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CES 2010 Wrap-up: The Top Five Blu-ray Players
Thu Jan 14, 2010 at 04:50 PM ETTags: CES 2010, LG, Sony, McIntosh, Samsung, Panasonic, PlayStation 3, 3D (all tags)
Another consumer electronics show has come and gone, and while it’s fun to marvel at each new piece of equipment, it doesn’t mean anything until we know how it all lines up.
To start things off, we’ve taken a look at all the standalone Blu-ray players revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show – many of which we got to go hands on with – and we’ve pitted them against each other until only five remained.
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1.) LG BD590 - LG stepped up big this year with the BD590. It’s got built in WiFi connectivity that lets it connect to any 802.11n wireless home network and, of course, wireless g and b networks as well. It’s DLNA compliant so you can stream audio and video from your home computer and it’s got access to some pretty cool online services like Netflix and Vudu. Oh, and did we mention a 250GB hard drive?
The BD590 is the first Blu-ray player to feature a hard drive built into it. You can rip CDs right onto it, and store audio, video and picture files right on your Blu-ray player. Purchased movies can also be downloaded and stored directly from Vudu.
Unfortunately, the BD590 doesn’t rip DVDs or Blu-ray discs, but that’s not entirely surprising. It may play ripped DVD files though, and we’ll find that out as more details come out. LG’s BD590 hits in late spring/early summer of 2010 at an as of yet unannounced price.
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2.) Sony BDP-S770 – Sony’s Monolith design is fantastic when it comes to televisions, but the Blu-ray players have a bit of that 1980’s square bulk look to them. While the look of a player is important, it’s the functionality that really matters and the S770 is a workhorse.
The S770 is at the top of Sony’s new Blu-ray lineup, and is the only new Sony player to offer Blu-ray 3D playback. It doesn’t slack when it comes to 2D though; it does everything the rest of Sony’s 2010 BD player lineup does. It decodes and bitstreams Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, and upconverts DVDs to 1080p. It’s got built in 802.11n WiFi and access to BRAVIA Internet video.
What may be the most promising feature of Sony’s S770, if 3D isn’t your thing, is an option that they call IP Content Noise Reduction. When streaming from Amazon, YouTube or Netflix, the S770 Blu-ray player will clean up the picture with a technology specifically made for web video. There’s no date or price on this one either, but we’re told to expect it this summer.
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3.) McIntosh MVP881BR – We’d be remiss not to mention McIntosh’s Blu-ray debut. It may be a bit out of your price range, but if you can swing the $8,000 price, you’ll get an impressive Blu-ray player indeed. The MVP881BR doesn’t stream audio and video, it doesn’t access Netflix and it doesn’t let you make Skype calls on your television. It’s a Blu-ray player designed to do one thing, and to do it well.
McIntosh’s Blu-ray player is made with the same high quality components as their audiophile grade amplifiers and processors. It’s enclosed in a custom steel and aluminum case that eliminates vibration and shields circuits from interference.
It supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs, and a 24-bit, 192kHz PCM 7.1 channel bitstream is available. A quartet of 32-bit, 192kHz stereo DACS provide the 7.1 channel audio output, while a fifth supplies the stereo down mix. It also sports 14-bit video DACS that work with the Silicon Optics HQV Realta processor to provide a noise free and vibrant image.
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4.) Samsung BD-C6900 – Samsung had a lot of cool new tech to show off at CES this year, and the BD-C6900 was right up there at the top of the list. It’s a 3D player that keeps all the 2D features and adds a few additional apps.
Samsung’s new app store is an open platform device, which they hope will explode in the same way that the iPhone app store did. There will be free apps released initially with premium apps to come, and the player will be able to access services like Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster and Pandora right out of the box.
The BD-C6900 offers built-in WiFi, a quick load time (15 seconds as estimated by Samsung), and it outputs video at 1080p24/50/60. And while the success of the 3D video that it plays is still a big question mark, we can say for sure that this player itself looks slick while in motion. The clear panel above the spinning disc creates a very cool effect when you can see it.
