Wednesday’s Wonderful HDTV Deals

Here they are, more great deals on fine HDTV products from various sources:

Newegg has a fine Panasonic TC-P50X1 50″ VIERA 720p Plasma TV for $700 + $20 shipping = $720 total. We’ve covered ad nauseum how great Panny Plasmas are, so grab this one for a song.

BestBuy has the Insignia NSLBD32X10A 32” 1080p LCD HDTV With built-in Blu-ray Player (awesome!) for $599.99 with free in-store pickup too, if you happen to be near one. One of the cooler deals we’ve seen.

Thanks for reading, and please do return!

3D Shootout: Panasonic vs. Samsung, via Consumer Reports

Both Samsung and Panasonic started selling 3DTVs (as you may have heard if you have read this blog in the past two weeks or so, as we’ve covered it extensively) this week, and the reliable folks at Consumer Reports bought both and started testing them, comparing and contrasting the two companies offerings.

Initial impressions seem to confirm the overall feeling and tenor of other reviews we’ve covered in that Panasonic’s 3D has the edge in delivering the best HD 3D experience. Their words: “in the 3D mode, its (Panasonic’s 50-inch VT-20 series) lack of crosstalk and great black levels really made three-dimensional images pop.”

It seems plasma tends to deliver better overall experience with 3D related apps, due to its contrast and black levels, and we agree with the overall community in proclaiming (so far anyway) that Panny is the king of the hill with home 3D right now.

First Review: The Panasonic 3D HDTV

We always look forward to the very first reviews of a new model or technology, and even more so with a tech we’ve sorta been leery about anyway. The very first reviews of the new Panasonic 3D HDTV models are out, and here’s the scoop.

While the rest of us wait to see if its worth the trouble, Gary Merson and HD Guru took a trip to Panasonic’s NJ headquarters to see what they could see.

Here’s a little snippet of his impressions:

The good news is that the 2D picture quality was better than last year’s model and in fact the black level reading was one-half of the V10’s out of the box performance. So as if getting a better HD picture for less money wasn’t enough, Gary says the the 3D image (is) outstanding with considerably more brightness and pop than the motion picture theater 3D movie experience.

So it appears early impressions are quite positive. How excited it makes you depends on where you fall in the 3D viewpoint, but hey, it sounds like a good start in terms of bringing theater quality 3D home.

Thursday’s Thrilling HDTV Deals

More great HDTV bargains for your reading pleasure:

Circuit City has the new, improved and decently spec’ed RCA Scenium 42” 1080p 120hz LCD HDTV (L42FHD2X48) for $650 with free shipping as well. For a TV with those specs, that is an amazing price, indeed.

CompUSA has a fantastic deal on the Toshiba Regza 47ZV650U 47″ 240Hz 1080p LCD HDTV – how about $900, and with free shipping? It always boggles our minds how low prices have gone these days.

Thanks for joining us and see you all later!

Prices: Samsung 3D HDTV MSRP list range from pretty good to crazy

Take a look at this graphic, and you’ll see two things: Samsung’s price list (MSRP anyway) for their new line of HDTVs, mostly 3D compatible. The other thing you’ll at the top is that $7K price tag, which is more than a little crazy.

What does that $7K buy you? Their top of the line, ultrathin 9000 series LED-lit LCD HDTV, with touchscreen, video displaying remote control and full 3D capability. That’s a lot of bang if you have extra in your budget, and you can watch content like this in style.

Also included in this lineup are a few new Plasma HDTV models, so it seems companies aren’t willing to discard the technology quite yet, a good sign for videophiles the world over indeed.

Most of these will be released in April/May of this year, and are in the $2K range or so, which isn’t terrible for a nice LED backlit 3D compatible TV, we’d say.

Saturday’s HDTV Deal-o-Rama

Here they are, once again, the HDTV weekend deals:

Vanns.com has a nice deal on the Sony Bravia KDL-52W5150 52” LCD HDTV for $1397.77 , and free shipping too. We’ve noticed a good price drop on Sony TVs of late, and that trend continues with this awesome deal.

TigerDirect.com has a great LG Plasma unit, the 42PQ30 42” 720p “Smooth Motion” Plasma HDTV for $549.99 with free shipping as well. Unbelievable pic (and that famous LG quality) for a great low price.

Thanks for reading, and please do come again for more great HDTV news and deals!

OLED Update: LG to release 15″ model to limited stores in May

Critics at CES and other spots have raved about the prief looks they’ve had at LG’s upcoming OLED HDTV models, and perhaps it’s time for all of the drooling, envy and hoping to come to an end: it’s coming. Soon. Now that the Sony OLED is dead, this will take its place, no doubt.

The deep-pocketed among us humans won’t have to wait much longer to sate the need for an astounding 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 0.001ms response time (yes, that is not a typo).

LG has officially announced it’ll be releasing it’s 15-inch OLED panel into spots in Europe this May (with mid-summer availability projected in the US). As expected, it won’t be cheap: $2,725 USD in Austria, with around that much projected on US shores. Cutting edge ain’t cheap, as many who live there know already.

