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CES 2012 Set New Attendance Record and Boasted 20,000 New Product Announcements
Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 10:00 AM ETTags: CES 2012, Industry Trends, Microsoft (all tags)
This year's show was the biggest in the history of CES, which certainly bodes well for the industry.
The Consumer Electronics Show may be an industry event but in no way is it industry exclusive. In addition to buyers, execs for big companies, TV news teams and writers, non-professional bloggers and fans find their way into the show. In fact, pretty much anyone who wants to go can find a way in. This year, an additional 13,000 made it to CES.
The addition of 400 new exhibitors to the show was almost certainly instrumental in getting the number up from 140,000 attendees in 2011. All told, over 20,000 new products were announced and launched at the show and more people than ever were there to see them. That's certainly a sign of interest in the industry and something that will hopefully transform into growth.
What should be interesting to see is what happens next year. Microsoft - a CES staple for both its booth and keynote speeches - has already said that it does not plan to return next year. If other companies follow suit, CES 2013 could see a decline.
Source: PC Mag
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Panasonic Unveils 2012 Plasma TVs
Mon Jan 16, 2012 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Panasonic, HDTVs, Plasma TVs, CES 2012 (all tags)
Six new series are launching, only one of them lacks 3D.
Panasonic is launching a total of 17 new TVs this year, with sizes and features ranging from the entry-level to the high end. Every single one of them packs a 1080p resolution, and all but one - the U50 - offers 3D capabilities.
At the top of the six different lines is the VT50. You'll be able to pick up Panasonic's flagship in 55" and 65" sizes and you'll find everything you've come to expect from a high end television. You get 3D capabilities, the Infinite Black Ultra Panel for dark blacks, built in Wi-Fi, Viera Connect for your internet apps and 2D to 3D conversion.
The VT50 also packs CALMAN calibration software and an ISFcc calibration mode so you - or someone who knows what they're doing - can get your set looking just right. It also gives you 8-Train speakers with 3D Real Sound for more immersive audio. Though if you're buying a top of the line TV you should really shell out for some speakers.
The VT50 and the rest of Panasonic's new plasma sets will be available this year though a specific launch date and price have not yet been set.
Source: Panasonic
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Sharp Shows an 85" 8K Resolution TV at CES
Mon Jan 16, 2012 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Sharp, CES 2012 (all tags)
Now we just need something to watch on it. And the crazy amount of money it would take to buy it.
CES is a time for companies to show off all their new products, getting consumers and businesses excited for the upcoming year. It's also a time to show off really exciting prototypes like Sharp's 85" 8k resolution TV.
8k, for those that don't feel like Googling or mathing it out, is a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320. That's 16 times higher than 1080p and, according to folks at the show it sure makes a difference. "No matter how close we got," writes Engadget's Richard Lawler, "we couldn't see the pixels."
This is, of course, a prototype with no plans for release or mass production. Still, it's a nice glimpse of the potential of upcoming hardware.
Source: Engadget
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Panasonic Reveals Six New Blu-ray Players - Four of Which are 3D Capable
Fri Jan 13, 2012 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Panasonic, Blu-ray Players, 3D Blu-ray Players, CES 2012 (all tags)
The 3D players can convert streaming content from Netflix, YouTube and more to 3D.
While some of the biggest news from CES has been the launch of new TV technologies, Blu-ray players aren't to be forgotten. Panasonic has six that they'll be releasing in 2012, a few of which offer some potentially exciting features.
All four of Panasonic's new 3D Blu-ray players are capable of smartphone control, 24p output for VOD movies, a new processor and the ability to convert 2D content to 3D. That includes DVDs, Blu-rays and anything on Viera Connect aside from Skype, which means 3D Netflix is possible. Three out of the four players also give you a 192kHz/32bit Audio DAC.
Panasonic's whole line of new players get some nice new features, like the ability to play back FLAC files. They also feature what they call "Digital Tube Sound" which helps to simulate the warmth of an actual tube amplifier.
