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CES 2008: LG Booth Tour

by: Dan -
More On: CES 2008
Chuck and I were given a tour of the latest LG video products and saw some very innovative and good quality Displays. LG, unlike some companies, still focuses on both LCD and Plasma lines. They are also one of those full-service companies that also offer mobile devices, appliances, audio and PC components under the corporate name. We of course were interested in products to enhance the gaming experience, which are primarily the video and audio units.

Our tour started with the flagship PG60 Plasma line, which sports both a 50” and 60”model. These TV’s were gorgeous with superior clarity and brightness. Their measurables easily show why they look fantastic, with full 1080p resolution, 30,000:1 contrast ration and 100,000 hour (30year) panel. They were nominated for a CES Best of Innovation award and the 60” model is a certified THX Display, while the 50”is in process.

The next stop was the P70 plasma line, which steps up to include wireless ready connectivity. With an optional wireless transmission component, both the 50” and 60”models can run on the 801.11n wireless network. Imagine streaming video through your media center or one of your next-gen consoles to this TV. That would be a sight I would like to see. The remainders of the specs are similar to the P60 line, with both sizes in process to achieve TXH Display certification by third quarter 2008.

As far as the LCD lineup, we were able to experience two fantastic looking TV lines that boast advanced capabilities. The LG75 is a LED Backlit LCD that features amazing 1,000,000:1 contrast and LG’s TruMotion 120Hz technology. This was one of those products on the show floor I had to look at twice. You could tell how good it was by the amount of people that were crowded around it. I stopped back after our booth tour to take another look it intrigued me so much. Much like the backlit LED set I saw at another TV company, these things are bright and beautiful. This could very well be the next technology to take off and become buzz worthy in the LCD world.

The second LCD line was the LG71 which features wireless capabilities. These sets come in 47” and 52” sizes and are full 1080p capable with 20,000:1 Dynamic contrast. They also have built in 120Hz TruMotion technology using the 820.11 wireless N standard via the included 50 ft range wireless receiver. The receiver includes four HDMI 1.3 inputs with Deep Color.

The LCD series I was most excited about was the LG70. These combine a super-slim cabinet with LG’s teardrop design and invisible speaker system. The sizes range includes 32”, 42”, 47” and 52” models. However, the features that are packed into these beauties are what truly make them special. Right of the bat, they have 120Hz TruMotion technology, 20,000:1 contrast and an intelligent light sensing system that adjusts the brightness and color to match the room. On top of that, there are four HDMI 1.3 Deep Color connections and color accents around the bottom of the cabinet. I’m really looking forward to testing this particular LCD line out to see how they handle the stress that a high-end gamer would put them through.

As far as audio, two new Home Theater systems were also on display including the shelf-style LFD850 and the upscale HTiB LHT888. The LFD850 is a 2.1, 160-watt system with LG’s parabola designed speaker and comes in a piano black finish. The control panel is a touch screen and the unit has CD playback, am/fm tuner USB port and full alarm clock functionality. The more fully functional LHT888 is an all-in-one HTiB that features four parabolic pedestal speakers that resemble their inspirations, a champagne glass. The LHT888 features 5.1 surround with 700w of total power and a 1080p up-scaling DVD player. Other features include a USB port, HDMI output and multi-format playback. Both look to be great solutions based on your size and feature needs.

Also on display were the LGX 42” super-slim LCD (1.7”) TV, LG60, LG50, LG40 and LG30 LCD lines. Check out all the images from the LG Booth Tour after the jump: