The Panasonic VIERA X1 Series for 2009 has upped the stakes in image quality for plasma TV's. If you're a fan of big game sports, blockbuster movies or large scale all out war gaming then this is the TV for you!

Fast moving objects, footballs or missiles, stay clear and sharp as they zip across the screen, thanks to Panasonic's 600Hz Sub-field Drive for crisp, focused images. This TV also has a dedicated Game Mode that cuts down on 'time lag', plus connections for a memory card and an iPod.

Panasonic have embraced the home network ethos, creating an all round entertainment system with their X1 Series of HDTV Plasmas.

VIERA X1 Series Plasma 720p features include:

• 720p Resolution
• Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1 Native; Infinite Black Panel
• 720 Lines of Moving Picture Resolution
• 600Hz Sub-field Drive
• VIERA Image Viewer
• VIERA Link
• AR (Anti-Reflective) Filter
• Game Mode
• 3 HDMI Inputs
• 100,000 Hour Panel Life

Sony's "Elevated Standard" (ES) BDP-CX7000ES 400-disc Blu-ray Disc^TM and BDP-CX960 and MegaChangers, and its BDP-S1000ES single disc ES player will soon be available to consumers.

The Blu-ray Disc MegaChanger models  have the capacity for storing and playing 400 Blu-ray Discs, CDs and DVDS, providing consumers with new levels of convenience and accessibility.

You can organize your library by downloading information from Gracenote's MusicID® and VideoID^TM products.   When you insert a disk into the device, Gracenote technology downloads the title, release year, director, and some cast and genre information, allowing you easily search for your music or movies.

BDP CX-7000ES and BDP-CX960

The BDP-CX7000ES has 24p True Cinema^TM output with full HD 1080/60p. Conforming to high-quality ES standards, it has an RS232 connection and IR-in which enable it to integrate with third-party automation control systems.

Exceptional audio and video quality come from a 7.1 channel analog output, Sony's HD Reality Enhancer and Super Bit Mapping technologies. The HD Reality Enhancer continually analyzes each bit of the original source, reproducing detail and sharpening edges while at the same time reducing the effects of film grain.  Super Bit Mapping realizes true 14-bit equivalent color tone from 8-bit sources to provide smoother color gradation.

The BDP-CX7000ES allows you to use Sony's Precision Cinema HD Upscale Technology to upscale your standard definition DVDs to 1080p when the device is connected to a 1080p display via HDMI.

Advanced conversion and processing allows the Precision Cinema HD Upscale to detect changes in the image at the pixel level, while the moving and still parts of an image are processed by separate algorithms. This cause the backgrounds to be sharp while moving objects are devoid of motion artifacts.

The 400 disc BDP-CX960 MegaChanger also has 24p True Cinema output, full HD 1080/60p and Precision Cinema HD Upscale Technology.

The  BDP-CX7000ES and BDP-CX960 both have Ethernet ports that allow you to connect to your local home broadband network to access BD-Live^TM content and download metadata from Gracenotes and software updates. An extenal port for local storage allows you add your USB flash device in support of BD-Live content.

Both model supports  7.1 channel Dolby® TrueHD and Dolby® Digital Plus, DTS®-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and bit-stream output via HDMI.

The BDP-CX7000ES will be available in August at a cost of $1,000. The BDP-CX960 will be available in the fall at a price of around $800.

BDP-S100ES

The  BDP-S100ES is a single-disc Blu-Ray Player, part of the ES line. It has built in Wi-Fi® (802.11N/G/B/A) capability for easy BD-Live access.  It has full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema^TM.  Sony's Precision Cinema HD allow you to upscale standard definition DVDs to 1080p.

You can use an existing wireless home network to connect to the Internet so you can download and stream BD-Live content. You can download trailers, additional scenes, interactive games, short subjects and other content from select titles. You can use easy firmware updates to keep your player up-to-date with the latest Blu-ray Disc features and media.

The BDP-S1000ES is compatible with most wireless routers.  Wi-Fi Protected Setup^TM, which enables you to connect to enabled wireless routers easily and quickly, is supported.   The BDP-S1000ES is Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) ready, so that it can be connected to other DLNA compliant devices. This allows you to use your TV to watch digital photos.

The BDP-S1000ES also includes Sony's Super Bit Mapping, HD Reality Enhancer and Precision Drive HD technology.

The player also supports x.v. Color Technology and Deep color video output and is compatible with many video formats, which include BD-ROM/R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD-+ Video/R/RW, CD/R/RW, and MP3/JPEG on BD/DVD/CD recordable media. It is compatible with advanced audio codecs including 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS -HD Master Audio, and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio decoding and bit-stream output, as well as analog 7.1 channel output.

The BDP-S1000ES will be available in August 2009 at a price of around $700.

Samsung has shown that it's got the high-definition TV game down just about perfect with its new 1080p LCD HDTV. This unit comes decked out complete with a TiVo high-def digital video recorder.

The screen is a spacious 46 inches and features 120h technology. This 120hz gives the consumer clear motion and frame transitions. Some of the features that have been upgraded since its predecessor include a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 dynamic contrast, DLNA certified connectivity, more powerful speakers, a better sub woofer, and Media 2.0 features which let you access content from Flickr and Yahoo.

The display offers you more than two million pixels and ten-bit processing. It also boasts SRS TruSurround.

Even the appearance is sleek and blends well with most living-room décor. Some other features you might love: cold cathode fluorescent lamp, two component video inputs, USB 2.0, and connectivity which allows you to add a DVD player, Blu-Ray, PC, camcorder, and much more.

There's not much you'll find lacking with Samsung's new offering. It is rather large as far as the height and width go, but it's also slim, so you should have plenty of space. Highly recommended model!