you’ll also find helpful tips on how to detect scam merchants.

Go to review websites, look for the volume and severity of the bad reviews while disregarding the positive reviews because many may be self-generated by the scammers.

Check out the e-tailers’ local Better Business Bureau website for complaints and to learn if they were resolved.

Always check out return policies, restocking fees and freight charges for returns prior to a purchase. Many e-tailers have sterling reputations, so don’t allow the bad ones to inhibit your online purchasing; the HD Guru has made many satisfactory etail purchases by following his own advice!

-HDGuru® with Michael Fremer
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Photos - WNBC4 (top) WPIX11 (bottom)
Today, June 12, 2009 marks the end of over sixty years of regularly scheduled analog TV broadcasts. The remaining 974 full power TV stations will switch off their analog transmitters.  Here are some last minute tips and info for you, your friends and family members that have not prepared properly for the switchover.

How Many Households Are Affected?

According to the AP, “Research firm SmithGeiger LLC said Thursday that about 2.2 million households were still unprepared as of last week.” The survey was commissioned by the National Association of Broadcasters surveying 948 households that relied on antennas. They reported 1 in 8 homes have not connected a digital TV or digital converter box.

Research firm Nielsen Co. survey says 2.8 million households, which equals 2.5% of the US market are not prepared.

Satellite and Cable Subscribers

Older analog TVs in your home that receive local broadcasts via cable or satellite subscriptions will experience no change. These program providers will seamlessly switch over to the digital broadcast. The signal will be converted to an analog signal your TV accepts (in either the cable systems head end or the box depending on the cable provider). Don’t worry, be happy.

Homes That Use Antennas to Receive Broadcast TV

If your analog TV currently receives local analog broadcasts via an indoor or roof antenna, you will need to purchase a DTV converter box for $40-$60. You can still obtain a $40 coupon from the government, however you will need to wait until it arrives before you can use it. Here’s the (LINK) regarding the program.

If you already have the converter and are currently receiving digital broadcasts you may need to rescan the tuner after your local stations switch off their respective analog signals. Why? In a number of markets the broadcasters are going to change the actual channel (frequency) they are using to send the digital signal.

Don’t confuse the DTV system’s “virtual” channel number such as 7-1 with the actual channel (frequency) of the broadcast signal. For example, WABC-DT in New York City (NYC) pre-analog shut off  digital channel is in the UHF band at channel 45, though when you tune you converter (or digital tuner equipped TV) the on-screen display shows it as 7-1. Today WABC when it shuts off its analog signal at 2:00 pm, the digital transmitter’s frequency moves to VHF channel 7. Your digital TV or set top box will no longer pick up ABC-DT until you rescan the set top box’s tuner (see the owner’s manual for instructions, each brand has its own procedure). If you want to learn which stations in your market are changing frequencies today, go to the FCC website (LINK) and click “full power stations list” at the top right side column. It will provide you with an Excel spreadsheet showing the stations in every market and their respective analog and digital channel frequencies.  Look up your area and see if any of the local stations in you market are going to change channels, and note the pre-transition channel of the digital station and post transition channel number.

There are two separate frequency bands for digital TV broadcasts, VHF covers channels 2-13 UHF channels will now range from Ch. 14-Ch. 50. Before today’s transition, some stations were broadcasting on channels higher than 50, all of those must move down channel today.

Reception Issues

Households receiving over-the-air signals need an antenna connected to the digital converter box (or a TV with built in DTV tuner). Receiving analog or digital broadcast signals prior to today doesn’t guarantee you will continue to see all the channels you’ve been watching for years. Why?  There are two reasons. As stated above, many digital stations are moving frequencies today.   There are two basic types of TV antennas. They are UHF only and combination VHF/UHF. In a number of markets (including NYC) all the digital stations have been broadcasting on the UHF band. Today three NYC market stations (WABC WPIX and WNET) are moving from the UHF band to the VHF band where their respective analog signals were located. If you’ve been using a “UHF only antenna”(two of the most common are called loop and bow tie because of their shape) these signals may disappear. If they do, you will need to replace your antenna with a VHF/UHF combo antenna to resume reception.

The other issue relates to households that until now have only been viewing analog channels. Digital signals have a reception threshold. If the signal you receive is weak you will see nothing or get the picture with intermittent freezing and or breakup indicating your current antenna is not compatible with the new digital signals properties. If the picture is breaking up, you may want to first try to insert a TV signal amplifier between the antenna and the convertor. It may boost the signal enough to provide a continuous image. Radio Shack sells this type of amplifier and they take returns if it does not do the job.  If the amp doesn’t do the job you will need to purchase a new antenna with more gain to replace the antenna you were using for analog signals. Note, as analog signals get weaker, you see video noise mixed with the picture called snow in the picture. Digital signals can’t produce snow, only a clean noise free image or one that breaks up or doesn’t display any image if you are not using an adequate antenna. For help choosing the right antenna go to http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvantennas.html

Help Is Available

The broadcasters, retailers and charitable organizations have all pitched in provide help for anyone having technical problems making the switch over. There are 4,000 FCC customer service operators to provide phone assistance at 1-888-CALL FCC. If you need someone to come over to your aunt’s house out of state to install her digital converter box, there is a list of companies and organizations that have volunteered to make a free house call. You can find list by entering her zip code in the upper right corner of the home page at www.dtv.gov

Your local broadcasters have pitched in too. You can find your local broadcasters DTV contact numbers on the same web page on the right hand side after entering your local zip code. Hopefully you’ll be more successful making contact than the HD Guru. Of the top seven NYC stations DTV hot line numbers called  yesterday, only three had someone manning the line.

Final Comments

Rural areas that have low powered analog stations and repeaters will continue to broadcast low power signals in select markets.

118 stations will keep their analog signals going up to 30 days, broadcasting a National Association of Broadcasters loop explaining the DTV switch and a a slide (pictured above). The photo above of WNBC , the first network station to drop analog programming in the NYC market.

