New Blu-ray DVD players—one for under $300

While the latest Blu-ray players from several major brands aren't doing anything to lower the price barrier for Blu-ray ownership, Magnavox has introduced the first sub-$300 model, which is selling at Wal-Mart.

However, many models, including the Magnavox, are Profile 1.1 players that offer BonusView (picture-in-picture) capability, but not the Internet-access capability (called BDLive) of Profile 2.0 players. Even at lower prices, we still believe that holding off a bit longer—when fully featured players are both more plentiful and cheaper—makes the most sense for the majority of us. (Find other helpful buying advice in our "How to choose a high-def DVD player.")

But these all-inclusive players are now on the way. For example, Panasonic's newest standalone player is a Profile 2.0 model, and Samsung's new standalone model, a Profile 1.1 player, can be upgraded later this year to meet the Profile 2.0 specifications.

The down side, however, is that these players are still relatively expensive: $400 for the Samsung model, and $700 for the Panasonic. With the exception of the new Maganavox, the least expensive new Blu-ray players, even those from secondary brands, are $350. It's possible, though, that the introduction of the Magnavox model will put pressure on those second-tier brands manufacturers to get their player prices below $300.

Magnavox: Under $300 at Wal-Mart

The new Magnavox model, made by increasingly busy contract manufacturer Funai, has been sighted at Wal-Mart at a retail price of $298. The player, model NB500MG9, is a BonusView model that features 1080p/24 output (which sends film-base video at its native 24 frames-per-second rate to a TV or projector that can accept it; therefore, no conversion—3:2 pulldown—is needed to match the video to a TV’s 60 fps display). The Funai website has the owner's manual for the NB500MG9 (You'll need Adobe Acrobat, however.) if you'd like to see all of its features.

Toshiba Cuts Prices on All its HD DVD Players

Marketing ploy, or last-ditch effort to stem the tide toward Blu-ray?

Toshiba has cut prices on its three HD DVD players to $150 for its entry-level model to $300 for the top-of-the-line unit. The company says it reduced everyday prices because of success with promotional pricing over the holidays.

However, the timing of the cuts—just two weeks after Warner Bros. announced that it would support Blu-ray exclusively—could just as easily be taken as a last-ditch effort to keep HD DVD alive. Price cuts could boost the installed base of HD DVD players enough to keep the two studios still exclusively backing the format, Paramount/DreamWorks and Universal, in its camp.

The new HD DVD pricing is already in effect. The entry-level 1080i model, the HD-A3 (click on image above for a closer look.), is now $150, and the step-up 1080p model, the HD-A30, is now $200. The flagship HD-A35 player is now priced at $300. Toshiba is still running its free software promotion, which gives HD DVD buyers a choice of five free HD DVD titles from a list of 15 movies. To help bolster education and satisfaction with HD DVD players, Toshiba recently launched an "HD DVD Concierge" program, which provides a toll-free number where customers can receive answers to general questions or help using a player.

Given the uncertain future of the HD DVD format, it's hard to recommend purchasing an HD DVD player, even at the lower price. However, if you need to replace a standard-def DVD (and weren't really considering a high-def model), an HD DVD player could be an option if you can find one at close to the same price. These players will play—and upconvert—standard DVDs, and a decent library of high-def movies in this format is still available. And if HD DVD loses the format war, there may be some great deals on HD DVD movies as retailers clean out their inventories.

—James K. Willcox

CES 2008: Puzzling Products

I've been at this longer than most product evaluators—and WAY longer than most bloggers—so when I see a new product, I look past the flashy demos and colorful brochures, and ask some fundamental questions: Does this product improve upon, or at least match, what has gone before? Does it fill a need—real or perceived—in its intended market? Does it have the potential to enhance one's quality of life? Is it good value for the money? Does it fulfill its claims? Is it environmentally friendly?

As we browse the tumult of hundreds of small companies' booths at CES, we have to quickly filter out those of interest, which I do by categorizing the featured products in about a second or two. If the process takes longer, it's often because my eye falls on something puzzling, usually because one of my fundamental questions pops out. Here are a few of the products and ideas I saw here at CES, that I struggle with trying to figure out "what were they thinking?" I don't mention brands, because in most cases, there is more than one manufacturer producing something similar. Go figure…

Mirrored TV screens. I first saw this in a superstore in London, where traditional home décor and electronics clash. Now it's in the U.S. Put your flat-screen TV behind a one-way (half-silvered) mirror, and it disappears when it's shut off. But when the TV is on, that mirror still reflects light-colored objects—walls, clothing, furniture—negating efforts by the TV maker to design a nice, high-contrast image with deep blacks. More, the silvered glass blocks much of the light, making the image dim. (Click on the image at right for a closer look at what I saw on while walking the CES exhibit floors.) You could watch in the dark, but if you're willing to do that, you might as well use a front-projection TV, which would also solve the problem of the screen being visible.

Wide-screen digital photo frames. Nearly all digital cameras take pictures with a "standard" aspect ratio, usually 4:3 or 3:2, nearly matching traditional film and photo shapes, as well as picture frames. So, why are so many of the new digital photo frames we're seeing have screens shaped more like HDTV's 16:9 aspect ratio? Set to use the whole screen, they chop off bit of the top and bottom of each photo. Set to show the whole photo, they have black bars on the sides. (If you have Flash software installed, you can view our recent online video review of new digital picture frames for good examples of this, as well as the "mirror effect" described above.) Vertical photos have even larger black bars and are smaller than they would be on a 4:3 screen of the same area.

Inch-diameter speaker cables made of exotic materials. If your speakers were hundreds of feet away from your sound system, heavy cables (click on image at right for a closer look) would make sense, as the resistance of thin wire causes power loss and can affect the sound. But, for home use, anything short of a 50-foot cable run needs only the thinner 14- to 16-gauge cable that sells for about 50 cents a foot at your local Radio Shack.

