Same old same old, despite the screams of plasma fans, LCD sales are expected to reach higher than ever this year, as DisplaySearch has raised its estimate to 127 million units worldwide in 2009. Total TV sales are expected to drop, as well as those of plasmas, but even in the liquid crystal world all isn't pretty. As a result of the ongoing price war, even with higher sales manufacturers are raking in less cash, with revenue projected to be down as much as 6 percent. We doubt that will result in the long predicted LCD price spike, but we do have to wonder how much lower we'llssee sales go later this year around usual bargain hunting times like Black Friday, there may not be much room left.

Media Décor focuses on but one of many ways to cover up your unsightly HDTV habit, and the new Ecco line has moved downmarket from the 110-inch crowd to a more reasonable 42- and 50-inch size. One of the cheaper means available (other than just admitting you watch television, $free.99) at $1,495 and up, buyers can pick from one of 38 limited pieces of artwork to install in this battery operated frame and promises an install time of less than half an hour. Check it out in action and see if this is just what you've been waiting for.

So you didn't follow Gadling's travel tips, and end up stuck at some trade show for a week in well-appointed room with a stunning view of the...parking lot. Not that that's ever happened to us, but hopefully in the future we you will be in a hotel with a flat panel tuned to The Window Channel. Designed specifically for hotel operators, the idea is to give visitors a window to anywhere in the world, with five minute, single camera "locked down" clips from Maui, the Champs-Elysées and other locations slightly more glamorous than wherever you really are. Not sure if 1080i and 5.1 surround is worth calling ahead for? Check out TheWindowChannel.com for some lower-res preview clips and see if it doesn't bring you around.

Despite Samsung's solo expansion plans and Sony's alliance with Sharp, the two are not only maintaining their current 8th-generation LCD line, but may build another one, and a new plant after that. A source within Samsung told Reuters of the almost-final plans for a second 8G line from S-LCD, and the possibility that Samsung will cut Sony in on its 10th-generation facility, much like the one its already partnering with Sharp on. Like Sharp, Samsung likely wants to be sure someone will buy all those flat panels once the line is running, and Sony can make sure its got a cheap source to stay competitive on prices when competition will be even higher in 2010. The only thing we can be sure of is it will be nearly impossible to tell who really made that flat panel hanging on your wall, no matter what brand name it says.

Yeah, we're still scratchin' our noggins too, but even after we rubbed our eyes and adjusted the bifocals, it still looks as if the AP is reporting that Samsung will stop selling flat panel televisions and "other consumer products" in Japan. Hot on the heels of Hitachi pulling the plug on RPTVs on this side of the pond, Samsung is citing "poor profitability" as the reasoning behind its dramatic move, and it noted that LCD TVs, DVD players, DAPs and "other items" would no longer be sold to individuals in the Land of the Rising Sun. It was, however, stated that the outfit would continue selling flat screen computer monitors directly to businesses along with memory chips, LCDs and mobile phones to Softbank, but considering that last year less than one-percent of the firm's total sales in the country were made up of consumer electronics sales, we guess it's a little easier to wrap our head around the decision. Nevertheless, there's no reason for us to think that Sammy will be pulling back the reins in any other regions of the world, but it'll be quite strange in Tokyo with no signs of Sammy in the CE realm.

Flat panel TVs are suppose to be mounted flat to the wall. Sans any type of custom install however, a plasma or LCD is more than likely not going to sit right on the wall; instead hanging out a few inches off thanks to a big mounting bracket. OmniMount just introduced their new Ultra Low Profile Series that hangs the flat panel a mere 1.5-inch off the wall – plus, the TV can tilt 15 degrees. The ULPT-X is going to drop at $329 and can hold up the few 75-inch flat-screens currently on the market. The ULPT-L and ULPT-M carry a $279 and $199 MSRP, plus are designed for up to a 63-inch and 42-inch respectively. Thin is in and OmniMount went on a diet with these new mounts.

[Press release after the jump]

We're all about driving down prices, thus we're all about MicroDisplay's apparent plans to break the LCoS market wide open when it starts throwing down at CES. The Silicon Valley startup has hopes to deliver "50-inch plus" LCoS sets to "major big box retailers" under "major CE brand names" soon after unveiling its product line in just about a month. The firm is banking on the skyrocketing HD sales, not to mention the phasing out of CRT-based sets, to propel its single-chip sets atop the market. By developing self-proclaimed "unique and proprietary 1080p LCoS digital projection imaging devices," the company is aiming to mass produce a 50-inch model with a lightning quick response time for "under $1,500." Taking a note from Philips' single-chip motif, the sets would eventually range from 50- to 62-inches, with most sets hitting retails floors "around summer 2007."

