It’s not quite the Oscars — so fewer flashing bulbs, designer dresses and gushing speeches, perhaps — but the annual EISA Awards are highly regarded in the electronics industry. LG has affirmed its rising status this year by scooping three top gongs.
EISA is the largest editorial multimedia organisation in Europe with a membership of 54 audio, video, mobile and photography magazines from 18 countries. Each year awards are presented to products that feature outstanding design, technology and features in their chosen categories — and LG has a trio of acceptance speeches to write before the official ceremony on 1 September.
Most prestigious is the Best Plasma TV Award for the 42PC1RR, a 42-inch plasma TV with an integrated digital video recorder. The screen has been acclaimed for high quality performance with the convenience of a single system to take care of both watching and recording duties. It’s the world’s first TV with a built-in pause function that lets you stop live TV in its tracks — so you can take a break to answer the phone or make a cup of tea without missing a moment of the action.
The new RH200MHS takes the Best Digital Video Recorder Award. It’s a hybrid recorder that offers user-friendly functionality with the versatility of both an integrated 250GB hard drive and universal software disc compatibility, including recently added MPEG-4 recording. The stylish design is available in black or silver to perfectly compliment modern flat-screen displays.
Last but not least is the Best HT Innovation Award for technology, won by LG’s AN 110, a flat, wall-mounted projector. The slim HD Ready device looks more like a contemporary piece of art than a projector. And, unlike other projectors, it can be mounted flat against a wall courtesy of two defining technologies — the L-type Projector Lens and the Reverse Type TR Prism — which have been hailed as a revolution in projector design.
Both the AN 110 projector (£1,500) and the RH200MHS recorder (£500) are available now, but watch this space for details of the 42PC1RR’s imminent arrival. And for more awards goodness, stay turned for CNET.co.uk’s own Editors’ Choice Awards 2006: the lucky nominees will announced at the beginning of September. -RA