With too much inventory and not enough demand, the HDTV makers are cutting prices yet again to clear out stock. After these guys finish slashing, you can expect other bigwigs like Pioneer, LG and Sony to follow suit. So before you shell out for that sweet new LCD or plasma set, make sure you're not overpaying and check out the chart of everything we know so far. [HD Guru]

*Note: The following are "minimum advertised prices". Street pricing, or what they actually charge in store after sales, etc., is usually much less.

While it looked like the Panasonic's better color reproduction, more accurate gamma, reduced power consumption and $1100 price advantage over last year's Kuros was going to give Pioneer a run for their money, the new Kuro has stepped up with improved noise reduction and matched color reproduction and power consumption to the Panasonic. Pile that onto what Kuro is most famous for—the blackest blacks on any TV anywhere.

Unfortunately, the King doesn't come cheap: At $5,000, it's $1,500 more than the Panasonic. For the full down and dirty, check out Gary's review. [HD Guru]

Aside from housing the plasma screen, the walnut hardwood console even incorporates room for a built-in center speaker. Made from "Fender amp screen material," the front facing speaker grill is in a perfect location to complete the surround-sound speaker layout.

This design to house electronics in a clean modern look is a complete throwback to the entertainment consoles that emerged in the 1950s. Back then it was very common to find a TV housed completely in a wood console, or a record player hidden inside a teak credenza. With entertainment technology becoming such an integral part of every household, it's nice to know that there is someone out there trying to put it it all together again.

Since the console was only on display to "test the waters of public interest," there is no word on specific specs, pricing or availability. Apartment Therapy did get a few words from the designer, and found out that his furniture company, Wilkerson Furniture, is still unsure if they should offer the console and the screen as a package. I'm glad this is a concern, because with plasma TVs currently on the way out, it could mean this console is just old stuff. [Wilkerson Furniture via Apartment Therapy]

They have teamed up with Triad speakers to offer units that incorporate the front left, center and right channel speakers underneath your flat-panel television. When you turn on the unit, the artwork retracts to reveal the screen but leaves the speakers masked from view behind a black matte material. Custom sizes and speaker setups are available, but I'm sure that regardless of the configuration you choose, installing VisionArt in your home will not come cheap. Still, it may be a small price to pay for such a seamless solution. [VisionArt via Electronic House]

It's only been a few weeks since Pioneer hosted a similar demo, with a Sony CCFL-backlit LCD and a Samsung LED-backlit LCD playing stooge to Pioneer's first- and second-generation Kuro panels. In that demo, it was embarrassing how bad the LCD looked against the plasma.In this demo, Sony's got a better TV, a brand new LED-backlit system with a new flavor of dynamic contrast management called Advanced Contrast Enhancer PRO. Sony pits that new secret sauce against a hallowed plasma competitor—one might say a competitor known for breaking new ground—and the LCD looks, well, sh'loads better.There are two takeaways here:
1. Apparently, these things can be juked. I mean, we're not naive enough to think that they couldn't be, but at this point, our heads are spinning. The first takeaway is that unless it's a case of Pioneer vs. Pioneer, or Sony vs. Sony, there's no way to trust your own eyes.

2. TV tech is getting remarkably better all the time. If we liked the Pioneer in the other demo, and we loved the Sony in this demo, guess what... the Pioneer and the Sony are damn fine TVs. Even if we can't tell who's the best, showing them in high-performance settings against competition proves that they're at least decent. You don't see Tier 2 companies hosting these sorts of demos, cuz only the best can even compete. [New June 2008 Sony Bravia Announcement]

As is the case with most companies launching similar products, the system is easily expandable, and Pana promises more content partners in the future, though not imminently. I would like to have some kind of a la carte movies-on-demand option, to compete with the new Netflix box, along with Vudu and other options, but Pana isn't talking about that yet. They do say they are exploring options along these lines, and while they won't name names, I see MovieLink or CinemaNow as worthwhile addition, and maybe Rhapsody, too.

As you can see in the video below, it's got enough entertainment at the start to get customers comfortable with the format, and the architecture leaves room for all those other services.

