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ControlCAL grants 8th-gen Kuro owners access to ISFccc calibration controls
Hey, 8th-generation Kuro owners -- got a hankering to really get behind the scenes and tweak 'til your heart's content? If you, like many, spent a good chunk of your kid's college fund on a brand new plasma and don't have the coinage to pay for professional applications to unlock access to the full array of ISFccc controls, ControlCAL's got your back. The v1.4 RC1 has just been loosed (in Beta), which grants owners of Pioneer's famed PDP with access to more calibration controls than they can shake a stick at. Excited? Confused? Either way, we'd advise you to check out the links below if you're ready to dive in.Read - ControlCAL adds 8G C3 support for Kuro ElitesRead - ControlCAL Kuro discussions at AVSForum
Panasonic turning cellphone, gas pump into your next Plasma
We kid you not. Panasonic is working on a new low-voltage (1.5v) plasma technology which it says will rival OLED displays in brightness, thinness, and contrast. Better yet, Panasonic claims that its plasmas can be manufactured for "much less money" than OLEDs. Panny already has plans to include their new plasma displays in cellphones for use with AT&T's Mobile TV service, gas pumps, ATMs, and on HP printers under a new exclusive two-year deal. Color us impressed if the new displays look anything like the 3.5-inch, 854 x 480 pixel Viera phone instead of that anemic looking phone pictured above which accompanied the press release.
2008 a make or break year for plasma manufacturers?
The plasma market has seen some upheaval recently, but according to Digitimes' famous "industry sources", a poor 2008 could mark the end of an era. Matsushita (Panasonic), Samsung SDI and LG are looking to ship seven million, six million and four million units, respectively, or else between increased pricing pressure and expansion from LCDs, sources claim that not only will expansion cease, PDP manufacturing will start to be phased out. We've already seen prominent plasma manufacturers hedging their bets with LCD investments, but with more promising display technologies still "coming soon" we hope plasma hangs around a while longer.
Matsushita talks about future plasma developments
Given that Matsushita (Panasonic's parent company) is slated to start pumping out plasma panels for Pioneer, it's no surprise to hear that the company is getting serious about some seriously impressive developments. During a recent seminar full of TV geeks and gurus, the company talked of the "Fifth Wave" arriving, presumably alluding to its fifth PDP plant in Amagasaki, which is set to open up in May 2009. Generally speaking, we're told that future sets will likely be more interactive, include more "professional digital technologies" that have typically been reserved for professional models, and of course, TVs that are thinner and lighter. All in all, nothing too surprising here, but considering the expectations that come along with the Kuro name, we wouldn't be shocked to see some noticeable upgrades / innovations emerge over the next year and change.
Former LG employee leaks $1b in top secret plasma info to Chinese manufacturer
We've seen some pretty shady dealings from disgruntled ex-employees in the past, but this one may have skyrocketed into the upper echelon of tales of corporate deceit. As the story goes, a 49-year old man known only as Jeong felt the need to copy over some 1,182 top secret plasma display technology-related files onto his personal drive before waltzing out of LG's doors for the final time in July of 2005. A few months later, Chinese manufacturer Changhong-Orion PDP-Chaihong welcomed him with open arms and paid him a fat salary of roughly $300,000 a year (not to mention a few perks: free apartment, vehicle etc.), while casually accepting both the aforementioned files and continued insider leaks at LG -- information supposedly valued at over a billion dollars. But despite Jeong's arrest upon his last return home to Korea, Changhong is still apparently on schedule to produce plasma panels based on LG's technology come this December. Can you say: hot water over international trade-secret law? [Via The Raw Feed, image courtesy of RPG Classics]
Pioneer says goodbye to plasma manufacturing
We wondered why its so hard to find one of Pioneer's award winning Kuro plasmas on shelves these days, and here is the answer. The Nikkei is reporting that Pioneer plans to stop producing plasma panels altogether, and only put together HDTVs with panels purchased from other sources. Panasonic and Hitachi remain as the only Japanese plasma manufacturers, Pioneer already has a deal with the former to purchase plasmas for its 42-inch model, and will expand that agreement according to The Nikkei. Honestly, this wouldn't be a big deal for most companies, as we've seen with the Sony/Sharp/Samsung triangle in LCD manufacturing, but since Pioneer is the only manufacturer promising the blackest black levels this side of carbon nanotubes, we're freaking out a bit. Here's hoping Pioneer slides over the blueprints to the infinite contrast concept (and that sexy 9mm model) and keeps the party going.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in; via CNBC; warning: reg required on read link]
LG's sexy LG6000 / PG6000 HDTVs strut their stuff in London
Don't look now, but those delicious looking LCD TVs we saw grace the depths of the FCC's database last week have apparently surfaced across the pond, and they've brought a line of PDPs with 'em. 'Course, we already got a whiff of these at CES, but it's always reassuring to have a model number to cling to, no? The LG6000 LCD HDTV series consists of 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inch iterations that boast a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, "invisible" Mark Levinson speakers, automatic brightness and color optimization, four HDMI 1.3 inputs, a USB 2.0 port and TruMotion 100Hz technology on the largest two sets. As for the 42- and 50-inch PG6000 plasmas, you'll notice a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, THX Display certification and most everything else previously mentioned on the LCD siblings. Regrettably, there's no word on a price or release date, but we can't envision such good looks coming sans a premium.