Source: Panasonic
Sony Announces Three New TV Models for 2012
Fri Jan 13, 2012 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Sony, HDTVs, CES 2012 (all tags)
It's a much more streamlined lineup than last year, something Sony has been aiming for.
One of Sony's big initiatives recently has been to completely rethink its TV business, and that's certainly clear from the company's CES offerings. Instead of the usual glut of sets with slight differences, the company has launched just three new product lines.
At the entry level is the BX, which includes the 1080p BX450 and the 720p BX330. All the BX models offer the ability to connect to the Sony Portal for access to Netflix, Pandora and other streaming sources. They also boast Sony's Color Resolution Enhancer and Digital Noise Reduction.
The EX line is a step up from the BX and gives you Motionflow XR 240 and LED edge lighting. It also provides Wi-Fi out of the box, though it's in the form of a dongle.
Of course, the flagship HX sets are the exciting ones, packing built-in Wi-Fi, 3D capability, DLNA certification and can be controlled via smartphone apps. They also include Skype, though you'll need the Sony camera and mic - sold separately - to use it.
Source: Engadget
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Vizio Unveils Three Cinema Wide 21:9 TVs
Thu Jan 12, 2012 at 02:00 PM ETTags: Vizio, 3D TVs, CES 2012 (all tags)
You'll be able to pick them up in 50", 58", or 71" sizes.
When HD TVs came out, the way television was filmed and watched changed significantly - we went from 4:3 to 16:9, giving us a nice wide frame. It's a nice step up and it helps out with watching movies, but it's not as nice as it could be - black bars are black bars.
Vizio's new line of Cinema Wide TVs set out to please hardcore movie fans. In 50", 58" and 71" sizes, the Cinema Wide TVs give you a long enough screen that you'll get a full frame without those black bars. The 21:9 sets aren't just 1080p TVs stretched out, of course. They sport a resolution of 2560 x 1080.
The 50" and 58" sets offer Razor LED edge-lighting with smart dimming and a 120Hz refresh rate. The 71" TV steps things up significantly by including Full Array Tru LED backlighting with 120 zones across the TV. It also gives you a 240Hz refresh rate.
You'll also find things that have become standard for higher end TVs, like a controller with a QWERTY keyboard, built-in Wi-Fi and, because it's a Vizio, passive 3D capabilities.
No prices or release dates have been revealed yet, but we should be seeing these sometime in 2012.
Source: eCoustics
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Samsung's 2012 Blu-ray Player Lineup Includes One Compact and One Sporting HDMI Inputs
Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 12:00 PM ETTags: Blu-ray Players, 3D Blu-ray Players, Samsung, Ultraviolet, CES 2012 (all tags)
As you might expect, they also come packed with UltraViolet Disc to Digital for DVDs.
Samsung has more than a few Blu-ray players coming out in 2012 but they're highlighting two in particular as their flagship products. The first is a player with a surprisingly compact form-factor and the other can operate as a makeshift receiver.
Samsung's new BD-ES6000 changes things up significantly in terms of size. Samsung says that their new compact player is only slightly larger than a Blu-ray disc. It looks more like a Blu-ray drive for a computer than a player, but Samsung says you can still expect the kind of high-quality playback for both 2D and 3D discs as its bigger brothers.
The BD-E6500 goes in the other direction. Instead of the minimalist approach taken with the ES6000, Samsung has added a new function to the Blu-ray player. The E6500 gives you a pair of HDMI inputs on the back of the player that you can attach other components to, just like you would a receiver.
All of Samsung's players have at least one thing in common - a new video processor that can upconvert DVDs and low-resolution streaming video to 1080p. They also support Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD bitstream outputs.
Samsung's new players also give you the ability to register DVDs with UltraViolet and then access digital versions of those movies any time you want on any registered device. You can then pay to upgrade that copy to HD if you like.
