Cool Gizmos – Gizmora

The VP-6500VHD features IntelliWide™ for viewing 4:3 content in widescreen without appreciable picture degradation, as well as ISF™ calibration modes for optimum viewing under diverse lighting conditions.
     The included VHD Controller/Processor with our exclusive Imagix™ video processing maintains a pure digital signal path from input to output, and includes a broad array of video input choices. Your home automation interface includes IR and RS-232 capabilities with discrete input selection, power on/off, aspect ratio control and more.
      The VP-6500VHD not only represents a leap forward in high definition flat panel technologies, but the engineering advances in plasma design ensure long life in virtually any installation, with operational life extending to as much as 60,000 hours.
      We also offer the VP-6500VHDa, which is identical in all respects. However, this version is high altitude compliant to over 9000 feet.

It is fascinating for a television audience to be able to watch a car race live from the driver’s perspective and see the surroundings rushing past. Until recently, this could only be done in standard TV resolution. Now these images have made the leap to ‘high-definition TV’ (HDTV), thanks to a mini-camera developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen. Several companies will on license-basis soon be putting the camera into series production.
      Measuring 4 by 4 by 8 centimeters, the camera is smaller than a bar of soap and can even be accommodated in a cramped racing-car cockpit or a ski jumper’s helmet.
- The MicroHDTV model is one of the smallest HDTV cameras currently available, says Stephan Gick, group leader at the IIS.
- We achieved this chiefly by taking two different approaches: The camera’s electronics have a very low power loss, which means that little heat is generated and the housing can thus be kept very small. By using highly integrated parts, we were able to fit all of the components such as the image sensor, the analog-to-digital converter, the color processor and several interfaces into the tiny space available inside the camera, he says…

Interact-TV(TM) (OTC: ITVI), a leading developer of Linux-based media servers, today unveils MyTellyHD(TM) a quiet, compact Linux Media Center that includes high-definiton 720p Component video output, Gigabit Ethernet and upscaling
of all video and DVDs to full HD resolution.
    Starting from $899, MyTellyHD delivers all the features and functionality consumers have come to expect from a media server including a subscription-free PVR, Video Library with save DVD capabilities as well as. Music and Photo Libraries. MyTellyHD incorporates many new features that
are critical to the expanding home theater market including 720p Component video output, Gigabit Ethernet, a high performance processor, and all new
MPEG2 video encoding.

Norcent, a marketer of high-quality, value-oriented home entertainment products, will introduce its two newest HD plasma televisions at 2007 International CES in Las Vegas. The models, 50” PT-5045HD and 42” PT-4246HD, offer superior HD image detail and clarity. The 16:9 widescreen models further extend Norcent’s dedication to performance, design, and value as well as its commitment to offering quality, affordable plasma televisions for dynamic home entertainment. The sets will be on display in the Norcent CES booth, located in South Hall 1 of the Las Vegas Convention Center, booth #20950.
     “Consumers have shown they are excited over the plasma viewing experience,” stated Dennis Robinson, Norcent CFO. “Our new HD plasma televisions for 2007 introduce updated styling as well as an outstanding set of features to maximize the home entertainment experience. As with all of our Norcent products, the PT-4246HD and PT-5045HD deliver consumers the best value possible.”
     With 1366 x 768 resolution (PT-5045HD) and 1024 x 768 resolution (PT-4246HD), these sets deliver a true High Definition viewing experience through an integrated digital tuner. Both feature built-in ATSC and NTSC tuners; the 42” model also includes a Clear-QAM tuner.

The price-busting flat-panel TV specialist has set its sights on the huge-screen category with a 60-inch plasma TV, the VM60P HDTV, that will retail for $2,999 when it hits stores in February. That price is the best I’ve seen for any flat-panel TV larger than 50 inches, and it helps people shopping for a massive picture consider something other than rear-projection sets. The closest comparable HDTV I can think of, Panasonic’s 58-inch TH-58PX600U, costs more and has a smaller screen, although if Panasonic’s excellent track record is any indication, its picture may outclass the Vizio’s. We won’t know for sure until we get our hands on a VM60P review unit.
      But the Vizio VM60P’s spec sheet dominates the competition in one important area. It has four HDMI inputs, more than any other HDTV we’ve seen, regardless of price. That excellent connectivity is complemented by its standard native resolution (1366×768)–sorry folks, no 1080p at this size for three grand–along with the usual array of analog inputs and an HDTV tuner. The set can accept 1080p sources, although it naturally scales them down to the native resolution. Vizio’s representative described a “bronze” color (he assured me it looks darker in person than in the picture here) along with a bottom-mounted, clear plastic “reflector” that casts the sound from the hidden speakers into the room that owners can remove if they like. Other highlights include Faroudja video processing and color temperature adjustments.

