It's not just super-slim OLED sets on LG's IFA agenda this year. The South Korean tech giants are also diving into the realm of connected TVs, and their newly-revealed Smart TV seems the most aptly named of the bunch.
The web-connected set features a dashboard-style UI that houses a number of apps. These include Facebook, Picasa and Youtube among others, all pretty standard fare for internet-savvy screens.
Things get interesting however when the Smart TVs Wii-style Magic Motion Remote Control gets involved. Poiting and clicking to control actions on screen rather than using a traditional television remote control scheme, it'll let you try your hand at Yoga and First Aid lessons onscreen, as well as mucking about with a colouring-book app, with more wand-friendly features on the way.
The set will also complete with LGs Media Link, syncing numerous devices to the screen. According to the LG press release, Media Link offers:
"Instant access to online videos and images; users can easily upload things they've created themselves. And with a smartphone, leaving the house doesn't mean missing one's favourite programme because content can be delivered wirelessly. Whether connecting to an iPad, PCs, personal media players or home theatre systems, LG is expanding the reach of entertainment to every part of people's lives".
More on the LG Smart TV when it launches early next year.
Click here for more IFA 2010 related news from Tech Digest
It's been heralded as the future of flatscreen TVs, but OLED screens have so far been so small and expensive that they've remained something of a novelty. Until now that is. Details have leaked of an LG super OLED set that, whilst sure to still break the bank, is an impressive 31 inches as well as being 3D compatible.
At just 2.9mm thick it's quite literally a "cutting-edge" design, measuring up as the thinnest OLED screen on the market. Super smooth images will also be on show thanks to a 600Hz refresh rate, halving to a still-impressive 300Hz for 3D images.
However, with OLED screens half the size and without 3D smarts still sporting £1500 price tags, expect this set to remain the reserve of only the super-rich.
Click here for more IFA 2010 related news.
Samsung are again looking to drum up interest in their forever-delayed OLED range. This time Sammy have been talking up the potential of a 3D OLED TV.
Confirming that a large OLED TV screen from their stable was still coming soon, Samsung's Brian Berkeley also said that OLED displays would be perfect for 3D screens due to their high contrast ratios and quick response times. A 3D TV using OLED technology from Samsung could be just "a few years down the line".
Fair enough if Samsung are holding out until they can merge 3D and OLED tech together into one super-TV, but I tremble at the thought of its accompanying price tag. They'd best get their act together if they're to make launching a smaller regular OLED HDTV worthwhile though - rivals Sony and LG both have 14 and 15 inch OLED screens respectively already available on the market, and the last thing an expensive, relatively niche product category like this needs is another competitor.
Via: OLED Info
LG have confirmed that they will be displaying a 31 inch OLED TV at this year's IFA conference. It will be the largest that the company have produced so far, and while bigger examples exist from the likes of Samsung and Sony, the LG display could be unique in that it may make it to shops before the year is out.
OLED TVs, with their superior contrast ratios, minimal motion blur and svelte sizes, were hailed as the future for TVs when they first popped up on show floors a couple of years back. But the increasing quality of LCD TVs (not to mention the high pricing of OLEDs) has kept them quite the niche product.
Click here for more IFA-related news in the run up to the show's grand opening next month
Via: OLED Display
Two new high-end sets have been added to Sony's 3D Bravia range this morning. The NX713 and NX813 3D TVs are yet another two options to bring your PS3 games and (eventually) 3D Blu-rays into the third dimension.
Apart from 100Hz motion processing in the NX713 model and 200Hz processing in the NX813, there's very little to set the two TVs apart. Both sport the monolithic design of the updated Bravia range with dynamic LED backlighting and Sony's Bravia Internet Video services.
The sets also have with an optional designer stand, tilting the screen at the optimal 6 degree angle and squeezing in a 2.1 channel speaker system in the base.
"With 3D capability, the connectivity of BRAVIA Internet Video and stunning monolithic design, the NX713 and NX813 are perfect for people who want both style and performance from their TV," says Christian Brown, Senior Category Marketing Manager, Sony UK.
"More and more people recognize that 3D will play an important part in the future of home entertainment. And with the NX713 and NX813 you'll be safe in the knowledge that you're ready to upgrade to 3D viewing as soon as you decide the time is right.
No price or release date has been set yet for either model, but we'll pass on the info once we get it.
