103-Inch Plasmas Cause Installation Headaches For Dealers and AV Installers

"It costs a lot of money to be cool" says Bob Vega the former bassist from Sly and the Family Stone and when it comes to the world's largest plasma HDTVs - truer words may never have been muttered. Not......Read More

3M's New Vikuiti Film Aims To Help Save Power For Flat HDTVs By Up To 30 Percent

3M's Optical Systems Division just unveiled the industry's first multi-function film for monitors, Vikuiti™ Brightness Enhancement Film - Reflective Polarizer (MNT BEF-RP-230). Delivering superior performance that's similar to that of two separate prismatic enhancement and reflective polarizer films, Vikuiti Monitor......Read More

A Filmmaker's Guide to Why You Need to Calibrate Your HDTV Today

I've been around my share of low-budget and big budget films for nearly seven years now and it always amazes me just how much goes into making a feature film. It's easy to see how and why actors, directors, writers,......Read More

Bang & Olufsen launches $111,000 BeoVision 4 103-inch Plasma HDTV

Bang & Olufsen just announced the launch of their BeoVision 4 103-inch plasma. BeoVision 4 103-inch presents one of the biggest televisions on the market as well as the only one of its stature to come with a stand that......Read More

California Passes Anti-Flat-HDTV Legislation To Try To Save Energy

As a resident of California who owns a "green home" complete with new windows, high efficiency air conditioners, space-age insulation and drought tolerant planting on over two acres of hillside - today's decision to toughen standards on HDTVs is a......Read More

California Reportedly Set To Regulate Power Usage of Flat HDTVs

Remember back in the 1980s, when you were watching The Price is Right with Bob Barker and they finally got around to giving away a car that had "California Emissions" as one of the line-listed features? Living in Pennsylvania, I......Read More

Can The Home Theater Business Re-price Itself Back Into The Hearts and Wallets of Consumers?

This recession is a bitch. The talking heads on the Sunday morning shows were shooting off this weekend about the fact that the American economy was headed into recession no matter what, but the collapse of the real estate market......Read More

CEDIA 2009 Show Report - Andrew Robinson

While not quite as jammed packed or exciting as previous years, CEDIA 2009 still proved to be the place to be for new product launches, as understated as those launches may have been. Before I get into what excited me......Read More

CEDIA 2009 Show Report - Jerry Del Colliano

For most of the past decade CEDIA has been picking up steam while the winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has struggled with its identity as it struggled to digest COMDEX and the computer geeks that came along with the merger.......Read More

CEDIA 2009 Show Report - Ken Taraszka, MD

CEDIA has been blowing up with new video technology over the last few years. 1080p was the big news just years ago, and while talk of 2K, 1440p and other formats have been thrown around and to some extent even......Read More

Chief Launches Power-Infused Mounts and Accessories to Protect Flat Panels

The new mounts provide discrete power conditioning plus surge protection all in one SKU. Chief Manufacturing, a provider of flat panel TV and projector mounts, now offers power-infused mounts and accessories. These new products offer power, power conditioning, and surge......Read More

Chief® Introduces Industry's First Ultra-Thin Flat Panel TV Mount

Thinstall™ Mount Series complements new UltraThin HDTV designs. At less than the width of a penny, Chief's New Thinstall™ Series maintains the low-profile of this year's ultra-thin flat panel TV revolution. The new line of mounts incorporates exclusive design features......Read More

Chief® Launches MOUNTBUILDER™ Online Product Configurator for Building and Specifying Mounting Solutions

The new online tool offers the ability to visually configure products; build and save parts lists; and specify mounts and accessories. Chief Manufacturing, a projector, monitor and flat panel TV mounting solution provider, is excited to announce the launch of......Read More

Chief® Launches Online Education Center

The new site provides training modules, videos, downloads and quizzes to improve your mounting knowledge and make you a Chief product expert. Chief Manufacturing, a provider of projector, monitor and flat panel TV mounting solutions, is excited to announce the......Read More