Proprietary protocols instead of standards. Standards for wireless connectivity—such as Wi-Fi and WiMax for mobile networking, HomePlug for power-line networks, and Insteon and Z-Wave for home controls—are developed for two main reasons. First, standards ensure that products from different manufacturers can be made to work with each other. Second, they help ensure that a standards-based device doesn't interfere with another standards-based device that may be operating nearby. Some manufacturers violate standards to gain a small edge in performance over competitors, but that edge usually only applies when working with other products from the same manufacturer, and often disappears in real world situations anyway.

10,000-watt subwoofer amplifiers for cars. Sorry, but I just had to include this one. Call me a curmudgeon, but a product that violates every one of my fundamental issues just begs mentioning.

—Dean Gallea, Senior Program Leader

CES 2008: Mitsubishi Unveils LaserTV

During a CES press event that was long on theatrics but short on details, Mitsubishi unveiled its much-awaited—and oft-delayed—rear-projection microdisplay TV that uses a laser light engine, instead of a conventional UHP lamp. Dubbed LaserTV, the DLP-based set can display a much broader range of colors than current high-definition televisions, the company claimed.

Lasers can produce far more accurate light than conventional lamps. While an average TV can display only 40 percent or less of the visible color spectrum, laser TVs can produce twice that, Mitsubishi said. Like LEDs, the use of colored lasers obviates the need for a spinning color wheel, which can cause the rainbow effect. Lasers will also likely last the life of the set and are more energy efficient than high-powered lamps.

Unfortunately, the company didn't offer many details about LaserTV, other than promising availability by year's end—which is what they said last year, too. The set on display was a 65-inch DLP model, but there was no information about what screen sizes will be offered or how much the sets will cost.

Perhaps the biggest issue, however, is that the demand for any rear-projection technology has been in a rapid free-fall, with some TV manufacturers pegging 2008 demand at only 650,000 units. That's a far cry from the more than 23 million flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs that sold this year—and one reason why more manufacturers, most recently Sony, have exited the category.

During the event, Mitsubishi also showed off the set's ability to present 3D images, teaming up with 3D technology company RealD, which provided 3D shutter glasses and custom 3D content.

—James K. Willcox

CES 2008: A third high-def DVD format emerges

Just as the DVD format war seems to be ending, with Blu-ray claiming victory over HD DVD, here comes a new format using red lasers—the technology in audio CD players—instead of the blue lasers used by the other high-def DVD formats.

A company called New Media Enterprises (NME) has started shipping its red-laser high-def players in the U.S. The HD VMD players are currently available only from the NMEStore.com and PCRush.com, at a retail price of $199. The players will ship with the films Mother Ghost and Cutting Room. In addition to playing high-def discs, which they can output at 1080p, the VMD players can upconvert standard DVD content. The red-laser discs can hold up to 30GB of content on a single side, more than either Blu-ray or HD DVD discs.

[Jan. 11, 2007 UPDATE: Both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs hold substantially more digital data than red-laser based discs. We regret the error. —Ed.]

It's not clear what additional movies will be available or whether any of the major studios will back the format. Given the confusion resulting from the Blu-ray/HD DVD competition, it's hard to imagine widespread support for yet another format. But NME said it recently signed a deal with SFM Entertainment for rare and classic film and TV titles to be available in the HD VMD format.

Meanwhile, the Blu-ray Disc Association trumpeted its success in its first public statement since Warner announced it would no longer support HD DVD. Last year, Blu-ray players represented 85 percent of sales, compared to 15 percent for HD DVD models. Blu-ray's sales were largely propelled by the inclusion of Sony's PlayStation 3 game console, which accounted for 3 million of the 3.5 million units sold. Blu-ray has a three-to-one edge over HD DVD in the U.S., 10 to one in Europe, and 100 to 1 in Japan.

Danny Kaye, Executive Vice President, Research and Technology for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment said Blu-ray unit sales will rise to 6 million—4 million PS3 units and 2 million dedicated players—by the end of 2008. Based on historical sales of VCRs and DVD players, Kaye said, 2010-2011 will be the year when high-def player sales begin to overtake sales of standard DVD players.

Movie sales are similarly weighted toward Blu-ray discs. The association reported that its movie titles outsold HD DVD discs in 2007 by a margin of nearly two to one in the U.S. and by nearly three to one in Europe. Citing sales figures from Home Media Research, an independent marketing firm, the Blu-ray group said that Blu-ray titles outsold HD DVD titles every single week of the year.

—James K. Willcox

CES 2008: Life in the third dimension

Though it's a challenge to identify significant trends in the hardware at this year's CES, there's one that has been creeping up on us for a few years and could break through as the "next big thing"—if the industry gets it right. It's 3-D TV.

Digital TVs have gotten big, bright and sharp enough, by anyone's measure. But, though sales have been anything but flat, the picture on the screen still is. Movie and game producers would like to change that, and bring the enveloping visual experience you might have seen in a 3-D IMAX film into your living room.

Presented well, as in a few of the CES demonstrations we've watched, 3-D can be strikingly effective in drawing you closer to the action, adding realism and depth to scenes, especially ones portraying movement towards or away from the viewer. The degree of 3-D's enhancement to video is much like the move from monophonic sound to stereo was in the 1950's, at least in this viewer's experience.

The "magic" needed for 3-D is simply to have a slightly different view of the content presented to your left and right eyes, just as you see in real life. The technology is actually waiting, in some new TVs from big makers like Samsung and Mitsubishi, labeled "3D-Ready." These DLP or plasma TVs can show successive images fast enough to allow alternating right-eye and left-eye views while keeping the motion smooth. (LCD TVs are currently unable to switch images quickly enough for this kind of 3-D.)

