IPS
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Panasonic's next-gen IPS-Alpha panel is uber quick, dark (video)
We've seen some dark, dark panels in our day, but Panasonic's next-generation IPS-Alpha has us all sorts of hot and bothered. Unlike Pioneer's plasmas of yesteryear, the prototype seen here at CEATEC has wide angle viewing down to an art, and the image quality was simply stunning. Fast moving objects slid in with nary a jagged edge in sight, while the production unit on the left produced a noticable and continual blur. When portraying a pitch black background, it's easy to see just how much darker the IPS-Alpha panel was compared to the next best thing. Have a peek at the video below for a more personal peek, and look forward to us prying out some sort of price and release estimate when the company shows this again at CES. You will have that information at CES, right Panny? %Gallery-74744%
Why you shouldn't get your video game news from The Wall Street Journal
When you want the very latest on old guys, money and old guys' money, you turn to The Wall Street Journal. When you want news about video games, you could probably do better, as evidenced by this quote from a Dow Jones Newswire piece the publication ran today about that THQ takeover speculation:"Take-Two has a number of strong franchises and a number of wholly owned Internet Protocols. Wholly owned IPs not only carry higher profitability, but also are more valuable to media companies because they could be adapted into movies, TV serials and online destinations."We'd make a joke here, but there's literally nothing we could say that would be funnier than that quote.[Thanks Leigh!]
Dell 24-inch U2410 IPS monitor sneaks out for $599 US retail
Already seen in Japan, the 24-inch UltraSharp U2410 professional monitor is up for retail on Dell's US store. The IPS-panel features a 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution, 6-ms response, 178-degree viewing angles, 1000:1 typical contrast, and 12-bit internal processing (1.07 billion colors), and 96% AdobeRGB and 100% of sRGB color space coverage. Connectivity options are vast with jacks for DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, component, composite, and VGA. That's a lot of rig for $599. Hit the link below if you just have to have it since you won't find it promoted on the Dell US monitor pages just yet.[Thanks, Sheldon]
Dell goes pro with U2410 IPS monitor for Japan
It looks like those that'll accept no less than an IPS panel in their monitor now have another option from Dell, which has just debuted its new 24-inch U2410 monitor in Japan. The big selling point here, of course, is the monitor's color reproduction, which promises to reach 96% coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, and 100% coverage of the sRGB color space. Otherwise, you can expect some suitably high-end specs across the board, including a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, a 6ms response time, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, a full range of ports including DVI, DisplayPort, and HDMI, not to mention a built-in 4-port USB hub. No word on a release over here, unfortunately, but folks in Japan can grab one now for ¥72,450, or about $760.[Via Impress]
NEC rolls out two new high-end 24-inch MultiSync monitors
The may not be quite as energy efficient as some of NEC's offerings or as jaw-dropping as some others, but the company's new MultiSync LCD2490WUXi² and LCD2490W2-BK-SV displays will no doubt be just the ticket for at least a few graphics professionals out there. From the looks of it, the two 24-inch monitors are mostly identical, and pack an IPS panel with a 1,900 x 1,200 resolution, along with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 320 cd/m² brightness, 96.7% coverage of the sRGB color space, and NEC's AmbiBright ambient light sensor with automatic backlight adjustment. The big difference is that the LCD2490W2 model comes bundled with NEC's SpectraView color calibration sensor and, of course, a slightly higher price tag. Look for it to run you $1,299, while the SpectraView-less LCD2490WUXi² will set you back $1,099.[Via Electronista]
Hitachi unveils 11 latest Wooo plasmas & LCDs: Greener, better looking & network connected
