Samsung introduced a bunch of new TVs at its press conference, but they were turned off before I could get some photos, so I'll have to wait until I can shoot them in the booth to tell you about them. Meanwhile, I can say that Samsung is bullish on 3D, partnering with DreamWorks and Technicolor to get content to consumers as quickly as possible. DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, shown here on the right with Tim Baxter, president of the Consumer Electronics Division of Samsung Electronics America, made a guest appearance to talk about the importance of 3D and deliver a copy of the world's first 3D Blu-ray, <I>Monsters vs. Aliens</I>, to Baxter.

Just as Samsung started shipping its long-anticipated BD-UP5000 combo Blu-ray/HD DVD player, the company announced that the product will be discontinued as of May or June of this year, stressing that this time frame is subject to change. Retailers will be allowed to sell their existing inventory, but production will cease. A new model is scheduled to be released sometime in the second half of 2008, but no other details were revealed. Meanwhile, the company will continue to support the BD-UP5000 with firmware updates.

I just got back from Petaluma, California, where I was honored and privileged—not to mention greatly pleased—to fill in for Leo Laporte, hosting his nationally syndicated call-in radio show, The Tech Guy, while he was attending the Northern Lights photography festival in Norway. On Saturday, I was joined in the studio by David Vaughn, hardware and movie reviewer for HomeTheater.com and Home Theater magazine, and we spent a delightful three hours answering listener questions and conversing with the lively chat room during commercial and news breaks.