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Panasonic prices, dates some of its 2012 HDTVs (VT, GT, ET) and accessories in Japan
If Panasonic's CES 2012 lineup of plasma and LCD HDTVs interested you, it's time to dig into more details it's just released about their Japanese cousins. Those "Infinite Black Ultra Panel" plasmas will arrive April 20th as the VT5 series and AV Watch reports the 60-inch will be priced at about 500,000 yen ($6517), while the 50-inch is 360,000 yen ($4694). There's also details on the new GT5 plasmas, in 60-, 55-, 50- and 42-inch sizes, as well as the DT5 and ET5 LCDs. All of those are 3D capable and will start rolling out March 9th (April 20th for some of the larger sizes), although the ET series is its first that works with passive 3D glasses. The new 3D glasses -- passive (2,000 yen, $26) and active with Bluetooth link (13,000 yen, $169) will also arrive in March along new Blu-ray players and recorders plus a refreshed Skype camera that's slimmer and half the weight of last year's model. Hit the links below and let Google Translate bring in the details, we should probably hear more about US prices, specs and ship dates in a few weeks.
LG unveils 84-inch 'ultra definition' 4K TV it's bringing to CES 2012
LG let us know at CES 2011 that it had 4K LCD televisions in the pipeline, but unfortunately they didn't make it out this year. Expect for that to change in 2012, as the company just announced it's bringing an 84-inch "ultra definition" (3840x2160) TV to Las Vegas to go along with its 55-inch OLED. It has all of LG's Cinema 3D and Smart TV features built-in, including support for that upgraded Magic Motion remote and voice control. There's no official word yet on when we'll see these on shelves or at what price, but it certainly looks production ready compared to other prototypes that have been displayed over the years. While we don't have easy sources of 4K-res video content yet, one of the reasons LG is making the jump first is for 3D. Its Cinema 3D tech uses a Film Pattern Retarder (FPR) screen and passive glasses that result in lowered resolution, but with those extra pixels there's no question about whether viewers are still getting at least an HD picture. So far 4K at home is the domain of Sony and JVC's high-priced projectors, but we'll see if any other companies (we'll check off Toshiba right now) show off upgrades in size and resolution of their HDTVs this year. Check the press release after the break for a few more details.
LG unveils new 3D glasses, hopes lighter and better looking spectacles drive adoption
LG's FPR 3DTVs already featured lighter, cheaper passive 3D glasses than their active shutter competition, but next year the company will push its advantage even further with these new models. The three options available include the F310 (at right, above) which it says weighs 20 percent less than last year's default and are curved more for a better fit, the F320 (left) clip-on design for glasses-wearers and Alain Mikli-designed (the guy who made Kanye's shutter shades, among other high-end eyeglasses) F360 half-rim frames (middle). It also rolled out a press release trumpeting new Smart TV features for 2012, but beyond the updated remote and confirmation of Intel WiDi integration, it's pretty short on details. We're not seeing any Google TV tie-ins here, LG is focusing on its homegrown ecosystem which it says now offers 1,200 apps (of course, that probably includes the thousand or so recently added via its deal with Chumby). There's no word on pricing for the glasses, but after this and announcing a 55-inch OLED prototype, we're wondering what else the Lucky Goldstar folks will have up their sleeves at CES. %Gallery-142471%
HP embraces this 3D thing, outs 2311gt monitor and second-gen Wireless TV Connect
In case you haven't noticed, HP's really pushing this newfangled 3D thing right now. In addition to the TouchSmart 620, its first 3D desktop, the outfit just announced the 2311gt monitor, along with its second-generation Wireless TV Connect box, which now streams 3D content. Starting with the display, you've got a a 23-inch, 1080p panel that uses Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology to create 3D visuals by aligning every other row of pixels with the left or right eye. It's a passive technology and indeed, we came away from our brief eyes-on with the impression that the 3D rendering isn't as convincing as what you'll get on the TouchSmart 620 and its active shutter glasses. Still, HP says when it comes to viewing there's a sweet spot of 20 to 30 inches from the screen, and we have to admit we got the sharpest view from that vantage point. Also, HP threw in Cyberlink's PowerDVD software for 2D-to-3D conversion, which makes this a potentially tempting deal. Moving on, the Wireless TV Connect box now streams 1080p movies in 3D, and HP claims to have lowered its latency, especially compared to Intel Wireless Display. Look for it in December with a $180 price tag. As for you, gamers, that 2311gt monitor will ring in at a reasonable $299 and go up for grabs mañana. %Gallery-137814%
The coolest thing I saw at IFA: LG's passive clip-on 3D glasses
Berlin's Internationalen Funkausstellung is by no means an unexciting consumer electronics show. Sure, there aren't nearly as many new gadgets to play with as you'll find at even the tamest year of CES, but there's still plenty else around to leave almost any tech buff feeling full. Still, this year's most exciting gadget -- to me, at least -- wasn't a new tablet, or cell phone, or even that Android-controlled robotic vacuum. No, the highlight of my week was these clip-on 3D glasses, which LG reps handed out to every interested spectator as they entered the company's booth. These dead-simple, yet completely life-changing specs were almost certainly overlooked by the 20/20 vision-abled, but for folks like me who can't stand sliding one pair of glasses over another just to watch Kung Fu Panda in three dimensions, those clip-ons you see above are the absolute best swag I could ever hope to find. There's really not much to them. The 3D experience was identical to what you'll get with traditional passive glasses -- these simply clip on top of your eyeglasses, rather than resting on their own. They also offer UV protection, and "communicate seamlessly with the TV." Well alright then. While attendees could get their own pair for free at IFA, you can also find these online for about 20 bucks -- sold as the LG AG-F220. I'd like to see them become much more widely available, and more affordable as well. So listen up, Hollywood: if you ever again want me to hand over five extra bucks at the box office to watch an animated bear kick his furry paw directly toward my temple, these better be waiting on the other side of the ticket scan.
