Corning is the company responsible for the popular Gorilla Glass. This material is one of the strongest pieces of glasses ever used for retail products. Today, the company announced that they will be producing an upgraded version called Lotus Gorilla Glass. The Lotus glass contains all the same qualities of the original Gorilla Glass, but it is specifically designed for higher-res screens. It will also have new “thermal and dimensional stability” properties that will make attaching the glass to screens easier. Corning already has the Lotus glass available for ordering.

[via DVICE]

Over the past couple years, the global fast food chain, McDonalds has been trying to revamp their image. Their goal is to go from the fast food to a more leisurely atmosphere that you might find in a book store or a coffee shop. To help give their restaurants a more homely feel, the company announced the launch of a HDTV channel that will be broadcasted to 800 McDonald restaurants thought California. The launch is expected to be completed by March 2012 and it will be the test for a bigger project that will include all the stores in the USA. The broadcast station will be played exclusively to the restaurants and will include shows from ABC, BBC America, and Vimby. “An enhanced experience is what I would define it as,” says Lee Edmondson, CEO of Channelport Communications, which is overseeing the project. “We think the customer will embrace it and the customer will start to look at McDonald’s as perhaps a place that they’ll go because of it.”

[via Today's THV]

The Samsung PS51D6900 is one of the new HDTVs to be released by the company. It has a 51 inch screen, full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and 3D capabilities. Today, the writers from HDTV Test released their review of this particular device. One of the biggest aspects is the aesthetic look. This sets it apart from all the other TVs with similar features. The writers praised the connection panel that includes an array of connection options, including four HDMI ports, a composite, component, VGA, antenna, Ethernet, dual USB and several other ports as well. The writers enjoyed the image quality and highlighted the black levels. However, they also stated that the contrast could be a lot better. The writers concluded by stating, “The PS51D6900 is another easily recommendable Plasma TV from Samsung. We’re delighted that the Korean manufacturer has been improving its Plasma televisions so much recently – last year we had the feeling that the company had forgotten about this display technology, and was concentrating solely on LED LCD TVs. The D6900 is a highly capable 51-inch plasma 3D television with calibration options galore, excellent picture quality by just about any measure, and Smart TV internet capability, all for around £850 online. A bargain? We think so. Compared to the D550 model we tested last month, the PS51D6900 is a worthwhile upgrade, especially for owners who’ll make good use of its Smart TV functions. For those who won’t, its slightly superior black level and apparently improved screen coating are nothing to sniff at, either.”

[via HDTV Test]

Last week on HD Nation, the hosts talked about the troubles of glasses wearers having to wear two sets of glasses in order to watch 3D content. This week, one of the readers wrote in showing off their Do-It-Yourself 3D prescription glasses where he took the lenses from his old glasses and glued them to the frame of a pair of 3D glasses. He admits that the design is a little flimsy at the moment and is rather crewed in design, but it works wonderfully for his needs. Another segment on the show breaks down and tells exactly what Energy Star is. Energy Star is the energy consumption standard that was created to help reduce consumption through electronics and home appliances. Lastly, the hosts answer a user’s question about purchasing the extended warranty for HDTVs. The hosts recommend not purchasing it and have never had to with any of their own purchases. They stated that if the TV needs replacing or repair, chances are it will show the problems within the 30 day free exchange period.

[via Revision 3]

Mohu is a leading producer of antenna technology and makers of the top-selling HDTV antenna, the Mohu Leaf. Today, the company unfortunately announced that Time Warner Cable has refused to air Mohu’s advertising campaign. The reason why Time Warner has refused to air the commercials is because they state in the ad tells viewers, “do not need cable.” Obviously this is bad marketing on Mohu’s part asking a cable company to run adds to get viewers to switch from their cable provider to an HDTV antenna. “We are still excited about running a commercial to let people know about the Leaf and how you can receive full, uncompressed HD over the air now,” said Dr. Mark Buff, president of Mohu, Inc. “The top-20 rated shows on television are available free with no monthly bills. Of course we wanted to run the commercial on cable just like DirecTV or other satellite companies run their ads. And we thought we should have the right to.”

[via PR Newswire]

One of the new plasma TVs from Samsung is the PS51D8000. This 51 inch screen is capable of displaying full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and 3D technology. Today, the writers from Trusted Reviews released their experience with the PS51D8000. Probably the best feature for the TV is the low retail price. The writers thought this TV had excellent value compared to the similar sized TVs. The writers also liked the sleek overall design. They thought that it made the TV look futuristic and stylish. The design was complimented by an impressive 2D image quality and highlighted the colors, contrast, and sharpness. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said about 3D mode. The writers noticed a significant amount of crosstalk, but fortunately not nearly as much as previous 3DTVs. The final verdict was, “While the PS51D8000’s 3D pictures aren’t perfect, they’re still well above average by the standards of the 3D world at large. As such, they join with its terrific 2D picture quality and some well rounded, potent audio in making the PS51D8000 an almost ridiculously good value proposition for the discerning buyer.”

[via Trusted Reviews]

NEC is a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions. Today, the company announced their new SpectraSensor Pro colorimeter as well as a new update for their SpectraView II software. The new sensor uses X-Rite i1Display technology and is customized for NEC. Both products are available as a bundle package or can be bought separately. The sensor uses the latest in optical technology to help calibrate display technology to its optimum performance settings. “The color accuracy and speed of the new SpectraSensor Pro provides our professional desktop customers with the best calibration performance available,” said Art Marshall, Product Manager at NEC Display Solutions. “The accuracy of the colorimeter and software, coupled with NEC’s renowned MultiSync® professional desktop products is ideal for photography, retouching, video editing and any application where precise color is critical.” The sensor and updated software are compatible with NEC’s P, PA, and 90 series. The bundle retails for just under $200 and has a 1 year warranty.

[via NEC]

Asus is proud to announce today two new Blu-ray players. The BDS-500 and BDS-700 were both built with internet features and access to popular websites like YouTube, Picasa, Flickr, and more. They also support 3D content and come with a Qdeo video processor. The BDS-700 is the more powerful model with built in Wi-Fi and dual HDMI outputs. Both models can also be accessed by using a smartphone remote app that can be downloaded to iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Symbian phones. Asus did announce retail prices, but the players will be available before the end of 2011.

[via Flatpanels HD]

AT&T is looking to make viewing content on your HDTV easier as they announce their new wireless receiver for the U-verse platform. The U-verse is AT&T’s video on demand service. The new wireless receiver allows the service to be accessed from anywhere in the house. The system uses the house’s Wi-Fi network in order to transmit content from the source to the HDTV. As demonstrated above, the transmitter and receiver are powerful enough to reach anywhere in the house, even outside. This allows the home owners to decorate their house more freely without worrying about having to run cables or drill extra holes in the wall. ”For decades, the TV outlet has dictated how viewers can arrange their furniture and where they place their TV,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Now, for the first time, customers have the freedom to move the TV virtually whenever and wherever they want to, without a special appointment with a service technician. It’s another innovation for U-verse TV.”

[via Engadget]

Google and YouTube announced today a joint TV business that would be added to the YouTube platform. Google will be investing 100 million for this venture and are already in talks with Warner Bros. and Fremantle Media. The platform is expected to help compete with existing TV networks and provide on-demand TV content. The channels in the platform will provide professional-made and exclusive TV shows. YouTube also stated that they might include other videos that are already uploaded on their network as well. There is currently no word when the new platform will be available, but sources claim that it will be integrated into the new generation of Google TV products.

[via Flatpanels HD]