Lcd -- Engadget

lcd posts

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10 orders up the 'hands-on special'

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 3:24PM

Bang & Olufsen may be irrelevant to those with annual salaries having fewer than six digits to the left of the decimal (or comma, if that's how you roll), but even the laypeople can't help but drool at a spectacle such as this. The BeoVision 10 has just landed down across the pond at Electric Pig, and they were kind enough to snap a few shots and show 'em to the world. The £6,000 price tag is definitely a stunner, but those lucky enough to lay eyes on it have said that it just might be worth it -- if money ain't a thang, you know.

Sony and VIZIO ditch the courtroom, clear up licensing issues

by Darren Murph posted Oct 29th 2009 at 9:14AM

VIZIO sure ends up in a whole lot of legal battles, but one way or another, it always seems to find its way out in the long run. Such is the case once again today, as the current LCD TV king has apparently said all the right things to Sony. If you'll recall, Sony (along with a slew of others) filed suit against Vizio awhile back over patent licensing concerns, but now it seems the two have reached a mutual agreement to use each other's technologies without bickering over who owns what. The release on the matter states that Sony "has become a licensee under VIZIO's patent portfolio," and that "VIZIO now is a licensee under Sony's color television patent portfolio." Who knows how much under-the-table cash and shaky promises had to be passed along in order to make everyone happy, but hey, a problem solved is a problem solved.

[Image courtesy of TooMuchNick / WireImage]

Update: Sony's response to all of this is after the break, courtesy of a company spokesperson who pinged us directly.

Continue reading Sony and VIZIO ditch the courtroom, clear up licensing issues

AUO previews lots of fancy displays, clownfish-approved 1080p 14-inch OLED monitor

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 27th 2009 at 9:01PM

AUO previews lots of fancy displays, including clownfish-approved 1080p 14-inch OLED monitor

FPD International 2009 is nearly upon us, and as we've seen in years past it's a time of wondrous innovation and gratuitous side-shots of impossibly thin displays. Leading off the pack this year is AUO, teasing a number of new panels and technologies that may or may not rock your living rooms sometime in the next two to four years. Chief among them is a 14-inch, 1080p OLED display with a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and 16 million colors. There will also be a range of switchable and glasses-free 2D/3D displays ranging from 8- to 65-inches, a ridiculously wide 58-inch 2.35:1 TV with a 2560 x 1080 resolution, and, naturally, a skinny LCD -- in this case the 65-inch beauty pictured below that's just 7.9mm on the Z plane despite pumping out a claimed 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Good stuff? Yes. The craziest displays we'll see this week? Not a chance.

[Via OLED-Display.net]

Continue reading AUO previews lots of fancy displays, clownfish-approved 1080p 14-inch OLED monitor

Samsung's 40-inch LCD is world's thinnest at 3.9-mm, attracts magic pencils

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 26th 2009 at 6:22AM

What measures 3.9-mm thin by 40 inches? If you answered the standard Korean product waif you'd be close. This time, however, we're talking about Samsung's LED backlit LCD featuring a 120Hz refresh and 5,000:1 reported contrast. Yup, that makes it the world's thinnest -- easily besting cross-town rival LG's 5.9-mm thick LCDs -- even if you can't buy it as a complete television package... yet.

[Via Akihabara News]

ASUS Designo MS gets handled, gushed over

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 21st 2009 at 12:31AM

ASUS' stylish Designo MS monitors might not be quite on the same diet as the world's thinnest LCDs, but they're plenty svelte enough to collect glances of envious admiration. Suffering from a rather severe case of techno-lust, the Electric Pig crew got to handle a 23.6-inch sample and couldn't stop talking about the sex appeal of the exterior -- they were even big fans of the circular stand on the back of the display, which we suspect will have as many supporters as detractors. In spite of packing a full 1920 x 1080 resolution, the MS246 failed to impress with the quality of its output, but then if it was as gorgeous on the inside it'd have an Apple sticker on the front. Right? We kid, honestly. Calm down with a gallery of images at the read link.

Lenovo's new slate of ThinkVision LCDs really, really love the environment

by Darren Murph posted Oct 20th 2009 at 9:22AM

It's not like we haven't seen a ThinkVision monitor trying its best to be good to Ma Earth before, but Lenovo's ThinkVision L2251x Wide has just become the first in the industry to notch a TCO Certified Edge -- which, we'll be honest, sounds like a pretty bodacious award to have. Dubbed the company's "greenest monitors yet," the ThinkVision L1711p, L1951p Wide, L2250p Wide, L2251p Wide and L2251x Wide are all at least TCO Certified, EPEAT Gold rated and are 50 percent more energy-efficient than previous models. Outside of all that, you'll find 1,680 x 1,050 resolution panels, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and a five millisecond response time on the whole lot, while select models boast DisplayPort compatibility and a built-in webcam. The ThinkVision L1951p Wide, L2250p Wide and L2251p Wide monitors will be available starting this Friday for $239.99, $249.99 and $259.99, respectively, while the L1711p will land on November 6th for $229.99 and the L2251x Wide sometime next month for $299.99.

