Hasta La Gadget!

When we first caught wind of LG’s “180-inch plasma” we were understandably enthused (and just a little skeptical), but our excitement was quickly ruined with word that LG was merely sticking nine 600Hz 60-inch plasmas next to each other and calling it a day. We got a glimpse at the “multi-vision display” (LG shorthand for “a bunch of screens next to each other”) today, and it’s still decently impressive in its own right. LG’s managed to get the seams between the screens down to a mere 1.5mm, and while the lines are still noticeable, they could be a lot worse. While they lines certainly get in the way of entertainment, it actually provides an interesting effect when donning the 3D glasses — almost highlighting the effect of depth. LG has some pretty boring plans for the screens, like digital signage and education, and we’ll be sticking to projectors for our big screen needs, but we’re still saying a 180-inch straight-up, no funny business plasma would be pretty stellar.

LG’s 180-inch plasma that wasn’t originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to Engadget’s Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we’re here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we have HDTVs in our sights — and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the month.

All those small screen devices in our back to school guide so far are nice, but lets face it, when it comes to watching TV or taking a quick Call of duty study break, you’re going to need something more sizable. Higher end features like 1080p resolution, 120Hz and LED lighting have trickled down to more affordable price ranges so there’s really no excuse for lugging a CRT as old as you are into any dorm room this fall. Whether you’re looking something that pulls double duty as a computer monitor for work and HDTV for play (at the same time) or just the biggest screen for the buck there’s plenty to choose from, so let’s select a few winners from the crowd.

Continue reading Engadget’s back to school guide: Televisions

Engadget’s back to school guide: Televisions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you thought you could crawl in a corner and wait for this 3D onslaught to pass, you may be camped out for some time to come. Panasonic is following up on its CES introductions with a new pair of 3D plasmas for the gaming set, the Viera 3D GT25 range. Said series is debuting with a pair to choose from, the 50-inch TC-P50GT25 and the 42-inch TC-P42G25. The latter is Panny’s first-ever 42-inch Full HD 3D plasma, and as you’d expect, both of these guys will require active shutter glasses in order to operate. As for specs? You’re looking at a 1080p panel, 600Hz sub-field drive, 24p playback and (a company first) 2D-to-3D conversion that may or may not be the answer to all of life’s problems. Or maybe they’ll just do what Sony and Samsung have already been doing. The duo should be on retail shelves by the end of this month, with the little guy going for $1,699.95 and the big(ger) guy for $2,099.95.

Continue reading Panasonic intros 42- and 50-inch 3D Viera GT25 plasma sets, its first with 2D-to-3D conversion

Panasonic intros 42- and 50-inch 3D Viera GT25 plasma sets, its first with 2D-to-3D conversion originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we think of surround sound we think of lots of speakers, but SRS intends to change that with its front rendered surround sound technologies like SRS TheaterSound. When we first heard of this idea we thought of it as simulated surround sound, but then we realized; hey wait, all surround sound is simulated — there aren’t actually bullets whizzing around our living room. So while the jury is still out on how many speakers are required to make you feel like you’re in the middle of the action, we always appreciate steps in the right direction and the new Samsung owners will get the benefits of SRS TheaterSound. In addition to the surround sound part, it also helps tames loud commercial and inaudible dialog. Of course in this case hearing is believing, and this is one we’ll have to hear for ourselves. Assuming we can get our hands on one of the latest Samsung LED back-lit LCDs or plasmas to try out.

Continue reading SRS TheaterSound featured in new Samsung LCDs and Plasmas

SRS TheaterSound featured in new Samsung LCDs and Plasmas originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good luck keeping up with the ever changing specs on the latest HDTVs, but as the numbers get more impressive, are the displays actually improving in any noticeable way? Dr. Raymond Soneira , president of DisplayMate, goes about breaking down many of the more often misused and misleading technical buzzwords in an article on MaximumPC. If you’re wondering how manufacturers have advanced contrast ratios from thousands, to millions, to unlimited over the space of just a few years, there’s a breakdown of what “dynamic contrast ratio” actually measures and why it’s worth ignoring — unless you watch your TV when it’s only displaying one color at a time. When it comes to colors colors, some of the most scathing words were pointed towards Sharp’s Quattron quad-pixel technology, which “can only decrease picture quality and accuracy!”

Whether you believe the good Dr., a glistening review or Cmdr. Sulu, the factual heat burned hottest during a test of motion blur compared on LCDs, LED LCDs, plasmas and even a pro CRT. While additional motion processing and upgraded internals on newer HDTVs can help in many other ways, viewers couldn’t detect any blur caused by a display even on an old 60Hz set, despite newer and faster 120Hz, 240Hz and 600Hz (plasma) sets claiming their technology helped them eliminate it. You’ll need a minute to read through for the full details but it’s a good, and unfortunately necessary, reminder to keep your eyes on the display and not just the spec sheet (just make sure you’re getting a proper look that represents the way you watch TV at home first.)

HDTV tests pit fantasy land specs against real world performance — guess what happens originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 May 2010 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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