Two more devices need to be added on to a 3D-Ready TV to complete the picture. First, you need special glasses that can rapidly switch each lens from clear to opaque in sync with the TV images. Second, you need a special DVD player—or game console, or PC adapter—that can feed the 3-D content to the TV. We expect to see the home-theater and gaming industries trickle out add-on systems—perhaps later this year—that will enable 3-D viewing.

Of course, you'll need to have the content itself. Some movies already "in the can," both animated ones like Polar Express and live-action ones like Beowulf, were produced in 3-D versions. These movies will probably be released on 3-D-enabled Blu-Ray discs.

And, most games produced today, for either computers or game consoles, are easily adapted for 3-D presentation. In fact, there are already several technologies being applied to computer displays that can present game graphics in 3-D. (Our upcoming tests of displays will include one of these.) Each of these technologies has its limitations, and it remains to be "seen" which ones prove to be practical and effective enough to catch on.

—Dean Gallea, Senior Program Leader

CES 2008: New HD entertainment service coming soon

XStream Looks to the Sky for New HD Service

Look out DirecTV and Dish: A start-up company called XStream HD said yesterday at CES that it will launch a new satellite-based high-def entertainment service by the end of this year. The service, called XStreamHD, will deliver movies, TV, music, games, and other forms of entertainment in high-definition—including some content in Full HD 1080p resolution—and 7.1-channel surround sound.

The system consists of a small outdoor satellite antenna, an in-home media server, and an XStream media receiver. Already-orbiting satellites deliver multiple streams of Full HD content to the antenna. Signals are then routed to a wall-mountable, in-home media server, where they're stored in what the company calls a Virtual Personal Library. The library can gradually learn your preferences and  anticipate and store movies or programs matching your profile. When you want  to view a movie or show, the content is then delivered to the media receiver, which connects to a TV via an HDMI connection. When a title arrives, you have the option of renting or purchasing it.

At the heart of the system is proprietary compression technology that allows massive amounts of data to be delivered to the home. This allows for high-quality picture and sound—full 1080p video and up to 7.1 channels of lossless audio. The media server has three digital ATSC tuners plus DVR functionality, so you can record up to three HDTV broadcasts—in 720p  and 1080i—while watching a fourth program stored on the server. You can watch up to four Full HD streams simultaneously throughout the home using gigabit Ethernet. The base system, with 500MB GB of storage, is expected to be offered at an introductory price of $399.

[JAN. 18, 2007 UPDATE: The XStreamHD media server will have 500-gigabytes of storage, not, 500-megabytes as previously stated. We regret the confusion.—Ed.]

Several questions remain unanswered. It appears that cable programming won't be available via the service, so it won't be a true all-encompassing media hub. Also, pricing for the service itself wasn't  announced, nor were any of the movie studios that will be supporting the service. And at least initially, the system will be sold direct to consumers—no retail stores will carry the system—so installation will have to be handled by third-party installers.

At a press event featuring actor Michael Douglas, an investor in the company, XStream announced that launch partners would include DTS and Seagate Technology. The system will support DTS-HD Master Audio and features Seagate slide-out hard drives with up to 1 terabyte (TB) of storage.

—James K. Willcox

CES 2008: The news from JVC, Westinghouse and Vizio

JVC gets thin, Westinghouse goes wireless, Vizio heads uptown

Announcements by JVC, Westinghouse, and Vizio underscore a few of the key TV trends we've been seeing here at CES: thinner sets, wireless connectivity, and higher-end features moving into the mainstream.

JVC entered the "we are the thinnest LCD TV in the world" contest with a new thin-line series of LCD TVs that measure just 1.5 inches across the top of the cabinet and under 3 inches at the panel's center. (Click on image at right for a closer look.) The 42-inch LT-42SL89 and the 46-inch LT-46SL89, both 1080p models, also have a very thin bezel. They weigh less than conventional LCDs (under 27 pounds for the 42-incher) and consume less power, the company said. The slim design was enabled by JVC's development of a new space-saving backlight and chassis.

Westinghouse hit CES with the news that it was partnering with a company called Pulse-Link to deliver what it called "the world’s first fully integrated" wireless HDTV. The LCD uses ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology, called Wireless HDMI, to send audio and HD-quality video signals from a source component, such as a DVD player or cable or satellite box, to the TV.

The set, which will initially be released as a commercial product, reflects the growing trend of wireless-enabled TVs we're seeing here at the show. The key advantage is that once a TV is untethered from its source components, it can be mounted anywhere in a room without having to worry about cabling (except for the power cord).

Vizio showed seven new plasma models, including well-priced 50- and 60-inch 1080p sets. The company says the 50-inch set, the VP504F, is the first plasma to incorporate the Silicon Optix high-performance HQV Reon video processor. The chip will also be used in the 60-inch model (VP605F). These new 1080p sets, which have four HDMI 1.3 inputs, come with a 6-foot HDMI cable. They will be available in June with estimated selling prices of $1,699 and $2,899, respectively.

Vizio also announced a new VP series of 720p plasma sets, including the 32-inch VP322 ($689), 42-inch VP422 ($999), 42-inch VP423 ($999), and 50-inch VP503 ($1,399). The two 42-inch models are similar, but one will be sold in mass merchants such as Wal-Mart, while the other will be available in warehouse clubs and electronics chains. The company also reintroduced its all-in-one 720p "Jive" VP500 TV, plus a new Jive model, the VP501, which has 1080p resolution. The Jive sets are 50-inch plasma models that include a full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound system. The VP500 is priced at $1,800, but final pricing for the 1080p model hasn't yet been set.

—James K. Willcox

Flat-panel TVs take center stage

Like a fashion model married to a rich mobster, TVs this year promise to be thin, stylish, and connected. At least that's the conclusion after the first day's press conferences at the Consumer Electronics Show here in Las Vegas.

