lcd

Years ago we purchased a rare early version of one of those personal weather stations that are everywhere these days, and it failed miserably. Or, more accurately, we failed miserably; we could never get it to work properly and, even when it did, we couldn't figure out how to read it. So even though their more recent design efforts are much appreciated, we still fear that they'll be too complicated for our woefully limited technical comprehension.

Enter La Crosse Technology and its $15 LCD Window Thermometer. Not only does it claim to be simple to use, according to … Read more

Having already debuted its line of ultraslim, flat-panel LCD-based HDTVs in Singapore and Japan, Hitachi finally announced its availability stateside at CES. The models, which comprise three separate series of three screen sizes each, all have a depth of 1.5 inches, which is the thinnest we've seen from any flat-panel LCD. The closest competitor among announced (non-concept) models is LG's 42LGX Super Slim (1.75 inches), which joins the Hitachis in trumping JVC's "world's thinnest" (2.9 inches) models and the current champ, Sharp's LC-D64U series (3.25 inches). Personally, we don't see much use in making current inches-thin flat-panel displays a couple inches thinner, but there's no denying that trend, embodied in extreme by models like Sony's OLED (3mm) and Pioneer's concept plasma (9mm).

Watch the LGX Super Slim HDTV video on CNET TV.

Hitachi packed a passel of features into its slim LCDs. The 37- and 42-inch models from each series include 1080p resolution as well as the company's version of 120Hz technology with de-judder, which Hitachi calls "Reel20." We've reviewed similar technology in models from Sony, Toshiba and Samsung, for example, and we're curious to see how the Hitachi version stacks up.… Read more

Although they won't have all the eco-friendly chops featured on the company's entry-level LCD, the most-expensive LCD HDTVs announced by Philips at CES this year do include 120Hz technology with de-judder, the company's first attempt at such video processing. The technology, dubbed HD Digital Natural Motion (HD DNM) with. Motion Estimation Motion Compensation (MEMC) as part of the company's Pixel Plus 3 HD package--got all that?--joins similar technologies we've reviewed from Sony, Toshiba, and Samsung.

… Read more

At CNET, we take HDTV power consumption seriously, which helps explain our excitement when Philips announced its Eco TV. The 42-inch, 1080p resolution, flat-panel LCD, model 42PFL5603D (due in March, $1,399 MSRP), is packed with power-saving features.

Watch the Philips 42PFL5603D Eco TV video on CNET TV.

Chief among them is the ability to dim the backlight--by up to five times peak brightness--in response to program material, much like the "local dimming" found on Samsung's LED-based LN-T4681F. Dimming the backlight in darker scenes has the dual benefit of saving power and improving black-level performance, according to the company. The backlight can also be dimmed via a room lighting sensor, so in dark rooms it will use less power. There's also traditional a "power-saving" mode that caps the peak light output.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Why do the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs from Sony measure only 11 inches across? Because large OLEDs are really tough to make.

While praising the OLED format during a press conference here with a few reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday morning, Sony executives acknowledged that producing large OLED screens in large quantities remains a work in progress. OLEDs now are mostly used in cell phones, which have small screens.

"The difficult challenge with the larger screen sizes is improving the yields. There are a lot of complications, many more than with LCD," said … Read more

Anyone who's visited a mall in the last decade knows that massage chairs are a dime a dozen--or perhaps several grand, depending on the model--but we just can't pass up one that comes from a company called "Jovial." And it's not just any manufacturer, but one that claims to be "China's leader in massage chairs" (we'll have to take their word for it).

Geographic hyperbole aside, it's latest offering alone has got to put it high on the list: As well as some advanced bodywork technology, it promises to … Read more

Alienware put on what it termed a "technology statement" in Vegas tonight with the aptly named "curved display." That's its unofficial name. It also has no price yet, and no release date more specific than "second half of 2008." What we can tell you is that after the brief minute or so we spent with this monitor, we think high-end PC gamers are going to be excited for it.

The specifics are that it's a rear-projection DLP screen that can run at a resolution of 2,880x900 pixels (wider than a 30-inch … Read more

Although Toshiba's 20-model announcement takes the cake for sheer flat-panel LCD quantity so far at CES, Sony's surprise decision to divulge details on its own Bravia LCD sets at the show--17 in all--come pretty close. Usually "The Big 'S'" waits until its dedicated Las Vegas line show in February to announce anything substantive regarding its television plans for the year, but for whatever reason the big Bravia news comes early. While Sony did deign to announce an availability of "spring," unlike Toshiba it did not see fit to mention any pricing.

… Read more

A lot of people walked into Toshiba's 2008 CES press conference expecting a train wreck in the light of Warner's pre-show Blu-ray bombshell. But after a quick obligatory mention of it being "a difficult day" for the godfather of the HD DVD format, it was back to business: namely, highlighting the company's 2008 line of LCD flat-panel TVs. The company touted five new series of models, all of which will be released this spring. Full details after the jump.… Read more