JVC turns on the first 720p billboard
Is bigger always better? JVC’s new LED display in Times Square doesn’t have the size of Walgreens or Toshiba (and lets be real, no one is touching Dubai) but it is the first one in proper 720p (1280×720) resolution, no scaling or head tilting necessary here. After calling the crossroads of the world home since 1979, the new improved board lit up yesterday at 19 x 34-feet, capable of displaying 60fps with a mere 8mm pixel pitch ensuring things look good even close up. You can thank the same Clear Channel Spectacolor and D3 LED folks that were behind the Walgreens installation for this 12,500 lb screen, and we suppose you can also blame them for not letting us play some Call of Duty on it as well. Check the gallery or if you’re in the area just take a walk over for a new and better look.
Sanyo’s Superbright PLC-ET30L projector actually is really bright
Presumably ensuring that no one views Sanyo as hypocritical, the company’s Superbright PLC-ET30L actually can throw up a fairly recognizable image even in a well-lit room. Featuring an SXGA+ (1,400 x 1,050) resolution, a 1,300:1 contrast ratio and a remarkably high 4,200 ANSI lumen rating, this PJ was undoubtedly designed to function in classrooms and boardrooms (or living rooms) that just can’t avoid ambient light. Additionally, Sanyo’s introducing the lower-spec’d PLC-XT21/L, which offers up an XGA (1,024 x 768) resolution, 1:000:1 contrast ratio and 4,000 ANSI lumens. Both newcomers to the T series line support wired networking and emit just 35dB of fan noise, but being priced at $6,495 and $4,995 (respectively), the duo is most definitely cut out for the corporate card and not your own.
ony’s 3.5- and 11-inch OLEDs are just 0.008- and 0.012-inches thin
Damn, sexy huh? That’s Sony’s 0.2-mm (0.0079-inch) thin OLED display. Granted, this 3.5-inch prototype is only capable of 320 x 220 pixels, just shy of a cellphone standard QVGA resolution. However, that panel’s fracking impressive when compared to those relatively chubby 0.67-mm (and that’s a world’s slimmest), 320 x 240 pixel LCDs capable of just 2.2-inches of display. And just look at those blacks — you can barely see the bezel.
Zalman’s ZM-M2020W Trimon 3D monitor gets reviewed
Zalman may be far from being a household name, but a stranger to 3D displays it isn’t. The company’s latest 22-incher not only packs a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution panel and a bundled set of glasses, but it features the ability to render graphics in 3D. The eager critics over at Trusted Reviews had a nice sit with the device, and when all was said and done, the ZM-M2020W was seen more as a building block for revision two than a runaway winner as it was. On the upside, it did manage to render some pretty phenomenal scenes in 3D — and even managed to change the reviewer’s perception of the technology — but the overly glossy screen and steep price tag kept it from being recommended without hesitation.
Sony’s XEL-1 OLED TV splayed in high-resolution
Seen enough of Sony’s 3-millimeter thin OLED TV? Nah, we reckoned not — and even if you’ve grown somewhat accustomed to that sleek 11-inch exterior, opening this pretty boy up gives you a whole new perspective. The camera-toting cats over at bunnie:studios managed to happen upon a live XEL-1 tear down while perusing the floor at the Embedded Systems Conference, and sure enough, they succeeded in capturing the momentous event and were kind enough to host up a smattering of high-resolution images to prove it. Anxious to see what Sony could possibly fit inside of this thing? You’re just one click away from finding out.
Dell’s 22-inch Crystal LCD monitor gets reviewed, panned
It seems as if Dell reckoned that the Crystal’s boyish good looks would be enough to push it into the hands of style-obsessed nationals everywhere, as a scalding review over at Maximum PC asserts that little else beyond that is actually going for it. Said to have exhibited “absurd glare, low grayscale range and fussy touch-buttons” the 22-inch stunner frustrated critics beyond the point of forgiveness. More specifically, the glare was said to be so bad while watching dark scenes in a film that it “destroyed the picture.” To its credit, it did manage to present ultra-vivid colors and an accurate dynamic contrast, but those two bright spots were far from being enough to overcome the negatives. Needless to say, the unit did well to fetch the 5 out of 10 score that was bestowed upon it, and based upon what we’re hearing, we’d highly recommend checking one of these out in person before buying this thing on appearances alone.
NEC creates tiny, full HD-compatible LCD module
It looks like your cellphone display (and camcorder viewfinder) resolution is about to get significantly higher in the near-future, thanks to NEC and its crack team of super nerds. The company today announced that it had developed a 2.7-inch LCD module which delivers a resolution of 960 x 540, thanks to a super high pixel density of 413 pixels-per-inch. The quarter high-definition (QHD) panel is compatible with full HD resolution, and sees a boost in both the color gamut and luminance. Sure, it all sounds a bit dry on paper, but when you’re noticing just how bad local reporters look in HD on your phone, you’re going to thank NEC.Displays
Samsung releases four Touch of Color series monitors
Samsung’s setting loose four new monitors in their “artisan design”-themed Touch of Color series displays (which were hinted at during CES). All feature 20,000:1 contrast ratios and various supernatural features like MagicColor, MagicBright, and MagicTune; specifically, the line starts with the two lower-tier 2ms models: the $259 T190 19-incher and the $359 T220 22-incher. Then you’ve got the two higher-tier models (both with HDMI and 5ms refresh)
Pioneer, Panasonic reach basic agreement on Kuro production
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.
LG Display aiming to mass produce 32-inch
Oh yeah, we’re mildly excited that LG Display should be able to start cranking out product from its 8G LCD plant earlier than expected, but the real kicker here is the outfit’s outlook on OLED. Merely two days after hearing that Samsung was hoping to dish out affordable medium-to-large OLED displays in 2009 / 2010, we’re now getting word that LG Display is looking to offer up a 32-incher the year after. And we’re talking “volume production,” no less. Makes holding off on that XEL-1 that much easier, doesn’t it? Nah, we didn’t really think so.