CES: 10 New Reasons To Want A Flat Panel HDTV

CRN spent hours walking through the vendors' exhibits and being bathed by the colorful glow of some of the most awe-inspiring displays on the planet. Just don't blame us if these scenes make you drain the bank account on a new plasma or LCD HDTV.

For instance, Samsung had one of the largest and most visually arresting displays at CES, and it was nearly impossible for passersby to do anything but gape in wonder at their DLP high definition TVs.

Sharp's AQUOS line of LCD HDTVs also attracted crowds, and the vendor also announced AQUOS Net, a system for connecting TVs to the Internet through the set's built-in Ethernet port to access information and obtain remote customer service support.

Sony's blue-lit booth looked like a Vegas nightclub, and showed off its new OLED TVs, which feature a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and are just 3 mm thick.

Samsung bills its new 82" quad full high definition (QFHD) LCD TV as the world's largest, and this puppy caused a near-constant human traffic jam at Samsung's booth.

Not to be outdone, Panasonic unveiled a monster 150" high definition plasma TV that had conference attendees shaking their heads in awe. Panasonic also spotlighted other advances in its HD technology that will soon hit the market, including super-thin plasma TVs and wall-sized touch screen displays.

Toshiba had a busy CES, introducing 20 new LCD TV models, including this sleek 52" inch model, part of its 1080p Regza line.

Texas Instruments had a large presence on the show and its display area was swarming with people for most of the show. The chipmaker's DLP display technology, which is currently shipping in Mitsubishi and Samsung televisions, was one of the more impressive technologies at CES. It's the mirrors, y'all.

LG took the wraps off 8 new LCD HDTVs, including this tantalizing 52" 1080p model, which includes a new, invisible speaker system developed by renowned audio expert Mark Levinson.

Audio expert Mark Levinson also helped LG design this model living room. While the interior is done in a minimalist style, the audio and video performance is anything but.

China-based vendor Hisense, which won the "Most Innovative Brand" award at CES, showed off its line of LCD HDTVs.