flat-panel tvs

The flat-panel TV you buy in 2016 will almost certainly be a smart TV embedded with access to the Internet, says Gartner.

Production of flat-panel smart TVs will shoot up from 69 million this year to 108 million next year and 198 million in 2016.

So, what exactly is a smart TV?

Gartner defines it as one that lets you access and search the Internet for videos and other items. Such a TV may or may not come with its own dedicated Web browser, but it does provide an app store that lets you install a range of different apps. … Read more

First off, congrats to Rick S. of Wylie, Texas, for winning two LittleBits starter kits in last week's giveaway.

Now, how does a free 40-inch TV sound? Not bad, eh? This week, we're giving away a Samsung LN40D550, an entry-level non-LED TV that CNET reviewers say stands tall among budget TVs for its deep black levels, ample shadow detail, uniform screen, and stylish looks.

Note that this particular set has been lightly used during our review process, which also means you're getting a TV that's been touched by the very hands of CNET's David Katzmaier and/or Ty Pendlebury (never, ever clean it).

Normally, a Samsung LN40D550 flat-panel TV costs approximately $575, but you have the chance to get one gratis. How? Well, there are a few rules, so please put down the remote for a moment and read them carefully. There will be a test. … Read more

Computer hardware is hot among holiday buyers this season, according to data out yesterday from ComScore.

As online buyers scoop up iPads, e-readers, laptops, and other portable devices, computer hardware is ringing in the holidays as the product category showing the most growth for the season so far, a 25 percent increase compared with last year.

Lower prices on flat-panel TVs is spurring growth in consumer electronics, helping that category grow 22 percent among online buyers over the same period last year, says ComScore. Books and magazines are also proving to be a popular gift item, up 21 percent from … Read more

Revenue for chipmakers could reach $310 billion this year, helping the industry reach a record in sales growth, according to a report released Tuesday by iSuppli.

Stronger prices and ongoing demand for smartphones and flat-panel TVs will be the two driving forces behind the surge in sales, iSuppli said. The record revenue would represent a gain of 35 percent from 2009, better than expected and higher than iSuppli's May forecast of 31 percent growth.

"The semiconductor market already was in for beefy growth in 2010 because of strong consumer demand for electronic products," Dale Ford, senior vice … Read more

Panasonic has been tapped to pinch-hit for Pioneer.

The two television makers said Wednesday they had come to an agreement in which Panasonic will produce the panels for Pioneer's plasma televisions.

The news comes a month after reports surfaced that Pioneer was pulling out of the plasma business. When Pioneer confirmed it would be finding someone who could make the panels more inexpensively than it could, there was a sense of dismay and disappointment among fans of its Kuro technology. Pioneer plasma TVs are generally regarded by experts--including CNET Reviews' David Katzmaier--as having the blackest black levels … Read more

TVs galore this morning.

Microtek, known for its scanning and digital imaging technology, announced Wednesday that it was launching two television lines.

The Microtek line includes a 42-inch flat panel plasma television for $1,500 and a 50-inch version for $2,000. The Cineon line offers a 42-inch flat panel plasma for $1,600 and a 50-inch for $2,200.

On Friday, Microtek announced that it will be adding a 42-inch LCD HDTV to each of those new lines. The L42CX2A for $1,900 will be added to the Microtek line and the CL42HA for $2,000 will be added … Read more