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Planar dives head first into high-end home theater market by acquiring Runco
Joining the growing array of recent acquisitions is Planar and Runco International, as just today Planar has written a check for $36.7 million to take on the assets of privately-held Runco International, Inc. Planar, while not a household name in the home theater biz, managed to hold its own amongst competitors in the HT market, and while the majority of its products catered to the mid-range consumer, we suspect that picking up Runco was the easiest way to launch into the high-end realm. As expected, it looks like the Planar, Runco, and Vidikron brand names will remain as they are, and just as Planar will continue to sell through its current network of distributors, it sure sounds like Runco will remain a niche offering rather than bleeding over towards the mainstream.
Vidikron intros 65-inch VP-6500VHD 1080p plasma
Vidikron's PlasmaView line of plasma TVs certainly isn't lacking in sizable sets, with 42, 50, and 60 inch variations to choose from, but the company seems to have deemed it necessary to raise the stakes even further, introducing the 65-inch VP-6500VHD. In addition to being the biggest, the set is also Vidikron's first 1080p plasma display, as well as apparently the first plasma display from any company to get the THX stamp of approval. As you might expect, those particular bragging rights will come at a hefty price, with the VP-6500VHD demanding an even $20,000. Although for that price, you will at least get you choice of standard black or brushed anodized aluminum frames, as well as the option of a model specially designed for high-altitude viewing.
Vidikron's new DView line of LCDs
Vidikron intro's a new LCD line, the DView, complete three models out of the gate. The VL-26, VL-32 and VL-37 all feature 1366 x 768 resolution and Vidikron's Imagix digital video processing for artifact-free scaling. DVI input with HDCP also comes standard, so you won't have to worry about the next generation of digital content protection. Each LCD model features a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and the two smaller units also house an NTSC tuner; unfortunately you'll need to supply your own DTV signal. No word on price, so check in with your local dealer.
