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Hitachi's XR01 and HR01 series HDTVs -- world's first with iVDR portable storage
We're already seen Hitachi's 2007 domestic HDTV line-up at CES. However, Hitachi saved a bit of Wooo-niqueness for their Japanese launch. The new XR01 and HR01 series of sets consists of five new TVs boasting a world's first: an integrated iVDR removable storage module -- a portable storage format used almost exclusively in Japan. In fact, Hitachi stuffs a 250GB IVDR-S ("S" as in SAFIA DRM) disk into the bay to get your started. These disks can then be plugged into compatible bays on your video recorder, PC, camcorder, etc, for easy portability of your media. The XR01 series is the only set to offer 1080p panels: the 50-inch P50-XR01 Full HD ALIS plasma and 37-inch L37-XR01 Full HD IPSα (120Hz) LCD. The P50 features 1100cd/m2 brightness and 10,000:1 contrast ratio while the L37 brings along a 500cd/m2 brightness and 7,000:1 contrast. The pair of HR01 PDPs pack a 1024 x 1080 resolution with the 42-inch P42-HR01 offering a 10,000:1 contrast and 1,500cd/m2 brightness while the 37-inch P37-HR01 goes 3,000:1 and 1,300cd/m2. Bringing up the tail is the 32-inch L32-HR01 with 1366 x 768 resolution, 500cd/m2 brightness and 7,000:1 contrast. All the sets ship with a dual terrestrial digital tuners coupled with dual terrestrial analog tuners and come loaded with inputs: 3x HDMI, 2x Japanese D4, 2x S-Video, 3x composite, Firewire, and Ethernet just to name a few. The top end P50 plasma is expected by mid-May for ¥570,000 ($4,840) while the L32 LCD is expected to pop on April 20th for about ¥250,000 ($2,123). Japan only, naturally.[Via Impress]
Hitachi Wooo10000 series of 60 and 50-inch plasmas
In a fit of marketing orb-asm, Hitachi just went big in Japan with their Wooo 10000 series of plasma displays with HDMI. The top of the line W60P-XR10000 brings a new 60-inch 1080i ALIS panel rockin' a 1920×1080 pixel resolution, dual-digital and terrestrial analog TV-tuners, and 250GB of disk for hosting MPEG-2 recordings dumped from the integrated DVR. The W50P-HR10000 and W50P-H10000 both bring 50-inch panels capable of a 1280x1080 resolution with the HR packin' that dual-digital/analog tuner, DVR, and 250GB hard drive, while the H skips the DVR altogether while paring back the tuner to a single digital/analog hybrid. Price/availability breaks down like this: W60P-XR10000 in late December for an expected ¥950,000 (about $8,160), W50P-HR10000 in mid November for ¥550,000 (about $4,723), and the W50P-H10000 in late November for approximately ¥500,000 (about $4,295).
Three upcoming plasmas from Fujitsu Hitachi
Even though some folks have been predicting the death of plasma displays at the hands of LCD technology, the Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Corporation is still cranking out the ole PDPs (given their name, they kinda have to), as the joint venture has just announced that it will begin production of three new models over the next several months. First to hit stores will be a 50-inch panel with an odd 1,280 x 1,080 resolution that utilizes the company's proprietary ALIS (Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) technology to deliver an excellent 10,000:1 contrast ratio and maximum brightness of 1,300cd/m2. Next off the production lines will be a 60-incher with full 1,080p resolution, 5,000:1 contrast ratio, and 1,000cd/m2 brightness; this model uses ALIS-derivative e-ALIS, which helps smooth fast video movement on such a large screen. The last display to see the light of day will be another 50-incher, also utilizing ALIS tech -- as well as single-scan technology which only needs one chip for image processing -- that will feature full 1,080p resolution, a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, and 1,100cd/m2 brightness. These three models will start being manufactured in October, November, and March 2007, respectively, but as of now, there's absolutely no word on a US release schedule or pricing scheme.[Via HDBeat]
Hitachi unveils new 1080p plasmas
Fujitsu Hitatchi Plasma Display Corporation is going to keep rolling out their new plasmas, including two that are 1080p (1920x1080), and one not-1080p (1280x1080). The 50-inch HD panel based on their ALIS technology we've covered before with its oddly shaped pixels and resolutions, but great image processing and brightness, features a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, brightness of 1300cd/m2 and should begin production in October. The 1920x1080 50-inch plasma is their first to use single-scan technology (one chip for image processing instead of several) at that resolution, plus the same ALIS processing with a 10,000:1 contrast ratio and 1100cd/m2 brightness, but will not go into production until March 2007. The 60-inch plasma brings all 2-million pixels and a new e-ALIS processing system to help smooth fast moving images on the big screen, it has a lower contrast ratio of only 5000:1 and a brightness of 1000cd/m2. No word on price or possible US availability just yet.[Via Impress]
Hitachi's new 42HDS69 42-inch plasma
HD Beat has the scoop on an upcoming 42-inch plasma display from Hitachi that delivers a lot of features for its $2,500 price tag. The 42HDS69 accomplishes a native resolution of 1,080i through a rather strange pixel configuration of 1,024 x 1,080, sports such viewing enhancements as an anti-reflective screen and ALiS pixel barrier minimization technology, and features three each of component and HDMI inputs along with an optical audio out and CableCard support. No definitive release date has been announced, but the 'Beat reports that we can expect to see this model in stores "soon."[Via HD Beat]
