It's got nothing to do with Vudu's service, which is largely unchanged from the days of the Vudu set-top box. (I mean, we're still in those days, technically, but hey, narrative! ) The interface is the same easily navigable set of panels and menus, which seem to work fine with LG's standard remotes—no standalone clickwheel controller here. The movie selection is still decent, with concurrent releases for SD, 720p and 1080p HDX films on a near-DVD timescale, which has been one of Vudu's selling points since it first hit A/V stacks last year. And it's certainly not the 1080p HDX video quality, which was excellent on the 47-inch LH50 and started streaming in just a few seconds, even on the demo room's ~4.5mbps connection. Nope, it's not that.

The strange feeling I got from the movie samples, whether in SD, 720p or 1080p modes, was down to LG: The NetCast sets that'll carry the Vudu option have LG's 120Hz Trumotion interpolation technology, meaning that they essentially insert frames between what's already on the source material, with the stated purpose of "smoothing" the video output. As we—and others—have complained about before, though, the effect can be strange, making motions seem unnatural, and giving a multi-hundred-million-dollar films an odd, camcorder-like aesthetic.

That issue is really offputting here, and not optional. It made The Knowing look like a daytime soap opera, and made the bus chase scene in The Prisoner of Azkaban look like an extended Benny Hill sketch. Sure, I'm being a little hyperbolic, and for a lot of people—the people who actually like the idea of these high refresh rate sets, I guess—this won't matter. But for anyone who's sensitive to this kind of thing, it could be a dealbreaker. Vudu says they're in talks with LG to include an option to disable this feature with future Vudu-enabled sets, but for now, well, sorry,

But despite this admittedly obnoxious issue, the previous conclusion still stands: set-top boxes are on their way out, and multi-service web-connected TV's are The Thing Right Now. Netflix is showing its bright red face basically everywhere right now, and apparently, Vudu's in talks to try to get that same kind of presence. Which, 120Hz or not, is a step in the right direction. [Vudu on Giz]

One great thing about the set is that you can change the way it does sound depending on room size and TV placement using simple menu options. Oh yeah, and the picture on the 120Hz set wasn't bad either. The 149 comes in two flavors, a 46" for $3300 and a 52" for $3700, out soon. [Mitsubishi]

I was really excited to check out the 2008 line from Westinghouse today, but I left the showroom very disappointed. After last year's sweet n' cheap 52”, I expected bigger and better tech with the same nice let's-make-a-deal pricing, but lo, I got nothing. No 120Hz, no LED backlighting, and no new TV larger than 52”. While cheapo LCD brands Olevia and Vizio have at least announced their intentions to play ball with the big brands by adopting performance-LCD technologies, Westinghouse seems content to stay at the bottom rung. That said, if you don't mind shopping on the bottom rung, there are some deals to be had.

My guess is that the cost of 120Hz—not to mention thinner panels and LED backlighting—is still too high to incorporate into a cheap LCD. Late last year, a Westinghouse rep said that the company was exploring 120Hz, and that we'd see it at CES. They didn't come through.

Vizio claims their first 120Hz offerings announced back in January, will be out in July, a full six months later. The 42” and 47” LCDs are said to list for $1500 and $1900 respectively, but so far they only exist in pictures and press releases. We'll believe in them when we see them.

Similarly, the Olevia 120Hz is nothing more than a concept shown on the CES floor, with no schedule for release. While we have no reason to doubt they are working on the tech, we don't expect to see it any time soon, at which point something better may have already passed it by.

All that said, if price is your main concern when it comes to TV shopping, Westinghouse still has some good options. The 40” VK-40F580D has solid picture quality and an embedded DVD player, and it goes for $1100. 42-, 47-, and 52-inchers from the TX series all claim 1080p resolution out of all HD connectors, component and VGA included. Those sets retail for a reasonable $1200 to $2000. Bargains aside, if Westinghouse wants to be more than the Apex Digital of LCD TVs, it had better step up its motion-blur reduction, contrast and back lighting tech . [Westinghouse]

• VP504F-50 1080p Plasma. It's got Silicon Optix HQV Processing for better images than most higher-priced sets.
• SV42LF-42 and SV47LF-47 has 120Hz, 1080p, Anti-Judder, and a side HD Game Port. Great for movie watchers (thanks to 120Hz refresh) and gamers.
• Jive Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio Kit. Adds onto many of their sets (including SV42LF and SV47LF) to give you an all-in-one entertainment system.
• Plasma line: 1080p and 720p sets.
• LCD line: 1080p and 720p sets, with the Envy line looking slightly fancier than the Evolution series. Then there's the VW series that's sold at Wal-mart.

