Funai aims to bring LCD HDTV / Blu-ray combo units to North America
By Darren Murph 
posted Aug 13th 2008 4:36PM
posted Aug 13th 2008 4:36PM
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]
yay?
Yeah... I'd like to react to this in some way, but... I'm coming up with nothing, here.
or I guess you could buy a mac. like no seriously, its completely appropriate for this article.
well... that was like a buzz kill.
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.
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...)
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.
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.
Cool. But how much will it cost?
hey, that's another layer of copy prevention over HDCP! LOL
The brand name always makes me think of a word that could be spelled "Punani." I could never own this product.
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.
I think Panasonic would first make a HDTV/D-VHS/BD monster combo unit before someone else thinks a HDTV/DVR/BD combo unit.
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
HDTV Almanac