Flat panels are getting thinner, with several companies here at the show vying for the bragging rights to the thinnest TV (making a micrometer an unexpectedly in-demand item among some journalists). The width of the bezels surrounding the screen is shrinking as well, enabling larger screens to fit into smaller spaces. Meanwhile, manufacturers are striving to differentiate their TVs with superior sound, a challenge given the ever-decreasing amount of cabinet real estate to house speakers.

There's also a heightened focus on design, with several companies using highly stylized cabinet designs, unique trim accents, and splashes of colors, perhaps in acknowledgment that TVs are morphing into lifestyle products. It will be interesting to see if the now-standard high-gloss piano black gives way to something more daring in the coming year.

But perhaps the most notable TV trend so far at the show is the growing number of TVs with some form of connectivity, either to the Internet or to other devices in the home. Some manufacturers are looking to deliver this content wirelessly, via several competing standards, while others are turning to wired technologies such as home AC power lines to send and receive audio and video throughout the home. We expect to see even more of these types of TVs this fall, when manufacturers refresh their lineups.

Higher-performance features such as 1080p resolution and 120 Hz technology in LCDs are migrating from pricey step-up models to more mainstream sets. In LCD, 1080p resolution is making its way into sets as small as 32 inches, although it's arguable what the real benefit will be to the average consumer (game players notwithstanding).

Here's a quick overview of some of the highlights from the first day's press conferences. We'll providing regular updates about the various announcements made throughout the show this week.

Wal-Mart Black Friday Ads Lack Last Year’s Fireworks

After weeks of speculation, Wal-Mart unveiled its Black Friday ad early this morning, and while it isn’t short on great buys—including, for example, a sub-$800 42-inch 1080p LCD and a sub-$1,400 50-inch 720p plasma—it seemed to lack the punch of last year’s promotion, which triggered severe price drops on a highly rated Panasonic 42-inch plasma HDTV.

This year, TV promotions are centered largely on models from Polaroid, a secondary brand whose models haven’t done particularly well in CR’s HDTV Ratings. For example, as part of a Friday-only, 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. doorbuster sale, Wal-Mart is offering a 42-inch 1080p Polaroid LCD TV for $798, while a 32-inch 720p Polaroid LCD TV is priced at $448. Other TV deals good only during that time include a $448 26-inch Polaroid LCD TV/DVD combo, and a $198 Emerson LCD TV.

For those looking a set from a major brand, Wal-Mart has a 50-inch Philips 720p plasma for $1,397, a $1,196 46-inch 720p LCD model from RCA, a 37-inch Sanyo LCD TV for $847, and a 32-inch Samsung LCD set for $796. While we don’t know the specific models, Samsung has consistently been one of the top-rated LCD brands, and Philips’ plasma models have typically been very good. LCD models from RCA and Sanyo haven’t done quite as well, although both have been solid performers that are often good values.

Other electronics sale items include:

• a $198 Panasonic DVD camcorder
• a $145 Magnavox DVD recorder
• a $30 Magnavox upconverting DVD player
• a $50 8-inch portable DVD player from an unspecified brand
• a $129 Garmin StreetPilot c330 portable GPS
• a $199 8.1-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S51 digital camera
• a $149 Polaroid 8-megapixel camera and 6-inch digital photo frame bundle
• a $50 8-inch digital photo frame from Venturer
• a $119 HP digital camera (5megapixel) and printer bundle
• a $398 Compaq Presario desktop PC with 1GB of memory and a 17-inch monitor
• and a choice of either a 15.4-inch AMD Turion-powered notebook PC or an Athlon-powered desktop PC with a 19-inch widescreen monitor—both from Dell—for $598.

In addition to these advertised specials, Wal-Mart says it will have “secret” in-store specials for both Friday and Saturday, which will be revealed on the walmart.com website on Thanksgiving day. The chain’s Black Friday specials are good only while supplies last, and a disclaimer mentions that brands could vary by store.

—James K. Willcox

Black Friday HDTV Deals from CompUSA, Staples

Black Friday ads leaked for computer chains CompUSA and Staples show that both stores will have a select number of TV deals available during special limited-hour in-store sales events.

CompUSA is running a two-day pre-Thanksgiving sale this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 16 and 17), during which you can get a 50-inch Zenith plasma HDTV (Z50PX2D) for $1,000 and a 19-inch Envision LCD monitor for $140.

The store will open on Thanksgiving for just three hours, from 9:00 p.m. until midnight, then reopen at 5 a.m. on Friday morning. Specials include the 37-inch Olevia 537H LCD TV for $600; this model did very well in our tests. Other electronics deals include a $500 Athlon-based HP notebook PC with 2GB of RAM, a 22-inch Envision widescreen LCD PC monitor for $150, a $45 7-inch digital photo frame, a $60 7-inch portable DVD player, and a $148 Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS.

On Black Friday, TV deals from CompUSA include a 47-inch 1080p LCD TV from LG Electronics for $1,500 after a $500 instant savings. While we haven’t tested this model, the LG 47LC7DF, another 47-inch LG 1080p TV did very well. A 26-inch LG LCD TV will cost $600 after $150 instant savings, and Sharp’s 46-inch 1080p LC-46D64U LCD set will cost $1,700 after $800 instant savings. Samsung TV deals include the 50-inch HP-T5044 plasma for $1,300—$100 less than at Best Buy's or Circuit City's Black Friday sales. We haven’t tested this particular model, but Samsung plasma TVs have consistently done very well in our tests. Samsung’s 46-inch LN-T4661F, CR’s top-rated 1080p LCD TV, will be $2,000.

You’ll have to be an early bird to get a deal at Staples’ sale, which runs from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Friday. If supplies last, you could walk away with an unspecified 42-inch LCD TV for $800, while a 32-inch model is $450. Both sets appear to be Envision models.

