| News and Tips & Techniques |  |
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| Facebook, Twitter coming to Vizio TVs |
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(Credit: Vizio)
First announced at CES, the list of Web widgets packed into forthcoming Vizio high-definition TVs is growing.
On Tuesday, Vizio announced that some of the most popular services on the Web will be directly accessible from the TV screen, including eBay, Facebook, Twitter, and Rallypoint Sports. Showtime, Web ... |
| | 7/09/2009 7:32 PM (134d 11h 14m ago) |
| Best Buy + TiVo does not equal HDTVs with built-in DVRs |
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The news that Best Buy and TiVo are teaming up to share technology and hopefully pump up each other's sales has led some to conclude that new HDTVs with digital video recording capability are in the offing.
That's highly unlikely.
TiVo, the inventor of the DVR market that ... |
| | 7/09/2009 7:31 PM (134d 11h 15m ago) |
| Sharp introduces new LED-backlit LCDs |
| | The LC-52LE700UN is one of Sharp's new LED-backlit Aquos TVs.(Credit: Sharp)
Sharp's first line of LED-based LCD displays is called the LC-LE700UN series, and it's available in four screen sizes. Here's a quick look:
Models (availability, suggested retail price)
LC-32LE700UN (July, $1,100)
LC-40LE700UN (... |
| | 7/09/2009 7:31 PM (134d 11h 15m ago) |
| Supreme Court declines to hear remote storage DVR appeal, cloud recording is on the way |
| | It seems like Cablevision and others have been trying to roll out "remote storage" network DVRs forever, and now that the Supreme Court has decided against hearing the appeal of the Hollywood studios looking to block it, they should finally be able to deliver as soon as this summer. Of course, there's benefits to having a locally stored copy of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, but just in case we forgot to queue up a recording, the power went out or suffered some other manner of catastrophe, we'd still have access to all the Lou Diamond Phillips anyone could ask for, and there's really no way the highest court in the land could get in the way of that.Filed under: HDTV, Home EntertainmentSupreme Court declines to hear remote storage DVR appeal, cloud recording is on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 6/29/2009 5:24 PM (144d 13h 22m ago) |
| Why connected HDTVs are the future |
| | LG launched two broadband-equipped HDTVs this week--the 47-inch 47LH50 and the 50-inch 50PS80. Both televisions boast NetCast Entertainment Access, which provides consumers with the entire Netflix streaming library of more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes.
This LG HDTV streams Netflix content. Are you ready for more?(Credit: LG)
The LG HDTVs released this week require a broadband connection to work with the NetCast Entertainment Access service. To choose a film, users need only to surf through the items and make selections on the right of the screen. They can read movie synopses and rate films.
LG isn't the only company bringing connected HDTVs to store shelves. Toshiba is well on its way to bringing its Regza line of HDTVs into the streaming realm. When the connected HDTVs launch later this year, Toshiba plans to give consumers access to a variety of content, including local weather, top news stores, sports scores, videos, and more. The HDTVs will also be able to access multimedia content stored on a connected PC's hard drive.
Surprised by the sudden uptick in connected HDTVs coming to store shelves? Don't be--it's the future.
... Originally posted at The Digital Home |
| | 6/15/2009 4:10 PM (158d 14h 36m ago) |
| Good-bye, rabbit ears? Not so fast |
| | Congratulations! You've successfully made the switch from analog to digital TV. So is it good-bye to rabbit ears? Not quite!
Retro TV antennas may not bring in a perfect picture, but they can bring back some great memories.(Credit: CBS)
Whatever your view of television, be it couch potato casual or flat-screen fanatic, Friday was a special occasion. And even if you didn't give it the kind of warm reception some Chicago students did on Friday night, complete with champagne toasts, you knew it was the end of an era, if for no other reason than all those incessant reminders we've been giving you, like "The Big Switch From Analog To Digital TV" or "Flipping The Switch To Digital TV".
In these days of cable and satellite, you probably thought it was time for a requiem for the old rabbit ears. Not so fast.
"The antenna is alive and well," said Michael Godar, who runs one of the nation's few handmade antenna companies out of a TV repair shop in Gilbert, Ariz.
And he says that, even at the dawn of the Digital Age, there's plenty of life in that old antenna.
"There was almost a sport (in) adjusting your antenna on your TV," Sieberg said.
"Oh yeah, battling it--you know, especially when you had a remote control," Godar laughed. "You'd change the channel and then get up, adjust the antenna!"
