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[Image via Oddity Central]

Though that's still far slower than the refresh rate of normal 2D television sets, the researchers said that speeding the frame rate up would be a piece of cake compared to the first breakthrough. They were so confident, they even gave a time peg—five to ten years before the technology would reach the market. That's right, folks! Five to ten years before every wannabe-Luke Skywalker in the world will get to endlessly loop that integral Star Wars scene.

Gotta love Anderson's tone when mentioning his "friends at Gizmodo." We love you too, dude—if there's anything else we can do to help drive your news cycle, you know where to find us! Toobin, thankfully, handles it like a champ and is now our new favorite television legal analyst.

The mirror isn't a mirror at all but a huge touch-based LCD equipped with cameras, so you can touch icons of clothes and see an animation of how you would look without having to try them on. This is the first step towards robopocalypse, if you ask me, but the models in their pristine all-white apartment don't look too scared.

In the arms race to squeeze more pundits with more laptops into a single stage, CNN has always held the lead. They're for keeping an up-to-the-second finger on the blogosphere's pulse, receiving sordid tips from 21st-century Deep Throats, yes? Tell that to CNN's legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin—what you up to on that screen there, Jeff?

Yeah, just watchin' a little pitch-by-pitch playoff baseball. Despite being from NYC, looks like Toobin had to keep watch of the Cubs action last night as they continued their epic choke, dropping to 0-2 against the Dodgers at home. But I can't say I blame him—being part of CNN's pundit brigade is probably doable while half in the bag on 45 minutes of sleep. Just ask James Carville. [Thanks Mark for the pic! And Nihal and Alex too]

As you can see, there's also separate viewer profiles, presumably so you won't be bombarded with content from your kid's Hannah Montana obsession. The movies and Amazon Unbox section is cleaned up and presented grid-style, so it's much easier to navigate as well. No indication on when we might see this roll out, but since it's just focus testing, it's possible we never will. Still, we know that TiVo's at least looking at refreshing their UI to keep up with the times. [Infinite Abyss - Thanks Dave!]

Apple TV last saw a major software change in January, but it's been untouched hardware-wise since May 2007, when it got a 160GB model. In this crazy new video streaming world, it's about time for a kick in the pants, but there's nothing else indicating that it's coming this Tuesday. [TUAW]

If Netflix keeps this up and adds more shows that will be available the day after they air, there will be even fewer reasons to keep paying ungodly sums of money to Comcast or Time Warner for cable TV. Instead, you'll be able to fire up your Roku or Xbox 360 to watch whatever shows you want. What you're looking at is the future of television, my friends: delivered on demand over the internet to a number of different devices. These are just the clunky first steps, but its inevitable, and it's awesome.

Keep it up, Netflix. We're rooting for you. [WSJ via All Things D]

1. What was the call signal for the first broadcast television station
in the United States? (W3XK)

2. Television was first broadcast in the 30-300 MHz range, as well as
the 300-3,000 MHz range. What are the common names for these
frequencies? (VHF and UHF - Very High Freq and Ultra High Freq)

3. What year did color TV sales overcome black and white TV sales?
(1972)

4. In January 2007, Sharp unveiled the largest LCD
television at the time. How big was it?
(108')

5. WABC, the call sign for ABC's flagship station, was briefly owned
by another national broadcaster until 1946. Which broadcaster owned
that call sign? (CBS)

6. What is the longest continuous running TV series in the world?
(Meet the Press)

7. In 1884, the first patent for a television device was registered.
Who registered it, and where was he from? (Paul Nippkow, Germany)

8. Name the group of universities and companies created in 1993 to
spearhead the American HDTV specifications (Grand Alliance)

9. Who published the work "Liquid Crystals" in 1904 and is considered
the father of LCD technology? (Otto Lehmann)

10. What year did LCD TV sales surpass CRT TV sales? (2007)

11. Which company introduced the first wall mounted LCD TV? (Sharp)

To inspire developers, Sony's holding a competition for the best application. For your troubles, you could win either a Bravia 40-inch LCD TV, a Vaio TypeC laptop, or a Blu-Ray player, a Cybershot DSC-T77 or one of their new Walkman music players. Just get your app in before January 8th, 2009. [Sony Insider]