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5.) Panasonic DMP-BD85 – The DMP-BD85 is the king of Panasonic’s new 2D Blu-ray players. VIERA CAST has been upgraded for all models with the addition of Netflix. The BD85 streams the video service thanks to an included wireless LAN adaptor. It also employs a range of new technologies that go a long way to improve the quality of both video and audio.
To start with, Panasonic’s new Blu-ray players all incorporate a feature called PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus which helps to ensure that colors are accurately reproduced. The BD85 steps things up with gold plated terminals.
Audio is where the BD85 really shines. It decodes the usual assortment of audio formats but adds a HDMI Jitter Purifier to ensure clear robust bass sounds. It’s also got a built-in Digital Tube Simulator, that helps reproduce those warm tube amplifier sounds. The BD85 even has 7.1 channel analog outputs to complete the audio experience.
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Honorable Mention: Sony Playstation 3 – The PS3 is getting two big firmware upgrades in the near future. The first will let it play Netflix without the need for a disc, which puts it back in the conversation when talking about connected Blu-ray players.
The second will let it play 3D Blu-ray discs in – according to claims made by Sony at the show – full 1080p. As Blu-ray players go, the PS3 is still impressive. It’s got a seemingly unending stream of manufacturer support coming to it in the form of regular firmware updates and increased functionality, something that few other players can claim. Oh, and it plays games too.
Most Disappointing: Oppo – We loved the BDP-83, and we were very excited to see what else Oppo had up its sleeves. When the company’s official Twitter reported a reveal of their new player in January we had hoped this would mean CES. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
Oppo didn’t attend the show, and hasn’t had any big announcements for us yet. Their Twitter feed acknowledges the expectation and states that the early January announcement date clearly isn’t happening. “Product announcements are tricky beasts,” says Oppo. “This one needs to be tamed a little longer.”
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES 2010: Touring Samsung’s Booth
Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 07:00 PM ETTags: CES 2010, Samsing, Industry Trends, 3D (all tags)
I had an opportunity to go through Samsung’s booth and check out their new LCDs and Plasmas, the amazing touch screen remote, and exactly what 2D to 3D conversion looks like.
Samsung shows off their advances in technology in a way that other companies don’t, but in a way that makes it impossible to ignore. Simply, they take their new 2010 television and place it next to a comparable Samsung set from 2009 and let you judge for yourself. The difference was small in some cases, and staggering in others.
Demos were set up to show off Samsung’s new 240Hz motion smoothing technology, advanced color depth and the increased sharpness of their new televisions. Of course, we only have Samsung’s word that the televisions are set up in the same way, but the final demo was absolutely convincing.
To demonstrate the difference in black levels between the older and newer sets, Samsung had set up two displays side by side showing the same video, a fireworks display. While the 2009 Samsung television looked good, the 2010 model – a 9000 series LED backlit LCD – put it to shame.
3D sets were on display at every turn, which makes sense with a good chunk of Samsung’s new TVs being 3D ready. Samsung built booths around the sets to avoid the screen glare that is so detrimental to a 3D picture. The images were at least as good as on any other set at the show, but they still seemed a bit flickery.
Samsung’s booth is the first I visited to show off real time 2D to 3D video conversion, a technology that can be used to watch older content in 3D. It’s not the same 3D effect that you’ll see on content made for 3D though, it’s a different experience.
While films like Avatar and Monsters vs Aliens have images popping out of the screen at the viewer, anything converted from 2D to 3D only pops in. It gives a sense of depth, as if you're looking in through a window.
The example they showed was of a soccer game, and since sports would make for one of the more interesting 3D viewing experiences, it made a fine sample. The score and the banner graphics detailing the game stats, player names and the like stayed at the same level as the television. That is to say that they were the closest thing to me as I watched.
The field stretched deep into the background, creating the experience of sitting in the stands and watching the game live, but with a few floating pieces of information. To be honest, I much preferred the pop-in 2D to 3D upconversion to the pop out 3D content. It felt much more natural.
