While promising display technologies like SED have pretty much disappeared from the Earth, Mitsubishi has actually begun shipping their absolutely incredible 65" LaserVue TVs. These sets suck less power than LCDs and feature two times the colour of most competitive sets. Oh...but these sets still run almost $US7,000 a pop. So that whole inexpensive aspect we'd heard about originally has been quietly swept under the rug for the time being. [LaserVue via Electronista]

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Holographic television sets may be only a few years off thanks to a new breakthrough in 3D technology. Researchers at the University of Arizona said they had made the first updatable 3D displays with memory, a prerequisite for getting any holographic image to move. With the new technology, displays can now be erased and rewritten in a matter of minutes.

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So you went out and bought Samsung's solid performing, stylish Series 6 LCD TV recently? Well, you can officially start kicking yourself... now. Sammy has officially launched its Series 7, Series 8 and Series 9 TVs in Australia (more on the Series 9 to come), and what makes the first two stand out from the crowd is that they feature an ethernet port for direct access to web content on your TV.

The Series 7 LCDs, which we first saw back at CES in January, is available in 40, 16 and 52-inch screen sizes, and incorporates a superior speaker with separate sub to the Series 6 range. The Series 8 range comes in 46 and 52 inch sizes only, and has pretty much all the same features as the Series 7, except runs at less than two inches thick.

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Owning a honking rear projection TV is an ever-increasing WASP social stigma, that is, unless it's so freaking huge that neighbours admire it with the same jealous-of-waste gleam in their eye as your original Hummer. One modder takes us step by step through how he removed the screen of his "big screen" TV and swapped it with a 100-inch replacement. The end result is successful, even if his craftsmanship is a bit wobbly around the edges. But the catch? It looks like it now runs at lights-off brightness levels. You know, like a cheap projector or something... [BonMul via HackaDay]

Among a giant drop of Asia-only Samsung sets today is one nice tidbit--a 40-inch Series 7 LCD with local-dimming LED backlighting, the smallest set yet to do so. The latest US Series 9 LED-lit LCDs we saw recently are definitely on the high end (US$4,200 for a 55-incher), but the PAVV Bordeauk 780 (similar to the 850 being shown off by the lovely ladies above) shows that Samsung is keen to push energy-saving, black-enhancing LED tech down the line. It joins all the regular 1080p, 120Hz goodness we've seen before. Good deal. No word on the pricing even in Asia yet. [Tech ON]

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With the ever-falling prices of flat panel LCD and plasma displays, it was only a matter of time before the rear projection television died a tragic death. Since 2007, their sales in the market under 60 inches have dropped by 32%, meaning that 84% of the rear projections sold today are now 60 inches or over. From what we understand, that includes newer DLP technology as well. Another interesting metric: Just 2 of the 40 HDTVs reviewed by CNet this year have been rear projections. But if you've got the space and don't mind the style, their quality per dollar quotient is still undeniably good. [Crave][image]

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The Gadget: Samsung's 46-inch Series 6 LCD TV.
Price: The RRP's $3,849, although you can pick it up cheaper in the shops.

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Back in 1969 RCA made an attempt at a high-end TV that was a vision of the sets of the year 2000. The Two Thousand was even made in a limited run of 2,000 and cost US$2,000. That's around US$12,000 in today's money, but for that price you got a 23-inch Hi-Lite tube that had "such a vivid, detailed picture" you could "even watch it in a brightly-lit room." There were even "computer-like "memory circuits" that stored your fave channels, and preserved settings for volume and picture control. That must've seemed like the future indeed in an era of dial-twiddle-tuning to find the right VHF channel. The full advert page makes fascinating reading.

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The facade of China Central Television Headquarters is now complete, just in time to look pretty tomorrow, when the world turns its eyes on Beijing's Olympic Games. The 6.45 million-square-feet complex looks as amazing as the original renderings, defying gravity with its two leaning towers connected by two massive sections floating in midair. Still, the process of how they got connected is even more impressive:

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Depending on your definition of "cheap," Sharp may or may not be releasing inexpensive SB Series LCDs, but their prices aren't so bad relative to the market. Their new line of 52, 46 and 42-inch 1080p televisions will feature a decent 6ms response time and run US$2,300, US$1,700 and US$1,400, respectively. But since these figures are retail prices, don't be surprised to see the displays around for plenty less. All televisions are available now save for the 42-inch, which will be around next month. Here are the full details:

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