Sunday’s HDTV Deals

Here they are, it’s a fine Sunday, and we have more great HDTV deals for your consideration:

BestBuy – Samsung has been very much on the ball with HDTV technology of late, and here’s a Samsung 46” 1080p LCD HDTV for $969.99 with free in-store pickup as well for those near one. Fine deal on a monstrous beast of a TV.

OneCall – We don’t feature this company much, but this Hitachi UT47V702 47″ V Series UltraThin 1080p LCD HDTV for $899.77 with free shipping is a heck of a deal, indeed. Prices continue to fall, and you reap the benefits!

Thanks for checking out this installment of HDTV Deals!

Skype Your Life: New Samsung models to release with Skype access

Panasonic and LG announced Skype-enabled TVs, but they won’t be the only ones featuring the popular teleconferencing service; Samsung also is getting into the act soon as well. Now that they’re finished with all of their legal affairs, it’s time to celebrate.

Samsung has announced its new 7000 and 8000 series HDTV sets will also include access, so you can “call” anyone with Skype right on your TV, which is always awesome. It seems HDTVs are becoming vehicles for delivering other services as well.

Using the embedded Samsung Apps service, it looks like it works with the new HD video processing webcams just like the other models do, so users can log in to or create an account, and then make video calls away from the PC.

Bear in mind: those HD cameras compatible with this service could run as high as $200, so be wary of this when you invest in this set for that purpose. Like the 3D, there’s an extra cost attached – for now anyway.

On Sale: Samsung’s First Full 3D HDTV

Well it appears the 3rd dimension in HD is ready to take off, as the first new 3D entry from Samsung into the marketplace has now been released, at least on Amazon.

Samsung’s first Full HD 3D set is now shipping Stateside, and is available to purveyors of cutting edge TV everywhere. Panasonic has already done their work on this with Plasma, now an LED unit is out.

Amazon is showing a pair of 55-inch UN55C7000 TVs with 3D 240Hz motion technology with a hefty $3,299.99 price tag and free delivery too (nice of them to throw that in at least).

Bear in mind: it’ll be another $150 or so for the shutter glasses to fully switch from 2D to 3D mode view wise, which is a little annoying given this thing’s price tag. It’s a very nice HDTV even without the 3D, but make no mistake: that is this thing’s main selling point.

Dimension Ready: Sony announces 3D compatibility with new models

Last we’d heard, some of Sony’s retail locations had 3D displays (at least 3D capable ones) to show off, but no 3D software to run on them. For those who are excited about HDTV 3D, this bit of news is a good thing: Sony is ready. This isn’t the first 3D TV, but it could be the harbinger of things to come in the 3D world.

Today the company has stated that all 42 Sony Style stores are armed with LX900, HX900 and HX800 series BRAVIA models ready to show 3DTV, and equipped to make the best of it. We remain skeptics, but if a company like Sony is jumping on board, then perhaps it has a chance to succeed.

Many have already said: the only hope for HD 3D to be even moderately successful in homes is the ability to show off the technology easily, and this is a big step towards that. Here’s to hoping that Sony will really move forward with this new technology and bring to living rooms across the globe, and that our skepticism is proven faulty.

Battle Royale #2: Samsung vs. Vizio for HDTV sales supremecy

It’s official: Samsung is the leading flat-panel seller in the US, according to a new study from research firm iSuppli, which tracks these kind of numbers. Vizio remains the #1 HDTV LCD seller in the US as well, which should be no great shock. Their partnership with various discount stores like Wal-Mart would easily net them this honor.

Samsung led in overall sales because it makes both Plasma and LCD flat-panel TVs, obviously, and their quality has greatly improved over the last year or two. iSuppli stated all flat-panel TV sales grabbed a 23 percent market share in 2009.

The numbers: Samsung had a 18.4 percent market share while Vizio was second with 16.8%. Bad news for Sony though: their market share dropped from 12.8% to 10.3%, a pretty sizable drop (probably mainly due to higher price).

Sunday’s HDTV Deals and Steals

Once again, our famous HDTV deals section is on the air, and broadcasting in full color. Here they are:

OneCall.com has the LG 47LH90 47” 1080p LED Backlit HDTV (Black) for $1475.98 – and with free shipping. Readers know we have nothing but respect for LG and their products, and this is about the cheapest price we can find anywhere online.

TigerDirect.com has the Samsung UN55B8000 55” 1080p LCD HDTV for $2499.99 – $300 off coupon code we’ll give you “UDD883″ = $2199.99 – with free shipping too? We’re always looking out for you, our readers.

Thanks for reading and see you all soon!

Thursday’s HDTV Deals Corner

Affordable is the word of the day, and these deals should make any HDTV shopper smile and be glad they read Screen Sleuth. Here they are:

Walmart.com has some very nice deals on good sized units, including the RCA Scenium 42” 120hz  1080p LCD HDTV for $698.00 – with free shipping too? Yes, indeed. RCA’s quality has improved quite a bit recently, and their prices were always pretty good. Reviews on there are impressive.