Samsung had a few surprises up their sleeves this year, but the most intriguing was that of their new touch screen remote. It comes with the 9000 series of LED LCD televisions, and can be purchased separately for use with the 7000 and 80000.
As we found out at the beginning of the show, you’ll be able to stream content from your TV to your remote, making it a secondary display perfect for trips to the kitchen and bathroom. You can even watch another channel on the remote, so you don’t have to interrupt viewing to check the weather or sports scores. Today we found out just what else it can do.
The remote connects to your television via a WiFi connection, which means it can move with you throughout the house. It’s also DLNA compatible, meaning that it can stream video from your networked PC or storage device. The 9000 series remote is less like a traditional remote and more like a handheld tablet with remote capability.
I also had a chance to take a look at some of the other products Samsung will be launching. Touch screen laptops were abundant and interesting, but representatives said that they won’t be hitting the US this year. There was also an impressive range of netbooks built for a variety of uses, including one that locks the hard drive as soon as it detects fast motion to ensure that no data is lost when it hits the ground.
What I didn’t expect to like though, was their new transparent OLED MP3 player. It’s a touch screen player that you can see right through and control from either side of the screen. The screen is transparent, but not clear, so text is still simple to read. It’s incredibly slick.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES 2010: Touring Samsung’s Booth
Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 07:00 PM ETTags: CES 2010, Samsing, Industry Trends, 3D (all tags)
I had an opportunity to go through Samsung’s booth and check out their new LCDs and Plasmas, the amazing touch screen remote, and exactly what 2D to 3D conversion looks like.
Samsung shows off their advances in technology in a way that other companies don’t, but in a way that makes it impossible to ignore. Simply, they take their new 2010 television and place it next to a comparable Samsung set from 2009 and let you judge for yourself. The difference was small in some cases, and staggering in others.
Demos were set up to show off Samsung’s new 240Hz motion smoothing technology, advanced color depth and the increased sharpness of their new televisions. Of course, we only have Samsung’s word that the televisions are set up in the same way, but the final demo was absolutely convincing.
To demonstrate the difference in black levels between the older and newer sets, Samsung had set up two displays side by side showing the same video, a fireworks display. While the 2009 Samsung television looked good, the 2010 model – a 9000 series LED backlit LCD – put it to shame.
3D sets were on display at every turn, which makes sense with a good chunk of Samsung’s new TVs being 3D ready. Samsung built booths around the sets to avoid the screen glare that is so detrimental to a 3D picture. The images were at least as good as on any other set at the show, but they still seemed a bit flickery.
Samsung’s booth is the first I visited to show off real time 2D to 3D video conversion, a technology that can be used to watch older content in 3D. It’s not the same 3D effect that you’ll see on content made for 3D though, it’s a different experience.
While films like Avatar and Monsters vs Aliens have images popping out of the screen at the viewer, anything converted from 2D to 3D only pops in. It gives a sense of depth, as if you're looking in through a window.
The example they showed was of a soccer game, and since sports would make for one of the more interesting 3D viewing experiences, it made a fine sample. The score and the banner graphics detailing the game stats, player names and the like stayed at the same level as the television. That is to say that they were the closest thing to me as I watched.
The field stretched deep into the background, creating the experience of sitting in the stands and watching the game live, but with a few floating pieces of information. To be honest, I much preferred the pop-in 2D to 3D upconversion to the pop out 3D content. It felt much more natural.
Samsung had a few surprises up their sleeves this year, but the most intriguing was that of their new touch screen remote. It comes with the 9000 series of LED LCD televisions, and can be purchased separately for use with the 7000 and 80000.
As we found out at the beginning of the show, you’ll be able to stream content from your TV to your remote, making it a secondary display perfect for trips to the kitchen and bathroom. You can even watch another channel on the remote, so you don’t have to interrupt viewing to check the weather or sports scores. Today we found out just what else it can do.
