HANNspree's 28-inch 1080p HT09 LCD HDTV comes to America for $500

Just in time for brands like Vizio, Panasonic, Sony and Sanyo to undercut it on Black Friday, HANNspree has swooped in and delivered its bedroom-sized 1080p LCD HDTV to the great lands of North America. The set, which was made available a few months prior in the UK, claims to be the planet's first 28-inch "1080p" HDTV, with a native 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, two HDMI ports, a VGA socket, integrated ATSC / NTSC / Clear QAM tuner, 3-millisecond response time, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, stereo speakers (5-watts x 2), audio in / out ports and an Energy Star 3.0 sticker for good measure. Not too shabby for $499.99, and we'd count on finding it even cheaper given the current level of competition in the sector.

[inteller @ Nov 24th 2008 11:44AM]

Hrmm....I can get a larger Sharp for the same price....I want this why?

[bob sakamano @ Nov 24th 2008 11:45AM]

because the bottom of the TV matches your grillZ

[eggothewaffle @ Nov 24th 2008 11:47AM]

Why you all in my grill (why, you all, in)
Can you pay my bills (can you pay my bills)
Let me know if you got 1080p (let me know, let me know)
Cuz a chick gotta HANNspree (a chick like me, I got to HANNspree)

[bob sakamano @ Nov 24th 2008 11:56AM]

eggothewaffle

you should write for woot

and by should i mean shouldn't

[Valicore @ Nov 24th 2008 12:55PM]

I thought it was "grizizzilz."

[Jake B @ Nov 24th 2008 1:19PM]

Why are you douchelords down voting eggo? He is probably gonna sell the song for Hannspree's new US advertising campaign.

[Jon @ Nov 24th 2008 6:44PM]

Sweet, a larger TV with a lower resolution, great idea inteller!

[Walt @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:34PM]

The reason I am interested in this particular unit is:
1) 1080p in a smaller form factor
2) 1900x1200 resolution as a monitor
3) I want to use it to read Safari online manuals and need this resolution in portrait mode with my 62-year-old eyes.
4) The price is reasonable.
5) I don't have space for anything larger.
6) I can use it in my RV/mobile workshop.

[Norm @ Nov 24th 2008 11:46AM]

I have a Hannspree HD TV and I love it. That 3-millisecond response time is what interests me the most.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 24th 2008 12:03PM]

We use HANNspree monitors at work.


Because they're cheap piles of dirt.

[bob sakamano @ Nov 24th 2008 12:12PM]

lowest ranked where do you work

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 24th 2008 1:03PM]

In your basement.

[Pikl @ Nov 24th 2008 1:30PM]

I dunno what you're talking about, Lowest Ranked. I mean, Hanns-G is by no means the poster child for the greatest monitors ever made... but I think that, by and large, they deliver a good product at a crazy low price. I'm very happy with my Hanns-G...

[Knives_Out @ Nov 25th 2008 12:54AM]

I love it!

2 hanns up!

[Stan @ Nov 29th 2008 11:36PM]

Tell us more about your experience with your TV. I've read some comments that the 28" monitor appears dark when viewed from below. What about the TV? Also, does it display bars on top and bottom when the content is HD (1080p)?

[Stan @ Dec 18th 2008 8:17PM]

I can now verify that the TV appears dark when viewed from below. I purchased one a couple of weeks ago. I like it overall, but this is definitely a negative. It looks fine from above and from basically any angle from the side. But if someone wants to lie on the floor and watch TV, this isn't going to work very well.

[Labrador @ Nov 24th 2008 11:49AM]

Can anyone say cheap 30 inch monitor?

[PyRo1509 @ Nov 24th 2008 12:01PM]

I got a 37 inch for the same price...

[Jack H @ Nov 24th 2008 12:25PM]

you know, you can consider a piece of plastic a moniter

[Matthew Hilario @ Nov 24th 2008 11:54AM]

and to think dat bluetoot was da only hanns pree debice.

