Provision Interactive Technologies is a leading developer in 3D Holographic displays. To show off their latest development they have created what they call the “Freedom Truck.” This truck is a customized Ford F150 pickup truck and uses the truck bed to display a high resolution 3D hologram. Because the display is actually a hologram and not just dual images on a screen, the 3D image doesn’t require special glasses in order to see. The best part is that the company claims that the process to manufacture these displays is cost effective and simple to use. The F150 has been decorated to commemorate the USA’s military services by having scenes of troops and machines airbrushed all over the chassis. The Freedom Truck is currently on display at the SEMA convention, but it will be touring through out the USA.

[via 3D Display Info]

Loewe is known for creating stylish high-end HDTVs. One of their best is the Connect 42 Media Full HD+100 DR+, which features a 42” LCD display, full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and an 11000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Recently, the writers from Trusted Reviews got to release their review and they could instantly tell that this TV was going to be better than others they have reviewed in the past. For starters, the Connect 42 features a completely new look that screams state-of-the-art. The chrome finish and silver frame prevents this TV from looking like any other plane Jane on the market. Another improvement is the inclusion of three HDMI ports, which allows the HDTV to receive content from three HDMI sources simultaneously. Adding Loewe’s Picture in Picture feature, viewers can see at least two sources at the same time. One thing that the writers really liked is all the features that Loewe has integrated into the TV. Some of the features include internet radio, file compatibility, and even two USB ports, an Ethernet Jack and built-in Wi-Fi. As nice as the TV is, the writers did find some problems with its black level response and the motion processor. However, these two problems pale in comparison to the rest of the TV. The writer’s final verdict was, “Some people might expect perfect rather than very good pictures for the best part of three grand, I guess. But for me, the Connect 42 as an overall package has the looks, feel, features, unique flexibility and all-round performance quality it needs to more than satisfy the very select market it so assiduously targets.”

[via Trusted Reviews]

JVC’s Professional Products division is proud to announce today that the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology has developed a new immersive visualization system they call the NexCAVE. This device uses nine GD-463D10U 3D HD monitors to give the user the feeling that they are in the environment. All of these displays feature a 46” diagonal screen, full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and 2000:1 contrast ratio. The NexCAVE is created by the same developers who created the CAVE system, which uses 3D projectors to turn a room into a 3D environment. The use of monitors instead of projectors allows for a more compact system that can also be portable for traveling purposes. Unfortunately their isn’t any word when the NexCAVE will be released at this time.

[via ITVT]

Due to the holidays, HD Nation had to pre-record this week’s episode, which means that they couldn’t announce any of the latest HD news. However they were able to answer a lot of viewer questions. The first question involved being able to stream movies from your computer, through your PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, to your computer. Another question that is asked is from a guy who is looking to mount his HDTV over a fireplace and is looking to need a 25’ – 30’ HDMI cable. He wanted to know if he was going to need a signal booster to keep the image from deteriorating. The hosts claim that the distance should not be an issue. However, they do recommend using a cable conduit to help make things simpler. The conduit allows for a smooth replacement process if another cable ever needs to be run through the wall or ceiling. It also provides a little protection from the dust, mold, rodents, or any other things that could be in the frame of the house.

[via Revision 3]

Vudu is one of the many websites that offer online HD movies and TV shows. Today the company announced that they are updating their site for the third time this month. The company stated that because the UI is pulled from the web like any other website, it can continue to easily roll out updates. The new update will allow user to look up information about the shows through the TV instead of having to use the computer or cell phone to look it up. Vudu will give a brief description of the movie based on information that is posted on Wikipedia. In addition, users can go farther than the movie by looking at actor’s pages, etc.

