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Mitsubishi takes a different approach to TV audio.

Many attribute the emergence of the sound bar as a surround sound alternative to the popularity of flat-panel TVs, as consumers clamored for sleek audio packages to suit their sleek new TVs.

Given that the two genres are intricately linked, it’s surprising that we’re just now seeing the first instance of a high-end TV manufacturer incorporating a five-in-one sound bar into a TV. The manufacturer is Mitsubishi, and the TV is the new 52-inch, 1080p LT-52149.

Flatness

The LT-46SL89 is a lot better looking in person than in pictures.

Surprisingly so.

In pictures it has a boxy look that can't hold a candle to the Hitachi 1.5-inch LCD. But while it doesn't have the Hitachi's swoopiness, it has an elegance all its own.

Flatter Than Flat

How much does a TV’s aesthetic affect your buying decision? Consumers have proclaimed their preference for flat-panel TVs over bulkier designs, but just how flat does the panel need to be?

Hitachi’s UltraThin 1.5 Series of LCDs measure just (surprise, surprise) 1.5 inches deep.

Does its performance earn its step up in price, or is the UT37X902’s beauty only skin deep?

When you turn off your flat-panel TV, it becomes a black hole in the wall. Here’s how to hide it away when you’re not watching.

My friend Steve just bought a large flat-panel TV and mounted it to the wall. He assumed his wife would love the sleek look, but she’s not happy with the way the TV becomes a “piece of black glass that’s just hanging there” when it’s not in use. It seems like she wishes the TV would just go away when they’re not watching it. Luckily for Steve, it doesn’t take any magic at all to make that happen.

Touch of Red, Touch of Black

I have always questioned the dichromatic pallet of nearly all consumer electronics. When I voice this question, I am always told that consumers only want black or silver products. Personally, I don't get it. But I'm also certainly not one to ask about style. So when Samsung previewed their "Touch of Color" idea, seemed like a perfect compromise.

More screen, less cabinet

Proving that less is often more, Toshiba’s latest top line Cinema Regza LCD HDTV series features a dramatically thinner bezel than earlier offerings, trimmed down to just under an inch. Compared to last year’s model, the 46XF550U is dramatically smaller, with a much shorter overall cabinet height, and similarly trimmed width – which should allow the set to fit into a wide range of home entertainment cabinetry that would have only allowed a comparably-sized 42” model, for example.

Americans seem to feel they have an inalienable right not merely to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but also to watch TV wherever they want to. The problem is, many environments that are hospitable to the human body aren't so kind to TV sets. The spray of warm water that feels so good to us might destroy a TV—unless that TV comes from Aquatic AV.