Four New Hitachi Interactive And High Definition TV Models Prepare Homes For The Digital Age
The Home Electronics Division of Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), announced the release of its 52LDX99B, a new 52-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) rear projection TV, at the CEDIA Expo, September 24-26, the international tradeshow for custom electronic designers and installers. Along with its 52-inch interactive learning TV, Hitachi also showcased its 36-inch direct view tube TV (36SDX88B) at CEDIA. Also at the show, Hitachiís new 61-inch HDTV, 61HDX98B was displayed in the main CEDIA booth, and its HDTV-ready model, 60-inch projection TV (60SDX88B) was highlighted in the DVDO booth. Boasting leading-edge audio and visual technology, a range of screen sizes and competitive prices, Hitachi TVs provide a premium home-viewing experience Hitachi not only creates exceptional home entertainment products, but offers a wide selection that meets all the different and demanding consumer needs ""making our products perfect for custom home installation,"" said Gary Bennett, Executive Vice President of Sales for Hitachi America Ltd., Home Electronics Division. ""Whether viewers want a multi-functional TV like the 52LDX99B that provides PC-ready capabilities, or wants best-of-the-best digital programming that our HDTV and HDTV-ready products provide, our innovative technology, design expertise and, will always stand out."" 52-inch LCD Projection TV From the LDX Series, the 52LDX99B features a 1.6-inch LCD panel that displays 1.44 million pixels onto a 52-inch screen and projects images more than four times as bright as a typical 36-inch direct view TV. Enhanced images are also attributed to the 52LDX99B?s Progressive Scan Display Technology that shows bright, clear pictures unmarred by flicker or other ""artifacts"" common to conventional TVs. With Hitachiís MultiScan Capabilities, the 52LDX99B is both PC and digital TV-ready, providing viewers with ultimate home theatre design flexibility allowing a variety of video sources and inputs, such as a DVD player, VCR or set-top box, and even a home PC. 52LDX99B capabilities include its PC-ready and Picture-in-PC (PIPC) features. The PC-ready function allows viewers to receive e-mail, surf the web and perform any task that they normally would with a computer monitor hooked up to a PC. Hitachiís advanced PIPC technology will display a television program as a sub-picture while using the TV as a computer monitor. This set is listed at $4,799.99 MAP and will be available in select retail outlets by first quarter, 2000. Fully Integrated HDTV And HDTV-Ready Sets Designed with a pedestal-like architecture and fine-furniture quality materials, Hitachiís HDTVs and HDTV-ready TVs present a flawless fit and finish. Offered in a variety of sizes, Hitachi allows viewers to enjoy digital programming with its 61HDX98B, a fully-integrated HDTV and its 36SDX88B and 60SDX88B, the HDTV-ready TV models. Encased in the design, the 61HDX98B, a 61-inch, 16:9 (1.78:1) ratio, rear projection model features a built-in 8 VSB digital decoder that receives all 18 ATSC digital broadcasting formats transmitted by more than 70 stations and a built-in DirecTV Plus receiver that accepts both standard DirecTV and 1080i high-definition DirecTV signals. Hitachiís HDTV-ready televisions, the 36-inch direct view 36SDX88B and 60-inch projection model 60SDX88B, are capable of displaying high definition signals from an external digital television decoder. All three models utilize leading edge Hitachi visual technology that ensures premium picture delivery. The companyís advanced projection optics use a six-element lens system, designed with high-quality optical materials and a wider electron gun, to create more clear, sharper images. The 36-inch direct view model takes advantage of a digital pitch (.78mm) Invar tube to display the highest quality digital signals. Further enhancing on-screen images is Hitachiís exclusive Magic Focus convenience feature that offers automatic corner-to-corner image convergence at the press of a button. Additionally, both the HDTV and HDTV-ready products scan at multiple frequencies (depending on the input source) and all three models are also compatible with 1080i broadcasts. SDTV and NTSC sources are displayed at 540p on the 61-inch HDTV, and 480p on the HDTV-ready sets, providing the added benefit of progressive scanning. To ensure premium audio delivery, Hitachiís HDTV and HDTV-ready projection models feature Dolby surround sound technology. The 60SDX88B uses Dolby ProLogic, while the 61HDX98B incorporates both Dolby Digital and ProLogic processing. Along with a 60-watt Bass Reflex speaker system, built-in center channel speakers, and outputs for a subwoofer, these sets create a movie theatre quality sound system. The 61HDX98B is listed at $7,999 MAP, the 36SDX88B is listed at $2,799.95 MAP while the 60SDX88B is listed at $4,299.95 MAP. All models are currently available in select retail outlets nationwide. For more information, visit the Hitachi Web site at www.hitachi.com.