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Looks like Samsung’s 3D Blu-ray players aren’t the only ones coming in cheaper versions, as it’s unveiled the new 680 Series and 490 Series plasma HDTVs. Both were shown off in Korea yesterday, though the US website only features a product page for the 50-inch PN50C680 so far, showing off its 1080p specs and DLNA access. You will give up a few features from higher end plasmas, which add picture-in-picture, widgets, a higher contrast ratio and slimmer designs to the mix. The PN50C490’s situation is a bit murkier, but FlatpanelsHD reports it will be the first 720p 3DTV of the current generation. With current series 4 plasmas retailing for around $720, it could also be the first flat 3D set to crack (or at least approach) the $1,000 barrier — if you’re willing to miss out on the extra pixels.

Update: A listing on ABC Warehouse shows the PN50C490 with a few specs plus $1,099 MSRP, but already up for preorder for just $989. Perfect for some PS3 gaming or ESPN3D watching, right? Of course, as a few commenters have mentioned, you can get a 60-inch 1080p projection 3D capable HDTV from Mitsubishi for even less, so that’s hardly your only cheap 3D option. [Thanks, John Doe]

Continue reading Samsung’s new plasmas will do 3D for much cheaper – Update: $989 for 50-inch 720p

Samsung’s new plasmas will do 3D for much cheaper – Update: $989 for 50-inch 720p originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s Monday, and we know that getting the week started can be tough. We’re here to help by letting you peek into the recording booth when the Engadget HD podcast goes to tape at 4:30 pm. Think of it as a kind of time machine that will help you power through your day by reviewing what happened in the week HD-wise. Embedded Ustream tools and a list of topics after the break.

Continue reading Join the Engadget HD podcast live on Ustream at 4:30 PM

Join the Engadget HD podcast live on Ustream at 4:30 PM originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After getting price and release date information in the UK, Japan and even Canada, Sony has finally seen fit to announce US details for the latest and greatest additions to the BRAVIA LCD lineup. Additionally, the software update to turn on Blu-ray 3D playback and DLNA streaming in its latest players (the out of the box 3D ready BDP-S770 ships next month) is going out today, provided you can find a disc to slip in them — which you can’t until Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs arrives at retail June 22. Just like the other launches, buyers of the new TVs can expect a copy of that movie, Deep Sea, and vouchers for 3D games on the PlayStation Network (once it comes back up.) Oh, and how much will you be spending on the new televisions? Check after the break for all the details, but MSRPs (expect much lower prices in reality, as revealed by JR.com) range from $2,100 for the KDL-40HX800 to $5,000 for a 60-inch BR-60LX900. No word yet on when you’ll be able to pick up these displays at any other retailers, but if Sony is your preferred brand for 3D, you’ll need to run by a Sony Style store to have a chance of sticking one on the wall in time for the 2010 World Cup.

Continue reading Sony 3DTVs go on pre-sale at Sony Style stores immediately, ‘Cloudy’ hits Blu-ray 3D June 22

Sony 3DTVs go on pre-sale at Sony Style stores immediately, ‘Cloudy’ hits Blu-ray 3D June 22 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/Panasonic_announces_46_42_inch_plasma_3DTVs_for_Japan_E’; So far, Panasonic’s well-reviewed (and naturally, 3D capable) 2010 V-series plasmas have been exclusively a 50-inch and above affair, but it’s just announced 46- and 42-inch versions for Japan priced at ¥350,000 ($3,833) and ¥300,000 ($3,285), respectively. Due July 30, it’s a fair bet they’ll make their way over here in a similar time frame (and with predictably lower MSRPs) just like their larger brethren. Panasonic has reported brisk sales of its initial 3D televisions, but as production ramps up and supply expands, TVs like these are a better fit for many rooms — and budgets — so with 3D channels and gaming ready to appear, we’ll be eyeing their reception by consumers especially closely.

Panasonic announces 46-, 42-inch plasma 3DTVs for Japan originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we heard an upstart named People of Lava were going to beat Google to the punch with an all-in-one TV set, we were confused, amused and skeptical all at the same time. Thankfully, Expert Reviews made a special trip to Sweden to see the company’s Android-powered television in action, and now we know what the unit actually does — it switches between an Android interface and a discrete TV mode without actually mixing the two in any appreciable fashion. Disappointing as that might seem, the publication rather enjoyed the Android side of things, which features not only the above widgets but also a full Chrome web browser, a TV app marketplace, spacious Google Maps page and more. Before you pull out your wallet, though, know that the edge-lit, LG-powered display is intended for the sub-lux crowd; when the Scandinavia ships in September, it’s expected to run as much as £2,000 (around $2,898) for the basic, 42-inch model — or roughly $2,700 more than just sticking with your existing TV and adding a Bonux box for Android functionality.

