The Verge - The best TVs of CES 2013

Westinghouse's $300,000, custom-made 110-inch 4K TV isn't for everyone

2013-01-10T23:35:47Z

Westinghouse showed up at CES this year with a bit of a surprise: a 110-inch Ultra High-Definition television. We met up with the company here at the Las Vegas Hotel (don't ask us how they managed to roll the set into a suite) to get a look at this monster of a television for ourselves. After stepping into the room, the TV completely overwhelmed us. However, unlike nearly every other massive TV we've seen out there, the QX110 was not disappointing to look at. While 1080p doesn't suit a gigantic TV very well, 4K does fill out the display with enough pixels to make a pleasurable viewing experience. However, the model we saw had some other issues to speak of. A large, dark band went down the center the screen, and colors did appear to be...

LG's prototype Ultra HD 4K display begs to be touched

2013-01-10T19:09:53Z

4K displays are all the rage here at CES 2013, but the vast majority of the ones that we have seen have been traditional TV sets. In addition to all of those high-resolution TVs, LG is showing off something different. The company is demoing an 84-inch 4K Ultra HD display prototype with five-point multitouch interaction. If you ever wanted to own an iPad the size of your living room wall, this would be it.

Drawing on TVs with Panasonic's Electronic Touch Pen (hands-on)

2013-01-08T21:42:34Z

A recurring theme we’re hearing this year at CES is the idea of getting the family around the TV instead of isolated on their own devices. One way Panasonic thinks that might happen is with its Electronic Smart Pen — a new product for 2013 that lets you write on the screen of your 2013 Panasonic 1080p plasma.

After you connect your battery-powered pen to your TV with Bluetooth, you can use Panasonic’s Swipe and Share app to flick images off your mobile device and onto your big screen. That is, unless your device runs Windows — Panasonic says Swipe and Share is only available on Android and iOS for now. Once you have a picture on the screen, you can use some bundled software to paint and scribble onscreen, then send the photo...

A closer look at Sony's ultra high-definition 56-inch 4K OLED TV

2013-01-08T18:10:30Z

Since first seeing it yesterday, we've gotten to spend a little more time with Sony's 4K OLED TV prototype, possibly the best-looking screen you're going to find at CES. The 56-inch TV merges this year's two high-end TV formats with a super high-definition screen and the gorgeous colors of OLED, though while both 4K and OLED TVs are now coming to consumers, this combination is still in an experimental stage. Interestingly, Sony isn't the only one to announce a prototype this year — Panasonic has just unveiled its own 56-inch 4K OLED competitor, which we haven't yet had a chance to examine in detail. Either OLED or 4K can push a TV over $10,000, so if this does come to market, expect it to be out of the price range of just about...

Samsung introduces 'world's first' curved OLED TV

2013-01-08T18:02:05Z

Samsung's just announced what it's calling "the world's first curved OLED TV." A curved screen on your TV may sound like a bit of an oddity, but Samsung boasts that it creates a more panoramic, more immersive viewing experience, and actually improves viewing angles from the side. The 55-inch TV on display at Samsung's booth is due to come out the second half of this year, and has what Samsung reps have called "an IMAX feel." The TV is incredibly sharp and crisp, with fantastic colors. Unfortunately, though, details are still otherwise scarce — we're not sure of the resolution, details of the curvature, or the like – but we're already thinking about putting our piggy bank savings toward a curved OLED and not an easel-mounted TV.

Panasonic shows off beautiful 56-inch 4K OLED TV at CES (hands-on)

2013-01-08T17:30:16Z

Panasonic today unveiled a new 56-inch 4K OLED TV during its CES keynote, just a day after Sony announced its own 4K OLED display — and it's at least as beautiful as Sony's new television. We got a chance to see it on the show floor, and the quality is stunning; it's a sharp display with rich colors and deep blacks, as you might expect for an OLED television at such a high resolution. The company announced the display at its State of the Industry keynote address today, delivered by company president Kazuhiro Tsuga. Much like Sony's 56-inch TV, Panasonic's new 4K set up is still in prototype mode, so it's unclear when we may see it hit the market, though it certainly looked impressive while on stage this morning. The display measures...

Sony shows off 56-inch 4K OLED TV prototype

2013-01-08T01:14:18Z

Confirming our earlier report, Sony has unveiled a 4K OLED TV at CES 2013. The prototype Ultra High-Definition display is 56 inches in size, and marks Sony's return to active OLED TV development after releasing the first commercially available set back in 2007. The version we saw on the show floor is crisp, vivid, and quite frankly, one of the most beautiful displays we've seen, with nary a pixel in sight. It's just a prototype for now, so we don't expect a price or release date any time soon, but we're willing to bet that this gorgeous marriage of OLED and 4K resolution will break the bank when it first hits stores.

Sony expands its 4K TV range with 55- and 65-inch models

2013-01-08T01:00:01Z

Sony has announced two new 4K TVs in its lineup, the Bravia XBR-65X900A and XBR-55X900A. Both models employ edge-lit LEDs while Sony’s X-Reality Pro engine handles 4K upscaling duties. Passive 3D is also onboard, as is screen mirroring from smartphones using Wi-Fi Direct. The company may have shown off its much larger 84-inch X900 at IFA, but the smaller sets are an attempt to hit "a more accessible price range." That will be a welcome sign to anyone interested in 4K TVs, but Sony hasn't provided specific pricing information just yet.

New 1080p TVs will also be on offer, with sizes starting from 32-inches and going all the way up to 70-inches. Almost all the models use Edge LED lighting and come with 3D capability. Both the...