Chief® Offers the First No-Profile Mount with Limitless Centering

The new mounts are the most flexible mounts on the market, offering optimal flat panel placement with every installation. Chief's new PIWRF™ and MIWRF™ no-profile universal and custom wall mounts float on the wall, providing optimal flat panel centering every......Read More

Chief® Provides Flat Panel Tilt at the Touch of a Button

The new CM8T15U™ automatically adjusts to preset positions for viewing. Chief Manufacturing, a provider of flat panel and projector mounting solutions, announces the release of the CM8T15U Automated Tilt Mount, providing flat panel tilt at the touch of a button.......Read More

Chief® Website Now Includes RSS Feeds for Easier Access to New Information

Chief's user-friendly website includes a new way to have news headlines delivered directly to you. Chief, a provider of innovative mounting solutions for projectors and flat panel displays, is excited to announce that the website now offers RSS feeds allowing......Read More

Fashion Model & Roy Jones Jr. Wii Box on 103-Inch Panasonic Plasma

PANASONIC'S 103-INCH PLASMA EMPLOYED BY MADISON SQUARE GARDEN TO STAGE Wii™ BOXING MATCH BETWEEN ROY JONES JR. & CELEBRITY MODEL ALEXANDRA RICHARDSMadison Square Garden hosted a celebrity Wii™ video game boxing match to promote the November 8, 2008 light heavyweight......Read More

Global TV Revenues Decline 12 Percent in Q1-2009

With a lingering global recession continuing to place pressure on discretionary spending, global TV shipments declined 6% Y/Y in Q1'09 to 43.3M units according to the latest Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report from DisplaySearch. This was a decline......Read More

HDMI 1.4 - Another New Example of Planned Obsolesce Imposed On The Home Theater Market

I just read an editorial by controversial filmmaker Michael Moore last week on the Huffington Post about one of his most popular topics, General Motors. Before he got to a pretty empowering outlook for what the company could do going......Read More

HDTVetc.com Relaunches Online HDTV Educational and Review Site

Home theater enthusiast print magazine, HDTV Etc., has been reinvented and relaunched as an online resource for consumers looking to get educated before they buy their next LCD, plasma, LED, OLED or front-projection HDTV. "Consumers are rightfully confused when talking......Read More

Hitachi Splits Off Consumer Group From Parent Company

HDTV giant, Hitachi, announced today that they would split their consumer electronics divisions from the parent company. The company will be run by Shutoku Watanabe as president. Watanabe was Hitachi's CEO and president. The company said in a written report......Read More

Hollywood Sets New Trend: Recycle Your Home Theater (LA Style)

Green is in - especially in trendy West Los Angeles. It's been years now since the Blue-state, ultra-liberal, Hollywood power brokers in TMZ.com-photog-infested neighborhoods such as Brentwood, North Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades started dumping their Mercedes S65 AMG sedans......Read More

Hulu To Start Charging Users In 2010

Popular online video site, Hulu, announced at a television tradeshow last week that they plan to start charging users at some point in 2010. Hulu has gained popularity, especially with Millennial and Generation Y users for its free content (with......Read More

Is Brighter Better? LED HDTVs Are Flying Off Of Store Shelves

Anyone who reads home theater magazines or online publications knows the hot new thing is LED HDTV. Samsung and Toshiba are pushing them like mad and, despite the higher prices, people are lining up to buy them by the tens......Read More

Leon's New 1.5-Inch Deep Horizon Soundbar For Thin LED HDTVs

Leon Speakers just announced that it has extended its Horizon Series with the addition of the new Horizon 212 Ultra-Thin Soundbar. At only 1.5 inches deep, the Horizon 212-UT is the only high-fidelity soundbar available that matches the extremely shallow......Read More

