Las Vegas – LG is expanding its
assortment of HTiBs equipped with 3D Blu-ray players to four from three and
expanding its soundbar selection to three models from one.
Here at CES, the company is
unveiling four new 3D Blu-ray 5.1-speaker HTiBs, all incorporating LG’s SmartTV
platform to access online audio and video services. They ship in February.
This year’s models feature an
expanded roster of Smart TV content partners, and like last year’s 3D models,
they access LG’s app store to download almost 200 free and paid-for apps.
The top two HTiBs are also LG’s
first U.S. HTiBs with proprietary 3D sound technology, an algorithm said to
synchronize audio with 3D picture depth when playing back 3D video from Blu-ray
discs and broadcast sources. The 3D sound technology also works with 2D video.
The top two models also feature
HDMI 1.4a output with audio return channel, and the two are the first LG HTiBs HDMI
standby passthrough, enabling users to connect a cable or satellite box to the
HTiB’s HDMI 1.4a inputs and play back video through the HTiB-connected TV even
when the HTiB is off.
The top two models are also the
first from the company with an extra driver in each front and rear left-right
speaker to create a more enveloping, denser soundfield around listeners. The
extra driver fires upward into an opening in the baffle, and its sound is then
deflected out of the baffle after hitting an inverted cone.
Also new this year is embedded
Wi-Fi in all models, whereas two models last year came with embedded WiFi 802.11
b/g/n, and two others used Wi-Fi dongle, which was included in one of the
models.
All four models also feature
remote control via iPhone and Android apps, iPod/iPhone-compatible USB port, playback
of audio and video – including DivX HD video and MKV — on a USB-connected hard
drive or USB stick. The top two add stereo Bluetooth. None features 2D-to-3D
video conversion.
Pricing hasn’t been finalized,
but the company is looking to bring the opening price of 3D HTiBs down to last
year’s 2D pricing, which started at a suggested $299. In last year’s line 3D
HTiB pricing started at a suggested $399.
The 2012 line starts with the 5.1
BH6720S, which features satellite speakers with 15-degree tilting bases. The
step-up BH6820SW lacks satellite speakers with tilting bases but adds wireless
surround speakers. Both lack HDMI inputs.
The BH9220BW 5.1-channel system adds
stereo Bluetooth, two HDMI 1.4a inputs, HDMI standby passthrough, larger
speakers without tilting bases, the upward-firing driver in each left and right
front and rear speaker, and wireless surround speakers.
The top-end adds front
floorstanding tower speakers and smaller, wireless surround speakers.
Smart TV services include Netflix,
Hulu Plus, Vudu, CinemaNow, Amazon VOD, YouTube, Pandora, MOG, and more. The
system also downloads free and paid-for apps.
In soundbars, the company is
coming to the show with three new models, two with stereo Bluetooth, one with
wireless subwoofer, and one with embedded subwoofer. Pricing was unavailable.
The NB3520A 2.1-channel soundbar
comes with wireless subwoofer, stereo Bluetooth, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1
decoders, digital audio input, and proprietary 3D sound algorithm to
synchronize sound output with a 3D picture’s depth. Other features of the
300-watt wall-mountable bar include USB port to play MP3 and WMA files from USB
drives. It’s designed for 42-inch TVs and uses the TV for source switching.
The NB2420A is a two-channel soundbar
with the same features as the NB3520A but without subwoofer. Output is 160
watts.
The 80-watt NB2520A, sized for
37-inch TVs, is a one-piece model whose subwoofer is embedded, and it adds HDMI
connectivity. It features three HDMI 1.4a inputs and one HDMI 1.4a output. It
is not wall-mountable, but it features Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 decoding.
Because of its size and HDMI
inputs, it’s targeted to secondary rooms such as bedrooms where gamers, for
example, can connect their game consoles via HDMI.
It ships late in the first half;
the other two ship in March.