The remote connects to your television via a WiFi connection, which means it can move with you throughout the house. It’s also DLNA compatible, meaning that it can stream video from your networked PC or storage device. The 9000 series remote is less like a traditional remote and more like a handheld tablet with remote capability.
I also had a chance to take a look at some of the other products Samsung will be launching. Touch screen laptops were abundant and interesting, but representatives said that they won’t be hitting the US this year. There was also an impressive range of netbooks built for a variety of uses, including one that locks the hard drive as soon as it detects fast motion to ensure that no data is lost when it hits the ground.
What I didn’t expect to like though, was their new transparent OLED MP3 player. It’s a touch screen player that you can see right through and control from either side of the screen. The screen is transparent, but not clear, so text is still simple to read. It’s incredibly slick.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES 2010: Hands on with ActiveVideo’s CloudTV
Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 01:34 PM ETTags: CES 2010, ActiveVideo, CloudTV, Streaming Content (all tags)
ActiveVideo isn’t a content provider, and they’re not selling a set-top box. You can think of them more as a distribution network like Boxee. The difference is that with ActiveVideo, you don’t need an external box or HTPC. You just need to access the cloud.
Cloud computing has been around for a while, and has been predicted since long before the internet saw its rise. The concept is simple. Rather than buying a hefty computer to crunch data, you use your computer as a terminal to access a much more powerful machine elsewhere. Many people have used cloud storage to back up files and share data. It’s an exciting concept, but admittedly not the most entertaining application.
It’s only recently that our connection speeds have advanced to the point that the cloud concept can be used for entertainment. Games like Quake Live utilize a bit of the concept, but aren’t entirely cloud based. Netflix is great example of a cloud like video service, but it’s not quite there.
I sat down with ActiveVideo’s Edgar Villalpando for a demonstration of the CloudTV service that’s already active in over five million homes worldwide. The setup they used consisted of the flat screen LCD that comes standard in the suites where we were meeting and a small box to allow the device to connect to the service. While CloudTV was created to work with ‘dumb’ TVs, it does need an internet connection and a small amount of storage space to function, which is what the box provided.
We started by taking a look at some of the content offered by Blockbuster, the newest partner of CloudTV. I was able to browse through menus quickly, with a minimum of latency, and video previews loaded instantly. Even the Blockbuster service itself started in a second or two.
Of course, video streaming isn’t the only possibility. Thanks to a partnership with TAG, gaming is a possibility as well. We rocked out a few rounds of Bejeweled with the slightest of latency, and even attempted Bookworm Adventures, but without a QWERTY remote it proved to be a bit of a challenge.
CloudTV achieves this by using a flat screen display as just that – a display. The Blockbuster program isn’t actually on the television, just the video stream. The only data being sent out is the buttons pressed on the remote, and the only data received is the MPEG video stream.
We did run into a few minor issues with button presses during the games which weren’t noticeable when browsing the video menus. For example, a directional button would every once in a great while move twice for each time it was pressed, or not detect the command.
While this does bring up some questions, it’s important to keep in mind that the demo wasn’t given under optimal conditions. We were using a standard television remote to play games, which is never optimal, and going through the hotel’s internet connection.
We finished up the demo with a bit of YouTube browsing. It was quick to search and load video when we knew what we were looking for, and even trying to find the right version of Apache to load up and laugh at only took a moment. Remember, there’s a nice server somewhere taking care of the search and processing the video, we’re just seeing what it sees.
With all the available providers – Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster, and Amazon just to name a few – and the massive amount of streaming devices that have hit the market in the last year, you might think that CloudTV was simply another one of those. Another video service, another streaming device, another set top that doesn’t quite do everything.
ActiveVideo doesn’t see devices like the Boxee Box as competition, but as opportunities. “If Boxee wants to offload the processing on their end to us, that’s great,” explained Edgar. “We’re not trying to compete with them.”
The advantage to the consumer is obvious. CloudTV’s interface takes up around 200k worth of space on your device’s hard drive, and only needs a standard broadband connection. Offloading the processing to a server means that you don’t need to buy a hugely powerful television to get streaming content, just a TV that’s net capable.