People of Lava’s Android TV gets tested, only your pocketbook feels the burn originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s always seemed a bit ridiculous to us that a console that promised “full HD features from the start” was never capable of playing games or movies in high definition right out of the box, but this special Father’s Day PS3 bundle fixes that with an HDMI cable packed in. Of the many PlayStation 3 SKUs so far, none have come with anything other than standard def-only composite cables, requiring add-on component cables (the ones for PS2 always worked) for 720p/1080i or an aftermarket HDMI cable for 1080p, and retailers have been only too happy to limit their supply to $40+ options. The Xbox 360 used to earn a gold star for including component cables and later HDMI in some packages, but recently dropped HD cables in the name of saving a few bucks. We’re sure you’ve already got Monoprice and other bargain cable sellers bookmarked, but at least we can rest easy knowing Dad can enjoy LittleBigPlanet or a Blu-ray movie on his HDTV without having to run back out for the proper cables.

PlayStation 3 is finally HDTV ready with an HDMI cable pack-in for Father’s Day originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like TiVo wasn’t kidding about expanding beyond DVRs, now that its Best Buy partnership will result in integrating non-DVR TiVo software in Insignia-branded HDTVs. That will bring online content (presumably Netflix, Amazon, Best Buy’s store and the others that currently find a home in the DVR menu) to televisions in the first -off set-top box appearance of a TiVo UI, but there’s no word in the press release about whether or not to expect any multi-room support with existing DVRs. The company looks to be turning its Premiere software into a platform ready to compete with the other connected HDTV solutions out there, but even after (or maybe because of) our hands-on experience with the latest TiVo DVRs our doubts are many — if someone says “IR blasters” we are out of here.

Continue reading Best Buy to include TiVo’s software — but no DVR — in Insignia HDTVs

Best Buy to include TiVo’s software — but no DVR — in Insignia HDTVs originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 25 May 2010 14:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED). We still remember the halcyon days of 2005 when we first laid eyes upon your black as a CRT / thin as a plasma or LCD self, and equally recognize the pain of each false start and delay that followed, each leading up to today’s announcement by Canon that it is abandoning SED HDTVs entirely. It had held out hope as late as last spring that the technology could have a future in professional displays, but Japan’s The Nikkei reports it simply couldn’t bring down costs enough. There’s still the possibility for a future in “image diagnostic equipment” but all those prototypes will never see the light of mass production. Check after the break for some of the highlights along the way, or just to imagine what might have been if not for lawsuits and technical issues.

Continue reading SED’s dead, baby: Canon abandons development of new HDTVs, we take a look back

SED’s dead, baby: Canon abandons development of new HDTVs, we take a look back originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 25 May 2010 03:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony will be first out of the gate with a Google TV powered device, with its “Sony Internet TV” devices — in the form of either an HDTV or a set-top box with Blu-ray player — arriving on shelves this fall. The rest of the partners were just as the rumors indicated, with Logitech adding a QWERTY Harmony remote, “companion box” to bridge the gap to existing home theater equipment and eventually video chat capabilities, Intel providing the CE4100 Atom processor at the heart of the devices and an Android 2.1 OS with Chrome browser brings it all together. DISH Network and Google have admitted to their ongoing trials but there’s no word on any release date,(Update: We didn’t catch it onstage, but DISH just announced it will enable “advanced integration” via HDMI on all of its HD DVR receivers this fall, details after the break) while Best Buy is already on board to sell all of this and inevitably offer to hook up those IR blasters for a fee, while Adobe is just happy to see another device that runs Flash 10.1. The rest of the details are in press release and video form after the break, but you can sign up for updates at Google.com/tv (developers check in here) or check out our ongoing liveblog right from Google I/O.

Update: Vic Gundotra just confirmed in a post-keynote press conference that TV will go international next year.

Continue reading Sony Internet TV, DISH first with Google TV this fall; Adobe, Logitech and others along for the ride

Sony Internet TV, DISH first with Google TV this fall; Adobe, Logitech and others along for the ride originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good luck keeping up with the ever changing specs on the latest HDTVs, but as the numbers get more impressive, are the displays actually improving in any noticeable way? Dr. Raymond Soneira , president of DisplayMate, goes about breaking down many of the more often misused and misleading technical buzzwords in an article on MaximumPC. If you’re wondering how manufacturers have advanced contrast ratios from thousands, to millions, to unlimited over the space of just a few years, there’s a breakdown of what “dynamic contrast ratio” actually measures and why it’s worth ignoring — unless you watch your TV when it’s only displaying one color at a time. When it comes to colors colors, some of the most scathing words were pointed towards Sharp’s Quattron quad-pixel technology, which “can only decrease picture quality and accuracy!”

Whether you believe the good Dr., a glistening review or Cmdr. Sulu, the factual heat burned hottest during a test of motion blur compared on LCDs, LED LCDs, plasmas and even a pro CRT. While additional motion processing and upgraded internals on newer HDTVs can help in many other ways, viewers couldn’t detect any blur caused by a display even on an old 60Hz set, despite newer and faster 120Hz, 240Hz and 600Hz (plasma) sets claiming their technology helped them eliminate it. You’ll need a minute to read through for the full details but it’s a good, and unfortunately necessary, reminder to keep your eyes on the display and not just the spec sheet (just make sure you’re getting a proper look that represents the way you watch TV at home first.)

HDTV tests pit fantasy land specs against real world performance — guess what happens originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 May 2010 01:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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