The CES 2013 event went off without a hitch as the major TV manufacturers all showed off their new lines with pride. There were high expectations put in place for this show with the 4K TVs and the OLED television sets competing against one another for bragging rights. There were some beautiful sets in view everywhere! When looking at the reviews that were coming from the reporters and visitors to the show, the most important thing that seemed to stand out was the outstanding picture quality on the OLED TVs that were shining brightly.
Here are the main highlights of the event including the new lineups from Sony, Sharp, LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba and Vizio.
The Sony 2013 TV line up
All eyes were on Sony with big expectations for their new 2013 TV lineup. The big hit of the show was the new Bravia X900A TV that has everything you’d want on a TV and more. This is going to be Sony’s flagship model for the 4K Ultra HD that many have been waiting for. It’s expected to be released this spring and looks like a winner.
Sony also released seven of their new TVs for the year at the CES show, offering something for everyone that will meet anyone’s budget. Included in the lineup is the Bravia W900A with edge lighting, the Bravia W802A with 3-D and the Bravia W650A LED TV.
The big TVs in their 1080p options is the Bravia R550A that ranges in screen size from 50 inches up to 70 inches and the R520A that runs from 60 inches up to 70 inches. These TVs include the display technology that Sony has refined called Triluminous, which adds even more clarity and sharpness to the picture. If you’re ready for a Sony all of these new TVs will be available for purchase this spring.
What did Sharp bring to the table at the CES?
Sharp went big at the CES this year with its new 3-D 80 inch TV that is due to be released this April. It introduces a new 3-D technology named “3D X-Gen” that is supposed to bring the 3-D experience up to a new level.
Sharp also announced that it’s rolling out 17 additional new TVs in 2013 that are at least 60 inches in size. Sharp revealed that they were working on an 8K resolution HDTV that they have named “Super High Vision”. It is supposed to have a horizontal resolution consisting of 7680 pixels.
A new TV series was unveiled named Aquos Freestyle, that will come in models that are 20 inch, 32 inch, 40 inch and 60 inches in size. Built into the 20 inch TV will be a carrying handle for convenience. Four new 3-D Quattron models are also set for release in 60 inch and 70 inch sizes. These TVs will feature an ultra slim design in aluminum, the X-Gen 3-D panels and LED edge lighting.
Panasonic glittered at the event
Panasonic is introducing some interesting technology for its 2013 lineup of TVs. As usual, Panasonic is the king of plasmas and their flagship TV for this year is the Panasonic ZT60. It’s an innovative design and the TV comes with a touch pen so that you can head right to the screen and modify images with it. As with all of their other plasma models, this one looks beautiful and ready to put into a living room.
Panasonic is also releasing its new LED backlit TVs and the rising star is the WT60, which comes in a 47 and 55 inch screen. Other plasmas include their ST60 series of TVs in full HD and with 3-D capability. As well, it looks like Panasonic has been listening to customers and has decided to include two pairs of 3-D active shutter glasses with the TVs.
The VT60 models are available in a 55 inch, 60 inch and 65 inch screen and include a camera that’s built-in. This camera recognizes a user so that he can be instantly logged into his controls on the home screen. These TVs come with speakers that are side-mounted and they are also equipped to handle video calls via Skype.
The company also showed off their 4K LED TV in a 56 inch model. This TV is as thin as they get and was developed with Sony. Panasonic is dead serious about its production for the new 4K OLED TVs and is expected to close its plant for making LCD TVs to make room for the new technology.
Samsung stunned the crowd
If you were looking for a large crowd at the CES this year, you could usually find it in the Samsung area. The Samsung F8000 was one of the biggest winners at the show. This TV looks like it’s actually floating in the air with a TV stand that looks like a wave. These TVs will be available in 46 – 75 inch sizes and will include a quad core processor.
Samsung’s 4K UHD TV was stunning at 85 inches. The stand on this model looked something like an easel and they are expected to introduce a new 110 inch screen size model later this year.
The S9000 UHD TV was also a showstopper and won a design award by CES before the event even started. It was an 85 inch beautiful TV that is also available in a 110 inch size and comes with all of the bells and whistles you can imagine including 3-D capability and tons of connectivity features.
Samsung is releasing its new line of 1080p backlit LED TVs as well that are more affordable. It also has a new plasma set that is supposed to support the blackest of the blacks possible.
Last but certainly not least, comes the OLED TV, the F9500. It has all of the spectacular features you’d expect to find in an OLED TV but offers something completely different. The feature is called Multi-View and with it 2 people will be able to watch their own personal programming on the same TV screen at the same time. This is going to be a must -have feature for couples that are constantly bickering about the TV lineup for the night and who will get to watch the bigger TV!
Toshiba’s newest innovations
Spotlighting the night for Toshiba was its L9300 TV series that places this company in solid with the other big boys at the show. This is a 4k TV that’s available in a 58 inch, 65 inch and 84 inch size. They haven’t let the cat out of the bag yet regarding pricing on this model but you can definitely expect that it won’t be cheap.
They are also presenting Cloud TV in its L7300, L7350 L4300 models and its BDX series will have access to a cloud TV server. Cloud TV is a set of new features for Smart TV that allows a person to share certain files in the cloud like calendars and photos. People can also play their multiplayer games using their smart phones, tablets or the television.
Vizio showed up big as well
In 2013 Vizio is bringing back its E series of TVs, is introducing an M series and has showed off its 4K model. The 4K set is presented in a beautiful brushed aluminum thin bezel that will definitely appeal to modernists.
Besides the journey into the 4K field, Vizio plans on continuing to offer reasonably priced TV sets that the average person can afford with a wide variety of screen sizes available. Almost all of these TVs will have 3-D capability as well as Smart TV features.
LG stands up to the plate
The biggest announcement coming from LG at the CES 2013 event was the date and pricing of its new OLED 55 inch TV. It’s going to be selling for approximately $12,000 starting in March. Also announced were two additional sizes for its 4K TVs including a 55 inch and 65 inch model to go with the 84 inch size that’s already available.
The OLED TV is only 4 mm thick with a profile that’s low-energy and you won’t find any better colors anywhere than on this TV. On top of the blue, green and red combination, an extra pixel has been added to ensure that the color on this TV remains unrivaled, at least for now.
LG also showed off its 2013 line of TVs that use technology for LED backlighting. In the past, only their higher-end sets offered this backlighting feature. As well, the Magic Motion remote control was upgraded to include voice recognition.
There will also be new Google TVs added to the lineup including the LG GA6400 and GA7900. Also showing were curved screens on their TVs that give more of a panorama effect that can’t be seen on TVs with a flat-panel. This provides a viewing experience that’s more immersive for everyone watching. As well, you can expect less glare watching a curved screen, which will be appealing to individuals that experience problems with their eyes due to glaring.
The new TV lineups presented at the CES 2013 this year were pretty much as expected, but by most reports there were surprises with the presentations of some of the TVs. In particular, the way some of the TV stands were set up added a whole new dimension to the word “modernistic” and “state-of-the-art”. Overall, the show was a raving success and only leaves us with one lingering question: What can possibly be on the slate for next year’s event?
