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Lenovo LeTV (IdeaTV) hands-on: a 55-inch Ice Cream Sandwich HDTV (video)

Is it a Google TV? Well, yes and no. Lenovo's just trotted out a spankin' new 55-inch flat panel dubbed LeTV or IdeaTV at CES Unveiled, and while it's got that special Mountain View magic within, it's of the Ice Cream Sandwich variety. That's right, the company's powered this set up with Android 4.0, slapped on its own skin and is prepping it for a Chinese launch later this spring. One of the company's reps treated us to a brief walkthrough of the next-gen TV, so hop on past the break to get a glimpse of the frozen delights loaded up inside.




Sporting a full HD resolution, it's no doubt Lenovo's giant is a beauty to behold. What's more impressive is the feature suite the company's packed into the TV. Running the aforementioned ICS OS with the company's own UX atop, on-screen navigation handles much like it does on a tablet. That is to say, there's a touch interface, but it's not on the panel itself. Bundled with the set are two remote controls that contain this touch input: one that looks very much like a traditional clicker and the other specifically for gaming. Instead of hard click directional buttons, the former remote has a capacitive touch control, letting users swipe through the menus and can also be turned on its side to function as a gaming controller -- but that duty is best left to its more dedicated cousin. Lenovo told us the set can also support up to four users on four separate remotes, allowing for an entire family or group of friends to interact.


If you're looking for inputs, this 55-incher has them aplenty. On the rear of the panel's right side are four USB ports, a microSD card slot and HDMI-in. When the TV launches in China this April, a planned VOD service will also come standard -- a partnership the company's struck up with a popular Shanghai-based content provider -- offering home viewers the option to stream a variety of films and shows direct to their living rooms. Jealous of this state-of-the-art set? You should be. It certainly has us considering a move overseas.