Audio Video News

The early-middle months of the year are like Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, take your pick) for home entertainment lovers because so many manufacturers of HDTVs, surround sound receivers, DVD players, and rechargeable batteries announce all the new gear they'll be bringing out just in time for the holiday buying season. (Wow, what a coincidence!) It allows us to drool for three, four, sometimes even five or six months over the thoughts of shiny new gadgets and gizmos and other cool things that are probably too big to fit in our stockings (hung by the chimney with care) or under the tree - but don't worry about that, we still want them, anyway.

Hitachi recently joined the revealing crowd and took the wraps off ten new projection HDTV models, giving, or so Hitachi says, "today's savvy consumers the opportunity to choose a television that meets their home theater needs." One suspects that Hitachi didn't mean to insult non-savvy consumers nor dissuade them from purchasing one of the new HDTVs. They simply wanted to let them know their lowly status in the modern-day consumer pecking order. (And, please, let us savvy buyers in the door of the mall first. It'd be nice if you'd hold the door open for us, too.)

Three of the newly introduced sets incorporate Hitachi's three-panel LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) light engine that offers a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a proprietary 25-Element Dual Focus Lens system. Hitachi says their LCoS design utilizes "an extremely thin liquid crystal layer that reduces the response time from light-to-dark transitions for sharper on-screen action." The lineup includes a 60-inch UltraVision CineForm 60T925 plus two UltraVision CineForm Director's Series models, the 60-inch 60X927 and 70-inch 70X927. Both series feature a Custom Color Temperature with four memory settings, while the X927 models offer a Digital Color Management III system that can store two separate settings - one for the photo memory card input and another global setting for the video inputs. The X927 sets also include Dual Deep Bass Woofers, a 40-watt three-way speaker system, and a Learning AV NET IV with Simple Remote control system that's designed to provide control of your entire home theater system with a small, hand-held, 12-button remote control.

The 60X927 will be appearing in stores near you sometime in November at a suggested retail price of $6,999. The 70X927 will follow in December at $8,499. The least expensive model, the 60T925, will be available in November and carry a suggested retail price of $5,299.

Hitachi's new LCD projection HDTVs will come in two flavors: the UltraVision VF820 and UltraVision CineForm VG825 series.

The VF820 models will include a 50-inch (50VF820), 55-inch (55VF820), and 60-inch (60VF820). Each will feature:

Three-Panel 720p LCD Light Engine with Exclusive Dual Focus Lens System

VirtualHD 1080p II circuitry that analyses and optimizes every frame of video as a digital still image

Quick Start Seamless HDTV and NTSC Tuners

CableCARD compatibility

separate Day and Night Memories for each source that can be engaged manually or with a built-in automatic timer

HDMI audio/video inputs

an anti-reflective diffusion screen

wideband component inputs

The 50VF820 and 60VF820 will be available in August for $3,099 ad $3,999 respectively. You'll have to wait for the 55VF820 ($3,399) until September.

The three VG825 models - 50-inch 50VG825 ($3,199), 55-inch 55VG825 ($3,499), and 60-inch 60VG825 ($4,099) - add a metallic black industrial design finish plus TV Guide On Screen interactive programming guide, an illuminated Roll & Click Remote with unique rolling wheels for quick channel changes or volume adjustments, and a USB input for viewing digital photographs. All of the VG825 models will be available in September.

Better start making your Christmas list now...