After DisplayLink hit us up with a cordless monitor care of Wireless USB, things really can't get much simpler for connecting LCDs with PC towers, but for those not quite ready to jump into all that, Samsung is reportedly readying a USB-only monitor that'll be showcased at CeBIT. Yep, according to reports, the 19-inch SyncMaster 940UX will be axing the DVI and VGA inputs in favor of a USB 2.0 connector, which means you can finally do away with those flakey USB to VGA adapters of days past. Slated for a May release, the display should sync up with Windows XP initially, with Vista drivers (no OS X love?) to follow shortly thereafter. No other details regarding contrast ratio, resolution, or whether a 0.25-page installation manual will be included is currently available, and more importantly, we're not so sure how your CPU is going to feel about its newfangled processing duties when you plug this sucka in. Still, Samsung claims between "three and five" of these monitors can be plugged in and used at any given time based on the amount of processing requirements your applications have, but the real question is how quickly can ATI / NVIDIA can crank out a next-generation GPU with USB 2.0 outputs, eh?

[Via Slashgear]

Talk about your incremental upgrades: PC hardware manufacturer IO-Data has just introduced an update to that 24-inch LCD-TV241XBR WUXGA display we saw last spring, but for the life of us, we can't figure out exactly what improvements the LCD-TV241XBR-2 offers. Just like its predecessor, this new full HD monitor sports a 1000:1 contrast ratio, maximum brightness of 500cd/m², built-in analog TV tuner, and a DVI input supporting HDCP encryption. Sure its not the most stylish 24-incher around -- if aesthetics are your main concern, BenQ, Dell, and heck, even Gateway offer snazzier looking models -- but with a suggested retail price of only €740 ($972), you'll be able to pick this one up for well under a grand. And hey, this must be the "upgrade" that IO Data's talking about: the XBR-2 is going for at least $250 less than the XBR did at its debut.

While tossing an Intel Core 2 Duo chip into last year's rig isn't enough to impress anyone anymore, Shuttle's hoping to catch the eye of studio-bound media freaks who need that HTPC flexibility in a very tight space. Upping the ante on last year's X100, the XPC X200 comes in two flavors (X200MA and X200BA), and measures in at just 5.5-centimeters tall and taking up "no more space an A4 sheet of paper." Externally, the form factor has remained similar, but this rendition has received a trendy black makeover (including a vertical stand) on the outside, and a whole new lineup of hardware on the inside. Powered by your choice of dual-core / Celeron M Intel processors, this wee machine also touts Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics set, a hybrid TV tuner for analog / DVB-T reception, SATA hard drive, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 7.1-channel HD audio, FM radio tuner, dual-layer DVD burner, built-in 802.11b/g, PS/2 connectors, DVI output, multi-format flash card reader, an audio input jack, and an IR remote to boot. Notably, it managed to lose the FireWire and S-Video ports found on the X100, but it does boast five USB 2.0 ports in a feeble attempt to compensate. Both versions should be hitting the market soon, and while the somewhat stripped X200BA will run you just £499 ($972), the beefed-up X200MA will demand at least £637 ($1,240) depending on options.

[Via RegHardware]

Although the average consumer isn't likely to be in dire need of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels on their monitor, the competition is still very alive in the expansive LCD market, and while Dell, Quixun, Samsung, and Apple all have highly-regarded units of their own, it's about time HP's LP3065 hit the test bench itself. Touted as "late, but great," HP's rendition of the 30-inch monitor managed to top the 3007WFP in "brightness, contrast ratio, and color uniformity tests," though it was noted that results were still below expectations. ExtremeTech found the screen "easy on the eyes" and very tweakable using NVIDIA's control panel via their GeForce 8800 GTX; furthermore, Photoshop editing, DVD viewing, and handling basic, mundane office tasks all provided "results that were nothing short of spectacular." Overall, the LP3065 provided a "wider color gamut," a trio of HDCP-compliant dual-link DVI ports, and "gorgeous image quality," which may or may not be worth the extra $400 over Dell's basic 30-incher to you -- and while it received an "8 out of 10" rating as well as a coveted "Approved" label, you're still better off throwing down this type of coinage on twin 24-inchers if screen real estate is your number one priority.