Most of those new HDTVs that we've seen more or less look the same -- from the side and the back, that is. Each one comes with basically the same generic plastic case wrapped around ports that we generally don't mess around with more than we need to. But these new Hannspree sets are something else indeed. Each Hanspree Lounge model is wrapped in faux wood paneling, and its curves give you something to admire whilst you're grabbing that next beverage from the fridge during commercials. These new HDTVs will display at 1,366 x 768 and come in three sizes -- 26-inch, 32-inch, and 37-inch -- whose prices range from $1,200 to $1,900, respectively. The New York Times reports that the smaller model will be available this week, with the 32-incher rolling in by the middle of the month and the 37-incher dropping "in early November." Um, isn't that around now? Oh, and each comes with a memory card reader (no word on what type) too.

[Via The New York Times]

Not too surprising since it was LG.Philips who showed off a 100-inch LCD earlier this year, however Philips took time at IFA to pimp not only their upcoming Blu-ray player but also the updated -- hopefully slightly less dangerous -- Ambilight technology. Just as 1080p has turned into "Full HD", Ambilight on all four sides of the screen is now Full surround, while Ambilight on three sides is merely Ambilight Surround. They'll have TVs featuring both on display throughout the exhibition, including the winner of the recent European Imaging & Sound Association (EISA) High-End LCD TV of the Year. They'll wrap things up with a couple new additions to their line of Viiv PCs, including the MCP9480i with HDMI, Blu-ray playback & recording, and DVB-T capability.

The flat panel giant, A.K.A. Panasonic, has a bright outlook for the plasma and LCD market. So much so that they are planning on halting CRT production in the Taiwanese market with-in a few years. That market has already soon flat-panel love and Panasonic currently only produces seven flat panels to every three CRTs and as the price of said flat-panels drop, so will the sales of CRTs. Experts expect the shipments of CRTs to decrease by 200,000-300,000 units in '07 alone to this market of small tiny living spaces. Well, who doesn't want a flat panel besides chaps that can't afford 'em. Not many people would turn down purchasing a thin and sexy flat panel if it was the same price as the big 'ol CRT.

O.K. we have covered most of the top-tier LCD manufactures 2Q financial results so far, but here is a quick overview for all those that want to see them side-by-side. There is tons of more info found after the read link.

• Samsung - 14.11 trillion in revenues (KRW)- 1.51 trillion in profit
• LG - 5.796 trillion (KRW)- (10 billion loss)
• Philips - 7.601 billion (EUR) - 301 million in profit
• Sharp - 693 billion yen - 23.8 billion in profit
• Sony - 1.7442 trillion yen - 30.75 billion in profit
  

KRW - Koren won - 1 South Korean won = 0.00105038707 U.S. dollar
EUR - Euro - 1 Euro = 1.26300 U.S. dollar

If you're looking for a place to catch The Sopranos season finale on Sunday, let us make a suggestion. If you live in San Francisco, you may want to stop by SID (Society for Information Display) 2006, where LG will be publicly showing off their record setting 100-inch LCD HDTV.Or maybe you wouldn't want to...oh who are we kidding you know you would. If you were to accidentally make off with the massive 5ms refresh rate and 3000:1 contrast ratio monster, post up a pic or two in the flickr group of how you got it to fit in your living room.

Cheaper than LCDs and plasmas plus better picture quality in a 1-inch thick flat panel HDTV? That's what iFire has been promising for a while now and it may be one step closer to reality. Their parent company Westaim hopes to bring the thick-film dielectric electroluminescent technology (TDEL) screens to market in 2007 at a price point of less than $1000 for a 34-inch model. It involves no gases, liquids or vacuums and requires no backlighting. Instead the materials are layered directly onto the glass which they say provides better PQ and a wider viewing angle, with half the production cost of LCDs. Much like the fabled SEDs which we still haven't seen, we've been looking out for these since Engadget first mentioned them in 2004. If/when either technology debuts, it will be very interesting to see how it affects the existing high definition flat screen market.

To compete in todays flat panel television market, you gotta have size, and Syntax-Brillian has found a way around that. Today they announced they will be buying their LCD screens from LG.Philips in sizes from 20" to 47". This means S-B will be able to ensure they can get their Olevia branded televisions on store shelves, and LG Philips LCD knows there will always be someone to buy them, especially with the constant reminders that overcapacity is imminent.

This is one of many such partnerships, you'll need a scorecard (if you already don't) to keep track of who actually made the TV sitting in your living room.