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF ITS FIRST VIERA® CAST WEB-ENABLED PLASMA HDTV

YouTube™, Google's Picasa™ Web Albums and Bloomberg Sites Accessible Directly On-Screen

Secaucus, NJ, (May 20, 2008) - Panasonic, the industry leader in High Definition Plasma TV, announced today that its much-anticipated web-enabled PZ850 series of VIERA Plasma HDTV's will be available at retail beginning in mid-June. The flagship line's wide range of cutting-edge features is highlighted by VIERA CAST which provides access to some of the most popular content sites on the Internet today - YouTube, Google's Picasa Web Album and Bloomberg. The VIERA line was initially previewed at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in January 2008.

Panasonic's VIERA 1080p PZ850 series offers features designed for the most demanding videophile - enhanced contrast ratio, deeper blacks, faster response time and outstanding picture quality in four screen sizes - the 46-inch class TH-46PZ850 (46.0" measured diagonally), the 50-inch class TH-50PZ850 (49.9" measured diagonally), the 58-inch class TH-58PZ850 (58.0" measured diagonally) and the 65-inch class TH-65PZ850 (64.8" measured diagonally). Coupled with Panasonic's new VIERA CAST technology, the PZ850 series will give consumers on-screen access to a far broader range of unique content than ever before.

"Our VIERA PZ850 series really takes connectivity and home entertainment to a whole new level for consumers," said Bob Perry, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "In addition to delivering stunning, true-to-life High Definition movies and television programming that all of our VIERA HDTV's are famous for, our PZ850 series also allows you to seamlessly access an unending supply of content via the web via You Tube and Google's Picasa Web Album websites. Another terrific enhancement for the consumer is that when new web sites become available they will be automatically available on the TV.

"Imagine being able to press a button and see a family member's photos from their vacation right on your own large-screen Plasma or enjoy one of the many intriguing videos found on You Tube from the comfort of your easy chair," added Perry. "The VIERA PZ850 with VIERA CAST makes it all possible quickly and easily."

The PZ850 also makes it easy to enjoy your own High Definition digital still and video images in breathtaking 16x9 widescreen format by inserting an SD Memory Card into the HDTV. While all of Panasonic's VIERA HDTV's can display digital still images via SD card, the PZ850 features H.264 codec making it possible to enjoy HD video content from your HD camcorder by simply inserting an SD Memory Card into the TV.

In addition to the line's Internet and SD Memory Card capabilities, the PZ850 series delivers a number of other high-tech step-up features that will further benefit the consumer and strengthen Panasonic's Plasma leadership position.

The PZ850 series features a Pro Setting Menu, a must-have for videophiles who can benefit from access to professional calibration software. Images come to life like never before in crisp, true-to-life color, clarity and smoothness thanks to an enhanced native resolution contrast ratio of 30,000:1, a dynamic ratio of 1,000,000:1, 24p native reproduction, Digital Cinema Color Re-Mastering (a technology that allows for accurate color reproduction essential for movies), and Studio Reference Mode (provides faithful reproduction of the subtle colors intended by film makers).

For the avid gamer, the PZ850 series also offers a Game Mode which minimizes the time lag when displaying game images on the Plasma screen. The addition of four HDMI connections and a PC input also gives users greater flexibility to connect peripheral components to the display.

Like all Panasonic VIERA Plasma HDTV's, the PZ850 series panels contain no lead or mercury and deliver increased luminous efficiency and 100,000 hours of viewing time to half brightness (40+ years at 6+ hours viewing per day).

Additionally, the PZ850 series, as well as Panasonic's entire 2008 line of VIERA flat panels, features VIERA Link™, a means to control multiple AV devices with one remote.

Discussing the availability of YouTube content on the VIERA PZ850 series Plasmas at CES 2008 in January, Steve Chen, co-founder and CTO of YouTube, said, "We're dedicated to providing users around the world with a great YouTube experience, no matter where they are. Working with an industry leader like Panasonic will deliver the same terrific YouTube experience that users have come to expect from their computers; browsing, finding and watching millions of videos from the comfort of their living room."