Although NEC would rather your CEO order a few of its new MULTEOS LCDs to impress those big shots coming in to seal the deal(s), these "business" displays wouldn't look half bad in any living room / home theater. These Series 2 displays both feature "full HD" (read: 1,920 x 1,080 resolution) panels, HDMI, DVI, "high efficiency" backlights, VESA mount compatibility, screen savers, automatic video input detection, 450 cd/m2 brightness, 18-millisecond response time (there's your "business" sign), and a 178-degree viewing angle. The 40-inch M40 boasts a 1200:1 contrast ratio, while the 46-inch M46 touts just 1000:1, and both units rock a sleek, sexy silver bezel to compliment the black expanse. While both screens should hit the Japanese market on January 31st, the "little" fellow will run you just ¥672,000 ($5,820), while the larger sibling will demand ¥924,000 ($8,002).

[Via Impress]

There's always room in our jaded hearts for another low-cost, 19-inch widescreen LCD especially when it can deliver on specs. The Iiyama ProLite E1901WS/B features a panel resolution of 1440x900 (WXGA+) and throws down a 5-ms response, 850:1 contrast, 300cd/m2 brightness, and a D-Sub15 input for getting old school RGB or 2x HDCP-enabled DVI inputs to keep HD videos dancin' in Vista. Available in white or black with a super-thin bezel for going multi-paneled. At just ¥35,800 (about $304) maybe you don't have to wait for Dell.

[Via Impress]

Ok, Mitsubishi's new 20.1-inch LCD may not be on par with their 8,066 square-foot display in Japan, but the pup can still play. The RDT201K features a reasonably quick 6-millisecond response, 1600x1200 (UXGA) resolution, 800:1 contrast ratio, 160-degree viewing angle, and DVI and D-Sub15 inputs. No price announced but you can expect 'em later this month in Japan.

[Via Impress]

Just in case you get the itch to hook up nearly every high definition source currently available (okay, maybe not all of them) in the comfort of your living room, Gefen has unveiled two new plug and play DVI switchers for the biggest of HD junkies. Doubling up on its DVI KVM device, the 4x1 DVI switcher sports 4 dual-link DVI inputs along with a single output, and supports local switching right on the box -- upping the ante even further is the 8x1 flavor, which conviently comes in a 1U rackmountable enclosure and touts HDCP passthrough capability. Both units sport IR remote switching, RS-232 serial ports, includes as many 6 foot DVI cables as inputs, and can sustain HDTV signals 1080p. Detangling that royal mess of DVI cables won't come cheap, however, as the little guy will run you $349, while the 8-port sibling demands a whopping (but not at all surprising) $899.

Runco, obviously, is already in the game. So are Sony, Sharp, Marantz, JVC, and even a little outfit called projectiondesign. But when it comes to 1,080p front projectors, we've been wanting to call up Mitsubishi on our Boost Mobile phone and ask them "Where you at?" Well the venerable rear-projection TV manufacturer has apparently been biding its time in order to release its first full HD unit, but the pricetag on this 3LCD model may convince you that it was worth the wait, as the LVP-HC5000 will cost "just" 450,000 yen (about $3,890) when it hits Japanese shores on October 12th. Even at this bargain basement price, you're still getting a very respectable set of specs, most notably a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 (though static is a mere 2,000:1), 1,000 nits of blinding brightness, as well as a full complement of inputs including HDMI, DVI-I, component, composite, S-Video, and even D-sub. Yeah, this all sounds like a pretty good deal; now we're just hoping that they'll ship this puppy overseas and help us finally purge that embarrassing 27-inch CRT from our otherwise kick-ass home theater setup.

[Via HDBeat]

In the grand scheme of things, having too many HDMI devices and not enough HDMI inputs is a problem most of us would love to have, but it's still good to know that there's companies like LINDY out there making dreams come true for the HD-obsessed. The company's new descriptively-named HDMI Switch Remote will give you three extra ports to connect HDMI or DVI sources (with an adapter) to your HDTV or projector, and it'll let you switch between them from the comfort of your couch with its handy remote control. Fully HDMI and HDCP-compliant, the unit should easily handle video up to 1080p and multi-channel audio, as well as resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 if you're using it with a DVI source. You can get one now, in the U.K. at least, for £149 (about $280 US).