... Originally posted at News - Digital Media |
| | 6/15/2009 4:07 PM (158d 14h 40m ago) |
| Sharp's AQUOS D series 10 gets hip with the online kick |
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Bargain LCDs are selling like hotcakes, but apparently folks are still buying the higher-end models too. Just a few weeks after announcing its new A series, Sharp is now releasing another new selection of sets, the AQUOS D 10 series. Ranging in size from 32- to 52-inches, the new LCDs have similar specs to the A, including a 1080p resolution, 15,000:1 contrast ratio, a judder-hating 120Hz mode, and the ability to automatically adjust contrast, but will sport one potentially major addition: compatibility with online video content services. Right now streaming seems limited to Yahoo! Japan's online offerings, but if and when these come Stateside here's hoping they have a little Hulu up in there. All are said to be shipping in Japan right now for an undisclosed price. [Via Akihabara News]Filed under: DisplaysSharp's AQUOS D series 10 gets hip with the online kick originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 May 2009 06:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/11/2009 3:40 PM (193d 15h 7m ago) |
| Panasonic slashes price of 103-inch plasma |
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Finding itself in the odd position of selling a suddenly low-end 103-inch 1080p plasma, Panasonic has responded by cutting the price of the professional model TH-103PF10UK by $20,000 to a mere $50,000. Despite waiting over two years to move to a much more reasonable, mass market price the company has racked up over 6,000 installs of the model, with displays starring at the Democratic National Convention, as virtual air hockey tables, on NBC's Sunday Night Football and Beijing Olympics studio, TNT's NBA Playoffs set and more. This seems like a good time to mention the display is also capable of being matrixed in a 5 x 5 video wall -- and at these prices, we can't see why anyone wouldn't. Of course, they could just be clearing stock to bring out the 150-inch behemoth or a more home oriented TH-103PZ800 model Stateside, so weigh your options carefully.Filed under: Displays, HDTVPanasonic slashes price of 103-inch plasma originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 08:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/08/2009 3:07 PM (196d 15h 40m ago) |
| Samsung's 850 PAVV plasma teases the 1-inch thick mark |
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The plasma industry may be teetering on the edge of certain doom (okay, so maybe that's exaggerating it... a little), but Samsung's still pushing the envelope. Over in South Korea, the company just outed its latest PDPs, the 850 PAVV lineup. Aside from being 40 percent more power efficient, 20 percent lighter and 120 percent more seductive than the prior generation, the new 50- and 58-inch sets also boast DLNA support, a USB 2.0 socket, DivX compatibility and a rather striking stand. The real kicker? The 29 millimeter depth, which equates to just over one inch thick for those who abhor the metric system. There's no word on when these beauties will hit the streets, but we're guessing Panasonic will be keenly interested in knowing.Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home EntertainmentSamsung's 850 PAVV plasma teases the 1-inch thick mark originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 08:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 5/04/2009 4:47 PM (200d 14h ago) |
| Features, style give Samsung LED TV an edge |
| | The high-end Samsung UNB7000 series is a looker. (Credit: CNET)
As HDTVs become more common--some would say commoditized--TV makers go to ever-greater lengths to justify higher price tags. Nobody is going as far as Samsung this year. The company is the only one thus far to announce a full lineup ... |
| | 4/26/2009 4:41 PM (208d 14h 5m ago) |
| Pioneer outlines KURO plasma exit, insinuates that you should buy one now |
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Okay, so maybe that harshly translated version of Pioneer's recent KURO-related press release doesn't actually encourage prospective buyers to snag a unit while they still can, but it may as well have. Following up on the outfit's curious decision to abandon a product line that was universally adored, Pioneer has decided that just four of its PDPs will stay in production until April 11th. After 3,000 or so of the KRP-500A, KRP-500M, KRP-600A and KRP-600M units have been produced, the lines will be shut down and we'll all be invited to what will undoubtedly be a tear-filled memorial service. The company has also made clear that warranty service will still be provided for an undisclosed amount of time (at least in Japan), but there has yet to be a statement made specifically regarding the North American market.[Via Slashgear]Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home EntertainmentPioneer outlines KURO plasma exit, insinuates that you should buy one now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 3/24/2009 7:49 PM (241d 10h 58m ago) |
| Wireless Innoviation: Welcome To Your TV's White Space |
| | The space between the channels on your television is where the future of communication, wireless Internet, and even portable television lives. The potential for these White Spaces is limited only by creativity, ingenuity, and the need for clear rules of the road. The Wireless Innovation Alliance, a coalition of creators, developers, and leaders in technology, urges the FCC to determine and adopt rules that will realize the potential of TV white spaces for us all. |
| | 3/20/2009 5:54 PM (245d 12h 52m ago) |
| Report: Is Best Buy refusing to match prices? |
| | Is Best Buy refusing to honor its own price-matching policy?(Credit: BestBuy.com)
Web site HDGuru.com has published a report describing three separate visits to Best Buy locations where salespeople refused to comply with the store's own price-matching policy.