The projector demo was cool, because it's the first product Pioneer branded Kuro but didn't build itself. It was pretty impressive, though to be honest, there was no immediate comparison. Still, see for yourself: [Pioneer 2008 Kuro Launch on Giz]

To give you an idea of how much you might save, for instance, Sony's cutting $400 off its 46-inch KDL-46S4100, to $1599, and $500 off its newest 1080p 40-incher, to $1199. So we're looking at discounts in the 20-25 percent range, which is none too shabby, and definitely worth holding off for a couple weeks on your Best Buy TV hunting expedition. [HD Guru]

The basic explanation of how plasma sets work is that they've got a cocktail of noble gases (think back to high school chemistry) in tiny cells crammed between two glass panels. The cells are zapped with electricity, which makes them light up. Phosphors coating the cells make the color magic happen. (The gas is turned into a plasma during the process, hence the name.) Since individual pixels can just be turned off (more or less), plasma can inherently produce much better blacks than LCDs,

For instance, the way Pioneer's ultimate Kuro tech manages to pull out some disgustingly deep blacks is that its cells require less and less charge to fire, so they keep cutting down on the pre-charge that results in glowing grays that you see in lesser plasma sets.

Plasmas have actually come a long way in the past 10 years or so, since they started going mainstream. The old problem of "burn in," where a picture is seemingly permanently etched on the screen if a static image is left up too long, is mostly mythical now. They're not totally impervious—leaving the Wachowskis' upcoming hyper-lush Speed Racer on pause for a few weeks might lead to some ugly results. But because the time it takes to reduce the panel's brightness by half (the half-life) can be 60,000 hours or longer, at least the same life as an LCD's backlight, it's now a non-issue when debating LCD vs. plasma.

The so-called "Denver" altitude problem is less of one now than before as well. See, plasmas aren't too fond of high altitudes, because it affects the gas inside (think baseball players visiting Coors Field, or the need to modify Betty Crocker recipes). Plasmas in higher altitudes can make annoying buzzing sounds. But new sets are able to withstand higher and higher altitudes, and Denver falls within the newest comfort zone of 7,500 feet. Sherpas still might want NEC's special "high altitude" models that'll work all the way up to 9,180 feet. Still, as Plasma TV Buying Guide suggests, you might just wanna stop by a Best Buy that sits at your same altitude, and see how their TVs are faring.

The one thing plasmas are losing though is bulk, both size and heft. (Unless you count the pictured 103-inch or 150-inch monsters from Panasonic.) Current models run as fat as five inches thick and 100 pounds, making self-installation a real pain in the dick. But sets shipping later this year and next will slim down to around an inch and around 45 pounds—but you will have to pay mightily for the new lightness, and may never be able to afford Pioneer's anorexic-model-on-coke skinny concept plasma.

Something we missed, or you still wanna know? Send any questions about plasmas (or anything else) to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

Like Pioneer told us before, while they're sharing some tech secrets and even swapping engineers to develop better plasmas for the future, the processing part of the Kuro magic will stay in Pioneer's hands. But, despite lower production costs, don't expect cheaper Kuros for a while—the move's to make Pioneer more profitable. We'll start seeing the co-developed sets in Fall 2009. [Impress]

Series 4 LCD — Low-End 720p
• 18.9": $429
• 21.9": $549
• 26.0": $749
• 31.5": $899
• 37.0": $1199
• 39.9": $1299

Series 5 LCD — Low-End 1080p
• 31.5": $1,099.99
• 37.1": $1,399.99
• 40.0": $1,699.99
• 46.0": $1,999.99
• 52.2": $2,799.99

Series 6 LCD — High-End 1080p
• 19.0": $479.99
• 22.0": $649.99
• 31.5": $1,299.99
• 39.9": $2,299.99
• 45.9": $2,899.99
• 52.2": $3,199.99

Series 7 LCD — Top of the line
• 39.9": $2,599.99
• 45.9": $3,199.99
• 52.0": $3,499.99

Series 4 Plasma — Low-End 720p, 3D Ready
• 42": $1,199
• 50": $1,699

Series 5 Plasma — Low-End 1080p, 3D Ready
• 50": $2299
• 58": $3599

Series 6 Plasma — High End 1080p
• 50": $2,599.99
• 58": $3,999.99
• 63": $4,999.99

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For a little tv history check out our Trinitron Timeline and the history of big tvs from Electronic House [Electronic House]

The 1080p projector is for screens starting at 60 inches, and Pioneer promises that it's "in line with the KURO benchmark of deep black levels and rich colours, resulting in the unmistakable look of film." We hope so, given the assurances that Pioneer's restructuring wouldn't lead to the death of a great brand.