Content providers have an easier time in the cloud as well. Netflix, for example, has to create a new application each time their service is added to a device. With CloudTV, they can simply create one service that anyone can use.
The possibilities of CloudTV are astounding, but it’s got to get to the public to mean anything at all. ActiveVideo is currently in talks with consumer electronics manufacturers and cable companies alike. They plan to be in ten million homes by the end of the year.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES 2010: Hands on with ActiveVideo’s CloudTV
Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 01:34 PM ETTags: CES 2010, ActiveVideo, CloudTV, Streaming Content (all tags)
ActiveVideo isn’t a content provider, and they’re not selling a set-top box. You can think of them more as a distribution network like Boxee. The difference is that with ActiveVideo, you don’t need an external box or HTPC. You just need to access the cloud.
Cloud computing has been around for a while, and has been predicted since long before the internet saw its rise. The concept is simple. Rather than buying a hefty computer to crunch data, you use your computer as a terminal to access a much more powerful machine elsewhere. Many people have used cloud storage to back up files and share data. It’s an exciting concept, but admittedly not the most entertaining application.
It’s only recently that our connection speeds have advanced to the point that the cloud concept can be used for entertainment. Games like Quake Live utilize a bit of the concept, but aren’t entirely cloud based. Netflix is great example of a cloud like video service, but it’s not quite there.
I sat down with ActiveVideo’s Edgar Villalpando for a demonstration of the CloudTV service that’s already active in over five million homes worldwide. The setup they used consisted of the flat screen LCD that comes standard in the suites where we were meeting and a small box to allow the device to connect to the service. While CloudTV was created to work with ‘dumb’ TVs, it does need an internet connection and a small amount of storage space to function, which is what the box provided.
We started by taking a look at some of the content offered by Blockbuster, the newest partner of CloudTV. I was able to browse through menus quickly, with a minimum of latency, and video previews loaded instantly. Even the Blockbuster service itself started in a second or two.
Of course, video streaming isn’t the only possibility. Thanks to a partnership with TAG, gaming is a possibility as well. We rocked out a few rounds of Bejeweled with the slightest of latency, and even attempted Bookworm Adventures, but without a QWERTY remote it proved to be a bit of a challenge.
CloudTV achieves this by using a flat screen display as just that – a display. The Blockbuster program isn’t actually on the television, just the video stream. The only data being sent out is the buttons pressed on the remote, and the only data received is the MPEG video stream.
We did run into a few minor issues with button presses during the games which weren’t noticeable when browsing the video menus. For example, a directional button would every once in a great while move twice for each time it was pressed, or not detect the command.
While this does bring up some questions, it’s important to keep in mind that the demo wasn’t given under optimal conditions. We were using a standard television remote to play games, which is never optimal, and going through the hotel’s internet connection.
We finished up the demo with a bit of YouTube browsing. It was quick to search and load video when we knew what we were looking for, and even trying to find the right version of Apache to load up and laugh at only took a moment. Remember, there’s a nice server somewhere taking care of the search and processing the video, we’re just seeing what it sees.
With all the available providers – Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster, and Amazon just to name a few – and the massive amount of streaming devices that have hit the market in the last year, you might think that CloudTV was simply another one of those. Another video service, another streaming device, another set top that doesn’t quite do everything.
ActiveVideo doesn’t see devices like the Boxee Box as competition, but as opportunities. “If Boxee wants to offload the processing on their end to us, that’s great,” explained Edgar. “We’re not trying to compete with them.”
The advantage to the consumer is obvious. CloudTV’s interface takes up around 200k worth of space on your device’s hard drive, and only needs a standard broadband connection. Offloading the processing to a server means that you don’t need to buy a hugely powerful television to get streaming content, just a TV that’s net capable.
Content providers have an easier time in the cloud as well. Netflix, for example, has to create a new application each time their service is added to a device. With CloudTV, they can simply create one service that anyone can use.
