LG Unveils Network Blu-ray Players, LH55 LCDs, PS80 Plasmas

LG announced a slew of new products during its press conference here at CES 2009.

It unveiled the LHB954 and LHB979 Network Blu-ray Home Theater Systems, the BD390 Network Blu-ray Player, LH55 Series LCDs, the 55LHX LCD and PS80 Plasmas. No pricing or availability was announced.

The LHB954 Blu-ray Home Theater System features five spherical surround speakers, one subwoofer and an integrated Network Blu-ray player.

The Network Blu-ray player also has access to BD-Live and instant streaming of Netflix, which LG first offered on its BD300 Blu-ray Player.

Other features:

• iPod and iPhone dock that doubles as a recharging station
• A 1000W 5.1-channel speaker system
• Audio decoding with Dolby TrueHD and Digital Plus

LHB979 Network Blu-ray Home Theater System

The LHB979, which was tuned by Mark Levinson, features two tall boy speakers with multiple drivers in parabolic housings and two satellite speakers with wireless connectivity.

Inspired by the form of a champagne glass, the 1000W 5.1-channel system also Netflix streaming, DVD upconversion to 1080p and access to BD-Live content.

There are two HDMI inputs that allow for switching between A/V sources.

BD390 Network Blu-ray Player

The BD390 joins the growing list of LG products offering Netflix streaming. The player also offers upscaling of DVDs to 1080p and wireless networking to access entertainment anywhere in the home.

The BD390 also features:

• BD-Live content and 1GB of built-in memory
• BonusView with picture-in-picture
• Dolby TrueHD, Digital Plus and DTS-HD Advanced Digital Out

UPDATE (May 19, 2009): LG is now shipping the BD390 Blu-ray Player. MSRP: $399.95

LH55 Series LCDs

The LH55 Series of 1080p LCDs come in 37-, 42-, 47- and 55-inch models that each offer a response time of 240Hz. Each LCD in the series comes with a USB 2.0 port for access to jpeg, MP3 and HD DivX files.

The Energy Star-rated LCDs also have Intelligent Sensor technology to automatically calibrate the picture based on the brightness and color temperature in the room.

A new seven-step calibration process, Picture Wizard, allows viewers to adjust picture settings with on-screen reference points for each setting. LG will also be showing its new Broadband HDTVs that will be released this spring with built-in Netflix streaming software.

55LHX 55-inch LCD

The Energy Star-rated 55LHX is less than one inch deep and has speakers integrated into the frame, eliminating the front grill speaker.

It has LED backlights, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a 240Hz response time.

The 55LHX uses an external media box to connect all source components and transmits 1080p wirelessly. The 55LHX is also equipped with USB 2.0 and Intelligent Sensor.

PS80 Series Plasmas

This is LG's new 1080p plasma series with 50- and 60-inch models that have 600Hz FluidMotion technology and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

The plasmas also feature:

• ISFccc and THX Display Certification
• A single-layer design
• Broadband connectivity including access to content from a PC

The Energy Star-rated 50PS80 (50 inch) also comes with USB 2.0.