HD Nation is the number one show that gives you all the latest news on HD content and theater gear. This week the hosts talk about the threat that the California state will impose an energy consumption limit on all TV displays. The manufacturers who are the most threatened by this are those who make plasma displays because they typically consume a lot more energy. The thing is though is that many see that there is no reason for California to get involved in their state’s energy restriction when there are already programs in place like Energy Star that most manufacturers adhere to. Another topic that the hosts discuss is the top five horror movies that are currently in HD. The movies that top the list include American Werewolf in London, The Shining, The Orphanage, Shaun of the Dead, The Decent, and as a bonus they mention the Decent, Sleepy Hallow, and From Hell. One of the last major topics that the show discusses this week is a complete review of the highly anticipated Popcorn Hour C200 media player. This device is highly customizable in terms of memory, disk drives and even the type of remote you can use. The connection panel also allows it to accept a wide variety of devices and you can even connect it to your computer and stream online content to your HDTV. One of the problems they writers had with the machine was that there was a lot of software missing from the system and required almost immediate upgrades and reformatting in order to accommodate internet content. The final thought that the hosts made was that they truly loved it.

[via Revision 3]

The Mitsubishi WD-73837 is one of the last surviving DLP rear projection HDTVs. This 73-inch display features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and 4 HDMI ports. Recently, Home Theater Magazine got to release their review of this massive HDTV. Last year, the writers from Home Theater stated that they were not going to be reviewing any more DLP TV because the technology was outdated. However, the magazine has decided to review this HDTV because of how impressive it is. The writers were very impressed with the fact that the TV measures 73-inches, diagonally, and only retails for $3000. For that price you would be lucky to find an LCD display over 60-inches. In order for Mitsubishi to be able to make large displays for a low cost is due to the TV’s simplicity. It is cheaper to line an optical engine with a large screen that it is to manufacture a large LCD panel. The writer was very impressed not only with the size of the display, but also the image brightness and the respectable black levels. The writers did notice a few problems with the display like some geometric distortions, problems with the video processor, and while the colors were accurate they weren’t always looking the best. But these problems mean nothing when you look at the size, strength, and other amazing qualities the WD-73837 has to offer. The writer even went on to say, “Yes, it takes going against the flow to choose a set that will dominate most living spaces, instead of a décor-friendlier and trendier flat panel. But few flat panels provide an immersive experience to compete with this proudly retro, rear-pro design. It may not be the easiest set to like when it’s off, but it’s easy to love when it’s on.”

[via Home Theater Magazine]

The Sony KDL-52XBR9 HDTV is one of the company’s bigger displays available. This 52” LCD display features 1080p HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and a 3800:1 contrast ratio. Recently, a writer from Pricemo got the chance to review this display. The writers were very happy to see that this TV could display deep shades of black as well as accurate colors. The 240Hz refresh rate was also amazing during fast-moving scenes. Some of the concerns that the writers experienced were few and far between and were relatively insignificant compared to the rest of the TVs performance. One thing they didn’t like however was the retail price. They thought that it was too expensive when compared to similar models. However, even with the price being too high, the writer concluded by stating, “Sony KDL-52XBR9 performs well having deep levels of black and accurate colors. The minor issues are not as big as compared to its good performance. The vast range of Internet options are also very useful. It’s a bit pricey but you will not be disappointed with its performance.”

[via Pricemo]

The LG 32LH7000 is one of the many new HDTVs to be released in the UK. This 32-inch LCD display features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and an 80000:1 contrast ratio. Recently, the writers from Trusted Reviews got the opportunity to release their review of the TV and their first impression was not a good one. When taking the TV out of the box the writer noticed that a big sticky sign that read, “Perfect Slim 39.7mm.” upon reading the fine print it was later discovered that that feature only applied to the 42-inch model from the same series. Unfortunately the truth is that the 32LH7000 is twice the thickness of its bigger relative. What makes the clunky design less appealing is the fact that based on the looks of the exterior that it was meant to be chunky when it was designed. However, after looking past the design problems, the writers did start to see some good things like the wide array of connection options. The writers were also happy with the how well the 100Hz refresh rate handled fast moving scenes. It was completely capable of reducing the judder in the image but if the system was turned higher than ‘Medium,’ then the noise from the TV would start to be distracting. However even with all it’s problems, the writers still concluded by stating, “Although it’s not quite worthy of a whole-hearted TrustedReviews recommendation, the 32LH7000’s healthy spec sheet and aggressive price certainly make it impossible to ignore.”

