crt
Latest
Samsung: US LCD sales to rise 75% in '06
Samsung is expecting the US LCD market to explode this year - by 50 to 75%. We already know that LCDs are set to out sell CRTs in a few years so this might not be to far off base. They credit this to high-def gaming and HD DVD/Blu-ray. We think it is more along the lines of dropping prices and the increase in quality. Who doesn't want one of the nice, thin screens? A good amount of the videophiles that do the high-def gaming and movie watching already have a HDTV, but it is the Mom and Pop of America that is making the upgrade.Do you plan on buying a LCD this year. Many of you indicated that you already have.
LCD-TVs to surpass CRTs by 2009
There is a good chance that in three years you will see more LCDs then those old CRTs at your local Best Buy or Circuit City. iSupply has forecasted that the flat panels are going to out sell the classic CRTs in '09. LCDs are going to have to ship, and sell, 74% more then they currently are to achieve this lofty goal. With the price of these flat-panels dropping though, they keep on reaching new price markets so it really doesn't seem that hard. If people can afford 'em, they will buy 'em
Samsung SlimFit HDTVs top CRTs best selling list
People love CRTs - they love to hate 'em. They are heavy, have a small screen and people have seen 'em since they were born. People are just getting tired of them but those fancy flat panels tend to be out of reach of a lot. So what does Samsung do, they come along with a plan to reduce the average depth of a CRT and make it look like a flat panel from the front. It worked. These TVs have been out for about a year and people simply love them; enough so that they now have 42% of the CRT marketshare. These TVs come in 30-inch HDTV style and 27-inch HD and SD with models start around 700 for the former and 300 for the latter. Chances are that with this big of a marketshare a few of our readers have one of these TVs, Ya like it; tell us about it. [via HDBlot.net]
Is plasma still the king of HDTVs
NewTechnologyTV.com has an article about plasma's being the reigning king of HDTVs. We tend to agree with that statement, but are curous to know what you think. Plasma do offer a great picture at reasonable sizes and price. Sure, LCDs tend to be more versitale and can be made in different sizes but they do not offer the same type of picture quality that a plasma does. DLP is great technolodgy to make a very large high-def picture but again, does not offer a better picture then a quality plasma does. CRTs, a long time favorite, can produce a better picture then plasmas but top off at 34-inches; cannot be the king and be that small. What do you folks think? Is NewTechnologyTV.com and us off our rockers today?
The DTV transition is here
Ok, it officially started some time ago, but it is finally being adopted by the average consumer. I was visiting my parents this weekend which is like going back in time in regards to technology. I love my parents, but it pains me to visit and watch SD when I am used to HD. While I was visiting my parents, they came home with a new TV and to my surprise it was equipped with a ATSC and QAM tuner. My father plugged it (I helped him lift) into his basic cable and and my mother easily used the remote to setup the TV and a few minutes later we were watching down converted HD. If you have never seen down converted SD, let me tell you it looks much better than analog cable. The cool part is that the TV automatically found the QAM channels and added them to the line up. Of course the channels numbers are not the same as digital cable, but it was still nice to have them there. Here at HD Beat we are always talking about consumer acceptance and to me when my parents buy it, it has arrived. I mean my parents didn't buy a DVD player till I bought them one for Christmas in 2002!Have any of you seen these new ATSC SD TVs in action?
HDTVs on sale @ Best Buy
Because if there's anything we like more than HDTVs, it's cheap HDTVs. All televisions $499 and up (excluding Sony XBRs and HP models) are apparently on sale this week, and there's free shipping for online orders. If you already know what set you want and have just been waiting for a price break, this may be a good opportunity.See any other good deals in this weeks ads? Let us know in the comments for people like me who don't read the newspaper.[Via digg]
The (in)famous 1080p truth pt. 2
Do we have to go into this again? I've got to question this piece on The Inquirer that compounds the confusion of the article cited. They're telling people that their CRT TV is going to throw away half the information on 1080i Blu-ray and HD-DVDs giving you a 540p image, and that a 1080p set is really only going to give you 540p, which is not necessarily an accurate description.One way of getting your information correct is to go straight to the source like HDTV UK did recently. They have an excellent writeup getting information on 1080p from the manufacturers themselves. The original author has written a new post clarifying a few things. While I'm still puzzled by repeated references to CRTs method of displaying 1080i in relation to why a 1080p television using totally different technology won't be 1080p; it seems we agree on one thing: "I’m not against anyone buying a 1080p HDTV — I just want that person to be a smart shopper and ask plenty of questions to see how the content is actually mastered and delivered to the HDTV."If you're still wondering what all the hubbub is and if it affects your buying decision, don't take my word for it (© The Reading Rainbow). Check out the further information links and comments on our other post and educate yourself, then take a look to to see if you notice a worthwhile difference in 1080p.
