In other words, bumping up the refresh rates beyond 60 Hz may have eliminated the problem of motion blur, but some complain that the activation of the ME/MC circuit that kicks in when LCD sets achieve these high refresh rates desegregates the picture. As the video put together by HDGuru illustrates, this is a very real problem.

That having been said, LCD buyers have a few options. Most sets offer an option to turn off ME/MC, although that will result in lower motion resolution. You could also opt for a plasma set that doesn't suffer from this issue. It also reinforces a point I made with yesterday's article—you don't need to spend extra money on a LCD just because it advertises 240Hz. You probably won't see any additional benefit with that set than you would with one that tops out at 120 Hz. Check out HDGuru for the full details and results of the test. [HDGuru]

For the record, the service used to cost $15/month. [AT&T]

But don't hold your breath on it happening yet: Peter Kafka has "yet to hear of a single programmer that has made a firm commitment." As he points out, while networks are constantly looking for new revenue, like those asshole aliens in Independence Day moving from world to world consuming every natural resource, they're nervous about the idea for a lot of reasons.

A lot of it has to do with the icky, sticky relationships between networks and cable operators, where everybody's worried about losing out as people start to watch more and more TV content online, not in their living room—where streaming video eats up bandwidth, and advertising revenues aren't nearly as rich (which is why Hulu wants to figure out new ways to get you to pay).

While these little complications might slow the process down, the exodus is inevitable. There's no stopping this. The internet is the new cable: Netflix, Hulu, BitTorrent. Apple might not get to launch it in a few months, but it will happen. Just give it time. The actually crazy part, if you ask me, is that the Apple TV might even live up to its name. [Hulu]

Warning: Clip is US-only. U-S-A! U-S-A!

At first glance I thought it was a black MacBook with a Windows logo pasted over the Apple, but that's not it—the case is too shiny and angular, looking more like a slick Lenovo or something. 30 Rock has been very obvious in its love of Apple products in the past, with Liz and Jack always using iPhones and the writers using MacBooks, so it's pretty surprising to see a Windows computer, even if it's an imaginary one. But 30 Rock has always been a little edgy about product placement anyway, once breaking the fourth wall to ask advertisers "Can we have our money now?" But hell, at least it's not at the point of the "Dr. Pepper Amuse Bouche Challenge" nonsense of Top Chef. [Hulu]

What kind of features would you need to see from Hulu before you can consider it a full cable replacement? Not one with caveats like Sean found, but one that does everything you want. No compromises as far as you're concerned. We don't know the cost yet, but let's assume Netflix-style pricing in the ballpark of $10-20 a month.

For me, I would need content available as soon as it airs (no delay), HD, a much wider selection of content, and set-top-box playback capability. At least.

If they meet those requirements, I might be willing to part with a few bucks a month and ditch my cable company entirely. What about you?

Hulu, the joint venture between News Corp.'s Fox, GE's NBC Universal and Disney's ABC, doesn't plan on charging people to watch the stuff it's currently airing on the site–a mix of first-run shows from broadcast TV, a limited number of cable TV shows and a smattering of movies. But Hulu is trying to figure out how to create some kind of premium offering where you'll pay for stuff that isn't on the site right now.

This jibes with Carey's adjacent reassurance that "not all content on Hulu would be behind a pay wall," which hints at the addition of some kind of subscription or pay-per-view system, that could conceivably leave current offerings untouched. This is a plausible possibility, but far from sure: Kafka's sources says Hulu doesn't actually have a plan yet, so anything is possible.

Plan or no plan, telling everyone what they aren't going to do would do Hulu good—vague threats of fees for "broadcast content" are just terrifying everyone. [AllThingsD]

Here's the money quote from NewsCorpian Chase Carey, so there's no confusion:

It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online. I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business

An optimist might interpret this as a move toward tiered access, or even the decidedly good addition of paid premium content, like HBO and Showtime. But read carefully:

It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online

It doesn't get any less premium than broadcast content, which is exactly what Carey says we'll soon be paying for—sometime in 2010, he supposes. (Though to be fair, there's a scrap of reassurance later in the same article: "not all content on Hulu would be behind a pay wall." Cool?) This is extra-extra-foreboding next to last week's statements about a paid Hulu from Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, highlighted by TVBizwire: "That's not an if," he said "that's a when." It was fun while it lasted, I guess.

