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Wide 3D, IPTV, Wi-Fi Lineup Of Toshiba TVs

LAS VEGAS —

Toshiba’s consumer electronics
group will unveil the first fruits from its new association
with the information systems business unit, offering
extensive Wi-Fi and Internet streaming capabilities
and one of the widest 3D offerings at the show.

“Our goal now is to take the strengths of these two
strong Toshiba divisions and try to use them to create
some best-in-class products and some best-in-class
relationships with our dealers,” said Scott Ramirez,
Toshiba TV and DAV products marketing VP.

“There are a lot of PC and TV assets that we can
leverage that I think can allow us to create some enhanced
products for what is finally a truly converging
industry.”

He added that Toshiba’s process of going to market
has already become “faster and more market focused”
than in the past.

To differentiate its television products, Toshiba is
offering a range of features that are said to be both
fun and functional, while new cosmetics in LED models
emphasize ultra-thin panel depths, including the
chrome-accented Blade step-up units.

For picture performance, Toshiba will offer steps
in panel quality, as opposed to just improvements in
chassis design, Ramirez said.

In addition to a core LED line, Toshiba will step to
last year’s CineSpeed panel, and then to the new
CineSpeed Plus 120Hz and 240Hz panels and
Quantum Black 480Hz panel.

Quantum Black models are reserved exclusively
for Toshiba’s Cinema Series, offering stronger static
contrast, a faster response time, 480Hz ClearScan
motion smoothing, fine local dimming with more
zones and Crystal Coat for increased black levels.

For 3D, Toshiba will offer three technology approaches,
including active-shutter glasses, like
those introduced a year ago; polarized “passive”
shutter glasses, like those used in 3D movie theaters; and prototype glasses-less displays, called
Toshiba’s “Glasses-Free 3D,” which were introduced
to the Japanese market at CEATEC last year.

Models will be shown in the 55-inch and 63-inch
screen sizes at CES, but the company is still trying to
determine if it will market them here, Ramirez said.

Toshiba, he said, sought to deliver 3D sets capable
of the highest 2D picture quality to maximize the 3D
experience, he added.

The active and passive glasses sets will all incorporate
a new Toshiba CEVO processor that retains elements
of the former Cell processor, once earmarked
for the discontinued Cell TV, in a lower-cost chipset.

This includes a Trivector 2D-to-3D conversion system
to view any content in 3D, 3D Super Resolution
Plus up-conversion for non-1080p 3D content, and a
3D Cross-Talk Canceller system.

Toshiba will call its active-shutter 3D sets “Dynamic
3D,” and will position them as the ultimate in 3D picture
quality.

Toshiba calls the passive 3D system “Natural 3D.”
The approach is said to enable longer viewing times
without eyestrain, and a lower total cost of ownership
due to the cheaper glasses technology.

To bring “fun” into the equation, Toshiba is introducing
a collection of new features, including a voice-control
system on select models.

For voice control, an accessory module picks up audible
cues and enters command mode after hearing
a double clap of hands. From there the user speaks
commands such as, “TV power on”, “Channel up,”
“Mute,” etc., and the TV will engage those commands.

For IPTV functionality, Toshiba will add its NetTV
platform with Yahoo! Widgets to more models in 2011,
and has expanded the list of pre-installed content service providers. All Internet-ready models this year
will also come with built-in Wi-Fi networking, and all
big-screen Internet-ready models will add Skype video
calling capability.

A gaming pack in select models allows faster response
times between the controller and the screen,
and a native (pixel-for-pixel) mode pulls all of the overscanned
pixels back into the viewable area of the
screen for faster visuals of objects entering and exiting the screen.

The Wi-Fi-ready models also add an enhanced
DLNA system that allows two-way control of shared
content from the TV to PC and PC to TV.

Sets also include USB ports to share content from
thumb drives and portable hard discs.

For menu operation, step-up Toshiba models add
the new Horizon Motion Graphic user interface to
make function selections fun and visually pleasing.

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