[via Trusted Reviews]

Sharp is known for your widely popular AQUOS series. Today, the company is announcing their new LX-Series that will be released in Japan only for the time being. The new series comes in four screen sizes, 60-inch, 52-inch, 46-inch, and 40-inch, which are respectively named LC-60LX1, LC-52LX1, LC-46LX1, and the LC-40LX1. All of these HDTVs are labeled LCD/LED displays because they use an LCD display panel and LED backlighting. The LED technology has greatly improved LCD technology because it takes up less space, is eco-friendly, and uses less energy than a typical LCD lamp. A new addition to this series will include Sharp’s High-Picture-Quality Master Engine image processor chip. This chip is designed to help improve the picture quality during fast moving video like chase scenes and sports events. Also included is a new Preferred Image Sensor that is able to adjust the screen to match the lighting conditions of the TV. Sharp plans to release the new LX Series in Japan in November with a worldwide release expected shortly after. However the worldwide release date was not released.

[via Sharp]

If you talk to any videophile about what technology is best for HDTVs, most of them will clearly say Plasma displays are superior. Their clear, crisp images show unparalleled detail. However, in recent studies it has been found that plasma TVs are no longer the leading seller in the consumer market and are quickly being overtaken by LCD displays. There are several main reasons for this change, the first being the retail price. LCD TVs are considerably lower in cost than plasma and are continuing to fall. Another major reason LCDs are growing in popularity is because of the possible new technology. LCD TVs have always been thin but now with the added LED backlighting, the TVs are now even thinner and consume less electricity, which is a big selling point during these hard economic times. The only quality that plasma has left is that they can create extremely large screen sizes. However, many predict that in time that quality will be overcome by LCD as well. Fortunately though, because plasma displays are still rather popular there is worries that the technology will fade away anytime soon.

[via MSNBC]

Westinghouse is proud to announce their newest HDTV, the TX-42F970Z. This 42” LCD display features a 4000:1 contrast ratio and full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Unfortunately this display only runs with a 120 Hz refresh rate, which is old considering that many manufacturers are releasing 200 Hz models. However, the 42F970Z is still able to display amazing image quality and with virtually no judder during fast moving video. One of the good aspects for having out dated technology is the dramatically reduced retail price of only $750. The 42F970Z comes with a diverse connection panel, including 3 HDMI ports, component, component, a RGB, and several audio ports as well. The TX-42970Z is currently available through certified retailers and comes with a 1 year warranty.

[via ZDNet]

Vizio is the #1 HDTV provider in the USA. Today, the company announced the release of their newest model, the VF551XVT. This model features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and a really high 2000000:1 dynamic contrast ratio on a 55-inch LED/LCD display. The LED technology is fairly new to the TV industry and helps reduce the thickness of the display considerably. The VF551XVT measures less than 5” thick, but is still able to have a wide array of connections, including 5 HDMI ports, a composite, component, VGA, Antenna, s-video, and a USB port on the side panel. Vizio is currently selling this TV on the company’s website and retails for an impressively low price of only $2199.

[via Big Picture Big Sound]

Panasonic is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. In the past few months, the company has been announcing that they intend to launch the world’s first 3D HDTV by 2010 and to prove that, Panasonic has announced today the development of a 50-inch display that they intend to debut at CEATEC convention in Japan. The 50” display will still require the viewers to look through polarized glasses, but the image will be displayed in true HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The key to the new display is a newly developed high-speed 3D drive technology that enables rapid illumination of pixels while maintaining brightness. Another feature that is being included is a crosstalk reduction technology that will minimize the double-image (ghosting) effect that can be seen when the viewers are not wearing the glasses. In addition to developing a 3D HDTV, the company is also attacking the 3D recording process by developing 3D cameras that uses two lenses. Each camera is capable of filming 1080p resolution for each eye instead of the older method of using the full resolution spread to record both images. The old process would only display 3D images that were half the resolution that they could have been if filmed in regular 2D.

[via Panasonic]

Eizo Nanao Technologies is a leading manufacturer of high-end visual display products. Today the announced their latest HD monitor, the ColorEdge CG243W. This 24” LCD display features an amazing WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The monitor is intended mainly for business purposes and more specifically for those with jobs in digital photography, video-editing, and post-production. The display is comes with dual DVI ports as well as DisplayPorts. They can also display up to 1.07 million colors from a pallet of 68 billion colors. Another feature that the company highlights is the hardware calibration, which not only helps calibrate the computer’s video card, but also calibrates the monitor in order to get the optimal color results. Eizo is planning to display the CG243W at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York from October 22-24 at booth 359. The CG243W retails for $2345.

[via Camera Town]