If the Consumer Electronics Show was any indication, 2012 will be the year of connected TVs. With the convention wrapping up, we wanted to round up the standout TV stars.
Panasonic
Panasonic unleashed a new, top-of-the-line VT 50 plasma at CES that drew plenty of positive press attention. And while Ooyala and Panasonic teamed up this year to deliver online video content to VIERA Connect Smart TV platform though our Universal Syndication service, most of the press focused on Justin Timberlake popping up during the Panasonic CES event to resurrect Myspace.
LG
LG OLED TV is a heck of a mouthful. The OLED acronym stands for organic light-emitting diode, which is thinner, more energy efficient and has better black levels. Unlike other OLEDs that feature red, green and blue pixels, LG adds a fourth white pixel, which the company says not only produces a brighter picture but also cuts costs. Measuring 4 millimeters thin and up to 84 inches in diameter, the EM9600, announced right before CES, includes streaming services, a Magic Motion remote with built-in mic and passive 3D. Expect this around September.
Sharp
Once upon a time, full HD meant 1080p. But now, we have 4K TVs to look forward to. The new displays would be the highest-resolution TVs on the market, featuring a resolution of 4,096 by 2,160 pixels. Sharp decided to do one better by introducing a prototype 8K TV, which is about 16 times higher the resolution of 1080p. There's not much 4K content yet, but more filmmakers are moving toward the format.
VIZIO
VIZIO's new TV lineup includes a whole lot of screen. Its E-, M- and R-series lineups now include 65-inch models, which feature VIA Plus, a customized Google TV platform. The technology was expected earlier, but the delay of Android's Honeycomb set it back. Pricing and availability were not announced.
Simple.TV
Hailed to be the next Roku, Simple.TV might turn you into a cord cutter, if you aren't already one. The company lets you watch live programming or content stored on a connected hard drive. There are already apps for Roku, Google TV, Boxee and iPad. Simple.TV will provide basic EPG data without requiring a subscription though a premium service enables remote viewing and automated recordings.
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