Hitachi Announces 11 New HDTV Models
Somebody over at Hitachi has been busy. No seriously. Like, they must be pulling all-nighters, or something because the company just announced 11–count 'em–11 new HDTV models that are set to be released soon.
First up in the Wooo UT800 Series are four new HDTVs. These LCDS are ultra-thin at 1.4-inches thick and use Ultra Wideband wireless tuner boxes, or Wooo Stations, that are separate from the TVs, allowing for a thinner bezel. The Wooo Stations sport a iVDR-S slot, a SDHC memory card slot and a 250GB hard drive. They can record HD television broadcasts and download content as well as view media from your computer by means of an Ethernet connection. Inputs include HDMI, auxiliary stereo and HDMI, plus a headphone output on the LCD panels and two DR, 1 composite, 3 analog audio and 3 HDMI inputs and an optical audio, telerecording and HDMI outputs on the Wooo Stations. With 120Hz panels, built-in brightness sensors and 500cd/m2 brightness, these LCDs are available in 32, 37, 42 and 47-inch models.
Also announced today were new models in the Wooo 03 line. These new models include four plasma TVs and three LCD TVs. The plasma sets range from the P42-HP03 coming in at 42-inches with a 1,024 x 768 resolution to the P50-XP03 coming in at 50-inches and a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Specs include 40,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio on all the plasmas, except for the P42-HP03, which has a 30,000:1 ratio. With improved efficiency, these plasma screens are designed to save energy. The new LCD models in the Wooo 03 line span the gamut from the L32-WP03 at 32-inches and a 1,366 x 768 resolution to the L42-XP03 at 42-inches with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. All seven of these sets include an iVDR slot, a SDHC memory card slot and a 250GB hard drive.
Pricing for the Wooo UT800 line will range from $2,499 to $4,300 and is set to ship in October in Japan. The Wooo 03 line, on the other hand will range from $2,000 to $3,200 with the LCDs set to ship later this month and the plasmas ready to hit store shelves in May.