In Pictures: Cool 3-D TVs And HDTVs

Every major HDTV manufacturer unveiled multiple 3-D TVs at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show. It will be nearly impossible to get a high-end set without 3-D compatibility by the end of the year. Here's a peek at some of the 3-D TVs available in the next couple of years, as well as the best new HDTVs on the market.

A 32-inch, 1080p, sub-120Hz, non-3-D set normally isn't anything to get excited about, especially considering the glut of jaw-dropping TVs unveiled at CES. But this is an LED-backlit model with an MSRP of just $800. When LED TVs hit the market just a few years ago, this set could have easily cost twice as much as this one does--if any manufacturers even bothered to put this luxury feature into a budget-sized set. More importantly than the specs, it's an indicator of just how fast HDTV prices have fallen.

It's not the first extra-wide-screen TV (Philips holds that distinction) but Vizio's 58-inch, 120 Hz, LED-backlit (non-3-D) Cinema Display TV will still turn heads. This extra-wide-screen set has a 21:9 aspect ratio, just about the same as a bona-fide cinema screen. A quarter of the display will be filled by black bars for programming in the regular 16:9 wide-screen format; for true cinema buffs, this is as close to the theater as it gets. Like all new Vizio VXT models, it also features wireless HDMI, Bluetooth remote with sliding QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi and VIA Web service connectivity.

Plasma was supposed to have gone extinct by now, but Panasonic continues to carry its torch. This old technology is heavy and energy-hogging compared to LCD sets, but inch-for-inch it's cheaper and the color reproduction, especially the inkiness of the blacks, is unbeatable. And, as several CES attendees noted, 3-D content looks smoother and deeper on plasma than it does on OLED or LCD displays. Panasonic's VT25 plasma series was among the best in show, featuring the Infinite Black Pro display, Wi-Fi, VieraCast connectivity (with brand-new 720p Skype video conferencing) and 3-D compatibility (including a pair of active-shutter 3-D glasses). It hits the shelves this spring in 50-, 54-, 58- and 65-inch sizes.

Sony's 24.5-inch organic LED (OLED) 3-D display is absolutely massive, considering that the company's largest OLED screen last year was just 11 inches. OLED displays are incredibly thin, vibrant and energy efficient compared to any other display type. They're most commonly used on portable devices, like the Zune media player and several point-and-shoot cameras. This technology is a few years away from being commercially viable, but this is a step in the right direction. As of CES there's no street date or price available. It will definitely be expensive, but it will offer one of the most beautiful pictures money can buy.

Haier made a conceptual splash at CES 2010 with its completely wireless TV prototype. That's right, not even a power cord. It gets power from a bulky wall-mounted unit via "resonant magnetic coupling," which is a fancy way of saying that radio waves flow between coils in each device. Wireless HD (WHDI), which appears in several TVs this year, rounds out the set up. No word on 3-D compatibility. The execution needs some work and it's doubtful that it will go on sale in 2010, but it's a great concept and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Instead of 3-D compatibility or local-dimming LED backlights, Sharp came to CES with extra color. In addition to the standard red, green and blue color filters, these new Aquos sets come with yellow. The "quad pixel" displays are said to make colors more accurate and vibrant. It's a step below Sharp's 2010 flagship line, but the LE820/810 series is a more affordable option for the niche market of 3-D-hating, primary-color-loving consumers. These 120 Hz models will be available in 40-, 46-, 52- and 60-inch screen sizes in March, starting at $1800.

LG's flagship TV is among the most well-rounded models to debut at CES. It features a 55-inch screen, depth of 0.92 inches, an over-the-top 480 Hz refresh rate, and an LED backlight with 240 local-dimming segments (for reference, the LG LE8500 series has just 16), and of course, it's 3-D compatible. All new LG TVs come with Skype (in 720p no less, though a separate camera and microphone are needed), Netflix 2.0, VUDU and a host of other widgets through LG's Netcast Web service. There will be more powerful TVs this year, but this is one of the most well-rounded.

Toshiba claims that its latest Cell processor TVs are 1,000 times more powerful than a typical PC. That's a lot of juice. That engine allows these sets to convert standard-def content into 1080p resolution and 2-D content into 3-D content (though the latter effect will probably look hokey), and run at an absurd 480 Hz refresh rate (which works out to 240Hz per eye in 3-D mode). They'll also come with a 1 TB hard drive, Wi-Fi, wireless HD, Web connectivity and a non-Skype video phone client. The 42-, 47- and 52-inch models will go by the Illusion moniker, while the 55- and 65-inch sets will be known as Genesis. They have a vague street date of "sometime" in 2010.

Samsung is the king of LED-backlit LCD TVs. A whopping 80% of all LED sets sold in America are Samsungs. Year after year, they make the new "best LED." They've done it again in 2010 with the C9000. This brushed-metal beauty sports the best of the best specs: A pencil-thin 0.3-inch frame, 240 Hz refresh rate, 3-D compatibility (like the Toshiba Cell, the C9000 can convert 2-D into 3-D) and a touch-screen remote that can display TV while something else plays on the main TV screen. No price or release date yet, though it's expected to drop in late 2010.

Research shows that consumers should sit at least 1.5 times the screen size away from the TV to get the best viewing experience . So unless you have 19 feet to spare, this 152-inch TV is too big for your living room. Is it necessary? Of course, not. Can you afford it? Panasonic hasn't announced a price or street date, but if you have to ask, then probably not. Is it awesome? Hell, yes. This (roughly) 4000 x 2000 resolution 3-D set (far beyond the conventional 1920x1080 HD standard) will be the closest anything comes to matching the experience of watching Avatar in theaters.