Low-profile mounts place TVs less than an inch from the wall. In-wall storage boxes allow TVs to sit flush to the wall and provide space to conceal cables, surge protection, and J-boxes behind the mount. New Slimback mounts from Omnimount bring the TV as close as .75-inch to the wall.
Not all TVs will be mounted, though, and manufacturers including Samsung and LG are banking on a set of design-oriented consumers to drive TV sales on the “looking good” factor. The 2008 lineups from both companies feature styled TVs with red overtones. LG’s Scarlet series of TVs encourage tabletop display with their gloss red backs and red highlights.
The Samsung Touch of Color (ToC) TVs sport gloss black cabinets, floating glass frames, and narrow red trim around the bezel. Samsung’s Jonas Tanenbaum, vice president of flat-panel marketing, says the new design detail is the evolution of flat-panel TV. “We borrowed from the fashion and automotive industries in an effort to redefine the role of the TV in the home both in entertainment and artistic value.”
Samsung’s advanced units also include the new InfoLink TVs, which show icons for news, weather, sports, and stocks in the upper left corner of the screen. Information supplied by USA Today is updated every few minutes via the TVs’ built-in Ethernet connection. Although a wireless solution is available, a hard-wired Ethernet connection is a more secure route via a home’s structured wiring system.
Sharp, Sony, Panasonic, HP, and LG are also making use of Internet data for display on their high-end 2008 TVs. The TVs tap the Net for everything from news blurbs and real-time traffic to full-length programs, depending on model.
Sharp’s Ethernet-equipped AquosNet TVs, due out in late 2008, add GalleryPlayer compatibility. GalleryPlayer delivers rights-protected high-definition art and photography to digital displays, allowing users to show high-quality images when they aren’t watching TV. Select Pioneer Elite TVs link to a home network via Ethernet connection and allow you to view personal photos stored on a PC. Some networked TVs—whether directly or with an add-on box—also connect users to Internet video sites including You Tube, Amazon Unbox, iTunes, and more.—Rebecca Day specializes in writing about home electronics. She can be reached at customhomerd@aol.com.
