Isaiah's Tech

After teasing a few upcoming devices in a video, Vizio has come cleaned and has officially announced a bunch of the latest devices they've been working on. There's the 4-inch phone, dubbed the VIA Phone, an 8-inch tablet, the VIA Tablet, and the last few are VIA Plus HDTVs and Blu-ray players with Google TV built-in. Unfortunately, the company didn't announce the full spec sheets for any of these devices but we do know a bit about them.

The 4-inch VIA Phone will sport WiFi 802.11n support, GPS, a microSD card slot, rear / front-facing cameras, an HDMI output, and an unknown OS. The VIA Tablet will sport an 8-inch display along with a 1GHz CPU and actually doesn't have 3G support so you can expect WiFi on it at least. The device that may appeal to you more may be the HDTVs with Google TV built-in because you already know that Vizio is one of the leading TV makers in the US. With a cheap price tag, maybe this will actually find itself in a few new homes.


[Engadget]

A couple of new LG 3DTVs are now available in the USA and this includes the LX9500 and the LX6500 Series. If you buy either 3DTV then you'll be getting an LG BX580 3D Blu-ray player (MSRP $350), 3D AG-S100 active shutter glasses (MSRP $180), a coupon for a free copy of the IMAX 3D Blu-ray "Under the Sea" (MSRP $29.95), and a $100 instant rebate along with your purchase. It's a pretty sweet deal considering the LX9500 comes in 47 and 55-inch models that both feature a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 resolution) LED-backlit display, 480Hz anti-blur technology, a 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, four HDMI inputs, an ambient light sensor, WiFi support, WirelessHD, a USB port, and NetCast support (access to Yahoo! widgets, Vudu, YouTube, and Picasa). The smaller model is going for $4,300 while the larger model will cost you $5,400.

The LX6500 Series is also now available, via Amazon, in 47 and 55-inch models. They'll feature a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 resolution) LED edge-lit display, an 8,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 240Hz technology, WirelessHD, WiFi support, four HDMI inputs, a USB input, and NetCast support. The smaller model is up for $2,218.98 (MSRP is $2,700) and the larger one is $2,969 (MSRP is $3,600).

[HD Guru]

A new LG Blu-ray player has just hit Amazon in the US and this one is significant. This is LG's first Blu-ray player that's 3D-capable. You can pre-order this player right now (here) for $399.99. According to Amazon, the BX580 will be shipping in 1 to 2 months so it's still quite a ways away. This Blu-ray player comes packed with WiFi with DLNA support, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI 1.4 port, and CinemaNow, Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, etc. The player itself upscale DVDs to fit your needs.

[Electronista]

It looks like a new Blu-ray player has just Amazon and it's packing 3D-capabilities. I'm talking about the BD-C6900 which is going for $399.99. Amazon says that this product is now in stock and it's coming with DLNA support along with 1GB of internal storage. Check it out on Amazon here.

Back in April, we heard that Toshiba would be launching their Cell TV this year and they have just reiterated that. This TV appears to have: a Cell CPU (same one found in the PS3), an LED-backlit 3D GUI, DLNA streaming capabilities, a 1TB HDD, and a Blu-ray recorder. Yes, that's right. Toshiba has decided to pack an integrated Blu-ray recorder onto this TV. It's expected to launch later this year - probably in Asia first - but we're expecting a launch next year in the US. We still don't know the price, but if you want one you'd better start saving your money.

[Engadget HD]

Although Philips won't be releasing a 3D HDTV anytime soon, they showed off that they have the technology at IFA this year. Their 3D technology was shown off on their Cinema 21:9 HDTV with a prototype of their 3D Blu-ray player. We don't know when Philips will release their first 3D TV, but they're waiting for a higher consumer demand.

[Engadget HD]

MSI has just announced its latest notebook, the Bravo EX628. This notebook is actually shaping up to be pretty great. It's got: a 16-inch display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, ATI Mobility Radeon HD4670 graphics, up to 4GB of RAM, a 160GB / 250GB / 320GB HDD, a 2MP webcam, three USB 2.0 ports, a 3-in-1 card reader, Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, an eSATA / HDMI port, a Blu-ray drive, optional Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, and a 6 / 9-cell battery. The best part about this notebook is definitely the Blu-ray optical drive. Unfortunately, the price and exact release date hasn't been mentioned yet. You can check the notebook out on MSI's website and underneath the picture below, is what MSI had to say.


[Slash Gear]

If you head over to Deal News, you will definitely find a good deal. The HP Pavilion Elite e9110t is now going pretty cheap on this website - and trust me it's worth it. Think about this for a second, a desktop PC with: a 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Quad CPU, Nvidia GeForce G210 graphics, 6GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD, WiFi 802.11n, a Blu-ray player, and a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it is available. You can now get all of that for just $650 USD. If you're interested you can check out the deal here.