KURO Front Projector for large size screens

Developed specifically for cinephiles with a dedicated home cinema room, the KURO projector is configured for screen sizes starting from 60 inches. Aside from displaying signature KURO style cosmetics, it supports advanced calibration and is in line with the KURO benchmark of deep black levels and rich colours, resulting in the unmistakable look of film. It incorporates LCOS 1080p technology, producing the highest native contrast ratio. Based on 3 x 0.7 inch D-ILA, it boasts a wide lens shift capacity and dual HDMI 1.3 support.

KURO LCD TVs for smaller screen sizes
The KURO LCD TV range is 'HD ready 1080p' compliant with 100Hz frame mode, offering an unmatched fast moving picture performance. What is more, the LCD TVs feature an anti-reflective filter, triple HDMI 1.3 support and a specially tuned, high-standard picture quality. This latest Pioneer product is available in three sizes: 32 inch, 37 inch and 46 inch and differentiates itself from KURO plasma TVs in terms of design with an attractive 'aluminum look' finish.

The KURO Front Projector will be in the shops as of April this year. The KURO LCD TVs are available in three sizes of which the 32-inch and 37-inch TVs will be on sale as of August, the 46 inch model will be launched later this year.

KURO Plasma TVs for absolute picture quality The new 2008 range of KURO plasma TVs exceeds the boundaries of what was thought possible in picture quality performance. The second generation KURO pushes closer to absolute black by further reducing the idling luminance and improving black levels five times over the previous 2007 KURO models. This has enabled Pioneer to accurately reproduce even higher contrast levels and deeper colours within the high-definition colour spectrum. The all-new 2008 KURO plasma TVs are available in 50 and 60-inch (availability depending on region).

Like I said, we can't figure out exactly what Pioneer's US division has done to get moved to the back of the line as far as SWEET NEW PLASMAS go, but we're looking into it now. [Pioneer EU]

The foggy "sometime this year" release date has narrowed to Q3, so sometime late summer, though that's about all Mitsubishi is spilling aside from the fact the line's official name is LaserVue. Price and exact D-Day are coming in June, giving you a couple of months to scrounge some pennies together in anticipation. We're already drooling to do our own best TV ever side-by-side with this thing, 'cause whoever loses, we win. [HD Guru]

Panasonic's just revealed its plans to put low-voltage plasma technology into cellphones, including phones that are headed for AT&T's Mobile TV Service. They've supposedly been working on this tech for "nearly a decade", and if their technology in actual Plasma TVs are any indication, these cellphones are going to be looking very nice. It's just as the Plasma inventor predicted—the tech's heading to smaller displays. We're not sure how David Lynch would feel about this, but as long as people just use these screens to watch lousy movies and not Mulholland Drive, he'll probably be OK with it. Mmmm, Rita. [Slashphone]

What can be tough to see in these demonstrations (the first is the completed setup, the second is an FM-based prototype) is that pitch is altered by the constantly shifting intensity of the plasma arc (the creator puts the frequency response range at 200Hz to 12kHz, and the speaker runs at 50W).

So are these beauts for sale? From the creator:

A lot of work to do before I could consider selling - the safety aspect for starters.

Thanks Martin!

I single out LCD because the folks taking the lead on OLED are Sony, Samsung and others firmly entrenched in the LCD business, and because LCD still suffers from image demons that plasma overcomes more easily, and OLED smashes with a hammer, even at infancy.

