lcd

Uh oh: LCD TV shipments fall for the first time ever

The television market hit a rough patch during the first quarter of 2012, according to new data from research firm NPD DisplaySearch.

During the period, total television shipments worldwide hit 51.2 million units, representing an 8 percent decline compared with the first quarter of 2011. LCDs took up the major share, tallying 84.2 percent ownership of the television market. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions took 10 percent of the market, followed by plasmas with 5.8 percent share.

The big news, however, was that for the first time ever, LCD shipments were actually down year over year. According … Read more

Get a 22-inch AOC monitor for $99.99

Looking for a second monitor? Or perhaps even a third? How about a replacement for that old CRT you bought when Bill Clinton was still in office?

Smart move, waiting until today. While supplies last, Woot spin-off Moofi has the refurbished AOC E2243 22-inch LCD monitor for $99.99, plus $5 for shipping. That's one of the lowest prices I've ever seen for a monitor of this size.

By the way, like all Woot-related deals, this one's available today only. Update: My mistake. This deal is available for another six days, or until supplies run out. However, … Read more

Active 3D vs. passive 3D: What's better?

CNET reader Taher asks:

I'm trying to decide between two 3D TVs: a Panasonic that's active 3D and LG that's passive 3D. LG has all these international certificates for the best 3D picture and claims it's full resolution, but you and others claim Passive 3D is half the resolution of a real 1080p. Is there is a way for me to really tell the difference between an active and a passive 3D?

There sure is.… Read more

HD Super AMOLED versus Retina Display, and other screens (Smartphones Unlocked)

When Raymond Soneira compares smartphone displays, he doesn't just stare at side-by-side screens, using his highly trained eye to detect differences in color temperature and contrast. He does that, make no mistake, but he also uses a suite of scientific tests that measure factors like brightness, color gamut, and reflection.

Soneira is the president, CEO, and founder of DisplayMate Technologies, a gold standard toolkit among manufacturers and display reviewers, CNET included. Holding a doctorate in theoretical physics, Soneira has spent 23 years fine-tuning the algorithms that analyze visual data on screens of all sizes, from smartphones to TVs. Mathematical models are a specialty of his; in past positions, Soneira has developed intricate tests for both AT&T Bell Labs and CBS (CNET's parent company), among others.

This mountain of experience and expertise is why I'm paying attention when Soneira tells me quite plainly over the phone, "Just about every single spec on displays is exaggerated."

And by "exaggerated," he suggests skewed, misleading, and sometimes utterly useless. Why? Because while a screen's resolution and other specs can indicate a certain level of performance, there are many more factors involved in determining a display's actual level of performance. … Read more

Sony HX850: Early candidate for Best LCD TV of 2012

Though plasma is still a firm favorite with reviewers and videophiles, it's overwhelmingly LCD televisions that most people actually buy. And if you want to know what the best LCD TV released in 2012 will be, then we may already have an answer for you: the Sony HX850.

Until the arrival of the excellent HX850, Sony looked to be in dire straits with a massive debt and an anemic TV lineup compared to companies like Samsung and LG. Sony's second-best new-for 2012 TV, the HX750, did nothing to quell our concerns, with picture quality far below what we … Read more

Which TV is right for me? (Device & Conquer)

The technology behind the screen that creates the image is the core of what you're paying for when you buy a TV.

Understanding the differences can be confusing and, frankly, very technical. Leave it to CNET's Brian Cooley to make it simple and narrow down your choice in just a few minutes. Luckily for even the least attentive consumer, there are very few bad TVs out there. But if you're about to lay out this kind of money for a piece of electronics you'll keep for almost seven years on average, know what you're buying. … Read more

LG unveils 5-inch HD LCD screen

LG has announced it will release a new 5-inch LCD screen later this year that boasts a 1080p resolution.

Designed for "smart devices," the new panel also features a 440ppi pixel density -- handily beating the 330ppi Retina display found on Apple's iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. "The naked eye is unable to distinguish between individual pixels," LG said in a statement announcing the new screen.

The 5-inch display will have a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1920x1080 resolution, a combination more associated with HDTVs and high-definition monitors. The display is built on AH-IPS (… Read more

The best headphones in the world?

I've written about the Audeze LCD-2 headphones in this blog before, but now I'm going to cover the LCD-3 model, Audeze's best headphones. At first glance the two don't look all that different, but the LCD-3s sport real zebrawood earcups and have thicker and softer real lambskin leather cushions to coddle your ears. This is a fairly heavy (550-gram) set of headphones, but they're comfortable to wear for hours at a time. Details of why the LCD-2s and LCD-3s sound different aren't forthcoming from Audeze, other than the drivers, which use similar technology, are … Read more

Toshiba slashes TV production

Toshiba is ending its domestic production of flat-panel televisions in a bid to double its operating profit by 2014-15. The company's shares rose by more than 5 percent in Tokyo in response to the move.

The company said it aims to double its annual operating profit to 450 billion yen ($5.6 billion). In doing so, it will put a stop to the production of televisions in Japan, in which the business saw a 50 billion yen ($620 million) loss a year earlier.

Instead, it will focus on its social infrastructure business and electronic devices.

"We have shut … Read more

iPad mini to debut during second half of 2012?

Apple has reportedly already tagged LCD suppliers for an iPad mini, with an eye toward launching the tablet in the second half of the year.

This latest scuttlebut comes courtesy of Taiwan news outlet Liberty Times (English translation).

Citing the usual, vague "market rumors" but also a report from Japanese securities firm Macquarie, the Liberty Times said the iPad mini could start shipping by the end of the third quarter with a goal of 6 million units.

That 6 million is the same number projected last month by Chinese online portal Netease.

LG and Au Optronics have already … Read more