The possibilities of CloudTV are astounding, but it’s got to get to the public to mean anything at all. ActiveVideo is currently in talks with consumer electronics manufacturers and cable companies alike. They plan to be in ten million homes by the end of the year.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES 2010: Touring LG’s Booth at CES 2010
Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 05:45 PM ETTags: LG, Industry Trends, CES 2010 (all tags)
Read on as we take a tour of all the home theater products that LG’s announced for 2010.
Booths hosted by television makers all share a common theme. The areas are enormous, but never big enough to hold the throngs of people that swarm around them. The walls, and sometimes even the ceilings, are covered with televisions. LG’s in particular makes the lights of the casinos look dull by comparison.
In form, LG is similar to the others, but in content they stand separate. Unlike the majority of other manufacturers who feature giant 3D displays and 3D theaters, LG’s 3D section is fairly laid back. They have a few 3D televisions, and a small viewing area for their new 3D projector. It’s clear that LG is aware of the trend, but – this year at least – they’re firmly rooted in two dimensions.
LG’s biggest move forward it televisions is their new line of Infinia LCDs and plasmas. They all offer the same functionality, including allowing users to access LG’s NetCast family of television applications. While there are a few differences between each Infinia model, the largest separator between each is the technology used in the screens.
On the LCD side, The Infinia series consists of the LE7500, LE8500, and LE9500 models. The LE7500 is the only edge lit model, though it does feature a basic 16 segment local dimming function. The 8500 and 9500 are Full LED backlit televisions that feature up to 240 segments.
The LE9500 is the top of the line of the Infinia LCD series. Not only does it feature a 480p refresh rate and 3D capabilities, but it and the 8500 are the first LCD TVs in the US market to receive THX certification. LG has also seen fit to include the THX “Bright Room” function, which adjusts brightness contrast and gamma settings for optimal performance in rooms with a great deal of ambient light.
The 8500 and 9500 both include a new feature for LG televisions that they hope will make it a bit easier for users to do what they want with their TVs. Based on the controls for the Nintendo Wii, LG calls their new remote the Magic Wand.
By using gestures and selecting buttons with a pointer, LG hopes that users will have an easier time utilizing the wide range of different applications available to them with NetCast.
The LCD sets looked incredibly nice of course, but they paled in comparison to the plasmas added to the Infinia line. The PK950 and PK750 series are the completely redesigned plasmas that complete the Infinia series. They’re slim – just two inches deep – and they’re over 40% lighter than previous models. The sixty inch model, for example, weighs in at just ninety-five pounds.
Like the 9500 LCDs, LG’s plasmas carry THX certification. They’ve created new technologies to slim the television and reduce the gap between the glass and the filter which helps to eliminate double imaging, and screen glare. The PK950 also incorporates the magic wand remote system.
All of LG’s Infinia televisions offer NetCast functionality, which has been expanded significantly for 2010. LG’s connected media suite now includes Netflix 2.0 (allowing consumers to bypass the PC entirely), Vudu, Youtube, Napster and a range of Yahoo! Widgets.
Skype is another new addition to NetCast. By attaching a webcam to their TV, you’ll be able to use Skype to call, and video chat with your friends and family. They’ll need a webcam as well, and a compatible TV or PC in order for you to see them. LG has announced that the webcam will be sold separately. The representative I spoke with was not able to confirm whether a third party webcam would be able to be hooked up.
LG will be selling a bundles media hub and wireless receiver separately from the television. Using this hub and receiver will allow users to connect to sources like Blu-ray players, networked media devices and PCs.
LG also showed off a 60” ultra high resolution display prototype, a prototype 3D plasma display, and a series of portable televisions that pull HD signals right out of the air.
While 3D wasn’t a main feature of the booth, LG did debut the first consumer level full HD 3D projector. Most of the 3D technology on display – including the projector – made use of active shutter glasses.
Check out LG's press page for a peek at some of these new products.