 Building on its position as the world’s largest flat panel manufacturer , LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled its 2007 lineup of plasma display panel (PDP) innovations – including new 1080p “Full HD” models and its flagship 71-inch plasma, which has been repositioned at an aggressive new suggested retail price.
       On display publicly for the first time this week at the 2007 International CES® (Booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center), the new plasma displays incorporate technologies – Clear Filter Pro, Simple Link and built-in high-definition digital video recorders – that significantly improve contrast, reduce reflections, optimize playability. New connectivity technologies and stylish designs complement the LG plasmas’ crisp, clear and easy-to-use viewing experience for consumers.
       Reflecting manufacturing efficiencies and marketplace realities, LG repositioned its flagship 71-inch Plasma Full HD Monitor (71PY1M), one of the largest plasmas available for consumer purchase. The new price of $14,999.95 is an amazing 80-percent decrease from the unit’s introduction price in early 2006.

Introducing one of the industry’s broadest assortments of liquid crystal display (LCD) high-definition television (HDTV) models, LG Electronics (LG) showcased its expansive lineup of 20 LCD TVs – led by nine LCDs with Full HD 1920 x 1080p display capability – at the 2007 International CES® (Booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center).
       With enhanced contrast ratio, TruWide Viewing Angle and Simple Link connectivity, LG’s LCD HDTVs offer consumers a vivid, life-like viewing experience. By driving integration, ease-of-use and premium designs, LG’s LCD line up is a high-end solution for consumers looking for the best product for their home.
      LG’s 2007 LCD line reflects the company’s global leadership as the world’s largest flat panel producer and as a leading developer of advanced flat-panel display and digital HDTV technologies. LG’s 2007 LCD line includes five main series of LCD products offering a range of sizes from 20- to 57-inches

COWON Q5 is the first new model presented by COWON; it’s a 5-inch LCD’ed PMP that supports Navigation, DMB and an external HSDPA module. It’s WinCE 5.0-based and a touch panel has been installed as well.
      COWON A3 is an upgraded version of the A2, which is in the market from last year. It comes with a high-performance chip set called “Davinci”, created by TI to improve on the “movie playback” end of things.
      COWON will display lots of stuff at the CES: the D2, N2, U3, T2, F2, X5, A3 and Q5 will all be there in one form or the other

     Microsoft has launched a beta of its new Windows Live for TV (formerly known as Nemo).
     Basically, what Windows Live for TV does is add a ten foot interface to a number of Windows Live services, such as Spaces, Messenger, and Live Call. The program is meant to work with Windows Vista Media Center. Here’s a few of the things it’ll let you do from your couch:
-Browse Windows Live Spaces in 3D graphics, with keyword searches
-Have text and voice chats with other Windows Live Messenger users
-Make PC to telephone calls using Verizon Web Calling
-Navigate with a mouse, keyboard, or Media Center remote control
     You’ll need a PC running Windows Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate RC2 or higher to run Windows Live for TV. It looks like Windows XP and Windows XP Media Center Edition users are out of luck.

As we become more facile users, we want to do more things on our screens. This often means having more windows open, whatever your operating system of choice. For digital photography editing, more pixels often translates to more precise editing. Gamers who shell out for dual-graphics-card rigs love big screen gaming.
Last year, Dell shipped its UltraSharp 3007WFP, which competed directly with the only other 30-inch desktop monitor on the market at the time, the Apple Cinema HD. Both sported 2560×1600 native resolutions, but Dell pushed the price down considerably. Later in the year, Samsung delivered the Syncmaster 305T, but that unit didn’t undercut either Apple or Dell in the pricing arena.
     However, the HP unit does offer something unique: three dual-link DVI inputs, each capable of supporting HDCP. The new monitor also offers a wider color gamut, rated at 92% of NTSC (most LCDs are typically around 70-80% of the NTSC color gamut.) And HP manages to do this while still using fluorescent backlighting, rather than something exotic, like LED backlighting.