Orange County Register

 A 240 Hertz TV? Toshiba says it’s possible with software. As higher-end TVs moved from the standard 60 Hertz to 120 Hertz last year, videophiles who demanded absolutely no blur during fast-moving video made the switch.

Translation: Less blur for fast-moving video, like sports and video games. Most TV viewers have 60 Hertz TVs, so viewers typically see 60 frames of video per second. While that’s pretty fast, the split second where the frame updates the image could cause a blur. Hence, 120 Hertz, or double the images in 60 seconds. The 120 hertz is becoming more prevelant in higher-end TVs today.

While it would take a finely tuned eye to see any blur at 120 Hertz, there, apparently, is some, causing Tosbhia to introduce “ClearScan 240.” 

Now ClearScan 240, said Scott Ramirez, Toshiba’s vice president of marketing for the TV group, isn’t really 240 frames of video per second. Rather, using backlight scanning “you perceive two frames for every one,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Since it’s not technically 240 hertz, Toshiba calls it “the 240 Herz effect.”

(Note: After Toshiba’s announcment, I stopped by press conferences for Samsung and Panasonic. Both, too, say they are or will offer TVs with a 240 Hertz refresh rate. I will have to explore this later.)

The thing is, Toshiba didn’t demonstrate this new technology during the press conference. The media was invited to visit the company’s booth when CES officially opens the exhibit hall tomorrow at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The new REGZA ZV series, which includes ClearScan, does seem worth checking out. Besides the “240 effect,” the new TV series also has Dolby Volume to provide a consistant sound between commercials and shows, plus a USB port and SD card slot to view photos or listen to music on the TV. 

The ZV 650 series of TVs — in 42, 47 and 52 inches — will be launched in April 2009. No price was disclosed. Some more images:

Toshiba 47-inch ZV650 frame (i.e.: bezel)

Toshiba 47-inch ZV650

More CES 2009 coverage: 

• Wireless TVs without the lag
• Powermat: Charging up without cables — or electricity!
• What we all need: A Minoru (3D webcam)
• How green can Fuji’s EnvironMax batteries be?
• Meade’s no muss, no fuss automated telescope
• CES gadgets: D-Link’s nifty photo router, USB monitor
• A smaller, cheaper CES: Will it be better?

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