Samsung LN52B750 52-inch Best-selling 52" 1080p LCD TV from the 2009 Samsung Lineup |
New HDTVs at CES 2010:
Are these worth waiting for?
CES 2010 is over but its implications will surely remain with us for the rest of the year.
And if you are in the market for a new HDTV, CES 2010 has brought about quite an extensive range of new HDTVs from major brands like Vizio, Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, LG, Mitsubishi, Sharp, etc. Most of these models will start shipping between early spring and late summer.
Innovations are many but as expected, the hottest spec when it comes to new HDTVs is 3D TV - with the first 3D HDTVs expected to ship in spring. But these would be among the most expensive within the respective manufactures' HDTV lineups!
In this respect, the one that impressed most is the Panasonic TC-PVT25 line - which also comes with the required LCD shutter glasses to enable the viewer to watch 3D content on these TVs. The problem here is that at present, true 3D content is almost non-existent.
Samsung tries to solve this matter on its PNC8000 inch-thin plasmas by including a 2D-to-3D conversion feature on this high-end line of HDTVs. In a similar manner, Toshiba flag-ship Cell TV is also capable of upconverting 2D to 3D. And you know what? That means a lot of computer processing power has been put into these HDTVs.
The Toshiba Cell TV set-top box includes a built-in one terabyte of hard disk space for video storage and a Blu-ray disc player. These new HDTVs from Toshiba are expected to be available sometime between third or fourth quarter 2010.
The only TV maker that seems to have opted to remain out of the 3D TV market for 2010 is Sharp, who would not be having any in its 2010 consumer product line.
But
then Sharp has come up with the first quad-pixel technology which embeds a fourth color pixel - yellow - apart from the
standard red, green, and blue, for improved color rendering. Sharp says
the addition of the fourth color means these new HDTV sets can display
trillions of colors! Sharp quad-pixel technology will be available on a full
range of HDTVs, including a giant 68-inch LCD HDTV planned to be released later
in 2010.
However, developments announced during CES 2010 do not stop at 3D TV. Deeper blacks seem to be hot as well among TV makers while all new plasmas for 2010 will be Energy Star 4.0 compliant.
LG will be introducing 480Hz refresh rate technology on its new HDTVs - thus doubling the present 240Hz refresh rate technology available on high-end 2009 LCDs. It also plans to issue HDTVs that are as thin as 6.3mm!
And what about LED LCD TVs - that made their real début as a mass-market preposition in 2008 with Samsung's A950 and Sony XBR8 LED LCD TVs?
Numerous LED LCD TV models will be available from all brands - with a choice that by far exceeds that available during 2009. Rather, the trend is to move towards LED LCD TV technology. A case in point is Sony which for 2010 has opted to provide eight out of its twelve LCD series with LED backlighting instead of conventional CCFL. But unlike 2009 LED TVs which were mainly edge-lit, LED LCD TVs for 2010 will include a more balanced mix of edge-lit LED technology and local dimming LED technology. And yes, there seems to be a third implementation of LED LCD TV technology - what appears to be a mix of the two in an attempt by TV makers to further confuse the consumer market!
Would these new HDTVs be better than the king of LCDs ever released so far - the Samsung B8500 LED TV Series reviewed on our site? One has to see. In particular, to what extent the new LED TVs come with improved viewing angle over that supported by their predecessors is something that has still to be determined.
And there is more surrounding HDTV innovation for 2010. Wi-Fi enabled HDTVs - including wireless HDMI connectivity and all sort of wireless HDTV-home entertainment integration continue on what we have seen during 2009. Higher refresh rates, smart remotes and more intelligent TV features - including automatic setting of the TV picture parameters according to the ambient light quality in the room, reduced power consumption overall, and larger LCDs - up to 72-inch diagonal - will all form part of the 2010 HDTV game.
You will also find more stylish designs with ultra-slim bezels that in the case of the LG LE9500 flagship LED TV series, is no more than 0.33 inch wide.
It is therefore more than understandable that many would be ready to wait for this tempting new HDTV hardware while skipping on their chance to enjoy a great premium 2009 product at a bargain price. The issue however remains:
Is it really worth waiting for these glamorous new 2010 HDTVs when there is no better time to buy than now?
I have to admit that the propaganda machine surrounding the new HDTVs at CES 2010 seems to impart the message that these are the latest and greatest. Even lowest entry-level models from the new lineups are made to appear shinier and more desirable than top-performers from the previous year.
