Just returned from Toshiba’s press briefing, where executives spent a significant amout of time praising their new lineup of televisions.

Of course, everyone these days is talking about how their new technology is going to offer the clearest picture you’ve ever seen. In this case, Toshiba is promoting advancements in its Regza LCD models. These are the pricier sets in Toshiba’s lineup, featuring a host of new features,  including better volume control (to eliminate the annoying way volume varies from channel to channel and when commercials come on) and stronger picture enhancements, including technology that is promised to eliminate the motion blur sometimes seen on LCD screens.

But there’s another aspect of these TVs that seem to fit a theme that’s fast emerging here: The ability for consumers to have more control over all the forms of entertainment they enjoy: television programming, dvds, downloaded movies, MP3 files and Internet content.

The top line televisions are featuring more in the way of connection options, including flash memory card connectors, USB hubs and gaming console hookups. Later this year, the company expects to introduce a lineup that includes TV Widgets, a feature that allows limited access to Internet content. Toshiba also is  working with Microsoft on a feature (Extender for Windows Media Center) that will allow users to remotely access media files on their computers.

It’s interesting to watch what seems to be a race to replace the home computer. Will it be the cell phone or the television that does it in? Maybe a combination of the two?