The hotshot model was the LG70 LCD featuring a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, four HDMI 1.3 jacks, USB 2.0 for pictures and MP3s, and Wi-Fi (in its LG71 variation). The leading plasma is the PG30, shown above. Slated to cost a hair less than the LG70 LCD, it will still have a 30,000:1 contrast ratio and a 100,000-hour panel highlife, pretty much ending the dispute about plasma screen burn. (LCD bulbs, which are replaceable, have a halflife of 60,000 hours or less.)

LG didn't announce pricing—citing a pretty liquid pricing market and mid to late spring shipping dates on most models—but it did give the specs on a whole bunch of sets on down the line, so jump for the fact sheet, plus beauty-shot galleries of both lineups.

LCD lineup including LG30, LG50, LG70 and Wi-Fi equipped LG71 TVs:

Plasma lineup including PG20 and PG30 TVs:

2008 HIGHLIGHTS: PLASMA AND LCD HDTVs

LG Electronics' focus on enhanced picture quality, specialized features and sophisticated styling elevates its 2008 line of LCD and Plasma HDTVs into an art form. LG's 2008 LCD line, including the LG30, LG50, LG70 and LG71 series, delivers an unparalleled consumer viewing—and living—experience.

LG30 LCD HDTV Series
(Sizes: 19-, 22-, 26-, 32-, 37- and 42-inches)
The LG30 series comes packed with the most functional and convenient features found in today's HDTVs. It offers consumers a wide range of screen sizes and features invisible speakers that provide a sleek, modern look, while projecting a wider sound sweet spot that yields higher quality sound. Other features include:
• Clear Voice technology that keeps volume levels even, so dialogue won't get muffled when background noise swells
• Content-specific AV modes that automatically tailor settings for movies, sports or games
• Three HDMI 1.3 connection ports (26-inch and larger sets only)
• LG SimpLinkTM connectivity to control other LG SimpLink-compatible equipment (26-inch and larger sets only)

LG50 LCD HDTV Series
(Sizes: 37-, 42-, 47- and 52-inches)
The LG 50 series offers slim profile, high gloss finish, and LG's invisible speaker system creating a clean, high quality look with matching performance. These "Full HD" 1080p sets also feature LG's proprietary Intelligent Sensor, which automatically adjusts the picture to ensure that its quality excels in all viewing conditions. An expert mode for custom picture calibration adds even more versatility to these sets. Other features include:
• 15,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• USB 2.0 jack for viewing JPEG media or listening to MP3 files
• Three HDMI 1.3 connection ports
• Clear Voice technology to provide high-quality dialogue when background noise swells
• LG SimpLinkTM connectivity to control other LG SimpLink-compatible equipment

LG70 LCD HDTV Series
(Sizes: 32-, 42-, 47- and 52-inches)
The Full HD 1080p LG70 series units are ideal for home theater enthusiasts. The elegant "teardrop" design is augmented by LG's hidden speaker system, soft touch controls, clean lines and a distinctive color accent to create a truly premium HDTV experience.