The result is that premium HDTVs from 2009 that up to a few days ago were considered among the best and that were among the top in consumer buying lists, would all of a sudden start to appear obsolete in the eyes of many would-be HDTV buyers.
And despite the present price cuts and great bargain offers associated with 2009 models, many of these top models would soon end up stranded on store shelves in the wait to be replaced by the latest and greatest 2010 HDTVs.
Coming up with new features and improvements is essential but...
Coming up with new exciting features is important for the manufacturing industry to get people buying new HDTVs. Over the last couple of years, flat panel TV makers were experiencing a sales boom as consumers upgraded to digital TVs in anticipation of the government's mandated DTV transition. Enthusiastic shoppers were also upgrading to high-definition TVs as more and more programming became available in HD.
However, the bad economy had its impact on TV sales during 2009, and while many consumers continued to spend money on HDTVs, yet the majority either postponed their new HDTV purchase or simply went on for a smaller or less expensive HDTV; partly, this explains the increase in plasma TV sales over LCDs we have seen during 2009.
It is thus only natural that TV makers find new enticing features to incorporate into their TVs to help sell their products - after all, new products always attracts more; but when combined with new technology, new products sell better.
In this respect, 3D TV is without doubt the most advertised technological advancement brought about by the latest new HDTVs for 2010. It is not that the new 2010 LED TVs, inch-thin HDTVs, and Wi-Fi enabled televisions are not appealing. But we have already seen these in abundance during 2009. Instead, when it comes to 3D-TV technology - while already previewed in previous years by some TV makers - 2010 can be described as the year when 3D-TV will truly hit the consumer market.
Yet for those in the market for a new HDTV, the dilemma remains - is it really worth waiting for the latest 3D-HDTVs?
We still believe that it would take some time for the technology to catch up. And this is not just a matter of a price that is still too expensive for the mass market at a time when the economy has far from recovered.
The fact that one has to be tied up to an LCD shutter glasses to view 3D content makes 3D-TV technology not so much viewer-friendly for everyday viewing. In addition, the way 3D technology is implemented through the use of shutter LCD glasses may make some suffer ill effects - including headaches, this apart that a few exceptional viewers will not be able to see the 3D effect at all. In other words, before investing in a 3D TV, you definitely need to ensure that the technology as implemented by the respective TV maker works for you.
And this apart from the fact that at present, true 3D TV content is almost non-existent.
So what is the whole argument here?
You see, before CES 2010, the best HDTVs of 2009 were all pretty good - and the reduced seasonal prices make them even better. And let's face it, the best plasmas and LCDs from top brands like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, LG, etc we have featured on our site during 2009 are still solid capable performers worth every dollar even in the face of the new HDTVs we saw at CES 2010.
I am not saying that the new HDTVs for 2010 would not deliver a better picture or that the new features are not appealing. But the Panasonic V10 and G15 as well as Samsung flagship Series 8 plasma HDTVs still represent superb HDTV options for any home theater setup. And the present reduced pricing in online stores standing at around $2,500 for Samsung's massive 58-inch flagship or at less than $1,400 for Panasonic THX display certified 50-inch G15 plasma TV, renders these and similar top 2009 models - including the 60-inch LG 60PS80 plasma, even more worth considering. Surely, one cannot expect the new HDTVs from 2010 at the respective categories to sell at these low price levels before a years time.
One may say that the new 2010 plasmas are even greener than their 2009 counterparts. And being green has become even more important than ever. However, one hopes that this energy star compliance is not being brought about by reduced brightness levels as has been the case with most HDTVs we have seen so far. In either case however, being Energy Star 4.0 compliant means that these come with more efficient power supplies, enabled sleep state and reduced overall power consumption. Whether these are worth waiting for however is another story. With proper calibration and responsible TV viewing, I believe that it would still be hard to balance out the savings in electricity from the reduced power consumption as against the savings on 2009 models resulting from the present reduced online pricing. In other words, Energy Star 4.0 alone does not justify the wait for a 2010 model.
Similarly, the same applies to top-of-the-range 2009 LCD HDTV models from Samsung and Sony. LCDs such as Samsung Series 7 and Sony XBR9 CCFL-based LCDs are surely capable performers. At a price that is below the $2,000 mark for a 52-inch LCD, these premium LCDs represent a worthy option even in the light of the new 2010 propositions.
And if you are after an LED HDTV, well, 2009 has brought about what many has termed the king of LCDs, Samsung B8500 series - this apart from other less expensive LED TV options such as Samsung 55-inch UN55B8000 LED HDTV and the 55-inch LG 55LH90.
