Sony's new LCD TV feature the world's highest level of energy effiency

Sony Japan presented their New 32 inch Bravia LCD TV [JP], claiming it’s the world’s most energy-efficient LCD screen of that size.

The KDL-32JE1 consumes just 89W of electricity per year (momentary power consumption), which translates to a 232% efficiency rating the TV got from the Enegy conservation center of Japan (ECCJ). Usually, a figure of 164% is enough to earn the five-star “Energy Saving Label” from that institute. Sony says they reduced power consumption by enhancing backlight emission and light transmission of optical film.

The TV comes with WXGA resolution (1366×768 ), 2 HDMI ports, 3 Video interfaces, and modem and LAN connection. It offers a contrast ratio of 2,500:1 and a view angle of 178 degrees.

The $1,400 Bravia KDL-32JE1 goes on sale in Japan on July 25th in champagne gold and silver. Sony said they plan to offer it in overseas markets as well but didn’t reveal any details.

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Samsung LN52A750 LCD TV

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LN52A750

If you are interested in a huge flat-panel LCD, then you should give the Samsung LN52A750 LCD TV a try. It has a ig panel, high resolution, widescreen, broad color spectrum and a full HD 1080p resolution that delivers the highest video resolution currently available — 1920 x1080 pixels — scanned progressively with a super-fast 4ms pixel-response time for the smoothest, most lifelike image around.

Also, there’s no shortage of color, brightness, and detail across the LN52A750’s 16:9 widescreen panel — a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) in combination with a wide color enhancer optimizes color reproduction while a 50,000:1 contrast ratio and 500nit brightness level conjure up precise, stunning detail, scene after scene.

Lastly, you can enjoy video from a variety of digital and analog sources thanks to a built-in image scaler and integrated ATSC and Clear QAM digital tuners.

With the Samsung LN52A750, you are given the absolute best in connectivity. Samsung’s LN52A750 features four HDMI connections. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the only interface in consumer electronics that can carry both uncompressed high-definition (HD) video and uncompressed multi-channel audio in all HD formats including 720p, 1080i and even 1080p.

Your incoming media content comes in a variety of sizes, resolutions and formats, and with that in mind, HDMI systems automatically configure to display that content in the most effective format. Since HDMI carries all channels on video and audio, there is only one cable to plug into any HDMI-enabled source and display device.

So, no more complicated cable set-up when installing your home theater system, and no more ugly cable mess behind your components. HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on this single cable. Also, HDMI is fully backward-compatible with DVI.

Also, the LN52A750 comes in packed with the Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe), an innovative technology that delivers a crisp, lifelike picture that more closely resembles the look of film regardless of the input signals used. Five image processors and a six-times density enhancer ensure the best picture from any source. Plug in your standard DVD player, and the LN52A750 will increase the quality of the picture. This technology guarantees the truest colors and highest contrast, while virtually eliminating digital artifacts.

Picture is only half of the high definition experience. Sound makes it complete. If you don’t have the full surround sound setup, you can still get a rich sound from the LN52A750 with its SRS TruSurround XT. TruSurround is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround-sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels. Take full advantage of this virtual surround-sound experience with the LN52A750’s built-in dual 10W speakers and integrated woofer.

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K-Touch C280 Uses Canon DIGIC II Imaging Processor

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Samsung seems to take advantage of a partnership with Schneider-Kreuznach. There is no shortage of Cyber-shot branding when it comes to Sony Ericsson cell phones.

Even Motorola is collaborating with Kodak to produce their camera phones. It seems that Canon is tired of everyone else getting a piece of the camera phone pie, so it has lent its expertise for this particular camera phone.

No, it’s not a Nokia or an HTC. In fact, there’s a good chance that you’ve never even heard of this company, but it could prove to the first in a long line of camera phones that feature Canon-sourced technology. The K-Touch C280 is on display at CHITEC 2008 in China and it uses a Canon DIGIC II imaging processor. It’s not quite a Canon camera phone, but it’s getting there.

Among the photocentric features on the K-Touch C280 camera phone are ISO 1600, 3x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel image sensor. The dual five-way navigation keys are also a unique touch.

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Panasonic PT-AE2000 1080p Projector Review

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Panasonic’s second 1080p projector shares the distinction of being the second Panasonic HD projector I’ve been able to sample. The first, Panasonic’s PT-L500U 1080i LCD projector, was a permanent fixture in my home theater for several years. I always found it to provide great bang for the buck, an area Panasonic projectors have often excelled at.

In this age of 1080p high definition I expected "more" from Panasonic’s latest LCD home theater projector, the PT-AE2000. Not just because the casing is at least twice the size of my old PT-L500U. Enough years have gone by to be able to easily pick up on improved contrast, brightness and features.

On paper the AE2000 projector reads like a champ considering its approximate street price of $2700. It boasts a 16,000:1 contrast ratio, 1500 lumens of brightness, three HDMI 1.3 inputs, and manual horizontal and vertical lens shift. These are specs often aligned with more expensive projectors, yet here they are.