Gallery: Lenovo's new slate of ThinkVision LCDs really, really love the environment

Continue reading Lenovo's new slate of ThinkVision LCDs really, really love the environment

Samsung and Uni-Pixel team up for better, cheaper TMOS displays

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 19th 2009 at 11:41PM

Uni-Pixel has developed a new display technology that could succeed LCD and LED displays, and if all goes according to plan we might see something come to market as soon as next year. Opcuity uses one layer of MEMS film in in a TMOS (multiplexed optical shutter) device for results that are said to be ten times brighter and sixty percent cheaper to manufacture than LCDs (which use five layers). Since TMOS displays are very similar to LCDs, existing manufacturing lines can be used -- lowering start-up costs and rescuing older assembly lines in the process. According to the company's CFO, the manufacturing process "subtracts from existing LCD lines--you just need to remove some equipment that is no longer needed." Samsung and Uni-Pixel have teamed up to produce 4-inch displays using the technology, but who knows? Maybe Microsoft Research's interactive office will become a reality sooner than you think.

[Via OLED-Info]

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 19th 2009 at 1:19PM

If you're an HDTV buff with style, taste, and money to burn (and if you're reading Engadget we have our doubts about at least two of the three) then you've probably been waiting impatiently for Bang & Olufsen to make this one official. The BeoVision 10 is a wall-mounted LCD flat screen that boasts 40-inches of real estate, a brushed aluminum frame, and bottom mounted speakers that are available in a variety of colors. As the company boasts, "every aspect of the design is thought through." It also said something about "vægplacering," the definition of which we will leave to your imagination. On sale now at the B & O store on Kongens Nytorv in central Copenhagen for 43,495 Danish Kroner (roughly $8,700) -- not shockingly expensive, as far as this company is concerned, but still far too dear for you. No word on stateside pricing or release date.

Update: As several astute readers pointed out, the translated source for this one listed the price in British Pounds when it should have been listed in Danish Kroner (DKK). The thing is far less expensive now -- so feel free to send us one for an early Christmas present! You have the address. Oh, and a vid is after the break!

Read - Here is the new B & O television
Read - B & O's new flat panel

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

Pixel Qi e-ink / LCD hybrid display to debut on tablet next month?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 17th 2009 at 3:11PM

It's been far, far too long (read: four months) since we've heard a peep from the gentle souls over at Pixel Qi, but it looks like the long, heart-wrenching wait for the hybrid display that's bound to revolutionize Western civilization is nearing an end. According to the startup's CEO herself, Mary Lou Jepsen, the primetime-ready 3Qi display should make its glorious debut on an undisclosed tablet to be announced next month. For those out of the loop, this transflective display contains both e-ink and LCD properties, one for outdoor reading scenarios and the other for multimedia viewing. The amazing part is that toggling between the two is as simple as flipping a switch, which obviously means great things for battery life on whatever device it's shoved into. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more, but do us a favor and cross your fingers for good luck. Toes too, por favor.

[Thanks, Tom]

Samsung showing off 55 inches of 240Hz 3D LCD glory

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 14th 2009 at 5:49AM

Look, we know this 3D thing is as likely to sink as it is to swim right now, but we have to hand it to Samsung -- it's pursuing the idea with some pretty hefty ambition. A 55-inch 1080p panel with a true 240Hz refresh rate is a decent base on which to build your paradigm-shifting new offering. Using a set of "shutter" glasses, which rapidly alternate between blocking out the left and right eye, the set is capable of delivering the full 240Hz quality, debatable as its benefits may be. Of course, the value or otherwise of a TV like this is going to be found only by experiencing its output in person, so if you're somewhere near Seoul this week, head on down to the IMID 2009 conference to get an eyeful of an early model.

LG's Solar Cell e-Book goes an extra day for every 5 hours of sunlight

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 12th 2009 at 4:54AM

Funny thing going on in the marketplace right now: reading for pleasure is on a rapid decline yet the choice of e-reader devices grows weekly. That's good news for those of us not spending our down-time in front of a television, mouth agape -- awkward for manufacturers testing the waters of this unproven niche. LG's showing off its Solar Cell e-Book reader anyway, in a bid to flex its thin-film solar muscle. The prototype features an energy conversion efficiency of about 9.6 percent giving it an extra day's worth of power for that 6-inch TFT-LCD after about four to five hours in the sun. LG is working towards boosting its thin-film solar cell energy conversion efficiency rate to 12% by 2010 on up to 14% by 2012. We say bring it LG, if you can.

