New York – Toshiba unveiled Thursday the latest addition
to its family of LCD TV/DVD combo products — a 19-inch HD model with a
stainless-steel-look cabinet designed for kitchen applications.
Model 19LV612U
will ship in September $350 suggested retail.
Meanwhile, the
company also used the occasion to officially address unattributed reports out
of Japan that the company was preparing to market Blu-ray Disc players and/or
recorders for various international markets beginning in 2010.
The company said: “It is true that we are discussing
this [Blu-ray entry] issue and will deal with it with flexibility, but we have
not made any decision at this moment.”
The company said
that due to economic conditions, its XDE up-converting DVD players continue to
sell well as step-up alternatives to entry up-converting DVD models, and are
more affordable options to the purchase of most Blu-ray players.
As for the new
combo unit, Toshiba said the stainless-steel-look set offers an all-in-one
entertainment ensemble that combines style and picture excellence, with the
look of stainless steel for today’s kitchen designs.
Toshiba used a
House Beautiful Magazine showcase in Rockefeller Center to unveil the new
product. A major sponsor to the lifestyle publication, Toshiba had used the
showcase earlier in the week to launch its entry into the digital media frame
category with two 8-inch and one 10-inch frames designed for digital photos and
various other media applications delivered via a built-in Wi-Fi receiver.
“Toshiba is truly
a powerhouse and market leader in the LCD TV/DVD combination category. Our
proven success is driven by our passion to create quality, high-definition TVs
for every room of the home,” stated Jodi Sally, Toshiba Digital A/V Group
marketing VP. “We wanted to provide consumers with a TV that could coordinate
perfectly with a kitchen’s decor. Design innovation is an integral part of
Toshiba’s history and our new Stainless Style TV is the latest example of our
leadership in this area.”
The stainless style
LCD TV combination complements stainless-steel kitchen appliances including the
Viking stainless-steel appliances in the House Beautiful showcase.
The combo set features
a built-in DVD player, useful for playing cooking shows recorded to DVD discs.
By building the player into the set, homeowners reduce clutter from their
counter tops without removing a valuable A/V component source.
The screen is
configured to a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio and connectivity includes HDMI and
PC inputs, allowing the TVs to be used in conjunction with a computer.
All Toshiba LCD TV
combination models are Energy Star compliant.
For distribution,
Sally said Toshiba will be targeting CE dealers with both TV and major
appliances departments, and plans to co-merchandise the unit with stainless-steel
appliances in stores.
