Funai aims to bring LCD HDTV / Blu-ray combo units to North America

When Westinghouse launched its 40-inch LCD HDTV / DVD combo unit earlier this year, we really began to think of just how nice it'd be to broaden Blu-ray's appeal by shoving a drive into a new set for those looking for simplicity. Enter Funai -- the company currently responsible for the lowest priced standalone BD deck on the market -- which is reportedly aiming to loose an LCD HDTV with built-in Blu-ray player on the North American market next summer. The company typically brands its wares with names like Sylvania, Symphonic and Emerson, so we wouldn't expect the highest-end stuff here. That said, we're glad to see someone taking this very necessary step, even though you won't catch us recommending 'em to anyone but the technologically challenged. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

[Via CrunchGear]

[kyle allen @ Aug 13th 2008 4:40PM]

yay?

[Dan Halen @ Aug 13th 2008 4:46PM]

Yeah... I'd like to react to this in some way, but... I'm coming up with nothing, here.

[neofolklore @ Aug 14th 2008 7:44AM]

or I guess you could buy a mac. like no seriously, its completely appropriate for this article.

[Hexing @ Aug 13th 2008 4:50PM]

well... that was like a buzz kill.

[Boarderwoot @ Aug 13th 2008 4:56PM]

Since their niche market is the cheapo end of the spectrum they could have shaved a couple bucks off the price and put a VHS tape deck in instead. That would have been a more interesting subject for an article.

[unicode787plus @ Aug 14th 2008 12:21AM]

Who still cares about VHS? VHS isn't hi-def, it's not even std-def, it's low-def! (240i vs DVD's 480i/p vs BD's 720p/1080i/p)

Now if you strike out VHS and say instead D-VHS/Blu-ray combo, then you're in serious business. (As this engadget user writes this, he hopes Panasonic does a HDTV/D-VHS/BD monster combo unit as a follow up to its TV/VHS/DVD combo unit from years ago, hehehe...)

[Daza @ Aug 14th 2008 1:16AM]

Panasonic already have a Twin HD tuner + BD-RW unit with 500GB HDD inbuilt. Why would you throw D-VHS into the mix especially when it has less market adoption than HD-DVD? Sure, D-VHS is cool, but I think the networks would have more fun with it than a consumer would.

HDTV/BD/HDD seems like a much better combination.

[Homeboy @ Aug 13th 2008 5:24PM]

In the end you'll end up with an okay TV paired up with a slow and crappy Bluray player that can only recognize very few types of media.

[Michael Witt @ Aug 13th 2008 5:22PM]

Cool. But how much will it cost?

[GaryZ @ Aug 13th 2008 5:36PM]

hey, that's another layer of copy prevention over HDCP! LOL

[dan @ Aug 13th 2008 6:58PM]

The brand name always makes me think of a word that could be spelled "Punani." I could never own this product.

[randorf @ Aug 13th 2008 8:01PM]

I for one can't wait to buy a Blu-Ray-LCD combo. Can't stand having more than necessary as a stand-alone in my place. Put a DVR in it too and I'm in heaven.

[unicode787plus @ Aug 14th 2008 12:23AM]

I think Panasonic would first make a HDTV/D-VHS/BD monster combo unit before someone else thinks a HDTV/DVR/BD combo unit.

[Alfred Poor @ Aug 14th 2008 8:44AM]

FUNAI has bought the marketing rights to the Philips brand, so in addition to the brands listed here, the product could apper with the Philips nameplate.

Alfred Poor
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