[An Legend @ Nov 24th 2008 12:10PM]

English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 24th 2008 1:10PM]

or, not so Hilario

[Pikl @ Nov 24th 2008 4:21PM]

Why. Why do you ruin the internet so?

[Ray @ Nov 24th 2008 7:41PM]

Bluetoot mad me lol

[decapitor @ Nov 24th 2008 11:57AM]

Please manufacturers stop saying 1080p unless the resolution is 1920x1080. Say "1080p capable" if it's 1920x1200. It's not that I don't want the extra pixels per say it's just annoying to mislabel things. Then again sneaky labeling is applied to pretty much every other part of monitor specs so I shouldn't be surprised...

[AVG @ Nov 24th 2008 11:58AM]

Yeah, I agree. That awkward resolution isn't going to make things pretty. It'll either be stretched, flanked by black borders, or awkwardly scaled. Ew.

[Elora HRanma @ Nov 24th 2008 12:00PM]

1080p in a x1200 screen? Why? 16/9 is the video standard and 16/10 will only add a scaling factor to the final quality of the image... Or are they doing this to cater the attention of black bars fanatics?

[Dead_Rebel @ Nov 24th 2008 12:06PM]

Because 1920x1200 is an awesome PC resolution.

But yes, I agree, don't call it 1080p unless it's 1920x1080.

[pball_inuyaha @ Nov 24th 2008 12:16PM]

Well lots of companies do the same thing with 720p HDTVs. The ones that are 1366x768 which I just read aren't exactly 16:9 either but closer than 16:10.

I also wonder why they can't just use one standard resolution for each type of HD.

[Akshat @ Nov 24th 2008 12:15PM]

1080p in a 28 incher ... from HANNspree ... how do i say overkill and underkill at the same time?!

[decapitor @ Nov 24th 2008 12:19PM]

kill

[An Legend @ Nov 24th 2008 2:49PM]

Actually, for me, this is just right. I've been holding out for a while to purchase an HDTV between 26" and 32" due to the lack of an affordable unit that is 1080p capable. At 1920x1200 and 28", this would be perfect for my room, and would make an excellent companion to my PC, as well as my xbox. I'm a bit worried about the 16:10 aspect ratio, but if it's anything like my laptop monitor, it will probably add small black bars to the top and bottom of the screen (even then, most movies do not follow the 16:9 widescreen ratio). I will hold out a little while longer to see if the price comes down more, it will probably do so on Friday...

[Galley @ Nov 24th 2008 12:53PM]

What is that on the bottom of the bezel, a bike reflector?

[absinthe party @ Nov 24th 2008 12:59PM]

Oh boy oh boy, I hope those are swarovski crystals.

[Shawn @ Nov 24th 2008 12:59PM]

Finally, HD!
And priced for my budget, too
Christmas time is great!

[jorvay @ Nov 24th 2008 4:33PM]

Just a heads-up. Unless you want the high resolution for computer monitor use, you might not want to get to excited. Lets put is this way, if you can tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 28" screen, you should probably stop watching tv from six inches away with a magnifying glass. My advice would be to save the money and get a high-quality 720p unit, or go with a much larger screen to appreciate full 1080p resolution.

[Oreynid @ Nov 24th 2008 1:14PM]

This is basically the HANNspree HF-289HJB (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8718532&type=product&id=1200703080130) with an integrated tuner I would surmise. I have and actively use the HF-289HJB now, and I can tell you its a brilliant monitor. With regards to displaying 1080p content on the 289HJB, the set will either add black bars to top and bottom, or you have the option to stretch to 16:10 aspect ratio. The sound is nothing to write home about, but what do you expect?

I currently use my HANNspree 28" as a TV now, albeit without the tuner. My HD-DVD player is connected to it, as is my Wii. Text is crisp at 1080p over VGA (my laptop is near 5 years old. 1080p is the highest my Mobility 9600 will output without distortion). A PC monitor with a tacked on tuner and remote for $500 MSRP.....if I was in the market for a new pc monitor, this would be on my list. This even has analog inputs, something I dearly miss from my Gateway 2485W.