Make sure to keep checking back to High Def Digest for more up to the minute news straight from the show floor of CES 2010.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES 2010: Touring LG’s Booth at CES 2010
Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 05:45 PM ETTags: LG, Industry Trends, CES 2010 (all tags)
Read on as we take a tour of all the home theater products that LG’s announced for 2010.
Booths hosted by television makers all share a common theme. The areas are enormous, but never big enough to hold the throngs of people that swarm around them. The walls, and sometimes even the ceilings, are covered with televisions. LG’s in particular makes the lights of the casinos look dull by comparison.
In form, LG is similar to the others, but in content they stand separate. Unlike the majority of other manufacturers who feature giant 3D displays and 3D theaters, LG’s 3D section is fairly laid back. They have a few 3D televisions, and a small viewing area for their new 3D projector. It’s clear that LG is aware of the trend, but – this year at least – they’re firmly rooted in two dimensions.
LG’s biggest move forward it televisions is their new line of Infinia LCDs and plasmas. They all offer the same functionality, including allowing users to access LG’s NetCast family of television applications. While there are a few differences between each Infinia model, the largest separator between each is the technology used in the screens.
On the LCD side, The Infinia series consists of the LE7500, LE8500, and LE9500 models. The LE7500 is the only edge lit model, though it does feature a basic 16 segment local dimming function. The 8500 and 9500 are Full LED backlit televisions that feature up to 240 segments.
The LE9500 is the top of the line of the Infinia LCD series. Not only does it feature a 480p refresh rate and 3D capabilities, but it and the 8500 are the first LCD TVs in the US market to receive THX certification. LG has also seen fit to include the THX “Bright Room” function, which adjusts brightness contrast and gamma settings for optimal performance in rooms with a great deal of ambient light.
The 8500 and 9500 both include a new feature for LG televisions that they hope will make it a bit easier for users to do what they want with their TVs. Based on the controls for the Nintendo Wii, LG calls their new remote the Magic Wand.
By using gestures and selecting buttons with a pointer, LG hopes that users will have an easier time utilizing the wide range of different applications available to them with NetCast.
The LCD sets looked incredibly nice of course, but they paled in comparison to the plasmas added to the Infinia line. The PK950 and PK750 series are the completely redesigned plasmas that complete the Infinia series. They’re slim – just two inches deep – and they’re over 40% lighter than previous models. The sixty inch model, for example, weighs in at just ninety-five pounds.
Like the 9500 LCDs, LG’s plasmas carry THX certification. They’ve created new technologies to slim the television and reduce the gap between the glass and the filter which helps to eliminate double imaging, and screen glare. The PK950 also incorporates the magic wand remote system.
All of LG’s Infinia televisions offer NetCast functionality, which has been expanded significantly for 2010. LG’s connected media suite now includes Netflix 2.0 (allowing consumers to bypass the PC entirely), Vudu, Youtube, Napster and a range of Yahoo! Widgets.
Skype is another new addition to NetCast. By attaching a webcam to their TV, you’ll be able to use Skype to call, and video chat with your friends and family. They’ll need a webcam as well, and a compatible TV or PC in order for you to see them. LG has announced that the webcam will be sold separately. The representative I spoke with was not able to confirm whether a third party webcam would be able to be hooked up.
LG will be selling a bundles media hub and wireless receiver separately from the television. Using this hub and receiver will allow users to connect to sources like Blu-ray players, networked media devices and PCs.
LG also showed off a 60” ultra high resolution display prototype, a prototype 3D plasma display, and a series of portable televisions that pull HD signals right out of the air.
While 3D wasn’t a main feature of the booth, LG did debut the first consumer level full HD 3D projector. Most of the 3D technology on display – including the projector – made use of active shutter glasses.
Check out LG's press page for a peek at some of these new products.
Make sure to keep checking back to High Def Digest for more up to the minute news straight from the show floor of CES 2010.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES 2010: Press Day Run Down
Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 04:50 PM ETTags: CES 2010 (all tags)
CES is upon us, and things are off to an impressive start. Toshiba detailed the Cell TV and Samsung showed off some impressive LED backlit sets as well as some plasmas. Oh, and every single company talked about 3D.