Panasonic's next line of 3D TVs set to hit the US will feature 2D-to-3D conversion abilities, the company have confirmed. Aimed at gamers, the GT25 range will launch across the pond before the end of the year, with the 42-inch version one of the smallest 3D sets currently available.
However, the addition of 2D-to-3D tech doesn't come without some controversy, after Panasonic bosses recently slammed its quality.
Speaking to Home Cinema Choice magazine, Panasonic's VP Bob Perry had said that his company would not be adopting the conversion technology "just as a sushi bar should promise never to serve fake sushi-like food."
Likewise Panasonic Europe's TV chief Fabrice Estornel questioned the conversion tech's ability to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with "real 3D" content: "We don't think it's right to confuse consumers this early on with second-rate conversion technology."
The TC-P42G25 and TC-P50GT25 models are expected to feature in Panasonic's show at next month's IFA conference in Berlin, so expect more details to come in then, as well as word on whether or not the sets will be hitting UK shores.
Via: Tech Radar / Home Cinema Choice
Philips' latest range of 7605 HD TVs will be following the current LED trend of having edge-lit backlighting rather than a rear-lit system.
Due for release in 32, 37, 40 and 46 inch screen sizes, the edge-lit backlighting should result in a smaller footprint, keeping your energy bills down and doing your small part for the environment at the same time.
Philips have also revamped their Ambilight Spectra 2 ambient lighting system. There will now be an onscreen menu for tweaking the light output, with Philips now recognising that not everyone wall mounts the sets on white-washed walls.
Elsewhere the 1080p sets feature Philips' own Pixel Precise image processing, 100 Hz HD Natural Motion tech, NetTV connected service and 500,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.
The sets are available now, with pricing ranging from £849 for the 32 incher up to £1499 for the 46 inch largest model.
If you haven't got the cash (or the space) for both a high-end PC monitor and HD TV, Samsung may have an all-in-one solution to suite your needs in the shape of the SyncMaster FX2490HD.
Doubling up as both a PC monitor and 1080p high-def TV, the SyncMaster FX2490HD squeezes in a TV tuner alongside two HDMI inputs, D-Sub and a SCART socket.
At 24 inches it's a great size for a PC monitor and a decent-sized secondary TV, featuring a 5ms response time, 250 nits of brightness and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1. The set also includes a USB port for media playback, as well as support for 7.1 channel Dolby Digital and DTS audio.
Due for release in both the US and Europe later this month, it seems a tidy little deal at $540 (£339).
Via: Akihabara News
Who said TVs had to be the same bog-standard black boxes that sit in the corner of your living room? Loewe certainly didn't as they prepare to launch their range of fully customisable Individual Slim HD TVs.
Available in four different screen sizes (32, 40, 46 and 55 inches), the Full HD sets come in either Aluminium silver, high gloss white or aluminium black colours. Though they are fairly regular colours for for a TV, Loewe open the flood gates by allowing you to choose the colours of the TV's side panels from any that feature in the entire RAL colour spectrum.
The LED back-lit TVs are made to order, which means you can also choose what sort of speaker set up features in Individual Slim. This can be anything from simple 2.0 stereo right up to full on 7.1 cinema sound.
If you're interested, head on over to the Loewe website to start fiddling about with all the possible combinations.
Name: LC-46LE820E Aquos Quattron (Sharp)
Type: 46" LCD LED Backlit HD TV
Specs:
Contrast Ratio: 6,000,000 :1
Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080p)
Connectivity:4x HDMI, 1x VGA, 1x USB, 1x Scart, Composite adaptor
Speakers: 2x 10 watts speakers
Dimensions: 1127mm H (including base) x 785mm W x 39mm D
Features: Quad-pixel technology, LED backlighting, 100Hz motion processing, DLNA home networking
Price: Circa £1,400
(NB. The LC-46LE820E model we were sent to test was a European model that did not feature the HD Tuner that we have been assured comes as standard on the UK model. Therefore any HD sources described refer to either a Sky+ HD box or PS3 and its built in Blu-ray player)
While the rest of the industry has thrown itself head-first into the 3D TV race, Japanese manufacturers Sharp have taken a different tact. They've been working on what they've dubbed quad-pixel technology, which they've stuffed into their new range of Aquos Quattron HD TVs. It adds a fourth yellow pixel pixel to the standard red, green and blue make up used by other sets, which they claim will redefine colour processing in TVs. But just how revolutionary is the quad-pixel technology? Read on to find out.