On a totally unrelated note, here are some neat articles, for pleasure reading!

Update: Reader Frank pinged Hulu about the issue, and got this not-quite-specific-enough-to-contradict-Carey's-statements response:

Don't worry, Hulu's mission has always been to help people find and enjoy the world's premium, professionally produced content. We continue to believe that the ad-supported, free service is the one that resonates most with the largest group of users and any possible new business models would serve to complement our
existing offering.

Thanks,

Betina Chan-Martin
Hulu

It's a purposely vague reassurance, but a definitive, public "we're not going to charge you for what is currently free" statement would be awfully easy to make, and would quell the concerns of people like Frank. Hint: They haven't made it. [Broadcasting Cable via TVBizwire]

The idea is simple, but the politics aren't. All white spaces networks do is stick data into the unused frequencies that neighbor television signals, but broadcasters are afraid that TV signals aren't robust enough to handle data being packed in so tightly. This trial will be the first real-world test of that belief.

Hopefully all will go well and the tech will be able to provide rural communities with the broadband they've been hurting for. [Ars Technica]

Image via FutureAtlas

The free online app allows you to select between a slew of page layouts, then drag and drop your favorite (mini) Marvel heroes into each panel. Of course can also add text, sound effects objects—whatever you need to flesh out that 4-part series you've always wanted to see in which a prepubescent Wolverine struggles to uncover the roots of his inexplicably persistent five o'clock shadow.

But the best part is that the whole system is vector based, meaning that you can enlarge any element (like characters) as much as you'd like before exporting your comic to a fairly high rez PDF (that's free from watermarks or any other stuff that could sour the experience).

Though, I must admit, I fear to see what your minds come up with in the comments. Please keep in mind that none of these superheroes are of age. [Marvel via GeekDad]

Heavy Haulers follows a family of structural movers as they race against the clock and battle extreme odds to move mansions, trains, planes, churches and ships hundreds of miles over treacherous terrain. No structure is too large for monster movers Jeremy Patterson, wife Tonya, 12-year old son Greg and 9-year old daughter Ashley, who built the business from the ground up and now move over 350 structures per year. The pilot episode follows the family's brave attempt to shift a 400-ton brick mansion five miles across Iowa under extreme weather conditions.

The pilot shows the Patterson moving a 400-ton brick mansion across Iowa, under extreme weather. Why and how the hell do you move an entire 400-ton brick mansion? I guess I'd have to tune in for the answer. Heavy Haulers premieres on TLC this Thursday at 10PM, right after the season six premiere of American Chopper. [TV Squad]

The show, which will have some live-action performances of the unbearable musical numbers featured in MacFarlane's animated sitcoms, will supposedly "feature unique Windows 7-branded programming that blends seamlessly with show content." In case you don't remember, or are lucky enough to have repressed this memory, MacFarlane actually teamed up with a giant corporate sponsor once before, and it led to humor abortions like this:

Anyway, it's not totally clear how Windows 7 will be integrated into the special (tentatively named "Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show"), but based on the Burger King disaster, it might not be much more than a halfhearted mention here and there and a few "this isn't a commercial" commercials in between sketches. The special will air November 8th at 8:30 PM (PST and EST), and I give that time specifically so you know to avoid all television that day. [Microsoft]

• Western Digital's TV HD Live got a slight update today. Besides the revamped casing, the biggest news here is the addition of DLNA and Bonjour support. Just like the previous generation, there's no onboard storage to speak of, but the better streaming support makes that much less of an issue. You can grab one at Best Buy now for $120. [Electronista]

Samsung's plasmas are pretty quality (I've got one of their 63 inchers), so you should take a long hard look at your bank account and see if you can afford this. Seriously, free shipping too. And that rotating stand is very handy. [Newegg]

The hardware, made by HTC, is pretty run-of-the-mill. The 4.4 x 3.0 x 5.0 inch, 5 ounce device didn't feel too heavy in my hand. And I quite liked channel surfing with a finger on the capacitive touchscreen. My favorite part of the device? It has a kickstand on its back so you can prop it up on a table (none of this having to hang it with a case stuff).

