What in the HD World?

I was packing for my annual trek to the CES convention, when a press release came across my desk that encapsulates many of the state of the art HDTV trends that will unfold at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

Press day isn't until tomorrow, but VIZIO got a head start with their announcements of what they will be showcasing in their private hotel suite away from the hustle and bustle of the humongous Exhibit floor. And after reading what they have up their sleeves, I can understand why they are excited.

A few short years ago, when VIZIO was just an up and coming TV manufacturer, they always seemed to be one generation behind the cutting edge technology. But now that they are the top selling LCD HDTV company in America, R&D companies are knocking on their door offering the newest of the new features, which puts VIZIO TVs on the front line of innovations.

VIZIO's XVTPRO720SV

Take for example, VIZIO's XVTPRO720SV. It ups the Hz ante to 480Hz SPS (Scenes per Second). Add to that, the TruLED LCD display provides 480 zones of Smart Dimming.

And - here's a term that you will hear this year echoing around the marketplace - this HDTV is Full HD3D compatible. That means, when there is a Blu-ray player that can playback 3D movies like Avatar, this VIZIO can handle it.

The folks at VIZIO are not through yet. This new XVT Pro Series model also comes with built in wireless HDMI, which eliminates the need for an HDMI cable connected to the display by wirelessly streaming Full HD quality content from an optional VIZIO Wireless HDMI Adapter that you can connect to devices like a set top box or a Blu-ray player.

I realize that Internet apps on TVs are so 2009, but VIZIO solves the weakest link to easily searching its Internet content providers. They are including a Bluetooth universal remote control with a sliding QWERTY keyboard. If you ever have painfully tried to surf YouTube by typing in text on a regular TV remote control, you will rejoice.

Oh, did I mention that this TV's screen is 72" and that VIZIO is projecting the MSRP at $3499? They are also announcing a 55" model with 120 zones of Smart Dimming ($2499) and a 47" TV with 160 zones of Smart Dimming ($1999). Before you hyperventilate, this XVT Pro Series will not be in stores until August.

480Hz, HD3D, wireless, LED TVs with local dimming and Internet apps - that covers a lot of territory. But VIZIO also is unveiling a 58" Cinema Display model that stretches the traditional HDTV 16 x 9 screen proportion to 21 x 9. To achieve that dimension, pixels are added and the screen measures 2560 x 1080.

VIZIO's XVTPRO580CD HDTV

Yes, we are beginning to move beyond HDTV resolution. The advantage to a 21 x 9 display is that films that are shot in the 2.35:1 format can be shown full screen without the distracting black bars at the top and bottom. (Philips rolled out a Cinema Display TV last year in Europe.)

This XVTPRO580CD is a 120Hz LED LCD with Smart Dimming and built-in wireless. I do not see any mention of its price or if it is 3D capable. It will be available later this year.

Now, as I roam the CES floor, I assume that I will encounter similar features in TVs by other manufacturers, some of which may make it to market sooner than these VIZIOs. But as you can see, 2010 should be a very interesting year for HDTVs.

Stay tuned.