The kitchen is no place to skimp on home theater products – or so says LG Electronics. The maker of both consumer electronics and home appliances has mashed them both into one with their new HDTV Refrigerator, which features a 15-inch high-definition LCD screen built into the door.
TVs in refrigerators are nothing new. In fact, LG claims the impetus for this latest project was the success of its earlier Weather & Info TV Refrigerator. But this is the first time high-definition TV, previous relegated to the living room, has moved in next to the vegetable crisper.
The TV features a built-in tuner for high-def channels, along with a remote, FM radio, and inputs for a DVD player on top of the fridge. A separate 4-inch LCD screen on the left door displays the weather forecast. The unit can also function as a recipe bank, photo album, and digital organizer. Even the user manual and room temperature can be accessed through the LCD screen.
"As an appliance industry leader in digital convergence, LG Electronics is constantly seeking out ways in which we can create innovative, stylish and functional products," said John Herrington, president of LG Electronics USA’s digital appliances division, in a statement.
In case you would like to use the fridge for more than entertainment, it also includes all the usual features, like an icemaker and crisper, as well as some less usual features, like a wine rack. Save your pennies, though: watching high-def Saturday morning cartoons with your bowl of cereal will cost you about $3,999 when the fridge comes out in the second quarter of 2007.
