LAS VEGAS — Westinghouse Digital showed at International CES that it is stepping up to the 4K Ultra High-Definition plate in a big way by unveiling edge-lit LCD models in the 50-, 55- and 60-inch screen sizes. It was also one of three brands to also show a 110-inch 4K demo model.
Rey Roque, Westinghouse Digital’s marketing senior VP, said that just as the company brought high-resolution value to the first 1080p HD sets, it is now poised to bring value to Ultra HD.
Unlike the currently available $20,000-plus 84-inch Ultra HD sets from LG and Sony, Westinghouse is going to offer its sets starting in the first quarter at the bargain suggested retails of $2,499 for the 50-inch set, $3,000 for the 55-inch set and $3,995 for the 65-inch set.
The 110-inch model will be available only by custom order.
But unlike Sony and LG, Westinghouse’s models will be barebones displays with no onboard smart-TV features and no elaborate 4K up-conversion video-processing technology.
Instead, Roque said, Westinghouse expects viewers to use the 4K video-processing converters that come built into select Blu-ray Disc players, A/V receivers and other devices to handle that load. To present pictures from regular sources, the sets will have only simple 4K up-scaling circuitry and 120Hz refresh rates.
Ultra High-Definition TVs offer up to four times the resolution (3,840 by 2,160) of today’s 1080p sets, when viewing currently scarce native 4K UHD produced content.
In other news, Westinghouse Digital is introducing its next generation of Roku Ready LED TVs. Select 1080p LED models will include the Mobile High Definition Link (MHL) technology in an HDMI port to allow users to plug in a Roku Streaming Stick.
The Streaming Stick is a flash-drive-sized device that carries software for the Roku interface platform as well as Wi-Fi reception. Viewers plug the Streaming Stick into one of the MHL-compatible HDMI ports on the TV to connect to Roku content over an available Wi-Fi network.
In addition to the 60-inch IPTVs, Westinghouse Digital also showed a full line of edge-lit LED TVs for 2013. The new models range from 28 to 60 inches.
