The FlatHDTV Blog

Digital TV and HDTV have been changing the way we entertain ourselves for a while now: super-lifelike images, integration with computers, and near-effortless access to content are just a few of the things that make it feel like future technology is coming to fruition now.

But, there’s one aspect of HDTV technology that makes us feel like it’s still the 20th Century: all those damn wires to trip on. Your cell phone doesn’t need wires. Why should your TV?

Luckily, there’s a movement in the electronics industry dedicated to establishing a new standard for wireless transmission of high definition audio and video content. It’s called the Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) Special Interest Group, and has been established between Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Motorola, Ammion, and Hitachi. They are hoping to implement the new standard in a video-modem that can transmit 1080p HD content, wirelessly on the 5GHz band, throughout several rooms in a house.

For more information, check out WHDI’s news page or their FAQ page.

Samsung’s new 120 Hz, 1080p, super-fast and super-sharp A650 is winning huge praise from consumers for its performance and quality. None of its specs are much different from the other top-of-the-line LCDs, like those from Sony and Sharp, though. So why is the Samsung so hot?

A high performance HDTV is a fickle beast, and those exciting new features sometimes come at the expense of something else, like reliability or display problems. The LN46A650 seems to be one of the first HDTVs to blend all the latest features into a good, solid, reliable package.
Check it out here: Samsung LN46A650

And more from Samsung, by way of FlatHDTV.net: Samsung’s HDTV Lineup

The answer is no, of course, since Plasma didn’t really go anywhere.

Sales of LCD sets have been increasing fast over the last few years, mainly because LCD technology has enabled builders to make sets in the 40 and 50 inch size range that can compete well with Plasmas, in terms of picture quality and cost. In the past, LCD dominated the smaller sizes and Plasma dominated the larger, so this trend seemed like a death knell for Plasma.

However, North American sales of HDTVs have surged since last quarter, with Plasma sales growing about 17% faster than LCD. One possible cause for this is the emergence of smaller sizes, like the Vizio 32 inch Plasma and the Panasonic 37 inch UK Series Plasma.

source: PC Magazine