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Vizio enjoys a Black Friday bump in sales

by Steven Kim, posted Dec 4th 2008 at 6:33PM

Vizio HDTV
Vizio's move to cut prices on select HDTV models in advance of Black Friday looks like it was a pretty shrewd maneuver, with the company showing 162,000 units sold in North America over last weekend. To put that in perspective, that's a sale almost every 1.5 seconds, 24-hours a day, from Friday to Sunday. The lion's share of those register checkouts were for 32-inch displays, and adding in 32 37-inch and 42-inch offerings accounts for almost all of the units; so this isn't a flood of 19-inch TVs that are finding their way into guest rooms and kitchens. Who knows if it's the new high-quality marketing message or the value-brand perception, but Vizio seems to be doing pretty well for itself, indeed.

[Via tgdaily]

Panasonic's FreeSat-tuning TX-37LZD81 HDTV reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 4th 2008 at 10:22AM

Panasonic's FreeSat-tuning VIERA TH-46PZ81B fared well in its recent review, and thankfully, so did the TX-37LZD81 LCD HDTV. The set, which was acquired and tested by the eyes at HDTVOrg, was highly praised in almost every area, with critics pointing out its fantastic ability to make both SD and HD content look its best. The integrated speakers weren't anything special, but it's not like you were expecting anything drastically different. We'd personally love to see that FreeSat tuner find more than a smattering of HD channels, but for those looking to pick out the ones that currently exist, this set wouldn't be a bad one to do that on.

Sharp fires up 43 LCD tree for the ho-ho-HOPE Program

by Steven Kim, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 10:48PM

Sharp LCD tree
New Yorkers passing through Grand Central Terminal will be treated to a 26-foot high holiday bush ensconced in, you guessed it, 43 Sharp LCD panels -- 52-inch behemoths at the base and 19-inch models way at the tip-top. Oohs, ahs and festive lighting aside, the display is meant to raise donations for the HOPE program's "Green Collar Project" that will help students find a green-collar job related to environmental work. Snicker all you want about the heat pumped out by those 52-inch LCDs, but it the tree as a whole beats its plasma counterpart and it's a good cause to boot. Enter to win one of the 43 deciduous panels and $1 will be donated to the program, up to $100,000 (and with a minimum of $50,000). Good on you, Sharp!

JVC's iPod-lovin' LT-47P789 LCD HDTV gets in-depth review

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 11:40AM


It's nearly time for JVC to drop yet another iPod dock-infused HDTV on us at CES 2009 (just a guess, is all), but for those looking for the model first introduced in January 2008, here's a bit of introspective. If you'll recall, we already heard pretty positive things about the 42-inch version of this same set, but AV Revolution took things much, much deeper with its look at the 47-inch LT-47P789. We'll save the details for those who care, but the long and short of it is this: in the case of this particular unit, "neither the TV's performance nor the TeleDock implementation is as good as it could be." That said, the street price of around $1,500 isn't half bad, and while it won't put a smile on the face of a videophile, it should function just fine as an "everyday or second-room TV" for those who can't seem to escape their iPod.

Micro Matic v-POD weds beer dispenser and LCD TV

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 5:32PM


It's two things that are inevitably tied to one another each Sunday -- LCD TVs and alcohol. Now, Micro Matic is bringing them together like never before, and only the most serious of in-home bartenders need apply. The v-POD comes in a couple of shapes and colors to best suit your needs, with the stainless steel Kool-Rite boasting a half-dozen taps, stereo speakers and an inbuilt 10-inch LCD. Now, if only these were available with slightly larger HDTVs and price tags nowhere near the three grand mark, we'd be talking.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

Loewe hints at Blu-ray-infused LCD HDTV by 2010

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 10:11AM


While most of the big boys are in a foot race to see who can pump out a legitimate big screen OLED TV the fastest, little ole Loewe is perfectly content with LCD. According to the company's CEO, Frieder Löhrer, he watches "all of the techniques that are on the market, almost on a daily basis," but was quick to dismiss that admittedly mesmerizing laser technology implemented by Mitsubishi as being too "inefficient and ineffective." When questioned on the possibility of joining a few other select firms in producing a Blu-ray-infused HDTV, he stated that he "could not say no," and he continued on to say that "it's a technique that we foresee not for the year 2008, but [probably] for early 2010." Hey, he never said he was trying to beat everyone else to the punch, right?

JVC's DVR-packin' LT-26DE9BJ LCD HDTV gets reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 12:19AM


We're not exactly sure why we're just now beginning to see a rash of new bedroom-sized HDTVs again, but we'll go the safe route and pick "economy." At any rate, JVC's got a unique one on its hands with the LT-26DE9BJ, a 26-inch LCD TV with a 160GB hard drive built-in to handle the PVR duties. The set, which is available now in the UK, also boasts a Freeview tuner and an 8-day EPG. Under scrutiny, the tele held up fairly well, with critics finding the image quality to be "exceptionally sharp" with both SD and HD material. The recording features were also admired, but the "average black levels" kept it from receiving a wholehearted recommendation. Still, if you can manage to find this one for a deep discount (sticker is £500), you just might have a winner on your hands.

Sharp expands AQUOS Advantage Program to cover mid-sized HDTVs

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 29th 2008 at 2:43PM


Maybe companies really do get in the holiday spirit, as it seems that about this time each year we get wind of yet another concierge type service related to HDTVs. This year, we're seeing Sharp kindly expand its AQUOS Advantage Program to cover mid-sized HDTVs. Previously, only AQUOS sets 42-inches and up were eligible for the special customer service program, which grants owners "priority repair services, including next business day scheduling and expedited service visits." Now, even AQUOS HDTVs of the 32- and 37-inch varieties are included. Unfortunately for Sharp, we still get the feeling that cash-strapped consumers will be eying that sticker more so than any fancy extras this holiday season, but we reckon it can't hurt.

