CES news : The RPTVs

LAS VEGAS(24hoursnews) -television technology in CEs show is really to see the facors of tech compitition, One HDTV trend that I could not overlook at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show was the near absence of rear-projection televisions on the main show floor. Why? Because they're basically dead.

Among all high-definition television technologies, the rear-projection TV (RPTV) continues to offer the best overall value for the biggest HD screen sizes. However, if the 2008 retail predictions hold true, the already steady decline of RPTV retail sales will plummet by more than 50 percent by year's end.

Sony's recent announcement that it will discontinue its entire RPTV line in order to focus its manufacturing efforts exclusively on OLED (organic light emitting diode) and LCD flat panel display technologies was but one sign that the tide was quickly turning for this once popular TV technology.

On the CES show floor, the only manufacturer to announce new RPTV models was Samsung, and a tour through the company's booth space revealed a dominance of LCD and plasma televisions. JVC was another major television manufacturer that announced no new additions to its well-regarded RPTV lineup for 2008, but the company highlighted several new LCD TVs at an off-site showcase setup at a local hotel.

Mitsubishi, along with Samsung, are among the last manufacturers that offer RPTVs based on Texas Instruments' DLP (digital light processing) technology. Mitsubishi's RPTV division decided to pass on making a show floor appearance in favor of a one-day, invite-only event at a Las Vegas hotel where they unveiled an as of yet unnamed 65-inch laser-illuminated model that they claim will ship by the end of 2008, although information about pricing and the possibility of additional screen sizes was not revealed.

While the outlook for RPTVs is indeed bleak, Sony, JVC, and Mitsubishi have no plans to abandoned projection display technology. All have introduced new HD-resolution front projector models intended for home theater or presentation use.

But as flat panel displays increase in size and drop in price, the value offered by RPTV technology becomes less of an advantage. Couple this with the RPTV's narrow viewing angles and poor brightness uniformity, and modern flat panels are poised to put the final nail into this once-cherished display technology.

CES news : HP to Cut PC Power Consumption by 25 Percent

LAS VEGAS—(24hoursnews)hp lounges them commitment accustom With green as the official color of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), HP announced today its commitment to implement a 25 percent cut in energy consumption across its entire lineup of volume desktop and notebook PCs by 2010.

When it comes to cleaner, more efficient modules, the PC outfitter is already at the forefront of the industry, having introduced at least 24 Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT™) approved Gold or Silver level products in North America alone.

EPEAT has doled out its most coveted and demanding Gold rating for HP business machines that included Compaq 2510p, HP Compaq 2710p Business Notebook series PCs, as well as all models of the HP Compaq dc7800, dc5750 and dc5700 Business Desktop PC families.

Other HP desktops and notebooks, such as HP Pavilion a6360, dv9700, dv6700, dv2700 and tx1000 series, along with the Compaq Presario A9000, F700 and C700 will receive an EPEAT Silver badge and fall under the U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR® umbrella.

"HP for decades has been integrating environmentally responsible components and processes across the entire product lifecycle," said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. "We are dedicated to meeting our energy consumption goal of 25 percent reduction by 2010, and these additional EPEAT-Gold registrations exemplify how HP leads the IT market in reducing the environmental impact of its products and business processes."

Thanks to its ultra-efficient 80 PLUS® power supplies, low-energy chipsets and other energy-smart systems, HP has maintained a long line of eco savvy products going back to the HP Compaq rp5700 - the first PC to receive EPEAT's Gold certification.