Acer's G24 Gaming Monitor

If you are in the market for a gaming monitor, then look no further than the Acer G24. The G24 is a decent 24-inch monitor that is perfect for gaming but not really much else. It has a bright, glossy, reflective screen with a smooth bright orange bezel. It has a 25 degree backward tilt which is basically the monitor's only ergonomic perk. The monitor also doesn't include screen height adjustment, pivoting or panel swiveling. It comes with three connection options which are DVI, HDMI and VGA which all support a 16:10 aspect ratio and 1,920x1,200-pixel native resolution. All of the connections are located on the back right side of the monitor close to the neck and are easy to access although some may complain that the HDMI slot is too close to the neck.

The display comes with a 14.2 inch wide base with two 7 inch long "toes" that extend from the neck at 45 degree angles. Due to the wide base and 16 pound weight, the monitor is fairly grounded producing minimal wobble when struck. However, if you do not like the foot stand or you prefer the wall mounted approach, then you can do so by utilizing the removable foot stand and the four screw holes to be used in conjunction with a VESA wall mount. The power button is represented by a small blue LED light in the bottom right-hand corner with the button directly underneath it. There are five buttons on the left side of the monitor which represent the monitor's left arrow button, right arrow button, menu button, auto button and an "e" button. The "e" button displays the available presets when pressed which include User, Standard, Movie, Text and Graphics. The main difference between these presets is their differences in brightness and color temperatures. The rest of the OSD includes color temperature controls, brightness and contrast.

Reports have come in, however, that trying to navigate the OSD is complicated and frustrating. The different categories on the OSD are not represented by words but rather symbols. Each symbol is aligned horizontally along two rows and can be navigated to by using the arrow keys on the front of the monitor. A symbol of a sun represents the controls for brightness and contrast which you can also get to by using the arrow keys. You select each option by pressing the menu button once you have highlighted the desired symbol which brings up another menu. From this point you chose one of two different options aligned vertically. Select the bottom option via the arrow and menu key, then use the arrow key and menu button again to select the brightness option and then use the arrow key again to select adjust your brightness. Most people find this method old fashioned and ultimately frustrating.

But where this monitor really excels at is games. The display's super-high-gloss screen and high brightness make games look really impressive. The high gloss really makes the colors pop and results in vibrant images. Games also feel a bit faster an more responsive then they do on some other monitors. For the optimal viewing angle you are going to want to be directly in front of the monitor about a quarter of the screen's distance down from the top. The Acer uses a TN+Film panel, which adds extra gloss to the screen. However, this extra gloss doesn't make well for using the monitor for non-entertainment purposes. Heavy backlight bleeding and reflections in the super glossy paneling make it hard to watch movies unless directly in front of the monitor. Like mentioned before, this monitor is great for gaming but isn't recommended for much else than that. You can get this monitor for a price somewhere between $359 to $399.

Panasonic's New TC-L37X1

Panasonic’s new 37-inch TC-L37X1 LCD HDTV might have a convenient iPod docking station for simple browsing and playing of your iPod through the TV’s remote control, but the average contrast and mediocre picture size setting that for go image detailing are certainly a draw back.

The iPod dock is certainly a feature that drew me in to look closer at this TV. It is a separate module that connects to the TV through a mini USB port located at the back of the set. When you dock your iPod, the TV immediately launches to shortcuts to select stored music and video files. All of this is easily controlled through the TV’s remote control.

The TC-L37X1 also features several HD-compatible video inputs. It has three HDMI inputs, one component video port, and a VGA port that will support the screen’s 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution. The TV also includes an SD card slot that can be easily used for display a digital photo slideshow.

This HDTV has a 12,000:1 contrast ratio and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The biggest problem that has been discovered with this TV is it’s dark-room contrast. It features a fairly bright black level at .17 candela per square meter (cd/m²). Most great HDTV’s produce .03 cd/m² or less of a black level. In normal daylight though, the screen produces a bright picture that provides a very good picture contrast.

The TC-L37X1 itself has a slick, clean design. It features a glossy black bezel, rounded corners and smooth edges, and concealed bottom-firing speakers. The remote has large, easy to see buttons, and it’s design allows for a firm grip.

The Panasonic TC-L37X1 has its ups and its downs. Its up to you whether or not you think its worth it’s price tag of $799.95. It does feature the iPod dock and has a variety of HD-compatible video inputs, but the dark-room contrast issues certainly are something to take into consideration when shopping around for a new HDTV.

New TV with SD Card Slot

The British LCD TV company, Cello Electronics, has announced their new television that has the capability to record anything from TV onto an SD card. This new development makes the transfer of recordings to a computer or another device with an SD card slot a piece of cake.

With its two TV tuners, two SD slots, and split screen functionality, the TV is able to record two different channels at the same time. It also features a built-in DVD player. The TV is available in three different sizes: 22-inch, 26-inch, and 32-inch. It also features a 16:9 display with 1440 x 900 resolution.

The TV will be available in July and pricing is confirmed at £399 ($661) for the 26-inch and £469 ($777) for the 32-inch. These new SD card developments are very useful and make media transfer so much easier. Cello Electronic's new TVs will only be produced for the European market but the knowledge of the possiblities of these new developments is the important part. It will be interesting to observe if other TV's follow in Cello Electronic's footsteps and begin developing more TV's with easy media transfer capabilities.

The New Samsung PN50B850 Plasma Screen

The new Samsung PN50B850 1080 p plasma is certainly what we can call a true “flat screen” TV. This beautiful creation is currently the thinnest big-screen television available on the market. It measures only 1.2-inches thick and still is able to offer a multitude of fascinating features.

