Mitsubishi's 3D-ready and Unisen HDTV lines in the flesh

Toshiba already showed us what its freshest line of HDTVs looks like, and now its Mitsubishi's turn. The outfit was on hand in NYC to showcase a few of its now-shipping sets, including the 3D-ready Home Theater line and its speaker-infused Unisen crew. We won't bore you with the specs (which can be found here and here, respectively), but we will confess that the 82-inch WD-82737 has us squirming uncontrollably. Have a peek yourself in the gallery below.

[via engadget]

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LG's Netflix-friendly 47LH50 and 50PS80 NetCast HDTVs now shipping in America

Without a doubt, the next big thing in the world of HDTVs is internet capabilities. With Toshiba just shipping its own web-enabled sets this week, LG Electronics is making sure it doesn't fall too far behind by floating a few of its own NetCast models out to the open market. Originally unveiled at CES, these HDTVs are the first from the company with built-in Netflix streaming support, and if you're curious about model numbers, it's the 47-inch 47LH50 LCD HDTV and the 50-inch 50PS80 plasma that are available today. LG tells us that the 42-inch 42LH50 LCD and 60-inch 60PS80 plasma should hit later this summer, but if you're looking to buy now, you'll have to pony up $1,999 for the 47LH50 or 50PS80.

[via engadget]

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Epson's WUXGA HTPS-TFT Panel hints at ultra-bright, high-contrast PowerLite projectors in September

As a leader in home cinema systems, it's always a good idea to keep tabs on Epson's core technologies as a preview of what's coming up in next generation home theater projectors. Today Seiko-Epson announced the start of volume production for its 0.94-inch HTPS-TFT LCD capable of a WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixel) resolution for 3LCD projectors pushing 1080p. The panel supports a brightness of 5000 lumens (or more!) using Epson's D7 process technology while achieving "higher than ever contrast" through its C2 Fine inorganic alignment layer tech. What this means is simple: expect to see a new brightness and contrast champion PowerLite Home Cinema projector announced at the end of Summer, as CEDIA tradition dictates, with product shipping by end of the year.

[via engadget]

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Researchers ditch DLP, develop OLED panel-based mini projector

Looking for a way to differentiate among the ever-expanding niche of pocket projectors, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) of Germany are working on an OLED panel-based mini projector, using static optical systems and not the usual reflective system à la DLP. Currently being shown at SID Display Week 2009, the decidedly green picture (seems to be the norm with OLED prototypes these days) forms via a 6-inch VGA screen from 30 to 50 centimeters away, and the machine itself takes up just about ten cubic centimeters of space. Despite all the faith, there's still the rather nasty problem of luminance, which the scientists estimate needs to be about four or five times as bright as current levels -- but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?

[via engadget]

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Toshiba ships REGZA ZV650 and SV670 HDTVs

If you're not down with waiting for Toshiba's internet-connected range of HDTVs -- which, by the way, should be out before the dawn of 2010 -- here's a bit of excellent news: the REGZA ZV650 and SV670 series are now shipping. Both of the sets were initially announced way back at CES, and the latter of the two is Tosh's first-ever LED-backlit HDTV. Said set also packs local dimming, ClearScan 240 dejudder technology, PixelPure 5G 14-bit video processing and that questionably useful Resolution+ system. There's also a USB socket, four HDMI connectors, IR pass-through, a PC input and REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC). As for the other guys (yeah, there's more), head on past the break and take notes on the ones relevant to your interests.

[via engadget]

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Samsung shows off video-capable e-paper prototype

E-paper displays capable of playing video aren't exactly a completely new development, but Samsung seems to be particularly proud of its latest prototype, which makes use of some new, slightly mysterious technology to let you switch between e-paper and video modes. That's apparently possible in part thanks to an active matrix panel that uses "a kind of cholesteric liquid crystal" which, oddly enough, has so far been primarily used in displays on flash drives. Given that history, the 10.2-inch panel itself is expectedly a little lackluster when it comes to the core specs, with it packing a mere 320 x 240 resolution, 64 colors, and a response time of 25 ms "or less." Of course, it is still just a prototype, and Samsung seems confident that it'll be able to make the necessary improvements before it tuns into an actual product.

[via engadget]

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Averatec introduces 25.5-inch D1200 all-in-one PC

Nah, it's no netbook, but it's certainly more than a rumor. Averatec has just cut loose details on its newest machine, a 25.5-inch PC / TV combo that looks to take on the likes of MSI's AE1900. The D1200 all-in-one PC comes equipped with a hybrid digital / analog TV tuner and supports buttery smooth 1080p playback. Specs wise, you'll find a 2.5GHz dual-core E5200 processor, 320GB hard drive, 4GB of memory and Vista Home Premium (64-bit). There's also an 8x DVD burner, 2 megapixel webcam, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, Intel's G4500HD graphics, a wireless remote and a panel that's either WXGA or 1,920 x 1,200, depending on which version of the rundown you read. At any rate, it's up for order as we speak for a buck under $1,000.