The television service on the Qualcomm FLO TV Personal Television runs smoothly (it is the same thing as Verizon's VCAST, etc). And you get a ton of channels, including ESPN, Comedy Central, MTV, NBC, and Nickelodeon. What you cannot do with the PTV is watch live programming on a plane or subway. You also cannot record any of your shows, even though it does have 4GB of on board storage for your music or movies. So yeah, it is a bit of a dead gadget when there is no service around. And while it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, there is no video out. Balls! No chance of hooking this baby up to your monitor or HDTV.

The device itself has a suggested retail price of $250, but the buck doesn't stop there. You also have to pay the monthly $9 subscription fee for the television service. I guess I see it being worthwhile for those that watch so much FLO TV on smaller screened cell phones. But it seems like quite a load of money to drop on a device that just does TV, especially when you can snag a phone for the same price or lower (like the new HTC Imagio which actually has the FLO TV service). Though, I do see it being useful for keeping the kids quiet during a meal and, oddly, for watching TV on the John (or job). [FLO TV]

The Gadget

Verizon's HTC Imagio is a touchscreen Windows Mobile 6.5 handset, or "Windows Phone," with a healthy, if expected, spec set, iiiiinnncluding!: a 3.6-inch WVGA screen, Wi-Fi, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and microSD storage expansion (but sadly, no included card). It's also the first smartphone with V CAST Mobile TV, which is a Flo TV-based live streaming TV service that looks and feels a bit like digital cable, phone-ified. Accordingly, it has an adorable kickstand.

The Price

$200 on contract with Verizon, after a $100 rebate

The Hardware

HTC is the Taco Bell of the handset world—they've only got a few ingredients that they put into their long menu of products, but the results are consistently pretty good, if not spectacular. Of the bulging ranks of 528MHz-Qualcomm-based touchscreen handsets, this is one of my favorite permutations. For its size, the Imagio is respectably thin—about as thick as an iPhone, but with a noticeably larger screen—and pleasantly rounded in the rear, with a subdued two-tone backplate accented with a shiny camera bezel and a chrome kickstand.

The front of the device is framed by a perforated grille, which looks and feels pleasantly knobbly, giving the handset a little friction, and a secure feeling in your hand. The bottom row of buttons—call, V CAST, Windows Start Menu, back and end call—are placed a little low to be comfortable to press, but anyone who's used to HTC handset designs won't have any trouble getting around this piece.

Performance is adequate, but since this is the same Qualcomm processor we've been complaining about for months now, and the 256MB of RAM isn't overly generous, it's nothing better than what we've already seen in the likes of the HTC Touch Pro2. HTC's done plenty of work to make TouchFLO run nice'n'smooth, sure, but it really wouldn't hurt to not just make a handset with speedier hardware, but to actually release it in the US.

The Software

I was pretty hard on Windows Mobile 6.5 in my review, but guess what? HTC likes it even less. TouchFLO 3D reaches deeper into the operating system than ever before, to the point that during casual use you can't even tell you're using a Windows Mobile phone.

The Titanium homescreen? Replaced. The new, larger contextual menus? How about prettier HTC versions instead? Mobile Internet Explorer 6? Replaced with Opera Mobile. Virtually every other piece of software that HTC had time to revamp or cover up? Out of sight, out of mind. And for one final kick in the nuts, the new Start Menu, which Microsoft even went so far as to require 6.5 phones to have a dedicated button for? Replaced with a slightly better HTC variant. That, right there, is a better review of Windows Mobile 6.5 than anyone could ever write.

V CAST TV

Based on Flo TV, which probably doesn't mean much to most people, V CAST is a categorically impressive technology. The best way to describe it is that it's like having a digital cable box, complete with live broadcasts of familiar basic cable stations (Comedy Central, CNN, the like), and a familiar program guide interface. Video quality is fair, but definitely watchable, and the experience of flipping through live channels is pretty novel.

As interesting as the underlying technology is, there are a few serious problems. Watching TV is neat and all, but on a mobile device, video on demand would be infinitely more useful. And at $12 or $15 a month, I don't think people will be satisfied with the somewhat anemic channel selection (full listings here).

Moreover, I don't really understand how Verizon expects people to use this. You can't use it on a plane or a subway, so what, trains? During your lunch break at work? There center part in the Venn diagram of times where you might want to watch video content but don't have a computer or TV and times when you can realistically use V CAST is small, as far as I can tell. But if live, basic-cable-esque TV on your phone is something you can see yourself using, this implementation is actually pretty good.