Also, although everyone is demoing thinner and thinner sets in both LCD and plasma, most of the weight loss is currently on the plasma side. LCD seems to have hit some firm threshhold that, again, OLED and even plasma seem able to conquer. But at 11 inches, Sony's first production OLED is laughably small. What the hell, Sony? Way to taunt a guy. Seriously, there are major amounts of taunting happening here:When you put an LCD next to a plasma, you almost always notice the contrast issues. Fiddle with the settings all you want, and you generally still can't make the blacks black enough on that LCD. When I first set up the OLED next to this Panasonic, a 50" 1080p 50PZ700U, I thought for a moment that maybe OLEDs had a contrast problem, too. But then I realized that whoever had the thing before me had been jerking the controls around too much. I reverted the picture settings to "standard" and suddenly the contrast was deeper than the plasma, with brighter highlights. OLEDs are self illuminating, so the very same thing that makes them super thin also gives them awesome contrast.
Obviously another big challenge for LCDs is the motion blur problem, which is mostly solved in higher-end LCDs using 120Hz systems and other similar techniques, but leaves cheaper sets hanging. It's most noticeable when you put an LCD side-by-side with a plasma showing the same movie. Fortunately, here again, the OLED did as well or better than the plasma at motion in the side-by-side test. In the end, you're essentially staring into what could very well be the perfect TV. Only you're not a hobbit, and this isn't Bag End.So why the dinkiness? OLED production is tricky, as you might recall from
this video of Benny the Intern and me at an OLED factory. Methods are best suited for small sheets of "substrate," not big screens of the stuff. Sony couldn't produce anything bigger now and still guarantee this kind of quality.

OLED makers also have to deal with panel half-life issues similar to those that used to afflict plasma in the days of yore. The XEL-1 is rated for 30,000 hours, or roughly 10 years of use; today's plasmas, including the above Panasonic, get something around 60,000 hours. In other words, long enough.

In the end, it's not a thing you go out and buy. It's a message in a slender frame. Sony never had massive R&D investment in LCD like Sharp or in plasma like Panasonic, and it's clear that this is Sony's way of saying, "Screw all of those, cuz OLED is what will matter, and oh yeah, Sony will drive OLED." Am I putting too many words in your mouth, Sony? I hope not, because this time next year, I'd like to be staring at a 50-inch version of this junior wonder. OK, 32 inches will be fine. 25 inches? 20????? [Sony XEL-1]

They'll also do Blu-ray players together, and Japan Sharp Cellphones will work with Pioneer's in-car nav systems. The first fruits of such collabs will be seen in CEATEC 2008 in Fall.

Progress on Business Alliance with Sharp Corporation
As part of a comprehensive business and capital alliance formed by Pioneer and Sharp Corporation in 2007, the two companies are conducting joint product development by making effective use of each other's resources in their respective fields of expertise. The overriding goal is to enhance the corporate value of both companies.

In the field of flat-panel TVs, for example, Pioneer is taking part in Sharp's development of acoustic systems for ultra-thin, flat-panel TVs. By leveraging its acoustic technologies built up over many years, Pioneer aims to develop acoustic systems employing ultra-thin speakers that still achieve outstanding sound quality for supply to Sharp. Furthermore, Pioneer will be supplied by Sharp with LCD TVs based on its superior technologies. We will launch these LCD TVs first in Europe this fall and steadily expand our lineup of LCD TVs. Plans also call for engineers from Pioneer and Sharp to team up to develop LCD TVs that carry on the legacy of the Pioneer "KURO" series in terms of high picture and sound quality.

This project will give Pioneer access to Sharp's extensive expertise in LCD TVs, while promoting joint development of digital tuners, platforms and technologies for realizing high picture quality. The goal is to develop value-added products and raise the efficiency of development activities at both companies.

In the optical disc field, Pioneer and Sharp have agreed to join forces to expand their respective Blu-ray Disc-related product businesses. This step takes the alliance beyond merely supplying existing products such as DVD players and DVD recorders to each other. Joint development of pickups and drives for Blu-ray Disc players/recorders, will bolster the two companies' vertically integrated business models spanning devices to end products. Cost reductions resulting from more efficient development and volume growth will in turn contribute to business expansion. Here too, Pioneer and Sharp are resolved to build even stronger ties by efficiently conducting joint development.

In car electronics fields, Pioneer and Sharp plan to jointly develop products based on Sharp's "only one device" concept. The two companies will make a point of enhancing device operability to propose new kinds of automotive passenger cabin environments. We also plan to propose new forms of value by linking Sharp's AQUOS™ mobile phone concept with our car navigation system technologies. We want to use these joint development projects to drive further business expansion at both companies in the car electronics field.