If you are seeing digital signals for the first time on an analog 4:3 aspect ratio TV, you may see black bars on the top and bottom of the image. This is normal. It occurs because many digital programs are broadcast in wide screen (16:9) high definition. While the HD signal will be downcoverted to standard def within your DTV converter , the image will retain its 16:9 aspect ratio, resulting in the top/bottom black bars called “letterboxing”. You may have not seen this shrunken image previously when you viewed the same program in analog, as many shows were transmitted in a 4:3 aspect ratio version version for the analog feed.  Fortunately, many DTV converter boxes have an “aspect ratio” button on the remote control that allows you to zoom the picture to fill the entire screen; however the right and left sides of the image will be cut off.

Stations may power down their analog transmitters anytime today up to 11:59:59 PM. Call your local stations (phone number List) if you want the exact time of their respective shut off. Otherwise, simply repeat a channel scan periodically throughout the day.

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Vizio, the number one shipper of LCD HDTVs in the US, was granted an stay yesterday (June 10, 2009) in the US Court of Appeals Federal Circuit. The order allows Vizio to resume the importation of its digital televisions while the US International Trade Commission’s order banning its HDTVs (due to patent violations) is being appealed, according to Vizio’s press release. The entire release is copied below.

U.S. Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of VIZIO’s Motion to Stay the ITC Exclusion Order
-Remains confident that Federal Circuit will reverse ITC determination

Irvine, CA — On June 10, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted VIZIO’s motion for emergency relief to stay the enforcement of Orders of the United States International Trade Commission (”ITC”) while the Federal Circuit considers VIZIO’s request for temporary stay of the same during its appeal process.

“This is a significant first step in the appellate review process. We are confident that the Federal Circuit will reverse the ITC’s earlier determination and vindicate VIZIO’s position in light of the recent final rejection of the ‘074 patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  The court’s action today serves as yet another affirmation that business is to be conducted as usual despite abusive and anti-competitive behavior from competitors,” stated Laynie Newsome, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Communications.

The ITC earlier determined that certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 6,115,074 (’074) were valid and that certain VIZIO television products contained chipsets having a feature that caused the chipsets to infringe those claims. VIZIO believes that the claims of infringement leveled against it are meritless; indeed, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Final Rejection on reexamination of Funai’s ‘074 patent that has concluded that Funai’s patent claims are invalid.

About VIZIO
VIZIO, Inc., “Where Vision Meets Value,” headquartered in Irvine, California, is America’s HDTV Company and Consumer Electronics Company. In 2007, VIZIO skyrocketed to the top by becoming the #1 selling brand of flat panel HDTVs in North America and became the first American brand in over a decade to lead major categories in U.S. TV sales. Since 2007 VIZIO HDTVs shipments remain in the TOP ranks in the U.S. and are again #1 in Q1, 2009 with over 20% market share.  VIZIO is committed to bringing feature-rich flat panel televisions to market at a value through practical innovation. VIZIO offers a broad range of award winning Plasma and LCD HDTVs including the new XVT series. VIZIO’s products are found at Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Sears, Walmart, Target, BJ’s Wholesale, and other retailers nationwide along with authorized online partners. VIZIO has won numerous awards including a #1 ranking in the Inc. 500 for Top Companies in Computers and Electronics, Good Housekeeping’s Best Big-Screens, CNET’s Top 10 Holiday Gifts and PC World’s Best Buy among others. For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit on the web at www.VIZIO.com.

The V, VIZIO, XVT, TruLED, 240Hz SPS, Thin Line, Smooth Motion, JAVA, Where Vision Meets Value names, phrase and symbols are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks may be the property of their respective holders.

US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: Case #2009-1386

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Source: VIZIO, Inc.

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(June 9, 2009) The US International Trade Commission ruled today Vizio Inc. must stop importing all HDTVs into the USA for continuing to refuse to license patents pertaining to digital TV reception owned by Funai. The initial April 9, 2009 order was delayed by a 60 day presidential review. The office of President Obama ruled today the order remain in effect, thereby halting the importation of all Vizio HDTVs. (The HD Guru submited an inquiry to the ITC,  but did not receive a response prior to publication).

Vizio is currently the number one shipper of LCD flat screen HDTVs into the US, according to the research firm, Displaysearch.

Vizio claims it removed the portions of the chips that violate Funai’s patent and plans to file an appeal of the ITC order today in the US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit.

Copied below are the relevant portions of Vizio’s press release and information about the ITC obtained from its website.

IRVINE, Calif., June 9 /PRNewswire/ — VIZIO, America’s Largest Shipper of Flat Panel HDTVs, responds today to President Obama’s decision not to overrule the ITC Orders, which determined that certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 6,115,074 (the “‘074 patent”) were valid and that certain now obsolete VIZIO television products, no longer shipping and no longer in production, contained a feature that infringe those claims. VIZIO believes that the claims of infringement are meritless because the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the “PTO”) has issued a Final Rejection order relating to the ‘074 patent.

“We at VIZIO deeply respect the rights of intellectual property upheld by the PTO, which does not apply to this claim. Unfortunately, we are not immune to frivolous lawsuits and we reserve the right to defend ourselves of meritless claims at all times. The products involved with this particular claim are obsolete, and no longer in mass production. Therefore we believe this action will not impact our ability to conduct our business in normal fashion,” stated Laynie Newsome, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Communications.

VIZIO intends to move aggressively on all possible avenues to protect its rights. On June 10, 2009, Vizio will appeal the ITC’s determination to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Vizio believes the Company’s position will be vindicated on appeal. In addition, on June 10, 2009, VIZIO will seek emergency relief from the Federal Circuit to stay the enforcement of the ITC’s Exclusion Order pending appeal. VIZIO has also presented its non-infringing technical solution to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “We at VIZIO are working with all appropriate U.S. government offices and departments to resolve this matter as quickly as possible,” stated Rob Brinkman, Vice President of Operations and Administration.

In a separate lawsuit filed by VIZIO, it is alleged that Funai has violated the federal Sherman Antitrust Act, the Clayton Act, and numerous provisions of California’s unfair competition and antitrust law by unlawfully and unfairly discriminated against VIZIO in the licensing and enforcement of the ‘074 patent, to the detriment of trade and commerce. Funai sought to delay the timely adjudication of these claims and recently a presiding district court judge denied Funai’s motion. Instead, the judge ruled that VIZIO’s antitrust claims should move forward without delay.