The LG70 series also incorporates an ultra-high 20,000:1 contrast ratio, and Full HD 1080p resolution. It also features LG's Intelligent Sensor to automatically calibrate programming in any room setting for a higher-quality viewing experience; and is ISFccc certification ready for detailed calibration.
• 20,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• TruMotion 120Hz
• Four HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color
• USB 2.0 jack for viewing JPEG media or listening to MP3 files
• Clear Voice technology to provide high-quality dialogue when background noise swells
• LG SimpLinkTM connectivity to control other LG SimpLink-compatible equipment

LG71 Wireless LCD HDTV Series (2008 CES Innovation Award Winner)
(Sizes: 47- and 52-inch)
The LG71 contains all of the features found on the LG70 series, plus wireless connectivity to enable clean, easy installation. The LG71 series is stylishly designed, featuring LG's transparent, "teardrop" form factor, for perfect table top or wall mounted viewing without visible wires or external components. Key features include:
• 20,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• TruMotion 120Hz
• 802.11n Wireless System
• Four HDMI 1.3 connection ports with Deep Color
• USB 2.0 jack for viewing JPEG media or listening to MP3 files
• Clear Voice technology to provide high-quality dialogue when background noise swells
• LG SimpLinkTM connectivity to control other LG SimpLink-compatible equipment

The 2008 plasma offerings provide home theater and sport enthusiasts with more HDTV options. In 2008, LG's line includes the PG20 and PG30 series.

PG20 Series
(Sizes: 42- and 50-inch)
Design and style conscious consumers will appreciate the PG20 because it compliments virtually any décor. The units are uncommonly slim at 84mm, and built with LG's invisible speaker system. The PG20 is loaded with advanced technology and user-friendly features, including a 15:000:1 contrast ratio that allows for deeper blacks. Other features include:
• Three HDMI 1.3 connection ports
• 100,000 hours panel life (to half brightness)
• High gloss finish
• Clear Voice technology to provide high-quality dialogue when background noise swells

PG30 Plasma HDTV Series
(Sizes: 50- and 60-inch)
The PG30 combines the latest technology with premium design, making it perfect for viewing sports and the latest action-packed movies. Its Full HD 1080p resolution and a 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio ensure vibrant colors and deeper blacks. The PG30 also has a non-reflective coating to minimize excessive glare caused by harsh ambient light. Its slim depth, high gloss finish and LG's invisible speaker design augment its unprecedented detail and startling clarity. Other features include:
• 30,000:1 contrast ratio
• Swivel Stand
• Three HDMI 1.3 connection ports with Deep Color
• 100,000 hours of panel life (approximately 30 years)
• Clear Voice technology to provide high-quality dialogue when background noise swells

Next, the demo showed the Sony panel in Game Mode, but then its color didn't look nearly as good and still couldn't quite keep up. Yeah, the JVC clearly beat the other three, but only by a couple of frames. But still, when you're hard-core gaming, every frame counts.

JVC showed a second demo (which is impossible to see on this 30fps video) that was also impressive, demonstrating how its 120Hz interpolation can smooth out artifacts in an image. JVC's now in its second generation of this double-framed 120Hz goodness, where they actually create extra frames in between each of the normal 60 frames, estimating where objects would be in between and literally creating something out of nothing.

In person, there was a noticeable difference between the brands, all of which were running 120Hz frames, especially in scenes with lots of movement. Of course, in this demo JVC's TV looked the smoothest by far. Whether this demo is rigged or not (and that wouldn't be that hard to do), this 120Hz capability is getting to be a must-have feature.

As video editor Geoff Morrison's piece explains, part of the blur perception comes from the fact that, on standard LCDs, frames are frozen on the screen for 1/60th of a second, and then abruptly shift to the next frame. This is called "sample and hold." Other technologies like plasma and DLP don't hold the frame for that whole 1/60th of a second, but pulse from one frame to the next, with some healthy downtime. The obvious solution is to double the frame rate to 120Hz.

One 120Hz method simulates the other TV technologies by introducing that downtime. Between each bright frame is a frame that's totally black or very dim (as shown above). The rapid succession of bright and dark frames, 120 times per second, looks smooth to the eye, and keeps some of the LCD's issues hidden in the darkness. This technique is the best, according to Morrison. Alas, it is dying out.

The trouble with the method is that it reduces the prized brightness of an LCD. It is a sad truth that, in the cutthroat world of Best Buy TV selling, the brightest TV often wins.

That's why the second method (shown below) is coming into vogue. Rather than splice in black frames, LCD makers introduce a Photoshop-style interpolated frame, basically a morphed midpoint between Frame 1 and Frame 3. Thanks to faster processors, this is easier and easier to do, but it has problems. "There is the potential, though, of it looking too smooth," says Morrison. (What's funny is, "looking too smooth" was probably Morrison's life goal in high school, and now he condemns it!)