Samsung SyncMaster745MS 14-inch thick CDT display
In an age dominated by LCD, plasma and other flat-panel technologies, we're always a little surprised to see anyone still trying to advance the cause of tube-based displays. But Samsung, for one, hasn't quite given up on tubes, and is showing off what the company says is the world's thinnest Color Display Tube (CDT) display, the 14-inch thick SyncMaster 745MS. The 17-inch display is expected to debut globally in June for under $200. While the display is unlikely to woo away too many LCD fans, it could sway some CRT loyalists who prefer tubes for their color range, sharpness and fast response rate.
Another tough-as-nails Mac
Last week, Scott wrote about a poor Powerbook that had been badly damaged, but continued to work. Oddly enough, I found the iMac pictured at right on my workbench this morning when I arrived at my day job. It seems that a student abruptly introduced it to the floor, badly cracking the case around the display. The good news: it still works. You've got to love these tough-as-nails Macs.
What did Sony do to the 34-inch XBR?!?!
The Sony XBR brand has always been some of the best products in their respected TV types. The 34-inch version hit its pinnacle with the KD34XBR960. This 220 lb. monster may not have a big screen or look that cool, but it had arguably the best high-def picture you could buy. The TV had everything too: 3 firewire inputs, memory stick; HDMI; ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners, DRC, cable card, and the best tube Sony has ever made: the Super Fine Pitch Trinitron. Check out the newest XBR though. (KD34XBR970) Looks the same, but that can be deceiving. This TV is branded as an XBR but is nothing more then lasts years non-XBR (KV34HS420) with an ATSC tuner in it! Talk about disappointing. This new "XBR" does not have firewire, no cable card, no memory stick input, one less RCA input, but this biggest let down is the lack of the Super Fine Pitch Trinitron. This once great TV has been reduced to just another widescreen HDTV. So if you are looking for a great 34-inch tube TV, the new XBR is not it. Find the old one.
Is the eMac's successor on the horizon?
I like the eMac. We have several at my day job, and they're solid and reliable (and low cost, to boot). Alas, they drifted quietly out of existence. Have we heard the last of the low cost, all-in-one Mac?The folks at Mac OS Rumors think not. They suggest that a machine with a 19", 16:10 wide screen CRT and a Celeron Intel processor is in the works, ready to take over the vacancy created by the eMac. The next question is, would these be education-only, or would the general public be able to purchase one? Time will tell.[Via MacDailyNews]
Toshiba delaying SED sets until 2007?
If the translated story is accurate, we won't be seeing SED sets in 2006 after all. What a cryin' shame since we're not so secretly lusting after the flat-panels that mash the best of CRTs with a slim screen. Apparently, Toshiba can't procure or produce enough panels to create the SED sets that they jointly developed with Canon, so their current trial run of 1,000 units per month won't be increasing. The basic tech behind SED isn't that different from CRTs; instead of one giant electron gun for all the pixels there are individual electron emitters near the screen surface for each pixel. Sounds like the emitters are easy to find or build; it's those darn CRT SED panels in a 50-plus-inch size.
No more CRTs from Toshiba in Japan
Looks like Toshiba's CRTs have hit the end of the road in Japan. They are going to be no more as of April this year, in addition to their analog LCD TVs. In case you have forgotten, there is a new type of flat panel TV that is coming out this year from Toshiba. SEDs. Toshiba is going to concentrate their effort on rebranding and promoting this new technology plus their existing digital LCDs. It is unlikely that Toshiba is going to see large SED sales this year, but they have to promote it and with those pesky CRTs out of the way, it should be a bit easier.
How do you clean your HDTV screen?
In the HDBeat podcast last week, I mentioned that I clean my HDTV set daily. Yes, it's a bit obsessive, but the kids and pets keep crossing the masking tape on the floor that I laid out in a three-foot radius around the set. When will they ever learn?Anyway, I got to thinking how I clean the screen which got me thinking: how do you clean your screen? I personally use Windex spray that I apply to an old newspaper and then I wipe the screen; there's nary a streak on the screen thanks to the newspaper method. Now, my two sets are older CRTs with a flat glass face; you may have an LCD, Plasma or some microdisplay device, so what secrets can you share on keeping that screen nice and clean?
