The FlatHDTV Blog

The recent economic downturn and rising gas prices in the US have had some pretty significant effects on the way we spend our money lately. The HDTV industry is being affected too, but in a more subtle way than you might have thought.

Are we passing on the latest technology, and saving that money for the uncertain future? Of course not! Well, many of us are not. It seems that people are still buying HDTV sets as fast as they were last year, but are stepping down in size to save a few hundred bucks. The Samsung HDTV line includes several models at or below the $1000 price point. Most of these are 32 inches or smaller, but some have a 40 inch screen. And the Vizio HDTV lineup has several LCD sets, in the same size range, selling for $500 to $800.

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

Sony makes what is arguably the highest-quality LCD HDTV on the market, the Bravia XBR series. Over the past few years, the latest model has been the XBR, XBR2, XBR3, XBR4, and XBR5. Now, to the surprise of no one, they have named their new model XBR6.

The word on the street is that this one has a little bit better picture than the XBR4 and 5, and a lower introductory price, but it is lacking a few of the advanced features. The first ones to be available online are the 32 inch, at about $1100, and the 37 inch at about $1500.

Check them out here:

Sony 32 inch XBR6

Sony 37 inch XBR6

In North America, the LCD HDTV market has been dominated by Vizio for the past two quarters of 2007. Their TVs are on the low end of the spectrum price-wise, but apparently the quality is good enough to keep them flying off the shelves.

Second place belongs to Samsung, and Sharp is in third.

Source: TGDaily

Global revenue from LCD HDTV sets is nearly 50% higher this year than it was last year, according to MarketWatch. Plasma TV revenue is a little lower than last year.

The reason? Probably increasing LCD screen sizes and decreasing prices relative to Plasma.

Source: MarketWatch

Sharp has unveiled a new LCD screen that is their thinnest yet, at just over an inch thick. The sets will not only be ultra-thin, but also more energy efficient than current LCDs.

The sets will be made at Sharp’s plant in Osaka, Japan, where they also make solar panels, because they share some of the same technology. The technology that lights the display is still secret.

Sharp plans to make models in 40, 52, 65 and 131 inch and other sizes.

They hope to have the model in mass production by 2010. For more information: USA Today

The new Samsung 81 series HDTVs, with 120Hz frame rates and extreme contrast ratios, have now been out long enough to generate some feedback from the consumers. Some common themes in the reviews are:

• Very, very deep black levels in dark scenes. The set even turns off the LED backlight in the darkest areas, which not only enhances contrast but also saves energy. This is called local dimming.
• The 81 series sets have a significantly better picture than the 65 or 71 series sets.
• Fast motion looks really good. The high frame rate really seems to make a difference.
• They are pretty expensive, but they appear to be worth it.

Here are some current reviews and discussions: PC World AVS Forum CNet

The Samsung 81 series sets are available here: www.FlatHDTV.net/samsung