Samsung introduced a new product category with Luxia, their line of feature packed, technology rich, design heavy LCDs. The Luxia 8000 is their priciest and fanciest model, sporting a redesigned Touch of Color design with a chrome colored prismatic edge. In addition to being thin, the TV's hug the wall with a redesigned mount that only takes up about a half inch of space. Blacks are especially good thanks to the energy saving LED backlight that completely shuts off the lights behind dark areas of the picture. It's a good trick and looks great.

Maybe the best thing about these TVs is the internet integration called Internet@TV. By partnering with Yahoo and using their widget service, Konfabulator, Internet content from virtually any site can wind up on screen in addition to their existing RSS support. It actually looks good on screen and the interface is fast. Everything can be controlled from the remote. Pandora and Netflix content can be streamed to the TV directly too. The 8000 and 7000 series have Wi-Fi and Ethernet, while the 6000 series only has Ethernet connectivity.

They're not the slimmest, biggest, cheapest, contrastiest or most revolutionary TVs at the show, but at 40" to 55" wide and 1" thick, they're in the sweet spot of what most people are actually looking to buy. Advertised somewhat misleadingly with dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, they are technically telling the truth. Really, what Luxia comes down to is refinement of technology and making it attractive to non techies. Everything the TVs do, they excel at.

Look for them in the second half of '09.