[via engadget]

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NEC rolls out two new high-end 24-inch MultiSync monitors

The may not be quite as energy efficient as some of NEC's offerings or as jaw-dropping as some others, but the company's new MultiSync LCD2490WUXi² and LCD2490W2-BK-SV displays will no doubt be just the ticket for at least a few graphics professionals out there. From the looks of it, the two 24-inch monitors are mostly identical, and pack an IPS panel with a 1,900 x 1,200 resolution, along with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 320 cd/m² brightness, 96.7% coverage of the sRGB color space, and NEC's AmbiBright ambient light sensor with automatic backlight adjustment. The big difference is that the LCD2490W2 model comes bundled with NEC's SpectraView color calibration sensor and, of course, a slightly higher price tag. Look for it to run you $1,299, while the SpectraView-less LCD2490WUXi² will set you back $1,099.

[via engadget]

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Flexible organic display brings PIP-Boy one step closer to reality

We've seen the occasional PIP-Boy-esque wearable in the past, and now more details have emerged on this flexible OLED that we first peeped at CES in January. The 4-inch organic electroluminescent display sports up to 1.67 million colors, QVGA (320 x 240) 100ppi resolution, and can be bent to a curvature radius of about 2 inches. Hopefully, this doesn't become a must-have fashion accessory any time soon: while it's perfectly appropriate attire for post-apocalyptic wastelands, we don't know how well it'll fly at the sorts of high society social events we normally frequent. We got one more pic for you after the break.

[via engadget]

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VIZIO introduces new XVT, M and E series HDTVs

It's been a hot minute since we've seen any new kit from the cats at VIZIO, but it has evidently been hoarding up sets in anticipation for today. This morning, the company has let loose details on a veritable smorgasbord of new TVs, all of which fall within the XVT, M and E series. The XVT line is getting a boost from the new TruLED VF551XVT, which packs 240Hz dejudder technology, as well as a number of other companions ranging from 32- to 55-inches in size. The M series is amongst the prettiest of the bunch, boasting a JAVA design, 1080p panels and 120Hz technology. Finally, the E series (E is for Eco, get it?) sucks down far less energy than most, with screen sizes spanning from 19- to 42-inches. Far too many new sets are being unveiled to detail here, but you can feel free to dig in after the break.
[via engadget]

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New mass-production technique for flexible OLEDs could make them cheap

Getting tired of flexible OLED prototypes that are about as ready for retail as that cold fusion reactor your uncle Harry is building in his garage? Yeah, we are too, but it seems the industry is getting a little closer to reality, the latest step coming courtesy of Arizona State University's Flexible Display Center and Universal Display. Researchers at the pair have managed to produce flexible OLED displays using the same production techniques used to create standard, rather less bendy LCD displays, enabling the transistors that control the pixels to be applied to plastic, rather than the glass they typically find themselves embedded within. They glue a piece of plastic onto glass, feed it through the LCD manufacturing process, then peel the two apart like a high-tech Fruit Roll-Up. That technique was used to create the 4.1-inch monochrome display shown above -- which is for now just another prototype that won't be showing up in any devices any time soon.
[via engadget]

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JVC's 32-inch GD-32X1 LCD is 6.4-mm thin, nearly makes OLEDs jealous

OLED displays are synonymous with being impossibly thin. But Samsung's 8.9-mm thick "production-ready" 31-inch OLED TV was just trumped by this 32-inch LCD monitor from JVC measuring just 6.4-mm at its thinnest point. Oh right, thinnest point, we get it, all the processing circuity (Genessa Premium) and jacks (2x HDMI, RGB, component, composite, and more) are bundled into a brick riding the lower-half of the Full HD (1920 × 1080) monitor resulting is an unsightly pear-shaped pudge measuring a full 22.5-mm (0.89-inches) -- eww. You'll also be giving up the million-to-one contrast ratio of OLEDs for the relatively weak 4,000:1 contrast (on 400nits of brightness) found in the GD-32X1's LCD panel. No worries, with JVC dropping out of the consumer display business, these panels are targeting business-use anyway, so you can save your cash when these start shipping in August.

[via engadget]

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Pixel Qi's 3Qi LCD screen sized up with Kindle, CTO sheds light on your questions

Turns out Pixel Qi's CTO Mary Lou Jepsen reads Engadget, or at least the posts relevant to her company and her invention, the 3Qi screen. In addition to a side-by-side comparison of the display against the Kindle and a few other devices, in an interview with techvideoblog, she can be seen going through our most recent post and answering some of our readers' questions, including clearing up what seems to be a pretty big misconception that the screen uses e-ink for being visible in direct sunlight -- "it's standard LCD, just clever design," she explains. In one scene, she demonstrates that even in those very bright situations when the screen looks to go monochrome for visibility, you can still see a hint of color, with the full "Pleasantville" experience entering the more she moves the hardware into the shade. As for reports of the tech adding a $200 premium, she dismisses this as a misquote and infers that it was more of an example price for a laptop that'd be using the technology. There's a lot of fascinating tidbits here, including some talk on the nature of the display and laptop industries. As it stands, mass production begins this Fall, and even though you're seeing that Acer logo on the demo unit, Jepsen says it's just a prototype built into a laptop they bought at Radio Shack and that no manufacturing partners have been confirmed. Make sure the closest star isn't beaming down at your screen and head on after the break for the both videos.

Read - Mary Lou Jepsen answers user comments
Read - Pixel Qi vs Kindle vs Toshiba R600 vs regular LCD tablet

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