The (Mild) Tragedy

This has been the story for a few years now, and it doesn't look like it's going to change with Windows Mobile 6.5: Handset manufacturers will continue to make the OS bearable to use, and carrier will occasionally grant handsets interesting—if not always useful—services to keep customers' attention. That's exactly what the Imagio does, bonding pleasant hardware design with a heroic salvaging of the phone's interface. At $200 after rebate, it's not a best value by a long shot, but in Verizon's sickly smartphone line, it's not a horrible choice.

I would've liked to end this review on that happy note, but while I was writing it Verizon sabotaged my plan, those scoundrels: Two Android phones will be announced for the network "within weeks," which means that unless you're bound to Windows Mobile either by software, your employer, or, er, extreme loyalty, you'd be best advised to wait a little while. [Verizon]

It's got an appealing design, large screen and minimal branding

Kickstand! Ha!

HTC's done a hell of a job sprucing up Windows Mobile, as always

V CAST TV is technologically interesting, but it's expensive and I'm not really sure how people will use it

Windows Mobile 6.5, y'all

Specs could use a bump; namely the aging 528MHz processor and included storage

$200 isn't a great bargain, and Verizon' got some Android handsets coming down the pike.

One look at this television and it's no surprise to learn that its designer was also responsible for the distinctive Citroen DS which was first produced in 1955. It features a 19-inch screen with white mask, in a tapered-hood case in deep purple with a gold trim. The controls and speaker sit in the rectangular box below and the screen can be turned independently through 150-degrees as well as angled vertically.

The set is also "dual standard", with capability to show 441 lines (which became the standard from 1952) along with a high definition facility of 819 lines, meaning it is high-definition even by today's standards. This system began in France in 1949 but never really got off the ground. Bennett-Levy speculates that Teleavia may have been trying to "future-proof" the P111 in case the French government decided to resurrect the service.

This bad boy sold for $3,825 at auction, and it doesn't even have HDMI in. Good luck hooking an Xbox 360 up to this thing, sucker! [GizMag via NotCot.org]

The king of rat genociders was Mokhairul Islam who killed 83,450 over nine months on his farm. Impressive, when you consider second place took out fewer than half of that, only 37,450 of the bastards. For his efforts, Mokhairul received a measly 14-inch color TV. Which is apparently all the thanks he needed, since he's sworn to keep killing them. But seriously, the guy deserves at least a Vizio plasma or something.

Oh I forgot the really gross part—to prove that he'd really murdered that many rodents to collect his TV, he kept the rats' tails. That means he had a room somewhere filled with 80,000 rotting rats' tails. Ewwwwwwww. [Telegraph]

Above you can see a humble man trying to get a clear signal in an crappy TV. Below you can see the contrast, the results of their industrial prowess: A TV shop—in which most of the country's population can't buy anything—and the mall, with a massive LCD display showing the parade itself.

Check out the Big Picture's graphic summary. It's impressive and scary at the same time. [Big Picture]

The box, like the leaked device shots, don't reveal anything about the predicted capacitive multitouch screen or 4GB of on board storage. Either way, it looks like you will be able to get FLO TV service on more than a bunch of multimedia cellphones from AT&T and Verizon soon with the nicely packaged PTV. Left off the box is a price tag, but let us hope it isn't as painful as whatever is under the anonymous box handler's Band-Aid. [FLO TV]

What makes CNN Mobile interesting is its video content, which is split between on-demand clips from the network, and an intermittent live feed from CNN.com, which kicks on during major news events:

[CNN] has packed the app with recorded video "news" clips — for example, "Take a Look at This!" featuring a "crazy burger like no other!" — and will sometimes offer a live stream of its separate CNN.com news feed. (We're tuned in right now. The picture quality is fine; the programming isn't as sharp as the TV network.)

The complaint is that the occasional live news feed is from CNN the website, not CNN the network, meaning that you're getting second-tier content. I don't really take issue with this as much as Frommer does, since the live stream, as I understand it, is meant to air breaking new or scheduled event content that'll look the same no matter how it's packaged like speeches, disaster footage, anticipated milestones, etc. But the larger point? Why can't we use the app to tune in to CNN whenever we want?:

Cable giants like Comcast and Time Warner Cable pay big bucks to distribute channels like CNN in your area — perhaps $7 or $8 per subscriber, per year — and have no interest watching their monopoly evaporate thanks to the Web, the iPhone App Store, or any other distribution vehicle they don't control. And because CNN gets a huge portion of its revenue from these cable subscriber fees, it has an economic incentive to preserve the status quo, even if it means offering its iPhone app users an inferior product.

