Probably the most persistent complaint among home theater owners is the inevitability of mating a slim, smooth flat-panel TV with a room full of big, coffin-like speakers. Or having to suffer the consequences of tinny, undynamic sound pumped out of small, dull TV speakers. It’s a problem that many companies and designers have tried to solve with slimmer speakers, in-wall speakers, speaker artwork and all other forms of gear that have failed to produce a popular solution.

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You know that old battery-operated radio that you keep in your closet in case of a prolonged blackout, monumental storm, alien attack or other grid-cutting disaster? Toshiba now has a TV for that.

The company launched its Power PC1 Series [24- and 32-inch] of televisions today. The Power TVs are being offered in the countries of Southeast Asia, like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, where the grid is not as stable.

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If there’s one major point of contention about the current television market, it’s got to be that it’s so damn fragmented that you have to have a different box for every type of content out there–Blu-rays, DVRs, Internet TV boxes, etc. Hell, not that long ago, we still had to worry about HD DVDs. I was hoping that Google TV would provide the opportunity to streamline that system, but without major services like Hulu on board, it won’t quite make it there. Not yet anyway.

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Well, thanks to Sony Insider we finally have the long-awaited look at Google TV pricing–for the actual televisions, not just the $300 box. You’ve waited long enough; prices are $1299.99 for the 32-inch NSX-32GT1, $1499.99 for the 40-inch NSX-40GT1 and $1899.99 for the 46-inch NSX-46GT1. There will also be a 24-inch model, and while today’s leak didn’t include a price for that one, an educated guess would put it right around the $1,000 mark.

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We got word last week that Sony will be launching the first Google TV this month. Thanks to a special about Google TV on ABC’s Nightline, we now have a solid look at what will be controlling Sony’s TV.

The remote is a rectangular model with a Qwerty keypad complete with space bar and a circular controller on either side. It actually looks a little more like a video game controller than a typical remote, but it looks like it should bring the worlds of TV and Web together as cohesively as Google TV promises to. It’s also quite symmetrical with like buttons on either side.

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Two weeks ago, when launch reports about the Logitech Google TV box were scribed, I couldn’t help but pine for an announcement about actual Google TVs. I don’t need another stupid set-top box, but I am in the market for a new TV and would like to see what Google TVs are all about before buying. Well, I (and probably millions of others) have finally gotten that wish. Sony announced this week that it will be unveiling the first Google TV at an NYC event on October 12. Some leaks have revealed a little information about the new set.

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For the chronically overweight, the short trip from the living room couch to the refrigerator represents one of the last remaining forms of legitimate daily exercise. And now some designers have gone and thrown that right out the window.

This here is the Refrigerator 2 from R & R Associates, a cold box that integrates a 14.1-inch television right into your freezer door. The LCD television sports a resolution of 1280 x 760, works with either cable or satellite and is even Internet ready. It also has an FM radio and dual 2-watt speakers. Oh yeah–and it’s built into a refrigerator.

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Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer a clear line between my electronic devices. I don’t need to have all my Facebook and Twitter ‘friends’ in my living room when I’m trying to unwind and watch the terrible Lakers/Oklahoma game (WTF can’t anyone play on the road in that series?). Nor do I need to have all my cell phone apps staring me in the face while I’m trying to catch some late-night boob on Cinemax. Nor do I want to have to check my work email or answer my on-screen phone while I’m channel surfing. In short, keep Android and other mobile technology the hell up out of my TV.

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Last week, Samsung introduced the first 3D televisions to market (despite the fact that there’s no 3D content yet available), and there’ll soon be some competition. On Wednesday, Panasonic will follow in Samsung’s footsteps and introduce its own 50-inch 3D model in the U.S. The new television will retail for $2,500 and will be available at Best Buy. Panasonic and Best Buy will be jointly marketing the new 3D offering, with Best Buy reserving a special part of its showroom floor for customers to view and try the 3D sets.

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