We live in a world full of LED lights, but the everyday illuminated fixture simply can't inspire like the Water Light Graffiti art wall.
Created by French artist Antonin Fourneau and his team at the Digitalarti Artlab studio in Paris, this piece proves that when you mix modern technology with traditional art, something quite compelling can happen.… Read more
CNET Reader Doug Hagemeister asks:
Hello! I was watching a movie on Blu-ray the other day filmed in the 21:9 aspect ratio and I realized that it technically wasn't "1080p" since about 1/4 of the screen was taken up by the horizontal black bars (called "letter boxing," correct?). Anyway, I was just wondering how many pixels were being used on the TV. Thank you!Ah, letterboxing, how I love you.
To understand letterboxing, we have to talk about aspect ratio. HDTVs are 16x9, or 1.78:1. Slightly wider than they are tall, they're pleasantly rectangular. Old-fashioned tube TVs were 4x3, or 1.33:1, so closer to square. … Read more
Editors' Note: An updated article entitled Why Ultra HD 4K TVs are still stupid was published on January 28, 2013.
A few months ago, hot on the multitude of 4K TV announcements at CES, I wrote an article called "Why 4K TVs are stupid."
I was shocked, shocked to find so many angry, contrary opinions on the subject. I mean, this is the Internet. Surely everyone is cordial and like-minded.
The comment section was the usual bog of ad hominem, straw man, and plain nonsense arguments. But buried deep within the chaff were a few good questions worthy of rebuttal. So if you'll indulge...… Read more
Leaked from today's 404 episode:
- Check out Sal's book, "LED Lighting: A Primer to Lighting the Future."
- How to make your own LED throwies.
- LED lights shine at the London Olympic opening ceremonies.
- LED wallpaper is the nerd's ultimate nightlight.… Read more
CNET Reader R. Savoy asks:
I recently purchased a 60-inch plasma and used your recommended picture settings. Question: I have my picture settings set to Screen Fit instead of 16:9 and on some stations when they go from hi-def to 4:3 I get a white flickering line right above the top of the picture. This problem doesn't present itself on the 16:9 settings, please advise, thank you.Good question. Annoying answer, sadly.… Read more
Rear-projection TVs used to be the only way to get the "big-screen" experience at home. With the advent, and diminishing price of, large flat-screen LCDs and plasmas, the RPTV has become something of an endangered species. In fact, only one company, Mitsubishi, still makes RPTVs.
Many people still enjoy their RPTV, and I've received several letters recently asking if it was time for them to upgrade.
Are RPTVs a viable alternative to flat panels? When should you upgrade your old RPTV? Let's break it down.… Read more
CNET reader Jerry asks:
I recently bought a 40-inch LED LCD. I like it a lot, but over the past few months I've noticed my eyes hurt after watching the TV. Mostly it seems to happen at night. This can't be normal, right? Before I spend money on an eye doctor (I've never been), I figured I'd ask if there was something about the TV that was causing it. I never had this problem with my old TV.An interesting, and surprisingly common question.Updated August 16, 2012: We think a matte-screen finish offers the best picture quality in rooms where you can't control ambient light.
Most TVs are fine in normal lighting situations, and some glossy screens are better than others. But if you watch TV a lot in a very bright room, or have to place the set where its screen can't avoid reflecting a window or other bright light source, you should strongly consider going to the matte.
Unfortunately, most quality TVs have glossy screens. With LG going glossy on its higher-end LED models this year, the pickings are slimmer than in 2011. Sharp is a standout, Toshiba a pleasant surprise and Samsung uses matte in its lower-end EH lineup.
New in this update is the LG PM9700, the only plasma TV with a matte screen. I also included a sixth *bonus* TV since it's too good to pass up: Vizio's excellent M3D0KD, with its "semi-gloss" screen finish that's more reflective than the others, yet not as mirrorlike as truly glossy sets.
Here they are, arranged in descending order of overall CNET rating. … Read more
37? 42? 50? 65? 90? There's an HDTV size for every room and every budget.
But if you're not limited by a cabinet or entertainment center, how big of a TV can or should you get? … Read more
You've got mail. You've got a new Facebook friend request. Someone wants to chat. You've been mentioned in a tweet. Your mom left a voicemail. Your gadgets are constantly trying to get your attention, but bell, ringer, and buzzer alerts get old fast.
Get some peace and quiet (or at least quiet) with the L8 SmartLight. The Kickstarter project consists of a small box full of 64 RGB LEDs in a grid on one side and a single super RGB LED on the other. Talk to your smartphone, connect to your social networks, and feed Internet alerts to the box through Bluetooth or USB.
The battery-powered L8 -- which measures 2.4 inches by 2.4 inches by less than an inch -- can be set to notify you of just about any event you want. Got a new e-mail? Get a flashing light. Status update from your sweetheart? Trigger a pulsing LED heart. Boss left a voicemail on your day off? Set it for an LED frowny face. A control app is coming soon for iOS. Android, and desktop computers.… Read more
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