Other Staples deals include a $350 Intel-powered Compaq notebook computer with 1GB of RAM and a 17-inch Acer LCD monitor for $90.

—James K. Willcox

Plasma TVs on Black Friday: How Low Can You Go?

A sneak preview of the Black Friday circulars from the largest electronics retailers shows that plasma TVs will once again be at the center of promotional activity this Thanksgiving weekend. And you won’t have to settle for a little-known off-brand to get a great deal: Leading the Black Friday charge are sub-$1,000 42-inch plasmas from Panasonic, consistently one of our top-rated brands.

Best Buy, for example, is offering Panasonic’s TH-42PE7U model at a doorbuster special price of only $900. We couldn’t find that model number within Panasonic’s model listings (apparently it’s a Black Friday special made especially for Best Buy), but Panasonic plasma TVs in our Ratings have been top-notch. If you venture to Circuit City for its six-hour special, you’ll see the TH-42PX75U—the smaller sibling of a CR Best Buy model—for $1,000.

If you want to buy either of these plasma sets, plan to be among the first in line when the stores open at 5:00 a.m. on Friday. Best Buy says it will have at least 15 sets per store, while Circuit only states that quantities are limited. Neither chain will offer rainchecks or substitutions on promotional items like these.

You won’t be disappointed if you’re looking for a bigger screen. At both Circuit City and Best Buy, the 50-inch Samsung HPT5044 plasma set will be $1,400, while a 50-inch Zenith (Z50P3) will be only $1,000. We haven’t tested this particular Samsung, but its plasma TVs have consistently done very well in our tests. We haven’t tested any Zenith plasmas.

LCD sets will be well-represented in the stores as well. Among the sale items you’ll find at Circuit City are the Sharp 46-inch LC-46D64U, a 720p set, for $1,300 and the 52-inch LC-52D64U with 1080p resolution for $2,200. (All TVs mentioned in this blog are 720p unless specified as 1080p.) Several LCD sets from Sharp, one of the biggest names in LCDs, have done very well in our recent Ratings, though others—especially older sets—have been middling.

[11.15.07 Update: As pointed out in the comments below, the Sharp LC-46D64U is a 1080p set.-Ed.]

Here are some additional HDTV deals at Circuit City for Black Friday:
• a 42-inch Sharp LCD (LC-42D43U, Sharp’s budget line) for $800
• a 32-inch Sharp LCD HDTV (LC-32SH12U) for $600
• a 40-inch Polaroid LCD (PLD 4011-TLXB) $700 (Polaroid has been a lower-rated brand in our tests)
• a 32-inch Element LCD TV, $400
• a 50-inch Samsung SlimDLP rear-projection HDTV (HL-T5075S), $800 (Samsung has been one of the better-rated rear-projection TV brands)
• a 65-inch Toshiba rear-projection DLP set for $1,500 (Toshiba has been a top-rated rear-projection brand in our tests)

In other deals, Circuit City will be offering a Samsung Blu-ray player (BDP-1400) for $378, a $180 JVC MiniDV camcorder, a $100 Mio portable GPS, and $300 Compaq Pentium notebook PC with 1GB of RAM and a free printer and router, and $230 Acer Pentium D desktop PC with a 17-inch LCD.

Here are some additional Black Friday HDTV deals being offered at Best Buy:

• a 47-inch Westinghouse 1080p LCD (TX-47F430S) for $1,300 (a CR-tested model, this one has very good overall picture quality)
• a 42-inch HP 1080p LCD (LC4276N) for $997 (a low-rated CR model)
• a 37-inch Dynex LCD for $630
• a 32-inch Philips LCD (32PFL5332D) for $600
• a 26-inch Magnavox LCD TV/DVD combo $480
• a 65-inch Mitsubishi 1080p DLP rear-projection HDTV (WD-65733) for $1,500 (we recently tested a step-up model, the WD-65734, which did very well).

Other electronics deals include:
• a $200 Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player (with 7 free movies)
• a $400 Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray player (with 7 free movies)
• a $150 Panasonic MiniDV camcorder (PV-GS80)
• a $400 Sony notebook computer with a 15.3-inch screen, 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive
• a $200 eMachines Celeron desktop PC with a 17-inch monitor, 1GB of RAM and a free a Canon all-in-one color printer
• a $400 Compaq Pentium desktop computer with a 17-inch widescreen monitor and Canon all-in-one color printer
• a $120 TomTom One LE GPS
• a $75 Samsung 1080p upconverting DVD player
• a $99 500-watt 5.1-channel Sony receiver
• a $200 300-watt Harmon Kardon 5.1-channel 1080p receiver

As always, we’ll continue looking out for the best deals on our best-rated HDTVs.

—James K. Willcox

CEDIA News: Sony, JVC & Mitsubishi Show Off New 1080p Projectors

As part of a continuing effort to offer heart-pounding big-screen excitement without the equally heart-stopping prices, Sony, JVC and Mitsubishi are coming out with new, better-performing 1080p front projectors at the same, or lower, prices as current models. The announcements were made at last week's CEDIA trade show in Denver.

These models, however, don't match the new entry-level 1080p price points previously announced at the show by companies including Epson, Optoma and Sanyo (see the previous CEDIA projector blog here.) They do, however, in some instances include higher-end features, such as name-brand video processors and bumped-up brightness and contrast ratios.

Sony hit the show with the news that it was already replacing its popular VPL-VW50 projector--CR’s highest-rated model--with a new one, the Bravia VPL-VW60. Despite improvements, which include better brightness, improved contrast and newly designed SXRD (LCoS) panels, it carries the same $5,000 price tag. Sony also showed a super-high-end model, the VPL-VW200, which will sell for about $15,000. The VW60 is available this month, while the VW200 debuts in November.