This year's edition of the Hitachi Wooo line of flat panels look a lot like their predecessors on the outside (120Hz IPS LCDs, 250GB HDD equipped models with iVDR slots for additional hard drives and Wooonet DLNA network support) but it's what's inside that counts. The four new XP plasma models range from 42- to 50-inches and promise even better contrast ratios, as high as 40,000:1, with better color reproduction and the promise of greater energy efficiency. The ultra-thin 35mm / 1.4-inch thick LCDs are back in four new models, with UWB wirelessly connected tuners, auto sensing/adjusting brightness and aforementioned "eco" power sipping improvements. The relatively fat XP line of LCDs consists of just three displays, but just like all the rest, buyers can still hook up to the 'net and pull down video on-demand or Yahoo! Japan's web TV portal -- features unlikely to make the jump when we see U.S. versions of these later this year. The XP plasmas and LCDs go on sale in Japan later this month or next, while the ultra-thins will be crash dieting until October.Read - Hitachi, recording double-35mm-thin LCD TV "Wooo UT800"Read - Hitachi, 7 new plasma / LCD
Hitachi unveils 11 latest Wooo plasmas and LCDs: Greener, better looking & network connected
This year's edition of the Hitachi Wooo line of flat panels look a lot like their predecessors on the outside (120Hz IPS LCDs, 250GB HDD equipped models with iVDR slots for additional hard drives and Wooonet DLNA network support) but it's what's inside that counts. The four new XP plasma models range from 42- to 50-inches and promise even better contrast ratios, as high as 40,000:1, with better color reproduction and the promise of greater energy efficiency. The ultra-thin 35mm / 1.4-inch thick LCDs are back in four new models, with UWB wirelessly connected tuners, auto sensing/adjusting brightness and aforementioned "eco" power sipping improvements. The relatively fat XP line of LCDs consists of just three displays, but just like all the rest, buyers can still hook up to the 'net and pull down video on-demand or Yahoo! Japan's web TV portal -- features unlikely to make the jump when we see U.S. versions of these later this year. The XP plasmas and LCDs go on sale in Japan later this month or next, while the ultra-thins will be crash dieting until October.Read - Hitachi, recording double-35mm-thin LCD TV "Wooo UT800"Read - Hitachi, 7 new plasma / LCD
Dell's 2209WA LCD monitor reviewed, deemed king of 22-inchers
Dell's 2209WA just surfaced a few days ago, and already we're seeing the first review of said panel courtesy of CNET's Australian branch. The 22-inch IPS display was said to boast "excellent color and viewing angles and great gaming performance" at a fantastic price point, with the only real knocks being the omission of 1:1 scaling and the inset design which occasionally caused reflections. Yeah, minor quibbles indeed. In fact, reviewers struggled to even find those, and they were downright giddy to hand out a 9 out of 10 rating along with this strongly worded quote: "This is the best 22-inch monitor we've seen." 'Nuff said, huh?
Pioneer, Panasonic reach basic agreement on Kuro production, first new displays due fall '09
Pioneer and Matsushita (Panasonic) have finally hammered out the basics of a deal that will allow the latter to supply panels for future Kuro plasma displays, and plasma HDTV fans to breathe easy again. Pending a final agreement in May, dollars and cents remain undisclosed, but we can expect a fusion of Panasonic's current "Neo PDP" technology from its Viera line when they begin production May 2009 in Amagasaki before hitting shelves in the fall. Kuro will still be maintained as a premium brand (with a premium price) with different image processing, while both companies plan to keep working together on reducing power consumption and the infinite black level plasma. Pioneer still plans future Kuro LCD HDTVs based on panels from Sharp,but it'll also apparently have access to IPS technology from Panasonic's tie-up with Canon and Hitachi. See? We told you it'd be okay.[Via AV Watch]
LG adopts in-plane switching tech for new LCD HDTVs
Hitachi's in-plane switching technology's been making the rounds of late, and LG Taiwan's the latest to pick it up for use in future LCD HDTVs. Doubling frame-rate, providing a wider field of view, and supposedly upping durability (among other things), apparently we can start to see some IPS-enabled TVs from Korea's #2 in the not too distant future.[Via Far East Gizmos]
Hitachi and Canon finalize paperwork on LCD partnership
Completing the final segment of the three-way Hitachi / Panasonic / Canon LCD mashup, Hitachi & Canon have finalized paperwork on the deal. Canon will take its 24.9% piece of Hitachi Displays, Ltd, pending regulatory approval, which should pave the way for plenty of sweet IPS-enabled panels and maybe even some OLED action in the future if anyone feels up to it. The specifics are in the read link as usual, we'll judge the wisdom of this partnership when there's a new HDTV on the shelf.
