DLP HDTV heavy-hitter Samsung announced four new big-screen rear-projection units earlier today and, in terms of potential image-quality improvement, the coolest is the HL-S5679W. This 56-inch single-chip 1080p-resolution DLP uses an entirely new light engine that ditches the tried-and-true color wheel/lamp system for a trio of LEDs. The result is elimination of the rainbow effect that causes some viewers of DLP TVs to see brief trails of color in certain circumstances. The LED light source also has other benefits, according to Samsung, including the ability to let the TV display a wider color gamut; longer life before needing replacement (20,000 hours vs. 3,000 to 6,000 hours for a typical DLP bulb); and much shorter time to turn on–7 seconds–than typical bulb-based HDTVs.
We spoke to Samsung’s rep about the new TV, and he informed us that the company would only be producing a 56-inch model this year. He had no information about pricing on replacement LED light sources, but we assume they’ll cost more than today’s $300-to-$500 bulbs–but then again, 20,000 hours is a really long time. He also claimed that the new engine can produce brighter images than the current lamps–a surprise to us, since we’d heard that LED-powered front projectors, for example, were dimmer than their bulb-powered counterparts.
We were also surprised, especially given the price difference between standard flat-panel LCDs and their new LED-backlit equivalents, that the price tag for HL-S5679W isn’t terribly exorbitant at $4,199 list (available in April). Hopefully Samsung will see fit to send us a review sample sooner than November–the month we finally were able to review the company’s 2005 HL-R6768W. No, we’re not bitter.
More: reviews.cnet.com
More: Gadgets, Samsung
Samsung Electronics has extended its line of handheld digital media players. The company unveiled a new MP3 player, PMP (Portable Media Player) and more at this years’ Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in Las Vegas, Nev., last week.
Samsung has taken a multifunctional approach for its latest on-the-go offerings. New additions to the global product line include the YM-P1 PMP and YP-D1 Pocket DSC MP3 player.
The HDD (Hard Disk Drive) YM-P1 is a pocket-sized player that allows users to listen to music, watch movies and record TV programming on its 20 gigabytes of hard-disk-based storage. The device was awarded Best of Innovations at CES 2006, and also features FM radio and voice recording capabilities, according to officials.
More: pcmag.com
More: Gadgets, Samsung
Samsung Electronics Co, the world’s third-largest mobile phone vendor, plans to boost its marketing budget by 50 percent this year as part of its efforts to expand its market share in Taiwan, a company executive said yesterday.
“This year consumers will see Samsung products more often on TV commercials,” Y. S. Jeon, president of Samsung Electronics’ local branch, said yesterday.
Jeon made the remarks on the side of a press conference to introduce the firm’s new cellphones.
The South Korean handset maker used to skimp on marketing campaigns in the Taiwanese market, compared to industry leaders Nokia Ojy’s and Motorola Inc’s lavish product launches.
More: taipeitimes.com
More: Gadgets, Samsung
The new Samsung ‘S’ series of digital cameras come in 5, 6, or 8 megapixel variants with a miserly choice of colors to choose from – silver or black.
All ‘S’ series cameras are equipped with the Friendly Effect Key that allows the user to adjust the color of the photos taken in addition to creating visual effects such as split screens. It can also record video in VGA resolution @ 30fps. Less than 10cm wide and 26.4mm thick, the ‘S’ series of cameras look pretty much like any other ordinary newbie cameras.
More: ubergizmo.com
More: Gadgets, Samsung, Digital Cameras
