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Why the tech world is waging war on bezels
Our screens have always been defined, at least in part, by their frames. Early TVs had tiny 10-inch screens, housed in enormous cases that looked more like furniture than anything you'd recognize as a modern television. But those borders slowly disappeared over time as CRT sets got smaller and flat panels eventually took over. Today, the tech industry is practically waging a war against bezels. The less border around your screens, the better -- every millimeter separating the display and the real world is an affront to good design.
Curved displays are everywhere at CES
Walking through the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, one thing becomes abundantly clear. Curved displays are apparently all the rage. They're everywhere and include everything from Ultra-HDTVs, monitors and even smartphones. Much like 3D televisions of the past, it seems like every hardware manufacturer got together and said, "This is exactly what consumers need!" The thing is, I've yet to meet anyone who has one. Are they the real deal? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your thoughts!
Samsung's Q1 2012 profits nearly double year-over-year on higher margins for TVs and phones
The numbers for Samsung's first quarter of 2012 are in and as it expected they are up sharply over the same period from 2011. After predicting profits of 5.8 trillion won it managed to top that, notching an operating profit of 5.85 trillion won ($5.16 billion US) for the quarter, a 98 percent gain over a year ago. Phones accounted for 73 percent of the profit, contributing 4.27 trillion won to the bottom line. As the world awaits the debut of what we assume will be the Samsung Galaxy S III May 3rd powered by its Exynos 4 Quad CPU, there's clearly no shortage of demand for the Galaxy S II and Note. Sales of chips and TVs decreased from last quarter, but like its competitor LG, growing sales of high res tablet panels (we wonder which one that might be), 3DTVs and OLEDs increased profitability. Specifically, the high end 7000/8000 series of HDTVs increased sales by 50 percent from last year, while the company plans to focus on "region-specific" LED models for emerging markets, and high end (and high priced) flat-panels for developed markets. We're listening in to the earnings call at the moment, and we'll let you know if there's any other details that come out of what is mostly boring numbers talk. So far it's all pretty businessy, although in response to a question executives did confirm that they expect the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note to occupy different segments in terms of size. So there you have it -- the Galaxy S III will (shockingly) not have a 5.3-inch screen. Also, it predictably is trying to continue the trend of global launches, although that hardly puts to rest the issue of how long we may end up waiting for carrier-specific versions here in the US. Check out the rest of Samsung's details in a press release and a few slides from the report embedded after the break.
Philips transfers TV business to a joint venture with TPV Technology, TPV takes the controlling stake
It took almost exactly a year, but Philips is finally free of its pesky, money-losing TV problem. As planned, the company transferred its television business into a joint venture with Hong Kong-based TPV Technology called TP Vision -- an arrangement that endows TPV with a controlling 70 percent stake. (Philips will still receive royalties on top of whatever it earns through this venture, and plans to sell Philips-branded sets in the US through a separate partnership with Funai.) Though the deal was first detailed a year ago, Philips only announced today that the transaction had closed. Now that it has, the newly formed company will produce Philips-branded TVs in a bid to make it one of the "top three players," according to TP Vision chief Maarten de Vries. As you'd expect, all of the 3,300 employees that previously fell under Philips' television division will now be in the employ of TP Vision, and Philips' various manufacturing sites have been transferred over too. All of that and a healthy dose of rah-rah in the full PR below.
Panasonic details US availability for 25 of its 2012 HDTVs
Too busy multitasking to make any important decisions? You might want to bookmark this post, then, because Panasonic just spat out a wallop of a press release outlining US availability (but not pricing) details for 25 of its 2012 HDTVs. Starting with those Infinite Black Ultra plasmas we saw at CES, the 65-inch VT50 is coming later this month, but you'll have to wait until April for the 50-inch GT50. If you can settle for a set with an Infinite Black Pro panel, though, the ST50 series is available now in 50- and 55-inch sizes, with the 60- and 65-inchers coming this month and in April, respectively. Moving down the 3D Plasma totem pole, the UT50 series will start tricking out this month in 42- and 50-inch flavors, with 55- and 60-inch counterparts following in April and May. The most affordable of the models listed, the 50-inch XT50 series, will go on sale before the month's end. Had your heart set on an LED number? If you recall, Panasonic announced a boatload of those at CES, and this press release doesn't even mention all of them, but so far we know the E5 series (32 and 37 inches), the E50 series (42, 47 and 55 inches), the lower-end X5 series (32 inches) and the 47-inch TC-L47DT50 (part of the high-end DT50 series) will all be available this month. Want the best and the biggest? Panasonic is shipping its 3D-capable, 55-inch DT50- and WT50-series sets in May. Rounding out the list, there's Panasonic's first polarized 3D TVs, which will be available later this month in 47- and 55-inch flavors, with a 42-incher following in April. Got it? Good. You sure? In case you need a moment to digest all those dates and model numbers, tap the source link below to find detailed specs, along with confirmed pricing -- something you won't see anywhere in that extensive press release.