VIZIO now produces and distributes televisions designed with a non-infringing technical solution, which excludes the allegedly infringing feature from the chipsets in its television products.

Since the ITC’s limited exclusion order applies only to chipsets that contain the allegedly infringing feature, VIZIO believes their customers will continue to receive a continued supply of VIZIO’s television products.

The USITC

The United States International Trade Commission is an independent, quasijudicial Federal agency with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade. The agency investigates the effects of dumped and subsidized imports on domestic industries and conducts global safeguard investigations. The Commission also adjudicates cases involving alleged infringement by imports of intellectual property rights. Through such proceedings, the agency facilitates a rules-based international trading system. The Commission also serves as a Federal resource where trade data and other trade policy-related information are gathered and analyzed. The information and analysis are provided to the President, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and Congress to facilitate the development of sound and informed U.S. trade policy. The Commission makes most of its information and analysis available to the public to promote understanding of international trade issues.

The mission of the Commission is to (1) administer U.S. trade remedy laws within its mandate in a fair and objective manner; (2) provide the President, USTR, and Congress with independent analysis, information, and support on matters of tariffs, international trade, and U.S. competitiveness; and (3) maintain the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).

The Commission has five major operations that serve its external customers:

* Import Injury Investigations,

* Intellectual Property-Based Import Investigations,

* Industry and Economic Analysis,

* Tariff and Trade Information Services,

* Trade Policy Support

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Vizio’s 2009 line up of consists of 31 LCD flat panels. Highlights include a LED backlight 55″ model with 120 Hz frame rate and scanning backlight Vizio calls 240Hz SPS (scenes per second), thin depth 32″ and 37″ HDTV and select screens with genuine simulated wood finish bezels Vizio calls “Java”.

Vizio will present its 2009 products to the press in two weeks, though a number of its HDTVs are now arriving at its dealers. Below is a breakdown of models lines with pricing and availability, listed within three series, followed by Vizio’s press release.

XVT Series

Model                     Size Res. Hz  HDMI Avail Price

SV320XVTI Thin Line 32″ 1080P 120Hz 3 Sept. $749.99
SV370XVTI Thin Line 37″ 1080p 120Hz 3 Sept. $849.99
SV421XVT                42″ 1080p 240Hz 4 July  $1199.99
SV471XVT                47″ 1080p 240Hz 4 July  $1499.99
VF550XVT                55″ 1080p 120Hz 5 Now   $1999.99
VF551XVT LED         55″ 1080p 240Hz 5 Sept. $2199.99

M Series

VA22LF              22″ 1080p 60Hz  2 Now    $349.99
VX240M              24″ 1080p 60Hz  2 July   $349.99
VL260 Java Frame    26″ 1080p 60Hz  2 June   $479.99
VL320M Java Frame   32″ 1080p 60Hz  3 June   $649.99
VA320M              32″ 1080p 60Hz  4 June   $649.99
VOJ320F             32″ 1080p 60Hz  2 Now    $599.99
VO37LF              37″ 1080p 60Hz  3 Now    $729.99
VO370M              37″ 1080p 60Hz  3 Now    $799.99
VL370M Java Frame   37″ 1080p 60Hz  3 July   $799.99
VL420M Java Frame   42″ 1080p 60Hz  4 July   $899.99
VA370M              37″ 1080p 60Hz  3 Sept.  $799.99
VT420M Java Frame   42″ 1080p 120Hz 4 July   $999.99
VT470M Java Frame   47″ 1080p 120Hz 4 July   $1299.99
SV420M              42″ 1080p 120Hz 4 June   $999.99
SV470M              47″ 1080p 120Hz 4 Now    $1299.99
VL470M Java Frame   47″ 1080p 120Hz 4 July   $1299.99
VF550M              55″ 1080p 120Hz 5 July   $1799.99

E Series

VA19L               19″ 720p  60Hz  2 Now    $249.99
VX200E             20″ 720p  60Hz  2 July   $299.99
VA220E             22″ 720p  60Hz  2 Now    $399.99
VA26L               26″ 720p  60Hz  2 Now    $449.99
VECO320L         32″ 720p  60Hz  2 Now    $499.99
VA320E             32″ 720p  60Hz  3 Now    $499.99
VO320E             32″ 720p  60Hz  2 Now    $499.99
VO420E             42″ 1080p 60Hz  3 Now    $849.99

VIZIO America’s #1 HDTV Company Delivers NEW High Performance TV Collection
- Number One shipper of Flat Panel HDTVs in USA unveils wide range of high performance, high-value televisions

- Flagship Extreme VIZIO Technology, XVT Series advances television’s state of the
art with NEW TruLED and 240Hz SPS (scenes per second), and Thin Line 120Hz models. (New XVT Models are in 55 - 32” screen sizes)

- JAVA designer collection within the NEW “M” Series combines high style with Full HD 1080P resolution and 120Hz with Smooth Motion LCD HDTVs (New M Series Models are in 47 - 32” screen sizes)

- “E” Series provide energy efficient EcoHD™ (20% below Energy Star 3.0), essential performance and exceptional value in small to mid screen sizes (New E Series Models are in 42 – 19” sizes)

- All models are energy efficient, meeting and exceeding Energy Star 3.0 requirements

Irvine, CA – June 8, 2009 — VIZIO, America’s #1 HDTV and Consumer Electronics Company, has unveiled its 2009 TV product lineup, with 31 new models in three product groups. With a comprehensive range that includes cutting-edge Smart Dimming backlight TruLED LCD technology, high-style/high performance products, and the best everyday value HDTVs, VIZIO’s products are energy efficient, with each earning and exceeding Energy Star 3.0 qualification. Product releases are scheduled throughout the year, with numerous products now in-store and due to hit shelves soon.

“VIZIO’s 2009 line of LCD HDTVs advances our mission to deliver the most advanced video and audio technologies to our customers with unequalled value and style,” says Laynie Newsome, VIZIO Co-Founder and VP Sales and Marketing Communications.
“Our customers have come to expect superior performance and design from VIZIO, and this new line has unprecedented value in every screen size.”