[Engadget]

Following the release of the 20-inch Sharp Aquos DX with an integrated Blu-ray player in June, Sharp has added 5 more sizes to the same series. They range from 26 to 52-inches and they all have an integrated Blu-ray player with BD-Live and IPTV support, thanks to an Ethernet port. The smaller and non-Full HDTVs are the 26-inch LC-26DX2 and the 32-inch LC-32DX2 sets. These TVs have: a 1,366 x 768 resolution, a 7,000:1 contrast ratio, and two HDMI inputs. Let's move onto something actually worth talking about now.

The larger 40-inch LC-40DX2, 46-inch LC-46DX2, and 52-inch LC-52DX2 models actually support Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, so they'll actually be able to play true Blu-ray resolutions. These HDTVs have a 15,000:1 contrast ratio and three HDMI inputs.

All five different sizes are expected to launch on September 10th in Japan. The price has not been mentioned yet, but they certainly won't be cheap. The 20-inch model back in June sold for ¥150,000 ($1,573 USD) and didn't even have Full HD resolution support, so you better start saving up now. There's been no word if these will hit anywhere outside of Japan.

[Gizmodo, Slash Gear]

Looks like it won't be coming this month. Sony's 400-disc BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray player is scheduled to hit the shelves next month for $1,900 USD. It is Blu-ray, DVD, CD compatible and it handles the latest codecs and has all the features you can think of. In August, the BDP-S1000ES will also hit the shelves for $700 USD. This Blu-ray player will have every Blu-ray feature imaginable, "as well as built-in WiFi and a DLNA client." Unfortunately, this Blu-ray player only holds one-disc at a time.

In a couple of months, Sony will also launch the BDP-CX960 for $800 USD. It won't be as high-end as the BDP-CX7000ES, but it will also be capable of holding 400 Blu-ray discs.

[Engadget]

Remember the 400-disc Mega Blu-ray player? Apparently, it is going to launch this month for $1,899.99 USD, which is much cheaper than the $2,300 USD price tag that we heard of in late May. Its predecessor, the HES-V1000, costed $3,500 USD when it launched, so this is actually pretty cheap compared to that. More information is sure to arise soon, since it is launching this month.

[Sony Insider]

The Panasonic DMP-B15 is the world's first BD-live capable portable Blu-ray player. This 8.9-inch Blu-ray player has: a WSVGA display, VIERA CAST internet access, an SD card slot, a 2.5-hour rechargeable battery, HDMI output, and BD-Live (Profile 2.0) functionality. This player will be shipping by the end of this month for $799.95 USD.

[Engadget]

According to the latest rumours, Sony's BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Mega Changer will be available soon. It's been around for a while, but no one knew when or if it was ever going to be released... until today, that is. According to Sony Insider, this machine is coming soon.

I don't who has 400 Blu-ray discs in their possession, but if they do, they can pack it all into this giant machine. This monster costs - a wallet-emptying - $2,300 USD, but that could change when it actually gets launched.

[Engadget]

I'm just a little bit late on this news, but LG has announced that their BD390 Blu-ray player is now available. This player has been available since Tuesday, but I thought it would be worth mentioning. This player has some pretty nice features, including 1GB of on-board storage, WiFi, Blu-ray Profile 2.0, and is capable of streaming from YouTube and Netflix. This player is also capable of playing full 1080p HD quality DivX videos from DVD or USB drives, so that's also a good thing.

"As far as audio goes, this player has DTS HD Master Audio surround and 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD. Plus, there's HDMI-CEC support so you can watch TV through the player as well." You can get this Blu-ray player now for around $400 USD.

[Slash Gear]

A large picture above and a couple of them below. This is HPs new external Blu-ray drive that will be shipping with the HP Pavilion Dv2 notebook. All you have to do is look at it to tell that it is slim, sleek, and just plain awesome. One of the sexiest external Blu-ray drives I've ever seen.

[Crunch Gear]

The Samsung Series 8000, 7000, and 6000 LED-backlit HDTVs may be confusing to tell apart, but I think you should know that they are all just about an inch thin, have Netflix capabilities, and will all be available in the first-half of this year. The 8000 will sporting 240Hz technology (4 times regular TVs), the 6000 will use 120Hz technology and 40% less power, and the 7000 will just be the middle-man - it will also have 120Hz technology and won't save the environment as much as the 6000 Series will. For pricing and availability we'll start off with the Series 8000 and go down from there.