Panasonic's 17-inch BT-LH1760 production LCD costs $5000
It's a dilemma faced by nearly every photo / video editor on the planet -- stick with a huge CRT for that precise color accuracy, or make the jump to LCD for aesthetics sake? Fret not, dear worriers, as Panasonic has supposedly crafted a miracle solution with the BT-LH1760. This April-bound production monitor is essentially devoid of attractiveness, but it does offer up a 120Hz refresh rate, an IPS panel with a 1,280 x 768 native resolution and "faithful color reproduction with twice the response speed of other currently available professional LCD monitors." Furthermore, you'll find a built-in waveform monitor and vectorscope, pixel-to-pixel matching capabilities and a slew of inputs including DVI, auto-switching HD-SDI / SDI, component and VGA. Yeah, it's a pretty impressive array of specs for a 17-incher, but then again, most 17-inchers don't demand just under five large, either.[Via BroadcastBuyer]
JVC unveils LH905 1080p LCD HDTVs, includes Genessa Premium engine
It wasn't quite a year ago that we saw JVC gush all over its own LH805 series of LCD HDTVs, but now, those are simply livin' in the past. Introduced today, the LH905 series steps things up a notch with the included Genessa Premium 36-bit video engine. Additionally, the 37-inch LT-37LH905, 42-inch LT-42LH905 and 47-inch LT-47LH905 will all feature a 1080p resolution, 500 nits of brightness, dual ten-watt speakers, 10-bit LCD IPS panel, a built-in analog / digital terrestrial tuner, DLNA support, three HDMI 1.3 ports, integrated SD slot and an Ethernet port for good measure. Unfortunately, these are all sporting the elusive open offer tag for now, but the trifecta should start floating onto shelves late next month for those interested. [Via Impress]
Panasonic, Hitachi and Canon make billion-dollar LCD deal official
No longer a rumor, Hitachi, Matsushita (Panasonic) and Canon are joining forces to shake up the LCD biz. Panasonic and Canon have each agreed to take 24.9% ownership of Hitachi Displays, which will use the investment to continue its advancement in LCD technology. Canon gets access to Hitachi's small- to medium-sized LCDs and, OLEDs for its cameras and other products, while Panasonic looks to "enhance the competitive edge in-step with PDP models" of its Viera line of HDTVs with Hitachi's IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology and future OLED production. Don't think Panasonic and Hitachi are giving up on the Plasma Coalition, but they aren't afraid to hedge their bets in reaction to the market's demand for cheap LCDs and similar partnerships among competitors.
Thales develops Indoor Positioning System based on UWB
Thales -- the French aerospace company that brought us MILTRAK -- has rolled out yet another impressive development, this time aiding firefighters, cops and armed forces in tracking objects / people while indoors. Its Indoor Positioning System (IPS) is essentially "an indoor form of satellite navigation," and while we've heard of similar, this iteration is based around ultra-wideband. Notably, the company implied that it hoped to bring the technology to police forces and military platoons in the future, and if things go smoothly, consumers could actually see it used in GPS-enabled mobiles in order to provide navigation services in more places. Unfortunately, it seems as though Thales is still working on completing the new system, so we wouldn't get all hopeful for a commercial release anytime soon.
JVC's trio of Clear Motion Drive II 1080p LCD TVs coming to America
Yeah, there's a decent chance you'd forgotten all about JVC's three Clear Motion Drive II-equipped TVs, but just in case you've been waiting in tense anticipation, we've got stellar news. The 37-inch LT-37X898, 42-inch LT-42X898 and 47-inch LT-47X898 are all set to take the US by storm, featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit IPS LCD panels, and Full HD support. Additionally, these sets boast the firm's "fifth generation D.I.S.T. (Digital Image Scaling Technology) engine on the JVC-exclusive 32-bit Genessa chip," a 178-degree viewing angle, 2,000:1 contrast ratio, a 4.5-millisecond response rate, 500 cd/m2 brightness, a trio of HDMI 1.3 inputs, and 20-watts of amplification for the built-in speakers. The trifecta is set to land this month as a part of JVC's new Procision series, and will run interested consumers $2,100, $2,600 and $3,300 from smallest to largest.
