This Yalos LCD HDTV from Keymats is studded (I can't make myself use the word "encrusted") with 160 diamonds (plus rubys?) totalling at least 20 carats, is plated with white gold, has an ornate decorated rear face, and is clearly aimed at a niche market of punters with too much money and no sense of style. Because at first glance it looks like the set is suffering from a horrid skin disease, and you'd feel ever so dumb saying "No—look closely... They're jewels. Jewels!" over and over again. Check out the gallery to see more horrific be-jewelment, and then be prepared to fall off your chair when you find out its price.

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Dish Network is upgrading their boxes' firmware to display 1080p resolution. Given the lack of 1080p network source material, the existing 720p/1080i compressed HD signals, and the fact that there's no standard limiting the compression quality--1080p can be compressed... Read More »

This new Sony Vaio ad, created by 180 in Los Angeles, features an HDTV that swallows up a Blu-ray player like a Venus Fly Trap. It's pretty awesome. I think I'd enjoy any ad that has large gadgets devouring smaller ones in an animalistic fashion. [Space Invaders via NotCot]

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Our good friend Gary Merson the HD Guru reviewed Sony' BDP-S350 and Panasonic's DMP-BD50, the latest Blu-ray players from each company, Battlemodo style. Both BD players scored high marks on video performance, with a slight edge to Panasonic, but Panasonic's US$600 BD50 smoked Sony's S350 on pretty much everything else.

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DirecTV is poised to take the lead in the HD battle by adding 30 extra channels starting on August 14th. That would give them 130 channels of HD in total--putting them well on their way to the 150 mark they floated around early this year. By the end of this month they also plan to be the first company to transmit all of their HD programming in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding standard with Dolby Digital Audio. And the icing on the cake will come later this year in the form of 1080p movies.

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It's not often that a case mod involves modding two cases into one, but it's not often you get to see an Xbox 360 stuffed inside an LCD HDTV. PvP LostKnight has done just that to save space, creating what's perhaps the world's first Xbox console console. Not only does it work but it looks really nice, something I'd put in my living room without having to make excuses to my parents when they come to visit. And it's fully functional. [PSPMod]

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Somehow I doubt that many Gizmodo readers are concerned about getting a DTV converter before the February 2009 cutoff date--but then again, I've been surprised before. If you or someone you know falls into this category, Sound & Vision has... Read More »

This great "HD for Kids!" coloring book by Non-Toxic Reviews teaches tykes all about the joys—and pitfalls—of High-Def TV through activities like tracing burn-in on a plasma screen and the borderline-autistic "draw 1,080 dots inside this HDTV". The book is too funny not to be a little tongue-in-cheek, but the lessons are real and helpful for people of all ages. I can definitely relate to the part that gets the younggins disappointed early in life when they realise they have four HDMI devices, but only one input to plug them into. Check out our favourite pages in the gallery, and get the full book for free by hitting the link. [Non-Toxic Reviews via BBG]

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Like the 27-inch 2707WFP before it, Dell's new UltraSharp 2709W features a mediocre 1920 by 1200 resolution with a 9-in-2 media card reader and 6ms response time, but the contrast ratio has been upgraded to to 3000:1 and the brightness level to 450 nits. Outside of that you will get just about every port you could possibly need--from USB to HDMI to DisplayPort. Plus, it can be had for US$999, which is only about US$200 more than the 2707WFP is selling for right now on the Dell website (still a bit pricey if you ask me).

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Remember the 108-incher from Sharp, that Leviathan of the LCD world? It's ready to be flogged to those of you who can afford it—in Japan. Weighing 195 kilos, and with a 176º viewing angle, the LB-1085 can be yours for just 11 million yen. That's $108,567 to you, guv. [Impress]

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