[via Engadget]

One of the new LED HDTVs to be released in the UK is the Samsung UE55B7020. This model features a 55” LED LCD screen with full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and what Samsung calls a “Mega” contrast ratio. Recently, the writer from Trusted Review got to release their experience with the UE55B7020 HDTV. The writer had high hopes since he got to recently review another Samsung LED HDTV recently. He liked the look of the UE55B7020 and highlighted that “crystal” that extends a little bit part the frame. a quick look at the connection panel shows that the display features four HDMI ports, two USB ports and a LAN socket, which is always a good feature. Even though the TV can connect to the internet, unfortunately it is only limited to the Yahoo Widget platform. The image quality was superb and the writer couldn’t find any fault with it. However the major problem he had was with the backlight inconsistency. This effect was very noticeable in white and black scenes and even got so bad that the writer returned the TV to check and make sure it wasn’t broken. Another major concern was with the audio. The TV was capable of handling every day cable shows but sadly if the user tries to push it harder for movies or video games, then they will not be happy with the sound. The final verdict the writer made was, “There were numerous times in the course of putting this review together that I wondered if I was being too harsh on the UE55B7020 by giving it a 7 for image quality. For let’s be clear about this – for the vast majority of your viewing time the UE55B7020′s images are nothing short of stunning. But in the end I couldn’t help but think that anyone buying such a huge and potent TV would almost certainly be looking forward to watching a heck of a lot of Blu-rays on it. And if there’s one thing that nobody wants when watching a good film, it’s to be suddenly and reasonably regularly distracted by an obvious reminder of the technology that’s producing the picture.”

[via Trusted Reviews]

Ostendo is known for creating the next generation of Solid State Lighting (SSL)-based display technologies and products for commercial and consumer markets. Today, the company released there new CRVD curved HD monitor. This screen features a 2880 x 900 resolution and uses DLP display technology. The screen measures 43” diagonally and it gives you a seamless curve as well. The HD monitor is capable of business applications, but its main purpose is video games. The video above demonstrates the ability of the CRVD as three screens are used to give the driver full views of the front and sides of the car. At the beginning of the year, this screen was only a development prototype, but now Ostendo is retailing the CRVD for $6500.

[via Gizmodo]

At the end of this week their will be a fight in almost every store around the USA. People will be scratching, clawing, and biting so that they can be the one to get the bigger, better deal. Black Friday is one of the most dangerous times to go shopping, but it is also rumored to be the one day where companies reduce their prices significantly. The writers from CNet wonder though are people really getting a reduced price or has it just become an advertisement ploy to make consumers think they are getting good deals. The article states that there are several key phrases that retailers like to use like, “while supplies last,” and “minimum three per store.” These types of phrases give the impression that the item being sold is special. One of the examples they use is last year when Sears tried to sell a Samsung 40-inch HDTV for $599. Another trick that some places use is called a raincheck. This is when the consumer puts their name on a waiting list and can then be called back a week or two later when the device they ordered is in stock. The problem with rainchecks however, is that many times the stores will not sell those TVs at the Black Friday price and customers wind up paying the regular price. As a conclusion to the article, the writers suggested how stores should advertise by stating, “Look, we’ve got three Samsung 40-inchers for $599.99. We won’t make any money on them. But we’re advertising them so that you can get excited. We promise there will be three of them and we’ll sell them to the first person who comes in and guesses the middle name of our handsome salesman, Brad. We think that’s fairer than having y’all fight, bite and claw outside our front door. Life is random. So are our deals.”

[via CNet]

You may have heard about the Vizio VF552XVT HDTV that was expected to be released back in November. According to the company though, the VF552XVT’s release date is being pushed back to January 2010. This display featured full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution a 55” display and five HDMI ports. The TVs used LED backlight technology and comes with a remote control that turns into a QWERTY keyboard. The remote allows the user to interact with the TV similar to interacting with a computer. The TV can also connect to online and comes with Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, and Rhapsody internet apps. When the VF552XVT is finally released, it is expected to retail for just under $2200.

[via CNet]

Roku Inc. is the maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players. Today, the company announced that that the Roku Channel Store and the first 10 channels are now free. This allows users to stream direct to the TV online services like internet radio, video podcasts, professional web content, photo sharing, and even personal content. The free channels include Pandora, facebook photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox, and Mobile Tribe. “The Roku Channel Store turns the Roku player into the world’s first open platform designed specifically for the TV,” Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc said. “Now content producers and distributors – from single person shops to billion dollar corporations – can deliver their content directly to consumers without having to go exclusively through cable operators, satellite networks or TV affiliates.”

[via Engadget]