Source: Samsung
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Samsung Announces New TVs at CES Including a 55" OLED
Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 10:00 AM ETTags: Samsung, LED TVs, Plasma TVs, OLED TVs, CES 2012 (all tags)
LG isn't the only company bringing a living room sized OLED to market in 2012.
Samsung kicked CES off with a bang, announcing new televisions in their plasma and LED backlit lines, but the big news is the company's 55" OLED display.
The folks at Samsung are referring to their new set as the Super OLED TV. It gives you everything you'd expect from an OLED set - fast response time, bright colors, deep blacks, slim design - and adds a few extra features. One of the most interesting is a Smart Interaction camera, which gives you Kinect-like voice and gesture control as well as facial recognition to easily switch user profiles. There's been no price announced for the Super OLED TV and no specific release date though Samsung does expect to have it on the market in 2012.
As usual, Samsung put a great deal of emphasis on their LED backlit sets. At the high end are the UNES8000 and UNES7500, both of which offer micro dimming for a brighter and more accurate picture as well as all the Smart TV features you've come to expect. One big change - they're utilizing a dual-core processor.
Samsung has plans for plasma as well, as shown by the PNE8000. The set features a new bezel design which includes a transparent border which Samsung says will create a more immersive experience. The 8000 also has the deepest black levels yet in Samsung's plasmas thanks to the Real Black Pro Panel.
All of Samsung's new higher-end TVs offer 3D and Smart TV capabilities as well as dual-core processors and a few other extras.
Source: Samsung
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Panasonic Will be Streaming Directly From CES
Mon Jan 09, 2012 at 04:45 PM ETTags: Panasonic, CES 2012 (all tags)
You can tune in to their press conference as well as Q&As with experts and celebrities.
The Consumer Electronics show will bring you some of the biggest announcements of the year in the home theater market, and while there will certainly be plenty of coverage and live blogging, the second-hand experience just doesn't compare to actually being there.
Panasonic is giving you a chance to experience the event on their live stream, getting you up-to-date information and getting you up close to the action. They'll have experts on hand to answer your questions and celebrities like John Glen who directed five different Bond films and Michael Apted who helmed 'The World is Not Enough.'
It all starts at 3:00pm PST on Monday, January 9th for a live stream of Panasonic's press conference. On the 10th and 11th you can watch eight hours of live CES coverage including a director's panel historically only open to the press.
Source: Panasonic
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LG Details 55" OLED Display - Likely to Sell in 2012
Wed Jan 04, 2012 at 10:00 AM ETTags: LG, OLED, CES 2012, Industry Trends (all tags)
The company will be tripling its OLED production in the second half of 2012, right around the estimated 55" OLED launch.
When we first heard the news about the nearly bezel free 55EM9600 OLED set, we were pretty excited. LG boasted lower costs with a still pristine picture and it seemed like a great proof of concept for future sets. Now imagine our excitement when we found out the 55EM9600 isn't a prototype after all - it's actually going to be sold.
A 55" model is a huge step up from the miniscule offerings of the past and it could go a long way to show whether or not the demand for OLED is there. It's a capable set too, offering a ridiculous contrast ratio of 100,000,000:1 - we're expecting some pretty deep blacks out of this one. It's 3D capable too, which should please 3D fans. OLED sets have impressed us greatly at CES in terms of 3D.
LG's new set comes in at 4mm thick. That's less than half a millimeter larger than the bezel on Samsungs D8000 series - crazy thin. It weighs in at just 16.5 pounds and allows for a nearly flush wall mounting.
One thing we haven't seen yet is the price, but with an expected launch of mid-2012 you can bet we'll find out soon. We wouldn't be surprised to see the set in the $10,000 - $15,000 range.
Source: Yahoo! Finance
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MORE HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "CES 2012":
- LG is Bringing a 55" OLED Display to CES Dec 29, 2011
- 2012 is the Last CES for Microsoft Dec 28, 2011
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