Sony's BRAVIA KDL-46Z4500 LCD HDTV reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 29th 2008 at 3:43AM


Last we heard, Sony and Samsung were still passing blows about whose 200Hz HDTV was actually "first," but in the meanwhile, we figured we'd pass along a review (two, actually) of the BRAVIA KDL-46Z4500. In short, this is probably one of the best sets to float across the pond in quite some while. Both TrustedReviews and CNET found the HDTV to be stunning in terms of design and image quality, not to mention the great black levels and excellent media streaming via Ethernet / USB. The biggest gripe was simply the price -- if this thing were a few hundred pounds cheaper, it'd be a surefire winner. That said, those with excess cash can take the high recommendations to heart, but be sure and dodge those stray punches we mentioned up top when heading out to pick it up.

Read - TrustedReviews
Read - CNET

Samsung's 55-inch LN55A950 LCD HDTV reviewed: exceptional and expensive

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 28th 2008 at 1:53PM


You already heard CNET's opinions on the 46-inch 950 series LCD HDTV, but what if that one just isn't big enough for your ego / den? Enter the 55-inch sibling, which was recently critiqued by the gurus over at Home Theater Mag. According to the review, the LN55A950 managed to deliver black levels eerily close to those emitted by Pioneer's famed KURO line, although the off-angle viewing was deemed mediocre. For those who found a way to sit relatively close to dead-on in front of it, image quality was said to be nothing short of fantastic. In fact, these guys recommended that you not buy another LCD HDTV until you've checked this one out first, although you should probably pay attention to the $4,000+ price tag before you waste any time warming to a set that's out of reach. Bottom line? This is a marvelous LCD for those with the cash to burn, but four large is a steep price to pay for awesomeness.

Chi Mei Optoelectronic votes "no" to cutting LCD production

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 28th 2008 at 10:03AM


With practically every other flat-panel maker out there cutting back production like it's going out of style, it's no shock that rumors were a-flowin' that LCD maker Chi Mei Optoelectronic would soon be following suit. After suffering a $125 million loss in Q3 and facing a grim Q4, the outfit has proudly proclaimed that it has zero intentions of shutting down factories or otherwise lowering production in order to counter the slump. 'Course, CMO did trim output by around 20% last quarter, but in an official filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange, it clearly stated that it currently had "no plans to close factories as reported by the media." So, what exactly is it doing? Encouraging employees to take unpaid vacations. Interesting.

[Image courtesy of UberGizmo]

Sony's BRAVIA KDL-26M4000/R LCD HDTV reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 28th 2008 at 8:00AM


With all the big screen flat-panels cluttering up the HDTV arena, one may wonder if anyone's even paying attention to consumers clamoring for LCDs that can be handled by fewer than four burly gentlemen. Sony's BRAVIA KDL-26M4000/R is one set that fits better in a bedroom than a den, with a 26-inch panel and a 1,366 x 768 resolution. The gurus over at PC World were able to take the mid-sized set for a spin, and while it found that some tweaking was necessary out of the box in order to get the best possible HD quality, things were pretty swell once calibration was over. The built-in ATSC / NTSC / ClearQAM tuner did its job admirably well, and it also did a fantastic job of making SD content look as bearable as possible. The biggest knock against it was the price, which shouldn't be surprising for anyone who follows MSRPs of Sony TVs, as critics felt most folks would be happier spending less for similar sets.

Panasonic reopens VIERA HDTV Concierge Service to the public

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 26th 2008 at 8:52PM


It's official: Panasonic reopens its VIERA HDTV Concierge Service to the public at large every single holiday season. This year, however, is different. Rather than shutting down the lines to all but those who actually own a VIERA HDTV on December 31st, Panny will keep the cords of communication open through February 17, 2009. Yep, from now until the Digital TV Transition takes place in America, any human with access to a phone can call in to receive all sorts of buying advice and subliminal encouragement to choose a Panasonic set over any other. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, hit 'em with your best shot at 1-888-777-1170. Just mind the brainwashing and you'll be a-okay.

Global TV shipments up 6% year-over-year to 53 million units

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 26th 2008 at 8:46AM


Open wide -- it's time for your latest dose of DisplaySearch numbers! The latest figures from the research firm have found that global TV shipments are up (imagine that, right?) 6% year-over-year and 11% from Q2 to Q3 2008. In fact, over 53 million units were shipped, though it's hard to say how many are still collecting dust in warehouses given the downturn in consumer spending. As predicted, the research points out that Q4 isn't likely to be nearly as rosy, but if we're sticking to last quarter, you should know that China had the largest quarterly gain at 15%, while North American shipments rose 12% year-over-year. We've spoon fed you the highlights, and per usual, we'll leave the nitty-gritty to the number crunchers in attendance.

[Via Digital Home, image courtesy of ZoneaUnlimted]

Sony's BRAVIA EX1 / ZX1 HDTVs arrive in the UK

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 24th 2008 at 4:56PM


Wouldn't you know it? The world's slimmest LCD HDTV and one of the only wireless HDTVs have both arrived in unison in the United Kingdom. Without much fanfare, Sony has delivered the 9.9-millimeter thin KDL-40ZX1 (pictured) / KDL-52EX1 and the likely-WHDI-enabled KDL-40ZX1 / KDL-46EX1 to regions across the pond, though these beauties won't come with you relieving your wallet of some serious poundage. The KDL-40ZX1 gets going at £2,339, and it only gets wilder from there.

[Thanks, Marcos]




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