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LG's cheapest Ultra HDTV starts at $3,500, OLED TV drops to $10,000
LG had its own Ultra HD news to reveal here at CEDIA 2013, and first up are two new edge LED lit LCD TVs joining the family. The cheaper models the company announced in Korea last month are coming to the US this month, with the 65-inch LA9650 (shown above) rocking a $5,000 price tag, and the 55-inch coming home for just $3,500 -- even less than we'd expected. Coming along with the new TVs is an LG "Sound Plate" it first showed off at IFA (pictured after the break). There's no price or release date yet, but expect it to hit in Q4. Beyond the new TVs, LG is also slashing prices on its existing lineup, with the higher end LA9700 models in the same sizes dropping to $6,500 and $4,500. Concerned about needing HDMI 2.0 in the future? We don't have firm answers yet, but LG says it's working on a solution for existing models. Even its 55-inch curved OLED TV is getting a price break, dropping down to $10,000 at retail from its previous launch price of $14,000.
Samsung and LG settle LCD, OLED patent dispute, choose to focus on cooperation
Samsung Display and LG Display have let the lawsuits fly in a patent battle over LCD- and OLED-related technology, but today that is apparently all over. In separate statements to the press, Samsung said "we two should focus more on cementing our leadership in the global market by cooperation, instead of engaging in all-consuming patent disputes." For its part, LG claimed that "what's most important for both of us is upgrading our competitiveness globally." All's well that ends well we guess, and a faster rollout of new display technology is nothing we'll argue against. The only possible issue? If they work together too well to achieve global market domination.
Another wooden Tokyoflash timepiece emerges, the Maru (video)
Tony Stark's favorite timepiece is going natural with Tokyflash's wood Maru. From the looks of them though, the only change between the maple and red sandalwood variants and last year's metal model is they no longer resemble something we'd see on our favorite genius / billionaire / playboy / philanthropist. The inner facing-hand still points to the hour, the outward pointing-hand remains associated with minutes and the Maru continues to use a standard battery for power. It may have a wooden band and case, but we're almost positive you'll still have to take it off at airport security. If you want to test our theory, this Maru is $99 for the next 48 hours and $129 after that.
Tetrapod quantum dot LEDs could lead to cheaper, better HDTVs soon
Until Sony started shipping its Triluminos HDTVs, the future of quantum dot (QD) technology in real-world products was mostly theoretical. Now, a company called Quantum Materials has started shipping its "Tetrapod Quantum Dots" material to an unnamed Asian electronics manufacturer, hinting at the possibility of other QD-enhanced products on the market. The company didn't mention any particular devices, but this tech has the potential to create displays that are brighter, more energy-efficient and have greater contrast than the competition. This technology allows companies to create LED-backlit LCDs using a single material as opposed to several on traditional ones -- this supposedly keeps costs low, although the aforementioned Sony HDTVs were anything but cheap. Quantum Materials CEO Stephen Squires specifically claims his company's tetrapod technology works with fewer dots overall and better manufacturing tech to hit the lowest cost possible. Samsung and LG have shown off quantum dot tech in years past -- we'll eventually find out if either one is the anonymous manufacturer in line to mass produce it.
New PlayStation Vita coming October 10th: lighter, thinner, more battery life
If the news is big enough for a Sony livestream (and with an English translation, no less), then it's going to be good, right? Sony has announced a new version of its PS Vita, just weeks after announcing a price-drop across both the US and Europe. (Japan was treated to the discount back in February.) The Vita PCH-2000 is 15 percent lighter and 20 percent thinner than the original model and will add an additional hour of life to the battery. The new (WiFi-only) Vita will land in Japan first, on October 10th priced at 18,980 yen (about $190), and Sony isn't yet ready to reveal (or even confirm) availability in other parts of the world. But remember, that price tag is still cheaper than when the original Vita launched, priced at 24,980 yen. Further hardware improvements (alongside pink, black, blue, grey, lime green, and yellow color options) include a micro-USB charger -- like your smartphone -- and 1GB of onboard storage. Interestingly, the screen tech has been changed to LCD from OLED, but we'll have to see it in the flesh before we jump to any conclusions on performance -- that's what is likely responsible for the drop in price. Alongside those colors, Sony's already planned for three special edition models: Gundam Breaker, God Eater (camouflage!) and Otomate. Check out the gallery below and read on past the break for more.