The 46 inch LC-46LE820E Aquos Quattron set we tested was quite a sight to behold. Incredibly slim, with a curved black bezel that features a near transparent strip along its bottom edge, it's a very attractive set in terms of design. Either sitting on a metal base with glass support or wall mounted, it features an illuminated Sharp logo (which can be switched off if you prefer) and a few simple, touch-sensitive controls on its right lower edge.
In terms of the actual aforementioned quad-pixel technology, the set's "big sell" if you will, it's not quite as revolutionary as Sharp would have you believe. There's no denying that colours are incredibly vibrant and defined, but you'll be hard pressed to note a remarkable difference between the Quattron's colours and similar top-end models from other manufacturers. Sharp apparently are planning to introduce the same technology in their forthcoming 3D sets, which can suffer from colour and brightness issues, so perhaps its influence will be more noticeable there. For the time being however you're getting solid if not ground-breaking colour response here.
With that said, picture quality on offer here is still very impressive. Sharp by name, sharp by nature, the set delivers 1080p HD images in great detail, providing you've tweaked the (frankly atrocious) out-of-the-box image settings. There are plenty of colour and sharpness options to play about with, and messing with them can lead to some excellent results in picture quality. Blu-ray playback of "The Road" revealed startlingly deep black levels, fine detail in its post-apocalyptic setting, and managed to show excellent definition between the movie's somewhat muted colour palette. Conversely, Blu-ray playback of manga animation "Paprika" showed just how vibrant the colours can be with the Quattron, with the vivid cartoon really shining on the screen.
Sharp's image processing techniques also seem to have been given a bit of a overhaul. The 100Hz motion technology present here leads to perfectly smooth action scenes in movies and games, though we'd suggest avoiding the highest settings as they can make certain scenes move a little unnaturally. Likewise, the TV handles standard definition sources with aplomb, tidying up the image without causing any glaring artefacts to appear.
It's also worth noting however that the glass panel over the screen's display was incredibly reflective, even in relatively low light. It didn't make the TV un-watchable by any means, but it was quite annoying at times, and is definitely worth considering if your living room is a bit of a sun trap.
The Quattron's speakers are worth applauding. As ever with a screen not even an inch thick, they will never compete with a dedicated sound system, but the clarity on offer here is commendable, as is the bass response in comparison to other slim-style TVs.
Sharp make great use of the massive screen real estate on offer here when it comes to displaying menus. As I mentioned earlier, the preset image settings are pretty poor, so initially at least you're going to be fiddling around quite a lot with menu options. This is made far easier thanks to the way the TV intelligently scales the entire image around the menus when tweaking settings like colours, allowing you to see exactly how the changes you are making are affecting the picture. The intuitive menu system also makes navigating the set's basic home-networking capabilities nice and easy (allowing you to play back MKV files, HD video, photos and music from either a USB or LAN connection), though it's no replacement for a dedicated media streamer.
Lastly, the remote control. It's a little long and thin for my personal liking, but it is light, intelligently laid out, and seemed sturdy enough to withstand a few bumps and drops. It's also got a dedicated button for sending the set into ECO mode, which should help save on the electricity bills of anyone too lazy to turn the set off the old fashioned way.
All in then, its a very strong set. It's quite expensive at around £1,400, and the quad-pixel technology doesn't really justify such a high premium. It remains however a top notch goggle-box, with sharp HD pictures, vivid colours and speakers far better than its rivals, and is well worth your cash so long as you aren't expecting the visual revolution that the adverts have touted.
4/5
It's been rumoured for quite a while, but yesterday Google officially unveiled Google TV, bringing the Android OS and Google Chrome to HD TVs and set-top boxes.
The idea is to bring the best of the internet and Google's operating system to your living room, making it easier to combine web and traditional TV sources to find the shows you want to watch. You'll have access to a full unrestricted web browser with Google TV, as well as apps from the Google Chrome web store.
Google TV will be powered by an Intel Atom CE4100 "system-on-a-chip" processor, which Google claim will be able to produce home cinema style levels of performance. Sony have signed on to make the first batch of Google HD TVs, while Logitech are working on a companion box and universal remote to give existing TVs similar functionality.
Though there are now plenty of internet connected TVs and services, such as Samsung's Internet@TV and the Cello iViewer, few have been as ambitious as Google's plans to put the web and apps at the heart of your living room. With the platform set to be open source, it'd be unsurprising to see many TV manufacturers experiment with Google TV in the near future.