The PN50B850 sits atop a metallic swivel base and features a glossy black bezel with transparent outside edges making for a clean, chic appearance. There are also no annoying indicator lights, the Samsung logo found on the lower bezel does not illuminate, and the touch-sensitive controls for the TV can easily be found on the right hand side. The control for the PN50B850 is amber-backlit and features clearly labeled buttons, tactile feedback, and quick-acting performance.

The number of integrated input connections has multiplied for the PN50B850. It contains a variety of ports including: four HDMI, VGA, component video, RF input, Ethernet jack, and two USB ports. The set also includes cable guides and wire holders to hide the many different cables and connections you will be hooking up through your TV.

The PN50B850 is easily synchronized to an active broadband connection in your home. This enables simplified firmware updates and quick access to the TV’s Content Library. Having a broadband connection set up also allows for customizable applications powered through Yahoo Widget Gallery. This includes news and weather updates and access to sites including Flickr and Twitter. The multimedia player featured on the set supports a variety of files such as MP3, JPEG, DivX, MKV, MP4, MPEG-2, and several others. There is also a Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device that allows for the viewing of text messages, call information, and saved media files on the TV screen.

The Samsung PN50B850 is 50-inches of pure plasma bliss. With its 1920 x 1080 resolution, EnergyStar compliance, and variety of luxurious features, what more could you really ask for? It has a starting price of $2,299.00, which is a pretty good deal for the fantastic package that Samsung is delivering. Considering all the facts, I would say if this plasma screen is in your budget, it is one to certainly check out further.

The Eco-Friendly MutiSync E222W

The amazing, 22-inch, eco-friendly MultiSync E222W from NEC is set to join our world in early July. It allows you to go green with its Eco Mode that reduces power consumption and heat generation. It also includes Intelligent Power Management and an off timer. These features will assist in energy conservation and reduction of carbon emissions by switching to a low-power state automatically when the monitor is on but not in use. The MultiSync E222W consumes 50% less power and contains half the mercury content of most LCD displays. It is Energy Star 5.0 and EPEAT Silver compliant.

The E222W also contains some consumer pleasing specs. It has an ErgoDesign adjustable stand that features 4-way ergonomic design including: height-adjust, tilt, swivel, and pivot. It has 1680x1050 16:10 resolution, 250 cd/m2 brightness, and a fantastic 5 millisecond response time. With the reasonable price tag of $269, this monitor is definitely something to look forward to this summer.

Worlds First Curved Display

NEC is releasing the world’s first Curved Monitor this summer. The CRV43 curved ultra-wide display is a huge 43-inch monitor with a native resolution of 2880x900px. The downside, it costs $8000! Ya, pretty high of a cost, but what do you expect from the worlds first curved monitor.

The new NEC 43 inch curved monitor is basically 4 LCD Screens combined in one. No longer do you have an annoying spaces in between each monitor and also it is curved giving to give it the perfect viewing angle.

It also features a lightning fast response time of .02 seconds and comes with DVI-D and HDMI 1.3 inputs. Some problems I could see with this is anything being able to support this at its native resolution i.e. xbox, television, or watching a movie in fullscreen. Also The back looks huge on this thing, almost like an old CRT monitor and the weight on this thing has to be enormous. Also lets not forget the enormous price tag on this thing of $8000. Just imagine though playing your favorite racing game or flight simulator on this though, that would really be worth the extra penny.

Overall looks great and its curved, but the price sucks. Expect this to be out sometime this June of 2009.

Sharp AQUOS 20-inch DX LCD HDTV

Everyone these days is going for one of those fancy new LCD TVs. And why not? There big, shiny, pretty, and new and everybody loves shiny new things. Now, to completely optimize you visual experience, one of the best things to do is to upgrade with a Blu-ray player to watch all your movies in stunning high definition quality. The only problem with this is that most LCD TVs are expensive and most Blu-ray players are expensive, leaving you with a big price to pay if you want the full package. If only there were some way to get them both simultaneously without paying out the wazoo for it!

Well now, thanks to Sharp, there is. Sharp has just released the worlds first 20-inch LCD HDTV with a built-in Blu-ray player. That's right, no more going to the store and having to cough up big bucks to get both a Blu-ray player and an HDTV since Sharp has so nicely integrated them both into the same device. But there is one little catch. Although you have the wonderful convenience of having a Blu-ray player built into your t.v., you will not be able to view your lovely Blu-ray movies in full resolution.

The AQUOS 20-inch DX only comes in with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, which sort of defeats the purpose of the Blu-ray player. This has baffled many consumers worldwide. However, the Blu-ray player is a complete loss. Sharp boasts that the AQUOS DX Blu-ray integration is able to record t.v. programs onto Blu-ray dvd's.

There are some larger models in Sharps arsenal that range up to 52-inches. These larger models are said to have 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution, 30W speakers, 9 different inputs, 176 degree viewing angle, and a 2000:1 contrast ratio. These specs are for the 37-inch and up models only however. Any model smaller than 37-inches will have a 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution, 20W speakers, and a 1500:1 contrast ratio like the AQUOS 20-inch DX. You can get these models in either black (LC-20DX1-B) or white (LC-20DX1-W).

This 20-inch model has a great vision with the integrated Blu-ray player but fails to follow through with the necessary resolution to make it worth your while and at a price of $1,593, it doesn't quite seem worth it. But I will leave that decision up to you. The Sharp AQUOS 20-inch DX LCD HDTV ships in Japan at the end of this month with it hitting American store shelves soon after that.