New DVDO iScan Duo Video Processor Has Dual HDMI A/V Outputs

Anchor Bay announced recently the introduction of their latest high-performance video processor, the DVDO iScan Duo. With 8 HDMI 1.3 inputs, 2 HDMI 1.3 video/audio outputs, and an HDMI 1.3 audio only output, plus an array of image and system......Read More

New VIZIO Higher End XVT Line Offers LED, 240 Hz Refresh and More

VIZIO has unveiled details for its Fall 2009 Extreme VIZIO Technology, (XVT) series lineup, with 8 new models ranging in sizes from 32" to 55". The comprehensive range includes cutting-edge technologies like 240Hz scenes per second, TruLED™ with Smart Dimming™......Read More

NuVision To Release New Line of LCD HDTVs With Lucidium FX5 Series

NuVision is expanding its product line with the release of the all-new Lucidium FX5 Series. The Lucidium FX5 Series combines proprietary Film Times Five (FX5) and Frame Forward Motion (FFM) technologies to create a true 120Hz picture. The 42 inch......Read More

OMNIMOUNTS's New HDTV Mount Goes Video

OmniMount, today introduced the Power55 motorized flat panel mount. This new large remote controlled cantilever mount is the latest addition to the company's successful MotionPicture Series and augments the company's automated product offering. The Power55 was designed as an expansion......Read More

Panasonic Ready To Release 85 Inch Plasma In October 2009

Panasonic Professional Display Company just showcased their new 85-inch Plasma display, available next month, at CEDIA 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The industry's first 85-inch, full HD 1080p Plasma, the TH-85PF12U takes advantage of Panasonic's Neo PDP technology™, touting slimmer, lighter......Read More

Pantel Offers Solutions For Outdoor Video For Up To 65 Inch HDTVs

Pantel offers gamers an exciting alternative to being indoors all summer. Pantel HDTV's are available in 20 to 65-inch screen sizes, offering a 5 to 6.5ms refresh rate depending on the model. With a protective anti-glare glass screen, Pantel LCD......Read More

Parks Associates forecasts over 1.4 billion subscribers worldwide for TV services by 2013

Broadband households in Europe and the U.S. consistently rank primetime anytime VoD services as the most valuable service out of all TV 2.0 offerings, according to Parks Associates' new report Television Services: The Global Outlook. The international research firm says......Read More

Pioneer To Leave The HDTV Business - Slashing 10k Jobs

Japanese electronics powerhouse, Pioneer, announced today that it would be ceasing production of HDTVs by March 2010 according to published reports. The company will cut over 10,000 job as its third quarter earnings were poor and as they head towards......Read More

Plasma Group Fights Back On Energy Issue This Holidays

One of the best gifts to give your family this holiday season can also be a great energy saver at home. An energy saving and crowd pleasing option is the purchase of a flat-panel Plasma HDTV to replace a hulking......Read More

Plasma Pat Sought By Tampa Area Police

Have you ever been approached by a guy in a van saying "we just finished installing speakers at this nightclub and have a few extra leftover?" Its one of the oldest tricks in a scam artist's repertoire and honestly because......Read More

Radio Shack Earns New Sales With Green Trade-in Program

If you thought sex sells then wait until you see how green sells. Radio Shack is the latest player in the consumer electronics space to cash in on the opportunity to open a sales dialog with consumers by suggesting that......Read More

RUNCO UNVEILS SEVEN NEW LARGE-SCREEN FLAT PANELS AND EXCLUSIVE OPAL IMAGE ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Runco's revolutionary Optical Path Alignment (OPAL) image enhancement technology optimizes flat-panel imagery while enabling a Runco-caliber experience in high ambient light environments. Runco, a provider of video solutions, proudly introduces seven new 1080p LCD and plasma flat panels, the 70-inch......Read More

Runco's New Line of Plasma HDTVs With OPAL Technology

Runco just added multiple new 1080p plasma monitors to its line of high-end video display solutions. The five new CinemaWall™ and PlasmaWall™ displays are the world's first to feature Runco's exclusive OPAL (Optical Path Alignment) technology, as well as the......Read More

