Displays specialist AOC today released the 2436Vw full-HD, 23.6 inch monitor to the North American markets. With a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the 2436Vw intends to deliver its goods at a low price point.

The panel has a response time of 5 ms, and a dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1. It has a maximum brightness of 300 cd/m2. On the connectivity front, it features D-Sub and DVI. Boasting of a EPEAT Gold rating, and backed by a three-year warranty, the 2436Vw sells for US $214.

NEC Display Solutions will be launching the first 23" screen with IPS technology in 16:9 format in autumn 2009. The MultiSync EA231WMi combines excellent image quality in high resolution (full HD) with low energy consumption and its wide screen format enhances productivity. Another innovation for NEC desktop displays is the DisplayPort interface for future-proof digital connectivity. Priced at a similar level as conventional 19" or wide 22" models it offers more display area to work with several applications at the same time. The monitor comes with TCO 5.0 certification and is therefore ideally suited for professional use.

With IPS technology the EA231WMi offers outstanding viewing angle and image stability which will be appreciated by all office users. Alongside its high-quality panel technology and award-winning design, the MultiSync EA231WMi also provides all the technical benefits of the EA series. These include integrated speakers, 110mm height adjustment and pivot as well as a USB hub. Additional environmental protection is achieved by an ambient light sensor for optimum screen brightness and energy usage at all times. The display features the latest Energy Star 5.0 and TCO 5.0 certification, with TCO 5.0 being one of the world's highest standards for ergonomics and environmental friendliness. This makes the EA231WMi the perfect office monitor from an ecological, economic and ergonomic point of view.

LaCie announced today its LaCinema Rugged multimedia hard drive is now available in High Definition - LaCinema Rugged HD. The LaCinema Rugged product range has the most compact, reliable, and mobile multimedia players on the market. Now, with enhanced HD capability, the LaCinema Rugged HD is the first multimedia player in its class, to allow users to store and play High Definition content - on any HDTV in Full-HD 1080p resolution.
The LaCinema Rugged HD comes with 500 GB of built-in storage capacity, allowing users to store and instantly watch their favorite television shows and movies, listen to music, and display photo slideshows with their family and friends. Compatible with any HDMI supported display, the LaCinema Rugged HD brings multimedia functionality to users while in the home or on-the-go.

Gateway announced two new widescreen LCD monitors in its ranks. The FHD2102 bmidgz is a 21.5 inch display, while the FHD2402 bmidgz is 24 inch. Both offer a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and brightness of 300 cd/m². While the FHD2102 offers access time of 5 ms and dynamic contrast ratio of 20000:1, the FHD2402 provides 2 ms of access time and 40000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Both monitors take input from DVI, D-Sub and HDMI. They are mounted with 2W stereo speakers. While the FHD2102 sells for $200, the FHD2402 is priced higher, at $270.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the adoption of the VIA Nano processor platform by Tongfong, one of China's leading notebook providers, for their new Tongfong S30A 13.3" thin and light notebook.

The Tongfong S30A includes the high performance yet power efficient 64-bit 1.3GHz+ VIA Nano U2250 processor coupled with the unified VIA VX800 MSP and discrete S3 Graphics Chrome 435 ULP graphics for an HD video proficient, DirectX 10.1 certified notebook. HD audio and an HDMI port ensure that Tongfong customers will be able to enjoy rich media content in its finest form.

HDMI Licensing, LLC, the agent responsible for licensing the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification, today announced the features that will be incorporated in the upcoming HDMI 1.4 specification. This latest version of the HDMI specification will, among other advancements, offer networking capabilities with Ethernet connectivity and will add an Audio Return Channel to enable upstream audio connections via the HDMI cable. The HDMI specification 1.4 will be available for download on the HDMI LLC website no later than June 30, 2009.

The ProLite E2407HDSV features 16:9 High Definition 1920 x 1080 native resolution, complimented with a 2 msec response rate and a 30,000:1 Advance Contrast Ratio. The E2407HDSV is targeted at gamers and those using multimedia applications. The monitor is available in both black and white casings.

The new LCD also has two 3W speakers, D-Sub, DVI and HDMI connectors, and is backed by a 3-year warranty. The recommended price tag for the ProLite E2407HDS / E2407HDS-B is around $313.

ASUS, a leading producer of home theater PC (HTPC) solutions, today added a new member to its HDAV family: the ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim sound card. The CES-award winning Xonar HDAV1.3 Series of audio cards has been credited for revolutionizing the world of HTPC by offering the world's first and only solution to bitstream true Blu-ray audio on the PC platform, and this new offering is no different.

ASUS today proved that TV quality and CPU bandwidth do not have to be trade-offs with the launch of its new ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC PCI-express Dual TV card. Designed for users seeking to watch and record both digital (ATSC/QAM) and analog (NTSC) TV channels simultaneously without taking a CPU hit, the ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC is embedded with a MPEG2 hardware encoder that dramatically reduces CPU loading while guaranteeing high quality video. With the ASUS My Cinema-EHD3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/MCE RC PCI-express Dual TV card, any PC can easily be turned into a smart multimedia center.

Apple today announced that iTunes customers can purchase and rent box office favorites including "Quantum of Solace" and "Twilight" in stunning HD on the iTunes Store. Starting today, movie fans can purchase box office blockbusters for download in HD for $19.99 from iTunes, and films will be available as iTunes Movie Rentals in HD for $4.99 within 30 days after release. Customers can enjoy these films in HD on their Mac or PC and on their widescreen TV with Apple TV, as well as in standard definition on their iPhone or iPod with video. The iTunes Store is the world's most popular online TV and movie store, with over 250 million TV episodes purchased and over 33 million movies purchased and rented.