Sony unveils the world's first curved LED TV: pre-orders open now for $4,000
Sony didn't mention this during its IFA press event, but it just unveiled a big treat for home theater fans: meet the S990A, the world's first curved-screen LED TV. The introductory 65-inch, 1080p model uses the same color-rich Triluminos display technology that we've seen in Sony's recent TVs, just in a more immersive (or at least, more impressive-looking) form factor. Its built-in sound quality reportedly gets a boost, too. Since the eight built-in speakers are angled at different directions, Sony can simulate surround sound more convincingly than it could with a flat-panel set. As you'd expect, the TV also includes mobile-friendly features like Smart Connect media sharing, One-touch NFC remote pairing and second screen interaction through SideView. The S990A won't ship to the US until late October, but Sony is taking pre-orders today -- and at a $4,000 asking price, the curved LED set is much more affordable than its OLED counterparts. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Panasonic leaks 65-inch 4K LCD, HDMI 2.0 prior to IFA announcement
Panasonic is one of the few electronics companies that's not pushing a 4K TV right now, but that is apparently about to change. An AV Forums reader spotted a few webpages cached prior to the company's launch event that show off not only its upcoming 4K res WT600 television, but also details of the HDMI 2.0 spec. The current HDMI 1.4 connectors can only handle 4K content at 30fps, and the page mentions HDMI 2.0 will support at least 60fps, but any further capabilities are unknown. The Panasonic WT600 details shown include that it will support DisplayPort 1.2 as well as 4K specific features like a web browser, media player, rendering engine and THX certification. The only disappointing part, as the post points out, is that there's no sign yet of Panasonic's sweet 4K OLED prototype which combines both of this year's high-priced HDTV buzzwords in one lovely display. The HDMI licensing group has a press conference scheduled for IFA on Friday while Panasonic's is Wednesday, so it shouldn't be long before we hear more about both pieces of this puzzle, and how other manufacturers plan to react. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
This week's Tokyoflash watch comes in maple and sandalwood (video)
Tokyoflash's busy horologists know no bounds when it comes to designing watches. The company's latest timepiece is an update to last year's bee-friendly Kisai Zone that sports wooden cases and straps. Each of the three available woods is married to its own LCD color for the screen -- dark sandalwood's is black, red sandalwood goes purple and maple snags a blue readout. Speaking of which, it doesn't look like anything has changed compared to the first Zone's watch face. It still features a standard battery that lasts "at least a year," a funky hexagonal display (hours on top, minutes in the middle and seconds on the bottom) and an Indiglo-like backlight. If you fancy wearing part of a giving tree on your wrist, you can snag one of these for $99 if you act within the next two days.
Acer outs 27-inch WQHD touch display for €799
Acer certainly takes the cake for most product announcements before IFA's even officially begun. In addition to outing a new smartphone, tablet, all-in-one (and a few Haswell updates), the company is introducing a 27-inch WQHD display. The T272HUL's edge-to-edge, 2,560 x 1,440-pixel panel offers 10-point multi-touch, and the monitor's stand allows you to tilt the display up to 60 degrees. (It's also wall-mountable, if you're fancy like that.) A 2MP webcam and an integrated mic are also on board for video calls. Connectivity options include dual-link DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI and three USB 3.0 ports. The T272HUL will retail for €799 in September -- just don't look for this guy to hit the US. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
ASUS' 31.5-inch PQ321 4K monitor gets reviewed: pricey, but luscious
Let's be honest: almost no one expected one of the world's first 4K monitors to be ho hum. After all, it has eleventy gazillion pixels. Er, a native 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, but close enough. The gurus over at HotHardware were able to take the 31.5-inch PQ321 for a spin, and predictably, they loved what they saw. Outside of being duly impressed with how the panel handled everything from Photoshop work to gaming, they were also taken aback by the monitor's svelte frame. In fact, they found it a little tough to look back on a 1080p screen after a couple of weeks with this thing -- it's like the SD-to-HD revolution all over again. That said, they did confess that the product feels a bit ahead of its time, and the monstrous $3,500 price tag is certainly indicative of that. Feel free to hit the source link for the full spiel, but the long and short of it is this: if you're in the one percent, buy it.
