New Products

Like so many other things in this upside-down world, CES 2021 is a casualty of the pandemic. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) decided months ago to transition from the usual mega gathering in Las Vegas to an all-digital virtual experience. The show must go on — just not in person this time around. So instead of walking an expansive show floor and visiting company booths to check out new wares firsthand, the staff of Sound & Vision will be logging onto the official CES portal to seek out news and information relevant to our readers. (Sorry, the portal is available only to media and members of the trade who have registered for the show.) Though the virtual show officially goes live on Monday (January 11), A/V-related news is trickling in with high-tech TV leading the way.

Samsung plans a 2021 launch of TVs with contrast-enhancing Neo QLED backlighting technology and its first consumer-installable MicroLED displays, giving video enthusiasts more options to enjoy cinema-like bigscreen entertainment at home.

The Virtual CES 2021 TV news is starting to roll in. First up, LG, which has announced it will release a series of “QNED” Mini-LED TVs as its 2021 LCD TV lineup’s flagship offering. There will be 10 new 4K and 8K Mini-LED models in all, with screen sizes up to 86 inches.

Samsung has announced that a 110-inch version of its MicroLED TV will be available globally starting in Q1 2021. According to the company, the prefabricated sets combine surface mount technology with new production techniques borrowed from its semiconductor division that make MicroLED TVs easier to manufacture in a range of screen sizes. Samsung’s announcement indicates that it plans to offer similar displays with smaller screen sizes in the future.

France’s Focal, maker of speakers ranging from affordable home theater models to high-end exotica, has introduced an updated version of its Aria 936 floorstander, the Aria K2 936.

Winter is coming, and it looks like many of us will be spending even more time at home than usual during the approaching cold-weather months. If that prospect causes you to shiver, here’s happy news: Epson has expanded its 3LCD Home Cinema projector with four new 1080p models, all selling for less than $1,000. With prices like that, setting up a high-def home theater has become an eminently affordable prospect.

Epson has added a trio of projectors to its lifestyle-oriented EpiqVision 3LCD projector lineup. The new ultra short throw and streaming-friendly models join the company’s EpiqVision Ultra LS500, which became available in September.