Recently Filed in Displays

LG Display has announced it’s going solar. And no, that doesn’t mean we’ll see solar-powered TVs—at least not right away. I had my hopes up, too, but it just means that LG is planning on making solar electric systems. Actually, LG will make thin-film solar cells that are being hailed as a solution to the high prices and lack of materials associated with the more widely adopted solar panels. So why is LG Display getting in the solar business? Because production on thin-film solar cells… View this story
Displays • LCD • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Q. If money did not matter, what is the best TV on the planet that’s 50 inches or more? - Matt Ubel, Minn. A. The easy answer is the Pioneer Elite Kuro plasma, but Pioneer is phasing out of that product. So if you’re going to buy one, you should do it now. You should also look into products from Runco and Panasonic. Many people these days, however, are investing into projection systems (projector and screen). These have larger screen sizes and the ability to… View this story
AV Components • Blu-ray • Receivers • Cables, Wires and Tools • HDMI • Video Cables • Displays • HDTV • Plasma • Ask a Pro

Q. I have a 14x16 ft room which I plan to set up as a media room. If I want to do a 7.1 system, what is the largest size TV/Screen that should be used? How many 30-inch chairs could you fit that would allow for reasonably good balance with two rows of seating? Dave, Fla. A. I’d start by getting a copy of Carlton Bale’s home theater calculator. This Excel spreadsheet is a great place to start when roughly planning out a media room.… View this story
Displays • HDTV • Video Screen • Location • Media Room • Ask a Pro

Q. My church is to begin projecting videos on a wall. We have no screen at this time, and will be projecting directly onto a painted wall. Is there a color or finish that might be best? A. Hi Margaret, ideally the wall is the last thing you should be throwing a projector image on, but if that’s the case it should be matte white. With that said, however, you may want to look into an affordable screen from companies like Draper, Elite Screens, Snap… View this story
Displays • Video Projectors • Ask a Pro

Want a projector that will deliver dazzling high-def images until 2064—and never have to replace the lamp? Rather than settle for the 2,000 or so hours of viewing you may get out of today’s projectors before you need a new bulb, you could consider a lamp-free model that uses LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). One of the attractions? A 60,000-hour lifespan with no LED replacement, meaning at a modest estimate of two hours of daily viewing—projectors still aren’t the primary display for most homes—it will last… View this story
Displays • Front Projection • Product News

There’s no denying that OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays are super cool, in part because they’re super thin. Unfortunately, they’re also super expensive and super rare on the consumer end still—the lone ranger’s been the XEL-1 that debuted from Sony last January. But that was only an 11-inch screen and cost a whopping $2,500. Though it might be years before larger versions of these energy-efficient OLED displays hit mass market, at least we can expect a model slightly larger than Sony’s coming soon. LG is… View this story
Displays • OLED • Product News

The DTV transition has finally passed, and whaddaya know, the world’s still standing. The FCC did receive a record 317,450 calls on June 12, 2009 when 971 TV stations (195 markets) went all-digital. According to the FCC (pdf), there were 700,000 calls handled between June 8-12. Nearly 30 percent dealt with operation of digital converter boxes, while more than 20 percent dealt with reception issues. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) released the following highlights of the transition: DTV awareness grew from 38 percent in… View this story
Displays • Digital TV Transition • Info and Answers

The steps to mount a flat panel TV on your wall normally involve quite a bit of work, even for the seasoned do-it-yourselfer. OmniMount hopes to change that, with its new self-named omnimount. The company says installation takes only three steps: attach the panel spacers to the TV’s back, mount the wall brackets and hang the flat panel. Can it really be that easy? “At OmniMount, we pride ourselves on pushing the envelope to constantly offer our customers the most innovative mount solutions available. The… View this story
Displays • Furniture • TV Mounts • Product News

Finally giving into the Digital TV transition and buying a new TV? If you want to save some money now and in the future, consider buying a model that bears an Energy Star logo. That certifies that it’s more energy-efficient than other models. And that translates into more bucks in your pocket. Hundreds of energy-saving TVs are available that meet the current Energy Star 3.0 specification, which went into effect in November 2008 and includes active “on” power requirements, as well as the requirement to… View this story
Displays • Flat Panel • HDTV • Green Technology • Info and Answers

When analog goes dark on June 12, 2009, will it be as anticlimactic as Y2k or will weird stuff happen? Will antenna sales and installations surge, as Zip Express expects? Will people cancel cable and satellite subscriptions en masse? About 58% of consumers say they would likely drop their service if they could get free over-the-air HDTV. Will some 2.8 million unprepared consumers flock to A/V retailers to buy new sets when the reality of DTV Day sets in? Will manufacturers and A/V dealers be… View this story
Displays • Digital TV Transition • Info and Answers

Is your TV ready for the digital transition tomorrow? You can do the generic DTV transition research, but several manufacturers make it a lot easier to determine if your TV is good to go—just enter the model number. Here is the quick reference guide. Read below for additional information and a ranking for user-friendliness. JVC Mitsubishi RCA Sony Toshiba 1. Mitsubishi Mitsubishi makes it as painless as possible to determine if your TV is ready for digital. On Mitsubishi-TV.com home page, click the “DTV Transition”… View this story
Displays • Digital TV Transition

Tomorrow, June 12 is essentially the second analog to DTV transition deadline because President Obama signed a bill to delay the original Feb. 17 deadline. With a four-month extension, let’s see what formulas electronics outlets came up with to capitalize on the built-in consumer demand for TV upgrades and knowledge. After all, there are still 2.8 million homes unprepared for the switch. Following are tactics that some electronics outlets are using to leverage the DTV transition. RadioShack: Education and Advice It issued a press release… View this story
Displays • Set Top Boxes • Digital TV Transition • Info and Answers