by Mike Hopkins
2006 was a stellar year for folks looking to get a new HDTV, especially a flat panel. Price wars, increases in technology and a few smaller companies stepping it up. Specifically, Vizio moved from the shadows to becoming heavyweight contender in 2006. (Business wire)
"According to DisplaySearch's year-end TV shipment report, VIZIO enjoyed 618% growth in 2006 flat panel TV shipments, higher than any other brand. During the same 2006 period, the industry experienced a 136% increase."(Business wire) So what brought on such rapid growth? Uh, how about a 42" HD plasma for 999$ or the new 47" 1080p LCD for $1699...you just can't beat those prices. Hooray for the consumer!
Speaking of LCD's our friends over at CNET reviewed one of Sharp's new 52" LC-52D92U 1080p LCD televisions. Sharp has had a pretty strong hold at making top quality LCD displays for a while, but CNET seemed otherwise unimpressed. For the price, the picture wasn't as good as it should have been, garnering a 7.5 rating...so how about the Vizio? Not so impressive either, only achieving a 6.6 (user 8.6)...but then again, it costs about half as much as the Sharp. So who is the front runner in 1080p LCD's according to CNET? Sony's KDL-46XBR2 with an 8.3.
So my question is what is going to be next? It seems like 1080p and HDMI 1.3 are going to be the standards for a while, but there is always something on the horizon? What do you think? OLED? SED? Nano technology?
Movies for Next Week:
DVD: Casino Royale, The Holiday, Harsh Times
HD-DVD: ?
Blu-ray: Casino Royale, The Holiday, Hoosiers,Layer Cake, Mr.& Mrs. Smith
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