Zenith To Show LG Products, HD Recorder
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 9/1/2003
Indianapolis— Zenith will use CEDIA Expo to take the wraps off some of the first products in its new high-end LG line, including new LCD TV and plasma display panels and an HDTV-capable digital video recorder.
Zenith will also show a Zenith-branded DVD recorder and a 17W-inch HD-capable LCD TV monitor.
LG model RU-23LZ21 is a 23W-inch HD-compatible LCD TV that features 1,280 by 768 pixel resolution, 350:1 contrast ratio and 450 candelas per meter squared brightness output. The viewing angle is said to be 176 degrees, and Faroudja DCDi deinterlacing technology is included. Slated for an October delivery, the LCD TV, which has an internal NTSC tuner and stereo speakers, will carry a $2,299 suggested retail price.
The Zenith-branded L17W36 is a 17W-inch HD-compatible LCD TV, which is slated for a September delivery at a $1,299 suggested retail. The unit offers 1280 by 768 pixel resolution, 450 candelas per meter squared brightness, a 400:1 contrast ratio and a 176-degree viewing angle. Faroudja DCDi imaging processing and stereo speakers are built into the panel.
In plasma display panels, Zenith will offer the LG-branded DU-50PZ60, a fully integrated 50W-inch high-definition TV set boasting 1,366 by 768 pixel resolution and an internal ATSC tuner. The set offers a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 1000 candelas per meter squared brightness, a flexible twin picture-in-picture function and RGB output jacks. The set is scheduled to ship to dealers in November at a $10,999 suggested retail.
An ATSC tunerless version — LG model MU-50PZ90V — is slated to ship in October at a $9,999 suggested retail. The 50W-inch HDTV plasma monitor offers virtually identical picture performance as the fully integrated set.
The LG LST-3410A will be shown displayed as an "HDTV digital video recorder." The set-top box contains tuners for ATSC (digital terrestrial), NTSC (analog terrestrial) and QAM (digital cable) signals. It will not include a slot for a CableCARD to unlock scrambled digital cable channels.
Added to the box will be 5.1 channel Dolby Digital compatibility, 120 GB hard drive and a DVI with HDCP digital output. The recorder will ship in November at a $999 suggested retail price.
Also slated is a Zenith-branded DVD recorder (model DVR313), which is based on the DVD-R/RW recordable disc formats. The unit is also compatible with DVD video, VCDs, audio CDs, MP3 and CD-R/RW discs.
The DVR313 will output user selectable progressive scan or interlaced video, and includes an internal Dolby Digital decoder. Four high-speed scan rates are offered at 2x, 4x, 16x and 100x rates.
The deck is slated to ship in the fourth quarter at a $499 suggested retail price.