Sharp posts quarterly loss, but sees sales up 33 percent on mobile LCD demand
Despite posting a small 15.36 million yen ($182 million) loss, it would be hard to call Sharp's latest Q1 2013 financial quarter anything but a success after last year's $1.2 billion debacle. After gaining investment from companies like Samsung and, more recently, Qualcomm, Sharp saw revenue up 32.6 percent to 607 billion yen ($6.2 billion) on strong LCD demand. In fact, sales of small- and medium-sized panels for smartphones and tablets were up a hefty 54.8 percent over Q1 2012, with its electronics division up 46.6 percent overall. The company thinks it'll hit a net profit for the fiscal year thanks to "high-value" 4K LCD TVs, Aquos phones in Japan and more IGZO displays for upcoming handhelds. If devices like a rumored Retina iPad mini with a Sharp-built display bear fruit, we may just believe it.
LG Display shows off 2.2mm thick 'world's slimmest' 1080p LCD for smartphones
As smartphones continue to get thinner and thinner, LG Display is continually doing its part to shave off a few millimeters. Its latest introduction is this "world's slimmest full HD panel for smartphones", measuring at 5.2-inches diagonally, it's just 2.2mm thick and has a 2.3mm bezel. To get there, LG's display arm has pioneered new technology including "Advanced One-Glass-Solution" that puts dual flexible circuits between the panel and touch film, with 30 percent fewer lines on the panel. It also points out that every one of its pixels consists of RGB subpixels -- more shots fired at pentile screens -- and that it's capable of 535 nits of brightness, more than all current 1080p mobile LCDs. That should be an improvement over the Zerogap Touch technology it was so proud of in the original Optimus G and hey, look at that -- it's arriving just in time for the Optimus G2.%Gallery-193547%
LG launches TV set and all-in-one PC with 29-inch 21:9 ultra-widescreen
Remember LG's EA93, that eye-catching 29-inch 21:9 "ultrawidescreen" monitor we played with at IFA last year? Well, it's just spawned a couple offspring. Today in Korea, the company launched a TV set and an all-in-one PC which use the same 29-inch IPS panel with the same 21:9 aspect ratio, 2,560 x 1,080-pixel (WQHD) resolution and 178-degree viewing angles. LG's new all-in-one PC boasts a standalone TV tuner with instant-on (no booting required) and simultaneous PC and TV operation (PiP and several split screen modes). Details are few, but we know it features an Intel Core i5 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GT640M GPU (3D capable) and HDMI / MHL inputs (to use the display as a monitor). The PC comes pre-loaded with an instant messaging app (and matching mobile version) which lets users watch television while chatting. The TV set supports PiP and split screen, including a 16:9 plus 5:9 mode (HD broadcast plus connected smartphone), and offers a comprehensive set of inputs (DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI and MHL). Pricing is 1.49 to 2.29 million won ($1,315 to $2,021) for the PC (based on configuration) and 690,000 won ($609) for the TV.
Sharp branching into robo-vacs, grow lights, e-whiteboards to offset slow LCD sales (video)
Remember the Cocorobo robotic vaccum that could send you pics of your newly-cleaned carpet? Sharp is going to be doing a lot more of that kind of thing soon, if a recent demo at its research center in Nara, Japan is any indication. Since the company has been losing gobs of money on its tepid LCD-panel business, it'll soon be using some of that tech in completely different industries: for instance, converting powerful LED lighting from TV backlights to grow lamps, and touchscreen TV panels to interactive whiteboards. Sharp admitted to PC World that it needed to branch into other businesses since "rivals have been able to catch up from behind" to its LCD TV and mobile phone businesses -- and judging by the drastic actions the company's taken to stave off disaster lately, it'll need to hustle those products to market, stat. Check the video after the jump to see some of the prototypes in action. [Image credit: PC World]
Dell's S2240T touch monitor boasts 21.5-inch full HD panel, 60-degree tilt
Dell may already have a 23-inch multi-touch display, but if you're looking for something a little smaller and cheaper, then we have good news for you. The company informed us of its new model named "S2240T," a 21.5-inch touch monitor with the same 1,920 x 1,080 resolution as its larger sibling. It also stands on a sliding base that can tilt as much as 60 degrees, but unlike the other model this one can't lay flat. Other features include HDMI, DVI and VGA ports, as well as a relatively efficient power consumption of just 20W. Dell's already offering the S2240T on its website for $399.99 -- quite a drop from the S2340T's $699.99 price tag. Hit the source link for more information.