No word on pricing yet, but expect an early 2011 release date for the first batch of Google TVs. Steve Jobs must be looking at his Apple TV unit and sighing pretty heavily right now.
If you've got a web-connected Sony Bravia TV or Blu-ray player, you're in for a few fantastic footie treats this summer.
Sony have lined up a selection of classic World Cup clips ready to be streamed into your living room as and when you please. Using the Bravia Internet Video portal, you'll be able to watch 20 Fifa World Cup Moments, 14 Official Films from the World Cup including a colour version of the 1966 final, and the Fifa Mini World Cup with highlights of the best tournaments in World cup history.
Christian Brown, Senior Category Marketing Manager for Home Entertainment, Sony UK, said: "We are very excited to offer a catalogue of the FIFA World Cup Collection to consumers in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Thanks to BRAVIA Internet Video and our partnership with FIFA, we can make some of the greatest football moments come to life in consumers' living rooms across Europe at the touch of a button."
Great to see some timely content hitting Sony's web-connected sets, but it's a pity the videos aren't also available on the PS3.
Like some sort of tech Holy Trinity, Sony, Intel and Google are rumoured to be working together on a Google TV, with official details of the project expected to be revealed next month.
All three companies are scheduled to meet for a conference organised by Google over the 19th and 20th of May. While there are no confirmed products for the conference as yet, analysts are predicting that the partnership will produce a web and apps enabled TV, running Google's Android OS.
Reports are coming in that the Sony TVs will run on a customised Atom chip, codenamed "DragonPoint", with a version of Android specifically tailored to couch-bound users. Alongside this news, Logitech are also said to be working on a remote control/keyboard hybrid to navigate the TV and its many potential functions.
Samsung executives also recently revealed they too are keen to develop a TV built around Google's Android OS.
Via: Akihabara News / Bloomberg
3D TVs are all well and good, but we all secretly know that they'll be a lot more attractive if we didn't have to wear silly glasses for it to work properly.
Enter Toshiba's Mobile Display team. They've been working away at a 21-inch glasses-free auto-stereoscopic 3D TV.
While 3D glasses are annoying, auto-stereoscopic screens bring with them their own problems. Eye-fatigue is an issue when watching 3D TVs without glasses, but Toshiba believe they've figured out a work-around for their 1280x800 resolution screen. By adding a lens sheet to scale back the luminance intensity and a "multi-parallax approach" to smooth images and widen the viewing angle, Toshiba Mobile Display hope that it's safe enough for extended viewing.
Very much still in the testing stages this one, with no price or consumer release date set. It remains however a mouth watering glimpse at the future of 3D TVs.
Samsung are said to be considering developing a new line of TVs that would run Google's Android OS.
After successfully launching their brand new range of 3D TVs, which have completely sold out in the company's home territory of Korea, the Korean Herald is now reporting that an unidentified Samsung executive has said that: "we are considering Google TVs. We are examining the business feasibility of Google TVs."
Sony have suggested similar plans, with another Samsung executive suggesting if Sony's Android screens came into production and proved successful that their own hand would then be forced.
A TV running Android throws up some very interesting possibilities. Internet connected, users would likely have access to a large range of Android Marketplace apps and web content. However, Samsung already have their own internet-connected TV platform, Internet@TV, a very capable system in its own right.
Samsung have already in the past showed interest in the potential of mobile platforms making the jump to the big screen. Samsung's vice president Kim Kyeong-hyun has previously said that he believes "(Apple and Google) will help expand the TV market."
Sony has officially unveiled the HX803 3D TV set, revealing that it will come bundled with 3D PlayStation 3 games. It's part of their 3D launch range alongside the LX903, which will be available before the start of the 2010 World Cup, which Sony is to film in 3D.
Alongside the stereoscopic PlayStation games, Sony also revealed some bundles would include "exclusive 3D Blu-ray disc movies with selected Sony 3DTVs and Blu-ray players".
Both TVs use active 3D glasses, which don't come cheap, so you're going to have to fork out for a couple of pairs if you plan on watching with a gang of friends. Also, while the LX903 has a 3D transmitter pre-installed, the HX803's is a separate unit.
"Built upon Sony's very latest 200Hz high frame rate technology that allows viewers to see 3D in full High Definition 1080p fidelity, the High Definition 3D image is further enhanced with the inclusion of 'High Speed Precision, 'LED Boost' and '3D up conversion', three technologies unique to Sony and designed to make the 3D image even clearer and brighter and the 3D experience even more exciting," said Sony's release.
