Epson begins mass-producing ‘world’s smallest’ LCD

Epson’s started volume production of what it believes to be the “world’s smallest” XGA high temperature polysilicon TFT (HTPS-TFT) panel. The chip used (an L3P05X-91G00) is approximately 23 percent smaller than its predecessor, and the 0.55-inch panel boasts natural XGA (1024 x 768) resolution. Epson says they’re working to increase the resolution on these types of displays, which are currently being manufactured only for 3LCD data projectors. Pretty impressive — though, we’ll just hold out until they start putting these babies into really tiny television sets.

[Via About Projectors]

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Epson begins mass-producing ‘world’s smallest’ LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer introduces Aspire M5800 and M3800 desktops, H235H display

Acer’s been on a tear with the new gear lately, and while we’re not going to say we’re as hot for the new Aspire M5800 tower as we are for, say, the Timeline, it’s still a pretty nice little machine — you’re looking at a 2.66GHz Core 2 Quad with 8GB of RAM, 1.5GB GeForce GT230 graphics, a 740GB drive and HDMI out for $800. Not bad at all. Little brothers Aspire M3800 and X3810 are far less interesting, with a 2.5GHz Pentium and integrated X4500 graphics for $450 in a tower or $529 in a low-profile case. Not exactly mindblowing, but you’ve still got HDMI out, so they could make for reasonably cheap HTPCs if you don’t need much more than Flash support. Acer’s also got a new display out, the 23-inch H235H, which offers 1080p resolution, 2ms response time, a 160-degree viewing angle, and 100,000:1 contrast ratio for $239.

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Acer introduces Aspire M5800 and M3800 desktops, H235H display originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp says ITC ban on LCD imports won’t affect US consumers

We just spent some time talking to Sharp’s reps about that ITC ban on its LCD panels, and while they certainly didn’t sound happy about the ruling, they made it clear that it shouldn’t have too much of an effect on US consumers — Aquos TVs and Sharp professional LCD displays currently on shelves are fine to be sold, and updated models have been hitting the channel as of last month. As you’d expect, the new displays have been re-engineered to workaround the Samsung patent in question, but here’s where it gets confusing: the basic model numbers haven’t changed. Instead, the new units have an “N” at the end, so a TV like the Aquos LC52-E77U will now be labeled LC52-E77UN. Sharp says the updated models have exactly the same specs as the outgoing ones, but we’re waiting on a detailed list of spec changes — or better, a side-by-side comparison — so we can decide whether or not the HDTV equivalents of a pre-CBS Fender are floating around out there.

Update: Sharp hit us back with some revised information, so we’ve changed the post slightly.

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Sharp says ITC ban on LCD imports won’t affect US consumers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TechSaver: LCD Headrests, TomTom GPS, Replacement Earbuds

LCDCarHeadrests.jpg

Now that Cheap Geek has gone upscale and become TechSaver, I’ve been ordered to remove all the geeky things from the office. Great, now what am I supposed to do with this box of light sabers?

1. You’ve got TV in your house and there’ll be TV where you’re going, but if only there was some way you could have video in the car, as well. Now there is. Geeks.com is selling a two-pack of 7-inch LCD car headrest color monitors for $137.99, and you’ll get free shipping if you use the code FREESTUFF at checkout. These are easy to set up and even come with a pair of remotes, perhaps for especially large backseats. They support PAL and NTSC systems, so I guess the idea is that you use them with a portable DVD player.

2. Speaking of car deals, look what you can get at 1saleaday.com. Until midnight tonight, it’s selling a refurbished TomTom One 3rd Edition for $49.99. That’s a terrific price on a dependable navigator. This GPS has a 3.5-inch screen and both U.S. and Canadian maps. Click the Specs button to confirm that this is a refurbished model, which isn’t immediately obvious. TomTom itself sells refurbs of this navigator for $99.95, so it’s still a great deal.

3. Why spend a small fortune on earbuds when you can spend $3? That’s the price for Techsunny iPod Earphones, which look exactly like Apple’s own earbuds. They’re going for $3 each with free shipping. Buy a couple to have on hand, just in case the headphones you have break.

Sharp LCD panels banned from US import until further notice

Chalk up another huge win for Samsung in its long-running patent dispute with Sharp: the US International Trade Commission has just issued a ruling banning importation of Sharp LCD panels that infringe one of Samsung’s viewing-angle patents. As you might imagine, the ban covers a wide swath of Sharp’s consumer products, including the Aquos TV line, but it’s not clear on how it’ll affect other companies that use Sharp panels — this ruling could potentially have a huge impact on the entire tech market. On the other hand, we’d bet that Sharp’s lawyers are furiously putting together a request to have the ban delayed while an appeal is sorted out, so this is far from over — in fact, we’d say the real fireworks are just beginning.