Mitsubishi also showed up with a replacement, the HC6000, which kicks the current HC5000 model to the curb starting next month. Priced less than $4,000, the 3LCD projector has an improved iris and better contrast, the company said, along with two HDMI connectors, a powered lens shift and zoom, and built-in Silicon Optix HQV video processing.

JVC took a slightly higher priced road with two 1080p three-chip D-ILA projectors that use new LCoS-based D-ILA chips and sport 30,000:1 native (not dynamic) contrast ratios, the company claimed. However, only one model--the DLA-HD100--is destined for traditional consumer electronics retail stores (the other will be sold to integrators and custom installers). Features include HDMI 1.3 inputs, built-in Gennum VXP video processing and the ability to stretch 2.35:1 images to fill 16:9 screens, thereby avoiding black bars above and below the image. Price wasn’t completely finalized, although the company said it would be somewhere south of $8,000 when it becomes available in November.

While 1080p is currently state of the art, JVC won the “spoiler” award at the show by offering a demo of an even higher resolution now on the horizon. Dubbed “Quad HD” by some as it boasts four times the resolution of 1080p projectors, the JVC prototype projector offered a 4000x2000p image that looked absolutely stunning. During its CEDIA press conference, JVC said the “4Kx2K” projector was initially being developed for professional applications, such as airline flight training, but that it could eventually find its way into home theaters. We can’t wait. On second thought, given the anticipated price, maybe we can.

--James K. Willcox

Blu-ray, HD DVD at CEDIA: We're Both Winning

It appears that the battle between the two high-definition DVD formats, Blu-ray and HD DVD, is no closer to resolution than it was last year, judging by events at the CEDIA trade show yesterday. The good news is that continued competition between the two camps, along with the arrival of high-def DVD players from more manufacturers (including some Chinese companies), could drive prices lower. At least 10 new players were announced here at the show, with prices as low as $300.

Both HD DVD and Blu-ray backers claim to have the lead at this point. Toshiba said it had the number-one market share (55 percent) among all high-def DVD player companies. That’s not surprising, given that Toshiba has been the only company selling HD DVD players up till now, while Blu-ray sales are split among several different manufacturers. However, Sony declared that Blu-ray was clearly winning the battle, with Blu-ray movies outselling HD DVD titles by a margin of two to one.

Market research by NPD Group, presented by Toshiba at their event, gives a mixed picture. The study showed that potential buyers favored HD DVD three to one over Blu-Ray (33 percent to 16 percent). More telling, in my opinion, was that the majority of survey respondents, 51 percent, were still on the fence about which format they preferred.

That isn’t stopping manufacturers from introducing new models. Toshiba said it will be adding three new HD DVD players to its line this fall: a 1080i model, the HD-A3, available in October for $300; a step-up $400 1080p model, the HD-A30, available this month; and the top-tier $500 HD-A35, a 1080p model due out in October with a few extra features, such as support for Deep Color, high-resolution audio and 5.1-channel audio outputs. All three players have Ethernet ports for connecting to the Internet and come with two free movies: Warner’s 300 and Universal’s The Bourne Identity. Buyers can choose an additional five titles from a list of 15 they’ll receive as a mail-in offer.

Sony announced two new BD players and a Blu-ray home entertainment server. The $700 BDP-S500, available next month, is a step-up companion model to the current $500 BDP-S300, with additional features such as support for the new xvYCC wider color gamut as well as for Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD high-resolution audio. It will upscale DVDs to 1080p via the HDMI output. The $1,300 BDP-S2000ES, the first BD player in Sony’s flagship “ES” series, has many of the same features but with a more rugged construction and a streamlined design. It will be available in November. The $3,500 HES-V1000 server, available now, is designed to store and manage music, video, and photo collections. It contains a 1080p 200-disc Blu-ray/DVD/CD changer, a 500GB hard disk drive, and it can connect to the Internet via its Ethernet port or wirelessly using an optional adapter. It can also burn content to recordable Blu-ray or DVD discs, making it the first Sony device other than a PC drive or notebook that can write to Blu-ray discs.

Among the other high-def DVD product introductions at the show:

• Sharp’s first Blu-ray player, the $550 Aquos BD-HP20
• Pioneer’s newest Elite-brand Blu-ray model, the $1,000 BDP-95FD
• LG Electronics’ second-generation hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD player, the $1,000 BH200 Super Blu Player, which now fully supports interactivity for both formats
• and Integra’s first HD DVD player, the $1,100 DHS-8.8

Other companies, such as Denon (Blu-ray) and Onkyo (HD DVD) have already announced their first high-def players. In addition, Samsung is showing its first home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) system with a built-in Blu-ray player.

--James K. Willcox

1080P Front Projectors - $3,000 is the New Entry Level Price

Based on early announcements from this week’s CEDIA consumer electronics trade show, there’s good news for anyone who’s been considering stepping up to a high-def front-projection video system: the entry-level price for a “Full HD” 1080p projector is now below $3,000.

On the eve of the show, Sanyo announced it will offer a 1080p LCD-based projector, the PLV-Z2000 this October for $2,996. This projector, which has two HDMI 1.3 inputs, a lens shift and a wide-range zoom, joins other previously announced sub-$3,000 models, including Optoma’s  DLP-based HD80 model and Epson’s LCD-based PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 projector. Both are now widely available.

For those looking to spend a bit less money, $1,000 is beginning to be a key price point for 720p high-def projectors. Earlier this year, for example, Optoma broke the $1,000 price barrier with its $999 HD70 model. Here at CEDIA, Epson unveiled its newest 720p projector, the MovieMate 72 ($1,200), the latest model in its all-in-one “instant theater” projector series. Design to transform almost any room into a theater, the LCD-based projector (See image above. Click to enlarge.) has an integrated DVD/CD player, an HDMI input, four built-in speakers and an amplifier, a swivel base for more flexible placement, and a wider lens shift and zoom. The projector can upconvert DVDs to a quasi 720p resolution.

