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Sony and Panasonic are rumoured to be set to announce a partnership for the production of OLED TVs.

Two sources apparently told Reuters that a partnership between Panasonic and Sony could be announced this week, with the two firms joining forces to rival the South Korean tech giants by developing affordable OLED technology.

For the time being, there's no word on what size screens the agreement could cover. However, it'd be logical to see them start with 55-inch screens before moving down to smaller panels.

Samsung and LG already presented 55-inch OLED TVs at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas back in January. Both models are due to hit the market at the end of 2012 for the best part of £8,000 (exact RRP TBC). But these are first and foremost showcase products that aren't likely to end up in all that many homes. So 2012 isn't set to be the year in which the OLED TV really takes off. In fact, "affordable" OLED TVs aren't expected to land before 2014, which gives the Japanese manufacturers plenty of time to catch up.

Watch this space ...

> HD TV Reviews (32" and Above)

Before our full review comes out later this week, we thought we'd give you a sneak peek at the Transformer Pad Infinity's Full HD display. Is the change in resolution really relevant for Asus and for Android?



More than anything else, what sets the Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T apart from the Transformer Pad Prime is the IPS+ display, with its Full HD 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution, compared to 1280 x 800 on the Prime. One would hope for better-rendered text, as was the case between the iPad 2 and the new iPad.

With the excellent results we obtained on all the last generations of the Transformer Pad, we had high hopes for this new IPS+ Full HD display. The screen is no longer S-IPS technology as was used on the Prime; it's PLS, Samsung's own IPS technology. This time it appears Asus has gotten its goods elsewhere.



By our measurements the Infinity's average contrast is lower than its predecessor, the Prime, at 1000:1 in normal IPS mode compared to 1200:1 on the Prime. It's also lower than the Acer Iconia Tab A200 (1500:1), but higher than the new iPad (930:1). What really matters, though, is that this is a more-than-adequate ratio, something most notebooks and netbooks can only dream of.


The maximum brightness is also high. In normal mode it's 400 cd/m² and in Super IPS+ mode it reaches 620 cd/m²! Needless to say, the Infinity TF700T is easy to read outdoors in the sun.

The colours are quite accurate, with an average delta E of 5.8 (where 3 and below is perfect accuracy). This means that dark colours are well rendered and reds and yellows are champions of accuracy. This is one of the rare tablets not to have absurdly rendered colours, although it's still miles away from the near-perfect rendering on the latest iPad. The highly constant colour temperature of 7377 kelvins prevents any excess of blues, for example, and the overall rendering is fairly neutral.

The ghosting time is 17 ms, which is satisfactory—pretty much what you find with most IPS displays.


Now here's our favourite part: the high definition image compared to "regular" Android tablets (1280 x 800 pixels) and the iPad (2048 x 1536).

First off, we can confirm that the improvements made in the overall reading experience are immediately noticeable. You can see the difference between the Infinity and the Transformer Pad Prime the second you look at it. From Android icons and web pages to word processing, the characters and images truly take Android to the next level.


Compared to the new iPad, however, the Infinity still needs a few more pixels if it wants to dethrone Apple when it comes to legibility and comfort on the eyes. On the Infinity you can see traces of aliasing (the "staircase" effect seen below), whereas the iPad's Retina display smoothes out the contours almost perfectly.


The Infinity's video player, on the other hand, seems more apt and relevant than the iPad's because the 1920 x 1200 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio are more fitting for 1080p movies than the Apple's 4:3 aspect ratio; while the resolution is high, the dimensions necessarily don't fit most movies.


So, the question is: can a Full HD Android tablet seriously compete with a 9.7-inch Retina display? Yes, because the video elements, which are a major part of the overall visual experience, beat the iPad and the Infinity's precision and legibility have made a huge leap forward. This display is quite a delight.

> Reviews: Touchscreen Tablets

Today we're reviewing the eagerly awaited Panasonic VT50, due to replace the excellent VT30 plasma TV. We tested the 50-inch model (TX-P50VT50), but 55-inch (TX-P55VT50) and 65-inch (TX-P65VT50) versions are also available.



Panasonic has streamlined its range of plasma TVs for 2012, but the "VT" series is still going strong as the firm's highest-end plasma line. The main new feature this year is an improved motion interpolation system, which has been boosted to 2500 Hz in the aim of improving overall fluidity. The VT50 also has an active-shutter 3D mode, Smart TV services, a web browser, and THX Certified Display Program accreditation in both 2D and 3D.

> Reveiw: Panasonic Viera TX-P50VT50

> HD TV Reviews (32" and Above)

Sharp recently announced a new super-sized TV to add to its already impressive collection. After releasing 60-inch (1.52 metres), 70-inch (1.78 metres) and 80-inch (2.03 metres) models, Sharp is now set to out a TV with a 90-inch (2.2 metres) screen. Where will it end?



When we tested the Sharp LC-80LE646E last week, we thought it was just about the biggest consumer TV we'd ever see. But no! Sharp has now broken its own record with a 90-inch Full HD telly!

This monster model boasts 90 inches of Full LED backlighting too. So unlike many current smaller-sized TVs, LED backlights are spread over the whole rear surface of the panel, rather than just around the edges. This makes the distribution of light more even and consistent over the screen. On top of that, this TV has an active-shutter 3D mode with two pairs of glasses supplied as standard. And with onboard Wi-Fi, this Smart TV offers access to all the services in Sharp's Aquos portal (YouTube, VOD, web browser, etc.).

A built-in media player and DLNA support means you can play videos, music and view photos directly over a network (PC, NAS and other compatible peripherals) or by connecting a flash drive or external hard drive to one of the USB ports.

Unfortunately for us, this TV is currently only slated for release in the USA, with a recommended retail price of no less than $11,000!

> HD TV Reviews (32" and Above)