[Via OLED-Display]

Mitsubishi debuts power-saving RDT231WLM-S 23-inch monitor

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 7th 2009 at 2:41PM

We know it's been tough finding a 23-inch, full HD monitor that's just nondescript enough to cause not so much as a passing glance, but it looks like Mitsubishi finally has the monitor for you. In addition to that 1,920 x 1080 resolution, its new RDT231WLM-S model packs a decent 5 ms response time, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, a full range of ports including HDMI and DVI, and an "ECO Professional" mode to cut down on power consumption whenever possible. Unfortunately, it also makes use of a TN panel, and it eschews any modern conveniences like a built-in webcam or USB hub -- but, hey, at least it's one monitor that won't collect fingerprints left and right. No price or release just yet, but we'd expect those details to be fairly inexpensive and fairly soon.

[Via Akihabara News]

Sony TRIMASTER quad-HD LCD multiplies the resolution, and the price, of any home HDTV

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 6th 2009 at 1:03PM

Can't wait until December for Toshiba's CELL REGZA LCD? Sony is bringing its own 56-inch 3,840x2160 quad-HD display to market November 1 in Japan. Priced at 6,825,000 ($76,583) including taxes this is clearly for pros only, hence the TRIMASTER name referring to the three elements combined within -- exact color, accurate picture and reliability -- thanks to a RGB LED backlit panel built with incredible picture reproduction and exact calibration (with included software via a connected PC) in mind. While it's cheaper than JVC's $175k 4K projector, unless you're mastering the next Pixar flick, viewing high res satellite imagery or can't live without four HD feeds on one screen even the most well heeled amongst may be better served scouring bargain bins for a used Westinghouse D56QX1 for now.

[Via AV Watch]

Sony's CEATEC concept party includes Walkman bracelet and 0.2mm thin OLED (video)

by Darren Murph posted Oct 6th 2009 at 5:13AM

We've yet to see a trade show where Sony left its Rhode Island-sized booth at home, and CEATEC is no exception. Aside from pushing its 1080p 3D installations with an epic amount of force, the company also had a smattering of swank new concepts on display that caught our eyes. A 0.2 millimeter-thin flexible OLED display was alive and displaying content, while an ultrathin Reader mock-up looked more like a MID and less like a Kindle. Without question, the two items that took our breath away were the all-panel laptop (which tossed the traditional keyboard in favor of a single, swooping display) and the Walkman bracelet, which did little more than talk dirty to us and get our imaginations working overtime. Unfortunately, all the good stuff was behind bulletproof glass with practically zero information to digest, but you can indulge your senses anyway in the gallery below and video after the break.

Gallery: Sony's CEATEC concept party includes Walkman bracelet and 0.2mm thin OLED

Continue reading Sony's CEATEC concept party includes Walkman bracelet and 0.2mm thin OLED (video)

Toshiba Cell Regza 55X1 and Regza Next concepts hands-on (video)

by Ross Miller posted Oct 5th 2009 at 7:56AM

Now that the Cell-powered cat's out the bag, we had a chance to get up close and personal with a number of its 55-inch Cell Regza 55X1 LCD TVs on hand at the CEATEC show floor. It's certainly not the thinnest flat-screen panel, but the screen was crisp and colors bright. The Cell and most of the heavy duty components were housed in a separate Cell Box -- frankly, it was disappointing just how large the box was, out-sizing even the original PlayStation 3. For reasons that weren't quite made clear to us, the 3TB of storage were divided among four separate drives, two 1TB and two 500GB. None of them are accessible, leaving you only an external USB drive as an expansion option. Frankly, the real draw here (at least the multitaskers inside of us) is eight-window display function and hyper-fast channel scrolling, which in our time with the TV worked great without a hitch.

Also on hand were the four Cell Regza Next concept models. There's not much to say about the entertainment server and the all-in-one, but we do have to give credit to the 4K2K TV for the expected visual quality. The 3D unit was showing off a hands-only motion-controlled user interface, demonstrated only by a Toshiba rep, that seemed to have a few technical hiccups. As we've said before (Natal, anyone?), waving your arms is a fun concept, but here we're not yet sold on the usefulness over novelty of it -- something Toshi can mull over between now and at whatever point in the future it plans on upgrading it beyond concept phase. Video of the 55X1 and the conceptual 3D UI after the break.