HP MediaSmart TV
Size: 42″, 47″
Pixel Format: 1920 x 1080, Full HD, 1080p
Response Time: 6ms
Viewing Angle: 176/176
Input: HDMI (3), A/V, Ethernet
Sound: Integrated (2), HP Virtual Surround
Image Support: BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF
Video Support: AVI, DivX, DVR-MS, MPEG, WMV, XVID
Audio Support: AAC (Unprotected), MP3, WMA, WMA Pro
Special Features: 802.11a/b/g/n
This is a handsome unit, especially considering that it comes from an IT company, HP. HP has come a long way since its pocket calculators, printers, etc. Now HP wants a space in your living room. Unfortunately, there is a bit too much IT inside this TV. The first models, according to industry sources were very difficult to install and operate. I heard that they were a bit baffled when they were instructed to reboot the TV. Yes, we have come to rebooting TVs, well, those with HP MediaSmart TVs that is. I hope I never have to reboot my TV.
They come in two sizes 42″ and 47″ and both are 1080p, but no 120Hz, and no LED backlights. HP touts that its TVs “connect you to the digital media content on all the PCs on your home network and the Internet”. If this is true, and I am sure it is, I can only imaging the hassle of connecting and setting up every single PC you have at home, even if you have just two. There is also a HP MediaSmart TV’s online service that lets you access movies and videos. I haven’t seen or tested this new box, but I have a feeling that it won’t be as easy to use as it looks. I like the DivX and XVID support though!
Source: HP via Engadget
[tags]Full HD, 1920 x 1080, LCD TV, 42″, MediaSmart, 1080p, HP, Ethernet, 802.11n, 47″[/tags]
AVING posted up some very nice pictures of the new Korean Air Airbus A380 jumbo plane. There seems to be at least 7 central portrait LCDs with another for one of the pilots and then a few more smaller ones. I know these LCDs are very expensive due to their ultra-tough specifications: they are firstly physically ruggedized (durable front), must be able to see them when there is direct sunlight and in darkness (transflective, the best there is), must be operational in very cold and very hot temperatures (most likely LED lighting solutions instead of CCFL), minuscule EMI interference with other electronic components, etc. The cockpit looks very high tech and interesting.
More pictures at AVING.
Technorati Tags: Korean Air, Airbus A380
Dell SP2008WFP
Size: 20″ Wide
Pixel Format: 1680 x 1050
Response Time: 2ms
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 2000:1
Inputs: DVI-HDCP, VGA, USB 2.0 (4)
Special Features: 2MP webcam, microphone
Availability: September 12, 2007
Price: $289
Image Source: Engadget
Is it true? Dell has beat Apple to the embedded-webcam-in-monitor race? I thought Dell was the quick follower when it came to technology innovation? Maybe it is no longer true. Or maybe it is Apple being slow this time, though they have had embedded webcams on its iMac line for some time now. It’s good to see Dell innovate and it seems the LCD panel is of a high-performance variety with 3ms response time and a very high contrast ratio of 2000:1. But the one thing that you should watch out for is that Samsung’s PVA LCDs have a very high contrast ratio when you’re looking dead on; the contrast ratio drops quickly as you move away from zero degree. LG.Philip LCD‘s IPS, on the other hand, has a rather low contrast ratio at zero degree but falls slowly as you move from side to side. Which is better? I prefer IPS, but that’ just my personal opinion. Dell’s SP2008WFP seems to be a solid LCD monitor.
Source: Engadget
Update September 28, 2007
As of today, Dell officially announced the SP2008WFP. The integrated video camera is something new and even lets you take pictures at 1600 x 1200. I am not sure, but the video is probably capped at 640 x 480. Unfortunately for all 20″ and 22″ LCD monitors, the pixel format of 1680 x 1050 is just useless for HD: 720p is scaled up and 1080p is scaled down. Scaling technology is pretty good in most high-end TVs, but for a monitor, I’m not sure. To get the best experience with this monitor, I would stay away from watching movies in hidef.
Image Source: Dell
[tags]Dell, 20″, Wide LCD Monitor, LCD Monitor, 1680 x 1050, DVI, HDCP, Webcam[/tags]
Everyone is getting into the digital photo frame market. But no company has provided me a compelling reason to spend my hard earned money one on. Toshiba’s entry comes close.
Toshiba’s DPF7XE, first of all, is very stylish, kind of B&O-like with a twist of Apple juice. The 7” wide LCD has a pixel format of 800 x 480 that should provide ample pixels to show nice details in the pictures and movies from your point-and-shoot digital cameras. There are two speakers for playing back music from DivX, MP3, MPEG4 and WMA files.
CF, MemoryStick, MMC and SD cards are all supported via a memory card reader. The DPF7XE allows external storage units to be connected via a USB 2.0 port. Just as iTunes optimizes pictures for display on the iPod or iPhone, the DPF7XE optimizes (resizes) pictures for display on its 7” LCD and uses its built-in 256MB of RAM. There is one critical omission: no WiFi. The remote control is a bit complex and cluttered compared to Apple’s simple remote. And that is why my hard earned money stays in my wallet.
Source: Trusted Reviews
[tags]Toshiba, Digital Photo Frame, 7″, 800 x 480[/tags]
Panasonic has 5 TV production bases globally with one located in Shandong, China as part of Panasonic China. Panasonic has made the decision to stop production of CRT TVs and only focus on LCD TV production. There was no mention about whether Panasonic will continue to manufacture rear-projection TVs at the plant.
There is much that I do not know and it surprises me less and less as I find out that behind most of the best brands is a Chinese manufacturing plant. Not all is bad. Most of Apple’s goods are made in China. Even the iPhone is. As far as I can tell, the iPhone’s quality is up there: not perfect, but up there. So there are exceptions where Made in China means quality. But for most products, Made in China simply means cheap and low quality. I do hope that Panasonic-branded CRT TVs were of the iPhone kind. On a another note, too bad that such a good technology (CRT) is becoming extinct. As far as many are concerned, CRT technology is still the best for TV viewing. However, CRTs are disappearing for good reason: a very large and negative environmental impact and it probably messed up many backs of those who had to deliver the behemoth TVs weighing 200lbs or more.
Source: DigiTimes via Witsview
[tags]CRT TV, Panasonic, China[/tags]