Plasma manufacturers relish uptick in demand from China
We already heard that flat-panel demand in China was seeing a fairly substantial spike, and apparently, a number of plasma manufacturers are champing at the bit to turn around the currently poor performing segment of their portfolios by giving the Chinese something they suddenly crave. Reportedly, both Samsung and LG have "increased PDP production" in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Euro 2008. Additionally, Hitachi is busting out some confetti of its own, as it will purportedly sell some "30-percent of plasma panels it plans to produce in the year to March 2009 [to] Chinese television manufacturers." Also of note, it's being reported that the outfit "may consider withdrawing from Australia and focusing on developing and making products for key markets such as Japan, North America and Asia," but we've seen nothing official either way.[Via Widescreen Review]Read - Japan's Hitachi to supply plasma panels to Chinese TV makersRead - Plasma TV Industry to jump this year
Panasonic aiming to make plasmas as energy efficient as LCDs
We've heard LCD manufacturers point out the low energy consumption in comparison to plasmas, but apparently, Panasonic's heard quite enough. Reportedly, a plan was hatched recently at the company's PDP plant in Amagasaki City to release a new plasma display that incorporates a technology to "reduce power consumption by half." Interestingly, said device is slated to launch sometime this Spring, but no further details were given. Moving forward, the company is hoping to bring the power-sipping characteristics to its entire PDP line by fiscal year 2009, but sadly, no model numbers or anything else remotely intriguing were handed out.[Via Widescreen Review]
Wii coming to Rock Band, Rock Band Premium Microphone not coming to Wii
We're chalking this up to mixed PR signals, but a spokesperson for PDP -- makers of that Rock Band Premium Microphone we caught the other day sporting a Wii logo -- just let us know it was an accident, and that the mic isn't compatible with the Wii after all. Of course, the only reason we cared is that the logo signaled the arrival of Rock Band on the Wii -- which we now know is happening anyway -- so the only people disappointed here should be those of you who wanted to experience Wii Rock Band with "premium" third-party accessories. So... too bad for three of you. We regret your loss. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to get back to mastering the drums on "Tom Sawyer."
Video: Panasonic's 150-inch plasma defies reality
Panasonic's 150-inch plasma display was fairly baffling while still veiled, but if you had to catch a few drops of drool when checking that out, we'd suggest grabbing a handful of napkins now. Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont was able to get up close and personal with Panny's new beast, and it pretty much goes without saying that you can't afford to miss the video waiting after the break.
SOYO bringing 32-inch plasma, 24-inch 1080p LCD TV to CES
Apparently, Norcent isn't the only scarcely-mentioned company busting out some new kit at CES, as SOYO is also gearing up to show off a pair of impressive HDTVs in Vegas next week. It seems as though the firm is ditching the whole "bigger is better" mantra, and is instead focusing on squeezing more pixels into tighter spaces. The unnamed 32-inch plasma will feature a presumably sub-1080p resolution, a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, 500 nits of brightness, twin HDMI inputs, a single component / two composite inputs, S/PDIF audio out and a remarkable $499 price tag. As for the LCD, this 24-incher will boast a full 1080p resolution, a pair of HDMI / component jacks, picture-in-picture functionality, 500 cd/m2 brightness, a three-millisecond response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio and an MSRP of $699. Sadly, we've no clue when either of these sets will be available for purchase, but hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.
Fujitsu quits the display business
The rough-and-tumble economics of the display business claimed another victim today, as Fujitsu announced that it will exit the market in March. We hadn't seen a lot from the company's Aviamo line of plasmas since they first debuted in 2006, and it looks like there's a reason -- according to the short press release issued by Fujitsu today, "the pricing and profitability of this segment has compressed beyond the point which our company could realize a satisfactory return on investment." Hmmm, that explains why it spun off Shinoda Plasma a while back, no? Fujitsu says it will continue to sell displays in Japan and provide service and support to customers for the foreseeable future, but that what it really wants to do is paint "concentrate...on our core business of heating and ventilation equipment." You keep living that dream, guys.[Thanks, Bruce S.]
Do we want consolidation of HDTV technologies?