SAN DIEGO, September 9, 2008 – Sony today announced that Amazon Video On Demand is now available live through the Sony® BRAVIA® Internet Video Link, offering tens of thousands of premium movies and TV shows.
Amazon Video On Demand offers immediate access to premium, commercial-free movies and television shows purchased or rented by users who stream them directly to compatible Sony BRAVIA televisions equipped with the optional BRAVIA Internet Video Link through an in-home broadband service.
Sony also announced that streaming high-definition content is now available on the service from Dailymotion and other providers at no additional cost.
“Consumers want immediate access to premium on-demand movies and top TV shows in their living room and the BRAVIA Internet Video Link service now offers one of the largest on-demand streaming libraries available,” said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division in the U.S. “From high-quality, full HD movies on Blu-ray Disc™ players, to the immediate satisfaction of streaming feature-length videos directly to BRAVIA TVs over the Internet, we are in a position to deliver entertainment for any consumer taste.”
Amazon Video On Demand and Dailymotion channels add to existing BRAVIA Internet Video Link lineup, which already includes YouTube; CBS, Yahoo!; Sports Illustrated; blip.tv; CondéNet’s Style.com, Men.Style.com, Epicurious, Wired.com and Concierge.com channels; Sony Pictures’ Crackle, The Minisode Network, Timeless TV and Inside Sony Pictures channels; FEARnet; Ford Models; SingingFool; and VideoDetective.
Once a BRAVIA Internet Video Link is registered with an Amazon.com account, customers can purchase or rent programming directly from their TV or online at Amazon’s web site and begin watching the streaming content immediately on their BRAVIA television.
When a title is ordered, it is automatically added to consumers’ Amazon Video On Demand “Your Video Library,” providing easy access to purchased and rented content. A backup version can also be found in the library, which is accessible from the Sony BRAVIA Internet Video Link device user interface or on Amazon.com.
New to the BRAVIA Internet Link lineup, Dailymotion offers HD and standard definition content including videos from across Dailymotion’s most popular channels and categories such as comedy, extreme sports, news, music and independent film.
BRAVIA Internet Video Link users now also have access to select high-definition content from various existing channels including FEARnet, VideoDetective, Blip.tv and Sony Pictures Entertainment. High-definition content found on these channels, as well as Dailymotion, is free of additional charge.
Sony’s BRAVIA Internet Video Link module is currently available for about $300. It can be purchased online at sonystyle.com and Amazon.com, as well as at Sony Style stores and authorized retailers across the country. The module, used with a consumer’s existing broadband Internet connection, is compatible with the majority of Sony’s line of 2007 and 2008 BRAVIA televisions.

[Sony.com]

Yeah, that's pretty black. Besides the deep colors, the sets will feature digital TV tuners, an advanced direct color filter, four HDMI inputs, four audio inputs, three D4 inputs, three video inputs, three S2 and one RGB video input. The 60-inch KRP-600A will cost about $8,830 and the 50-inch KRP-500A can be had for roughly $6,310. [Akihabara News]

Here are your questions:

1. What was the call signal for the first broadcast television station in the United States?

2. Television was first broadcast in the 30-300 MHz range, as well as the 300-3,000 MHz range. What are the common names for these frequencies?

3. What year did color TV sales overcome black and white TV sales?

4. In January 2007, Sharp unveiled the largest LCD television at the time. How big was it?

5. WABC, the call sign for ABC's flagship station, was briefly owned by another national broadcaster until 1946. Which broadcaster owned that call sign?

6. What is the longest continuous running TV series in the world?

7. In 1884, the first patent for a television device was registered. Who registered it, and where was he from?

8. Name the group of universities and companies created in 1993 to spearhead the American HDTV specifications.

9. Who published the work "Liquid Crystals" in 1904 and is considered the father of LCD technology?

10. What year did LCD TV sales surpass CRT TV sales?

11. Which company introduced the first wall mounted LCD TV?

Once you have completed the quiz, send it (all in one email) to contests@gizmodo.com with the subject "Aquos TV Contest." Again, a Sharp 37" Aquos TV will be awarded to a randomly selected contestant with the most correct answers. Deadline for entries is September 12th. Good luck!

Sponsored by Sharp AQUOS. Change your TV. Change your Life.

Though the first buyers will likely be rich dudes, the movie business is also going to be interested in it as a monitor, since it can handle 120% of the HDTV color gamut, enough to maybe get a good looking movie on a TV for one damn time. And let's not forget that Pioneer has shut down its own panel production lines and plans to go with Panasonic's. I asked if Pioneer would get a shot at the sweet new one—though there wasn't a straight answer, the sense I got was "probably not, at least not at first." Go Panasonic, kicking some TV ass!

