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LG has given Crave a sneaky first look at a range of AV playback equipment inspired by its beautifully crafted Chocolate phones, also known as the Black Label series. We spotted them during our behind the scenes tour of LG’s Corporate Design Centre in South Korea, and though we weren’t allowed to take pictures (the TV pic is a CNET.co.uk mockup, so handle with care…), we can bring you a few tasty details.
Among the kit were the PY350 and PY360 50-inch and 60-inch plasma televisions — which are being touted as the flagship items in the Black Label AV range. The televisions use the same glossy “piano black” finish as the KG800 and have touch-sensitive buttons that glow to life when you get close to the control panel. The sample on display wasn’t fully complete, which might explain why the buttons were white instead of red, but the overall aesthetic was pretty nice.
LG says the PY360 and PY350 will use Clear Filter Technology — in which the front of the screen is protected by a thin film instead of thick, heavy glass. This makes the televisions thinner and lighter than ordinary TVs and more importantly reduces the ‘double image’ reflection you get from most shiny screens. If you’ve ever watched TV in a well-lit room and could see as much of yourself as you could the actors, this is something you should be interested in.
Also on show was the Black Label HR90Z DVD recorder. Again, the design of this player borrows heavily from the Chocolate handset, right down to the touch-sensitive red buttons. It has a slightly retro aesthetic, conjuring images of an ’80s VCR, but an angular front control panel helps it stand out from its rivals.
LG will round off the ‘Chocolate’ AV assault with the HT752TP — a KG800-inspired home theatre system to go with the chocolate telly and DVD recorder. It has a pyramid-shaped chocolately control panel sitting above a chocolately amplifier, and is flanked by chocolatey flat-panel speakers.
LG is also expected to release a Chocolate-styled Blu-ray player to supersede its BD100, but not until mid/late 2007, which is when we expect the rest of the Black Label AV range to reach the shelves. We’ll update you with UK release dates, changes in model name and pictures as soon as we can wrestle them off LG. -RR