Some would argue the prudence of purchasing a 1080p capable set this small for this much, but I would rather spend more for a quality PC monitor than a cheaper, larger, lower quality TV set.

[Pikl @ Nov 24th 2008 1:22PM]

I hear ya, man. I'm currently running a Hanns-G HG-281DPB 28" monitor on my computer. 27.5" of viewable (glorious) LCD, 1920x1200 for under $400. As with yours, mine lacks an integrated TV tuner but does feature built-in speakers (I use an external 5.1 setup because monitor speakers suck and the ones on my monitor are obnoxiously quiet). The picture is bright and vibrant, and the monitor itself is plenty big enough to use as a room TV -- which is not far from what I often make use of it for. I have an HP remote hooked up to my PC so I can do exactly that: Watch TV on Vista's Media Center right in my room (though, more often than not, I find myself just watching Stewart or Colbert in their full episode viewers on their respective websites).

Ahhh.

[crispy @ Nov 24th 2008 5:50PM]

Wait, how do you have it hooked up to the wii? That monitor doesn't do composite or component does it?

[Garst @ Nov 25th 2008 11:12AM]

Crispy, it takes some digging, but I did find out that the TV does have 2 composite and 2 component inputs.

[crispy @ Nov 30th 2008 1:50AM]

No, the one up top has the 2 component and composite inputs, the monitor that pikl and crew are discussing has just a d-sub and hdmi port. So how is Pikl getting a wii, they can only output to composite and component to display on this monitor?

[Ari @ Nov 24th 2008 1:21PM]

Is this anything like the HannsG 8" computer monitor that Costco sells for $400?

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11236988&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US#reviews

[Ari @ Nov 24th 2008 1:22PM]

And by 8", of course I mean 28"

[Pikl @ Nov 24th 2008 1:27PM]

That's the same exact monitor I have: The Hanns-G HG-281DPB Super Ultra Motherfucking Badass Gaming Monitor.

Yeah, my jaw dropped when I saw that printed on the box, too... :D

[Ari @ Nov 24th 2008 1:31PM]

@Pikl

How do you like it? I'm curious how movies look on it.

[Oreynid @ Nov 24th 2008 2:34PM]

@Pikl: Yep, I do the same in regards to sound. I currently use a Yamaha RX-V361 receiver which I purchased first of the year for use with my then Gateway 2485W. I run a 2.1 channel setup, and will eventually expand to a 4.1 channel setup. With the news of the HT09 on the horizon, I am now in a dilemma: I can either upgrade my receiver to the RX-V863 which will upscale all analog content (with exception of component 1080p) to 1080p and output via hdmi, or I can save for and purchase the HT09 and keep my RX-V361. Choices choices. If I had the money, I would both purchase the HT09 AND the RX-V863, sell the older Yamaha HTR-5730 I'm currently using in my PC speaker setup and replace it with the RX-V361. That would afford me to have the 289HJB in my computer room as a monitor.

Currently, the Internet serves as my cable service, and let me just say that 720p content is a good sight to behold!

@Ari: I obviously can't speak for Pikl, but with regards to the 289HJB movies look phenomenal. You will have to play with it a bit to get the brightness and colors perfect, but once you do oh my goodness does it look good. Now admittedly, without dynamic contrast enabled I believe the unit only has 800:1 contrast ratio, but its still pretty good, especially for a panel this size.

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 24th 2008 1:23PM]

that's a nice motorcycle show

[nate @ Nov 24th 2008 3:27PM]

does anyone know where i can get this at a major retail store or online with free shipping, because i am about to return my 22 inch lg monitor that i bought for $230.00

[LonnieDvD @ Nov 24th 2008 6:09PM]

It's about time they made 1080p HDTV's that are 30" and under. I don't have room for a 40" 1080p HDTV, this one will do nicely when the time comes.