Into Tech

Sony launched the super-skinny Bravia ZX1 TV this week at the IFA Show in Berlin and at 9.8mm deep, it really is something.

Check out the video above for a close-up of the ZX1 showing off its Keira Knightley waistline, thanks to side-mounted LED lighting arrays as opposed the the usual backlights on most LCD TVs.

Those looks are also helped by the Media Receiver, a box that you plug all your cables [consoles, set-top boxes etc.] into and which transmits the signal wirelessly to the TV in ‘real time’.

As with Size 0 LCD TVs, the fad towards ever more anorexic technology has spread to the keyboard arena, with Logitech’s latest offering coming in at 9.3mm from base to frame. Not only that, but the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard even throws in a light show.

Improving on existing backlight technologies, Logitech said it has combined microlens reflectors, a multilayer painting process and laser etching to create a ‘backlight experience that is brighter, sharper and easier to read’.

We look forward to the day when modern Plasma or LCD TVs have all of components necessary to provide surround sound, a ton of channels and wireless access to digital media content all tucked neatly away inside a slimline shell.

This is probably a few years off, so for the moment we’ll have to settle for devices like LG’s new PG6900.

At IFA 2008, Philips launched its Essence TV, a stylish 38mm deep LCD telly designed to hang flush on your wall and look very pretty while doing so.

However, Essence is just the tip of the iceberg and Philips was on hand to demonstrate a super-skinny 8mm prototype TV too.

At the hear of it is a very thin light guide plate illuminated from the top and bottom by high-power, energy-efficient LEDs. Using Philips’ patented light in-coupling structure and a fine-tuned out-coupling pattern, light can be distributed over the whole display area in a uniform fashion. The result, a very, very thin TV panel.

Fred Boekhorst, senior vice president Philips Research and program manager Lifestyle, explained:

The battle for the skinniest LCD TV continues this week with Sony unveiling the Bravia ZX1 at the IFA 2008 show, which is just 9.9mm at its thinnest.

The ZX1 sure is anorexic and compares favourably to the other super-skinnys like the Hitachi UT models or the Sharp X Series AQUOS LCD TVs but the real innovation is Sony’s ability to make all those unsightly cables disappear.

A monitor can make a big difference in how a game, or PC-based video, is experienced and trust us, not all LCD monitors are created equal.

Acer’s latest gaming monitor looks to be more equal than the rest, so to speak, since it’s the first to boast a contrast ratio of 50,000:1 - higher than many LCD TVs. This should allow for much deeper blacks and therefore, sharper playback of dark scenes.

Sony always charges extra for its TVs compared to other manufacturers. Sometimes it’s worth it and other times it not. The company will probably charge more too for its new high-end LCD TVs but it’s banking on some new sexy features to justify the extra layout.
The Bravia W4000 are to be the flagship tellys [...]

I like retro gadgets and this TV concept design by UK industrial designer, Tej Chauhan, for Humax is certainly striking. Love those curves.
Known for making pocket-friendly LCD TVs and models with HDDs inside, this would be a real departure for the French TV maker. I thought HANNSpree had the market cornered in odd TVs, [...]

I like retro gadgets and this TV concept design by UK industrial designer, Tej Chauhan, for Humax is certainly striking. Love those curves.
Known for making pocket-friendly LCD TVs and models with HDDs inside, this would be a real departure for the French TV maker. I thought HANNSpree had the market cornered in odd TVs, [...]

Sharp has rolled out three new LCD TVs designed to make it affordable for anyone to get in on the HDTV act without braking the bank.
The AQUOS D44E series comprises 26in, 32in and 37in models, with resolutions of 1,366 x 768 pixels [good for 720p and 1080i video] and a decent claimed [...]