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Hitachi demonstrates 15mm 37-inch LCD TV at CEATEC
Hitachi drug its oh-so-sexy 1.5-inch plasma to Japan after showing it off in Denver earlier this month, but what we didn't see at CEDIA was this: a 15-millimeter thin 37-inch LCD TV. The "reference" set packed a 1,920 x 1,080 panel and a fittingly designed stand, though it won't see mass production until "2009 or later." Ugh, even 1-inch just seems so bloated now.
Hands-on with Hitachi's 1.5-inch thick plasma prototype
Hitachi's 1.5-inch thick 50-inch plasma wasn't exactly front and center like we had imagined, but it was there garnering stares nonetheless. Donning a glossy white finish and displaying nothing but floral arrangements, the set looked pretty good (though not great) in terms of visual quality. The design, however, was simply stunning. And just as promised, we did include the obligatory iPhone comparison, though you'll have to account for the Belkin skin when drawing your conclusions. Give it a peek in the gallery below. %Gallery-31193%
Hitachi delivering UltraThin 1.5-inch thick 50-inch plasma
Hitachi's "UltraThin" line of TVs might not be the skinniest on the block anymore, but a new top of the line 50-inch plasma (CES prototype pictured above) keeps the size crown in their camp. Expect the Thin is In tagline to be a centerpiece for Hitachi's booth at CEDIA, we'll try to get some specs and in person pics (including the ubiquitous iPhone comparo) when we stop by later.
Mitsubishi goes ultrathin with 40-mm LCD TV prototype
When you're an industrial giant like Mitsubishi, it pays to cover your bets. In addition to the recently-announced MZW-, MXW- and MX-series LCD TVs, it is also showing off an unnamed 40-mm thick LCD TV prototype. As we've seen in the war of supermodel svelte TVs, getting down to these levels requires that the tuner is moved to an external box (those chunky boxes in the pic). The elegance of the panel just can't be spoiled by ugly cables, so just like we've seen with the Hitachi Wooo LCD TVs, the signal will get the wireless treatment. A production model of this TV is slated for a fall release, in a size over 40-inches. That's right around the corner, so we've got a feeling more details will be flowing soon. Meanwhile, hit that link for more pics.[Image courtesy TechOn]
Sony VAIO Z-series vs. MacBook Air: fight!
Like we mentioned in our hands-on impressions, the new Z-series laptops from Sony are in many ways impressive, but in ultimate thinness they leave a bit to be desired. This is perhaps best demonstrated best by Journal du Geek's comparison shots here with the MacBook Air. Sure, the Z wins all over the place on specs, with Centrino 2, discreet graphics, a full-size laptop hard drive bay, and what was that? Oh yeah, a Blu-ray drive. The Z also manages a smaller footprint, thanks in part to a smaller 13.1-inch screen in that shorter 16:9 aspect ratio, but also due to its slim bezels surrounding the screen and keyboard -- something the Air could do well to take note of -- but the actual 1-inch thickness seems dramatically fat compared to its ultrathin competition. Overall, it's all about what kind of laptop you're really gunning for, but if thin is the ultimate goal, you're going to be much better off with the X300, X200 or Envy 133 on the PC side.
Hitachi's 1.5 UltraThin LCD HDTVs now available in US
You heard it right -- Hitachi's UltraThin 1.5 family that caused such a stir at CES is finally available for US consumers. Available in 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inch sizes, the lot has been broken down into two distinct clans: the Director's Series (X) and Ultra Vision (V) models. Each member of the former comes with a 2-year warranty and a sticker ranging from $1,999 to $4,699, while the latter gets a 1-year warranty and price tags between $1,799 and $4,499. Curiously enough, it seems that several sets (the UT47X902, UT47V702, UT32A302/W, UT32V502/W, UT42V702 and UT37V702) may actually not yet be ready for shipping judging by their July to September availability dates, but we'll leave it to you to sort out the contradictions in Hitachi's press release with your dealer. Hit the read link for more details. %Gallery-21942%
Hitachi takes skinny HDTVs on the road, your LCD wants to purge
Flat panel manufacturer's disgusting obsession with being thin is coming to a high-end location near you, thanks to Hitachi's "Thin is in Motion" campaign. Focused on its 1.5-inch thick ultra-thin family of LCDs, the company is sending four trucks around the country equipped with 32- and 37-inch display models on rotating pedestals (because who doesn't watch their HDTV from the back or side angle?) to show off how thin they are. We wouldn't advise showing these to impressionable "fat" panels, for fear of psychological damage.
Hitachi's Ultra Thin LCD family gets official(er)
Just yesterday we learned that Hitachi's Ultra Thin LCD lineup would be gifted with ultra-wideband technology courtesy of Tzero, and now it seems that the family is edging ever closer to hitting storefronts outside of Japan. Reportedly, the series will include the 32-inch UT32MH70, the 37-inch UT37MX70 and the 42-inch UT42MX70, all of which will feature IPS LCD technology. Additionally, a digital tuner for the UT series should be available in October, and while pricing still remains a mystery, the smallest of the three is set to hit Europe in April while the larger two arrive in May and June, respectively.