Superior Performance Video & Audio

This year’s Extreme VIZIO Technology XVT series again advances VIZIO performance with a Full HD 1080p lineup featuring both 120Hz with Thin Line stylish designs and 240Hz SPS models using Smooth Motion™ technology, with the most sophisticated models incorporating TruLED and Smart Dimming backlight technology. In all models, VIZIO has integrated USB video inputs that are enhanced and offer high quality 1080p video playback, along with Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio™ of up to 2,000,000:1 makes for incredible black levels and almost three-dimensional imagery, they also include advanced user interface control with picture in picture and picture on picture functionality. VIZIO XVT models all include a universal learning backlit remote control.
All models have superior audio, thanks to SRS Labs Technology with TruSurround HD, which enhances clarity and produces surround sound without external speakers, and TruVolume, which eliminates annoying volume fluctuations when switching channels or when commercials come on and off.

Full HD in New Colors and Styles

VIZIO’s designer lines combine 1080p Full HD performance with distinctive looking designs such as the VL series brushed JAVA™ color treatment, and VT series TVs that resemble luxurious wood picture frames to bring a stylish touch to consumers’ viewing environments. Select models feature a 120Hz refresh rate with Smooth Motion technology, as well as VIZIO’s new USB Multi-Media Feature that can display MPEG-2, H.264 and WMV9 video, JPEG photos, and MP3 music from a thumb drive or FAT32 hard drive. Many models have VIZIO’s new “Pause Live TV” feature, which allows viewers to pause their programs without the need for a separate cable or satellite box.
VIZIO’s Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio™ of up to 50,000:1 increases contrast ratio and picture quality, providing incredibly deep blacks. Each model also has multiple HDMI inputs and many include a side panel HDMI Game or Camera Input Port.

HDTV Value in Every Size

With screen sizes ranging from 19” to 32”, VIZIO’s “E” series HDTVs provide incredible value in small to midsized packages with stylish white or black piano colored bezels.
Many of these sets offer Full HD 1080p performance, and all utilize SRS Labs’ Tru Surround technology to provide superior audio. Some models feature VIZIO’s EcoHD™ technology, which lowers energy consumption as much as 20% below Energy Star 3.0 standards.

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So you’ve seen the demos in the store, read the reviews, found the best price.  You are the proud owner of a brand new High Def video camera. You’ve even shot some video of the wife and kids and watched it on your Panasonic TC-50G10 50” Plasma that was recommended by the HDGURU. It looks great, amazing almost like 3D! Wow, you can’t wait to send a video to Mom & Dad. They bought an HDTV, so they will be able to see just how great the video looks. But, how do you send them the video? They don’t have an HD Video Camera, you both bought a Blu-ray disc player, but how do you make a Blu-ray disk? Well, the answer is here, Adobe has released the Adobe CS3 Production Premium bundle. This amazing complete package includes everything you need to shoot, import footage, edit it, and add special effects, music, graphics, and titles! Everything that you need to create your masterpiece.  Add to that an LG GGW-H20L Blu-ray Disc burner and HD DVD-ROM reader, so that you can not only burn Blu-ray disks, but also watch both Blu-rays , HD-DVD’s, even regular DVD’s and CD’s on your HTPC (Home Theater PC). The only other ingredient that you need for this High Def recipe is 25GB Blu-ray blank disks.

Let me take you through the creation process of your first Blu-ray.  Let’s start. Adobe CS3 Production Premium comes with a fantastic group of programs that include Adobe OnLocation, Adobe Ultra, Adobe After Effects® CS3 Professional, Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3, Adobe Encore® CS3, Adobe Photoshop® CS3 Extended, Adobe Illustrator® CS3, Adobe Flash® CS3 Professional, and Adobe® Soundbooth™ CS3. The install is not for the faint of heart and can take about an hour to complete. The package requires at least 32GB of hard drive space, a 32-bit video card and a 1280×1024 or higher resolution monitor.

With the package installed and your masterpiece shot with your HD Video camera, the real fun begins. Now, Adobe is not for those without some computer knowledge. If you are a little more advanced then you will want to load Adobe OnLocation®CS3 on to your laptop. This program allows you to capture directly to both your videotape and your computer hard drive. It also comes with an impressive array of very professional tools to make sure that your images are recorded perfectly. You can even have some fun with stop-motion animation. At the very least you can immediately review your shots to see if they came out the way that you expected. If you don’t want to get in that deep then you would use Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3 to capture the footage from your camera to your hard drive. At this point you have several options, you might want to use Adobe Photoshop® CS3 Extended or Adobe Illustrator® CS3 to create custom graphics to use in your video or use Adobe After Effects® CS3 Professional, a long standing industry standard to create some amazing special effects.  The great thing about it is that is all up to you and your imagination. You can make a simple video with very little trimmings or perhaps your own personal Star Wars epic! One of the more spectacular new additions to Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3 is the ability to make web ready flash movies directly from the timeline with Adobe Flash® CS3 Professional without having to go through all the hassles that you might have to with other programs.  Adobe Flash® CS3 allows you to create excellent quality videos in a very small file size. But your choices don’t stop there, you can just as easily export for standard DVD, the web, and mobile devices. Another cool feature is the ability to create dramatic slow- and fast-motion effects right on the timeline, you can slow things down without compromising quality.

Adobe® Soundbooth™ CS3 allows you to orchestrate your video or just clean up your audio. One of the nicest features is the interactivity of the Suite of programs. If you are working on the timeline in Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3 then you can right click on any audio file and choose to “Edit in Adobe Soundbooth.” Once your editing is done Adobe is still there for you with Adobe Encore® CS3.

Adobe Encore® CS3 enables you to take your completed masterpiece and burn it to Blu-ray. This is where your LG GGW-H20L Blu-ray Disc burner and HD DVD-ROM reader comes into play. Even though Blu-ray has won the format war, there are still a lot of bargains to be had in HD-DVD disks. Buy ‘em up and watch them with this versatile recorder/player. With Adobe Encore® CS3 you don’t even need a separate burning software, Encore allows you to burn directly to your Maxell 25GB Blu-ray blank disks. I tested both the BD–R (which allow you to record once) and on the BD-RE( the re-writeable version). Both performed spectacularly. They yielded perfect copies that played back glitch free. The time for the burn process depends greatly on the length of your content, but remember HD creates big files to get that great picture. It took me about 30 minutes to get a 10 minute Blu-ray burned.

