LG unveils its BD300 Blu-ray player
Aug 11
As we reported yesterday, at a press event in New York City last night LG Electronics took the wraps off its new BD300 Blu-ray player, which can stream movies and TV shows from the Netflix website directly to a TV.
Also unveiled were two previously announced LCD TVs—the company’s first LCD to use LED backlighting, and two additions to the company’s “Scarlet” line of highly stylized LCDs. The company also disclosed plans for a national consumer-electronics recycling program.
As we learned yesterday, the BD300 Blu-ray player will be available in the fall, and can stream movies and TV shows from Netflix’s online instant-streaming service. Last night, the company filled in a few blanks, saying that it would be priced “well under $500,” and that the streamed content would be standard definition. To access content from Netflix, users will have to have a Netflix subscription that starts at $9 per month.
LG’s first TV to use LED backlighting with local dimming is the 47LG90 (see image at right), which will be available in September with a $3,600 price tag. The 1080p TV’s backlight is broken into 128 sectors, each of which can be controlled individually for improved contrast and energy savings. The sets have a “teardrop” design and blue color accents.
At the event, LG executives introduced two new super-slim Scarlet “sisters”: 42- and 47-inch LGX-series LCD models that are just 1.8 inches deep (and unlike Hitachi’s new 1.5-inch models, these sets include built-in tuners). Both models—the 42LGX ($2,700) and 47LGX ($3,000)—are 1080p sets that include LG’s TruMotion 120Hz technology to help reduce motion blur. The 42-inch set is already available (see image at left), and the 47-incher will hit stores in October. Both bear the trademark Scarlet design scheme of piano-black fronts and all-crimson back panels.
The company also announced a partnership with a company called Waste Management to launch an electronics recycling program that will allow consumers to drop off unwanted or broken CE gear at one of the company’s 106 recycling centers. The number of centers, run by its subsidiary, WM Recycle America, will continue to grow, and there will be sites in all 50 states by September, they said. There’s no charge for LG-brand goods (LG, GoldStar, or Zenith), while a “modest” fee will be imposed for items from other brands. To find the center closest to you, call a toll free number, 1-877-439-2795.
—James K. Willcox