This beast offers 150 hours of HD recording, plus it's THX certified; it's always been a technicality, since the HD doesn't have it but had the same AV quality as the TiVo Series 3. The XL also has the same dual-tuner HD recording as the previous models, plus all the same expanded non-TV features: photos, YouTube, Amazon Unbox, Rhapsody and Music Choice, the music video service. The only downside to all this increased storage is that the box costs $600, the same price as the TiVo Series 3 after the first price cut; but it does come with a Series 3 backlit remote.

The Install: Super easy. Comcast was great about getting a guy down to our house that was experienced with CableCARD installs, and the installer (who shall remain nameless) did an excellent job getting the card in and active. It's pretty much exactly the same as the TiVo HD in terms of the install, and provided your local cable provider has them, one M-Card is enough to get both tuners working. Otherwise you'll need two standard ones. Great job to both Comcast on TiVo on this part.

The Experience: For those of you who are familiar with TiVo, the XL is the same user experience you're familiar with in previous HD models. Not much UI change here except for the fact that you're going to be scrolling through a lot more shows saved up on your big drive.

The Verdict: Very good. We extend our recommendation of the TiVo HD easily to the beefier TiVo HD XL, which despite the 2x price point, still offers a great DVR experience for the money.

The Recommendation: If you had to pick between the TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL, what would we recommend? It depends on your watching habits. If you can make do with only having 20 hours of HD sitting on your machine at once, because you clear out shows shortly after watching or you just don't have all that many shows to record, the regular HD is fine. If you're like Brian Lam and hoard shows like they were being cancelled the next week, or like Mark Wilson, who records and saves every show with the word "dance" or "dancing" in the title (he claims it's for his wife), we'd recommend the XL.

On the other hand, you could also get a TiVo HD and expand the storage by purchasing a compatible external eSATA drive and just plugging it in, which increases the storage by 65 HD hours with a 500GB drive. See more details here. The plug-and-play eSATA port only supports up to 500GB, but you can hack it to support up to 1TB if you really wanted to. Or, if even the TiVo HD XL isn't enough, you can shove another 65-hour drive on there. [TiVo Store]

Other Kevin Rose predictions such as a "trippy" visualization with "planet like objects" and downloadable TV shows in HD haven't been confirmed, nor have previous rumors of an iTunes subscription service. But that differently-shaped iPod nano seems to be a lock. [MacRumors]

The TV was shown at IFA recently, where it garnered a good chunk of interest.

And its price? Allegedly $130,000. One hundred and thirty thousand smackeroos. That's almost as much as the 150-inch Panasonic plasma TV, and this one is, what, 37-inches? And that's absolutely stark, raving bonkers. [Aving via Luxury Launches]

While the slick Sony ZX1 is only 9.9mm, it also has a box in the middle and has to be set up on a stand because of that. The Samsung Ultraslim LCD TV All-In-One 1 doesn't, extending the circuitry across its back and tapering the glossy back cover toward the edges, in a very smooth curve. This is a design choice similar to the iPhone 3G and the MacBook Air (and before the anti-Apple fanboys protest, here's a little tale: four days ago I asked one of the chief designers at Philips about Apple's industrial design. "Do you think they are a big influence in consumer products?" I said. Smiling, he spent five minutes talking about the undeniable influence of the work of Ive and Co. in most of the stuff currently out there).

The Good: Amazing, beautiful design. It's as beautiful and simple on the front as it is on the back. In fact, so nice on the back that, even while it's perfect to be hung on the wall, I would like for it to be standing in the middle of a room. The picture quality doesn't go far behind. Crisp image quality and very smooth motion, with an even distribution of light.

The Bad: You will have to wait until next year to get one.

Bottom line: The race toward the slimmest TVs continues, and I think Samsung has the winner so far. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]

The Good: First, the fact that its back is completely flat, so it can be hung flush on a wall, like a painting. Second, that it includes a single cable to connect to your base unit, which is a nice 13.1-foot long, good enough to make an "no-cables-hanging" installation. And third, that the included 2 x 15W sound bar can be easily detached from the unit, just in case you want to use your own home theater system (like you should).

