News
Email
Print
Screen Dreams: New TV technology is impressive but pricey
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: January 12, 2009
LAS VEGAS - The latest in television technology was on display this past weekend at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, with super-thin screens, 3-D imagery, wireless connections and ultra-sharp picture quality.
Too bad most of us can't afford it.
All this state-of-the-art TV technology -- much of it not yet available -- is extremely expensive, a serious consideration for many buyers in these recessionary times.
But it's fun to dream. Besides, prices for new consumer electronics almost always plunge when (and if) they become popular. Four years ago, a 46-inch LCD TV -- then considered exotic -- retailed for about $10,000. Now you can pick one up for about $1,000.
By the time this year's new products get down to an earthly level, perhaps the economy will be bouncing back.
Here's a sampling of the new TV technologies on exhibit:
□ 3-D display: There has been lots of talk about 3-D for TV. But it was Panasonic that stole the thunder with the first presentation outside Japan of its proprietary system, meant for movie theaters as well as TV.
And how did it look? Fantastic. The several clips shown from movies and live-action events, including sequences from the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing, had extraordinary depth and brightness.
Of course, they were shown under ideal conditions, in a darkened room on a 103-inch plasma screen. The basic hurdle of home 3-D remains: the glasses that transform the blurry images on the screen to 3-D. Every time you head to the kitchen for a snack, turn to a friend to chat or do any other activity apart from watching the program, you'd have to take off the glasses to see the real world.
Also, there could be a physical drawback. After a showing that lasted about 10 minutes, some viewers reported eye strain and a tinge of nausea.
□ Battling the blur: Even if Santa just brought you an LCD television with a 120Hz refresh rate -- which eliminates much of the blur in fast-action sequences on standard 60Hz LCD televisions -- it's already passe.
Sony, which introduced a 240Hz set in the fall, debuted nine new models at CES with that refresh rate. No pricing was given for the new sets, due out this spring, but the current 52-inch Sony model with 240Hz lists for more than $4,000.
Even that refresh rate was put to shame by LG Display, which demonstrated a 480Hz monitor. It looked extremely sharp on an action sequence from the movie Transformers, but it was difficult to tell without a side-by-side comparison just how much better it was than a 240Hz or even 120Hz display.
□ Wireless: Flat-panel HDTVs look great mounted on the wall, but the hook-up wires and power cord pose problems. They have to be hidden in the wall (which requires the help of an installer unless you're especially handy) or left to hang loose.
At CES, a few manufacturers said they would be making wireless systems robust enough to handle high-definition signals. Panasonic said that wireless technology would be worked into its Z1 line due out later this year. Marketing executive Bob Perry didn't get into specifics of how far the signal would carry from a control unit to a screen but said it would be a "same-room" technology. No pricing for Z1 sets was disclosed.
□ Thin is in: Although the trend is against ultra-thinness in people, in TVs the race continues to produce skinnier models, partly because a thinner profile often goes hand-in-hand with energy savings.
Several companies, including LG Electronics and Samsung, announced new lines of LED back-lit LCD sets, which are not only thinner and require less power, they also don't use mercury that can be harmful if it ends up in landfills.
One of the most impressive demonstrations of thinness was a Panasonic plasma prototype less than one-third of an inch thick. The company said that the model wouldn't be ready for the marketplace until at least 2010.
□ TV on your shirt: Sure you can watch videos on some cell phones, but the picture is minuscule.
Now comes a solution. At CES, Samsung and Texas Instruments debuted the first cell phone with a tiny video projector inside. It can shine whatever is on the screen onto a wall, the back of a notebook or even a friend's shirt.
It can show photos, slides, movies and live TV if your phone is set up for that. The projector, which uses the same Texas Instruments technology as big-screen DLP TVs, produces a perfectly watchable image. The first phone to use it, by Samsung, will be available only in Korea later this month.
Email
Print