The report goes on to provide advice to customers ... |
| | 3/18/2009 3:37 AM (248d 3h 9m ago) |
| OLED market set to skyrocket in 2011, says DisplaySearch |
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You've seen the prototypes tucked away in trade show corners, and you've seen the demise of existing generation technologies -- it doesn't take an industry expert to realize that the door is wide open for OLED to walk through. According to a new report from -- who else? -- industry experts, the OLED lighting market is set to boom in 2011, with OLED revenues expected to surpass PMOLED displays in the 2013 / 2014 time frame. Specifically in the OLED TV market, manufacturers are scrambling to assemble large-screen OLED TVs that are even close to affordable, and estimates we've personally heard put those on the market just after the next decade begins. Clearly, the biggest hindrance from OLED domination right now is the prohibitive pricing, but once those XEL-1s are given away inside King Size cereal boxes, we'll really be onto something.Filed under: Displays, HDTVOLED market set to skyrocket in 2011, says DisplaySearch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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| | 3/15/2009 9:26 PM (250d 9h 20m ago) |
| 'Plasma's dead. Should I buy plasma?': Ask the Editors |
| | Is plasma still a safe investment? We say 'yes.'(Credit: Panasonic)Q: "Want to buy a new plasma but don't know that the face of plasma has changed with the withdraw of two of its top players need some advice plasma or LCD?" -- George Carter, via e-mail.
A: Well George, personally I think there's no reason to avoid buying plasma just because Pioneer and Vizio dropped out.
In case you haven't heard, dear reader, George is referring to announcements by Pioneer and Vizio, two companies from the high end and the low end of the plasma market, respectively. Both will no longer produce plasma TVs. Last week comments by an LG exec sparked speculation that that company was next to drop plasma, although a company press release says otherwise, stating that LG will continue with its 2009 plasma releases, including the PS80 series that we selected as a Best of CES finalist.
Despite seemingly dire news for plasma, we expect LG, Samsung and especially Panasonic to sell a lot of plasmas in 2009. And I'll feel perfectly comfortable continuing to recommend people buy them, assuming they score well in reviews.
Plasma is not dead yet.... |
| | 3/05/2009 5:57 PM (260d 12h 49m ago) |
| CNET launches HDTV picture settings forum |
| | We'll tell you where to set the sliders.(Credit: CNET)
Today I'm proud to announce the re-launching of one of our most popular services here at CNET Reviews: providing picture settings for HDTVs. Now and for the foreseeable future, HDTV picture settings information will live in its own dedicated forum at CNET, where readers can search for our official settings to apply to their own TVs. The format also allows readers to post their own settings and share advice on HDTV setup in general.
Click here to check out the new forum and search for your HDTV.
In case you didn't know, I publish the exact picture settings I used my picture quality evaluations and comparisons for every HDTV I review. I arrive at these settings through a formal calibration process, employing high-end equipment and industry-approved methods to adjust the myriad user settings found on today's HDTVs to achieve the best home theater picture for a dark room.
The idea of publishing the official CNET picture settings is to allow owners of the TVs I review to try out my settings at home to see if they like the picture. I won't guarantee that everyone will love the look of the picture produced by these settings, but I will say that the image quality, especially from a color accuracy standpoint, nearly always surpasses that of any of the presets built into the HDTVs themselves. But don't take my word for it; try the settings and see for yourself.... |
| | 3/05/2009 5:54 PM (260d 12h 52m ago) |
| Still waiting for OLED TVs |
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The Sony XEL-1 OLED TV is a beautiful display. Its contrast ratio makes pictures pop, it's thinner than a credit card, but with an 11-inch screen, it's too small, and at $2,500, too expensive.
But it's been a year since it was introduced in January 2008, and as of today, it still has no competitors. Where are they?
Though we've been long promised that the era of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs is just around the corner, it appears we're going to have to wait even longer. The major players in electronics who have the resources to build OLED TVs have been whacked by the global financial meltdown along with the rest of us. In other words, the timing to jump-start a brand new TV technology is terrible.
A year later, the XEL-1 OLED TV from Sony is the only commercially available.(Credit: Sony)
"The cost to manufacture them remains high and will remain high until someone's willing to take the risk to develop their own manufacturing capacity on a large scale," explained Paul Gagnon, TV market analyst for DisplaySearch. "Risky investments are not something most of these companies are looking at right now."