That said, if you're a UK reader, don't expect to get any 3D World Cup joy out of this or any other set this Summer; 3D World Cup programmes have already been ruled out by al the major broadcasters in the UK.
Still, the inclusion of 3D PS3 games is very interesting indeed, as, as far as I'm aware, there have been no games shown so far built specifically with 3D in mind.
LG are set to launch their 15EL9500 OLED TV in the UK this Spring. Measuring in at 15 inches, it'll be the biggest OLED TV available to consumers when it launches later this month.
At a mere 3mm in depth, LG's OLED TV has an impressive contrast ratio of 10,000,000: 1, made all the more richer by OLED technology not requiring a backlight.
HD ready up to resolutions of 720p, the USB port-equipped TV features LG's TruMotion 100Hz technology for smooth fast-paced visuals and comes with Freeview built in.
Stephen Gater, Head of Marketing LG Home Entertainment Company, commented, "OLED really is the future of television screens and LG is proud to be the market leader when it comes to this breakthrough technology. This week marks the first time the LG OLED is displayed in the UK and we're confident this innovative and style-conscious set will grab the attention of anyone looking for the next top-of-the-line gadget.'
No word on pricing yet, but we'll keep you posted.
Toshiba have just announced a brand spanking new LED backlit TV. Available in 40, 46 and 55 inch models, the UX600 sets itself apart from the crowd thanks to its built in Wi-Fi adaptor.
As this is a so-called "connected TV", a whole host of internet streams and feeds can be delivered straight to the set. There are widgets for YouTube, music streaming service Pandora and also image hosting sites such as Flickr.
There is also a customisable news Ticker within the TV's UI, which can be set to display a multitude of news feeds, weather updates, stock movements and Twitter updates.
The 1080p set will also feature movie streaming courtesy of VUDU. The on-demand film service has a catalogue of 1080p HD films that can sent straight to the UX600, each featuring 5.1 surround sound audio encoding.
In terms of picture quality, Toshiba boast that their "Pixel Pure 5G" engine optimises HD sources for maximum clarity, as well as enhancing standard definition sources. "ClearFrame" 120Hz technology will reduce the effects of motion-blur in fast action scenes, whilst a Gaming Mode ensures that there's little delay between controller inputs and the action on screen.
The Toshiba UX600 sets will launch in the US this month, with a starting price of $1,400. A UK release is expected to follow soon afterwards, with pricing yet to be announced.
Google are looking to enter the market of televisions, with a new internet enabled TV jointly developed by themselves, Sony and Intel.
While many households have yet to buy into internet connected TVs, Google believe there are big bucks to be made from the emerging technology. Looking to strike while the iron is hot, they're planning on rolling out Sony-built set-top boxes and televisions with their Android platform at the heart.
With Android on board, the TVs will have access to Google's complete range of web apps, as well as applications developed by third-party developers.
If the thought of tapping out tweets and emails on a TV remote sounds a bit clunky, Logitech will also be getting involved, creating a range of peripherals to complement the connected nature of the sets. This includes a remote control with a small QWERTY keyboard attached.
It's an exciting development, and we'll bring you more news on this as it is inevitable announced. But with the Nexus One phone selling rather poorly, are Google perhaps putting their fingers in too many pies at the moment?
Via: NY Times
Sharp's new range of Aquos LED LCD TVs have launched in the UK. While most of the industry's attention is now on the big 3D push, Sharp are looking to update current HD standards by pioneering a new Quad Pixel technology, which adds a forth colour sub-pixel, yellow, to the traditional red, green, blue format.
What this means for the layman is that billions upon billions of colours can now be displayed, making in theory for a far more realistic colour palette.
Three models are available; the LC-LE811E, LC-LE821E and LC-LE921E sets ranging in size from 40 to 46 inches, while the LC-LE920 model is 60 inches in size.
While each set features robust energy saving technology and built-in Freeview HD, the flagship LC-LE921E will also have E-motion 200 Hz tech built in too, retaining clarity in fast moving images.
No prices or availability details knocking around yet, but it's good to see innovative new 2D TV tech hasn't been swept away by the 3D wave.
It's not just super-slim OLED sets on LG's IFA agenda this year. The South Korean tech giants are also diving into the realm of connected TVs, and their newly-revealed Smart TV seems the most aptly named of the bunch.
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