Mitsubishi Unisen Flat-Panel HDTVs Pack 16 Speakers

Mitsubishi's new Unisen flat-panel LCD HDTVs feature a 16-speaker Dolby 5.1 surround sound system and sizes from 40 to 52 inches.

Mitsubishi has rebranded its Premium Flat Panel TVs under a new Unisen brand…and packed the front grills with a small horde of speakers designed to give a premier audio experience. The three new series of Unisen televisions all feature an integrated 16-speaker Dolby 5.1 surround sound audio system that intelligently direct sound behind and around viewers to reproduce a surround sound experience.

"Mitsubishi is a very unique television brand, and in a virtual sea of flat panel TV offerings, so too is our new Unisen Immersive Sound Television," said Mitsubishi DIgital Electronics America’s VP of marketing Frank DeMartin, in a statement. "Unisen was built upon the principle of uniting world-class video imagery with fully integrated immersive sound technology to streamline and efficiently enhance the consumer’s home theater entertainment experience."

Each of the new models will feature HDMI connectivity, 120 Hz refresh rates, digital audio inputs, and EnergyStar 3.0 compliance. The sets also feature a new "UltraThin Frame" design so their bezels are less then one inch wide, and each model sports a wide color gamut backlight technology that Mitsubishi claims expands the sets’ color gamuts to about 25 percent more than a typical LCD television.

The Unisen sets will be available in three series—the 249, and 153, and 151. The 153 and 151 will sport 40, 460, and 52-inch sizes: the 153s will carry suggested retail prices of $1,999, $2,399, and $2,899 respectively, while the 151s will run $1,799, $2,199, and $2,599 for the respective sizes. the 249s will be available in 46- and 52-inch sizes for $2,799 and $3,299; all models should be available at U.S. retailers in May.