(Credit: Gizoo)

From the moment I first got my driver’s license, my parents were always willing to hand over their car keys. At some point I asked my mother why they were so laid back, when my other friends had to beg their parents just to drive the family …

Pavlov would have been proud.

You’ve got your head down, diligently working on a big project (or schooling one of your Facebook pals on a word game). The world around you is a blur; you’re in your own world. And then, the clock strikes 1, and you instinctively …

Two of Electronic Arts’ most popular sports franchises are Madden and NCAA Footballl; however, the Madden franchise has licensed permission from the NFL to use player names and likeness, whereas the NCAA prohibits this.

(Credit: EA)

For anyone that wants to make the game experience as true to real …

(Credit: Amazon.com)

Sony’s Wireless Keypad for the PS3–which was announced at the Leipzig Games Convention–is now available for preorder on Amazon for $49.99. That seems to be the only change, though, as the release date is still slated for November 30.

OK, so the wait still exists

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This monoscope pattern can help measure motion resolution, but the results can be a bit too blurry to pin down.

(Credit: CNET)

In the course of testing for HDTV reviews here at CNET, I always compare displays directly against one another side-by-side using both normal program material–typically Blu-ray movies, HDTV, and standard-definition material–and test patterns from special discs. I’m always on the lookout for new test patterns, so earlier this summer when I spoke with another TV reviewer, Gary Merson of hdguru.com, about his tests for motion resolution, he was kind enough to pass along a Blu-ray Disc called “FPD Benchmark Software for Professional.” It contains a variety of test patterns, most of which I’ve seen and used before, with one notable exception. A suite of patterns and program material is devoted to testing and demonstrating motion resolution, and I’m considering incorporating it into CNET’s regular HDTV tests….

Sharp’s LC-D85U series of LCDs feature a 120Hz refresh rate and a variable backlight to help save energy.

(Credit: Sharp)

Today at CEDIA, Sharp announced two new lines of flat-panel LCD HDTVs, one with a special energy-saver function and another with the company’s first iteration of true 120Hz processing. Full details are available after the jump….

The new KDL-52XBR7 will be the first HDTV with a 240Hz refresh rate.

(Credit: Sony)

Catering to those sensitive souls for whom the smoothness imparted by 120Hz LCD HDTVs is still too rough, Sony will introduce the first HDTV with a 240Hz refresh rate this December. Dubbed the KDL-52XBR7 (price TBD), this 52-inch model is the only one in the XBR7 series to boast the faster refresh rate.

According to Sony’s press release, the main advantage of 240Hz compared with 120Hz is the “exceptional motion detail in movies, sports, and video games.” Whereas standard 120Hz TVs in Sony’s lineup interpolate an extra frame between the real frames, the 240Hz model interpolates three.

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The new VPL-VW70 boasts a better contrast ratio than its predecessor.

(Credit: Sony)

Sony has stopped producing SXRD-based rear-projection HDTVs, but its lineup of front projectors using the company’s proprietary projection technology has just been expanded.

The more-expensive of the two SXRD models introduced today at CEDIA is the

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The KDL-40ZX1M measures just 9.9mm thick.

(Credit: Sony)

At CES last January we told you “thin is in” in reference to flat-panel HDTVs this year, and Sony, despite neglecting to announce its own thin LCD back then, is never one to be left behind an emerging trend. Now the company jumps on board with what appears to be the thinnest flat-panel display yet, excepting the company’s own OLED-based XEL-1.

The newly-announced 40-inch KDL-40ZX1M (price TBD, December) will boast a panel that measures just 9.9mm deep, which translates to about 0.39 inches in the good old U-S of A. There’s no word on how deep the TV is with the base included….

(Credit: CNET)

Q: I am very interested in a TV’s power performance, and would like to double check something I found on the site. I saw that on the specs page for the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U plasma, you guys had that the power consumption is 692 watts. Whereas on your 104 HDTVs’ power consumption compared chart, the same television is listed as using only 191.22 watts, and is said to be a “good performer.” Can you help me out and let me know which one is the correct one or why they are 400 watts different? — Joe, via email

A:The short answer is pretty simple, Joe: the 692-watt spec cited on CNET, according to that TV’s user manual, corresponds to the maximum power consumption, whereas the 191-watt result of our testing reflects a real-world usage scenario. The long answer is a bit more complex, especially for Panasonic plasmas….