Panasonic: Eluga means 'Elegant, user-orientated gateway,' not a cry of distress
No, it's not the noise people make when they've eaten too much caviar. Panasonic's revealed the reasoning behind calling its long-heralded smartphone Eluga -- apparently it stands for "ELegant, User-orientated GatewAy." The company's also revealed a few more specs and tidbits following on from yesterday's rather sketchy announcement. You'll find an 8-megapixel camera sitting flush to that 7.8mm body, NFC and an "eco mode" that will shut down non-essential features when you're nursing your nearly-empty battery. That 1.0GHz TI OMAP processor we revealed to you yesterday will be joined by 8GB storage, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR. You'll buy the phone with Gingerbread 2.3.5 installed, with ICS promised to arrive "from June," by which point you'll have probably learned how to pronounce the name without looking ill.
Panasonic's new Eluga smartphone: pretty phone, ugly name
We knew it was coming to that broad area we like to call Europe sometime soon, and now Panasonic's sharing the details on its Android-based return. Details about the 3.6 ounce (103 gram) device include that it's packing a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) screen that's wrapped in a dust and water-proof shell. It'll also be able to throw audio, video and web content to HDTVs of the same branding. Of course, a device like this deserves an equally enticing name, so you'll be delighted to hear that the handset's going to be called, oh, really? Eluga? Wow.However, that's not where the story ends, because we also received details about a phone that's just arrived on Japan's NTT DoCoMo. The Next Series P-04D is a "deep purple" (hush, now) handset that measures and weighs the same, has a 4.3-inch qHD OLED display, is running a 1.0GHz dual-core OMAP 4430 CPU and was also manufactured by Panasonic. We might not be so bold as to suggest both handsets are the same, but we might think about importing the P-04D just so we never have to say Eluga out loud.Mat Smith contributed to this report
Sony divisions to elope in Vegas, celebrate the marriage of Television and Internet at CES 2012
Well, we can't decide if this is one of the cheesiest or most clever event invites in CE history. Sony's PR arm just sent us an e-vite to the marriage of Sony Electronics Home Division and Sony Entertainment Network, simplified to "Television and Internet" on the company's appropriately generic Wedsite wedding page. Now this won't be a cheap Vegas wedding by any means -- the ceremony will take place at the Bellagio Wedding Chapel on the evening of January 11th, with a "Reception Immediately Following." Since this is technically a marriage between cousins, we've spent time with both the bride (Bravia) and the groom (Sony Entertainment Network -- or SEN, when among friends), so we mean no offense if forced to choose sides in the chapel. Coincidentally, we'll already be in town, so we may pop in to greet the likes of family members "Al Gore, Father of the Internet" and HMZ-T1, aka "Aunt Madge." Care to come along? The couple-to-be's site appears to be open to all, so hit up the source link to sign the guest book and send in your RSVP.
Samsung releases CES 2012 teaser, hints at upcoming Smart TV products (video)
It's certainly not much, but with just a few words at the end of a YouTube clip, Samsung hopes to grab your interest. The Korean electronics giant has just released a "through the years" style clip that encapsulates over 50 years of advances with its television systems (i.e., the switch to color, rabbit ears, higher resolutions, DVR, 3D TVs, etc.). The clip concludes with the words "Experience the Future of Smart TV" and highlights the company's upcoming presence at CES next month. And yes, we'll be there too. Take a gander for yourself after the break.
Myriad Alien Vue brings Google TV apps to existing HDTVs, set-top boxes (video)
Couch potatoes may soon be able to get a more complete Android app experience without leaving the living room, or picking up a tablet or smartphone. Myriad's new Alien Vue is a customizable OEM platform that enables TV and set-top box manufacturers to bring Android to their existing products, adding support for apps designed for Google TV and HTML5. Myriad is the developer behind Alien Dalvik, which allows you to run Android apps on non-Android devices, including iOS and MeeGo. Alien Vue brings that concept to the living room, and includes a branded app store, web browser and portable device control, letting you control your TV and other home theater devices using a phone or tablet. But unlike Dalvik, it'll be up to manufacturers to add support for Vue -- you won't be hacking your TV and installing the software yourself. We'll be bringing you a full hands-on from CES, but jump past the break for a quick video demo.
Westinghouse is bringing new LED HDTVs to CES, acronym lovers reportedly 'delighted'
In January, Westinghouse Digital likes to drive on down to Nevada and show off its wares for the next 12 months at CES. Everything in Las Vegas is super-sized, which is great inspiration for Westy's new 70-inch LED HDTV that'll pump out 1080p episodes of "proper" CSI at 120Hz, with an 8ms response time. If your inner-city apartment doesn't have a 70-inch wall, then perhaps you'd prefer the new 46-inch ultra-slim LED HDTV that's so slender, it probably disappears if you look at it side-on, or something. The company's also gonna be showing off its first ever Bluetooth Soundbar that comes packing two 12 watt speakers, a class D amplifier and enhanced bass so you can really enjoy those opening bars of Who Are You.
