Hitachi Ultra Thin 1.5 LCD lineup headed for CES

Hitachi's not really reaching here in the naming department, but we sort of like the effect: the company's new Ultra Thin 1.5 LCDs are 1.5-inches thick (hence the name), and headed for Vegas. Coming in 32-inch, 37-inch and 42-inch sizes, the 1.5 line has been hanging out in Japan for a few months under the Wooo name (pictured), but CES will mark the design-centric LCDs' entrance into the States. The two larger sizes feature 1080p resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates, and all displays will be available in Q2 2008. It seems like the main tradeoff for the slimness and weight loss of this lineup is the lack of inputs -- the Director's and V Series only feature one HDMI plug and one D-Sub plug, while the S series includes a breakout box with three HDMI plugs and dual component inputs. Specs and model number breakdown is after the break.

[Killakai @ Jan 4th 2008 7:27PM]

ultra thin is nearly meaningless to me. a flat screen is flat and only a couple of inches thick as it is. I mean, 1.5 is cool, but for the price tag thats gonna come along with it, its not gonna matter to over 90% of flat panel customers.

[Senor_Tom @ Jan 4th 2008 7:31PM]

I agree, our LCD is say a few inches thick and when we got it i was in awe at how thin it really is. Besides i begin thinking that they will be getting kinda flimsy and if not to compensate the materials will be better....therefore a bomb of a price.

[Darkest Daze @ Jan 4th 2008 8:26PM]

I could care less if it's 1.5in thick or 3in thick. What I would like to see are better specs on picture quality.

[Ethyriel @ Jan 4th 2008 9:01PM]

They sure will be easier to mount to the wall. I'm worried about the consistency of the backlighting, though.

[Constable Odo @ Jan 4th 2008 9:52PM]

As I'd mentioned before, these companies are just trying to keep the price up on their sets. I honestly think they are running out of worthwhile features. A two inch thick set is thin enough and light enough. Who constantly looks at a display from the side, anyway? Higher resolution and refresh rates are fine, but this thinness stuff is getting out of hand.

[Killakai @ Jan 5th 2008 12:51AM]

Thin-ness is just a result of advances in production, it is an inevitable fact of flat panel life that I am quite underwhelmed with. If they want to impress me, add some functionality, add a built in DVR or a built in upscaling dvd player (on the bottom) or 2 way wireless connectivity with PCs out of the box. those are features that people want, that make sense to offer on higher end models.

[Elevator @ Jan 5th 2008 12:37AM]

WAY OFF TOPIC:

What is that background pic they are using? I would love that as a wallpaper on my computer!


On Topic:
who cares if its 1.5 or 3 inches thick. even if you are hanging it on the wall its thin enough. spend R&D money on picture quality and price.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 5th 2008 10:14PM]

TVs are already thin enough, especially LCDs. I wish instead they'd start to focus more on image quality than anything else. Especially colour and black levels.