Samsung, Sony, LG Electronics, Toshiba, and Panasonic have at various points promised to make OLED TVs. Only one of them, Sony, has done so. But even Sony's is hardly what most people would call a viable option. It's not the standard size of a TV, and isn't exactly priced for a recession. The other firms have only prototypes to show.
Fading hope
There was some hope that Samsung and Sony would be able to release larger OLED TVs this year. But if they were, they'd have brought them to CES in January in order to stir up excitement for them. That didn't happen. Instead, Sony brought the same 11-inch XEL-1 product that's been available for a year, as well as a 21-inch prototype. Samsung brought out a 40-inch prototype.
It's not that OLED is completely impossible to produce. There are a variety of gadgets sporting OLED screens made by these companies, but they're... |
| | 2/20/2009 11:41 PM (273d 7h 6m ago) |
| Senate Passes Bill to Delay Digital TV Switch: June 12, 2009 is New Date |
| | WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate passed a bill on Monday to delay the nationwide switch to digital TV signals, giving consumers nearly four more months to prepare.The transition date would move to June 12 from February 17 under the bill that was fueled by worries that viewers are not technically ready for the congressionally-mandated switch-over.It also would allow consumers with expired coupons, available from the government to offset the cost of a $40 converter box, to request new coupons. The government ran out of coupons earlier this month, and about 2.5 million Americans are on a waiting list for them.Senate Commerce Chairman John Rockefeller said delaying the TV switch is the right thing to do because the United States is not yet ready to make the transition."The Senate acted responsibly to give the Obama administration time to attempt to bring order to a mismanaged process," the West Virginia Democrat said in a statement.Many lawmakers worry that an estimated 20 million mostly poor, elderly and rural households are not ready for the switch, which requires owners of older television sets receiving over-the-air signals to buy a converter box or subscribe to cable or satellite TV. |
| | 1/27/2009 1:54 AM (298d 4h 52m ago) |
| Samsung PN-B550 plasmas cut energy consumption in half |
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As much as we love plasmas' image quality here at CNET, there's no denying that they're power hogs . However, at CES 2009 we've seen several plasma manufacturers showing off new energy-efficient panels. Like Panasonic's NeoPDP plasmas, the Samsung PN-B550 series of plasmas claim to consume nearly ... Originally posted at CES 2009 |
| | 1/16/2009 5:37 AM (309d 1h 9m ago) |
| CES post-show wrap-up: HDTV |
| | Is plasma dead yet? Not if Panasonic can help it.(Credit: Panasonic)
The television category is a perennial CES staple and this year was no different. For some reason nobody showed a TV bigger than Panasonic's 150-inch plasma from last year (have we maxed out in flat-panel screen size?), but most of the other trends I discussed in the preview were borne out in the show's extensive announcements. Here's my take on what CES 2009 bodes for HDTV this year.
Plasma ain't dead yet. I get more than my share of e-mails, and have seen plenty of blog comments and forum posts that are quick to claim the demise of plasma at the hands of LCD. Judging from CES announcements by companies that comprise the "big three" of plasma--Panasonic, LG and Samsung--those big glass flat panels have a brighter future than Detroit, at least.
Panasonic, by far the biggest and most-committed of the group, bragged about its newest plasma factory (No. 5) coming online, and showed its largest plasma lineup ever, with five new series and a new 54-inch screen size. I'm really excited to review the company's new "NEO PDP" panels, the first of which, members of the S1 series, will ship in March. They boast significantly improved black-level performance and contrast ratios, according to the company, yet manage to cut power consumption in half. If the latter claim proves true, LCD will lose perhaps its biggest arrow in the antiplasma quiver (at least among consumers who care about the planet and are savvy enough to ignore the nonissues).
Absent any announcements by Pioneer (which will come in late spring, most likely), Panasonic's G10 series is probably the surest bet for Editors' Choice of any TV I saw at the show. That's why I awarded it Best of CES in the TV category. In case you're wondering, however, all of the Neo PDP panels, including the least-expensive S1, share the same basic picture-quality specs.... Originally posted at CES 2009 |
| | 1/16/2009 5:35 AM (309d 1h 12m ago) |
| Should I wait 'till the '09 HDTVs come out?: Ask the Editors |
| | Scads of tempting TV hardware was announced at CES, but is it really worth waiting for?(Credit: Panasonic)
Dear David,Just saw your report on the new plasmas from Panasonic at CES. I was all set to get an TH-50PZ800U, your current Editors' Choice, but these look better. Should I wait or buy the 800U now?--Anonymous, New York City
Howdy Anonymous,
If I was in your situation I would wait for the new models, but if you're a bargain hunter, then there's no better time to buy than now.