Now keep in mind that Adobe Production Premium CS3® has many more features and it would take an e-book to tell you about all of them. I will be featuring more in depth technical articles on http://www.wemakehd.com as well as videos made with this package on http://www.exploreworldtv.com. So visit those sites for more info. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I will try to answer as best as I can.

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Thin is in at Samsung. The company’s new 6000, 7000 and 8000 LED backlit series measure a svelte 1.2″ deep. These sets just about disappear when viewed from the side. The top of the line 8000 series, available in both 46” ($3199.99) and 55” ($3999.99) versions, adds true 240Hz refresh rate to the feature-packed 7000 series. Samsung calls these sets “LED TVs,” but exactly what does that mean?

What It Isn’t 

While Samsung identifies these new, thin sets as “LED TVs” in its ads and on the shipping cartons, and while its website proclaims “a new HDTV technology…,” this is simply not the case.

These sets use conventional LCD (liquid crystal display) technology. White LEDs (light emitting diodes) mounted around the bezel edge, instead of more conventional means of illumination, provide panel backlighting.

There are true LED displays, of course, like Mitsubishi’s Diamond Vision and Panasonic’s Astrovision, used as giant outdoor displays in stadiums and in New York’s Times Square, that utilize up to 30 million red, blue and green LEDs to produce a full-color HD image.

Best Buy piles on, mimicking Samsung’s advertising in its weekly circular, listing these sets as LED HDTVs, while other LCD-based sets are identified as “LCD HDTVs.” In-store shelf tags also identify the televisions as “LED HDTVs” (see photos).

LED backlighting is hardly new technology. Sony introduced the first LED backlit LCD HDTVs in Japan over five years ago and the first in the US in 2005. Sony first introduced edge-mounted LED LCD TVs in 2008.

So, despite Samsung’s position, large flat screen HDTVs continue to use one of two technologies: LCD and plasma. LCD sets not using LED backlighting, use fluorescent lamps (usually a type known as CCFL). So, should you choose to buy one of these ultra-thin new Samsungs, keep in mind you’re not buying “new technology,” never mind a scaled down version of a Diamond Vision football stadium display!

What It Is

As previously stated, the UN46B8000 has a refresh rate of 240Hz for improved motion resolution.  Unlike some other vendors touting 120 Hz displays with scanning backlights as 240 Hz, this Samsung uses twin MEMC (motion estimation motion compensation) chips to achieve a true 240 Hz refresh rate. The chips create interpolated frames between actual source frames. Movie film moves at a rate of 24 frames per second. To achieve 240 Hz, film frames must either be repeated ten times, or new frames created (via signal processing) by interpolating two adjacent frames to create intermediate ones. The test results appear in the performance section below.

Inputs include an Ethernet jack (for access to select internet widgets and websites), a USB jack (for viewing compatible still photo, video files and music files and to add firmware updates), 4 HDMI inputs, 1 component video input with L/R audio, 1 composite input with L/R audio input and a 15 pin Sub D (analog) PC input. There is no S-video input.

Note that due to the shallow depth of this Samsung, the 8000’s HDMI inputs require sideways insertion at the panel’s rear edge. The connectors are spaced more closely than on any other set tested. While it’s a tight fit, all but one HDMI cable we tried had sufficient room for insertion. It’s likely, though, that there are other HDMI cables on the market that may be too fat to fit.  Inserting an internet connected Ethernet cable into the “RJ45′ type jack enabled the 8000 to quickly self-configure, allowing use of Yahoo widgets for on-screen sports news and weather, as well as Flickr and other selected websites.

The UN46B8000 has four picture modes (Dynamic for showrooms, Standard, Natural and Movie) Except as otherwise noted, measurements and picture evaluations were made in the Movie mode,  which was deemed as the most accurate.

There are a plethora of user settings in addition to normal picture settings (i.e. Brightness, Color, and Contrast etc.), including Dynamic contrast (buries darker areas into black and crushes lighter areas), Black tone (darkens darker areas but also buries dark detail), Flesh tone (makes skin redder) and Edge Enhancement (produces more distinct edges without halos) For the most accurate image set these controls to “off”.

The remote control is large with lit buttons. Hot buttons include “content” for internet widget activation as well as a media player (via USB) and picture size (6 aspect ratios including a 1:1 called “wide fit”).

The screen bezel is finished in gloss black with a chrome-type edge. The 8000 includes a brushed aluminum swivel stand. It weighs in at just 39.5 lbs. (without stand).

Performance

The edge-mounted rows of LEDs produce a level of performance with both distinct advantages and disadvantages compared to conventional behind-the-LCD panel light sources. The major advantages of this configuration are low energy consumption, a very thin form factor and high image brightness. The UN46B8000 uses less energy than any large screen HDTV flat panel we’ve ever tested.  In the “Dynamic” retail showroom mode it consumed just 148 watts with an on-center screen brightness of 79 ft. lamberts (the dynamic setting defaults to the “backlight” of 10, the maximum).  The “Home” mode default is called “Standard” mode, (with a preset “5″ level backlight control setting) and consumed 123 watts. The “Movie” mode with the backlight set to “1″ consumed just 94 watts, with a brightness of 22.3 ft lamberts. Unlike rear mounted LEDs, which can change brightness within zones where the image darkens, the edge mounted design requires a steady intensity. This results in a steady power meter reading, and creates a direct correlation between the level of black and ultimate brightness. The best compromise is a backlight setting of “1″. Lowering the control to “0″ made the image too dim, while raising it caused blacks to lighten. The “1″ setting was fine for evening or day viewing with window shades; however, daytime viewing in rooms without window treatment may require a higher backlight setting to provide a sufficiently bright image, sacrificing deep black levels. The black level is quite low, though not as deep as our reference Pioneer Pro-141FD plasma

Getting the LED white light to travel from the edges to behind the LCD panel requires an optical wave guide that twists the light 90 degrees. This is no easy feat to perfect and Samsung hasn’t managed to completely nail it: screen uniformity wasn’t perfect when viewing a full white screen test pattern. On rare occasions, when viewing content with white areas at the top or bottom edge (see photo, note red circle is a room lamp reflection not the TV) or a blue sky, this non-uniformity gave the screen edge a schmutzy (dirty) appearance.

