A Home Theater Forum

The Home Theater Spot is a great forum for any home theater enthusiast that wants to learn more by communicating with other enthusiasts. If you want to increase your knowledge of anything from cables to sound to picture quality, check out this site.

Visit The Home Theater Spot

(Screen) Size does Matter

This article from Darryl Wilkinson at Home Theater Magazine discusses the topic for screen size. It includes some interesting data points on why people are looking for bigger and bigger screens and what display technologies are considered the "coolest" right now.

Learn more at Home Theater Magazine

- Dr. D.

Buying Guide for HDTVs

This is a great site for learning more about the HDTV technology and what you should consider when buying a HDTV set. It also features a discussion forum (although a bit dated) with some valid Q&As.

Learn more at ExtremeTech

- Dr. D.

Learn More About Plasma Displays

Have you ever wondered how exactly a plasma display works? This site discusses the details of a PDP (plasma display panel) and how it compares to the traditional CRT (cathode ray tube). A pretty scientific and really geeky site but for some of you, this site will be an awesome resource of information.

Learn more at PlasmaTV Science.

- Dr. D.

Matushita Files Suit Against LG Electronics on PDP Patent

Japanese Matsushita (Panasonic) sued Korean LG Electronics in Tokyo District Court last week for infringement of two patents associated with heat radiation in plasma display panels. After lengthy negotiations between the two rivals, Matsushita finally took the first step. LG Electronics immediately responded by announcing plans to counter sue.

Read the complete story at EE Times.

- Dr. D.

Price War on the Horizon for Flat-Panel TV Sets

The considerably higher price points of flat-panel televisions have historically been the main reason for the generally small penetration rate into the TV market. This holiday season however, price might not be the issue for potential flat-panel tv consumers. A combination of decreasing panel prices due to an overproduction in Asia and the increasing demand for digital sets (primarily for HDTV purposes) may lead to fierce price wars among your favorite retailers.

Learn more about this trend at this Reuters article.

- Dr. D.

Samsung Presents World's Largest LCD-TV

Samsung revealed the world’s largest LCD-TV at the CEDIA tradeshow earlier this Fall. The 46-inch LTP468W is the first consumer flat-panel TV on the market to feature a whopping 1920 x 1080p native resolution. MSRP is estimated at $9,999.

Learn more at SID’s web site.

-Dr. D.

SID 2004 Picture Slideshow

The following link to ExtremeTech website shows a slideshow of pictures from this year’s SID (Society for Information Display) conference. Some really cool displays that you can add to you Christmas wish list.

See the slideshow at ExtremeTech.com

-Dr. D.

Visit Michael Swanson's Blog

Here’s a great blog for people that have a general interest in the latest and greatest games and software applications. I particularly liked the article and links to some cool desktop images. These look just awesome on my 19” (1600 x 1200) Planar LCD monitor.

Feel free to visit Michael Swanson’s Blog to see for yourself by clicking here.

- Dr. D.

LCD Monitors and XP's ClearType

This site (blog) helps you figure out how to enable ClearType, a feature that comes with the XP operating system to improve appearance of text on LCD displays. There is also a discussion thread about how to set it up on dual monitors and it’s effectiveness on CRTs etc. Check it out if you have a LCD display for your computer.

Learn more at Eric Gunnerson’s C# Compendium

- Dr. D.

All You Need to Know About HDTV

Check out this HDTV dedicated section of CNET’s web site. It has a ton of information you need to know before you deploy you new home theater system. It’s also a great resource if you simply want to learn more about this emerging technology and what all of the terminology means. It features:

- HDTV boot camp
- 10 tips on buying a TV
- Ultimate HDTV buying guide
- EDTV vs. HDTV
- HDTV tune-up tips
- 10 essential HDTV accessories
- 3 ways to get HDTV programming
- CNET’s quick guide to aspect ratio
- DVI and HDMI connections explained

click here to go CNET.

Enjoy!

- Dr. D.

LCD Market to Rebound in Late 2005

According to market research firm DisplaySearch, the recovery of the worldwide LCD market from its series of price cuts and oversupply may come in late 2005. Ross Young, President of the research firm said at an industrial conference in Seoul earlier this month that "currently, profitability of the LCD industry is shrinking. The pace of decline in LCD prices is expected to slow after 4Q this year." He also said that the average LCD selling price would be reduced by as much as 5 percent in the second half of next year since makers continue to ramp up capacities.

- Dr. D.

Consumer Front Projector Shipments Up 134% in Q2

Home theater enthusiasts are not only buying more plasma and LCD television sets. Front projector sales are also up and has seen a 134% growth among individual consumers reaching levels close to 100,000 units last quarter. These are typically used for dedicated home theaters and can deliver the ultimate cinema experience.

Learn more at Society for Information Display

- Dr. D.

Display Filter Eliminates Unwanted Reflections

A new custom filtering technology by Zytronic controls the direction of emitted light from LCD displays. The filter also reduces screen reflections, enhances the contrast ratios and improves the readability in direct sunlight.

Learn more at ThomasNet

-Dr. D.

CRT Televisions Fighting Back

Who ever said CRT television displays are dying? Not me, even though plasma and LCD are dominating the flat-panel, thin form-factor sector of television displays, Samsung has recently introduced a new 32-inch CRT TV with a mere 38cm total depth.

Learn more at Digital Media Thoughts.

- Dr. D.