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CES: The anti-big screen

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At a trade show awash in mega-big screen technologies -- one of the major stars was Panasonic’s 150-inch plasma, perfect for the person who wants a video billboard in the living room -- Venkat Eswara stood in a corner of the Motorola booth amid loud demonstrations of music phones.

But what he had in his hand was distinctive - a handheld television that you actually might want to watch.

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There are plenty of handheld TVs on the market, but the screens are so awful that they’re more frustring than fun. Especially in room light much stronger than a 60-watt bulb. And just forget about them outside.

But this 4.3-inch TV, the Motorola DH01, had a swell, wide-screen image. It might have not been the quality of LCD, but it was certainly watchable. And although I didn’t have a chance to try it outside, it stood up well to the bright lights of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

One problem - the DH01 can’t be used in the U.S. because the broadcast band it uses is empty of digital broadcasts here. That band is used in parts of Asia and Europe, though, for digital. And it might go online in the U.S. when all TV goes digital (an event that has been delayed several times but is now scheduled for February 2009).

In the meantime, Eswara was showing video of a soccer broadcast from inside the booth.

Time will tell if the little TV, which will probably sell for about $500, can score a goal.

-- David Colker

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