[Via Crowdedbrain]

When Sharp does a product release it doesn't fool around, today announcing no less than 15 new additions to the venerable AQUOS lineup: nine LCDs, four DVRs, and a pair of TV stands with built-in receivers and speakers. The displays can be broken down into two general categories -- those with side-mounted speakers and those with speakers underneath the screen -- and then further subdivided by resolution, with seven of the sets sporting 1,366 x 768 pixels and the other two (both 37-inchers) rocking a full 1080p. Models with speakers on the bottom come in 20-, 26-, 32-, and 37-inch varieties, while side-speaker units are available in 26-, 32-, or 37-inch flavors, with both types offering the 37-incher in your choice of resolutions. The higher-res sets also offer a better sound system, higher contrast ratios (1500:1 as opposed to 1200:1), and an extra HDMI port -- though every model sports at least one HDMI and one DVI input. Turning to the DVRs, the top of the line DV-ACW38 offers two digital tuners, one analog tuner, and an 800GB hard drive capacity, while the other three only have two tuners (one each of digital and analog) and rock either 400GB or 250GB HDDs (one of the two 250GB models also includes an antiquated VHS deck). With the two stands -- differentiated by the speaker placement on the LCDs they're meant to hold, and similar to one we saw from Sony not too long ago -- you're getting a digital receiver, two 1-inch tweeters, two 2.5-inch mids, and a 6-inch subwoofer, if not the most attractive design. As far as pricing goes, the LCDs range from 140,000 yen ($1,220) for the 20-incher up to 380,000 yen ($3,300) for either 1080p 37-inch model, the DVRs start at 100,000 yen ($870) and top off at 190,000 yen ($1,650), and either stand can be had for about 130,000 yen ($1,130). The entire lineup will be released steadily between September 1st and October 23rd, though for now, it looks like Japanese consumers will be the only ones picking these up. Keep on reading for exciting pics of both the DVRs and the multimedia stand...

[Via HDBeat]

So we're not sure if this is the same Vista-focused product that the company was supposedly working on with Microsoft, but Samsung has just revealed a new 22-inch widescreen LCD known as the CX223B/W that should go nicely with the upcoming OS. Available in black or silver, this monitor features a pretty decent 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, 5-millisecond response time, and most importantly for HD fans, an HDCP-enabled DVI port (though HDMI seems to be missing). The lack of info on other important specs such as contrast or brightness makes us think that the display is not scheduled for an impending release, a notion that's only further supported by the lack of any pricing details. If you can't wait for the CX223BW to start shipping in the US, there's always that LCM-22w2 from Westinghouse to keep you occupied for the time being, and both Dell and LG are expected to drop new 22-inch models in the near future as well.

If you like to watch high definition video-- and we mean really, really like to watch it-- then Pioneer has a new 50-inch plasma on the market that promises unrivaled picture quality and realism -- for a pretty steep price. We first heard of the Elite PureVision PRO-FHD1 back at CES in January, where we instantly knew from the specs that this was a pretty special model: it delivers full 1080p resolution using over two million pixels that are just .576 millimeters across, features a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,000cd/m2 peak brightness, and sports two HDMI, one DVI, and one component input. What you're not getting here, though, are any built-in tuners; not only does this display lack a digital ATSC tuner, but it's also missing even a regular NTSC version -- which actually isn't that big of a deal for consumers with a set-top cable or satellite box. Apparently you can run right out and pick up your very own FHD1 as of today, but some of you may need to bring along several methods of payment, just in case you don't have any credit cards that are $10,000 under the limit.

[Via HDBeat]

So PCMag decided to run LG's 19-inch Flatron L1970HR LCD through their suite of tests to see if its 2-millisecond response time really performs as advertised, and the good news for gamers is that this display indeed delivers excellent motion performance with little ghosting and few artifacts. You're also getting good color reproduction and a contrast ratio of 1600:1 that sounds great on paper, but in reality you can expect some loss of shadow detail and noticeable compression at both ends of the greyscale. Another trade-off for that zippy response time is resolution, as the 1,280 x 1,024 pixel array may not be enough for hardcore gamers or folks working on documents and photos all day, with the biggest knock being the monitor's inability to render smaller-sized fonts. In the end, unless all that you're doing is watching movies and playing video games all day (in which case we'd like to hear more about your job), it sounds like super-smooth video may not be worth the sacrifices you're making in other departments.

There's some new HD goodness from Acer in their new PH730, PD525PW and PD527D projectors. All three include HDMI, DVI, VGA, Component, Composite and S-Video inputs, and the PH730 (pictured) manages a 1280 x 768 resolution. The other two rock the XGA, but all three can work with 720p/1080i at a 16:9 aspect ratio. For contrast ratio, the PH730 does 2500:1, compared to the 2000:1 of the other two, but the PH730 only does 1,200 lumens while the PD525PW and PD527D go for 2,700 and 3,000 respectively. All three have a lamp life of 4000 hours, but we're not sure exactly when these will be for sale, or for how much.

[Via Crowdedbrain]