Samsung to have LED backlit LCDs by September

Sony has been shipping LED backlit LCDs since November of 2004, but we doubt many of you have ever seen one, let alone own one of them, but Samsung is getting into the game too. Both of the Sony versions are in the Qualia line which means they were mucha-money, to the tune of the 1080p 46-inch (pictured) MSRP'd at $15,000 and its younger brother, the 40-inch version was just a tad cheaper. The vast majority of LCDs employ cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) to light up the LCD panel, but this new technique should be cheaper and have better color consistency. Samsung sure has worked on the cheaper part as this 40-inch European bound LCD has a price tag of $3,000. We don't know when a US version is coming, but you know the drill, once we hear something we will let you know. DigiTimes is reporting that while the pricing of the LED backlighting units (BLU) are around $610 this year compared to the $210 for the CCFL, the LED ones are expected to drop to $315 but in 2009.