Viewing angle is another LCD issue, and this LED-lit LCD is no exception. Blacks appear lighter and whites darker as one moves off axis, either vertically or horizontally. While this effect is visible with all LCD displays, the fall off is greater with the LED edge-lit 8000. Measuring brightness at 20 degrees horizontal off dead center revealed a brightness decrease of 15%, along with lighter blacks. Whether or not this is an issue, depends upon your viewing distance and the width of your viewing area.

The 8000’s performance shined in areas of signal processing, motion resolution, noise reduction and gray scale accuracy, passing all the standard definition HQV tests for 3:2 Film detection, detail and noise reduction.  It also passed the HD HQV deinterlacing 1080i signals and film cadence tests with the 8000 set to Film Mode 1. Warm 2 color temperature was near the industry D6500 standard and fine-tuned near perfection using the 8000’s “White Balance” control with the aid of signal generator and a Photo Research spectroradiometer.

There are two controls for the 8000s “Auto Motion Plus” 240Hz circuitry. Access is available by using the “Custom” mode (the other modes are factory presets and “off”). The first control labeled “Blur Reduction” can reduce or eliminate motion blur with video based sources such as live sports, newscasts, reality TV and some scripted series. The second control is called “Judder Reduction”, it smoothes out horizontal pans of film based sources (movies and many scripted TV series) eliminating the stutter present on other displays and supposedly reduces motion blur, though this is difficult to confirm. Unfortunately there is no objective test material currently available to quantify the amount of blur reduction with 24 fps source material.

Using the video-based FPD test disc, the “Blur Reduction”  set to “0″ produced a motion resolution of 320 lines, the same as seen on most 60 Hz LCDs. Increasing the control to the “5″ position measured 630 lines of motion resolution, about the same result as most 120 Hz LCD flat panels previously measured. Cranking the control to the maximum “10″ position produced full 1080 line resolution. The only trade-off—a slight horizontal streaking—is more apparent as the control setting is increased. This was only noticeable close-up on light objects featuring dark details such as black lettering on a white street sign, or a girl’s dark lipstick against her light face as she swings on a rope. Overall the effect was insignificant enough to keep the control locked at the 10 maximum.

The “Judder Reduction” control makes pans appear smoother. The trade-off was that film-based material appears more like “live video” with a smoother texture as the control setting is increased, as if the film grain has been reduced or nearly eliminated. Comparing the 8000 against our reference Pioneer Pro-141FD confirmed the video-like look, noticeable even when the control is set to “Off”!  Some viewers like the improved smoothness while others (including myself) don’t.  The best compromise was with the control set to position “1″.

HDTV color accuracy was excellent. With the 8000’s “Color Space” set to auto the primaries show a very slight deviation from the Rec. 709 HDTV standard. Samsung claims the colors can be precisely fine tuned using the 8000’s custom “Color Space” control; if one has the inclination and the proper test equipment.

Evaluating image quality using Verizon FIOS cable (SD and HD) and Blu-ray confirmed the UN46B8000’s ability to produced fine looking pictures. The judder reduction circuitry really smoothed out the image during fast action sequences, such as seen in the Transporter 3 Audi-Mercedes chase (Chapter 10) on Blu-ray.

The full motion resolution and overall excellent performance places the UN46B8000 at the top of all the LCD HDTVs tested. We will see if the 8000 can keep its crown when we review the current Samsung and Sony LED rear backlit models currently in queue. Despite our quibbles regarding its “new technology” advertising, this Samsung is the first HDTV to deliver the dream of a thin, light weight, bright, clear 46″ HDTV that you can easily hang on the wall like a painting. The HD Guru awards the Samsung UN46B8000 ♥♥♥.

-HDGuru® with Michael Fremer

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The HD Guru has obtained information on Hitachi’s 2009 line of LCD HDTVs. Hitachi is offering 7 models in three series: Ultravision, Alpha and LCD with DVD as follows:

Ultravision Series

The Ultravision line consists of three models, a 42″, 46″ and 55″ All are 120 Hz/1080p  with Hitachi’s Reel 120 Smooth motion frame insertion technolgy, HDTV tuners, game mode, PC input and energy star compliance.   Models pricing and availability is 55″  L55S603 ($1799.95 September); 46″ L46S603 ($1299.95, September) and the L42S603 ($999.99 June).  The 46″ and 55″ features include:

High Gloss Black Finish, Elliptical Swivel Stand, UltraVision® Accent Light, 120Hz 1080p Perfected (1920×1080),Reel120™ Motion Correction,Super-Clear Anti-Glare Screen, New High Efficiency Liquid Crystal Display,High Dynamic Contrast Ratio,High Brightness,Clear Motion Fast Response Time, Long Life CCFL Backlight, UltraWide Viewing Angle,PicturePerfect Video Processor, Automatic Film Processing,Dynamic Contrast (On, Normal), Blue Only Mode,3D Y/C Comb Filter,Adjustable Color Temperatures,Game Mode,Adjustable Gamma,MPEG Noise Reduction, PRO Mode Memories (2),Day & Night Picture Memories w/ Timer, Intelligent Light Sensor, Universal Remote Control,PC Input: (RGB),ATSC / NTSC / QAM tuner,7 Aspect Modes and Auto Zoom, Custom Input Labels, V-Chip Parental Control: (V 2.0),Sleep Timer: (5-240 Minutes), SRS TruSurround HD™,MTS/SAP,24W Stereo Sound
Inputs/Outputs,(5) HDMI™ (V.1.3 with Deep Color™, 1080p 24/60) (3 Back, 2 Side),(2) Wideband Component Inputs,(2) Composite Video Inputs,(2) S-Video Inputs,(1) PC Input (RGB D-sub 15),(1) PC Audio Input,(1) RF Antenna Input,(1) Digital Audio Output (Optical),(1) USB Input for Software Upgrade