This is only a piece of the larger LCD issue Morrison discusses, and the gist is that even the inferior 120Hz concepts are improving the situation with motion blur on LCDs (and LCOS projection TVs like Sony's SXRD line). It's a great read, so have a look, or just share your own 120Hz opinions, revelations and nightmares. [Home Theater]

According to Samsung, this is the world's first 1080p Wi-Fi plasma. That's a lot of qualifiers, but it is pretty tasty, and according to the company, the issue of getting Hollywood's permission to stream 1080p video from Blu-ray or HD DVD is being resolved, and the TVs will ship in early October. They will be at 50" and 58" sizes, and will cost $600 more than the equivalent plasmas without Wi-Fi. Note the USB jack next to the HDMI input.

LED backlighting is the wave of the future for LCDs, and not just because they are "greener" than the current CCFLs. Because they can alternately dim and brighten 60 or 70 separate clusters of LEDs underneath the LCD panel, you get deeper contrast, but without losing detail in dark scenes. The TV in the shot below is the previously announced but never-before-shown LN-T4681F, a 46" set that will list for around $3,500. (Though the screen shows that idiotic Robots movie, the best demo of the TV's shadow and explosion capability was Batman Begins.)

Finally, we turn to 120Hz. As many commenters have acknowledged, there are plenty of different types of 120Hz systems, and many different claims. I think the best ones are the ones that use image processing to interpolate new frames. (And yes, there are different types of interpolation, too, but let's skip that for now.) If you look at the photo I snapped of the TV here, Samsung's $3,000 46" LN-T4671F, you can actually see that for every two frames on the right, there's only one on the left. The camera don't lie, and believe me, it looked good in person too.

If tripping the Ambilight fandango isn't your idea of a good time, there are other features that might be more interesting to you. The 120Hz refresh rate found on half of the models is intended to beat the 8ms response time. (This effect is achieved using a multitude of differing techniques, and it might take six months or so for us to be sure who has it figured out.) The Perfect Pixel HD technology for sharpness is also key. Make the jump for my thoughts on a side-by-side comparison with a Samsung, a gallery of my Ambilight shots, plus a cute little newcomer called Modea.

When I went to the Philips suite, the first thing I noticed was a 42-inch 1080p Philips next to a 40-inch 1080p Samsung (the side-by-side shots of the gallery below). And as usual with a bake-off challenge, there were aspects of the Philips that beat the Samsung, but aspects of the Samsung that trumped the Philips. For instance, in the shot of the wave, you can clearly see the added detail that the Perfect Pixel HD technology provides (not to mention the extra diagonal two inches of real estate); however, when you look at the rocky cliff, even scaled down, you can make out more detail in the Samsung.

Of course much of this can be fixed; in fact, last Friday I demonstrated how friendly Philips' picture-tweaking interface is for people who don't know their hue from their saturation. However, I tend to shrink from side-by-side comparisons set up by one manufacturer.

That said, the TVs were tasty (check out the snikety-snak detail on the PS3 game showing on the 52-incher) and competitively priced for 1080p. Here's the recap of pricing and availability.

42PFL7432D 42" 1080p - Currently available for $1,999 April
42PFL9832D 42" 120Hz 1080p - Coming next month for $2,999
47PFL7432D 47" 1080p - Currently available for $2,499 April
47PFL9732D 47" 120Hz 1080p - Coming next month for $2,799
52PFL7432D 52" 120Hz 1080p - Coming in September for $3,599

Ambilight TV Press Release from CES [Philips]

The company says the motion interpolation in CMD II is five times better than its 720p predecessor. The new technique was designed specifically for 1080p displays. JVC plans to use CMD II in its High Speed 2 series, with the first three LCD displays to be rolled out this fall, including a 37-inch, a 42-inch, and a 47-inch LCD, all with three HDMI 1.3 inputs.

How does this CMD II stuff work, anyway, and will it actually do any good?

JVC cranks up the frame rate to 120Hz using a two-pronged approach. First, each of the 60Hz frames is doubled, and then motion interpolation is applied to each doubled frame, automagically finding a compromise between one frame and the next.