According to the linked article, the time is right for a consolidation of HD display technologies. Certainly, LCDs look like they're destined to take over direct view displays and move PDPs and RPTVs to the margins. But just because the writing is on the wall doesn't mean it's time to abandon PDP or RPTV technology just yet. We think the market will divide something like: RPTVs for ultimate size-per-dollar; PDPs for high-end quality freaks; and LCDs for everybody else. Multiple technologies in play makes a healthier (if more confusing) market. We remember when our first big-cabinet CRT RPTVs were high-end -- those big cabinets were a market opportunity that in part spurred improvements in plasma displays. And would development of dynamic LED backlighting been so aggressive without PDPs showing superior motion resolution? In the end, judge with your eyes, vote with your dollars and let the market decide when a display technology should be abandoned. Artificially limiting choices is lame; we here in the US-of-A power innovation and progress through competition![Image courtesy of The Curious Shopper]
ByD:Sign intros 42-inch PH-4203DFK plasma
Generally speaking, ByD:Sign tends to think its displays are among the cheapest known to man. In reality, however, that's just not even close to true -- in the price department, anyway. Regardless, this rather hideous 42-inch plasma checks in with a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 1,500 cd/m2 brightness, a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, side-mounted speakers and a built-in digital TV tuner. Additionally, you'll find HDMI, component, composite, S-Video, VGA and optical / stereo audio ports, but even still, we have a hard time believing this thing is truly worth the ¥144,800 ($1,299) asking price.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Samsung and Matsushita close to settling PDP patent dispute
It takes some serious swallowing of pride -- or a rather large check -- for a company to put aside its legal beef with another and agree to move forward, but that's about to happen in the nearly two year-old dispute between Samsung and Matsushita. Reportedly, the two have "entered into a memorandum of understanding in which they have agreed in principle on terms and conditions of a formal settlement and cross-license agreement," which would finally conclude the bickering surrounding patents for plasma screens. Essentially, the two have accused each other of infringing on PDP-related patents for years, but it seems that all this holiday cheer has gotten the best of 'em. Notably, no terms of the (potential) agreement were loosed, but we're expecting some serious coin to change hands, regardless.
Vizio slips to second in North American LCD TV sales
Oh, how the times they are a-changin'. Merely months after Vizio ousted Samsung as the LCD TV king in Q2, Sammy is back on top of overall flat-panel TV sales here in North America. Thanks primarily to a staggering 37-percent quarter-to-quarter growth rate (compared to Vizio's 12-percent), Samsung now has an 11.8-percent unit share compared to Vizio's 10.2-percent. Strictly looking at LCD TVs, Vizio still isn't holding the gold; rather, Sharp rocketed ahead to the top spot in that category and left the previous leader clinging to second. It should be noted that Vizio's sales are far from stagnant -- the firm has experienced a 334-percent increase year-to-year in LCD TV growth compared to Sharp's 88-percent. Still, we wouldn't count on the current leaderboard staying this way for long, as Black Friday (and the holiday season in general) has a tendency to shake things up.
Plasmas post record Q3 sales volume
Despite the fact that LCDs are really taking off in the HDTV marketplace, PDPs set a new unit sales record for Q3, according to DisplaySearch. Despite Q1-Q2 numbers being below the previous year's numbers, plasmas showed a rebound in Q3. Credit goes to lower prices and availability of the fact-tag-friendly 1080p panels. The pinch from LCDs is being felt though: the 50-inch and above regime accounts for almost a third of sales and half of the revenue in the PDP market. And despite the rise in unit sales, on-year revenues for PDPs were down 31%, so you know competition is fierce out there. These PDP numbers are a case of rising HDTV sales across the competing technologies, which is good for us consumers!
LG shows off G Platform plasmas with 30000:1 contrast ratio
If a 20.8-inch QXGA LCD was just enough to get your HD juices a-flowin', LG's latest bunch should really get you wound up. On display at FPD International 2007 in Japan, these "G Platform" plasmas claim to trump any other PDPs in the contrast department, as every one of them features a 30,000:1 ratio. Additionally, the company noted that color reproduction has been improved by "optimizing the panels' color phosphors and utilizing dielectrics," and there's also the 100Hz refresh rate to eliminate blur / flicker. Reportedly, the displays will be available in Q4 of this year in 32-, 42-, 50- (HD) and 50- / 60-inch (Full HD) models, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to pricing.[Via FarEastGizmos]
Shinoda Plasma shows off slim, lightweight 43-inch display
Shinoda Plasma, a venture company spun from Fujitsu, was busy demonstrating a unique 43-inch panel at CEATEC that sports a pixel pitch of three-millimeters and is currently in prototype form. Reportedly, the device is made of "plasma tubes aligned and sandwiched between film-form electrodes," and it is based on the "same light-emitting theory as existing PDP technology." A boon to this, however, is its ability to be made much slimmer and lighter than current alternatives, as the flexible panel on stage was said to be one-millimeter thick and weigh just 1.76-pounds. Check out more pictorial delight after the jump.