Every year around this time, the flood of new gadgets announced at the January Consumer Electronics Show washes the diligently researched product picks from the wish lists of thousands of careful shoppers. The product you had your heart set on suddenly looks obsolete in the face of the latest and greatest, and the CES hype machine (guilty as charged) somehow makes even the lowliest entry-level gear seem shinier and more desirable than the cobweb-encrusted former flagships rotting away on store shelves today.
Every year improvements are made, such as the "better picture quality for half the power" claimed by Panasonic with its plasmas; the new 240Hz and LED-backlit LCDs, at least one for a formerly unheard-of price; and the addition of Netflix streaming. But are the improvements worth it?
... |
| | 1/16/2009 5:34 AM (309d 1h 12m ago) |
| Photos: Samsung's new LED-backlit LCDs |
| | Samsung's new LCDs are super slim and feature LED-backlighting. Have a look at the sets from all angles in the gallery below. And for more information, check out our full CES coverage of the LN-B8000, LN-B7000, and LN-B6000 series.
Samsung's new LED-backlit LCDs
... |
| | 1/09/2009 4:31 PM (315d 14h 16m ago) |
| Blue Shirts to solve digital TV transition |
| | Geeks and nerds need not apply, but if you're still one of those facing your 10-year-old analog TV every night, I have some news.
You don't want to have this TV after February 17, 2009.(Credit: Tech Liberation)
On Tuesday, Best Buy announced that it will host workshops ... |
| | 11/17/2008 4:28 PM (368d 14h 18m ago) |
| More Energy-Star TVs for Sale under New Ratings System |
| | The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its new rating system for energy-efficient televisions on November 1st, deeming 229 models Energy Star-compliant. New guidelines address the "phantom load," or energy drain when switched "off." According to The Daily Green, "275 million TVs in American account for a staggering 4 percent of electricity consumed" and "some models can consume as much as a refrigerator, traditionally the most electricity-hungry appliance in the home. That means that not only is the price tag of the television you buy important, but its ongoing energy costs." Before you buy a new TV, visit the Energy Star Web site for a list of compliant televisions, which are more than 30 percent more efficient than non-compliant sets. Qualifying are 19 plasma models (most of them by Panasonic), 199 LCD models, and 11 "other", like a line of Samsung TVs. |
| | 11/14/2008 3:08 PM (371d 15h 38m ago) |
| Netflix, Samsung partner on video streaming |
| | (Credit: Samsung)
Samsung is adding the ability to stream Netflix videos and Pandora's online music service to its latest Blu-ray players. Starting today, a free firmware update will add both services to the BD-P2550. (The nearly identical BD-P2500 will get Netflix support, but not Pandora.) The Samsung players join ... |
| | 10/27/2008 7:39 PM (389d 11h 8m ago) |
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| Holiday season reminder: Buy cheap HDMI cables |
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In the bustle of holiday shopping, it's easy to be persuaded by the salesperson at your local retailer that you need to buy a $50 HDMI cable to make your new gear work. They might say the expensive cable "supports faster speeds," "has better video quality," or that "cheap ... |
| | 12/15/2008 5:01 PM (340d 13h 45m ago) |
| Buying Guide: LCD or Plasma HDTVs: Which to Choose? |
| | Here's a simple guide to figuring out which type of flat screen is best for your home.The war between plasma and LCD flat-panel TVs rages on, and no doubt you've heard the propaganda from both camps. While LCD has traditionally been more expensive than plasma at the larger sizes, that gap is diminishing -making other factors such as performance and features more significant. We'll take you through the pros and cons of each technology to help you make the important decision: whether to buy a plasma or LCD television?Read the complete plasma vs. LCD guide by Krissy Rushing, Digital Trends here. |
| | 12/11/2008 9:04 PM (344d 9h 43m ago) |
| Ask the Editors: Does calibration reduce power consumption? |
| | (Credit: CNET)
Q: I heard that TV calibration could reduce energy consumption and therefore reduce costs to operate. Do you have any evidence of that?
--Scott, via e-mailA: Yes it does and yes I do, but first it's worth mentioning that you don't necessarily need to pay hundreds of dollars for a professional calibration to get the savings.
What saves energy and operating costs, as well as increases product lifespan, is reducing light output. That's typically controlled by the contrast or "picture" control and, in an LCD TV, the backlight control. Since calibration usually involves reducing light output from the very bright default picture settings, it will generally result in cost savings. The picture is still plenty bright after calibration, especially for the kind of darkened home theater environment more conducive to watching movies, it's just not as blindingly bright as the default modes often used to compete with other TVs on the showroom floor.
... |
| | 11/03/2008 5:35 PM (382d 13h 12m ago) |
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