The Bad: It still requires you to prepare your wall for installation.

Bottom Line: great image quality, three HDMI 1.3a+ connections, DLNA-enabled, all wrapped into a good design. We don't know if it's going to reach the US yet, but if it does, it's seems like a good one for those who want an almost invisible TV hanging on their wall. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]

The company has also just announced the BD-HP21H Blu-ray player and D65 "premium" televisions—also both for Europe. For more info on those models, here's the full release:

XS1 AQUOS Series – Ultra large, ultra slim LCD TV
Exploiting the latest in LCD technology, the new flagship series of LCDs produced by Sharp, the XS1 series, have transcended the boundaries of the modern TV. With the world’s slimmest TV body at just 2.3 cms and available in 52” and 65”, these TVs make a bold statement. Despite this, because they are so skinny, they are very light and can even be mounted on the wall.

With the technology to complement their stunning appearance, the XS1 series come equipped with a 6ms response time and an advanced contrast ratio of 10,000:1, images are crystal clear and watching anything becomes a pleasure. With a slim, detachable speaker system and five 2.1 channel speakers, sound is reproduced with complete accuracy. The XS1 is also fitted with a gallery mode, which enables images from a USB stick to be displayed in Full-HD, either as a slideshow or as an interior centrepiece.

Incorporating 100-hertz picture enhancement technology and offering Full-HD resolution of 1,920 x1,080p, the XS1 series are the next stage in LCD TV evolution.

D65E AQUOS Series – Sharp’s new premium range
This premium quality series, in Sharp’s signature slim-line, piano black finish, boasts a design packed with functionality and elegance. With a dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000:1 and a brightness of 450 cd/m2, the image clarity of this series is superb. This, combined with the built-in DVB terrestrial tuner, means that when combined with high-definition signals in 1080p format, the picture quality is phenomenal.

The D65 series also comes with High-Fidelity sound and a 10w audio output to ensure the sound quality is as crystal-clear as the on-screen image. With an environmentally conscious design which includes low-power standby and an energy-save feature to reduce power consumption, the D65 series is designed to increase the enjoyment of TV watching for the style-conscious homeowner. The 65 AQUOS series will be available in 32”, 37”, 46” and 52” models.

BD-HP21H Blu-ray player – Sharp’s first cinema-quality Blu-ray player
Whereas many Blu-ray players on market cannot release the full potential of Blu-ray discs, Sharp’s new BD-HP21H is able to produce colourful, detailed and vibrant colour. Combined with the 24-hertz frame rate – the same rate used for cinema content, any on-screen motion is rendered as smoothly and naturally as would be expected on the big screen. Designed with a 1.1 profile and with Bonusview functionality, the BD-HP21H offers users the opportunity to take advantage of picture-in-picture and simultaneous play functions to offer a more interactive viewing experience. The BD-HP21H also has a Quick-start mode designed to reduce power consumption and a Jpeg playback feature so pictures can be viewed in High-Definition quality.

Compatible with the latest High-Definition formats, and developed to incorporate Sharp’s signature black finish and slim profile, The BD-HP21H is a beautiful match for any of the new range of AQUOS LCD TVs.

The good: they managed to get to this thickness thanks to a new LED lighting technology that is not behind the actual LCD, but on the four corners. Using some optical device, the powerful light from the corners gets distributed evenly through the whole screen. I couldn't appreciate any uneven lighting.

The bad: probably the price. On first hands on, however, I have no complaints. This feels like a true object of desire with anyone with the pockets to buy it.

Bottom line: Sony's really got a winner here, even while I imagine the price would be as out of this world as the TV itself. While last year we saw some comparable ultra-thin prototypes from the likes of Sharp, those are not going to be available until 2010. The thing that sets the Sony ZX1 is the fact that it's a real product that anyone with a big badass credit card could buy.

Update: According to IT Wire, the price of the Sony KDL-40ZX1 would be $4,500.