Wow, it's actually "tweening" those missing frames, and doing a better job of it than before, too. With JVC's previous technology, the interpolation detected only horizontal motion, but this latest CMD II technique detects movement in all directions and interpolates the frames accordingly. JVC says the result is less blurring of moving images.

Since Sharp's frame interpolation didn't do much, we're skeptical. This we gotta see. Also, JVC tells us there's no 24p input support on these new TVs, so they won't be able to take advantage of that spiffy new 24p output on some Pioneer and Samsung Blu-ray players. While the difference is theoretical, it seems like a good idea to take those 24 frames per second and multiply by 5: 24 x 5 = 120Hz. In theory. – Charlie White

The line is topped off by the 65-inch LC-65RX1W (pictured above) that will ship in Japan on March 10 for a mere $8,361— that's a lot less than the March-shipping Aquos D93, a 65-inch set with a 120Hz refresh rate going for $11,000.

Also on the list of R Series displays are 42, 46, 52 and 57-inch screens, all with 1920x1080p resolution. All these sets are aimed at the Japan market, and include integrated analog and digital tuners with 10/100 Ethernet. Expect similar models stateside before too long, with lower pricing, too. – Charlie White

Sharp Aquos R series full HD LCDs [Newlaunches]

At CES in January, most of the major flat panel display manufacturers were showing 120Hz TVs, aiming to quell those rumblings that some of the standard HDTV sets weren't laying down smooth-enough video, especially when watching movies.

Studying the HDTVs with this latest 120Hz technology built in was an enlightening experience. We were blown away by their overall quality. But then, the tack-sharp images of most HDTVs, even those that are capable of just 720p video at garden-variety 30/60Hz, are so good that a much of the program material isn't as good as the displays themselves. Even so, 120Hz makes a noticable diff, and we dig.

Sony
This Bravia KDL-70XBR31080p HDTV from Sony costs $33,000 and brings the serious specs. Sony calls its 120Hz technology Motionflow, and we could see nary a blur on its 70-inch screen. It also was packing Sony's x.v. color technology, and displayed colors that were almost too vivid for our tender eyes. Be still my heart. Some of us were even talking about robbing a bank to get one of these into our Gizmodo lair. Some of us are such bullshitters!

Incidentally, Sony was also showing off an 82-inch prototype 1080p LCD screen, also graced with that coveted 120Hz frame rate. Its picture was nothing short of exquisite. Too bad it's not available yet, nor will it be for some time. And when it is, well, we'll just have to take up gun running or something to pay for it.

JVC
JVC was one of the first to roll out 120 Hz HDTVs, albeit their first iterations, a 37-inch (LT-37X987) and a 32-inch (LT-32X987) set, were merely 720p displays. But still, there's that 120Hz refresh rate, giving them smooth interpolated motion between frames and crispy clean response.

Then JVC updated those two models with more 120Hz LCD HDTVs earlier this week (pictured above), looking a lot like their 37-inch and 32-inch predecessors. However, they also stopped short of 1080p with their 1366x768 resolution. Look for the 32-inch LT-32LC95 and 37-inch LT-37LC95 models to roll out in Japan later this month for $1889 and $2381 respectively. Their 42-inch bro, the LT-42LC95, will be available in March for $3038.

Update: JVC says it only plans to release the above models in Japan, and in September will launch a pair of 120Hz 1080p sets in the U.S. with 42- and 47-inch screen sizes.

Panasonic
You can't count Panasonic out of the 120Hz derby, either, and it showed its TC-32LX700 LCD HDTV at CES playing back 720p images in all their glory. Panasonic calls its 120Hz smoothed-up picture technique Motion Picture Pro, and its feature-heavy specs even include an SD card slot. The company didn't mention a price for its 32-inch 120Hz-packing monitor, but vowed to ship it March.