For those with a bit less money, the company also introduced a 480p model, the MovieMate 50 ($800), a compact 8.4-pound LCD projector with a built-in handle, DVD/CD player and a pair of stereo speakers. Both models include a USB input for playing digital photos stored on a removable flash drive, as well as a VGA input for connecting a PC or Mac.

Targeting a higher-end customer who’s not willing to sacrifice a room’s space or aesthetics in order to have a home theater, Epson also showed off its new Ensemble HD system, which was developed jointly with speaker manufacturer Atlantic Technology.

The system (See image on the left. Click to enlarge.) consists of either a 720p or 1080p Epson LCD projector, a 100-inch motorized screen that drops down from a ceiling-mounted front speaker system, a projector mount with integrated rear-channel speakers, an A/V media console that includes all the system’s controls and an upscaling DVD player, a 150-watt powered subwoofer that contains the system’s 5.1-channel amps, and all the cables required to connect the system. A unique wire management track that mounts to the ceiling conceals all the cables from view.

The Ensemble HD Home Cinema System will be available from dealers in November. The price for the 720p system is $5,000, while the system with a 1080p projector is priced at $7,000.

Stay tuned for more announcements from CEDIA, which is being held in Denver this week.

-- James K. Willcox

New Sharp Aquos TVs Sport Big Screens, Skinny Chassis

Sharp has just introduced a new line of LCD TVs that are 25 percent slimmer and 20 percent lighter than it previous models, further proof that you can't be too thin in today's flat-panel world.

The new Aquos D64U HDTVs come with screen sizes of 42, 46, 52 and 65 inches. All are "Full HD" 1080p models. Dressed in piano-black finishes, the TVs have a thinner bezel than other Sharp sets, and recessed, bottom-mounted speakers, along with fewer parts. That gives them a sleeker look and more compact footprint that will enable consumers to fit larger screens in smaller places, the company said. In addition, the models are more energy efiicient than previous Aquos models, according to Sharp.

Prices range from $2,099 for the 42-inch model, to $3,799 for the 52-incher. The 65-inch model, which will be available in September, doesn't yet have a price. Two D62U models, in 42- and 46-inch screen sizes, are CR Quick Picks for LCDs in our current online Ratings (available to ConsumerRerports.org subscribers).

Features include easily accessible side- and rear-mounted connections--a total of three HDMI 1.3 inputs, plus two component-video, two composite and one S-video input. They also have an RS-232 control jack and one dedicated PC input.

--James K. Willcox

Philips Looks to Light Up the Holidays--With Ambilight TVs

During a preview of what it hopes will be big holiday sellers, Philips showed off an HDTV line that showcased new LCD sets with 1080p resolutions, 120Hz refresh rates designed to help reduce motion blur during fast-moving scenes, and "new, improved" Ambilight ambient lighting effects. The new TVs sport stylish designs with glossy black finishes and they come with contemporary pedestal stands.

The two new models are 47- and 52-inch sets priced at $2,800 and $3,800. They'll be available in September and August, respectively. With these additions, the Ambilight LCD line now has five models, starting with a 32-inch set priced at $1,050.

One of the most interesting features on the new TVs is Philips’ new jargon-free "Settings Assistant," which uses split-screen A/B comparisons to help users choose the best picture in a manner not dissimilar to the way an optometrist helps you select the proper eyeglass prescription ("Which one is better—this? Or this?"). Rather than selecting from various brightness, color saturation, contrast, detail, flesh tone, and sharpness settings, users simply select one of the two on-screen images before moving on to the next. More experienced users still have access to more detailed, conventional settings. Settings Assistant is available on all LCD HDTVs 26 inches and larger, plus its two plasma models.

Philips said that it is now using LEDs to power all its Ambilight effects. The Ambilight 2 used in the new sets projects a halo of colored or white light on each side of the TV. The company says that the switch results in improved energy efficiency and more vibrant colors. However, LEDs have not replaced conventional CCFL lamps as backlights for the LCD panel. Surprisingly, even the newer models are outfitted with HDMI 1.2a inputs, rather than HDMI 1.3. Models with the newer HDMI inputs, which support the xvYCC expanded color gamut, won’t arrive until 2008.

With LCD sets stealing the spotlight, Philips is now selling only two plasma models, 42-inch ($1,500) and 50-inch ($2,000) screen sizes that will primarily be available through mass merchants. The company said that it would be discontinuing its 63-inch plasma model due to insufficient demand. The set should be available until the early fall. Two rear-projection DLP sets, in 50- and 60-inch screen sizes, will be carried over, but sold primarily to rent-to-own dealers.

-- James K. Willcox

Sony unveils new LCD and projection TVs

Sony will be emphasizing picture quality improvements, stylish design, and expanded capabilities as it rolls out nine new Bravia LCD TVs and five Bravia SXRD rear-projection sets this summer. All 14 sets have 1080p resolution, along with features intended to enhance color and other picture attributes. Design elements such as floating glass frames and swappable colored bezels will be featured on several of the LCD displays. Slimmed-down cabinets distinguish the new rear-projection TVs, along with changeable speaker grilles one some models. All the new TVs offer broadband Internet connectivity for viewing Internet-based video content (including HD) without a PC.

Sony's Bravia LCD models and SXRD rear-projector sets have frequently been top performers in Consumer Reports' tests and Ratings. In upcoming reviews, we'll be looking at several key features--such as 10-bit panels, 10-bit video processing (including upconversion to 1080p), Motionflow (Sony’s 120Hz refresh rate technology) and x.v.Color (Sony’s term for the xvYCC expanded color gamut)--to see how well these new sets compare to prior, well-regarded models. The Motionflow technology, which is adjustable to match different types of content, helps to address one of LCD's traditional weaknesses, slower refresh rates, which can cause images to blur during fast-action scenes. The new xvYCC color standard, which nearly doubles the range of available colors, will enable TVs to display more vivid, natural colors when used with similarly enabled programming, which isn't yet available.

