Dream Screens: Top Luxury TVs

Here are some of the most luxurious TVs that money can buy. The question is whether you are ready for one or not.

From gigantic HDTVs big enough to fill the side of a building to super-skinny models so slim you could cut bread with them, the future looks big and bright for digital television indeed. Here are just a few of the world’s most luxurious sets to lust after and trends to look out for in the following months. Much to the delight of technophiles and home theater buffs alike, all will be coming to stores near you someday. We just don’t know when and (yipes!) given the price on some of these puppies, hopefully not with cable bills to match.

In Living Color

Bizarre as it seems to be saying in 2008, 3D is making a comeback. And while you could excuse the trend as a marketing gimmick, we’ve seen demos that suggest otherwise.

Most recently, Panasonic showed off what the company is touting as the “world’s first 3D full HD plasma theater system” at a tradeshow in Japan. The system includes a 150-inch plasma display—the world’s largest (we’ll take two, please)—and a Blu-ray player that plays back discs containing right- and left-sided 1080p 3D images.

You still have to wear the requisite 3D glasses, but the result are images containing (at least, according to Panasonic) twice the information as regular high-def pictures. While the system is not quite ready for primetime, Panasonic is working with the Blu-ray Disc Association and Hollywood studios to help standardize 3D technology. Price and availability are yet to be determined – likewise, we can only pray each system doesn’t ship with a pair of those gonzo, ‘50s-era cardboard glasses.

Panasonic 3D demonstration, CEATAC 2008, Japan

Perhaps the most impressive demo of 3D technology we’ve seen, however, was from JVC this past September. The company showed a 3D version of Beowulf using two of its DLA-RS2 projectors and a Sensio video processor. Images were incredibly real, and didn’t induce the nausea or headaches sometimes associated with 3D technology. In fact, Sensio and JVC just signed a deal to introduce this 3D model to the consumer market, so it won’t be long before you can get a system like this in your own home, provided you can afford it. While pricing isn’t official, one DLA-RS2 currently costs about $8,000.

If you can’t wait for these two high-end 3D concepts to materialize, check out Samsung’s Series 4 plasma TVs or Mitsubishi’s LaserVue L65-A90, both of which are 3D-ready, even if, perhaps, the world is not.

Mr. Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC factory, next to the 150-inch plasma 

Bigger is Better

While projectors and screens offer huge images and really shine in a light-controlled room, they often can’t compete with ambient light. That’s why consumers are demanding really large, flat-panel screens for cinematic impact. Large-scale flat-panels are still in their infancy, however, so prices are steep.

The Panasonic 150-inch model mentioned earlier has not hit the market yet, but the manufacturer’s 103-inch plasma is available now, for the hefty sum of $70,000. Runco also offers a gorgeous 1080p 103-inch PlasmaWall—the XP-103DHD—which is not for the faint-of-wallet at $99,995. (Despite its massive screen size, it’s only 5 inches thin!) And plasma isn’t the only contender in the big-screen arena either, with Sharp’s LB-1085 1080p 108-inch LCD available, liable to set you back several years’ worth of salary. All of these HDTVs make dreaming big fun, if just wee bit expensive.

Slim Pickings

Something to keep in mind too… While much ado is often made about a big picture, to appeal to design- and space-conscious consumers, HDTVs must also be on the svelte side. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Sony’s XEL-1 TV, which is only 3 millimeters thick, thanks to its OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) backlighting technology. Unfortunately, OLED is not yet available to the masses at larger sizes—witness the 11-inch XEL-1’s $2,500 price tag. But this is definitely a “thin” technology to look for in larger models in the future.

On a similar note, Sony recently unveiled a draw-dropping 9.9mm thick LCD HDTV, the BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M ($4,000, available in January). It’s about as thick as a CD jewel case. Pioneer’s sexy new concept model, which is part of the company’s KURO line, comes in a little tighter in the waistline than the Sony at only 9mm thick. And if you haven’t yet seen a KURO plasma in action, you must. The sets are known for their incredible image and black levels, making the 9mm model a unit to daydream about until it ships. Hitachi’s Ultrathin line of LCDs are also noteworthy at only 35mm—and are widely available.

Pioneer 35mm Kuro Plasma

Dressed to Impress

We’re happy to see companies like Samsung and Toshiba doing interesting things with color and bezel design. And we would love to see more innovative industrial design in our HDTV options—after all, isn’t your set the centerpiece of the living room? That’s why we are so fond of Humax’s concept LCD TV, appropriately named HAL 2008, designed by London’s Tej Chauhan. At once both retro and futuristic, the TV solves a problem faced by most flat-panel TVs: Video quality far surpasses audio caliber. The TV actually sits on an extra speaker built into the base for a more robust, powerful sonic experience. Naturally, it has a built-in DVR, as well.

Hal 2008

Technological Marvels

Think your new HDTV looks realistic? Well, it’s got nothing on Ultra High Def TV (UHDTV, also known as Super Hi-Vision), a next-generation technology that offers resolution up to 7680×4320 pixels—four times that of current 1080p HDTVs! We saw a demonstration from Japanese company NHK Science & Technology two years ago, and the picture was so unbelievable, it was, well, believable. Images of sunflowers, Sumo wrestlers, and a crowd at a soccer game were better than anything we’ve yet seen. Of course, this technology is years if not decades away, but it’s definitely something to look forward to.

One technology that may come around sooner than later though is gesture control. Hitachi’s Gesture TV, for example, lets you chuck your remote and use your hands instead. You can do things like turn the TV on or off, change channels or turn up the volume by using simple hand movement. We’re already seeing some of these features on laptops from various manufacturers.

Toshiba is also pioneering some interesting TV technology, incorporating a powerful cell processor into a REGZA “Wall” TV. The technology allows for super-fast image processing, meaning you can watch up to 48 videos on one screen—a great set for those with ADD. The system needs no stand or mounting; you simply lean it against your wall! Cool, eh?

Looking forward to at least 2015, Panasonic’s Life Wall is a huge, intelligent TV wall that actually recognizes you when you come into the room and loads your TV preferences. The Life Wall is so large that more than one person can watch the screen at the same time. Plus, the image which you are watching automatically resizes itself based on how close or far you are from the screen to provide the most optimal picture. Based on the company’s belief that the HDTV will be the “digital hearth” of the home, the system connects safety, security, communication and entertainment.

Whether you are looking for the state-of-the-art now or simply want to fantasize about the future of home entertainment, one thing is certain, however: Going forward, you’ll have no shortage of mind-blowing options to choose from. Happy channel surfing!