Note: All money figures will be in USD. The 8000 Series will be available in May 2009. The 46-inch model will be $3,299.99 and the 55-inch model will be $3,999.99. The 46-inch and the 55-inch 7000 Series model will be released in March. The 46-inch model will be $2,999.99; the 55-inch model will be $3,799.99. The 40-inch 7000 Series model will be released in April and will be $2,499.99. The 40-inch, 46-inch, and the 55-inch 6000 Series model will be released in March. The 40-inch model will be $2,299.99; the 46-inch model will be $2,799.99; the 55-inch model will be $3,599.99. The 32-inch 6000 Series model will be released in June and will be $1,599.99.

Along with the new LED-backlit HDTVs from Samsung, their Blu-ray player lineup was also officially priced and dated with availability. The Samsung BD-P1600, BD-P3600, and BD-P4600 will be going on sale for $299.99, $399.99, and $499.99, respectively. According to my former knowledge, the 3600 and the 4600 will both have Netflix and Pandora streaming but I'm not sure about the 1600. The 1600 and the 3600 are actually now available at a number of stores. The one that really stands out is the BD-P4600 (pictured) Blu-ray player because it is only 1.5-inches thin - although you can't tell from this angle. The 4600 will be available in April and according to Best Buy's website it will be available on April 19.

[Engadget (HDTVs), Business Wire, Engadget (Blu-ray)]

For now, i am skipping the Casio press conference, so let's head over to Sharp.

Daisuke 'Doug' Koshima takes the stage first and mentions that they are confident that they will "weather the storm." He is talking about the economic crisis and Sharp plans to be a strong competitor in 2009. Doug Koshima mentions that their new facility in Sakai City is expected to be done by 2010. He mentions that they feel that LCD will remain dominant in flat-panel technology in the near-future. Their TV's will be in full HD (1080p), thin, use LED backlighting, while still remaining energy efficient. OLED technology is promising but is not completely ready yet. The Limited Edition Sharp Aquos LCD TV has an "unprecedented picture quality" and has a huge screen. It maintains these things, while still being ultra-thin and being 30% more energy efficient than before. He leaves the stage.

In comes, Michael Troetti. He told us that Sharp was one of the top 3 LCD manufacturers throughout December. In 2008, they had a 10% increase in unit growth. Michael mentions that LCD prices drop every year... I didn't know that... The Sharp Aquos LCD TV will have 1080p HD, while using the standard 120hz technology. "Sharp has the unique position of being a leader in both LCD and Blu-ray technology." The Aquos Advantage program was introduced in 2007 and is free for large-screen Aquos owners. So far, there are more than 150,000 members in the Aquos Advantage. He mentions that they are the "official HDTV of Major League Baseball." He ends his speech talking about recycling their products and about the environment. I started to yawn a bit. He leaves.

Bob Scaglione enters. He mentions that their 108 inch LCD TV is still the largest LCD display. Reveals the Sharp Aquos with a built-in Blu-ray player. I talked about that here. Their TV's will be using Superlucent Advanced Superview Panels over the standard Conventional Panels. Their Sharp E77U will have 1080p, use 120Hz and will have 5 HDMI inputs. The E77U will come in 4 different sizes: A 65, 52, 46 and 40 inch model. The Sharp E67U series will also have 1080p and will support 2 sizes of 40 and 32 inches. The 32 inch model will be projected towards video-gamers and it will have a new Vyper Drive technology, whatever that is. The E67U will also have 4 HDMI inputs. The Sharp Aquos Blu-ray players will have: a low power consumption, Aquos Pure mode and 2 models, the BD-HP22U and BD-HP16U. These players will support Bd-rom profile 2.0. The Sharp Aquos home theater system will have a built-in Blu-ray and will project sound using a 5.1 channel audio. He concluded by showing 2 new Sharp iPod docks.

Question time. They clarify that the release date on the Blu-ray players will be in February. Sharp mentioned that 32-inch displays may be benefiting from the economic crisis because it is a decent size for everyday use. I notice that everyone asking questions have weird accents and i understand why the Sharp representatives have a hard time understanding / answering the questions. Someone asks if there are going to be cheaper LED backlighting models. The obvious answer was, of course, yes, in the future. Another question was if Sharp will be releasing Blu-ray recorders in 2009. They answered no and said because of certain copyright protections, so they will be concentrating on Blu-ray players. Sharp predicts that in 2009, people will make the shift from 32 to 42 inch sets. They are, obviously, backing the Sharp Aquos 100%.

Sharp Press Conference: http://www.g4tv.com/ces2009/press_conf_detail.aspx?video_key=35865
Sharp pictures: http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/new-sharp-products-2009-press-conference/