So, our TV apps will be crippled senseless until the cable industry, as we know it today, ceases to exist. Good evening! [Silicon Alley Insider]

In the October 7 premiere episode, Adam and Jamie test the classic physics textbook theory "bullet dropped versus bullet fired." In a scientifically complex experiment so difficult no one has ever tried it before, they ask: If one bullet is fired and the other is dropped simultaneously from the same height, which will hit the ground first? Or will they hit at the same time, owing to gravity? Meanwhile, Kari, Grant and Tory test an old saying: can you really knock someone out of their socks? In true MYTHBUSTERS fashion, their tests involve a crash test dummy, a boxing ring, a nitrogen cannon, a battering ram and, of course, explosives.

Additional premiere episodes this fall tackle myths, legends and sayings both well-known and obscure, including:

* Does a muddy car get better mileage than its clean cousin?

* Does duct tape really have the strength and sticking power to lift a 5,000-lb. car into the air? Can you build a sailboat made entirely from the stuff? Or a working cannon?

* Will mixing your drinks really make your hangover worse than if you stick to one type of alcohol?

* If a car drives over a cliff, would it really explode in a fireball upon hitting the ground below, as in nearly every action movie with a car chase scene?

* The team also tackles fan favorites from previous seasons, including testing whether a hot water heater can explode through your roof (this time, from the basement), and whether you can shoot a gun around corners. Also, the team finds a new, bigger way to test the famous snowplow split.

Given the wildly varying conditions of the show floor—and the frankly crappy source video, lighting and background LG picked for its demo TV—we can't really judge which TV actually has the best picture quality right now, but the facts do tell us something:
• Samsung and LG both use local dimming on their 55 inchers, while Sony's 52-inch TV is edge-lit
• Sony and LG have expensive built-in wireless HDMI for 1080p streaming from a paired media box
• Sony and Samung have the best "other" features, like great streaming video services
• Samsung's the cheapest, at $4500 for its 55-inch set, probably because it lacks wireless
• Sony's is the most expensive, even though it's the smallest, and lacks full-array LED backlighting, like its champion precursor, the XBR8

In person, the XBR10 is gorgeous, really pulling off the floating TV look, and the Samsung 8500 sets are slick and slim. LG's 55LHX is comparatively drab and physically more clunky, as you can see in our Sizemodo:

Red = 55" LG; Purple = 52" Sony; Yellow = 55" Samsung

All in all, there's no clear winner, and there are lots and lots of trade-offs. If you really want to blow five grand on a TV, you're going to have a tough decision for now, at least until we get 'em side by side. [More CEDIA '09 coverage]

• If you're a reeeeeaaallly early adopter, JVC has a new 46" 3D monitor out that will make sure you're ready for the arrival 3D content... assuming whatever 3D standard the industry eventually decides on is compatible with the set. The set's integrated 3D decoder can handle the current industry standard formats of line-by-line and side-by-side image processing. Whether those are the standards in three years is anyone's guess, though.

The set was originally designed for Hollywood studios, and now is available to home installers. While the 3D may be cool, the set's other characteristics won't exactly reel in the home theater enthusiasts. With specs like a 2,000:1 static contrast ratio, it's not like anyone will be ditching their Kuro for this thing. 3D images still require polarized glasses, too.

That said, JVC claims the display offers "flicker-free 3D images," because both left and right eye information is constantly displayed. While I guess it would be cool to have a 3D set, I don't think it's $9,153 (that's the exact price in the pres release, by the way) cool, especially without any content available. If you need to have a 3D set today, though, they're available now to your local home theater installer. [Press Release via Electronista]

(Okay, in fairness, it kind of is.) [XBR10@Giz]

Like the XBR10, it streams 1080p from a wireless source, plays 24p content and has 240Hz tech that you can't see. But it's 55 inches, while the biggest XBR10 is 52, and it's got THX display certification (as, um, useful as that is). What the Sony has over it is the excellent XMB media interface and Bravia Internet Video (with Amazon On Demand, Netflix and other services), though you could use the difference you pocket with the LG to pick up the Vudu-streaming BD390 Blu-ray player that has built-in Wi-Fi.