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Sharp LCD panels banned from US import until further notice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JVC shows off LED-backlit, 7mm-thin 1080p LT-32WX50 LCD HDTV

CEDIA’s UK show is going on right now across the pond, and while things are rather quiet overall, JVC has definitely garnered a fair bit of attention with its 32-inch LT-32WX50. The 1080p set features 100Hz dejudder technology, a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, 90 percent of Adobe’s RGB color space and — here’s the real kicker — a thickness of just seven millimeters. The whole panel weighs just 11 pounds, meaning that even the weaklings should be able to transport, move and install this one sans any overpriced help from Geek Squad. Around back, there’s a pair of HDMI inputs, a PC port, an SD card slot and a USB connector. If all goes well, it should start hitting retailers this fall, but there’s no mention of when it’ll ship stateside.

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JVC shows off LED-backlit, 7mm-thin 1080p LT-32WX50 LCD HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIZIO Internet App HDTVs launch later this year, for less than you might expect

Sure VIZIO only just showed off new updates in its high end XVT series, but it’s already planning the next generation of LCDs with VIZIO Internet Apps included. Packing widget functionality, 802.11n wireless networking and slider QWERTY Bluetooth remote, the SV422XVT, SV472XVT and VF552XVT Connected HDTVs are coming home in November, October and December, respectively. Already on deck to serve up content for your widgets are Vudu, Revision3, Facebook, Twitter, Rhapsody, Blockbuster OnDemand, Showtime, Flickr and more. The biggest surprise? There’s apparently no price premium planned for these features, with the 55-inch clocking in at the same $2,199 price as the model it’s replacing, though the 47-inch jumps $200 over the previous edition to $1,699, while adding the local dimming LED backlit technology previously reserved for the 55-inch. The 42-inch will be the first and cheapest available at $1,199 (sans LED) — we’ll see if that bar is low enough to get viewers to jump into the internet-connected display future.

Read – VIZIO Announces High Performance XVT HDTV Line Up with 240Hz SPS(TM), TruLED(TM) and Smart Dimming(TM) Technology, VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA), and Slim Line(TM) 120Hz LCD HDTV Models
Read – VIZIO Unveils Rhapsody Digital Music Service for VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA(TM)) Connected HDTVs
Read – VIZIO Reveals Dynamic New Content Partners for VIZIO Internet Apps Connected HDTV Feature

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VIZIO Internet App HDTVs launch later this year, for less than you might expect originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG readies first 47LH50 3D LCD TV — just 29,999,999 to go

LG is set to release its first 3D TV — the 47-inch 47LH50 LCD — into the Korean market next month. As our tech overlords, this could signal a trend that’ll head west. In fact, LG estimates that the 3D television market will exceed 30 million units by 2012 — exactly what we’d say too if we were in the business of selling televisions. Hmm, 30 million TVs multiplied by 4.5 pairs of glasses required for the average household — guess we’ll be investing in polarized lenses.

[Via @visitken]

LG readies first 47LH50 3D LCD TV — just 29,999,999 to go originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viewsonic announces three new 3D projectors

Good news, 3D fanboys and girls, looks like Viewsonic’s back on the scene with a clutch of 120Hz 3D-enabled projectors. The first new model, the PJD6381, looks to be aimed at schools and businesses, with an extremely short throw ratios (around .68) for reducing shadowing effects, and a number of interactive whiteboard options. Available in August, this guy has 1024 x 768 XGA resolution, 2,500 ANSI lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 120Hz refresh rate, and is compatible with the both Texas Instruments’ DLP Link and NVIDIA’s 3D-Vision 3D technology — expect it to have an MSRP of $1,249. The PJD6211 and PJD6221 ($849 and $899, respectively) also sport 1024 x 768 XGA resolution, as well as up to 2,700 lumens, a 2,800:1 contrast ratio and both DLP Link and 3D-Vision compatibility. These two should hit the stores some time in July.

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Viewsonic announces three new 3D projectors originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kopin crafts world’s smallest VGA microdisplay, 2k x 2k postage stamps up next

Think your cellphone display packs a lot of pixels into a small space? Pssh. Kopin Corporation has just announced the smallest VGA color-filter liquid crystal display, checking in with a 600 x 480 resolution and a 0.27-inch (diagonal) size. The feat was accomplished by shrinking the color dots to 2.9 x 8.7 µm from 3.75 x 11.25 µm, and according to the company, it’s a huge step in reaching its goal of creating a “2,048 x 2,048-resolution display in a size smaller than a typical postage stamp.” Already, the firm has stated that it can concoct SVGA (800 x 600) displays at 0.34-inches, XGA (1,024 x 768) displays at 0.44-inches and and SXGA (1,280 x 1,024) displays at 0.56-inch using the same color dot size, which will apparently be used in digicams, camcorders and possibly even handsets. And you thought that D90 panel was something to ooh and ahh over…

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Kopin crafts world’s smallest VGA microdisplay, 2k x 2k postage stamps up next originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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