Hitachi's Ultra Thin LCD lineup to boast Tzero's UWB technology
We knew Hitachi's Ultra Thin HDTV family would boast ultra-wideband technology, and while little was said about this aspect during CES, we've now learned that Tzero will be responsible for handling the aforementioned UWB duties. As expected, the UT HDTVs will "be able to receive high-definition video wirelessly from any HDMI equipped audio / video component," as Tzero promises that users will see transmission speeds of up to 480Mbps. Interestingly, we're told that the UWB-equipped sets are available in Japan right now, but only time will tell if those luscious wireless abilities will make the trip stateside in Q2.
Video: More time with Hitachi's 1.5-inch thick LCD HDTVs
Just in case a few moments up close with Hitachi's oh-so-sexy 1.5-inch thick LCD TVs weren't enough, Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont was able to stop by the firm's booth (you know, when it was actually open for browsing) and snag a few more precious seconds of video. Itching for more? Click on through and mash play.
Video: Panasonic's ultrathin plasma displays
Over at Panasonic's CES booth, they teased us with a number of sexy plasmas that are unfortunately slated to land around 2010. Nevertheless, seeing a PDP with a thickness of under one-inch is pretty impressive -- wouldn't you say? If you managed to answer yes, go on and indulge in the video after the jump.
Hitachi to show off 1.5-inch thick plasma, .75-inch thick LCD prototypes at CES
Slimming down LCDs just wasn't enough, Hitachi will demo a 1.5-inch thick plasma HDTV at CES. Cutting more than a third of the thickness from previous displays, it ensures your screen will look as incredible from the side as it does the front. Also on display, but without concrete plans for release, are the "super" Ultra Thin LCD that's just .75-inches thick, a search technology for visual images, TV video sharing over the internet without a PC, a wireless video gateway and a prototype IPTV interface. Looking from the near future to the slightly further-off future, we'll get a look at it in Vegas. Check out a side profile of the skinny plasma after the break.
Hitachi Ultra Thin 1.5 LCD lineup headed for CES
Hitachi's not really reaching here in the naming department, but we sort of like the effect: the company's new Ultra Thin 1.5 LCDs are 1.5-inches thick (hence the name), and headed for Vegas. Coming in 32-inch, 37-inch and 42-inch sizes, the 1.5 line has been hanging out in Japan for a few months under the Wooo name (pictured), but CES will mark the design-centric LCDs' entrance into the States. The two larger sizes feature 1080p resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates, and all displays will be available in Q2 2008. It seems like the main tradeoff for the slimness and weight loss of this lineup is the lack of inputs -- the Director's and V Series only feature one HDMI plug and one D-Sub plug, while the S series includes a breakout box with three HDMI plugs and dual component inputs. Specs and model number breakdown is after the break.
Hitachi's Ultra Thin Series LCD HDTVs coming to the U.S. in 2008, sans wireless?
We won't be waiting long for Hitachi's new thin LCDs, the company announced they will make their U.S. debut in 2008. No details on price, but we can still take a look at the feature list for the 42- and 37-inch Ultra Thin 1080p HDTVs, coming in Q2, along with the 32-inch 720p version due in the first quarter of next year. With Hitachi's latest 120Hz anti-judder technology and image processing stuffed into 1.5-inch thick frames, these screens may not be quite as thin as some of the competition but will hit store shelves far sooner. The bad news is there was no mention of the optional UWB expansion for wirelessly hooking up additional components. We hope Hitachi doesn't expect U.S. customers to go through the hassle of actually plugging things into our HDTVs, or if we at least get an additional HDMI port for the trouble.
Credit card sized MP3 player ups your street cred
Looking for a small, light, credit-card-esque flash drive... which doubles as an MP3 player... which is covered in a "liquid" print? Well you're in luck, kiddies, because some anonymous Chinese electronics maker has got you covered on all fronts. Enter the "USB Flash Card MP3 Player," an ultra-thin, 2GB device that plays MP3s and WMAs, functions as a USB flash drive, and will give you absolutely no information about the song you're listening to. Hey, if you wanted information, you would get a screen -- this thing fits in your wallet. Available right now for the bargain basement price of $42.
Hands-off with the impossibly thin Sharp LCD prototypes
The ultrathin Sharp LCD prototype we saw yesterday at the company's press conference has made an appearance on the showroom floor (though out of our reach for fiddling with, provided it had any buttons), and boy is this thing... uh, thin. As you can see by the photos, the display practically disappears when you get around the side of it, and for those of you wondering about cabling, there's nothing to see when you peek at the back, though we suspect that those tubes / bars holding the things up may have something to do with getting an image on these behemoths. Check the gallery for a full view of your television-watching future.%Gallery-6672%
Pentax Optio T20 is tiny, and tangibly sweet
Pentax is throwing down some lightweight love today, too, with its Optio T20 ultracompact joining the beefier K10D DSLR we just brought you. Sporting most of the niceties found on the Optio T10 -- including that ultrathin 0.77-inch enclosure and expansive 3-inch touchscreen LCD -- the Optio T20 also packs a 7 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, 640 x 480 movie mode at 30fps, and a nifty stylus used to decorate your images in-camera via the "Drawing Function." You'll also find a rechargeable Li-Ion battery, 12MB of internal storage, and an SD card slot here (sorry, no SDHC just yet) -- all for a reasonable $350. Sadly, though, you'll have to wait until next month to get your hands on one of these shiny little point-and-shoots -- but hey, that's the price you pay for demanding only the freshest gadget news.