In other words, until we see how good the picture on both of these are, it's a tossup—though the best LED-backlit TVs are locally dimmed, so Sony's got a tough fight.

The lesser LH85 isn't LED-backlit, but it's got wireless HDMI too and is an also pricey $3200 and $2400 for 55-inch and 47-inch sets.

LG ELECTRONICS BROADENS HOME ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS

WITH TWO NEW WIRELESS HDTV SERIES

Wireless LCD HDTVs Offer Flexible and Convenient Custom Installation Options

ATLANTA, Sept. 10, 2009 – Offering diverse integration options for custom installers, LG Electronics is highlighting its first-ever series of wireless LCD HDTVs, including an LED model, this week at the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) EXPO 2009 (Booth #2623).

Whether it's design, technology or screen size, LG's wireless HDTVs have something for everyone, according to Peter Reiner, senior vice president, marketing, LG Electronics USA, Inc. LG's 55-inch class* Slim Wireless LED-Backlight HDTV (model 55LHX) combines advanced technology with cutting-edge style for a TV that blends beautifully into any home environment. For those seeking a variety of design options, LG's LH85 series of wireless LCD HDTVs will be available in 47- and 55-inch class* sizes.

"As custom installers look to create a truly unique space, the wireless capability found in the 55LHX and LH85 models allow the freedom to place the HDTV anywhere in the room," said Reiner. "With wireless HDTVs, LG continues to expand home entertainment design and placement options to meet consumers' ever evolving needs."

Entertainment Freedom

Both 55LHX and LH85 wireless models allow installers the freedom to place the HDTV virtually anywhere in the room – without messy wires. To achieve this wireless experience, LG uses a supplied media box to transmit an uncompressed Full HD 1080p signal with virtually no interference or delay directly to the TV. The HDTVs can receive a wireless signal up to 30 feet away, allowing consumers to hook all content sources (such as a cable or satellite box, Blu-ray disc player, game console and home theater systems) into one box.

Enhanced Picture Quality

The 55-inch LHX model features superior picture quality with an elegant ultra-slim design – less than one-inch thick at its thinnest point. This unit has attained THX Display Certification. This certification ensures that the 55LHX delivers exceptional images, bringing a more immersive and enjoyable movie, broadcast and video game experience to consumers' living room. Since THX certification begins during the initial product design phase, every product detail is meticulously mapped to THX standards and tested in laboratory and home theater environments to ensure quality, usability and compatibility.

By presenting HD and standard-definition content at the maximum resolution with the correct color and luminance level, the LHX provides consumers a crisper, clearer image. To achieve this, LG uses a full-array LED backlighting system with local dimming technology, for precise picture control resulting in deeper blacks, wide color gamut and an incredible 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. This model also incorporates TruMotion 240Hz technology for smooth motion during fast-action scenes.

LG's LH85 series delivers an 80,000:1 contrast ratio for deeper blacks and greater picture detail. Additionally, the LH85 series features LG's 24p Real Cinema technology that allows consumers to enjoy a true cinematic experience at home, the way the movie was intended to be seen. For those that want more from their HDTV, the LH85 also includes USB 2.0 functionality allowing easy access to MP3 files and viewing of JPEG photos for a more enjoyable TV viewing experience.

ISFccc Calibration Options

Those seeking advanced calibration based on their own home theater environment, will appreciate LG's ISFccc option on both the 55LHX and LH85 series. The professional ISF calibration helps to deliver picture quality, representing what filmmakers intended viewers to see.

Using the LG Expert Mode, an ISF-certified calibration technician will use professional equipment to calibrate the HDTV using ISF parameters based upon individual home theater environments and ambient lighting. Once calibrated to the optimal setting, the calibrations are saved as ISF "Day" and ISF "Night" modes. With ISFccc, LG offers a superior 10-point calibration. This provides an extra level of precision for gray scale calibration resulting in a more uniform picture.

Energy Savings

With Intelligent Sensor, both wireless models automatically optimize the picture to the lighting conditions in the room for a personalized and more enjoyable viewing experience; and potential energy savings. Both the LHX and LH85 series are Energy Star 3.0 compliant, and with LG's "Smart Energy Saving" package, which consists of features such as backlight control options and video mute, LG further paves the way toward greater energy savings, while also allowing consumers to customize their viewing experience.