Samsung opens US-based patent beachhead focused on display tech
Smartphone patent disputes may get all the glory, but display battles can be no less pitched. To that end, Samsung launched a US IP company in March sans fanfare called Intellectual Keystone Technology (IKP) to "trade and develop" OLED and LCD patents, according to The Korea Times. A spokesman said the company opened the office as a way to smooth innovation, but also warned that it intends to use it "to protect our intellectual property by strengthening our patent-related business." So far, it's already shored up Samsung's portfolio by purchasing display tech from Seiko Epson -- after all, it never hurts to have as many cards up your sleeve as you can when things get ugly.
3M, Nanosys ready to bring quantum dot film to LCD makers
3M and Nanosys have just announced that they'll start shipping qualification samples of their Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF) to manufacturers to bring a 50 percent wider color gamut and lower power consumption to LCD displays. Consisting of trillions of quantum dots tuned to create precise color hues, such films can be swapped in to replace existing backlighting tech, meaning manufacturers will need no special equipment to adopt it. The companies say they'll have samples for manufacturer design cycles starting "late second quarter this year" -- but if you can't wait that long, you'll be able to actually buy similar tech from Sony, likely very soon.
LG to demo 5-inch unbreakable and flexible plastic OLED panel at SID
LG's got quite a bit in store for us this week at SID's annual display exhibition in Vancouver. In addition to that 55-inch curved OLED TV we first heard about last month, the company will be demonstrating a very nifty 5-inch OLED panel. Created for mobile devices, the display is constructed of plastic, making it both flexible and unbreakable -- certainly a welcome quality when it comes to smartphone design. Also on display will be 5- and 7-inch HD Oxide TFT panels. That first size features a bezel that's just 1mm wide, enabling a borderless frame when installed in smartphones. Both displays are lightweight and consume less power than their traditional equivalents. Finally, LG will have a 14-inch 2560x1440-pixel laptop panel on hand, along with LCDs designed for use in refrigerators and automotive dashboards. We'll be live from the SID show floor later this week -- check back for our hands-ons with all of these new LG panels, and quite a bit more.
Corning intros Lotus XT Glass for next-gen mobile displays, touts more efficient production (video)
Corning's Lotus Glass promised a world full of thinner, more advanced mobile displays when it was unveiled in 2011, but it hasn't always been easy to build with the volumes or features that customers want. Enter the company's new Lotus XT Glass as the solution: clients can produce it more reliably at high temperatures, leading to more usable panels for our LCDs and OLEDs. The improved yields should not only result in larger device volumes than the original Lotus Glass could muster, but push the technological limits -- Corning notes that hotter manufacturing allows for brighter, sharper and more efficient screens. The glass is commercially available today, although we'll still need to wait for gadget makers to choose, implement and ship it before we notice the XT difference.
Sharp rumored to start producing next-generation iPhone LCDs this June
Flush from that springtime financing boost from Samsung, Sharp's reportedly readying production of new screens for Apple's next smartphone. According to Nikkan Kogyo, one of Japan's business dailies, the display manufacturer will start making LCD panels for the next iPhone in its Kameyama plant this June, although there's no specifics about size and resolution differences compared to the iPhone 5. Company team-up Japan Display (which includes Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba) and LG Display have also allegedly received orders from Apple, with production already underway. With the combined might of all those screen-makers, Apple should be able to sidestep any possible screen component delays.
