LG intros 1 billion-to-1 contrast plasma TVs,
updated 01:10 pm EST, Tue January 20, 2009
LG intros PQ-series plasma
LG has just introduced two highly advanced plasma HDTVs for its home market of Korea, with the Xcanvas bobos 42PQ60D and 50PQ60D. The 42-inch model reportedly has an unprecedented 600Hz refresh rate that eliminates nearly all motion artifacts while the 50-inch model has a particularly high one billion to one (1,000,000,000:1) contrast ratio. Both TVs also sport a USB port that lets users plug in external flash or hard drive storage and directly play back compatible files that include WMV and DivX videos.
Speakers are built into either TV, each of which is just over 3 inches thick. For efficient energy use, an ambient light sensor will dim the backlight of each set as conditions dictate, and the feature is said to reduce as much as 60 percent of a conventional plasma HDTV's energy use.
The pair was not part of LG's extensive display at CES, which also included a 600MHz LCD TV. The 42-inch 42PQ60D and 50-inch 50PQ60D will be priced at the equivalent of about $1,022 and $1,460, respectively when they are released in Korea in mid-February. LG has not indicated whether or not it will bring these PQ-series TVs to other markets such as the US or Europe, though 600Hz sets from different lines are already headed to the US later this year. [via SlashGear]