The 55LHX will be available soon at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $4,799 and the LH85 series will be available later this Fall in 55- and 47-inch class* screen sizes with MSRPs of $3,199 and $2,399, respectively.

This leak is all according to an unnamed source, so don't get too worked up, but supposedly Sony is set to announce the product at next week's IFA in Berlin. Panasonic has already committed to work on 3D TVs, but Sony could still be the first to get a product out the door. We'll have to wait until next week to find out if there's any truth to the rumor. [Wall Street Journal]

Joanna comes to Gizmodo from Laptop Magazine. She is here to illuminate us about all things netbook, notebook, and whatever other tech stuff that comes across her laser eyes or under her razor-sharp claws. Yes, Joanna is really a robot ninja. With a lot of class, as you can see in the video, but a fearless robot ninja nonetheless. One made with adamantium, and runs on cookies and vodka. Welcome to the team, señorita Stern. [Giz's Back-to-School Guide]

FLO TV, which broadcasts live terrestrial digital TV, has become a staple on a bunch of multimedia cellphones from AT&T and Verizon, including LG's Vu and Samsung Access, but with this FLO TV Personal Television (PTV) you'll get a standalone viewing gadget.

The device will have a capacitive touchscreen supporting swipes and gestures, 4GB of memory for storing other media, a built in speaker, and apparently a battery that allows for 5 hours of TV viewing. I'd love to see an HDMI or video out option on this thing.

Not sure people are interested in a device solely for watching mobile TV especially when you will probably have a monthly subscription fee, but throw some Wi-Fi and a browser in there and maybe. No idea of when the PTV will drop, though Gdgt says CES or earlier could be likely. [GDGT]

Here's the letter that was sent to anyone who harassed casting director Scott Muller:

Dear Futurama Fan,

Thank you for voicing your strong support for Futurama and the original voice cast. We appreciate the time you took to fire off a thoughtful and/or concerned and/or homicidal e-mail message to our casting director, Scott Muller. (Rest assured, not a single one of these e-mails reached the actual decision-makers at 20th Century Fox Television. For future reference, please note that Scott Muller is in fact one of Futurama's biggest fans, and was instrumental in bringing about the return of the cast. Please hoist a bottle of Olde Fortran for Scott!)

Speaking of the cast returning... good news, everyone! The cast is returning! All of our series regulars are back in action for Season 6. Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman are all on board and have already begun delivering their customary virtuoso performances. The all-new Futurama episodes are slated to air on Comedy Central beginning in June, 2010.

We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support for the series. Your loyalty over the years has kept the show going through its original four seasons on FOX, its subsequent reincarnations on Adult Swim and DVD, and now its Bendiferous return to life on Comedy Central. See you in the (near) future!

Sincerely,

David X. Cohen & Matt Groening

The deal was sealed about 3 weeks ago, but somehow we missed it because of our myopic, obsessive focus on gadgets and only gadgets. Who won that election everyone was talking about last fall, anyways? [Thanks, Ivan!]

Once balanced at a 70-degree angle upon reclaimed oak, your LCD will gleam with a new stature. Just as glasses can make a dumb person an instant intellectual, so too can the TV easel turn reality TV into episodic documentaries—a chronicle of human struggle to find a plus-sized soulmate while overcoming the occasional bungee jumping into water to grab things challenge.

This is Cannes-level shit we're talking about.

I know it's expensive, but there's no other way. We can't turn the feed off. It'd be like yanking out one of those metal rods that connects your skull to the Matrix. Our bodies would go limp on the couch, unable to lift themselves from the...wait, maybe life wouldn't be so different after all. [Restoration Hardware via Uncrate]

I spent a few minutes planted in front of Panasonic's latest 3D TV hardware, with a similar demo reel to the one Mark saw back at CES, displayed with the same massive technology—Panny's "3D Full HD" system, which imperceptibly flickers between left and right video data channels to maintain genuine 1080p content. Since then, their first 3D Blu-ray player has come out of its shell, albeit in a disguised preproduction form seen above.

I came away from the presentation with a different feeling than Mark did— there were times when the imagery was awkward, but it never felt like "work." It was still clear, though, that some types of content weren't a perfect fit for Panasonic's—and probably anyone else's—3D standard. Deep shots where absolutely everything is in perfect focus, for example, were a little disorienting, and hard to fix my eyes on. The preview for Up! was chock-full of artificial depth of field effects that, despite being programmed for 3D display, somehow felt a little off.