One of the possible reasons why Panasonic was able to bring the price in where they did is the aesthetically challenged casing. If you were to flash a picture of the AE2000 to someone, they’d think you just showed them a black travel case. Its stark box-like visage isn’t much to look at and it is better suited to mount in a wall cavity than have out in the open. At the same time, when a movie or videogame is playing, how often are you looking at the projector? I’ll gladly take a price cut in exchange for a boxy design.

Like the casing, the remote isn’t much to look at but has it where it counts. All the calibration functions including focus are included so you can move around the room and make medications without being stuck to the projector’s case buttons. It also has a learning function which I didn’t test out, but is a nice feature that’ll come in handy in several home theater applications.

Plasma TV, Games Consoles Guzzle Power

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Think your energy bill is too high? Australian consumer agency Choice finds that plasma TV sets and game consoles slurp up astonishing amounts of power.

Australian consumer agency Choice took a look at the amount of power consumed by 16 common electronics devices, including notebook computers, stereo systems, DVD players, televisions and game consoles. And if you think you power bills are too high, you might want to look to your consumer electronics: the agency found that Sony's PlayStation 3 consumed the most power of the devices tested, followed closely by Microsoft's Xbox 360 and plasma televisions—even when idle and not in use. And the PS3 consumed 10 times the as much power as the NIntendo Wii.

The agency's tests found that leaving a PS3 on while not in use over a period of a year would cost about five times more than running a refrigerator for the same period.

Plasma televisions were also revealed to be energy hogs, consuming over four times as much power as a traditional CRT analog television set.

Among computers, the agency found that an Apple iMac—with a build-in LCD display—consumed about two-thirds as much power as a Windows-based PC without any display at all. The study found that the LCD displays in Apple iMacs user less than half the power of their CRT-based predecessors.

The agency recommends consumers turn off devices when not in use, either by putting them into standby mode or—better yet—turning them off at the wall. The agency also recommended upgrading from CRT monitors to LCD displays, recycling old computers, taking advantage of power-saving features in both the Windows and Mac OS operating systems, reusing and recycling ink cartridges, using rechargeable batteries, and reducing print waste by going paperless whenever possible.

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Luxury A/V manufacturer and designer Bang & Olufsen says that its new plasma TV, the BeoVision 4, is “self-adapting/calibrating”. Special software and technology, including an integrated camera, measure the colour balance of the screen, then adjust it in order to “compensate for aging phosphors”.

Called “Automatic Color Management”, the patented, self-calibrating process s is quite neat, not to mention futuristic: after every 100 hours of viewing (or as often as the owner likes), a mechanical arm with the camera at the end can be set to swing down from behind the frame of the TV. It measures a test picture of the screen, analyzes colour temperature, and adjusts colours accordingly. In addition to adjusting picture quality to suit various environments, B&O says that the technology also helps to increase the life span of the screen.

President of B&O America, Zean Nielsen, claimed that the BeoVision 4 has been called “Anti-Wrinkle Cream for one’s TV”, which isn’t surprising given that B&O is known predominantly for its sexy and classy designs. Aesthetically on the outside, the frame is curved, and constructed of smooth, brushed aluminum.

The plasma also includes B&O’s patented Automatic Picture Control technology, which adjusts brightness based on ambient room lighting through on optical sensor on the top of the bezel.

The BeoVision 4 is available in a 50” or 65” size, both at full 1080p resolution, for MSRPs of $7,500 and $13,500, respectively. They come in traditional colours like silver, black, and dark grey, as well as some bolder accent choices, like red and blue.

The complementary BeoLab 10 centre speaker ($4,000) has also hit Canadian stores. This triangular-shaped speaker sits below the plasma, facing downward to create an odd, yet artistic, look. Sound is dispersed at a 180-degree angle via the speaker’s Acoustic Lens Technology. It is available in matching colour choices to the BeoVision 4.

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TOKYO, May 30 (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp said on Friday that it has started outsourcing production of liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions to a Taiwanese maker, the first time the electronics maker has contracted out such TVs in large volume.

Confirming an earlier report in the Nikkei business daily, Toshiba said it is outsourcing production of LCD TVs for the U.S. market, and shipments from Taiwan began in February.

Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Ohmori declined to reveal the name of the Taiwanese maker or other details of the manufacturing contract.

The paper also said Toshiba is considering launching a new mobile audio-visual device by the business year ending in March 2010, following its exit from the next-generation DVD business.

Toshiba aims to come up with products that showcase the company's technologies such as NAND flash memory chips and small hard disks, but launch dates and other details have not been set, Ohmori said.

Shares in Toshiba were up 1.4 percent at 930 yen as of 0145 GMT, outperforming a 1.1 percent rise in the benchmark Nikkei average. (Reporting by Sachi Izumi, editing by Brent Kininmont)

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