Today's CES High-Def Headlines

Panasonic Unveils World's Largest TV - AP
A 150-inch high-definiton plasma TV unveiled by Panasonic is the world's largest to date, the Japanese consumer electronics company claimed Monday at the International Consumer Electronics Show. The plasma panel features an 8.84 million pixel image resolution. Its screen is the equivalent of nine 50-inch sets, with an effective viewing area of 11 feet, the company said.

Ergen Explains Dish Network HD Expansion - MCN
Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen Monday explained his company’s HDTV ramp-up and clarified what turns about to be a very limited price “freeze” by the satellite TV provider. During a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ergen said that Dish Network plans to launch a satellite each quarter this year, with three of those for domestic use to help facilitate an expansion to 100 national HDTV channels from 76 now.

Comcast, Panasonic Sell Portable Digital Video Recorders - MCN
Want your DVR for here or to go? At the Consumer Electronics Show here Monday, Comcast and Panasonic are debuting a high-definition digital video recorder that you can unplug and take with you to watch TV shows or movies virtually anywhere. The AnyPlay Portable DVR, developed by Panasonic for Comcast, functions as a regular HD set-top box when it’s set up in the living room.

Blu-ray Triumphs at Gadget Show - AP
The International Consumer Electronics Show is turning out to be a celebration party for Blu-ray, the high-definition format that Sony Corp. backed, and a wake for a rival movie disc technology pushed by Toshiba Corp. Just two months ago, Sony CEO Howard Stringer said the fight between Blu-ray and Toshiba's HD DVD was at a "stalemate," and expressed a wish to travel back in time to avert it. The impasse was broken Friday by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the last major studio to put out movies in both formats. It announced it was ditching HD DVD, and from May on, would only publish on Blu-ray and traditional DVD.

Sony Debuts 14 LCD TVs, Its 1st OLED - TWICE
Following its decision to exit the rear-projection TV category, Sony travels to International CES with an arsenal of new LCD TVs and the company’s first OLED TV for the U.S. market. Sony is launching here 14 Bravia LCD models, including slim-bezel and thin-depth cabinets, as well as Sony’s new 3-D graphic user interface integrated with TV Guide programming information.

Sharp Bows 4 Aquos Lines, Second Blu-ray Player - TWICE
Sharp is using International CES to unveil four Aquos LCD TV model series, highlighted by a "special edition" featuring the company’s best picture quality to date and built-in Internet access. Also slated are a pair of new DLP projectors and the company’s second Blu-ray Disc player. The Aquos special-edition SE94 series will include the 65-inch LC-65SE94U, 52-inch LC-52SE94U and 46-inch LC-46SE94U, each of which produces the company’s finest picture quality.

Pioneer’s Kuro Get Super Thin,‘Absolute’ Black - TWICE
Looking to apply the "thin-is-in" trend to its Project Kuro plasma TV behemoths, Pioneer is unveiling at International CES a 50-inch super-thin (9mm) plasma panel. Billed as "an advanced design concept," the thin-screen plasma TV prototype will be showcased as the future of the big-screen flat-panel TV technology.

Hitachi Bows Ultra Thin Plasma TVs, LCDs - TWICE
Hitachi will use International CES to unveil what it is calling some of the world’s thinnest plasma displays, in addition to its recently announced Ultra Thin 1.5-inch thick LCD TV line.
The Ultra Thin plasma panels, which will see their world premiere at CES, are expected to be available at the end of 2009 in the 50- and 60-inch screen sizes and will measure "under 1.5-inches in depth".