Pansonic ZT60 Full HD Plasma TV

Panasonic unveiled its full line up of Full HD plasma TVs for the UK market, with the brand-new ZT60 topping out the range.

Available as a 60in (TC-P60ZT60) version in the UK (the 65in version will not be available), the Panasonic ZT60 is designed to be the company's most feature-packed television, producing the best image quality.

Several new technologies are included in the set, including the elimination of the air gap between the glass front and the plasma panel. With the Panasonic ZT60, the glass front is now directly attached to the plasma panel. We've seen this process on LCD screens before, but not with plasma. Panasonic is promising that this new process will produce brighter images.

The new panel is also designed to reduce reflections, increasing contrast and black level. A new pure red phosphor helps increase the colour gamut, while a completely new phosphor process and rear-panel process give the Panasonic ZT60 a 100,000-hour life, before the set reduces to half brightness.

In demonstrations, the set certainly looks impressive. Side-by-side with last year's VT plasma, the ZT is leagues ahead. It's blacks, in particular, are much darker. For enthusiasts, it's looking as though the ZT is going to be set to buy this year.

As you'd expect for the latest TV, the ZT60 supports all of the features announced for the Panasonic Smart Viera 2013 smart TV platform, including dual tuners.

The design has been overhauled and, we have to say, the new look is much more stylish than any Panasonic TV that's gone before. It should be available in the UK in May with a price of around £4,000. It will be a limited edition, although the number of sets to be manufactured hasn't been released.

VT60

In addition, Panasonic announced the new VT60 range, the previous high-end models. There were three sizes announced: the 55in TC-P55VT60, 60in TC-P60VT60 and 65in TC-P65VT60.

It shares the same full range of Panasonic Smart Viera 2013 features as the ZT60, but has a traditional air-gap between the glass front and plasma panel. It has the same range of Smart Viera features as the ZT60, including dual tuners.

GT60

Noticeably missing from the CES 2013 launch was the GT range. In the UK, at least, the GT range has been our favourite, neatly balancing picture quality and features against price.

We're pleased to say that the GT range hasn't gone away and it will be back in the UK this year. It should have very similar image quality to the VT60 range, although it misses out dual tuners for Smart Viera.

We have to say that the introduction of the ZT60 means that the GT60 isn't quite the neat fit that it used to be. The GT60 will be available in 42in and 50in screen sizes.

ST60

The ST60 remains the entry-level 3D plasma, with the sets available in four sizes: the 50in TC-P50ST60, 55in TC-P55ST60, 60in TC-P60ST60 and 65in TC-P65ST60.

This TV has a more entry-level panel, although we'll save judgement for when we've actually had chance to see one in the flesh.

X60

Completing the model line up and giving you the only option if you don’t want 3D is the X60, available in 42in and 50in screen sizes. It uses an older Plasma panel is a far more basic set. Given how well priced the ST60 is, the X60 could be a tough sell.

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Western Digital launches TV Play Streaming Player Box

Western Digital has expanded its range of streaming boxes with the TV Play, a device that aims to compete with popular products like the Roku 2 XD. The low-cost TV Play offers access to a wide range of streaming services, as well as the user's own media library.

The WD TV Play is the latest addition to the company's line of streaming products, which includes the TV Live and TV Live Hub. But while both those devices are priced above the US$99 point, the TV Play comes in at a more wallet-friendly $69. It's also significantly smaller than the rest of the range, measuring just 27.2 x 104.9 x 105.9 mm (1.07 x 4.13 x 4.17 inches).

Streaming in full 1080p, the TV Play has access to a wide range of services including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Spotify, Pandora and Vimeo. Users can also access and stream personal media via either the USB 2.0 port or any DLNA/UPnP device on a home network. In addition to the USB port, the TV Play also features Ethernet, HDMI, Composite A/V, built-in Wi-Fi and Optical audio.

Western Digital has reworked the user interface for the TV Play, taking a tablet-like approach to content navigation, allowing for home screen personalization. There's also a new remote which features dedicated Netflix, Vudu and Hulu Plus buttons, and users can also control the TV Play using smartphone and tablet apps on both iOS and Android.

One of the most obvious competitors to the TV Play is the Roku 2 XD, which offers similar functionality – including full 1080p output – at an identical price point. However, the XD does not feature a USB port, potentially giving the TV Play a slight edge (depending on user priorities).

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Sony On "World’s First 56-inch 4K OLED TV"

When Sony showed up to CES 2012 with a Crystal LED prototype TV rather than an OLED TV like its rivals Samsung and LG, it prompted reports that the company was abandoning OLED TVs aimed at the consumer market. Sony might finally have put paid to these reports by displaying a prototype OLED TV at this year’s CES. And in the spirit of one-upsmanship, Sony is touting the prototype TV as the “world’s first and largest 56-inch 4K OLED TV.”

Manufacturing difficulties have been a major hurdle in OLED TVs getting to market, but things are finally looking up for TV connoisseurs with LG launching its 55-inch OLED TV in South Korea next month. Sony’s prototype provides an extra inch of size and boasts 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution rather than the 1080p of LG’s offering – of course, LG’s unit has the notable distinction of actually getting to market.

To overcome the difficulties faced in manufacturing large size OLED panels that rely on low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) thin-film transistors (TFTs) to force light through the OLED layer, the prototype panel – which was developed by Sony in partnership with Taiwan’s AU Optronics Corp. – uses oxide semiconductor TFTs and incorporates Sony’s “Super Top Emission” technology already found in some existing Sony TVs.

Sony says these technologies overcome some of the manufacturing hurdles while enabling light to be efficiently extracted from the OLED layer to retain the high brightness, contrast ratio, rapid response times and wide viewing angles promised by OLED TVs.

While Sony has stated it will continue OLED technology research with the aim of commercializing 4K OLED TVs, it remains to be seen if and when they will become available to the average consumer. With the price of the TVs sure to be on the expensive side upon any release, Sony appears to initially be targeting professional markets “from filming to editing, content creation, delivery, distribution and display devices.”

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LG's Laser TV System: 100 Inch HD Video In Less Than Two Feet Distance

LG has demonstrated a new Laser TV system at CES which uses an Ultra Short Throw (UST) projector to display an image on a 100-inch screen at a distance of less than two feet.

To cast an image on the screen, the projector sits a mere 22 inches (approximately 56 centimeters) in front of it and shines the image upwards. Despite the close distance and large size, the Laser TV delivers a full 1080p image with a 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. LG hopes the shorter range will eliminate some of the issues posed by typical home theater projectors that require a much larger space to function.

Inside the Laser TV box are a set of lamps that can run for 25,000 hours before needing to be replaced. The projection unit also comes equipped with dual 10-watt stereo speakers that can play virtual surround sound.

LG has also included a host of Smart TV features, which allow it to run apps like Netflix or Facebook, access external devices to play personal videos or music, and use the company's Magic Remote to control it with voice commands and gestures.

Aside from its sheer size, the Laser TV was almost indistinguishable from the LED and Plasma screens cluttering LG's CES booth, which says something about the quality of picture it delivers. It's also worth mentioning that the 5.7-inch tall projector was barely noticeable despite its position so close to the screen.

A U.S. release is expected in March at a price point of around $10K.

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