NEC's 25.5-inch H-IPS monitor for pros
If you liked that 25.5-inch H-IPS panel from Mitsubishi we hit up a few weeks ago then check this professional panel from NEC. While they share most of the specs -- 1920x1200 (WUXGA) resolution, 800:1 contrast ratio, 400cd/m2 brightness, 178-dgree viewing angle, and 2x HDCP-capable DVIs plus one D-Sub15 input -- the MultiSync LCD2690WUXi features an embedded integrated circuit with 12-bit look-up tables (i.e., gamma correction) for even smoother gradients. Hell, the panel also delivers a broad color gamut at 91% NTSC and even pivots 90-degrees to get your bigzz portrait on. Ideal for graphic design, photo re-touching or other professional uses. And believe us, at ¥239,400 (about $2,036) you'll be more than happy for the boss-man to cover the cost. Expected to hit Japan on 12 January of the new year. [Via Impress]
Mitsubishi's Diamondcrysta 25.5-inch LCD monitor
Mitsubishi Diamondcrysta RDT261WH/(BK) is the industries first 25.5-inch H-IPS (High aperture ratio In-Plane Switching) panel. So on top of that Full-HD, 1920x1200 WUXGA resolution, this display also promises both professional color reproduction and control with a decent pixel response time to boot -- "decent" under these terms is measured at 15-ms (7.5-ms intermediate color). The panel features a 750:1 (1500:1 with contrast ratio optimizer) contrast ratio, 178-degree viewing angle, and support for 16.7 million colors. Still, this monitor is just as likely to end up with the well-heeled consumer by hosting 2x HDCP-compliant DVI inputs, a D-Sub 15 if you must, and a 4-port USB 2.0 hub integrated into the chassis. Expected to hit Japan for ¥158,000 (about $1,341) starting November 24th. Not bad pricing, considering.[Via Impress]
New Hitachi LCDs and PDPs in the WxxL-H9000 and H90 line
Yamaha isn't the only manufacturer to unleash horde of new products today. Hitachi is expanding two of their flat-panel lines with new and improved models that are sure to peak your interest. Their Wooo line has a new 37-inch LCD that has an optional DVR add-on. This panel is somewhat of a milestone for Hitachi as it is the first set off the production lines as that Panasonic, Toshiba, and Hitachi share in their joint LCD venture called IPS. Truthfully, though, this LCD TV is just another 1366 x 768 panel with a decent 178 degrees viewing angle but the optional DVR attachment does sound rather nice. The W37L-HR9000 has the optional DVR included and will retail for 350,000 Yen ($3,041 USD) while the W37L-H9000 doesn't include the DVR built will sell for 50,000 Yen less making it $2,606 USD. The H90 product line has three new additions as well and these too are the IPS panels. Once again though, they are just mediocre 32- and 26-inch LCD TVs with the same 1366 x 768 resolution and 178 degree viewing angle. The W37P-H90 plasma employs Hitachi's 1080i ALAS panel a 1024 x 1080 resolution. All of four of the above mentioned sets include the same amount of inputs: 2 HDMI, Japanese D4, 3 S-Vid, 4 composite, 1 monitor out, Ethernet, and a strange telephone input that we aren't quite sure what it is used for. Expect to pick up the sets on September 1 (that is if you are going to be in Japan) with the 32- and 26-inch LCDs going for 230,000 Yen ($1,998 USD) and 200,000 Yen ($1,737 USD) respectively while the plasma is going to retail for 300,000 Yen ($2,606 USD).
Matsushita, Hitachi to double LCD output
Matsushita, maker of Panasonic-brand products, and Hitachi are part of IPS Alpha Technology who together with LG.Philips have plans to dominate the world LCD landscape. These Japanese electronic giants are going to double their LCD output. LCDs, you know, have had a great first part of the year and these companies are not going to be left behind. Panasonic has been focusing solely on plasmas for some time now and has recognized the world-wide growth in LCDs. Once the production lines are up and running at full steam, they should be able to produce 4.5 million LCD panels a year, up from 2.5 million on the current lines.
