Three-dimensional high-definition television. Superthin TVs. Bendable TVs. These and other visions of the future abounded at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Panasonic’s 3-D FHD
On the floor of the huge trade show, 3-D TV popped out in multidimensional splendor. Virtually every major manufacturer showed at least one 3-D model, including Sony, LG and Samsung. That’s the good news for 3-D fans.
The bad news is there were few, if any, details about technologies or rollouts. News reports have indicated that Sony, for instance, hasn’t decided which technology it wants to use. LG showed several 3-D monitors that require special glasses and represent several different technologies.
An exception is Panasonic, which announced a 3-D Full HD Plasma Home Theater System (3-D FHD) earlier this week. It uses a 103-inch plasma HDTV and a Blu-ray DVD player that distributes high-definition images to each eye. A special pair of active shutter glasses work in sync with the TV, an experience which Panasonic said provides twice the volume of information as regular full high-def images.
Bob Perry, executive vice president of Panasonic Consumer Electronics, said “plasma is currently the only TV capable of delivering a 3-D Full HD experience, due in great part to its ability to refresh at a speed which enables multiple image display without loss of resolution.”
TVs with very high refresh rates were a separate theme at the show, including a 240-Hz set from Sony that eclipses the 120-Hz high-end sets now on the market. The higher rate, much faster than a standard, 60-Hz set, eliminates blur that sometimes happens during fast-moving shots. But Sony’s attempt to be top dog in refresh rates was topped by a 480-Hz set from LG Electronics.
Wireless TV
For those who hate dealing with the wires that accompany TVs, several wireless sets were shown that handle high-def signals….