Sony CRTs can't stop, won't stop
In fact, they may not even know how to stop, but that hasn't stopped people from saying they're on their way out. Sony is shipping a few new models, including the KD-34XBR970. It's an HDTV with integrated tuner, HDMI input and all the great features and quality you'd generally expect from Sony's XBR line. They also have a few other new CRTs with integrated tuners coming out, but those are SD so we know you're not that interested.As skeptical as we might be about the Playstation 3, Sony has been delivering with their XBRs for a long time and we don't see them stopping now. All that heavyweight CRT 1080i goodness will set you back $1,199 when they start shipping in March.
Did you take advantage of the Super Bowl?
Well, the game is only a few hours away and if you haven't got your new HDTV yet, you better have a big truck and be able to find one in stock. We all know by now that this last week is huge for HDTV sales, but we are curious to know if you bought one because you are a true fan or because the true fans bring down the price for the rest of us.Don't get us wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of a great sale, but did the Super Bowl really have any barring on purchasing a new HDTV? There really was some great sales to be had, and we are sure the retailers and manufacturers are going to announce "record HDTV" sales in a few weeks, but did you take advantage of it?Me? No. I love the Super Bowl and football alike, but it did not drive me to purchase a new HDTV. Maybe if I was hosting the party this year, a bigger one would be cool, but not this time around. Maybe next year though.
Rig of the Day: World's thinnest desktop
What do you do with your Powerbook when its display finally dies? Toss it? Just buy a new LCD for it? No. You connect it to that big old CRT you've got sitting around. The result is the world's thinnest desktop Mac."2nd Life of a Powerbook" posted by qny. If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.
HD Beat Flickr pool update
Oh boy! This is a projector room that just makes yah salivate. The lighting...the speakers....the screen and wall treatment. It's all there. After a little digging on his website we ran across his equipment rack that will just blow some of you away.Do you have a nice HD set up? Log into flicker and upload a pic to our HD Beat flickr pool. We are sure you put a lot of work into it and this is your chance to show her off.
Mainstream media nails it!
Well done Kim Komando of USA Today. Well done. Projectors can be a great option for some consumers that seeks a HUGE screen but have space requirements. (and a budget) But they can be daunting because of the huge price range ($800 - $15,000) but Kim did a great job laying out most of the things you need to look for. She goes over LCD, DLP, and CRT options and talks about how important lumens is. Kim even talks about their Achilles heal: the pricey bulb.Ms. Komando covers most of what a person should look for but forgot to cover the different resolution. A lot of lower priced units do not produce a high enough resolution to be considered high-def. They will display the same image, but will do so by lowering the resolution of the signal to its native resolution. You can find good inexpensive projectors for under a thousand that does have a good resolution however; just stay away from the 800x600 units if you want to use it for HDTV.Check out Kim's guide to projectors if you have any questions about these mini-giants of TVs.
Burn-in on plasma TVs
The burn-in issue on plasmas is something that just won't go away. Manufactures have tried hard to prevent it as much as possible but still, it is a side effect of the technology. There is a group of consumers down under (in Australia) that purchased plasmas before the holiday's and left them on for hours days causing the stations logos to be burned into the screen. Yes, we know plasma this and plasma that, but there are easy things to prevent burn-in. Burn-in is most likely when the TV is the brightest making the first 24-36 hours of life critical. Even some manufacture set-up screens can cause nasty image retention. (not burn-in but rather, ghosting for a short period of time.) Turn down the brightness past 50%. Plus, you will get a lot deeper picture. Avoid static images. This does not mean the ESPN banner or ABC logo but rather the Window's Start Bar or OS X's Dock. Use the plasma as a TV because you WILL get burn-in if used as a monitor. If you pause the Xbox, turn of the TV. Believe it or not, plasmas are not the only type of display technology that can suffer from burn-in. CRTs have always had this problem, (think old school screensavers) but so have LCDs. WHAT?!? No! But yes, LCDs can burn-in. The best proof we can give you is Apple's guide to removing burn-in. It is rare and requires the image to be static longer, but it can happen.Do not be afraid to buy a plasma because of the chance of burn-in. There are tools and techniques to remove burn-in but if you plan on using the plasma as a TV rather then a computer monitor, then you should never ever experience it.
