Forget about 4K resolutions-- if Sharp is right, we will be watching TV at 8K resolutions as seen on the 85" Super Hi-Vision 8K LCD prototype at CES 2012.

8K resolutions total to 7630 x 4320-- 16 times the resolution of current HD displays, with images "sharp" enough to make the majority of TVs (including the 4K prototypes present at CES) hang their heads in shame.

The only problem with 8K TV? It is still quite far away. Sharp predicts content at such high resolutions will only be available sometime around 2020, which is when we suppose Super Hi-Vision sets will start hitting the market.

The Sharp CES stand has other interesting prototypes, such as the Aquos Freestyle LCDs-- lightweight flat-screen TVs carrying wireless HD streaming extending for up to 30m. One 20" portable model even has a battery, with power for up to 2 hours of wireless 1080p viewing according to Sharp.

Go Sharp

Sony shows off its TV future at CES 2012 with the Crystal LED prototype-- a 55" HDTV self-emitting display using LEDs as a light source.

The company says it mounts ultrafine LEDs in each of the RGB colours, equivalent to the number of pixels (6M LEDs in total) directly to the front of the display. The prototype apparently has 3.5X higher contrast (in light settings), 1.4X wider colour gamut and around 10X faster video image response times in comparison to current Sony models, if one is to believe Sony's press materials.

Sony also says it is working on OLED displays-- the "new" display category for CES, as already seen in offerings from LG and Samsung.

Also on show is Bravia series refresh, with the entry-level BX, mid-level EX and "flagship" HX lines. On top of the list is the HX850, in 46" and 55" models, with Gorilla Glass and OptiContrast Panel, X-Reality PRO optical engine, Motionflow XR 960 processor and wifi connectivity.

"Monolithic" styling provide a thin bezel twist Sony describes as "virtually frameless."

Go Sony Crystal LED Display

Go Sony's New Bravia TVs

Will 2012 be remembered as the year of the 55" OLED HDTV? Following the earlier LG announcement, Samsung reveals its take on the 55" OLED TV at CES 2012.

Details are yet hard to come by, since the "Super OLED" TV at the show lacks an official name or even a model number. Samsung says it is produced from "a single pane of glass" and is 7mm deep (double that of the LG 55" OLED TV).

The company claims OLED technology needs no colour filter, since each OLED RGB pixel is self-emitting-- making sure whites are bright and blacks are deep.

Other specifications include a "new" dual-core processor, 3D support, built-in camera (providing gesture control and facial recognition), x2 microphones complete with noise cancellation technology (for voice control) and improvements on the Samsung Smart Hub interface.

More details will be available once the Super OLED TV hits the market on H2 2012.

Go Samsung Unveils Super OLED TV

Lenovo launches what it says is the first TV running on Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)-- the IdeaTV K91, a 55" IPS 3D HDTV that's not quite a Google TV.

It carries a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon APQ8060 processor, together with 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, SD card slot, 802.11b/g/n wifi, 10M/100M ethernet, HDMI and USB 2.0 ports.

Few details are available yet, but the K91 will include a number of Lenovo cloud services, including an app store and a video-on-demand service. It also comes with a 5MP webcam (for facial recognition purposes) and voice control options.

The TV makes part of the Lenovo "Personal Cloud" lineup, which includes the integration of tablets and smartphones as well as TVs.

Go Lenovo CES 2012 Announcements

LG joins the Google TV ranks with a CES 2012 announcement saying the company will launch HDTVs using a combination of the Android OS and LG 3D and Smart TV technologies.

The LG Google TV line will run on the company's L9 setup with a custom Google TV UI and Cinema 3D FPR (Film Patterned Retarder) technology. Joining the custom UI is a "QWERTY Magic Remote" combining gesture and voice control. We should have more details following the LG press conference later this week.

The company will still continue making smart TVs using its own NetCast-based system, which should be available in "more than 60%" of LG flat panel TVs in 2012.

In other LG CES announcements, the company introduces the "Cinema Screen Design"-- reducing Cinema 3D display bezels to just 1mm. Cinema 3D TVs will also start offering a Dual Play function, letting 2 players to only see their perspective using polarised glasses on certain games (as seen last year in the Sony Playstation 3D display).

Go LG to Introduce Google TV at CES 2012

Go LG Cinema Screen Design

LG announces what it says is the biggest OLED HDTV in the world-- measuring 55", it will make a first appearance to the public at next year's CES on January 9.

The display uses white OLED technology, which the company claims provides lower error rates and clearer "ultra definition" screens with a higher colour gamut than standard LCDs.

OLED panels are also thinner and lighter than LCDs, and use less electricity than conventional panels.

Next year will also see LG launching a new line of Cinema 3D glasses-- the F310, the clip-on F320 and the Alain Mikli-designed F360, all with passive 3D lenses.

Go LG