LG's 'Dual Play' TVs let gamers share a single screen, different perspective
Challenging Sony's PlayStation 3D display, LG's new LW980T "Dual Play" TV lets Xbox users see two different views on the same screen -- ditching the standard split gaming view. Spotted this week at IFA, the technology requires a pair of snazzy all-right / all-left passive specs and a compatible 3D Xbox game to get two different 2D perspectives on one TV. Compared to Sony's $499, 24-inch active-shutter offering, the 47-inch and 55-inch passive 'tubes are significantly larger and more expensive, rumored to retail for £1799 (or $2915) and £2499 (or $4050), respectively. According to sources, this feature will join LG's lineup of Cinema 3D displays sometime in September -- offering gaming as well as LG's SmartTV and 3D movie support. Hey gamers, since we're not splitting up anymore, is it safe to say we can stay "in a relationship" on Facebook?
TCO study compares active and passive 3DTV glasses, doesn't really favor one over the other
The debate over active and passive 3DTV glasses has, for the most part, been riddled with biased claims (and more than a little mudslinging) from TV manufacturers on both sides of the aisle. Now, however, an independent study from TCO Development has finally shed some light on how the two glasses can actually affect a user's viewing experience -- and yes, there are some differences. When researchers tilted the passive, film pattern retarder (FPR) above or below a vertical viewing angle of 15-degrees, 3D images tended to bleed into one another at a higher rate. Active glasses, meanwhile, transmitted white images at a luminance that was three times lower than what FPR-equipped shades delivered. But because passive 3D glasses display images at different polarizations for each eye, they don't offer as much vertical resolution as their active counterparts. Unfortunately, TCO didn't look into how each pair of glasses affects a viewer's health and comfort -- which, for most of us, would probably be the deciding factor. But as soon as it does, expect either Panasonic or LG to jump all over the results. Dive into the full PR after the break.
Samsung's 3D TV experience is getting cheaper: two pairs of glasses packed in, $50 for extras
As the battle between active and passive 3D glasses display technology heats up, Samsung has responded by announcing its cheapest pair of active shutter 3D glasses will cost $50 (previously $130) beginning May 1st. Additionally, all of its 3D-capable 2011 HDTVs will come with two pairs of glasses packed in, unless the purchase is eligible for the Megamind/Shrek starter kit that already comes with them. This move comes just as FPR-based displays from LG, Vizio, Toshiba and Philips hit the marketplace. LG specifically focused on the cost of glasses as a selling point over Samsung in recent ads that ran heavily throughout the NCAA Tournament (embedded after the break.) LG is charging $10 per pair for its RealD-compatible Theater 3D glasses while Vizio has pairs on its website for $29.99 or two for $44.99. The cheap pair of Samsung glasses is the SSG-3100GB model with replaceable battery pictured above and while it promises the new, lighter Silhouette-designed SSG-3700GR glasses will also get cheaper, no new price has yet been announced. A 62% price reduction is nothing to sneeze at, but it looks like customers will still need to buy into 3D -- and that active glasses beat passive on picture quality and viewing angle like it says in the press release (after the break) -- to spur sales of the new TVs.
Fujitsu LifeBook AH572 starts shipping, Sandy Bridge and 3D for under a grand
We saw the Fujitsu LifeBook AH572 way back in January at CES, and at the time, we were intrigued by the prospect of Sandy Bridge speed and 3D capability -- it boasts a passive 3D display and dual cameras for recording in the third dimension -- for an eminently reasonable $999. Well, were you able to resist the wave of laptops from the rest of computing's usual suspects, you can now get your hands on Fujitsu's 3D lappy packing Intel's latest silicon, a 500GB HDD, and Blu-ray combo drive to boot. Sound good? Hit the source link to grab some of the laptop love for yourself.
Dolby introduces lighter, cheaper 3D glasses to better compete with RealD and IMAX
Dolby has been working on getting the cost of its 3D glasses down since bringing Infitec color shift technology to theaters back in '07 and it couldn't wait for CinemaCon 2011 next week before announcing the new models seen above. These should please theater operators by being cheaper than the old ones -- down to $12 or less per reusable pair from $17 last year and $27.50 the year before that -- and hopefully cinemagoers by being lighter, with a new multilayer optical film from 3M and redesigned frame to help block extraneous light. There's also RFID tags to help keep them from walking out of the moviehouse, and it claims they will fit over 98 percent of prescription glasses. So far RealD has lead the market with its cheaper glasses, multiple styles and home HDTV cross-compatibility, while IMAX is synonymous (usually) with big screens, but if theaters start passing down that savings in the form of lower ticket prices we might pick out a Dolby screen among the other 3D theater competition the next time we head to the theater.
LG starts shipping new 'flicker free' 3D TVs with passive glasses
LG announced at CES that it was breaking from other TV manufacturers to push its own FPR technology for 3DTVs and now they've started shipping in Korea including the LW5700 pictured above. LG's new approach means placing a special film over the LCD screen (no plasmas, although OLED versions are planned in the future) letting users use cheap "flicker free" passive 3D glasses instead of keeping a conventional display and using more expensive active shutter 3D glasses. LG's new TVs with the screens should start arriving in the US in March, although Vizio is already selling one Cinema 3D TV over here with the technology and plans to deliver a slew of new models soon. Of course, the main downside to this approach is that it halves the resolution delivered to each eye when wearing the glasses, but -- if you hadn't already guessed from its tablets and phones -- LG is betting big on 3D this year, we'll see if it pays off.