Walmart.com once again raises the bar for affordability and monster size with the Toshiba 46XV640U 46” 1080p LCD HDTV for $898.00 with free shipping as well.

Thanks for reading, and happy high-res shopping.

Look, No Bezels: LG launches “Skinny Frame” Plasma HDTV line

Who says Plasma as a HDTV technology is dead? Panasonic isn’t saying, and apparently, neither is LG. They’re launching a new small bezel line of Plasmas with good stats that will be debuting soon.

They’ll appear first in their home market of Korea and will be called “Skinny Frame,” a reference to the tiny 25mm border around the panels — which honestly isn’t super thin these days. You can grab them in 50″ and 60″ flavors, and both include super fast 600Hz refresh rates, contrast adjustment based on lighting, and the ability to play photos and videos from a thumb USB drive too.

Very nice features all, but the price tags aren’t the cheapest either: 1,700,000 and 3,800,000 won ($1,150 and $3,325 USD respectively). Eventually we imagine these making their way to the states and other shores as they evolve.

Sunday’s Valentine HDTV Deals

It’s Valentine’s Day, a day of love, romance and kick-butt HDTV deals. There’s lots to watch nowadays in HD, so grab a loved one, and let’s get started:

Staples.com – These guys occasionally have some nice HDTV offers, and this is a case in point: The Samsung 2333HD-1 23” LCD TV for $259.98- $10 off coupon code we provide for you “29903″ = $249.98 with free shipping as well. Great for any side office setting or bedroom and a nice price too.

CompUSA has an amazing Sony deal: the Sony Bravia 40″ KDL-40S5100 LCD 1080p HDTV for $650 with no charge for shipping. How does a 30,000:1 Contrast Ratio and 6 HDMI ports sound to you? Music to our ears as well.

Feel free to check these out, and happy V-Day to all!

The Age of Dimensions is Here: Samsung begins releasing 3D HDTV lineup

Yes, we know you’ve been waiting, and now they’re here: this year’s 3D HDTV lineup from Samsung are available for for you to eagerly grab up at some internet retailers right now, and we’re greeting this news with a mixture of anticipation and wary skepticism.

The edge-lit LED and 1.1-inch thin C7000 lineup will come in 40- 46- and 55″ monster sizes, and will offer more in features than simply 3D, reportedly. Those include the availability of Samsung Apps, Internet@TV, support for Skype,  media streaming, and it’ll even adjust res and picture based on the source of your content, from a Blu-Ray all the way down to a Flash drive.

And the price won’t totally send you to the poorhouse, in a nice surprise. The UN46C7000 (scheduled to be released April 16) has a preorder sticker of $2,599 to be slapped on it, which isn’t horribly bad. The 40″ will go for $1,999 and the 55″ will run you $3,299. Bear in mind, they won’t come with the 3D shutter glasses necessary to view the 3D content.

3D News: Panasonic migrates Plasma to 3D

Yet more HD 3D news, this time from the world of Plasma: Panasonic is apparently adapting their Plasma HDTVs for the glorious realm of 3D.

Finally making the transition are Panasonic’s (famous?) Viera 3D plasma HDTVs. The company has announced it will be launching two 1080p units late April in Japan, priced at ¥530,000 ($5,932 USD) for the monster 54″ P54VT2 and ¥430,000 ($4,813 USD) for its smaller 50″ brother, the P50VT2.

For your large amount of cash, you’ll be getting the trademark deep blacks and includes an outrageous 5,000,000:1 native contrast ratio, lots of inputs with four HDMI ports, and of course the 3D active shutter glasses are included. Will 3D Plasma be successful? Probably about as much as LCD 3D, however much that will be remains to be seen, we think.

Sunday’s Super Bowl HDTV Deal-O-Rama

It’s Sunday, and the biggest NFL game of the year is on today! In celebration of this football fanatic’s dream day, here’s a few great HDTVs for your pleasure:

Walmart.com – We all know Wallie-Mart has great price, but this one is really good: a Coby TFTV3217 32” LCD HDTV for $298.00 – with free shipping as well? Now that’s value, folks.

BuyDig.com – Our readers are no doubt aware of our affinity for LG, and this one is pretty straight up an amazing deal: the monstrous LG 55LH40 55” 1080p LCD HDTV for $1295.00 (Use the ‘See price in cart’ feature) and with free shipping. Huge and tasty!

Thanks for reading, and happy Super Bowl Sunday to all of you.

Vizio Talk: Not cheap, just smart

Well, Vizio has earned itself a decent reputation for quality with their HD units, but being present in Wal-Mart and other such stores also gets it seen as a “cheap” company that lower prices by using inferior parts. Not true, says the CEO of the company in a recent interview.

CEO William Wang’s interview with Nikkei Electronics Asia .pointed out some interesting fallacies about the company, countering the opinions of some that its TVs are made cheaply to enable them to price lower and states “You can’t make inexpensive TVs with cheap parts”. Well, actually you can if you try hard enough, but hopefully it appears that Vizio does not do so.

The interview is pretty much cheerleading for Vizio, but it might be worth a read if you think Vizios are equivalent to some cheap knock off brand.

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