The concrete achievements of these initiatives will be showcased at CEATEC JAPAN 2008 this fall and at various product presentations.

According to Russ, the Kuro recipe for its ultra-blackness is "three core elements—truthfully, all three are just as important—the filter, the processor" and the panel. And all they're outsourcing is the panel, or in Russ's words, "just the glass." Pioneer's former leg up on the panel itself—in-case cell structure—is being used by pretty much everybody in the biz now, so there's not really a "dramatic difference" from panel to panel.

The panel supplier—probably Panasonic, since it's the only one they've announced they're holding discussions with—is in fact "going to learn or we're going to disclose a few things about our module so they can apply the correct specification to us." But it's the processor and software that actually directs how the panel fires, so most of its secret formula will remain that way. It might be easier to reverse engineer the software and filter side of the recipe if they know what's in Pioneer's panels though.

Bottom line though, Pioneer plans on maintaining the same standards and their "goal to get that extreme contrast model and combine it with a new, unique form factor" is "unwavering." The last sets we'll see with in-house Pioneer panels are coming out this June, and they'll be announced in May. We'll see outsourced sets sometime in 2009, which is when we could also see the first Pioneer LCDs in the US, but they won't bear the Kuro name unless it "has the DNA of Kuro." Lastly, the lower production costs might not immediately translate into cheaper sets—after all the move is make plasma profitable again.

However, we have judged that maintaining the cost competitiveness of plasma display panels at projected sales volumes will be difficult going forward. Accordingly, we have decided to terminate in-house plasma display panel production and to procure these panels externally, after panel production for our next series of models is complete...Pioneer is currently in discussions on the feasibility of procuring panel modules that may incorporate the Company's proprietary technologies.

Someone else—probably Panny—will have access to the magic Kuro dust. Will their combined strengths—the best panels in the world, cheaper manufacturing—be able to hold off the LCD onslaught and the pressures of the market? Better than on their own, but even LCD-makers are buddying up en masse to stay strong. [Pioneer]

The two firms are expected to combine their strengths to develop low-cost, high-quality panels. Plasma TVs based on a jointly developed panel will likely be added to their individual product lineups as early as 2009. Some Pioneer engineers may be transferred to Matsushita in the process.

What can we expect from this new 103-inch model?

Better wall mount configuration, improved video processing technology, anti-Reflective coating, enhanced wireless presentation capabilities, more versatile media card readability, and a dual HDMI board came as a standard feature.

Paul's iPhone Custom has a gold TiN Apple logo and a black TiAIN black front covering a variant of the TiN process described below. The back covers are replaced with black anodized aluminum to eliminate the contrast between the antenna cover and the usual silver colored backing. Another project involved a more minimalist black logo. Either way, they look stunning.

TiN is applied using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition tool. There is a block of titanium placed into a mahoosive machine similar to the one you saw above, nitrogen gas is flowed in, plasma is formed, things get ridiculously fast, atoms get embroiled in a turf war and fallen atoms end up providing the basis for the amazing coating. What does that mean? We have no idea; we were paraphrasing, my limited education only got me so far in high school. Fortunately, we know a spanking gorgeous iPhone when we see pictures of it, and the iPhone Custom is the best example we have seen to date. No figures were thrown about, but the mods were said to cost "a lot of $," which pretty much means we cannot afford it. We still want. We really, really, really want. Oh, our want hurts so bad. [Gigapascal via gen[m]ay]

The technology will rely on a cutting-edge propulsion system, which will be powered by plasma thrusters, eliminating any moving parts. Check out the above diagram for a basic schematic of what elements will be included in the micro-scaled aircraft.

The energy created will be enough to power micro and nano unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), measuring anywhere between 6-12-inches in length. It is hoped soldiers will be able to carry a pack of six such vehicles, which could then be thrown up in the air to carry out intelligence collection operations. We cannot build a coherent sentence to emphasize how amazingly cool this sounds, but a list of words comes to mind: voyeurism, unbelievable, crazy, lube, exceptional and sexy are words that feature in our immediate, mangled thoughts. [Cnet]