hdtvs

Sharp's E77 series LCDs sport four HDMI inputs and antireflective screens

Updated (07/09/09)

While competitors like Samsung, Sony, and Vizio are rolling out new features such as 240Hz refresh rates, LED-backlighting, and interactive content to their LCDs, Sharp's new E77 lineup is fairly conventional, even by last year's standards.

Key features of the Sharp LC-E77UN series:

1080p native resolution Advanced Super View screen 120Hz refresh rate and dejudder processing Four HDMI inputs Two component video inputs PC input RS-232 port Swivel stand EnergyStar 3.0 compliant 40-, 46- 52-, 60-, 65-inch screen sizes

While most of these features are pretty standard, Advanced Super View (ASV) is a … Read more

Toshiba Regza XV645 series touts Resolution+ technology

Toshiba has announced the XV645 series, which is the entry-level to the company's Regza line of LCDs. One of the major step-ups of this series over Toshiba's other LCDs is that it offers the Resolution+ technology. Resolution+ is the next generation of Toshiba's SRT technology, which was featured in the company's LCDs last year. These are the details Toshiba released:

Key features of the Toshiba Regza XV645 Series:

Resolution+ super resolution technology 120Hz refresh rate with dejudder Autoview (automatically adjusts settings based on incoming signals) Three HDMI inputs PC input

40-, 46- and 52-inch screen sizes … Read more

Viewsonic's 1080p TV for your kitchen

This certainly isn't the first time we've seen a monitor with identity issues, but Viewsonic at least gets current HDTV marketing strategies correct by making the VT2430 24-inch LCD monitor HDTV full HD with a 1080p resolution.

Along with the VT2430's 1,920x1,080 resolution you get a 1,000:1 contrast ratio (10,000:1 DCR) and 5ms response time as well as of course an integrated ATSC/QAM TV tuner and connectivity options including a single HDMI 1.3 input with high-definition content protection (HDCP), component, S-video, composite, and RGB analog inputs.

There are 3.… Read more

Vizio VO32L LCD isn't the cheapest, but it's solid

When most buyers hear the name Vizio, they think of cheap HDTVs, but if you look at recent prices for LCDs, that's no longer the case. More established brands like Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung have all slashed their prices to meet Vizio. Luckily for the Vizio VO32L, that's not much of an issue, because it's a solid performer even without the price advantage.

The gritty details are all in the review, but the bottom line is that the VO32L has perfectly good image quality with relatively deep blacks and accurate primary colors, along with a nice connectivity suite, with three HDMI inputs and a VGA-style PC input. Our major gripe is that the blacks tended to look greenish in darker areas, but it's not a dealbreaker.

Read the full review of the Vizio VO32L.… Read more

CNET News Daily Podcast: Banning train operators from texting

A deadly train crash in California prompts the state's railroad regulators to ban cell phone use by engine operators. Meanwhile, Congress is trying to limit the taxes that can be applied to consumers' cell phone bills. Already state taxes on cell phone plans average 15.19 percent, according to one study, which is twice as much as the average sales tax.

Plus, Cisco buys Jabber, eBay may have put StumbleUpon on the auction block, and a new Apple iPhone-related patent turns up. All this and more on Friday's podcast.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Today's stories:… Read more

Panasonic puts plasma TVs on a diet

We had inklings that thin was in for the HDTV business this year after CES, but the sets being shown off at IFA in Berlin this week confirm it.

Panasonic showed off the 50-inch version at CES in January, but brought out 58-inch and 65-inch versions of the startlingly thin TVs at IFA at the Berlin trade show Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, Panasonic is saying that the sets are not as heavy as normal plasma TVs. Plus, the prototypes are being made with WirelessHD inside, which means fewer pesky wires. Keep in mind, this is not a real TV. It's just … Read more

Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD reviewed, and why Panasonic is rated higher

For quite some time, the battle for CNET's "Best HDTV Overall" has essentially been between Pioneer's and Panasonic's plasmas. Plasma technology may be losing market share every year, but it's still the clear winner when it comes to image quality, thanks to deep, rich blacks that LCDs still can't match. And the conventional wisdom lately has basically been that Pioneer is the best bet for flat-panel videophiles, due to its industry-best black levels (excluding Sony's little OLED set.)

We posted our full review of the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD on Friday, and home … Read more

HD Guru's tips on getting the best price on a new HDTV

The HD Guru has had a long career in the consumer electronics business, including 30 years as VP for a chain of consumer electronics stores. The good news for you is that he's willing to share some of the knowledge he's picked up over the years, and his latest blog includes some sage advice on scoring the lowest price when buying a new HDTV.

The HD Guru recommends basically a four-step method: 1) Research TVs online (of course, we recommend CNET's HDTV reviews). 2) Go to a major retailer like Best Buy or Circuit City and look … Read more

CES 2008: Televisions and HDTVs

The annual International Consumer Electronics Show is all about trends, as opposed to actual product announcements complete with pricing, model numbers, and "click here to buy!" buttons. This year we're sure to see a few new trends join those old standbys from yesteryear--and the year before that and the year before that--so here's a quick rundown of what to expect from high-definition displays at CES 2008.

Larger OLED TV manufacturers have to find some way to shave profits from ever-more-commoditized products, and one of the best ways is to introduce a whole new technology. … Read more