The 42″ L42S603 features include:
High Gloss Black, Elliptical Swivel Stand, 42” Class (42.02” diagonal),  1080p Perfected (1920×1080),Reel120™ Motion Correction, Super-Clear Anti-Glare Screen, New High Efficiency Liquid Crystal Display, High Dynamic Contrast Ratio, High Brightness, Clear Motion Fast Response Time 4ms, Long Life CCFL Backlight,UltraWide Viewing Angle: 176:176, PicturePerfect Video Processor, Picture Memory by Input, Automatic Film Processing, Dynamic Contrast (On, Normal), Game Mode, 3D Y/C Comb Filter, 3 Color Temperatures,  Universal Remote Control, PC Input (RGB),  ATSC / NTSC / QAM tuner,6 Aspect Modes,Custom Input Labels, V-Chip Parental Control: (V2.0),Advanced Closed Caption,Sleep Timer (5-240 Minutes),SRS TruSurround HD™,  24W Stereo Sound

Inputs/Outputs  (4) HDMI™ (V.1.3 with Deep Color™,1080p 24/60) (2 Back, 2 Side), (2) Wideband Component Inputs, (2) Composite Video Inputs, (2) S-Video Inputs, (1) PC Input (RGB D-sub 15), (1) PC Audio Input, (1) RF Antenna Input, (1) Digital Audio Output (Optical), (1) USB Input for Software Upgrade, Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)

Alpha Series

Alpha series consists of two models, the 42″ 1080p L42A403, ($849.99 End of May) and the 32″ 720p L32403 ($499.99, End of May) Features are as follows:

L42A403

High Gloss Black, Elliptical Swivel Stand, 42” Class (42.02” diagonal), 1080p Perfected,(1920×1080), Super-Clear Anti-Glare Screen,New High Efficiency Liquid Crystal Display, High Dynamic Contrast Ratio, High Brightness,Clear Motion Fast Response Time, Long Life CCFL Backlight, UltraWide Viewing Angle, PicturePerfect Video Processor, Picture Memory by Input, Automatic Film Processing, Dynamic Contrast, Game Mode, 3D Y/C Comb Filter, Adjustable Backlight, 3 Color Temperatures, PC Input (RGB), ATSC / NTSC / QAM tuner, 4 Aspect Modes, Custom Input Labels, V-Chip Parental Control: (V2.0), Advanced Closed Caption, Sleep Timer (5-240 Minutes), SRS TruSurround HD™, 24W Stereo Sound,

Inputs/Outputs, (4) HDMI™ (V.1.3 with x.v.Color™ CEC)(2 Back, 2 Side), (2) Wideband Component Inputs (2) Composite Video Inputs, (2) S-Video Inputs, (1) PC Input (RGB D-sub 15), (1) PC Audio Input, (1) RF Antenna Input, (1) Digital Audio Output (Optical), (1) Audio Output L/R, (1) USB Input for Software Upgrade, (1) Headphone (side), Resolution: 1080p (1920 x 1080)

L32A403

High Gloss Black, Elliptical Swivel Stand, 32” Class (31.51” diagonal), 720p Perfected (1366 x768), Super-Clear Anti-Glare Screen, New High Efficiency Liquid Crystal Display, High Dynamic Contrast Ratio, High Brightness, Clear Motion Fast Response Time, Long Life CCFL Backlight, UltraWide Viewing Angle, PicturePerfect Video Processor, Picture Memory by Input, Automatic Film Processing, Dynamic Contrast, Game Mode, 3D Y/C Comb Filter, Adjustable Backlight, 3 Color Temperatures, ATSC / NTSC / QAM tuner, 4 Aspect Modes, Custom Input Labels, V-Chip Parental Control, Advanced Closed Caption, Sleep Timer (120 Minutes), SRS TruSurround HD™, 20W Stereo Sound

Inputs/Outputs (4) HDMI™ (V.1.3 with x.v.Color™ CEC) (2 Back, 2 Side), (2) Wideband Component Input, (2) Composite Video Input, (1) S-Video Input, (1) PC Input (RGB D-sub 15), (1) PC Audio Input, (1) RF Antenna Input (1) Digital Audio Output (Optical), (1) Audio Output L/R, (1) USB Input for Software Upgrade, (1) Headphone (side), Resolution: 720p (1366×768)

LCD+DVD Series

Consists of  2 models the 26″ LD26D103 ($449.99, June) and the 19″ LD19D103($299.99, August). Features include:

LD26D103

26″ Class(26.01″ Diagonal), HD 720p (1366×768), ATSC/QAM/NTSC, 2 HDMI™, 1 Component, RGB PC Input, ENERGY STAR®, Gloss Black, DTS® Playback, Headphone output

LD19D103

19″ Class (18.51” Diagonal),HD 720p (1366×768), ATSC/QAM/NTSC, 1 HDMI™,1 Component, RGB PC Input, ENERGY STAR®, Gloss Black, DTS® Playback, Headphone output

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In an SEC filing this past Monday, Soyo Group Inc., the maker of  Soyo and Honeywell branded HDTVs (Link) announced that it has sought Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The company has ceased all operations and its CFO has resigned according to the notice.

Attempts to contact Soyo by phone were unsuccessful. Honeywell Corp. has yet to respond to an inquiry as to its future HDTV plans or its willingness to cover the Soyo/Honeywell 5 year warranty.  Soyo sold most of its Honeywell HDTVs through Home Shopping Network.  Below is a copy of the SEC 8-K filing.

On April 30, 2009,  Vasquez & Company LLP (”Vasquez”)  resigned as the Company’s auditors.  Vasquez did not issue an audit report for the year ended 2008. During the audit for the year ended 2008,  Vasquez had a disagreement  or difference of opinion  with  employees  and senior  management  of the  Company  because  they significantly  expanded the scope of their audit for further investigation going as far back as the year ended 2007 and interim quarterly periods ended in 2007.

In  addition,  Vasquez  advised the Company  that “our audit report for the year ended 2007 and our  pre-issuance  review  procedures  for the interim  quarterly periods  ended in 2007 and  interim  quarterly  periods  ended in 2008 should no longer be relied upon.”

