Ever since you were a kid you’ve probably dreamed of having a nice luxurious bed with its own TVs. The home owners of this house must have thought of that too when they built their dream master suite bedroom. The room is decorated with a mix of stone, tile and wood work. Recently, the owners contacted Home Concepts to wire this tranquil setting with two wall mounted TVs and even a mirror TV for the bedroom. Because the bedroom was so open a big concern was that wires and cables would take away from the look. Fortunately the designers were very careful with their planning and were able to hide everything but the beautiful display. In the main portion of the room is a 58-inch Samsung PN58A550 plasma HDTV, which features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and a 30000:1 contrast ratio. In the bathroom there is a 46-inch Samsung LN46A650 HDTV, which also features HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, but also has an improved 50000:1 contrast ratio. The sink in the bathroom also has a little 19-inch HDTV in order to watch the news as they get ready for the day.

[via Electronic House]

Vizio is one of the leading providers of HDTVs in the USA. Today the company announced that they will be delaying the release of their VIA Internet TV service until December. The Vizio Internet Apps service will allow user to check their favorite websites like Facebook, Flicker, Twitter, or even order movies on Netflix with out having to go to the computer. The reason for the delay is because the company wanted to include a sufficient amount of content to help entice consumers. “We fully get that we’re here to give the consumer more,” said Laynie Newsome, Vizio’s energetic vice president of sales and marketing and a co-founder. “Everyday we pull up in the parking and ask ourselves, ‘Does the world need Vizio?’ ” Vizio plans to equip all their new and some current models with the new VIA service for the release.

[via OC Register]

Apple is known for creating a wide variety of electronics. Recently it was rumored that the next industry the company wants to venture into would be the HDTV market. According to CNet, Apple is already making plans to release their very first HDTV by 2011. As part of the information, reporters predict that the Apple TVs will allow the millions of iPhone and iPod Touch owners to be able to control their TVs by using their respective devices. There is not a lot of information to go on right now, but many people are hoping that the “iHDTVs” will be able to integrate into a home network and be able to stream video, photos, music, and any other content directly from your phone or portable media device and display it instantly onto the HDTV. There are a lot of high hopes and expectations about this rumor, which is why if it does become reality Apple better not let us down.

[via CNet]

One of Sony’s big screen HDTVs is the KDL-46Z5500. This 46-inch LCD display features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and a 100000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Recently, the writers from Trusted Reviews were able to test the HDTV to see how good it is. The 46Z5500 is not the first of its kind to be released by Sony. Its predecessor is still currently being sold along side with this model and is being marketed as a cheaper alternative. However because the two models have had close release dates, it doesn’t appear that much has been upgraded. For starters, the writers did notice that the 200Hz engine that is used in the 46Z5500 is the same processor its predecessor uses. Fortunately though, the writers did notice some change in the picture quality, the older models typically had smearing and trailing problems, but the new model has virtually eliminated this problem from the display. Another good quality about this TV is the quality of the upscaling technology. This is what allows normal DVD content to be scaled to the HD resolution. This is another major problem that all HDTVs suffer with, but this model delivers sharp and textured pictures with no trouble. Another problem with the display is the backlight consistency. The writers noticed that there were several large patches on the screen that were either too bright or too dark. The final verdict the writer made was, “There’s a big part of me that wants to love the 46Z5500. For as well as looking resplendent in Sony’s most appealing design for ages, the set’s 200Hz processing is excellent, and its HD pictures in particular are for the vast majority of the time really quite superb. But no matter how tempted I might be, in the end I just can’t give a TrustedReviews Recommended badge to a TV costing the best part of £1650 that suffers with marked backlight inconsistencies – however rarely they might affect day-to-day viewing.”

[via Trusted Reviews]

HD Nation delivers the best information about everything about high definition. The major topic they mention is about what to do when your LCD pixels get stuck in the on or off position. The way that LCDs work is that each pixel has a set color (red, green, or blue). Any by turning the pixels on or off at the correct time is what gives the display its color. One way to test the pixel is to go buy specialized software that runs test patterns to determine the problem. Another solution is to try and message the display panel to try and reconnect the individual pixel. However to prevent further damage, the hosts recommend you use a microfiber cloth while messaging it. Lastly they suggest that you try to run lots of high motion video in an attempt to fix the stuck pixel, however this technique does not always guarantee results.