One still has to see if the new LED TVs for 2010 will be capable of delivering a better picture at a wider viewing angle, but if your viewing is restricted to a reduced angle of view, then most of 2009 HDTVs will deliver.
TV makers are also touting about deeper blacks with 2010 HDTVs. This is an extremely important picture quality parameter. But from what we have seen with 2009 models, it is clear that while there are differences in black level performance between different brands, yet overall HDTV picture quality has reached a level that it is becoming extremely difficult for the untrained eye to pin point picture quality differences between top HDTVs from major brands.
Even if you were to line up the different HDTVs in side-by-side comparisons, it would still be hard for many consumers to see any differences here. This explains the use of specialized test equipment and test patterns by professional TV reviewers to determine differences in picture performances between different HDTV models.
We have also seen 480Hz refresh rate HDTVs but... Apart from the fact that this would translate into 240Hz with 3D TV applications, keep in mind that one requires test patterns to perceive the resultant improved motion resolution from 240Hz technology over 120Hz. It would be even more difficult for the human eye to ever differentiate the resultant improvement brought about by the new 480Hz technology over 240Hz systems.
Are you ready to wait? ...and how much are you willing to pay?
You see, within a few months, we will start to see the first new HDTVs from 2010 on stores shelves. These would come with a number of technological advancements and enhanced features, the much touted 3D TV and improved black levels mentioned during CES 2010, and yes... a higher price tag than you would pay now for corresponding 2009 HDTVs.
To what extent the new 2010 features and improvements will translate to a better picture though is still something one has to wait till the first sets will get reviewed, to determine. Having a new HDTV with an improved feature set is in itself no guarantee that it will deliver a better picture. At the same time, we have to say that many of the latest technologically advanced features are extremely appealing.
If you are ready to wait a few months more till the first product reviews start to appear and willing to accept the price uncertainty, then probably it is worth having one of the latest HDTVs. The problem is that until then, one will never know for sure if this waiting has been worth it.
For bargain hunters, the situation is somewhat different. Buying a premium 2009 HDTV at a deeply discounted price in 2010 - before the new models start to fill stores shelves - is the best way to enjoy a great deal! And at a time when the economy has still to recover, a good bargain is always worth doing.
Would you like to let us know what you think?
What do you think? Will you wait for the new 2010 HDTVs, or will simply proceed to take advantage of the present lower prices on 2009 models? Is there a new HDTV from CES 2010 that you are particularly interested in?
We would like to know your opinion, and many others are interested too!
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What Others Have Said
Click below to read what others have said on this hotly debated issue.
monitor or TV Forgive my laziness but I'm wondering what will be the result of my getting a LCD TV with a computer connection instead of a computer monitor to use ...
Samsung New-Led TVs Pinpoint Dimming What is the difference with pinpoint dimming on the 2010 C8000 Samsung LED TVs, from backlit and edgelit LED TVs? Is this pinpoint dimming backlit? Which ...
Waiting for more variety of 3D TVs
I am waiting for the 3D HDTVs because you get all of the benefits of the standard HDTV with the addition of an added dimension of 3D.
You can still ...
OLED
Was there nothing at the CES 2010 about OLED.
How far is this technology from being the next revolution in technology and viewing.
I love to see some ...
Who will have a 240hz refresh rate 70-inch or bigger 3D LCD TV?
I`m looking to replace my 70" 2006 Sony qualia kds-70q006 model for a 70" or bigger LCD with at least 240hz. Are there any in the pipeline?
Don't forget HDMI 1.4 !! I'm waiting. There is always something new coming out, I know. But the new HDMI 1.4 protocol is debuting on players, receivers, and displays this year....
Buying a New HDTV - HDTV Enthusiast I'm ready to upgrade a 3yr old 65in Mits. DLP. As fast as technology changes, I see better value in purchasing a new 2009 HDTV at a reduced price. This ...
Wait! I am looking to buy a 55" Samsung LCD W/LED lighting. The main reason I like this TV is the 1.2 inch width. Is it worth the extra $300 for the Media@...
Would You like to get the best out of your new HDTV Set?
There is no better way to make the most out of your new HDTV then to invest in a set-up DVD.
A great calibration disc is the Avia II Home Theater Set-up DVD, which is suitable for both the novice and the expert.
Another interesting calibration disc is the Digital Video Essentials HD
, suitable mainly for advanced users.
For more information, check our Guide to HT Set-Up DVDs.