On May 5, 2008, the Company  discontinued all operations and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy  protection.  The petition was filed in the United States  Bankruptcy Court,  Central  District  of  California,   Riverside  Division,   Case  number 09-19355-RN.  A Chapter 7 trustee has been appointed by the Bankruptcy  Court to administer the Company’s assets and liabilities.

The Company has defaulted on all loans owed to creditors, including loans in the approximate  outstanding  balances of $24,000,000  and $1,500,000 owed to United Commercial  Bank,  the  Company’s  primary  creditor.  The  Company has not paid interest  or  principal  on the  loans  since  March  of 2009.  Pursuant  to the Company’s  stipulation  to the  application  of UCB in the Superior  Court,  San Bernardino  County,  Case number KC055623,  Kenneth Krasne has been appointed as receiver for those assets of the Company that constitute collateral for its loan from  UCB,  which  collateral  includes  almost  all of the  Company’s  accounts receivables and inventory, and equipment.

On May 10,  2009,  the  Company  accepted  the  resignation  of Nancy Chu as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors.

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(May 12, 2009) Despite plasma’s superior picture quality and lower large screen pricing, many tech writers like New York Times columnist David Pogue who recently wrote that plasma is “on the way out,” consider it a dying technology.  Are they correct?  Or are they in need of a fact transfusion? To get the answer, the HD Guru® asked for input from executives of the three plasma panel makers: LG, Samsung and Panasonic.

Below are the questions and the emailed responses, published in their entirety.

LG’ s reply is from Tim Alessi, Director of Product Development, LG Electronics USA.

David Pogue of the NY Times recently wrote “it looks like plasma is on the way out”  Does LG concur with his statement?

Nope. Plasma will continue to be a viable technology for flat-panel displays in the near- to mid-term future. Plasma continues to be the technology of choice for home theater enthusiasts, sports fans and consumers desiring a larger screen size.  These consumers are some of the most discerning, and they appreciate the strengths of plasma such as deeper black levels, rich color reproduction, smooth motion and wide viewing angles.

How do you see the present and future of plasma HDTV technology?

Industry wide, over 60 new models of plasma are being introduced to the market this year.  LG will include some of our newest technology in plasma sets, technology such as advanced design, NetCast Entertainment Access for connection to a wide array of Internet-based content and THX-certified displays.  While its growth has seemed to flatten out in total, plasma continues to show strong demand in large screen sizes.  In 2009, we estimate that plasma will account for more than 40 percent of the 50-inch and larger screen size sales.  That unit volume will probably continue for at least the next 3 ~ 4 years.

Are you doing anything to counter the assertions of the death of plasma HDTV by Pogue, PC Magazine and others?

We continue to work with our retail partners to promote plasma.  LG is a founding member of the Plasma Display Coalition, which is the voice of the plasma industry to promote its attributes as well as combat misinformation that arises, including some of the outrageous power consumption claims raised by some NGOs (Non Government Organizations-Ed.) and agencies.  The most tangible thing we do to deal with the rumors of plasma’s demise is to keep introducing new and improved products each year, which we expect to continue to do for the foreseeable future.

Panasonic’s response is from Bob Perry, Executive Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.

In today’s world, there are two primary display technologies used in televisions – LCD and PDP.  LCD’s, which have used in displays for decades, and a newer technology – Plasma, which has been available for about 10 years in commercial quantities for televisions.  And both are doing quite well, and Panasonic produces televisions with both technologies.  LCD’s, as a mature technology are manufactured by a number of manufacturers, both large and small.  And recent strong worldwide growth in LCD television sales has been primarily fueled by the transition from CRTs.  So, from Panasonic’s standpoint, how do we view the market for these display technologies?

We clearly see in the industry numbers that LCD growth, particularly in the US market, has leveled off, and it’s growth rate is slower than the growth rate of PDP.  PDP, used principally in larger displays, continues to show growth as consumers in the US shift to larger displays (50’+), and as PDP, a fairly immature technology from a cost perspective, continues to show improved cost effectiveness.   We expect this trend to continue.  We expect larger PDP televisions to be marketed, and we expect to see continued improvements in cost effectiveness, particularly in larger screen sizes.

In terms of the worldwide output capacity of LCD and PDP, both are growing.  PDP has been historically manufactured in high volume by three companies, and this situation is the overall market today.  None of the these companies has indicated any intention or plan to reduce PDP output capacity, and Panasonic specifically will be bringing a new PDP factory on line later this year, and a new LCD factory later next year.  We believe both technologies offer unique benefits and performance characteristics, and will be produced in high-quantity for years to come.

Plasma is clearly not on the way out, the future is bright and growing, and fortunately, consumers research and buy what they like, what their neighbors own, and what makes sense to them from a value perspective.

Samsung’s response is from John Revie, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Marketing, Samsung Electronics America.

Plasma is an important part of the Flat Panel industry, representing approximately 30% of the 40”+ market and 50% of the 50”+ market.  Plasma TVs provide the consumer great picture performance and value. As such we will remain committed to this technology and continue to make capex (Capital Expeditures-Ed.)and R&D investments to improve our production capability and product design.  We believe with the current manufacturers in the industry and the picture/performance of the technology, consumer’s confidence in the technology will remain strong.

For 2009, Samsung is introducing six new high performance Plasma TVs that feature better picture quality, slimmer and lighter design as well as advanced connectivity to content.

•     New, brighter, higher contrast with our new “E-panel.”  Plasma TVs using this new panel meets Energy Star standards for active power ratings without sacrificing picture quality.
•     New slimmer and lighter weight design across the entire line up.  The depth of the new 8 Series is 1.2”, a huge decrease over the 4 inches of 2008 models.  All other series feature a reduced depth of 2.9 inches.
•     Step models feature our new 24p Cinema Smooth that eliminates judder on 24p BP sources and 24p Satellite Channels
•     Improved contrast and lower reflection Ultra-Filterbright and Ultra-Filterbright PLUS on mid and step models
•     Content Connectivity – Suite of Medi@2.0 features (USB 2.0 Media, wireless DLNA, Internet@TV- Content Service and Content Library) will bring a new avenue for entertainment and multimedia experiences on Samsung’s 2009 plasma TVs.

We are committed to delivering on superior quality, energy efficiency and innovative features in our Plasmas line to keep us positioned as a leading brand in the market.

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