LG Time Machine TVs bring in DivX

Electronics maker LG has launched its Time Machine TVs, a series of LCD and plasma sets which put an emphasis on digital recording and playback. The TVs are the first from the company to be DivX certified, allowing high-quality video with compressed file sizes; to take advantage of this, each model has an 80GB hard drive, which can be used as a DVR with timeshifting and simultaneous watch/record abilities.

The sets can also be used for general DivX playback, or listening to MP3 audio, and viewing JPEG images. To copy or transfer files, users must connect to a TV's USB 2.0 port. The LCDs come in 37-, 42- and 47-inch sizes, while the plasmas are limited to 42 or 50 inches; models are now being sold in Europe, China and the Asia-Pacific region. North America may be a possibility, but DivX is generally frowned upon by American movie and TV companies, who associate the codec with piracy.