All the new TVs use Sony’s Xross Media Bar graphical menu system, an easy-to-use interface for maneuvering through the TV's menu systems. Additionally, the new sets have two features designed to simplify the movie-watching experience: Bravia Theatre Sync, which uses the HDMI CEC protocol to allow other components connected via an HDMI input to be controlled by the TV’s remote, and Theater Mode, which automatically adjusts the TV’s settings for optimum movie playback. The TVs also have a separate preset mode for viewing photos.

More on some top HDTV picks

A week-and-change from Super Bowl XLI in South Florida (if you're into precise party planning, there's a countdown clock at www.superbowl.com), here are some of our latest Quick Pick recommendations in TVs — along with a rough idea of their current prices. (For those of you reading this after seeing me Friday morning, on one of 25 interviews with local TV stations from Eugene, Oregon to Gainesville, Florida, this rundown includes all the sets I mentioned on-air.)

Not surprisingly, these updated recommendations reflect the ongoing trend to dropping prices, with many sets available for less than the averages shown in our full Ratings. In LCD sets, they also illustrate the dramatic price differences between top-rated, 1080p models and some fine 720p sets that offer outstanding value.

The Sony Bravia XBR2 line of 1080p LCDs offer excellent HD picture quality and a striking "floating glass" design. The 46-inch KDL-46XBR2 (pictured) sells for about $3,800, the 40-inch KDL-40XBR2 for about $3,000. By contrast, you can currently buy the 720p 42-inch Olevia 542i at Target and some other retailers for about $1,100. Its 32-inch brandmate, the 532H, also recommended, costs about $700. While both Olevias are a notch below the Sonys in picture quality on HD and DVD, they offer very good HD picture quality at a low price for the size.

In plasma, sets from Panasonic's 600U 720p line dominate the top of our Ratings. The 58-inch TH-58PX600U, $4,000, was the only plasma to be judged excellent for HD picture quality. But its smaller siblings — the TH-50PX600U (50-inch) at $2,500 and TH-42PX600U (42-inch) at $1,500 — offered very good HD performance.

Our recommended rear-projection sets reinforce how much screen you can get for your money in this TV type — if you have the space for a 50-plus-inch screen and are prepared to put up with the potential drawbacks of rear-projection technology. (See our How to choose advice for help). The 56-inch Toshiba 56HM66, a 720p DLP set, costs about $1,800 — less than many 42-inch flat panels. For $2,500 or so, you can buy the 62-inch Toshiba 62HM196, a 1080p set that offers excellent picture quality across the board. Both are among the best rear-projection TVs we've tested.

Subscribers can get more information on these — and other — recommended sets in our full Ratings.

— Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor

CES 2007: HDTV Gets Bigger and Brighter

After the first day of CES press conferences, several key elements are already heating up in the TV area. To sum it up succinctly: LCD gets faster (thanks to 120Hz refresh rates, rather than the normal 60Hz), brighter and more colorful; LED backlights become more visible in rear-projection microsdisplay models and some LCD TVs; plasma gets bigger, sharper (1080p resolutions) and less reflective; and rear-projection microdisplays gets smaller (just 10 inches deep).

In general, HDTVs also get bigger, as several wish-list 100-inch flat-panel models are unveiled, though prices initially target billionaires. Poor millionaires will have to settle for more pedestrian 70-inch models, which have fallen dramatically in price (in LG's case, by 80 percent). But while each of the respective HDTV technologies — plasma, LCD, and rear-projection microdisplays — came out swinging for a knockout punch, it appears they'll all be standing at the end of the year.

Another theme at CES: content moves from the Internet (and, possibly, outer space) to the TV via various IPTV and Internet streaming initiatives, increasingly making the TV the primary display for movies, TV programs and computer-based content.

Here's a quick look at some of the major first-day announcements:

Sony: Unveiled two new Blu-Ray players under the Sapphire brand, which includes support for a wider color gamut (xvYCC, although Sony, of course, has its own nomenclature, which makes no more sense) enabled by HDMI 1.3 connections. Also, new Sony Bravia LCD TVs will be able to use an optional module to connect to the Internet to stream Internet video to the TVs (without needing a PC). Sony announced content deals with AOL, Yahoo and Grouper, the latter a video-sharing site it recently acquired. Well-heeled big-TV fans can opt for a $33,000 70-inch Bravia XBR2 model.

LG Electronics: So far stole the show with its new dual-format high-def DVD player, the $1,199 1080p Super Multi Blue BH100 Blu-Ray/HD DVD combo player (pictured above). It'll be available at the end of the month (meaning it's real). Compromises include lack of support HD DVD's iHD interactivity (it instead generates its own menu system, and doesn't support other interactive HD DVD features), as it uses Blu-Ray Java-based interactivity. It also lacks the new HDMI 1.3 connector (it uses the HDMI 1.2 instead). But if you've been holding off on buying an HD disc player because you didn't want to have to choose between HD DVD and Blu-Ray, you now have a real option. The company also showed a PC drive/writer, called the Super Multi Blue drive, which can play Blu-Ray and HD DVD discs and record to Blu-ray discs. It's the same price as the player. LG also showed off their 100-inch LCD, and has lopped 80% off the $70,000 price of its 71-inch plasma, which is now $15,000. LG’s premium plasma line-up includes 50-, 60- and 71-inch units with 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution, and HDMI and component inputs at 24, 30 and 60 frame rates. All have piano-black finishes.