| HD made easy
With high-definition televisions flying off the shelves at ever-lower prices, you don't have to be wildly adventurous or wildly extravagant to become a high-def household. Still, deciding which TV to buy and setting it up can be daunting. Almost everything about TV is in tumult, including display technologies, prices, service providers, and the programming and bundles they offer.
This section will help you make sense of TV's changing picture and guide you through the decision-making process. Let's start with the important trends:
There are more superb sets. LCD, plasma, and rear-projection microdisplay TVs have their own characteristics and strengths, but each has also had certain weaknesses. As manufacturers address those shortcomings, more sets of each type are earning excellent picture-quality scores in our Ratings (available to subscribers).
Potentia unveils 'first' primary side power module for LCD TV
Potentia Semiconductor, a global player in providing power solutions to the flat panel display industry, has officially released what is claimed to be the industry's first primary side power module for LCD televisions with screen sizes from 32inches to 65inches. The PM-6010 is claimed to enable LCD television manufacturers to build high efficiency power supplies with the industry's smallest size.
The PM-6010 is a power control and conversion module for primary side, off-line power factor correction (PFC) and isolated DC-DC power conversion using LLC resonant power topologies.
The solution is claimed to be the first of its kind to fully integrate PFC controlled power with all required power switching semiconductors. It reportedly allows for multiple PFC topologies and a range of operating frequencies to provide a total solution for emerging power supply requirements.
Envision releases small LCD TVs
Envision Peripherals Incorporated (EPI) recently announced two new LCD high-definition TVs (HDTVs), one 15- and one 19-inch widescreen models, according to the company. The screen sizes are designed for dorm rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and other compact environments. Priced at US$299 and US$399 manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), respectively, the Envision 15-inch (L15X661) and 19-inch (L19W461) each features multiple built-in tuners (ATSC/Clear-QAM/NTSC) for reception of digital and analog OTA (over-the-air) transmissions and digital cable transmissions. Both units also include a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). Additional video inputs on both LCD HDTVs allow connections to the latest digital multimedia content sources, including DVR devices, Blu-ray player, game console or digital video camera (DVC).
The Biggest Trend at the 2007 CES Is One You May Already Own
LAS VEGAS -- If the consumer electronics industry has anything to say about it, you will be connecting your PC to your home theater. That's the gist of much of the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show last week in Las Vegas. And amid all the speeches and the presentations, the glamour and the pageantry, and all the booth babes, it's clear that the CE industry is embracing high-definition wholeheartedly -- with important implications for those of us following the PC space. A veritable deluge of products at CES were all centered around the whole PC-HDTV convergence thing, which admittedly remains a trend that, according to the pundits, has been "just around the corner" for anywhere between five and fifteen years. Regardless on where you stand on the issue, it's clear that the consumer electronics and PC industries have decided that this is the year that your TV again becomes the center of your digital life: You'll be watching downloaded Internet video on your TV, controlling your PC from your living room couch, and sharing video between computers, wireless devices and game consoles.
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