Samsung and Blockbuster Ink VOD Deal For HDTVs and Players

Samsung and Blockbuster just announced the immediate availability of Blockbuster's vast and growing library of premium digital entertainment for rent or purchase on select 2009 Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray integrated Home Theater Systems. Specific models featuring the new......Read More

Samsung Inks a DRM Deal with Intertrust

Intertrust Technologies Corporation and Samsung Electronics have entered into a patent licensing agreement for all products made by the Samsung Digital Media & Communications (DMC) Division. Licensed Samsung DMC products include a broad range of consumer electronics and mobile products......Read More

Samsung Introduces 1.1 Inch Think Energy Efficient 50-inch Plasma

Samsung has reportedly made a CES promise a reality with their ultra-thin 50 inch 8-Series plasma set. Amazingly, the 50 inch set is a mere 1.1 inch thick which is easily half of the current standard for flat HDTVs -......Read More

Solutions For Recycling Your Televisions As You "Transition" To A New HDTV

A lot of fuss has been made about the DTV transition from analog television to an all-digital system. Transition dates have been postponed amidst political debate. Coupons for converter boxes famously ran out to screams by some of foul play.......Read More

Sony's Quarterly Profit Dives $390,000,000

Sony, one of the world's most respected names in electronics, posted a staggering $390,000,000 loss in the quarter ending June 30, 2009. As compared to a year earlier - Sony profited to the tune of 35 billion yet thus the......Read More

Study Says HDTVs in More Than 50 Percent of American Homes

A recent Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) tracking Pulse report shows strong growth over the past year in HDTV ownership. In 2009, 53 percent of total U.S. households report owning a high definition television, an 18 percentage point......Read More

The Plasma Makers Respond With List of ENERGY STAR Approved Sets

The Plasma Display Coalition, which represents industry leaders Hitachi, LG Electronics, Panasonic and Pioneer, today announced that 43 big screen Plasma models introduced by its member companies in the last nine months have earned the new ENERGY STAR rating and......Read More

Toshiba Buys Panasonic's Stake In LCD/OLED Business

Toshiba announced last Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with Panasonic to buy all of Panasonic's shares in the co-owned LCD and OLED panel production operation called Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology (TMD). The deal reportedly goes down on April......Read More

VIZIO Licenses Digital TV Patent Portfolio to SONY - Ends Dispute

VIZIO announced that Sony Corporation has become a licensee under VIZIO's patent portfolio. VIZIO owns a substantial worldwide patent portfolio directed to digital television technology. "We are pleased with the result of our patent licensing efforts. It further demonstrates the......Read More

Vizio Now Number 2 Flat HDTV Seller in America - Samsung Is Tops

A new report came out today showing Vizio climbing above the mighty Sony as the second largest seller of flat HDTVs in America. According the report from iSuppli has Samsung as the clubhouse leader at 20.2 percent of the......Read More

VIZIO Offers Complete Line of Energy Efficient LCD HDTVs

VIZIO revealed details about seven new EcoHD™ LCD HDTVs that meet or exceed all of the Energy Star 3.0 requirements. Currently, all VIZIO LCD HDTVs meet Energy Star 3.0 requirements for lower energy consumption. These seven new EcoHD™ models, however,......Read More

What if HDMI Actually Worked?

Let me be clear with the fact that without HDMI there wouldn't be volumes of 1080p HD content, complete with beaming video, 7.1 uncompressed HD audio and all of those feature-laden supplemental materials that we get from Blu-ray. At the......Read More

Why Don't Today's HDTVs Auto-Calibrate Their Picture?

As an enthusiastic Mac user and admitted home theater junkie, I wonder why today's HDTVs can't calibrate themselves. The current set-up process for a Mac is nothing short of genius, which includes "wizard-like" auto calibration for video. Simply follow a......Read More