Sharp
And then there's our fave, the gorgeous Sharp Aquos D92 Series line, refreshed with 52-inch screens and smaller, where the top of that line will cost you $5,200 as they first go on sale in the coming weeks. Sharp made some bold claims for the line that also includes 42-, 46-inchers, quoting a contrast ratio of 15,000:1. It's also packing the inputs, with three HDMI ports on the back, plus a DVI port to plug in your PC. Those big contrast ratio numbers might be a lot of hooey, but to our eyes, this was the best-looking HDTV production model we saw on the entire show floor.

Also looking spiffy was Sharp's 65-inch 1080p LCD which it's now calling the D93. It's similar to the Sharp Aquos 65-incher we saw on the CES show floor last year for just under $20,000, but now it's got that 120Hz refresh rate along with a lower price—shoot, it now costs a mere $11,000. Imagine that, it's almost half the price compared to a year ago.

This is by no means a complete list of all the 120Hz displays in existence, but it's a representative sample of what's hit the market thus far. This tech is proliferating and we're thinking soon 120Hz will be the standard frame rate. It's just too perfect—you can multiply 24 frames by five and get 120, or you can multiply 30 or 60 frames and get 120 as well. It's just a good, magic number for HDTV display, handling a variety of frame rates natively. There's still a slight cost premium for this technology, but we're thinking that will be short-lived. The result? Better TV for you and me. – Charlie White

Here's how.

Film is 24 frames per second. That standard was the approximation of what was defined in the early 20th century by hand crank cameras. And just about every movie disc you can buy is encoded in this format. We're not just talking DVD. We're talking about HD DVD and Blu-ray, too.

The problem is, most TVs run at 30 frames per second. Fitting that 24-frame content onto a 30-frame screen isn't that easy; the math just doesn't compute cleanly. You can't divide 24 by 30 without filling in the gaps with some junk. That junk causes stuttering in the video. This is a jerky-looking phenomenon that's particularly noticeable when the camera pans across a scene. The conversion is better known by film and TV wonks as 2:3 pulldown. It spreads out 24 frames into 30 by placing one frame on the screen three times and the next one after that two times, and repeating this pattern ad infinitum.

How does this relate to an 120Hz HDTV showing frames at 120 frames per second? A bit of simple math tells you that 120 is a multiple of 24, because 24 x 5 = 120. So one of the claims of the purveyors of these sped-up monitors is that they can natively reproduce 24p programming, namely, just about every film has ever been shot.

These new HDTVs avoid this awkward 3:2 pulldown process altogether by changing their frame rate to something that's a multiple of 24 by using either frame doubling or interpolation (also called "tweening"). Then, their playback can be as close to native 24fps playback as you can get. That's why 72Hz (24 x 3 = 72) and 120Hz refresh rates are gaining traction. Native 24p playback: Yeah, sounds good. But how will it be implemented and which manufacturers are involved? And who does it best? – Brian Lam and Charlie White

Next in our series: Which TVs and disc players are in on this nascent 72Hz/120Hz phenomenon, and which method of frame expansion does each use? Is this going to cost a lot? How much better will it look? Here's part 2.

This 120Hz tech takes that usual 60fps image and doubles it to 120fps, and with its 14-bit processing, interpolates the images in between in an effort to get a rid of a much of that pesky image blur of conventional LCD displays. Check out of a couple of shots JVC released that supposedly show the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz LCD display output, plus more pricing and availability info:

Sure looks a lot better in these easily-faked examples. But the idea is sound; plus, since 120fps is a multiple of 24, with certain playback devices you can get native 24-frame playback without resorting to judder-introducing 3:2 pulldown.

The 32-inch LT-32LC95 and 37-inch LT-37LC95 models will roll out in Japan late next month for $1889 and $2381 respectively, while the 42-inch LT-42LC95 screen will be available in March for $3038. Too bad these sets can't display 1080p for those prices, such as Sharp's upcoming 42-incher that will be available in April for not much more money: $3500. – Charlie White

Translated Page [JVC]

The displays have an "ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuner, two HDMI inputs, two component inputs, two S-video inputs, 15-pin S-sub PC input, and both analog and optical and analog audio output. "

The larger, 37" LCD (LT-37X987) will cost $2,700 in August, and the smaller 32" LCD (LT-32X987) will cost $2,000 in October. – Jason Chen

Press Release [JVC via Digital Trends]