plasmas

Now that plasma TVs have reached the point of no return, we've been wondering what furniture makers would do to replace the cumbersome faux armoire that had become a fixture in so many living rooms in a somewhat vain attempt to conceal the tube. It's probably too early for a definitive standard to take hold, but we're starting to see a sandwich-board design gaining popularity for TV stands.

The latest company to take this approach is Alivar, an Italian (of course) designer of contemporary furnishings that has come out with a sandwich stand made of aluminum in … Read more

You may have already seen this if you have cable TV (and don't automatically skip over infomercials), but Big Lots is offering a 42-inch plasma TV from Sylvania for $799. That's $400 off the regular price and down $200 from the 42-inch plasma that Vizio cranked out for Black Friday.

Granted, it's always possible that you might find a better deal out there, but this one is pretty good. The store chain has 4,000 in stock, with a minimum of three per store and a limit of one per family. Look at the excitement of the … Read more

So you've just blown a month's salary on a plasma TV, and you're treating it like your first-born. Do you really want to pull out one of those janitorial-grade plastic bottles to keep it clean? Certainly not in front of company, we hope.

With that much money hanging on the wall, the least you can do is spend a few more bucks for a nicely designed cleaning solution like this one from AM Denmark, which comes in an "integrated spray container" made of acrylic and textile, according to Core77. For all its beautiful lines, however, … Read more

While we're always in favor of plasma progress, we're conflicted over this latest development. In the ever-elusive quest for an all-in-one entertainment device, Samsung is trying out a "Multi-Media Center" that combines its 50-inch HP-T5064 plasma TV with a Wi-Fi receiver and a hard drive that can be used for storing video and PC media. Electronista says the media center will be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Why do we have mixed feelings? It's taken so long for flat screens to get so sleek and affordable (relatively) that we're afraid the … Read more

Just what the world needs: More plasma TVs. Not that we mind having screens, of course (especially if it means lower prices for us).

So we wholeheartedly endorse NEC's move to update its high-end XR line of displays, which range from 42 to 60 inches. Interestingly enough, the changes don't involve the usual visual upgrades for the already-full-featured models: Shiny Shiny says the major difference is less power consumption, which NEC claims will be lowered by 22 percent. Pricing isn't yet known, though you can bet they won't be cheap. But if you hang onto one … Read more

Finally, something we can use. We've been drawn to the idea of chair-mounted computers for some time, but the set-ups we've seen have been too fancy for our taste. (Translation: we're cheap).

The Easy Chair Mount isn't exactly chump change either ($285), but it does look sturdy enough to hold up in an earthquake, which is no small consideration when you're talking about 20 pounds of glass suspended over your lap. And you'll want maximum structural integrity if you opt for the dual-monitor version. Best of all, the manufacturer claims that this can be … Read more

Speaking of weird experiments, we have an update to last week's item on a wooden plasma TV being developed at LG. BornRich points out that Sweden-based SWEDX has beaten LG to the punch with the "world's first" LCD TVs embedded in natural wood, in 40- and 46-inch sizes and 1080i resolution, no less. Crave apologizes, for we should have known better: In another life, we actually pointed to sylvan products made by SWEDX and other manufacturers earlier this year.

With plasma screens getting bigger all the time, it might be time to start a new trend and go in the opposite direction (and save a few thousand bucks at the same time). Try the "Pocket Plasma" on for size. At 3 inches in diameter, it may not be as small as phone, camera or media player LCDs, but this mini-screen can do something that the others definitely can't: You can wear it on your clothes. As Red Ferret notes, the $45 "sound-sensitive" Pocket Plasma will light up io voices and music. For more discreet … Read more

Continuing today's theme of natural materials, our cousins across the pond have alerted us to this "eco-friendly wooden plasma TV."

High-tech carpentry is nothing new, of course, but it's usually been reserved for sylvan hobbyists and other odd blokes. But LG is going mainstream with a woodland look of its own for a new 52-inch flat-screen set destined for commercial customers. Crave UK wasn't allowed to film the TV but ingeniously came up with an artist's rendition as seen here.

"The bezel is made of compressed wood (derived from renewable forests) and finished … Read more