Best Buy launches Insignia connected TVs with DVR-less TiVo
Right on schedule, Best Buy's announced it's good and ready to ship two Insignia-branded connected televisions with TiVo's UI -- minus the whole DVR thing, that is. The two 1080p sets, available in 32- and 42-inch flavors, are landing months after the retailer said it was buddying up with TiVo to borrow its user interface -- and only that, there's no indication these will play nicely with Premiere DVRs and their multiroom streaming at launch -- for searching content and also just getting up and running easily. As you'd expect, folks perusing these sets can watch movies from Netflix, CinemaNow, and YouTube, as well as stream from Pandora and Napster. Rounding out the list of apps are Facebook, Twitter, Photobucket, and Chumby, with more to come, Best Buy tells us. In addition to the easy access to content, the story here is that the UI plays nice with existing cable boxes, making the installation easy even if the person holding the remote doesn't happen to have a lengthy serial number on hand. Look for the 32-inch number for $499, with the 42-incher fetching $699. Find the full PR and some b-roll video after the break, along with a smattering of hands-on shots of what should be an all-too-familiar interface. %Gallery-129545%
Stream TV Elocity 3T glasses-free TV eyes-on
There's been no shortage of glasses-free 3D at CES but we can't say we expected Stream TV, makers of those Elocity tablets, to be showing off wares of its own. While the company is promising lots of spectacle-free TVs with parallax screens in the next year, at its booth there was just a 42-inch 1080p 3T1 panel on the show floor. We've got mixed feelings about this one; as you can see in the gallery below, the display looks very grainy and the converted HD 2D-to-3D content, while it did look three dimensional (as much as you can say), it didn't appear to be high definition by any means. However, there was one nature clip that was apparently shot in 3D, which looked incredibly crisp. Yeah, it was almost like we were watching that waterfall from a helicopter overheard. We can't say the three-dee experience is as jaw-dropping as the one provided with active shutter glasses, but it is impressive to think you don't have to wear a piece of $100 technology on your face to get images jumping into your living room. Viewing angles were actually pretty impressive -- at least in comparison to the other glasses-free 3D displays we've seen -- and tilting our head slightly didn't throw off the 3D effect too much. Steam TV is planning to release the 3T1 in May along with a 52-inch version and then 56- and 60-inch versions in September -- that will have 'em beating Toshiba to market, but we're not quite sure in quality. %Gallery-113559%
Smartroi Android powered TV is officially headed to Korea
Remember our slight skepticism in April over reports that South Korean manufacturer GPNC would soon be releasing TVs running Android 1.5? Well it seems our clairvoyant powers that day were on the fritz, since the company has now officially announced the launch of an Google-powered TV dubbed Smartroi. Other hard details on the unit are predictably slim, but GPNC has confirmed that the TV will be sold in Korea and sport a 42-inch Full HD LED backlit screen, a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 500cd/m² brightness, and USB connectivity. There's no verification on what version of Android will ship with the unit, but support for OS upgrades in the future has been hinted. Not satisfied with those measly tidbits? Neither are we, but considering Google still labels GPNC's site as suspected of malware, we're content to just keep letting updates flow to us.
Panasonic does it again, introduces 152-inch 3D 4k HDTV
If that gigantic HDTV above looks a few inches shy of 152-inches, its because it is. While Panasonic has shared a few details about the existence of its new biggest HDTV ever (full release after the break) it has not been shown to the public yet. We imagine it'll look a lot like its little brother pictured above, after all, it features the same 4k resolution and a relatively unobtainable price. What will make a bigger difference than the extra two inches though is the fact that this one is will display 3D content. Panasonic is giving a sneak peak of their new stuff in a bit, so with any luck we'll get a real life picture of the new behemoth in action.
You know you're a videophile if...
You actually know what OAR stands for and won't watch anything but. You believe edge enhancements are a crime against humanity. You understand that contrast is the most important video spec. You know that more P isn't always better -- as in 1080p vs 720p. You realize that properly de-interlaced video is perfectly acceptable and possible. You can't watch DVDs anymore. HBO HD is a big joke. You can explain what 3:3 pull-down is and why you'd want it. You knew the actual differences between HD DVD and Blu-ray. You have at least one video calibration disc on Blu-ray. You don't think LCDs look better than Plasmas. You've helped a random person at Best Buy pick out a TV, and you don't even work there. It makes you mad that Samsung calls its new 6000, 7000 and 8000 series LED TVs. You make fun of 240Hz HDTVs. Your HDTV has been professional calibrated. There are Blu-ray Discs in your collection because of their picture quality. You know the name of the mode on your TV that disables overscan. You think it simply isn't possible for downloads to ever compare to Blu-ray in quality. Engadget HD is the first site you read every day when you wake up.
Sony shrinks the Bravia S2500 series to 20-inches
Sony has a winning design on their hands with the Bravia S2500 series, so when the company needed a new 20-inch sized LCD, it just makes sense to port the same bezel to the smaller size. The KDL-20S2500 was just introduced in Japan and brings the Brivia family feature set of 1366x768 rez, digital/analog tuner, and vast array of inputs/outputs to the game including one HDMI and VGA inputs. We are just hoping that the ambient light sensor from last years model made the jump onto this guy. The set should hit Japanese retail-shelves on November 10th for ¥130,000 ($1,116 USD) and while there isn't any word of a State-side tour just yet, we can only assume that Sony is going to bring this model to the US market.[Via Impress]
