LG's Scarlet LG80 1080p LCD HDTV packs 3.1 sound system

The highly controversial (okay, maybe not so much) Scarlet series from LG is being expanded today with the introduction of the LG80. The natural step-up from the LG60 and LG70 features an undisclosed screen size (though we assume it'll range from 42- to 65-inches) with a Full HD (1080p) resolution, 30,000:1 contrast ratio, three AV modes (for movies / video games / sports) and a USB 2.0 port for piping in photos or digital video files. You'll also find a pair of HDMI 1.3 sockets, but the real kicker is the sound system. When powered on, two side speakers extend from the rear of the unit while working alongside the stationary center speaker and "subwoofer" to create a 3.1 system with 50-watts of output. Sure, it's not a 3,000-watt, 7.1-channel master rig, but it's probably decent enough for an inbuilt setup. Look for this one to ship everywhere save for the US and Europe starting later this year.

[Via Pocket-lint]

[who? @ Oct 13th 2008 12:33PM]

LG, why do you hate the yanks and the brits? We've been great about paying huge retail prices in the past...

[rock99rock @ Oct 13th 2008 12:42PM]

I mean, a "subwoofer" that close to the screen cant be good. Its better than standard sound im sure, but I see it as neither a pro or a con.

[who? @ Oct 13th 2008 12:44PM]

Maybe he's British? That sounds British. Is he British?

[Eli @ Oct 13th 2008 12:48PM]

3.1 implies that not only does this television have an inbuilt subwoofer, but it also has a centre channel speaker. Centre speakers are useful when your other front speakers are placed far from the screen, because they ensure that speech is perceived to be coming from the screen. However, when your main speakers are already inside the television, a centre channel is actually a bad thing, causing the soundstage to be narrowed, preventing sounds from seeming to come from the far left or right.

[Henry The 8th @ Oct 13th 2008 1:06PM]

3.14 Would be better... then you could have your cake, and eat it too. Or pi, delicious pi.

[who? @ Oct 13th 2008 1:29PM]

Pi ≈ 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998 628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701 938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648 566923460386104543266482133936072602491412737245870066063155817488152092096282925409171 5364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609...

That's a lot of pi.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 13th 2008 3:32PM]

Poontang pie FTW!

*Sigh* Dwayne, if you are reading this, I will start to watch again if you come back, it sucks now without you.

[J. Evans Turner @ Oct 13th 2008 12:51PM]

My Sony XBR910 has some damn-fine 2.1 speakers. The XBR CRTs had industry leading PQ and sound back then.

[rock99rock @ Oct 13th 2008 12:56PM]

Maybe he's a scrabble champion.

[justus87 @ Oct 13th 2008 12:56PM]

Who even uses built-in LCD speakers?

[From My Cube @ Oct 13th 2008 1:13PM]

thats what I am wondering....no self respecting person would show off a great LCD with piss poor speakers....50 watts of power? My lightbulb uses 100

[letstakeawalk @ Oct 13th 2008 4:12PM]

Your 100-watt bulb is wasting most of those watts as they turn into heat. Watts for a bulb are very different than watts for sound.

I do agree that the speakers in your LCD screen aren't even worth the system beeps and alerts, but higher-wattage stereos aren't always louder. The efficency of the speaker is most important! A 4-ohm speaker of average efficency will be as loud at 200 watts as a 16-ohm speaker is at 50 watts (roughly). A high-quality amp can put out surprising sound with very little wattage - hence the old saw "It's the first watt that counts."

[cesium @ Oct 13th 2008 12:58PM]

Jeez, this TV is ugly as fuck. What's wrong with the sides of it???

[michas_pi @ Oct 13th 2008 1:59PM]

That might be the LG design team not giving a damn.

[maty @ Oct 13th 2008 1:02PM]

Inbuilt is what I say more frequently.

He could be British, either way, he got it right.

[spice003 @ Oct 13th 2008 1:03PM]

they're trying to make it look like Samsung ToC tvs. They made it look like shit.

[who? @ Oct 13th 2008 1:15PM]

Or he plays lots of bookworm.

[MyHeadisFed @ Oct 13th 2008 1:46PM]

Ew. It looks almost "gamer" ish...which means really ugly.

[KilgoreTrout @ Oct 13th 2008 1:59PM]

Ridicolus.
I want to be able to choose mysurroundset up, change or upgrade some elements or maybe all of them, but specially I pretend my audio signals be channeled through a proper amplifier before going to sub and speakers, and if and when I'll have the money change that to with a preampli and a final.
to my ampli I need to connect my HTPC AND my media extender (don'task me why, it's a long story),my blueray player and also an optical feed comingfrom a 2.1 stereo in another room.
Actually I think that my next screen would not even have an inbuilt receiver which can be substituted by those inside my HTPC and/or a single box containing satellite & DTV-B rec. since analog TV will disappear (where I live) in a couple of months.

So if one is serious about his /hers set up and wants to buy a screen,he should buy just that, a screen, a separate set of receivers, and the audio system of his dreams to plug into it.
You'll get more for your money and you will be free to upgrade the single components when and if you feel like it.

[KilgoreTrout @ Oct 13th 2008 2:05PM]

I'm sorry to hear you have such a bad opinion of fuck.
Maybe once you should try it before calling it ugly.

[KilgoreTrout @ Oct 13th 2008 2:06PM]

It was a reply to Cesium.
Sorry, I'm a bit tipsy

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 13th 2008 3:34PM]

And yet your spelling and grammar are pefect. Kudos Sir, kudos....

[Snatcher @ Oct 13th 2008 4:14PM]

Some people have these TVs on bedrooms where it's not possible because of space, $$$ or both, to have a 7.1 system. I had several customers complaining about the sound of their 32, 37 or even 40" on their bedrooms and the cheapest/easiest way was to hook up a boom box to the TV.