Live filmed events, be it basketball or the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, are where the system really shines. No doubt helped by the fact that the TV was the size of a upturned car, these shots actually feel immersive—the basketball bit honestly gives the feeling of a courtside view, which is completely stunning. This is an effect which it at least seems like moviemakers ought to be able to replicate, once they've gotten used to how to film for 3D.

Therein lies a huge, looming problem: as it stands, the 3D content starts and stops at feature films, and specifically, Blu-ray. That's it. Pressed about the prospect of 3D TV content, Panasonic's VP of Consumer Electronics Bob Perry, couldn't come anywhere close to making promises: from here, it's up to the content providers to decide if they want to give their customers 3D. According to Perry, they will, but the day when cable companies or now-fledgling IPTV firms jump onboard is firmly in the future. For now, the outlook is a lot like it was for full 1080p video back when it first hit the stage: the display tech is ready, but the content won't be there for a while. Remember, there are still only a handful of ways to get real 1080p content on your TV now; 3D, at least for a few years, will be way more niche than a simple resolution bump ever was.

That said, there's still time. Panasonic's mum on release dates, since they haven't even announced a specific product line yet, but the story's going to go something like this: They'll release their first wave of 3D sets next year, all plasma, and all at about 50 inches and up, with accompanying Blu-ray players. And there will be Blu-ray movies to watch on them, but anything beyond that is totally up in the air. One way to look at this is that 2010 will be the year that usable 3D hardware hits the mainstream; another, that 2010 is the year that the content-producing world either chooses to let 3D TVs live, or they don't.

The company has told Forbes that "several 'powered by Chumby' gadgets" will launch in the coming months. They have struck partnerships with Sony, Samsung, Broadcom and others.

The first product to launch will be a digital photo frame and will be followed by TVs, Blu-Ray players, clocks and radios. Chumby, you really don't think Yahoo's platform is good enough, huh? [Forbes]

TechRadar breaks down everything you need to know about HDMI 1.4 into an easy-to-digest 10-thing listicle. Personally, I'm most excited about the new Micro Connector, since I just love new kinds of cables, though sad I'll have to wait a whole year to buy it. [TechRadar, Image via Sam Catchsides/Flickr]

Things, with dollars! It's a story, in two parts: enjoy.

From March, here:

[M]anufacturers are being faced with two equally unattractive (read: expensive) options for building TV-sized OLED TVs, like the one Samsung showed off last year: either devise an entirely new manufacturing process, which would require the invention of new techniques and machines for fabrication, or pursue a different type of OLED panel. Both options would circumvent the current size restrictions, but both options are extremely expensive.

The investments necessary to manufacters a legitimately "next-gen," i.e. either reasonably priced or reasonably sized, OLED, are extremely high, and difficult to muster capital for in this economy. This alone could've explained Sony's delay, but then we have this, today, from the WSJ:

Sony will delay the launch of its next organic light emitting diode, or OLED, television because mass producing the new displays would exacerbate losses at its TV division, according to people familiar with the matter.

It's not just that developing the fabrication processes to build larger OLED TVs is too expensive—it's that so far, and probably for some time into the future, OLED TVs are and will be money-losing prestige products. And right now, Sony can't afford prestige products.

The WSJ points to Samsung and LG as the companies to fill the OLED void, but neither company has been overly enthusiastic about the technology, at least on a TV scale, for the last few months. Idealistic vision of the future, circa 2007? Deeeeee—layed. [WSJ]

Update: OK, so it looks like someone was just typing "Mayonegg" into their iPhone a lot and the dictionary learned it. Not as exciting, but I'm leaving this post up because I love that clip so much. [The Triumph of Bullshit]

The man is suspected of trying to charge $100 for what appeared to be a 37-inch flat screen television. He had even stuffed electronic cables and a manual in the back.

San Leandro police Lt. Pete Ballew called it a variation on the old "rocks in a box" scam, in which a box is presented as containing new, expensive electronics for sale but is actually full of rocks.

Most of us would spot the scam a mile away, but it does make you wonder if anyone would fall for it. I certainly know a couple of people (including my Dad) who might. [The Oakland Tribune via Gear Diary via Slashgear]