Keith Jack's Blog

VIZIO is coming out with several new HDTVs that include 802.11n wireless networking, and support for Amazon Video On Demand, Blockbuster OnDemand, Flickr TV Widget, Yahoo! TV Widgets, Netflix, Pandora, Rhapsody, and Accedo’s popular casual gaming service, Funspot.

They also announced two 240Hz HDTVs, priced at $1,099 (42″) and $1,399 (47″). Like LG, Vizio uses a “scanning backlight” technology to achieve its 240Hz processing, unlike the frame interpolaton technology used by Sony and Samsung. The frame interpolaton technology system inserts three interpolated frames for every 60Hz source frame; the scanning backlight system technology turns the backlight on and off very rapidly.

Based on Intel’s CE 3100 Media Processor, Toshiba is adding several capabilities to their new networked HDTVs, including support for Yahoo! TV Widgets and Extender for Windows Media Center (MCX) technology.

Dolby has available its Dolby Vision technology that features a proprietary algorithm that manages LEDs behind the LCD panel. Each LED is controlled individually in concert with the image on display. By selectively turning off areas of the backlight behind black areas in scenes, Dolby Vision allows the area to become truly black. Dolby Vision also has the ability to selectively brighten areas of the backlight behind bright areas allowing them to truly radiate. A Xilinx® FPGA chipset is available today enabling fast time to market for displays using Dolby Vision’s complex HDR algorithms.

Macrovision is offering CE manufacturers the capability to build devices that can find and play broadcast and premium content, such as television shows, Internet-delivered media and music as well as access and manage content from consumers’ personal media libraries. A part of this are various Program Guides, that Sanyo and Sony are integrating into their HDTVs.

LG Electronics is adding the ability to stream Netflix content to select HDTVs. They can also support Yahoo! TV Widgets and YouTube.