Obviously, that means you could easily tuck it into a groove or run it right along a wall without creating an eyesore. Plus, you don't have to worry about the hassle of tearing up your walls. The only problem is that sending your high definition video, audio, and control signals simultaneously over one of these "transparent" cables is going to set you back a hefty $600 for the FO2800 TV kit and $800 for the FO2850 PC kit. [OWLink via Electronic House]

"No motors, no noise and no moving parts to wear out," just computer-designed "electronic memories"... fabulous, especially since I remember hunkering down before our old TV to swirl the dial. My Dad used to get me to change the channels, as a kind of intelligent remote control. Nowadays my cat brushes past the touch-controls on my flat-screen LCD TV and does that job for me. [Paleofuture via Boing Boing Gadgets]

* If the repetition of the word "cunt" didn't give it away, this video has an NSFW audio track. [via bbGadgets]

The Best TV Service Just Got Even Better - Special Promotion Makes Signing Up for FiOS TV Even Sweeter

Cable Can't Compete With Ultimate Home-Entertainment Experience From
Verizon; Promotion Offers Free High-Def Digital Video Recorder for 12
Months and Free Month of HBO/Cinemax for New FiOS TV Customers

NEW YORK, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ — As TV lovers look forward to the
start of the new fall programming season, Verizon is making it easier to
enjoy the ultimate home-entertainment experience — with a new promotional
savings offer for FiOS TV.

New customers who subscribe to FiOS TV between now and Oct. 4 will
receive their choice of a year's free use of either a high-definition (HD)
digital video recorder (DVR) or an HD Home Media DVR. Verizon is also
offering new FiOS TV customers, or existing customers who upgrade to a
bundled package, one free month of HBO and Cinemax, which includes the
latest hit movies, documentaries and original programming from more than 25
premium channels and access to hundreds of titles on video-on-demand (VOD).
New customers who take advantage of this offer will save between $200 and
$260 the first year, depending upon the DVR customers choose.

"High-def is hot, and FiOS TV is delivered over the network that's
built for HD," said Shawn Strickland, vice president of video solutions for
Verizon. "Our new offer combines the excitement of premium movies with the
convenience and advanced technology of our high-def DVRs. It's a great time
for people to experience HD the way it's meant to be seen, with the
sharpness and clarity of FiOS TV."

With Verizon's unique Home Media DVR, customers can use one DVR to
record programming that can then be watched on up to six other TV sets in
the home. This includes viewing up to three separately recorded programs
simultaneously on different TV sets, and the ability to pause recorded
programming on one set and then continue watching it on another. FiOS TV's
Home Media DVR is bundled with Media Manager, a feature that allows
customers to access photos and music from their personal computers and play
them on their TV or home theater system.

According to Greg Ireland, consumer video research manager for the
industry analyst firm IDC, this new promotional offer is unusual and
impressive because it focuses on features that can positively transform the
viewer experience — and in the case of Home Media DVR, it offers a unique
service that none of the major cable TV providers can deliver to their
customers system-wide.

"What makes this promotion compelling is the fact that it focuses on an
increasingly popular feature, the DVR, in a way that will appeal to both
late- and early-adopters of DVRs," said Ireland. "With this offer,
consumers who have always wanted a DVR can get one for free for 12 months
by moving to FiOS TV. And those that already use a DVR can extend that
experience throughout their home at no charge for 12 months by signing up
for FiOS TV and its Home Media DVR service. This is a good example of how a
service provider can leverage its technological advantages to attract new
business."

In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon offers FiOS Internet service over its
advanced network, with connection speeds as high as up to 50 Megabits per
second (Mbps) downstream and 20 Mbps upstream.

"FiOS is the fastest Internet, period," said Strickland. "When you
combine our superior voice, video and broadband — all delivered on our
advanced network — with unbeatable packages, it's clear that cable just
can't compete."

Verizon's FiOS TV service is delivered over the nation's largest
all-fiber network, straight to customers' homes and businesses, and
features pure digital HD quality and sound as well as an expanding HD
channel lineup, interactive features, diverse content and more. FiOS TV is
currently available to more than 7 million homes in 13 states, and offers
more than 400 all-digital channels, a robust interactive media guide and
other advanced features. Customers also have access to the largest VOD
library, with more than 11,000 titles per month, 70 percent of which are
free. The VOD library includes an increasing number of HD titles, with
plans for 1,000 HD VOD titles per month by the end of the year. For more
information on FiOS TV, visit http://www.verizon.com/fiostv. Consumers can also
call their local Verizon sales office or 888-438-3467.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a
leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless
communication innovations to mass market, business, government and
wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable
wireless network, serving nearly 69 million customers nationwide. Verizon's
Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and
seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon
Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications,
information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced
fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce
of more than 228,600 and last year generated consolidated operating
revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.