Though LG’s press conference started the day, it was Toshiba’s that brought the first bit of really exciting news. The much lauded Cell TV will be making its way to the US. It’s not priced or dated yet, but we know a lot about what may be a real game changer of a television.
Toshiba’s Cell does more than any other television on the market today. It handles 3D content like a champ. The 480Hz refresh rate may seem a bit excessive at first, but it’s there for reason. 3D video requires two simultaneous pictures to be shown, which cuts television refresh rates in half. By using 480Hz technology, the Cell TV is able to show 3D at a still impressive 240Hz.
It’s all part of Toshiba’s new plan to avoid the rush to the bottom. During the press conference they said that people who know quality will pay for quality, and they’ll pay for the Cell TV.
The Cell has a few more features not found on other sets. Your Blu-ray player or receiver is the traditional sources for upscaling your standard definition signals, but the Cell can do it too. It’s a nice feature for television signals, or for the built in DVD (not Blu-ray) player. It even goes a step further than that with net content upscaling and eliminating compression and noise; handy since it streams Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow and more.
It’s also got a 1TB hard drive, wireless HDMI, WiFi, and a video phone option that will upscale to 1080p.
In addition to the Cell TV, Toshiba announced ten new series of televisions – seven of which will be LED backlit – and a 3D Blu-ray player.
Samsung’s press conference was packed to the brim with people waiting to see the latest and greatest. In addition to the impressive LED LCD television lines, Samsung showed off an MP3 player called the Samsung Ice Touch. It’s got a 2” transparent OLED display, which Samsung says is ideal for touch screen users. Since you can see right through the screen, it can be controlled from behind, so your fingers don’t cover the screen that you’re trying to navigate.
They also mentioned the Samsung Mobile TV, a mobile device that you can watch television shows on. Details were sparse, but it’s based on the Samsung Moment, and a trial run will start in Washington D.C this spring.
Of course, 3D is the focus of Samsung’s new efforts, and they brought on Jeffery Katzenberg of Dreamworks to announce a new partnership with the content company. 3D is the future, says Samsung, and their new mission statement is to “Inspire the world, create the future.”
In addition to 3D televisions that convert 2D to 3D in real time like Toshiba’s Cell, Samsung announced that they’ll be releasing 3D Blu-ray players, active shutter glasses, and even 3D HTiB’s. Samsung was quick to assure us that these products all meet the Blu-ray and Broadcast 3D standards.
Panasonic, like its competition, was quick to announce their plan to dominate the 3D market. Panasonic does have one distinct advantage in that they provide an end to end solution. They have 3D TVs and Blu-ray players, but also the first prosumer level 3D video camera. It costs $21,000, and it looks like an overblown viewmaster, but it’s the cheapest way to film 3D yet.
Panasonic announced a partnership with DirecTV, which will debut a trio of 3D channels this summer, just after the spring launch of Panasonic’s 3D Viera televisions. Partners providing content for the 3D channel will include CBS, NBC, MTV, and Fox Sports.
'Avatar' producer Jon Landau took the stage to talk about all the Panasonic gear used in the filming and production of 'Avatar,' and said that he sees 3D video as the new stereo sound. “At first,” he said “stereo was a novelty, and now we’ve come to expect it.”
The new Viera Plasma V series is 3D capable and will have WiFi built right in. The most interesting addition to Panasonic’s television line may be Skype, which will allow video calling right from the television. They’ll also be bringing a 3D Blu-ray player with HDMI 1.4 specification support.
On the non-3D front, Panasonic announced their new BD-85. It’s a Blu-ray player with built in WiFi and an impressive load time. It’s one of those “I’ll believe it when I see it” statements, but Panasonic claims a half second load time for Blu-ray discs.
They’ll also be bringing out the B15 Portable Blu-ray player that features the Viera Cast network and built in WiFi, and an HTiB with subs built right in to the left and right channel speakers.
Don’t forget to keep checking back to High-Def Digest for more updates direct from the show floor at CES.
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