[via Revision 3]

As many people know, the NFL is already starting their pre-season games. This past weekend, the Dallas Cowboys had their first home game against the Tennessee Titans. The new stadium is home to the world’s largest HDTV, measuring 160 feet long and 72 feet high. During the game, one of the Titans’ punters kicked the football and managed to hit the HDTV, which resulted in one of the few do-over calls ever called in football. When the stadium was being constructed, the designers asked the Dallas Cowboy punter to try and kick a ball as high as they could to try and ensure that this event wouldn’t happen. According to the owners, they measured how high he kicked and then raised the screen 10 feet above that for added clearance. However that didn’t stop the Titan punter from hitting it easily. The NFL is now trying to decide if they want to enforce a rule that is special to the stadium, which would result in a do-over play when the ball hits the screen. The other option is that the Cowboys’ owner raises the screen higher. Unfortunately, the owners are complaining that raising the screen will cost them about $2 million.

[via Gizmodo]

AOC is back with a brand new HD monitor, the 2436Vw. This display features LCD technology, full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and a 60000:1 contrast ratio. The biggest feature about this 24-inch display is that it is Energy Star compliant and only consumes 49W of power. Unfortunately, the connection panel is limited to only a DVI, and a VGA port and doesn’t come with built-in speakers. But because of the lack of features, the 2436Vw is currently available through AOC retail websites for a retail price of only $220.

[via Engadget]

The USA is currently advertising a “Cash for Clunkers” program that allows car owners to trade in their old gas guzzlers for cash towards a brand new economic car. It looks like Sony is taking the idea and making it their own as they have announced a new trade in deal that is available in the UK. Between now and October 18th, anyone can trade in their old TV sets and receive up to £150 ($247) towards a brand new Sony Bravia Series HDTV. Unfortunately with any sale like this there are conditions. The amount of cash back depends on the size of the screen of the TV you purchase, measured diagonally. For example; purchasing an HDTV over 46-inches will give you the full £150, any display between 46- and 40-inches will only give you £100 ($164), while anything smaller will reduce the refund to £50 ($82). The good side about this trade in is that the size of TV being traded in is not relevant, which means you could turn in an old 15-inch CRT TV for a 46-inch Bravia HDTV and still receive the full £150 refund. Unfortunately, there is no information right now as to whether this sale will be available outside the UK.

[via Sony]

3D HDTVs are just starting to be looked at for future home entertainment. The 3D technology really rose in popularity with big screen entertainment and now several companies want to capitalize on that popularity. The big question though, is 3D technology ready for the HDTV. Recently, Gizmodo writer, John Herman, got the opportunity to go to see Panasonic’s vision and their 103-inch Plasma 3D HDTV. Panasonic thinks that if the size is bigger than many of the problems that occur with 3D will be eliminated. Part of that is true, because the writer mentioned that the bigger display did make the set feel closer and it didn’t seem like a lot of work to see all the details of the images. He did also mention that image was clear, sharp and in perfect focus. The depth problem is more noticeable on animated movies like “Up!”, where the depth is artificial. However the technology will do a lot better for live events like basketball games, or even the Olympics. Unfortunately with all these major advantages to the 3D industry the major problem is a lack of content. The writer highlights that during his time at Panasonic the representative stated that 3D content releases all depends on whether or not the provider wants to. Fortunately though there is time. It might be a slow start, but eventually 3D HDTV and 3D movies and TV shows will be introduced into the home.

[via Gizmodo]

James Cameron is known for many famous movies like “Terminator” and “Titanic”. His latest creation, “Avatar” is being hailed as a revolution of 3D technology. To help promote his new movie, Panasonic has announced collaboration with the Fox Film Corporation and Lightstorm Entertainment. In addition to promoting the new movie, Pansonic will also have the opportunity to promote their full HD 3D technology. Panasonic will launch a global advertising campaign tied to the movie, which will mark the first time the company has focused their entire product campaign on the success of a single movie. There isn’t a lot of information about the new HDTVs that are associated with this campaign, but they will feature the latest in 3D viewing technology. The displays are also expected to range between 65 and 103inches with Plasma technology. Avatar is not expected to be released until December 18. Until then, Panasonic will advertise at shows like CEATEC, on October 6th.

[via Panasonic]