HP to Ship Smart TVs

At the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) trade show last week, HP unveiled a new lineup of TVs that will ship this fall, as well as new HDTV technology that it will offer next summer. The company unveiled three DLP microdisplay televisions that come in 50", 58", and 65" models. The 58" and 65" models will be available in 1080p resolution and come with a CableCard slot for receiving HDTV without requiring a set-top box from a cable company. The 50" and 58" models will be available in 720p configuration. The company will ship three new LCD TVs in 26", 32", and 37" models. The LCD TVs will feature 4000:1 contrast ratio, CableCard support, and multiple state-of-the-art connectivity options. The company will also ship two new plasma models, which will come in 42" and 50" configurations. Also demonstrated at the show was a prototype of a new technology the company plans to ship next summer. The technology will let HP TVs communicate with PCs on a home network, including HP's Windows XP Media Center-based PCs. The TVs will include a digital media receiver that talks to PCs via a wireless or wired connection. HP will include PC-based software that will let you create a virtual database of media content on the PC, ranging from videos to music to photos.