This week on HD Nation, the hosts discuss the best ways to back up your movie collection in order to prevent damage to the original disk. One of the best methods is to rip the movies and create a digital copy on the movie for everyday use. The hosts do state that what they discuss on the show is technically illegal, but there are legal methods to go about doing this. One of the biggest problems you might have with copying your DVDs and Blu-rays is trying to get past the security measures integrated into the disk. Some of the newest measures include digital watermarks and playback. The hosts state that there are several resources online that allow users to see how to get around these obstacles. There are also several sites that takes your disk and converts it into a file for you.

[via Revision 3]

One of the new Panasonic HDTVs is the TC-L37E5. This 37 inch screen features full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and LED backlighting. Today, the writers from PC Magazine got to publish their preview of this TV. They first make it known that the TV is relatively low in price, retailing for just under $600. This will not only give you full HD resolution, but also a wide viewing angle and a solid image quality. The TV is also internet compatible and allows users to access the Viera Connect platform. Another unique feature the writers enjoyed was that this TV can be controlled by downloading a remote control app on your smartphone.

[via PC Magazine]

Sharp has a new TV coming soon called the LC-80LE646E. This TV is one of their bigger screens, measuring 80 inches, diagonally. The TV also includes full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and LED technology. Unfortunately the company did not say if 3D technology will be included. Sharp has used their new X-Gen LCD panel for this screen that is designed to eliminate clouding and bleeding issues. The TV does have internet capabilities and uses Sharp’s Aquos Net+ Smart TV platform. Right now, the LC-80LE646E is only available for pre-ordering in the UK. But it will begin shipping within the next 2-4 weeks.

[via Flatpanels HD]

One of the new 3D displays from Samsung is the T27A950. This TV features a 27 inch screen, full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and a mega dynamic contrast ratio. Today, the writers from PC Magazine released their review of this particular device. The writers first complimented the image quality and thought that it was rather good. They were pleased to see that the screen features 3D capabilities and internet access. Unfortunately the TV is not without its problems. The writers noted that the screen had a weak light-grayscale performance. They also noted that there were no DVI or VGA ports. One of the redeeming features is the unique stylish design that has the stand extend from the lower left side of the screen instead of the center like all the other screens.

[via PC Magazine]

Sceptre is known for their budget friendly HDTVs. Today, the company revealed their latest TV, the X409BV-FHD. This display measures 38.5 inches, diagonally, and comes with full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and a 5000:1 contrast ratio. The screen uses LCD display technology and is Energy Star compliant. Sceptre has included several new features like Auto Dynamic Contrast Enhancement, HDMI ports, and more. The TV is available now through certified retailers and is priced at just under $400.

[via Ecoustics]

One of the features that TV manufacturers try to highlight for customers is the screen’s refresh rate. This determines how fast the frames of a video flash on the screen. Unfortunately for the customer, this number isn’t always true. The higher the refresh rate is, the more smooth the image is suppose to look. One of the higher ratings is 240 Hz, which is supposed to be twice as fast as the previous top rating. The problem though is that the 240 Hz rating doesn’t use the same method that the smaller ratings provide. Instead they use new technologies called “black frame insertion”, or “Clear Motion Rate”. The truth is that these features don’t really do anything to increase the refresh rate at all. The good news though is that this fact is only really true in LCD and LED TVs, while plasmas use a completely different method to display content and don’t usually suffer from motion blur.

[via HD Guru]

NEC is a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions. Today, the company announced the release of their latest HD display, the V651-TOUCH. This addition to their V Series measures 65 inches, diagonally, and comes with full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and a 5000:1 contrast ratio. The display has been integrated with 4-camera optical imaging technology in order to allow the screen to be an interactive touch screen. It is capable of recognizing up to 6 points of contact simultaneously. “This valuable addition to our product line allows us to offer a solution for interactive applications that require a touch product,” said Keith Yanke, Director of Product Marketing for Large-Screen Displays and Projectors at NEC Display Solutions. “While including popular digital signage features for environments with extended operation times, the V651-TOUCH offers new touch-integrated technologies that meet customers’ interactivity needs in a pre-configured model directly from NEC.” Other major features include a 400 cd/m2 brightness level, double-sided AR glass, remote diagnostics, and more. The V651-TOUCH is available now for a street price of $8699.

[via NEC]

Earlier this month, Samsung unveiled their pricing guide for their 2012 HDTV lineup. Today, the company has unveiled an updated list, while highlighting some of the new features you will see in this year’s TVs. The biggest feature is included in the ES8000, which is a web camera and microphone built into the frame. This essentially gives the TV the same features that the Microsoft Kinect gives the Xbox game console. The flagship series is the ES8000 and it will include face recognition, voice commands, and gesture controls. These features are added to the TVs’ already large list of features. The list includes both US and UK model names. Click the link for the complete list.

[via Flatpanels HD]

Ever since the HDTV industry started, sales have always shown improvement and growth. That trend ended today as it was reported that the HDTV market is expected to decline for the first time ever in the USA market. The predictions state that this year, only 37.1 million units will be sold, which is a 5% decrease from the 39.1 million units sold last year. This fall was kind of expected before as last year there was only a 1% increase from 2010’s sales. “The U.S. flat-panel television market has never declined on an annual basis, even at the height of the recession in 2008 and 2009,” noted Lisa Hatamiya, TV research analyst for IHS. “The decline starting this year suggests that demand may have crested for the mature U.S. TV market. Sales in the United States now are being driven by consumers who are replacing their older flat-panel sets with new models boasting more advanced features. This contrasts with developing regions of the world where vibrant, untapped markets remain for buyers making their first-ever purchase of flat-panel sets.” One of the reasons why 2012 is showing a decrease in sales is due to irrational exuberance in 2011.

[via Engadget]

AU Optronics announced today that they will be continuing their OLED TV program by selling up to 800 million shares to finance the program. The shares total just over $5 billion. It has also been reported that AUO will be collaborating with Sony in order increase OLED TV research. Under the agreement, AUO will provide the capital and manufacturing while Sony will contribute its OLED know-how. Currently, AUO is displaying a 32” OLED screen prototype with plans of mass producing the screen. The screen will feature full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, a 100000:1 contrast ratio, and a 0.01ms response time.

[via OLED Info]