The Ideum MT-50 retails for about $21,000 (USD) and is designed for use in museums, tradeshows and other exhibitions (why not my living room?) and features a massive 50-inch multitouch glass surface. It can detect up to 40 simultaneous points of input, so multiple users can interact with it at the same time. The MT-50 is designed for durability too. It’s built from aircraft-grade aluminum and steel, and the tempered glass tabletop is designed to be nearly indestructible.

The Ideum table offers a 1280 x 720 display, and ships with Gestureworks, a library which allows true multitouch interaction using Adobe Flash. By comparison, Microsoft’s Surface only has, 1024 x 768 resolution display, and requires that your develop apps using Microsoft proprietary toolkits such as WPF, XNA and Expression Blend. The MT-50 also bests the Surface standard build with a beefy 3GHz quad core CPU, versus Microsoft’s 2.13 GHz dual core.

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The MT-50 has already found its way into numerous museum exhibitions, such as this recent mashup between Google Maps and Flickr used in an exhibit at the California Science Center.

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And if the production 50-incher isn’t enough for you, the guys at Ideum have already built a custom 100-inch version of the table for one client:

Now all I need is one of these in my living room, and I’ll be all set.

The lineup ranges in price from $2700 all the way up to $7500 for the top of the line 60-inch Elite model. Below is a detailed list of models and release dates:

Pioneer has always produced some of the best plasma sets out there, so if you’re in the market for a set, you might want to wait until early Fall so you can check these models out.

The new LCD rear projection micro-displays are the 46-inch KDF-46E3000 and 50-inch KDF-50E3000. They feature a svelte new profile, measuring in at just 12.6 inches deep for the 50-inch model, and 11.9 inches deep for the 46-inch model. Similarly sized LCD and plasma flat-panel displays are around 5 to 6 inches deep without a stand, and around 11 to 13 inches deep with a stand, so these sets take up just about the same amount of space as flat panels if you’re not planning on hanging your display on a wall.

The displays both feature full 1920 x 1080 resolution with full 1080p inputs via HDMI. They support both 1080/60p and 24p frame rates for optimal playback of both high definition broadcasts and film content. The sets also include Sony’s advanced iris control for optimal contrast performance. Both models are compatible with Sony’s new $300 BRAVIA Internet Video Link module, which provides access to IP-based programming via an Ethernet connection.

Both sets are expected to be released this July. Pricing should be available a little closer to the release date.

The displays feature full 1920×1080 resolution panels, in a sleek design that conceals the built in speakers by hiding them in the sides of the cabinet. The sets also offer Samsung’s FilterBright2 Plus technology to help reduce glare and increase contrast even in bright environments. The displays will also have a wide array of inputs including three HDMI ports, and even a USB 2.0 port. Also on board will be a built-in ATSC/NTSC tuner for over-the-air television programming.

[via fosfor gadgets]

Both sets feature WXGA (1366×768) resolution and can handle 480p, 720p and 1080i source signals. The Cineon’s also offer an on-board NTSC/ATSC digital tuner for over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. The 42-inch model claims a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, while the 50-inch offers 8000:1. The sets also feature a diverse array of inputs including VGA, HDMI, component, composite and S-video. The displays are available for purchase now through custom A/V and home theater installers.